by Nat French in The Arts
People have been making penis jokes for as long as they've been doing just about anything. Aristophanes's "Lysistrata," which opens at Macalester this Friday, reminds us that phallic comedy is as old as comedy itself. In "Lysistrata," women fed up with their men's war-making declare a sex boycott until peace is reached.
by Matt Won in The Arts
Burial is the reason I spend such an unjustifiable amount of time panning, sifting, and trawling for music. Some seek the same feeling through other artistic media, the way the first page of Goethe's Faust might hurl shrapnel through your memories and neural connections.
by Jules Ouanes in The Arts
There are two types of Jay-Z albums. First there's the generally good ones, such as "The Dynasty" and "Life and Times Vol. 3," in which Jay's greatness is scattered through inconsistent production and sub-par guest verses. Then there's the cohesive, near-perfect records he's made where his access to A-list producers pays off.
by Andrew Goodhouse in The Arts
Remember those advertisements from decades past which energetically touted films: "You'll laugh! You'll cry!" or "Shocking!" Nowadays our chums in the advertising game seem to have taken to describing the movie itself or hinting at its message rather than declaring our probable reaction.
by Colin Williams in The Arts
Ian McEwan has achieved notoriety for everything he has published in the past decade. His 1997 novel, "Enduring Love," won critical acclaim and was made into a film. His 1998 novel "Amsterdam" won the Booker prize and his 2001 and 2005 novels, "Atonement" and "Saturday," each won their own share of acclaim and awards as well as both being shortlisted for the Booker prize.
There's more going on in this fine world of ours besides new movies and concerts at First Avenue. Yes, album reviews are important, but crazy stuff is happening on a daily basis, and some of it's too good to be left undiscussed. That's why the Mac Weekly
by Amy Shaunette in The Arts
Celebrities are crazy. John Mayer is even crazier. John Mayer is no newcomer to the blogosphere. The annoying, albeit talented, singer-guitarist has been embarrassing himself by revealing his unsolicited thoughts on his blog since 2006. He's bitched about paparazzi attention, announced his musical plans, and posted birthday poems for his sound engineer.
