The restaurant chain Chipotle has received a great deal of attention since it released its animated ad campaign featuring Scarecrow, a fictional food factory worker turned farmer and food provider. New Yorker blogger Elizabeth Weiss posted this article in September 2013. Read it here: Weiss, “What does ‘The Scarecrow’ tell us about Chipotle?” Weiss presents quite …
Continue reading Brainy Scarecrow: Elizabeth Weiss on Chipotle’s New Spokestoon
Neither statistics nor assorted interviews can give a complete picture, but the image they’re sketching isn’t pretty. Washington Post staff writers Carol Morello and Peyton Craighill, along with research analyst Scott Clement, used both methods to present an up-to-date portrait of the current state of the American Dream. Their report was published in the paper …
Continue reading Working and Dreaming: Washington Post checks in on the American Dream
Forget math and reading; athletics are what really matter. Would any educator actually say that? Would any parent? Apparently, yes, some would. Staff writer Elizabeth Kolbert discusses the situation in the New Yorker in September 2013. Read it here: Kolbert, "Have Sports Teams Brought Down America's Schools?" In talking about U.S. high schools, Kolbert makes …
Continue reading Do the Math: Elizabeth Kolbert on High School Sports and Academics
It’s still many years from appearing on the menu of your local burger joint, but the first lab-grown patty debuted this summer and it has generated some meaty discourse. Science journalist Marta Zaraska contributes to the debate in this August 2013 essay in The Atlantic. Read it here: Zaraska, "Is Lab-Grown Meat Good for Us?" …
Continue reading A Sizzling Debate: Marta Zaraska on Lab-Grown Meats
Major League Baseball is on the verge of giving instant replays a greater role in the game. Will the proposed new rules bring satisfying precision or will they undermine the passionate arguments and “human element” that contribute to baseball’s greatness? Christian Science Monitor staff writer Harry Bruinius weighs in on the question in this August …
Continue reading A Sport About Going Home: Bruinius on Baseball and Instant Replay
It’s hard to let go of the American Dream; in fact, nobody does. Nevertheless, few people would disagree with the observation that the Dream is much harder to achieve than it used to be. There is plenty of debate, however, about what is causing the obstacles and delays. Economist and financial journalist Stewart Lansley examines …
Continue reading Still Deferred: Stewart Lansley on the American Dream
James Atlas admits to binge watching “Breaking Bad” and wrestles with his own ambivalence about doing so. This New York Times essay appeared during Season 5—that is, in May 2013. Read it here: Atlas, “Get a life? No, thanks. Just pass the remote.” As Atlas notes, the show’s use of suspense is a key factor of …
Continue reading Bingeing on “Bad”: James Atlas on TV and Life
Have you ever been catfished? Has the Internet opened up your social life, or has it enclosed you in a tight circle of people you already know? Adrian Chen examines social life and social media in this February 2013 essay from New Inquiry. Read it here: Chen, "Don't Be a Stranger" Chen mentions the ideas of …
Continue reading Friended and Poked: Adrian Chen on Social Media
Spring is here, and the pundits are correct: a major league professional athlete has come out as gay. NBA free agent Jason Collins has broken a formidable barrier in this Sports Illustrated article that appears in May 2013. Read it here: Collins, "Why NBA Center Jason Collins Is Coming Out Now" According to this first …
Continue reading Time, Out: Jason Collins on Being a Gay NBA Player
As sure as cold breezes and April blossoms on Opening Day, someone will remind us that Major League Baseball is in trouble. Ian Crouch steps up to the plate this year with this April 2013 essay from the New Yorker. Read it here: Crouch, “A-Rod, the Astros, and Austerity” Mentioning A-Rod, the Astros, and austerity in …
Continue reading Bringing His A Game: Ian Crouch on A-Rod, the Astros, and Austerity
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