On this episode of Critics at Large, recorded live at the twenty-seventh annual New Yorker Festival, Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz bring their advice series to the stage for the first time. They advise on a range of topics, including films to introduce chil ...Show more
“You Can See Everything” and the Nathan Fielder Effect
Nathan Fielder’s onscreen persona—flat, literal-minded, and seemingly baffled by ordinary social behavior—has made him one of our most distinctive cultural figures. On his Comedy Central series “Nathan for You,” his approach collided with the eagerness of ordinary people to be ag ...Show more
This week, the fellas are back discussing Alenka Zupančič's Problemi essay, 'Lying on the Couch'. How does the psychoanalytic framework allow us to make sense of culture and lying, what is the asymmetry of a truth and a lie, and what did we think of the new Beatles song? Mike is ...Show more
In this episode, the ladies dissect the history of tattoos and the many meanings they take on in different social and cultural settings. Digressions include a review of the award-winning girlboss car sex film Titané, a cult leader reaching new heights of hair bravery, and an exte ...Show more
The ladies break down the concept of gentrification, its historical legacy that explains the housing crisis today, and share your own stories about having lived through it. Digressions include Julia's candle obsessions, the redemption of West Elm Caleb, and whether or not horseba ...Show more