“Human, All Too Human” is a three-hour BBC series from 1999, about the lives and work of Friedrich NietÂzsche, MarÂtin HeiÂdegÂger, and Jean-Paul Sartre. The filmÂmakÂers focus heavÂiÂly on polÂiÂtics and hisÂtorÂiÂcal conÂtext — the HeiÂdegÂger hour, for examÂple, focusÂes almost excluÂsiveÂly on his trouÂbling relaÂtionÂship with Nazism.
The most engagÂing chapÂter is “Jean-Paul Sartre: The Road to FreeÂdom,” in part because the filmÂmakÂers had so much archival footage and interÂview mateÂrÂiÂal (Check out a still loveÂly Simone de BouÂvoir at minute 9:00, gigÂgling that Sartre was the ugliÂest, dirtÂiÂest, most unshaven stuÂdent at the SorÂbonne).
SheerÂly Avni is a San FranÂcisÂco-based arts and culÂture writer. Her work has appeared in Salon, LA WeekÂly, MothÂer Jones, and many othÂer pubÂliÂcaÂtions. You can folÂlow her on twitÂter at @sheerly
A day after PresÂiÂdent ObaÂma conÂductÂed his much pubÂliÂcized town hall meetÂing at FaceÂbook, Tina Fey, the star of 30 Rock and the author of the new book BossyÂpants, headÂed to Google, just a few miles down the road.
Last May, Googlers had their riotous romp with Conan O’Brien. Now they get their 60 minÂutes with anothÂer comeÂdiÂan who came of age on NBC. The conÂverÂsaÂtion led by Eric Schmidt teachÂes you the secrets of improv, how to take picÂtures like a modÂel, the pros & cons of goofÂing on Sarah Palin, and why male and female comÂeÂdy writÂers difÂfer in funÂdaÂmenÂtalÂly odd ways. Tina Fey is funÂny. But someÂtimes funÂnier is watchÂing Schmidt tryÂing to keep the conÂverÂsaÂtion from going off the rails. Scroll to the 8:20 mark, and you’ll see what I mean.
Just an fyi: Tina Fey actuÂalÂly narÂrates the audioÂbook verÂsion of BossyÂpants, and you can snag it for free through this Audible.com deal. Details here.
On MonÂday, April 18th a 22-year old woman named ChrisÂsy Lee Polis was severeÂly beatÂen by two teenagers at a McDonÂald’s in BalÂtiÂmore, while sevÂerÂal bystanders watched and a McDonÂald’s employÂee videoÂtaped the whole inciÂdent. Late last week, the video went viral, and now the employÂee has been fired, the two girls (one of whom is only 14) are in cusÂtody, and Polis is conÂsidÂerÂing a civÂil suit. The vicÂtim, who is transÂgenÂdered, told the BalÂtiÂmore Sun this weekÂend that she conÂsidÂers the beatÂing a hate crime.
MeanÂwhile, the inciÂdent has elicitÂed sevÂerÂal comÂparÂisons to the famous 1964 case of KitÂty GenÂovese, a young woman who was stabbed to death in the courtÂyard of her New York City apartÂment buildÂing while 38 neighÂbors watched and did nothÂing to help her. The wideÂspread covÂerÂage of her case had a huge impact on both polÂiÂcy and the field of psyÂcholÂoÂgy: The NYPD reformed its teleÂphone reportÂing sysÂtem; researchers began studyÂing the bystander effect and difÂfuÂsion of responÂsiÂbilÂiÂty; and the dead woman became a symÂbol of the dire conÂseÂquences of inacÂtion.
One of the most eleÂgant uses of that symÂbolÂism is the chapÂter (above) from the online motion comÂic based on the graphÂic novÂel WatchÂmen. GenÂovese figÂures promiÂnentÂly in the oriÂgin stoÂry of the superhero/antihero WalÂter Joseph Kovacs, aka “Rorschach.” Rorschach conÂstructs both his idenÂtiÂty and his cosÂtume as a direct response to the pasÂsivÂiÂty and even cynÂiÂcal voyeurism embodÂied by the neighÂbors who heard and watched her die.
But the actuÂal reacÂtions of the witÂnessÂes to KitÂty GenÂovese’s murÂder were more comÂpliÂcatÂed than origÂiÂnalÂly reportÂed. It’s unlikeÂly, for examÂple, that any of the infaÂmous 38 bystanders heard the entire crime, or realÂized its severÂiÂty in the moment. For a fasÂciÂnatÂing account of the disÂcrepÂanÂcies between the facts and myths of the case, you can lisÂten to this 2009 stoÂry on NPR, or read this 2007 artiÂcle from AmerÂiÂcan PsyÂcholÂoÂgist (the link is to a PDF from the author’s webÂsite).
The KitÂty GenÂovese paraÂble is no less moralÂly instrucÂtive for being not quite accuÂrate. The bystander effect is still real, the McDonÂald’s workÂer’s deciÂsion to tape the beatÂing last week rather than stop it is still repÂreÂhenÂsiÂble. And of course, Rorschach is still one of the most rightÂeous dark avengers in popÂuÂlar culÂture. But it’s worth rememÂberÂing that we’re more likeÂly to learn from our misÂtakes when we dig for the truth, even — and perÂhaps espeÂcialÂly — when the truth isn’t so simÂple.
