You know things are lookÂing bleak when comÂeÂdy starts makÂing fodÂder out of depresÂsion themes. Here’s a bit that tells you how to go from office workÂer to homeÂless drifter in sevÂen easy steps. (Video courÂtesy of HowÂcast)
via ValÂleyÂwag
“ComeÂdiÂan, actor and satirist Chris Elliott has made a career of blurÂring truth and absurÂdiÂty. Elliott wrote and perÂformed for Late Night With David LetÂterÂman, and went on to perÂform in othÂer teleÂviÂsion proÂgrams, includÂing SatÂurÂday Night Live.” Here he is in conÂverÂsaÂtion with writer Dave Eggers (A HeartÂbreakÂing Work of StagÂgerÂing Genius). The video is courÂtesy of Fora.TV, and you can watch it here.
In a quick three minÂutes, you can watch the someÂtimes cocky author of The CorÂrecÂtions read from an essay on bird watchÂing, courÂtesy of BigThink.com, where you can also find more videos with intelÂlecÂtuÂal heft.
For more thoughtÂful video, also see our YouTube playlist and the relatÂed colÂlecÂtion: IntelÂliÂgent Life at YouTube: 70 EduÂcaÂtionÂal Video ColÂlecÂtions.
Rather slick trailÂer. (And got to wonÂder how filmÂing the pretÂzel scene didÂn’t hurt.) “W,” OlivÂer Stone’s new biopic, hits the theÂaters this fall.
The 2008 MacArthurs were just announced. And one goes to Alex Ross, the New YorkÂer music critÂic who recentÂly pubÂlished The Rest is Noise, a wideÂly praised work that makes sense of 20th cenÂtuÂry clasÂsiÂcal music. Below we have Ross talkÂing about his musiÂcal backÂground, the New York music scene and the genÂerÂal gist of his book.
via Kottke.org
BilÂly Collins, forÂmer US Poet LauÂreÂate and one of AmerÂiÂca’s best-sellÂing poets, reads his poem “The Dead” with aniÂmaÂtion by Juan DelÂcan of SponÂtaÂneous. Take it away:
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
AniÂmatÂed VerÂsion of Howard Zinn’s HisÂtoÂry of the AmerÂiÂcan Empire
An AniÂmatÂed HisÂtoÂry of Evil
The StoÂry of Stuff in 20 AniÂmatÂed MinÂutes
AniÂmatÂed New YorkÂer CarÂtoons: A FunÂny Twist on Einstein’s RelÂaÂtivÂiÂty
“What can BarÂbie teach us about culÂture? More than you might think. In this short docÂuÂmenÂtary, direcÂtor Tiffany Shlain explores modÂern JewÂish idenÂtiÂty through the unusuÂal lens of the BarÂbie doll. The Tribe was an offiÂcial selecÂtion of the 2006 SunÂdance Film FesÂtiÂval.”
PerÂsonÂalÂly, the film strikes me as rather facile, but what does my opinÂion count next to that of SunÂdance? …
AnyÂone rememÂber Father GuiÂdo SarÂducÂci from SatÂurÂday Night Live’s betÂter days? Below, we find him celÂeÂbratÂing the virtues of art school. The clip is funÂny. But it’s even funÂnier when you conÂsidÂer that this was apparÂentÂly a real TV comÂmerÂcial made for the San FranÂcisÂco Art InstiÂtute in the earÂly 1980s. The clip has been added to our YouTube playlist. Also for anothÂer good laugh, see this preÂviÂous bit: Father GuiÂdo Sarducci’s Five Minute UniÂverÂsiÂty.
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