Monday, March 6 2006
Middle American Idol: Dennis Weaver (1924-2006)
Weaver's laconic portrayals of Middle American machismo complemented a personal devotion to family and activism, and he was a man admired both for his passion and his professionalism.
Network Sadism: Is Fox’s 24 an Advertisement for Torture?
Though conservative's laud the laughable 'reality' of Fox's 24, they also ignore the show's subtle reminders of the gutting cost of becoming a torturer.
Wednesday, December 14 2005
The Uproar Over Sex on TV
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.
Thursday, October 20 2005
All Dressed Up… And Catering to the Wrong Audience
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.
Monday, October 17 2005
Completing the Cycle: August Wilson (1945-2005)
August Wilson rejected a trend toward 'colorblind' casting, believing that it made no sense to have Black actors play roles conceived and written within a White cultural framework.
Monday, October 10 2005
A Man Out of Time: Nipsey Russell (1925-2005)
Whether appearing on TV and nightclub stages, or in movies, Nipsey Russell seemed both timeless and perfectly timed.
Wednesday, September 28 2005
This Was the Writing Staff That Is
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.
Thursday, September 15 2005
Wednesday, September 14 2005
Beam Me Up, NAMBLA: The Tenuous Star Trek—Molester Connection
Why have all but one of the sex offenders investigated by the Toronto Sex Crimes Unit turned out to be 'hard-core Trekkies'?
Monday, August 15 2005
In Her Blood: Barbara Bel Geddes (1922-2005)
If she is best remembered as Miss Ellie, Barbara Bel Geddes made an impact on every entertainment medium she took on.
Friday, July 1 2005
Mirror, Mirror, Cell Phone Call
On American Idol, complacently average Americans can cast cathartic votes for their favorite dork contestant to heal their inner ugly duckling. But don't mistake the winners for actual artists.
American Idol and the Myth of Democratic Taste
American Idol exemplifies the illusory power of voting when the system's core values are rigged. See also, American elections.
Middle-American Idol
Idol's secret fan base is really parents pawning their love for the show on unimpressed children.
Under the Table and Scheming: American Idol and the New Payola
Gibron considers AI as a blip in the grand historical tradition of corporate music trash.
Bad Hair and Rad Fashion: How a Jaded Hipster Can Heart Idol and Keep His Lengthy
A world weary music critic admits his guilt-free love of AI.
Monday, June 27 2005
Losing Our Hare
With its futuristic Loonatics, Warner Bros. buries an American icon under comic-book bluster and video-gamey gunk, driving an unapologetic final nail into Bugs Bunny's cartoon coffin.
Friday, June 3 2005
Second to None: Howard Morris (1919-2005)
When the diminutive dynamo passed away on 21 May at 85, he left behind a legacy made up of brilliant creations, both live action and animated.
Friday, May 27 2005
Newsworthy
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.
Thursday, May 26 2005
Monday, May 23 2005
Deathwatch 2005: Terry Schiavo and the Pope Antidote
When John Paul went from Pontiff to patient, he seemed to instantly wipe Terry and her hot button harangue off the map.
