1) Malcolm Gladwell talking about spaghetti sauce
Currently up to my neck in decisions to make about my life post-graduation, it makes me feel better that nobody knows what they want until someone tells them. Our tastes aren’t just shaped by some innate desire, they’re a reflection of preferences we develop when given an array of choices. We’re starting to develop a society which honors the principles Gladwell talks about in this TED lecture. Gosh, we are already there with technology evolving so rapidly that personalizing everything from the arrangement of content on my blog to the features of my new computer can be done at the click of a few buttons. Gladwell seems to suggest that we are happier for this, but the regret lies on squarely on our own shoulders when we make an unsatisfactory choice, and for big choices, that can be very overwhelming. So I must ask you—are you happier with an aisle full of spaghetti sauce?
2) Radiolab – Tell Me a Story
If you are familiar at all with Radiolab, this episode is a bit of a break from the norm. The “norm” is a series of radio documentaries incorporating audio in innovative ways to help dissect one popular science issue in an hour. While I wholly appreciate the exposure to science that Radiolab offers non-scientists on a weekly basis, the episode that makes my heart flutter happens to be a break from this delightful format: it is a graduation speech to Caltech students given by one of the hosts, Robert Krulwich. I get a feeling from this one that he’s saying all of the things I have ever wanted to say about how my less-scientifically minded peers interact with science. Though Northwestern is a highly intellectual community, I seem to run into an awful lot of people who back away slowly when I mention that I’m into chemistry. I like to listen to this for a little inspiration to alleviate the frustration on those days when I hear, “Oh, you do chemistry? I’ll never understand that stuff."
"Well, allow me to explain…”
3) The Tallest Man On Earth – The Gardner
I appreciate a little intellect in my music, a lot of acoustic, and it’s always gotta be pretty chill. The Tallest Man On Earth is the most recent to fit the bill, and this song is just so darn catchy! A friend recently described it as “one of those songs that, as soon as it ends, you want to play again,” and I couldn’t agree more. The melody is so bubbly, it never fails to make me skip down the street, but it’s lyrics are just dark enough to keep my brain intrigued. I find I am most attracted to happy songs about depressing topics (see Okkervil River, Streetlight Manifesto, Noah and the Whale…). I like things to get more complex with a second listen…or a second viewing, for that matter.
4) Jon Stewart’s interview of Jim Cramer
The Daily Show has gone from a late night laugh to a triumph of sense over nonsense. The humor required by the format of the show allows the host to explain things simply without feeling like he is talking down to us. He points out the absurdity of the media with an angle of amusement, but when the laughter subsides, we’re left staring at the sad truth of what the networks are feeding us. On occasion, we get a gem like this clip, where Stewart confronts the offenders and points out their underestimation of the American public. Stewart’s popularity is heartwarming, and I like to believe it is for his interviews like this one where he has a chance to change our relationship to the media, but I am afraid that most people (especially ones my age) tune in for the laughter and don’t get the point of the meatier stuff. But I don’t want to underestimate the American public.
5) Jay-Z Mashups: Jaydiohead - Lucifer's Jigsaw
Someone once told me that I would get over my aversion to coffee if I started drinking mochas. My reaction was simple: why do I want to get over an aversion to coffee? I like my tea and hot chocolate just fine, thank you.
I am usually surprised by my generation’s tolerance for the ubiquity of rap music. Personally, I hate it. The lyrics are rude, the culture is womanizing, and my body can’t figure out the right way to move to it. I’ll admit that I don’t expose my ears to it all that often, but if I know I don’t like something, I won’t seek it out. My relationship to rap changed when my roommate shared her favorite stuff with me: Kanye West and Jay-Z. I shook my head when they mentioned pimps and shuddered at every “ho”. Shortly thereafter, another friend introduced me to Jaydiohead—remixes of Jay-Z and Radiohead songs. I latched on to the comforting Radiohead melody underneath the coarse, unfamiliar lyrics and…I couldn’t get enough. I’ve been scouring youtube for Jay-Z remixes and keeping the Jaydiohead album on repeat. I came for the Radiohead, and stayed for the Jay-Z…but, if you’re curious, I’m still a tea drinker.
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