Culture
Culture
Hoodie Allen and the fountain of youth
“My friends grew up, they never get drunk, they never wanna hang out late They’re gonna get jobs, they’re gonna pay bills, they’re gonna get old and gray I’ll never do that, I wanna stay young, don’t wanna fit in, I wanna have fun So if that’s okay, I don’t think I’m ever gonna act […]
Culture
The year’s best of television: 2015 Emmy predictions
The Emmy Awards, taking place this Sunday, Sept. 20, always has its fair share of surprises, and this year won’t be any different. However, due to a monumental change in voting procedures that opened up voting to the general Television Academy membership—previously, only small panels of members voted in each category—all bets are off. With […]
Culture
“EMOTION”: A new sound for a new era
Is autumn the new summer? Starbucks would like you to think so. The Pumpkin Spice Latte (#PSL), is a seasonal icon inseparably associated with autumn. I propose that the #PSL highlights a paradigm shift in which fall is replacing summer as the new “Utopia Season”–a reaction to today’s culture of information and expression, a culture […]
Culture
Colbert stays strong
Let’s dispense with the obvious: Stephen Colbert’s iteration of “The Late Show” is a fairly standard talk show. There are short sketches; he monologues with funny graphics; he has guests, and they plug their projects; and there’s a musical guest. It’s simple and spare. He’ll necessarily take some time before he starts to get comfortable […]
Culture
‘Digging for Fire’ highlights authenticity
When you watch Joe Swanberg’s movies, you’re struck by the ostensible love interests. How can two people so starkly contrasted ever hope to forge a lasting relationship? In Swanberg’s earlier work (“Silver Bullets,” “Drinking Buddies”), the results often aren’t pretty. In his latest, the excellent “Digging for Fire” (co-written with Jake Johnson), Swanberg takes an […]
Culture
‘The End of the Tour’ adds humanity to an enigma
“The End of the Tour,” based on David Lipsky’s book “Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace,” illustrates Lipsky’s experience interviewing David Foster Wallace while on a five-day book tour for Wallace’s colossal, footnote-filled novel, “Infinite Jest.” The film begins with Lipsky in 2008, when he receives […]
Culture
The best music of summer 2015
Beach House, ‘Depression Cherry’: The Baltimore duo’s fifth album eschews the dramatic drums of their earlier efforts while retaining the theatricality of their sound. Victoria Legrand’s voice has never been stronger, and Alex Scally has been given some freedom to play with some aggression, a word rarely identified with Beach House. Everything is bolstered by […]
Culture
‘Rick and Morty’ returns
Animation can let thoughts and ideas get to some really strange places that would be otherwise restricted in a more realistic dramatic form, like live-action television or theater. When anything you want to do is visually possible, the scope of ways to approach a particular subject expands exponentially. That’s part of what makes Adult Swim’s […]
Culture
Bill Nye challenges students to ‘change the world’
The students started to chant his name before he entered the room, before the lights had begun to dim in the auditorium. He bounded out onto the stage from the wings, with a loose, spry gait and the boundless energy of a much younger Science Guy. He looks older now—60 years this November—but to the […]
Culture
‘From #Ferguson’ summons art from ashes
Now more than ever, America is grappling with its history of violence and oppression towards people of color. Last week, the Hartnett Gallery opened its first exhibition of the year, entitled “From #Ferguson,” featuring works by Bryce Olen Robinson. A native of Ferguson, Missouri, Robinson’s work speaks to the racism that he has seen and […]