Matt Dwyer
Bio
Recent college grad. I write about pop culture, politics, travel, mental health, and more
Stories (6)
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Ryan Murphy's Hollywood: Too Pretty For Its Own Good
Netflix’s Hollywood rewrites history to show how “everything and nothing has changed in Hollywood,” according to director Ryan Murphy. But the real social criticism of the show lies in the fact that it’s not a revisionist history at all. It provides an accurate, although glamorized, a glimpse into the history of Hollywood that highlights instances of oppression that have been excluded from history to maintain the status quo.
By Matt Dwyer3 years ago in Beat
Netflix's Dead to Me Gives Life to New Genre
Netflix’s Dead To Me arrived unapologetically in the wake of HBO’s Big Little Lies, but doesn’t become beholden to the shadow it is meant to exist in. Both shows are about a mysterious death in a well-off California neighborhood and focus on the stories of mothers in the wake of each show’s tragedy. Although the actors of Dead To Me are B-listers when compared to Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon, Dead To Me succeeds with its own story to tell and statement about TV in the streaming era.
By Matt Dwyer3 years ago in Beat
Taylor Swift's New Selling Strategy
Taylor Swift's second surprise album of 2020, December's evermore, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Its lead single, "Willow" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, making Swift the only artist in history to attain a number one album and song debut at the same time twice. (The first time was for "Cardigan" and folklore in July 2020.) However, as far as album sales, it doesn't take much to dominate the charts in the streaming era. Swift has been a selling giant for her entire career. But does evermore point to the end of her reign, and the final acquiescence of the economic power of the album to streaming?
By Matt Dwyer3 years ago in Beat
Why Harry Styles Is the Most Famous One Direction Member
For someone who used to be in a boy band, Harry Styles does not make many public appearances. Even the "Behind the Scenes" videos for his music videos don't show much of his personalty. The "Golden" BTS video shows Harry talking only at the end, when he waves goodbye to fans gathered around the set. The rest of the video simply shows shots of the production, set to the song. No talking. No interviews or explanations. Just Harry running around.
By Matt Dwyer5 years ago in Beat
