Media Studies
24 articles
Atlantic's New Voices: Shaping Tomorrow's Stories
The Atlantic welcomes Joshua Partlow, Ariel Sabar, and Sebastian Smee to its staff. What does this mean for investigative reporting and cultural comm…
The Atlantic welcomes Joshua Partlow, Ariel Sabar, and Sebastian Smee to its staff. What does this mean for investigative reporting and cultural commentary? Let's discuss. The media landsc…The Atlantic welcomes Joshua Partlow, Ariel Sabar, and Sebastian Smee to its staff. What does this mean for investigative reporting and cultural commentary? Let's discuss. The media landscape is constantly shifting, and it’s fascinating to observe the strategic moves that define tomorrow's ... Read full article.
Why Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy Is the Casting Win We Actually Need
Mythology belongs to everyone. Lupita Nyong’o is shutting down critics of her Helen of Troy casting with a simple truth: it is a mythological story, …
Mythology belongs to everyone. Lupita Nyong’o is shutting down critics of her Helen of Troy casting with a simple truth: it is a mythological story, not a history textbook. The internet is…Mythology belongs to everyone. Lupita Nyong’o is shutting down critics of her Helen of Troy casting with a simple truth: it is a mythological story, not a history textbook. The internet is currently in a tailspin because Lupita Nyong’o has been cast as Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming ... Read full article.
Why Margo’s Got Money Troubles is the Sex Work Narrative We Actually Need
Forget the trauma porn. Apple TV’s latest hit is finally treating sex work like a real job, and it is about time TV grew up. Here is why humanizing t…
Forget the trauma porn. Apple TV’s latest hit is finally treating sex work like a real job, and it is about time TV grew up. Here is why humanizing the hustle matters. For years, whenever …Forget the trauma porn. Apple TV’s latest hit is finally treating sex work like a real job, and it is about time TV grew up. Here is why humanizing the hustle matters. For years, whenever a TV show decided to tackle the world of sex work, it usually followed a very specific, very depressing script. ... Read full article.
12 Kids and a Netflix Deal: Are We Rewarding Performance Parenting?
From diaper runs to million-dollar meetings, why are we obsessed with celebrity mega-families? It is time to look at the cost of turning fatherhood i…
From diaper runs to million-dollar meetings, why are we obsessed with celebrity mega-families? It is time to look at the cost of turning fatherhood into content. Is having a dozen children…From diaper runs to million-dollar meetings, why are we obsessed with celebrity mega-families? It is time to look at the cost of turning fatherhood into content. Is having a dozen children a feat of nature or a strategic career move? We have officially entered an era where extreme family sizes are ... Read full article.
Why Kim Kardashian and John Cena are Actually the Same Person
From the wrestling ring to the Calabasas mansion, scripted reality is our new mythology. It is time to admit that we love the hero's journey, whether…
From the wrestling ring to the Calabasas mansion, scripted reality is our new mythology. It is time to admit that we love the hero's journey, whether it involves a title belt or a high-fash…From the wrestling ring to the Calabasas mansion, scripted reality is our new mythology. It is time to admit that we love the hero's journey, whether it involves a title belt or a high-fashion photoshoot. For decades, critics have looked down on professional wrestling as low-brow theater and reality ... Read full article.
Is Your Favorite TV Villain Dressed Too Well? The Real Cost of Nate Jacobs Style
Why is Euphoria’s most toxic character wearing a house deposit's worth of Bottega Veneta? Let’s talk about TV’s designer obsession and the glamorizat…
Why is Euphoria’s most toxic character wearing a house deposit's worth of Bottega Veneta? Let’s talk about TV’s designer obsession and the glamorization of wealth. We need to talk about th…Why is Euphoria’s most toxic character wearing a house deposit's worth of Bottega Veneta? Let’s talk about TV’s designer obsession and the glamorization of wealth. We need to talk about the wardrobe of the modern TV villain. Specifically, we need to talk about Nate Jacobs. If you have been keeping ... Read full article.
Why Netflix is Swiping Vertical: Is Our Attention Span Officially Dead?
Netflix is introducing a vertical video feed and AI-driven curation. Is this the innovation we asked for, or are we just losing the ability to focus …
Netflix is introducing a vertical video feed and AI-driven curation. Is this the innovation we asked for, or are we just losing the ability to focus on real cinema? We have all been there.…Netflix is introducing a vertical video feed and AI-driven curation. Is this the innovation we asked for, or are we just losing the ability to focus on real cinema? We have all been there. You sit down to watch a prestige drama or a mind-bending documentary, but within five minutes, your hand is ... Read full article.
Renting the Horny Hockey Cottage: Fan Immersion or Peak Parasocial Obsession?
Would you pay to stay in the exact cottage from your favorite hockey romance? We dive into the set-jetting trend and why renting film locations is th…
Would you pay to stay in the exact cottage from your favorite hockey romance? We dive into the set-jetting trend and why renting film locations is the new peak of fan culture. We have offi…Would you pay to stay in the exact cottage from your favorite hockey romance? We dive into the set-jetting trend and why renting film locations is the new peak of fan culture. We have officially entered the era of set-jetting. It is no longer enough to buy the merchandise or write the fan fiction. ... Read full article.
