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128-405: The residence is one of three all-female residence halls on campus. Originally built for approximately 110 young women, more than 140 first-year students to graduates now live in the building. Martha Cook has many unique traditions, including weekly teas on Fridays. These teas are open to residents and their guests, although all members of the public are invited to Martha Cook's International Tea which

256-438: A Primetime Emmy Award . The series was shot on the actual campaign trail and featured several real candidates. During the show's run, Altman's television production of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial aired. Though it received high acclaim, it would be his last television film. In 1990, Altman directed Vincent & Theo , a biographical film about Vincent van Gogh that was intended as a television miniseries for broadcast in

384-495: A multitrack recording technique which produced overlapping dialogue from multiple actors. This produced a more natural, more dynamic, and more complex experience for the viewer. He also used highly mobile camera work and zoom lenses to enhance the activity taking place on the screen. Critic Pauline Kael , writing about his directing style, said that Altman could "make film fireworks out of next to nothing." Following his successful career in television, Altman began his new career in

512-533: A revisionist Western in which the mordant songs of Leonard Cohen underscore a gritty vision of the American frontier; Images , his single, Bergman -inspired attempt at making a horror film; The Long Goodbye (1973), a controversial adaptation of the Raymond Chandler novel (scripted by Leigh Brackett ) now ranked as a seminal influence on the neo-noir subgenre; Thieves Like Us (1974), an adaptation of

640-537: A $ 20 million budget and was the second highest-grossing film Altman had directed to that point, it failed to meet studio expectations and was considered a box office disappointment. In 1981, the director sold Lion's Gate to producer Jonathan Taplin after his political satire Health (shot in early 1979 for a Christmas release) was shelved by longtime distributor 20th Century Fox following tepid test and festival screenings throughout 1980. The departure of longtime Altman partisan Alan Ladd Jr. from Fox also played

768-576: A Cooler and Precious Blood . The production debuted in Los Angeles and transferred off-Broadway, before Altman adapted it as a pair of television films. Altman's next project was to revive Ed Graczyk 's play, Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean . Like 2 by South , Altman adapted his production as a film. The film , which starred Cher , Karen Black , and Sandy Dennis , played at film festivals before its independent theatrical release; Altman turned down several distribution deals to keep

896-456: A bad reputation among screenwriters and those on the business side of films. He admits, "I have a bad reputation with writers, developed over the years: 'Oh, he doesn't do what you write, blah blah blah.' ... Ring Lardner was very pissed off with me," for not following his script. Nor did Altman get along well with studio heads, once punching an executive in the nose and knocking him into a swimming pool because he insisted he cut six minutes from

1024-434: A break. I am convinced that Bob was the only one who was brave enough to do it." Others, like Julianne Moore , describes working with him: You know, all this talk about Bob being this kind of irascible, difficult kind of person? Well, he was never that way with an actor or with a creative person that I saw. Never, never, never. He saved all that for the money people. Director Robert Dornhelm said Altman "looked at film as

1152-799: A chance to act in one of his films: I had just finished filming Last of the Red Hot Lovers when Bob called me one day at home. "Sally, do you want to be in my picture after next?" he asked. "Only if it's a good part," I said. He hung up on me. Bob was as stubborn and arrogant as I was at the time, but the sad thing is that I cheated myself out of working with someone I loved so much, someone who made acting both fun and easy and who trusted his actors. Bob loved actors. Stars would line up to work for nothing for Bob Altman. Unlike directors whose work fits within various film genres , such as Westerns, musicals, war films, or comedies, Altman's work has been defined as more "anti-genre" by various critics. This

1280-404: A complicated kidnapping story. Altman encouraged the film's on-set musicians to improvise, and unused footage of their performances formed the basis for Altman's third episode of Great Performances . However, the story received lukewarm-to-positive reviews, but made next to nothing at the box office, as did the 1998 legal thriller The Gingerbread Man . Though his 1997 anthology series Gun had

1408-432: A decisive role in forestalling the release of the film. Unable to secure major financing in the post-New Hollywood blockbuster era because of his mercurial reputation and the particularly tumultuous events surrounding the production of Popeye , Altman returned to television and theater between films. His first project after Popeye was 2 by South , a double bill of plays by unknown playwright Frank South, Rattlesnake in

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1536-664: A director for his CBS anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents . After just two episodes, Altman resigned due to differences with a producer, but this exposure enabled him to forge a successful television career. Over the next decade Altman worked prolifically in television (and almost exclusively in series dramas) directing multiple episodes of Whirlybirds , The Millionaire , U.S. Marshal , The Troubleshooters , The Roaring 20s , Bonanza , Bus Stop , Kraft Mystery Theater , Combat! , as well as single episodes of several other notable series including Hawaiian Eye , Maverick (the fourth season episode "Bolt From

1664-417: A far more obviously extreme and unrealistic tale, involving interplanetary exploration, war among alien life forms, and life inside a 200 mile long whale back in the terrestrial ocean, all intended to make obvious the fallacies of books like Indica and The Odyssey . Medieval Arabic poetry included the satiric genre hija . Satire was introduced into Arabic prose literature by the author Al-Jahiz in

1792-557: A film actress, rather than a stage actress: I felt it really strongly. And I thought, "I don't know who this guy is, but that's what I want to do. I want to do that kind of work." From then on I'd see his films whenever I could, and he was always my absolute favorite director, for what he said thematically and emotionally and how he felt about people. Film author Charles Derry writes that Altman's films "characteristically contain perceptive observations, telling exchanges, and moments of crystal clear revelation of human folly." Because Altman

1920-500: A film he was working on. His reputation among actors was better. With them, his independence sometimes extended to his choice of actors, often going against consensus. Cher , for instance, credits him for launching her career with both the stage play and film, Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982). "Without Bob I would have never had a film career. Everyone told him not to cast me. Everyone. ... Nobody would give me

2048-489: A high-profile cast, it was cancelled after only six episodes. He did close the decade on a high note, with 1999's Cookie's Fortune , a quirky black comedy about the suicide of a wealthy dowager, his first film in almost 6 years to make back its budget, and which earned him generally positive praise from critics. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1999. Though Altman's first film of

