We love findÂing these vinÂtage media gems. Below, we have MalÂcolm X speakÂing at Oxford UniÂverÂsiÂty in 1964. In this clasÂsic speech, you get a good feel for MalÂcolm X’s presÂence and mesÂsage and also the social issues that were alive durÂing the day. You’ll hear X’s famous claim that libÂerÂty can be attained by “whatÂevÂer means necÂesÂsary,” includÂing force, if the govÂernÂment won’t guarÂanÂtee it. Then there’s his notion that “intelÂliÂgentÂly directÂed extremÂism” can achieve libÂerÂty more effecÂtiveÂly than paciÂfist strateÂgies (e.g., what MLK had in mind). You can lisÂten to the speech in its entireÂty here (Real Audio), someÂthing that is well worth doing. But we’d also encourÂage you to watch (see below) the draÂmatÂic closÂing minÂutes and pay some attenÂtion to the nice rhetorÂiÂcal slide — to how we get from HamÂlet’s doubts (“To be or not to be”) to takÂing up arms against state enshrined racism. This piece of video is added to our YouTube playlist.
A Conversation with Benazir Bhutto
Again, no comÂmenÂtary needÂed. InforÂmaÂtive in many ways, BhutÂto’s talk was taped at the CounÂcil on ForÂeign RelaÂtions in August. More info here.
Nobel Prize Winners on YouTube
YouTube gets smarter one painfulÂly small step at a time. First coursÂes from BerkeÂley; next videos of Nobel Prize winÂners. More comÂing?
JFK in 1960, Romney in 2007 — Religion in America
Mitt RomÂney, a MorÂmon, looked yesÂterÂday to set aside linÂgerÂing conÂcerns about his reliÂgion in a highÂly pubÂliÂcized speech. ImmeÂdiÂateÂly, the speech revived memÂoÂries of John F. Kennedy’s attempt, durÂing the 1960 camÂpaign, to ease conÂcerns about his CatholiÂcism. We’ve postÂed both speechÂes below. The simÂiÂlarÂiÂties are there. But the difÂferÂences are more proÂfound. I’ll resist the tempÂtaÂtion to point them out. You can watch the clips and draw your own conÂcluÂsions.
John F. Kennedy — 1960
Mitt RomÂney — 2007
Not The Daily Show
As the weeks go on, more and more of us are startÂing to notice that HolÂlyÂwood’s writÂers are on strike. One by one new teleÂviÂsion shows are runÂning out of fresh mateÂrÂiÂal. But if you’re a fan of The DaiÂly Show, (and, well, we are) you were hit pracÂtiÂcalÂly on day one, since the topÂiÂcal news spoofs put on by Jon StewÂart and his merÂry band are writÂten on a short schedÂule.
So while the rest of us find alterÂnate means of enterÂtainÂing ourÂselves, the writÂers are out there pickÂetÂing in New York and L.A. What hapÂpens when you leave a bunch of bored writÂers with a sideÂwalk and a grievÂance? Not The DaiÂly Show:
150 Monty Python Sketches (and a Related Prank)
SomeÂone did a lot of legÂwork and pulled togethÂer a heap of MonÂty Python videos on YouTube. The list includes one famous segÂment called “Dead ParÂrot,” which is notable partÂly because it’s funÂny, and partÂly because it forms the basis of a secÂondary joke.
To make a long stoÂry short, there are some folks out there called “scamÂbaiters” who take revenge against 419 scamÂmers — you know, the peoÂple who genÂerÂate those emails that begin someÂthing like this: “I have picked-up the trust and courage to write you this letÂter with divine conÂfiÂdence that you are a reliÂable and honÂest perÂson who will be capaÂble for this imporÂtant busiÂness transÂacÂtion believÂing also that you will let me down either now or in the future.” When one scamÂbaiter named Mike Berry received one such email, he someÂhow manÂaged to turn the tables on the scamÂmers and duped them into recreÂatÂing the Python Dead ParÂrot skit. The prank all gets explained at the start of the video below, and you can read more about it here.
The Psychology of Evil: The Stanford Prison Experiment to Abu Ghraib
Back in 1971, Philip ZimÂbarÂdo, a StanÂford psyÂcholÂoÂgy proÂfesÂsor, set up an experÂiÂment that quickÂly and now famousÂly went awry. Here, ZimÂbarÂdo had underÂgradÂuÂates play the role of prisÂonÂers and prison guards in a mock prison enviÂronÂment. Meant to last two weeks, the experÂiÂment was cut short after only six days when, as The StanÂford Prison ExperÂiÂment web site puts it, the guards “became sadisÂtic and [the] prisÂonÂers became depressed and showed signs of extreme stress.” For ZimÂbarÂdo, the way things played out says a lot about what hapÂpens when good, averÂage peoÂple are put in bad sitÂuÂaÂtions. And it speaks to how torÂture sceÂnarÂios, like those at Abu Ghraib, become posÂsiÂble. (For more on the parÂalÂlels between the prison experÂiÂment and the torÂture in Iraq, you may want to check out ZimÂbarÂdo’s recent video-capÂtured talk at GoogleÂplex.
Below, we’ve postÂed a video that offers a quick verÂsion, with origÂiÂnal footage, of how the prison experÂiÂment went down. If you’re interÂestÂed in underÂstandÂing what he calls the “Lucifer Effect,” the title of his new book (which, by the way, was just reviewed by Martha NussÂbaum in the Times Online), then it’s worth your time.
Debating Religion The Dawkins Way
When debatÂing reliÂgion, you can take the low road (e.g., Ann CoulÂter’s recent flirÂtaÂtion with anti-semiÂtism) or the high road. Here’s Richard Dawkins, an avowed atheÂist and evoÂluÂtionÂary biolÂoÂgist at Oxford, havÂing a high-mindÂed conÂverÂsaÂtion about the exisÂtence (or non-exisÂtence) of God with AlisÂter McGrath, who is ProÂfesÂsor of HisÂtorÂiÂcal TheÂolÂoÂgy at Oxford UniÂverÂsiÂty and also has a backÂground in molÂeÂcÂuÂlar bioÂphysics. We’ve postÂed the videoÂtaped debate below. (And, by the way, you can downÂload the video to an iPod by accessÂing the video here, lookÂing to the right where it says “DownÂload to Video iPod” and folÂlowÂing these instrucÂtions).
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