The Press Box

The Ringer’s Sean Fennessey and David Shoemaker take an exhaustive trip through the galaxy to break down the plot twists, character deaths, and paths forward for the Marvel Cinematic Universe after the action-packed, plot-heavy ‘Avengers: Infinity War.’ SPOILER ALERT: The second half of this episode contains serious spoilers for the movie. Be warned! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcast...

The Ringer's Justin Charity and Kate Knibbs discuss Kanye West's latest deep dive into the MAGA life (1:38), how rants are his signature art form (9:37), and the parallels between him and Donald Trump (12:15). Then they break down the incel movement, which started as an innocent online community but has grown into a deadly threat (17:40). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/...

The Ringer's Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker break down Donald Trump's infatuation with Maggie Haberman (03:00), the media's outrage regarding sideline reporter Allie LaForce's question to LeBron James (23:00), and the fallout from 'Harper's' magazine firing editor James Marcus (41:30). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey chats with legendary filmmaker Willam Friedkin, who’s responsible for films such as 'The French Connection,' 'The Exorcist,' 'Sorcerer,' and 'To Live and Die in L.A.' Friedkin discusses his distinguished career in film and why, at 82, he decided to create a new documentary about a real-life exorcism called 'The Devil and Father Amorth.' Learn more about your a...

Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey chats with comedic actor, director, and writer Jay Chandrasekhar about returning to make a ‘Super Troopers’ sequel 17 years after the original. Chandrasekhar also discusses what it’s like being an Indian American in Hollywood, returning to his roots, and bridging the divided audiences in comedy. More from Sean Fennessey on Movies Learn more about your ad choic...

The Ringer's Juliet Litman and Amanda Dobbins discuss Khloe Kardashian giving birth in the midst of her boyfriend's cheating scandal (0:38), Beyoncé's Coachella takeover (22:07), and Gwyneth Paltrow's engagement party, which definitely wasn't a wedding (33:35). More from The Ringer: The Beyoncé-at-Coachella Exit Survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker discuss the news of Sean Hannity being Michael Cohen's third client (02:00), the "Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week" (15:015), the James Comey book tour (19:15), and the media's coverage of the missile strike on Syria (39:30). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey chats with filmmaker Andrew Haigh about his emotionally devastating ‘Lean on Pete,’ about an orphaned boy (Charlie Plummer) and his horse, the titular Pete, and their journey from Oregon to Wyoming in search of a long-lost family member. Haigh also discusses his long career as a director and the difference between making TV shows and making movies. Learn more...

The Ringer’s Justin Charity and Kate Knibbs break down Mark Zuckerberg’s week testifying in front of Congress (2:04) and what the legislators questioning him were missing (14:03). Then, they discuss the backlash against the ‘Simpsons’ character Apu (18:07) and how the series decided to address the controversy this week, which caused even more outrage (20:19). More from The Ringer: A Visual Guide t...

The Ringer's Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker sit down to unpack 'The Atlantic' severing ties with Kevin D. Williamson (02:00), how 'The Simpsons' responded to criticism of Apu's character (25:45), and the statement that news anchors on Sinclair-owned stations read (37:30). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey sits down with Kay Cannon, the veteran screenwriter on ‘30 Rock,' New Girl,’ and all three ‘Pitch Perfect’ movies to discuss her new R-rated studio comedy and directorial debut ‘Blockers’ and her transition from writing to directing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Juliet Litman and Amanda Dobbins discuss actress Allison Mack's reported involvement in the alleged sex cult called Nxivm (1:38), Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan's breakup (12:48), Chris Hemsworth and Matt Damon's budding friendship (21:43), and the possible bad blood between Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss (28:06). You can find the official Ringer web store here: http://bit.ly/ringersho...

