Natural Selections Salutes Nobel Prize Winner Mike Young! Read more on P. 3 2017 NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSIOLOGY OR MEDICINE Issue 143 October 2017 A NEWSLETTER OF THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY Word of the Month DAKOTA B LACKMAN Kakistocracy [kak-uh-stok-ruh-see] Noun, plural kakistocracies Government by the worst persons; a form of government in which the worst per- sons are in power Late this past June, journalist and MS- NBC correspondent Joy Reid tweeted the fol- lowing: “Look up the definition of ‘kakistoc- racy’ today, my fellow Americans. Things will make much more sense.” The tweet, which was liked over 8,000 times and retweeted nearly 4,000 times, prompted such a significant spike in searches for the word that Merriam-Web- ster devoted an entire article to it. Briefly, the watered-down iteration of the travel ban. This Google searches spiked—and why this word word is Greek in origin, combining the root action barred people from Libya, Sudan, Syria, resonated with so many. Perhaps it is the often kakistos (meaning “worst”) with the famil- Yemen, Iran, and Somalia from entering the flagrant dismissal of the conventions of our iar English ending -cracy (meaning “form of country without proof of “a credible claim of democracy (a meaningful or at least respectful government”), which itself is derived from the a bona fide relationship” with a person, job, or relationship with the media, alleged collusions Greek kratos (meaning “strength” or “power”). educational institution in the United States as with foreign governments, the almost comi- Dictionary.com notes in its definition that the well as the passage of two bills aimed at tar- cal turnover of staff members, and the use of root may also be tied to the Greek word kakos, geting undocumented immigrants. One of Twitter to disseminate thoughts, just to name meaning “evil” or “unpleasant” (its derivatives these bills, titled “Kate’s Law,” increased crimi- a few); perhaps it is the type of legislation be- are recognizable in English in such words as nal penalties for undocumented immigrants ing advocated for and passed, much of which cacophony), and perhaps even connected to previously convicted of crimes in the United strips rights from those who already have little the Greek prefix kako-, a not-so-subtle origin States; the second, titled the “No Sanctuary power (the work to further defund Planned of the English slang word for “defecation”. Tak- for Criminals Act,” allowed for the withdrawal Parenthood, public radio, and the arts, to re- en together, kakistocracy quite literally trans- of federal funding to sanctuary cities, those voke Obamacare and Deferred Action for lates to the worst government. which do not actively comply with the federal Childhood Arrivals (DACA), just to name a Reid’s tweet was published on June government in their enforcement of immigra- few); perhaps it is even what is not being said, 29th, 2017, a date in which kakistocracy was tion laws. or the latency to take what seems to be the ob- indeed helpful in contextualizing the day’s These controversial immigration laws vious, just side (the lack of ability to disavow news. Some highlights from the day—other and others that have since been passed by white supremacist groups and their support, than the sale of an original R2-D2 model used the administration, along with the overall er- for example). Perhaps this is a kakistocracy for in the Star Wars films for a whopping $2.76 ratic behavior of the man in charge, must call most people because most of us believe that million—included the passage of the second into question why, upon Reid’s tweeting, the those in power are indeed “the worst persons.” Want to be part of Natural Selections? Come meet us at our Thursday OCTOBER195PM OPEN RECRUITMENT MEETING at RU FACULTY CLUB 1 Culture Corner | Television review: The Defiant Ones (HBO documentary) B ERNIE L ANGS HBO PHTOTO COURTESY OF COURTESY PHTOTO Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre, featured in HBO’s docutmentary “The Defiant Ones” The HBO television network changed the prises great music and neither is willing to told in The Defiant Ones, actually inspired me landscape of TV programming for the bet- compromise their ideals, often risking ruin as a composer and musician and in my mod- ter and for many years has offered innova- toe hold fast to their creative principles. est efforts in music recording. Dr. Dre is a per- tive, well-written, and imaginative shows and The series offers incredible footage and fectionist in the recording studio, demanding documentaries that leave the cliché plagued photographs from the early careers of both and expecting excellence from himself and series of the established networks in the dust. Iovine and Dr. Dre, and Allen Hughes was able the artists