Monday Medley

What we read while tripping over the power cord at the Superdome…

• There was some sort of football game last night, though it was interrupted by a blackout. There was some fuss about the coaches and Ray Lewis, but frankly we were more interested in the oral history of the Super Bowl Shuffle.

• For the second time this postseason, Dan LeBatard lowers the hammer on the NFL — this time on the slippery morality of those who analyze it.

• The best Super Bowl photos of all-time.

• Yeah, it’s baseball season now.

• Ed Koch, the controversial former mayor of New York City, died last week at the age of 88. Eerily, it was on the eve of a new documentary about his life.

• Another great interview with George Saunders.

• The series finale of 30 Rock aired last week, and was one of the most well-received series finales of all-time. Of course, the show has always inspired awe in critics. In other TV news, Lorrie Moore analyzed the highs and lows of Homeland.

• On understanding introverts (a subject Josh tackled back in 2009).

• Is the future of education really online?

• The past, present, and future of drones.

• The evolution of the NRA.

• In defense of public nudity.

• Does Dr. Oz do no harm?

• The Boy Meets World spinoff is official!

Monday Medley

What we read while debating the merits of Spandau Ballet…

• Duke’s loss to Lehigh – the second 2-seed upset on Friday, after none for 11 years – pretty much killed our brackets. But President Obama is sitting pretty. Maybe he used this model for his.

• Though John S criticized Grantland’s The Wire bracket, he was happy for Michael K. Williams and Omar.

• This American Life has retracted one of its most popular stories, about Mike Daisey’s trip to an Apple factory in China. Apparently, Daisey made a lot of it up. So I’m sure Apple’s labor practices are totally fine…

• Greg Smith, a former executive at Goldman Sachs, explained why he left the much-maligned corporation. Will this be the end of vampire squid culture?

• Community is back! Here’s everything you need to know to start watching.

• It was a rough week for the guy from the “Kony 2012″ video. He made a less successful video.

• What ever happened to the cast of Boy Meets World?

• Advice from Jack Kerouac.

Monday Medley

What we read while watching Bin Laden watch himself…

• Bin Laden still dominated the news this week: The New York Times detailed the search for the terrorist, the New Yorker wondered if the killing was legal, and New York provides an alternate history (see what we did there?).

• Awesome long read from David Grann in the New Yorker about a Guatemalan murder mystery. Slate explores what makes Grann so good.

• If you didn’t realize that there were Mongolian slaves in South Carolina or that the Red Shirts were defenders of personal freedom, then you (like 50 Cent) obviously don’t know your history.

• What does confirmation bias tell us about the function of reason?

• Will a Congressional clerkship one day be as sought after as a federal court clerkship?

• Jerry Seinfeld delves into his own archives of stand-up bits. Speaking of comedians, we don’t follow everyone on this list (I mean, it has Kathy Griffin), but it’s a good start for best comics on Twitter.

• Does Boy Meets World hold up over time? Do we even need to ask this question?

• Is CBS trying to ruin March Madness?

• Slate called the now-bankrupt Sbarro “America’s least essential restaurant.” In other “food” news, Diet Coke passed Pepsi as the #2 soda in the country.

In Search of the Great College Drama

It seems an obvious question: How come no good television shows have been made about the American college experience? Tonight, NBC debuts Community, a hitherto critically regarded comedy about a diverse group of community college students—few of whom are actually of college age. By my count, it’s the third major television show set at a college, and the other two are Felicity and Undeclared, so you know how loosely I’m using “major.”*

*It’s very possible I’ve forgotten another show, but believe me, I thought about it for a long time.

While the college landscape has been neglected, there has been nothing short of a plethora of high school dramas. Beverly Hills 90210 appears to have started the trend, with shows such as Dawson’s Creek, Freaks and Geeks, Gilmore Girls, The O.C., One Tree Hill, Friday Night Lights, Veronica Mars, and Gossip Girl following suit. On the other end of the spectrum, there have been a number of comedies about 20-something singles, most notably Friends and How I Met Your Mother.