New Books I Recommend

Welcome to the Urban Revolution by Jeb Brugmann is a detailed and careful exploration of the huge urban shift that has been occurring and how it translates to daily life and reality.

The city has become so much more than it used to be. The city itself, per Brugmann, may be used as a resource to address and solve such problems as how to respond to poverty, how to read globalism, how to react to environmental changes and so forth.
I recommend this highly as Brugmann's research seems to be vast and the form of his argument is easily decodable.


2) Alistair Horne's Kissinger 1973, the Crucial Year. I've always been fascinated by the Nixon era and the text that Nixon stood for. Another character from the time period I've always had an interest to know more about is Henry Kissinger. Something about the voice, I don't know.

In Kissinger 1973, the Crucial Year, Horne details the year most impressively thus providing a fascinating behind-the-scenes of that very important year. The arguments are well-historicized and the story-telling flows well.

 Subscribe to HetPer

 Subscribe to Gendering the Media Podcast

Sarah Barracuda Leaves Alaska for the Big Time

When John McCain announced last August in Ohio that Sarah Palin would be his running mate for '08, I remember thinking, 'Wow. The cameras love her.'
I still maintain that the reason why Palin gets so much media attention is largely due to her aesthetics and how it is captured and translated via the lens. And yet she keeps bashing the media for being unfair to her not seemingly realizing that her refusal to engage them (the media) in a substantial way might perhaps be the main reason for the occasional, ok, not-so-occasional ridicule.

While Palin is seriously uninformed about a lot of issues, she oozes a kind of stamina and tenacity that is rare to see. Now that she's announced that she is resigning as Alaska's governor, she's signaled her actual interest in entering national politics. Vanity Fair has a gripping peace on her. A paragraph of note says:

"In dozens of conversations during a recent visit to Alaska, it was easy to learn that there has always been a counter-narrative about Palin, and indeed it has become the dominant one. It is the story of a political novice with an intuitive feel for the temper of her times, a woman who saw her opportunities and coolly seized them. In every job, she surrounded herself with an insular coterie of trusted friends, took disagreements personally, discarded people who were no longer useful, and swiftly dealt vengeance on enemies, real or perceived. “Remember,” says Lyda Green, a former Republican state senator who once represented Palin’s home district, and who over the years went from being a supporter of Palin’s to a bitter foe, “her nickname in high school was ‘Barracuda.’ I was never called Barracuda. Were you? There’s a certain instinct there that you go for the jugular.”

Read it all here.

 Subscribe to HetPer

 Subscribe to Gendering the Media Podcast

"Whatever Works"; Larry David; Woody Allen

It is no secret or great surprise that I like Larry David and I'll watch/read all he does.

You see, to me, Larry David is like a soft 100% cotton, straight-lined shirt. They both beg for attention and I give in every single time regardless of how much of both I have had. There is no curbing of the appetite, so to speak.

A bit of context might be needed here. I first resisted getting into Larry David's work because the good half knew about him before I did. You see, it wasn't a case of unbridled egotism or vain narcissism on my part that stood in the way. It was just artistic slothfulness, I suppose. I already had too many things I was liking at the time and I didn't think I had enough mental space to process something new.

But, of course, I gave in. I started watching Curb and well, the rest is history. If you do a Larry David or Curb Your Enthusiasm keyword search on this blog, you'll get the point. To bring the point home let me just say that I pulled more than a few all-nighters when going over Curb seasons. Yes, Larry's definitely a strong like.

The long intro serves a purpose here. I saw Woody Allen's new film Whatever Works. Of course, I would. And naturally I laughed out loud in the theater as I tend to do in Allen pictures.

Woody Allen doesn't have to try hard to make me, B.R., the movie goer, to like him. B.R., the film reader, however might be a different story. Allen's Spiel tends to be unrelentingly consistent: life is hard, life is tragic, life is random, life sucks. So, you might as well get whatever joy you can while you're at it.
This mantra is also the premise of Whatever Works.
What makes this film particularly enjoyable is Larry David who couldn't be a better seller of Allen-isms. David's character, Boris Yellnikov, is certain he lives in a world where "Neanderthals," as he calls them, run amock and stupidity is sold by the pound. Here are some of the quotes Boris utters:

"On the whole, I'm sorry to say, we're a failed species."
"I'm a man with a huge worldview, I'm surrounded by microbes."
"This is not the feel-good movie of the year. So if you're one of those idiots who needs to feel good, go get yourself a foot massage."
And my very favorite from the film:
"If I can understand quantum mechanics, I can certainly understand the thought process of a submental baton twirler."

What else can I say other then, if you're already a Woody Allen and Larry David fan, naturally, you have to go watch this film.
In addition, it features nigh pitch-perfect playing by the talented and at-times underappreciated Patricia Clarkson and Evan Rachel Wood.

And let me not forget to mention another great character, New York City itself which is captured as lovingly by Allen as he could.

 Subscribe to HetPer

 Subscribe to Gendering the Media Podcast

Of Music and Michael Jackson

I was out traveling when I heard of Michael Jackson's passing.
One text message I received said, 'dude, can you believe this stuff? Michael Jackson's dead.'
So, I turn to the NY Times and the headline said that, according to TMZ, the pop star was dead. When it comes to news of this sort, TMZ tends to be right.
'Bummer,' I thought.

Then the news coverage galore started.
It seemed, (I reckon, it still does) that the world was revolving around the once formidable artist. A crash course on the artist's bizarre lifestyle, his spending habits, his various closet skeletons and whatnot were discussed ad nauseam. And the many TV stations employed yet again a litany of psychology experts, medical folk, et al., to comment on MJ's life choices.

And the rest of us who wanted to learn more of Nicholas Sarkozy's latest policies, the different elections happening around the world, or even Steve Jobs getting back to work at Apple were left news-less. This is just as good a time as any to go to the beach, I guessed, freezing lake and all. And that we did. And we swam too but I digress.

I get the sensationalizing of MJ's passing. I most certainly expected to see much media coverage as well.
I mean, didn't CNN and MSNC and co., consume themselves with 'news' Paris covering the heiress' stay at a no star hotel also known as the big house? I still have flashbacks of Mika Brzezinski's burning of so-called Paris news on the air on Morning Joe.

This is Michael Jackson and he should get a lot of coverage. His influence on music is unquestionably great. In a way, MJ expedited a cultural shift when it came to issues of music and what its text stood for, race, and even gender and sexuality.

The main reason why I'm not surprised that MJ is getting so much attention post-mortem is because it goes hand in hand with his own modus videndi. Didn't the pop star after all privilege his phantasy world over reality? It seems rather fitting than his coverage also be congruent with his viewpoints on life: Neverland over reality. I'm just not so sure that Michael was the only one to privilege phantasy over reality. If he were, he as a person and performer would be a rather tough sell. His peculiar predelictions are, to some degree, shared by many. Well, not the practices per se but the need/desire for peculiar predelictions. How else can we explain the mass appeal? Musically, he has not produced in two decades. Granted, that which he did produce is pure genius and incomparable but it was also a couple of generations ago.

As I was having these thoughts I read Bob Herbert's column on the NY Times this morning and a paragraph in there made uncanny sense to me. Herbert notes rather beautifully:

"Jackson was the perfect star for the era, the embodiment of fantasy gone wild. He tried to carve himself up into another person, but, of course, there was the same Michael Jackson underneath — talented but psychologically disabled to the point where he was a danger to himself and others.

Reality is unforgiving. There is no escape. Behind the Jackson facade was the horror of child abuse. Court records and reams of well-documented media accounts contain a stream of serious allegations of child sex abuse and other inappropriate behavior with very young boys. Jackson, a multimillionaire megastar, was excused as an eccentric."

Read it all here. Definitely worth a look.

In the meantime, I, as many music lovers around the world, felt badly for MJ's premature departure. He was more than an artist, he was out-of-this-world talented and who knows what else he would have managed to create musically. Thriller did thrill me thoroughly and for that album alone I'm most grateful to him.

RIP, MJ.

 Subscribe to HetPer

 Subscribe to Gendering the Media Podcast

graph per google images

Entourage, Season 5

On one of my international flights, the flight attendant looked like she was uttering something to me. Alas, my earphones were already streaming audio from my MacBook to my ears and, as far as I was concerned, no other audio mattered. I was after all watching the "Gotta Look Up to Get Down" episode from Entourage, Season 5. And, I and mine will attest, since the Sunday HBO played this months ago, I knew I was going to get hooked. This 27-minute episode is packed with literary and cultural references to aesthetics, gender, work and family dynamics, the form/content clash and so forth. In sum, it's a gem.