2176-413: A little even as you chuckle. Laughter is not an essential component of satire; in fact, there are types of satire that are not meant to be "funny" at all. Conversely, not all humour, even on such topics as politics, religion or art is necessarily "satirical", even when it uses the satirical tools of irony, parody, and burlesque . Even light-hearted satire has a serious "after-taste": the organizers of

2304-414: A project and it's always been a project of my own choosing. So I don't know how much better it could be. I have not become a mogul, I don't build castles and I don't have a vast personal fortune, but I have been able to do what I've wanted to do and I've done it a lot. "Altman was a genuine movie maverick," states author Ian Freer , because he went against the commercial conformity of the film industry: "He

2432-429: A prominent example from ancient Greece , philosopher Plato , when asked by a friend for a book to understand Athenian society, referred him to the plays of Aristophanes . Historically, satire has satisfied the popular need to debunk and ridicule the leading figures in politics, economy, religion and other prominent realms of power . Satire confronts public discourse and the collective imaginary , playing as

2560-621: A prominent role in Indian and Hindi literature , and is counted as one of the " ras " of literature in ancient books. With the commencement of printing of books in local language in the nineteenth century and especially after India's freedom, this grew. Many of the works of Tulsi Das , Kabir , Munshi Premchand , village minstrels, Hari katha singers, poets, Dalit singers and current day stand up Indian comedians incorporate satire, usually ridiculing authoritarians, fundamentalists and incompetent people in power. In India, it has usually been used as

2688-511: A public opinion counterweight to power (be it political, economic, religious, symbolic, or otherwise), by challenging leaders and authorities. For instance, it forces administrations to clarify, amend or establish their policies. Satire's job is to expose problems and contradictions, and it is not obligated to solve them. Karl Kraus set in the history of satire a prominent example of a satirist role as confronting public discourse. For its nature and social role, satire has enjoyed in many societies

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2816-494: A pure, artistic venue." With Short Cuts (1993), for instance, the distributor "begged him" to cut a few minutes from the length, to keep it commercially viable: "Bob just thought the antiChrist was trying to destroy his art. They were well-meaning people who wanted him to get what he deserved, which was a big commercial hit. But when it came down to the art or the money, he was with the art." Sally Kellerman , noting Altman's willful attitude, looked back with regret at giving up

2944-454: A satire, The Player tickles. It doesn't draw blood." The satire of his films sometimes led to their failure at the box office if their satirical nature was not understood by the distributor. Altman blames the box office failure of The Long Goodbye (1973), a detective story, on the erroneous marketing of the film as a thriller: When the picture opened, it was a big, big flop. ... I went to David Picker and said, "You can't do this. No wonder

3072-399: A special freedom license to mock prominent individuals and institutions. The satiric impulse, and its ritualized expressions, carry out the function of resolving social tension. Institutions like the ritual clowns , by giving expression to the antisocial tendencies , represent a safety valve which re-establishes equilibrium and health in the collective imaginary , which are jeopardized by

3200-503: A whim, selling a script to RKO for the 1948 picture Bodyguard , which he co-wrote with George W. George. Altman's immediate success encouraged him to move to New York City, where he attempted to forge a career as a writer. Having enjoyed little success, he returned to Kansas City in 1949 and accepted a job as a director and writer of industrial films for the Calvin Company . Altman directed some 65 industrial films and documentaries for

3328-458: Is a historic building, and thus while updates have been made over the years, the building still keeps its historic charms. Some of these features include its architectural beauty, the Gold, Red, and Sparking rooms which serve as everything from study spots to the backdrops of Martha Cook events, and the larger sized rooms which accommodate the non-modular furniture. In 1984 the front parlor of Martha Cook

3456-424: Is a satire in hexameter verses, was a literary genre of wholly Roman origin ( satura tota nostra est ). He was aware of and commented on Greek satire, but at the time did not label it as such, although today the origin of satire is considered to be Aristophanes' Old Comedy . The first critic to use the term satire in the modern broader sense was Apuleius . To Quintilian, the satire was a strict literary form, but

3584-438: Is a statue of Portia by Furio Piccirilli , described as “Shakespeare’s most intellectual woman.” Samuel Parsons , the prominent landscape architect, designed the garden in 1921. 42°16′29″N 83°44′17″W  /  42.27474°N 83.73796°W  / 42.27474; -83.73796 Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( / ˈ ɔː l t m ə n / AWLT -mən ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006)

3712-415: Is an apotropaic rite in which the sin-eater (also called filth-eater), by ingesting the food provided, takes "upon himself the sins of the departed". Satire about death overlaps with black humor and gallows humor . Another classification by topics is the distinction between political satire, religious satire and satire of manners. Political satire is sometimes called topical satire, satire of manners

3840-592: Is an enclave in which satire can be introduced into mass media , challenging mainstream discourse. Comedy roasts , mock festivals, and stand-up comedians in nightclubs and concerts are the modern forms of ancient satiric rituals. One of the earliest examples of what might be called satire, The Satire of the Trades , is in Egyptian writing from the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. The text's apparent readers are students, tired of studying. It argues that their lot as scribes

3968-475: Is held in early spring each year. Other traditions which residents enjoy include the Dinner for New Women, Handel's Messiah Dinner, and weekly themed buffet dinners. Martha Cook has its own Dining Hall, which is private to those who live in the building. While the pantry has been updated, the wooden tables and chairs, the fireplaces, and the intricate designs allow the dining area to keep its historic appeal. The building

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4096-406: Is not only useful, but far superior to that of the ordinary man. Scholars such as Helck think that the context was meant to be serious. The Papyrus Anastasi I (late 2nd millennium BC) contains a satirical letter which first praises the virtues of its recipient, but then mocks the reader's meagre knowledge and achievements. The Greeks had no word for what later would be called "satire", although

