BOOKS
Roth Appreciation
Edited by Nikki Tranter
[16.Dec.05] :.
A man of time and place such as Philip Roth couldn't ask for a better honor than Philip Roth Plaza in New Jersey. To coincide with Newark's brand new Plaza, PopMatters writers Justin Cober-Lake, Tim O'Neil, and Steven Shymanik look back on the man and his work.
When We're Old Enough to Read Fairy Tales Again
By Phoebe Kate Foster
[9.Dec.05] :.
"Too direct a treatment of the spiritual aspects of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and they lose the secular audience; too oblique an approach to it, and they lose the church crowd they're specifically trying to draw in." Phoebe Kate Foster examines C.S. Lewis, his Chronicles of Narnia, and questions the new film's hit or miss probabilities.
The Baseball Team Who Saved One Another: An Interview with John Albert
By Jodie Janella Horn
[6.Dec.05] :.
"There's nothing subversive about getting a Mohawk and walking around Silver Lake. When I was 16, if you got a tattoo, it was like, 'What the fuck are you doing?' There was nobody doing that. [Now] everyone is covered in tattoos. It means nothing. Dyeing your hair pink means nothing. Putting a metal post through your nose doesn't mean anything." Jodie Janella Horn talks to John Albert about music, baseball, James Frey, and punk-rock death.
This Time You Pray For Real
By Nikki Tranter
[29.Nov.05] :.
Books for kids on life, death, sexual awakening, sexual abuse, death, the Holocaust, and the Taliban. Farrar, Straus and Giroux offers kids startling alternatives to Harry Potter this Christmas.
Dealing in Experience
By Nikki Tranter
[17.Nov.05] :.
Augusten Burroughs loves dogs, writing, and a man called Dennis. In a sweetly intimate, rather revealing phone interview, PopMatters spoke to him about these things and more.
What She Loves: A Chat with Laura Pedersen
By Jackie Regales
[15.Nov.05] :.
From millionaire Wall Street whiz kid to novelist with fans covering the literary spectrum, life looks mighty good for Laura Pedersen. Jackie Regales spoke to Pedersen about Her Brilliant Career.
MY FAVORITE THING
Where's My Dylar?: Don DeLillo's White Noise
By Jennifer Makowsky
[9.Nov.05] :.
The fear of death vexing the dark heart of a consumer culture: DeLillo's 1985 masterpiece has its finger on the pulse of our most universal preoccupations.
Too Brief By Far
By Tim O'Neil
[3.Nov.05] :.
"More than any other writer of the modern era, Truman Capote is obsessed by the notion of cruelty: cruelty as both the active infliction of pain and, perhaps more insidiously, the passive withholding of kindness." Tim O'Neil looks at Vintage's recent releases celebrating the life and work of Truman Capote.
MY FAVORITE THING
Urban Urbanity: Fran Lebowitz
By Bill Gibron
[2.Nov.05] :.
Gibron salutes the Messiah of Misery, a humorist ensconced in the concepts of camp and kitsch, the glee in gay culture, and inspirational insights into the life of the mind that would make Barton Fink balk.
The Honour and the Provocation
By Simon Williamson
[18.Oct.05] :.
What does it mean to win a major book prize? Apart from a giant load of cash? With the recent Booker announcement in mind, Simon Williamson ponders the benefits of pitting art against art.
Banned Books Week [essay 1 | essay 2]
By Robert Roose and Bill Gibron
[30.Sep.05] :.
In honor of the First Amendment and observation of the 24th Banned Books Week, PopMatters takes a look at two different books that elicit similar reactions from advocates of censorship: Alfred Kinsey's Sexual Behavior in the Human Male and Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants.
A Court of Their Own
By John Davidson
[22.Sep.05] :.
PopMatters talks to Johnette Howard, author of The Rivals, a book exploring one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports: Chris Evert vs. Martina Navratilova.
Forever Young: Lolita Turns 50
By Zeth Lundy
[16.Sep.05] :.
