I have no idea what this website is all about, but I feel pretty confident in saying that it is awesome.

Just watcho!

Q: What could be dumber than watching this over and over again?

A: Nothing. Nothing could be dumber.

Today, Salon asks the question: “Is voting for Sanjaya subversive?” Here’s one response by Todd Gitlin:

Is it ’subversive’ to vote for Sanjaya? It’s fun, and defensible — which ought to be enough to justify a minor activity. In a tiny way, it twists the pseudo-democracy of a media-saturated universe. But subversive? Any more subversive than not watching the show? It would seem to me more ’subversive’ to apply the precious minutes you would have spent watching ‘American Idol’ lobbying for universal healthcare, or against mindless war spending. I note, by the way, that the VoteForTheWorst.com, yes-on-Sanjaya campaign accepts the premise that voting for singers is a worthy activity. Thus: ‘Many good people are turned away and many bad singers are kept around to see Simon, Paula and Randy so that America will be entertained.’ Fine, but please don’t tell me that there’s anything ’subversive’ about the goal of ‘making a more entertaining show.’

Thanks for your commentary, douche! What an ass. No one asked him to define the word “subversive.” Just for the record: Todd Gitlin is a media critic. He makes his living looking way too deeply at phenomena like American Idol. And then he critiques people for watching television. Like, it’s okay for him to watch TV, because he’s viewing it through the correct lens, but the rest of us need to be guided by a genius like him. This paragraph is all I need to know about Todd Gitlin to officially proclaim him a hypocritical dick licker.

Now, this does not mean that I care one iota about someone’s motivation behind voting for an American Idol candidate. Yes, in a perfect world, people would take as much joy in the political process as they do in Idol. But why would you say that in response to a question by a media critic about a media phenomenon? I wonder how much time Todd Gitlin has spent “lobbying for universal healthcare.”

Does anyone else have any stories about this pompous douchebag? I know I’ve seen his name before, although I can’t remember where.

Update: And then we have Greil Marcus, author of the intensely amazing Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the 20th Century:

“The notion of controversy over people voting for the guy whose hair stands up assumes that the previous winners are not national embarrassments.”

Now that’s a guy I want critiquing my media for me. Ha! Calling the winners of American Idol “national embarrassments”! Too, too awesome.

Jarvis Cocker, lead-singer of one of my favorite bands, Pulp, has a solo album out. It’s quite good. That has nothing to do with what I’m posting, which is this:

Pitchfork: You enjoyed a few years of being a working musician and songwriter rather than a public figure and having to go through this promotional cycle. Have you enjoyed swinging back into this process, having your name in lights and on a record?

Jarvis Cocker: Because I haven’t done it for a while, I’ve been able to kind of appreciate it. But I’ve been leading quite a domestic existence for the past four years. To think of going out on tour and stuff like that actually seems quite a good laugh; compared to child care, it’s easy. So it’s been interesting, you know, like, a couple years ago I went to the Brit Awards for the first time in 11 years, and–

Pitchfork: They didn’t invite you back right away I guess?

Jarvis Cocker: No, but, it’s just kind of– sorry, I’m eating a bit of chocolate now, keeping the blood-sugar levels up. Is that a big craze in America?

Pitchfork: Chocolate?

Jarvis Cocker: No, people in England have developed this massive obsession with blood-sugar levels.

British rock stars sit around eating chocolates and trying to keep their blood-sugar levels up. I love them.

Update: I just got to the end of the interview, and he’s still eating!

I feel I’ve got a vague idea of what I’d like to do next. But I haven’t done it yet, so it’s pretty hard to talk about it, I suppose.

Sorry, I’ve been eating a lot of nuts during that.

Pitchfork: I was worried it had been 45 minutes of nothing but chocolate.

Jarvis Cocker: No, I’ve moved on to almonds. Have you been feeling sick through the whole interview then, thinking he’s laid there…

Pitchfork: Right, you’re on the couch with bon bons or a box of Milk Tray talking about your sluggish output.

Jarvis Cocker: No, I was eating nuts…I’ll dispel that unpleasant image from your mind.

All right, I haven’t seen a lot of American Idol this year, so before I begin, let me say that I have no idea what I’m talking about. That being said, I must say that this whole uproar about Sanjaya is pretty interesting to me. It seems to have become conventional wisdom that he has no talent. From what I’ve heard, this isn’t true. The kid can sing just fine. Maybe he can’t do Christina Aguilera-esque vocal gymnastics, but I’m sure he’s just as talented vocally as any member of any number of crappy boy bands.

I think the ridicule that’s being directed toward him is the latest manifestation of a longtime American preoccupation: the hatred of the sissy. He’s the kind of kid to whom everyone in America can feel superior. He’s an easy target. And it’s fascinating to me that when someone is on television, there is this presumption that they are no longer real people … when Jay Leno’s making fun of him for being effeminate, does he give a shit that the kid’s only 17 and (pretty obviously) self-conscious? Or am I being too sensitive? Is that just the trade-off for wanting to be famous?

Joseph Gordon-Leavitt seems like a really cool freaking guy. For those who don’t know, he’s the kid from Third Rock from the Sun. In the last few years, he’s turned in two stellar performances in Gregg Araki’s excellent, totally disturbing and not-ever-to-be-rented-by homophobes Mysterious Skin and the soon-to-be teen classic Brick. In an interview with Salon today, he has this to say:

Given your recent performances, you’re going to get offered parts in films that are a little bit more black and white in terms of their structure and that maybe also pay really, really well. Are you really going to be able to say that you don’t want to do those kinds of movies?

I just want to do good movies, and by the way, “The Lookout” paid really well.

Well, good. I’m glad to hear it.

I’m so lucky to have a job like this. It’s funny to me when I hear actors talk about “littler” movies like “The Lookout.” “The Lookout” is a huge movie! It cost like $20 million to make! Come on.

Amen, right? I think I might be able to make a pretty good movie for $20 million.

In preparation for tomorrow night’s premiere of This American Life on Showtime, please enjoy this hilarious parody of the radio show.

(Thanks, Boingboing!)

Segretto has begun posting his 100 Favorite Cult Films. According to Netflix, Mike’s tastes are closer to mine than anyone else in my life. We are practically the same person.

It is official: Juiceboxxx is the best thing that ever was.