Here is a thoughtful article, in the New York Post, about the "complex prestige game" that informs the New York graffiti community's disdain toward Banksy: "'Street art' is associated with whimsy and even gentrification—things the mainstream considers socially good, or at the least, nondestructive."
You Can Buy Bruce Lee's Old Workout Crap Right Now
Right this very minute, you can navigate to a website and place a bid for a chance to own an authentic old jumprope or dirty pair of sneakers or even a punching bag, punched by the actual fists of Bruce Lee.
"I drink gin, and once, when drinking gin, I made a large man cry." Bill Murray, who only made $9,000 for Rushmore, continues to be amazing.
Ex-Death Row Inmate Establishes Scholarship for Attorney Who Freed Him
Anthony Graves, who spent 18 years in prison–12 of them on death row–for murder before he was exonerated in 2010, wanted to use some of his $1.45 million settlement to repay Nicole Cásarez, the Houston attorney and journalism professor who spent eight years working for his freedom. But he knew it would be tough to…
This review of the terrible new Pearl Jam record is pretty good at capturing how terrible Pearl Jam is/was.
These Men Are Now Charging People to Look at Banksy's Latest Stencil
A group of men has begun charging $5 apiece for photos of the new Banksy piece in East New York today, according to the Instagram account streetartjamz. This development is the most compelling thing about Banksy's latest work, which before had just been a stencil painting of a beaver gnawing on a felled parking sign.
Teen Transgender Couple Discusses Intimacy
You may have read about Katie (19) and Arin (17) last year, when the fascinating story of their romance went viral. They are both transgender (Katie's male-to-female, Arin's female-to-male) and they met in a transgender equality group meeting. Though their backstory, both separately and together is unique, their…
Here's a Supercut of Halloween-Themed News Bloopers
Because watching people get scared is fun, and the "I like turtles" kid always deserves a revisiting.
John Denver Is Alive and Well and Hanging Out With Aimee Mann
Dinosaur Jr.'s J. Mascis recorded a cover of John Denver's "Prisoners" with Sharon Van Etten for a tribute album. This is the video, featuring Superchunk's Jon Wurster as Denver (or his reincarnation) and Aimee Mann as his love interest. It is very, very good.
Gay Talese annotates his 1966 masterwork profile, "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold." Turns out, Ol' Blue Eyes, who famously refused to sit for the Esquire story, may have secretly liked the piece.
Here're All the Film Allusions in Guillermo Del Toro's Simpsons Opening
On Sunday night, The Simpsons aired its annual Halloween episode, Treehouse of Horror, which opened with Guillermo del Toro's brilliantly executed title sequence. An extended three-minute riff on the iconic couch gag, the Mexican director's treatment recast the citizens of Springfield into a seamless series of classic…
This photo of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford ascending an escalator during a visit to Austin, Texas, is perfectly composed, painterly, and downright Hopperesque. It was taken by Don Peat, a reporter for the Toronto Sun.
Fact-Checker to Alan Dershowitz: Who Says You're So Great?
Misanthropy meets assholism in today's Boston Globe to joyous effect, as house curmudgeon Alex Beam reviews a new memoir from preening celebrity-lawyer/lawyer-celebrity Alan Dershowitz. Beam wastes no time getting to the highlight:
National treasure Curt Kirkwood, of the Meat Puppets, is on Marc Maron's WTF podcast this week, and it is good. He was in a plane crash in the Canadian arctic once.
Michael J. Fox Is Awesome, Back
Michael J. Fox, a diminutive man with tremendous likability, is returning to primetime television in an eponymous sitcom, The Michael J. Fox Show, tonight on NBC. Even though the Emmy-winning actor has been around, in one capacity or another, since he publicly announced Parkinson's diagnosis, his appearances tend to…
DMX Bursting Into Song on Dr. Phil Was the Best Thing on TV Today
I didn't watch everything on TV today, but really, what could possibly top this?
Say Hello to Sir Stuffington, Your New Favorite Cat Pirate
Sir Stuffington is a cat pirate. As legend has it, he sailed the high seas in search of buried catnip treasure, conquered doggy islands, and raided mouse villages. He lost his right eye in a swordfight with a flock of mutated seagulls and broke his jaw in battle with a sea monster. In fact, he was one of the most…
Hopey and Changey: Iran's New President and the Vatican's New Pope
A good way to routinely bum yourself out is to set "Google News" as your Internet home page. But last night, something magical happened on that usual grid of gloom: The top stories were good news: Pope Francis and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, the elderly men recently chosen to lead their respective communities,…
Photo Requests from Inmates in Solitary
An ongoing project called "Photo Requests from Solitary" enlists photographers to go out and take (or create) pictures that are requested by inmates serving time in solitary confinement.
University of Alabama paper The Crimson White does a deep dive into the school's problem of white sororities banning black members. It turns out many of the sorority girls want to desegregate their chapters, but alumnae override them or threaten to cut financial support if a black recruit is admitted.
