Category: media

Lucien Castaing-Taylor, director of Harvard’s Sensory Ethnography Lab: “It takes ethnography seriously. It’s not as though you can do ethnography with a two-day, fly-by-night visit somewhere. But it also takes ‘sensory’ seriously. Most anthropological writing and most ethnographic film, with the exception of some truly great works, is so devoid of emotional or sensory experience.”

Because of a new law passed “with a view to protecting children and young adults from ‘information detrimental to their health and development’,” The Simpsons will air with the “Itchy and Scratchy Show” segments blacked out. (The broadcaster promises to do the blacking-out wittily.) And because the death of Kenny in every episode might upset youngsters, South Park will only be shown during late-night hours.

“Russian news reports this week speculated that a law on protecting children that takes effect Saturday could require extensive cutting of episodes of the cartoon Nu Pogodi” – “Just You Wait,” a Road Runner-style show with a wolf perpetually chasing a rabbit – “because the villainous wolf is a heavy smoker.”

Hollywood has always been fond of Paris, wth its distinctive visual identity and long identification with romance. But the big studios were shooting (and spending money) less and less in Paris, preferring “tax-friendly locations such as Montreal, Austria or Germany.” Then France introduced a film production tax rebate; now there’s much more location shooting – and a new Universal animation studio.

On Keyhole: “So many people are baffled. The movie will be crystal-clear upon your third viewing.”

Some members of the British Parliament want to see fewer actors and musicians, but more ordinary British citizens, receiving honors from the Queen.

“Alberto Barbera put together three intelligent and well-received Venice International Film Festivals from 1999 to 2001. He was preparing his fourth in 2002 when Silvio Berlusconi came to power and he fell victim to Italy’s political spoils system.” With Berlusconi gone, Barbera is back.

“Simply put, you don’t hear nearly as much about Glenn Beck as you once did. The Beck story isn’t about politics, but platforms — and the challenges even well-known talent can face when striking out on their own.”

“The Tasty Tweets software” – designed by three students from Copenhagen – “scans Twitter 100 tweets at a time, searching for mentions of specific fruit names … The proportions of each are used to trigger valves in vessels containing the corresponding fruit juices. The resulting Twitter smoothie collects in a glass below as a gustatory representation of the initial data.”

“A growing chorus of voices–now including prominent judges such as Richard Posner–have reached the conclusion that America’s patent system has veered far off track. They’re right, and Samsung’s best hope may now be that this broader critique of the patent system will lead some judge or other to bail them out.”