Simon Owens
@simonowens.bsky.social
Media industry journalist who runs a newsletter and podcast. You can reach me at [email protected]
PREDATOR: BADLANDS is pretty good. Dan Trachtenberg is doing for the Predator franchise what Tony Gilroy did for Star Wars.
November 16, 2025 at 3:22 AM
PREDATOR: BADLANDS is pretty good. Dan Trachtenberg is doing for the Predator franchise what Tony Gilroy did for Star Wars.
Trump just directed his Justice Department to look into Epstein's ties to Democrats.
November 14, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Trump just directed his Justice Department to look into Epstein's ties to Democrats.
Absolutely bizarre headline and framing, and I can guarantee you the NYT would have gone with a more direct headline ("Matt Gaetz paid for sex with 17-year-old homeless girl") if it didn't involve one of Trump's most loyal sycophants.
November 14, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Absolutely bizarre headline and framing, and I can guarantee you the NYT would have gone with a more direct headline ("Matt Gaetz paid for sex with 17-year-old homeless girl") if it didn't involve one of Trump's most loyal sycophants.
I don’t mean to brag guys, but I just got contacted by a recruiter who works for “[insert relevant companies]”
November 12, 2025 at 1:31 PM
I don’t mean to brag guys, but I just got contacted by a recruiter who works for “[insert relevant companies]”
I think it's silly to gatekeep journalism like this. Most of these people have podcasts/shows where they invite on high profile guests and ask them questions. That's journalism!
November 11, 2025 at 5:26 PM
I think it's silly to gatekeep journalism like this. Most of these people have podcasts/shows where they invite on high profile guests and ask them questions. That's journalism!
Can someone who's good with photoshop remove these three people? This is the only good remaining photo I have of a well that used to be in my back yard.
November 10, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Can someone who's good with photoshop remove these three people? This is the only good remaining photo I have of a well that used to be in my back yard.
A lot of people think his name is Igor, but in the book he’s called Frankenstein’s chief of staff
November 6, 2025 at 7:23 PM
A lot of people think his name is Igor, but in the book he’s called Frankenstein’s chief of staff
lol. The entire business case for why AT&T acquired Warner Media in the first place was that it would be able to leverage the combined data of its telecom customers and media customers to drive all sorts of synergies. Can someone remind me how that worked out?
November 4, 2025 at 11:15 PM
lol. The entire business case for why AT&T acquired Warner Media in the first place was that it would be able to leverage the combined data of its telecom customers and media customers to drive all sorts of synergies. Can someone remind me how that worked out?
Caught the first episode of DAY OF THE JACKAL on Peacock. I like shows that depict extremely competent people behaving competently at their jobs. So far, it’s enjoyable despite its well-tread plot of MI6-agent-pursues-high-paid-assassin-who-operates-in-the-shadows.
November 4, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Caught the first episode of DAY OF THE JACKAL on Peacock. I like shows that depict extremely competent people behaving competently at their jobs. So far, it’s enjoyable despite its well-tread plot of MI6-agent-pursues-high-paid-assassin-who-operates-in-the-shadows.
This is how bad the Democratic text spam has gotten: I’m now getting random texts from candidates running for something called a “county board” and they don’t even tell me which county. Never donating to a candidate again.
November 4, 2025 at 12:01 AM
This is how bad the Democratic text spam has gotten: I’m now getting random texts from candidates running for something called a “county board” and they don’t even tell me which county. Never donating to a candidate again.
Why does this keep happening to me? This article that was supposed to top out at 5,000 words is showing no signs of slowing down.
November 3, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Why does this keep happening to me? This article that was supposed to top out at 5,000 words is showing no signs of slowing down.
40 ACRES streaming on Hulu … very solid film.
November 3, 2025 at 4:35 AM
40 ACRES streaming on Hulu … very solid film.
That feeling when you start reading a reply to your newsletter and it seems like they’re about to say something mean but they say something nice instead.
October 31, 2025 at 2:42 PM
That feeling when you start reading a reply to your newsletter and it seems like they’re about to say something mean but they say something nice instead.
thought A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE was pretty incredible
October 26, 2025 at 4:44 AM
thought A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE was pretty incredible
God, Mollie Hemingway is such a clown.
October 16, 2025 at 2:52 PM
God, Mollie Hemingway is such a clown.
DC’s Snallygaster beer festival is my Christmas.
October 11, 2025 at 4:13 PM
DC’s Snallygaster beer festival is my Christmas.
Well, when you put it that way...
October 8, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Well, when you put it that way...
There is no actor in Hollywood more talented at picking dogshit movies to star in than Mark Wahlberg. The guy is like a truffle pig for terrible scripts.
October 4, 2025 at 4:34 AM
There is no actor in Hollywood more talented at picking dogshit movies to star in than Mark Wahlberg. The guy is like a truffle pig for terrible scripts.
I’ve always been able to get posts to go viral on Threads, but that virality rarely led to follower growth. Lately though I have noticed an uptick in followers, so maybe they’ve tweaked something to make it easier to follow?
Meanwhile, growth and engagement on Bluesky is almost nonexistent.
Meanwhile, growth and engagement on Bluesky is almost nonexistent.
October 1, 2025 at 1:51 PM
I’ve always been able to get posts to go viral on Threads, but that virality rarely led to follower growth. Lately though I have noticed an uptick in followers, so maybe they’ve tweaked something to make it easier to follow?
Meanwhile, growth and engagement on Bluesky is almost nonexistent.
Meanwhile, growth and engagement on Bluesky is almost nonexistent.
It’s just so incredibly strange that the stock market continues to behave as if there isn’t a mad, senile king doing everything in his power to wreck the economy.
September 30, 2025 at 1:14 PM
It’s just so incredibly strange that the stock market continues to behave as if there isn’t a mad, senile king doing everything in his power to wreck the economy.
People over on Threads are making fun of Bluesky for having no engagement and … they’re not wrong.
September 29, 2025 at 11:18 AM
People over on Threads are making fun of Bluesky for having no engagement and … they’re not wrong.
Ever notice when journalists leave their mainstream media institutions and go independent, then they finally start saying the things we’ve been lobbying the mainstream media to say during the entire Trump era? In this case, it’s a former Washington Post staffer.
September 26, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Ever notice when journalists leave their mainstream media institutions and go independent, then they finally start saying the things we’ve been lobbying the mainstream media to say during the entire Trump era? In this case, it’s a former Washington Post staffer.
My secret kink is enjoying the Jordan Peterson pre-roll ads on YouTube where he hawks his stupid university. They always produce a good chuckle. I don't think I've encountered someone who is simultaneously so dumb while being so convinced of his own brilliance.
September 25, 2025 at 5:00 PM
My secret kink is enjoying the Jordan Peterson pre-roll ads on YouTube where he hawks his stupid university. They always produce a good chuckle. I don't think I've encountered someone who is simultaneously so dumb while being so convinced of his own brilliance.
Stephen Colbert should perform an entire episode of the Late Show as his character from the Colbert Report and do nothing but heap slavish praise on Trump in a way where it's clear he's fearing for his life.
September 19, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Stephen Colbert should perform an entire episode of the Late Show as his character from the Colbert Report and do nothing but heap slavish praise on Trump in a way where it's clear he's fearing for his life.
BOB CHAPEK: ‘Well, Well, Well, Not So Easy To Find A Disney CEO That Doesn’t Suck Shit, Huh?’
September 18, 2025 at 5:18 PM
BOB CHAPEK: ‘Well, Well, Well, Not So Easy To Find A Disney CEO That Doesn’t Suck Shit, Huh?’