Gabe Durham
Staff Writer
In my head, a list is forming called “books to read this summer when I have time.” Since it’s still in my head, it’s really ambitious.
“Crime and Punishment” is on there. “100 Years of Solitude” made it, and even the daunting, 1,000-plus-page “Atlas Shrugged” is slated for a two-week chunk.
But when we’re being honest with ourselves, I’ll drop any of the classics like an airport cult brochure when the new Harry Potter book comes out.
And it could just save my life.
A California native named Debra Swaim got caught in a flash flood in Riverside earlier this week, and her car was swept into a creek.
Luckily, Debra had seen the episode of “Fear Factor” in which contestants had to escape from a car in the water. Debra knew that it was no good to open her door, and she must instead roll down her automatic window and swim to safety. That’s exactly what she did, and she escaped.
Another story: Juan Catalan was on trial for murder. His whole alibi was centered on his attendance at a Dodgers game, but there was no one who could confirm it. That is, until Catalan’s lawyer watched some footage from an episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” In a segment involving that very baseball game, Catalan appeared on camera, and he was as good as free.
In these Scott Peterson days of “fry ‘em without hard evidence, especially if a grieving family member testifies with a shameless emotional appeal for justice,” the popular Larry David sitcom helped saved Catalan’s life.
I think my point is clear: Keeping up with pop culture saves lives.
What if someone had been living under a rock since the early 80s and saw Michael Jackson on the street and didn’t know to run in the other direction? Actually, that’s a bad example. They wouldn’t recognize him — OJ Simpson, instead.
My responsibility to my fellow man warrants that I watch “Alias” to learn about the art of disguise, “Survivor” to learn essential wilderness survival skills, “MacGyver” to learn how to do just about anything and “Law and Order” to learn about the law… and the order.
So, I’ve got this reading list, and it’s filled with longwinded dead people who probably spend so much time ranting about the human condition that they can’t give me practical survival skills. That’s all good and well until Voldemort strolls into my dorm room, wanting to start something.
And you know I’ve still never read “The Da Vinci Code.” I went to a Catholic mass this weekend, and I was ignorant enough that I enjoyed it. I was completely unaware of the surrounding Vatican conspiracy I was surely mixed up in. I could have been ritually sacrificed or something.
I see so many Pepperdine professors who are respected in their own fields, yet how many of them would know what to do if attacked by bears? This is the tragedy of academia.
03-31-2005
