The New Republic has suspended a critic from writing for the magazine. “Lee Siegel, creator of the Lee Siegel on Culture blog for tnr.com, was suspended indefinitely from the magazine after a reader accused him of using a “sock puppet,” or Internet alias, to attack his critics in the comments section of his blog.”
Tag: 09.05.06
Vegas Mayor Wants A Mob Museum
“Mayor Oscar Goodman, the flamboyant, gin-sipping, sports-gambling, showgirl-squiring executive of Sin City, is caught in a contradiction. For years he had told the world, ‘There is no mob.’ That was when he was a defense lawyer who represented mobsters and even had a cameo playing himself in Martin Scorsese’s ‘Casino.’ Goodman said there were no mobsters–just alleged mobsters. Now, as mayor, he wants to take a National Historic Landmark, the old federal courthouse where he tried his first case, and turn it into a mob museum–and there’s no alleged about it.”
Gregorian Chant In, Guitar Mass Out?
If Pope Benedict XVI’s recently articulated personal preferences hold sway, traditional music like Gregorian chant will become more prevalent in the Roman Catholic Mass. “The pope’s comments raise certain questions: What is sacred music supposed to sound like? And what’s wrong with new music in church? It’s a debate that has raged since 1963, when Vatican II reforms brought contemporary music to Catholic churches. Just as the Latin Mass almost immediately disappeared amid attempts to modernize, chants gave way to guitars and snappy folk tunes.”
Gregorian Chant In, Guitar Mass Out?
If Pope Benedict XVI’s recently articulated personal preferences hold sway, traditional music like Gregorian chant will become more prevalent in the Roman Catholic Mass. “The pope’s comments raise certain questions: What is sacred music supposed to sound like? And what’s wrong with new music in church? It’s a debate that has raged since 1963, when Vatican II reforms brought contemporary music to Catholic churches. Just as the Latin Mass almost immediately disappeared amid attempts to modernize, chants gave way to guitars and snappy folk tunes.”
One Antidote To Escalating Textbook Prices: Ads
“Selling ad space keeps newspapers, magazines, websites and television either cheap or free for users. But so far, the model hasn’t caught on with college textbooks. Now, a small Minnesota start-up is trying to shake up the status quo in the $6-billion college textbook industry. Freeload Press Inc. will offer more than 100 titles this fall — mostly for business courses — completely free. After filling out a five-minute survey, students can download the text of the book, which can be stored on a hard drive and printed.”
Why Christgau Is The Dean Of Rock Critics
The Village Voice has disposed of a legend in firing Robert Christgau. “Christgau’s project at the Voice was to create a venue for popular-music writing that assumed a certain readership—one equipped not just with broad cultural knowledge but with a fluency in music history, the pop canon, and all the little meta-narratives of individual artists and their discographies. The goal, in other words, was to talk about pop music in the way literary critics talked about books.”
TV As Social Partner … For Toddlers?
“Active engagement with television has been an antidote to criticism that the tube creates zombies. ‘Blue’s Clues,’ which celebrated its 10th anniversary last month, has been credited with helping young children learn from the screen. Academic research has shown that viewers ages 3 to 5 score better on tests of problem solving than those who haven’t watched the show. But what happens with children younger than 3? Should babies and toddlers be exposed to television at all? … While debates rage among parents, pediatricians and critics of baby videos (think ‘Baby Einstein’), developmental psychologists are trying to apply some science to the question.”
BMG Music Publishing Sale Almost A Done Deal?
“The Warner Music Group, Viacom and the Universal Music Group are the final bidders for the BMG Music Publishing unit, according to people briefed yesterday on the negotiations. … Bertelsmann, the German media company, is selling BMG Music Publishing to help finance a $5.8 billion buyback of a minority stake in the company. The music group’s roster includes contemporary artists like Maroon 5, Christina Aguilera and Nelly as well as catalogs of longtime musicians like B. B. King and Joan Jett, according to its Web site.”
New Organization To Give $50,000 Grants To Individual Artists
“A new charity, United States Artists, will announce today an ambitious plan to provide support to working artists, starting with a grant program that will be one of the most generous in existence. Fifty artists working in a wide variety of disciplines and at various career stages will receive $50,000 each, no strings attached. The first recipients will be announced on Dec. 4.”
Michael Billington’s Bizarre Night At The Theatre
“Is it better for an audience to show its disapproval at the end of a show or are they entitled to make abusive remarks while it’s in progress? After a nasty experience at Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre on Tuesday night during a performance of Three Sisters, I’ve decided that terminal boos are better than a drizzle of derision.”