How Movie Sex Replaced Movie Violence

The Article: The Movie Club by Wesley Morris in Slate.

The Text: So because I’m miserable at scheduling and really good at overscheduling, this has to be my last post. I leave for the Sundance Film Festival today. But before I go I want to pick up a strain from Dana’s post and talk about something very important. Concussion is very smart and often very hot. That was something I felt over and over this year: It was a good year for the libido. Sometimes, it was an actor, sometimes a mood, sometimes a whole movie.

For two or three years toward the end of the last decade violence had replaced sex as the most viable way for characters to communicate with each other. A distributor can better circulate gunfights, shootouts, etc. than it can sex, especially as our movies have become international mega-productions. But this year, you can feel sensuality in both the masterpieces and the crap. The biggest thrill in American Hustle is the way these actors keep burning holes into each other. Amy Adams, who somehow acts her way past all that cleavage, slinks back into Christian Bale’s office, locks eyes with him, and becomes another woman.

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A One-Minute Middle East Update

When regional stability is in the hands of theocratic extremists, you’ve got a problem.

The Bush Debt Hypocrisy

Unfortunately, such critiques imply that we expect any better from politicians. In any case, good trivia to add to your arsenal for the next time you encounter your Tea Party uncle at a family gathering.

Where Does Obesity Come From?

The Article: Where Does Obesity Come From? by Derek Thompson in The Atlantic.

The Text: A new article by John Cawley in NBER Reporter, “The Economics of Obesity,” poses an interesting question right at the top. Why study obesity like an economic problem, anyway?

There are two broad answers. The first is simply methodological. Understanding the causes and consequences of obesity is hard because scientists like randomized experiments—e.g.: give one group drug X, give another group a placebo, and observe the difference. But this is almost impossible to do with weight. It’s unethical to randomly make participants obese just to watch what happens to them. So, it’s useful to study compare data and try to find out how income and obesity are actually related. Essentially: To study weight like an economist.

The second answer is that obesity is an economic problem, plain and simple. Obese Americans costs the U.S. $190 billion in annual medical costs attributable to their weight—or 20 percent of national health-care spending, according to Cawley’s research. That’s a shockingly high figure, and it implies that unpacking the relationship between income and obesity could save America even more money and anxiety than many researchers estimate.

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Homophonia: A Comic’s Take On Gay Marriage

From the director: “I am absolutely astonished that in the year 2014 there is any controversy or debate over the issue of Gay Marriage Rights or Gay Equality in the Workplace. I believe these are essential human rights. I also have trouble digesting that there are millions of Americans who still think there are people who choose to be or become gay as opposed to being born gay as one is born with a blue eyes or freckles. I do hope our humble film will reflect our strong support for worldwide gay rights and gay people–and comically engage them and those still in the dark. My gratitude to my gifted Co-Writer and Co-Producer, Mary Niederkorn, and our wonderful actor, Albert M. Chan.”