Asylum

Was Alexander Hamilton President? Asylum Investigates

Anthony Layser — 2011-01-20T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Humor, Politics, Video, Asylum Exclusive

Many Founding Fathers top-five lists have Alexander Hamilton following George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and John Adams in the number five spot. He is, after all, much cooler than James Madison, and only an unscrupulous alcoholic would make an argument for Samuel Adams. That said, many Americans can't tell you definitively if Hamilton was ever a U.S. president. This mystery led Asylum to carry out an investigation no other news organization would even dare to attempt ...

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Why Is 'Redneck' Levi Johnston Author Nick Hornby's Songwriting Muse?

Anthony Layser — 2010-11-03T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Video, Music, Asylum Exclusive, Drinks With Writers

Author Nick Hornby is responsible for numerous books, stories and essays, though most people are more familiar with the movies adapted from his novels, like "High Fidelity," "About a Boy" and "Fever Pitch." He recently expanded his creative efforts to songwriting, penning tunes for a collaboration with musician Ben Folds called "Lonely Avenue."

We sat down for a beer with Hornby to talk music, movies and why his empathy for the teen who almost became Sarah Palin's son-in-law led to the song "Levi Johnston Blues."

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'Good Ideas' Author Discusses 9/11 Snafu, How to Trigger Eureka Moments

Anthony Layser — 2010-10-05T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Video, Required Reading, Asylum Exclusive, Drinks With Writers

Cartoons illustrate a good idea as a lightbulb turning on in one's brain -- a moment of light and clarity that appears out of the ether. In his new book "Where Good Ideas Come From," Steven Johnson looks to dispel that simplistic concept by explaining how good ideas actually evolve out of networks rather than clandestine moments of epiphany. (In layman's terms, he's calling BS on myths involving Archimedes and Sir Isaac Newton. Sorry, guys.)

We caught up with Johnson, who also penned "Everything Bad Is Good for You" and "The Invention of Air" to discuss "Good Ideas." That conversation veered into why the FBI's communication systems were not conducive to connecting ideas prior to Sept. 11, as well as Johnson's advice on cultivating your own eureka moments ...

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Chip Kidd Geeks Out on Batman's Dark Side, Wonder Woman's New Outfit

Anthony Layser — 2010-09-02T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Entertainment, Video, Asylum Exclusive, Drinks With Writers

Chip Kidd is a man of many talents. Best known as a graphic designer, the Pennsylvania native is also an accomplished editor and comic book historian. If that wasn't enough, Kidd is also the co-author, with Lisa Birnbach, of "True Prep: It's a Whole New Old World," a follow-up to Birnbach's popular 1980 satire "The Official Preppy Handbook."

We caught up with Kidd to talk about "True Prep." After a few martinis, however, the focus inevitably turned to comics. Our discussion covered the mystique of Batman (Kidd has worked on multiple books about the Caped Crusader) and the controversy over Wonder Woman's new get-up, soon gaining the type of urgency only comic book geeks can muster. All this in the latest "Drinks With Writers" ...

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SNL Writer Simon Rich Talks New Novel, How He Does It Live on Saturday Night

Anthony Layser — 2010-08-11T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Video, Required Reading, TV, Asylum Exclusive, Drinks With Writers

The novel "Elliot Allagash" offers a titular antagonist who might be one of the most deviant, soulless monsters ever imagined in a teen body. Fortunately, the creator of this character, Simon Rich, bears no moral resemblance to his creation. (Though physically, he does look barely older than a teen.)

The affable Brooklynite and son of New York Times columnist Frank Rich has done a lot in his 26 years of life. He edited the Harvard Lampoon, wrote the comedy books "Ant Farm" and "Free Range Chickens" and landed a staff-writer gig on "Saturday Night Live."

We recently sat down for a drink with the freakishly youthful writer to talk about his first novel, as well as what it's like to write for SNL.

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'Absurdistan' Author Pens Hilarious New Book That Predicts Economic Collapse

Anthony Layser — 2010-07-21T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Entertainment, Video, Required Reading, Asylum Exclusive, Drinks With Writers

Like all good satirists, Gary Shteyngart takes the absolute worst things about the world and makes them funny. In "Super Sad True Love Story," his follow-up to the critically acclaimed "Absurdistan," Shteyngart creates a dystopian future America -- one where the economy is shot, credit score impacts dating, books are being phased out and everyone communicates almost solely via small electronic devices. In other words -- a future that's not all that different from the present.

