Last Night’s Snooze Competition
I had to laugh last night as I flipped back and forth between the Clinton-Obama debate (the snooziest to date) and PBS’ broadcast of the New York Philharmonic’s concert (pictured) in North Korea. The orchestra’s visit to what Washington still looks on as a rogue state was touted as “historic,” and so it was. But what I will remember most from it is not the program (Wagner, Dvorak, Gershwin) but the sight of North Korean VIPs dozing off in the prime-seating section. I guess they’re not used to attending musical events that don’t take place in a giant stadium with 50,000 students in the stands flashing cards in alarming, propagandistic unison.
