'Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium' Nov 17, 2007
Magorium is the absent-minded-professor type, a kind of idiot savant who can come up with just about any kind of toy but doesn't notice that he's wearing pajamas instead of clothes. He runs a magic store, meant to be a character in its own right, though it's not a particularly convincing conceit. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
King of California ** Oct 13, 2007
First, he quickly converts Miranda from a naysayer to a committed ally in the treasure hunt, because, being a wise child, she knows that an idiot savant without a dream is just an idiot. Also, given her name, and the fact that the father is the architect of a grand illusion, you may detect a hint of Shakespearean resonance, shades of The Tempest. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Tough academic stance good or bad? Oct 13, 2007
By Cuz's idiot savant ... By Cuz's idiot savant ... By Cuz's idiot savant. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Sports)
Common has arrived -- on his terms Aug 26, 2007
Outside looking in As much as he is a conscious MC who waxes intelligent about politics and society, Common is also sort of a hip-hop idiot savant. He's very much a regular guy who happens to have embraced rap. (Boston Globe)
Drugs to treat Alzheimer's denied after legal bid fails Aug 13, 2007
"Does this mean nose to tail? ARW, Glasgow / 9:50pm 11 Aug 2007 #10 - You're quite right, I had forgotten the orodispersible form of Aricept. However, abbreviated submissions to SMC are not assessed in terms of cost-effectiveness because they are meant to be a minimal change to the "main" medicine, in this case providing it in an easier-to-swallow form. So the SMC guidance doesn't say whether Aricept is a good idea or not, just that if its going to be prescribed then this is an acceptable... (Scotsman)
'John from Cincinnati' runs out of waves Aug 12, 2007
" The show's first season finale airs tonight. AP When to watch "John From Cincinnati" will conclude its 10-episode run at 9 tonight. Visit . NEW YORK - "The end is near," says John from Cincinnati.That's what he's been saying since the HBO drama "John From Cincinnati" began, though with scant supporting evidence. John isn't big on details.Even so, he's been proved right. At least, one way. "John From Cincinnati" will conclude its 10-episode run at 9 tonight. The end for sure is near.What will... (Florida Today)
Full Story from Daily Texan Aug 10, 2007
Wu-Tang's idiot savant, Ol' Dirty Bastard, has become a folk hero with his many exploits. He once took his 13 children in a limousine to a New York state welfare office and collected a welfare check ; even though he had a top 10 album at the time. (U-Wire.com)
Will John from Cincinnati wipe out in finale? Aug 9, 2007
He also seems to be mentally challenged, or an idiot savant, with his choirboy wholesomeness. Youll know to say something but you wont know what it means, an exasperated local presses him. (MSNBC -- News)
The matrix of autism Aug 4, 2007
They often earn a dubious promotion to idiot savant. . (EurekAlert!)
Insider information Jul 22, 2007
That s the thing with Morgan, the indestructible idiot savant of British broadcasting: he s delighted to be the butt of the joke regardless of whether he gets it. You Can t Fire Me, I m Famous' is on BBC1 on Tuesday at 10. (Telegraph.co.uk)
Indictment only one chapter in "Life of Vick" Jul 20, 2007
idiot savant - a mentally defective person with an exceptional skill or talent in a special field, such as a highly developed ability to play music or to solve complex mathematical problems mentally at great speed. Maybe this accounts for Michael Vick s on the field abilities because otherwise his off the field accomplishments - even if he is acquitted for this particular one - pretty much add up to him being a clueless dumb a. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Sports)
How biased is the BBC? Jun 19, 2007
Readin their online version is like listening to an idiot savant doing multiplication tables, as there is no drill-down to either the context, the impact of the story on its participants (it's all about viewer/listener impact now), nor is there any sort of attempt to clarify to the audience WHY it is in the their interests to pay attention to the story at all. One is always left with the feeling "I wonder what they are REALLY trying to tell us." The Beeb's also committing the common act of... (Telegraph.co.uk)
How to Kill a Great Idea! May 31, 2007
Bloggers attack you, call you "a real asshole" and "a very lucky idiot savant." Former investors badmouth you. Other entrepreneurs copy your ideas without giving you credit. (FastCompany)
New Tape, Old Threats From American al Qaeda... May 30, 2007
TOP BLOTTER CATEGORIES. New Tape, Old Threats From American al Qaeda. (The Drudge Report)