"Lolita was, understandably, a tough sell upon its original publication in 1955; furthermore, much of its sustained notoriety stems from the controversy it has since towed in its wake." Zeth Lundy looks back at 50 years of Lolita.
Da Vinci Turns Two: The Fiction of Historical Accuracy
by Glenn Michael McDonald
"All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in this novel are accurate," screams page one of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, now settling in for it's third year on international bestseller lists. Glenn Michael McDonald explores the functions and effects of this proclamation in light of the book's enduring success.
[12 April 2005]
A March's End: Saul Bellow, 1915-2005
by Shandy Casteel
What Saul Bellow leaves behind is a body of work attempting to define human nature, one that he lived and dreamed.
[8 April 2005]
Writing the "Spiritual Questings of Schleppy Males": Marshall Boswell on Rock Drummers, Writing Your First Novel, the State of Southern Literature, and Alternative Atlanta
by Stephen M. Deusner
Why have the Stones and U2 remained vital in the ever-evolving music industry over The Who and R.E.M.? According to Alternative Atlanta author Marshall Boswell, it has something to with drummers.
[5 April 2005]
Nation of Rebels and the United States of Uniformity
by Michael Sandlin
For punks-turned-pedants Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter, the rock 'n' roll dream is over. Now only pilgrimages to Home Depot and dreams of installing the great Hobbesian Leviathan separate them from darkness and the Final Judgment.
[25 March 2005]
To Do with Reality: An Interview with Burk Sauls and Brett Savory
by Nikki Tranter
Free the West Memphis Three founder, Burk Sauls, and editor of the new collection, The Last Pentacle of the Sun: Writings in Support of the West Memphis Three, Brett Savory, discuss fear and fiction in the case of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, convicted as teenagers of triple murder in one of the country's most controversial criminal trials.
[10 March 2005]
Investigating Dashiell Hammett
by Nicholas Taylor
From cheap pulp to classic literature, The Maltese Falcon has come along way in 75 years. Nicholas Taylor takes a look back at Dashiell Hammett's hardboiled tale with one quesion in mind -- does Sam Spade still thrill?
[18 February 2005]
"A Salesman Is Got to Dream": Arthur Miller (1915-2005)
by John G. Nettles
Vietnam, the Gulf War, whatever the hell the current morass we're in now is called -- Arthur Miller stood against them all with the righteous outrage of the individual with both eyes open.
[15 February 2005]
A Kind of Madness
by Anne K. Yoder
Casanova's charm is that he's a bad boy with a streak of empathy, a renegade who worships the ideal of love, even if he's a merciless failure in upholding it. He's the original player long before Andre 3000 came out with The Love Below.
[14 February 2005]
Not You Mother's Romance Novels
by Kim Anderson Ray
I promise you, there will be things done on a chiropractor's table that will have you looking for one in the phone book. If this doesn't get you fired up for Valentine's Day, nothing will.
[14 February 2005]
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MUSIC
PopMatters Picks: The Best Music of 2005
Edited by Sarah Zupko and Zeth Lundy
[19-23.Dec.05] :.
PopMatters' lists, celebrating the year's top albums, reissues, as well as some select genre highlights, are an example of communal wisdom. We sifted through the good and bad, the remarkable and decidedly less so, and present our definitive findings to the equally curious and hungry.
XXX — Born to Lose, Live to Win
By Roger Holland
[23.Dec.05] :.
Ugly as sin and utterly uncompromising for 30 years, now, Motörhead remains the squarest of pegs in an industry obsessed by round holes.
Tall Pines Reaching the Sky: Interview with Jere Cherryholmes
By Nikki Tranter
[21.Dec.05] :.
"I tell people, when they talk about how much they grow on their instruments, its like watching them grow physically." Cherryholmes patriarch, Jere Cherryholmes, talks to PopMatters about his talented family.
Where the Buffalo Roamed
By Doug Sheppard
[20.Dec.05] :.
With the first-ever legit reissue of the legendary Aussie hard rockers' catalog at hand, PopMatters catches up with Buffalo's original guitarist, John Baxter.
