A New Year in the Media World

A few thoughts from across the Interwebs on the new year:

Posted in Chapter 1, Chapter 10, Chapter 15, Chapter 2, Chapter 4, Chapter 8, Chapter 9 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Link Ch. 13 – Firefly, Fascism and Free Speech

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) has produced a fascinating video about a Wisconsin theater professor who was accused of promoting violence and creating hostile environment by putting up a poster with a quote from the TV series Firefly.

After campus police took down his Firefly poster, Prof. James Miller then put up a poster condemning fascism and police violence that got him cited a second time.  Miller ended up getting substantial support in his case from FIRE, fans of Firefly, author Neil Gaiman, and Firefly actors Nathan Fillion and Adam Baldwin.  A great look at how a campus free-speech case played out.  (Hat tip to Boing Boing for the tweet pointing this out.)

The libertarian blog/magazine Reason had a good article about the case back in September as well.

Posted in Book Link, Chapter 13 | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Link Ch. 13 – Firefly, Fascism and Free Speech

My New Tumblr Blog

I’ve just started up a new Tumblr blog for sharing photos, videos, and material from other Tumblr blogs.  Unlike this blog, there’s not particular theme to it beyond “Things I Like.”  Feel free to check it out!

http://ralphehanson.tumblr.com/

Today’s post is a link to a video for Ron Carter’s jazz version of “The Asteroid Field” from The Empire Strikes Back.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on My New Tumblr Blog

Link Ch. 1 – Interview with Neil Postman

In this interview, C-SPAN’s Brian Lamb talks with Prof. Neil Postman about his book Amusing Ourselves to Death.

Posted in Book Link, Chapter 1 | Tagged , | Comments Off on Link Ch. 1 – Interview with Neil Postman

Link Ch. 1 – Media on Everest

Posted in Book Link, Chapter 1 | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Link Ch. 1 – Media on Everest

Link Ch. 1 – Are FCC Indecency Rules Still Relevant in New Media Age?

FCC indecency rules (or at least enforcement of them) has varied greatly over the years, but ever since Janet Jackson’s 5/16ths of a second nipple exposure, the FCC adopted a “zero tolerance” policy.  But does fight against fleeting nudity and expletives make sense in the current media age?  That’s the question Jonathan Peters addresses at PBS’s Mediashift blog.  Lots to think about here.

You can read about how the U.S. Supreme Court finally resolved the Janet Jackson Super Bowl case after eight years here.

Posted in Book Link, Chapter 1 | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Ch. 1 Link – Hearing a Speech v. Reading a Speech

Both President Barack Obama and his challenger Senator John McCain were credited with giving excellent speeches on election night 2008.  Take a listen to these two speeches, then read a transcript of them.  Which gives you a better sense of what the speech was like?

    • Obama’s Victory Speech:

Transcript of Obama’s speech

  • Senator John McCain’s concession speech

Transcript of McCain’s speech

 

Posted in Book Link, Chapter 1 | 1 Comment

Link Ch. 7 – Girl Walk: Girl Talk’s All Day: The Movie

(Updated 2/17/19)

For those of you who are fans of mashup artist Girl Talk, there is a now a fascinating dance film out that is essentially a 71-minute long video for Girl Talk’s latest album All Day.

There’s a preview below, but here’s a link to the entire film.  It’s being released two chapters a week, with the entire film available by 1/6/2012.

The film was funded through Kickstarter, the long-tail funding website, with director Jacob Krupnick raising almost $25,000 from 577 backers who committed amounts ranging rom $5 to $500 or more.  (Most of the backers were under $100.)

This is Chapter 3 – It Goes Like This

Posted in Book Link, Chapter 10, Chapter 7, Chapter 8 | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Questions Worth Asking (Maybe)

Posted in Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 2, Chapter 5, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Questions Worth Asking (Maybe)

Sigourney Weaver & Buster Poindexter do “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” on SNL

I’ve been looking for this for years!  A 1986 episode of Saturday Night Live featuring Sigourney Weaver singing “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with Buster Poindexter, the former head of the SNL Band.  My favorite version of this Christmas classic.  This was also the episode that featured “Alienses” and Weaver’s 8 minute version of the opera “The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahgonny.”

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Alienses

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xbu053

 

Posted in Chapter 9, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 4 Comments