When the Roger Rabbit short ROLLER COASTER RABBIT was produced by Disney & Amblin, Spielberg wanted it packaged with ARACHNOPHOBIA. Michael Eisner wanted to release it with DICK TRACY & ultimately won out. Its a shame Spielberg & Disney only made 3 Roger Rabbit shorts because they were immaculate.

Put together some thoughts here. In an earlier time he would have been the kind of writer being paid $5 a word by magazines to go write about whatever he pleased. And no one would be pissed off or jealous about it either. www.welcometohellworld.com/life-is-a-pr...

People are saying Horton was a great writer, which he absolutely was, but he was also a phenomenal reporter. The man got to the heart of things

One of the best pieces by Kaleb Horton ever is no longer easily available, because of course MTV wouldn't maintain actual good music writing done for its site once. Thankfully I found it again via some digging: his 2016 memorial to Merle Haggard on his passing. Link here, screencaps to follow.

the president just said the military should start shooting american civilians if they want to

Route 66.

the fact that kaleb couldn't find full time writing work is such an indictment of the industry

"It turns out boredom is the Cadillac of feelings." Kaleb Horton's writing will stick with me forever. RIP.

RIP Kaleb Horton kalebhorton.ghost.io/2025-so-far/

"They are making Leonardo DiCaprio do a Sabrina Carpenter–style press tour for One Battle After Another — and it kind of seems to be working." www.vulture.com/article/leon...

the cultural crisis is straightforward: there are no longer any formal consequences for blatantly anti-social behavior, and the rest of us are constantly just getting lectured that we have to put up with these assholes making our lives worse

“Each of the Big Four [broadcast TV networks] is pocketing several billion dollars in revenue from affiliate fees” There’s so much money the networks bring in for their companies ~right now~ that I find it weird anyone calls it a dead business But Joe walks thru the possible ways it could change

So, I watched this one cartoon about childhood dreams, capitalism, and unspeakable horrors… I had a lot on my mind afterward. Thanks to @rollin.bsky.social, @kambole.bsky.social, and @thesaintoftous.bsky.social for having me!

Bertrand Russell once received letters from Sir Oswald Mosley, the founder of the British Union of Fascists, inviting him to a debate. Russell not only declined but replied quite generally that “nothing fruitful or sincere could ever emerge from association between us.” @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social

The Jimmy Kimmel saga demonstrates that the network-affiliate relationship is due for an overhaul. The problem? Billions of dollars are tied up in it.

Sinclair has said it will once again air JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!, and Nexstar likely will, too. But the last 10 days have shown why we are overdue for a massive reset in the network-affiliation relationship--or maybe the end of affiliates. Up now at @vulture.com www.vulture.com/article/jimm...

"experts say" www.cnn.com/2025/08/11/b...

“According to the new report, 84% of kids with influenza-associated encephalopathy whose vaccination status was known weren’t vaccinated. The finding comes as the nation logged 280 pediatric flu deaths last year, the deadliest ever aside from the 2009-10 H1N1 pandemic” @jackiantonovich.bsky.social

Earlier this week, Apple TV+ delayed a Jessica Chastain–led thriller series ‘The Savant,’ about a woman who hunts white supremacists online. The choice only raises questions.

"There are two films so toxic to the Disney brand that they remain in solitary confinement cells... The first is Walt Disney’s odious celebration of all things Jim Crow, 1946’s Song of the South. The other is an anti-communist film about religious freedom, Kundun."

I found this out doing research for my Bringing Out the Dead piece last year (Scorsese’s next film after Kundun), but I also lived through it when I couldn’t find a theater to see it when it was released in 1997 (without knowing the context). It sucked and it still sucks—justice for Kundun!

"You can watch a million TikToks, but to engage, you still need to go to the hot bakery. You still need to actually make the ramen you saw on YouTube. You still need to get the reservation, and then your taste buds have to wrap themselves around a chutney pizza.... No one else can taste it for you."

Here it is, my last piece for @eater.bsky.social: my treatise on the last 20 years of food culture, and how food turned into fandom. I really hope you read it. www.eater.com/food-culture...

an INCREDIBLE show

ICYMI: I'd been wanting to write about The Owl House for months, and the release of the Knights of Guinevere pilot made for a timely excuse.

Turns out Jessica Chastain is not happy Apple has "paused" release of her new show THE SAVANT after the Kirk killing. @ericvb.bsky.social has details, up now at @vulture.com www.vulture.com/article/jess...

Some news.

"Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can't take a joke." —Jimmy Kimmel, in his return to late night

History doesn’t repeat; but it rhymes. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidnapp...

"I'm not sure who had a weirder 48 hours-- me or the CEO of Tylenol."-- @jimmykimmel.com

The federal government has censored the work of dozens of scientists, including work by my lab, on the impacts of climate change on Acadia National Park. Signs have been removed from Cadillac and Great Meadow. They’re also removing signs about the Wabanaki’s sacred connections to Cadillac.

unconscionable erasure of one of the east coast's most beautiful public spaces

On this rapturous day, I come to you with an appreciation of MegaDoc which is itself an appreciation of Megalopolis www.avclub.com/megadoc-rose...

CHOTINER: This game you like to play, what's it called? ME: Slay the Spire. CHOTINER: And you play it on the computer? ME: Yeah. Well, I also have it on my phone. I played another 300 hours. CHOTINER: And these other games in your Steam library. Have you finished them? ME: Now hold on a second,

Apple has pulled The Savant, its series starring Jessica Chastain’s about hunting down white supremacist cells across America, from its immediate release schedule.

Apple is pushing back Friday's debut of THE SAVANT until who-knows-when. Given they were still promoting the premiere as of last Thursday, seems likely this was the company being super cautious and trying to avoid a right-wing backlash www.vulture.com/article/appl...

“.. its delay is emblematic of the heightened caution and scrutiny in Hollywood feels as it navigates the Trump administration’s media ecosystem.” @vulture.com $AAPL www.vulture.com/article/appl...

We must be mindful of the feelings of white supremacists at this sensitive moment in our nation’s history.

One would think this is the perfect time to release a show about the cost of monitoring America's white supremacist movement, but it's possible they know something I don't.

APPLE TV+ delays the THE SAVANT Quick hit @vulture.com --> www.vulture.com/article/appl...

i was ecstatic to blurb Mamoru Hosoda's SCARLET for our walk-up to the great movies playing at NYFF. a good one, imo read my bit and the rest of the flicks we're excited about @vulture.com www.vulture.com/article/most...

It's happening: A long-expected annual price hike at Disney+, Hulu, and Hulu with Live TV will kick in next month. Bad timing, but follows recent patterns + industry trends. Details from @ericvb.bsky.social up first at @vulture.com www.vulture.com/article/disn...

BREAKING: Disney is hiking prices on four of its streaming plans, details at @vulture.com www.vulture.com/article/disn...

as a huge fan of the outdoors, Banff Film Fest, docs like this one, and *weird* licensing/distribution stories, I remain very grateful for this @defector.com report. free 'For Winter'!

Interviewed two icons about being the faces of American food www.eater.com/food-culture...

Kimmel is back on Tuesday: DISNEY: "We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday."

Technologically advance a band: Cast Iron Maiden

As CNN offers daylong saturation coverage of the podcaster’s funeral, I went back and checked to see how CNN covered Melissa Hortman’s memorial on 6/28, where Walz spoke and Biden/Harris attended. It got about four minutes during the hours it was happening—less than Jeff Bezos’s wedding that day.

Clothing store, Upper West Side.