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Illesha Pop culture decoded
MA: media + culture

10/17/2026

20 years ago, Alan Rickman challenged the censorship of Palestinian stories. The Harry Potter actor co-created and directed “My Name Is Rachel Corrie,” a play based on the diaries and emails of an American activist killed by Israel in Gaza in 2003. Did you know Alan Rickman fought to tell Rachel Corrie's story? What other celebrities were speaking up for Palestine long before 2023?

10/15/2026

Jerry Seinfeld is catching heat for saying this to protesters at a Chicago comedy show, just weeks after 6 performers dropped out of a comedy festival he's headlining in Portugal. Are we finally seeing celebrities face consequences?

10/14/2026

Selma Blair was arrested after an alleged violent incident on a Delta flight. She is accused of punching and biting flight attendants, then kicking a police officer and nurse. But did you know it’s not her first airplane incident?

10/13/2026

Sydney Sweeney and Scooter Braun's relationship is in the news, but what do you know about his history of supporting Israel? From Justin Bieber's 2011 Israel visit to the Nova music festival exhibition, the ADL, and StandWithUs, Braun has been one of Israel’s most loyal pop culture soldiers. How does his relationship with Sydney Sweeney factor in to all of this? What do you think?

10/09/2026

“NAZA,” from two of the Israeli filmmakers behind the Oscar-winning No Other Land, is about AI targeting in Gaza. Now, “NAZA: The Real Story,” a “counter-documentary” made in cooperation with Israeli forces, defends Israel. As we watch the battle for Israel’s narrative on Gaza play out, why do you think a similar Palestinian documentary hasn’t opened to record applause or critical acclaim?

10/07/2026

Zach Bryan wore a Free Palestine shirt at Robert Kraft’s Gillette Stadium, the same venue/owner Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour over. But did you know country music legend Kris Kristofferson supported Palestine decades ago and also lost work because of it? Which other pro-Palestine country artists should we know about?

10/05/2026

Who is Ynon Kreiz, the former Mattel CEO set to become co-CEO alongside David Ellison after the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger closes?

10/03/2026

Madonna’s more recent statements about Palestine might not actually contradict her decades-long relationship with Israel. What would you need to hear from Madonna to believe she’s changed on Palestine?

10/01/2026

Spike Lee was reportedly asked to say “F*** Palestine” while taking a selfie at Yankee Stadium, but it’s not like this is an isolated incident. Who else has been targeted like this for supporting Palestine?

09/28/2026

SNL US and SNL UK covered the Macklemore and Ed Sheeran story very differently. Why do you think that is?

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