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Wladyslaw Pleszczynski and William McGurn

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The Times' Kultur

By William McGurn
Posted Monday, Jan. 29, 2001, at 5:57 PM ET

Dear Wlad,

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My Britney education came from hearing my daughter singing "Oops ... I Did It Again" and learning from my wife that all girls their age know the song. I suppose her claims to remain pure 'til her marriage bed represents good marketing; the Church of England (which fortunately does not advance claims to infallibility) hails her as a "great ambassador of virginity."

In Japan they have a similar phenomena with their porn stars, who are generally made up to look about 13, dressed in little schoolgirl outfits, and who talk in high, squeaky voices. Instead of talking about the virtues of virginity, however, these Japanese Britneys generally appear at a press conference with a sumo-wrestling star and announce, teary-eyed, that they are giving up their careers to be married. Maybe something for Britney to consider.

While we're on the cultural front, did you see Bob Herbert today? He was going on and on about Eminem, the white rapper, indicting the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for nominating his new CD for a Grammy. "Album of the Year?" thunders Herbert. "Only a lunatic could think this was the finest album of the year."

I read that on my train ride in. Once I arrived in the office, I called up SmarterTimes.com. This is a Web site run by Ira Stoll, former managing editor of The Forward, which offers a daily rundown of the Times' mistakes. The only dilemma we fans have is whether to read SmarterTimes' list of mistakes first or read the Times first to get the full flavor.

Anyway, SmarterTimes notes that in December one of its pop music critics put Eminem's album at the top of his top-10 list. And it goes on: "The album also appeared on the best-of-the-year list of another Times arts section critic, who offered by way of explanation, 'the reason it's not higher on this list is that when Eminem runs out of ideas, he regularly reverts to homophobia.' "

Makes you think that maybe the Times' punishment is to have to live in a Kultur largely of its own making.

Then I remember that we have to live in it, too!

As ever,
Bill

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