Today: The undoing of Kanye West. ?We?re in deeply vile territory, and I can?t make intellectual sense of that,? Wesley Morris says about West, who now goes by Ye.

In 2004, when Ye released ?College Dropout," he seemed to be challenging Black orthodoxy in ways that felt exciting and risky. But over the years, his expression of ?freedom? has felt anything but free. His embrace of anti-Black, antisemitic and white supremacist language ?comes at the expense of other people?s safety,? their humanity and their dignity, J Wortham says.

Wesley and J discuss what it means to divest from someone whose art, for two decades, had awed, challenged and excited you.

?Black Panther: Wakanda Forever? came into theaters with a huge responsibility: It had to address the death of Chadwick Boseman, the star of the first ?Black Panther? movie, who died of cancer in August 2020.

Wesley and J discuss how the film offers the audience an experience of collective grief and mourning ? something that never happened in the United States in response to the losses of 2020. They interrogate what it means that this gesture of healing came from Marvel and Disney, a corporate empire that is in control of huge swaths of our entertainment, and not from another type of leadership.

Additional resources:

To hear what Wesley and J had to say about the first ?Black Panther? movie, listen to this episode of ?Still Processing? from 2018.
 Ryan Coogler, the director of ?Wakanda Forever,? spoke to the author Ta-Nehisi Coates about the making of movie, and how it captured the real-life grief that people experienced after Chadwick Boseman?s death. Listen to their conversation here.

Beyoncé?s latest album, ?Renaissance,? showcases a pop star letting go of all expectations. Wesley and J go deep into the album and this new era of Beyoncé. It?s an era of play, freedom, comedy and queerness ? unlike anything we?ve ever heard from Beyoncé Knowles-Carter before.

Wesley and J discuss the push to ?return to office? ? and what it means for their lives, as well as American culture as a whole. What have 50 years of workplace sitcoms, from ?The Mary Tyler Moore Show? to ?Abbott Elementary,? taught us about our romance with the office? And what do TikTok parodies and the TV show ?Severance? get right about the history of labor in America? In this period of returning to so-called normalcy, Wesley and J reflect on how we can ensure that the lessons of the early pandemic aren?t forgotten.

Donna Summer?s 1977 hit ?I Feel Love? is the inspiration for the final track on Beyoncé?s new album, ?Renaissance.? Summer became the queen of disco in the ?70s, but her catalog goes much further than that. You can hear her legacy in decades of electronic and R&B. ?She is an architect of the pop culture we experience today,? J says.

In this episode, J and Wesley revisit her 1982 album, ?Donna Summer? ? and explore why, out of all of her music, this self-titled album is the most distinctly Donna.

J Wortham and Wesley Morris are back, just in time for Scorpio season. Ever since they watched Jordan Peele?s latest film, ?Nope,? together over the summer, they haven?t been able to stop talking about it. The film stars Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as siblings whose family horse ranch is threatened by an otherworldly creature. But instead of escaping or destroying the monster, they are determined to take a picture of it. Why is proof so important? And what does it mean to be believed? 

Today: The unresolved questions of ?Nope? (some of them, anyway) and what the film says about the grimmer aspects of living in America. (Beware: Spoilers ahead!)

?Still Processing? is back for a mini-season. New episodes on Tuesdays. Follow the show on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts.

Reunited at last, J Wortham joins Wesley Morris in the studio for the last episode of the season. They reflect on the challenges of being apart for almost a year while J was on book leave.

How did J deal with the inevitable stretches of loneliness? How do you re-enter your home and your relationships after so much time away?

J and Wesley discuss how they managed to stay connected over the past year, and the role of community and intimacy in moments of tragedy.

