Archive for 'Culture'
Baby, It’s Cold Outside Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 13, 2018
Who knew that a Christmas song nearly 75 years old could be controversial? And yet, in this era of political correctness, when what we say and how we say it is more carefully scrutinized than ever, we have had a minor uproar in the US over a song our grandparents loved. The song is “Baby…
Should English Idioms be Modernized? Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 6, 2018
PETA, the animal rights organization, has proposed that we should reimagine some common English phrases to be more respectful of other species. They argue that phrases such as “I killed two birds with one stone” are as cruel as any hate speech. Similarly, a British researcher believes that, eventually, meat-based metaphors and sayings will be…
America’s Favorite Books Posted by Gary Locke on Nov 15, 2018
Recently, PBS ran a series called The Great American Read in which viewers were invited to select America’s best-loved novel. It was a fascinating exploration of America’s reading habits. A public opinion survey was conducted of favorite novels (and series of novels), then a select group of 13 literary professionals was brought in to establish…
Explaining the U.S. Midterms Posted by Gary Locke on Nov 8, 2018
Every two years, on the first Tuesday following November 1st, elections are held in all 50 of the United States. This is when citizens of those states decide who will serve in the US House of Representatives. They also vote for other candidates and on various state matters and proposals affecting the electorate. Since every state…
TV Commercials and American Culture Posted by Gary Locke on Nov 1, 2018
Television advertising has a powerful effect on American culture. Slogans become part of daily conversation. Characters in commercials are as relatable as family members. It has been like this for decades, but there’s a palpable sense that commercials are now more important to our daily lives than ever before. All this is coming at a…
Tracing Family History Posted by Gary Locke on Oct 25, 2018
US President Donald Trump has had a long-standing feud with Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren over her claims of having a Native American heritage. For years he has derisively called her “Pocahontas”, a reference to the Powhatan woman who famously saved settler John Smith from execution at the Jamestown colony. That selfless act may have been a…
The Invasion from Mars Posted by Gary Locke on Oct 18, 2018
Eighty years ago, on the night of October 30, 1938, millions of Americans believed that Earth was being invaded by creatures from the planet Mars. It was the result of a radio show produced on CBS by the Mercury Theater Players under the direction of Orson Welles. The nature of the program caused widespread pockets…