We didÂn’t have cell phones [durÂing my days at NorthÂwestÂern]. If you made plans to meet someÂone in a snow storm and they didÂn’t show up, you just assumed that they were devoured by wolves and went on with your life. And we couldÂn’t text, and we cerÂtainÂly couldÂn’t sext each othÂer. If you wantÂed to send someÂone a picÂture of your priÂvate parts, you had to fax it. That’s how Kinko’s got its name!
Best Advice:
In my expeÂriÂence, you will truÂly serve only what you love, because serÂvice is love made visÂiÂble. If you love friends, you will serve your friends. If you love comÂmuÂniÂty, you will serve your comÂmuÂniÂty. If you love monÂey, you will serve your monÂey. If you love only yourÂself, you will serve only yourÂself and you will have only yourÂself… Try to love othÂers and serve othÂers, and hopeÂfulÂly find those who will love and serve you in return…
If you’re a Gen-X’er or oldÂer, this will likeÂly dust off some old memÂoÂries, unleashÂing one of those “Yes, I rememÂber that” moments.
From 1963 through 1988, MarÂlin Perkins and Jim Fowler hostÂed MutuÂal of OmaÂha’s Wild KingÂdom, a 30 minute proÂgram that aired SunÂday nights on NBC. An earÂly preÂcurÂsor to AniÂmal PlanÂet and The DisÂcovÂery ChanÂnel, Wild KingÂdom let AmerÂiÂcan audiÂences travÂel (at least virÂtuÂalÂly) to exotÂic desÂtiÂnaÂtions and observe wild aniÂmals in their natÂurÂal habiÂtats. It all hapÂpened durÂing prime time with milÂlions watchÂing. And the show, othÂerÂwise credÂitÂed with raisÂing ecoÂlogÂiÂcal and enviÂronÂmenÂtal awareÂness, won 41 major awards, includÂing four Emmys.
There are two ways to revisÂit Wild KingÂdom. One is to purÂchase The DefinÂiÂtive 50 Episode ColÂlecÂtion on DVD. The cheapÂer option (actuÂalÂly, it’s free) is to visÂit Wild KingÂdom’s ChanÂnel on YouTube, which hosts hours and hours of free proÂgramÂming. The episode above takes you into the mysÂterÂies of the AmaÂzon. Enjoy…
The world is in shamÂbles. CivÂiÂlizaÂtion is in free fall. And it’s all because of that ubiqÂuiÂtous elecÂtronÂic box spewÂing SnooÂki and Ozzy and The DonÂald into the homes of innoÂcent peoÂple, polÂlutÂing their minds and corÂruptÂing their souls. Or anyÂway, that’s what British comeÂdiÂan CharÂlie BrookÂer thinks.
BrookÂer is in a posiÂtion to know. He makes his livÂing off the offendÂing mediÂum, writÂing and appearÂing on such causÂtic proÂgrams as CharÂlie Brooker’s ScreenÂwipe, his hilarÂiÂous and merÂciÂless bitÂing of the hand that feeds. EarÂliÂer this year BBC Two preÂsentÂed its folÂlow-up to ScreenÂwipe, a six-part series titled How TV Ruined Your Life. The result is one part social satire, two parts ravÂing lunaÂcy, as the misÂanÂthropÂic Brooker—remote conÂtrol clenched furiÂousÂly in hand—takes us on a manÂic chanÂnel-surfÂing tour of the depravÂiÂty.
In the winÂdow above we feaÂture Episode 3: “AspiÂraÂtion.” The othÂer five installÂments can be accessed through the links below. WarnÂing: How TV Ruined Your Life conÂtains harsh lanÂguage that would not be safe for work. (But then, if you’re watchÂing half-hour comÂeÂdy shows at the office you’re probÂaÂbly skatÂing on thin ice anyÂway.)
The site hosts more than 80 videos, most of them stelÂlar, which means you could end up killing the whole day. Don’t say we didÂn’t w‑w-w-arn you (sorÂry).
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.
There was a good deal of time-travÂel in the ABC hit series Lost, one of the more ambiÂtious and popÂuÂlar shows of the past decade. But neiÂther Jack, Sawyer, HurÂley, nor any of our othÂer beloved 21st cenÂtuÂry castÂaways ever went back to the year 1969. If they had, and if they’d had access to a TV, they might have found themÂselves watchÂing a show about — themÂselves.
Well, sort of. The New PeoÂple ran on FriÂday nights on ABC from SepÂtemÂber 1969 through JanÂuÂary 1970 (It lastÂed only 17 episodes). We’ll take a shot at sumÂmaÂrizÂing the genÂerÂal premise, which might ring a couÂple of bells:
A plane crashÂes on a remote island in the PacifÂic, leavÂing its motÂley group of surÂvivors strandÂed and fightÂing about what to do next.… As they explore their new home, they find an entire town, fulÂly stocked with proÂviÂsions and weapons, but creepÂiÂly empÂty. Soon the surÂvivors disÂcovÂer that this island was once set up .…to be an AtomÂic EnerÂgy ComÂmisÂsion testÂing site!
