Jarek Paul Ervin is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia. His work has appeared in the Baffler, Damage, Critique, and Popular Music & Society.
Seven sheriff’s deputies sued musician Afroman for defamation after he mocked their failed raid in viral diss tracks. His victory comes at a moment when the lines of what constitutes artistic free speech are continually being redrawn.
Timothée Chalamet’s offhand jab at “dying” high culture sparked celebrity outrage. But without robust public investment and democratic ownership, opera and ballet will keep shrinking into elite pastimes instead of surviving as vibrant public art forms.
Don’t buy into the doomerism about music. From Sam Fender and billy woods to Stereolab and Lambrini Girls, artists are using their music to capture the anger and unrest of our era.
Noah Hawley’s new FX series, Alien: Earth, draws on the best of the sci-fi horror franchise to suggest humanity’s future might offer more than mere survival.
Westworld has the potential to be something more than another libertarian piece of science fiction.
We need an expansive, radical vision for art that makes it more than a plaything for the wealthy.
White supremacists still stalk the halls of punk.