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Atlantic
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Atlantic
A Writer Who Slows Down the Speed-Reader
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. Welcome back to The Daily's Sunday culture edition, in which one Atlantic writer or editor reveals what's keeping them entertained. Today's special guest is Ashley Parker, a staff writer who has covered the decline and fall of Elon Musk, interviewed President Donald Trump for The Atlantic 's June cover story, and written about miscarriage and motherhood. Ashley is a fan of anything by Ann Patchett, recommends watching The Studio for a comedy break, and considers Wonder Boys the rare movie that surpasses the book. The Culture Survey: Ashley Parker An author I will read anything by: Ann Patchett. I came to her late, and the first book I read was Bel Canto, but then I was hooked. I went back and read everything else she'd written, and I now read everything she writes, as soon as it comes out. My dirty secret is that I'm basically a modern-fiction speed-reader and very little I read stays with me, but Patchett has a way of creating entire worlds and characters that linger. (I actually met her at the Martha's Vineyard Book Festival a few years ago, when we were both panelists, though it was far more exciting for me than it was for her, alas.) For literary mysteries, I am also obsessed with Tana French, and because I have to wait for each new book to come out, I have since discovered the Maeve Kerrigan series, by Jane Casey. The television show I'm most enjoying right now: My husband and I just binged The Survivors in a single night—me because I found it addictive, and him because he claims he wanted to 'get it over with.' We've since moved on to The Studio with Seth Rogen, which is consistently funny and well done. My favorite art movie: Wonder Boys. And this is not a question you asked, but I'm going to offer up anyhow that this is the rare—perhaps only!—instance where the movie is better than the book. (No offense, Michael Chabon.) It's got an amazing cast (Michael Douglas, Robert Downey Jr., Frances McDormand, plus Katie Holmes in red cowboy boots) and an age-appropriate, middle-age romance. Enough said. An actor I would watch in anything: Michael Cera and Jesse Eisenberg—their essences are somehow endearingly familiar to me. Specifically: They both remind me of my dorky high-school guy friends, and I've always loved the movies they end up choosing. I recently watched Eisenberg's A Real Pain, which did not disappoint. And though I feel like I'm familiar even with Cera's more obscure work (see: Paper Heart), my all-time-favorite movie of his is probably Juno. Best work of nonfiction I've recently read: Invisible Child, by Andrea Elliott. On principle, I read almost zero nonfiction unless I have to for work, but I loved her series of stories for The New York Times on Dasani Coates, a young girl who comes of age in Brooklyn's homeless shelters. The book is similarly cinematic, and absolutely gripping. Also, for work—because I am interviewing the authors (separately) at Politics and Prose this month—I just read Empire of the Elite, by Michael Grynbaum, and 2024, by Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, and Isaac Arnsdorf. They are very different books: Grynbaum's is an inside look at the golden years of Condé Nast and how it shaped our culture, and 2024 is an inside account of Donald Trump's, Joe Biden's, and Kamala Harris's 2024 campaigns. But they're both engaging, fantastic reads, and I'm glad I had an excuse to get early copies and violate my no-nonfiction rule. And on the topic of campaign books: I am wildly biased, but I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention my husband's 2020-Trump-campaign book, Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost, which I read a bajillion times—chapter by chapter, often out of order—as he was writing it. It remains the best Trump-campaign book I've read, in part because, in addition to having a slew of scoops, it explains the Trump phenomenon and what motivates the MAGA base, including Trump's now-famous 'Front Row Joe' uber-loyalists. A musical artist who means a lot to me: Billy Joel. Long story, but the first cassette tape I ever discovered was my dad's copy of Billy Joel's Greatest Hits—Volume I & Volume II, and for a year or two in elementary school, I absolutely refused to listen to anything else—or to allow my family to listen to anything else. The last museum or gallery show that I loved: Yayoi Kusama's 'Infinity Mirrors,' when it came to the Hirshhorn a few years ago. I like that she's basically a hipster nonagenarian, and that her work is very accessible and fun, because I'm a