“The bridges were burned / Now it’s your turn, to cry” This essay is the first of a two-part series on the music videos that came out of the Justin Timberlake/Britney Spears breakup. (Click here to read “The Ballad(s) of Justin and Britney, Vol. 2: ‘Everytime.’”) 2007 was particularly good…

A closer look at the Lady Gaga/Beyoncé video—its origin story, its influences, its themes, and its legacy—on its 10th birthday “I hate ‘Telephone.’ Is that terrible to say? It’s the song I have the most difficult time listening to.” “Because it was offered to Britney first?” “Well that’s not exactly…

This essay was originally published by Much Ado About Cinema on January 31, 2020. “Why Did You Do That?” was a column dedicated to pop music videos warranting further critical respect and/or attention. In October of 1992, Madonna was Vanity Fair’s cover story — well, she and the two projects…

This essay was originally published by Much Ado About Cinema on October 7, 2019. “Why Did You Do That?” was a column dedicated to pop music videos warranting further critical respect and/or attention. You wouldn’t necessarily guess listening to Gwen Stefani’s Love. Angel. Music. Baby. …

This essay was originally published by Much Ado About Cinema on September 4, 2019. “Why Did You Do That?” was a column dedicated to pop music videos warranting further critical respect and/or attention. When Beyoncé first met with Miguel to discuss what eventually became “Rocket,” the longest track on BEYONCÉ…

“You can’t just admit marginalized students to your program and call it a day.” — When we’re talking about gender equality in the film industry, there’s a statistic that people love to reference: Roughly half of today’s film school grads are women. It often comes up in the context of hand-wringing about the state of the industry. How could it possibly be, they ask, that…