James Poniewozik
@poniewozik.bsky.social
I am the king of the divan
Pinned
James Poniewozik
@poniewozik.bsky.social
· Sep 18
The F.C.C. Threatened to Punish Kimmel ‘the Hard Way.’ ABC Made It Easy.
www.nytimes.com
"America may not be an actual autocracy. But it increasingly seems to be playing one on TV." [giftie]
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/a...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/a...
Reposted by James Poniewozik
Reposted by James Poniewozik
wrote an essay about the lowdown, and how it can be hard to think about drama at a time when there never seem to be consequences for bad guys, and how the lowdown offers us a way out
www.vulture.com/article/the-...
www.vulture.com/article/the-...
Drama in a Time of No Consequences
The Lowdown finds hope in a world where most crimes go unpunished.
www.vulture.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:22 PM
wrote an essay about the lowdown, and how it can be hard to think about drama at a time when there never seem to be consequences for bad guys, and how the lowdown offers us a way out
www.vulture.com/article/the-...
www.vulture.com/article/the-...
One more thing I would add: There's a popular idea that "Media wants negative reviews because that gets clicks." Not to overgeneralize but for a good while a lot of incentive has been the opposite, toward ingratiation: "We like that thing that you like! We're OBSESSED with ___!" &c
My ears were glued to Wesley Morris and Kelefa Sanneh on the nice-ification of music criticism. This is a thing I think about a lot lately with TV criticism, although the reasons/dynamics are different. Maybe inside baseball, but you follow a critic on social media! www.youtube.com/watch?v=zerX...
Music Reviewers Used to Be Cranky. What Happened?
YouTube video by Cannonball with Wesley Morris
www.youtube.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:18 PM
One more thing I would add: There's a popular idea that "Media wants negative reviews because that gets clicks." Not to overgeneralize but for a good while a lot of incentive has been the opposite, toward ingratiation: "We like that thing that you like! We're OBSESSED with ___!" &c
I’ve said it before but news outlets worry a lot about looking biased and not enough about looking phony.
Why should people trust you if you won’t say what they can see plain as day?
Why should people trust you if you won’t say what they can see plain as day?
"Appearing to close his eyes"
November 9, 2025 at 8:33 PM
I’ve said it before but news outlets worry a lot about looking biased and not enough about looking phony.
Why should people trust you if you won’t say what they can see plain as day?
Why should people trust you if you won’t say what they can see plain as day?
Reposted by James Poniewozik
I agree with this and/but also: There will probably be times when you wonder if the show *has* somewhere to go next. It's a very different mode from the all-gas-no-brakes approach of, like Severance season 1. But every time I thought the show was flagging, it pulled off another magic trick.
I mention this at the end of the main body of my review but what excites me most about PLURIBUS is that end of each episode so far (I've only watched the first two), I've had no idea where the story could possibly go next.
November 7, 2025 at 2:49 PM
I agree with this and/but also: There will probably be times when you wonder if the show *has* somewhere to go next. It's a very different mode from the all-gas-no-brakes approach of, like Severance season 1. But every time I thought the show was flagging, it pulled off another magic trick.
My ears were glued to Wesley Morris and Kelefa Sanneh on the nice-ification of music criticism. This is a thing I think about a lot lately with TV criticism, although the reasons/dynamics are different. Maybe inside baseball, but you follow a critic on social media! www.youtube.com/watch?v=zerX...
Music Reviewers Used to Be Cranky. What Happened?
YouTube video by Cannonball with Wesley Morris
www.youtube.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:27 PM
My ears were glued to Wesley Morris and Kelefa Sanneh on the nice-ification of music criticism. This is a thing I think about a lot lately with TV criticism, although the reasons/dynamics are different. Maybe inside baseball, but you follow a critic on social media! www.youtube.com/watch?v=zerX...
"Pluribus" reminded me a bit of a lot of other things. And also, it is like absolutely nothing else you've ever seen. [giftie] www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/a...
‘Pluribus’ Review: From Many, What?
www.nytimes.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:46 PM
"Pluribus" reminded me a bit of a lot of other things. And also, it is like absolutely nothing else you've ever seen. [giftie] www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/a...
This case will be taught for decades in torta law classes
BREAKING: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT EATS A LOSS IN 'SANDWICH GUY' CASE AS JURORS FIND DEFENDANT NOT GUILTY www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
Jury acquits D.C. 'sandwich guy' charged with chucking a sub at a federal agent
Sean Dunn faced single misdemeanor offense after federal grand jurors refused to indict him on the felony charge sought by prosecutors.
www.nbcnews.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:59 PM
This case will be taught for decades in torta law classes
I wrote about "The Office" memes, the Esperanto of the Internet. Apologies for the preview image of Steve Carell's gigantic forehead [giftie] www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/a...
How ‘The Office’ Memes Became the Language of the Internet
www.nytimes.com
November 6, 2025 at 1:34 PM
I wrote about "The Office" memes, the Esperanto of the Internet. Apologies for the preview image of Steve Carell's gigantic forehead [giftie] www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/a...
I saw this figure, and I’m not sure where I’d be classified here. I’m culturally/ethnically Jewish, I identify as Jewish, but I have no religious practice and am an atheist. This describes a lot of Jews in NYC, but I don’t know where we are in this chart!
This is a stunning political realignment--Mamdani lost Jews, Catholics, and Protestants but won by sweeping "Other" and "None."
As a Jewish voter in the 33% I hope my neighbors (literally) in the 63%, who were flooded with dishonest mailers, social media, and texts, will now keep an open mind.
As a Jewish voter in the 33% I hope my neighbors (literally) in the 63%, who were flooded with dishonest mailers, social media, and texts, will now keep an open mind.
