From Vanity Fair, the Wall Street Journal, ruled by the Establishment-hating Rupert Murdoch, has declared war against the New York Times, defended by the tradition-loving Arthur Sulzberger Jr. — surveying the battlefield, Sarah Ellison doubts either side will be able to claim victory. Anmol Chaddha and William Julius Wilson on why they're teaching The Wire at Harvard (and more). It was heaven that they burned: Who is Rigoberta Menchu? Moral panics and rumors: When the world turns its mean side to the public, rumors amplified in the Internet/cable news age often slip past our critical thinking skills. From Obit magazine, Judy Bachrach on American Apparel, the last shred of decency. You hear that, Newport? Even as powerful an avatar of the good life as Martha Stewart isn’t enough to fill out Richard Saul Wurman’s idea of a decent week’s lunch card. Pseudo-profundity is the art of sounding profound while talking tosh; unlike the art of actually being profound, the art of sounding profound is not particularly difficult to master. It turns out there is accounting for taste: New research finds people’s taste in entertainment remains remarkably consistent, regardless of whether they’re reading, watching or listening. Hell, it turns out, isn’t other people; hell is other people reviewing on Amazon.com. An article on 6 insane foreign memes that put Lolcats to shame. From dark to cerebral, what kind of media consumer are you?
