This is making the rounds – but it is an entertaining mashup of Lord of the Rings and the World Cup. Watched a World Cup game this summer and wanted to get rid of the vuvuzela noise? Just bring in the Fellowship of the Vuvuzela.
Watch here.
Category Archives: Entertainment
Where Hitler is not reviled
Interesting AP story regarding a Bollywood film about Hitler titled Dear Friend Hitler. From the piece:
[In India], Hitler is not viewed as the personification of evil, but with an attitude of morally ambiguous fascination. He is seen as a management guru – akin to Machiavelli or Sun Tzu – by business students, and an object of wonder by people craving order amid the chaos of India.
A sociologist, Ashsish Nandy, gives several reasons for this:
For some readers, modern India is a country in chaos and, there is a “certain admiration” for Hitler and his extreme authoritarianism.
There is also India’s colonial inheritance when “every enemy of Britain was a friend of India and at least potentially a good person,” he says, adding that among today’s young readers “there is kind a vague sense that it’s about a person who gave a tough time to the Brits.”
Much of this is likely to look strange to Westerners where Hitler is often invoked as the “epitome of evil.” But the two reasons given by Nandy may have some merit. The British colonial legacy, often negative even more than six decades later, is still a strong cultural factor. Current “chaos” also invokes hope that any leader, in any form, might bring order.
Quick Review: Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3 is in its second week in theaters. Featuring the same band of characters, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and friends, plus some new toys and humans, Pixar has served up another successful film. My thoughts:
1. Andy is off to college. An interesting plot device as the toys have to switch gears – but also seems connected to a Pixar interest in chronicling life changes. Up contrasted an old man and young boy. Cars looked at changes in a small town. These films are not just about a moment of time but they involve complicated contexts for the current story. These transitional periods, such as a move from childhood to college or from mourning and grumpiness to meaning and joy after the loss of a spouse, have much potential for exploration.
2. There does seem something a little strange about watching a movie about a kid playing with toys. Andy is depicted in his youth running around his house with his cast of toys – no shots of him sitting at a computer, in a movie theater, texting. Older Andy is tied more to his computer. Yet we are paying money to see a sentimental movie about a kid playing with his toys. Does a movie like this inspire kids to be more imaginative with their toys or simply encourage them to watch more movies?
3. Pixar is really good at invoking sentimentalism without being mawkish. Andy eventually reflects on what the toys mean to him – and it is a touching moment. The typical sweeping Hollywood soundtrack is not present (thankfully) and the characters are not overdramatic. Even though Pixar makes animated stories, the key to their success are engaging stories.
4. If you were curious, the door is left wide open at the end for another film with a new set of human characters.
See no evil
The Wall Street Journal is reporting a summary judgment ruling in the Viacom vs. YouTube copyright infringment case (link to the opinion here).
For those of you not familiar with the case, Viacom, which owns a host of media outlets, is suing on the theory that YouTube/Google is legally responsible for Viacom clips that YouTube users post. As Judge Louis Stanton puts it, “the critical question” from a legal perspective is whether the law punishes an online service provider that has “a general awareness that there are infringements” taking place (i.e., the fact that everyone knows there are infringing videos up on YouTube) or whether YouTube is only responsible if it has “actual or constructive knowledge of specific and identifiable infringements of individual items.” Closely reading the Digital Millennium Copyright Act [text] and its legislative history, Judge Stanton concludes that “[m]ere knowledge of prevalence of [infringing] activity is not enough….To let knowledge of a generalized practice of infringement in the industry, or of a proclivity of users to post infringing materials, impose responsibility on service providers to discover which of their users’ posting infringe a copyright would contravene the structure and operation of the DMCA.”
This one’s virtually certain to be appealed. Stay tuned…
Chunga – 6/23/10 8:24 PM – The onus now seems to be on the content providers, like Viacom, to monitor which of their products are uploaded and then ask for their removal (which Google appears quite willing to do). If Viacom does not explicitly ask for a removal, YouTube/Google can keep all sorts of of copyrighted material online?
Sagescape – 6/23/10 9:34 PM – Generally speaking, that’s correct. There’s a very helpful FAQ maintained by ChillingEffects.org that describes the DMCA’s “notice and takedown” process in some detail.
Collective effervescence in front of my TV
I worked from home this morning while watching the USA take on Algeria in the final group-stage match in the World Cup. When the US scored in the 91st minute, I was excited. And then, like I occasionally do while watching the Olympics, I felt a swell of national pride. For a moment, I was connected to other Americans…and the images on ESPN of joyous fans at some pub in Seattle.
To the innocent, all things are innocent
In an interesting anecdote on the perennial nature vs. nurture debate, a father lets his 4-year-old son play Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, to rather surprising results.
Quick Review: The Wire
I finished watching the last season of The Wire over the weekend. Quick observations before I provide some links to academics and sociologists commenting on the show, one that several critics have deemed “the best TV show ever.”