Asylum is a little more old school, so we recently communicated with Gary over a beer at the Brooklyn Public House in New York. He told us all about "Super Sad True Love Story," as well as why he loves Woody Allen despite the fact that he married his daughter.

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'Simpsons,' 'I Love You, Beth Cooper' Writer Talks New Book, Slams DeVito

Anthony Layser — 2010-06-29T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Entertainment, Video, Required Reading, Asylum Exclusive, Drinks With Writers

Larry Doyle's debut novel "I Love You, Beth Cooper" offered up a hilariously tumultuous night in the life of Denis Cooverman, a high school geek who's valedictorian address ends with the pronouncement of his love for the head cheerleader. Doyle's new novel "Go, Mutants!" once again uses high school as a backdrop, only this time his angst-y teens are the second-generation offspring of the aliens and monsters that populated B-movies in the '50s and '60s.

The role of novelist is actually fairly new to this comedic writer who spent many years in Hollywood penning screenplays and episodes of the "The Simpsons" and "Beavis and Butt-Head."

We recently sat down for a drink with Doyle and found out about his adolescent weight problems, as well as his not-too-pleasant experiences collaborating with Danny DeVito on the movie "Duplex." That and more, in the latest "Drinks With Writers" ...

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Hitchens Warns of American-Born Jihad, Painful Brazilian Waxing

Anthony Layser — 2010-06-22T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Video, Required Reading, Asylum Exclusive, Drinks With Writers

"Author," "journalist," "contrarian," "Antichrist" -- whatever you call Christopher Hitchens, he's one of the most influential public intellectuals of our time. His books, from "God Is Not Great" to "The Trial of Henry Kissinger," as well as his regular columns in Vanity Fair, have garnered much praise and derision, making Hitchens a fixture on the lecture and cable news circuits.

Hitchens' latest effort is the memoir "Hitch 22," which recounts his six decades of life. Before embarking on the tour to support the the book, Asylum invited Hitch out for a drink. (After all, his affection for the sauce is well known.) He accepted our invitation and is the subject of our latest installment of "Drinks With Writers" ...

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'I Was Told There'd Be Cake' Author a Chick, Doesn't Write Chick Lit

Anthony Layser — 2010-06-10T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Video, Required Reading, Asylum Exclusive, Drinks With Writers

If you're the type of guy who's attracted to women sporting equal parts wit and intelligence, then Sloane Crosley is your dream girl. All of Crosley's charms are on display in "I Was Told There'd Be Cake," her NY Times-bestselling collection of personal essays. Now she's back with a new offering, "How Did You Get This Number," which once again showcases her sense of humor and unique perspective -- this time covering everything from travel in Alaska to Portuguese clowns.

When "Drinks With Writers" sat down with Crosley for a beer, we found out about her latest opus and a way-too-devoted fan (at the 4:25 mark, she recalls how the smitten reader sent her a series of creepy VHS tapes). We also discussed her day job as a literary publicist -- more specifically, her experience as James Frey's publicist during the fiasco stemming from his not-quite-memoir "A Million Little Pieces."

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Russell Brand's Tips for Getting Laid Involve Skiing, the Apocalypse

Anthony Layser — 2010-06-02T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Sex, Humor, Entertainment, Dating/Love, Like an Expert, Asylum Exclusive

"Get Him to the Greek" star Russell Brand doesn't just play charming, libidinous rock star Aldous Snow, he actually has a bit of charm and libidin-itude himself. So when we recently caught up with Brand in Las Vegas, we asked the comedian to give Asylum readers some pointers on how to meet and hook up with a special lady (or multiple special ladies) ...

For more "Get Him to the Greek" coverage, check out Jenna Busch's interviews on Moviefone.

