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The Rise of Cruelty and Decline of Wit
There was a time when the idea of a different spin on the dry humor of The Daily Show might have made sense. Around the time that Stewart and co. produced America: The Book, they were a twister (or some other forceful natural phenomenon) of popular criticism with an immense influence on the country�s youth.…
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Peeling Back America’s Surface
There are perhaps a few people who might not enjoy “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.” Humorless folk, I suppose, those who take everything literally, and/or are unable to detect satire. And Bobby Rowe, the rodeo general manager whose desire to lynch all gays is revealed as he speaks…
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Certainly Better than a Convention
As far as I understand it (per OED.com), the main thing that separates a symposium from a conference or a convention is that the first of these three is actually supposed to be engaging. In Ancient Greece, it was actually synonymous with a drinking party, while conferences and conventions are usually associated with corporate stiffs…
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This Just In From Hollywood
When a movie really does what it’s supposed to, when it makes you want to stay in the theater and think about, discuss and absorb what you just saw on the screen, it can be an experience like no other. This is not to say that it is better than reading an excellent book, discovering…
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A Few of My Favorite Things…?
In the spirit of this week’s issue, I’ve been thinking about a number of things in pop culture that I seem to like for no apparent reason. Sometimes I hate myself for enjoying the following things, but enjoy them I do, however much guilt I may feel.
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Passenger 41
Many of you chose to avoid United 93 for various reasons. The trailer, some suggested, was manipulative. The lack of concrete information, it was said, means that no one should try to tell an incomplete story. The movie, my friends whined, will undoubtedly exploit the men and women who died that day, and should be…
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The Year of Magical Fact-Checking
The Daily Princetonian is bad. We all know that. Their machinations have caused a great deal of trouble for those of us who enjoy spending time at various eating clubs, and, to put it bluntly, their staff either doesn’t know how to write, or is robbed of any talent by the publication itself. Accordingly, simply…
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Not a Chance
My mission, since I chose to accept it, was to see whether or not there was a way to survive comfortably in the town of Princeton – eat two meals and maybe go on one interesting excursion – while spending no more than five dollars. On many a lazy summer day, I had spent less…
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Snake’s Nest Debauchery
Looking back at my week out of the country, I realize that, of all the uppers and downers that passed through my body, the most effective drug I took during my spring break was the Snake’s Nest itself, a place unlike any other on the planet, or at least the parts of the planet I’ve…
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Shows I Once Loved
Recently, feeling a sudden burst of wistfulness, I decided to see if some of shows I had once adored had in fact been worth my time. Some of them were, in fact, good, while others made me feel stupid for ever having watched them. The following is a list of the shows I reevaluated, in…
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The Worst Movies of 2005
Everyone – myself included – has written pieces about the Oscars. I will certainly be watching, and I will certainly be rooting for the Disgruntled Shepherd movie this Sunday night. But this Saturday, there is another important awards show in Hollywood honoring notable movies of 2005. The Golden Raspberry Awards are not as star-studded as…
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Justin’s Reasons Why Not
Since Amazon failed to deliver the Jack Abramoff-penned action catastrophe “Red Scorpion” on Friday, as they had promised, I needed to pass some time before going out. After careful deliberation, I decided I would see if those rapscallions at “Dateline” had entrapped anymore sexual predators, but lo and behold, NBC was not showing its prized…