celebrity gossip, academic style

What I’ve been thinking about and reading the past few weeks -

If you have knowledge of art history (or if you don’t, and just like to think about the representations of fridges in film), see Paul Gansky on “Kitchen Monoliths: Memories of Domestic Minimalism.”

Jonathan Gray reports on how Deadwood is sold (via Chinese pirates) in Malawi — and what it says about global flows of information.

If, like me, you’re chewing off your fingernails in anticipation for Scorsese’s Boardwalk Empire, this behind-the-scenes promo should prove some sort of salve.

Michael Newman, who recaps every week of Mad Men, provides an excellent read on the show’s use of irony in my favorite episode of the season thus far. The post is so appropriately titled “I would get her so pregnant.”

These 1910 COLOR photos from Russia are just ravishing.

17 Happy Rom-Coms That Are Actually Horrible and Cruel, including His Girl Friday.

The US Weekly-ification of The Hollywood Reporter, featuring a bit of good ol’ fashioned Jen-Aniston-bashing.

Speaking of which, The Sports Guy has a damn fine argument for why she doesn’t get married. (scroll half-way down)

Jeffrey Sconce on Trucks! Need I say more.

Anne Thompson does a Career Check-Up on Julia Roberts; declares her a-okay.

The New York Times explores the appeal of Katy Perry, but doesn’t quite answer why I seem to find that new ‘Teenage Dream’ song so abjectly appealing.

Finally, Slate’s Cultural Gabfest, featuring one of my favorite film critics, Dana Stevens, is the best, most insightful, and, quite often, funniest podcast out there, and I cannot recommend it more highly. Last week’s on ‘Eat, Pray, Vomit’ is particularly hilarious. Check it out.