4224-453: Is often pessimistic, characterized by the use of irony, sarcasm, moral indignation and personal invective, with less emphasis on humor. Strongly polarized political satire can often be classified as Juvenalian. A Juvenal satirist's goal is generally to provoke some sort of political or societal change because he sees his opponent or object as evil or harmful. A Juvenal satirist mocks "societal structure, power, and civilization" by exaggerating

4352-701: Is one of three filmmakers whose films have won the Golden Bear at Berlin , the Golden Lion at Venice , and the Palme d'Or at Cannes (the other two being Henri-Georges Clouzot and Michelangelo Antonioni ). Altman was born on February 20, 1925, in Kansas City, Missouri , the son of Helen (née Matthews), a Mayflower descendant from Nebraska , and Bernard Clement Altman, a wealthy insurance salesman and amateur gambler who came from an upper-class family. Altman's ancestry

4480-421: Is partly due to the satirical and comedy nature of many of his films. Geraldine Chaplin , daughter of Charlie Chaplin , compared the humor in his films to her father's films: They're funny in the right way. Funny in a critical way — of what the world is and the world we live in. They were both geniuses in their way. They alter your experience of reality. They have their world and they have their humor. That humor

4608-422: Is so rare. Altman made it clear that he did not like "storytelling" in his films, contrary to the way most television and mainstream film are made. According to Altman biographer Mitchell Zuckoff , "he disliked the word 'story,' believing that a plot should be secondary to an exploration of pure (or, even better, impure) human behavior." Zuckoff describes the purposes underlying many of Altman's films: "He loved

4736-460: Is sometimes called satire of everyday life, and religious satire is sometimes called philosophical satire. Comedy of manners , sometimes also called satire of manners, criticizes mode of life of common people; political satire aims at behavior, manners of politicians, and vices of political systems. Historically, comedy of manners, which first appeared in British theater in 1620, has uncritically accepted

4864-552: Is the reactionary side of the comic ; it limits itself to a shallow parody of physical appearance. The side-effect of teasing is that it humanizes and draws sympathy for the powerful individual towards which it is directed. Satire instead uses the comic to go against power and its oppressions, has a subversive character, and a moral dimension which draws judgement against its targets. Fo formulated an operational criterion to tell real satire from sfottò , saying that real satire arouses an outraged and violent reaction, and that

4992-574: Is the first to define this concept of Yuyan. During the Qin and Han dynasty, however, the concept of yuyan mostly died out through their heavy persecution of dissent and literary circles, especially by Qin Shi Huang and Han Wudi . The first Roman to discuss satire critically was Quintilian , who invented the term to describe the writings of Gaius Lucilius . The two most prominent and influential ancient Roman satirists are Horace and Juvenal , who wrote during

5120-444: Is the only University of Michigan dormitory with an alumni association. There is an alumni board, as well as a board of governors, who help in making key decisions about the maintenance and upgrading of the building, raising scholarship money to assist residents with room and board, and helping plan events such as Fall and Spring Tea, which allow alumni to return to Martha Cook for tea once a semester. Located on South University, across

5248-584: The DuMont drama series Pulse of the City (1953–1954), and an episode of the 1956 western series The Sheriff of Cochise . In 1956, he was hired by a local businessman to write and direct a feature film in Kansas City on juvenile delinquency . The film, titled The Delinquents , made for $ 60,000, was purchased by United Artists for $ 150,000, and released in 1957. While primitive, this teen exploitation film contained

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5376-612: The Early Middle Ages , examples of satire were the songs by Goliards or vagants now best known as an anthology called Carmina Burana and made famous as texts of a composition by the 20th-century composer Carl Orff . Satirical poetry is believed to have been popular, although little has survived. With the advent of the High Middle Ages and the birth of modern vernacular literature in the 12th century, it began to be used again, most notably by Chaucer . The disrespectful manner

5504-673: The HBO political mockumentary miniseries Tanner '88 (1988) for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series . He also directed the HBO television film The Laundromat (1985). On stage, he directed the Broadway revival of the Ed Graczyk play Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1981) and later the 1982 film of the same name . He directed

5632-565: The Ig Nobel Prize describe this as "first make people laugh, and then make them think". Satire and irony in some cases have been regarded as the most effective source to understand a society, the oldest form of social study. They provide the keenest insights into a group's collective psyche , reveal its deepest values and tastes, and the society's structures of power. Some authors have regarded satire as superior to non-comic and non-artistic disciplines like history or anthropology . In

5760-507: The Lyric Opera of Chicago . Bolcom, a teacher at the University of Michigan, had admired Altman's first production of The Rake's Progress a decade prior and asked him for help adapting Frank Norris 's novel . After finishing Short Cuts , Altman directed two episodes of Great Performances . The first was an R&B revue; the second was a television adaptation of McTeague . The rest of

5888-734: The Renaissance were Giovanni Boccaccio and François Rabelais . Other examples of Renaissance satire include Till Eulenspiegel , Reynard the Fox , Sebastian Brant 's Narrenschiff (1494), Erasmus 's Moriae Encomium (1509), Thomas More 's Utopia (1516), and Carajicomedia (1519). The Elizabethan (i.e. 16th-century English) writers thought of satire as related to the notoriously rude, coarse and sharp satyr play. Elizabethan "satire" (typically in pamphlet form) therefore contains more straightforward abuse than subtle irony. The French Huguenot Isaac Casaubon pointed out in 1605 that satire in

6016-556: The Resaleh-ye Delgosha , as well as Akhlaq al-Ashraf ("Ethics of the Aristocracy") and the famous humorous fable Masnavi Mush-O-Gorbeh (Mouse and Cat), which was a political satire. His non-satirical serious classical verses have also been regarded as very well written, in league with the other great works of Persian literature . Between 1905 and 1911, Bibi Khatoon Astarabadi and other Iranian writers wrote notable satires. In

6144-663: The Sharia " and later Arabic poets in turn using the term "Farazdaq-like" as a form of political satire. The terms " comedy " and "satire" became synonymous after Aristotle 's Poetics was translated into Arabic in the medieval Islamic world , where it was elaborated upon by Islamic philosophers and writers, such as Abu Bischr, his pupil Al-Farabi , Avicenna , and Averroes . Due to cultural differences, they disassociated comedy from Greek dramatic representation and instead identified it with Arabic poetic themes and forms, such as hija (satirical poetry). They viewed comedy as simply

