Think Barbie's Waistline is Absurd? Check out Elsa or Mulan.
New research suggests that cartoon princesses hurt young female viewers by offering them unobtainable ideals of physical perfection.
Movies
How Humans Evolved to Love Horror Movies
New research suggests evolution predisposes us to seek out horror films.
PS Picks: Josie Rourke's 'Mary Queen of Scots'
PS Picks is a selection of the best things that the magazine's staff and contributors are reading, watching, or otherwise paying attention to in the worlds of art, politics, and culture.
Should Animals Win Acting Oscars? A Pacific Standard Investigation.
It's a question of whether animals featured in movies are acting in the first place.
The Weird History of Unorthodox Sentencing in the U.S.
A man convicted in an illegal, multi-year deer poaching scheme, was sentenced to watch Bambi once a month. While the punishment is certainly unique, the methodology isn't.
'Widows' Is a Thriller About Women's Liberation
In director Steve McQueen's new movie, the heist is about much more than money.
'The Wizard of Oz' Is the Most Influential Movie of All Time
As the film approaches its 80th anniversary, a new ranking shows that the classic retains its cultural cachet.
More Evidence Linking '13 Reasons Why' With Teen Suicide Attempts
A survey of youths at high risk of suicide found that half had watched at least one episode of the Netflix series.
PS Picks: A New 'Halloween,' as Fresh as the Original
PS Picks is a selection of the best things that the magazine's staff and contributors are reading, watching, or otherwise paying attention to in the worlds of art, politics, and culture.
'Every Story Has a Function': An Interview With Jennifer Fox
The writer and director explains what she learned by putting the true story of her childhood sexual abuse on screen.
PS Picks: Documenting the Artifice of North Korea in 'Under the Sun'
PS Picks is a selection of the best things that the magazine's staff and contributors are reading, watching, or otherwise paying attention to in the worlds of art, politics, and culture.
'BlacKkKlansman' and the Art of Code-Switching
Beyond tics in dialect, code-switching often requires a shift in ideology.
Hit Movies Have More Female Characters—and Stronger Ones Too
New research finds females still make up a minority of the onscreen population, but they are depicted more often in leadership roles.
PS Picks: 'Sorry to Bother You,' the Album—and the Film
PS Picks is a selection of the best things that the magazine's staff and contributors are reading, watching, or otherwise paying attention to in the worlds of art, politics, and culture.
PS Picks: The Simple Joys of 'Ant-Man'
PS Picks is a selection of the best things that the magazine's staff and contributors are reading, watching, or otherwise paying attention to in the worlds of art, politics, and culture.
How to Prepare a Society for Natural Disaster
A conversation with Garrett Bradley about her new documentary, and what America can learn from Japan.
PS Picks: 'Ocean's 8' and Other Upcoming Female-Led Films
PS Picks is a selection of the best things that the magazine's staff and contributors are reading, watching, or otherwise paying attention to in the worlds of art, politics, and culture.
Majority-Black Casts Can Clearly Win at the Box Office. Now Will Hollywood Take Notice?
A new study suggests more such movies could see commercial success if Hollywood threw more financial support behind them.
How Bobby Kennedy Became a Progressive
An interview with Dawn Porter, director of the new Netflix docu-series about RFK.
'We Have to Keep Fighting': A Conversation With Anita Sarkeesian
The new documentary Netizens offers an intimate look at how cyber harassment has affected the lives of three women.
Superhero Stories Aren't Myths. They're Anti-Myths.
Unlike myths, superhero sagas suggest that justice is actually attainable.
How Hollywood Can Put More Women Behind the Camera
The inclusion rider can help move Hollywood from conversation to action.
When Sign Language Is a Superpower
Emilio Insolera's new film uses the underground history of sign language as the premise for a superhero thriller.
'Love, Simon' and the Power of Telling Your Own Story
The glossy coming-of-age dramedy is about gay people writing their own lives—and it's empowering some people to come out.