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Recent Culture FeaturesFriday, November 6 2009
Eclipse Series 17: Nikkatsu NoirThese five films from the golden-era of the legendary Nikkatsu studio shows off the never-ending ways Japanese filmmakers were able to combine the best elements of pulp and epic Japanese storytelling. Friday, October 30 2009
Agonies of an ‘Antichrist’: Lars von Trier in the Forest of UnreasonDespite the efforts of some to dismiss it as a prank, Antichrist is a serious film and its disturbing extremes speak of broad and deeply felt moral, social, and ultimately, political anxieties. Monday, October 26 2009
Bored New World: How the Zach Braff Prototype Is Slowly Killing American MusicNatalie Portman popped headphones onto Zach Braff's head and said, "This song will change your life." The resulting sound was not only that of carefully composed dullness, but of a million wealthy white kids investing in dull acoustic music to soundtrack their own romantic melodrama. Thursday, September 17 2009
Princess Tiana’s BluesPrincess Tiana could get Disney out of the race-relations doghouse, but only if they’re true to their vision. Wednesday, September 16 2009
Happiness Is a Warm Band: An Interview with Emily Haines of MetricHaines fled to South America, Metric scrapped their new songs, and everyone realized their well-considered Fantasies. Tuesday, September 15 2009
China’s Factory Girls: A Conversation with Author Leslie T. ChangTraditional and often sensational coverage of China is only a partial interpretation: the people themselves are being lost in the translation. Thursday, September 3 2009
Crown Feathers: A Dialogue of Desire in the Urban MarketplaceIn a NYC grocery store, Verstehen finds its late-capitalist venue, as we the consumers get consumed by reflections on the allure of passing patrons, of fashion trends, of social customs and taboos. Monday, August 31 2009
Everything Is for Sale: The Merchandising of ‘Buffy’Buffy the Vampire Slayer's lasting success tells us that demographic targeting is a complex process that requires both fan participation and forms of merchandising that literally allow everything to be for sale. Sunday, August 16 2009
Three Days, Forty Years, Six DiscsIt's the enticing performances of the smaller acts -- and not the explosions of the big ones -- that made Woodstock such a singular event. Friday, August 7 2009
“And Now Your Moment of Zen”: The Cultural Significance of ‘The Daily Show’The Daily Show is an intellectual respite from the self-aggrandizing sensationalism of traditional news sources, and as such, one can’t help but cringe a little at the idea that it, too, may have begun to take itself a bit too seriously. Friday, July 24 2009
Pixelated Brains and New MediaIn Pixelated Brains, a four-part section spanning June and July, we consider: R WE UNABL 2 THNK & COMMUNIC8 N MENINGFL WYZ NE MORE? Monday, July 13 2009
The Pogues and Irish Cultural ContinuityShane MacGowan's awareness and adaptation of trends in the literary world, along with the narrative quality and structural experimentation of his work, should cement his status as both a musical and literary figure. Friday, June 12 2009
Love Your Big Brother: What Orwell’s ‘1984’ Tells Us About 2009George Orwell’s seminal book can equip its readers with the intellectual apparatus necessary to see through the routine mendacity and stupefying barrage of euphemism that plagues contemporary political life. Monday, May 18 2009
The Death of the Second Folk RevivalIf the Second Folk Revival put the power of recording into the hands of the artists, what’s been happening these past five years or so has put that power into the hands of everyone: cell phones that record video, ProTools and Cakewalk, Movie Maker and MySpace. Wednesday, May 13 2009
How It Could Be Different: An Interview with Sarah Katherine LewisThe sex worker turned memoir author and columnist discusses the egalitarian nature of the sex industry, the devaluation of the body, and why you should just go ahead and eat that bacon if you want it. Monday, April 20 2009
Full Circle: Béla Fleck, Paul Simon & America’s Return to the World CommunityBéla Fleck didn't ask to be the Avatar of the New American Culture (avatars never do). He happened to be in the right place at the right time with a banjo and a digital recorder. The remaining dots are ours to connect, and we've begun to connect them. Friday, April 17 2009
On Evas and Angels: Postmodern Fantasy Devotion to Neon Genesis EvangelionMore than a decade after its debut, Neon Genesis Evangelion continues to reign as a cultural icon in Japan. Understanding how it made such a lasting impact gives us a window onto Japanese social history and fandom. Monday, April 13 2009
India Shining?: America’s Indian MomentPerhaps Slumdog Millionaire is an elaborate, cinematic version of Bobby Jindal. Perhaps Western audiences have so deeply appreciated Boyle's film because it subtly reiterates a symbolic order that is as familiar as colonial conquest. Thursday, April 2 2009
Whitewashed: America’s Invisible Middle Eastern IdentityAs the Middle Eastern American community has been perceived to be less Christian and more Muslim since 9/11, so too is the assumption that they are unable to assimilate because of religious differences. Wednesday, March 18 2009
Does Video Game Criticism Need a Pauline Kael?Kael, much like video game critics today, was faced with a massive philosophical shift in her chosen artistic medium that large quantities of critics were against. |
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