I remove the earphones to find out what the content of her comment was all about.
"Nice! You're watching Entourage." said the friendly flight attendant to which I said, "Yeah! It rocks."

But, you see, it's not just this episode that is ripe with rich motifs. The entire Season Five is a gem. The way Stellan Skarsgård portrays a kooky German director, or how Jason Isaacs so convincingly portrays a not-so-straight performing straight-acting fashion businessman. And on and on.

I have already blogged about the ending of the "Gotta Look Up to Get Down" episode which features one of the most tender scenes I have analyzed this year. A sensitive Ari Gold puts his emotions on display for his favorite client, Vinnie Chase, to witness.

Portraying Ari's vulnerability is what's proving to be Jeremy Piven's opportunity to show the world his acting chops and that he's so much more than John Cusack's side kick or a potential George Costanza. Ari Gold is the making of Entourage. He has a kind of range that is really almost overwhelming me every time I watch this show.

What has made a lot of my recent trips more enjoyable has been the following:

The newly released Season Five of Entourage
Steve Martin's Shopgirl, the last 6 minutes of the film
Three minutes out of Zach Braff's Garden State, the "You're in it right now, aren't you?" scene.

I'll explain.

Being a close reader by training, I have a trained (and natural) tendency to zoom in on certain snippets of texts. Close reading, I am told at home and out, is not just how I make my bread and butter, it's an extension of my nature. Ergo, focusing on certain segments in certain filmic pieces is as natural to me as griping about my Venti Macchiato coming my way lid-less and sleeve-less. Incidentally, getting easily vexed by such oh-so-menial faux annoyances like a lid-less and sleeve-less Starbucks drink is yet another side effect of close reading.

Whether you share my close reading tendencies or not, you should consider getting the newly released Season Five of Entourage.

I give it thumbs and toes up. Season Six of Entourage will start July 12th on HBO.

 Subscribe to HetPer

 Subscribe to Gendering the Media Podcast

Hangover, the movie

Well, it's about time they made a movie about it, eh?
Yes, I did see The Hangover.
What sold the movie to me was this here attached poster of Bradley Cooper.

I first saw this poster on a foreign subway station and I remember thinking, 'add this to the list of things to see.'
So, we went to the movies. Even got popcorn. And I don't do popcorn. I don't do Blockbuster movies either, but there you have it. Every rule has them. Exceptions, that is.

Now, B.R., the movie goer, will say that she liked the film. She actually laughed a lot. I found myself laughing the most when the characters were satirizing the comic text that is Vegas. In this regard my laughter was influenced by B.R.'s travel bug and academic eye for close reading. But why bring that up here. We're talking about an entire movie the premise of which is, 'what the heck happened last night after exorbitant amounts of alcohol were consumed?'
Right.
I can't really use literary theory to decode this.
Well, I could try but I reckon I've had enough comedy for a week.

The main reason, however, why I suggested that we go to the theater and watch this film is because of Bradley Cooper. I first noticed Cooper when he appeared in another mind-teaser (my coinage, folks). Don't judge. It was summer. My best pal was visiting from Germany and our house was hot due to air conditioning being on sabbatical for weeks. We lived in the dessert after all. Yada, yada, yada, we were in the mood for Wilson/Vaugh jokes.

Anyway, Cooper's performance in the Wedding Crashers did make me think. I remember noting that he would go places. His blood-shot eyes seemed to have a kind of torture quality to them that made them interesting.

Plus, Bradley Cooper is a beautiful person. He sports a kind of masculinity that's moderately bathed in feminine sensitivity. Ah, and his upper body suggests that he lifts and does yoga. Yes, I do watch films at times mostly because of who stars in them. Blame it on my weakness for aesthetics.

So, yes, I watched the Hangover. No, I won't officially review it here. I've got my rap to worry about, after all.

I will note two things about it: it captured Vegas realistically. If you're like me and have spent time in the dessert city you will feel like you're right on the set.

