Any political elite finds itself defined not only by policies but also by cultural objects and styles. Cameron and Clegg are top table dressed as middle management

Few authors are funnier than Jonathan Coe, and his latest book is as sharp as ever. But its attempt to redefine the state-of the-nation novel is too contrived

Malcolm McLaren wasn’t avant garde—he was a quaint dandy whose passing has filled me with yearning for old-school bollocks

Costume dramas used to announce themselves as such. Now they’re disguised as soap operas, comedy dramas and art films

More strange stories from the world of Pete Doherty surface. But he’s neither tragic nor demonic: the truth is sadder and simpler

Given what technology can now achieve, the enduring crapness of airplanes must serve some psychological purpose. Mustn’t it?

Why do celebrity chefs tell us how to cook Christmas lunch every year? Well, it’s all a big literary-theoretical experiment

Our fascination with horror films reflects the anxiety of the middle classes—caught between proletariat zombies and vampire toffs

What happens to your body after you’re dead is none of your business. To stop the needless daily deaths, we need your organs

Forty years on, Monty Python is often called the most influential British comedy ever. In fact, it had almost no influence at all