Cannonball with Wesley Morris
The New York Times
Conversations about the culture that moves us – the good, the bad and whatever’s in between. Every week, critic Wesley Morris talks with writers and artists about the moment we’re in. Surprisingly personal and never obvious, new episodes drop Thursdays.
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Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 26, 2026 • 35min
'Love Story' Is Actually a Horror Story
Sasha Weiss, culture editor at The New York Times Magazine, brings sharp cultural criticism and memory. She explores how Love Story reimagines Carolyn Bessette as a full person. She traces the show’s shift from sitcom tropes into horror. She unpacks fame, family pressure, and the Kennedy myth through vivid scenes and theatrical choices.
Mar 17, 2026 • 38min
What the Oscars Got Right
Sasha Weiss, culture editor at The New York Times Magazine, brings sharp film criticism and cultural context. She and Wesley debate whether awards still matter. They dig into casting choices, surprising wins for animated and song categories, Timothée Chalamet’s campaign missteps, and why Michael B. Jordan’s performance landed emotionally.
29 snips
Mar 12, 2026 • 44min
The Complicated Oscars Night Feelings Over ‘One Battle After Another’
Daphne A. Brooks, Yale scholar of African American studies and critic of Black music and culture. She calls Paul Thomas Anderson’s film a “Black feminist 911” and unpacks its charged racial and sexual framing. Short takes explore missing interiority, generational divides in reaction, and the stakes of representation at awards time.
Mar 5, 2026 • 40min
Tyra Banks Is (Kinda) Sorry
Michaela angela Davis, writer, editor, stylist and cultural commentator, reflects on America's Next Top Model and the new Netflix docuseries. She discusses why the show mattered to Black audiences and how Tyra Banks became a symbol of accessibility. Conversations cover problematic production practices, mishandled Black hair, public confrontations, and debates about accountability.
Feb 26, 2026 • 56min
Don't Make a Saint Out of Toni Morrison
Parul Sehgal, a book critic known for close readings, and Sasha Weiss, an editor and writer, discuss Toni Morrison’s work and the dangers of untouchable reverence. They probe Morrison’s musical sentences, brutal passages, daring perspectives, and how her books demand communal, intimate reading. The conversation presses to keep her ideas wrestled with, not sainted.
Feb 19, 2026 • 43min
There’s Nothing Sexy About ‘Wuthering Heights’
Sasha Weiss, culture editor and writer, joins to dissect the new Wuthering Heights film from casting to choreography. They talk Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, a standout barn-loft sexual awakening, and where the movie flirts with transgression but retreats. Conversation also compares this film to other contemporary takes on desire and how sexual negotiation plays out on screen.
Feb 12, 2026 • 38min
Bad Bunny and the Art of Protest
Sasha Weiss, culture editor at The New York Times Magazine and critic, joins to unpack Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl set. They probe sugarcane staging and historical echoes. They debate subtle versus overt protest, camera intimacy, counter-protest gestures, and how pleasure and personal address function as protest in music.
Feb 5, 2026 • 47min
‘The Pitt’ Is Giving a Dose of Humanity
Taffy Brodesser-Akner, novelist and profile writer, reflects on when loving art becomes obsession. Sasha Weiss, culture editor at The New York Times Magazine, analyzes how The Pitt modernizes the ER procedural and makes vulnerability central. Short, lively takes on ethical drama, bodies and care, and how art reawakens old passions.
Jan 29, 2026 • 42min
Dear Haters of 'Marty Supreme'...
Sasha Weiss, culture editor and critic, joins to untangle the controversy around Marty Mauser. They talk about why the film divides viewers. Conversations focus on Marty's shameless ambition, his Jewishness, a shocking Ritz scene and a fraught Holocaust flashback. The pair also debate audience disgust and how charisma, violence and dignity mingle in the story.
12 snips
Jan 8, 2026 • 1h 24min
My Evening With Michelle Obama
Join Michelle Obama, former First Lady and bestselling author, as she discusses her latest book, The Look. She reflects on her journey with fashion, detailing how each outfit carried meaning, especially during her time in the White House. From her iconic inaugural gown to the significance of a tan suit, Michelle shares insights on cultural messaging through style. She also touches on personal experiences shaping her fashion perspective and the importance of representation, encouraging future generations to embrace their identities.
