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CJ Fam: No 'Ordinary Pop Star'

By The Observer · Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Ark Music Factory.  The first thing to pop into most people's heads after that sentence probably ranges from "Rebecca Black" to "auto-tune" to "exploitation." Some people may have even experienced nausea.  Basically, unless you are Ryan Seacrest, you most likely have a fairly negative view of the new music production company.

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Culture Tantrum

By The Observer · Wednesday, April 6, 2011

It has come to my attention through a number of encounters and conversations that there is a negative sentiment growing like a weed in the hearts and minds of collegiate uprights everywhere. At first it seems absurd. But I have heard through the grapevine something that goes far beyond anything I could ever imagine to conceive during my tenure in college. It is just this: Facebook is bad.

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Waiting for Superman' at DPAC

By The Observer · Wednesday, April 6, 2011

"Waiting for Superman," which plays at the Debartolo Performing Arts Center this weekend — though certainly not a lighthearted, fun movie — is the must-see documentary of the year. Davis Guggenheim's highly politicized film analyzes the flaws in the American public school system and received the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Guggenheim is also the director of "An Inconvenient Truth," the 2006 informative documentary about global warming, and several TV shows, including "Alias," "24" and "Deadwood."

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Muffet McGraw: Scoring Fashion Points

By The Observer · Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Fashion is never fluff. It's a weapon of communication. An accessory or a complete ensemble can project strength to your opponent, encouragement to your team and unstoppable confidence to all those TV cameras. If you have any doubt, just tune into a Notre Dame women's basketball game, and take a look at Muffet McGraw on the sidelines for proof. Like the armor of an Amazonian woman prepared to do battle, Muffet's outfits fly in the face of expectation and disarm you with their fierceness.

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Styx: a concise history

By The Observer · Monday, April 4, 2011

The Chicago band Styx grew to fame in the late 1970s, melding progressive rock with hard rock guitar and strong ballads. Originally, twin brothers Chuck and John Panozzo joined up with neighbor Dennis DeYoung in 1961 to form "The Tradewinds."  Chuck left the band briefly to attend seminary school, but returned to the band on the bass guitar in 1964.  During his absence, Tom Nardin stepped in to fill Chuck's void on guitar, but left in 1969 and was replaced by John Curulewski. James "J.Y." Young joined in 1970.

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Ever heard of a band called Styx?

By The Observer · Monday, April 4, 2011

When you think of Styx, you are most likely going to imagine one of those classic bands that you know you like, even if you can't remember what exactly you like them for. With songs like "Come Sail Away," "Mr. Roboto," "Renegade" and "Lady," all of which are perennial radio standards, Styx is a band that has been burned into your psyche since birth — or at least since you began listening to the radio. They're a staple of the large and encompassing beast that makes up the ocean of Rock Before Our Time, landing on lists where even the least pedantic of rock enthusiasts can find something to hold on to. If you're a classic rock guru, you know them well. If you've ever forayed into progressive rock, they're essential. If you couldn't be bothered, you'll probably like them anyway. Consider yourself dared.

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Fashion by Felicia

By The Observer · Sunday, April 3, 2011

There are some things in life I consider inalienable rights. While the Declaration of Independence of our dear, beloved country may consider these to be among the greater themes — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — I consider smaller issues to be just as, if not more, inalienable. These include but are not limited to: shopping, traveling around the globe, visiting museums, attending good entertainment, lounging in bookstores for hours on end and my own "Italian moments."

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The Two Gentlemen of Verona

By The Observer · Sunday, April 3, 2011

This year the Film, Television and Theatre Department's spring production combines all the enthusiasm of student-run shows with the precision and training of professional theatre. The Department will join for the first time with the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival to present "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" this week.

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Latin Expressions "Origenes: Regresando a Nuestras Raices"

By The Observer · Thursday, March 31, 2011

Ready to sing, dance and enjoy one of the largest cultural events on campus? The university's Latino student organization, La Alianza, will host their annual showcase Latin Expressions today. It will be an exciting night full of Latino history, culture and art.

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Arabic Culture Night: More than just dancing

By The Observer · Thursday, March 31, 2011

The Arabic Culture Night returns to Notre Dame for its fourth year tonight, and it promises to be bigger and better than ever. More than 40 students from the department have worked tirelessly to prepare this very special event and are ready to share their hard work.

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Social Media Mash-Up

By The Observer · Tuesday, March 29, 2011

When comedian Daniel Tosh introduced the world to singing "sensation" Rebecca Black, there were a few immediate, inevitable consequences. First, thanks to Tosh's reputation and the sheer atrocity of the song, Black became instantly infamous. Second, many people were forced to eat their words concerning Justin Bieber. He may be annoying, but Rebecca Black makes many people long for the days when "Baby" was the worst thing they'd ever heard.

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Pandora: Music Your Way

By The Observer · Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Pandora: no longer known in popular culture as that impulsive Greek chick. No, Pandora has commanded the Internet signals of laptops and smart phones across campus, save for that weird dead zone between the library and Starbucks.  As an Internet radio app and website, Pandora enables listeners to create a station based on an artist, then streams music from similar artists through that station. And although Pandora may not have encountered exactly what she wanted in her box, your Pandora Radio will be fine-tuned to your tastes. No random Pitchfork-endorsed artist will pop up on your beloved Britney station. But you will get a heavy dose of the Princess of Pop as well as some quality Christina and Rihanna. So the next time Steve Jobs and iTunes lets you down, or you're on the verge of tears because using Limewire can now land you a lawsuit, check out Pandora.

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Culture Tantrum

By The Observer · Tuesday, March 29, 2011

I was frustrated by a deep-seated conflict when approaching this week's Tantrum. I began the day by sending out the alert, "looking for a good tantrum, open to all suggestions." I posted this alert on Twitter, the hub of friends/Joss Whedon junkies/natural grocer advertisers who all deign to follow me on the new-media mammoth site that I have, reluctantly, hooked up to my phone.

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Britney's Back: 'Femme Fatale' appeals to the college crowd

By The Observer · Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Since her decade-defining albums "…Baby One More Time" and "Oops!…I did it again" at the turn of the century, Britney Spears has only had an average of two to four big hits per album. "Femme Fatale," however, may bring the almost-30-year-old celebrity back into cultural relevance once again.

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Wiz slows down, lightens up on major label debut

By The Observer · Monday, March 28, 2011

At surface level, Wiz Khalifa seems to perfectly epitomize the stereotypical hedonistic rap star lifestyle, consisting of little else besides alcohol, drugs, women, cars and braggadocio about all of the above.  He sounds comfortably at ease in this atmosphere. This is intriguing given that, despite having a No. 1 single about a month ago with "Black and Yellow," he's a very new arrival in the mainstream.

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Movie rewind: 'Pulp Fiction'

By The Observer · Monday, March 28, 2011

Last week's episode of the popular NBC comedy "Community" featured an homage to Quentin Tarantino's classic psycho-crime thriller "Pulp Fiction." Released in 1994, the movie was hailed as an instant classic, and its reputation and influence has been maintained to this day. The "Community" episode is just one example of the influence the movie has upon popular culture.

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