Culture

Don’t Fall for the ‘Chaos’ Theory of the Protests

By invoking the word yesterday, Trump erased the purpose of demonstrators across the country. The media should not follow suit.

• Megan Garber
• June 2, 2020

Christo Found Beauty in Realizing the Impossible

The conceptual artist, who died yesterday at 84, made constructing quixotic, monumental projects his life’s work.

• Sophie Gilbert
• June 1, 2020

Lady Gaga Is Back and Smaller Than Ever

The sometimes-dazzling dance pop of Chromatica is a return to form, but she’s not overselling it.

• Spencer Kornhaber
• June 1, 2020

The Double Standard of the American Riot

The nationwide protests against police killings have been called un-American by critics, but rebellion has always been used to defend liberty.

• Kellie Carter Jackson
• June 1, 2020

What One Woman’s Shattered Career Reveals About the Music Industry

HBO Max’s On the Record details sexual-assault allegations against the rap mogul Russell Simmons—and homes in on the lives derailed by sexism.

• Hannah Giorgis
• June 1, 2020

Space Force Tells a Terrible Joke About America

And the timing couldn’t be worse.

• Sophie Gilbert
• May 30, 2020

The Creepy, Clever Sci-Fi Thriller You Need to Watch

The Vast of Night, now on Amazon Prime Video, is a sharp debut from a filmmaker you should pay attention to.

• David Sims
• May 29, 2020

Books About Kids, for Adults

The changes wrought by children: Your weekly guide to the best in books

• Myles Poydras
• May 29, 2020

How Is Jeffrey Epstein Still So Elusive?

A new four-part Netflix documentary strains to handle a subject who’s always out of reach.

• Sophie Gilbert
• May 29, 2020

Larry Kramer Knew That an Honest Debate Was a Rude One

With his debut novel, Faggots, the legendary AIDS activist, who died yesterday, demonstrated the profane morality that would define his career.

• Spencer Kornhaber
• May 28, 2020

Refusing to Wear a Mask Is an Empty Act of Defiance

Those who reject facial coverings during the pandemic do so amid broad consensus about what public safety demands.

• Megan Garber
• May 27, 2020

The Secret Lives of Teenage Sidekicks

Mindy Kaling’s Never Have I Ever joins a handful of new coming-of-age films that break with history to put young women of color at the center of the story.

• Hannah Giorgis
• May 26, 2020

25 Half-Hour Shows to Watch Now

If your attention span is frazzled, explore the compact joys of the 30-minute format.

• Sophie Gilbert
• May 24, 2020

The Advice That Most 2020 Commencement Speakers Won’t Give

Here’s the speech that graduates need to hear.

• James Parker
• May 24, 2020

30 Movies That Are Unlike Anything You’ve Seen Before

These films, each unforgettable in its own way, are essential viewing.

• David Sims
• May 23, 2020

The Books Briefing: Your Socially Distanced Summer-Reading List

Twenty titles for all your warm-weather moods: Your weekly guide to the best in books

• Rosa Inocencio Smith
• May 22, 2020

What The Great Reveals About Trump’s Pandemic Denial

Hulu’s new satire may be set in 18th-century Russia, but it understands the theatrical and nearsighted politics of the current moment.

• Shirley Li
• May 21, 2020

Charli XCX Captures the Weird Intimacy of Quarantine

The pop star’s daring album How I’m Feeling Now tries to make online hedonism match the real thing.

• Spencer Kornhaber
• May 19, 2020

The Big Story: The Day the Live Concert Returns

Dave Grohl and Jeffrey Goldberg discuss the unique magic of live music, live at 4 p.m. ET today.

• May 18, 2020