I love Obama. And I’m down with the deception.

Student-led Parody News Organization Serves as Creative Outlet

“News From Last Thursday” is what founder Max Lasser describes as “college parody newspaper bootcamp.” Lasser, a first-year political science student from Greenville, S.C., participated in comedy in high school, and he said it was important to him that he continue practicing comedy in college. Lasser said he recognizes and believes in people’s potential to be boring, however, he also believes in everyone’s ability to become funny.

“I feel like it’s a common misconception that you can’t teach people to be funny because you can,” Lasser said. “I think people can practice at being funny. I feel like a lot of people who end up being funny are funny because they were weird at one point in their life. I think I’m funny because I was really weird as a kid. I was just really socially awkward and overweight.”

After winning USC’s stand-up comedy competition last October, Lasser embarked on the journey to create News From Last Thursday.

“We felt like it was something that could be creatively interesting and that there’s a lot of energy,” he said. “We kind of just wanted to do something new with comedy on campus. There wasn’t much written comedy going on.”

The name of the online publication reflects the image Lasser hopes they portray.

“We thought it was funny — like news from last Thursday — because the idea is that we were kind of lazy and hungover and we were just going to report the news a week late,” Lasser said.

News From Last Thursday features satirical news articles — local, national and the downright fictional.

“I think we’re doing a really good job being funny,” Lasser said. “I wouldn’t publish it if it wasn’t funny.”

Through word of mouth, Joe Corey, a first-year history student, learned about News From Last Thursday and checked it out. He says he checks the site once or twice a week to read new articles.

“I think it’s a type of media we could use here at USC. It puts a refreshingly humorous spin on stories that are oftentimes taken too seriously,” Corey said.

Established a mere two months ago, NewsFromLastThursday.com has published a
considerable number of articles,  due mainly to the dedication of its small
staff according to Lasser.

Staff writer Amy Soukup, a first-year political science student, said News From Last Thursday is hard work, but that it’s worth it to her.

“News From Last Thursday gives you a really good creative outlet if you want to do creative writing but you’re stuck with a lot of classes where you don’t need to be creative — you need to be smart,” Soukup said. “That said, I think our humor is pretty smart, and while we make a lot of jokes that I think you could see as offensive, I think we also do a really good job of making sure they’re actually funny.”

Lasser and Soukup agreed that content suggestions are critically examined.

“We shoot down a lot of ideas,” Lasser said, and Soukup added: “We shoot down a lot of things that are too horrible to publish.”

The staff meets regularly to plan content and refine work with brainstorming sessions on Mondays and draft workshops on Thursdays. Articles are published Monday through Friday.

“We originally tried to put an article up every day and we just got completely burnt out because there was no mental break, it was News From Last Thursday all the time, it was way too much,” Lasser said.

The website launched Feb. 24. Lasser said launch week was one of the hardest he has ever had, but that things have calmed down considerably since. Again he credits his staff for their hard work.

“The thing is we don’t really have any leverage to keep people involved,” Lasser said. “Like if you don’t do an article, nothing’s going to happen because we’re new and we don’t pay. But, people who do actual work, do a lot of work.”

Lasser and Soukup agreed that the process from conception to publication would break down if the whole team didn’t pool resources.

“One of the reasons we don’t publish bylines is that writing articles is such a collaborative process,” Lasser said.

Lasser and his staff have big plans for the future of News From Last Thursday.  Though the website already has a small following — nearly 300 people are fans of News From Last Thursday’s Facebook page — their top priority is publicity.

“We’re moving forward next year with a better knowledge of what works for publicity,” Lasser said.

During the site’s launch, staff members passed out ironic fliers as a part of their “Fake Pamphlet Promotion Day” on Greene Street. Lasser said the fliers gave the website a lot of attention, but that their efforts in spreading the word about News From Last Thursday died out some.

As well as publicizing the publication better, plans to increase coverage and add new content like videos and webcomics to NewsFromLastThursday.com are in the works. Lasser said they also hope to publish News From Last Thursday in a new, tangible medium.

“I want people to know that next year we’re going to do a print format, hopefully,” Lasser said. “We’re working on trying to find people to print it, the key is the funding.”

To accomplish their goals for the upcoming  year, they are looking to expand the staff and  increase student involvement.

“Basically if you really want to be involved with News From Last Thursday, there’s probably a position for you,” Lasser said. “We really need writers right now.”

Lasser is optimistic for the upcoming year.

“We feel like there’s a lot of excitement from the freshmen coming in because, you know, we’ve started talking to them,” Lasser said. “We thought we’d put ‘News From Last Thursday since 1804’ as a joke because, you know, what do they know? We’re excited to be kind of established, though.”

And I think it’s just absolutely ridiculous. Not as a Christian, but rather as a Network Etiquette Geek. An N.E.G., if I may. Facebook pages are supposed to be for products, businesses and celebrities etc… Said people can send out important updates to their fans. But recently I’ve seen pages crop up for “Music,” “Food” and “Jesus.”

Have Facebookers forgotten about the age-0ld “Group” concept? Groups are meant for discussions and are built around their members.

What kind of updates does God have to make? Is he going to add commandments via his mobile device in status updates? It’s pretty unlikely. I wonder what pious punk had balls big enough to go about making a page for God. I mean. That’s ballsy, kid.

(please note that “God” is unsure of his sex).

I’m calling BS.

BS, Rite Aid.

I will never ever ever ever ever ever ever go to Rite Aid again. Never. And this is why:

I recently began doing some film photography for funsies. Today at 4 o’clock I took a roll of film to get developed at Rite Aid (only because I live within 2 minutes of the store). Before dropping the film in the drop box, I asked the girl working the register what I should do with it so that I could be sure that she knew it was there. She told me to put it in the drop box. AND I DID!