philistine. Visiting the exhibit was also one of the first dates my now-husband and I went on, and on our honeymoon in Japan, we ended up seeing more of her work, so her show has a nice full-circle quality for me. Something I recently revisited: I keep meaning to reread The Secret History, by Donna Tartt, which my first boss, Maureen Dowd, introduced to me one day in an airport bookstore and correctly predicted that I'd love. A favorite story I've read in The Atlantic: I will read anything by Caitlin Flanagan; in fact, she is the reason I finally subscribed to The Atlantic several years ago. But the specific article that still stays with me, now more than a decade later, is Scott Stossel's ' Surviving Anxiety.' The writing is so vivid and honest, and as someone who has dealt with various phobias of my own, I found it imminently relatable. Something delightful introduced to me by a kid in my life: Kuk Sool Won, a Korean form of martial arts that my 6-year-old is currently obsessed with. We discovered it randomly, when I signed her up for a Kuk Sool after-care club, and she instantly fell in love. She is now a yellow-striped belt and takes it so seriously. Nothing brings me more joy than watching her bark out Korean words I don't understand and practice her various 'forms,' her mouth set in a line of grim determination. A poem, or line of poetry, that I return to: These words, from Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking, aren't technically poetry, but they might as well be. Now that I'm a mom and in my 40s, I find them regularly drifting through my thoughts, unbidden: 'Life changes in the instant. The ordinary instant.' The Week Ahead Superman, a superhero movie starring David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan (in theaters Friday) Too Much, a comedy series co-created by Lena Dunham about a workaholic who moves to London to find love (premieres Thursday on Netflix) Vera, or Faith, a novel by Gary Shteyngart about the eccentric family of a precocious 10-year-old (out Tuesday) Essay The Christian Rocker at the Center of MAGA By Ali Breland After wildfires erupted in Los Angeles County earlier this year, a team from the Department of Housing and Urban Development descended on the wreckage. Led by HUD Secretary Scott Turner, the entourage walked through the rubble in Altadena, reassuring victims that the Trump administration had their back. At Turner's request, a Christian-nationalist musician named Sean Feucht tagged along. 'I can't overemphasize how amazing this opportunity is,' Feucht had posted on Instagram the day before. 'I'm bringing my guitar. We're going to worship. We're going to pray.' More in Culture Catch Up on The Atlantic Congressional Republicans didn't have to do this. The whole country is starting to look like California. The birth-rate crisis isn't as bad as you've heard—it's worse. Photo Album Take a look at these photos of people across Europe doing whatever they can to keep cool during days of oppressive heat. Play our daily crossword.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Show That Makes Being Awkward Feel Good
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. Welcome back to The Daily's Sunday culture edition, in which one Atlantic writer or editor reveals what's keeping them entertained. Today's special guest is Serena Dai, a senior editor who has written about the easiest way to keep your friends, the art of the restaurateur, and the endless hunt to make meaning of marriage. Serena was surprised by how much she enjoyed The Rehearsal, the comedian Nathan Fielder's latest pseudo-reality series. She's also an avid romance-novel reader, a newly minted Jonas Brothers fan, and a longtime admirer of Kathryn Hahn's work. The Culture Survey: Serena Dai The television show I'm most enjoying right now: I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I could not bear to watch Nathan for You, a beloved show where the comedian Nathan Fielder suggests outlandish plans to help small businesses. Every person I trusted assured me that Fielder was a genius, and I got the sense that I must lack some sort of sophistication for not enjoying it. The entrepreneurs he was trying to 'help' with suggestions such as poop-flavored frozen yogurt were real people; I felt too badly for them to find the show entertaining. So I was surprised to discover that I loved his new series, The Rehearsal—and now, a few episodes into the second season, I finally understand the 'genius' moniker that my buddies have bequeathed him. Similar to Nathan for You, the show pairs Fielder's monotonous tone with outrageous conceits, but this time, the premise is staging 'rehearsals' to help people prepare for difficult moments. Though he's still cringey (and