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Jonah Hill Explains How to Smuggle Drugs ... the Hard Way

Anthony Layser — 2010-06-01T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Entertainment, Video, Vid of the Moment, Movies, Asylum Exclusive

For his new film "Get Him to the Greek," actor Jonah Hill was asked to pretend

to smuggle a bag of heroin in his person. The resulting scene is one of the film's most memorable. We recently sat down with Jonah and director Nicholas Stoller to discuss exactly what it took to "put the candy in the jar" ...

For more "Get Him to the Greek" coverage, check out Jenna Busch's interviews on Moviefone.

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Gabriel Thompson Works the Worst Jobs Imaginable, Tells Us About Them

Anthony Layser — 2010-04-16T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Politics, Video, Asylum Exclusive, Drinks With Writers

You might say writer Gabriel Thompson is committed to his work. We think he's also a little bit crazy ... in a selfless, mantastic sort of way. Thompson spent a year laboring in some of the toughest jobs imaginable -- from picking lettuce in Arizona to processing poultry in Alabama -- to provide an in-depth description of what it was like to work alongside immigrants, doing the sorts of jobs most Americans won't do.

We were exhausted just reading Thompson's "Working in the Shadows," so we invited him to grab a drink at the Brooklyn Public House in New York. He was kind enough to accept, making him Asylum's drinking buddy in the latest "Drinks With Writers."

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Asylum, Other Site Talk 'Kick-Ass' With Christopher Mintz-Plasse (aka McLovin)

Anthony Layser — 2010-04-15T14:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Entertainment, Video, Celebrity, Movies

"Kick-Ass" looks like it could be one of the best flicks of the summer. So needless to say, I was excited when offered an interview with one of the movie's stars, Christopher Mintz-Plasse. (If the name doesn't ring a bell right away, you know him as McLovin from "Superbad.")

In fact, the only thing that could temper my excitement would be that I'd have to share my interview with Moviefone's Kevin Polowy. As with my previous talks with Michael Cera and Craig Robinson, that, unfortunately, is exactly what happened ...

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'Hot Tub Time Machine''s Craig Robinson Sits Down for a Dueling Interview

Anthony Layser — 2010-03-24T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Humor, Entertainment, Video, Movies

As the release of "Hot Tub Time Machine" approached, I requested a mano a mano interview with one of its stars (and my personal hero), Craig Robinson. There was some confusion, though. Apparently, some publicist saw a Michael Cera interview I did with Moviefone's Kevin Polowy, and she thought we actually enjoyed doing interviews together. This couldn't be further from the truth.

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Joshua Ferris Expresses His Love for Effed-Up People on 'Drinks With Writers'

Anthony Layser — 2010-02-05T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Entertainment, Booze, Video, Drinks With Writers

Author Joshua Ferris loves a good screwed-up character. His first novel, "Then We Came to the End," chronicles an advertising firm full of strange and dysfunctional employees. Now, he's following up the bestseller and National Book Award finalist with "The Unnamed" -- a tragic tale of a seemingly normal family man whose life is destroyed by his compulsive need to walk.

Asylum also shares a fascination for effed-up people, so we invited Ferris to grab a drink at the Brooklyn Public House in New York. He was kind enough not only to accept but offer up a story about his mother's sage advice regarding profanity in literature. That, and many more tidbits of wholesomeness in our latest "Asylum Drinks With Writers."

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Asylum Goes to Adult Expo to Preview Sex Toys ... of the Future!

Anthony Layser — 2010-01-25T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sex, Gear, Video, Weird Stuff, Asylum Exclusive

Advancements in sexual technology move so quickly that it can often be daunting to stay, uh, abreast of the latest developments. But fear not, adventurous masturbators! Asylum recently sent Anthony Layser to the Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas to investigate the latest in sex toys ...

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The 10 Most Mantastic Moments in Black History

Anthony Layser — 2010-01-18T12:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Entertainment, Politics, Mantastic, News

Celebrated on the third Monday of January (a time close to King's real birthday on the 15th), MLK day is a great holiday to bum around by the TV, or get hammered with your friends.

But it also celebrates Martin Luther King Jr., a truly mantastic historical figure who promoted nonviolence and acceptance over hatred and prejudice, pushing the civil rights movement into the public consciousness.

In honor of Dr. King, we've collected 10 of the manliest moments in black history, starting with the man himself.