1. The City of Baltimore is truly part of the story. Unlike many shows that use a “bland big city” for the background, this show digs deeper into the place.
2. Multi-faceted view of the situation and complicated stories. Each season attempts a slightly different angle including children and the media (seasons 4 and 5). There are consistent characters through all the seasons but each season keeps adding a little more as a new perspective is developed. Not a fast-moving show.
3. Some fascinating characters. Jimmy McNulty – a detective that perhaps only loves his cases. Stringer Bell – a gang leader who is also taking business classes at night to improve his skills. Officer Daniels (who moves up the ranks during the show) unwilling to “juke the stats” to please his bosses. Many more to name.
4. The police are just as deep into the drugs and violence as the gangs. From consistent violence to “Hamsterdam” to cover-ups to “juking the stats” to impressive detective work, the police are not simply geniuses or people who can shoot better. In fact, the police rarely shoot – a problem with many cop shows since most real-life police rarely or never fire a gun in the line of duty.
4a. The politicians are similarly involved. The goal: get as much positive credit for change while minimizing negatives that happen when you are in charge.
5. Somewhat hopeless ending – new people on both sides, the gangs and police, come in, take the place of those before, and similar battles are fought. Some of the kids get out and many do not. A good number of the police are ruined. The politicians try to use whatever they can to get ahead. Money and power are what people want and just their means of pursuing them are different.
6. Sociologically, a lot of the show seemed similar to Sudhir Venkatesh’s books on life on the South side of Chicago: American Project, Off the Books, Gang Leader for a Day.
Some commentary from other sociologists:
1. Sudhir Venkatesh talking about the show with “real thugs”.
2. A short collection of reviews from Racism Review.
3. The Guardian UK summarizes an academic conference on The Wire.
4. Slate.com writing about academic courses on the TV show, including noted sociologist William Julius Wilson teaching such a course at Harvard.
5. Two sociologists comment in Dissent in 2008 (and participate in a broader discussion) and then expand on their thoughts in City and Community.
I’m sure there is more out there. It is rare to find any media creation that receives praise from so many in providing a realistic portrayal of city life.
Lawmakers don’t like cameras in their face
Interesting look at how many federal legislators don’t like having cameras stuck in their face. Doing this often prompts angry reactions – that are then spread across the Internet and media and may require apologies from the legislators.
A response that one lawmaker has found useful – simply film them back:
“Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) said he has the answer to aggressive guerilla-style video crews, and he’s shared it with his colleagues. He films them right back using his iPhone’s Qik program, which uploads the video directly to his website.
“I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had bloggers approach me on the street to interview me and my response is I’m always happy to visit with them; however, I always pull out my Qik camera, and I film them filming me,” he said.
“And then I notice the tone changes of the person filming me — they become much less aggressive and more polite and conversational. I’ve actually had bloggers with cameras turn 180 degrees away and leave. I used to have it on my hip, and say, ‘C’mon, it’s OK, c’mon. I’m a Texan.’ ”
Toy Story 3: 111 Fresh, 0 Rotten
In what has been a slow summer movie season thus far, Toy Story 3 looks like it is ready to break out. According to Rotten Tomatoes, 111 reviews have been counted so far – and all are positive. How does Pixar do it?
What happens when, perhaps if, Pixar ever releases a clunker?
In my mind, Cars was the worst Pixar film: too sentimental (regret over the loss of small-town life), dull characters.
The best? Wall-E had both strong characters and interesting commentary on the future. Up had a stunning opening sequence but got bogged down in the second half. The Incredibles was entertaining.
Blues Brothers 30th Anniversary
The 30th anniversary of the Blues Brothers is coming up – and tributes are being written.
From the Chicago Tribune: Apparently John Belushi had to go to the mayor, Jane Byrne, to ask that the movie could be shot in Chicago.
“I know how Chicago feels about movies,” the comedian said to the mayor. Byrne nodded. Belushi said the studio would like to donate some money to Chicago orphanages in lieu of throwing a big, expensive premiere. “How much money?” she asked. He said, “$200,000.” She nodded again.
“And so he kept talking,” Byrne recalled. “Finally, I just said, ‘Fine.’ But he kept going. So again I said, ‘Look, I said fine.’ He said, ‘Wait. We also want to drive a car through the lobby of Daley Plaza. Right though the window.’ I remember what was in my mind as he said it. I had the whole 11th Ward against me anyway, and most of Daley’s people against me. They owned this city for years, so when Belushi asked me to drive a car through Daley Plaza, the only thing I could say was, ‘Be my guest!’ He said, ‘We’ll have it like new by the morning.’ I said, ‘Look, I told you yes.’ And that’s how they got my blessing.”
And that, more or less, is how Chicago became a regular location for movie production.”
Reuters reporting from the Vatican: “On the 30th anniversary of the film’s release, “L’Osservatore Romano,” the Vatican’s official newspaper, called the film a “Catholic classic” and said it should be recommended viewing for Catholics everywhere.”
Legally Sociable 