Arts and Entertainment
Laufey Bewitches Us With Her New Album
By Madeline Hutchinson, Talia Arcasoy
Singer and instrumentalist Laufey offers a fresh perspective on modern jazz with the release of Bewitched, her second full-length album.
Aurora’s Sunrise: A Voice From the Genocide Will Not Be Silenced
Aurora’s Sunrise is by far the most poignant animated film of the year, communicating Armenian history in a novel medium.
WHAT HBO GIRL R U?
Lena Dunham’s show Girls is excruciating and ingenious because it forces viewers to identify with the parts of themselves they most dislike.
The Miniature Art Museum: [Even in the Big Apple,] Small is Beautiful
By Sofia Sen
A review of The Miniature Art Museum: Small is Beautiful NYC.
Everything Is Alive: Breathing New Life Into Slowdive’s Legacy
Everything Is Alive doesn’t merely extend Slowdive’s discography—it redefines it. In the ever-shifting
A Quintessential New York Cultural Tradition
Director of The New Yorker Festival Katherine Stirling discussed the mission, making, and content of the annual cultural celebration in an interview with The Spectator.
Rebel with a Canvas: Jamie Reid
By Nathalie Cuevas, Sofia Thornley
Jamie Reid, who created iconic album art for the punk band the Sex Pistols, died on August 8.
A Summer Escape to Tanglewood
At the Tanglewood Music Festival, music lovers basked in the beauty of the Berkshire countryside as they listened to Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major.
Unveiling the Summer Trends of 2023
By Raaita Anwar
Summer 2023 was an intriguing combination of bold and minimalist styles that celebrated both audacious self-expression and effortless elegance.
Strike Causes Beauty to Fade In Hollywood
By Sama Daga
The lack of production caused by the Hollywood strike has taken away employment opportunities from stage artists, raising concerns over the future of these professions.
How K-Dramas Romanticize Toxic Relationships and Still Adopt the Female Gaze
By Emi Shimada
K-Dramas utilize plot and editing devices to glorify toxic behaviors, but maintain international viewership by adopting the female gaze.
Conspiracy and Conformity in “They Cloned Tyrone”
By Dorothy Ha
Through its witty dialogue and suspenseful plot, They Cloned Tyrone delivers a powerful message.
And Now I Am Become Box Office Hit, Creator of Revenue
Does he deserve self-pity now? Does he deserve to even feel guilty?
Under Social Media, Movie Theaters Must Adapt
By Galen Jack
In a post-pandemic world, the experiences that movie theaters offer often trump the films they show, especially as these experiences begin to trend across social media.
A Will To Live: The Force of Nature That is Helena Weinrauch
“One learns to live moment by moment, merely trying to survive another day,” is what Holocaust survivor Helena Weinrauch wrote in her 1945 memoir A Will To Live. Her story of persistence and resistance is now being told through a one-woman show at the Chain Theatre.
TTom Takes Radio City: The Have it All Tour
Stand-up comedian Taylor Tomlinson took Radio City by storm on September 9, reflecting on her dream career, crippling anxiety, daddy issues, and the millennial dating life in a shockingly introspective and laugh-out-loud hilarious show.
Barbie: Deconstructing the Dreamhouse
An analysis of the hit film Barbie, featuring a doll-changing journey and eccentric Ken-ergy.
Time, Junk, and Sarah Sze’s Beautiful Mess
Sarah Sze: Timelapse will captivate anyone who stumbles across the top of the Guggenheim Museum’s rotunda.
The Storytelling of Taylor Swift's Costumes
By Dorothy Ha
Taylor Swift: Storyteller takes a career-spanning look at the outfits that have brought pop star Taylor Swift's imaginative worlds to life.
Not So Comedic
By Gulam Monawarah, Khush Wadhwa, Duncan Park
The Spectator reviews the Stuyvesant Theater Community’s final show of the school year.
An Ultimate Showdown Between the WGA and the AMPTP
There are several issues at the heart of the nation’s ongoing writers strike, but the most prevalent of these include demands for higher pay and a more stable pay structure, fairer deals and contracts, and clear guidelines around the usage of AI.
Female Artist Spotlight: Extraterrestrial Beings, Exotification, and Meaningful Absurdity
Three incredible women who are taking the 21st century art scene by storm.
Ebony G. Patterson’s ...Things come to thrive…in the shedding…in the molting…
A discussion of the style and techniques employed by contemporary artist Ebony G. Patterson in her current exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden.
Beyond the Veil of Illusion: Colleen Hoover’s Problematic Play on Trauma and Abuse in Literature
Hoover’s take on abuse and trauma is problematic in that it misleads young women to normalize toxic and abusive relationships.
Disney Breaks the Live Action Curse With The Little Mermaid
By Sofia Sen
Despite Disney’s many failures to adapt their movies into live-action, The Little Mermaid hits the mark, delivering the classic tale to a new generation.
Waiting for the Luddite Club
Even though the Luddite Club has a flaky side, some of the wisdom implied by Luddism is worth considering in our daily lives.
Leith Ross: To Live and To Learn
An analysis of Leith Ross’s artistic style, and a review of their debut album, To Learn, released May 19, 2023.
Intersections of Youth, Mortality, and Art History: Unraveling Cecily Brown’s Death and the Maid Exhibition
By Grace Rhee
Exploring the intertwined worlds of life and death: a review of Cecily Brown’s exhibition, Death and the Maid.
To Hate Is to Be Human: Anger and Vulnerability in Beef
By Dorothy Ha
Director Lee Sung Jin crafts a masterful, mind-warping, and marvelously malicious feud in his new show, Beef.
In Search of the “Perfect” Album
By The Arts & Entertainment Department
The Arts & Entertainment Department may not always agree on the most talented artists or most iconic musical masterpieces, but there is one thing we all agree on: a “perfect” album is hard to come by. Here are the works that meet our standard of “perfect.”
Appease the Audience
By Munem Tajwar, Tessa Kolovarsky
In the age of the internet, how much power does social media yield over Hollywood?
In Search of the “Perfect” Album
By The Arts & Entertainment Department
The Arts & Entertainment Department may not always agree on the most talented artists or most iconic musical masterpieces, but there is one thing we all agree on: a “perfect” album is hard to come by. Here are the works that meet our standard of “perfect.”
Marvel Is Back in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
By Sofia Sen
With its perfect blend of humor, action, and drama, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has reassured fans that there is still hope for the franchise.
Only the Young: The Birth of the South Korean Avant-Garde
The Guggenheim debuted an overlooked collection of South Korean art from a time of military dictatorship.
Teachers Teaching Teachers How to Teach
Violin teachers in the Starling-DeLay Symposium prove that teaching can be just as creative as the music they play.
Time, Junk, and Sarah Sze’s Beautiful Mess
Sarah Sze: Timelapse will captivate anyone who stumbles across the top of the Guggenheim Museum’s rotunda.
Female Artist Spotlight: Extraterrestrial Beings, Exotification, and Meaningful Absurdity
Three incredible women who are taking the 21st century art scene by storm.
Ebony G. Patterson’s ...Things come to thrive…in the shedding…in the molting…
A discussion of the style and techniques employed by contemporary artist Ebony G. Patterson in her current exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden.
The Storytelling of Taylor Swift's Costumes
By Dorothy Ha
Taylor Swift: Storyteller takes a career-spanning look at the outfits that have brought pop star Taylor Swift's imaginative worlds to life.
Beyond the Veil of Illusion: Colleen Hoover’s Problematic Play on Trauma and Abuse in Literature
Hoover’s take on abuse and trauma is problematic in that it misleads young women to normalize toxic and abusive relationships.
Not So Comedic
By Gulam Monawarah, Khush Wadhwa, Duncan Park
The Spectator reviews the Stuyvesant Theater Community’s final show of the school year.
Disney Breaks the Live Action Curse With The Little Mermaid
By Sofia Sen
Despite Disney’s many failures to adapt their movies into live-action, The Little Mermaid hits the mark, delivering the classic tale to a new generation.
Waiting for the Luddite Club
Even though the Luddite Club has a flaky side, some of the wisdom implied by Luddism is worth considering in our daily lives.
Leith Ross: To Live and To Learn
An analysis of Leith Ross’s artistic style, and a review of their debut album, To Learn, released May 19, 2023.
Intersections of Youth, Mortality, and Art History: Unraveling Cecily Brown’s Death and the Maid Exhibition
By Grace Rhee
Exploring the intertwined worlds of life and death: a review of Cecily Brown’s exhibition, Death and the Maid.
To Hate Is to Be Human: Anger and Vulnerability in Beef
By Dorothy Ha
Director Lee Sung Jin crafts a masterful, mind-warping, and marvelously malicious feud in his new show, Beef.
An Ultimate Showdown Between the WGA and the AMPTP
There are several issues at the heart of the nation’s ongoing writers strike, but the most prevalent of these include demands for higher pay and a more stable pay structure, fairer deals and contracts, and clear guidelines around the usage of AI.