After that I drove around Irmo for an hour waiting to pick it up. At 5 I re-entered the store, and asked the same cashier if she knew whether or not the film was ready. Our conversation went as follows:

BD Girl: Oh? You wanted 1 hour photo?

Me: What kind of an American would I be if I didn’t want my pictures in an hour?

BD Girl: Well. You might not be able to get that until tomorrow.

Me: Don’t you think you should have told me that when I dropped it off?

BD Girl: Well I didn’t know you wanted 1 hour photo.

Me: I SHOWED it to you. That’s why I asked YOU what I should do with it.

BD Girl: Well, nobody is here to do it…And I think the machine is broken.

Me: *thinking obscenities* Well that’s freaking fantabulous.

BD Girl: Do you want to take it somewhere else?

Me: YES, AN HOUR AGO!

a;laskgha;ldfbn;lksfhd;ladsjf;lasdjf;laskgjdf!

I don’t understand why they make you fill out that information sheet with your phone number if their employees don’t have the customer service skills to pick up the phone and call, dammmmmmit!

This is not the first time I’ve been utterly disappointed with the Rite Aid on Saint Andrews road. On several occasions I’ve gotten sub par results from their photo lab. But I’m for real done this time.

IT’S OVER RITE AID!

I bought this CD a couple years ago, but just now listened to it for the first time. These things happen when you have nearly 15,000 songs in your iTunes library. I only remembered I owned it when I saw Janette and Brandon do a knock out routine to the title track on “So You Think You Can Dance?” tonight.

Anyways, it’s quirky and jazzy and it makes me feel good. Sad I never listened before now.

It blows.

The only reason I’m bringing up AIM is because I came across an interesting resource today.

The AOLer Translator.

http://ssshotaru.homestead.com/files/aolertranslator.html

I don’t see how this is useful to anyone who isn’t a child molester.

And I am mostly disturbed.

a.k.a.

I DONT SE HOW THES SI UESFUL 2 ANYON3 WHO ISNT A CHILD MOLEST3R!1!!1!! OMG AND IM MOSTLEY DISTURBD!1!11!1

wow.

]]> http://sge27.wordpress.com/2009/07/05/i-miss-13-when-i-was-13-all-of-my-friends-were-on-aim-at-2am/feed/ 0 sge27 my friends have lives aol translator http://sge27.wordpress.com/2009/07/04/hollywoods-take-on-my-sisters-keeper-unsatisfying/ http://sge27.wordpress.com/2009/07/04/hollywoods-take-on-my-sisters-keeper-unsatisfying/#comments Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:44:52 +0000 sge27 http://sge27.wordpress.com/?p=21 Continue reading →]]>

I promise not to tell you what happens. Read on with peace of mind.

This is not a spoiler.

I really loved Jodi Picoult’s “My Sister’s Keeper.” In a strange way, I found it very easy to relate to.  Julie, my older sister, was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes when she was nine and I was five. Diabetes isn’t cancer. It isn’t terminal, and I am in no way saying that we’ve had it as anywhere near as bad as the family in the book. We haven’t. But I can identify with the fear associated with those sudden trips to the hospital, and my spare kidney/parts have been the butt of many jokes.

Needless to say I required much less attention than Julie, and usually felt like I got less. A few years ago, while still blogging on Xanga, I wanted to write about growing up with a older sibling who has a disease. So I started doing some research.

There is a ton of information out there on what it’s like to raise a family with a sick child, tons of information on how to treat the other children, tons of stories from the point of view of the kid with the illness. But none of it was very helpful to me. Most of the information out there was written based on the idea that only younger children get sick. NOT THE CASE!

I know that in the book Anna is only younger than Kate because she was born for the purpose of saving her sister. But nevertheless, I felt like there was a lot of truth in the way Picoult describes the family dynamic.

I’m a war story type of kid, and I’m not typically someone who picks up a Picoult novel. But I loved the book, it was about the only war I’ve ever seen firsthand. Parts of it were very real to me (while other parts were completely foreign and unlike anything I’d ever imagined before). But I was upset when I watched the movie – as I usually am whenever they make a movie out of a book I like. But this has got to be the most upsetting transition from book to film I’ve ever seen, and I wish I could unsee it and have my $9 back.

Like I said, I’m not going to spoil the movie or the book for you. But, I feel obligated to warn my fellow book lover’s out there: This movie is based so loosely on the novel that I CANNOT believe they didn’t have to change the name. I CANNOT believe that Picoult approved the screenplay. The changes that the screenwriters made to the plot are not the usual minor deletions of detail. They are MAJOR changes – majorly disturbing. The title “My Sister’s Keeper” makes AWFUL sense based on the movie alone. The plot is boring, predictable, lacking proper setup, and just sad and uninspiring AND DOWNRIGHT DISAPPOINTING.

Don’t go. Wait for the DVD or the Dollar Theater if you really must see it.

This post comes later than I would like, but I have some very important thoughts to air.

Mark Sanford is a schmuck. Yes.  And he has made a real ass of himself. Yes. Personally I’ve never liked him, initially for his blows to education and recently for pretty much all of his fiscal policies (proud tent city participant), but let’s quit calling for his resignation.  Have we forgotten who our Lieutenant Governor is?

Andre Bauer is a traffic violator! Sanford may have a liberal penis, but at least it’s not a lead foot!

I don’t see how Sanford’s affair put my life in imminent danger. But Bauer is a loose cannon! Any person willing to bend the rules of the road is no friend of mine.