Matt is joined by Alyssa Rosenberg, cultural critic and opinion columnist at the Washington Post, to talk about the intersection of criticism and politics. Should J.K. Rowling's recent anti-trans political statements retroactively alter the critical appraisal of Harry Potter? Can one be a fan of a cop show like Brooklyn Nine-Nine without committing to the show's interior politics? And can a show operate without interior politics when it, like David Simon's The Wire, confronts problems in policing at the institutional level — but happens to be a sitcom?

"Why the world's most powerful people just want to podcast and make TV shows" by Alyssa Rosenberg, Washington Post (Mar. 25, 2021)

"'I was appalled to be tarred as misogynist': Variety critic hits back at Carey Mulligan's sexism accusations" by Catherine Shoard, The Guardian (Jan. 28, 2021)

Alyssa Rosenberg (@AlyssaRosenberg), Opinion columnist covering culture, Washington Post

Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Slowboring.com

Erikk Geannikis, Editor and Producer

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