Noah Berlatsky

"I believe that, in order to address these problems, we need to first understand how we got here."

With the death of Leonard Nimoy, it's a good moment to pay tribute to (and question) his most famous character.

Talking about race can get you into a lot of trouble . . . especially if you don't have a lot of class power or status.

The founder of the brilliant fyeahblackrockmusic Tumblr talks racial politics, Kelis, and . . . the Doobie Brothers?

As a parent, you tend to assume that you have some say in forming your child's mental landscape. Then Santa comes along.

If my wife and son had thought bubbles above their heads, like in the comics, you would be able to read them saying, "dog dog dog dog dog dog dog."

Female masturbation is sexy in part because it flirts with lesbianism. For male masturbation, it's a different story.

If you want America to relearn how to hate white Jews, the quickest way to do that is to associate them with black people.

So, if there are so many ways to sing this song, and if it's meant different things at different points, why complain about Beyoncé's version?

It's hard to deny the appeal of the masculine ideal, especially when embodied in Jude Law. And yet, it's also a depressing vision.