Category Archives: Current Events

The Politics of Ebola Porn*: Africa, Race, and the Titillation of Horror

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Sayantani DasGupta

Sayantani DasGupta puts the politics of Ebola under a microscope and finds an American horror story. Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Politics, Science | Tagged death, disease, ebola, medicine, news, Republicans, Science | Leave a comment

The 12 People You Meet at a Babymetal Concert

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Jim Ruland

Japanese pop metal threesome Babymetal must be seen and heard to be believed. Last year, they took the world by storm, with single and viral video “Gimme Chocolate!!” and just recently completed their first whirlwind world tour, which included opening slots for Lady GaGa. Veteran So-Cal punk author Jim Ruland talked his indulgent wife into attending Babymetal’s first U.S. show, which was full of surprises. Continue reading →

Posted in Appreciations, Current Events, Memoir, Music, Popped Culture, Popular Culture, The Arts, Uncategorized | Tagged babymetal, chthonic, Dio, doris yeh, gimme chocolate, gimme choko, headbangers, heavy metal, j-pop, japnese, jim ruland, moametal, so-cal punk, su-metal, world tour, yeh, yuimetal | 12 Comments

Ivy Leaguers, Tiger Mothers, and “Excellent Sheep”: A Discussion with William Deresiewicz

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Greg Olear

In this far-ranging discussion, Greg Olear talks to the author of Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life about the problems with higher education, politics, the left, and Obama. Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | Tagged Amy CHua, Bush, elites, elitism, Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life, Harvard, liberals, Obama, William Deresiewicz, Yale | 4 Comments

Dawn of Irony on the Planet of the Apes

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Kurt Baumeister

Gary Oldman, Rick Perry, apes…isn’t it ironic? Don’t you think? Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | Tagged apes, c-words, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Dubya, Gary Oldman, Nancy Pelosi, Playboy, political correctness, Rick Perry | 2 Comments

Introducing a New Line of “Battle for Reproductive Freedom” Barbie Dolls

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Elissa Schappell

Evangelical Protester Barbie, Anti-Abortion Gynecologist Ken, Unwanted Pregnancy Skipper, and more! Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | Tagged BArbie, GOP hypocricy, Hobby Lobby, Jesus, satire, Wendy Davis abortion Barbie | 2 Comments

The Book War that Authors Already Lost

Posted on June 17, 2014 by J.E. Fishman

Amazon’s power move on Hachette is hardly unprecedented in the world of publishing, J.E. Fishman reports. Also not new: writers getting screwed. Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | Tagged Amazon, Bertelsmann, Hachette, Penguin, publishing, Random Penguin | 21 Comments

Notes from Trigger-gate: Why I Give Trigger Warnings

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Sayantani DasGupta

Preventing little Johnny, José, or Jamila from getting a tad misty-eyed in a classroom is not, ideally, what trigger warnings are about, says Sayantani DasGupta. Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Literature | Tagged bell hooks, education, Ethics, medical school, medicine, narrative medicine, Susan Sontag, trigger warnings, trigger-gate | Leave a comment