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When Chicago Became a Shoppers' Paradise for Women, Men Had to Step Aside

Creating a culture of consumption in 20th century Chicago meant making space for shoppers, which meant integrating women into public life, in a downtown dominated by men. Historian Emily Remus revels in the ramifications of that cultural shift in A Shoppers' Paradise.

Books

Quit Dreaming: Quasi-Feminism in Nike's Women's Soccer "Dream Further" Ad

Women with economic privilege are positioned to celebrate Nike's "Dream Further" ad as progress while ignoring their complicity in the exploitation of other women.

Television

'Burger' (Object Lessons) Speaks Volumes About American Consumption

As Bill Clinton and Donald Trump have illustrated, how you absorb burgers says everything about how you can, or should, lead a nation.

Books

In 'Downsizing' Shrinking Means Big Money and Bigger Problems

Being the size of a dog's chew toy might not be to everybody's taste, but it's certainly a shortcut to a kind of upper middle-class luxury unobtainable for most of humanity.

Film

The 2011 Looking Glass Awards: Anger Is an Energy

Welcome to the 2011 Through the Looking Glass awards, the Anger Is An Energy edition. This was the year the whole earth shook, sending shock waves in all directions. We don't mean to imply that the seismic shifts were of equal magnitude: not every violent disturbance registered the same on our Richter scale.

Internet

To Serve God and Wal-Mart by Bethany Moreton

As conservative Christianity focused more intently on reaffirming that a woman's real work was domestic and reproductive, Wal-Mart became an ideological ally.

Books

Activity Placement: Why Kanye Needs Us and We Need Him

Kanye West is a bona fide hit-maker. But his real genius lies in his ability to match songs to consumer behavior, marketing his music less as a product and more as the perfect accompaniment to the activities of daily life.

Music

Brand New China by Jing Wang

Written like a college textbook and packaged like a novel, this book blurs the line between storytelling and statistical analysis, making for an interesting, complex read.

Rachel Smucker

Books

Tourists of History by Marita Sturken

The idea of education as liberation is a poor one; education might allow a critical perspective on cultural practices, but asserting that ironic frame helps an individual grieve, or mourn, or live a richer and fuller life, is a mistake.

Books

Dont Panic by Cassandra Wilkinson

Wilkinson gives an interesting and challenging look at what's good about capitalism.

David Pullar

Books

The Culture Code by Clotaire Rapaille

The Culture Code is American to its core.

Graziella Jackson

Books

Pop Ten

The 70 Best Albums of 2019

The 15 Best Avant-Garde and Experimental Albums of 2019

The Best Jazz of 2019

The 20 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2019

The Best Progressive Rock/Metal of 2019

The 20 Best Metal Albums of 2019

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 1: 100 - 81

The 25 Best Classic Progressive Rock Albums

The 10 Best Ambient Albums of 2019

The 15 Best R&B/Soul Albums of 2019

Collapse Expand Pop Ten

Mixed Media

Collapse Expand Mixed Media

PM Picks

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When Chicago Became a Shoppers' Paradise for Women, Men Had to Step Aside

Creating a culture of consumption in 20th century Chicago meant making space for shoppers, which meant integrating women into public life, in a downtown dominated by men. Historian Emily Remus revels in the ramifications of that cultural shift in A Shoppers' Paradise.

Quit Dreaming: Quasi-Feminism in Nike's Women's Soccer "Dream Further" Ad

Women with economic privilege are positioned to celebrate Nike's "Dream Further" ad as progress while ignoring their complicity in the exploitation of other women.

'Burger' (Object Lessons) Speaks Volumes About American Consumption

As Bill Clinton and Donald Trump have illustrated, how you absorb burgers says everything about how you can, or should, lead a nation.

In 'Downsizing' Shrinking Means Big Money and Bigger Problems

Being the size of a dog's chew toy might not be to everybody's taste, but it's certainly a shortcut to a kind of upper middle-class luxury unobtainable for most of humanity.

The 2011 Looking Glass Awards: Anger Is an Energy

To Serve God and Wal-Mart by Bethany Moreton

As conservative Christianity focused more intently on reaffirming that a woman's real work was domestic and reproductive, Wal-Mart became an ideological ally.

Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture (book trailer)

Activity Placement: Why Kanye Needs Us and We Need Him

Kanye West is a bona fide hit-maker. But his real genius lies in his ability to match songs to consumer behavior, marketing his music less as a product and more as the perfect accompaniment to the activities of daily life.

Brand New China by Jing Wang

Written like a college textbook and packaged like a novel, this book blurs the line between storytelling and statistical analysis, making for an interesting, complex read.

Tourists of History by Marita Sturken

The idea of education as liberation is a poor one; education might allow a critical perspective on cultural practices, but asserting that ironic frame helps an individual grieve, or mourn, or live a richer and fuller life, is a mistake.

Dont Panic by Cassandra Wilkinson

Wilkinson gives an interesting and challenging look at what's good about capitalism.

The Culture Code by Clotaire Rapaille

The Culture Code is American to its core.

The Power of Negative Thinking

Some semi-idealistic, optimistic ways to be negative.

Love and shopping

Randall Bramblett's "Vibrating Strings" Is About Staying Alive (premiere + interview)

Friend Within Brings Sunshine to the Dancefloor on "Space Jam" (premiere)

With "Santa Baby", Emergency Tiara Updates a Classic Just in Time for the Holidays (premiere)

Tyler Boone Dodges Cliches With "Jealousy" (premiere + interview)

The Pedaljets Celebrate Contentment With "Sleepy Girl" (premiere + interview)

Aiming for Enrike's Minimalistic Dance Is on Full Display With "Flat Beats" (premiere)

Dankrupt Explore Romance's Darker Side With "Drowning" (premiere)

Andrew Deadman Faces Himself Down in "Silent Scream" (premiere)

Lady Lazarus' "I Recall July" Is a Bittersweet Look Back on Love (premiere)

Creating a culture of consumption in 20th century Chicago meant making space for shoppers, which meant integrating women into public life, in a downtown dominated by men. Historian Emily Remus revels in the ramifications of that cultural shift in A Shoppers' Paradise.

Women with economic privilege are positioned to celebrate Nike's "Dream Further" ad as progress while ignoring their complicity in the exploitation of other women.

As Bill Clinton and Donald Trump have illustrated, how you absorb burgers says everything about how you can, or should, lead a nation.

Being the size of a dog's chew toy might not be to everybody's taste, but it's certainly a shortcut to a kind of upper middle-class luxury unobtainable for most of humanity.

As conservative Christianity focused more intently on reaffirming that a woman's real work was domestic and reproductive, Wal-Mart became an ideological ally.

Kanye West is a bona fide hit-maker. But his real genius lies in his ability to match songs to consumer behavior, marketing his music less as a product and more as the perfect accompaniment to the activities of daily life.

Written like a college textbook and packaged like a novel, this book blurs the line between storytelling and statistical analysis, making for an interesting, complex read.

The idea of education as liberation is a poor one; education might allow a critical perspective on cultural practices, but asserting that ironic frame helps an individual grieve, or mourn, or live a richer and fuller life, is a mistake.

Wilkinson gives an interesting and challenging look at what's good about capitalism.

The Culture Code is American to its core.

Binkley does more than simply mark the transition from Yippy to yuppie.

Some semi-idealistic, optimistic ways to be negative.