“Video games are not inherently good or bad,” concludes the team of 12 researchers led by psychologist Douglas Gentile of Iowa State University. Their findings suggest this popular form of entertainment “can have both positive and negative effects.”
Tag: 03.27.09
In Recession: Movie Box Office Up, Popcorn Sales Down
“It’s a good news, bad news scenario: Theater admissions are way up during the biggest economic downturn in decades, but while filmgoers are enthusiastically buying movie tickets, they’re saving money by buying fewer snacks and drinks.”
Authorities Paint Over Famous Berlin Wall Painting
“One of the most famous paintings on the Berlin Wall, depicting Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev kissing his East German counterpart Erich Honecker, has been destroyed by the authorities. The artist is fuming, but he says he will paint a new image.”
NY Summer Arts Program Might Be Cut In Half
“The New York State Summer School of the Arts, a 40-year-old, state-subsidized program that offers training in theater, dance, music and visual arts, may have to cut its budget by as much as half this year because of the state’s budget crisis and, in particular, the drop-off in real estate transactions.”
Happy World Theatre Day! (Urp… You Missed It?)
“Theatre is a fun, powerful and ubiquitous art form, but having a “World Theatre Day” makes it seem like some sort of disease we need to raise consciousness about. Or a cause to don a little rubber bracelet for: Save Our Thesps. There’d be no World Theatre Day if everyone thought theatre was in a healthy state. We only organise capital-D Days for things that we fear are in peril. (See also: Earth Day.)”
Are Video Games The New Literature?
“It’s a widely held belief that if Charles Dickens were alive today, he would be working in television. But quite possibly, he might also be writing cut scenes for adventure games.”
Lawsuits Fly Over Robert Motherwell Legacy
“While conflicts over authenticity involving Warhols and Pollocks have become public in recent years, it is rare for disputes to arise within an organization charged with protecting an artist’s legacy.”
Turmoil Rips Apart Chicago Theatre Company
“In a move that rips apart one of Chicago’s most venerable off-Loop theaters, almost all of the acting ensemble members of the American Theater Company say they are severing connections with the institution many of them helped found 25 years ago.”
China’s Contemporary Art Scene Continues To Grow
“China sits atop a gold mine of contemporary art that few people have ever seen, either inside or outside the country. The art falls roughly into two categories: a celebration of the individual over the collective experience, and the adaptation of traditional methods and forms into entirely new objects.”
Global Warming Prompts European Nations To Change Their Borders
“Italy and Switzerland are planning to redraw their shared alpine border, as global warming is melting the glaciers that originally guided the line. Although peaceful, the move raises fears of future conflicts over shifting borders and resources.”