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9.24.04

Culturally Speaking #38

By Sarah Stodola

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So capitalism is indeed a necessary evil, and has been around ever since the beginning of human nature?

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I keep meaning to, and then forgetting to, and then remembering to, and then forgetting to again, to post a link to this new site, Snarksmith. It's good and you'd think from its name that it's snarky and therefore probably pretty irritating, but it's not, it's really intelligent and interesting, and I think that the guy who does it knows the other Me Three editor, Mark Grueter. I think I remember him mentioning that. Not that this really matters in any way as far as whether you like the site or not, except that Mark and I, well, as editors and as people, we have good taste. So take a look.

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It has just occurred to me, after all this time, that the name The Partisan Review is a terrible name for a journal that purported itself to be the pinnacle of open, intelligent, progressive thinking - for the simple reason that "partisan" implies bias, and if one is going to engage in true progressive thinking, one most let go of biases.

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Hey, TMFTML, you're barely even my cyber-friend, but I'll still say anyway that I think you did the right thing. I do really like your blog, but I think there's only so much that one blog can do, being basically a one trick pony and all. So I think you deserve some props for quitting while you're on top.

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Some thoughts on whether or not MFAs are worth it...

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How adult celebrity glossies have become little more than slick versions of teenage celebrity glossies. This is my favorite part:

"American pop culture has always had a love/hate relationship with youth, but now that adult magazines refuse to act their age, editors are increasingly acting out by abusing the youthful celebrities they’ve come to rely on to sell copies."

...Even though I don't think it's quite accurate. The reason I don't think it's quite accurate is that I think editors enjoy abusing youthful celebrities because this way they are ostensibly justified in obsessing about them, not because they are forced to cover them and therefore must find a way to "act out."

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Controversy surrounds the Booker Prize as judges claim that many of the books simply suck.

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Suspicious election-time practice by the Pentagon.

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Letterman's "Top 10 Bush Tax Proposals," via Joho.

Click here for the last Culturally Speaking.

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Sarah Stodola is the Managing Editor of Me Three.  She can be contacted here.

© 2004 Me Three