No Lost fan can live withÂout a conÂspirÂaÂcy theÂoÂry, but we’re pretÂty sure there was nothÂing fishy in the comÂmonÂalÂiÂties, and in the end, are we not all chilÂdren of GilliÂgan? FurÂtherÂmore, there’s a good deal more to the plot, which includes racial conÂflict, adoÂlesÂcent angst (the surÂvivors are all colÂlege stuÂdents), and a healthy dose of Lord of the Flies-style chaos. Full episodes are not online, but at TVobÂscuÂriÂties you can find a wealth of relatÂed conÂtent, clips, links to reviews, and even the theme song, with lyrics.
Also, be sure to check out the episode guide, which realÂly does intrigue. NumÂber 12, for examÂple:
The Pied Piper of Pot. StepÂpenÂwolf thinks his felÂlow islanders are too uptight, so he grows potent marÂiÂjuaÂna that threatÂens to send the stuÂdents into a harÂrowÂing, one-way trip.
The New PeoÂple was proÂduced by Aaron Spelling, who went on to bring us CharÂlie’s Angels, The Love Boat, Hart to Hart, and BevÂerÂly Hills 90210, among many, many othÂers. But we’re not sure if he ever did come up with anothÂer charÂacÂter as comÂpelling as StepÂpenÂwolf.
(Thanks to Bryan Thomas)
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 while back, W. Daniel Hillis made the case that The Wire may rise to the levÂel of – if not surÂpass – TolÂstoy’s War & Peace. WritÂing for the Edge.org, Hillis went so far as to say:
As much as I liked War and Peace, I probÂaÂbly got more out of The Wire. And why should that be surÂprisÂing? More human effort can be put into a teleÂviÂsion series than a novÂel and more time is spent conÂsumÂing it. If both are exeÂcutÂed to their highÂest stanÂdards, with equal care, skill and insight, we might well expect less from the book.
If we can menÂtion The Wire in the same breath as TolÂstoy, then why not anothÂer giant of nineÂteenth cenÂtuÂry litÂerÂaÂture, Charles DickÂens? Yes, The Wire has been called “DickÂenÂsian” too, and this week the HoodÂed UtilÂiÂtarÂiÂan has re-imagÂinedThe Wire as a seriÂalÂized VicÂtoÂriÂan novÂel. The premise? ImagÂine The Wire writÂten in 60 installÂments over the course of six years, startÂing in 1846, by HorÂaÂtio BuckÂlesÂby Ogden, a DickÂens conÂtemÂpoÂrary who wrote with a “nuance and attenÂtion to detail that DickÂens nevÂer achieved.” Each installÂment ran 30 pages and sold for one shilling apiece.
The HoodÂed UtilÂiÂtarÂiÂan hasÂn’t actuÂalÂly printÂed these 60 installÂments (because they don’t actuÂalÂly exist). But they have proÂduced a few wonÂderÂful mock pages, and writÂten a faux piece of litÂerÂary critÂiÂcism to accomÂpaÂny them. A great job by Joy DelyrÂia and Sean Michael RobinÂson.
ElizÂaÂbeth TayÂlor, a star for sevÂen decades, died earÂliÂer today of conÂgesÂtive heart failÂure. She was 79 years old. To pay quick tribÂute, we’re highÂlightÂing TayÂlor’s 1954 appearÂance on “What’s My Line?,” the longest-runÂning game show in AmerÂiÂcan teleÂviÂsion hisÂtoÂry (1950 — 1967). A good way to rememÂber TayÂlor – havÂing a litÂtle fun in her prime.
The film menÂtioned at the end of the scene – The Last Time I Saw Paris stars – also hapÂpens to be availÂable at the InterÂnet Archive for free. Enjoy
A quick news bulÂletin: Japan was struck by a masÂsive 8.9 earthÂquake today, folÂlowed by some devÂasÂtatÂing tsunamis (see clip below). Al Jazeera is proÂvidÂing live covÂerÂage (in EngÂlish) on the web. Start watchÂing here. Or find anothÂer live stream from NHK in Japan. What’s more, The Wall Street JourÂnal has a live blog dedÂiÂcatÂed to the earthÂquake, and Google has set up a peoÂple findÂer for those livÂing in the counÂtry. Our best wishÂes to the peoÂple of Japan…
We're hoping to rely on loyal readers, rather than erratic ads. Please click the Donate button and support Open Culture. You can use Paypal, Venmo, Patreon, even Crypto! We thank you!
Open Culture scours the web for the best educational media. We find the free courses and audio books you need, the language lessons & educational videos you want, and plenty of enlightenment in between.
