Here in Los Angeles, it’s maybe a little bit easier than in other places to avoid focusing on what’s happening in our national politics right now. But that doesn’t mean President Trump has forgotten a big part of the fabric of LA: Hollywood and the entertainment industry. 

As he took office in January, Trump appointed Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson, and Jon Voight ‘Special Ambassadors’ to what he called a ‘Troubled Hollywood.’ He said he’d bring business back from foreign countries and use the three actors as his “eyes and ears,” returning to what the president called “The Golden Age” of Hollywood. And on the other coast, Trump has spent weeks dismantling and restructuring Washington’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, another attempt to reshape arts and culture in the US. 

But in actuality, the political shifts that may end up mattering most in entertainment right now aren’t coming directly from the White House. It’s coming through the algorithms of various streaming platforms, or in closed-door pitch meetings and script rewrites. I brought on Bloomberg entertainment journalist Lucas Shaw and tech reporter and YouTuber Taylor Lorenz to answer a big question I’ve had for the last few months: Is American entertainment moving to the right in our current political moment? And if so, where’s the move really coming from? Check out the episode to hear their takes, plus a few recommendations of some mostly politics-free entertainment to consume. 

And in the meantime, I’ll leave YOU all with some recs from me. A little list of what I’ve been jamming to/watching/reading: 

Like Cartoon Vampires, the new album from New Orleans rock duo The Convenience. I stumbled upon this band through the Instagram account of former SNL comedian and actor Chloe Troast. And for weeks, I couldn’t get their 2021 song “Kiss Me In Heaven” out of my brain. It’s bouncy and joyous and sounds like it could have been an early Prince demo. As I dug into the band further, I found a range of rock, with a lot of it leaning into the trippy, syncopated rhythms and some trippy time signatures — which the music nerd in me loves. “I Got Exactly What I Wanted” and “Dub Vultures” are maybe my favorite tracks on the new album, with both songs taking me back, at least sonically, to so much ‘90s indie rock I loved. 

Survival of the Thickest, season 2 (Netflix). Michelle Buteau is one of the most *charming* actor/comedians working today. Whether she’s ranting about the toil of parenthood or living life as a bigger woman in a world that still caters to smaller ones, Buteau always seems to be giving you a hug while making you laugh out loud. Her Netflix show Survival of the Fittest (based on her memoir of the same name) returned for a second season a few weeks ago, and I devoured a bunch of it during a recent little desert weekend away with friends. Buteau plays a struggling stylist in Brooklyn, navigating millennial life with her best friends. There are hijinks and lots of dancing and it's a perfectly delightful way to pass a few hours. 

Wendy’s Twitter Account. I thought that smarmy, wisecracking social media accounts for brands like Wendy’s had their moment during the pandemic lockdowns and then (hopefully) went away. Well, they haven’t, and this week the X (formerly Twitter) account for Wendy’s went *all the way in* on Katy Perry, of all people/astronauts. In response to her very poorly received, short flight into space and return to Earth, Wendy’s responded, “Can we send her back.” It’s started a social media feud between Perry’s camp and Wendy’s that doesn’t seem to be subsiding anytime soon. Baby, it’s… a firework lolololol. One worth checking out. 

Jon Hamm on last weekend’s SNL. There are three types of celebrities: the ones who are good at hosting SNL. The ones who are not. And the legends: I’m talking Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and (regretably?) Justin Timberlake. After this weekend’s Saturday Night Live, I’m gonna have to add Jon Hamm to that list. You knew from his monologue, where he referenced all his previous cameos, like a boss, that this turn was gonna be a great one. Vulture said of Hamm’s hosting duties: “We know him, the cast knows him, and he knows what his job is when he shows up.” They’re right. The Please Don’t Destroy video featuring Hamm this weekend was a standout, with him playing a tone-deaf and hilarious detective who can’t, at all, seem to ask the right questions. Worth the watch! 

Alright, with that, have a great weekend. And of course, feel free to let me know what you’re watching/listening to/reading these days. 

Stay well! 

-Sam

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