Editorials
533 results
Page 31
When the fat lady sang
The elephant in the room
I tried to ignore the soprano Rita Hunter’s gigantic girth and focus on her voice. So did everyone else at the Met that night. It just wasn’t possible.
Editorials
3 minute read
The birth of rock 'n' roll: My theory
The ‘Kennedy Class’ and the birth of rock 'n' roll
Bill Haley’s Rock Around the Clock was rejected resoundingly in 1954 but become a resounding hit in 1955. What on earth caused such a dramatic shift in popular music tastes in one short year? I think I’ve found the answer.
Editorials
6 minute read
Sexism at the Times?
Why was Jill Abramson fired?
Jill Abramson, the first female executive editor of the New York Times, was abruptly fired two weeks ago after just 32 months on the job. The publisher said her management style was too pushy and abrasive. That style worked just fine for Abe Rosenthal, among many other great male editors.
Editorials
5 minute read
Ukraine: Not so hopeless after all
An oligarch’s Dorothea Brooke moment
Last month I issued a call for writers and artists to concoct some nonviolent way to prevent the crisis in Ukraine from escalating into World War III. I’m happy to report that my prayers have been answered — not by any creative types, but by an oligarch.
Editorials
5 minute read
What hath the Supreme Court wrought?
Prayer in public: Be careful what you wish for
The Supreme Court’s decision on public prayer last week could usher in a new era of public piety. Or it could usher in a new era of live entertainment in small towns.
Editorials
4 minute read
Donald Sterling: Tragedy or farce?
The love song of the sports franchise owner
Donald Sterling’s abrupt downfall reminds us once again that in life, as in politics, the right things often happen for the wrong reasons.
Editorials
5 minute read
Is Putin the new Hitler?
The more things change....
Vladimir Putin may not be the second coming of Adolf Hitler, but he sure seems to be following Hitler’s playbook. Why are artists and writers so eloquent about the horrors of war after the fact, and so unwilling to see it beforehand?
Editorials
5 minute read
The fallacy of ‘happy families’
Count Tolstoy, meet South Jersey’s ‘no drama mama’
If you’re tired of plays and films about dysfunctional families, allow me to introduce you to a woman who, despite all obstacles, fashioned a freelance career by writing columns and essays about her resolutely well-adjusted suburban household.
Editorials
5 minute read
One more favorite sports memory
A lesson from the umpire
The umpire was hired to call balls and strikes. But he also delivered a timeless lesson.
Editorials
1 minute read
Comcast meets Philadelphia Magazine
The power and the glory: Brian Roberts meets the press
The sparks really flew when Comcast chairman Brian Roberts sat down for his interview with Philadelphia Magazine. But the juiciest parts never saw print. Read the uncut transcript here.
Editorials
6 minute read