We Lost Norm From 'Cheers' (RIP George Wendt)

The TV world lost of one the greats today. George Wendt, best known as the lovable barfly Norm on Cheers, passed away at age 77. I can understand the impetus to say that maybe we shouldn’t define a man by just one role, but it’s impossible to put into words what a massive impact Cheers had on the cultural zeitgeist of modern television. One of my core memories is my cousin asking me if I saw the episode where Norm faked a heart attack. Which is incredible because we were probably eight at the time and sheltered Christian kids, yet not even an evangelical bubble could keep out Cheers. It’s the sitcom that every sitcom since has wanted to be, and its creators will openly tell you as much. George Wendt played an iconic part in that legacy. May he rest in peace. (Daily Beast)

Taylor Swift’s timed rebellion and a Handmaid’s Tale parallel. (Lainey Gossip)

Gwyneth Paltrow and Meghan Markle are text buddies. (Celebitchy)

Alina Habba is gonna lock up a congresswoman now. (Wonkette)

From Dustin: A fun excerpt from Scott Ryan’s book The Last Days of Letterman, on the final episode of The Late Show with David Letterman. (LateNighter)

Warner Bros. Discovery’s credit rating has been downgraded to junk bond status. I know jacksh*t about money, but I’m guessing that’s bad. (THR)

Quentin Tarantino is releasing a “Making of” book series, and of course, he’s starting with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. We get it, dude, you love Cliff Booth. Just marry him already. Jesus. (IndieWire)

I’m sympathetic to the argument that video game prices need to increase after staying the same for roughly 30 years. I’m less sympathetic to millionaire CEOs saying “real fans” should cough up the money. (Kotaku)

This isn’t the Kool-Aid movie from The Studio, but it’s pretty darn close. You cannot beat reality. It wins every time. (The Wrap)

Taylor Lorenz is a case study in taking way too much social media to the dome. She should seriously log off and never, ever get back on. (Mediaite)

May is Short Story Month, and Classic has encountered a miracle in Lori Ostlund’s Are You Happy?, a short story collection in which she liked all the stories. “Some of the stories were fairly long, some were short, but all hit me in a place of just missing people.” Which short stories would you recommend? (Cannonball Read 17)

"I'd crusade if the new Pope asked me to" wow, cool. What if he asked you to love and protect immigrants

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— Robert Komaniecki (@komaniecki.bsky.social) May 19, 2025 at 11:38 AM