6272-577: The United States Army Air Forces at the age of 18. During World War II , Altman flew more than 50 bombing missions as a co-pilot of a B-24 Liberator with the 307th Bomb Group in Borneo and the Dutch East Indies . Upon his discharge in 1947, Altman moved to California. He worked in publicity for a company that had invented a tattooing machine to identify dogs. He entered filmmaking on

6400-454: The University of Michigan , where he concurrently staged his first production of Igor Stravinsky 's The Rake's Progress . He also co-wrote John Anderson 's 1983 hit single " Black Sheep ". After the critical success of his three successive theatrical adaptations, Altman attempted to return to Hollywood with the teen comedy O.C. and Stiggs (1985). Like Popeye , the chaotic production

6528-617: The West End revival of Arthur Miller 's penultimate play Resurrection Blues (2006). In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized Altman's body of work with an Academy Honorary Award . He never won a competitive Oscar despite seven nominations. His films M*A*S*H , McCabe & Mrs. Miller , The Long Goodbye and Nashville have been selected for the United States National Film Registry . Altman

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6656-442: The anti-war movement . In 1969, Altman was offered the script for M*A*S*H , an adaptation of a little-known Korean War -era novel satirizing life in the armed services; more than a dozen other filmmakers had passed on it. Altman had been hesitant to take the production, and the shoot was so tumultuous that Elliott Gould and Donald Sutherland tried to have Altman fired over his unorthodox filming methods. Nevertheless, M*A*S*H

6784-517: The repressive aspects of society . The state of political satire in a given society reflects the tolerance or intolerance that characterizes it, and the state of civil liberties and human rights . Under totalitarian regimes any criticism of a political system, and especially satire, is suppressed. A typical example is the Soviet Union where the dissidents , such as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Andrei Sakharov were under strong pressure from

6912-671: The "art of reprehension", and made no reference to light and cheerful events, or troubled beginnings and happy endings, associated with classical Greek comedy. After the Latin translations of the 12th century , the term "comedy" thus gained a new semantic meaning in Medieval literature . Ubayd Zakani introduced satire in Persian literature during the 14th century. His work is noted for its satire and obscene verses, often political or bawdy, and often cited in debates involving homosexual practices. He wrote

7040-411: The 1970s; he won the Golden Lion at the 1993 Venice International Film Festival and another Oscar nomination for Best Director. Between shooting and editing Short Cuts , Altman made his return to opera as the director and co-librettist of McTeague . Altman was hired on the project by William Bolcom , who had been commissioned with his regular librettist, Arnold Weinstein , to write an opera by

7168-509: The 1990s saw limited success for Altman. His 1994 release Prêt-à-Porter (also known as Ready to Wear ) garnered significant pre-release publicity, but was a commercial and critical flop, though it got several nominations for year-end awards, including two Golden Globe nominations and won the National Board of Review award for Best Acting By An Ensemble . In 1996, Altman directed Kansas City , expressing his love of 1930s jazz through

7296-450: The 9th century. While dealing with serious topics in what are now known as anthropology , sociology and psychology , he introduced a satirical approach, "based on the premise that, however serious the subject under review, it could be made more interesting and thus achieve greater effect, if only one leavened the lump of solemnity by the insertion of a few amusing anecdotes or by the throwing out of some witty or paradoxical observations. He

7424-469: The Blue" also written by Altman and starring Roger Moore ), Lawman , Surfside 6 , Peter Gunn , and Route 66 . By the 1960s, Altman established himself as a television director due to his ability to work quickly and efficiently on a limited budget. Though he was frequently fired from television projects for refusing to conform to network mandates, Altman always was able to land new assignments. In 1964,

7552-655: The Calvin Company, he began directing plays at the Resident Theatre of the Jewish Community Center. These plays allowed him to work with local actors, such as fellow future director Richard C. Sarafian , whom he directed in a production of Richard Harrity's Hope Is the Thing with Feathers . Sarafian would later marry Altman's sister and follow him to Hollywood. Altman's first forays into television directing were on

7680-406: The Calvin Company. Through his early work on industrial films, Altman experimented with narrative technique and developed his characteristic use of overlapping dialogue. In February 2012, an early Calvin film directed by Altman, Modern Football (1951), was found by filmmaker Gary Huggins. Altman also had a career directing plays and operas parallel to his film career. While Altman was employed by

7808-553: The Edward Anderson novel previously filmed by Nicholas Ray as They Live by Night (1949); California Split (1974), a gambling comedy-drama shot partially on location in Reno, Nevada ; and Nashville (1975), which had a strong political theme set against the world of country music . The stars of the film wrote their own songs; Keith Carradine won an Academy Award for the song " I'm Easy ". Altman's next film, Buffalo Bill and

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7936-542: The Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson , won the Golden Bear at the 28th Berlin International Film Festival . Although his films were often met with divisive notices, and some, like A Perfect Couple and Quintet were widely panned, many of the prominent film critics of the era (including Pauline Kael , Vincent Canby and Roger Ebert ) remained steadfastly loyal to his directorial style throughout

8064-600: The Korean War; McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) is a satire on Westerns; author Matthew Kennedy states that Nashville (1975) is a "brilliant satire of America immediately prior to the Bicentennial"; A Wedding (1978) is a satire on American marriage rituals and hypocrisy; Altman himself said that The Player (1992) was "a very mild satire" about the Hollywood film industry, and Vincent Canby agreed, stating that "as

8192-510: The Latin satura; but "satirize", "satiric", etc., are of Greek origin. By about the 4th century AD the writer of satires came to be known as satyricus; St. Jerome, for example, was called by one of his enemies 'a satirist in prose' ('satyricus scriptor in prosa'). Subsequent orthographic modifications obscured the Latin origin of the word satire: satura becomes satyra, and in England, by the 16th century, it

