Read more culture stories on Newserhttp://www.newser.com/taggrid/4289/culture.html2009 - Newseren-usNewser Feed GeneratorTue, 24 Nov 2009 8:09:52 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/70463/cupcakists-find-happiness-in-a-simple-pastry.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagJohnny Cupcakes operates stores that sell cupcake-themed merchandise—shirts and stickers bearing a skull-and-crossbones logo with a cupcake instead of a skull—but not cupcakes. Johnny Cupcakes sells the idea of cupcakes, a symbol of an uncomplicated, untouchable childhood pleasure, safe from the stresses of adult life, writes Jennie Yabroff...http://www.newser.com/story/70463/cupcakists-find-happiness-in-a-simple-pastry.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagMon, 28 Sep 2009 16:57:18 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/64921/we-need-more-armstrongs-fewer-jackos.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagIt’s unfortunate that American celebrity typically comes in the form of “uninteresting, detestable, loud, or unaccomplished people” like Michael Jackson and Paris Hilton, writes Bret Stephens in the Wall Street Journal . What society needs is more heroes like the Apollo astronauts—celebrities with “the right stuff,” which includes courage and...http://www.newser.com/story/64921/we-need-more-armstrongs-fewer-jackos.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagTue, 21 Jul 2009 9:52:00 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/63855/kindles-ipods-spell-tragic-end-to-snobbery.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagOn the subway or in a cafe, taking a peek at what others are reading has long provided a convenient way to judge them on the spot: a mindless crime-novel fan? A Joyce-toting member of the intellectual elite? But with the Kindle, we’re left guessing, observes James Wolcott in Vanity...http://www.newser.com/story/63855/kindles-ipods-spell-tragic-end-to-snobbery.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagWed, 08 Jul 2009 14:40:55 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/63752/who-killed-dignity-ask-sanford-jacko-palin.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagCarrying himself with honor and restraint was of utmost importance to George Washington and Americans for generations afterward—but for today’s public figures, the premium on dignity has faded, says David Brooks in the New York Times . Washington’s conduct “during times of temptation” made him “a great man,” one historian...http://www.newser.com/story/63752/who-killed-dignity-ask-sanford-jacko-palin.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagTue, 07 Jul 2009 8:51:00 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/63091/he-cession-is-death-knell-for-male-dominance.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagMacho men caused this recession, and they’re going to pay the price: for the first time in history, they’ll cease to be the dominant force in society, writes Reihan Salam in Foreign Policy . Signs of the turning tide can already be seen in the US, as male-dominated industries like construction...http://www.newser.com/story/63091/he-cession-is-death-knell-for-male-dominance.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagMon, 29 Jun 2009 14:45:02 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/62875/even-as-a-kid-michael-changed-the-game.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagMichael Jackson took Hollywood with Ben in 1972, at a time when few black Americans had shaped the industry. “Little Michael landed upon the mindset of film-hungry black America when its citizenry was starved for identity on the big screen,” writes Wil Haygood in the Washington Post. The black community...http://www.newser.com/story/62875/even-as-a-kid-michael-changed-the-game.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagFri, 26 Jun 2009 6:53:59 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/60025/italys-4m-michelangelo-triggers-furor.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagDid Michelangelo actually create a small (16-inch) wooden carving of a crucified Jesus or did the Italian government get taken for a $4 million ride? Some experts believe passionately that the piece, now on exhibit in Naples, is the work of the master. But as the BBC reports, others blast...http://www.newser.com/story/60025/italys-4m-michelangelo-triggers-furor.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagMon, 25 May 2009 9:40:00 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/59446/backward-brain-drain-calls-indians-home-from-us.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagWhile much of the world suffers economic meltdown, India’s economy is comparatively healthy—and that may be reversing a longstanding “brain drain” of Indians to American shores, Sandip Roy reports for NPR. “It’s the hottest topic at potluck dinners all over Silicon Valley—which friend or colleague has decided to...http://www.newser.com/story/59446/backward-brain-drain-calls-indians-home-from-us.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagTue, 19 May 2009 14:10:07 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/58356/welcome-to-remedial-web-trends-101.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagWhen the New York Times ’ tech guru admitted on Twitter to only recently having heard of “Rickrolling”—the Internet prank in which a link promises something desirable but delivers the video for Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up —his followers blasted him for being “so 2006.” But it...http://www.newser.com/story/58356/welcome-to-remedial-web-trends-101.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagThu, 07 May 2009 14:04:01 CDT