still allegedly misleading real people), he also poses questions about how comedy can effect real-life change, and reveals some insights about his own role in the entertainment industry's worst impulses. His critiques feel organic instead of forced, something that is not easy. By the second episode of the new season, I found myself not only in awe of the lengths he would go for a bit but also laughing out loud at the results. [Related: Nathan Fielder is his own worst enemy.] The upcoming entertainment event I'm most looking forward to: The return of Lena Dunham's work to our TV screens, with her upcoming Netflix show, Too Much. I recently rewatched the first season of Girls, and seeing it in my 30s (long after the heated discourse about Millennials and nepo babies that surrounded the show's debut), I had a deeper appreciation for Dunham's talent for writing sharply drawn characters—ones who, even when they're infuriating, you can't help but love. When she hits, she hits! The new show, which debuts on July 10, stars one of my favorite internet personalities, the comedian Megan Stalter. She has an intensity in her facial expressions that makes me laugh before she even says a word, and I am eager to see how Dunham works with her talents. [Related: Eight perfect episodes of TV] An actor I would watch in anything: Kathryn Hahn. She's funny and moving in so much that she does, but I really fell for her in I Love Dick, an adaptation of the Chris Kraus novel where she excels at playing a woman who wants and wants and wants. My favorite way of wasting time on my phone: This year, I finally did something that I've been thinking about for years: I started pulling up the Kindle app to read a book when I had the instinct to refresh my Instagram feed. I read an essay a long time ago recommending it as a way both to read more books and to make phone time feel less terrible, but I hadn't done it. For years, I still felt that any extended time I spent on my phone meant something bad about me, and frankly, I was also just easily distracted. But I decided I didn't need to read Proust, only stay off social media; as a result, I have probably tripled my intake of romance novels, which are breezy yet still require an attention span longer than 30 seconds. I recently dipped my toe into historical romance and have been loving the Ravenels series, by Lisa Kleypas, which you may also enjoy if you're a fan of Bridgerton. I do still spend plenty of time on Instagram trying to remind myself to not pay too much attention to parenting or fitness influencers, but I promise it's less. Much, much less. An author I will read anything by: Jasmine Guillory. I love romance, I love love, and I love her characters. An online creator whom I'm a fan of: I've been finding small ways to incorporate more Mandarin into my life because I'm trying to speak it more to my toddler, and a friend recommended following her Chinese teacher, Neruda Ling, on Instagram. He blends internet humor with Mandarin lessons, which is exactly what I need after a lifetime of associating the language with textbooks and long Sunday mornings in suburban community-college classrooms. Crucially, he also explains curse words and gay slang, something my immigrant mother would never have done in depth. To be honest, I'm not sure if I remember any of the phrases he's taught, and even if I did, I doubt that I would have the guts to deploy them in casual conversation. Mostly, these videos remind me that the language doesn't have to feel inherently stiff like it did when I was growing up, and that Mandarin can, in fact, be a source of joy. A good recommendation I recently received: I can't believe I'm saying this, but have you heard the latest Jonas Brothers single? It's called 'Love Me to Heaven,' and my husband stopped everything in our apartment one busy Saturday to make me listen to it. If you, like me, had kind of written them off as Disney Channel heartthrobs or tabloid fodder or reality-show jokesters, you too might be delighted to hear this pop-rock bop. I want to drive a convertible to the beach with the roof down and blast this song the whole way there. Here are three Sunday reads from The Atlantic: The vanishers: secrets of the world's greatest privacy experts The mother who never stopped believing her son was still there The talented Mr. Vance The Week Ahead Karate Kid: Legends, an action movie starring Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio (in theaters Friday) Season 3 of And Just Like That, a sequel to Sex and the City (premieres Thursday on Max) Never Flinch, a crime novel by Stephen King about a killer and a dangerous stalker (out Tuesday) Essay The Pedestrians Who Abetted a Hawk's Deadly Attack By Katherine J. Wu In November of 