Expanding Out By Dumbing Down

Expanding Out By Dumbing Down

NBC Universal is changing the name of its SciFi Channel to SyFy based on a myriad of considerations including everything but proper use of the English language.  In order to offer a “broader range of content,” and have trademark control of the brand, NBC Universal will make it easier for people to forget the proper origins of its (granted, abbreviated) name.  Just as doughnuts became donuts and drive throughs became drive thrus, sci-fi will only bear a scant trace of its original foundations, science and fiction. Soon enough, SyFy will enter the lexicon of blogs, texting, and likely find its own dictionary entry.  Make no mistake, this is entirely due to corporate policy, i.e. greed; the need for a brand to be “own-able, portable, extendable.”  And I have to say that I agree that it makes perfect business sense, you should be able to control your own brand.  But I have a problem with the collateral result of empowering a bunch of idiots who will have even further difficulty being able to spell properly.

I am not a fan of text-speak, questions beginning with contractions, or dumbed down abbreviations.  Moreover, I don’t find corporate creations legitimate additions to the language.  You will not ever see me describe something as gr8 when it is, in fact, great. Language is beautiful and sacred.  It is organic and evolving.  Lexicon changes based on oral expression, and further feed written language.  This is why we, mercifully for the sake of time, no longer express ourselves like Geoffrey Chaucer.  Just as “on the morrow” is replaced by the more direct “tomorrow”, slang terms like “trainspotting” and “hook-up” rightfully find their space in official dictionaries.  But corporate constructs and laziness do not represent linguistic evolution.  They serve to further devolve the language.  Though the trend will continue and be inconsequential to most, I will be happy to voice my opposition.

http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSTRE52F34W20090316

Rather Then Let It Crumble, Take It Down Brick By Brick

Rather Then Let It Crumble, Take It Down Brick By Brick

These days it is hard to look at the news without feeling daunted, dismayed, or disgusted.  Most stories, particularly anything involving financial services, cause us to feel all three.  I have been rendered inert by the preponderance of bad news flooding our society.  Revelations of corruption, extortion, and moral ambiguity by what were once seen as conservative pillars of responsibility have become so extensive that it is hard to know where to start.  Yet it is therefore a time when it has become more important than ever to be engaged and voice opinions.  Otherwise these travesties will continue on, and in greater number than they already have.  That is the lesson learned from the fleeting outrage brought by the collapse of Enron, Tyco, and WorldCom earlier this decade.  After only 5 years, we have been besieged by the complete pollution of the American finance, auto, and insurance industries.  Corruption is inherent in mankind and therefore eternal, but it can be tempered by an active society.  Technology has enabled us to find more forums, this blog being an example, but it has also allowed us to withdraw further into isolation with ipods, blackberries, and cell phones.  With multiple outlets, it is increasingly difficult to find a wide audience.  Major media outlets are all controlled by large corporations and have their own agendas, and when a comedian like Jon Stewart provides the loudest voice for journalistic integrity it is clear we are living in a state of decay.  But rather than succumb to the pollution that surrounds us we should root it out, reconstruct, and build anew.  This is an unprecedented time that requires renewed and profound vigilance.  All is not lost, there is still positive to be found, Jon Stewart being an example.  His frustration should inspire greater concert to us all to speak up and become involved.  Let the outcry shake out the corrupt in our government and our industries.  Let them hear from us on the streets and in our offices, as well as on the web.  This November marked a major step for change in our political system, but necessary work ahead will not be done solely by who in office.  We have to remain engaged for anything positive to take shape.  Prosperity will not be delivered, it is up to us to create it.

Closed? No, We Didn’t Mean It

It turns out the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University will not be closed after all.  After heated public outcry, and impassioned letters by Brandeis faculty and Rose Museum staff, University President Jehuda Reinharz is pulling back on the decision to close the museum.  Clarifying his position, Reinharz offers contrition for the expedition and miscommunication caused by the board decision to sell of the Rose’s art collection, and is now stating that the museum will remain open.  Though certain pieces may still be put up for sale, the “crisis of confidence” caused by the board’s actions has led to a new path.
President Reinharz’s letter is available below:

http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/exhibitionist/2009/02/brandeis_presid.html?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed3

JCVD

JCVD

http://www.jcvd-themovie.com/
This is my favorite film in recent memory.  No, it is not the technical marvel that gains critical attention, or the high profile film that garners award mention, but this to me is the rawest, most probing, and purest entertainments I have seen in quite some time.  Currently, The Wrestler and its star Mickey Rourke are getting showered with acclaim for the “true to life” portrayal of a fallen star in search of redemption.  JCVD dwarfs that film.  The Wrestler is quite good, but its power lies almost entirely in the hands of Mickey Rourke’s performance and the title character, which has many shared circumstances to Rourke’s experience; unfortunately the rest of the film’s contrivance nearly undermines the buoyancy of Rourke’s portrayal.  But where JCVD exceeds that accomplishment is in asking the actor, Jean Claude Van Damme, to portray himself.  There is no character or chosen genre to hide behind.  The story is fictional, yes.  But, after two viewings, I am amazed by the wrenching emotion of a fictional situation starring a known personality.  JCVD succeeds in humanizing an action star, a fallen action star that has become to many a punchline.  On top of that, it is drenched in cinematic style.  The film is an homage to some of cinema’s greatest works: Sunset Boulevard, The Battle of Algiers, and certainly Dog Day Afternoon.  No, this film does not capture the quality of those aforementioned.  Nevertheless, this film is a revelation. A true original. This is a B-movie, and it is entirely self-aware.  I realize I have heaped praise that may distort your view and I beg your pardon.  But I am not doing it for a headline nor for publicity.  I am doing it to share the joy and excitement this film brought to me.  I love the movies, and I am so disillusioned by the dispassion and commercialism instilled by film-marketing that I spend less and less time at the movies, and even less time watching films at home.  It is a phenomenon that saddens me, yet I feel it sharpens my appreciation.  These days I am elated by simply being able to enjoy a movie, an experience that was at one time nearly quotidien to me.  It is harder and harder for me to feel that joy, yet once found the pleasure is in greater measure.  JCVD is a terrific film.  Do not see it as a punchline.  I watched it with a sold out crowd on a 15 degree February evening.  The crowd was energized, demonstrative, engaged, and vocal.  When is the last time you experienced that at the movies?  When is the last time you went to the movies?