A Not-So-Lonesome Whistle: Johnny Cash at Sun Records
By Justin Cober-Lake
[16.Dec.05] :.
Music historian Colin Escot guides us through the Man in Black's earliest recordings.
The Go! Team is On!
By Erik Leijon
[15.Dec.05] :.
Ian Parton takes his rowdyism from basement tapes to main stage.
Thick-Skinned: An Interview with Ashlee Simpson
By Nikki Tranter
[14.Dec.05] :.
Here's a shocker -- Ashlee Simpson is lovely. She spoke to PopMatters recently about critics, Chrissie Hynde, and finding solace in the arms of friends.
E-Pro
By Jesse Jarnow
[13.Dec.05] :.
Beck is out of the closet as a Scientologist. Could this be what's made him interesting all along?
A Nerdy Rash: An Interview with the Hives
By David Marchese
[12.Dec.05] :.
Pelle Almqvist of the Hives pretends to be calm for a few minutes.
Singing Along With Your Walkmen
By Eddie Ciminelli
[12.Dec.05] :.
These Brooklyn softies are in great danger every day.
UFOs and Chocolate Cake
By Michael Christopher
[8.Dec.05] :.
May Pang reveals the John Lennon Yoko doesn't want you to know.
Imagining Lennon
By Adam Williams
[8.Dec.05] :.
He walked away from his past and embraced his future, only to have that future taken from him. Had he lived, what would John Lennon have done over the last 25 years?
Inspiration from Anger: An Interview with Henry Rollins
By Dave Brecheisen
[7.Dec.05] :.
Cynics fret not: Henry Rollins hasn't lost his edge. At least as best I could tell. I had about 20 minutes to try to cover film, music, TV, war, death, travel, personal growth, and Sean Hannity.
Live from Cologne, It's Mouse on Mars
By Liz Ohanesian
[6.Dec.05] :.
Jan St. Werner puts on his idiot cap, and everything works out.
This Is What the Future Sounded Like
By Adam Besenyodi
[5.Dec.05] :.
The Eurythmics' studio collection is remastered and reissued, and the results help make their case as something more than just an MTV new wave anomaly.
Barking Mad: An Interview with Dogs
By Robert Collins
[30.Nov.05] :.
The UK's Dogs have some pretty big fans, including themselves.
Bring Me My Figgy Pudding and While You're in There, Turn Off That Awful Racket: An Indispensible Guide to Holiday Music
By Zeth Lundy
[23.Nov.05] :.
The dilemma is reminiscent of one we all face every year. Who should rock us through the holidays, Michael McDonald or the Reverend Horton Heat? PopMatters inspects a bundle of this year's holiday music to help you keep the season's mood extra merry.
What the Blues Can Do: An Interview with Kate Campbell
By Nikki Tranter
[22.Nov.05] :.
"The heart of blues music is about feeling. You're trying to get to the root of the matter. You're just laying it out." Kate Campbell's talks about art, Elvis, Internet distribution, and the beauty of the blues.
SURROUND SOUND #2
Building the Perfect Soundtrack (and Selling It)
By Dave Heaton
[21.Nov.05] :.
There's a soundtrack for every season, every purpose, every target audience. The second installment of Surround Sound takes a look at how well the latest soundtracks stand up as albums.
Salsoul Survivor
By Dennis Cook
[18.Nov.05] :.
Almost 40 years ago, he was at the forefront of the Latin R&B fusion that changed the sound of soul in the 1970s. Now, after a 20-year hiatus, Joe Bataan has returned to the recording studio.
Understanding and Ability
By Nikki Tranter
[18.Nov.05] :.
"I know very well I'm at the bottom of the heap in terms of musical understanding and ability." How do you tell Nickel Creek's Sara Watkins exactly what's wrong with this statement? You don't -- talk to her for little while and she'll set about disproving it all on her own.
Staying Awake But Not Down: An Interview with Calla
By Jackie Regales
[17.Nov.05] :.
Calla's Aurelio Valle chases the 'real things in life' and manages to avoid becoming depressed about them.
Blackalicious: Good Black Music Since 1987
By Dan Nishimoto
[16.Nov.05] :.
