Art from the Ivies: How do Harvard and Yale’s artsy alumni stack up? (11/17)
If you’ve ever heard the sweet strains of “Maria”, watched the thrilling stunts of Jason Bourne, or laughed at the biting satire of a particular Late Night Talk Show host—you’re admiring the work of our very own Harvard alums.
On the other hand, if you’ve ever wanted to slap Miranda Priestly, if you’ve snoozed through a Pocahontas rip-off, or agonized over Mulder’s refusal to man up and kiss the girl already, well, that’s the unfortunate work of our Ivy compatriot, Yale.
Matt Damon was a wide-eyed Harvard freshman in 1988 before he followed his dreams to Hollywood. The rest, as they say, is history. The Bourne Series. The Departed. The Ocean’s Trilogy. Saving Private Ryan. And the list goes on. He has not only conquered the box office, but has also been lauded by critics. His awards include an Academy Award for his role in Good Will Hunting, and to top it all off, he was People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2007. He has it all: money, talent, and that crooked smile that makes all of our hearts swoon.
Edward Norton, Yale ’91, was the nameless narrator of Fight Club. Granted, he’s picked up a couple nominations here and there, but really, he’s no leading man. He doesn’t make the ladies swoon in Ocean’s Thirteen. He’s not the brilliant, but troubled mathematician. And he’s certainly not the agile, trained assassin with lightning-fast reflexes. In short, he’s the everyman.
Anderson Cooper, Yale ’89, has established himself as CNN’s poster boy. Since 2003, Anderson Cooper 360° delivers the breaking news at a punctual seven p.m. every day. His reporting skills are impeccable, as evidenced by his stoic presentation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. But for all of his critical acclaim and credibility he has fostered, his news segment is still a bit… dry.
Anderson’s delivery is especially dry when compared to Conan O’Brien’s ‘85. Starting his illustrious career as the president of the Harvard Lampoon, he was also part of the teams that brought you Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons. For sixteen years, NBC’s Late Night with Conan O’Brien kept America rolling with laughter with his quick wit and biting sarcasm. With his move to TBS, Conan has marked a new chapter in his memorable repertoire, and we along with the rest of the United States just can’t get enough of the man who makes us laugh at ourselves and like it.
Since Silence of the Lambs, whatever happened to that confident young police trainee? Jodie Foster, Yale ’85, hit box-office and Oscar gold for her role in the 1992 movie. That’s when Harvard’s current freshman were born, right? Since then, she’s starred in… Nim’s Island? Clearly, she was Hollywood’s darling. Too bad it’s been more than a decade since then.
So let’s focus on a more… let’s say, contemporary actress. Natalie Portman, Harvard ’03, and resident of Lowell House stole our geeky hearts as the stunning Padmé Amidala in Star Wars. Her acting prowess has shone with every subsequent role. She was the quirky, lovable Sam in the indie-hit Garden State. Her edgy transformation as Evey in V for Vendetta proved that she could tackle intense, dramatic characters as well. Last year, as the torn wife of a soldier away in Afghanistan, she connected to the nation’s soul in Brothers. Perhaps her most notable role to date was her turn as a schizophrenic ballerina in last year’s Black Swan, which resulted in an Academy Award for the leading lady. Natalie Portman is in her prime, and we wait with bated breath for her to keep us engaged with her versatility.
Of course, we don’t have space for everyone. Leonard Bernstein ‘39, Tommy Lee Jones ’69, Yo-Yo Ma ‘76, Nestor Carbonell ’89, and Rivers Cuomo ’06 – you make John Harvard proud. Sigourney Weaver ‘74, David Duchovny ’04, and Paul Giamatti ’89 – you’ve more than lived up to Eli’s expectations. But we can’t ignore Eric Johnson, Yale ‘01.
Never heard of him? Well, we’re not surprised. He played in the NFL as a tight-end, briefly, and he may have caught the winning touchdown in the 1999 Harvard-Yale game. In the grand scheme of things, however, he is Jessica Simpson’s baby daddy. Yet another intelligent decision. I bet the Bulldog’s proud.
Angela Song ’14 (angelasong@college) and Sayantan Deb ’14 (sayantandeb@college) honestly believe that Harvard and Yale have both had their fair share of notable alumni in the media. We respect them all. But on Harvard-Yale weekend, anything goes.
Art from the Ivies: How do Harvard and Yale’s artsy alumni stack up? (11/17)
Share This Post:
Posts From Around The Web:
