Cover Story

We’ve Lost the Plot

Our constant need for entertainment has blurred the line between fiction and reality—on television, in American politics, and in our everyday lives.

Megan Garber
Illustration: small abstract human figure stands in between rows of huge glowing smartphone screens
Shira Inbar

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  1. Photo illustration of group of Republicans, including Donald Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kevin McCarthy, and others, standing in a circle and shouting on red background
  2. Black-and-white photo of a man in a suit, sitting at a desk, layered with a blue-gradient collage of a pair of feet resting on a desk.
  3. Black-line drawing of people in red shirts talking
  4. Diners sit at two tables in front of the NYC steakhouse Peter Luger.
  5. Illustration: small abstract human figure stands in between rows of huge glowing smartphone screens
  6. An artificially colored MRI scan of the human brain
  7. Illustration of a bald eagle clutching a canned yerba mate drink in its talons
  8. A collage showing a police officer, a hand holding a gun, and a paper shooting target
  9. Supporters of Governor DeSantis celebrate his victory during his Election Night watch party at the Tampa Convention Center on November 8, 2022.
  10. Black-and-white photo of a pan catching fire
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