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Defector

Jack Hanson

Arts And Culture

The Torpor Of ‘Converts’

Mark Asch

Charli XCX Is Firmly In Her Cinephile Era

Israel Daramola

US actor Jaafar Jackson poses for photogaphers as he arrives on the red carpet for the world premiere of the Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" at the Uber Eats Music Hall in Berlin on April 10, 2026.

‘Michael’ Is The Most Cynical Attempt At Biopic Myth-Making Yet

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<p>Robert Rubsam writes fiction and nonfiction. His work has appeared in the NYT Magazine, the Atlantic, the Washington Post, the Baffler, and Liberties. He is a contributing writer for Commonweal Magazine.</p>
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Robert Rubsam

Gwendoline Riley’s Phantom Lives

Kelsey McKinney

a woman stands on a plank while a bunch of hotties watch from the yacht

How Close To The Stanford Prison Experiment Can A Reality Show Get?

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Image of the cover of "Famesick" by Lena Dunham with cutouts of the pair of legs from the cover copied all around it.

Lena Dunham Can’t Help Herself


<p><a href="mailto:tara@taraariano.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tara Ariano</a> co-hosts the podcasts <a href="https://www.extrahotgreat.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Extra Hot Great</a>, <a href="https://listentosassy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Listen To Sassy</a>, and <a href="https://www.againwiththis90210.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Again With This</a>. She is also the co-author, with Sarah D. Bunting, of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Very-Special-90210-Book-Absolutely/dp/1419747460?tag=decider08-20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>A Very Special 90210 Book: 93 Absolutely Essential Episodes From TV’s Most Notorious Zip Code</em></a>. Her byline has appeared in the <em>New York Times Magazine</em>, <em>GQ</em>, <em>Vanity Fair</em>, <em>New York</em>, <em>Slate</em>, Vulture, Salon, and The Awl, among many others. She lives in Austin.</p>
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It's a photo of Tara Ariano. She has big sunglasses on.

Tara Ariano

James Garner (left) and Joe Santos in a still from an episode of the television series, 'The Rockford Files,' circa 1974.

‘The Rockford Files’ Remains One Of Television’s Greatest Hangs

Becca Young

The Fatherless Fantasy Of ‘Bridgerton’


<p>Corey Atad is a freelancer writer based in Toronto with an unhealthy Air Bud obsession.</p>


Corey Atad

Interviews

Steven Soderbergh And Ed Solomon Talk About Their Best Collaboration Yet

<p>Craig Fehrman last wrote for Defector about <a href="https://defector.com/it-never-ends-like-it-should" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://defector.com/it-never-ends-like-it-should&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1775741247521000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1R6Fh05yMdaM2z1ukPQtbb">the death of Iris</a>, his NBA-loving neighbor. His book <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/This-Vast-Enterprise/Craig-Fehrman/9781982174248"><i>This Vast Enterprise: A New History of Lewis and Clark</i></a> comes out on April 21.</p>


Craig Fehrman

Map showing the route taken by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on their first expedition from the Missouri River near St. Louis, Missouri, to the mouth of the Columbia River at the Pacific Ocean in Oregon and the return trip to St. Louis. The expedition took place from May 14, 1804 to September 23, 1806.

Arts And Culture

The Torpor Of ‘Converts’

Charli XCX Is Firmly In Her Cinephile Era

‘Michael’ Is The Most Cynical Attempt At Biopic Myth-Making Yet

Gwendoline Riley’s Phantom Lives

How Close To The Stanford Prison Experiment Can A Reality Show Get?

Lena Dunham Can’t Help Herself

‘The Rockford Files’ Remains One Of Television’s Greatest Hangs

The Fatherless Fantasy Of ‘Bridgerton’

Steven Soderbergh And Ed Solomon Talk About Their Best Collaboration Yet

The Hardest Part Of History To Tell Is How It Felt

My Year In November 18ths

‘Last One Laughing UK’ Is Absurdly Funny

‘The Drama’ Has More Going For It Than A Provocative Twist

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