2021, Vladimir Dinets was driving his daughter to school when he first noticed a hawk using a pedestrian crosswalk. The bird—a young Cooper's hawk, to be exact—wasn't using the crosswalk, in the sense of treading on the painted white stripes to reach the other side of the road in West Orange, New Jersey. But it was using the crosswalk—more specifically, the pedestrian-crossing signal that people activate to keep traffic out of said crosswalk—to ambush prey. Read the full article. More in Culture The unbearable weight of Mission: Impossible Time for scary movies to make us laugh again. America's Johnson & Johnson problem No one is better at being looked at than Kim Kardashian. What is Alison Bechdel's secret? Catch Up on The largest upward transfer of wealth in American history The decline and fall of Elon Musk The anti-natalist's revenge Photo Album Take a look at these photos of the week, showing a swannery in southern England, tornado damage in Kentucky, a rally race in a Chinese desert, and more. Explore all of our newsletters. When you buy a book using a link in this newsletter, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic. Article originally published at The Atlantic
Atlantic
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Atlantic
The Show That Makes Being Awkward Feel Good
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. Welcome back to The Daily's Sunday culture edition, in which one Atlantic writer or editor reveals what's keeping them entertained. Today's special guest is Serena Dai, a senior editor who has written about the easiest way to keep your friends, the art of the restaurateur, and the endless hunt to make meaning of marriage. Serena was surprised by how much she enjoyed The Rehearsal, the comedian Nathan Fielder's latest pseudo-reality series. She's also an avid romance-novel reader, a newly minted Jonas Brothers fan, and a longtime admirer of Kathryn Hahn's work. The Culture Survey: Serena Dai The television show I'm most enjoying right now: I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I could not bear to watch Nathan for You, a beloved show where the comedian Nathan Fielder suggests outlandish plans to help small businesses. Every person I trusted assured me that Fielder was a genius, and I got the sense that I must lack some sort of sophistication for not enjoying it. The entrepreneurs he was trying to 'help' with suggestions such as poop-flavored frozen yogurt were real people; I felt too badly for them to find the show entertaining. So I was surprised to discover that I loved his new series, The Rehearsal —and now, a few episodes into the second season, I finally understand the 'genius' moniker that my buddies have bequeathed him. Similar to Nathan for You, the show pairs Fielder's monotonous tone with outrageous conceits, but this time, the premise is staging 'rehearsals' to help people prepare for difficult moments. Though he's still cringey (and still allegedly misleading real people), he also poses questions about how comedy can effect real-life change, and reveals some insights about his own role in the entertainment industry's worst impulses. His critiques feel organic instead of forced, something that is not easy. By the second episode of the new season, I found myself not only in awe of the lengths he would go for a bit but also laughing out loud at the results. [ Related: Nathan Fielder is his own worst enemy. ] The upcoming entertainment event I'm most looking forward to: The return of Lena Dunham's work to our TV screens, with her upcoming Netflix show, Too Much. I recently rewatched the first season of Girls, and seeing it in my 30s (long after the heated discourse about Millennials and nepo babies that surrounded the show's debut), I had a deeper appreciation for Dunham's talent for writing sharply drawn characters—ones who, even when they're infuriating, you can't help but love. When she hits, she hits! The new show, which debuts on July 10, stars one of my favorite internet personalities, the comedian Megan Stalter. She has an intensity in her facial expressions that makes me laugh before she even says a word, and I am eager to see how Dunham works with her talents. [ Related: Eight perfect episodes of TV ] An actor I would watch in anything: Kathryn Hahn. She's funny and moving in so much that she does, but I really fell for her in I Love Dick, an adaptation of the Chris Kraus novel where she excels at playing a woman who wants and wants and wants. My favorite way of wasting time on my phone: This year, I finally did something that I've been thinking about for years: I started pulling up the Kindle app to read a book when I had the instinct to refresh my Instagram feed. I read an essay a long time ago recommending it