Popular Culture

10 February 2003


Penn, Teller and BS
The new Penn & Teller program on Showtime is titled "Bullshit," which would be another example of the coarsening of American society except that BS is what the two magician/comedians are exposing and, for legal reasons, they can't say lie, cheat, swindle or scam. Bullshit and related words, though, don't run into that legal difficulty. Vulgarity aside, the program is a public service by showing what a load of bullshit certain things are. For more, click here.

Old Vic's Artistic Director -- Kevin Spacey
Good news in the arts is rare. Crass commercialism is everywhere, and fellows who can't paint, pretending that they can, make things worse. So, when a venerable institution like the Old Vic chooses someone of genuine talent to run the show for a while, civilization can take a breather from holding off the barbarian hordes. All right, Kevin Spacey won't save the planet as the Old Vic's artistic director, but it is a damn fine appointment. Click here to read on.

West Beats East in Double Overtime
Atlanta hosted the NBA's All-Star Week-End and provided the world with a glimpse of why the NBA used to be fun to watch. Double over-time in basketball is inherently exciting, and a 155-145 finish proves that the ability to score is still there. This week-end was particularly important, marking as it does the end of Michael Jordan's career (this retirement may stick) and the arrival of Yao Ming. The 3-point and slam dunk contests were heavy draws on their own, and a celebrity 3-on-3 with Magic Johnson rounded the fun. Click here to read more.