A front-page Washington Post story earlier this month focused on Kathryn/Tyler, a preschooler who insisted from age two, “I am a boy.” Was s/he “born this way”? Biologist and gender studies scholar Anne Fausto-Sterling says that things aren’t nearly so simple.
Month: May 2012
Spanish Artist Faces Jail On Blasphemy Charges
“Javier Krahe, who has been a popular and provocative figure in Spain for nearly half a century, … faces up to a year in prison after being prosecuted for ‘offending religious feelings’ in relation to a short film he made more than 30 years ago that claimed to show ‘how to cook Jesus Christ’.”
Bollywood Dance – Watching The Sausage Get Made
“Ace Kathak-inspired choreographer Gauri Sharma Tripathi explains to Guardian dance critic Judith Mackrell how the worlds of classic and modern Indian dance collide in Wah! Wah! Girls, a Bollywood musical set in London’s vibrant East End.”
This Really Has Been Britain’s Second Elizabethan Age
Yes, the reign of Elizabeth II has seen the loss of empire and great political and social tumult, but during her reign Britain has seen a truly extraordinary set of achievements in the arts, architecture and technology.
The Challenge Of The New
“This ability to attract audience through repetition eases the process of filling seats because a limited but dedicated fan base will reliably appear multiple times to hear the same band play the same songs in the same city. Unfortunately, ensembles dedicated to experimental music cannot rely on this sort of repeat business.”
Has Our Concentration On Diversity In The Arts Killed Its Universality?
“From the 1960s and 70s, arts educationalists promoted the idea that not only was everybody capable of responding to art, but that everybody was an artist. Art education moved away from a focus on craft and skill towards a more ‘attitudinal’ understanding of the creative process: expressing one’s unique subjectivity – or later, ethnic identity – was more important than conforming to traditional aesthetic standards.”
What’s Wrong With American Universities
“Most American colleges now allow ‘virtually unlimited freedom’ to undergraduates to choose what they want to study. Very few ‘tell their students what to think’. Most ‘are unwilling even to tell them what’s worth thinking about’.”
The Movies That Are Becoming Theme Parks
“In the world of extreme roller coasters where theming a ride with a few well-placed props and a color-matching paint job may do the trick, nowadays amusement parks are more likely to create entire experiences based on movie franchises.”
Why Fairy Tales Are Popular Again
“Pop culture of all kinds, it seems, is banking on fairy tales as the official Next Big Thing, raising the obvious question: How did that happen?”
Big Questions About TV’s Obsession With Younger Viewers
“The adults 18-49 demographic has served as the industry’s primary sales barometer for so long, we take it for granted. Moreover, the one broadcaster that dared second-guess those criteria, CBS, is enjoying enough success relative to its competitors as to voice doubts regarding the status quo less consistently and forcefully.”