The Best of The Ringer
10+ most popular The Ringer articles, as voted by our community.
Sports. TV. Movies. Pop Culture. Music.
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"Monorail!" How Conan O’Brien Came Up With an Iconic ‘Simpsons’ Episode
It all started with a ridiculous billboard
"It’s Going to Be Epic": The Oral History of James Cameron
From his early days as a special effects assistant to revolutionizing 3D filmmaking (again) with ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ one thing has always been clear: working with James Cameron is a singular…
Does the NBA Have Any More Statue-Worthy Superstars?
The Mavericks honored Dirk’s two decades in Dallas with a new bronze sculpture, but all the movement of today’s stars makes it tough to figure how many more busts will be built in the coming years
The Ringer on Gaming
The Great Consolidation of the Video Game Industry
Amid an ongoing spree of mergers and acquisitions, fewer companies own more of the gaming industry than ever before. But what does consolidation mean for workers, players, and the medium itself?
‘The Last of Us’ Lifts the Video Game Adaptation Curse
After years of subpar live-action adaptations of game IP, the quality, prestige trappings, and mainstream reach of HBO’s acclaimed new series make it a precedent-setting tentpole for the industry
The Ringer on Martial Arts
The Last Days of Bruce Lee
An exclusive excerpt from ‘Bruce Lee: A Life,’ the new biography of the late martial arts icon
The Ringer on Millennials
It’s Time to Accept That Millennials and Gen Z Are the Same Generation
Though discourse in 2021 tried to deepen the distinctions, it’s clear that young people today are forged from the same digital monoculture
The Ringer on Music
Eminem Found Himself in "Lose Yourself." Will We Ever Let It Go?
Twenty years ago, ‘8 Mile’ hit theaters, taking audiences on a quasi-biographical journey through Marshall Mathers’s life. It also spawned his biggest hit—an underdog anthem that lives on through…
Taylor Swift, Ticketmaster, and the Year That Live Music Broke
The nightmarish experience Taylor Swift fans went through earlier this year has sparked debate over monopolies and how tickets are sold. But it’s more than just Swift’s upcoming tour—the entire…
The Ringer on Music Industry
Memes Are the New Pop Stars: How TikTok Became the Future of the Music Industry
Lil Nas X’s ‘Old Town Road’ is both a chart-topping phenomenon and a turning point for the music business. Here’s what happens when a social media platform becomes a label.
The Ringer on Sports
The Legacy of Linsanity, 10 Years Later
A decade ago, Jeremy Lin took the NBA by storm—and by embracing the lasting legacy of Linsanity, Lin is amplifying his influence as an Asian American trailblazer and role model
Lionel Messi Rewrote Soccer History in the Best-Ever World Cup Final
The Argentina-France showdown wasn’t just the greatest World Cup final of all time, it was one of the most thrilling spectacles in sports, period, and a fairytale ending for the game’s best-ever…
The Ringer on TV
How ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’ Forever Changed Hollywood
Hollywood is now built around major intellectual property like comic books and ‘Game of Thrones.’ But before the release of two blockbuster adaptations in 2001, that wasn’t the case.
The Psychology of Cringe Comedy: Why We Love to Watch What Hurts Us
From ‘Da Ali G Show’ to viral TikTok videos, cringe comedy persists within pop culture. And oftentimes, the genre’s appeal is as much about the way we perceive ourselves than the comics we watch…
Popular
These are some all-time favorites with Refind users.
The Day the Good Internet Died
For a small slice of time, being online was a thrilling mix of discovery, collaboration, creativity, and chaotic potential. Then Google Reader disappeared.
«Online is no longer primarily a furtive escape or a cherished outlet. It’s just where everyone always is:»
The 50 Best Rom-Coms
From ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ to ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ to ‘Sleepless in Seattle,’ here’s the best of an endlessly watchable genre
Moral Panics Come and Go. Sex Bracelet Hysteria Is Forever.
In 2003, a media frenzy led schools across the country to ban colorful jelly bracelets out of concern they were being used for a teen sex game. The origins of that frenzy—and the speed with which it…
Inside the Brilliant, Heartbreaking First 10 Minutes of ‘Up’
Shared by 202, including Colin Wright, Esther Schindler
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