Nearly 20 years later, Chief Xcel and Gift of Gab continue to spark the fire.
Exotic Animals and Southwest Spice
By Eddie Ciminelli
[15.Nov.05] :.
Calexico's John Convertino on working with more -- and fewer -- artists.
Slim Chancers: An Interview with The Rakes
By Robert Collins
[14.Nov.05] :.
The Rakes aren't your typical hungover vegan British rockers.
Excerpts from the Misery of Grandaddy
By Joey Rubin
[14.Nov.05] :.
Jason Lytle is a bitter man. Good thing he's got this pop record to finish.
The Music in Me
Edited by Justin Cober-Lake
[11.Nov.05] :.
I can name your personality in five notes. Or so says Rob Horning. He might be exaggerating, but our selection of music does say something about who we are. Or at least who we want you to think we are. In this series of essays, PopMatters music writers explore the ties between identity and music.
The Cut-Out Bin #4
Edited by Rob Horning
[11.Nov.05] :.
This month: Raunchy Minnesota country punk from Tulip Sweet, the Psychedelic Furs late-career resurrection, and why Dexy's Midnight Runners should not be seen as one-hit wonders.
Bewitched by a Dark Muse
By Antonia Santangelo
[11.Nov.05] :.
The gravel-voiced, lovelorn songwriter emerges from the alt-country shadows with The Hustler, co-produced by Greg Dulli.
A Refugee From History
By Audra Schroeder
[7.Nov.05] :.
If Devendra Banhart, a barefoot wandering time capsule in a dress, and his "Family" of like-minded musician friends make you think of California hippiedom circa 1968, the fault's entirely yours.
When Is the Sound of Iceland Not the Sound of Iceland?
By Steve Horowitz
[7.Nov.05] :.
String quartet Amina explains what -- and who -- they aren't.
The Groove Tube Work Crews
By Adrien Begrand
[4.Nov.05] :.
Two years after the debut of the acclaimed Directors Label DVD series, the latest installment continues to shine the spotlight on the finest talent in music video directing.
Song of the Traveling Clawhammer Banjo Player
By Roger Holland
[21.Oct.05] :.
Twenty-seven-year-old Abigail Washburn is something of a contemporary troubadour, a musical traveler on a fascinating voyage of self-discovery. She reflects on the two worlds that inform her art with PopMatters.
Rock and Roll Apartheid
By Laina Dawes
[19.Oct.05] :.
If hip-hop can be color blind, why do rock concerts still seem segregated?
Rocking the Paisley Three-Piece Suit
By Jodie Janella Horn
[19.Oct.05] :.
OK Go discusses their new album, whirlyball, and gambling on fans' affection.
SURROUND SOUND #1
From Roller Disco to Dope Smokers: Settling the Scores
By Adam Besenyodi
[17.Oct.05] :.
PopMatters explores a dozen current soundtracks in our newest feature to determine what's worthy of the marquee and what bombs.
The Band Who Would Be King
By Adam Williams
[12.Oct.05] :.
Acquiesce won't give in as they take their big rock sound out of New York.
From the End of the World to Your Town: The Decline and Fall of Captain Fantastic
By Tim O'Neil
[11.Oct.05] :.
Elton John and Bernie Taupin rose out of absolute obscurity to become the most successful songwriting duo since Lennon & McCartney. The obstacles they encountered on the road to fame are recorded here: the frustration, the longing, the hope, the anger, the despair. Taken together these adventures attain the status of myth.
ACL FOR THE OCD: The FULL Report from Austin City Limits 2005
By Eddie Ciminelli and Tim Basham
[10.Oct.05] :.
PopMatters hits the highs and the lows of the Austin City Limits 2005 festival. From the hot it-bands of indie rock to legends of Western swing and country, we braved it all in the 100-degree heat.
The Cut-Out Bin #3
By Adam Besenyodi, Zeth Lundy and David Kootnikoff
[7.Oct.05] :.
This month: Fin-de-siècle paranoia from Archers of Loaf, Loverboy's mall-friendly poodle rock and Roger Waters's vision of how Live Aid may have prevented nuclear annihilation.
