High and Low Culture Come Crashing Together

There's much bleak and dispiriting about the world's attention to the Kim Kardashian divorce. That the K-clan is famous in the first place boggles, given that their show causes the physical sensation of rapid brain-cell decay. But, Kim's heart-rending decision divorce after just 72 days has giving us the following delight - a limerick by Booker Prize winner novelist (and fatwa survivor) Salman Rushie, via twitter:


"The marriage of poor kim #kardashian was krushed like a kar in a krashian
her kris kried, not fair! why kan't I keep my share?
But kardashian fell klean outa fashian"

Delightful.

Also heartening, if it is true Kim left her baller to chase after Reggie Bush, I'm quite convinced she'll be able to catch him - just ask his Dolphins teammates and defenses around the AFC.

It's a Drag

This week, a new PSA for International Women's Day has drawn a good deal of attention because it features the very manly 007 Daniel Craig in drag. But, if you haven't seen it, it's worth listening to the incomparable Dame Judi Dench. The statistics she cites are what should get all the attention.

Movies for Valentines

Over on Daily Beast, Nora Ephron posts her list of favourite romantic movies. And Ephron should know from romantic movies- she's wrote the Meg Ryan chick-flick trifecta: When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail. (Full disclosure: She also wrote the movie version of Bewitched, but we all make mistakes.)

Ephron's list hits the classics (It Happened One Night), the unexpected (Splash) and the inarguable (Casablanca, Sense and Sensibility). Not a bad place to start for those searching for a Valentine's night choice.

If Ephron's choices don't inspire you, though, perhaps a few of mine will hit the mark: First, skip the obvious (An Affair to Remember), the overblown (Titantic) and the perversely unromantic (Pretty Woman). Instead, settle in for films that actually capture something deep and true about love, whether first love (Say Anything), forbidden love (Brokeback Mountain) or doomed love (The English Patient). And if lighthearted fare is more to your taste? 10 Things I Hate About You, While You Were Sleeping or The Princess Bride should do nicely.

Or, do what I do - just pick anything with Colin Firth.

Feminist Men and Footballers with Daddy Issues

I came across an article today (on my lunch break, of course) and felt it was of the kind of deep social significance that warrants greater attention: It's a serious enquiry into why women are so in to Ryan Gosling. My age-inappropriate crush on Gosling isn't a secret, so I was curious to find out its deeper meaning. According to a (male) gender studies professor (with, according to his blog, three ex-wives) , it's because Gosling's a hot male feminist who plays the kind of sensitive but flawed men we all dig. I would have said it's because he's a hot, smart Canadian. Because really, what's better than that? Plus, he was on the most ridiculous Canadian TV show ever. And there's this. Seriously, what's not to love?

The Jay Cutler Show

Last week, I touched on the fact that Jay Cutler isn't the single most popular guy in the NFL. On Sunday, Cutler came out of the game with a vague-sounding knee injury that quickly got the media - and Cutler's fellow NFLer's talking. My favourite, Maurice Jones-Drew on Twitter:

"Hey, I think the Urban Meyer rule is in effect right now... when the going gets tough... QUIT!"

then

"All I'm saying is he can finish a game on a hurt knee... I played a whole season on one."

I think Jones-Drew had a point, but Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, who at times seemed to be trying to win the game single-handedly for Chicago, would disagree. Suggesting the haters were just jealous, Urlacher used a few choice words to defend his QB's toughness. Thing is, the third-stringer who came in to relieve Cutler seemed a lot more effective than Cutler himself was in the first half. And I've never seen Cutler display anything close to the level of intensity Urlacher displayed in his defense.

Championship Sunday Cheat Sheet

As I may have mentioned in the past, I get a little geared up for Championship Sunday, certainly more so than for the Super Bowl. Why? Well, first off, it's two games instead of one game plus 18-hours of pre-and-post hype. But generally, the games are just better. The teams know each other, and often don't like each other much. I'd rather watch the Colts and Pats, who live to beat each other, every other year in a winner-take-all-game game than, say, Pittsburgh and Seattle.

So, this year, who is worth cheering for on Sunday? Well, the Colts and Pats are out for a change, and New Orleans didn't make it back. So, it's a wide open field:

New York Jets versus Pittsburgh Steelers

The Jets beat the Colts two weeks ago and the Pats last week, two games that featured abundant hype and managed to live up to it. They hype (and the success, if you ask me) came courtesy of Jets head coach (and reported foot fetishist) Rex Ryan. Ryan made both games personal and all about him. For the Colts, it was his attempt to finally beat Peyton Manning. For the Pats, it was Ryan versus Belichick, coach against coach. He won both games and got his team seriously fired up in the process. The trash talk that has emanated from the Jets locker room has been massively entertaining - Antonio Cromartie straight up called Tom Brady an a$$hole. For this, they have my support. Plus, do you really want to cheer for Ben Roethlisberger?

Green Bay Packers versus Chicago Bears

Here's a classic match-up, one that goes back decades to before there was a Super Bowl. Here, the QBs have gotten a lot of attention this week. Apparently, Chicago's Jay Cutler is in the running to be named the most hated guy in the NFL. According to ESPN's Rick Reilly, Cutler is something of a douche. Good to know. Then there's Aaron Rodgers, the Packer's salvation after the painfully slow non-retirement of Brett Favre. Rodger's got some crap this week for failing to sign an autograph for a cancer survivor. For 3 hours he looked like a jerk. Then, Packers fans went into hurry-up mode and redeemed Rodger's rep. Who to cheer for here? Well, Cutler dates Kristin Cavallari of The Hills. Obviously, Packers it is. (Plus, Clay Matthews!)

The Passion of the Typographer

We all have pet peeves in life - small irritants that get under our skin to an irrational degree. Mine? Double spaces after a period when typing.

Why should you use just one period? Because this isn't 1950, and you aren't typing on an antique Smith Corona.

Apparently, I'm not the only one with this particular buggaboo! Slate took up the cause as well, and got quite a lot of reaction.

The Great J. Blume

I saw a post on Jezebel about a Judy Blume quiz. I've tried to cut back on my quiz intake lately, but couldn't help myself on this one.

I loved Judy Blume.

I grew up with her - starting with the silly exploits of Peter and Fudge in Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, on to the breast-obsessed girls of Are You There God, It's Me Margaret, to the more mature Deenie (masturbation - oh my) and, by sixth grade, secretly on to the very dirty (in my memory anyway) Wifey.

Blume books were the first ones I read as a kid that were concerned with the things I was concerned about (boys, boobs, embarrassing tween angst) and, in a world that didn't yet have Harry Potter, they were the thing that actually got all of my girlfriends reading books. Do kids still read Judy Blume? Or is it all Twilight now?

And for the record, I got 82% on the quiz.