Word: escapists
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Many Americans sense that the nation has been out of control, indulging in an escapist fantasy, consuming too much, saving too little, not paying the bills, not paying attention to global realities. They have lived on credit cards, while the Japanese and other foreign investors have been buying up their assets. We are not us anymore, they tell themselves, not the nation as it was in the triumphant postwar years, the American Century. They know that they live now in a global economic village in which they must learn to compete and re-earn their grace. As Missouri Congressman Dick...
...comedy become so glum loving? Part of it can be attributed to the medium's cyclical swings. When the provocative Norman Lear comedies of the early '70s went out of fashion, sitcoms retreated to escapist fluff; now realism and relevance are coming back into vogue. The networks, moreover, are fond of high-profile, easily promotable episodes that can draw attention to a series. ("Next week on I Love Valerie: a crack dealer moves into the neighborhood.") Equally important, many writers and producers, tired of feeding the sitcom gag machine, are looking for ways to stretch the old formulas. Says Hugh...
Having said that, I should add that, as escapist entertainment goes, Charley is extremely funny...
...this novel has something more on its mind than escapist entertainment. The fates of Rogers, Jamal and a sizable cast of supporting players are meticulously connected to the larger forces that are tearing a society to shreds. Although the CIA and its people make mistakes, they are not the villains of the piece. Rogers' innocence rests in his belief that he and his country can apply reasonableness and common sense to a situation they do not understand. History does not bear out that assumption, and neither does this disturbing novel...
Most of the humor stems from the way Almodovar plays with our notions about love and relationships. He takes special delight in destroying the easy, escapist nature of most melodrama. He even overturns the convention of the damsel in distress. Maura, as the transsexual actress, is sexy and provocative--Almodovar makes the audience lust after her and want to protect her. At the same time, we are constantly reminded that she was once...