Is this real? by Bryan
The party called IAP continues.
One of my favorite things to do that I don’t really have time for is watching TV; however, when I do have time (*cough* IAP *cough*) I manage to catch up on a few television shows, most of them being reality TV.
While I’m sure this isn’t the best way to spend my time, I somehow can’t keep myself away from Bobby and Whitney’s humorous episodes or Simon Cowell seeing how far he can make people drop their jaw when he makes a comment.
As Matt mentioned earlier, on this season of The WB’s Beauty and the Geek, one of our very own MIT alums, is on the show. After LSC’s premiere of the show in 10-250, Ankur ’04, shared some of his thoughts and perspectives now that he’s a “celebrity.”
It was pretty interesting to hear him share his perspectives on reality TV and how despite how real it might appear to be how much of it is still scripted and staged. Despite the Tech’s errors reporting about admissions statistics, the Tech also had an article about the show in Wednesday’s edition.
But, fear not!
MIT is getting into the reality TV show business too with a show called DesigNerds which debuted it’s first pilot in December. Basically, the premise of the show is that two teams are asked to design a product and the show documents the creation of the product from start to finish.
I’m doing other school stuff this IAP as well. This afternoon, I’m off to hear this talk:
Beyond the Institvte: New Perspectives on Global Issues
Become a better engineer.
Become a better scientist.
Become a better MIT student.
What does it mean to live in a technological world?
Professor Rosalind Williams
Thursday, January 19
Room 3-133, 4-6PM
Through popular culture we try to understand the interactions of science, technology, and society. We now live in a technological world: what does this mean for human life, both individually and collectively? Works of fiction help answer this question. In particular, books and movies about imaginary underworlds help us think through the implications of human life in a largely artificial environment. In this IAP event, we will view and discuss short clips from movie versions of some 19th century imaginary underworlds (such as Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, and H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine) as well as some more recent movies set in underworlds or enclosed environments (Blade Runner, Lost in Translation, Matrix Reloaded, and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers). We will try to summarize some of the conclusions from these cultural ���thought experiments��� about life in a human-built world.
Cool, eh?
Professor Williams is director of MIT’s Science, Technology, and Society (STS) Program.
And by the way, if I had to choose a reality TV show to be on, it’d be The Amazing Race. How ’bout you?
If I had to pick a reality TV show, I think I would pick Beauty and the Geek, but they need to turn the tables!!! and let the women be the geek.
How was the talk yesterday?
BRYAN! BRYAN!! Have you not heard that MY LIFE GOAL IS TO GO ON THE AMAZING RACE?! I turn 21 next January; let’s apply together (“MITbloggers?” “Engineers?” “Friends/Models?”) and defer grad school for a year or whatever. We’ll probably totally rock everybody else, but be extra-polite and destroy all MIT stereotypes. You eat weird things and are good at driving, right?
I actually skipped American Idol this week (the pre-Hollywood rounds always seem too much the same to me… I lost it after Scooter Grrrl in S3), and I’m desperately waiting to somehow get this week’s Project Runway on my computer (stupid MIT cable).
I think if I were actually talented, though, I’d rather go on Project Runway than The Amazing Race.
Please post more info on DesignNerds
BRYAN…what about 24?!?!?! Ready for tomorrow?
Also, DesigNerds sounds awesome, where did you hear about it?