Today, Wesley leaves the studio ? and goes home. He embarks on a journey that involves a car named Khad'ija, a tireless 92-year-old activist and one Chinatown. Last year, President Biden signed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill into law. One part of the initiative especially struck Wesley: the federal government?s acknowledgment that its mid-century push to build a massive highway system had caused suffering. Wesley started thinking about a highway that he sometimes crossed as a kid in Philadelphia: the Vine Street Expressway. When it was built in 1991, he never realized how deeply it had divided and altered the Chinatown neighborhood. What happened to all the people who were living there? How did their lives ? and their communities ? transform? On today?s show, Wesley returns to his hometown to try to find out. Click here for photos of Wesley's journey and more info about the episode.   

 

 

"This Is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan is an unforgettable hip-hop relic, a jam whose opening six words alone make you want to party. Wesley has heard this 1995 hit countless times since he was a teenager, but it wasn?t until hearing it recently at the gym that he had an epiphany: It?s a country song. It belongs to a long tradition of country music that expresses love and respect for one's hometown. 

Wesley explores other songs that have changed in meaning for him over the years (like ?Losing My Religion? by R.E.M.), and he considers what happens to music?s meaning when the culture around it changes ? the way it did with Britney Spears and her hits, in the aftermath of her yearslong struggle to end her court-sanctioned conservatorship.

When Wesley was 11, he wanted to be just like Sandra from the sitcom ?227,? played by Jackée Harry. Sandra was sassy, boisterous and always got what she wanted. But it took reading Margo Jefferson?s latest book, ?Constructing a Nervous System: A Memoir,? for Wesley understand the complexity of this memory. On today's episode, Wesley and Margo Jefferson sift through their most deep-rooted, and sometimes difficult-to-explain cultural influences. Why did Margo adore the scatting of Ella Fitzgerald, but squirm at the sight of her sweating onstage? Why was Margo drawn to Ike Turner as a teen, but not Tina Turner? Together, Wesley and Margo unpack their cultural memories ? and what they reveal about who they are now.

What happens when athletes decide to act? And what doesn?t happen? Wesley Morris and Bill Simmons, sportswriter and founder of The Ringer, break down the history of athletes in movies. They start with Jackie Robinson playing himself in 1950, discuss the Blaxpoitation-era stars and make their way to the ?90s, from ?He Got Game? (where Ray Allen turns in a solid performance opposite Denzel Washington, directed by Spike Lee) to ?Space Jam? (the less said, the better). They trace this phenomenon all the way to Dwayne Johnson, a.k.a. The Rock, arguably the most successful athlete-turned-actor of all time ? who seems to be playing the long game. Then, they imagine a new kind of renaissance for the sports movie.

Wesley wants to get to the bottom of Keanu Reeves ? and to understand ?why we get so much out of a movie star who appears to give us so little.? He?s joined by Alex Pappademas, the author of ?Keanu Reeves: Most Triumphant: The Movies and Meaning of an Irrepressible Icon,? to solve this mystery. They discuss Keanu?s three-decade acting career, how he became the internet?s adorably tragic boyfriend and why we are seeing ourselves when we look at the actor.

Click here for more information about today's episode, and check out Alex's book on Keanu. 

"Fatal Attraction" came out in 1987 when Wesley was 11, and it made a permanent impression on the way he thinks about certain aspects of lust and suspense. With Jenna away on book leave, he welcomed Parul Sehgal, a staff writer at The New Yorker, to the show. Both Wesley and Parul watched ?Fatal Attraction? over and over as preteens, and they?ve rewatched it multiple times in the years since. As they break down the most powerful scenes, they are reminded of the loss of high-stakes sex onscreen today. They discuss why the erotic thriller genre disappeared ? and what they could gain from seeing more genuine, grown-up sex in movies.

In the 20th century, method acting was everywhere. Actors went to extreme lengths to inhabit the complicated psyche of a character, sometimes making audiences deeply uncomfortable. Think Robert De Niro in ?Raging Bull? or Marlon Brando in ?Apocalypse Now.? But in 2022, in our heyday of superhero blockbusters and bingeable story lines, the Method seems to be fading away. Wesley invites Isaac Butler ? critic, historian and author of ?The Method: How the 20th Century Learned to Act? ? to dissect the Method. They discuss where it came from, its most legendary practitioners, and whether Hollywood has a place for it today.

