question of the day: Will James Franco and Anne Hathaway reinvigorate the Oscar ceremony, or is the choice of them as hosts a desperate ploy to get more people to watch?

“James Franco and Anne Hathaway personify the next generation of Hollywood icons— fresh, exciting and multi-talented. We hope to create an Oscar broadcast that will both showcase their incredible talents and entertain the world on February 27.” Or so the Academy would like us to think…

a few thoughts on ‘The Walking Dead’: “Tell It to the Frogs”

I can’t deny that it’s true that come the apocalypse, whatever form it takes, many of the problems of our society will remain, and some of them will be amplified: Stupid, violent men will still be stupid and violent, and indeed they will have many more opportunties to indulge, unchecked, their idiocy and their anger. But what we’re seeing here isn’t really looking at that from the perspectives of people who are used to things being a little more civilized: the attitude is, instead, as if they barely notice their lives have changed at all, apart from the lack of coffeemakers and washing machines. And no, having the women lament the loss of those things doesn’t cut it…