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Cannonball with Wesley MorrisAuthor: The New York Times
Conversations about the culture that moves us the good, the bad and whatevers in between. Every week, critic Wesley Morris talks with writers and artists about the moment were in. Surprisingly personal and never obvious, new episodes drop Thursdays. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?sourcepodcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Language: en Genres: News, News Commentary, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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‘Michael’ Is Pure Propaganda
Thursday, 30 April, 2026
“Michael,” the new Michael Jackson biopic, knows what it’s doing. That’s clear from the opening shot: high-water pants and white socks pushed down to a pair of black penny loafers. It’s appealing to a very specific version of our memories of Michael Jackson. The version some of us prefer to hold onto. But in doing so, it avoids the truth. Our qualms with the King of Pop? Forget about that. Be horrified by Joe Jackson’s abusive parenting. Where’s Janet Jackson and Diana Ross? Nevermind them. Look, it’s Bubbles the chimp! The child molestation allegations? Eh, let’s just play another No. 1 hit instead! Besides, moviegoers are not complaining. “Michael” crushed box office records. With the best opening weekend for a biopic ever, it’s a hit. None of this comes as a shock to Wesley Morris, but he’s left with some complicated feelings. His pal, the film curator Eric Hynes, shares these feelings, too. Together, they review the movie and wrestle with the Michael Jackson biopic that could have been. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
