Cities across England turned dangerous as violent riots, spurred by the death of a black man by police, spread throughout the country. Mobs took over the streets, setting buildings and cars on fire, shattering windows, and looting stores. Things were particularly bad in London, where the Prime Minister sent 16,000 policemen on Tuesday to calm things down. It worked- the worst is over- but the cost of clean up is estimated to be in the tens of millions. Even though the riots began because of one man’s death, the social and economic inequality may have been what really heated things up. That’s an issue pretty familiar to those living in the U.S., and now, many are wondering, could the same thing happen in the states? Read More »
Did this week go insanely slow or was it just us? Maybe it was the lack of excitement at the VMAS or maybe it was the lack of any celebrity scandals (like, LiLo pull it together and do something crazy. We misss youuu). Either way we’re very ready for the weekend. But just in case you weren’t around this week, here’s what you missed:
- We were wowed by all the Welcome Week photos that came pouring in this week. We laughed a lot. And then cried because we miss college so much. And then shared a bottle of wine.
Sometimes we all need that extra little push to get ourselves over Hump Day and this awesome video will help you get there. It’s cute, it’s catchy, and for all our bible-thumping-no-sex-having readers out there, it’s totally PG. Will.I.Am? Yes.I.Will.
Everything I know I learned on The Street…. Sesame Street. And today, on the show’s 40th anniversary, I want to give credit where credit is due.
Without Big Bird and the gang, I never would have figured out exactly what things are not like the others. This logic has helped me weed out the good guys from the frat guys at parties, and the under-cooked hamburgers from the well-done ones at the dining hall. Sesame Street has single-handedly saved me from STDs and E. coli.
Ernie and Bert taught me how to cope with living with a roommate and how to pick up on subtle undertones of romantic feelings from them, too.
And the Count, well he taught me how to count… slowly… and then faster… and then slowly again. Read More »
I had a lot of nightmares as a kid. Thanks to these nightmares and various frightening films I’ve developed a hilarious set of OCD habits such as opening and closing closet doors before sleeping and checking behind the shower curtain before I saddle up to the toilet (you laugh but one day someone is gonna be in there and then who’s the dumb one!)
My imagination is easily inspired. For a while I couldn’t even watch a commercial for a horror movie because I knew those 30 seconds were enough to create an entire world of horrific fantasy that I’d be trapped inside for the rest of the evening. The one thing more unnerving then horror characters and sharks (I don’t swim in the ocean, at all, ever) is muppets.
Not all muppets, Kermit is fine, Fozzy, whatever. I’m talking about those LSD muppets that creators slip in films and TV shows, mixed with other cute, lovable creatures. They lure you in with Grover and then BAM, some abomination walks onto the screen that’s burned into your mind forever. Some horribly disfigured, warbly voiced monstrosity that may as well be drenched in blood, because thats how you’ll remember them, regardless.
Here’s five of the worst perpetrators. Read More »
Sesame Street is no longer safe for kids.In a hilarious New York Times article, Virginia Heffernan jokes about the very real warning on the DVD for volumes 1 and 2 of Sesame Street: “These early ‘Sesame Street’ episodes are intended for grown-ups, and may not suit the needs of today’s preschool child.”
After subjecting herself and friends to an “all-ages” screening of the 1970’s version of the kids show, Heffernan bemoaned the “damage” the show’s gritty early years caused her psyche.
“The show rolled, and the sweet trauma came flooding back. What they did to us was hard-core. Man, was that scene rough. The masonry on the dingy brownstone at 123 Sesame Street, where the closeted Ernie and Bert shared a dismal basement apartment, was deteriorating. Cookie Monster was on a fast track to diabetes. Oscar’s depression was untreated. Prozacky Elmo didn’t exist.”
Even though I was nothing but a faraway dream in the 70’s, I remember tuning into Sesame Street during my early years, somewhere around 1986. While I’m pretty sure Elmo had been ‘born’ by then, the images my pre-school eyes witnessed were not the saccharin filled pictures that flood PBS today. Read More »
The most boring class I took in college was Statistics I.
It was boring and hard, which meant that no matter what I tried, I constantly fell asleep next to my computer and woke up completely lost.
If only I could have taken one of these classes compiled by Mental Floss Magazine, I’m sure my GPA would have looked much better. Instead of dozing off to the lulling sound of a professor droning on about ratios, I could have been studying muppets and watching Sesame Street.
All of these, at one time, actually existed.
The Horror Film in Context – Bowdoin – Watch people get their heads smashed in and then talk about why society likes to watch people get their heads smashed in.
Simpsons and Philosophy – Cal-Berkeley – How much does this popular show reflect society? Apparently enough to warrant a semester’s worth of lectures. Read More »
I thought the writing was terrible, the songs were worse, and the acting was mind-numbingly bad. Granted, it was written for kids, and I guess it was fine for someone just wheening themselves off Sesame Street and the Disney Channel, but when it comes to the over-16 crowd who worship the movie, I just don’t understand.
Another thing I don’t understand is the magical pull of Zac Efron.
I mean, he kind of looks like he’s made of wax. A 12-year-old wax figurine. I know he’s almost 20, but he sure doesn’t look it, and if it wasn’t all over the place that he was dating what’s-her-name, I’d bet $100 dollars his ass was gay.
So why is he so famous? I think it’s the same reason Sanjaya and Clay Aiken (two boys who should just give up and step out of the closet) were /are so popular. Tween girls love guys who look harmless, sweet, and perfectly groomed. Read More »
Did this week go insanely slow or was it just us? Maybe it was the 
The most boring class I took in college was Statistics I.
I’m one of the three people in the world who hated 
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