Category Archives: Media & Culture

MuddledDiction’s Top Halloween Costumes for 2011.

Halloween can be an intimidating time.  It’s the ultimate-what-to-wear night.  Do you go funny with your costume?  Controversial? Sexy? Slutty?  There are so many questions and so much anxiety.  MuddledDiction is here for you.  We present our Halloween costumes for 2011:

NBA Commissioner David Stern:

For all the trick-or-treaters out there who are considering taking this Halloween off, MuddledDiction recommends the David Stern. If you’re planning on staying home this year, even though everyone really wants to see you, this is the perfect costume. Continue reading

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Maman’s Homesick Pie: A Persian Heart in an American Kitchen by Donia Bijan


Iranian-born chef Donia Bijan has lived a culturally-unique life.  She was born in Iran, but fled the country as a child during the Islamic Revolution in 1978.  She lived in Spain, attended college in California, and went to cooking school in Paris.  As a chef, she has held jobs all over the kitchen, and even opened her own restaurant in San Francisco. But Bijan is not just a chef: she wields a word with the same precision and grace that she wields a knife. Continue reading

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What If The Bachmanns Take The White House?

Michele Bachmann on the campaign trail with her husband Dr. Marcus Bachmann

The husband of Rep. Michele Bachman, R-Minn., is not a licensed psychologist.  However, the potential first First Gentleman, Marcus Bachmann, is currently running a controversial clinic that suggests prayer as a counseling method to effectively ‘convert’ gay people.  News of the clinic’s tactics was reported by ABC News last Monday and has since brought criticism to Michele Bachmann, who is currently seeking the Republican nomination for president.

Is it appropriate and relevant to comment on the doings of Michele Bachmann’s family?  It’s a murky area.  But in this case, yes, I think it is.  A political figure, who is running for the highest office in the land, will by definition have every detail of their life explored, scrutinized and exposed.  This is a part of the American democratic process and, in many ways, it is a necessary part of electing an adequate public official.  Even the personal life of a candidate is fair game to the public.  But when it comes to family I believe there is a fine line.  Although often distorted and hard to make out, it does exist.

Continue reading

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Life With The Anthonys: Breaking Down The Shocking Series Finale!

A little over a week ago, I was able to sit down and watch the much anticipated series finale of Life With The Anthonys, the hit crime drama that is run simultaneously on truTV and HLN.  With a turkey sandwich in hand, I sat down on the couch next to my roomate and watched with giddy anticipation as arguably the most vivid and fully realized drama of all time raced towards its epic conclusion…

What has separated The Anthonys from its predecessor shows like Law and Order and CSI is its commitment to focusing on a single criminal case and the family that surrounds it.  The result has been the steady accumulation of a loyal and rabidly-devoted following, one that has redefined the television experience and has corporate executives rushing to find the next big hit.  The slow-building structure of the show’s plot is compounded with the innovative strategy of outsourcing the footage itself to a multitude of networks outside of HLN and truTV.  The show’s unique and truly groundbreaking contract with the networks allows them the right to choose how much of the crime drama they wish to broadcast, as long as the coverage is more retrospective in nature.  This phenomenal business strategy is predicated on the simple belief that more publicity yields more viewers, and the show’s success will grow exponentially as a result. Continue reading

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