• Home
  • About
    • Out There
    • Jeff Weinstein
    • Contact
    • Archives
  • AJBlog Central
  • ArtsJournal

Out There

Jeff Weinstein's Cultural Mixology

You are here: Home / Archives for TV

Has ‘Project Runway’ Jumped the Sharkskin?

September 13, 2009 by Jeff Weinstein

And Other Crucial Parts of the Culture Puzzle I've never been a fan of purely reactive writing. Most of it banishes those errant ideas and images that have no obvious connection to the fake trend or genuine outrage of the moment, but are nonetheless a writer's best reason to write. It's a puzzle, then, to find novel ways to react "new" to the daily cultural-political flood. Maybe the task can be accomplished in pieces. Jigsaw Part 1: Bloodsuckers I'm afraid that our favorite TV "crossover" shows are withering. You know, crossovers, the … [Read more...]

‘American Idol’ — the Judy-Deanna Version

May 22, 2009 by Jeff Weinstein

        Now that our Idol hangover is over, we may regain some composure and perspective about the relative importance of a manipulated mass election -- sounds presidential, no? -- within the body politic of popular culture. Right? Then how do I explain why I woke up literally singing the word "swing" -- but like a cat wail, "swiiiiiiinnnnnng." Judy was talking to me again. "Didn't you see me?" she asked. "I was hard to miss. I had to share some space with Freddie, but I like Freddie, and even with that awful Lee" -- I … [Read more...]

No. 1 Ladies’ Detective — With Apostrophe, Praise

April 6, 2009 by Jeff Weinstein

Rarely has this writer, even in the guise of critic, thought it wise to promote a product without immersing the recommendation in a cleansing bath of context. A pleasing exhibition? Look at the history, the economy that produced the work. A fine restaurant? Look at the economy, the history that ... .  Yes, I know. But the result need not be hortatory or didactic, and may be at least a bit more defensible than writing long-form blurbs. Except in this case. I want you to watch a new HBO series, period. It's … [Read more...]

I Have Never Depended on the Kindness of Judges, but …

May 16, 2008 by Jeff Weinstein

...Yesterday's court-tossed wedding bouquet was caught by me and thousands of others who will visit City Halls all over California in a state of "finally" and make it legal. Of course, the decision to allow queer marriage can be reversed by referendumb as soon as November. In the meantime, here's a quasi-update to my very last, coincidental post, "Gay Rice": So, ladies and gents and everyone in between, why has it taken so long to have a pissy little gay wedding on network television? Yes, we're in California, not Massachusetts, so no … [Read more...]

Gay Rice

May 12, 2008 by Jeff Weinstein

Down the Aisle, Slowly It took the supposedly liberal New York City mayor David Dinkins ages to come to his political and humanistic senses and order City Hall to issue domestic partnership certificates. That was January, 1993, more than 15 years ago, and it seemed late in coming even then. No money for city employee health benefits, previously promised, came with the mingy declaration; Dinkins was and will forever be an accountant. (Sample certificate is above. I don't know who the fine gents on this particular document are, although … [Read more...]

Jeff Weinstein

Based in New York, I've been an editor of arts coverage at New York's "Soho Weekly News" (1977-79); of visual arts and architecture criticism and much else at the "Village Voice" (1981-95, with a stint as managing editor of "Artforum"); of the fine arts at the "Philadelphia Inquirer" (1997-2006); of arts and culture at "Bloomberg News" (2006-07). Until recently... Read More…

Out There

The media make a potentially fatal mistake by dividing arts coverage into high and low, old and young, and by trivializing our passionate attraction to things. In Out There I propose that all creative expression has the potential to be both … [Read More...]

Visit Us On TwitterVisit Us On FacebookCheck Our Feed

Subscribe to Out There by Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

@JeffWeinstein

Tweets by @jeffweinstein

Recently & Elsewhere

I wrote and narrated a Daylight Magazine slideshow (click on "Read more" below to access it and the rest), an appreciation of the late photographer Milton Rogovin. Also one about the late photographer Helen Levitt. To go back in time, kindly click … [Read More...]

Archives

Recent Comments

  • Jenny Dixon on An -ing Life: “What a wonderful delicious writer you are…a voice that does ‘t age. – Jenny D.” Nov 24, 09:00
  • Jeff Weinstein on An -ing Life: “Fifteen years, oh my goodness. Love to you, too.” Nov 24, 00:05
  • Barbara Tenenbaum on An -ing Life: “So good to see your remembrance of your San Diego days. Today is Heinz’ yahrzeit 15 years. It was so…” Nov 23, 20:39
  • Meredith Brody on An -ing Life: “Love getting your OUT THEREs, Jeff. This one was unexpected and very dense. Will be re-reading it…more than once, I’m…” Nov 23, 20:18
  • Dawn on Beans in My Closet: “Thank you so much for this inspiration. I’ve ordered a few bags of beans from Rancho Gordo and look forward…” May 18, 15:07
Return to top of page

an ArtsJournal blog

This blog published under a Creative Commons license

Copyright © 2021 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in