More About Life with Delbert McClinton
By Nikki Tranter
[5.Oct.05] :.
"I know I'm probably sounding like a real asshole," Delbert McClinton says. "But I'm really not." No worries, sir. I, too, know the horrors of flight delays.
One Man Semi-Acoustical Jam
By Stephen Stirling
[5.Oct.05] :.
A Flugel, an Echoplex, and a Winnebago: Keller Williams explains which of these is not like the other ones.
There Is None Higher
By Dan Nishimoto
[4.Oct.05] :.
Snap your fingers and clap your hands and say, "Run-DMC is the King of All Bands!" Reissue of the group's first four lets new jacks catch up while old timers reflect.
MY FAVORITE THING
Moon Musick: Coil's Musick to Play in the Dark
By Mike Schiller
[4.Oct.05] :.
In which Schiller discovers beauty and majesty that he never thought possible in experimental electronic music.
Strong on the Horizon
By Dennis Cook
[3.Oct.05] :.
My Morning Jacket talks about how a new producer and new members brought a surprising shift in the band's sound on the forthcoming Z.
Hoses, Power Tools, and Water Cart
By Jordan Kessler
[3.Oct.05] :.
Alarm Will Sound takes on Aphex Twin, and conducter Alan Pierson explains that it's even weirder than it sounds.
Finally Professional: A Conversation with Nada Surf at Ten Years Old
By Joey Rubin
[30.Sep.05] :.
Matthew Caws and Ira Elliot have waited until they could take their time.
Postcool Music Nation
By Adrian Yap
[27.Sep.05] :.
You'd think globalization and the Internet would make it easy for indie fans all over the world to hear what they want when they want. But in Malaysia, there's more to fandom than simple access.
Resurrection: Common Walks
By Pierre Hamilton
[21.Sep.05] :.
Common's returned, and he's not being backed into the Corner.
My Life with the Wiggles
By John Bergstrom
[21.Sep.05] :.
This band of color-coded Aussies the biggest children's act in the world today. Should people who aren't parents be listening too?
PopMatters @ CMJ 2005: Day 4
By Andrew Phillips and Peter Joseph
[20.Sep.05] :.
PopMatters scours the streets, bringing you word on the bands you've got to hear and calling out the fakes subsisting on hype alone.
Inner Space
by Justin Cober-Lake
When should you feel more cheated at a rock show -- when the venue seems like a museum, an ersatz bazaar, or a toilet? A look at how space affects performance.
[26 July 2005]
A Load of Crapster
by Bill Gibron
Though the Supreme Court's Grokster decision left the status of file-sharing software up in the air, it made this clear: File swappers are criminals, no different than pirate DVD hawkers at the swap meet. But does the entertainment industry really have clean hands in all of this?
[19 July 2005]
SPECIAL SECTION
The Cut-Out Bin #1
Edited by Rob Horning
In this recurring feature, PopMatters writers rescue some worthy titles from the refuse pile of rejected records. This month: post-Bunnymen guitar pop by the Wild Swans, the quintessentially quirky Canadian songwriter Jane Siberry, and soft-rock sleaze from ex-Fleetwood Mac guitarist Bob Welch.
[15 July 2005]
SPECIAL SECTION
PopMatters Gauges the Heat at NXNE 2005
Edited by Robert Wheaton
Our inaugural NXNE coverage.
[15 July 2005]
When I Say "Debt" You Say "Relief": Live 8 in Philadelphia
by Mark Reynolds
Live 8 in Philly made for a very good party -- just not for those in need.
[7 July 2005]
You Oughta Know Better
by Jodie Janella Horn
Alanis Morissette's album of angry anthems for the Sassy generation has been re-released as an acoustic set sold exclusively by Starbucks. So much for feminism.
[21 June 2005]
Rhythm and Bullshit?: The Slow Decline of R&B
by Mark Anthony Neal
Does the soulless sound of contemporary R&B really have its roots in a controversial Harvard study from 1972, an alleged blueprint for the corporate theft of black culture's heritage? Or was it all Clive Davis's idea? The first of a three-part examination of how R&B became big business on the way to becoming irrelevant.
