Basically since its inception, pop music has put as much effort into glamorizing what happens behind the scenes as what happens in front of it. The pop stars of the modern era replaced folk heroes not just in popular opinion but also in terms of mythbuilding, with their origin stories as important to their success […]
Cannibals, Midwesterners, and Talking Horses: The Best TV of 2015
TV in 2015 was wonderfully weird and eclectic, with basic cable taking up more of the critical conversation and Netflix continuing its ascent as a major player. Our favorite shows this year ran the gamut, from pop superheroics on the CW to the finales of long running faves like Mad Men to new entries from emerging […]
The Humbling of Frank Underwood: Looking Back on Season 3 of House of Cards
Warning: spoilers for the first two seasons of House of Cards are below When I think of House of Cards nowadays, the first word that comes to mind is “pity.” I know this is more than a little strange; after all, this show was made popular by way of its pitilessness, and set into motion by a […]
Double Consciousness: Mad Men is the Superhero Show We Need Now
Here’s a trick: Find a person you love and offer them something no one has ever seen, that no one will ever see again. Admire their astonishment. Then, produce a peanut. It could be anything in a shell—an oyster, say, but that’s messier to share. Crack it open, and each eat one of the nuts. […]
Editorial: Why Netflix’s Gotham Deal Could Be a Sign That Netflix Will Save the Networks
In a deal that made so much sense that even Fox couldn’t fuck it up, Netflix has already acquired the rights to stream the new show Gotham before the first episode has even aired. Hell; the pilot hasn’t even leaked yet, at least not to my knowledge. Deadline alleges that the cost for grabbing the early […]