Shameless self-promotion: March 2006 Archives

Among the course offerings at Miami University of Ohio is the rather ambitiously titled What Is Human Nature? Students in this course are required to submit their own interdisciplinary research proposal on the topic, complete with a list of proposed reference works. It recently came to my attention that two students in this course -- Shiree Campbell and Jocelyn Hauge -- are proposing to research the topic of "Heroes and Superheroes:"

In our project, we will question what it is that pushes people to expect and want more for themselves. We also plan on determining what causes us to identify with certain heroes and superheroes, thus identifying which traits are the mostly sought out: strength, intelligence, popularity, or versatility, amongst many others.
Basically we are looking at the notion of heroes and superheroes in the human species, and how it is within our human nature to look for those we can imitate, strive to be, or admire greatly from afar.

Now, I don't know much about Shiree Campbell and Jocelyn Hauge, but I do know that they are brilliant scholars with a keen sense of appropriate source materials. How do I know this? Because one of the reference works they cite for this important study is The Government Manual for New Superheroes.

I must confess that this comes as a relief. For some reason, people keep mistaking The Government Manual for New Superheroes for a work of humor, and it's a pleasure to see two fine young scholars at long last recognize it for the useful reference work it truly is. Soon, no doubt, it will find its much-deserved place on the reference shelf of every psychiatrist, next to the DSM-IV.

For the past few years, my friend Rob has been organizing an annual charity benefit in New York called "the Shushan Channel." It's a Purim-themed sketch show, followed by a dance, with the proceeds going in part to an environmental charity called Hazon. There is also an open bar, so you can fully observe the deeply spiritual commandment to get drunk out of your gourd on Purim.

By the way--and this is going to be a shock, I know--it turns out there are a lot of Jewish comedy writers out there, and Rob has organized an all-star writing and performing team. This year's performance --which takes place on Monday, March 13th--boasts writers from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Dennis Miller Live, The Onion and Channel 101, and performers from Comedy Central, VH-1, Upright Citizens Brigade, and more. As I have for the past few years, I've contributed a sketch to the show.

If you're in New York on March 13th, I'd encourage you to check it out. (But you may want to book in advance--the show sold out last year.)

More information at the Shushan Channel webpage.