Tuesday

How Not to Write About Africa

A clever, humorous, and biting piece of satire about how to depict Africans in writing by Binyavanga Wainaina as read aloud by Djimon Hounsou.

Thursday

Fighting the Power By...Not Fighting?

Office Space was an immediate hit movie because it so humorously and yet precisely captured the dark nature of corporate America where individuals are reduced to revenue-generating cogs in a larger machine. This works well, until the hero decides he just doesn't care any more -- which confounds the corporate folks to no end. His rebellion is the worst kind -- not a demand for better pay or conditions but a total indifference to the corporate powers that be. The moment an individual does this, the corporation loses its grip and influence on the individual. Here's a key clip from the film that illustrates this point.

Wednesday

Finding Meaning in Tragedy

No one can pull off parody quite like the Monty Python crew. In this sketch they illustrate how to find meaning and appreciation in a war zone.