Culture

List of Culture articles

Keri Russell as Kate Wyler in an episode of The Diplomat
Keri Russell as Kate Wyler in an episode of The Diplomat

Is Netflix’s ‘The Diplomat’ Factual or Farcical?

A former U.S. ambassador, an Iran expert, a Libya expert, and a former U.K. Conservative Party advisor weigh in.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Putin Wants You to Think He’s an Anti-Woke Crusader

By pitching himself as a hero to the U.S. right, he’s taking a page from the 1960s North Vietnamese playbook to undermine support for Ukraine.

An illustration shows Russian President Vladimir Putin on a television set with spinning lines behind him for a story about Russia's TV propaganda.
An illustration shows Russian President Vladimir Putin on a television set with spinning lines behind him for a story about Russia's TV propaganda.

A Day Inside Putin’s Surreal Television Empire

How the nonstop blare of Russian state media fuels the war effort—and blurs reality.

A person is shown from the back looking at book shelves.
A person is shown from the back looking at book shelves.
Sunbathers under umbrellas line the beach with sailboats dotting the sea behind them in Cannes, France, on Sept. 1, 1948.
Sunbathers under umbrellas line the beach with sailboats dotting the sea behind them in Cannes, France, on Sept. 1, 1948.

How the French Riviera Got Its Glitz

Long before the Cannes Film Festival, a new book shows, the Côte d’Azur built a brand on flaunting affluence.

russia-books-war-resistance-ukraine-1984-nazis-foreign-policy-cathryn-virginia-illusration-site
russia-books-war-resistance-ukraine-1984-nazis-foreign-policy-cathryn-virginia-illusration-site

For Russians, Reading Is the New Resistance

What bestselling books tell us about how Russians are processing the war.

An illustration showing Cleopatra from the new Netflix documentary series "Queen Cleopatra," played by Black British actress Adele James.
An illustration showing Cleopatra from the new Netflix documentary series "Queen Cleopatra," played by Black British actress Adele James.

Why Netflix’s ‘Queen Cleopatra’ Has Egypt up in Arms

Western leaders and filmmakers have long denied the link between modern Egypt and its ancient heritage.

Indian people walk by a colorful building in the Portuguese colonial style in Goa, India.
Indian people walk by a colorful building in the Portuguese colonial style in Goa, India.

Portugal Left a Mark on India

They got food, fado, and sossegado. Also, the Inquisition.

Keri Russell as Kate Wyler walks by a State Department Seal from a scene in The Diplomat, a new Netflix show about the foreign service.
Keri Russell as Kate Wyler walks by a State Department Seal from a scene in The Diplomat, a new Netflix show about the foreign service.

At Long Last, the Foreign Service Gets the Netflix Treatment

Keri Russell gets Drexel furniture but no Senate confirmation hearing.

-books-six-1
-books-six-1

6 Books That Explain Turkey

FP contributors’ top titles to make sense of the country ahead of its most important election

An activist is seen through a rainbow flag during a Pride parade in Kyiv.
An activist is seen through a rainbow flag during a Pride parade in Kyiv.

Putin’s Homophobia Is Advancing LGBTQ Rights in Ukraine

Many have begun to associate anti-gay bigotry with imperial aggression.

objects-of-global-moment-aviators-biden-clint-blowers
objects-of-global-moment-aviators-biden-clint-blowers

Aviators Make Biden an All-American Badass

The sunglasses are a symbol of loyalty, persistence—and the U.S. president.

Masks photographed in a studio
Masks photographed in a studio

Face Masks Are Our COVID-19 Memorial

America’s remaining maskers are a living emblem of a lost war.

Uyghur men dance outside the Id Kah mosque in Kashgar, Xinjiang, where authorities have created a parallel universe for tourists and locals.
Uyghur men dance outside the Id Kah mosque in Kashgar, Xinjiang, where authorities have created a parallel universe for tourists and locals.
About 500 pupils and their parents protest against the language education reform in front of the parliament in Latvia on Feb 10, 2005.
About 500 pupils and their parents protest against the language education reform in front of the parliament in Latvia on Feb 10, 2005.

Latvia Is Going on Offense Against Russian Culture

The Baltic nation is taking cultural cohesion into its own hands—and risking backlash.

Young men walk in front of a billboard promoting Russian army service.
Young men walk in front of a billboard promoting Russian army service.

Putin’s War on Young People

Almost unnoticed, a generation of Russians has come of age during his 23 years in power.

Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and Kai Wegner, the CDU’s top candidate in Berlin, depart after the end of a joint press conference in Berlin on Feb. 13, one day after the city-state’s elections. The campaign placard behind them reads “Celebrate Berlin. Fire the Council.”
Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and Kai Wegner, the CDU’s top candidate in Berlin, depart after the end of a joint press conference in Berlin on Feb. 13, one day after the city-state’s elections. The campaign placard behind them reads “Celebrate Berlin. Fire the Council.”

Germany’s Conservatives Are Ready for a Culture War

The Christian Democrats aren’t the center-right party of Angela Merkel anymore.

Actors Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr. are seen in RRR.
Actors Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr. are seen in RRR.

India’s Global Blockbusters Paint an Incomplete Picture

Online streaming is more representative of the country’s diversity but is becoming a double-edged sword.

bts-military-lead-illustration-HP
bts-military-lead-illustration-HP

When Pop Stars Make for Secret Weapons

From Elvis to BTS, militaries have long used celebrity soldiers for clout.

Book cover for Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Book cover for Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

What the Marvel Cinematic Universe Can Teach Us About Geopolitics

One is a fantasy with roots in World War II. The other boasts Spider-Man.

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