Listen and subscribe: Apple | Spotify | Wherever You Listen
A weekly culture roundtable from The New Yorker’s critics.
All Episodes
“Civil War” ’s Unsettling Images
Alex Garland’s latest film, in which the U.S. has collapsed into brutal internecine conflict, has polarized audiences with its depiction of violence—and its evasion of politics. In art and in life, how do such visuals change the viewer?
“Curb Your Enthusiasm” and the Art of the Finale
After twelve seasons and nearly twenty-five years, Larry David’s masterpiece of observational comedy has come to an end. What does it mean to say goodbye to a work of fiction that’s become a fixture in our everyday lives?
Why We Want What Tom Ripley Has
Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 novel, “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” tells the story of a grifter who goes to unthinkable lengths to assume a life style he covets. In the age of influencers, “Ripley” is more winning than ever.
Kate Middleton and the Internet’s Communal Fictions
In the months leading up to the announcement of Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis, online sleuths created a vivid fictional world explaining her absence. When conspiracy steps in, where does that leave reality?
Is Science Fiction the New Realism?
In an era of life-altering pandemics, advanced A.I., and climate catastrophe, anticipating the future can seem like a futile exercise. Is sci-fi our best chance at making sense of what’s to come?
The New Coming-of-Age Story
Vinson Cunningham discusses his début novel, “Great Expectations,” a bildungsroman that captures a particular moment in American life—and that offers some clues about where the genre is heading.
Why We Love an Office Drama
From Adelle Waldman’s novel “Help Wanted” to the sci-fi-inflected Apple TV+ show “Severance,” fictional depictions of work are getting darker, or at least stranger. What can the state of the workplace in art tell us about the workplace in life?
The Politics of the Oscar Race
The Academy Awards often say less about a film’s artistic merits than about the lengthy—and expensive—P.R. campaigns being orchestrated behind the scenes. So why do we care who wins?
How Usher, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift Build Their Own Legacies
Today’s leading artists are also savvy P.R. professionals who strive to shape their images in real time. Where does that leave the art itself?
The Painful Pleasure of “Wretched Love”
From “Romeo and Juliet” to “Anna Karenina,” ill-fated romance has made for some of the most iconic love stories of all time. What’s the appeal of unhappy endings?
Why We Can’t Quit the Mean Girl
The mean girl is a recurring character in the culture: a picture of femininity who rules her social world with an iron fist. Do we want to be her, or break her?
What Is the Comic For?
Standup comedy has long been an art of public transgression—but, in the age of the culture wars, do audiences want to be challenged, or affirmed?
The Case for Criticism
In the age of Goodreads and Letterboxd, with nearly every aspect of the cultural landscape up for review by professional writers and superfans alike, The New Yorker’s critics consider their vocation—and why it matters.
Can Slowness Save Us?
A growing body of literature champions the idea that rest is revolutionary. Is slowing down the answer to what ails us, or just the latest trend we’re being sold?
Portraits of the Artist
Hollywood’s depictions of artists have often leaned into stereotype, presenting romanticized, florid pictures of the lives they lead. A new wave of films about creatives complicates that fantasy.
The Year of the Doll
From Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” to Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” narratives about cloistered women contending with a new political reality have dominated the cultural landscape. Why do these stories hit so hard?
George Santos and the Art of the Scam
The ex-congressman has already pivoted from politics to pop culture—and become the latest beneficiary of America’s enduring fascination with con artists. Are we the ones being duped?
Hayao Miyazaki’s Magical Realms
The Japanese filmmaker behind “My Neighbor Totoro” and “Spirited Away” is renowned for stories about resourceful children navigating surreal, often perilous circumstances. In “The Boy and the Heron,” the eighty-two-year-old makes a rare return to his own youth.
The Past, Present, and Future of the Period Drama
“The Buccaneers,” a new television series based on the Edith Wharton novel of the same name, is the latest in a string of shows to mix a historical setting and a distinctly modern sensibility. Are the updates revelatory, or pandering?
Samantha Irby Knows How to Be Funny
A conversation with the acclaimed comic and essayist about humor as a coping strategy, her work on the divisive “Sex and the City” reboot, and the future of comedy.