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Hello, I'm James

James Crowley is a journalist, covering pop culture with an emphasis on music, comedy, and the internet.

Articles

Hollywood Life •

Joey Fatone Says He Would ‘Love’ His Daughters to See an NSYNC Concert

When NSYNC made their return with the single “Better Place,” many fans asked about whether or not a tour was in the works. Joey Fatone revealed that he also has hopes for some future live performances with NSYNC so that he can share the experience with his two daughters in an exclusive interview with Hollywood Life. Joey was chatting with HL about his partnership with body contouring treatment AirSculpt, when he spoke about the possibility of the boy band performing live.

With NSYNC dropping th
Hollywood Life •

Patrick Renna On ‘The Sandlot’ Turning 30: Fans’ Enduring Love For Iconic Film Is ‘Humbling’ (Exclusive)

Patrick Renna knows how special it is that The Sandlot has stood the test of time. As the movie celebrates its 30th anniversary, the actor, who played “Ham” Porter in the movie, still hears from people who the film was a huge part of their lives. “Being part of something that’s lasted that long and meant that much to multiple generations, is really cool. And it’s very humbling because that’s why we as actors do what we do, it’s to entertain audiences. It’s really cool to be part of something lik
Newsweek •

Leader of Viral 'Birds Aren't Real' Movement Swears He's Not Joking

It's no secret that conspiracy theories are spreading like never before, thanks to the internet. Whether they're dangerous and toxic ideologies like QAnon, or outlandish claims that are incorrect but less threatening (think: the flat-Earth theory), conspiracies have become part of the fabric of daily life in America.

One "theory" that seems intentionally nonsensical but is nonetheless gaining traction on social media is the "Birds Aren't Real" movement, which is built around the claim that, wel
Newsweek •

Dr Seuss Books Spike in Value After Publisher Discontinues Six

Following the announcement that Dr. Seuss Enterprises would stop publishing six of the beloved children's author's books due to insensitive imagery, the books in question have popped up on the resale market with huge markups, and are selling out on some sites.

In a statement released on Tuesday, commemorating what would've been Seuss' 117th birthday, Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced that it would stop publishing and licensing And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo, McEll
Atwood Magazine •

Interview: Rebecca Black on a Decade of "Fridays" and Her New Single "Girlfriend"

Rebecca Black reflects on turning “Friday” into a song for the 23-year-old artist.

There have been 520 Fridays since Rebecca Black first released “Friday” on February 10, 2011, a viral song that she released when she was 13-years-old which catapulted her into the public consciousness. While the song initially received backlash, it’s grown into something of a nostalgic relic of the early 2010’s and a little bit of a meme.

Seven a.m., waking up in the morning

Gotta be fresh, gotta go downstair
Newsweek •

Stockton's First Black Mayor Michael Tubbs Doesn't Want to Be Its Last

Stockton, California, Mayor Michael Tubbs is acutely aware of the issues that his city faces—like violence, income inequality and low college admissions. And now, anyone who watches the new HBO documentary Stockton on My Mind can get familiar with those issues, too.

Currently available on HBO Max, the doc chronicles Tubbs' first term as mayor and highlights the work that he's put in to help reduce homicides in the city, the advocating that he's done on behalf of a basic universal income, and th
Atwood Magazine •

On Being Gone Forever: Phoebe Bridgers' 'Punisher' as a Meditation on Death

Death is permanent and real, and Phoebe Bridgers is here to remind you of that with ‘Punisher’.

It’s difficult to sum up the absolutely decimating power that Punisher brings. After exploring various parts of her musical palette with both Boygenius and Better Oblivion Community Center, Phoebe Bridgers has reinvented herself from the whispery singer-songwriter of her first album into a force of a solo performer that doesn’t lose touch with what made Stranger in the Alps such a dynamic record.

Wh
Newsweek •

Jeff Rosenstock Wants His New Album 'NO DREAM' to Feel Like a Celebration

Few musicians give voice to social unrest quite like Jeff Rosenstock. The 37-year-old punk troubadour surprise-released his fourth solo album, NO DREAM, on May 20 via Polyvinyl, and it vividly captures a palpable sense of excitement—and just as palpable worries.

Regardless of whether he's singing politically charged lines ("Golden bullets blessed by lobbyist money") or screaming about romantic shortcomings ("You're the only person that I wanted to like me"), Rosenstock is an artist that demands
Newsweek •

Comedian Taylor Tomlinson Is Wise Beyond Her Years in New Netflix Special

Many comedians don't find their voice until their 30s, but at 26, Taylor Tomlinson has already honed her persona enough to score her first hour-long special for Netflix. All throughout the just-released Quarter-Life Crisis, the Los Angeles comic explores the difficulties of life in your mid-20s, but with the expertise of a comic that's been performing for a decade. (That's because she has been going onstage for a decade—she started performing comedy at the age of 16.)

While she's modest, Tomlin

A little bit about me.

I'm a journalist who's been very fortunate throughout his entire career. Shortly after beginning covering music for Atwood Magazine in 2016, I was given an opportunity to serve as a confidential records clerk in the Talent & Inclusion department at The New York Times. After some time in the department, I received a fellowship from Newsweek in October 2019, and I was hired as a full-time staff member in February 2020.

As part of Newsweek's burgeoning pop culture team at the time, I specialized in covering comedy and music, while occasionally delving into politics and harder news stories. Following a restructuring at Newsweek, I moved to Hollywood Life, where I quickly learned the exciting world of celebrity news, while covering a variety of topics but specializing in political stories, relating to stars, as well as daily recaps of The View. 

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