The Enduring Triumph in Turmoil of Red Velvet’s “Psycho” — As another December draws to a close, the year-in-review pop culture listicles file in, inevitable as the march of time itself. Yes, even in 2020 — whether that feels frivolous in light of this year’s grim events, macabre given the pandemic’s effect on the entertainment industry, or essential as a…

Too Many Words on Red Velvet’s Layered Masterpiece — Every year, as August slips away into September, it’s natural to reminisce about the summer that is ending and romanticize what was (or could have been). But as with many previously normal activities, the events of 2020 have turned this banal seasonal nostalgia into an uncanny, mind-warping exercise. Of course…

Find out if you’re a daughter of Arendelle on a quest to the heart of a sacred glacier by answering these simple questions! — Frozen II is finally available on home video, and by now you’re doubtless familiar with “Show Yourself,” Elsa’s rapturous emotional turning point and clear successor to “Let It Go.” Or maybe you’re not, in which case I have a pretty strong sense of what your results on this quiz will…

Spoiler alert, I guess? But also, does it matter? — Okay, here it is: I think Cats the movie might be Good. I KNOW. I know the critics (PEOPLE OF WIDELY ESTABLISHED WRONGNESS, SO IDK WHY YOU LISTENED TO THEM) all told you it was bad, and had a field day doing so. BUT. What if, actually, Cats is… Good? …

Your Latest Official Tiering of Every Taylor Swift Song — Fanboys gonna fan fan fan fan fan! I’ve sat with the exquisite Lover long enough now that I can live with the opinions I’m going to offer here — at least until TS8 — so it’s time to update one of my least controversial tierings. At this point, it’s tradition. …

Like Thanos, I Am the Only One Willing to Face Hard Truths — You’re going to get angry when you read this. So Dr. Banner, you should maybe close this tab now; as for the rest of you, perhaps your anger will be mitigated by the knowledge that, when it comes to the MCU, I am a bandwagon newb. In late 2017, I…

(Only the Ones I’ve Seen; Don’t @ Me) — If you know me, you know that I love two things: Christmas movies! An opportunity to arbitrarily sort things by quality! So here is my holiday gift to all of you. For my purposes, a “Christmas movie” is defined as “any motion picture of any length including as a significant…

Your Burning Birding Questions Answered by a Total Non-Expert — There is a type of bird called a brood parasite, which as a reproductive strategy lays its eggs in the nests of other birds and leaves them to do the parenting. …

A Deeply Scientific and Utterly Necessary Survey — Editor’s Note: This piece was originally posted in 2018. It has been (and will continue to be) updated to reflect subsequent releases. Recently, I finally saw the queen, the goddess, my inspiration herself in concert, and I’ve been looking for ways to celebrate the fact that I am now forever…