Television

"Life doesn't imitate art, it imitates bad television." —Woody Allen

Negative Space: Close Reading Trauma Porn
Maya Gurantz dissects the structure and comes to terms with the compulsive appeal of streaming abuse documentary series.
Maya GurantzApr 15, 2021
- Television
Negotiating the Generic Closet in the Writers' Room
In an excerpt from The Generic Closet: Black Gayness and the Black-Cast Sitcom, Alfred L. Martin Jr. explores the politics of writers' rooms.
Alfred L. Martin Jr.Apr 7, 2021
- Television
Disney's Disembodied Black Characters
From The Princess and the Frog to Soul, Hope Wabuke asks why can't Disney let Black characters play Black characters?
Hope WabukeMar 23, 2021
- Television
No Witness: "Warrior" and the Histories of Anti-Asian Violence
Min Hyoung Song considers the nineteenth-century world of Cinemax's martial arts series Warrior in light of contemporary Anti-Asian violence.
Min Hyoung SongMar 22, 2021
- Television
Nostalgia for Nostalgia: BTS on American TV
In the wake of their spectacular Grammy performance, Michelle Cho reads the ultra-mediated nostalgia of Korean pop group BTS on American TV.
Michelle ChoMar 16, 2021
- Television
The Political Economy of Chappelle’s Redemption Songs
Matt Seybold on what Dave Chappelle's return tells us about celebrity and corporate power.
Matt SeyboldFeb 19, 2021
- Economics and Finance
- Television
Listening for the Caribbean on "The Crown"
Sasha Ann Panaram seeks out the easily skipped, potentially transgressive soundtrack playing at the edges of Netflix's The Crown.
Sasha Ann PanaramFeb 16, 2021
- Television
Bad Form: Sexual Abuse and Ambiguity on "A Teacher"
Anna Krauthamer explores the rigid oscillation between the stark content warnings and ambiguous aesthetics of FX on Hulu's A Teacher.
Anna KrauthamerFeb 9, 2021
- Television
Speculative Fictions: Finance, Excess, and HBO's Industry
Jorge Cotte explores the fraught speculations of HBO's series Industry alongside the recent GameStop stock trading frenzy.
Jorge CotteFeb 2, 2021
- Television
Pilot Episode: On the Greatness of Kaley Cuoco
Philippa Snow writes in praise of Kaley Cuoco's stunning, elastic, fleet-footed performance in the HBO Max thriller The Flight Attendant.
Philippa SnowJan 26, 2021
- Television
This Should Be a Movie: “American Utopia,” the Concert Film, and Extending a Terrific Moment
Sara Black McCulloch considers the nature of the concert film — its scope, its liveness, and its political commitments.
Sara Black McCullochDec 30, 2020
Shondaland’s Regency: On “Bridgerton”
Patricia A. Matthew examines the multicultural Regency era of Shonda Rhimes's new Netflix series Bridgerton.
Patricia A. MatthewDec 26, 2020
- Television