ArtsWhy we’re so attached to outdated Christmas songsClassic Christmas pop songs tell us that a modern, urban Christmas isn’t really Christmas at all
MoviesWhy do we love Star Wars? Hollywood’s comforting myths.Whether it’s 1977 or 2015, Star Wars earns its popularity by understanding that audiences love heroes and happy endings
TelevisionNewsmakers 2015: Jimmy Fallon, the new king of late nightColbert and Oliver may get the reviews, but what the public wants is cuddly, unthreatening Jimmy Fallon
CultureRudolph, the superficially popular reindeerThe beloved Christmas story of Rudolph has a message that offends many adults, but makes perfect sense to kids: Life is cruel, but people will pretend to like you if you become a success
SocietyWhy does Rudyard Kipling get no respect?Kids still love Jungle Book; the rest of us quote its author constantly
ArtsR.I.P. to the pin-up girl: Why it’s bad times for ’good girl’ artFrom Pirelli’s calendar to the new Star Wars, companies are moving away from gratuitous cheesecake photos. And it’s not what you think.
BooksThe real story behind the most famous scandal in sports historyThe Betrayal: The 1919 World Series and the Birth of Modern Baseball
ArtsA brief history of ’jazz hands’They didn’t start with Justin Trudeau. And they probably won’t end with him, either.
CultureAndrew Lloyd Webber: Broadway’s most hated & beloved figure is backCan ’School of Rock’ reverse two decades of flops for the man who used to rule musical theatre?