The Ringer’s David Shoemaker and Bryan Curtis discuss President Trump and Amazon’s latest spat (2:30), ESPN’s new morning show ‘Get Up!’ (18:05), and the latest Tiger Woods tell-all biography (35:51). You can find the official Ringer web store here: http://bit.ly/ringershop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In preparation for Steven Spielberg's ‘Ready Player One,’ The Ringer’s Sean Fennessey and Chris Ryan discuss and debate the prolific filmmaker's best movies of all time. They cover everything from ‘Jaws’ to ‘Jurassic Park,’ from the ‘Indiana Jones’ series to ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ and many, many more (1:00). And later, CEO of The Ringer Bill Simmons stops by to give his take on how terrifying 'Jaw...

This week on 'Damage Control,' The Ringer’s Justin Charity and K. Austin Collins discuss the unrealistic expectations surrounding Stormy Daniels’s ‘60 Minutes’ interview (1:47), the obsession with creating nostalgia porn for millennials (18:33), and how ‘Ready Player One’ may not be as groundbreaking as gamers think (29:04). You can find the official Ringer web store here: http://bit.ly/ringershop...

Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey chats with 'Wild Wild Country' directors Maclain and Chapman Way and producer Mark Duplass about the arduous process of making an in-depth documentary that features a 64,000-acre ranch in Oregon, a spiritual guru, ritualistic group sex, assassination plots, guns, drugs, and bioterrorism. You can find the official Ringer web store here: http://bit.ly/ringershop...

The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker discuss the Cambridge Analytica scandal and Mark Zuckerberg’s apology tour (02:00), the news that Sports Illustrated’s parent company intends to sell the venerable magazine (21:20), and a Fox News analyst leaving the network while Breitbart hemorrhages readers (34:45). You can find the official Ringer web store here: http://bit.ly/ringershop Learn more...

The Ringer’s Juliet Litman and Amanda Dobbins break down the timeline of Ben Affleck's phoenix back tattoo now that we finally know it's real (1:52). They also discuss Cynthia Nixon's announcement that she's running for New York governor (24:21), Aubrey O'Day's alleged affair with Donald Trump Jr. (27:15), Rihanna's takedown of Snapchat (34:13), and the latest in the Reese Witherspoon/'Big Little...

The Ringer's Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker examine the startling story behind John Skipper's ESPN departure (01:45), Chris Cuomo's pivot to primetime (19:30), and how cable news is staffing the White House (28:30). They wrap up the show by reflecting on some notable media moments from the NCAA Tournament (33:15). Read Bryan Curtis's article "The New Draft Gurus" here: https://t.co/8hZGuxkOmQ Le...

The Ringer’s Sean Fennessey and Chris Ryan recap the best movies they saw at the SXSW Film Festival, including ‘Ready Player One,’ ‘A Quiet Place,’ ‘Eighth Grade,’ and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on 'Damage Control,' The Ringer’s Justin Charity and K. Austin Collins discuss critics’ confusing handling of Ava DuVernay’s ‘A Wrinkle In Time’ (1:17), why wishing for black artists to have opportunities to make mediocre work is flawed thinking (19:44), and the cultural-appropriation accusations against Bruno Mars (21:39). More from The Ringer: ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ Is a Noble Failure The...

The Ringer's Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker discuss the media spectacle surrounding Donald Trump's alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels (03:00), the controversy following New York Times columnist Farhad Manjoo's social media experiment (22:00), and how Michael Smith's departure from 'SportsCenter' reflects ESPN's programming problem (34:30).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podca...

Ringer Editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey chats with first time director Cory Finley about his film ‘Thoroughbreds’ and his transition from playwright to filmmaker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ringer's Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker break down the handling of the Academy Awards (01:45), what Hope Hicks's White House departure means for the press (22:45), and the FBI vs. the University of Arizona by way of ESPN and Mark Schlabach (35:30). Read Miles Surrey's "The Winners and Losers of the 2018 Academy Awards" here: https://t.co/FR1HeJsNqi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit pod...

The Ringer’s Juliet Litman and Amanda Dobbins rejoice at the end of awards season and discuss Sunday night’s Oscars (1:21). They also talk about Barbra Streisand cloning her dogs (17:23) and the four billboards outside Palm Springs in honor of Serena Williams (22:26). More from The Ringer: 2018 Oscars coverage Subscribe to 'Bachelor Party' Related Links: Barbra Streisand Explains: Why I Cloned My...