Jesse Singer articles

For one dazzling year, Edie Sedgwick was Andy Warhol’s most famous Superstar. Then her influence spread far beyond his films, turning her into a muse for musicians, photographers, filmmakers, and the fashion world. But the darkest parts of Edie’s story began long before any of them knew her name—and continued long after.

The 90s gave us some of the most beautiful actresses Hollywood had ever seen. But more than 25 years later, something slightly unfair has happened. Some of those famous faces haven't merely aged well. They somehow look even more beautiful now. Apparently, the 90s were only the warm-up. Do you agree?

The 70s gave us sitcom stars nobody could forget. Carroll O’Connor. Bea Arthur. Bob Newhart. Henry Winkler. Those people practically came with the television set. But what about all the other faces that showed up in millions of living rooms every week? That’s where things get interesting. Let’s see if you can remember five.

The 80s could turn a beautiful young actress into a movie star almost overnight. Apparently, the 90s could reverse the process just as quickly. One minute their faces were everywhere. Then suddenly, the phone wasn't ringing nearly as often.

For 30 years, Johnny Carson was the last person millions of Americans saw before going to sleep. He was funny, familiar and strangely comforting—the television equivalent of leaving a light on in the hallway. But when the cameras switched off, the man behind the desk seemed to disappear.

The 70s were overflowing with catchphrases that escaped from television sets, commercials and comedy stages and somehow lodged themselves in our brains for the next 50 years. But how many are still there?

Television in the 1970s could turn a show into something almost everyone watched. The next morning, people discussed it at work, at school, and pretty much anywhere else two human beings happened to meet. But for every massive hit, another show was quietly sinking to the bottom of the ratings. Some disappeared so completely that even their titles now sound made up.

Before she was old enough to attend school, Baby Peggy was living in a Beverly Hills mansion, receiving mountains of fan mail and earning more money than most adult movie stars could dream of. But before she was old enough to understand what any of it meant, the whole thing began to fall apart.

If you watched The Price Is Right anytime between 1972 and 1985, you knew Johnny Olson’s voice. That iconic booming voice could turn an ordinary contestant’s name into the greatest news anyone had ever received.