Tony Soprano opened “The Sopranos” with this lament: “It’s good to be in something from the ground floor. I came too late for that, I know. But lately I am getting the feeling that I came in at the end. The best is over.” If you decide to check in on “The Sopranos” for the first [...]

Chicago Tribune TV critic Maureen Ryan, who keeps readers up to date at The Watcher blog, has long had what we might consider Best Job Ever. And she proves every day why she deserves it. Ryan has been a champion for all the right TV shows — from “Veronica Mars” to “The Wire” — and when [...]

*See update at end of post. This past December, in a post about authentic explorations of masculinity, Bernie took the opportunity to praise “Friday Night Lights” and its unique, complex portrayal of young men searching for their “deeper, sensitive identities.” Like mother, like daughter: Tami and Julie Taylor on “Friday Night Lights” Now, as the season is coming [...]

From the AP: Comedian Al Franken said Wednesday he will run for U.S. Senate in 2008, confirming his long-suspected plans to seek the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. [...] ”Minnesotans have a right to be skeptical about whether I’m ready for this challenge, and to wonder how seriously I would take the responsibility that [...]

This year’s Super Bowl ads were most noteworthy for what they were not — there wasn’t an abundance of overtly sexist ads (not that we didn’t see some covert action that we’ll take up later), and indeed some were even subversively amusing. While we work through the pain of the Bears loss, here’s a quick [...]

Not that interested in the game itself? Here’s some context for how the game intersects with race, advertising and globalization. Far Away, Super Bowl’s Losers Will Be Champs: “In some parts of the world, the Seattle Seahawks are the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Buffalo Bills are the last great football dynasty and Tom Brady is [...]

While the NFL is experiencing some success in attracting a female audience, we’re hoping they — and the commercial sponsors of the Super Bowl broadcast — do better than last year’s “Not-So-Super Representations of Women.” Check back here for our post-game analysis.

Blogging for The New York Times, Jennifer Michael Hecht discusses New Year’s resolutions and the history of self-denial in the name of self-improvement. Go discover the history of Graham crackers. And don’t forget to toast the New Year, preferably with red wine.

Shortly after the terrorist attacks on 9/11, Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter announced,”It’s the end of the age of irony” — just one of many proclamations that augured a more somber cultural landscape. The effect of 9/11 on pop culture is chief among the angles used to contextualize today’s five-year anniversary. Interested readers may want to [...]

And you can show your love, too, by attending a screening of Joss Whedon’s sci-fi flick Serenity this weekend. All proceeds go to Whedon’s favorite charity, Equality Now. It’s a birthday gift to the unabashedly feminist television/film/comic book writer from fans. Don’t miss Whedon’s speech at a recent Equality Now event, “On the Road to Equality: [...]