FEBRUARY 24, 2002

Full News Archive

• Headline: African Diaspora Arts Amid Budget Cuts. Impact: This budget cut debacle led to a nationwide trend of arts organizations scrambling for funds, ultimately resulting in the creation of the infamous 'Art Fundraising Bake Sale' where people sold overpriced cookies to fund their passion for existential angst.. Fact: Did you know that the art world once thought about introducing a 'Survival of the Fittest' competition? Turns out, starving artists didn’t have the stamina..
• Headline: Wal-Mart's Shift to Affluent Markets. Impact: Wal-Mart's attempt to woo the BMW crowd inadvertently led to the rise of 'luxury discounting', where rich folks proudly bought their organic kale at the same place as their flip-flops, forever changing the shopping landscape into a confusing mix of class and coupons.. Fact: Fun fact: The phrase 'I have a coupon' is now considered a valid pickup line in affluent suburbs. Who knew savings could be so sexy?.
• Headline: America's Defining Battles Against Its Enemies. Impact: This obsession with defining evil enemies caused America to create an entire industry of action films where the bad guys are just misunderstood. You know, just like every villain in a Disney movie.. Fact: Did you know that America’s top two enemies, according to Hollywood, are aliens and the weather? That’s right, climate change is the new supervillain..
• Headline: 2002 Games: Riveting Sport and an Angry Backlash. Impact: The backlash against the Winter Olympics inspired a new sport called 'Protest Curling', where athletes slide their grievances across the ice instead of stones, thereby revolutionizing the way we express dissatisfaction with winter sports.. Fact: Did you know the Winter Olympics were actually invented to distract from how cold and miserable winter is? It’s true; snowflakes were initially just a marketing ploy..
• Headline: POSTINGS: Bedford-Stuyvesant Community Center; In Brooklyn, A 'Beacon' Recalls Wright. Impact: This community center design sparked a bizarre movement where every neighborhood began demanding buildings that looked like famous architects' work, leading to an influx of coffee shops styled after Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpieces and, of course, hipster baristas.. Fact: Fun fact: Frank Lloyd Wright once said, 'The longer you wait, the less you will be.' Apparently, he was also talking about waiting for your latte..