Satire can be a fantastic way to stimulate discussion about real issues; often, it can be more revelatory than straight discourse. Laughing at a joke compels understanding and examining why the joke was funny– and in satire, the humor is derived from revealing precisely how ridiculous certain serious subjects truly are. Satirists are… Read More »
We spoke briefly about Bob Bradley today, and I wanted to share this clip of him being interviewed by John Oliver on The Daily Show over the summer. It does a good job of illuminating both the themes we’ve discussed in class (soccer as a vehicle of political mobilization, the universality of the sport, etc)… Read More »
Skill is a delicate balance between hard work and natural ability. And while the tension between the two has to be efficient to produce a capable student/shot putter/basket-weaver, it’s often completely lopsided; you’ll have that kid in your chemistry class who only every studied the night before every final and waltzes out with an… Read More »
For the first time in its history, the FIFA World Cup is set to be held in a country in the Middle East; the 2022 tournament will be held in Qatar. The federation’s awarding the bid to Qatar was seen by many as bold and forward-thinking– as Sepp Blatter, FIFA’s president, pointed out, “It… Read More »
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