popular culture

Socialist skinheads: New book tells story of 1980s working-class band The Redskins

October 15, 2026 By David McKinstry

With his “Marxism in Music,” Gregor Gall delivers the history of a pioneering band that mixed socialist politics with punk, soul, and funk.

There but for fortune: Sketches from the life of Phil Ochs

December 19, 2025 By Randolph Oechslein

The folksinger and songwriter was born 85 years ago, on Dec. 19, 1940.

Trump-Satan love affair, political subversion, and creative animation kick off SDCC 2025

July 25, 2025 By Michael Krychiw And Chauncey K. Robinson

Creatives use entertainment as a platform to comment on the world, and as these tumultuous political times continue to unfold, a variety of panels at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) are grappling with topics that affect everyone.

Saving democracy requires more of Netflix’s ‘Sunday Best’

July 25, 2025 By John Wojcik

Documentary shows how Ed Sullivan helped a nation see the wealth of talent and ability in the Black community.

Paris is (still) Burning: Celebrating the ballroom scene and gay culture 35 years later

June 3, 2025 By Chauncey K. Robinson

Decades after its release, Paris is Burning remains a pivotal film, documenting not just a part of LGBTQ history but the evolution of American pop culture.