Lifestyle

• Finding Humor in the Everyday; The Comedy Central Star Talks with Broadside About Inspiration, his Comedic Father and his Future

  Lifestyle February 18, 2010 at 10:45 am Comments are Disabled

  Marine Jaouen, Broadside Correspondent When interviewing Demetri Martin, I expected the conversation to be punctuated by a series of humorous one-liners. Like some gifted word genius, he would magically sum up questions with clever single sentences, I would be gloriously entertained listening to my favorite comedian and it would be awesome. After reality set in, I quickly realized that Martin’s answers were elaborate and eloquently explained, fitting for a comedian whose observational comedy includes word play like palindromes and paraprosdokians. Martin discusses his path to becoming a comedian, his television show and his ambitions. Martin studied law at Yale University and New York University, but with one year left before graduating he realized that he wanted to try something new. Growing up with comedy from Bill Cosby and Eddie Murphy’s Delirious, a major part of his comedic background came from observing his father. “My dad was a priest, so every Sunday I’d see my dad up in front of a big crowd, and he would do these pretty funny sermons that were mostly extemporaneous,” Martin said. “He didn’t prepare and write a lot, but he’d just speak for 20 minutes in front of the congregation, and he’d get laughs. He […]

   

• Mardi Gras Madness

  Lifestyle February 12, 2010 at 11:50 am Comments are Disabled

  Pearson Jones, Asst. Style Editor Whether you call it Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras, everyone knows that the day before the Lenten season is reserved for some of the most outlandish festivities. George Mason University is looking to honor this ritual. Homecoming Week is upon us once again and it’s bringing with it the traditions, music and spirit of Bourbon Street. This year’s theme is Mardi Gras, an idea inspired by the student Program Board’s slogan “Unmasque Your Spirit.” Monday 2/15 Mardi Gras Madness 12:30 p.m. JC Atrium A spinoff of Mason Madness, Mardi Gras Madness will be this year’s Homecoming Pep Rally featuring the homecoming pageant contestants, the Green Machine pep bad and Mason dignitaries. “The Big Easy” Pageant 8 p.m. Dewberry Hall Come check out this year’s pageant contestants as they strut their stuff to earn your vote. Tuesday 2/16 Can-Can for Cans 3:30-4:30 p.m. SUB II Ballroom Watch student teams construct can-structions. The event will include students who will build structures out of non-perishable cans that will later be donated to a local food bank. Show Us Your Talent 8 p.m. Dewberry Hall Mason’s got talent and a lot of students are willing to prove […]

   

• Valentines Day Quiz

  Lifestyle February 5, 2010 at 2:52 pm Comments are Disabled

  1. What do 15 percent of women do on Valentines Day? A. Lie about having a boyfriend B. Go on blind dates C. Buy themselves flowers D. Go out to dinner with their friends 2. What states produces the most roses for Valentines Day? A. Virginia B. California C. Texas D. Florida 3. How many different Valentines Day cards does Hallmark have? A. 1330 B. 2000 C. 100 D. 10 4. What percentage of men don’t make plans in advance for Valentines Day? A. 17 B. 42 C. 56 D. 64 5. How many Valentines Day cards are exchanged on February 14th? A. 2 billion B. 900 million C. 2 million D. 1 billion 6. What percent of pet owners will give their pets Valentines Day cards? A. 2 B. 10 C. 25 D. 3 7. What year was Valentines Day made an official holiday? A. 1940 B. 1881 C. 1537 D. 1400 8. Why caused a rose to be associated with Valentines Day? A. It smells good B. The rose is associated with the goddess Venus C. Red is the color of love D. Their cheap to grow 9. What country doesn’t celebrate Valentines Day? A. Canada B. China […]

   

• Apple’s Newest Gadget: iPad Hits Stores in May

  Lifestyle February 2, 2010 at 7:41 pm Comments are Disabled

  Ramy Zabarah, Broadside Correspondent Attention all Mac-heads! Like your MacBook? Can’t go an hour without playing with your iPhone? As I’m sure you’ve already heard, a new flower is emerging from the very fruitful garden of Apple, Inc. On Wednesday, Jan. 27, Steve Jobs and the rest of the Apple crew held a conference in San Fransisco, Calif. to unveil their latest product, the iPad. After weeks of speculation as to the actual existence of Apple’s new mysterious product, the announcement was finally made, and the iPad will be in stores toward the end of May. Expected to kick tart the market for tablet computers, the iPad is like a supersized iPod Touch with more similarities to an actual computer. It will be a central portable device where you can store your music, photos, videos, e-mails, read books and surf the Internet with a much more intimate interface. Portability is huge with the iPad. Although it’s essentially a plus-size iPod Touch, it can easily slide into your backpack or purse. Weighing in at about 1.5 pounds, you don’t really have to worry about carrying any extra baggage. Also, its width and height dimensions are about 7 ½ by 9 ½ […]

   

• Local Group Brings the Noise: I Am the Kaleidoscope Fuses Genres

  Lifestyle February 2, 2010 at 7:39 pm Comments are Disabled

  Donovan Hall, Broadside Correspondent As my journey to discover the local music scene began, I found myself at JAXX night club off of Rolling Road in Springfield. It was here that I discovered the first band I would interview, I Am the Kaleidoscope. I planted myself at a little table towards the back of the club, illuminated by a dull yellow light. As I waited for the performance to begin, I watched the 100 or so audience members drift around the bar and dance floor, anxiously waiting for the music to begin. After a few moments, the band appeared and began prepping for the show. The first thing I noticed about I Am the Kaleidoscope was the relationship between the band members. They joked around and showed no sign of being nervous as they tuned their instruments. When they finished, a huddle formation between the members readied them, as well as the crowd, for the show. As the performance began, the high energy and intense sound of the band drew the audience members closer to the stage. Within seconds of the music starting, the rapid guitar riffs, heart-pounding drum beats, hypnotizing bass lines and the lead singer’s distinctive and surprisingly […]

