Samantha Critchell: Meet Me In The Middle
Samantha Critchell and I met on our first day at Syracuse University, two of a few dozen underclassmen somehow placed an old apartment building hastily converted for that year’s overflow of Gen Xers. Through career changes and moves, movie premieres and promotions, Sam’s been a constant. Little wonder, then, as I settle into my new…
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Dennis Scott: Still Feel Like A Kid
Fred Rogers famously said, “The child is in me still… and sometimes not so still.” The same can surely be said for Grammy Winning Songwriter, Producer and Performer, Dennis Scott. Dennis began his career as a seven-year-old Broadway actor, before touring with the ensemble folk group, The New Christy Minstrels. His novelty tune “Captain Kirk’s…
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Mike Joseph: Don’t Give Up
Dominant American culture prefers its men more Harrison Ford than Harry Styles, more Paul Newman than Paul Rudd. More John Wayne than Elton John. Yunno, fists first, feeling later. Bravado. Machismo. Muscles. Strong and silent. Mine have always been the guys with their hearts on their sleeves, though. They express themselves. They talk about difficult…
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Casey Shea: Undisputed Hope
Enthusiasm comes at a premium in The Big City. Springsteen busking on the L? Whatever. Madonna singing in St. Patrick’s? Feh. And that’s what makes Casey Shea’s shows are a thing of their own. Whether solo or with his L.A.-based band, Grand Canyon, Casey’s shows are a dash of Vaudeville, a shot of Vegas, and…
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Josh Horowitz: Blockbuster Wit
Josh Horowitz launched MTV News’ first online movie coverage in the early oughts, then quickly pivoted to on-camera work on everything from the MTV’s Movie Awards and Oscars to Comic-Con and the Sundance Film Festival. At well over 400 episodes, his Happy Sad Confused podcast has featured in-depth interviews with Hollywood a-listers from Samuel L…
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Kim Thai: Get Free
The last time I remember really talking with my friend and former MTV colleague, Kim Thai, we were sitting in a nondescript production trailer outside of the Barclay Center at the 2014 Video Music Awards. Kim, who, at the time, managed social media for the channel’s biggest shows, and I, who ran MTV News, often…
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