Ron Simon

Curator, Television and Radio

May 1, 2013

Mad Men Talks and Walks History and Existentialism

by Ron Simon

Matthew Weiner and Mad Men cast discussing history and existentialism & getting us ready for Sunday's apocalyptic episode.

March 19, 2013

CBS Meets the Videofreex: Old and New Media Come Together

by Ron Simon

One of the strangest alliances in the history of media was formed when a CBS executive enlisted the communal Videofreex to help produce a show that would revolutionize TV.

January 29, 2013

Lena Dunham and Girls Are Everywhere: Curator and Intern Discuss Again

by Ron Simon

Curator Ron Simon and Intern Robin Lempel discuss the impact of Girls and Lena Dunham have on contemporary culture.

December 11, 2012

Like Film, TV Didn't Die in 2012 Either

by Ron Simon

How did TV perform in 2012 amid the shifting digital landscape?

October 9, 2012

TV Dreamscapes

by Ron Simon

From Twilight Zone to Twin Peaks, dreams have been a pivotal part of TV storytelling in all genres.

September 24, 2012

Digital Disruption or Louie and Lena Go to the Emmys

by Ron Simon

Louis C. K. and Lena Dunham, who embody the digital revolution, also get some Emmy love.

August 22, 2012

Fat, Ugly Men: Louie Meet Marty

by Ron Simon

Two iconic characters, Marty from the fifties and Louie from now, have much in common.

July 17, 2012

Jagger Learning to Move Like Jagger

by Ron Simon

Jagger learned to be himself on stage with a little help from Nureyev, James Brown, and even Marilyn Monroe.

June 11, 2012

HBO's Girls: Curator and Intern Dissect

by Ron Simon

In a few months, Girls has been acclaimed and reviled. Here are some new thoughts on the show from a curator and intern.

May 8, 2012

Was Johnny Carson the Ultimate Don Draper?

by Ron Simon

Both Johnny Carson and the fictional Don Draper are alienated from their colleagues, family, and, most notably, from themselves.

About

Ron Simon

Curator, Television and Radio

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Ron Simon has been a curator at The Paley Center for Media since the early 1980s. He is also an adjunct associate professor at Columbia University, New York University, and Hunter College, where he teaches courses on the history of media. Simon has written for many publications, including The Encyclopedia of Television and Thinking Outside of the Box, as well as serving as host and creative consultant of the CD-ROM Total Television. A member of the editorial board of Television Quarterly, and a judge on the George Foster Peabody committee, Simon has lectured at museums and educational institutions throughout the world. Among the numerous exhibitions he has curated are The Television of Dennis Potter; Witness to History; Jack Benny: The Television and Radio Work; and Worlds Without End: The Art and History of the Soap Opera. He also discovered such lost programs as the live Honeymooners and the only video performance of the Rat Pack.

Interests:

Anybody and everything that can be transformed into a pixel.

Contact

Ron Simon
rsimon@paleycenter.org

Most Recent Comments

Thanks for your question KathyTV. Many people think that the ending of Mad M...
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How do you think it will end? Can Don Draper find happiness? Or maybe he will...
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Why hasn't anyone heard about this? It's fascinating.


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