“In pop culture, we approve of rogue heroes saving the day by any means necessary. It’s all about getting the job done, and in getting the job done, there will always be casualties of war. And anyway, the bad guy deserved it.” And if that means a little torture? Well… So are those attitudes bleeding into the way we conduct ourselves as a nation?
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Books For “Women Over 45”? How Insulting!
“Transita, which plans to publish two paperbacks a month aimed at its target readership, declares itself to be the first publisher devoted to producing fiction for women aged over 45 and over. According to its founder and director, Nikki Read, the idea is to give women of this age-group storylines they can relate to and fictional characters with whom they can empathise. But Read appears to have opened up a veritable Pandora’s box, with critics of the imprint claiming that it is patronising to define women readers in this way.”
Mel Gussow, 71
Theatre critic and reporter Mel Gussow wrote more than 4000 reviews for the New York Times over 35 years. “Gussow was long associated with Off and Off Off Broadway, the traditional home of experimental writers. He was often one of the first to take the city’s young emerging playwrights seriously, as he did with Sam Shepard, David Mamet and John Guare. As a critic, he tended to view his role as advisory rather than adversarial and was an early enthusiast of talents like Robert Wilson, Charles Ludlam and Richard Foreman, and later Julie Taymor. “
Should The Corporation For Public Broadcasting Be Dismantled?
Is PBS becoming to politicized? Maybe, but Jack Shafer thinks the problem is publci financing. “The best remedy for this week’s public broadcasting crisis isn’t the dismantling of the “objectivity and balance” firewall but the abolishment of the CPB itself. Bureaucracies inevitably conform to the wishes of the ruling party, and as much as CPB would like to rise above politics, every federal appropriation comes laden with political baggage. No government—Republican, Democrat, or Socialist—will ever surrender control over media money it disburses.”
Maazel Opera Lacks “Voice”
Anthony Tommasini weighs in on Lorin Maazel’s new opera “1984”: “Unfortunately, though there are some compelling elements to “1984” and the creators received a fairly rousing ovation by the expectant audience, the opera is hampered by Mr. Maazel’s undistinguished score. The music is never less than thoroughly professional. But Mr. Maazel lacks a personal voice as a composer. What constitutes a compositional voice is hard to define. But you know it when you hear it.”
I Went To Hear A Pianist…
Charles Michener used to lament a dearth of great young pianists. This season though, has featured a rich stew of finger-wagglers…
While The World Dumbs Down We Get Smarter
IQ’s have been going steadily up for years. But why? “What part of our allegedly dumbed-down environment is making us smarter? It’s not schools, since the tests that measure education-driven skills haven’t shown the same steady gains. It’s not nutrition – general improvement in diet leveled off in most industrialized countries shortly after World War II.” So could it be… video games?
Poll: Americans Want TV Warnings
A new poll says Americans would like some warning about potentially offensive programming on TV. “About 90 percent strongly agreed or somewhat agreed that there should be advisories and ratings about potentially offensive content they may want to avoid. But while 48 percent either strongly or somewhat agreed that television stations should not air such shows, 50 percent either somewhat disagreed or strongly disagreed, it said.”
The Arab-American Story (Really?)
A new Arab American Museum is opening in Michigan. “Using high points of Arab culture as the foundation for the new museum makes perfect sense. Still, the narrative ends abruptly, without addressing the gradual disintegration of Arab intellectual and military dominance. At some point, curators ought to plunge into the contentious historical debate over the decline of Arab influence. That skirmish–pitting those who emphasize the deleterious effects of Ottoman and European colonialism against those who stress factors internal to Arab culture and Islam–sheds important light on the forces that have driven Arabs to come to America.”
Toronto Opera Has A Terrific Year
Toronto’s Canadian Opera Company – a year from moving into a new home – has had its best year at the box office in a dozen years. “Box office revenue also rose, grossing more than $8.9 million, a 17-per-cent increase from the previous season. The company reported an 8.8-per-cent increase in the number of season ticket subscriptions during 2004-05. Sales for the upcoming season have already reached more than $6 million.”