The Economics of Video Games

Staff / Truthdig Jan 8, 2011 How video games are changing the economy, the story behind the mythological toppling of the Saddam Hussein statue in Baghdad, and the merits of being grossed out. These discoveries and more after the jump. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Centerfold

Mike Luckovich / Truthdig May 14, 2010 Dig deeper

U.S. Soldier Sues, Claims He’s ‘Hurt Locker’ Character

Staff / Truthdig Mar 4, 2010 He and his lawyer waited until the Oscar ballots were in, but on Tuesday, Master Sgt. Jeffrey Sarver, a U.S. Army soldier who worked as a bomb disposal specialist in Iraq, filed a lawsuit claiming that he had provided the real-world inspiration for actor Jeremy Renner's character in "The Hurt Locker." Why did he wait until the votes were cast? Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Sen. Coburn’s Aide: All Pornography Is Gay Pornography

Staff / Truthdig Sep 22, 2009 Hey, you can really learn some interesting and revealing stuff at the Values Voter Summit! Take, for example, this startling declaration made Saturday by Michael Schwartz, Sen Tom Coburn's chief of staff, about how all pornography is gay and can make viewers gay or at least less attentive to their wives. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Alec Baldwin Considering Congressional Bid

Staff / Truthdig Jul 8, 2009 After the likes of Ronald Reagan, Sonny Bono and Al Franken, Alec Baldwin's (still tentative) musings about taking up the celebrity-politician mantle carry a certain sense of dramatic inevitability. The "30 Rock" star may play a Republican on TV but leans to the left in his offscreen life. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

So Long, Bettie Page

Staff / Truthdig Dec 12, 2008 Long before Madonna, Dita Von Teese or any number of aspiring sirens squeezed into their first corsets, there was proto-vixen Bettie Page, who brought her own racy sensibility to the art of pinup photography in the 1950s. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Franken Gaining Ground in Minnesota Senate Race

Staff / Truthdig Oct 24, 2008 A couple of months ago, Al Franken's U.S. Senate bid might have seemed like a long shot, even when it came to politics as (un)usual in his quirky home state of Minnesota. Now, victory may be within reach for the former "SNL" star in his race against Republican incumbent Norm Coleman. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The Other Mrs. McCain

Staff / Truthdig Jun 10, 2008 The Brits are in on the American election speculation game, judging by this Daily Mail article about John McCain's first wife, Carol, which, despite reporter Sharon Churcher's "tsk-tsk" tone about McCain's possible philandering and his eventual wife-swap (enter Cindy, beer heiress, pictured), also allows that Carol McCain still cares about her ex-husband and supports him in his political ventures. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Playboy on Trial in Indonesia

Staff / Truthdig Dec 7, 2006 The editor of the Indonesian version of Playboy magazine is on trial for indecency in the world's most populous Muslim state. The magazine contains no nudity, but the prosecution cited the "inviting expressions" of the underwear-clad models as one of the reasons it is asking for the maximum penalty of 32 months. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Classic Scheer-Carter Interview From ‘Playing President’

Staff / Truthdig Jun 22, 2006 During a 1976 interview for Playboy magazine that would produce one of the most famous remarks by a presidential candidate in modern times, Jimmy Carter told Robert Scheer, "I've committed adultery in my heart many times" Check out an excerpt of that exchange, along with many more in Scheer's new book, "Playing President". Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Tame Version of Playboy Hits Jakarta Stands

Staff / Truthdig Apr 7, 2006 Islamic hard-liners called the magazine a form of moral terrorism, despite the fact that there are no nude photos in it. This is reminiscent of what happened in Eastern Europe after the fall of the Iron Curtain when titillating material quickly appeared and then spread like kudzu. Liberties will always rush to fill a vacuum, just not necessarily in the way favored by religious fundamentalists. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Sex Week at Yale Draws Controversy, Porn Stars

Staff / Truthdig Feb 18, 2006 A prudish Harvard student, writing in a conservative campus newspaper, says the following of Yale's annual ode to sex: "I don't see how bringing a Playboy stripper to campus is helping anything." No surprise there. The Yale contingent at Truthdig knows from experience that Cantabs are sooooo uptight. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )