Archive
Hulu’s Dopesick Shows How the Sacklers Built an Empire of Pain
“We have to use the terms pain and pain management,” says Richard Sackler in Dopesick. The quote illustrates how Purdue Pharma used these terms as linguistic warfare and infiltrated the American psyche during the inception of the generation altering drug ...
What I’ve Been Listening To: Earl Sweatshirt, Bleachers, and Part 1 of the Top 20 Albums of 2021
What I Listened to This Week returns not only with a review of one new (and new-ish) album, but also with part one of my countdown of the top 20 albums of 2021. Read my first two reviews, and you’ll ...
The Emblematic Millionaire in Nevada’s Gubernatorial Race
In November of 2021, millionaire and former private equity executive Glenn Youngkin – who had never held public office before – won the Virginia gubernatorial election and provided a blueprint for Republicans looking to win statewide office in a Democratic-leaning ...
The Other Two Strikes a Balance Between Sunniness and Cynicism
Judging by our TV shows, there are approximately two different ways to look at the world. The first, exemplified by prestige-y, tragicomic series like Succession and Search Party, is a deeply cynical one, where characters are expected to treat their ...
Pony Express: 2021 Year in Review
Michael, Lars and Louis discuss their favorite movies, TV, music, and more of 2021.
Introducing Our Politics Vertical
Happy New Year, loyal politicos and Postrider aficionados. It’s 2022, which means it’s a midterm year in America. Control of the House of Representatives, the Senate, a majority of governor’s mansions, and most state legislatures will all be up for ...
The Postrider’s Top 30 Songs of 2021
According to my 2021 Spotify Wrapped, I listened to primarily “yearning” music. I feel like that’s reflected in my list of the top songs of the year as well. It features a lot of interiority, but the conclusion of that ...
Politics Express: The Best (and Worst) of Politics 2021
Lars and Michael recap the year, giving superlatives to the best, worst, weirdest, and most embarassing people and moments in politics of 2021. Let us know your picks on Twitter at @ThePostrider or at contact@thepostrider.com!
Spencer Substitutes Shock for Substance
When Oprah Winfrey’s interview of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle aired back in March, I joked with a friend that it represented the lowest point in Anglo-American relations since the War of 1812. Between Harry and Meghan’s withdrawal from the ...
Politics Express: Mayor-Elect Eric Adams and the New York Governor’s Race
Lars and Michael discuss the factors leading to Eric Adams election as New York City’s mayor and preview the state’s 2022 governor’s race.
The Terrific Writing of “You” Season 3
Season 2 of You finishes on a cliffhanger and was left on when Love, the character that Joe was obsessing over but was ultimately going to kill, decides not to do so because she reveals in a last second confession ...
COVID-19 Deaths Weren’t Enough to Swing the 2020 Election — But They Might Be In 2024
COVID-19 has killed around 800,000 Americans. Joe Biden won the 2020 election by a margin of less than 45,000 votes in three states. There’s a morbid, tragic, and uncomfortable question that may linger in the back of your mind when ...
Pony Express: Eternals
Michael and Louis discuss Eternals, the polarizing new Marvel film from Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao.
Who Was the Best Fed Chair? And How Does Jerome Powell Compare?
Unless he’s renominated by President Biden, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s term will expire in February of 2022. Historically speaking, every modern chair of the Federal Reserve has been renominated by the successive president of a different party (often several ...
12 Albums Missing From Pitchfork’s 25th Anniversary Readers’ Poll
Earlier this year, Pitchfork asked its readers to vote on the 200 best albums of the past 25 years as a way to celebrate the website’s 25th anniversary. It was a deceptively loaded requisite: the “Most Trusted Voice in Music” ...
Pony Express: Dune and Squid Game
Michael, Lars, and Louis discuss two of the most talk about two of the fall’s biggest hits: Dune and Squid Game.
Politics Express: “…In Our Lifetime?”
Politics Express kicks off its new recurring segment called “…In Our Lifetime?” — discussions on the big political and global questions of the 21st century. To start what will be a recurring segment on the show, host Lars Emerson dedicates ...
What if Trump Ran as a Third Party Candidate in 2024?
It’s May of 2024 and former Vice President Mike Pence appears to be the likely Republican nominee, despite Donald Trump’s victory in the Iowa caucuses only a few months earlier. He comes out just ahead of the former president as ...
Politics Express: Who Are the Best Postwar Presidents?
Lars and Mike finish up their ranking of every postwar president. Find out who is overrated and underrated as they debate their highest-ranked presidents and announce the best one since World War II.
Japanese Breakfast Bring Joy Back at Brooklyn Steel
Given the current state of the world, it may feel odd to say that someone has had a “good” 2021, but if anyone has, surely it’s Michelle Zauner. The singer/songwriter/guitarist/mastermind behind Japanese Breakfast scored her first “win” in April with ...
Revisiting Law & Order: Season One
*CHUNG CHUNG* Imagine it’s the fall of 1990 and you’re hearing this sound coming out of your television for the first time. What are you thinking? Does it wash over you as some sort of innovative television program or does ...
Politics Express: Who Are the Worst Postwar Presidents?
Lars and Mike rank every postwar president… starting at the bottom! Find out why we only compare postwar presidents, who the most mediocre presidents are, and the stunning choice for the worst president since World War II.