“Under the sterile blue lights of his studio, Fallon laughs endlessly at the same pseudo-jokes, rubs elbows with Trump and Sam Altman, and ushers in the death of culture.”
television
Posted inEditor's Pick
Who Is Black Comedy For?
“A new book is nostalgic for the ’90s. But the era of crossover success was not necessarily the pinnacle of Black comedic achievement.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
It’s the Music You Hear All Day, Without Ever Noticing
“Sync music” has become the soundtrack to our lives — whether we realize it or not.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Everyone Is Stealing TV
“Fed up with increasing subscription prices, viewers embrace rogue streaming boxes.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Hollywood Has Left L.A.
“For years, studios found it cheaper to shoot elsewhere. Post-industry-collapse, elsewhere is the only place they’ll shoot.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
How I Learned to Become an Intimacy Coördinator
“At a sex-choreography workshop, a writer discovered a world of Instant Chemistry exercises, penis pouches, and nudity riders to train for Hollywood’s most controversial job.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Our Narrative Prison
“The three-act ‘hero’s journey’ has long been the most prominent kind of story. What other tales are there to tell?”
Posted inCuration
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending notable stories by Kelley Engelbrecht, Sam Anderson, Lindsey Liles, Jeannette Cooperman, and Claire McNear.
Posted inEditor's Pick
A ‘Jeopardy!’ Win 24 Years in the Making
“Harvey Silikovitz first auditioned for ‘Jeopardy!’ in 2001. On Monday, he finally got a chance to play.”