Wesley worries the ?skip intro? button is killing the TV theme song. He takes his concern to his friend Hanif Abdurraqib, a poet, music critic and MacArthur ?genius grant? winner. Together, they explore their childhood memories of ?Good Times,? ?The Wonder Years? and ?The Jeffersons.? Then, producer Hans Buetow unearths a rendition of a theme song that blows their minds ? and they vow never to hit ?skip intro? on it.

We have a special request: Can you identify the choir that is singing the ?Good Times? theme song in this video? We?d love to find out who they are and get in touch with them. Email us at [email protected] if you have a lead. Click here for more details. Special prizes! Endless appreciation!

Wesley has been obsessed with lists since he was a child ? think Casey Kasem?s American Top 40, the Academy Awards and Rolling Stone?s Top 500 Albums of All Time. Now, he wants to think more seriously about expanding what we call the canon, making sure more people have a say in which works of art are considered great, enduring and important.

For guidance, Wesley sits down with Daphne A. Brooks, an academic, critic and music lover, to ask whether expanding the canon is even the right way to think about this. Her thoughts surprise him: We can do better than lists!

Check out Daphne A. Brooks's reading recommendations at this link or at nytimes.com/stillprocessing.

We?re back with a new season on April 14! Jenna Wortham is on book leave, so Wesley Morris will be taking on solo hosting duties for much of this spring. He will be joined by a stellar cast of guests, including Daphne Brooks to talk pop culture hierarchies, Hanif Abdurraqib to examine television theme songs (and that polarizing ?skip intro? button) and Bill Simmons on what happens when athletes try to act. We can?t kick off this season, however, without first hearing about what Jenna has been up to. Spoiler alert: black holes.

Tune in Thursdays for new episodes.

When the three opening notes of the song hit, there?s only one thing to do: Find your people and dance. Today, we?re talking about ?Before I Let Go,? by Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, and the song?s unique ability to gather and galvanize. It wasn?t a huge hit when it came out in 1981, but it has become a unifying Black anthem and an unfailing source of joy. We dissect Beyoncé?s cover, and we hear from friends, listeners and the Philadelphia DJ Patty Jackson about their memories of the classic song.

You can find more info on today's episode here. 

A powerful ? and revealing ? aspect of the Derek Chauvin trial was the community it created out of strangers. Week later, we?re still thinking about the witnesses, and the way they were connected in telling the story of how George Floyd lost his life. This phenomenon is reflected in works of art, like Spike Lee?s ?Do the Right Thing,? which explores the conflict inherent in a community.

You can find more info on today's episode here. 

She?s simply the best. A new documentary on HBO (called, simply, ?Tina?) explores Tina Turner?s tremendous triumphs, but we wanted to go deeper. We talk about how her entire career was an act of repossession: Taking back her name, her voice, her image, her vitality and her spirituality made her one of the biggest rock stars in the world, even in her 50s. 

You can find more info about today's episode here, and follow Wesley?s playlist of his top Tina Turner songs. 

Also, Jenna and Wesley want your help in settling a bet! Do you know the song ?Before I Let Go? by Frankie Beverly and Maze? Did you play it at a party or dance to it at a wedding? Do you jump to your feet every time it comes on? Grab your phone and record yourself telling a story about what the song has meant to you. Send it to us at [email protected]

 

The Asian-American poet wants to help women and people of color find healing ? and clarity ? in their rage. Hong's book of essays, ?Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning," came out in February 2020, and it?s taken on new urgency with the rise in anti-Asian violence and discrimination during the pandemic. 

You can find more info on today's episode here. And check out Part 1 and Part 2 of our series on Asian-American racism from 2018. 

