Zach Weiner walks us through the logic involved – and (until the very end) just about convinces one that it might work.
Author: Matthew Westphal
Somali Comedian Who Mocked Islamists Shot Dead
“A Somali comedian murdered in Mogadishu had received death threats from Islamist militants after dressing up as a woman and a suicide bomber in satirical sketches, friends and colleagues said on Thursday. Abdi Jeylani Malaq, better known as Marshale, was shot on Tuesday as he returned home from the radio station where he worked in Mogadishu.”
Chris Rock On Taking Offense At Stand-Up Comics’ Bad Judgment
“It’s only a fire when it offends the fans, and the fans turn on you. [Daniel] Tosh has fans, and they get the joke. If you’ve watched enough Tracy Morgan, you let the worst thing go by. When did Tracy Morgan become Walter Cronkite? You have to mean something to me to offend me. You can’t break up with me if we don’t date.”
Let’s Speak Ill Of The Dead: Gore Vidal Edition
David Greenberg: “Gore Vidal, talk of whose demise has been suffocatingly ubiquitous, was not just a world-famous intellectual – from the Mailer-Buckley-Galbraith era, when the term really meant something – but also a thoroughgoing nativist and bigot. He is not someone who deserves to be spared the rigors of a reckoning.”
The Attys – Margaret Atwood’s New Poetry Prize
“Canadian literary icon Margaret Atwood is lending her name to a new online poetry prize – ‘The Attys’ – sponsored by a Toronto-based social media site for budding writers, Wattpad, which claims a community of more than nine million users that includes the Oryx and Crake author herself.”
Citizen Kane Dethroned As Greatest Film Ever In BFI’s Latest Poll
The British Film Institute’s worldwide poll of experts and critics, conducted every ten years, has seen Citizen Kane come out on top every time since 1962 – until now, as Orson Welles gets bumped down to runner-up by Alfred Hitchcock.
Lichtenstein’s Electric Cord, Stolen In 1970, Surfaces In Manhattan Warehouse
“A multimillion-dollar Roy Lichtenstein painting that disappeared 42 years ago has popped up in a Manhattan warehouse – and its owner is trying to make sure it doesn’t pull another vanishing act.”
Fired Toronto Theatre Director Considers Lawsuit
“Already dealing with a boycott from Toronto theatre artists, the board of directors of Factory Theatre may now face a wrongful dismissal suit from fired artistic director Ken Gass … who founded the theatre in 1970 and returned to its helm 15 years ago as it teetered on the brink of bankruptcy.”
Audiences In Western Europe Are Growing Despite Recession
“As austerity sweeps Europe, artistic and cultural institutions have been among the first to face cuts, with theatres, opera houses, orchestras, galleries and educational programmes all facing existential threats as their budgets and public subsidies are slashed. But as far as audiences are concerned, things couldn’t be better.”
Budget Woes In Duisburg May Mean End Of Deutsche Oper Am Rhein
The highly-regarded company is a joint venture between the old industrial city and its larger, wealthier neighbor, Düsseldorf. But Duisburg’s culture budget has a €7 million shortfall, and the municipal authorities doubt the company’s viability on a budget the city can afford.