Monday, May 14 2012
Watch It for the Clothes: The Class and Gender Warfare of ‘Gossip Girl’
The past few seasons of Gossip Girl have sent a consistent message to the series' largely female audience: women who attempt to climb the social ladder won't get a happy ending. Even ladies born wearing Prada diapers can expect their share of misery.
Thursday, November 3 2011
Barbarians Against Barbarians: Henry Kissinger’s ‘On China’
The diplomat believes he’s a skillful player, he believes he’s in control; but the game is much bigger than he is, and defines what he can and cannot do.
Friday, October 21 2011
‘The Origins of Political Order’ Is Delightfully Bipartisan and Sure to Raise Eyebrows
The esteemed political scientist's latest book provides a thought-provoking look at the political history of past civilizations, and is sure to offer plenty of fodder for conversations about the present.
Wednesday, October 19 2011
Comics Needs Women: Why Marvel and DC Should Have Been at Geek Girl Con
There is goodwill to be spent and good faith conversations to be had about the place of women and female characters in the DC and Marvel universes, and an event like Geek Girl Con is an ideal place for that kind of dialogue.
Friday, September 9 2011
Connect the Dots: Transgender Narratives in Pop Culture
Transgender representation in modern film, television, and literature blurs the lines of gender, class, race and sexuality, which is precisely why trans narratives are still considered dangerous.
Wednesday, July 27 2011
‘The President is a Sick Man’: Delightfully Underhanded Stories of Deception and Manipulation
Matthew Algeo's engaging book takes an obscure piece of history and crafts it into an engrossing narrative.
Tuesday, June 28 2011
Politics of Control Revisited: What Has Changed?
That the U.S. Supreme Court has sided in favor of the game industry does little if anything for gaming as a subculture.
Monday, June 13 2011
‘The Quotable Hitchens’ Gives Us the Best of Hitchens, Arranged in a Convenient Dictionary Format
Love him or hate him, Christopher Hitchens nearly always has something interesting to say. The Quotable Hitchens presents some of his pithiest remarks, arranged alphabetically by topic.
Thursday, May 19 2011
‘The World As It Is’ Creates Its Own Mythology
Chris Hedges, a Pulitzer prize winning former journalist for the New York Times, abandons journalistic decorum to sell books.
Wednesday, April 27 2011
‘Portal 2’ and the Politics of Stupidity
Which is the dictator worthy of fear, the fool or the genius?
