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Are You a Fan of the Surreal? It May Make You Smarter

TresSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:00:00 -0700

Franz Kafka, David Lynch, and Rene Magritte were my Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas as a teenager. (Yeah, I was a weirdo.) So imagine my delight when I read a study that claims that surrealism may be good for the brain.

Research psychologists at UC Santa Barbara and the University of British Columbia concluded that exposure to surrealist art, film or literature, because it puts you in worlds whose elements don't make sense, drives you to look for structure and sense elsewhere, hence raising "the cognitive mechanisms that oversee implicit learning functions." Want to hear the details of this study? Then read more.

To reach this finding, they had two groups of people read Kafka. One group was given Kafka's story "The Country Doctor," which in typical Kafkaesque fashion, goes from normal to weird in no time at all. The other group was given a rewritten version so that nothing was odd about the plot or narrative. After they finished their respective Kafkas, they were asked to find patterns hidden in strings of letters. Those who read the original Kafka stories were both more motivated to find patterns and more accurate in their findings than those who read the normalized Kafka.

It's their second experiment that is almost more interesting to me - they divided groups between those who felt alienated by things they'd done in the past and those who didn't. "You get the same pattern of effects whether you're reading Kafka or experiencing a breakdown in your sense of identity," said Travis Proulx, a postdoctoral researcher at UCSB and co-author of the article. "People feel uncomfortable when their expected associations are violated, and that creates an unconscious desire to make sense of their surroundings. That feeling of discomfort may come from a surreal story, or from contemplating their own contradictory behaviors, but either way, people want to get rid of it. So they're motivated to learn new patterns."

So, basically, feeling alienated and consuming alienating art and literature drives you to make sense of things, giving your brain a workout. That would finally explain my motivation to find meaning in the world after watching The Hills, a surrealist masterpiece if I ever saw one!

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David Lynch's Interview Project: On the Road With Questions

TresSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:05:00 -0700

"Interview Project is a road trip where people have been found and interviewed . . . it's a 20,000 mile road trip over 70 days across and back the United States. The team found the people driving along the roads, going into bars and different locations. The people told their stories . . . It’s something that’s human and you can’t stay away from it."

- Filmmaker David Lynch about Interview Project, his collection of interviews available online. He and his team, while traversing the United States on a road trip, stopped and asked ordinary people questions like, "What are you most proud of?" "How would you like to be remembered?" "When did you first experience death?" Like photographer Walker Evans's photography project Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, Lynch seems to want to capture the spirit of America through its people. I agree with him - it's human, and I won't be able to stay away from it!

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Link Time! 4/16

BuzzSugar — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:30:57 -0700

Is the Wolverine pimping milk or crumpled paper bags? - Popwatch
Renewed, canceled, on the bubble? A quick rundown. - TV Squad
I so wish I could go to Carnegie Hall tomorrow night to see Kevin Smith talk. - Cinematical
Joss Whedon is feeling good about a second season of Dollhouse. - HitFix
Is Bella's dad being cut out of New Moon? - MTV Movies Blog
David Lynch's music video for Moby. - Stereogum
A brief history of fictional bloggers in movies and TV. - Vulture
Real Housewife Alex McCord talks about her parenting book. - lilsugar

David Lynch and Crispin Glover = BFFs

GiggleSugar — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:00:00 -0800

If you hang around GiggleSugar long enough, you'll figure out that David Lynch and Crispin Glover are two freaks I love. I guess I'm not the only one. Watch as these two hilarious guys do pretty spot-on impressions of them - especially Crispin Glover dude. Who even has the time for such randomness? Oh, I guess I do.

David Lynch Shoves Panties in His Mouth

GiggleSugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 01:00:00 -0700

David Lynch was the unconventional mastermind behind the freakish television series Twin Peaks. He's also received Oscar nominations for directing the dark masterpieces Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive. So how does this accomplished Hollywood bigwig show a fan his utmost gratitude? He duplicates (well, almost) a notorious scene from Blue Velvet and shoves the fan's panties in his mouth. I'm sure an autographed head shot or a hug would've sufficed just fine, but . . .

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Gucci by Gucci, by David Lynch

BellaSugar — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:00:07 -0700

Knowing that David Lynch was directing the commercial for Gucci by Gucci has had me excited for months. The artsy, kooky director is a pretty nontraditional guy, so I anticipated seeing what he'd do for a perfume. And here it is: A minute-long spot featuring music from Blondie, a little dancin', and a bit that reminds me of the last scenes of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

So, what do you think? Delightfully weird Lynchian stuff, or a seen-it-before take on fragrance? At first, I thought the ad was a mess, but now that I look at it again, I think Lynch is poking fun at fashion. I like to think of it as an homage to the dancing man on Twin Peaks.