8320-617: The Oscar, he was awarded Best Director by the Cannes Film Festival , BAFTA , and the New York Film Critics Circle . Altman then directed Short Cuts (1993), an ambitious adaptation of several short stories by Raymond Carver , which portrayed the lives of various citizens of Los Angeles over the course of several days. The film's large cast and intertwining of many different storylines were similar to his large-cast films of

8448-468: The Roman fashion was something altogether more civilised. Casaubon discovered and published Quintilian's writing and presented the original meaning of the term (satira, not satyr), and the sense of wittiness (reflecting the "dishfull of fruits") became more important again. Seventeenth-century English satire once again aimed at the "amendment of vices" ( Dryden ). In the 1590s a new wave of verse satire broke with

8576-436: The Roman satirist Horace (65–8 BCE), playfully criticizes some social vice through gentle, mild, and light-hearted humour. Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) wrote Satires to gently ridicule the dominant opinions and "philosophical beliefs of ancient Rome and Greece". Rather than writing in harsh or accusing tones, he addressed issues with humor and clever mockery. Horatian satire follows this same pattern of "gently [ridiculing]

8704-556: The United Kingdom. A theatrical version of the film was a modest success in the United States, marking a significant turning point in the director's critical resurgence. He revitalized his career in earnest with The Player (1992), a satire of Hollywood. Co-produced by the influential David Brown ( The Sting , Jaws , Cocoon ), the film was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Director . While he did not win

8832-539: The University of Michigan Library acquired Altman's archive. Adapted by Altman and Sam Shepard for The Cannon Group from Shepard's Pulitzer Prize -nominated play, Fool for Love (1985) featured the playwright-actor alongside Kim Basinger , Harry Dean Stanton , and Randy Quaid ; it fared better than most of his films from the era, earning $ 900,000 domestically on a $ 2 million budget and positive reviews from Roger Ebert and Vincent Canby . Disappointed by his string of critical and commercial failures, including

8960-433: The absurdities and follies of human beings". It directs wit, exaggeration, and self-deprecating humour toward what it identifies as folly, rather than evil. Horatian satire's sympathetic tone is common in modern society. A Horatian satirist's goal is to heal the situation with smiles, rather than by anger. Horatian satire is a gentle reminder to take life less seriously and evokes a wry smile. Juvenalian satire, named for

9088-532: The academy had acted prematurely in recognizing the body of his work, as he felt like he might have four more decades of life ahead of him. Altman's particular style of filmmaking covered many genres — referred to as Altmanesque — but usually with a " subversive " or "anti-Hollywood" twist which typically relied on satire and humor to express his personal views. Actors especially enjoyed working under his direction because he encouraged them to improvise. He preferred large ensemble casts for his films, and developed

9216-450: The aim of humanizing his image. Types of satire can also be classified according to the topics it deals with. From the earliest times, at least since the plays of Aristophanes , the primary topics of literary satire have been politics , religion and sex . This is partly because these are the most pressing problems that affect anybody living in a society, and partly because these topics are usually taboo . Among these, politics in

9344-416: The broader sense is considered the pre-eminent topic of satire. Satire which targets the clergy is a type of political satire , while religious satire is that which targets religious beliefs . Satire on sex may overlap with blue comedy , off-color humor and dick jokes . Scatology has a long literary association with satire, as it is a classical mode of the grotesque , the grotesque body and

9472-401: The chaotic nature of real life, with conflicting perspectives, surprising twists, unexplained actions, and ambiguous endings. He especially loved many voices, sometimes arguing, sometimes agreeing, ideally overlapping, a cocktail party or a street scene captured as he experienced it. Julianne Moore , after seeing some of his movies, credits Altman's style of directing for her decision to become

9600-463: The decade. Audiences took some time to appreciate his films, and he did not want to have to satisfy studio officials. In 1970, following the release of M*A*S*H, he founded Lion's Gate Films to have independent production freedom. Altman's company is not to be confused with the current Lionsgate , a Canada/U.S. entertainment company. The films he made through his company included Brewster McCloud , A Wedding , and 3 Women . In 1980, he directed

9728-516: The early days of the Roman Empire . Other important satirists in ancient Latin are Gaius Lucilius and Persius . Satire in their work is much wider than in the modern sense of the word, including fantastic and highly coloured humorous writing with little or no real mocking intent. When Horace criticized Augustus , he used veiled ironic terms. In contrast, Pliny reports that the 6th-century-BC poet Hipponax wrote satirae that were so cruel that

9856-483: The early modern period. The dutch translation Van den vos Reynaerde is considered a major medieval dutch literary work. In the dutch version De Vries argues that the animal characters represent barons who conspired against the Count of Flanders. Direct social commentary via satire returned in the 16th century, when texts such as the works of François Rabelais tackled more serious issues. Two major satirists of Europe in

9984-719: The edge in making the kinds of films he always wanted to make without studio interference. The Company , a film about the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago, featured a cast composed mainly of actual dancers. The film had been conceived by star Neve Campbell , an ex ballerina, and written by Altman's longtime friend, Barbara Turner . Altman directed a follow-up to Tanner '88 for the Sundance Channel , reuniting him with Michael Murphy as an older Jack Tanner. A film version of Garrison Keillor 's public radio series A Prairie Home Companion

10112-423: The expression lanx satura literally means "a full dish of various kinds of fruits". The use of the word lanx in this phrase, however, is disputed by B.L. Ullman. The word satura as used by Quintilian , however, was used to denote only Roman verse satire, a strict genre that imposed hexameter form, a narrower genre than what would be later intended as satire . Quintilian famously said that satura, that

10240-510: The fashion was brought to an abrupt stop by censorship. Another satiric genre to emerge around this time was the satirical almanac , with François Rabelais 's work Pantagrueline Prognostication (1532), which mocked astrological predictions. The strategies François utilized within this work were employed by later satirical almanacs, such as the Poor Robin series that spanned the 17th to 19th centuries. Satire ( Kataksh or Vyang ) has played

