If you were fortunate enough to see or hear one of Mitch Hedberg’s routines, a few things automatically stick with you. First, you notice how much of a space cadet he was. Then, you might realize that his jokes are completely disjointed and that the subjects he ridicules are so far beyond obvious that he made Jerry Seinfeld look like Noam Chomsky. And finally, you see that you just can’t stop laughing.
In the spirit of this week’s issue, I’ve been thinking about a number of things in pop culture that I seem to like for no apparent reason. Sometimes I hate myself for enjoying the following things, but enjoy them I do, however much guilt I may feel.
When I was five years old, I loved to think. Other kids had G.I. Joes, Barbie dolls, and cartoons, but I absolutely loved to stimulate my imagination. The way I usually did this was to skip in circles on my living room rug while listening to Michael Jackson. And so for years I associated happiness with listening to MJ.
Recently, feeling a sudden burst of wistfulness, I decided to see if some of shows I had once adored had in fact been worth my time. Some of them were, in fact, good, while others made me feel stupid for ever having watched them. The following is a list of the shows I reevaluated, in the order of the ages when I originally enjoyed and outgrew them.
At the awkward gathering of New York area students who had been accepted to Princeton, the father of another black student approached me as I poured myself a glass of ginger ale. “You know, we have to stick together,” he … Read More
When a movie really does what it’s supposed to, when it makes you want to stay in the theater and think about, discuss and absorb what you just saw on the screen, it can be an experience like no other. This is not to say that it is better than reading an excellent book, discovering an extraordinary album, or seeing a breathtaking theatrical production, for each of these things can shake you to your core in their own unique ways. But when you witness the birth of a truly amazing film, when you sit in the dark and realize that what you are seeing has managed to do almost everything right, these moments are ones to be cherished, and Martin Scorsese has given the public more of them than any other American director of his generation.
The Daily Princetonian is bad. We all know that. Their machinations have caused a great deal of trouble for those of us who enjoy spending time at various eating clubs, and, to put it bluntly, their staff either doesn’t know how to write, or is robbed of any talent by the publication itself. Accordingly, simply listing terrible stories of theirs would be redundant, so I have given this semester’s most uniquely awful articles their own awards. Without further ado, this is… The Worst of the Prince.
As far as I understand it (per OED.com), the main thing that separates a symposium from a conference or a convention is that the first of these three is actually supposed to be engaging. In Ancient Greece, it was actually … Read More
Since Amazon failed to deliver the Jack Abramoff-penned action catastrophe “Red Scorpion” on Friday, as they had promised, I needed to pass some time before going out. After careful deliberation, I decided I would see if those rapscallions at “Dateline” … Read More
Good Night, and Good Luck This film begins, and ends, with Edward R. Murrow making a speech after being given an award at a ceremony in his honor. But instead of accepting the award graciously, he challenges his audience not … Read More
There was a time when the idea of a different spin on the dry humor of The Daily Show might have made sense. Around the time that Stewart and co. produced America: The Book, they were a twister (or some … Read More
There are perhaps a few people who might not enjoy “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.” Humorless folk, I suppose, those who take everything literally, and/or are unable to detect satire. And Bobby Rowe, … Read More