[3 June 2005]
John Prine, Survivor
by Randy Sparkman
After nine years and a struggle with neck cancer, this troubadour of the frayed and forgotten returns with a luminous album that savors the irrepressible pleasure of simply being alive.
[2 June 2005]
Hunchin' in Heaven
by David Marchese
Backwoods rockabilly one-man-band Hasil Adkins earned the name 'the Wild man' for his raw, impulsive performances. Many called him a lunatic, but it's more accurate to simply call him American.
[31 May 2005]
Strung Out
by Emily Zemler
More and more rock bands are taking classically trained string musicians on tour. Some even invite them to join the band. If Yellowcard's Sean Mackin can bring the rock violin to MTV-friendly pop-punk, could the cello be the new Stratocaster?
[11 April 2005]
Danced Myself Right on to the Stage: Born to Boogie: the DVD and CD
by Dan Nishimoto
Born to Boogie, Marc Bolan and T.Rex's famed concert film, is finally receiving a proper reissue. To get to the heart of this project, PopMatters spoke with key figures close to both Marc and the DVD/CD: legendary producer Tony Visconti; reissue director Mark Allen; reissue producer Mark Roberts; and Rolan Bolan, Marc's son.
[8 April 2005]
Edutainment: The Rise and Fall of Hip-Hop's Intelligentsia
by Mark Harris
Once upon a time, rappers bragged about brains, not bling, about spinning lessons, not spinning rims. This is the story of edutainment.
[1 April 2005]
Notes of a Former Tori Amos Freak
by Nicholas Taylor
On her new record, Tori Amos has gone to great lengths to make her music easier to listen to. But for longtime fans, this has made things very hard.
[30 March 2005]
Diminutive in Name Only: Bobby Short 1924-2005
by Adam Williams
Boasting a show business career that lasted over 70 years, Café Carlyle's ambassador of good will leaves us with a legacy of beautiful music and memories of an exquisite man.
[22 March 2005]
SPECIAL SECTION
SXSW MUSIC 2005: A Field Journal
by PopMatters Music Writers
From the overhyped beats of Bloc Party and M.I.A. to the Southwestern pleasures of Calexico and Los Super Seven and back to the unjustly unheralded Hot Young Priest, our crew covers the highs and lows of SXSW 2005.
[18 March 2005]
SPECIAL SECTION
A Matter of Trust (and Technology and Legal Knots and Business Models and...)
by PopMatters Music Writers
PopMatters writers take a look at the new technology and techniques designed to prevent you from copying the music on your CDs. Is it fair? Is it right?
[11 March 2005]
Wall of Sound: Jimmy Smith (1928-2005)
by Matt Rogers
Memorializing the peerless master of the Hammond B3.
[28 February 2005]
Mansun's Lonely Love Song: Kleptomania Steals One Last Glimpse of the Band that Never Was
by Jon Garrett
Mansun often seemed to be mocking, not just the trappings of rock stardom (which had become commonplace in the Britpop era), but themselves-the whole ridiculous notion that four kids from Chester could possibly be cut out for this monumental task.
[18 February 2005]
Success Story
by Adam Williams
Thirty-five years after the Who blasted the hallowed halls of academia, 'Live at Leeds' remains the greatest live recording in the annals of rock.
[16 February 2005]
Bright Lights, Big Ass Bore: The 47th Annual Grammy Awards
by Terry Sawyer
The guitarist from Franz Ferdinand tried to segue into "Take Me Out" with Will.I.Am from the Black Eyed Peas air-freaking him while dressed like a Wall Street broker after your Lucky Charms.
[15 February 2005]
In Defense of Michael
by Josephine Zohny
Since becoming one of the country first black superstars, Michael Jackson has been perpetually found guilty in the court of public opinion, convicted of disappointing and confounding white America. Now that he's accused of serious and specific crimes, is his music on trial as well?
