Larry’s List: Beautiful People Edition

Today on the list: gay-baiting in Illinois’ GOP primary, a website for beautiful people only (ouch), the ups and downs of higher education and more.

On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.

Newer links are on top.

According to the Chinese calendar, 2010 is the Year of the Tiger. We don’t name our years, but if we did, this one might prospectively be called the Year of the Assassin.

Illinois Senate GOP Primary Turns Nasty With Accusations of Homosexuality Mark Kirk is gay. That is, at least, the message of Andy Martin, one of his opponents for the seat vacated by President Barack Obama.

Maintaining the Standards of Beauty Requires Toughness Dating and social network site BeautifulPeople.com has axed some 5,000 members after complaints that they had gained weight.

Only Pretty People Need Apply to Website Think you’re gorgeous? Then you probably think this site is about you.

Mentoring, Role Models and Stereotypes Many discussions of efforts to diversify the faculty ranks include concerns about whether female and minority academics need mentors.

The Job Crisis for Faculty Jobs The job crisis for faculty jobs — especially for new Ph.D.s looking for tenure-track jobs — is spreading.

Can American Research Universities Remain the Best in the World? Within the past century, and especially within the past 60 years, the United States has built the greatest system of higher learning in the world.