I majored in Public Relations in college so the media fanatic in me had a great time seeing the parallels from HBO of yesteryear to today. Many elements from their OG business model and what made them successful in the beginning still rings true; remaining cutting-edge, constantly pushing the envelope, and most importantly, entertaining its audiences. They’re a cultural force for a reason! Also, special shout out to S*x and the City, S*x Lives of College Girls, and Euphoria 😂

Besides learning the history of the rise and turbulent eras of HBO, the other thing that interested me was hearing from former employees who described the company as ‘dazzling’ in its early stages due to the luxe offices, gyms, expensive retreats, etc. It’s interesting b/c once the true nature of the company culture is revealed, HBO becomes somewhat of Gatsby-esque cautionary tale - i.e, the decadence ofc, but also that moral decay. This book doesn’t hold back and informs the reader of how much (and still to an extent) of a boys club the company was. The irony that the culture was as misogynistic, raunchy, violent, and scandalous as some of its content is fascinating and disturbing. Life imitating art and whatnot. We still have a long way to go of course, but I am thankful that we’re actually having conversations surrounding toxic/harmful work environments and just Me Too as a whole. 

Final Thoughts: Overall, I recommend if you are really interested in media and enjoy deep-dives into cultural history! Gillette & Koblin did a fantastic job on this book. It was also fun going down memory lane and revisiting some of HBO’s most notable shows and how they came to be.