After a six-month period filled with a myriad of botched attempts at reinvention, the world’s most-watched awards show is in trouble as its Feb. 24 ceremony approaches. Simply put: the Oscars are in a state of crisis. 

Superhero movies have been the premiere Hollywood draw for most of the 21st century, and this year’s crop of Oscar nominations illustrates that critical recognition is finally catching up with public sensibilities. 

Stephen Hillenburg died following a battle with ALS on Nov. 26. He was 57 years old. As the creator of “Spongebob Squarepants,” Hillenburg is responsible for one of the most iconic, enduring cartoons of the 21st century. 

Movies are only as exciting as their antagonist. What would the Star Wars franchise be without Darth Vader? Would Harry Potter even be special without Voldemort? While heroes get the glory, films’ villains are often the characters that capture audiences’ imaginations the most. 

Election night is stressful, particularly in the contemporary, hyper-divisive political climate that plagues our country. As results poured in on Nov. 6, American comedian Kumail Nanjiani tweeted about “watching numbers go up and down … terrified for the soul of the world.” 

Binge Mode, one of the many podcasts in The Ringer’s podcast network, is nothing if not ambitious. The pod originally launched during the summer of 2017 when co-hosts Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion vowed to take a deep, analytical look at every single episode of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” 

German popstar Kim Petras released a fitting soundtrack for this spooky season on Oct. 1 entitled Turn Off the Light, Vol. 1. This tightly-produced electro-pop mixtape features a collection of eight Halloween themed tracks that would fit in any Halloween party playlist.

Filmmaker Damien Chazelle’s most recent film First Man is a thoughtful biopic about the man Neil Armstrong—played by Ryan Gosling—who took the giant moon leap for mankind. 

Gephyrophobia is the anxiety disorder characterized by the fear of bridges. Gephyromania is the exact opposite; it means an obsession with bridges.

When legendary late-night host David Letterman received the 2017 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Oct. 22, he saluted the artists honoring him onstage, including stand-up comedian John Mulaney. Letterman’s words on Mulaney could not have been more accurate: “This is the future of comedy, ladies and gentlemen.”

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is arguably the most successful film franchise of all time, yet the company has one glaring issue. Although Marvel’s 18 films since the original Iron Man have grossed more than $14.8 billion, they have failed to develop a musical identity.

Donald Glover is a rapper, singer, producer, actor, sketch comedian, stand-up comedian, screenwriter, director, TV star, movie star and prestige show runner who is finally experiencing bonafide pop culture stardom. 

Netflix added another prestigious special to their already impressive stand-up library with the release of Chris Rock’s “Tamborine” on Feb. 14. Rock joins the likes of high-profile comedians, like Dave Chappelle and Jerry Seinfeld, who have signed lucrative deals to bring their material to the popular streaming service.

This year’s Grammy Awards dragged on for three-hours and 34 minutes, and although it seemed out of step at times, the show was full of powerful performances, statements and calls for change.