And Bradley Cooper. Objectification aside, I look forward to seeing him properly cast so that he can show his acting chops better. But for now, let him take advantage of his aesthetic superiority. And why shouldn't he?

 Subscribe to HetPer

 Subscribe to Gendering the Media Podcast

New Videocast: A Summary of Knightly Virtues in the Middle Ages

In this brand-new episode of De Amore: On Love with Brikena Ribaj, I discuss the knightly and medieval similarieties of different characters in German medieval narratives. I mention Siegfried of the Nibelungenlied, Gregorius of Hartmann von Aue, and, naturally, Parzival.

You may view this episode here.

 Subscribe to HetPer

 Subscribe to Gendering the Media Podcast

New Videocast: Keane, Meat Festival, and Cleveland

In this new episode I address things like space, indie rock performances, and culinary decisions.

You may view this new episode here.

 Subscribe to HetPer

 Subscribe to Gendering the Media Podcast

Why Donald Duck Is the Jerry Lewis of Germany

Just why does Germany like Donald Duck?

A bit from the feature says:
"“Donald is so popular because almost everyone can identify with him,” says Christian Pfeiler, president of D.O.N.A.L.D. “He has strengths and weaknesses, he lacks polish but is also very cultured and well-read.” But much of the appeal of the hapless, happy-go-lucky duck lies in the translations. Donald quotes from German literature, speaks in grammatically complex sentences and is prone to philosophical musings, while the stories often take a more political tone than their American counterparts."

Hm.
Read more here.

 Subscribe to HetPer

 Subscribe to Gendering the Media Podcast

Keane: Concert Report

Two nights ago we headed up North to Cleveland to see Keane in concert.
I am most appreciative of Keane as, over the years, they have informed much of my own writing process. Our concert experience was quite gripping as it seemed to contain a number of nigh comical contradictions.
Actually, the main reason why the Keane concert was such an enjoyable experience was because of the bundle of oddities that occupied the same setting.



For starters, on the tickets it said that the 'opener' for Keane was some form of a cook-off. Cook-off?! Welcome to Ohio, folks! Meat, Buckeye football, and John Boehner. Yup. I did a double take as a cook-off isn't necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of an Indie rock performance where the artists sport skinny jeans, nicely coiffured hair, and an overall vegetarianism-informed 'text.'

We approach the gate to ask the older gentleman who checked the tickets what all the other commotion was. The gentleman said, "you can eat anything you please here. There's a lot of booths. And afterwards there's going to be a concert, too."

"Ah, well, we're here for the concert, actually. Are there any sushi places nearby?" the good half asked.

The man looked at us funny and then added: "Sushi? Uhm, well, there's a lot of food here."

We thanked the man and then decided to scope the Cleveland downtown area ourselves and pick one of the places the iPhone app "Around Me" recommended to us. Yes, oh-so-very-non-cook-off-like!

The musical opening acts for Keane were Helio Sequence and Matt Kearney. Both bands made comments about the uniqueness of the setting. Matt Kearney made some vegetarian references while also commenting on the meat. "I don't think I've ever sung my songs while reading a big meat sign from the stage" said the Eugene, OR-based performer. He also taught the audience how to pronounce Oregon. "It's not Ore-gon," he said and I smiled as this is a comment I hear with much frequency from my Oregonian crowd.

And then it was Keane's turn. Tom Chaplin also made food- and meat-references when on stage. His language was almost too polite. Chaplin's good schoolboy charm is easily observed on stage. He has a hard time masking his surprise over the fact that the audience was so excited to see them perform. "I really didn't know what to expect tonight," said Chaplin, and it was a statement that could be easily believed, especially having the odd/funny setting in mind. His demeanor seemed to say: 'You guys like cook-offs and our music?! How equal opportunity of y'all!'

I wondered who was in charge of event planning and who had thought to pair the music of Keane and Matt Kearny with a cook-off. But the odd setting contributed to a most enjoyable experience. Contradictions like this are what make Ohio fascinating to me.

Keane's shows are always worth it as they are fully committed to entertaining well. After a 90-minute non-stop performance, we were happy to have driven a couple of hours North on the I-71 to see them live.

If Keane is performing in your neck of the woods, do see them. It'll be worth it, cook-off and all.

 Subscribe to HetPer

 Subscribe to Gendering the Media Podcast