Thoughts, aloud. Hosted by Michelle Cottle, Ross Douthat, Carlos Lozada and Lydia Polgreen. Every Friday, from New York Times Opinion. Listen to this podcast in New York Times Audio, our new iOS app for news subscribers. Download now at nytimes.com/audioapp
https://www.nytimes.com/column/matter-of-opinion
Our Super Bowls, Ourselves
What do Princess Diana’s wedding, the “Survivor” first season finale and Prince’s 2007 Super Bowl halftime show all have in common? They were huge cultural moments that brought millions of Americans together. In an era of streaming, social media bubbles and sharp political divides, are unifying events like these becoming relics of the past?
On today’s episode, the hosts make a case for the secular ritual of the Super Bowl and ask whether we need more mass cultural events to bring Americans together.
(A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication, and can be found in the audio player above.)
Mentioned in this episode:
- “Bowling Alone,” the 1995 essay in the Journal of Democracy and 2000 book by Robert D. Putnam
- “The Wiz,” the 1978 American musical featuring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson
- Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs perform “Fast Car” at the 2024 GRAMMY Awards
Thoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com.