as a way both to read more books and to make phone time feel less terrible, but I hadn't done it. For years, I still felt that any extended time I spent on my phone meant something bad about me, and frankly, I was also just easily distracted. But I decided I didn't need to read Proust, only stay off social media; as a result, I have probably tripled my intake of romance novels, which are breezy yet still require an attention span longer than 30 seconds. I recently dipped my toe into historical romance and have been loving the Ravenels series, by Lisa Kleypas, which you may also enjoy if you're a fan of Bridgerton. I do still spend plenty of time on Instagram trying to remind myself to not pay too much attention to parenting or fitness influencers, but I promise it's less. Much, much less. An author I will read anything by: Jasmine Guillory. I love romance, I love love, and I love her characters. An online creator whom I'm a fan of: I've been finding small ways to incorporate more Mandarin into my life because I'm trying to speak it more to my toddler, and a friend recommended following her Chinese teacher, Neruda Ling, on Instagram. He blends internet humor with Mandarin lessons, which is exactly what I need after a lifetime of associating the language with textbooks and long Sunday mornings in suburban community-college classrooms. Crucially, he also explains curse words and gay slang, something my immigrant mother would never have done in depth. To be honest, I'm not sure if I remember any of the phrases he's taught, and even if I did, I doubt that I would have the guts to deploy them in casual conversation. Mostly, these videos remind me that the language doesn't have to feel inherently stiff like it did when I was growing up, and that Mandarin can, in fact, be a source of joy. A good recommendation I recently received: I can't believe I'm saying this, but have you heard the latest Jonas Brothers single? It's called ' Love Me to Heaven,' and my husband stopped everything in our apartment one busy Saturday to make me listen to it. If you, like me, had kind of written them off as Disney Channel heartthrobs or tabloid fodder or reality-show jokesters, you too might be delighted to hear this pop-rock bop. I want to drive a convertible to the beach with the roof down and blast this song the whole way there. Here are three Sunday reads from The Atlantic: The Week Ahead Karate Kid: Legends, an action movie starring Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio (in theaters Friday) Season 3 of And Just Like That, a sequel to Sex and the City (premieres Thursday on Max) Never Flinch, a crime novel by Stephen King about a killer and a dangerous stalker (out Tuesday) Essay The Pedestrians Who Abetted a Hawk's Deadly Attack In November of 2021, Vladimir Dinets was driving his daughter to school when he first noticed a hawk using a pedestrian crosswalk. The bird—a young Cooper's hawk, to be exact—wasn't using the crosswalk, in the sense of treading on the painted white stripes to reach the other side of the road in West Orange, New Jersey. But it was using the crosswalk—more specifically, the pedestrian-crossing signal that people activate to keep traffic out of said crosswalk—to ambush prey. More in Culture Catch Up on The Atlantic Photo Album Take a look at these photos of the week, showing a swannery in southern England, tornado damage in Kentucky, a rally race in a Chinese desert, and more.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A Strangely Moving Cartoon Show
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. Welcome back to The Daily's Sunday culture edition, in which one Atlantic writer or editor reveals what's keeping them entertained. Today's special guest is Allegra Frank, a senior editor who works on stories about the changing trends in film, television, and culture. Allegra recently spent a day trying out the new Nintendo Switch 2. She enjoys the works of the Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara, making a lot of playlists, and listening to the indie-pop artist Jay Som. The Culture Survey: Allegra Frank The television show I'm most enjoying right now: YOLO is perhaps the most unfortunately named series on television right now—but it's also the funniest. Adult Swim's animated comedy is surreal, madcap, and somehow both nonsensical and strangely moving. Set in the city of Wollongong, which an Australian friend described to me as 'Sydney's equivalent of Staten Island,' YOLO follows the bizarre travails of longtime best friends Rachel and Sarah. Rachel's rage and Sarah's naivete often land them in unexpected situations: getting stuck on a planet inhabited by personified zodiac signs, a dance-off to the death hosted by a gigantic floating