Confessions of a Conservative Atheist
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The Boss’ new album will be composed of entirely culturally appropriated songs, a collection of “soul music” covers, but that is inherently a good thing. Harold Bloom’s seminal The Anxiety of Influence reveals why all art, if not all ideas entirely, can be seen as the product of cultural appropriation. Bruce Springsteen is just the… Continue reading Bruce Springsteen and the artistic necessity of cultural appropriation
HBO Max’s Station Eleven could’ve been a standard post-apocalyptic drama, but the introduction of a traveling caravan of actors who perform Shakespeare after the world ends, transforms the show into a story about stories. Their importance, their interpretation, how they are shared and how they change over time, something made apparent in the very first… Continue reading Station Eleven, Hamlet, and the importance of the stories we tell each other and ourselves
Like almost everything else in the modern era, the current generation of actors and actresses has completely broken the unspoken agreement that gave old Hollywood its magic. Celebrities want fame and fortune without any of the associated costs, as if it’s possible to live a life of wealth and privilege in the public eye while… Continue reading Unpopular opinion: Rich and famous actresses complaining about pressure on their weight and appearance is nauseating
A recent article in Harper’s Bazaar concludes that fantasy has become a “stronghold for white supremacy,” starting with the work of J.R.R Tolkien, which can be reduced to “the story of white men reclaiming their world.” This is a radical retelling of an incredibly complex genre, requiring the erasure of seminal fantasy authors such as… Continue reading Fantasy games and literature: The woke crusade against the genre continues
Beyond the accusations of woke casting or challenges modernizing Christian morality, the problem has always been that no one alive can write on the level required to realize Tolkien’s vision. Tolkien was a master of his craft and a singular genius, one of the greatest writers who ever lived and widely considered the greatest of… Continue reading The Rings of Power: The good, the bad, and the Spielberg
Elizabeth II was a bridge between the past and the future. She wasn’t Churchill’s Queen, or Margaret Thatcher’s Queen, or Tony Blair’s Queen, though she presided over them all. She was a Queen for all her people and all Great Britain, working hand in hand with political legends without being a political activist. Her heir,… Continue reading Queen Elizabeth II was irreplaceable and the monarchy might not make it long without her
Robert Egger’s The Northman is based on the same source material as Shakespeare’s Hamlet, a Viking legend circa 1,000 AD, but takes a completely different path, crafting an almost anti-Hamlet. This “Shakespherean” mode of adaptation presents unique opportunity to return to Shakespeare’s original roots and illuminate both works. Despite attempts to cancel the world’s greatest… Continue reading Hamlet, The Northman, and Shakespeare’s genius through the looking glass
From Paul McCartney to Bruce Springsteen with Duran Duran in between, nobody imagined rock stars would still be performing decades after their debut, continuing to captivate fans around the world. There was no template for this in the early 1960’s but the music and the live performance is a magic all its own. Everyone, or… Continue reading Duran Duran and the magic of the aging rock star
Somehow, the ticket broker service has lumbered on over time, immune to the radical upheaval of business other business models in the internet age, passing none of the technology savings onto the consumer, and becoming a near monopoly that charges ridiculous fees of up to $500 per ticket. Who doesn’t want to pay $5,000 a… Continue reading Bruce Springsteen broke Ticketmaster
It might be easy to dismiss Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s constant complaining and claims of victimhood were she not illustrative of the progressive movement in general, where even the highest of the high, including the President himself feigns powerlessness and pretends he’s merely a victim of events. Life is very difficult for progressive firebrand Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. We… Continue reading AOC: The progressive victim that roared
Confessions of a Conservative Atheist 