1. Martin Luther King busted, uses time to write "Letter From Birmingham Jail" (April 16, 1963)

As the single-most revered African-American figure, MLK has had almost too many mantastic moments to choose from. One that deserves much respect is the incident in which he was arrested for his part in a nonviolent protest in Birmingham, Ala. Rather than fashion a shiv or barter for cigarettes while in the clink, King wrote an open letter that pretty much summed up his crusade for justice. In it, he stated that "one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws." Standing up to The Man never sounded so good.2. Jack Johnson wins "The Fight of the Century" (July 4, 1910)

After a string of Caucasian fighters were mistakenly deemed the next "Great White Hope" (i.e., white people wanted a white champ), former heavyweight champion James J. Jeffries came out of retirement to fight the reigning heavyweight title holder, Jack Johnson. Johnson, a charismatic and flamboyant black man, was despised by much of the white establishment for not "knowing his place." Jeffries said openly before the matchup, "I am going into his fight for the sole purpose of proving that a white man is better than a Negro." That did not get proved. Johnson knocked down his racist opponent twice before Jeffries' corner threw in the towel in the 15th round.
3. Jesse Owens, non-Aryan, dominates the Nazi Olympics (August 3-9, 1936)

The Third Reich wanted to use the 1936 Berlin Olympics to showcase Nazi Germany and promote their spurious ideologies, including Aryan racial superiority. Track and field phenom Jesse Owens wasn't down with that story line and proceeded to win four gold medals in six days. By the time he left Berlin, Owens' athletic superiority was known the world over, making Hitler look like a chump.
4. Barack Obama's speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention (July 27, 2004)

When our current president stepped to the podium at the DNC in 2004, he was a little-known candidate for U.S. Senate from Illinois. Using the rhetorical magic that propelled his ascent to the White House, Obama ignited the crowd with the inspiring story of his background and his belief in the American Dream. As a counterpoint, the Democrats' nominee that year was John Kerry, a man whose speechmaking had the same effect as a large dose of Benadryl.

5. Captain Charles B. Hall takes out Luftwaffe over Anzio (January 27 and 28, 1944)

The 99th Fighter Squadron (aka The Tuskegee Airmen) have been the subject of numerous books and movies honoring their service. Captain Charles B. Hall was one of the finest pilots of the group, and he became the first black man in American history to shoot down an enemy aircraft. His greatest moment of machismo came in late January 1944, when Luftwaffe bombers raided Anzio, Italy. To protect and support the Allied ground offensive, Hall and company went to work taking out German planes. Hall personally shot down two planes as part of an eight-squadron effort that claimed 32 German aircraft. He remains our favorite son of Brazil, Ind., which is no small achievement, considering the town also produced popcorn mogul Orville Redenbacher.
6. James Brown helps keep the peace in Boston (April 5, 1968)

The day after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, numerous U.S. cities were rocked by violent protests and rioting. Yet in Boston, a city not known for racial harmony, there was a relative calm. Many credit the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, for helping to keep this peace. During his rousing concert at the Boston Garden, which aired on the local PBS station, Brown encouraged Bostonians to remember what Dr. King stood for. Meanwhile, he cranked out his patented jams like never before, including "Cold Sweat" and "It's a Man's Man's Man's World." It's was more precisely JB's world that night.
7. Crispus Attucks stands up to British forces, becomes martyr of the American Revolution (March 5, 1770)

Little is known about Crispus Attucks' background, and most of what is known is disputed by historians. What goes undisputed is his participation in the civil unrest that led to the Boston Massacre and his subsequent killing by British troops, making him the most famous martyr of the American Revolution. Paul Revere's renowned carving of Attucks being shot later became an important symbol for abolitionists during the Civil War. As a focal point of inspiration for two of the most important struggles in U.S. history, any historian has got to admit Attucks was in the right place at the right time for a dramatic departure.
8. Wesley Autrey becomes the "Subway Samaritan" (January 2, 2007)