10368-526: The film industry when he was in middle-age. He understood the creative limits imposed by the television medium, and now set out to direct and write films which would express his personal visions about American society and Hollywood. His films would later be described as " auteuristic attacks" and "idiosyncratic variations" of traditional films, typically using subtle comedy or satire as a way of expressing his observations. His films were typically related to political, ideological, and personal subjects, and Altman

10496-564: The film to a manageable length. He worked with Caan again, who led the cast with Robert Duvall . He did not direct another film until That Cold Day in the Park (1969), which was a critical and box-office disaster. During the decade, Altman began to express political subtexts within his works. In particular, he expressed anti-war sentiments regarding the Vietnam War . Because of this, Altman's career would somewhat suffer as he came to be associated with

10624-403: The film under his control. In 1982, after finishing work on Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean , Altman travelled to Dallas to film his next film, Streamers . The film, adapted by David Rabe from his hit play , was shot in only 18 days. Its 1983 release made it Altman's third theatrical adaptation in as many years. Afterwards, he began teaching a course on his films at

10752-408: The foundations of Altman's later work in its use of casual, naturalistic dialogue. With its success, Altman moved from Kansas City to California for the last time. He co-directed The James Dean Story (1957), a documentary rushed into theaters to capitalize on the actor's recent death and marketed to his emerging cult following. Both works caught the attention of Alfred Hitchcock who hired Altman as

10880-411: The fucking picture is failing. It's giving the wrong impression. You make it look like a thriller and it's not, it's a satire. Satire Satire is a genre of the visual , literary , and performing arts , usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction , in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of exposing or shaming

11008-596: The government. While satire of everyday life in the USSR was allowed, the most prominent satirist being Arkady Raikin , political satire existed in the form of anecdotes that made fun of Soviet political leaders, especially Brezhnev , famous for his narrow-mindedness and love for awards and decorations. Satire is a diverse genre which is complex to classify and define, with a wide range of satiric "modes". Satirical literature can commonly be categorized as either Horatian, Juvenalian, or Menippean . Horatian satire, named for

11136-598: The larger community the self identifies with. The audience's understanding of the context of reflexive humour is important for its receptivity and success. Satire is found not only in written literary forms. In preliterate cultures it manifests itself in ritual and folk forms, as well as in trickster tales and oral poetry . It appears also in graphic arts, music, sculpture, dance, cartoon strips , and graffiti . Examples are Dada sculptures, Pop Art works, music of Gilbert and Sullivan and Erik Satie , punk and rock music . In modern media culture , stand-up comedy

11264-725: The more they try to stop you, the better is the job you are doing. Fo contends that, historically, people in positions of power have welcomed and encouraged good-humoured buffoonery, while modern day people in positions of power have tried to censor, ostracize and repress satire. Teasing ( sfottò ) is an ancient form of simple buffoonery , a form of comedy without satire's subversive edge. Teasing includes light and affectionate parody, good-humoured mockery, simple one-dimensional poking fun, and benign spoofs. Teasing typically consists of an impersonation of someone monkeying around with his exterior attributes, tics , physical blemishes, voice and mannerisms, quirks, way of dressing and walking, and/or

11392-516: The musical film Popeye . Produced by Robert Evans and written by Jules Feiffer , the film was based on the comic strip / cartoon of the same name and starred Shelley Duvall and the comedian Robin Williams in his film debut. Designed as a vehicle to increase Altman's commercial clout following a series of critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful low-budget films in the late 1970s (including 3 Women , A Wedding , and Quintet ),

11520-562: The new millennium, Dr. T & the Women , received only moderate reviews and middling financial success. His next film, Gosford Park (2001), was included on many critics' lists of the ten best films of that year. A large-cast, British country house murder mystery , it won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay ( Julian Fellowes ) plus six more nominations, including two for Altman, as Best Director and Best Picture. Altman returned to

11648-410: The offended hanged themselves. In the 2nd century AD, Lucian wrote True History , a book satirizing the clearly unrealistic travelogues/adventures written by Ctesias , Iambulus , and Homer . He states that he was surprised they expected people to believe their lies, and stating that he, like them, has no actual knowledge or experience, but shall now tell lies as if he did. He goes on to describe

11776-410: The other. Max Eastman defined the spectrum of satire in terms of "degrees of biting", as ranging from satire proper at the hot-end, and "kidding" at the violet-end; Eastman adopted the term kidding to denote what is just satirical in form, but is not really firing at the target. Nobel laureate satirical playwright Dario Fo pointed out the difference between satire and teasing ( sfottò ). Teasing

11904-689: The perceived flaws of individuals, corporations, government, or society itself into improvement. Although satire is usually meant to be humorous, its greater purpose is often constructive social criticism , using wit to draw attention to both particular and wider issues in society. A prominent feature of satire is strong irony or sarcasm —"in satire, irony is militant ", according to literary critic Northrop Frye — but parody , burlesque , exaggeration , juxtaposition , comparison, analogy, and double entendre are all frequently used in satirical speech and writing. This "militant" irony or sarcasm often professes to approve of (or at least accept as natural)

12032-477: The phrases he typically repeats. By contrast, teasing never touches on the core issue, never makes a serious criticism judging the target with irony ; it never harms the target's conduct, ideology and position of power; it never undermines the perception of his morality and cultural dimension. Sfottò directed towards a powerful individual makes him appear more human and draws sympathy towards him. Hermann Göring propagated jests and jokes against himself, with

12160-447: The producers decided to expand "Once Upon a Savage Night", one of his episodes of Kraft Suspense Theatre , for release as a television film under the title Nightmare in Chicago . In a 1963 episode, "The Hunt", his cast included James Caan and Bruce Dern . Two years later, Altman was hired to direct the low-budget space travel feature Countdown , but was fired within days of the project's conclusion because he had refused to edit

12288-420: The production starred Maximilian Schell , James Fox , Neve Campbell, Matthew Modine , and Jane Adams . However, despite the pedigree of all involved, the production was an abject failure with poor reviews and behind-the-scenes bickering. Working with independent studios such as the now-shuttered Fine Line, Artisan (which was absorbed into today's Lionsgate ), and USA Films (now Focus Features ), gave Altman

