…Exploring the role of the prankster as artist, activist and social observer and the significance of the prank in society.
Satire uses elements of a prior work to target some other aspect of society, parody uses elements of a prior work to target the prior work itself.
The annual Pasadena Doo Dah Parade, originally created in 1976 to spoof the Rose Bowl Parade, has spawned progeny in Columbus, Ohio July 4, and in Norfolk, Virginia, happening tomorrow, April 27, 2007, at 12:30 p.m..
PETA paraders from a past Norfolk, Virginia Doo Dah Parade:
Here’s The Ashtray, episode 5 of the historic Coyle & Sharpe podcast series presented by Jesse Thorn of The Sound of Young America. In this episode, Coyle & Sharpe discuss with a New Zealander the possibility of growing an ashtray out of his forehead.
Listen to episodes 1, 2 & 3 here and episode 4 here. New episodes will be posted each Wednesday as they are released by The Sound of Young America.
These recordings are from the Sharpe family archive, tended by Mal’s daughter, Jennifer Sharpe. More about Coyle & Sharpe is available on their Website or on MySpace.
You can also listen to this podcast at The Sound of Young America or you can subscribe to the series in iTunes.
Here’s The Druggist, episode 4 of the historic Coyle & Sharpe podcast series presented by Jesse Thorn of The Sound of Young America.
Listen to episodes 1, 2 & 3 here. New episodes will be posted each Wednesday as they are released by The Sound of Young America.
These recordings are from the Sharpe family archive, tended by Mal’s daughter, Jennifer Sharpe. More about Coyle & Sharpe is available on their Website or on MySpace.
You can also listen to this podcast at The Sound of Young America or you can subscribe to the series in iTunes.
Here are the first 3 episodes of a series of podcasts of historic Coyle & Sharpe satire presented by Jesse Thorn of The Sound of Young America.
Each podcast is 5 to 7 minutes long. We’ll put up new episodes every Wednesday as they are released.
Here’s a little history from Jesse’s blog at maximumfun.org:
In the early 1960s, James P. Coyle and Mal Sharpe roamed the streets of San Francisco, microphone in hand, roping strangers into bizarre schemes and surreal stunts. Today, their humor is a cultural touchstone for artists as varied as Henry Rollins and The Upright Citizens Brigade.
These recordings are from the Sharpe family archive, which is tended by Mal’s daughter, Jennifer Sharpe. You can learn more about Coyle & Sharpe on their Website or on MySpace.
You can also listen to these podcasts at The Sound of Young America or you can subscribe to them in iTunes.
Obituary From the Associated Press
April 12, 2007
New York (AP) – Kurt Vonnegut, the satirical novelist who captured the absurdity of war and questioned the advances of science in darkly humorous works such as “Slaughterhouse-Five” and “Cat’s Cradle,” has died. He was 84.
Vonnegut died Wednesday. He often marveled that he had lived so long despite his life-long smoking habit, had suffered brain injuries after a fall at his Manhattan home weeks ago, said his wife, photographer Jill Krementz.
The author of at least 19 novels, many of them best-sellers, as well as dozens of short stories, essays and plays, Vonnegut relished the role of a social critic. Indianapolis, his hometown, declared 2007 as “The Year of Vonnegut” — an announcement he said left him “thunderstruck.”
He lectured regularly, exhorting audiences to think for themselves and delighting in barbed commentary against the institutions he felt were dehumanizing people.
“I will say anything to be funny, often in the most horrible situations,” Continue reading “Kurt Vonnegut, author, social critic, satirist dead at 84”