We’ve Lost the Plot
Our constant need for entertainment has blurred the line between fiction and reality—on television, in American politics, and in our everyday lives.
Megan Garber
Megan Garber is a staff writer at The Atlantic. She is the recipient of a Mirror Award for her writing about the media, and she previously worked as a reporter for the Nieman Journalism Lab and as a critic for the Columbia Journalism Review. At The Atlantic, she writes about the intersection of politics and culture (which often, but not always, means that she writes about reality TV). She is the author of On Misdirection: Magic, Mayhem, American Politics.
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When Donald Trump and Elon Musk can turn death threats into punch lines, the joke is on the rest of us—and that’s the point.
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He of all people should avoid making light of assault allegations.
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Emily Elconin / Bloomberg / Getty. Look What She Made Him Do
By endorsing Kamala Harris, Taylor Swift incurred the petty wrath of Donald Trump.
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In her debate with Trump, she didn’t need the mic.
Saul Loeb / Getty What Tucker Carlson’s Spin on World War II Really Says
Forget the villains of history. The true enemies, in his world, are the culture warriors of the present.
Eva Marie Uzcategui / Bloomberg / Getty How to Know What’s Really Propaganda
The history of propaganda helps us understand our current reality.
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Xavier Bonghi / Getty. How to Be Immortal Online
The end of endings may be upon us.
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Yana Iskayeva / Getty. How to Win at Real Life
We can learn things from games that can make us better at life.
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Carlofornitano. How to Keep Watch
Capturing reality is harder than it seems.
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Os Tartarouchos / Getty.
