Why can't all Russian interference be THIS hilarious?
Later this week, Jonah Goldberg is scheduled to join Matt Lewis and the News to chat about his new book, Suicide of the West. I'll also be interviewing Warren Farrell and John Gray about their new book, The Boy Crisis: Why Our Boys are Struggling and What We Can Do About It.
You won't want to miss these, so make sure you've subscribed to Matt Lewis and the News on iTunes or Stitcher. If you have already subscribed, be sure to rate it and leave a review - and of course, share it with your friends.
Why can't all Russian interference be THIS hilarious?
Before the summer blockbusters hit theaters, make sure to check out The Death of Stalin, a comic romp about the end of one of the bloodiest, tyrannical regimes in modern history.
(Ok, that sounds weird. Trust me, it's funnier than it sounds.)
The film tracks the end of Josef Stalin's life -- as his underlings try to find the best doctors to help the ailing dictator only to find out the best doctors became victims of his murderous regime -- and the bumbling rivals who jockey to replace him as leader of the Soviet Union.
It brings to mind F.A. Hayek's line about how, in a totalitarian regime, "the worst get on top." But with a hilarious cast that includes Steve Buscemi, Jeffrey Tambor, and Monty Python alum Michael Palin, it doesn't require you to think too much to get its message across.
Back when pro-wrestling stayed in the ring and off Capitol Hill
Staged feuds, outlandish public boasting, larger-than-life personalities. Before that was our political reality on a daily basis, it was the domain of professional wrestling.
You'll see the parallels if you check out HBO's documentary on Andre the Giant. You'll also get an interesting story about one of the figurative as well as literal giants of professional wrestlings heyday in the 1980's.
The documentary shines in its retelling of the famous Wrestlemania III championship bout between Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan in Wrestlemania III. Wrestling fans remember it because Andre allowed Hogan to body slam him and win the match. Historically, it led to the rise of Vince McMahon's WWF (now WWE) over the regional and territorial wrestling circuits that had dominated the sport* during its rise to prominence.
*The word "sport" is used here in a very loose and general sense, so don't @ me.
Speaking of Hulk Hogan...
Over at Bloggingheads, Robert Wright has a good interview with Ryan Holiday about Hogan's lawsuit that pretty much destroyed Gawker scandal, which was funded (secretly at first) by Peter Thiel.
"Hey man, nice shot!"
I'm trying to pick out a new headshot. I've got it narrowed down to two, which I've posted on Facebook. Can you do me a favor and tell me which one you like better?
Dateline: Miami
I spent the early part of this week at the Ethics and Public Policy Center's Faith Angle Forum. If you've ever lamented that reporters don't know how to report on religion, this is a great organization that exposes mainstream media journalists to theological ideas and people of faith.
As an extra benefit, the meeting took place by the beach. You can see pictures of my travels on Instagram.