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Aja Romano

Aja Romano

Former Senior Culture Writer

    Latest articles by Aja Romano

    Culture
    HBO’s true crime drama The Investigation is slow and frustrating on purposeHBO’s true crime drama The Investigation is slow and frustrating on purpose
    Culture

    HBO’s dramatized series uses its methodical pace to fully confront the murder of Kim Wall.

    By Aja Romano
    Culture
    Bombs, grift, true crime: Netflix’s Murder Among the Mormons almost had it allBombs, grift, true crime: Netflix’s Murder Among the Mormons almost had it all
    Culture

    Murder Among the Mormons should have been all about obsessive Mormon book nerds instead of its dweeby killer.

    By Aja Romano
    Culture
    Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon is a sumptuous fantasy — but it makes a mess of Southeast Asian cultureDisney’s Raya and the Last Dragon is a sumptuous fantasy — but it makes a mess of Southeast Asian culture
    Culture

    The animated fantasy is a gorgeous, if generic, vehicle for a great Disney princess.

    By Aja Romano
    Culture
    Tons of K-pop artists have been purged from Spotify. It’s part of a much bigger problem.Tons of K-pop artists have been purged from Spotify. It’s part of a much bigger problem.
    Culture

    Artists such as IU, Epik High, Seventeen, Loona, and many more were affected by a distributor dispute.

    By Aja Romano
    Culture
    The delicate relationship between grief and fanfiction, explained by a psychologistThe delicate relationship between grief and fanfiction, explained by a psychologist
    Culture

    Fandom offers many fans a crucial respite from the pandemic. But it’s complicated.

    By Aja Romano
    Culture
    The internet’s most beloved fanfiction site is undergoing a reckoningThe internet’s most beloved fanfiction site is undergoing a reckoning
    Culture

    A million-plus-word story is holding AO3’s community hostage.

    By Aja Romano
    Culture
    Why the best true crime podcasts have to be politicalWhy the best true crime podcasts have to be political
    Culture

    Cult hit RedHanded balances the appeal of true crime storytelling with progressive politics — and a lot of charm. We talked to its hosts.

    By Aja Romano
    Culture
    How ’90s Christian radio enabled Rush Limbaugh’s toxic viewsHow ’90s Christian radio enabled Rush Limbaugh’s toxic views
    Culture

    The 1990s Christian radio ecosystem played a crucial role in enabling Limbaugh and conservative talk radio.

    By Aja Romano
    Culture
    Understanding Silence of the Lambs’ complicated cultural legacyUnderstanding Silence of the Lambs’ complicated cultural legacy
    Culture

    30 years after its debut, the classic horror film’s influence is so much bigger than Hannibal Lecter.

    By Aja Romano
    Culture
    Brandy’s Cinderella: How Whitney Houston gave the world its first Black Disney princessBrandy’s Cinderella: How Whitney Houston gave the world its first Black Disney princess
    Culture

    Critics were cold when the film, now streaming on Disney+, debuted in 1997. Two decades later, it’s iconic.

    By Aja Romano