November 5, 2025 at 5:15 PM
I saw this figure, and I’m not sure where I’d be classified here. I’m culturally/ethnically Jewish, I identify as Jewish, but I have no religious practice and am an atheist. This describes a lot of Jews in NYC, but I don’t know where we are in this chart!
Reposted by James Poniewozik
Maybe Mamdani finally has a shot at the Schumer endorsement
November 5, 2025 at 3:31 AM
Maybe Mamdani finally has a shot at the Schumer endorsement
My periodic election-night PSA to NYC non-Spectrum customers: you can stream NY1 coverage on YouTube www.youtube.com/live/gJpgKnQ...
LIVE: NYC Election Coverage on NY1 | Live Updates, Results, Speeches
YouTube video by NY1
www.youtube.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:11 AM
My periodic election-night PSA to NYC non-Spectrum customers: you can stream NY1 coverage on YouTube www.youtube.com/live/gJpgKnQ...
OMG yes. You can pick your personal most grim section of the piece, but mine was when it ends, "But we have one hope--we can create a functional social and political response to the disruption." Welp! *begins digging own grave*
November 4, 2025 at 7:59 PM
OMG yes. You can pick your personal most grim section of the piece, but mine was when it ends, "But we have one hope--we can create a functional social and political response to the disruption." Welp! *begins digging own grave*
Get the AMERICAN VANDAL team to do it
AMERICAN SANDO, coming 2026
AMERICAN SANDO, coming 2026
would watch both a two-hour documentary on the sandwich thrower's trial AND a six-part dramatization miniseries with famous actors reprising all the roles
The defense team presses Lairmore on whether the sandwich really 'exploded.' They return to the photo of the sandwich and wrapper on the ground.
"That sandwich hasn't exploded at all, has it?" defense asks.
"It looks like a little bit is coming out towards the bottom," Lairmore replies.
"That sandwich hasn't exploded at all, has it?" defense asks.
"It looks like a little bit is coming out towards the bottom," Lairmore replies.
November 4, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Get the AMERICAN VANDAL team to do it
AMERICAN SANDO, coming 2026
AMERICAN SANDO, coming 2026
Just saw local news say that Diane Ladd's role in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" was "inspired by 'Alice,' the sitcom that she starred in" and I am seriously wondering how much AI was involved in that
November 4, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Just saw local news say that Diane Ladd's role in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" was "inspired by 'Alice,' the sitcom that she starred in" and I am seriously wondering how much AI was involved in that
For all the talk about whether it’s A Bad Thing to stream movies rather than see them in theaters, A House of Dynamite feels like a perfect use case because—I don’t mean this pejoratively—it sort of fits a role that TV movies used to.
November 4, 2025 at 1:07 AM
For all the talk about whether it’s A Bad Thing to stream movies rather than see them in theaters, A House of Dynamite feels like a perfect use case because—I don’t mean this pejoratively—it sort of fits a role that TV movies used to.
I'm no political consultant but as someone who writes about TV/media it's interesting to me how many people want to make his success either about *only* his particular platform or *only* his charisma/facility with media. You can't separate content and form that neatly!
Should they be searching for more Mamdanis? The Democrats are torn.
(Also: a reminder that he has been helped by running against "the two most disgraced figures of New York Democratic politics of the last 40 years.")
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
(Also: a reminder that he has been helped by running against "the two most disgraced figures of New York Democratic politics of the last 40 years.")
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Mamdani’s Edge Has Democrats Wondering If He’s a Model or a Fluke
Zohran Mamdani’s lead heading into the New York mayoral election has withstood a furious push from Republicans, establishment Democrats and a coalition of Wall Street dealmakers, leaving Democrats to ...
www.bloomberg.com
November 3, 2025 at 2:38 PM
I'm no political consultant but as someone who writes about TV/media it's interesting to me how many people want to make his success either about *only* his particular platform or *only* his charisma/facility with media. You can't separate content and form that neatly!
Because I know you follow a TV critic account mainly for recipes, this is one of my cold-weather go-tos. Biscuit crust is easier and (IMHO) 100x better than the usual. I guess it’s a chicken pot cobbler? (Not to be confused with Hoboken Squat Cobbler.) cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020...
Chicken Potpie With Cornbread Biscuits (Published 2020)
cooking.nytimes.com
November 2, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Because I know you follow a TV critic account mainly for recipes, this is one of my cold-weather go-tos. Biscuit crust is easier and (IMHO) 100x better than the usual. I guess it’s a chicken pot cobbler? (Not to be confused with Hoboken Squat Cobbler.) cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020...
Marathon day hands down the best thing NYC does. Mobs of people lining the streets to cheer on regular-ass people doing a hard-ass thing. All of life should be like this!
November 2, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Marathon day hands down the best thing NYC does. Mobs of people lining the streets to cheer on regular-ass people doing a hard-ass thing. All of life should be like this!
Or you can make this instead and thank me later. Save yourself a headache and bake the sweet potatoes, you can thank me for that too cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/251-...
November 2, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Or you can make this instead and thank me later. Save yourself a headache and bake the sweet potatoes, you can thank me for that too cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/251-...
One of my kids’ first Halloweens, they got candy at his house from him and Jim Jarmusch
November 1, 2025 at 1:55 AM
One of my kids’ first Halloweens, they got candy at his house from him and Jim Jarmusch
Salute to the dad who talked his kid into picking a Butterfinger from the candy bowl, because dad clearly wanted to claim it as his candy tax later
October 31, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Salute to the dad who talked his kid into picking a Butterfinger from the candy bowl, because dad clearly wanted to claim it as his candy tax later