 

 

 

Social media apologies have become the standard celebrity response to internet outrage. But why do they feel so deeply inadequate? Jenna and Wesley dissect a new spate of public apologies from the last year. And they look to the activist and writer adrienne maree brown for an example of a ?fully evolved? apology.

You can find more info about today?s show here. And in our April 29 episode, we?ll be discussing the book ?Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning? by Cathy Park Hong. Read it along with us!

Disney owns a piece of every living person?s childhood. Now it owns Marvel Studios, too. Jenna and Wesley look at depictions of racist tropes and stereotypes in Disney?s ever-expanding catalog. The company has made recent attempts to atone for its past. But can it move forward without repeating the same mistakes?

You can find more info about today?s episode here. And in our April 29 episode, we?ll be discussing the book ?Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning? by Cathy Park Hong. Send us your questions and thoughts about the book at [email protected].

?Promising Young Woman? is one of this year?s major Oscar contenders. It?s a dark revenge fantasy that asks a sweeping moral question: What if there are no good men? Wesley and Jenna go deep into the film and consider what it gets right ? and wrong ? about sexual assault and justice. Beware: There will be spoilers.

You can find more info about today?s show here. And in our April 29 episode, we?ll be discussing the book ?Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning? by Cathy Park Hong. Read it along with us!

?Drivers License? by Olivia Rodrigo makes Wesley nostalgic for his favorite part of a song: the bridge. Bridges used to be a core feature of popular music, but they?ve become an endangered species, right next to the sitcom laugh track. While Wesley laments the demise of the bridge, Jenna points out that TikTok has given us new ways to experience the best part of a song. 

You can find more info about today?s episode here, and follow our playlist of Wesley and Jenna?s favorite bridges. 

It?s the episode we?ve been wanting to make for years. In our season premiere, we?re talking about the N-word. It?s both unspeakable and ubiquitous. A weapon of hate and a badge of belonging. After centuries of evolution, it?s everywhere ? art, politics, everyday banter ? and it can't be ignored. So we?re grappling with our complicated feelings about this word. You can find more information about today's episode here. 

We?re back with a new season on March 18! Join culture writers Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris in the juiciest group chat, the coziest diner booth, the crowded kitchen at a house party with the best snacks and the real talk. Each week, they?ll come together to talk art, identity, politics, the internet ? whatever they?re grappling with. Subscribe for deep chats, uncomfortable but necessary conversations and incisive takes on the cultural landscape. New episodes come out every Thursday.

We?re preparing to drop a whole new season this spring. In the meantime, we want to make sure you?ve had a chance to hear some of our all-time favorite episodes. Like this one, about Whitney Houston. It?s been nine years since Ms. Houston died. She was one of the biggest pop stars of her time, but she?s often remembered as a tragic figure. In this episode, we argue that her music is much more important than any of the scandals. When we listen to some of her best performances, we remind ourselves who we actually lost: the greatest singer of the rock ?n? roll era.

When ?Hillbilly Elegy? showed up on Netflix last November, it was just the latest in a series of media attempting to explain whiteness to its audience. We?re revisiting a better (though not perfect) example: the podcast ?S-Town.? Check out our episode from 2017 while we prepare for a new season of Still Processing ? coming to you in March. 

Not long ago, Harry Styles graced the cover of Vogue magazine in a dress. It was just one example of how traditional ideas of masculinity have been expanding ? on the runway and in culture. In our episode ?Psychobros? from a couple of seasons ago, we appreciated another man in a dress on the front page of a magazine: Brad Pitt on the cover of Rolling Stone, published just as the movie ?Fight Club? came out in 1999. It?s one of our favorite past episodes coming your way ? while we're getting ready to drop a whole new season this spring.

Next month we?re starting a whole new season of shows! Yes, in March! We?re thrilled. While we?re getting ready, we selected four of our favorite past episodes for you to enjoy. This first one is about one of the greats: Aretha Franklin. 

A singer, writer, arranger, pianist, performer and more, Ms. Franklin channeled both the difficult and beautiful aspects of American culture to make the songs that have scored our lives. She left a legacy of virtuosity and swagger that will live on ? both online and off.

