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Nov 28, 2024 | 
nysun.com | Adrian Nguyen
With the re-election of Donald Trump, chances are close to zero that a biopic about the President- elect’s earlier years will change the mind of anybody who already had an opinion of him– which is just about everybody. The film, “The Apprentice”, already faced trouble before Trump’s victory on Election Day. A non-name director was brought in to direct after big name filmmakers – including Paul Thomas Anderson and Clint Eastwood – were approached and turned the job down..
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Nov 17, 2024 | 
thedispatch.com | Michael Reneau |Jeffrey Bilbro |Christian Gonzalez |Christian González |Adrian Nguyen
Enslaved by technology. Published November 17, 2024 Michael Reneau interviews Jeffrey Bilbro about his latest book, Words for Conviviality: Media Technologies, and Practices of Hope. Their discussion delves into the evolution of media technologies, contrasting outlooks on those changes, and the power of metaphors in interpreting these shifts. The Agenda:—To be optimistic or to be pessimistic about the future?
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Nov 16, 2024 | 
thedispatch.com | Chris Stirewalt |Christian Gonzalez |Christian González |Adrian Nguyen |Peter Gattuso
Catching up on the Trump transition, the Democrats’ deficiencies, and mandate mumbo-jumbo. Published November 16, 2024 Gentle readers, I have not been keeping up with our correspondence during election season. I am sorry for you, but even sorrier for myself. Reading and responding to your notes is my favorite part of this newsletter. So this week, we’re leaning in on the Mailbag and starting with answers to your questions.
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Nov 16, 2024 | 
thedispatch.com | Jonah Goldberg |Christian Gonzalez |Christian González |Adrian Nguyen |Peter Gattuso
Jonah Goldberg: The Eras Tour Published November 16, 2024 Even as he embarks on a grand adventure in India, Jonah is seduced by the siren song of U.S. punditry. After providing a brief recap of the resoundingly successful inaugural Dispatch Summit, he gives in to the uncontrollable urge to pontificate and punditrate.
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Nov 16, 2024 | 
thedispatch.com | Adrian Nguyen |Luis Parrales |Cliff Smith |Giancarlo Sopo
Revisiting David Fincher’s cult classic at 25. Published November 16, 2024 Let’s talk about it, shall we? The writer Chuck Palahniuk has always identified with the plights of outsiders. In the tradition of “social model novels” like The Joy Luck Club and The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, his books aim to explore the uncertain roles that people play in society. This interest was on full display in his best-known work, Fight Club.
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Nov 8, 2024 | 
thecritic.co.uk | Adrian Nguyen
The American system is far more resilient than it looks Throughout this election cycle, pundits have told themselves that America has never been more divided. Yet as Sebastian Milbank wrote, the cycle has never been this weird. Issues that shouldn’t matter have been overexposed to the public (Haitian dietary habits anyone?). Meanwhile, dramatic events have flashed feverishly by: three assassination attempts, an incumbent President dropping out and a Kennedy supporting a Republican.
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Sep 30, 2024 | 
nysun.com | Adrian Nguyen
Describing the HBO series “Industry”, whose third season concluded Sunday night, can be a very hard task. Since its debut in 2020, the series, created by the British writing duo of Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, has evolved beyond its simple premise that centers on a group of young graduates at the London office of Pierpoint, a fictional American investment bank. Vanity Fair has described it as “the missing link between ‘Euphoria’ and ‘Succession’”.
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Aug 23, 2024 | 
thecritic.co.uk | Adrian Nguyen
Gatekeeping the “real” meaning of songs is foolish and futile Anyone who has written about or engaged with pop culture should be tired of hearing that the landscape should be politicised. The refrain that “all art is political” hides a deep dishonesty that misleads its followers. While art can be used for expressing political thought, what the slogan usually expresses is that it ought to be political — and not just political but partisan and progressive.
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Aug 20, 2024 | 
nysun.com | Adrian Nguyen
“Brat”, the latest major release from Charli XCX (aka Charlotte Aitchinson), may be the pop artist’s magnum opus, elevating her from mainstream celebrity to powerhouse status. The album combines the stylings of the 2000s European rave scene with group chat lingo now common among Gen Z users.
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Aug 1, 2024 | 
nysun.com | Adrian Nguyen
Ten years ago, two series premiered that marked a significant shift for Western animation: Adult Swim’s “Rick and Morty” and Netflix’s “Bojack Horseman.” Both achieved immense popularity and received much acclaim for their snarky humor and in-your-face characters. One aspect that these series have in common is their protagonists being overwhelmed with a deep miserablism, permitting the audience an indulgence.