head, a park hang that ends in beheadings and someone transforming into a computer-animated werewolf. The inanity may be too much for a viewer not used to the creator Michael Cusack's abrasive style of storytelling, but Season 3, named Rainbow Trinity, combines these absurd stories with Sarah and Rachel's genuine growth. The affection I feel for these characters makes YOLO more than just one of the weirdest—and best—cartoons I've ever seen. The product my friends are talking about most right now: Nintendo released its last major video-game console, the Switch, nearly a decade ago, making the release of its follow-up a major event. The excitement isn't just due to the fact that new systems bring new games; it's also because Nintendo is one of the most surprising developers in the industry, focused as much on innovation as improvement. So when I had the chance to spend an entire day with the Switch's aptly titled successor, the Nintendo Switch 2, I jumped at it. After watching the hour-long live reveal with content creators and fellow journalists earlier this month, I got to play some of the new games and learn more about the console. I was most struck by Nintendo's emphasis on online social play. There are already robust platforms for those who want to stream their game or voice-chat with their friends. But Nintendo has baked those features into the Switch 2 itself, creating an exclusive and collaborative multiplayer environment (one perk is that you can video-chat a friend mid-game to walk them through a tricky spot). I remain most curious as to whether these new features will be compelling enough to persuade buyers to pick up the console. That question, outside of the console's controversial pricing—$150 more than its predecessor, with mounting concerns about an increase due to tariffs—is what my fellow Mario-lovers and I have been wondering about. [Related: The Switch 2 is a new kart-racing appliance.] A piece of art that I cherish: I've hung a print of the Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara's piece Oh! My God! I Miss You. on a wall wherever I've lived since I was 17 years old. Nara has a fixation on big-headed little girls who are often seen scowling or bristling—figures that have always resonated with me. I've always loved the irony present in this drawing, in particular: a brash little girl looking askance as a blaring plea for closeness hangs above her. The last thing that made me cry: The Netflix docuseries Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing validated my disinterest in raising children in the age of social media. It's a harrowing look at how a group of teens were exploited by the mother of a popular YouTube influencer, who turned their awkward phases into clickbait. I was shocked by the number of tears I shed as the kids talked about their experiences with alleged emotional and, in some cases, sexual abuse in the name of content creation (the mother involved has denied all wrongdoing). I was less surprised to learn that the now-17-year-old daughter of the alleged abuser still actively posts dance videos and updates about her love life to a social media following of more than 21 million. A quiet song that I love, and a loud song that I love: Throughout each month, I make several new playlists of the songs I'm into; once the playlist includes 30 songs, I have to make another. (I am very systematic about my music consumption.) I'm particularly struck by this one-two punch on my playlist from the end of March: the lullaby-like 'Little Trouble Girl,' by Sonic Youth, followed by 'Perfect Soul,' by the heavy-metal band Spiritbox. I love both of these songs and a dose of discordance, but I also love listening to music as I fall asleep—I have finally learned that this is not a good playlist to put on at night. A musical artist who means a lot to me: The indie-pop artist Melina Duterte has collaborated or performed with several cult-favorite musicians over the years, namely the supergroup Boygenius. But I'd argue that her own solo efforts far exceed that of any of her peers. Under the name Jay Som, Duterte has released three pitch-perfect solo albums—gorgeous, keenly observed, textured works, in the first two of which she plays every instrument herself. She sings a lot about love, but also about career pressure and riding the bus. I listened to Jay Som's second album, 2017's Everybody Works, every day during a particularly low six-month period in my life, and it buoyed me to a much happier place. Duterte followed that up with the excellent Anak Ko in 2019, and I've waited impatiently for almost six years for the next one. Thankfully, Duterte recently revealed that Jay Som's fourth solo album is nearly done. Fingers crossed that the artist releases