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Friday, March 07, 2008
David Archuleta, Ayn Rand and Joey Buttafuoco
Hollywood gossip TV show TMZ reports that American Idol star David Archuleta gets about three hours of on-set high school tutoring each day.
Who cares? This is news? This is an “exclusive” worth sharing with America?
Well the story might be more important than it first appears, even more important than TMZ and its Hollywood-obsessed readers understand. The show obtained Archuleta’s grade 11 reading list from Murray High School in Utah. On this list are classics including Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby, and Macbeth. But #1 on the list -- not mentioned in the online article but flashed on the television during the story -- is Anthen by novelist-philosopher Ayn Rand.
Anthem is a novel about “the struggle of the individual against a paralyzing collectivism....” Not a bad choice for the young minds at Murray High School.
If that doesn’t interest you, Joey Buttafuoco got a really bad, almost pornographic, tattoo of his new wife. Classy.
Posted by Matthew Johnston on March 7, 2008 | Permalink
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Comments
Uh....slow news week or am I missing something?
Posted by: SW | 7-Mar-08 1:16:51 AM
Well it was good enough for TMZ. :-)
Posted by: Matthew Johnston | 7-Mar-08 1:20:42 AM
What a bonehead . White trash personified.
Posted by: daveh | 7-Mar-08 7:14:01 AM
Another sign of the rot and decline of culture and society. It is right up there with the bimbos and airheads from Hollywood making political statements.
Posted by: Alain | 7-Mar-08 12:14:53 PM
As one who has been called an "airhead", I take exception to that, Alain.
If only I wasn't so handsome I'd get more respect.
;o)
Buttafuoco!
Kids, don't try shouting that 3 times really quickly at your next Easter picnic.
Posted by: Speller | 7-Mar-08 12:34:02 PM
This article is representative of I why I have quit reading Western Standard blogs. Sorry I bothered logging on today.
Epsi
Posted by: Epsilon | 7-Mar-08 1:00:58 PM
The above comment is representative of why I have quit commenting on the Western Standard blog.
Sorry I bothered today.
I think I'll go wash my hair.
Spllr
Posted by: Speller | 7-Mar-08 1:13:29 PM
Well, here's one Shotgunner who watches TMZ without fail. Glad to see there are others.
As for the rest of you, not every post on the Shotgun is going to appeal to you. In my opinion, the Rand hook qualified this "gossip" item for posting. I wonder how many government schools in Canada allow Rand novels on their reading list.
Posted by: Joan Tintor | 7-Mar-08 1:31:52 PM
Well that's it for me, if Epsi's outta here so am I, good nite and good bye...harrumph.
so Speller, do you use conditioner?
Posted by: Hi Standards | 7-Mar-08 1:48:35 PM
No conditioner.
Leftover flat beer from yesterday night for my silken locks.
Also, I have soft water.
Posted by: Speller | 7-Mar-08 1:51:35 PM
David Archuleta is behind on his homework. Joey Buttafuoco got a new tattoo. It’s junk food for the mind – and not very tasty junk food at that.
What was interesting to me was to see a novel by Ayn Rand as mandatory reading for at least some students in Utah. Rand was a radical for capitalism, an anti-environmentalist and fiercely in love with America’s founding ideals. An author like that seems out of place in today’s schools.
Posted by: Matthew Johnston | 7-Mar-08 1:56:34 PM
I'm sure there are a lot of Mormon parents who think atheist Ayn Rand's works are out of place in their schools.
Posted by: Speller | 7-Mar-08 2:00:48 PM
And no doubt "Catcher in the Rye" raises a few eyebrows.
Posted by: Matthew Johnston | 7-Mar-08 2:19:50 PM
When I was in school "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" by Richard Bach was all the rage, as was "Future Shock" by Alvin Toffler.
Both were compulsory reading.
On Future Shock:
Toffler argues that society is undergoing an enormous structural change, a revolution from an industrial society to a "super-industrial society". This change will overwhelm people, the accelerated rate of technological and social change leaving them disconnected and suffering from "shattering stress and disorientation" – future shocked. Toffler stated that the majority of social problems were symptoms of the future shock. In his discussion of the components of such shock, he also coined the term "information overload".
Posted by: Speller | 7-Mar-08 2:46:38 PM
So this guy did porn films after his wife cut off his old fella? It makes me wonder if penis transplants are an option with the amazing advances in surgical procedures.
Posted by: dp | 7-Mar-08 6:27:21 PM
>"So this guy did porn films after his wife cut off his old fella? It makes me wonder if penis transplants are an option with the amazing advances in surgical procedures."
dp | 7-Mar-08 6:27:21 PM
Sorry, dp, you must have confused Joey Buttafuoco
with John Wayne Bobbit.
The Joey Buttafuoco Affair:
http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/young/amy_fisher/3.html
The John Wayne Bobbit Affair:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorena_Bobbitt
Not the same guy, but both very sordid stories.
Love hurts.
Posted by: Speller | 7-Mar-08 8:00:16 PM
Those interested in reading Ayn Rand's Anthem and a chance to make some money should check out the Anthem Essay Contest at http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=education_contests_anthem
Posted by: Steve Henderson | 10-Mar-08 11:08:52 AM
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