This week much of my attention has been on the US Presidential Debate. I watched it with great interest, and then spent far too many hours absorbed in the commentary. It was an amazing event - historic in that it was the first time a female candidate for US President featured in the debates, but more importantly because it was a masterclass by Clinton.
Some of the interesting commentary is:
- Jonathan Mahler's article for the NY Times - I Muted Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton During the Debate. I Still Knew The Score - which focussed on the body language of the candidates. Mahler covered many of the things I noticed while watching - Trump's hand gestures and facial expressions, Clinton's confidence.
- Likewise, this article - Measured Clinton beats Bombastic Trump - explored the character of each candidate through their body language. I did take issue with this article where they stated that Clinton interrupted Trump - I think if they counted interruptions, they would find the ledger is stacked the other way.
- My favourite coverage on the debate was NPR's Fact Check: First Presidential Debate - in which the transcript of the debate is annotated with fact checking by journalists. Reading this confirmed the outrageous lies of the Trump campaign.
- I also watched a few comedians cover the debate, but none as sharply as Samantha Bee. Watch her Full Frontal analysis.
Of course the debate wasn't the only news this week. More importantly, Brangelina broke up, causing the internet to go into meltdown.
- Check out the Guardian's article on How Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Defined the 21st Century Fame Machine - which speaks of the cult of celebrity and how it was cultivated by the couple.
- My other favourite article in the Guardian is how Madame Tussauds has rearranged their waxworks to seperate the couple by a respectful distance.
For something different, check out Vanity Fair's interview with legendary Canadian crooner Gordon Lightfoot.