it sooner than later—if so, I'd be surprised if it doesn't end up as my favorite of the year. Here are three Sunday reads from The Atlantic: What porn taught a generation of women The key to critical self-awareness We're about to find out what mass deportation really looks like. The Week Ahead The Accountant 2, a film starring Ben Affleck as a forensic accountant with deadly skills (in theaters Friday) Season 5 of You, a drama show about a love-obsessed and charming stalker (premieres Thursday on Netflix) The Project, a book by the Atlantic staff writer David A. Graham about Project 2025's ambitions (out Tuesday) Essay Federal Workers Are Facing a New Reality By Elaine Godfrey The employees who have so far survived the Trump administration's federal defenestration project are morose. For some, the new workload is untenable. For others, chaos reigns. Scientists have been unable to purchase mice for research, while human-tissue samples have sat on dry ice, unsent, thanks to worker layoffs. Lawyers at the Education Department are racing through a backlog of complaints from parents of special-needs children. And many employees are learning that teammates have been fired only when they receive an email bounce-back: Address not found. Read the full article. More in Culture Katy Perry is exactly the kind of celebrity to go to space. What Jonathan Haidt thought when he watched Adolescence Even Netflix can't escape the Black Mirror treatment. What Silicon Valley knew about tech-bro paternalism 'Dear James': I'm dreading my family vacation. What does the literature of the working class look like? Catch Up on America's mad king, by Peter Wehner They never thought Trump would have them deported. Anne Applebaum: Kleptocracy, Inc. Photo Album Take a look at these photos of the week, showing an annual torch festival in India, a colorful tulip festival in England, ice climbing in Nepal, and more. Explore all of our newsletters. When you buy a book using a link in this newsletter, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic. Article originally published at The Atlantic
Atlantic
20-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Atlantic
A Strangely Moving Cartoon Show
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. Welcome back to The Daily's Sunday culture edition, in which one Atlantic writer or editor reveals what's keeping them entertained. Today's special guest is Allegra Frank, a senior editor who works on stories about the changing trends in film, television, and culture. Allegra recently spent a day trying out the new Nintendo Switch 2. She enjoys the works of the Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara, making a lot of playlists, and listening to the indie-pop artist Jay Som. The Culture Survey: Allegra Frank The television show I'm most enjoying right now: YOLO is perhaps the most unfortunately named series on television right now—but it's also the funniest. Adult Swim's animated comedy is surreal, madcap, and somehow both nonsensical and strangely moving. Set in the city of Wollongong, which an Australian friend described to me as 'Sydney's equivalent of Staten Island,' YOLO follows the bizarre travails of longtime best friends Rachel and Sarah. Rachel's rage and Sarah's naivete often land them in unexpected situations: getting stuck on a planet inhabited by personified zodiac signs, a dance-off to the death hosted by a gigantic floating head, a park hang that ends in beheadings and someone transforming into a computer-animated werewolf. The inanity may be too much for a viewer not used to the creator Michael Cusack's abrasive style of storytelling, but Season 3, named Rainbow Trinity, combines these absurd stories with Sarah and Rachel's genuine growth. The affection I feel for these characters makes YOLO more than just one of the weirdest—and best—cartoons I've ever seen. The product my friends are talking about most right now: Nintendo released its last major video-game console, the Switch, nearly a decade ago, making the release of its follow-up a major event. The excitement isn't just due to the fact that new systems bring new games; it's also because Nintendo is one of the most surprising developers in the industry, focused as much on innovation as improvement. So when I had the chance to spend an entire day with the Switch's aptly titled successor, the Nintendo Switch 2, I jumped at it. After watching the hour-long live reveal with content creators and fellow journalists earlier this month, I got to play some of the new games and learn more about the console. I was most struck by Nintendo's emphasis on online social play. There are already robust platforms for those who want to stream their game or voice-chat with their friends. But Nintendo