Andrew Sullivan's Blog, page 2627

Creepy Ad Watch

Ratatat - Drugs from Blink on Vimeo.

by Patrick Appel

Aaron Kohn reviews the work of video director Carl Burgess:

Composed solely of stock footage typically reserved for the likes of
corny law firm or pharmaceutical commercials, Burgess points to the
absurdity of these kinds of images. Editing strategically distorting
them at moments (with effects familiar to anyone who's ever used
Apple's Photobooth) suggest how quickly the mundane turns
sinister—well, at least in the eyes of the drugged.

...

Unfulfilled Potential

by Conor Friedersdorf

Graeme Wood reviews a book on Iran's Green Revolution:

The instant photo-uploads and breathless tweets from the protests thrilled many an observer outside Iran, because with unprecedented immediacy the world could watch events unfold almost in real time. Death to the Dictator!, however, is one of the first books that appears to be reported from the protests. Its potential is to reveal what the ill-fated revolution felt like from inside, and whether its participants have...

The Annals of Long Form Journalism

by Conor Friedersdorf

Today's selection is by Lawrence Weschler -- please enjoy.

Lawrence Weschler - Journalism - Media - Conservatism - Education

That 20%, Ctd

by Chris Bodenner

A reader writes:

Allahpundit, along with many other commentators, seem to assume that everyone who calls Obama a Muslim is a conspiracy theorist. That isn't necessarily the case. From talking to and listening to various people who make this assertion, I've gotten the distinct impression that at least some of them know perfectly well Obama isn't a Muslim in a literal sense; they're just using the word as an insult, to express their hatred of him. I've had the experience of...

Mental Health Break

by Chris Bodenner

Star Wars as silent film:

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope - Star Wars - Science Fiction - Games - Roleplaying

The Kevlar Bear

by Conor Friedersdorf

The Atlantic Wire highlights this story:

The Wall Street Journal's two-plus million print subscribers got a nice surprise on Monday: a front-page Journal
with the headline, "Near Lake Tahoe There's a Bear So Tough, Bullets
Bounce Off His Head." As if that wasn't enticing enough, it runs with
the deck, "'Bubba' Is Blamed for at Least 50 Home Invasions and His Crime Spree Isn't Over." Who is this bear's publicist and how can the Atlantic Wire hire him?

The...

Disincentivizing Dissent, Ctd

by Chris Bodenner

The debate over tenure was one of the most popular threads this week - find it all here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. Thanks to everyone who wrote it. Some final thoughts:

The graduate student in psychology who weighed in on the issue bemoaned the fact that faculty don't spend enough time teaching their graduate students, both before and after tenure.  The fact that this is true both before and after tenure suggests to me that tenure here isn't the...

Europe, America, and Muslim Assimilation

Conor Friedersdorf

In my earlier response to Ross Douthat, I neglected a question he posed at the end of his post:

I'm curious what Friedersdorf and others think about the argument that Christopher Caldwell makes in "Reflections on the Revolution in Europe," in the course of tackling the question of why Muslim immigrants have assimilated so slowly in much of the European West. Basically, Caldwell suggests that European elites have been so guilt-ridden about their past crimes, and so intent on...

Great Moments In Internet History

by Chris Bodenner

A meme mashup hits the Billboard charts:

(Hat tip: TDW)

Billboard - Chris Bodenner - Arts - Music - Charts

Malkin Award Nominee

by Chris Bodenner

Senator Roy Blunt's campaign ad:

To his credit, Blunt removed it:

Blunt told
the reporter he didn't know about the ad, and it disappeared from the
campaign's website moments later. A spokesman subsequently told the reporter that ad was removed because it "didn't reflect the right tone." The ad has re-appeared, but now shows pictures of Carnahan with President Obama instead of graphic Ground Zero damage. (HT: Fired Up! Missouri)

But I suspect this ad is just the tip of the...