Serving The University of Alabama since 1894.

The Crimson White


Serving The University of Alabama since 1894.

The Crimson White
Serving The University of Alabama since 1894.

The Crimson White

Joshua LeBerte

All content by Joshua LeBerte
We Rate Ratings presents special clip show finale.

We Rate Ratings | Special clip show finale

Monica Nakashima | @MM_nakashima and Joshua LeBerte • August 29, 2021
This last episode of We Rate Ratings starts with Josh and Monica reading reviews of the show sent in by Meredith Cummings and Tom Arenburg.
We Rate Ratings with special guest Bill Getchell.

We Rate Ratings | Bill Getchell from PJ’s Coffee and Rita’s Custard

Monica Nakashima | @MM_nakashima and Joshua LeBerte • August 22, 2021
In the last interview-based episode of WRR, Josh and Monica talk with Bill Getchell.
We Rate Ratings with special guest professor Jon Merritt.

We Rate Ratings | Jon Merritt from History

Monica Nakashima and Joshua LeBerte • August 6, 2021
On this weeks episode of "We Rate Ratings," Monica and Josh waste no time hoping into a conversation about all things history with this weeks guest, UA history professor, Jon Merritt, who also happens to be one of the top three best professors Monica has ever had.
We Rate Ratings with special guest prof. Allison Scrivner.

We Rate Ratings | Allison Scrivner from Psychology

Monica Nakashima and Joshua LeBerte • July 30, 2021
Episode 6 of WRR features Allison Scrivner, Psychology professor and pomeranian mom of Snyper! Due to her love of animals, Monica and Josh discuss the ultimate argument: cats versus dogs. Once Allison comes on the show, she talks about how talking about Snyper helps students understand Psychology and the lessons she teaches.
We Rate Ratings with special guest Avery Leopard.

We Rate Ratings | Ernest & Hadley booksellers

Monica Nakashima and Joshua LeBerte • July 16, 2021
Monica talks about spraining her ankle while walking in the rain on campus, which leads to both hosts discussing the unsafe conditions of UA's crosswalks. This transitions into interviewing Ernest & Hadley booksellers, a local business near campus.
Courtesy of Dance Alabama! Film Festival / Hannah Hall

Dance Alabama! Film Festival to extend its viewing online

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • April 11, 2021
The show must go on. The Dance Alabama! Film Festival is streamable all month, featuring a lineup of student-made, student-danced shorts. Tickets are $5 and free for students.
Courtesy of Men Against Rape and Sexual Assault

WGRC will host a pop culture night for a good cause

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • April 4, 2021
Need plans for Wednesday night? The UA Women and Gender Resource Center is hosting a pop culture trivia night as part of the center's month of sexual assault awareness programming.
Courtesy of Maytreecia Harriell

Creative media senior paints stark portrait of inequality in debut film

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • March 31, 2021
With its student production crew, troupe of university actors and set locations in and around Tuscaloosa, it will be hard not to be moved by this homegrown social commentary. 
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Analysis | Comments on Billie Eilish’s new hair are jaded… and weird

Joshua LeBerte • March 21, 2021
Billie Eilish is now blonde. And while the comments toward the singer were generally respectful, some of them could lead to the further objectification many female artists often unfortunately face.
Courtesy of Flicker and A Day to Remember

This emo band left fans underwhelmed with its latest pop-rock album 

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • March 21, 2021
A Day to Remember's latest album 'You’re Welcome' did far worse than disappoint fans. It left many asking for refunds.
Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Analysis | Everything we can figure out about the new Lady Gaga-Adam Driver movie

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • March 21, 2021
Lady Gaga and Adam Driver are the talk of pop culture Twitter. After official and unofficial photos of the pair shooting "House of Gucci" in Italy surfaced online, people were eager to make memes and speculate. Here's what we can tell about the film based on those first looks.
Courtesy of Flickr