Smart is the New Chic: Why Influencers are Swapping Lip Gloss for Literature
Are we entering a new era of enlightenment or just a new era of pretending? Inside the rise of the 'bookish' influencer and why brands are suddenly o…
Are we entering a new era of enlightenment or just a new era of pretending? Inside the rise of the 'bookish' influencer and why brands are suddenly obsessed with your brain. For years, our…Are we entering a new era of enlightenment or just a new era of pretending? Inside the rise of the 'bookish' influencer and why brands are suddenly obsessed with your brain. For years, our digital lives were dominated by the loud, the flashy, and the fast. We scrolled through endless hauls of ... Read full article.
Why Are We So Obsessed With Watching Teens Fight For Their Lives?
Netflix is bringing Lord of the Flies back this May. Here is why our obsession with teen survival shows might be a sign of the times.
Netflix is bringing Lord of the Flies back this May. Here is why our obsession with teen survival shows might be a sign of the times. The recently released trailer for the upcoming Netflix…Netflix is bringing Lord of the Flies back this May. Here is why our obsession with teen survival shows might be a sign of the times. The recently released trailer for the upcoming Netflix adaptation ofLord of the Flieslooks incredibly intense. Arriving on May 4, this limited series takes William ... Read full article.
Is Your Brain Actually Rotting? The Wild Truth About Meme Culture
Forget the AI robots. The real cultural revolution is happening in your TikTok feed. Is brain rot a disaster or just the next phase of human creativi…
Forget the AI robots. The real cultural revolution is happening in your TikTok feed. Is brain rot a disaster or just the next phase of human creativity? We spent decades worrying about rob…Forget the AI robots. The real cultural revolution is happening in your TikTok feed. Is brain rot a disaster or just the next phase of human creativity? We spent decades worrying about robots taking our jobs, but we didn't notice the memes taking our minds. The term brain rot is the latest label ... Read full article.
Iran’s Viral AI Lego Attack Opens A New Digital War Against The US
An AI-generated Lego-style video ridicules Donald Trump and U.S. power, spreading rapidly across social media. Analysts say it signals a broader prop…
As missiles take center stage on the battlefield, Iran has now expanded its confrontations into the digital realm. A viral AI-generated Lego-style video that mocks Donald Trump and America's regional power has quickly spread across social media platforms. The clip uses satire, toy-like characters, ... Read full article.
The Cost of Always Being Seen: Identity in Gossip Girl
The Cost of Always Being Seen: Identity in Gossip Girl
What made Gossip Girl more than just a glamorous teen drama was its really deep understanding of visibility. Beneath the designer wardrobes, private schools, luxury apartments, and dramatic relationships, the series repeatedly explored a central question: what happens to identity when every version ... Read full article.
Celebrity gossip as cultural currency: how viral DMs and rumors shape fandom and online culture.
From Shaq’s fake DMs to Sabrina Carpenter memes, celebrity gossip is our new social currency. Here is why we love the drama and how it is changing in…
From Shaq’s fake DMs to Sabrina Carpenter memes, celebrity gossip is our new social currency. Here is why we love the drama and how it is changing internet culture. In the digital age, gos…From Shaq’s fake DMs to Sabrina Carpenter memes, celebrity gossip is our new social currency. Here is why we love the drama and how it is changing internet culture. In the digital age, gossip has evolved into a high stakes economy where the truth is often less valuable than a good punchline. We have ... Read full article.
We're Sick of the 'Get Ready With Me' (GRWM)
The GRWM ritual: a performance of the mundane designed to sell us the ultimate luxury - authenticity. Let’s peel back the layers of the curated mess.
Staged Argument: The monetization of domestic conflict
Noticed the disturbing trend of "staged arguments" on social media? Let's analyze how monetizing domestic conflict turns partners into antagonists an…
Your Favorite Celebs Is Lying About Their Charity Work and You Are Falling For It
Your Favorite Celebs Is Lying About Their Charity Work and You Are Falling For It
intnentional Typos: Inside the 'Performative Stupidity' Economy
Influencers are weaponizing your 'Correction Instinct' to hack the algorithm, turning correction into content, outrage into engagement.
Why Every New Show Feels Like Homework
The rise of high-effort storytelling no one asked for
Mirror, Mirror on the Feed: Do I Look Like I’m Okay?
Is the 'aesthetic struggle' trend revealing real mental strain or just social-media theater? A closer look at blurred tears, moody captions, and what…
The Instagram Thirst Trap: A Feminist Tool, a New Performance, or Both?
We call it a "thirst trap," but who is really getting caught? Is it a playful reclamation of power, or simply training oneself to seek validation thr…
OTT Has Killed Rewatch Culture
That's why stories don't hit the same anymore.
The Meme-ification of Activism
From a black square to pastel slogans, memes turn outrage into shareable rituals. This piece shows how memes compress politics, shape a collective vo…
Pretty Privilege in The Age of The Internet
Pretty Privilege in The Age of The Internet