I have a hard time re-reading things; there are so many new things to be read! (Among Objectivists, it's something of a joke. I've read nearly all of Rand's works… exactly one time a piece, and many years ago. Whereas I frequently run into Objectivists who, you know, re-read Atlas Shrugged annually. I cannot imagine…

I was responding in the main to the description, "The whole concept of Spider-Man — a masked guy who helps people just for sheer love of good," and thus the conception of Parker as a man motivated by what he loves. (To clarify that Objectivism does not have any fundamental problem with such an idea: "helping people"…

"Are you going to become a better person by helping others and making a
positive difference in the world while being miserable and
self-sacrificing OR are you going to become a better person by leveling
up your skills so you're awesome at stuff and happy all the time even
though you're a prick?"

LOL, well, I've certainly enjoyed the Netflix series. Or S.1; we're going to watch S.2 soon, but it's hard to find time to watch things like this with a toddler child running around!

Ayn Rand's stance on fiction/art — as in one's affinity to it — was that it's in response to a "sense of life." I can't say that it's a concept I feel I completely understand, but it's meant to be an emotional appraisal rather than strictly logical, and I believe that much to be true.

I love Don Quixote and I love Picasso's rendition. Do you find it incompatible with Objectivism? I'd be interested in your thoughts on that.

I don't see Peter Parker's life as miserable. Filled with trials and tribulations? Sure, as everyone's life is (though exaggerated in Spidey's case, being a comic about superheroes), but not actively self-destructive.

Just to offer a bit of clarification… Objectivism does not forbid empathy. And as an Objectivist, I love me some Spider-Man. If Peter Parker does what he does out of love, there's not *much* to discuss (philosophy is rather nuanced, even Objectivism, despite the normal discourse around these parts).

Niiiice dissolve…

As the AV Club's resident Randian, let me just say that we don't want them either.

This, and also Suteki Da Ne

Is it also possible that people within these sort of choral/orchestral groups would like to appeal to folks outside of their routine audience?

There's the letter grade, and then there's the written review. Frankly, the written review doesn't have the "feel" of a B+ to me at all.

Ridiculous review. It's fine that the reviewer doesn't care for Grease as a musical, but that taken with comparisons with The Wiz (overrated imho, but to each their own) and a film version decades ago does not convince me that what I saw last night was anything other than a marvel, both of theater and production.

Right? This is strange for me, learning that there was a second season. I loved the show, and I was at an age where my life basically revolved around the fall television schedule (and Saturday mornings most of all)… How in the world did I miss it?

Many of my (better) dreams are like Voltron with an all-female cast…

God bless Stephen Colbert.

Something I was thinking about earlier. Which network (including Netflix and similar) do you think makes the best original programming currently/in the new Golden Age of TV? For myself, I'd put FX first and HBO second, but I can see arguments for AMC at least… and maybe Netflix? What rounds out the top five? Showtime?

Just guessing, but it probably is tons cheaper to use pre-existing molds/production tech, rather than fashion something new.

Boom. Roasted. (Turkey.)