Word: absurdism
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...wartime. But Ames Professor of Law Philip B. Heymann took issue with this argument. Heymann pointed out that while most wars have a definite time span, “terrorism is going to be with us for all of your lives.” He said that it was absurd for a president to claim special executive power in order to combat a war with no end. Deborah N. Pearlstein—director of the U.S. Law and Security Program at Human Rights First and HLS alumna—brought up the deleterious effects of these practices on future intelligence...
...Heteronormative” is a peculiar (some would say vapid) invention that does not yet pack the rhetorical punch “homophobia” does, largely because the idea that underlies it is so absurd on the face of things...
Luckily, things have changed, and the purpose of art has expanded greatly. Consider the function of photography in the imagery of Vietnam or the Great Depression, or the role of Constructivist art in uniting millions of Russians. Pop art forces us to examine our absurd consumer society by parodying such a culture. Art is an immensely powerful tool in shaping the way in which society sees the world in a particular context and reflecting upon that context...
...proved useful on the frequent occasions that I locked myself out and went sheepishly next door to gain access to my room. Establishing a relationship with the person through the fire door, even if it’s just one of convenience, makes the inevitable eavesdropping a bit less absurd...
Sometimes healthy doses of gratuitousness and absurdity can produce a show that is gratuitous and absurd. And sometimes they can produce a show that is simply addictive and highly viewable, somehow rising above its own ridiculousness. “Prison Break” fits the latter bill. In the past two episodes alone, Fox River Penitentiary inmates and Fox Network viewers have seen a tabby cat executed, a molested teenager hang himself, Secret Service operatives gun down a pair of suburban step-parents, a guard hump a secretary in the break room (to table-shaking effect), and a mobster...