‘One Love’ Flattens Bob Marley’s Radicalism

The latest in pop-culture news, recaps, and reviews, plus close reads, profiles, interviews, and more from Vulture.com. [Brand Logo]( one love [The Flattening of Bob Marley’s Radicalism]( The biopic One Love continues a long tradition of downplaying the late reggae star’s lifelong commitment to the liberation of Black people. Photo: Paramount Pictures Most casual pop-culture observers know a few basic facts about the late icon Bob Marley: He was a devout Rastafarian, he fathered 11 children with a number of women, he appreciated marijuana, and he tuned the world’s ears to the beat of reggae music, often with songs that called for peace, love, and unity. What isn’t so commonly acknowledged is the radicalism of his struggle for his fellow Jamaicans’ liberation and the music he made that indicted the Jamaican government and the sects of society that suppressed Black people’s pursuit of self-actualization. The singer’s life and music were shaped by the political upheaval around him, yet his image has often been softened into a digestible symbol of social deviance to college-age people. [Bob Marley: One Love, a new biopic]( chronicling the artist’s rise to international stardom, participates in that flattening, leaving out crucial context about Jamaica’s dire situation and pushing the nuances of Marley’s journey to the background in the interest of making him into a singular, deitylike figure. [read more]( Devour pop culture with us. [Subscribe now]( to save over 40% on unlimited access to Vulture and everything New York. The Latest TV Recaps • Top Chef: [Raising the Bar Snacks]( • Survivor: [On With the Show]( • Tokyo Vice: [Specialized Access]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Stories We Think You’ll Like [Streaming Services Are Rediscovering the TV Procedural Max and Netflix are making old-school hospital dramas from network veterans. Is this the next front in the streaming wars?]( By Josef Adalian [Meet Cowboy Carter Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus, Post Malone and more are special guests at the rodeo.]( By Bethy Squires [Every Beyoncé Album, Ranked Her catalogue is filled with confidence, curveballs, and the occasional cliché.]( By Matthew Ismael Ruiz [What’s Next for 3 Body Problem? Liu Cixin’s book trilogy and season one’s hints comprise a map of where a potential second season may be headed.]( By Zing Tsjeng [No One Ends a Comedy Show Like Tig Notaro In her specials and albums, the stand-up constantly pushes the boundaries of what audiences might expect from a closing joke.]( By Hershal Pandya [Did We Really Need Kaiju to Get All Cute? Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire doesn’t deliver the giant-monster goods, but it does make its creatures disconcertingly adorable.]( By Alison Willmore [15 Kaiju You Should Know (That Aren’t Godzilla or King Kong) And whether they’d stand a chance against the big guys.]( By James Grebey [Karlie Kloss Is Just Living That Life She and husband Joshua Kushner are going to publish Life magazine, both digitally and in print.]( By Jason P. Frank [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Vulture Games [Today’s Crossword]( 1-Down, Six Letters: Jacques in “Finding Nemo,” for one Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Getty [Today’s Cinematrix]( Can you name a Matt Damon movie set in space? Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images, Steve Granitz/WireImage, Rob Kim/Getty Images A newsletter about the perpetual Hollywood awards race, for subscribers only. [Sign up]( to get it every week. [Get the Newsletter]( [logo]( [facebook logo]( [instagram logo]( [twitter logo]( [unsubscribe]( | [privacy notice]( | [update preferences]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up now]( to get this newsletter in your inbox. [View this email in your browser.]( You received this email because you have a subscription to New York. Reach the right online audience with us For advertising information on email newsletters, please contact AdOps@nymag.com Vox Media, LLC 1701 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 Copyright © 2024, All rights reserved