he works with. I have to admit that Its latest triumph is The Defiant Ones, a four- to procure interviews with many of the main I’ve never cared for rap or hip-hop, but on oc- part documentary series, directed by Allen players throughout their lives, including Tom casion I do see the art and beauty of it, espe- Hughes, covering the long careers of former Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Pattie Smith, cially in terms of its production values. There music producer turned music mogul, Jimmy Stevie Nicks, and Trent Reznor for Iovine, and is an early film montage of Dr. Dre, pre-fame, Iovine, and rapper, Andre Romelle Young, rappers such as Ice Cube, Sean Combs, Emi- masterfully DJing in his native Compton area, better known as Dr. Dre. nem, and Snoop Dogg for Dr. Dre. A host of where he plays the classic girl group song “Mr. In his book series, Parallel Lives written behind-the-scenes music industry executives Postman.” I never liked or appreciated that in the second century AD, the historian Plu- and business managers as well as friends and sound before, but he does it not only to perfec- tarch gives a biography of a Roman politician, family also weigh in on the parts they played tion, but with obvious respect for the original general, or famous, personality and offers a in this incredible musical odyssey. It is strik- recording. It was that very show that launched corresponding history of someone from an- ing that all of the famous Rock ‘N’ Roll and Dr. Dre’s start in the business, since the club cient Greece in an effort to expose their moral pop personalities come across as genuine and owner booked him for future gigs. and ethical similarities, and examine their tri- emotional in describing how Iovine has one In Plutarch’s Lives, there are examples umphs and failures in tandem. In The Defiant relentless, driving mission in his intersection of famous Romans and Greeks who either Ones, we similarly get a rendering of two men with them: to find a way for them to best real- fell as victims of their character flaws or tri- from extremely different backgrounds, but un- ize their artistic vision and get their work out umphed over them. Straight Outta Compton like those written about by Plutarch, these two to as many people as possible so that their au- glossed over Dr. Dre’s history of violence with lives eventually come together and intersect in diences think about their work and enjoy it. women, but it is depicted in The Defiant Ones. the most unexpected ways. What stands out The number of artists Iovine discovered and It was interesting to see Dee Barnes, a hip-hop to me as the defining parallel quality of both directed to success is astounding. journalist, interviewed as an authority on the men, each of whom approach music and its I am less familiar with the work of rap history timeline and then revealed to be industry from different vantage points, is their Dr. Dre and know much of his history from one of the women who were assaulted by Dr. unflagging commitment to artistry, stripped news stories here and there, from such films Dre in the past. Although Dr. Dre apologized away from any monetary or social gain. Both as Straight Outta Compton. Compton is a un- at length for his past horrific actions, having have unrelenting pure visions of what com- deniably a great movie, but Dr. Dre’s story, as realized it was something terrible that he had CONTINUED TO P.3* 2 * CONTINUED FROM P. 2 Dr. Dre’s alley. They went on to found Beats Editorial Board done and that he will always have to live Electronics in 2006, and after carefully craft- EDITORIAL BOARD with, viewers will certainly take note of his ing and tastefully marketing their product, past pattern of inexcusable and downright which was sold to Apple in 2014 for $3 bil- Jim Keller awful, violent behavior. Iovine also strug- lion. In May 2013, they donated a $70 mil- Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor gled with how he handled the escalation of lion endowment to the University of South- Chew-Li Soh violence between East and West Coast rap ern California to create the USC Jimmy Associate Editor recording artists, many of whom were tied Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, to him and Dr. Dre. At its worst, the violence Technology, and the Business of Innovation. Dakota Blackman actually descended into murder. There are Throughout their extensive interviews Editorial Assistant incredible interviews at this point in the se- in the show, Dr. Dre and Iovine never come Juliette Wipf ries with Sean Combs and Snoop Dogg that across in with them in the show as preten- Copy Editor, Webmaster, Distribution are emotional and chilling, and the story tious or egotistically struck by their own of Tupac Shakur’s demise is recounted in success or stardom; Iovine has great come- Miguel Crespo depth.