Gen X’s Death By the Point of the Stiletto
David Frankel’s satire The Devil Wears Prada rendered Gen X’s smarter-than-everyone, holier-than-thou attitude of perpetual disaffection obsolete.
satire
Satire Is No Longer Critical; It’s Inspirational
Satire meant to critique corporate greed and the dark side of masculinity has instead inspired a new kind of performance identity.
‘Monty Python’s Life of Brian’ Is Fundamentally Silly
The jokes in Monty Python’s the Life of Brian bristle with ideas about the absurdity of dogma and obedience to power, but the Pythons didn’t care about making audiences angry over religious hypocrisy.
10 Writers Remaking African Literature in 2026
The writers demanding our attention in 2026 interrogate power, dissect masculinity, and insist on joy in their works of satire, sorcery, and secrets from Africa and the Diaspora.
How MAGA Humor Took Over American Comedy
In the minds of MAGA humorists, they, not their risk-averse and PC-hobbled liberal counterparts, are continuing the tradition of bold, truth-telling comedy.
It’s Funny How Complicated Coexistence Can Be
Activist-cum-stand-up comedian Noam Shuster-Eliassi documentary Coexistence, My Ass! makes it painfully clear how complicatedly funny/not-funny coexistence can be.
‘Bugonia’ Is an Apolitical Fever Dream
Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia blends modernity and absurdity to create a sharp satire with a thriller’s pacing.
Can “No Kings” Protest Humor Shrivel Away Authoritarianism?
Besides billionaires—and without needing to beg or bribe—comedians and No Kings jesters may be the next highest demographic that is thriving during these Trump-led authoritarian times.
‘RachelOrmont’ Is Peter Vack’s Candy-Colored Feel Bad Shock Cinema
Peter Vack’s candy-colored RachelOrmont dares the squeamish to reckon with the schizoid darkness happening on cellphones all around them.
Thomas Pynchon’s ‘Shadow Ticket’ Knocks Readers Sideways
Thomas Pynchon’s Shadow Ticket, should it be his last, showcases that even when he’s not at his very best, the man can pack an artful wallop.
A Serbian Film’s Dark Comedy
As political allegory, A Serbian Film dares viewers to laugh not because it’s funny, but because the scream is too loud to hear the subtext otherwise.
‘The Devil’s Bride’ Is Like a Lithuanian Teletubbies
The Devil’s Bride is surely one of the most bizarre films from the Iron Curtain; as hallucinatory as anything this side of Teletubbies.