AMERICA’S CULTURAL INTERLOCUTOR
At The Nightly Show’s core is a commitment to the idea of purposeful conversation, rather than the moral superiority that comes with being right.
Rawiya Kameir is a writer and editor based in Toronto.
NOT A PUNCHLINE
In photos of the rapper's perp walk we see a system that indicts a 20-year-old for selling crack but not a police officer for choking the life out of a citizen. We don’t see a joke.
SHE CAN DO IT ALL
The Pinkprint holds the weight of watching a relationship crumble; where some have public meltdowns and volleys of badmouthing, Nicki Minaj has her punchlines, flows, and ‘an empire also.’
GUILT
White people and nonblack people of color have the luxury of treating these cases as injustices. For them, it is moralistic. For us, it's about survival. A conversation about race.
Funny Hurts
Dear White People is a conversation about racism not buried under wishful thinking. For a black woman whose tastes run counter to Tyler Perry, it’s a rare thing to feel understood.
Straight Outta Compton
Black Jesus smokes copious amounts of weed mooched off his friends and makes miracles by turning water into cognac. But where the hell’s the poignant social critique?
Narrative
As Nyong’o’s star rises, the charming Ivy League graduate with an America-approved cultural pedigree is being used as proof of the mythical post-racialism of Hollywood.
Let It Burn
Baby-faced and with a voice like honey, Usher's evolved from middling ’90s R&B novelty to genuine pop star. And with ‘Good Kisser,’ he reminds us why he’s still relevant.
Drake Featuring Drake
The Canadian child actor-turned-rapper loves moms, hugs, and sweaters and he knows how easy that is to make fun of. No matter, Drizzy’s poised to eclipse the hip hop sphere.
Not Much to Say
Pharrell is suddenly a 40-year-old in a baffling hat who dances with Meryl at the Oscars and has ostensibly replaced ambition and experimentation with contentedness and confidence.