With the election (nearly) resolved, we have a moment to step back and look at what fantasies our country is built upon. From the role of president, to the threat of another civil war to the soul of the country itself, we?re all harboring some kind of fantasy that we should probably interrogate.

With a monumental election on the horizon, we want to bring up a few recent events that show some sort of truth amid the confusion. From the NBA bubble to the fly in Mike Pence?s hair to HBO's ?Lovecraft Country?, these are moments that point us beyond the present, to be our best and greatest selves.

Discussed this week:

?Scandal? (Season 4, Episodes 9-12, ABC, 2015)The N.B.A. bubbleThe vice-presidential debate (Oct. 7, 2020)?Lovecraft Country? (Episode 7, HBO, 2020)Sun RaMore Sun RaEven more Sun Ra

?Hamilton? is back in the mix, but the flavor has changed from beloved historical blockbuster to ?wait, that?s what this is?? Elsewhere, in new works like ?Baited,? on Instagram Live, and ?I May Destroy You,? on HBO, Black women are getting personal in ways that are expanding our palates for discomfort.

Discussed this week:

?Hamilton? (written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Disney+, 2020)?Baited? on Instagram LiveZiwe Fumudoh?I May Destroy You? (written by Michaela Coel, HBO, 2020)Native Land project?White Fragility? lecture (by Robin DiAngelo, 2019)

When Quaker decided to take Aunt Jemima off the red pancake box after 131 years, did it also try to scrub the legacy she represents? And what sort of compensation is appropriate ? and to whom ? from a brand that maintained that image in public for so long?

Discussed this week:

?Aunt Jemima Brand to Change Name and Image Over ?Racial Stereotype?? (Tiffany Hsu, The New York Times, June 2020)?Aunt Jemima: I?se in Town, Honey? (Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Ferris State University)?The Dixie Chicks Change Their Name, Dropping the ?Dixie?? (Ben Sisario, The New York Times, June 2020)?Lady Antebellum Sues the Singer Lady A Over Name Change? (Joe Coscarelli, The New York Times, July 2020)?Aunt Jemima?s Heirs? $3 Billion Lawsuit Against Pepsi, Quaker Oats Tossed by Judge? (Tim Kenneally, The Wrap, February 2015)?What Is Owed? (Nikole Hannah Jones, The New York Times, June 2020)?The Case for Reparations? (Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Atlantic, June 2014)

Excerpts from our June 12 live event, where we caught up about the uprisings and resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement. This is the first of three special summer episodes.

Discussed this week:

Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris in a live New York Times event (June 12, 2020)??Cops,? Long-Running Reality Show That Glorified Police, Is Canceled? (The New York Times, June 2020)?LEGO Pulls Back Police Playset Affiliate Marketing Amid George Floyd Protests? (ToyBook, June 2020)?NASCAR Says It Will Ban Confederate Flags? (The New York Times, June 2020)Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris on ?CBS This Morning? (Aug. 18, 2017, CBS)Speech by Stokely Carmichael (a.k.a. Kwame Ture) (Oct. 29, 1966, Berkeley, Calif.)?John Lewis: Good Trouble? (directed by Dawn Porter, July 2020)

In our final episode from our living rooms, we visit the dystopia of ?Westworld? and the utopia of ?Hollywood? to see if we can glean anything about what might be in store on the other side of this pandemic ? and about who we want to be.

Discussed this week:

?Westworld? (HBO, 2016-20)?Hollywood? (Netflix, 2020)Ryan Murphy?The Stepford Wives? (directed by Frank Oz, 2004)?The Stepford Wives? (directed by Bryan Forbes, 1975)The Motion Picture Production Code of 1930?Love Jones? (directed by Theodore Witcher, 1997)?Love & Basketball? (directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, 2000)Anna May WongHattie McDanielOscar Micheaux?Delivering Thanks Team? (Papa John?s, 2020)

Covid-19 isn't "the great equalizer" ? except when it comes to making us need our devices more than ever. Screens have revealed superstars as civilians, and turned sitcom grouches into teddy bears. Basically: We?re ready to be more open with one another.

