BAD-era MJ: truly an unhinged cultural moment. Got Scorsese + Richard Price to make a short film proving he's still down with black people; cast Joe Pesci as an upside-down-ponytail villain injecting kids with drugs; did a dance-off with a Claymation rabbit; turned himself into a transformer robot

I have been saying this for YEARS. I can always predict it's coming, and it's even crept into the half-hour "comedies" lane. It's filler, a lazy attempt at adding ostensible depth to a character/story. (It rarely does!) I do wonder if execs are pushing this formula upon writers ...

I could credibly pass for a high schooler into my mid-20s. Will never forget the time an old man, min. 50 yrs, hit on me in a bodega, asked how old I was, and when I told him 23 -- w/my resting stank face -- his response was, I kid you not: "Oh damn, I thought you might be 16!" Men are gross!

Kept waiting for at least one of these stories to end with, "And then I left him," but (of course), nope. The most bonkers through-line here is that none of these couples have kids (yet) and it sounds like every women had glaring red flags *before* getting married. 🫠 www.thecut.com/article/draf...

Just a late night reminder that if you’re getting into the films of Mira Nair, she’s one of the interview subjects of my book CINEMA HER WAY, which is still in stores now and would make a great Christmas gift. 🎁 www.rizzoliusa.com/book/9780847...

Not Variety mangling Kendrick's lyrics while also misquoting Sally Field 😆

Ok but when did a large McDonald’s french fry order get shrunk down to the size of a small fry circa 2003, while still rising in price with inflation?

Adopted our little monster (Liz) Lemon exactly five years ago today. She is a dog, but could also be part cat, according to her ability to jump up or down 4 feet distances with ease.

Look, I'm very good at what I do, but there are few, if any, subjects I'm more prepared to cover than this. www.youtube.com/watch?v=723R...

Anywho, this is worth a read!

In my brief time as an op-ed editor (<year), Brettbug Stephens argued Ashkenazis might be genetically superior, & Tom Cotton called for violence against George Floyd protestors. Some of us were constantly pushing back. I met with Sulzberger multiple times. Lip service was given, nothing changed.

Continuing on my analog creatives theme for today, I see Debra Messing has revealed herself to be the Gen X Kirstie Alley. Ya hate to see it!

Appreciate this correction as I misspoke! To be clear: it should not be dark before 7pm, ever!

There are many reasons why daylight savings must be abolished, not least of which is that fur babies can't grasp that it's not yet time for dinner or their last walk of the day at 4pm.

I had no skin in this game since it's been five years since I left NYC, but this is basically how my husband would describe himself, minus identifying as culturally Jewish. On top of that, he's black! Polls are always flawed and deal in broad strokes, so it's important to analyze beyond that.

I’m sure I’m not the first person to say this: Ryan Murphy is the white analog for Tyler Perry (or Lee Daniels, depending on the project)

Also: Ringo Starr, Mr. Conductor from SHINING TIME STATION

Robert Townsend, the dad from THE PARENT ‘HOOD

Also known as … the nightmare before Christmas. *ba-dum-tss* 🥁

While I was watching THE OTHERS, Mariah announced that “It’s time,” and so, it’s time.

A-fucking-men, Odie. I was exhausted by much of the OBAA discourse (and suggestions that I was somehow reading it "wrong" by questioning how PTA wrote his black women characters) in week one. And I'll probably be damn sick of it by the time Oscar night wraps up. 🫠

Growing up, I had three aunts (my parents' siblings) and then an untold number of "aunts" (mom's close friends) because I grew up black lol

In the Times today there’s an op-ed saying that childless women may have legitimate “private” reasons for declining to give birth. But one reason I have is not private but explicitly political: I want my life to serve as a rebuke to the notion that childbearing is women’s highest or truest calling.

It probably should not come as a shock to anyone that the “Native American” Halloween costume is still alive and well in 2025. Humans are trash.

Had this VHS and remember this preview vividly. I also remember the promo for LION KING that was on another Disney VHS, but I can’t remember which one (might’ve been ALADDIN?)

I fell for HEDDA at TIFF last month, and then I watched it again and I love it more. It's doing something really special and it confirmed my belief that I will watch any period piece starring Tessa Thompson. (See also: SYLVIE'S LOVE & PASSING) Here's my review: www.npr.org/2025/10/24/n...

Featuring An AI Pimp Named Slickback

I was going through all my writing about Guillermo del Toro movies and I totally forgot that I did this great Pop Culture Happy Hour episode on NIGHTMARE ALLEY with @oldfilmsflicker.bsky.social and @aishaharris.bsky.social! one.npr.org?sharedMediaI...

Too many repeat viewings of AMERICAN HISTORY X, I suppose

I used to avoid Reddit b/c it just seemed like a cesspool where nothing good ever happens, and then I used it to discover I'm not the only person who can quote from memory an obscure TV ad I haven't seen in probably 20-ish years www.reddit.com/r/Commercial...

All these people avoiding m-dashes because “AI uses them” simply means that there’s more for me!

Finally reading this, and one of the most telling recurring anecdotes is how several of these adults are so proud that their big ugly deathtraps attract the adoration of children www.wired.com/story/owning...

We're mid-way through October, and so I imagine Pentatonix has been taken out to thaw by now to ensure they'll be ready just in time to sprinkle festive acapella terror on us all

Oh goodie, yet another email in my inbox with the subject line "upcoming price changes" 🫠

If the taxes I pay on my writing are used to bail out an industry founded on stealing and then replacing my writing, I swear to god, I am going to do so much angry writing

Think it's about time we take 2025 out back and put it out of its misery

Well he and his two friends were probably just barely old enough to drink, and his friend started trying to talk to me, saying that this was his 2nd concert ever and offered to buy me a drink. I swiftly moved to another part of the crowd. I am, as they say, too old for this shit.

OF COURSE, HE VAPES

At a concert waiting for the show to begin and every time the DJ cues a new song (mostly old school hip hop and r&b) this dude right behind me keeps yelling in an obnoxiously loud blaccent, “THIS! MY! SONG!” Fourth time, and I may have to stare this bro down.

One of my fave things to work on! I believe it was the brainchild of Dan Kois (though correct me if I’m wrong!) and it was inspired by 2016 being a particularly shit year for celebrity deaths (Prince, Bowie, Muhammad Ali, Gene Wilder, etc)

It's little comfort to the rest of us, but sometimes, just for funsies, I look up the ages of people doing truly awful things in this world, and I'm shocked to learn that we are closer than I would've ever thought. Out here aging like it's 1949.

Can a musical succeed when practically all of the musical numbers are underwhelming? I didn't think so ... and then I saw KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN. My review's here; PCHH episode drops next week. www.npr.org/2025/10/10/n...

Very few artists possess Stevie's gift for making cold, shady bitterness sound so heavenly www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPH5...

Marvin Gaye made two such excellent albums, followed by a classic divorce album, all within five years. (Crucially, they were not all about the same person. He was a complicated genius!)

I wish Judy Garland would have lived long enough to guest star on an episode of MURDER, SHE WROTE. Would’ve made for a clutch HARVEY GIRLS reunion

Not the dude who I’ve been more or less convinced is probably closeted on LOVE IS BLIND revealing that he “believes” queerness is a “fad” 🫠

Wait, Claire’s still exists??? How’s Delia’s doing btw

Is it “hArAsSmEnT,” or the consequences of one’s own (in)actions, hmmm?