Comments on: My favorite aristocrats http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:26:47 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Kaleberg http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/comment-page-1/#comment-1220 Kaleberg Sun, 07 Aug 2005 01:55:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/#comment-1220 Is that "aristocrats" joke political? It sure sounds like something from the anti-aristocrat pornography of late 18th century France. Is that “aristocrats” joke political? It sure sounds like something from the anti-aristocrat pornography of late 18th century France.

]]> By: Fyodor http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/comment-page-1/#comment-1219 Fyodor Sat, 06 Aug 2005 01:31:20 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/#comment-1219 "The joke is like a lot of jazz standards". I agree. It makes you groan. And wish you were somewhere else. “The joke is like a lot of jazz standards”.
I agree. It makes you groan. And wish you were somewhere else.

]]> By: &y http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/comment-page-1/#comment-1218 &y Fri, 05 Aug 2005 23:23:11 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/#comment-1218 If you can find it, check out Negativland's version of "My Favorite Things." (Warning: It's not jazz.) If you can find it, check out Negativland’s version of “My Favorite Things.” (Warning: It’s not jazz.)

]]> By: Zero http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/comment-page-1/#comment-1217 Zero Fri, 05 Aug 2005 20:01:11 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/#comment-1217 It's high time that this joke is updated for an astrophysics audience. You know, instead of a family performing for a talent agent, change it to a job candidate giving a talk before a search committee. The only question is: what's the best closing line? (Probably something related to the Big Bang.) Of course, truth is stranger than fiction. It would be pretty hard to beat a certain cosmologist's "performance" of the CDM rap during a job talk. Zero It’s high time that this joke is updated for an astrophysics audience. You know, instead of a family performing for a talent agent, change it to a job candidate giving a talk before a search committee. The only question is: what’s the best closing line? (Probably something related to the Big Bang.)

Of course, truth is stranger than fiction. It would be pretty hard to beat a certain cosmologist’s “performance” of the CDM rap during a job talk.

Zero

]]> By: Clifford http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/comment-page-1/#comment-1216 Clifford Fri, 05 Aug 2005 18:37:32 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/#comment-1216 I think we're all in agreement Sean. You'll hear no argument from me about the second sentence. -cvj I think we’re all in agreement Sean. You’ll hear no argument from me about the second sentence. -cvj

]]> By: Sean http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/comment-page-1/#comment-1215 Sean Fri, 05 Aug 2005 17:17:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/#comment-1215 Clifford, nobody says a song <em>needs</em> to be bad to have lots of improvisations etc. More like <em>even</em> songs that are not intrinsically challenging can be made more rich by a talented improvisor, and even more so by a set of challenging interpretations by different people. Clifford, nobody says a song needs to be bad to have lots of improvisations etc. More like even songs that are not intrinsically challenging can be made more rich by a talented improvisor, and even more so by a set of challenging interpretations by different people.

]]> By: Mark http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/comment-page-1/#comment-1214 Mark Fri, 05 Aug 2005 17:12:09 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/#comment-1214 Thank you Aaron. And thanks for the warning - my earphones were definitely necessary. Thank you Aaron. And thanks for the warning – my earphones were definitely necessary.

]]> By: Clifford http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/comment-page-1/#comment-1213 Clifford Fri, 05 Aug 2005 17:06:48 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/#comment-1213 Hey! Autumn Leaves is *not* uninteresting, and Favourite Things is *not* schlock! The chord structure of those pieces - and several other standards - is very rich. *That* is why they are Jazz standards, since they form a framework upon which you can build something interesting. The Jazz improvisation analogy for Aristocrats is good, I will admit (heard a lot of discussion on it on KPCC's Airtalk film reviews last week), but I do not agree that a song need be a bad one to have lots of improvisations on it take it in new interesting directions. If that were the case, Bach (to pick but one example) would have been out of business, right? Cheers, -cvj Hey! Autumn Leaves is *not* uninteresting, and Favourite Things is *not* schlock! The chord structure of those pieces – and several other standards – is very rich. *That* is why they are Jazz standards, since they form a framework upon which you can build something interesting. The Jazz improvisation analogy for Aristocrats is good, I will admit (heard a lot of discussion on it on KPCC’s Airtalk film reviews last week), but I do not agree that a song need be a bad one to have lots of improvisations on it take it in new interesting directions. If that were the case, Bach (to pick but one example) would have been out of business, right?

Cheers,

-cvj

]]> By: Aaron Bergman http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/comment-page-1/#comment-1212 Aaron Bergman Fri, 05 Aug 2005 17:01:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/#comment-1212 The South Park <a href="http://www.spschat.com/RareMedia/videos/southparkjoke-thearistocrats.wmv" rel="nofollow">segment</a> (WMV) from the movie has made it to the internet. Warning: Link is <b>not</b> work-safe! Really, really, <i>not</i> work-safe. The link isn't even polite-company safe. Use headphones or something. And, apparently, the South Park version is one of the milder versions from the movie. The South Park segment (WMV) from the movie has made it to the internet.

Warning: Link is not work-safe! Really, really, not work-safe. The link isn’t even polite-company safe. Use headphones or something.

And, apparently, the South Park version is one of the milder versions from the movie.

]]> By: Mark http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/comment-page-1/#comment-1211 Mark Fri, 05 Aug 2005 16:57:33 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/08/05/my-favorite-aristocrats/#comment-1211 BBC America's <em> Talking Movies</em> show reviewed the movie. They interviewed Penn (of Penn and Teller), wh is one of the people who made the movie. He actually gave the jazz analogy - that it is improvisation on a common theme that is where the art is - as part of why he wanted to do it. BBC America’s Talking Movies show reviewed the movie. They interviewed Penn (of Penn and Teller), wh is one of the people who made the movie. He actually gave the jazz analogy – that it is improvisation on a common theme that is where the art is – as part of why he wanted to do it.

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