“The first half-hour or so was beset by his own interruptions, as he took issue with our wrong-headed laughs, our lack of responsiveness, our failure to ‘make connections’ and our want of imagination in coming up with suggestions when asked to do so. … Come the interval, I decided to take him at his word. Why stay on and risk letting him down further?”
Tag: 11.09.13
Barry Humphries’s Post-Dame Edna Gig: Adelaide Cabaret Festival
The character comedian/author/painter is expected to make use of his countless international contacts in his role as Artistic Director of one of the world’s largest cabaret events. Humphries has already begun planning the 2015 Festival, which will be his first.
Why It’s Not Important To Read Books Because “They’re Good For You”
“Just as I became truly comfortable with my body as soon as I gave up dieting and allowed my eating habits to be guided purely by the pleasure principle (gluttony and pleasure, I soon found out, are antithetical to one another), my reading life has improved immeasurably since I gave up trying to finish books that didn’t sustain my interest.”
Wait, How Exactly DID Jo Nesbø Get To Be The Guy Who Sells A Book Every 23 Seconds?
“With writing you can’t go visit people where they are — you have to invite them to your home — have them come to you. That’s what I’m doing. For every country where we’re doing well, I’m surprised because I’m writing about this guy who’s living in Oslo.”
Oh Great, Now The Studios Are Trawling Teenage Diaries For Movie Scripts?
“When she was 11, Maya’s family moved to a Texan border town, and in an attempt to make friends she followed the tips from a 1950s popularity guide, with painful and ‘profound’ results.”
Hold Up On Celebrating Banksy’s Big-Ticket NY Charity Auction
“The buyer immediately defaulted on his bid, according to officials at the charity. And now other bidders are crying foul over the way in which the attention-getting sale was conducted.”
Toddlers Beat Soap Operas, At Least According To Disney
“In the end, SOAPnet was a casualty of a shift in corporate priorities for Disney — and technology.”
Yes, Hollywood Needs China. Is That So Wrong?
“To stay out of (financial) trouble, Hollywood has long modified, obfuscated and even eliminated content that is deemed inappropriate in an effort to appease worldwide audiences of vastly different cultural, religious and political persuasions.”
Ready To Watch A (Long) Documentary About A Budget Crisis?
“‘At Berkeley’ is a four-hour, four-minute tour, without narration, of literature classes, robotics labs, football games and the inner sanctums of administrators facing tough decisions on a beautiful campus.”
Thanks To A Century Of Shocking Art, Are We Now Unshockable?
“The former president of the United States galloped into the exhibition of painting, printmaking and sculpture, adjusted his pince-nez, and ejaculated, in his famous soprano yelp, ‘THAT’S NOT ART!'”