Critics at Large | The New Yorker cover art
Podcast · 59 episodes

Critics at Large | The New Yorker, page 3

by The New Yorker · English

Critics at Large is a weekly culture podcast from The New Yorker. Every Thursday, the staff writers Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz discuss current obsessions, classic texts they’re revisiting with fresh eyes, and trends that are emerging across books, television, film, and more. The show runs the gamut of the arts and pop culture, with lively, surprising conversations about everything from Salman Rushdie to “The Real Housewives.” Through rigorous analysis and behind-the-scenes insights into The New Yorker’s reporting, the magazine’s critics help listeners make sense of our moment—and how we got here.

All episodes, page 3

What's Cooking?The culture of home cooking and entertaining—how online algorithms, cookbooks, and cooking personalities have changed recipes, skill, and expectations; why people want “adulting” dinner parties that…25 Sep 2025 · 48 min · 21 chapters
“The Paper,” “The Lowdown,” and the Drama of JournalismHow journalism’s “truth” is depicted in pop culture, using tropes from classic films and two new TV shows, and what that says about today’s collapsing trust and local-news crisis.18 Sep 2025 · 51 min · 19 chapters
Why We're All In on GamblingGambling’s mainstream spread—especially via online/mobile betting—turning everyday life, sports viewing, and even politics into “bettable” events; why people keep chasing risk amid instability.11 Sep 2025 · 45 min · 16 chapters
Our Fads, OurselvesThis Critics at Large episode, “Our Fads, Ourselves,” uses the Pop Mart Labubu craze to examine why people obsess over scarce collectibles and how TikTok turns unboxing into commerce.4 Sep 2025 · 46 min · 24 chapters
How to Watch a MovieAuteur theory and how to “watch a movie” by tracking an invisible director’s presence—starting with French New Wave critics, migrating to the U.S.21 Aug 2025 · 44 min · 14 chapters
Les Américains à ParisAmericans’ long-running fascination with Paris—how it’s been imagined as sophistication, freedom, and artistic possibility, versus how it looks in real life today.14 Aug 2025 · 46 min · 20 chapters
How Zohran Mamdani Became the Main Character of New York CityCritics at Large (The New Yorker) episode explains why Zoran Mamdani’s Democratic primary win made him a cultural “main character,” and uses New York mayoral history and pop culture to show how…7 Aug 2025 · 47 min · 15 chapters
Late Night's Last LaughThe cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s CBS late-night show (announced after Paramount’s $16 million settlement with Trump) becomes a lens on late night’s decline, its cultural role, and what political…31 Jul 2025 · 47 min · 24 chapters
“Eddington” and the American BerserkThe episode (Critics at Large) discusses Ari Aster’s film Eddington (May 2020 setting) as an example of “the American berserk,” a term from Philip Roth for art trying to capture America’s…17 Jul 2025 · 49 min · 20 chapters
“Materialists,” “Too Much,” and the Modern Rom-ComThe state of the modern romantic comedy in 2025, using two new releases—Celine Song’s film Materialists and Lena Dunham’s Netflix series Too Much—plus a broader history of rom-com “must-haves” and…10 Jul 2025 · 50 min · 17 chapters
Why We TravelWhy people travel now and historically, and whether modern tourism is “broken”—covering post-pandemic travel booms, social-media-driven “trend” destinations, guidebook-driven sameness, and the ethics…3 Jul 2025 · 47 min · 21 chapters