* Some media talking heads are getting themselves in a lather about Superman Returns having “only” the eighth best opening Wednesday of all time. Some are blaming the supposedly low numbers on Superman being perceived as “too gay” this time around. “Silly gays! Ruining the summer’s would-be #1 blockbuster with our childish obsession with big-packaged men in tight tights! How dare we! Hollywood just wants to recycle the most familiar franchise brands possible for the mild viewing pleasure of the broadest available audience and this is how we treat them.” (Wait, when did being in the top ten of all time opening Wednesdays become a bad thing?) [via Pen15]
* Jessa Crispin knows why picky readers hate summer: “Every publication in the world is putting out Summer Reading issues and the publishing industry responds by giving us Godless, by Ann Coulter, a slew of chick lit, some dating manuals, and . . . well, that’s about it. Everyone is looking forward to the fall, when the real books will come out, but the masses are left with nonsense. Even O, The Oprah Magazine magazine suggested readers pick up Moby-Dick—and not, I’m guessing, because they think people will like it, but because the only new release was Emily Giffin’s Baby Proof, and Oprah’s staffers could never live with themselves if people bought that on their recommendation.” [via Bookslut]
* What’s the bestselling album of all time? The Eagles’ “Greatest Hits, 1971-1975.” Is anybody else scared? [The New Yorker]
* Americans confuse overworking with doing good work: “We’re screwed up. Somehow we think that work should be weighed by the pound. We have an institutional mentality that eight hours is good, ten hours is better, and twelve hours is best of all.” Are we getting more done? Experts say no. “We have a lot of people who don’t have enough life so they’re doing online shopping and they’re playing games on their computer every time their boss turns their back. As opposed to ‘Here’s a defined amount of work, get it done in whatever time it takes, and if you get it done early, leave’ to the value in the workplace to the people who have the sleeping bag rolled up under their desk.” Listen to the excellent two-minute interview via National Public Radio.