Art For Sale

Art For Sale

 

 

As higher learning institutions across the country are facing receding endowments, Brandeis is combating their losses by selling off a primary asset, their fine art collection.  The Rose Art Museum, home to a significant collection of modern art will be closed by late summer and transformed into a teaching facility and exhibition center.  Roughly 8000 pieces, including works by Andy Warhol, Walter de Koonig, and Roy Lichtenstein will go onto the auction block, with all proceeds being reinvested into the school. 

 

The art world will alternately wince and rejoice at the relinquishing of so many fine works.  For the prices they will fetch, Brandeis will prosper.  The economy should not hinder the number of suitors; they will be purchased by an echelon that is likely no more than inconvenienced by the current recession.   Of course, that means that each of these pieces will have a greater likelihood of going into a private collection and hang on someone’s wall, though a few will certainly find their way into larger museums and exhibition spaces.  But how many of us truly get to gaze upon original works?  How many have the opportunity to visit El Prado, The Hermitage, The Louvre, the Getty Center, and the Met in their lifetime?  And for those fortunate enough to do so, it is clear that it is only scratching the surface of the world’s great works. 

 

Art is an infinite language, and a wealth of it is held in private collections and residences.   We are exposed to much of it through textbooks, the internet and other media.  I’ve been to half of the museums listed above, and endeavor to make my way to the remainder.  Many of the world’s great works will never illuminate my own eyes, but they are out there to be cherished. My past moments of discovery in the centers above as well as The Carnegie Museum of Art, in the Reina Sofia, or le Musée d’Orsay still resonate in my mind as if they were happened only moments ago.  They always will.  The Rose Museum will close, and its works will be scattered, but they shall all live on future generations.  The loss is sad, but transient.  The art remains timeless.  

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/us/27museum.html?ref=us

A Favorite Film Revisited, A Quick Reaction

This has always been one of my favorite films.  It is still mesmerizing to me how film, like a painting or sculpture, a piece of music or a novel, can create such a profound impression and then, over time, despite the initial impact, come back and beguile you once more.  Tonight I saw this film for the first time in many years and for the first time ever on a screen, and it was a powerful experience I shall never forget.  I will remember the weather, the surroundings, my mood going in.  All of this is due to being struck by the graceful eminence of style and storytelling.  The attached review does give away too many plot points and was clearly written by someone for whom English is not their first language, but if you are so inclined and have the opportunity, see this film.  It will make an impression. 

And if you are not interested, please take the time to experience another work that shakes and inspires you.  Embrace your artforms, they are beautiful and timeless.

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews7/merryx-masmrlawrence.htm

Time Out

Time Out

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Boston Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker.  Within the grandeur of the Opera House on a snowy December day, it was a transportive delight to behold.  I was so lost in the performance that when Mikko Nissinen, the Ballet’s artistic director, spoke to the crowd after the curtain call I couldn’t believe it when he thanked everyone for coming out on a cold, stormy afternoon.  Through the magic of the performance and the surroundings, I had completely forgotten that we were attending a matinee.  Instead I felt teleported into the Kingdom of the Sweets where Clara watches the dancers salute her courage. 

But sadly more arresting was the fact that, as Nissinen thanked the audience for their participation and support, countless members went rushing for the exits.  In this day and age, we have less and less time to pay attention to anyone.  Our focus stays fixed on our appointments and commitments, precluding any time for listening or reflection.  I found this affront particularly bothersome, as Nissinen was performing another act so often left out of modern times, gratitude.  Nissinen was truly grateful not only to all those in attendance, but also to the hard work of all the participants in the performance.  He carefully highlighted the dedication of the dancers, the efforts of the set designers, the skill of the musicians who were obscured by an orchestra pit still under construction.  He also took time to note the progress of the Ballet in finally securing a forthcoming residence at the Opera House after years of limbo between there, the Citi Theatre and the Majestic.  More importantly, he spoke to the beauty and importance of art.  Praising the audience for supporting such a crucial cultural aspect, which in turn enables the Ballet’s continued efforts to bring the arts into our schools and offer under-privileged children the opportunity to attend performances.  His sentiments had a resonance that equaled the beauty of Tchaikovksy’s timeless music, for it is the arts that keep beauty alive in our society. 

The Nutcracker was first performed in St. Petersburg in 1892, today it is performed annually around the world.  But as we develop greater dependence on iPods, Blackberrys, and cell phones, as we choose to Tivo, and buy DVDs to watch even in our cars, we are further distancing ourselves from art, and more tragically from ourselves.  Our economic fragility certainly provides greater strain, yet it cannot be just another excuse.  The more we run around from place to place we must ask ourselves what we are rushing to.  Hundreds of men, women, and children collaborated in that performance, one man chose to embrace the audience and remind them they were a part of it as well.  More people should have listened.  Art is a participatory event.  And should stay with us after the curtain falls.