By Frank Bruni and Bret Stephens

Mr. Bruni is a contributing Opinion writer. Mr. Stephens is an Opinion columnist.

Frank Bruni: Greetings, Bret. Before we round up the usual suspects, can we strike a more inspirational note? A somewhat less political one? Are you tuning in at all to these Olympic Games?

Bret Stephens: The Olympics? Athletic contests? Do you know me?

Frank: I do, quite well, and am glad for that, but my point in bringing up the Olympics is that it often has the power to draw in precisely the likes of you. All those inspirational back stories, all that yearning, all the tears — of triumph, of devastation. I’m sorry, Bret, but it’s the human experience distilled. And, no, I’m not on my third glass of wine.

Bret: Well, I did watch the Bad Bunny halftime show at the Super Bowl, so there’s that.

Bret: I’d like to be spared political lectures from singers complaining about American depredations at the most quintessentially American event of the year. What about you?

Frank: I neither liked nor disliked Mr. Bunny’s show itself; not my cup of chamomile. But I was hugely bothered by the preshow, during-show and post-show reaction — by the way in which everyone on the political spectrum played precisely to type. President Trump and the MAGA faithful were horrified — horrified, Bret! — by this perversion of Americana. On the political left, the show was The Best and Most Important Creative Statement Ever. Neither of those takes is true. Both reflect our broken discourse today.

Bret: The defining feature of American cultural life in this century is that everything has become political, an endless cycle of provocation and counterprovocation. I think Trump is chiefly to blame, but our politics would be helped if his critics didn’t constantly rise to his bait.

Meanwhile, Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s new mayor, is threatening an almost 10 percent property tax increase if Kathy Hochul, the governor, doesn’t raise income taxes on wealthy New Yorkers. Your thoughts?

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Frank Bruni is a professor of journalism and public policy at Duke University, the author of the book “The Age of Grievance” and a contributing Opinion writer. He writes a weekly email newsletter.  Instagram  Threads  @FrankBruni • Facebook

Bret Stephens is an Opinion columnist for The Times, writing about foreign policy, domestic politics and cultural issues. Facebook

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