Lost, Bill Simmons, and Denzel: The Week in Pop-Culture Writing

Highlights from seven days of reading about entertainment

We Have to Go Back: 'Lost,' 10 Years Later
Noel Murray | Rolling Stone
"On May 23, 2010, the heroes of Lost faced their greatest nemesis: social media."

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Denzel?
Aisha Harris | Slate
"Denzel deserves better."

The Age of the Streaming TV Auteur
Adam Sternbergh | Vulture
"Netflix is Miramax, Amazon is Fox Searchlight, and your laptop is the Sundance Festival—a clearinghouse for potential breakouts waiting to be discovered."

The Romantic Pomposity of Beyoncé and Jay-Z's On the Run HBO Concert
Maura Johnston | Playboy
"Is it possible for the perfect marriage—where two people are not just equals, but are seemingly thrilled to exist at the same level—to be inhabited by two people who already have talent, money, fame, admiration, and a slew of other things going for them?"

The Sports Guy Vs. ESPN: How Bill Simmons Lost Bristol
Barry Petchesky | Deadspin
"It was, he would later tell a confidant, like something out of The Godfather."

The Racism of Gone With the Wind is Still With Us
Stephen Marche | Esquire
"What is most fascinating about Gone with the Wind is the capacity for the story not to be about race."

Hunting for the Source of the World's Most Beguiling Folk Music
Amanda Petrusich | The New York Times Magazine
"The shape of an Epirotic composition often mimics the hard contours of the landscape, while the instrumentation replicates its sounds."

Detroit New Hollywood Vegas: Notes From an Extra
Joe Sacksteder | The Rumpus
"On Cedar Rapids, John C. Reilly will shout insults in my general direction as I dance at a lesbian wedding. Later, on Gifted Hands, I will be made to sprint to set because NO ONE is allowed to arrive after Cuba. Later, on American Virgin, I will not be eligible when they ask for girls willing to flash the camera."