James Parker

Don’t cry for the former Fox star—he’s building a 24/7 media empire in his loopy image.… More »

How the comedian Louis C.K. became America’s unlikely conscience… More »

HBO’s Game of Thrones, based on the novels by George R. R. Martin, represents a triumph of storytelling.… More »

How Goosebumps outlasted Harry Potter by terrifying fourth-graders and mocking their parents… More »

How R.E.M.’s almost-utterances allowed listeners to find their own meaning… More »

A new film adaptation of John leCarré’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy prompts a look at the various incarnations of his greatest character, George Smiley.… More »

The secret of Modern Family’s runaway success: it’s just a sitcom.… More »

Our obsession with musical nostalgia is strangling pop.… More »

It’s the rare star who can withstand the predatory cameras of TMZ on TV.… More »

The godless charm of Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm… More »

The secret formula of Animal Planet: it’s all about us.… More »

Dark and disturbing, the music is honest about human nature… More »

Why we can’t get the undead off our brains… More »

Justin Bieber found teenybop perfection with an insolent naturalness, a shimmer of religious transcendence, and a mastery of social media. Can he make the moment last?… More »

In SportsCenter, ESPN’s increasingly arcane and anarchic highlights program, the fan still finds solace—even order—in chaos.… More »

Inside the home—in Dummerston, Vermont—where the recorder of Empire created his most-classic tales­… More »

Miscast in the age of viral humor, the late-night star remains eternally freaky—and oddly reassuring.… More »

Why a 47-year-old English sci-fi show is suddenly an American hit… More »

As Johnny Knoxville and friends release their newest film, has everyone finally wearied of their absurdist, violent, and sublime daredevilry? Or is it now in our cultural DNA?… More »

Cheesy, clichéd, and still strangely bewitching, soap operas are falling victim to their own bastard children.… More »