[9 February 2005]
Sincerity Fixation
by Rob Horning
Conor Oberst is young, talented, and almost ostentatiously sincere. Too bad all that gets in the way of his songs.
[7 February 2005]
Neverland Penitentiary
by Adam Williams
As the King of Pop faces his day in court, all that's missing in this three-ring circus are clowns and parading elephants. But whether or not he's found guilty, Michael Jackson will remain jailed in the surreal prison he's made for himself.
[4 February 2005]
The O.C. Effect
by Emily Zemler
Hollywood has caught up with the latest generation of indie rockers. And it must be novel -- not to mention lucrative -- for the Shins and Death Cab for Cutie to hear their songs on Fox. But is the extra exposure worth having their treasured songs forever associated with Mischa Barton or that guy from Scrubs?
[14 January 2005]
2004 Concerts Highlights
by Andrew Phillips
In 2004 our writers made it to hundreds of concerts, meticulously recording every mic-twirl, every ear-splitting riff. Now it's time to cast into obscurity the sullen nights, the disappointments and the failures and thus deliver PopMatters' 2004 Concerts Highlights.
[4 January 2005]
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SPORTS
The Killing of Georgie
By John Davidson
[28.Nov.05] :.
Remembering George Best, perhaps the most exciting — and exasperating — talent in soccer history. Best died on 24 November 2005.
It's a White Man's Game: Racism, Native American Mascots, and the NCAA
By C. Richard King
[29.Sep.05] :.
In a very real sense, the struggle over Native American mascots is a struggle over what it means to be American, and who gets to decide.
A European Superbowl?
by Roger Holland
It is possible that Glazer's grand adventure into English football will bring Manchester United to its knees, and Glazer along with it.
[28 July 2005]
The Selling of a Red Sox Nation
by Hunter Felt
Why have so many people, many of whom have never even followed baseball before, joined the already crowded bandwagon?
[13 July 2005]
We Love LA! The Legacy of Lance Armstrong
by Robert Collins
If Armstrong has opened this bizarre world of beloved cheats and spectacular runners-up to an American audience, it's a remarkable achievement. Not least because it's shown the bitterly conservative sports media that America does care about what happens outside the 50 states.
[8 July 2005]
Carradonna: Heart as Big as Liverpool
by Roger Holland
Jamie Carragher comes from one of the rougher sides of Liverpool. He's a footballer whose honesty, hard-work, loyalty, dependability, and refusal to act like some sort of primadonna arsehole just because he can kick a ball a bit places him head and shoulders above any other top-flight player in the English game.
[24 May 2005]
Why Is This Man Not a Household Name?: Roger Federer Soars Under the Radar
by David Marchese
Roger Federer is an athlete of an order American sports fans have never been able to fully embrace. He's humble to a fault, wary of drawing attention to himself, and a Swiss polyglot.
[31 March 2005]
Don't Like the Drugs But the Drugs Like Me: Baseball's Steroid-Free Field of Dreams
by Tobias Peterson
Baseball's cultural currency is maintained in large part by the sepia toned pictures of yesteryear, when everything was so much simpler and all our lives were so much better. Any change to this construction occasions a virulent backlash against those who would seek to 'corrupt' the sport.
[8 March 2005]
Beyond Black and White: Norm Chow and the Case for Minority Hiring
by David Leonard
Norm Chow has been called a 'master', a 'creative mind', and a 'legend', but he's yet to be described by the words 'head coach'.
[3 March 2005]
Superbowl Sunday, London Style: A Conversation
by Robert Collins
Robert Collins delivers a European perspective on the Superbowl in this conversation with an American counterpart: 'From the moment I switched on the pre-game, the coverage was a tribute to US moral and military superiority.'
[21 February 2005]
Mythic Ideals: Max Schmeling (1905-2005)
by Tobias Peterson
Refusing to fire his Jewish manager or join the Nazi party, Max Schmeling also refused to assume the political and racial mantles thrust upon him.
