Life News (Popular Culture)

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A variety of experts from Purdue University can speak to the media about summer related topics, such as travel, food safety, spending time with children and pet health.

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While America waits for the Supreme Court's decision that could affect race relations in this country, two Purdue University political science professors are measuring what black Americans think about the affirmative action decision.

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"My job exists because of "Trading Spaces""š" says Janet Fick, interior design instructor at Ball State University.

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Ticket packages are now on sale for the Alys Stephens Center's new season lineup, filled with performances by extraordinary classical musicians, charismatic crooners, guitar virtuosos, innovative dance and movement troupes, spirit-lifting sacred music, rising stars and last but not least, lots of jazz.

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The television infomercials make it look easy for women to get into shape fairly quickly, but such programs aren't realistic, says a Ball State University researcher.

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Two Purdue University communication experts can talk about a variety of media-related topics, such as the New York Times controversy and why certain stories dominate national headlines.

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Although Cher claims her touring days are over, don't believe it for a second, says a Ball State University pop culture expert.

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The popular weight-loss drug ephedrine may be soon be off the market, but Americans will simply turn to other stimulants, says a Ball State University researcher.

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Popular culture is a fast-growing field made even more pertinent by the Iraq War and spectacular new technologies. Marshall Fishwick, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in Popular Culture, has been selected to edit a new series of books on the topic.

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Famed Western adventurer Frank T. Hopkins, alias "The Laramie Kid," may have been a fraud, according to new evidence. Hopkins is the subject of a forthcoming movie depicting him as a western adventurer and one of world's preeminent endurance horse riders.

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Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's tell-all book "Living History" debuts June 9 with a million copies in print and a seven-figure advance in hand. The AP now has an advance copy and reveals Mrs. Clinton did not know about her husband's affair until the eve of his testimony before a grand jury.

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A Ball State University acting professor says Robert Stack, who died Wednesday at 84, played a key role in elevating the status of television in the eyes of actors in the early 1960s.

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Music historian says "beat poetry" style now known as rap evolved early in 20th Century, with early "rappers" including Fred Astaire and George Burns.

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For some of us, having a supply of Kleenex in our purse is an essential part of going out to a movie. But why and how can a movie elicit tearful reactions from an audience?

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Arkansas film experts caution that the stunning special effects in the Matrix movies represent more than mere spectacle. They place the audience in the very world the films warn against -- a world where reality becomes indistinguishable from simulated experience.

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1) Sorenstam set to tee off at the Colonial, but women's sports still suffer. 2) "The Matrix": A mass of munitions or modern morality tale? 3) Does not being a soccer mom make you a bad parent?

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Adelphi University Professor Stephen Virgilio says that fewer than 1 in 4 kids in the 4th through 12th grades gets vigorous physical exercise each day, and even toddlers aren't too young to start getting physical and doing resistance training.

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Emily Roper, assistant professor of kinesiology at Temple University and an expert in female competitiveness, is wary of those who are quick to trumpet Annika Sorenstam's invite to play in the men's Colonial as a victory.

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When Jane Pauley steps down from her position as anchor of 'Dateline NBC' in June, she'll be remembered as one of the first truly respected female journalists, says a Ball State University professor.

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Channel surfers across the country are finding it difficult to avoid a reality television program. Many people say these shows possess no redeeming value and are simply blatant voyeurism. However, a researcher at the University of Missouri-Columbia discovered these shows actually have a positive impact on viewers.

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"The Matrix" films feed people who long for spiritual food, and among many Christian thinkers, the movies are definitely required viewing for the way they bring sacred stories to generations who don't acquire spiritual understanding through a church setting.

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Digital Genres: Semiotic Technologies this Side of the Millennium, a two-day conference exploring how digital forms of communication are changing our lives. Scholars from Illinois to India will meet for papers and conversations in an environment where the internet and the academy cross-pollinate.

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Myriad spoofs, parodies and cartoons criticizing Bush have proliferated over the Internet, but Arkansas researchers say this form of pop culture protest is no match for the administration's own use of myth in its rhetoric.

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Although many in the movie business voiced dissent on the war in Iraq, a Purdue University American history expert says the war-related movies that Hollywood produces will not represent the popular opinion of Tinsel Town.

