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How ‘Succession’ Captured the Zeitgeist of Our Mean, Bitter Times | Commentary
By Benjamin Svetkey | June 1, 2023 @ 6:31 PMSunday’s final episode of HBO’s darkly satirical series marked the end of an era — at least on TV. The rest of us have to deal with reality for a while longer
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Hello, He Lied: CNN Goes After Trump Lovers – and Fox Viewers – With a Fabrication-Filled Town Hall
By Benjamin Svetkey | May 11, 2023 @ 6:15 AMThe news network flirts with disaster by giving the twice-impeached, soon-to-be-indicted ex-president 70 minutes of prime time air to fume and spew
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Sensitivity Readers Take Aim at 007: No, Mr. Bond, They Expect You to Cry | Commentary
By Benjamin Svetkey | May 8, 2023 @ 6:15 AMIan Fleming’s classic spy novels have just been rereleased, but some of the late author’s original words have been removed or replaced to protect 21st-century sensibilities
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Fox News vs. ‘A Face in the Crowd': How a 1957 Elia Kazan Movie Foretold a News Credibility Crisis
By Benjamin Svetkey | February 21, 2023 @ 6:15 AMThe Dominion lawsuit has revealed what Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham really think of their viewers
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Sit On It, Ojai! How ‘Happy Days’ Star Anson Williams Lost a Mayoral Race to a Yoga Instructor
By Benjamin Svetkey | January 27, 2023 @ 6:00 AMRecounts! ”Popping“ Ballots! Lawsuits! Inside the bonkers politics of a tiny mountain town where nothing is as mellow as it seems
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Why the Academy Needs to Give ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ the Best Picture Oscar
By Benjamin Svetkey | December 19, 2022 @ 10:55 AMIf AMPAS wants to save the Oscars, it can start by handing a trophy to Tom Cruise
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Elon Musk’s ‘Twitter Files’ Are Turning Hunter Biden’s Penis Into a Constitutional Crisis. No Joke.
By Benjamin Svetkey | December 5, 2022 @ 7:30 AMTwitter’s CEO and GOP lawmakers’ ”shocking“ reveal is a self-own, of their own lack of understanding about the First Amendment
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Apple Vetoes Trump Bio Series – Has Hollywood Turned the Page on Our Long National Nightmare?
By Benjamin Svetkey | November 17, 2022 @ 10:15 AMMaggie Haberman’s ”Confidence Man“ (and a slew of other Trump books) will not be coming to a screen near you anytime soon. And that’s a good thing
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Hey, Hollywood! Elon Musk Is Turning Your Tesla Into a MAGA Hat on Wheels!
By Benjamin Svetkey | November 10, 2022 @ 6:15 AMThe car is sleek, cool, and lets you virtue-signal at 60 mph. But the more Twitter’s new owner opens his mouth, the more embarrassing it is to drive one
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Is It Finally Time to Put ‘Saturday Night Live’ to Bed?
By Benjamin Svetkey | October 29, 2022 @ 11:49 AMNow in its 48th season, NBC’s late-night institution has become a joke — and not the funny kind.
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The Furor Over Brendan Fraser’s Fat Suit in ‘The Whale': Turns Out You CAN Be Too Thin in Hollywood
By Benjamin Svetkey | October 7, 2022 @ 2:41 PMThe actor is in hot water for donning prosthetics in his new movie, the latest twist in the ongoing argument over who can play whom
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Why J.R.R. Tolkien Is Really Turning in His Grave – Over the Racist Backlash to ‘The Rings of Power’
By Benjamin Svetkey | September 8, 2022 @ 5:33 PMConservative critics are griping that Amazon is ruining its ”Lord of the Rings“ prequel with ”woke“ propaganda. In other words, they don’t like Black elves
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Is CNN’s Pivot to the Center a Smart Business Move or the Dumbest Idea Ever?
By Benjamin Svetkey | August 24, 2022 @ 6:00 AMThe cable news network is making big changes — Brian Stelter’s out, Chris Wallace is in — as it maneuvers toward middle ground (as if that still exists)
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The Show Must Go On! (Unless, of Course, You Need a Mental Health Break)
By Benjamin Svetkey | August 22, 2022 @ 5:45 AMA slew of actors, pop stars and athletes have been taking ”mental health“ time-outs. Is this a good thing? Or do some need to just suck it up?
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Why Is Summer Such a Bad Time for Shows Competing for Emmys?
By Benjamin Svetkey | June 27, 2022 @ 2:07 PMAwards Wrap Up: Summer shows are at a distinct disadvantage with voters, and spring is threatening to become the new fall for awards contenders