Popular Culture

21 April 2003


Worshipping Idols and Graven Checkbooks
"American Idol" is in its second incarnation on American TV, and there are two good things about it. First, Simon Cowell has the uncanny ability to speak the truth in front of millions. Second, there are some truly bad singers out there who need their egos deflated. Yet, none of this makes up for the fact that these "idols" reflect a style of entertainment that is narrow, safe, and ultimately, dull. For more, click here.

Manchester United 2 -- Arsenal 2
Every season, every sport has one game that stands out, where everything is on the line, where the competitors put in the effort that proves their love of the game. Wednesday's match at Highbury was it for the English Premier League, with Arsenal hosting Manchester United. The 2-2 draw was the right result, but oddly, it also means Manchester wins. Click here to read on.

Driving in Central London on £5 a Day
London traffic had reached the point where socialist Mayor "Red" Ken Livingstone adopted a monetarist solution of charging people to drive on the roads. In a major blow to ideological purity, it worked. Traffic was down 20% almost immediately, and scofflaws had failed to stop the fee. Paying attention America? Click here to read more.