Michael Washburn is the author of Southern Accents, a 33 1/3 Series book which explores a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers album of the same name. Released in 1985, the concept album was intended to be a musical immersion into the American South. Released well after the band had notched hits like “American Girl” and... Continue Reading →
Too Much Politics Is Ruining SNL
The 2017-18 run of Saturday Night Live is not special. This is surprising given their talented cast and hosts, but nearly every show is a letdown. NBC’s sketch comedy series is too reliant on politics as the linchpin of each show. After 43 seasons it might be time to tap the breaks on politics and place an emphasis on creating good sketches.
Cheers Is An Unexpected Political Time Machine
From Getty Images: (L-R, Gary Hart and Ted Danson on Cheers) It is no secret that the toxicity of contemporary politics is at an all-time high. So much so that your average network sitcom would probably not dare to touch political issues or politicians for fear of alienating half of their audience. That was not... Continue Reading →