A Journey to the Insect Kingdom: The Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation
By Galen Jack
From its architecture to its exhibits, immersion is the goal at the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation.
Oscillations, Onions, and the Most Overlooked Instrument in the Orchestra: The Viola
An exploration of the viola’s role in the music world—and the jokes that come with it.
In Search of the “Perfect” Album
By The Arts & Entertainment Department
The Arts & Entertainment Department may not always agree on the most talented artists or most iconic musical masterpieces, but there is one thing we all agree on: a “perfect” album is hard to come by. Here are the works that meet our standard of “perfect.”
Appease the Audience
By Munem Tajwar, Tessa Kolovarsky
In the age of the internet, how much power does social media yield over Hollywood?
Marvel Is Back in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
By Sofia Sen
With its perfect blend of humor, action, and drama, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has reassured fans that there is still hope for the franchise.
In Search of the “Perfect” Album
By The Arts & Entertainment Department
The Arts & Entertainment Department may not always agree on the most talented artists or most iconic musical masterpieces, but there is one thing we all agree on: a “perfect” album is hard to come by. Here are the works that meet our standard of “perfect.”
A Journey to the Insect Kingdom: The Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation
By Galen Jack
From its architecture to its exhibits, immersion is the goal at the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation.
Under Social Media, Movie Theaters Must Adapt
By Galen Jack
In a post-pandemic world, the experiences that movie theaters offer often trump the films they show, especially as these experiences begin to trend across social media.
Laufey Bewitches Us With Her New Album
By Madeline Hutchinson, Talia Arcasoy
Singer and instrumentalist Laufey offers a fresh perspective on modern jazz with the release of Bewitched, her second full-length album.
Aurora’s Sunrise: A Voice From the Genocide Will Not Be Silenced
Aurora’s Sunrise is by far the most poignant animated film of the year, communicating Armenian history in a novel medium.
WHAT HBO GIRL R U?
Lena Dunham’s show Girls is excruciating and ingenious because it forces viewers to identify with the parts of themselves they most dislike.
A Will To Live: The Force of Nature That is Helena Weinrauch
“One learns to live moment by moment, merely trying to survive another day,” is what Holocaust survivor Helena Weinrauch wrote in her 1945 memoir A Will To Live. Her story of persistence and resistance is now being told through a one-woman show at the Chain Theatre.
The Miniature Art Museum: [Even in the Big Apple,] Small is Beautiful
By Sofia Sen
A review of The Miniature Art Museum: Small is Beautiful NYC.
Everything Is Alive: Breathing New Life Into Slowdive’s Legacy
Everything Is Alive doesn’t merely extend Slowdive’s discography—it redefines it. In the ever-shifting
TTom Takes Radio City: The Have it All Tour
Stand-up comedian Taylor Tomlinson took Radio City by storm on September 9, reflecting on her dream career, crippling anxiety, daddy issues, and the millennial dating life in a shockingly introspective and laugh-out-loud hilarious show.
A Quintessential New York Cultural Tradition
Director of The New Yorker Festival Katherine Stirling discussed the mission, making, and content of the annual cultural celebration in an interview with The Spectator.
Rebel with a Canvas: Jamie Reid
By Nathalie Cuevas, Sofia Thornley
Jamie Reid, who created iconic album art for the punk band the Sex Pistols, died on August 8.
A Summer Escape to Tanglewood
At the Tanglewood Music Festival, music lovers basked in the beauty of the Berkshire countryside as they listened to Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major.
Unveiling the Summer Trends of 2023
By Raaita Anwar
Summer 2023 was an intriguing combination of bold and minimalist styles that celebrated both audacious self-expression and effortless elegance.
Strike Causes Beauty to Fade In Hollywood
By Sama Daga
The lack of production caused by the Hollywood strike has taken away employment opportunities from stage artists, raising concerns over the future of these professions.
How K-Dramas Romanticize Toxic Relationships and Still Adopt the Female Gaze
By Emi Shimada
K-Dramas utilize plot and editing devices to glorify toxic behaviors, but maintain international viewership by adopting the female gaze.
Conspiracy and Conformity in “They Cloned Tyrone”
By Dorothy Ha
Through its witty dialogue and suspenseful plot, They Cloned Tyrone delivers a powerful message.
And Now I Am Become Box Office Hit, Creator of Revenue
Does he deserve self-pity now? Does he deserve to even feel guilty?