| Why we love Kerry Katona
The claim by Gordon Brown, in Saturday's interview with this newspaper, that we in Britain have "fallen out of love with celebrity" shows that the prime minister-in-waiting is way out of touch with the popular culture of his times. If Brown were right, he should have had someone from his office get in touch with Prince William and his former girlfriend Kate Middleton and tell them the good news - hey guys, you don't have to split up. The public are no longer interested in celebrity! But Gordon Brown shouldn't feel too bad about getting it hopelessly wrong. For he belongs to a group of illustrious pundits, pop stars and professional zeitgeist watchers who have, since the 1990s, all predicted the end of celebrity culture - and they've all been wrong. I should know, I was one of the first to make this mistake in 1995 when I wrote about the rise of "celebrity fatigue".
Research finds that culture is key to interpreting facial expressions
The University of Alberta study reveals that in cultures where emotional control is the standard, such as Japan, focus is placed on the eyes to interpret emotions. In cultures where emotion is openly expressed, such as the United States, the focus is on the mouth to interpret emotion.
Across two studies, using computerized icons and human images, the researchers compared how people from Japanese and American cultures interpreted images, which conveyed a range of emotions.
"These findings go against the popular theory that the facial expressions of basic emotions can be universally recognized," said Dr. Takahiko Masuda a U of A professor in the Department of Psychology. "A person's culture plays a very strong role in determining how they will perceive emotions and needs to be considered when interpreting facial expression"
These cultural differences are even noticeable in computer emoticons, which are used to convey a writer's emotions over e-mail and text messaging.
Indie fashion gains prominence
On the ride home from school, On a hot bus ride home from school, the bus was steamy and conversation stirred. One girl asked her friend, "So, what exactly does an 'indie' person look like?" "Well, they usually wear skinny Levi's jeans with a carabineer hooked onto the back belt loop, Converse sneakers, greasy styled hair and a cardigan over an old band T-shirt," said Desiree Peña, a UF English and Spanish senior, as she dabbed some sweat off her forehead. Minutes later, the driver made a stop to pick up more sweating students. Onto the bus strolls a 20-something fitting the very same description. Despite the 84-degree weather outside, her shaggy hair was not tied back into a ponytail and she was wearing multiple layers of clothing.
Here are the week's best releases from the pop-culture universe:
CD -- Leonard Cohen reissues: Cohen is the singer-songwriter's singer-songwriter. He's been known to labor over compositions for years. We should be thankful that these three albums from 1969 and '70 -- Songs of Leonard Cohen, Songs From a Room, and Songs of Love and Hate -- ever saw the light of day. Previously unreleased bonus tracks join classics like "Suzanne," "Bird on the Wire," and "Famous Blue Raincoat." .
Planet Pop
American Idol underdog Sanjaya Malakar has finally joined the ranks of losers but could end up parlaying his fame into a winning career. Malakar, 17, whose dreamy smile, wacky hair styles and soft, mediocre voice made him "Something To Talk About" across the US, said last week his months with the popular TV singing contest were the "most amazing experience" of his young life. "I wouldn't change anything for the world," Malakar told Los Angeles' KIIS FM radio on Thursday. Malakar became the most searched male celebrity on Yahoo, beating fictional boy wizard Harry Potter, and has reportedly attracted millions of dollars in potential offers. One pop culture expert said Malakar could be the next tween X pre-teen X idol, especially if he teams up with his stunning sister Shyamali, 20, who also auditioned for American Idol but failed to make it to the final 24.
Star Trek Phasers Outside Gun Control Laws
PLANET EARTH-- In the wake of yet another American tragedy, citizens are rekindling the debate over gun control, and are asking the question: "Should Americans have the right to own Star Trek energy weapons?" While there has been little change in public support for gun control, many feel that it's preposterous that a nerd can simply walk into a Star Trek collectibles shop and purchase a phaser, or perhaps a phaser rifle, with only a simple background check, usually just verifying if the buyer is a card-carrying member of the Star Trek Fan Club. "You go to a [Star Trek] convention, and there's table after table of these science fiction weapons on display. And there's absolutely no registration requirement," said one dude who had half of his face painted white, and the other black.
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