12416-473: The production was filmed on location in Malta . It was soon beleaguered by heavy drug and alcohol use among most of the cast and crew, including the director; Altman reportedly clashed with Evans, Williams (who threatened to leave the film), and songwriter Harry Nilsson (who departed midway through the shoot, leaving Van Dyke Parks to finish the orchestrations). Although the film grossed $ 60 million worldwide on

12544-593: The publication of Hall 's Virgidemiarum , six books of verse satires targeting everything from literary fads to corrupt noblemen. Although Donne had already circulated satires in manuscript, Hall's was the first real attempt in English at verse satire on the Juvenalian model. The success of his work combined with a national mood of disillusion in the last years of Elizabeth's reign triggered an avalanche of satire—much of it less conscious of classical models than Hall's — until

12672-492: The satiric grotesque. Shit plays a fundamental role in satire because it symbolizes death , the turd being "the ultimate dead object". The satirical comparison of individuals or institutions with human excrement , exposes their "inherent inertness, corruption and dead-likeness". The ritual clowns of clown societies , like among the Pueblo Indians , have ceremonies with filth-eating . In other cultures, sin-eating

12800-445: The screenplay himself, this film became the latest of Altman's failures. The long-awaited release of O.C. and Stiggs that year was also panned. Altman finally regained a modicum of critical favor in 1988 for his television work. He returned to America early that year to shoot the mockumentary show Tanner '88 (1988), a collaboration with Garry Trudeau set in the milieu of a United States presidential campaign, for which he earned

12928-489: The social code of the upper classes. Comedy in general accepts the rules of the social game, while satire subverts them. Another analysis of satire is the spectrum of his possible tones : wit , ridicule , irony , sarcasm , cynicism , the sardonic and invective . The type of humour that deals with creating laughter at the expense of the person telling the joke is called reflexive humour. Reflexive humour can take place at dual levels of directing humour at self or at

13056-637: The stage twice more. In 2004 He reunited with Bolcom, Weinstein, and the Lyric Opera to adapt his 1978 film, A Wedding , as an opera. It was generally well received. His final stage production was poorly received. In 2006, Altman travelled to England to direct the West End debut of Arthur Miller 's final play, Resurrection Blues at the Old Vic Theatre . At this time, the Old Vic was managed by Kevin Spacey , and

13184-422: The still-unreleased O.C. and Stiggs , Altman moved to Paris. There, he shot another television film, The Laundromat , which he completed before Fool for Love . He then wrote and directed Beyond Therapy , which proved to be one of his biggest failures. Altman then mounted his second production of The Rake's Progress , this time at the prestigious Opéra de Lille . The Opéra was undergoing financial collapse at

13312-516: The street from the Law Quad and the Business School, Martha Cook is one of the closest residence halls to UM's central campus. The street address is 906 S. University Ave. Designed by the architectural firm of York and Sawyer , it was built in 1915. New York lawyer William W. Cook , a Michigan alumnus, donated it to the University in honor of his mother, Martha Wolford Cook. Above the main entrance

13440-477: The term soon escaped from the original narrow definition. Robert Elliott writes: As soon as a noun enters the domain of metaphor, as one modern scholar has pointed out, it clamours for extension; and satura (which had had no verbal, adverbial, or adjectival forms) was immediately broadened by appropriation from the Greek word for "satyr" (satyros) and its derivatives. The odd result is that the English "satire" comes from

13568-557: The terms cynicism and parody were used. Modern critics call the Greek playwright Aristophanes one of the best known early satirists: his plays are known for their critical political and societal commentary , particularly for the political satire by which he criticized the powerful Cleon (as in The Knights ). He is also notable for the persecution he underwent. Aristophanes' plays turned upon images of filth and disease. His bawdy style

13696-404: The time, and its failure to regain money through ambitious productions caused it close later that year. Altman also used a selection from Jean-Phillipe Rameau's Les Boréades as the basis for his contribution to Aria , which was shown at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival to mixed reception. Altman made his next television film, Basements , based on two plays by Harold Pinter. Though Pinter wrote

13824-427: The very things the satirist wishes to question. Satire is found in many artistic forms of expression, including internet memes, literature, plays, commentary, music , film and television shows, and media such as lyrics. The word satire comes from the Latin word satur and the subsequent phrase lanx satura . Satur meant "full", but the juxtaposition with lanx shifted the meaning to "miscellany or medley":

13952-534: The way it is called in Chinese, goes back at least to Confucius , being mentioned in the Book of Odes (Shijing 詩經). It meant "to criticize by means of an ode". In the pre-Qin era it was also common for schools of thought to clarify their views through the use of short explanatory anecdotes, also called yuyan (寓言), translated as "entrusted words". These yuyan usually were brimming with satirical content. The Daoist text Zhuangzi

14080-461: The words or position of his opponent in order to jeopardize their opponent's reputation and/or power. Jonathan Swift has been established as an author who "borrowed heavily from Juvenal's techniques in [his critique] of contemporary English society". In the history of theatre there has always been a conflict between engagement and disengagement on politics and relevant issue, between satire and grotesque on one side, and jest with teasing on

14208-406: The work Reynard the Fox , written by Willem die Madoc maecte, and its translations were a popular work that satirized the class system at the time. Representing the various classes as certain anthropomorphic animals. As example, the lion in the story represents the nobility, which is portrayed as being weak and without character, but very greedy. Versions of Reynard the Fox were also popular well into

14336-891: The writings of the Roman satirist Juvenal (late first century – early second century AD), is more contemptuous and abrasive than the Horatian. Juvenal disagreed with the opinions of the public figures and institutions of the Republic and actively attacked them through his literature. "He utilized the satirical tools of exaggeration and parody to make his targets appear monstrous and incompetent". Juvenal's satire follows this same pattern of abrasively ridiculing societal structures. Juvenal also, unlike Horace, attacked public officials and governmental organizations through his satires, regarding their opinions as not just wrong, but evil. Following in this tradition, Juvenalian satire addresses perceived social evil through scorn, outrage, and savage ridicule. This form

