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50 years later, the Ramones’ debut still defines punk

50 years ago, the Ramones released their self-titled debut LP. Adorned with a black-and-white photo of the faux brotherhood against a brick wall at the back of CBGB (taken by photographer and CB’s door person, Roberta Bayley), Johnny, Tommy, Joey…

August 10, 2026 · by Friedrich Arndt · 0

“Fecal Matter” mocked luxury fashion. Then luxury fashion bought it

A fashion label called Fecal Matter is having a moment. Matières Fécales — literally French for “fecal matter” — has gone from an intentionally provocative outsider project to dressing some of the world’s biggest celebrities, including Zendaya, Lady Gaga, Demi…

August 9, 2026 · by Friedrich Arndt · 0

Ariana Grande fans need to see “Maddie’s Secret”

In the music video for Ariana Grande’s latest single, “Petal” — the title track off her eighth album, released last week — viewer discretion is advised. A parental advisory opens the clip, warning of the video’s explicit content and depictions…

August 8, 2026 · by Friedrich Arndt · 0

HBO’s “Watchmen” takes on white supremacy — Damon Lindelof promises to “troll the white savior”

Those anticipating HBO’s series adaptation of “Watchmen,” the classic comic book series co-created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, may have divided opinions of the 2019 version conceived by Damon Lindelof, co-creator of “Lost” and “The Leftovers.” The first episode, the…

August 7, 2026 · by Friedrich Arndt · 0

What the Ted Lasso Way doesn’t get about women in sports

Six years ago, “Ted Lasso” reminded us that many winning TV shows are the result of the right sentiment landing at the right time — or, in this case, a terrible time. In 2020, the weight of pandemic lockdowns and…

August 7, 2026 · by Friedrich Arndt · 0

“Watchmen” is a brutally provocative reckoning of alternate history

On May 31, 1921, an armed white mob poured into Tulsa, Oklahoma’s majority African-American Greenwood district and began setting it ablaze. Families were driven out of their homes at gunpoint as their neighbors looted their belongings and burned their property…

August 6, 2026 · by Friedrich Arndt · 0

Power, respect and conscience: How the women of “Fargo” manage (up) in a man’s world

“This is not a story about a woman who made the best of traditional skills . . . This is the ‘woman’s pluck’ story, the dust-bowl story, the burying-your-child-on-the-trail story, the I-will-never-go-hungry-again story, the Mildred Pierce story, the story about…

August 6, 2026 · by Friedrich Arndt · 0

“The Shards” is oozing with Bret Easton Ellis vibes

White drugs. Underage drinking. Absentee parents. Nonstop parties. Oh, to be a rich teenager in the 1980s, says “The Shards” in so many words. Too many, I’d say, but slapping droning voiceovers atop expository visuals isn’t for me. Piling too…

August 6, 2026 · by Friedrich Arndt · 0

The end of looking away from violence on social media

Perez Hilton always wanted to be famous. This is a statement of fact and not meant to make light of his self-harming incident broadcast via TikTok livestream on Tuesday—quite the opposite. Videos and images of Hilton, 48, covered in blood…

August 6, 2026 · by Friedrich Arndt · 0

Why “Revolver” still matters: The 50th anniversary of a Beatles masterpiece

Even if you scorn Boomer myth-making, the 50th anniversary of “Revolver” — perhaps the Beatles’ best album — is a big deal. It not only sent the band in a new direction, it showed new possibilities in rock music. Look…

August 5, 2026 · by Friedrich Arndt · 0