   

• Lights, Camera, Mason: An Inside Look at GMU’s Film Department

  Lifestyle February 2, 2010 at 7:37 pm Comments are Disabled

  Evan Benton, Staff Writer George Mason University is known for its many centers of learning: a continually growing School of Law in Arlington; a massive, world-renowned communication department featuring former journalists and reporters from News 4 and Reuters; and an economics department that touts such professors as Russ Roberts and popular conservative analyst Walter Williams — to name only the most popular fields. It’s a testament to the university’s scholastic diversity that it can continue to be successful as a school of many thoughts, rather than just one or two — appealing to and providing for the desires and interests of all its student population. Last year I discovered for myself one of Mason’s smallest, yet one of its most rewarding, departments: film. Not quite its own department in name (it falls under specialized classes, under sections such as ENGL 332, RUSS 470, JAPA 320), Mason Film is taught by experienced, knowledgeable professors eager to share what they know with Mason students interested in film. Two years ago, halfway through my college career and wanting to add something with a little spice to my bland and broad “Communication” major, I stumbled upon the Film and Media Studies (FAMS) minor, offered […]

   

• Looking Forward to 2010: Broadside Previews the Highly Anticipated Blockbusters of the New Year

  Lifestyle February 2, 2010 at 7:34 pm Comments are Disabled

  Ross Bonaime, Staff Writer As the new decade begins, it is time to look forward to the new films coming out over the next twelve months. While January seemed to be filled with crap like The Spy Next Door and Tooth Fairy, let us look to the great films coming with the Top 10 to look forward to in 2010: 10. Cyrus John C. Reilly is a recently divorced man who finds his dream girl, played by Marisa Tomei. However, when he meets her grown son (Jonah Hill) who lives at home and doesn’t want a new man in the house, problems start to arise. Mumblecore pioneers, the Duplass brothers, direct what could be their first mainstream success. 9. Get Him to the Greek In this spin-off of 2008’s great Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Russell Brand reprises his role as rock star Aldous Snow, while Jonah Hill plays a record company executive trying to keep the now out of control Snow on the straight and narrow in order to get him to his concert at the Greek Theatre in L.A. 8. Iron Man 2 Robert Downey Jr.’s comeback streak will continue as he dons his metal suit again, however this time […]

   

• In Bed with Billy: Little Bits of History Repeating

  Lifestyle February 2, 2010 at 7:31 pm Comments are Disabled

  Billy Curtis, Sex Columnist Twenty year olds are stupid; with their naivety of everlasting life and the belief that their driving is absolutely the best, even though they manage to rack up more tickets than the elderly, they think they know it all. “Why do I have the right to say this,” you ask? The answer is that three years ago, I was one of them. The truth is, knowledge literally does come and is learned through experience. No one is very experienced at the age of 20 — we do what we want, ignore our schoolwork and party, maybe even a little too much. I’ve always imagined that during high school and college, the most important lessons are taught outside of the classroom. Thinking back to when I was 20, I definitely dated men that were older than me. I never experienced the issue of conflict in our age differences, but when I turned 23 just last week, I realized that it’s essentially not about the age of either partner in any relationship; it’s about levels of maturity, and how they meet and converge. Jason and I had been dating for roughly four months now, and everything seemed okay […]

   

• Despite the Snowy Conditions, The Upright Citizens Yuk It Up

  Lifestyle February 2, 2010 at 7:30 pm Comments are Disabled

  Patrick Wall, Style Editor The Harman Center for the Arts offered a respite from the snow for those in search of great comedy. The touring improvisational comedy troupe The Upright Citizens Brigade performed Saturday to an audience eager to laugh. The largely twenty-something crowd piled into the Harmon’s forum, a simplistic yet chic room in the Shakespearian playhouse’s basement. Audience members sipped drinks and quietly chatted amongst themselves, waiting for the show to begin. Just as the crowd was getting noticeably restless, four ordinary-looking folks ran in the room, raising their arms with an enthusiastic greeting. Before the four comics started, they requested a participant from the audience. They picked and promptly asked the volunteer to fork over his wallet. They then proceeded to rifle through it. The evening’s entertainment was broken into two parts — the first, a series of continual sketches based on the contents of their volunteer’s wallet. The second was also long-form improvisational comedy, this time based on a word selected by the audience. The subject of the first series of skits focused mainly on the volunteer’s profession, a marketer for a Washington, DC accounting firm. The second half was based primarily around the word “penguin.” […]

   

• Vagina Monologues Tickets on Sale

  Lifestyle February 2, 2010 at 7:28 pm Comments are Disabled

  Patrick Wall, Style Editor For campuses across the country, February means two things: cold weather and the return of The Vagina Monologues. This year, George Mason University welcomes the show back to Harris Theater for three shows of laughter, tears and awareness. Monologues is a widely-acclaimed play based on real-life interviews of women conducted by the play’s writer Eve Ensler. The monologues, performed by students, range from serious to light-hearted but focus on women’s empowerment. The monologues are part of V-Day, an anti-violence campaign started by Ensler. According to vday.org, the movement works to end violence of all kinds against women and girls. This year, the organization is spotlighting the large-scale atrocities committed against the women and girls of Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Shows will be held Friday, February 5 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, February 6 at 2 and 8 p.m. Tickets for the show are $5 for students, $10 for faculty and staff and $25 for the public. Group tickets are also available at a discounted price. To purchase tickets, visit the GMU Concert Hall box office, call (703)-993-2787 or visit tickets.com. Proceeds from the show will go to the GMU Victims of Violence Fund and Women […]