John IrvÂing pubÂlished a long defense of GerÂman author GĂĽnÂter Grass’s new memÂoir, PeelÂing the Onion in the New York Times Book Review yesÂterÂday. The book creÂatÂed a storm of when it came out in GerÂman last year. Grass, who received the Nobel Prize in LitÂerÂaÂture in 1999, revealed that he spent the last months of World War II as a memÂber of an SS tank diviÂsion. While he was only 17 at the time and claimed nevÂer to have fired a weapon in batÂtle, the revÂeÂlaÂtion was clearÂly upsetÂting to many not only for the nature of Grass’s involveÂment (the WafÂfen-SS havÂing exeÂcutÂed many of Nazi Germany’s most horÂrifÂic war crimes) but for the fifty-year delay in his conÂfesÂsion.
How To Write About Your Friends: Irving Reviews Grass
Death by Amateurs?
Last weekend’s New York Times SunÂday MagÂaÂzine has declared this the Amateur’s Hour, an era when unpaid hobÂbyÂists can edit breakÂing news, design space techÂnolÂoÂgy for NASA, and preÂdict the end of the world. That last artiÂcle is clearÂly an outÂlier, but the first two raise an interÂestÂing point—are we getÂting betÂter serÂvice from processÂes like Wikipedia than we did from traÂdiÂtionÂal, top-down hierÂarÂchies?
This is a debate that’s been going on for the past couÂple of years under the guise of Web 2.0, culÂmiÂnatÂing in the “You” econÂoÂmy announced with much fanÂfare by Time MagÂaÂzine last DecemÂber. In that debate, the batÂtle lines are clearÂly drawn between the YouTube-using, Google Map-mashÂing enthuÂsiÂasts and the skepÂtics, like aJaron Lanier, who preÂdicts a form of DigÂiÂtal MaoÂism. In that verÂsion of the arguÂment, blogÂgers are either citÂiÂzen jourÂnalÂists or incomÂpeÂtent muckÂrakÂers clogÂging the pores of the body politic.
Now the debate seems to have moved into a wider circle—the realm of the amaÂteur verÂsus the proÂfesÂsionÂal, with or withÂout the interÂnet. Major outÂfits from NetÂflix to NASA have been tryÂing to outÂsource some of their trickÂiÂest probÂlems to the genÂerÂal pubÂlic, which is as bizarre as it is excitÂing. Andrew Keen, arguably the most Web 2.0‑enabled critÂic of Web 2.0, is well-placed to comÂbat the Times covÂerÂage with his new book, The Cult of the AmaÂteur: How Today’s InterÂnet is Killing our CulÂture, which he describes as a polemic against all of the monÂkeys with typeÂwritÂers and webÂcams (that is, us) the InterÂnet has now unleashed upon civÂiÂlizaÂtion.
PerÂsonÂalÂly, I find it hard to believe that “real culÂture” is drownÂing in a
Keen’s self-proÂmoÂtionÂal enerÂgy is an excelÂlent examÂple of how techÂnolÂoÂgy can enhance the great conÂverÂsaÂtion. He’s arguÂing his case everyÂwhere from Google’s HQ (watch here on YouTube) to the Strand BookÂstore in
Watch “Live Earth” Live (Now)
Unless you’ve been livÂing in a bunker someÂwhere, you’ve probÂaÂbly heard about Live Earth, a 24-hour, 7‑continent conÂcert that’s been orgaÂnized to raise awareÂness about globÂal warmÂing and to inspire action on the enviÂronÂmenÂtal front. You can watch these shows live by clickÂing here. The conÂcerts in Asia are already underÂway, and the WestÂern HemiÂsphere shows will start tomorÂrow (SatÂurÂday). Thanks to Al Gore for proÂmotÂing this event and this imporÂtant largÂer cause.
Radio Open Source Goes Radio Silent
As we covÂer the world of enlightÂened podÂcasts, we inevitably uncovÂer ones that become our perÂsonÂal favorites, and this was the case with Radio Open Source (iTunes Feed Web Site). HostÂed by ChristoÂpher Lydon, the show had a great knack for makÂing heady issues engagÂing and accesÂsiÂble to a wider audiÂence, and that was mainÂly because the show took its lead from the Radio Open Source blog and its active online comÂmuÂniÂty. Rather uniqueÂly, Lydon and his crew let the online comÂmuÂniÂty help proÂduce the show, which meant letÂting the audiÂence sugÂgest topÂics and guests for future proÂgrams. It was a novÂel conÂcept that yieldÂed some very good results.
AnyÂway, as you can tell, we’re talkÂing about things in the past tense, and that’s because the show announced last week that they’ve run out of fundÂing and gone on a sumÂmer hiaÂtus. They’re sortÂing things out and hopÂing to return this fall with new monÂey and perÂhaps a new broadcasting/podcasting approach. We hope to see them back in action soon. In meanÂtime, we’d encourÂage you look back through their media archive — iTunes Feed Web Site — to get a feel for what the fall may bring.
Michael Moore’s “Sicko” — Fox Likes It More Than Google?
For some, it came as no surÂprise that “Sicko,” Michael Moore’s latÂest film and critÂiÂcal look at AmerÂiÂca’s healthÂcare sysÂtem, got strong reviews at The Cannes Film FesÂtiÂval. What else would you expect from Europe’s lefty intelÂliÂgentsia? Then there was this litÂtle curveÂball. The right-leanÂing Fox News also called the film “brilÂliant and upliftÂing.” How likeÂly is that? The odds are next to zero. But it hapÂpened, and it says someÂthing rather extraÂorÂdiÂnary about the film. (You can watch the trailÂer for the movie on your iPod here.)
In the meanÂtime, Google has gotÂten itself into a bit of a PR debaÂcle with the release of Sicko. Last week, a Google employÂee took the posiÂtion on a Google healthÂcare blog that “Moore’s film porÂtrays the indusÂtry as monÂey and marÂketÂing driÂven, and fails to show healthcare’s interÂest in patient well-being and care.” And then she invitÂed the healthÂcare indusÂtry to use Adwords, the comÂpaÂny’s monÂey-rakÂing ad platÂform, to showÂcase for the pubÂlic all the good that they do for us. When Google got the inevitable blowÂback, the corÂpoÂrate PR folks kicked things into gear. Soon enough, we were told that the Google employÂee had been speakÂing out of turn and they released an addenÂdum on their main corÂpoÂrate blog, which says someÂthing and yet nothÂing at the same time. Where does Google realÂly stand on the issue? Who knows. They’re playÂing things preÂdictably safe, and that’s to be expectÂed when your comÂpaÂny stands to genÂerÂate bilÂlions of ad revÂenue from a mulÂti-trilÂlion dolÂlar indusÂtry. MeanÂwhile where does Fox stand on all of this (and I am talkÂing about the comÂpaÂny, rather than the indiÂvidÂual film reviewÂer citÂed above)? ProbÂaÂbly nowhere good.
Below, you can find Michael Moore talkÂing with Bill Maher (HBO) about the healthÂcare probÂlem that cuts across the politÂiÂcal divide. Give it a good look, but betÂter yet, go see the movie.
Weekly Wrap — June 30
It’s a wrap for the week:
- Steven ColÂbert Gives iPhone Zero Stars
- PhiÂlosÂoÂphy Bites
- Miles and Coltrane on YouTube: The Jazz Greats
- The Online SpanÂish EduÂcaÂtion ProÂgram
- 20 PodÂcasts That Will Teach You SpanÂish, French, ItalÂian and GerÂman (A Reprise)
- What Feed ReadÂers Don’t See on Open CulÂture
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