The Second Coming

New World Notes #525, 29:03 (March 27)
Broadcast quality MP3 (39 MB)
Decent quality MP3 (13 MB)

Artists and social critics have used the idea of the Second Coming of Christ as a metaphor to highlight social ills. (Bumper sticker: Christ has come ... and boy, is He p***ed!) We hear and look at four works of art that do this: Lenny Bruce's "Christ and Moses" routine, a Langston Hughes short story featuring the Harlem character "Simple," W.B. Yeats's poem "The Second Coming," and The Police's song "Synchronicity II"--which is pretty much Yeats's poem, updated & set to music.

Previously broadcast in March 2010.
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