Surviving Not Thriving‘The Last of Us’ Is a Timely Reminder to Ask Ourselves: How Far Can We Go to Survive? Kathleen's liminal status as neither "good" nor "bad" speaks to the post-pandemic reality of today: how ethical is it to survive at any cost? By Akankshya Bahinipaty
A Death to Remember‘The Last of Us’ Does a Familiar Disservice to Women in Dystopias Tess's death deviates from the game version in troubling ways -- serving as a successor to the 'fridging' trope in sci-fi. By Akankshya Bahinipaty
How Great Thou ArtThe Shows, Movies, Books and Music That Defined 2022 Nothing says 2022 like kitchen chaos, disappointing men, dystopia -- and cake. By The Swaddle Team
Nepo-lean ComplexThe Buzz Cut: Nepo Babies Advocate for Themselves Amid Marginalization by Magazine This week in The Buzz Cut: nepo babies fight back, the internet holds a man to beauty standards, and Indians selectively celebrate one movie over others. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Silence of the Women‘House of the Dragon’ Undermines the Centrality of Women in Narratives About Power It's a disservice to a story so invested in power at its core, to have so few women even speaking -- let alone speaking about it. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Grief Is a Thing With HorrorIn ‘Multiverse of Madness,’ Grief Lies at the Heart of Horror The movie is both about Wanda’s grief of motherhood and Stephen’s grief of powerlessness, but it remains caged within a templatized franchise. By Saumya Kalia
More Than Killer ClownsWhat Pop Culture Misunderstands About Serial Killers Whether it is homophobia or misogyny -- serial killing is rooted in cultural anxieties that society brushes under the carpet, which eventually manifest in horrific forms. By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Long Way AheadWomen Outnumbered Men in Only 7% of Hollywood Movies Last Year: Study The analysis debunks the idea that women are occupying more space on screen proportionately, as much of the uptick is restricted to a handful of movies. By Devrupa Rakshit
A New Vibe ShiftHow OTT Films Perpetuate an Upper Class, Caste Aesthetic for the Social Media Generation “Everything looks like Instagram images.” By Rohitha Naraharisetty
Politics of NudityCan ‘Authentic’ Sex Scenes Ever Safeguard Actors’ Interests? Actor Claire Foy recently noted filming the scene left her feeling exploited, but she waded through in the interest of art. By Saumya Kalia
We Want MoreCan We Move On: From the ‘Happily Ever After’ Trope That Doesn’t Include Unconventional Paths to Happiness What's the point of a happy ending for all if it's tailored to a narrow vision of what a fulfilling life looks like? By Aditi Murti
They'll Be There For YouThe Buzz Cut: Reunion Shows Are Rarely Satisfying. So Why Do We Keep Asking For Them? This week in The Buzz Cut, we unpack the villain trope in "Cruella de Vil" and the politics of family WhatsApp groups. By Saumya Kalia
Casting A ShadowIn ‘Ajeeb Daastaans,’ Caste Compels People To Lead Secretive, Manipulative Lives The characters navigate their life choices using lies and deceit to survive a world set up against them. By Hannah Stephen
Time of Death?Can’t Let Go: of ‘Dill Mill Gayye,’ Despite the Drama and Toxic Relationships 'Dill Mill Gayye,' in Mumbai's fictional world of Sanjivini Hospital, is a classic example of being at the right place at the right time. By Saumya Kalia
After 30 Years‘The Simpsons’ Actor Who Voiced Apu Apologizes to Indians for Stereotypical Portrayal The show was founded on good intentions, Hank Azaria said, but it contributed to the “structural racism” in the U.S. By Saumya Kalia
Most WantedWhy Do True Crime Stories Fascinate Us? “As humans, we want to understand the darker side of our nature.” By Saumya Kalia
You Can FailCan We Move On: From the Trope of the Feisty Small Town Girl Obsessed With Upward Mobility Though depictions of a small-town girl's dreams represent feminist progress, she is never given the ability to fail or appear vulnerable. By Aditi Murti
Best of Both WorldsThe Buzz Cut: Miley Cyrus’s Letter To Hannah Montana Is a Reminder That Growing up Is Messy, but Beautiful This week on The Buzz Cut, Demi Lovato's documentary and the politics behind Jay-Z's new song. By Saumya Kalia