Discussed this week:

?Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration? (Broadway.com)?The ?Credibility Bookcase? Is the Quarantine?s Hottest Accessory? (Amanda Hess, The New York Times)Randy Rainbow?s YouTube Channel?A Parks and Recreation Special? (NBC, 2020)?The Power of Vulnerability? (Brené Brown, TEDx)?Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead? (Brené Brown, 2012)The ?Unlocking Us? Podcast (Brené Brown)Teddy Riley Verzuz Babyface

"Fetch the Bolt Cutters" is Fiona Apple's master class in channeling frustration and anger into what can only be called wisdom. Also, we hear from listeners all over the planet, sharing how they are taking care of the people in their lives.

Discussed this week:

"Fetch the Bolt Cutters" (Fiona Apple, 2020)Fiona Apple on the VMAs in 1997"Regret" (Fiona Apple, "The Idler Wheel Is Wiser than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More than Ropes Will Ever Do", 2012)"Criminal" (Fiona Apple, "Tidal", 1996)"Hold Up" (Beyonce Knowles, "Lemonade", 2016)

We?re trying something new this week. We want you to watch a movie with us, and not just any movie, but the 2004 superhero bomb ?Catwoman,? starring two of our favorites: Halle Berry and Sharon Stone. We?ve got fun facts, some questions and a little bit of, um, cattiness.

Discussed this week:

Catwoman Halle Berry Sharon Stone Benjamin Bratt Alex Borstein Pitof

Activists stood up against the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s, but the tools they used to make themselves heard are unavailable during our coronavirus pandemic. Still, many of that era?s strategies and warning signs seem alarmingly relevant now.

Discussed this week:

?How to Survive a Plague? (directed by David France, 2012)ACT UP New York ?How ACT UP Remade Political Organizing in America? (David France, The New York Times, April, 2020)??A Tragedy Is Unfolding?: Inside New York?s Virus Epicenter? (Annie Correal, Andrew Jacobs and Ryan Christopher Jones, The New York Times, April, 2020)?America?s Hidden H.I.V. Epidemic? (Linda Villarosa, The New York Times, June, 2017)?Amazon?s Whole Foods to Cut Medical Benefits for Part-Timers? (Spencer Soper, Bloomberg, September, 2019)

Lions, and tigers and barely suppressed glee at criminal weirdos, oh my!

What has big personalities, big issues and big cats? Netflix?s hit streaming show ?Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.? We explore what the show says about America?s unique relationship to freedom.

Discussed this week:

?Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness? (Netflix, 2020)?Blue Caprice? (directed by Alexandre Moors, 2013)?The Wire? (HBO, 2002-08)?Breaking Bad? (AMC, 2008-13)?O.J.: Made In America? (ESPN, 2016)?Fargo? (directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, 1996)?Empire? (Fox, 2015-20)?Surviving R. Kelly? (Lifetime, 2019)Gunther Gebel-Williams

Not all reboots deserve to exist. Lots of them aren?t even things we want.

But the new "High Fidelity" on Hulu is the reboot we didn?t know we needed.

Discussed this week:

Barack Obama?s TwitterCardi B?s Twitter and Instagram"Celebrity Culture is Burning" (Amanda Hess, 2020)"Oprah Talks Covid-19" (Apple TV+, 2020)Britney?s Instagram"High Fidelity" (directed by Stephen Frears, 2000)"High Fidelity" (Hulu, 2020)

From our living rooms to yours, ?Still Processing? is back.

During this unprecedented time in our lives, we talk routines, dreams and what?s on our screens ? or at least what will be on our screens. Because screens are all we have left.

