Welcome to Sucker Punch, the only blog post that ranks the most potent moments from this week’s episode of True Blood.

SPOILERS AHEAD

—

People have been losing control of their bodies and their identities all season, but in “Burning Down the House,” almost all of those issues are resolved. A few characters even face permanent consequences, without getting help from vampire blood or glamouring! Woo!

[Read more →]

The summer has blasted us with hits, and if you don’t like “Moves Like Jagger,” then it’s not July’s problem. But for every hot track that has dominated the season, another has been cruelly overlooked.

Here are five lost summer hits that deserve your attention before your pull your sweaters out of storage. There’s some dance action, a ballad, and something that hovers in between.

[Read more →]

By Doug Strassler

Just like Mark did yesterday in his smart analysis of Tate Taylor’s film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s The Help, I too have been thinking about many elements of this summer smash. And though some people may have found various aesthetic flaws with the movie, it seems to be pretty universally liked.

[Read more →]

Check out my latest piece for MSNBC.com, which names the 5 most disappointing movies of the summer. (Hint: A film can make a lot of money and still be a disappointment.)

I interviewed film critics and everyday movie fans for the piece, and I even got to discuss Freaky Friday. It was a lot of fun. What do you think of the movies I chose? Which films would you add to the list?

I know the conversation about the film version of The Help has been going for a while, but since I just finished the book last week and just saw the movie on Saturday, I’d like to enter the fray.

A lot of people have suggested that the story of The Help is fundamentally troubling: In both the film and the novel, a white woman in 1960s Mississippi compiles the stories of black maids into a book, empowering them all in a time of segregation. As many have noted, you’ve got yet another fictional property that puts white people at the center of the Civil Rights Movement (a la Mississippi Burning or Driving Miss Daisy.) You’ve got yet another white author telling a Civil Rights story and reaching millions of people, while stories by black writers that have black people in leading roles continue to be rarities.

I can understand that frustration, and when I read Kathryn Stockett’s novel, I definitely encountered “white people are awesome!” moments, like when Skeeter Phelan (the writer) got to righteously disapprove of the prejudices of her well-heeled Southern friends. However, the book also features many scenes where white people—Skeeter included—arecasually racist without realizing it, which reminds the reader that every white person, no matter how decent, was culpable in the segregated South.

Plus, the black characters are written with equal dimension, equal amounts of good and bad traits. And since two-thirds of the novel is narrated by Aibileen (a maid with a gift for writing) and her brassy friend Minnie, black voices actually dominate the storytelling. So while I was always aware that a white woman was telling me a Civil Rights story, I was also drawn into a rich and interesting narrative that did a pretty good job of balancing its perspectives and intentions. Yes, characters like Hilly (the “evil white lady”) are over-sized caricatures, and yes, there’s plenty of treacly, preach sentiment, but not every popular novel can be written by Faulkner. Ultimately, the book strikes me as the story of two black women and one white woman who are equally important. It’s not a masterpiece, but I’m glad to know it.

I can’t say the same for the movie, which was written and directed by Stockett’s friend Tate Taylor. Though it tells roughly the same story as the novel, it makes several small changes that seriously upend the racial balance. Much more than the novel, the movie is a story about white people being awesome and noble.

I’m not saying the movie is malicious or racist. It’s trying really hard not to be. But some of the changes make the story much more palatable to white folks.

Here are three of the differences between the book and the film that seriously alter the message of The Help:

[MANY SPOILERS AHEAD]

[Read more →]

Welcome to “Sucker Punch,” the only blog post that ranks the gaudiest episodes in this week’s episode of True Blood.

SPOILERS AHEAD

—

True Blood needs to put up or shut up. Either let Bill and Sookie get hurt, or stop trotting out “dangerous” situations that they will obviously escape from. It’s cool if the main characters are invincible… just stop pretending they might die at any second. It sucks the life out of supposedly tense moments, and it distracts from other, more interesting stories.
[Read more →]

Hello everyone! Forgive my recent silence: I needed a break to recover from the mind-bending awesomeness of the pop song tournament.

Today, I’m back with a piece on NPR’s Monkey See blog about a recent story on social media “finding” a missing student in Malaysia. Except the kid wasn’t exactly lost. News outlets just manipulated facts until it seemed like he was.

And that troubles me. Here’s a bit of what I wrote:

Both pieces report on a perceived crisis as though it were an actual crisis, treating parental fears like facts. That allows for an uplifting ode to social media, but wouldn’t the stories have been just as interesting without those breathless exaggerations?

Once you read the rest, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you think this story is what it seems to be? Or are you also unsettled by the way it’s being covered?

Welcome to Sucker Punch, the only blog post that ranks the gaudiest moments on this week’s episode of True Blood.

SPOILERS AHEAD

—

You may remember that last week, Marnie allowed her body to become a vessel for Antonia, so Martonia was born. This week, Lafayette’s body is invaded by the spirit of Mavis, the ghost-woman who’s been haunting Baby Mikey. Therefore, it’s time to welcome… LaMavis. Politely avert your eyes as she breaks into your house and steals your baby.

[Read more →]

And so it ends. I cannot thank you enough for making this tournament so great, with special thanks to Nick and Joe.

Please enjoy this victory lap by our tournament champion, Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.”

Welcome to the CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND of the Ultimate Pop Song Tournament.

This game is CLOSED. CYNDI LAUPER WON!

To see the final bracket, just go here. For info on how we chose the songs and everything else Tournament-related, go here.

—

I decided to close the Final Four games a bit early, since it was obvious who was going to win and I was eager to get the final match started. Though I never would have predicted them when we started this tournament, I am delighted by our final two challengers: They are both undeniable classics that have been routinely covered, perpetually played, and consistently beloved. Those are the qualities the Ultimate Pop Song should possess.

And so… the time has come to cast your final vote. Will you choose Journey or Cyndi? Cyndi or Journey?

“Time After Time” (Cyndi Lauper)

“Don’t Stop Believin’” (Journey)