In this month’s issue of The Atlantic, critic Christopher Orr asks, “Why Are Romantic Comedies So Bad?” He kicks off by quoting well known rom-com producer Lynda Obst, who recently claimed that this year has been “the hardest time of my 30 years in the business.” As an outspoken fan of the genre, I can’t […]
Another Week Ends: Erratic Anxiety, Lucrative Law, Backwards Self-Help, More Grace in Addiction, State of Lin-dependence, and the Flight from Control
1. A brilliant article by Eve Tushnet at The American Conservative examines narratives of moral progress in American culture – “Hedonist, Disciple, or Bourgeois?” She critiques the dichotomy between hedonism/moral license, on the one hand, and discipleship/moral progress, on the other, claiming that it misses a crucial third option: the bourgeois ethos that permeates much of American culture. […]
Take the Carbon, Leave the Bible: Some Thoughts on Moonrise Kingdom
There’s a great moment in the fake Italian talk show interview with Wes Anderson and his co-screenwriter Noah Baumbach that’s included on the Criterion edition of The Life Aquatic. Following a series of hilariously awkward and absurd exchanges, the (ridiculous) host asks the director point-blank if he believes in God. Wes answers, “Eh, I think […]
Another Week Ends: Trickle-Down Distress, Klout Scores, Playful Parenting, Glorious Ruin, Churchy Beer, Moonrise, Darnielle on Amy Grant, Blur and Louis CK
1. “Trickle-Down Distress: How America’s Broken Meritocracy Drives Our National Anxiety Epidemic” – what a title! Maura Kelly’s piece in The Atlantic functions almost as a survey of a number of the studies and articles we’ve highlighted in recent months, such the WHO reports that show America leading the world in clinical anxiety by a […]
Another Week Ends: Moral Dieting, Self Illusions, Craig Sager's Suits, Superhero Saints, LIBERATE, Prometheus, Drive-In Church, and MJ's Bad
1. We’ve given him a rest for a few months, but the break is over! David Brooks wrote an another incisive column for The NY Times this week, “The Moral Diet,” reflecting on Dan Ariely’s new book on dishonesty. Brooks isn’t afraid to cast the research in historical-religious terms; indeed, the shift in Western self-perception, […]
Another Week Ends: Gamer Grace, Baby Data, Moonrise Kingdom, Amygdalas, LEGO (and Kinkade) Infernos, Munch's Scream, more Marilynne, and Parks and Rec
1. Yes Please: A truly wonderful article from our friends at Kill Screen looking at video games through the lens of the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the Geek.” Richard Clark explores the crucial difference between playing for points and playing for fun, the imperative to win vs. the freedom to lose. The grounding concept is that […]
Wes Anderson Goes To Camp!
The first pics from the set of his new movie, Moonrise Kingdom, hit the net last week and they look super-promising. For more, click here.