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On May 2, popular baby doctor Benjamin Spock would have turned 100. The world-famous pediatrician changed the face of parenting with his soothing words of practical advice and his conviction to use instinct as a guide. A University of Alberta researcher has analysed Dr. Spock -- particularly his advice on infant feeding and how it has changed over his decades of work.

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Two Purdue University experts can talk about how the war has caused advertisers to seek new domestic and international strategies. Foreign consumers aren't likely to let their taste buds do the talking when it comes to expressing their distaste with American policy, says one communication expert.

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When does a plumber make more money than a Hollywood movie star? When he stars in a popular video game.

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Placing reporters on the front lines with the American military in Iraq has been a public relations success - so far, says a Ball State University journalism professor.

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With the baseball season upon us, there's a book bound to be a hit with baseball fans and movie buffs. "Often the two are the same," notes Steve Wood, whose just-released book Reel Baseball examines the cultural intersection between film and baseball.

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Alan Alda will present a seminar for Southampton College writing, theater and film students as part of the Southampton Special College Lecture Series on Thursday, April 10 at 7 p.m. in the Avram Theater.

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Wolfgang Mieder, deemed by Smithsonian magazine as "the world's top proverb expert," has gathered more than 150 sapient maxims and juxtaposed each with several fractured and humorous variations in his new book.

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1) Counseling psychologist, calming children during war. 2) Professor of nuclear physics, Iraq using weapons of mass destruction. 3) Sociologist, conservative churchgoers harboring anti-Islamic views. 4) Many more.

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A Purdue University pop culture expert will tune into this year's Academy Awards not to hear who wins, but to hear what the stars have to say about war in Iraq. "Hollywood loves to step up to the soapbox as they did during the Vietnam War."

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When the 75th annual Academy Awards ceremonies take place on March 23, a UD professor will be watching to see how many Oscars"Chicago" takes home.

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Following every men's college basketball tournament game this month, reporters will likely look to the coaches to explain the outcome. To help explain the coaches' comments, the media can turn to a Wake Forest University professor who has researched coaches' post-game comments for nearly two decades.

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This scenario, of David slaying Goliath has yet to happen in the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. John Rajca, mathematics instructor, has a statistical model that says it is due to happen soon.

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A nutritional program developed by a Ball State University researcher is being credited with bolstering one of the nation's top college athletic programs.

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As Irish-Americans celebrate in honor of St. Patrick, a Brigham Young University professor is distinguishing a little-known female Irish pirate who influenced Irish culture and defied traditional gender roles.

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Ball State University experts are ready and available to provide information and background on a variety of issues related to spring.

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ABC's new reality television program, "Are You Hot? The Search for America's Sexiest People," could spell trouble for sensitive teens or those who have eating disorders, says an associate professor of community and family medicine at Saint Louis University.

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For the first time, famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart's most personal items, including love letters, fan mail and her last signature, will be available for the public to view.

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Here are some sources from Kansas State University who can comment on various aspects of potential war with Iraq.

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"The Simpsons" initially defied conventional television programming and "was the single most influential program in establishing FOX as a legitimate broadcast television network."

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Ball State University experts are available to provide information and background on a variety of issues related to a potential war with Iraq.

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1) Unemployment takes toll psychologically; 2) Glucosomine helps rebuild cartilage; 3) Many personal trainers lack proper education; 4) American economy may be down, but not out; 5) Study finds older adults dislike negative ads.

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Cornell University students are the first to produce computerized clothing patterns from body scans for custom fits, thanks to a donation of software from the Lectra Company. Virtual storefronts where consumers can order custom-fit garments from the Internet may soon be available.

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Baylor University is home to what could be 'the ultimate valentine' -- the handwritten manuscript of one of the world's most famous love poems, "How Do I Love Thee?"

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A Purdue University communication professor says it's no surprise that reality shows, such as "American Idol," "The Bachelorette" and "Joe Millionaire," are expected to be leaders in this month's television sweeps.

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The Wisconsin Film Festival, a public program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arts Institute, is slated for Thursday, March 27 through Sunday, March 30. Over four days, the festival will feature more than 100 fresh and original independent feature films, documentaries, world cinema, experimental films and the work of Wisconsin filmmakers.

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How do you select a new World Trade Center site design from plans that range from a simple sacred mound to the world's tallest tower? asks one Ball State University architecture expert.