1 Fear and loathing
Crankiness, misanthropy and rampant narcissism: Those who’ll miss “Six Feet Under,” should get the fourth season of Larry David’s acidly funny “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” now on DVD.
2 Excuses to imbibe
Brought to you by the man who put a bar next to his art gallery (or vice versa): “Drunk vs. Stoned,” a group show in which 33 artists depict their poison. At Gavin Brown’s Enterprise through Sept. 7.
3 Bad celebrity karma
Jude Law, who embarrassed (pregnant?) fiancée Sienna Miller by cheating with the nanny, was humiliated when nude shots circulated this week. Meanwhile, a certain self-righteous kabbalahist who thinks we should all ward off evil with $23 red-string bracelets got thrown from a horse.
4 The smart set
Matt Parker and Trey Stone, the RZA, Jeffrey Eugenidies: a mere sampling of the random yet immensely satisfying lineup at this year’s New Yorker Festival; tickets on sale Thursday.
5 Fiona vs. Sony
Fiona Apple’s long-awaited, smothered-by-the-record-company album “Extraordinary Machine” – which has practically become Gen Y’s “Smile” – will finally be released (sans traces of super-producer Jon Brion) on Oct. 4, with singles up on iTunes now.
6 Summer’s best single
Franz Ferdinand’s angular, ridiculously catchy “Do You Want To?” – premiering this Tuesday on MTV2 and playing every hour on the hour – may just be the dance single of the summer.
7 MTV’s biggest brat
Sophie, the rampaging bully in the season premiere of MTV’s “My Super Sweet 16,” responded to media backlash on myspace.com with the well-considered defense that “there are thousands of people who are much more cruel than I am” before telling horrified viewers to “SHOVE IT.”
8 Deranged puppets
The most so-obvious-it’s-genius, cheap-to-produce reality TV this side of E! hiring Tara Reid to drink and party: lo-fi puppets re-enacting celeb skirmishes – like Diana Ross’ drunken-driving arrest – on Court TV’s new “Smoking Gun TV.”
9 Africa’s trendiness
What Live 8, trips by Brad and Angelina and those little white “One” bracelets have wrought: National Geographic’s new issue finally wakes up to the poorest-yet-hottest continent on the planet.
10 Unsung comic genius
The latest failed sitcom to get super-deluxe DVD treatment: “Undeclared,” the sweet, funny college-campus comedy created by Judd Apatow, director of “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and co-creator of “Freaks and Geeks.”
