Highlights

They fall under the umbrella of dark comedy and became prominent in the early 2000’s.  Just a few weeks after the September 11th attacks comedian Gilbert Gottfried made an attempt at a 9/11 gag that didn’t go over well with the audience, which caused someone in the crowd to yell “too soon.” Thus the phrase “what, too soon?” has developed into a kind of social constraint that arises when a current event is deemed too sensitive to be the topic of a joke. On paper “what, too soon?” jokes sound...

    The Tenth Annual Dickens Festival, that's what! 'Twas a weekend filled with unique activities in the guise of Victorian England to establish an overwhelming sense of community. The festival occurred in Stadium District in Tacoma, Dec. 6-7. It is difficult to find the words to describe what a truly lovely experience the festival gave its participants. The world of Charles Dickens was brought to life in a way you wouldn’t expect. This was not completely centered around the man and his works, but rather around the ideals he...

Despite strides made towards equality of the sexes, toy stores are still dividing their merchandise into boys’ and girls’ sections. Not surprisingly, the aisles designed for young girls are shockingly pink, focused on beauty, fashion and family role-play, while boys’ aisles contain toys that are more centered around destruction, action and building. Commercials for stores such as Toys ‘R’ Us and Walmart depict each gender in different scenes playing separately with their relatively stereotypical toys, such as guns or baby dolls. In fact, it seems that gender-directed advertising and manufacturing...

"I think what some people need to realize is that this protest is not solely a reaction to Mike Brown, it is a result of years of frustration and mistrust. Other than that I feel incredibly lucky and privileged to not have this issue permeate my daily life as it does for millions of other people. And coming from that position of privilege I think my only option is to not give personal opinions but to listen to the people actually experiencing the oppression.​" -Jenny Malone-Brown   "My gut reaction...

If you’re not happy, you should go. That’s how an album that I only barely own a copy of (more on this later), called Grackle by band Ruby Fray, begins. All at once it is a friendly suggestion, a confirmation of permission, life advice and a very specific warning. Its particular meaning is ambiguous yet its function here is anything but, and as darkness—facilitated by indefinable bassy sounds and a gently warbling, tinkly music box-like melody—slowly creeps from the edges to the center of the frame, the importance of heeding...