[7 February 2005]
Ricky Williams -- Why Can't We Just Let Him Be?
by David Swerdlick
Sportswriters have always made mention of the fact that Williams is shy and soft-spoken, but have seldom entertained the possibility that he might be unhappy with everything going on around him. It would have been too contrary to the mainstream, everyday image of superstar Black athletes -- rich, headstrong, flashy, sexy, quotable, and just happy to be there.
[3 February 2005]
Cashing in on the Other: Race, Commodity and Surveillance of Contemporary Athletes
by David Leonard
The predominance of black athletes within consumer culture and the values placed onto MJ, Kobe, Shaq, and others overshadow the realities of segregated schools, police brutality, unemployment, and a bigoted criminal justice system.
[26 January 2005]
Can We Kick It? Why European Football Can't Shake Its Racist Image
by Robert Collins
Other popular sports never confused loyalty and violence, and definitely never came with the promise of a punch up. Football became an excuse for whatever spleen venting was needed, and racist beliefs were among them.
[19 January 2005]
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TELEVISION
The Uproar Over Sex on TV
By Michael Abernethy
[14.Dec.05] :.
Parents who do let their kids watch nip/tuck, or even those edited Sex and the City reruns aren't going to adhere to any government regulations.
All Dressed Up... And Catering to the Wrong Audience
By Samantha Bornemann
[20.Oct.05] :.
The Apprentice isn't built for her, and Martha is too authentic, too distinctive, to be squeezed into someone else's role. In so many ways, she's the anti-Trump, matching his pomposity and garish taste with cool conviction and soothing color palettes.
This Was the Writing Staff That Is
By Michael Buening
[28.Sep.05] :.
Apparently, what The Daily Show writers really want to do is direct. This much is on display in the IFC Center's weeklong series of shorts by Jon Stewart's gagmen and women.
SPECIAL SECTION
American Idolatry
Edited by Terry Sawyer
In the crossfire prattle about American Idol, much of the focus has stagnated on the "suck" or "doesn't suck" divide, a dead end debate that barely touches the surface of what has become a nationwide phenomena of democratically incubated pop stars.
[1 July 2005]
Newsworthy
by Michael Abernethy
We've all heard too much about filibusters, gay marriages, Terri Schiavo, Michael Jackson, Scott Peterson, red states and blue states, steroids, and Condi's 'Evita Goes to Europe' Tour.
[27 May 2005]
The Great Creativity Challenge
by Bill Gibron
Ever since the coaxial met the cathode ray, a competition has raged.
[26 May 2005]
Deathwatch 2005: Terry Schiavo and the Pope Antidote
by Bill Gibron
When John Paul went from Pontiff to patient, he seemed to instantly wipe Terry and her hot button harangue off the map.
[23 May 2005]
Watchful Eyes
by Michael Abernethy
Kids want entertaining visuals: bright colors, silly action, friendly faces. Songs are good too, inane songs that play in endless loops.
[14 April 2005]
Because I Said So: Robert Blake and the Media Blame Game
by Bill Gibron
According to the law, and the Constitution we used to hold so dear, Robert Blake is an innocent man. Just don't expect the media to take the court's word for it.
[29 March 2005]
Doing the Right Thing: Ossie Davis (1917-2005)
by Bill Gibron
It's no surprise then that when he passed away on 4 February 2005, Davis was yet a vital, energetic, and -- most importantly -- working actor.
[7 February 2005]
Funny with Class: Johnny Carson, 1925-2005
by John G. Nettles
It was Carson's personal barometer for value that shaped pop cultural tastes, and in many ways continues to do so. Carson knew what was funny, and he knew how important funny was in difficult times. And he did funny with class.
[24 January 2005]
Heeeere's to Johnny...: Johnny Carson, 1925-2005
by Adam Williams
Johnny Carson was a comedic genius and lord of the evening talk show format whom generations of viewers welcomed into their homes for roughly three decades.
[24 January 2005]
Testament to His Craft: Jerry Orbach, 1935-2004
by John G. Nettles
In the midst of the flash and cacophony issuing from the Idiot Box, Jerry Orbach emerged as a singular talent, his work an oasis of depth and humanity.
[4 January 2005]
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