Mary McNamara is a culture columnist and critic for the Los Angeles Times. Previously she was assistant managing editor for arts and entertainment following a 12-year stint as television critic and senior culture editor. A Pulitzer Prize winner in 2015 and finalist for criticism in 2013 and 2014, she has won various awards for criticism and feature writing. She is the author of the Hollywood mysteries “Oscar Season” and “The Starlet.” She lives in La Crescenta with her husband, three children and two dogs.
Latest From This Author
For years, anecdotal evidence and scholarly research have shown the dangers social media can hold for kids and teens. The groundbreaking ‘Social Studies’ shows us what that looks like in real time.
Oct. 3, 2024
Vice-presidential debates may not matter in terms of election results, but when one of the participants would be serving under a 78-year-old, they matter to the world.
Oct. 2, 2024
Maggie Smith never failed to illuminate and astonish. As she aged, she showed us that the face and body may change, but the spirit need not falter.
Sept. 27, 2024
JD Vance and other conservatives need to stop trying to drive a wedge between those who choose to be parents and those who do not. It’s absurd — and dangerous.
Sept. 19, 2024
The eye-popping details of the Combs indictment lighted up social and legacy media Tuesday, but his alleged use of the familiar mechanisms for silencing victims is far more worrying.
Sept. 18, 2024
Our writers break down the biggest winners, best moments and more from the 2024 Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.
Sept. 15, 2024
For years, politicians and pundits have yelled themselves hoarse to warn against normalizing Trump’s behavior. At Tuesday’s debate, Harris showed them how it’s done.
Sept. 12, 2024
Parents spend months steeling themselves to face an empty nest. But the last first day is an especially poignant reminder that, in many ways, their kids are already gone.
Sept. 12, 2024
Among the titles that have our writing staff stoked: “Gladiator II,” “Wicked,” “Joker: Folie à Deux,” “Blitz,” “Anora,” “We Live in Time” and “The Apprentice.”
Sept. 6, 2024
Among the shows our TV writers are looking forward to this season are ‘The Golden Bachelorette,’ ‘Matlock,’ ‘St. Denis Medical’ and ‘Landman.’
Sept. 5, 2024