Summer Reading: Vino Italiano

partysugar — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 10:38:11 -0700

A cross between a dictionary and a coffee table book, this reference guide, Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines Of Italy, is an excellent addition to any wine lover's collection. Written by Mario Batali's business partner, Joseph Bastianich & co author David Lynch, the book introduces each region of Italy detailing not only the wine, but significant wineries, recent successful vintages, and delicious native recipes. The authors write in a highly personal manner making this book as much about wine commentary as it is about living an authentic Italian lifestyle. It also advocates eating and drinking locally, claiming that the best regional wines pair with traditional dishes from that specific region. If you love wine, or have a passion for Italy, this comprehensive book is highly recommended reading.

David Lynch On Product Placement In Films

GiggleSugar — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 04:00:00 -0700

David Lynch's films may be long and inscrutable (Inland Empire was over three hours long) but his answers to obvious questions are short and sweet. (Well, not so sweet here.)

2008 Nickelodeon UK KCAs: The Show And The Winners!

PopSugarUK — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 01:14:58 -0700

We brought you all the orange carpet polls and pictures from the Nickelodeon UK Kids' Choice Awards yesterday, and now it's time to get on to the show and the award recipients! Big winners yesterday included Ant and Dec who won three awards, and TV series Drake and Josh which won two awards. The show's stars Josh Peck (who I loved in The Wackness) and Miranda Cosgrove picked up the Kids' TV Show award, and Josh also picked up the TV Actor gong. A hot topic with the American actors on the orange carpet was Russell Brand's hosting of the VMAs, of which Josh said:

"I think he's brilliant and his humour's on a different level. I think sometimes it's lost in translation... on some people... unfortunately. If I had hair like that, I'd grow it out, no question. And the tight jeans, that's just good-looking - you want something that hugs your privates."

One thing that doesn't get lost in translation is Simon Cowell, who must be feeling very popular this morning as he won Best Baddie in the UK, an award he also got earlier this year at the American KCAs! The kids also got plenty of trademark slime, as Dannii and Josh were among those good-humoured enough to be covered in the stuff, and there were performances from McFly, George Sampson, Signature and The Saturdays.

Nickelodeon will air the show in full on Saturday Sept 20 at 11am, but to see a full list of winners from yesterday's UK KCAs, as well as more photos including Evanna Lynch, Bonnie Wright, William Moseley, Alesha Dixon, Miranda Cosgrove, George Sampson and others, just read more.

Favourite Kids' TV Show - Drake and Josh
Favourite Kids' Cartoon - SpongeBob SquarePants
Favourite Family TV Show - Britain's Got Talent
Favourite Funny Person - Ant & Dec
Favourite Male Film Star - William Moseley
Favourite Female Film Star - Georgie Henley
Favourite Baddie - Simon Cowell
Favourite Winner - George Sampson
Favourite Band - McFly
Favourite Male TV Star - Josh Peck
MTV Hits Favourite Song - "Bleeding Love" Leona Lewis
Favourite TV Presenter - Ant & Dec
The Hero Award - Team GB (Olympics)
The Greenie Award - David De Rothschild
Favourite Female TV Star - Miley Cyrus
Favourite Sports Person - David Beckham
Favourite Film - Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
Favourite Singer - Chris Brown
Favourite Animated Film - Wall-E

View 34 Photos ›

Images include: George Sampson, Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Josh Peck, Miranda Cosgrove, Evanna Lynch, William Moseley, Bonnie Wright, Dakota Blue Richards, David De Rothschild, The Saturdays, SpongeBob SquarePants, Dannii Minogue, Harry Judd, Dougie Poynter, McFly, Same Difference, John Cena, Alesha Dixon, Anna Popplewell, Georgie Henley, Signature.

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Josh Brings Diane to Party With Glee Kids For Fox in Pasadena

PopSugar — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:00:06 -0700

The stars of Fox partied the night away after a successful day of TCA presentations in Pasadena yesterday. Joshua Jackson had Diane Kruger with him all day and at the party, though she stayed out of the spotlight. Diane almost blended in with the crowd as she sipped a beer while Josh fielded questions about Fringe. He also talked about how much he loved going to Comic-Con and interacting with all the fans. The cast of Glee took it all in as everyone wanted to congratulate them on their upcoming show, though Lea Michele said she was mostly looking forward to everyone finally seeing more than just the pilot. Meanwhile, Buzz was off at the So You Think You Can Dance finale, where she chatted with the winner Jeanine - check it out here!

Lots more from the party so read more.

View 45 Photos ›

Images include: Brendan Hines, Monica Raymund, Tim Roth, Peter Rice, Matthew Morrison, David Boreanaz, Emily Deschanel, Hugh Laurie, Jane Lynch, Joshua Jackson, Mekhi Phifer, Morgan Spurlock, Olivia Wilde, Lisa Edelstein, Peter Jacobson, Kelli Williams, Jayma Mays, Jackie Earle Haley, Mark Valley, Charlie Day, Danny DeVito, Kaitlin Olson, Rob McElhenney, Ron Pearlman, Lea Michele