Discussed this week:

?Darn That Dream? (Dinah Washington, 1954)

The Brian Lehrer Show (WNYC)

Working out with Mr. and Mrs. Muscle

?Ra Ma Da Sa? (Amanbir Singh, 2017)

The Wiz (directed by Sidney Lumet, 1978)

High Fidelity (Hulu, 2020)

New episodes coming March 26! You?ve got a lot of time on your hands, and so do we. Let's spend it together

We examine how HBO?s series ?Watchmen? and Bong Joon Ho?s film ?Parasite? bring to light the hidden histories that shape our modern lives.

Discussed this week:

?Parasite? (directed by Bong Joon Ho, 2019)?Watchmen? (HBO, 2019)?White Flights: Race, Fiction, and the American Imagination? (Jess Row, 2019)?In the Wake: On Blackness and Being? (Christina Sharpe, 2016)

We're going on hiatus, but we'll be back in your ears in early 2020!

California?s new legislation allowing college athletes to make money off endorsements. One step forward. The backlash against victims who came forward in the wake of #MeToo. Two steps back. Does big, sustainable change have to feel like grasping at straws?

Discussed this week:

?California Tells the N.C.A.A. to Share, and It Pitches a Fit.? (Michael Powell, The New York Times, Oct. 4, 2019)?The Toll of Me Too.? (Rebecca Traister, The Cut, Sept. 30, 2019)

We revisit "Fight Club" on the 20th anniversary of its release, and consider how the trope of the "psychobro" is showing up onscreen ? in the new blockbuster ?Joker? and HBO?s critically acclaimed series ?Succession? ? and off.

Discussed this week:

"The Unbearable Bradness of Being" (Chris Heath, Rolling Stone, Oct. 28, 1999)"Fight Club" (directed by David Fincher, 1999)"Joker" (directed by Todd Phillips, 2019)"Succession" (HBO, 2019)"Whistleblower Explains How Cambridge Analytica Helped Fuel U.S. 'Insurgency'" (Fresh Air, Oct. 8, 2019)

Jennifer Lopez is having a triumphant 2019. From her Motown tribute at the Grammys to the success of ?Hustlers? to the announcement that she?ll be performing at the Super Bowl halftime show, she seems to be enjoying the fruits of her labor from about three decades in show business. So we want to know: is Jennifer Lopez finally getting her due?

Discussed this week:

?How Jennifer Lopez?s Versace Dress Created Google Images? (Rachel Tashjian, GQ, Sept. 20, 2019)?Hustlers? (directed by Lorene Scafaria, 2019)Jennifer Lopez?s Motown Tribute at the 2019 Grammy Awards?Jennifer Lopez Talks Engagement, Diddy?s Instagram Comments, Bonding With Cardi B + More? (Breakfast Club, Apr. 10, 2019)??Hustlers? Has a Strong Opening at the Box Office? (Gabe Cohn, The New York Times, Sept. 15, 2019)?Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez Announce Their Engagement? (The Associated Press, March 9, 2019)?Selena? (directed by Gregory Nava, 1997)?Movies (And Other Things)? (Shea Serrano, 2019)?Waiting for Tonight? (Jennifer Lopez, 1999)?1999? (Prince, 1982)?Out of Sight? (directed by Steven Soderbergh, 1998)?Monster-in-Law? (directed by Robert Luketic, 2005)?The Wedding Planner? (directed by Adam Shankman, 2001)?Maid in Manhattan? (directed by Wayne Wang, 2002)?Gigli? (directed by Martin Brest, 2003)?Jenny from the Block? (Jennifer Lopez, 2002)?Play? (Jennifer Lopez, 2001)?Rap Performer Puffy Combs Is Arrested After Shootings at Times Sq. Nightclub? (William K. Rashbaum, The New York Times, Dec. 28, 1999)?El Cantante? (directed by Leon Ichaso, 2006)?American Idol? (Jennifer Lopez as judge in Seasons 10-11 and 13-15)

We'll be back with a new episode next Thursday, October 17th.