SheerÂly Avni is a San FranÂcisÂco-based arts and culÂture writer. Her work has appeared in Salon, LA WeekÂly, MothÂer Jones, and many othÂer pubÂliÂcaÂtions. You can folÂlow her on twitÂter at @sheerly
It’s temptÂing to disÂmiss IkeÂpod’s new HourÂglass video as a sleek ad for an overÂpriced prodÂuct, espeÂcialÂly since that’s exactÂly what it is. But the video is also an eleÂgant, visuÂalÂly strikÂing tribÂute to a vanÂishÂing world, in which time (and timeÂpieces) seemed to move more slowÂly.
SheerÂly Avni is a San FranÂcisÂco-based arts and culÂture writer. Her work has appeared in Salon, LA WeekÂly, MothÂer Jones, and many othÂer pubÂliÂcaÂtions. You can folÂlow her on twitÂter at @sheerly
We think of space as a silent movie, someÂthing we see but nevÂer hear. Yet space creÂates a soundÂtrack of sorts (even if sound waves can’t realÂly travÂel through the cosÂmos), and now sciÂenÂtists and musiÂcians want to play that soundÂtrack for you.
EarÂliÂer this year, JanÂna Levin, ProÂfesÂsor of Physics and AstronÂoÂmy at Barnard College/Columbia UniÂverÂsiÂty, described how we can mathÂeÂmatÂiÂcalÂly modÂel the sounds made by black holes. Fast forÂward to the 10:27 mark of her TED Talk above, and you will hear what it sounds like when a lighter black hole falls into a heavÂier black hole. The litÂtle guy bangs against space, kind of like a drumb playÂing faster and faster … which brings us to MickÂey Hart, a forÂmer drumÂmer for The GrateÂful Dead.
In 2010, Hart teamed up with George Smoot, a Nobel Prize-winÂning physiÂcist at the Lawrence BerkeÂley NationÂal LabÂoÂraÂtoÂry, to reproÂduce the sound of The Big Bang and superÂnovas. (BerkeÂley Labs postÂed this superÂnoÂva clip above.) You can read more about the unlikeÂly pairÂing and the “Rhythms of the UniÂverse” project here, then expeÂriÂence more celesÂtial sounds recreÂatÂed by Hart here.
April may be the cruÂelest month, mixÂing memÂoÂry and desire, etc. But Mr. Eliot nevÂer dependÂed on seaÂsonÂal change for his liveliÂhood, except perÂhaps in the vaguest metaphorÂiÂcal sense. For a more upliftÂing take on spring, here’s The WindÂmill Farmer, a charmÂing short film by one of our favorite young aniÂmaÂtors.
Joaquin BaldÂwin, 27, earned his MFA at The UCLA AniÂmaÂtion WorkÂshop. He was born in Paraguay to an enviÂronÂmenÂtal activist mothÂer and an artist father, and you can see the influÂence of both vocaÂtions in his shorts, which have already won over 100 awards, and often have an enviÂronÂmenÂtal theme. For more inforÂmaÂtion about his work and backÂground, check out our ediÂtor’s 2010 write-up over at BrainÂpickÂings. And enjoy those lilacs while they last.
SheerÂly Avni is a San FranÂcisÂco-based arts and culÂture writer. Her work has appeared in Salon, LA WeekÂly, MothÂer Jones, and many othÂer pubÂliÂcaÂtions. You can folÂlow her on twitÂter at @sheerly.
You wouldÂn’t necÂesÂsarÂiÂly guess it, but astroÂphysics comes with occuÂpaÂtionÂal risks. TryÂing to unravÂel the mysÂterÂies of the uniÂverse, some physiÂcists jourÂney to inhosÂpitable parts of the world (Siberia, the AntarcÂtic, deep mine shafts, etc.), searchÂing for ideÂal conÂdiÂtions to perÂform experÂiÂments into dark enerÂgy, dark matÂter, and beyond. This all gets detailed by Anil AnanÂthaswamy, a softÂware writer turned sciÂence writer, who recentÂly pubÂlished a new book The Edge of Physics: A JourÂney to EarthÂ’s Extremes to Unlock the Secrets of the UniÂverse. The talk above was preÂsentÂed at the INK ConÂferÂence last DecemÂber. You can also watch him give a fuller 50 minute talk at Google here.
Both Alec BaldÂwin and Kevin Spacey are longÂtime advoÂcates for govÂernÂment fundÂing of the Arts. If you missed their tesÂtiÂmoÂny before the House ApproÂpriÂaÂtions SubcomÂmiÂtee on the InteÂriÂor earÂliÂer this month, you aren’t alone. They were kicked off the schedÂule because of prepaÂraÂtions for a conÂgresÂsionÂal shutÂdown. These speechÂes were delivÂered not to the subÂcomÂmitÂtee but to a crowd of advoÂcates and fans.
Both are well worth watchÂing. Spacey, who is also the artisÂtic direcÂtor of LonÂdon’s Old Vic TheÂatre, has long been one of the most respectÂed and articÂuÂlate actors in HolÂlyÂwood. (See his inspirÂing pep talk to a young actor on Inside the Actor’s StuÂdiohere.) He packs more wisÂdom in these 12 and a half minÂutes than some perÂformÂers do in a lifeÂtime.
As for Alec BaldÂwin, his speech is shortÂer, but equalÂly comÂpelling. If you’re in a rush, head straight to minute 4:00, which begins with this teasÂer: “I come from a busiÂness where we all know a great secret …”
SheerÂly Avni is a San FranÂcisÂco-based arts and culÂture writer. Her work has appeared in Salon, LA WeekÂly, MothÂer Jones, and many othÂer pubÂliÂcaÂtions. You can folÂlow her on twitÂter at @sheerly.
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