Forty years after George CarÂlin first stopped by The Tonight Show (1966), he made one of his last appearÂances, delivÂerÂing a rap/poem that’s clasÂsic CarÂlin, a hypÂnotÂic riff on modÂern life and sociÂety. The lyrics appear right below.
I’m a modÂern man,
A man for the milÂlenÂniÂum,
DigÂiÂtal and smoke free.
A diverÂsiÂfied mulÂtiÂculÂturÂal postÂmodÂern deconÂstrucÂtionÂist,
PolitÂiÂcalÂly anatomÂiÂcalÂly and ecoÂlogÂiÂcalÂly incorÂrect.
I’ve been uplinked and downÂloaded.
I’ve been inputted and outÂsourced.
I know the upside of downÂsizÂing.
I know the downÂside of upgradÂing.
I’m a high tech lowlife.
A cutÂting edge state-of-the-art bicoastal mulÂtiÂtasker,
And I can give you a gigaÂbyte in a nanosecÂond. (The rest after the jump…) (more…)
What can we say about Gary ShteynÂgart? The novÂelÂist appeared last year in The New Yorker’s 20 Under 40 FicÂtion Issue (which listÂed authors “who capÂture the invenÂtiveÂness and the vitalÂiÂty of conÂtemÂpoÂrary AmerÂiÂcan ficÂtion.”) He teachÂes writÂing at ColumÂbia UniÂverÂsiÂty and counts James FranÂco as one of his stuÂdents. And he’s willÂing to husÂtle a litÂtle to sell a book. When his novÂel Super Sad True Love StoÂry came out last sumÂmer (find NYTimes review here), the quirky Leningrad-born author (key to underÂstandÂing what comes next) released a satirÂiÂcal, self-depÂreÂcatÂing trailÂer to proÂmote his book. JefÂfrey Eugenides, Jay McInÂerÂney, Edmund White, Mary GaitÂskill and FranÂco himÂself all get in on the joke … which gets betÂter as it goes along.
ShteynÂgart’s book just came out in paperÂback last week. To mark the occaÂsion, Fresh Air re-aired an interÂview with him (sans accent) last week. His book is also availÂable as an audio downÂload via Audible.com, and here’s how you can snag a free copy…
There is no exact date for this silent home movie shot at the ReseÂda, CA home of Stan LauÂrel’s daughÂter, Lois. But the year must have been 1956, because, durÂing that year, OlivÂer Hardy, the othÂer memÂber of the great comÂic duo, lost more than 150 pounds, resultÂing in a comÂplete change of his outÂward appearÂance. Hardy had a mild heart attack in 1954 and startÂed lookÂing after his health. But letÂters by Stan LauÂrel indiÂcate that OlivÂer was also sufÂferÂing from canÂcer. In SepÂtemÂber 1956 — probÂaÂbly not long after this movie was made — OlivÂer sufÂfered a major stroke, which left him unable to speak and conÂfined to bed for sevÂerÂal months. Then, at the beginÂning of August 1957, he had two more strokes and slipped into a coma from which he nevÂer recovÂered. He died on August 7 that year.
ExactÂly one week after OlivÂer’s death, Stan gave a rare radio interÂview and recountÂed the moment when he and OlivÂer met for the first time. The full, one-hour interÂview can be enjoyed here. Stan died on 23 FebÂruÂary 1965 after sufÂferÂing a heart attack of his own. He was buried at ForÂest Park MemoÂrÂiÂal Park in BurÂbank. Footage from the funerÂal shows celebriÂties such as Dick Van Dyke, Buster Keaton and George ChanÂdler in attenÂdance. Stan’s friend Dick Van Dyke delivÂered this movÂing euloÂgy.
JerÂry SeinÂfeld has decidÂed to go on tour, and as if to remind us that his stand-up life preÂcedÂed his decade-plus domÂiÂnance of netÂwork TV, he’s also archived the best bits from a comÂeÂdy career that now spans over 25 years. (He first appeared on nationÂal teleÂviÂsion in 1977.) The new site/archive will feaÂture just a few clips, makÂing new ones availÂable each day. It’s a smart move; the steady trickÂle of new jokes will no doubt keep fans hunÂgry.
For a reminder of the days when it was SeinÂfeld himÂself who was hunÂgry, here’s a set from 1981, his first appearÂance on HBO. He’s being preÂsentÂed by the pitch-perÂfect SmothÂers BrothÂers, who introÂduce the bareÂly known comeÂdiÂan as “JerÂry SteÂinÂfeld.”
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 want to know why Rupert MurÂdoch runs the world and you don’t? Here’s a hint: In 1990, Spy MagÂaÂzine (now archived at Google Books) sent MurÂdoch and a slew of othÂer wealthy celebriÂties checks for $1.11 as a prank. MurÂdoch cashed his right away — because even when he was just a lowÂly bilÂlionÂaire, the guy underÂstood monÂey.
And the ediÂtors at Spy (1986–98) underÂstood celebriÂty culÂture, which is why they became arguably the most influÂenÂtial magÂaÂzine of the late 20th cenÂtuÂry, or, in Dave Eggers’ words “cruÂel, brilÂliant, beauÂtiÂfulÂly writÂten and perÂfectÂly designed, and feared by all.” ComÂbinÂing an eleÂgant house style, barbed satire, and a healthy dose of class-rage, Spy inspired a radÂiÂcal tonal shift in AmerÂiÂcan jourÂnalÂism just in time for the arrival of a perÂfectÂly suitÂed new platÂform: The InterÂnet.
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.
Go ahead and catch this inspired mashup of VicÂtoÂriÂan comÂeÂdy and MTV “realÂiÂty” at PlayÂbill Video in 5 parts … unless you have work to do this afterÂnoon.
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.
Over at OhNoTheyÂDidÂn’t, you can find some alterÂnaÂtive titles for some of the most famous books ever writÂten — or, in ONDT’s own words, titles that are “more accuÂrate and less preÂtenÂtious” than the origÂiÂnals.
Before clickÂing over to the (slightÂly NFSW) whole colÂlecÂtion, test your high/low culÂturÂal agiliÂty by tryÂing to guess a few origÂiÂnals from their updates:
1. My Dad is CoolÂer Than Your Dad
2. EmoÂtions Are For Poor PeoÂple
3. ShakeÂspeare Minus the Good WritÂing
4. LikÂable Rapists
5. White PeoÂple Ruin EveryÂthing
If you got all five right, nay, if you got any right, we’re countÂing on you for the ClueÂlesssequel.
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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