Autrey became a national hero through an extraordinary act of selflessness, bravery and a little bit of crazy. Standing in a Harlem subway station with his two daughters, Autrey noticed a young man convulsing and falling onto the subway tracks. With a train approaching, Autrey sprung into action, leaping down onto the tracks and covering up the man as the breaking train rolled above them, close enough to scuff Autrey's hat. He would later make appearances on TV and at the 2007 State of the Union address, with all who met him expressing awe at his badassery.
9. Miles Davis releases "Kind of Blue" (August 17, 1959)

Jazz is the quintessential American art form, pioneered by names like Armstrong, Ellington, Parker and the man who epitomizes what makes the genre forever cool -- Miles Davis. Many critics point to the 1959 album "Kind of Blue" as the zenith of Davis's coolness and perhaps the height of jazz. "Kind of Blue" is not only the best-selling jazz album of all time, having been certified quadruple platinum last October, but the modal-jazz masterpiece is also widely cited as one of the most influential albums ever made. And, let's not forget, it's an always-reliable soundtrack if you're trying to get your lady in the mood.
10. Otis Boykin invents resistors that enable computers, TV, and pacemakers (June 16, 1959)

Otis Boykin, a genius in the field of electrical mechanics, got his first patent in June 1959 for the wire precision resistor. This allowed the Texas-born inventor to secure research funding to create his own labs as well as secure high-level positions with other firms, which eventually led to 11 more patents before his death in 1982. Among the products we use impacted by Boykin's work include computers, radios, television sets and pacemakers -- all of which were also made more affordable thanks to Boykin's resistors. Considering the importance these advancements have in many men's lives -- especially those who are sports fans with heart trouble -- dudes owe Boykin big time.

Let us know more mantastic moments in black history in the comments.

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'Youth in Revolt''s Michael Cera Endures Moviefone/Asylum Dueling Interview

Anthony Layser — 2010-01-07T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Entertainment, Video, Vid of the Moment

Michael Cera often plays an adolescent everyman who finds himself pulled into difficult situations by unscrupulous cohorts. His latest movie, "Youth in Revolt," features him in a similar role to his appearances in "Superbad" and "Year One" -- except the unscrupulous cohort is an imaginary version of himself.

I recently sat down with the actor to discuss this new role and men's lifestyle issues, in general. Unfortunately, Moviefone's Kevin Polowy had to be involved, due to Cera's time constraints.

Please note: Polowy repeatedly tries to undermine me in the following vids. We applaud Cera's professionalism in the face of the assault on Asylum's journalistic integrity ...From the beginning you can tell Polowy has it in for me. I never trusted that guy ...

In Part 2, watch how he kisses up to Michael Cera. This was a sad day for entertainment journalism ...

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Julie Powell Pairs Adultery With the Art of Slicing Up Animals

Anthony Layser — 2009-12-11T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Booze, Women, Video, Drinks With Writers

"Julie & Julia" memoirist Julie Powell is not one to hold back. In her new book, "Cleaving," the author breaks down sides of meat in graphic detail, while also breaking down an affair that threatens to destroy her marriage. And by the way, no, she wasn't the one being cheated on. Julie wrote a book about her own sexual adventures and infidelities.

Since butchery, sex and booze -- Powell writes about the sauce a lot, too -- also happen to be in Asylum's wheelhouse, we felt inclined to invite Julie out for a drink with us. Though we were honored when she obliged, we were even more honored when she elected to be our first "Drinks With Writers" subject to double-fist.

That and more on the latest installment of "Asylum Drinks with Writers" ...

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Cheech & Chong Blaze a New Trail With 'Get It Legal' Tour

Anthony Layser — 2009-12-09T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Humor, Video, Celebrity, Photos

Cheech and Chong, without a doubt, are the most famous stoners ever to burn one down. How do we know? Well, after 25 years apart, they reunited in 2008 to perform in sold-out, hazy arenas for their "Light Up America" comedy tour.

Now, even as they inch closer to the AARP set, Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin plan to head out in January to bring their "Get It Legal" comedy tour to the ganja-loving masses.

The duo visited "Asylum Lockdown," and told us that once people come to their senses and legalize marijuana, Cheech and Chong will be "as rich as Warren Buffett." All we know is that watching them sing the "Acapulco Gold" jingle definitely makes us want to pass along some green. Spark one and see for yourself ...

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