I don't get why people assume that it's an either/or proposition.

This is the definition of an un-generous review - one that's unfortunately all too common when the music being played is "retro"; the assumption that this is somehow "novelty" music is frankly snotty. There are obvious evolutionary differences between the sounds of the "gritty" (what?) Bad Self-Portraits and Side…

You are weird.

BRRRAPP BRRRAPP!

Finally. Someone who shares my pain.

Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" is the holiday song that I go out of my way to avoid every year. I'm sure it's beloved by some, but it's as close to a hatesong as I have.

This traumatized me as a child far more than any scene from Sesame Street or the Goofy Movie.

But so? Why does it matter one way or the other? It's not as if Lynch imposed the symbolism. Viewers did/do that.

Not sure why this is a bad thing? Lynch does this a lot. He likes serendipity - accidental/unexpected elements that he will then purposefully incorporate into his work. He's intentional in using what's useful to him.

When did Harold Bloom get a Disqus account?

Updike is a writer I'd absolutely slot into the "important white guy book" category. That makes sense to me. Grouping a book like this, or I guess also Danielewski, into the same category comes off as bizarre to me.

What IS that, exactly? I know Sherman Alexie is on every critic's mind right now, what with Banned Books Week just having happened and all, so way to be super-topical, but (1) I can't find Alexie's reference to this via online search and (2) what exactly does it mean? I'm bemused by the notion that white guys are…

Literally none of those things are "liberal." Not one. Criminal justice reform, which you cite specifically as something with "Liberal bias," is a bipartisan issue supported on both sides of the aisle. Betsy Woodruff's article on the topic in The National Review should make that clear to you. Of course, this assumes…

Also really great:

Sure, if you're the sort of person who insists an artist's best work is the one that you can't get without resorting to piracy or paying $100 for on ebay, but that nonetheless contains all the same songs that are on a widely-available album.

"Wallace apparently left instructions that he did not want it be published."

"I am not Ruth Buzzi standing here! I AM NOT RUTH BUZZI STANDING HERE!!"

The Refreshments - Fizzy, Fuzzy, Big & Buzzy/The Bottle & Fresh Horses

More: