“About 45 minutes into Green Lantern, I had an epiphany. There I was, watching a cosmically strange Van Wilder sequel in which our hero becomes an interstellar space cop who saves the world from a giant yawning fear-fart, and I thought to myself, “Haven’t I seen this before?” I mean, I knew I hadn’t actually seen it before, because every Blake Lively film I’ve seen is about a pair of magical pants rather than a magical ring, and I have them all memorized. I also thought to myself “How can someone dumb enough to trust a dude named Sinestro be relied upon to save our planet?” But I just saw a movie about a jingoistic tow-truck who foils a vast corporate conspiracy, so I think I just have to let certain things slide this time of year.”
—In which David Ehrlich compares ‘Green Lantern’ to ‘Blow-Up,’ ‘Spider-Man’ to ‘Wings of Desire,’ and ‘Batman’ to ‘Straw Dogs.’
June 2011
11 posts
Busting out the Für Alina for the first time in months
It’s been a good, stress-free run, but it’s apparently just about over…
“[Sepp] Blatter is an unreconstructed sexist and without resistance, women’s soccer would look something like the Lingerie Football League. The man who bans the hijab proposed in 2004 that women players wear “hot pants” on the pitch to boost the sport’s popularity. He said that the “tighter shorts” would produce “a more female aesthetic.”
In addition, for years, human rights organizations have asked Blatter to take a stand and say something about the horrific influx of sex-slave trafficking that accompanies the arrival of the World Cup. Blatter’s cold response, “Prostitution and trafficking of women does not fall within the sphere of responsibility of an international sports federation but in that of the authorities and the lawmakers of any given country.” In other words, he’s not exactly Susan Faludi.
” —The great Dave Zirin, writing about Sepp Blatter. Corrupt and sexist? What a guy…
“Teens read YA books and take away positive, moral guidance. In order to show kids why certain behaviours are dangerous, you actually have to discuss the behaviours. Scary, I know. It’s tough being a parent. But it’s tougher being a kid who has clueless parents. Books don’t turn kids into murderers, or rapists, or alcoholics. (Not even the Bible, which features all of these acts.) Books open hearts and minds, and help teenagers make sense of a dark and confusing world. YA literature saves lives. Every. Single. Day.”
—Laurie Halse Anderson, responding to Meghan Cox Gurdon’s rage-inducing article about YA fiction in the Wall Street Journal.