Josh’s View | So I guess we’re debating plastic potatoes now

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • March 17, 2021
The Potato Head toy line is just a cog in the machine of consumer products changing its standards in a more tolerant world. But what does this mean for classic toy fans?
Courtesy of The Muppet Show

Josh’s View | Why The Muppet Show’s new content warnings are a good move

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • March 17, 2021
DisneyPlus is housing yet another jewel on its streaming library. But a new feature has some fans in a tizzy.
Josh’s View | Why a recent Time article left some scratching their ignorant heads

Josh’s View | Why a recent Time article left some scratching their ignorant heads

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • March 17, 2021

Elliot Page’s recent interview and cover shoot for Time Magazine has led to a frenzy of support and ignorant rhetoric spewed at the Nova Scotian actor within hours of its announcement. Page is an...

Photo courtesy of Daniele Beeler

Preview | New UA musical follows the life of a Motown star

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • March 17, 2021

Music listeners, history buffs and those who wish to give back to the Department of Theatre and Dance have just four days to purchase tickets for the University’s latest musical rendition of the life...

Courtesy of Triple J.

Josh’s View | The Wiggles jam to Tame Impala on Australian radio station Triple J

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • March 10, 2021
The Wiggles are all grown up. Okay, well, technically, they’ve always been grown up. But with a cover of a Tame Impala song for Australian radio, the group proved they have range outside of the pre-adolescent demographic.
Photos courtesy of Harald Krichel, LZA AXLWD & Lovclyhes via Wikimedia Commons.

Culture Picks | These five artists have us psyched for the Grammys

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • March 10, 2021
The Grammys air Sunday night. Recording Academy has invited Cardi B, BTS, Maren Morris and Taylor Swift to perform—and those artists aren't the ones we're most excited about.
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Josh’s View | You don’t have to be a BTS stan to see the racist hate the group has gotten

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • March 7, 2021
In the midst of a year of anti-Asian hate, one German radio host went way too far in criticizing a new BTS cover
Courtesy of Warner Bros and Rotten Tomatoes

Josh’s View | Why fans are arguing over new “Space Jam” sequel film stills

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • March 7, 2021
You may have noticed Lola Bunny trending on Twitter this week. As one culture writer recaps, “Space Jam” fans aren’t thrilled with Lola’s new character design. But they seem to be forgetting one critical thing about her character.
The boy band Seventeen was among the list of acts that disappeared from Spotify. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / 티비텐 (TenAsia)

Josh’s View | Fans Frustrated: These K-pop acts were removed from Spotify

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • March 3, 2021
It's hard to find much music that isn't streaming nowadays. But for Spotify users, several songs just got added to the list. After a spat with the streaming. giant, one South Korean entertainment company pulled all of its artists from the platform, stunning K-pop fans.
Josh's View | Tom Holland and cast mates reveal the latest Spider-Man film title

Josh’s View | Tom Holland and cast mates reveal the latest Spider-Man film title

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • March 3, 2021
Marvel fans fret no longer! After months of title speculation, “Spider-Man 3” is now “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
Josh's View | Demi Lovato to reclaim her voice in upcoming docu-series

Josh’s View | Demi Lovato to reclaim her voice in upcoming docu-series

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • February 24, 2021
The series will take fans through the tumultuous life and career of the former Disney star-turned-pop icon. Here's to shedding some tears.
Courtesy of the WarnerMedia Press Room.