has baked those features into the Switch 2 itself, creating an exclusive and collaborative multiplayer environment (one perk is that you can video-chat a friend mid-game to walk them through a tricky spot). I remain most curious as to whether these new features will be compelling enough to persuade buyers to pick up the console. That question, outside of the console's controversial pricing—$150 more than its predecessor, with mounting concerns about an increase due to tariffs —is what my fellow Mario-lovers and I have been wondering about. [ Related: The Switch 2 is a new kart-racing appliance. ] A piece of art that I cherish: I've hung a print of the Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara's piece Oh! My God! I Miss You. on a wall wherever I've lived since I was 17 years old. Nara has a fixation on big-headed little girls who are often seen scowling or bristling—figures that have always resonated with me. I've always loved the irony present in this drawing, in particular: a brash little girl looking askance as a blaring plea for closeness hangs above her. The last thing that made me cry: The Netflix docuseries Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing validated my disinterest in raising children in the age of social media. It's a harrowing look at how a group of teens were exploited by the mother of a popular YouTube influencer, who turned their awkward phases into clickbait. I was shocked by the number of tears I shed as the kids talked about their experiences with alleged emotional and, in some cases, sexual abuse in the name of content creation (the mother involved has denied all wrongdoing). I was less surprised to learn that the now-17-year-old daughter of the alleged abuser still actively posts dance videos and updates about her love life to a social media following of more than 21 million. A quiet song that I love, and a loud song that I love: Throughout each month, I make several new playlists of the songs I'm into; once the playlist includes 30 songs, I have to make another. (I am very systematic about my music consumption.) I'm particularly struck by this one-two punch on my playlist from the end of March: the lullaby-like 'Little Trouble Girl,' by Sonic Youth, followed by 'Perfect Soul,' by the heavy-metal band Spiritbox. I love both of these songs and a dose of discordance, but I also love listening to music as I fall asleep—I have finally learned that this is not a good playlist to put on at night. A musical artist who means a lot to me: The indie-pop artist Melina Duterte has collaborated or performed with several cult-favorite musicians over the years, namely the supergroup Boygenius. But I'd argue that her own solo efforts far exceed that of any of her peers. Under the name Jay Som, Duterte has released three pitch-perfect solo albums—gorgeous, keenly observed, textured works, in the first two of which she plays every instrument herself. She sings a lot about love, but also about career pressure and riding the bus. I listened to Jay Som's second album, 2017's Everybody Works, every day during a particularly low six-month period in my life, and it buoyed me to a much happier place. Duterte followed that up with the excellent Anak Ko in 2019, and I've waited impatiently for almost six years for the next one. Thankfully, Duterte recently revealed that Jay Som's fourth solo album is nearly done. Fingers crossed that the artist releases it sooner than later—if so, I'd be surprised if it doesn't end up as my favorite of the year. The Week Ahead The Accountant 2, a film starring Ben Affleck as a forensic accountant with deadly skills (in theaters Friday) Season 5 of You, a drama show about a love-obsessed and charming stalker (premieres Thursday on Netflix) The Project, a book by the Atlantic staff writer David A. Graham about Project 2025's ambitions (out Tuesday) Essay The employees who have so far survived the Trump administration's federal defenestration project are morose. For some, the new workload is untenable. For others, chaos reigns. Scientists have been unable to purchase mice for research, while human-tissue samples have sat on dry ice, unsent, thanks to worker layoffs. Lawyers at the Education Department are racing through a backlog of complaints from parents of special-needs children. And many employees are learning that teammates have been fired only when they receive an email bounce-back: Address not found. More in Culture Catch Up on The Atlantic America's mad king, by Peter Wehner They never thought Trump would have them deported. Anne Applebaum: Kleptocracy, Inc. Photo Album Take a look at these photos of the week, showing an annual torch festival in India, a colorful tulip festival in England, ice climbing in Nepal, and more.
