About Eric Shapiro
Eric Shapiro
I am a lifelong New Yorker who spends a good portion of my time gorging on and regurgitating big meaty hunks of culture, musical and otherwise. I try my best to avoid the cliches that come along with wearing skinny jeans and flannel shirts in a cosmopolitan locale, but I'm writing for a website called Indie Shuffle, so it's probably useless. My life has its own personal soundtrack, but feel free to borrow a few tunes. Feedback is always welcome.War on Women: Why the GOP is Obsessed With Your Uterus
February 4, 2013 | Eric ShapiroFor those who think the Catholic Church and social conservatives’ objection to Obama’s new offer on birth control coverage is based on “conscience,” I have God’s first iteration of the Ten Commandments to sell you.
The Joy Formidable: Wolf’s Law “This Ladder is Ours” Review
January 31, 2013 | Eric Shapiro“This Ladder is Ours” Review Originally Published on indie shuffle
Alternative rock seems to be making a comeback. With releases like Cloud Nothings’ Wasted Days and the Menzingers’ On The Impossible Past (both released to much acclaim in 2012), a genre that discredited itself with endless sub-par Nirvana and Pearl Jam ripoffs is sailing onto the indie rock radar with the winds of 1990s nostalgia at its back. Read More
Congressional Gun Control Hearing Reveals Folly of NRA and Red State Dems
January 30, 2013 | Eric ShapiroFollowing the tragic Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, all the stars seemed to be in alignment for the implementation of common sense gun control. But you can always trust the Democratic Party to snatch at least a partial defeat from the jaws of victory.
Superman at 75: Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster and the Jewish Roots of the Man of Steel at the Center for Jewish History
January 27, 2013 | Eric ShapiroDid you know Superman was Jewish? Well, not quite, but his creators, comic book giants Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, certainly were, and they imbued the world’s first superhero with more than a little bit of Jewish identity.
With Second Inaugural, President Obama Lays Out Broad Vision for Progressive Change in Second Term
January 22, 2013 | Eric ShapiroObama’s second inaugural address was, in turns, more modest and bolder than his first. On the one hand, gone were the calls for bipartisanship and, by implication, the idea that an opposition party dedicated solely to thwarting his aims can be counted on as a viable negotiating partner. Changing the political culture in Washington, it seems, is not within the power of the President. John F. Harris and Jonathan Martin of Politico point out that “Obama made no mention of transforming the political and governing process in his speech.”
Furthering the Legacy: How President Obama Can Live up to MLK’s Dream in His Second Term
January 21, 2013 | Eric ShapiroDespite the re-election of an African American president, it is ludicrous to claim Martin Luther King’s social philosophy, a historically-rooted mix of political and theological precepts that combines the best of the liberal American tradition with Ghandhian non-violence and civil disobedience, has been fully realized.
The Stand Comedy Club and Restaurant Brings New Edge to New York City Comedy Scene
January 18, 2013 | Eric ShapiroThe Stand Comedy Club and Restaurant, located in the heart of Gramercy at 239 Third Avenue, may be a relatively new establishment, but it is the culmination of years worth of hard work on the part of some dedicated and talented individuals.
Flatiron Hot! Review: “Stoned and Starving” off Parquet Courts Light up Gold
January 17, 2013 | Eric ShapiroOriginally published on indie shuffle
Brooklynites by way of Texas (hence their self-proclaimed label of “Americana Punk”), Parquet Courts fit right in among their noise rock neighbors. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the track “Stoned & Starving.” The subject matter is exactly what it sounds like, but somehow the music is exhilarating where it should be mundane.
Justified Season 4 Premiere: Recap/Review
January 16, 2013 | Eric ShapiroSeason 4 of FX’s Justified starts out just as long-time viewers of the series should expect it to: with a bang (in both senses of the term) and a whole lot of style. At this point in the TV show’s lifespan, the writers and the actors have nailed every character down to the most minor vocal cadences. It’s a credit to the amazing talent behind Justified that its season premiere can hook us while offering no more than a few tantalizing hints about the overall narrative direction. Elmore Leonard couldn’t ask for a better adaptation of his novels.
“Zero Dark Thirty” Review: Torture Controversy in bin-Laden Raid Movie Absurd
January 15, 2013 | Eric ShapiroDirector Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal have caught a lot of flack for their portrayal of torture in Oscar-nominated film Zero Dark Thirty, detailing the operation that resulted in the death of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin-Laden. Ultimately, the controversy says a lot more about the state of Hollywood than it does about the film.
Bigelow handles the loaded issue of torture in a manner in line with her cinematic vision, as witnessed in prior films such as 2008’s The Hurt Locker. That being said, her latest movie harbors, if anything, an anti-torture message, although it requires a bit of discernment on the part of her audience to notice. Fortunately, the Flatiron Hot! News critic is on hand with 800 words of discernment.