Josh’s View | How the new ‘Justice League’ trailer played into meme culture

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • February 24, 2021
The Zack Snyder cut of "Justice League" is incoming. The new version of the movie will boast not only a four-hour runtime, but also one of Twitter's most hoped for lines of dialogue.
Preview | APO to debut virtual Guerilla Theatre performance this Saturday

Preview | APO to debut virtual Guerilla Theatre performance this Saturday

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • February 24, 2021
The proceeds will go to Five Horizons Health Services.
A long time coming: Alabama minor league teams thrilled for season start

A long time coming: Alabama minor league teams thrilled for season start

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • February 21, 2021
Minor league baseball is nigh, and two Alabama teams are ready for May.
Gina Carano (left) pictured with Henry Cavill at the 2013 BAFTAs ceremony. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Josh’s View | Ex-Star Wars actress teams up with right-wing commentator for future project

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • February 21, 2021

It has been more than a week since actress and former MMA fighter Gina Carano was pulled from Disney+ series “The Mandalorian.” She soon alluded to a future comeback in the entertainment industry that...

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Josh’s View | Why Phoebe Bridgers’ grand SNL finale inspired mixed reviews

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • February 21, 2021
Guitar-smashing is an American tradition. Or, as one columnist argues, it's at least an American male tradition. Backlash to Phoebe Bridgers' "Saturday Night Live" performance was swift, and it revealed a double standard for female performers.
Puppy Love: Jill Biden kept it crowd-pleasing in first FLOTUS PSA

Puppy Love: Jill Biden kept it crowd-pleasing in first FLOTUS PSA

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • February 17, 2021
The Super Bowl has long been over. But one culture writer is still thinking about the game's iconic precursor: the Puppy Bowl. The canine competition featured many adoptable dogs and an appearance from the first lady herself.
Courtesy of Saturday Night Live

Opinion | Country music fans showed their true colors in response to Morgan Wallen controversy

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • February 14, 2021
Morgan Wallen is in hot water. Sound familiar? The star had his Saturday Night Live performance suspended after a maskless night out in Tuscaloosa. Now, as one columnist writes, Wallen has made yet another misstep—and the reaction says a lot about his fanbase.
Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Minor League baseball is back in Huntsville

Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Minor League baseball is back in Huntsville

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • February 14, 2021
Huntsville took its Minor League swing in 2014. But with lapses in COVID case numbers, it might return seven years later.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Collage CW / Leah Goggins

Can ‘Harry Potter’ live new lives with J.K. Rowling looming large?

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • February 8, 2021
After The Hollywood Reporter reported a possible "Harry Potter" show in the works at HBO Max, Twitter came to life. While the popular series of movies and books has a thriving fanbase, some of those fans are not eager for more wizarding content. At least not as long as J.K. Rowling is at the helm.
Born This Way: How stars and media have embraced newly-out Jojo Siwa

Born This Way: How stars and media have embraced newly-out Jojo Siwa

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • February 4, 2021
Jojo Siwa, "Dance Moms" star turned hair bow influencer, came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in January. One culture writer captured the internet's reaction.
What SOPHIE meant to the world of pop music

What SOPHIE meant to the world of pop music

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • January 31, 2021
SOPHIE, the Scottish producer and pop pioneer, died Saturday. Both in her own music and in the songs she produced for others, like Madonna and Charli XCX, SOPHIE made her mark as a defining voice in the burgeoning hyperpop genre.
Toni Collette stars in "Hereditary." Still courtesy of A24.

Review | These six streaming horror movies will keep you up all night

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • January 27, 2021
Need something a little creepy to keep you up this weekend? This list of horror movies available on Amazon Prime Video has a little something for everyone, from zombie thrillers to slow burn gore fests.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Ten coronavirus-themed TikToks to occupy your free time

Joshua LeBerte, Contributing Writer • April 26, 2020
Taking care of your physical health during this pandemic is vital, but it’s also important to tend to your mental health. It is often said that laughter is the best form of medicine, so here are 10 TikTok videos to make you smile while you stay safe in quarantine.
TikTok can be an incredibly disgusting app

TikTok can be an incredibly disgusting app

Joshua LeBerte, Staff Columnist • March 5, 2020

Many of us Gen Zers know of the app called TikTok. A big trend among prominent influencers on the app is making point-of-view videos (POVs), where they act out a fictional scenario, and those who are watching...