14464-602: Was German, English and Irish; his paternal grandfather, Frank Altman Sr., anglicized the spelling of the family name from "Altmann" to "Altman". Altman had a Catholic upbringing, but he did not continue to follow or practice the religion as an adult, although he has been referred to as "a sort of Catholic" and a Catholic director. He was educated at Jesuit schools, including Rockhurst High School , in Kansas City. He graduated from Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington, Missouri in 1943. Soon after graduation, Altman joined

14592-561: Was adopted by Greek dramatist-comedian Menander . His early play Drunkenness contains an attack on the politician Callimedon . The oldest form of satire still in use is the Menippean satire by Menippus of Gadara . His own writings are lost. Examples from his admirers and imitators mix seriousness and mockery in dialogues and present parodies before a background of diatribe . As in the case of Aristophanes plays, menippean satire turned upon images of filth and disease. Satire, or fengci (諷刺)

14720-605: Was an Arabian Nights tale called "Ali with the Large Member". In the 10th century, the writer Tha'alibi recorded satirical poetry written by the Arabic poets As-Salami and Abu Dulaf, with As-Salami praising Abu Dulaf's wide breadth of knowledge and then mocking his ability in all these subjects, and with Abu Dulaf responding back and satirizing As-Salami in return. An example of Arabic political satire included another 10th-century poet Jarir satirizing Farazdaq as "a transgressor of

14848-529: Was an American film director , screenwriter , and producer . He is considered an enduring figure from the New Hollywood era, known for directing subversive and satirical films with overlapping dialogue and ensemble casts . Over his career he received several awards including an Academy Honorary Award , two British Academy Film Awards , a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for seven competitive Academy Awards . Altman

14976-424: Was an astute observer of society and "especially interested in people," notes Derry, many of his film characters had "that sloppy imperfection associated with human beings as they are, with life as it is lived." As a result, his films are often an indirect critique of American society. For many of Altman's films, the satirical content is evident: M*A*S*H (1970), for example, is a satirical black comedy set during

15104-414: Was characterized by tension between Altman and the studio, MGM . Altman travelled to Arizona to shoot away from the executives and the screenwriters, whom he banned from the set. There he shot the film in the summer of 1983, but poor test screenings, chaos within the studio, and changing ownership delayed the film's release. It finally received a belated limited commercial release in 1987, four years after it

15232-453: Was considered "unchristian" and ignored, except for the moral satire , which mocked misbehaviour in Christian terms. Examples are Livre des Manières by Étienne de Fougères  [ fr ] (~1178), and some of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales . Sometimes epic poetry (epos) was mocked, and even feudal society, but there was hardly a general interest in the genre. In the High Middle Ages

15360-435: Was known for "refusing to compromise his own artistic vision." He has been described as "anti-Hollywood," often ignoring the social pressures that affected others in the industry, which made it more difficult for him to get many of his films seen. He said his independence as a filmmaker helped him overall: I don't think there's a filmmaker alive, or who ever lived, who's had a better shake than I've had. I've never been without

15488-715: Was nominated for five Academy Awards for Best Director for the war comedy M*A*S*H (1970), the musical film Nashville (1975), the Hollywood satire The Player (1992), the dark comedy Short Cuts (1993), and the murder mystery Gosford Park (2001). He is also known for directing Brewster McCloud (1970), McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), The Long Goodbye (1973), California Split (1974), Thieves Like Us (1974), 3 Women (1977), A Wedding (1978), Popeye (1980), Secret Honor (1984), The Company (2003), and A Prairie Home Companion (2006). Also known for his work on television, he directed

15616-515: Was released in June ;2006. Altman was still developing new projects up until his death, including a film based on Hands on a Hard Body: The Documentary (1997). In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded Altman an Academy Honorary Award for Lifetime Achievement. During his acceptance speech, he revealed that he had received a heart transplant approximately ten or eleven years earlier. The director then quipped that perhaps

15744-414: Was shot. The British Film Institute later referred to it as "probably Altman's least successful film". While O.C. and Stiggs was shelved, Altman returned to theatrical adaptations and to the University of Michigan to film Secret Honor , using his students as crew members. Based on a one man-play about former president Richard Nixon , the film starred Philip Baker Hall as the ex-president. In 2008,

15872-472: Was the scourge of the film establishment, and his work generally cast an astute, scathing eye over the breadth of American culture, often exploding genres and character archetypes; Altman was fascinated by people with imperfections, people as they really are, not as the movies would have you believe." Director Alan Rudolph , during a special tribute to Altman, refers to his moviemaking style as "Altmanesque." With his independent style of directing, he developed

16000-518: Was transformed by director Robert Altman into the set for the film Secret Honor , a one-man play in which Richard Nixon (portrayed by Philip Baker Hall ) sits alone in the San Clemente library reflecting on his presidency. The production crew was mostly made up of students in the film program. The 100th anniversary of Martha Cook was celebrated over the weekend of October 23–25, 2015, with many past and present residents in attendance. Martha Cook

16128-443: Was well aware that, in treating of new themes in his prose works, he would have to employ a vocabulary of a nature more familiar in hija , satirical poetry." For example, in one of his zoological works, he satirized the preference for longer human penis size , writing: "If the length of the penis were a sign of honor, then the mule would belong to the (honorable tribe of) Quraysh ". Another satirical story based on this preference

16256-492: Was widely hailed as a classic upon its 1970 release. It won the Palme d'Or at the 1970 Cannes Film Festival and netted five Academy Award nominations. It was Altman's highest-grossing film, released during a time of increasing anti-war sentiment in the United States. The Academy Film Archive preserved M*A*S*H in 2000. Now recognized as a major talent, Altman notched critical successes with McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971),

16384-456: Was written 'satyre.' The word satire derives from satura , and its origin was not influenced by the Greek mythological figure of the satyr . In the 17th century, philologist Isaac Casaubon was the first to dispute the etymology of satire from satyr, contrary to the belief up to that time. The rules of satire are such that it must do more than make you laugh. No matter how amusing it is, it doesn't count unless you find yourself wincing

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