This Friday night, Marsh Coffee Haus II took place in Marsh House from 8 to 10 p.m.. Throughout the night, various artists performed acts of different genres, including poetry, prose, acoustic covers of songs, self-written songs, jazz, comedy and interpretive dance. The night was a relaxing event that provided the various talented artists on campus a platform to share their work with the community.
I want to talk about a topic that’s been on my mind for a while: the career trajectory of Kid Cudi. Most people probably know Kid Cudi as a stoner rapper from the late 2000s who fell off after two decent albums. Back in 2009, Kid Cudi was riding high. With the release of the first “Man on the Moon,” Kid Cudi was right up there with the likes of Drake — granted, Drake was on the come-up as well, but he’s still Drake. Under the mentorship of Kanye West, Kid Cudi grew a devoted fan base that latched on the emotional, loner appeal of his music.
Netflix’s favorite alcoholic horse returned last month with its highly anticipated fourth season. Through its previous three seasons, “Bojack Horseman” has left me heartbroken almost as many times as Amherst has, which is saying quite a lot. When I first started watching, I never expected a vulgar, adult-oriented cartoon to be so relatable on topics such as anxiety, depression, abortion, sexism and generational trauma.
Blaring neon lights wash a simple set consisting of seamless white walls and a single chair in the middle. The entire audience recoils, eyes slowly adjusting, peering at a limp body strapped into the chair. The man releases a chilling scream and begs the audience to set him free, accusing us of being complacent in his torture. “1984” unapologetically shatters Broadway’s expectations and forces the audience into a realm of moral ambiguity. The show, which opened on Broadway June 22, is in its final week on the Broadway stage and closes Oct. 8.
Amherst College is the type of campus that President Biddy Martin has described as having a “yeasty” culture, which she defined in her 2016 convocation speech as “characterized by unrest or agitation, in a state of turbulence, typically a creative or productive one.” The sight of open laptops during breakfast at Val is a testament to the ostensibly high-voltage energy of its students, who are constantly working on problem sets, readings, essays or extracurricular activities.
I discuss late-night television in this column often, and each time, I think to myself: “Is this really worth writing?” When I first became aware of late-night TV, it seemed as if the medium as a whole was on the decline. The titans of the late-night timeslots were starting to retire: first Leno, then Letterman. The man once tapped as the future of late-night, Conan O’Brien, was on a lesser network (TBS), and hosts like Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel were getting notoriety for their gimmicky bits that made for eye-catching YouTube content.
These are times when political views have become identities. When someone mentions their ideology, we assume we know all about them. They must fit a certain mold, live a certain lifestyle and be a certain type of person. If they believe in the same things that we do, perfect. This must mean they are good, kind and educated. But if they don’t — then, they must be ignorant, bad or even stupid.
