 |
 |
Malcolm Gladwell is a fellow I’ve admired uneasily for a few years. I read “The Tipping Point” when it was first published, and liked it. After finishing the book, though, I realized my enjoyment of it was similar to the pleasure to be found in a bag of potato chips: It was tasty while being consumed, but later seemed low on actual nutritional value. I’ve had a similar reaction to Gladwell’s pieces in the New Yorker, which are uniformly well crafted, engaging, readable and thoughtful — yet not particularly memorable. Considering the acclaim Gladwell has enjoyed, I thought it was just me, until I read this piece from Britain’s The Register. Gladwell takes a beating at the hands of the author, who declares that Gladwell is “better known for his Afro than any big idea, or bold conclusion — and his insights have all the depth and originality of Readers Digest or a Hallmark greeting card.” Ouch. And that’s just the opening salvo.
Speaking of Britain (and as long as we’re on the subject of Gladwell’s specialty, pop sociology), it has been determined that its citizens are the most sexually promiscuous among the populations of the world’s major nations. My, how times have changed from the era when English ladies were advised that the best way to endure the trauma of sex was to “lie back and think of England.” These days, according to researchers, Britain’s lasses and laddies are shagging their brains out more vigorously than any other nationality. Weirder still is the country in second place for horniness and random boinking — Germany. (This sounds like the set-up for a joke: “A Brit and a German walk into a sex club ….” ) So where do we rank? The United States is sixth on the list, one place ahead of France. All talk and no action, those French.
If you’re still confused about the switch to digital television next month, a WAW reader has sent along this helpful instructional video. It’s easy! Just do everything the old lady in the video does, and you’ll be fine.