Newsletter | One of These Things Are Just Like the Others
Civil War, Interview with the Vampire, and The Economist
Entertainment. News. It’s all media.
In 2024, The Ugly Monster began covering how journalism is depicted in entertainment, as well as news media itself.
Interview with the Vampire and Meet the Press are both TV shows, and The Economist and Uncanny X-Men are both glossy periodicals. It’s all the same to us.
Palestine’s Suffering: An Analysis of The Economist Magazine
“The Economist can only see global conflicts through the perspectives of entities which hold hegemonic power. These imperialist and hegemonic powers don’t so much “deserve” their power. Rather the influence and power that they hold is in a way “natural”. It exists, and through uncritical reproduction of their power within the pages of The Economist they are legitimizing that power. It doesn’t place any legitimacy of power in the hands of Palestinians.”
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‘Civil War’ is a Visceral and Heart-Wrenching Exploration of a Fractured Nation
“In war it is very easy to spot elements of inhumanity, and this film highlights these moments brilliantly. I felt it in the description of those who ignore this trauma in their ignorance, and with the photographers in their inaction (as well as how, intentionally or unintentionally, they capitalise off of that trauma).”
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Interview with the Vampire: What You Can Learn About Journalism From Daniel Molloy
“In popular media, the ‘journalist as hero’ frame abounds. (The most recent example would probably be A24’s Civil War.) Digging for the truth while confronting danger, doggedly shadowing and calling into question the lies and machinations of systems, states and individuals — that’s the self-image the industry likes to project. And that’s true, to an extent. Still, a line the vampire Armand says in Season 2 of the series haunts me. ‘Why did I owe you my shame? Why did I owe you my one act of cowardice? The series of abhorrent consequences that followed?’”
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All the President’s Men: The Washington Post Vs. Richard Nixon
“With so much talk and discourse that come with names and procedural details, All the President’s Men has a lot of details playing at once. The film, however, never loses its momentum, with creeping anxiety and suspense increasing as each discussion becomes more significant. Meanwhile, the truth becomes more difficult to locate, thanks to alternative news surfacing everywhere, false information through tv, “non-denial denials”, and informants who only give hints rather than clear explanations.”
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Why IGN Bought Gamer Network: The Problem with Growth
“By adopting a structuralist and materialist lens we now better understand how games journalism is incapable of addressing systemic issues within its own industry. Further consolidation of the market will only exacerbate the problem.”
