Word: earnest
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DIED. LARRY RIVERS, 78, iconoclastic painter and sculptor who helped pave the way for the Pop Art movement; of liver cancer; in Southampton, N.Y. After studying the old masters in Paris, Rivers injected ironic humor into the earnest, Abstract Expressionist-dominated art world of the 1950s, with such works as Washington Crossing the Delaware, a parody of the famous American painting. A saxophonist, writer and sometime actor (appearing in the Beat-era underground film Pull My Daisy), he was both self-promoting and self-deprecating. Hospitalized once in the '80s, he envisioned his obituary headline as GENIUS OF THE VULGAR...
...MEANING OF LIFE: Random House recently threw a breakfast for Silicon Valley chronicler Po Bronson, in honor of his forthcoming book, "What Should I Do with My Life? The True Story of People Who Answered the Ultimate Questions" (December). Bronson, nothing if not earnest, expressed his interest in "inspiring people to find their own calling." Bronson's 15-month-old son Luke already has a calling: world traveler. The tyke has already gone on 17 reporting trips with Dad. Bronson, 38, was named "The Sexiest Author Alive" by PEOPLE in 2000. He lives in San Francisco with his wife...
...know what. But there are times in human history when instinct, faith, myth and current events work together to create a perfect storm of preoccupation. Visions of an end point lodge in people's minds in many forms, ranging from entertainment to superstitious fascination to earnest belief. Now seems to be one of those times...
Teen pop seems prepared to adapt to the more earnest climate: Aguilera has brought in the sincere rock singer Linda Perry to help write and produce her new album. Branch speculates that post-9/11 seriousness might have given her subgenre a boost but doesn't pretend that she and her Authentic colleagues are revolting against something bigger than stale music: "We aren't too scary. I'm not here cussing every other word and talking about politics." You don't have to be a rebel to join this movement--which means that soon every 105-lb. diva with glitter...
...done well. The unassuming but endearing indie comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding has found an audience, with minimal advertising and generous word of mouth. And Miramax is betting against the glut of blockbusters with four art-house movies this summer, including Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest and Full Frontal, director Steven Soderbergh's star-studded but extremely arty movie set for release Aug. 2. "The premise behind releasing all these is, there's nothing for my mother and my friends to see in the summer," says Mark Gill, president of Miramax L.A. "They're not going...