Opinion and Commentary
New York Times’ Louis David Seidman Right to Oppose Constitutional Originalism, Wrong to Trash U.S. Constitution
January 7, 2013 | Eric ShapiroOn December 31st, The New York Times published an editorial titled: “Lets Give up on the Constitution.” The Flatiron Hot! Pundit respectfully disagrees. Whether you consider yourself an adherent of Constitutional Originalism or subscribe to the notion of a living Constitution, America’s founding document is a bedrock of U.S. politics that has done more good than harm over the course of nation’s history. The Founders, particularly Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams and George Washington designed it to be highly adaptable, and it is this adaptability that has allowed it to keep pace with historical change.
Flatiron Hot! Review: Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained
January 4, 2013 | Eric ShapiroThere’s something to be said for an artist who is out to please only himself. But when the product of the ensuing creative narcissism is so arcane as to be unfathomable to those who do not share the artist’s fetishes, then it is deprived of a certain universal quality present in the greatest of art. It has long been said that Quentin Tarantino has abandoned making movies in the traditional sense and has instead taken up the postmodern indulgence of making movies about movies.
To an extent, this has been the case since Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs. Tarantino’s most critically acclaimed and greatest cinematic achievements possessed more than a few elements of pastiche. But beneath all the allusions and arcane stylistic flourishes, one could still discern a beating heart. With Death Proof, which Tarantino correctly deemed his creative low point, the director completely abandoned any pretense of traditional cinematic ambitions with breakneck style over substance.
Flatiron Hot! Pundit: Video Games Not to Blame for Sandy Hook Shooting
December 28, 2012 | Eric ShapiroGamers with any passing interest in politics were likely counting down the days (or, perhaps, hours) before pundits and politicians alike cited violent video games as a motivating factor behind the horrific Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, that left 26 dead, including 20 young children. Why? Because the killer, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, was known to play violent video games.
Stay tuned … more to come from Flatiron Hot! …
May 31, 2012 | Eric ShapiroStay tuned for news and info about the happenings in the Flatiron District … sponsored by the New York City Seminar and Conference Center, the Flatiron District’s Value Technology Conference Center …