What Aretha Franklin Taught Me About White Flight
A white Jewish writer reflects on his family's role in segregation politics, and how the Queen of Soul and other Black artists connect him to this history.
Film
Yes, Diversity In Film Criticism Matters
More than three-quarters of film critics are white men, which not only impacts how films by women and people of color are received and portrayed to audiences, but whether they’re even reviewed at all.
In Defense of Tonya Harding
Ice-skating looks beautiful on the rink. But the brutal world we saw depicted in “I, Tonya” is one this writer knows is real—she lived through it, too.
‘Whose Streets?’ Reveals the Way Black Love Mattered in the Ferguson Protests
On the third anniversary of Mike Brown’s murder, one of the two directors of this stellar doc talks about the uprising and the duty to love and support one another in the ongoing fight for freedom.
What Does ‘The Beguiled’s’ Matriarch Reveal About Female Relationships?
Nicole Kidman’s stunning performance of a Civil War-era headmistress subverts the tired trope of a shrill schoolmarm. If only director Sofia Coppola's erasure of slaves didn’t ruin it.
I Just Can’t Quit You, ‘Desert Hearts’
The writer’s life was transformed 30 years ago when she first watched this lesbian love story, and rereleased this month. Does this tale of our queer past give us a glimpse of our queer future?
Why Are We So Critical of Female Superheroes?
We've been loving 'Wonder Woman.' And then we started picking the movie apart—at a time when we most need to immerse ourselves in a story about fierce women saving the day.
Dear Men: You Should Absolutely Feel Excluded from “Wonder Woman”
For once, women and girls can watch a superhero movie and revel in the glorious pleasure of having something wonderful that wholly belongs to them.
Could ‘Love Jones’ Be the Same Love Story Under Trump?
Twenty years ago, the romance about two Black artists depicted a very different Chicago than the struggling city we're seeing now. And this administration is only going to make it worse.
This Is Why ‘Get Out’ Is Freaking Out White People
There's the fear factor of a genuinely great horror flick. And then there's the horror of having a mirror held up to reflect the racism of those who believe they are "woke."