Recent

Making Troy Great Again: On Shakespeare's 'Troilus and Cressida' and Trump's Ugly Political Rhetoric

The Trump presidency is Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida made real – only it's stripped of the mythology and just lying bare and ugly for all to see.

Theatre

NYFF 2018: 'Diamantino' Beautifully Satirizes Ugly Politics from the Ethers

Diamantino's astounding surrealistic introduction soon unfolds into an ethereal genre-mashup.

Film

'Lake Success' Is a Picaresque Journey to Nowhere

Gary Shteyngart's state of the nation satire about a billionaire on the run doesn't tell us much about anything.

Books

'Nightcrawler' and the Brand Called Lou Bloom™

The personal branding phenomenon is an ongoing crisis of humanity.

Film

'Art Comic' Is a Comedic Comic of Artful Artlessness

Matthew Thurber's Art Comic lampoons the art world by wallowing in its shallowest waters.

Books

Armando Iannucci's 'The Death of Stalin' Is Both Expectedly Humorous and Chillingly Harrowing

The Death of Stalin is rarely out-and-out hilarious, but the performances are top-notch and the writing is thoroughly witty, entertaining, and thought-provoking.

Film

'Smoking Kills' Revels in the Many Joys to Be Found in Death

Antoine Laurain's Smoking Kills is provocative and funny, but its meditations remain consistently mature.

Books

'Sorry to Bother You' Is As Eye-Opening As It Is Bizarre

Boots Riley announces himself a filmmaker to watch with an explosive racial satire that's as unforgettable as they come.

Film

Shaking the Foundations of the Novel in 'Lacking Character'

Curtis White gives a hilarious display of creative destruction.

Books

In 'Deadpool 2' the Obscenity Delightfully Continues

If you enjoyed 2016's raunchy breakout hit Deadpool, you're almost assured to love its even raunchier sequel.

Film

'Deadpool 2': The (X-)Force Is Strong with This One

The blasphemous, unyielding Deadpool 2 doesn't outdo its predecessor, but rather gives more of a good thing.

Film

Mix 'The Daily Mash' with 'The Daily Show' and You've Got 'The Mash Report'

BBC Two's The Mash Report is funny, and we really need funny these days.

Television

Ministry, L7, Sex, and Violence

We need to talk about Ministry's anti-war statement, because it encapsulates so much that's so wrong about testosterone-driven masculinist activism.

Music

Haven't You Learned How to Take a Joke? The Comedy-on-Campus Debates

The college comedy deficit means that we are neither taught how to take a joke nor how to interpret one.

Culture

'Radio Free Vermont' Showcases the Political Power of Ordinary People

Bill McKibben's novel asks readers to value resistance movements that embrace humor, creativity, and civility while inspiring activism as part of our everyday lives.

Books

Pop Ten

Say It Loud! 100 Great Protest Songs: Part 1 - Beethoven to Janis Ian

Shaved Jews and Philosemitic Fantasy: On 'Jud Süss' and 'Das alte Desetz'

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

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Mixed Media

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PM Picks

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The Trump presidency is Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida made real – only it's stripped of the mythology and just lying bare and ugly for all to see.

Diamantino's astounding surrealistic introduction soon unfolds into an ethereal genre-mashup.

Gary Shteyngart's state of the nation satire about a billionaire on the run doesn't tell us much about anything.

Is a "theology of humor" viable?

The personal branding phenomenon is an ongoing crisis of humanity.

Matthew Thurber's Art Comic lampoons the art world by wallowing in its shallowest waters.

The Death of Stalin is rarely out-and-out hilarious, but the performances are top-notch and the writing is thoroughly witty, entertaining, and thought-provoking.

Antoine Laurain's Smoking Kills is provocative and funny, but its meditations remain consistently mature.

Boots Riley announces himself a filmmaker to watch with an explosive racial satire that's as unforgettable as they come.

Curtis White gives a hilarious display of creative destruction.

If you enjoyed 2016's raunchy breakout hit Deadpool, you're almost assured to love its even raunchier sequel.

The blasphemous, unyielding Deadpool 2 doesn't outdo its predecessor, but rather gives more of a good thing.

BBC Two's The Mash Report is funny, and we really need funny these days.

We need to talk about Ministry's anti-war statement, because it encapsulates so much that's so wrong about testosterone-driven masculinist activism.

The college comedy deficit means that we are neither taught how to take a joke nor how to interpret one.

Bill McKibben's novel asks readers to value resistance movements that embrace humor, creativity, and civility while inspiring activism as part of our everyday lives.