In 2015 the musical Hamilton debuted in New York and for a few years after that it seems like that was all anybody was talking about. The show received unmatched critical acclaim and countless awards, but what was amazing was the way it became a cultural phenomenon. Lin-Manuel Miranda was suddenly America’s “it-man,” and his start hasn’t faded that much since then, especially since in the last year a filmed version of the production was released on Disney +, briefly reviving the Hamilton fervor. We watched it and it was interesting because we all found something in it that struck a chord deep within us. My husband was taken with the choreography, I was floored by the acting and the music, and my ten-year-old, oddly enough, was completely enamored with the lighting. They were all separate things that went into making a singular aesthetic experience that spoke to multitudes of people. I know there are many criticisms of Hamilton, and it’s not as cool as it once was to like it – but politics aside, one can’t deny the artistry of the production. [Read More]
Episode 39 – Have You No Decency?
If you want to speak in broad strokes, Joseph McCarthy was brought down by two men: Edward R. Murrow and Joseph Welch. Murrow put in the work. He launched a sustained attack on McCarthy and his antics by highlighting the awfulness of them on his popular show. It was a bold and brave move, one that not too many people were willing to make at the time, and it is why it seems like every journalism school in the world is named the Edward R. Murrow School of Journalism. [Read More]
January 27, 2021
Due to extenuating circumstances we can’t be with you this week. But we look forward to spending time with you next week! [Read More]
Episode 38 – MLK and Inauguration Week
This week was Martin Luther King Day, which is a really important day. We absolutely should celebrate the life and work of Dr. King. But it always irks me a little (okay, a lot) to see white people on Facebook throw up out-of-context quotes from MLK without any thought to what his work was about or what he was fighting for then go right back to straight up supporting systems of white supremacy in their everyday lives. [Read More]
Episode Thirty-Seven: Words Matter
Last week I argued that a Clinton election would not have saved America from her systemic problems. So her election wouldn’t have, in the long run, made that much of a difference. But this week has shown us how much of a difference Trump has made. [Read More]