Racy MySpace star has growing mainstream following May 23, 2007
I could be categorized as something called Idiot Savant. " - Made the New York Post's "9 Hottest Celebs on the Web" list in April -- besting the likes of Christine Dolce, a MySpace model who, incidentally, boasts 1.3 million friends. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner. | | The Herald is owned by The Herald is a Member of the Copyright 2006 The Herald, Rock Hill, South Carolina Sponsored Ads. (Herald Online, SC -- Technology)
Doing the presidential dance Apr 27, 2007
Though the increasingly desperate drummers resorted to constantly shifting rhythmic patterns to shake him, Mr. Bush held on, smiling and bobbing his head like an idiot savant. Glancing at Laura Bush, who was just beginning to sway her hips in that oh, so imperceptible way she made famous salsa dancing with Condi Rice in Brazil, the president made his boldest move yet -- he reached over and began pounding on the nearest set of drums. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Miles Franklin Award Apr 20, 2007
But brother Hugh with his idiot savant interventions in the plot and Marlene with her high heels and pert presence, and Butcher himself, a self-important lout with a chip on his shoulder -- these are not characters made for loving. That wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for the fact they are not made properly for living either. (Courier Mail)
Spoiling 24, Hour 15 Mar 29, 2007
Between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., Jack Bauer found a new frienda technical idiot savant who can access a network with the speed and efficiency of Chloe, blinks just like Jack's been doing since he got off the plane from China, and doesn't like red stuff in his scrambled eggs. Vice President Daniels really, really wanted to go nuclear, but Karen Hayes kept finding ways to thwart his policy agenda. (Slate)
Comic redneck red-hot againMarkets madman is rich with insights Mar 7, 2007
"He's almost an idiot savant of stocks. It's almost frightening how much he knows, especially during the lightning round' when he talks about individual stocks.". Independent Web sites such as www. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
'Global Warming Is Lies' Claims New Documentary... Mar 5, 2007
-------------------------------------------- Quote from Bill, the idiot savant (without the savant part). QUOTE>"First off, you morons: Al Gore never said that he invented the Internet.....What he did claim was that he took the initiative to create the legislative funding that helped bootstrap the Internet's construction. These include: 1988 National High-Performance Computer Act". (The Drudge Report)
TV show '24' returns tonight Jan 15, 2007
What an idiot Savant if I ever saw one. Anyone else hate Chloe and her nit-picking anal personality. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Perfume: The Story of a Murder Jan 5, 2007
He's what used to be called an idiot savant, and though there are fascinations to be had watching his nose at work, too often we find ourselves in the company of an imbecile who is barely able to speak, much less explain his predatory passions. Desperate to preserve human scent, he goes to work for a perfumer named Baldini (Dustin Hoffman), who has fallen out of fashion and hopes to ride Jean-Baptiste's nose back to the top. (San Jose Mercury News -- Entertainment)
The year of keeping it real, rough and ready Dec 30, 2006
His picaresque cross-America trek in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan demonstrated the appeal of the idiot savant, the fool who draws out and mocks secret prejudices. Borat doesn't know how to dress, he thinks an elevator is a hotel room and his most cherished possession is a clock radio. (Toronto Star)
You've Got Mail! Dec 28, 2006
"The problem with you Reich wingers -- when the Whitehouse 'idiot Savant' lies you can't separate 'The Wheat From the Chaff!'" -- AZ. "You have been saying that same old tired crap about Jesse Jackson and the Hymie town comment since you have been on the radio. That is over! It happened sixteen years ago! Unbelievable! I know that most of your ignorant ass listeners don't know that and they repeat your stupid, inane, and just plain pathetic comments as if they actually have some credibility. You... (Human Events Online)
On the scent of the elusive Mr Whishaw Dec 23, 2006
The film's producer has described Perfume as The Silence Of The Lambs without Clarice Starling, but Whishaw demurs: "Grenouille is nothing like Hannibal Lecter. Some regard him as an epitome of malevolence, but Tom [Tykwer, the director] doesn't see him that way, and nor do I. He's an innocent." An idiot savant rather than an evil genius. What's odd is that Grenouille has no apparent sexual desire for his victims, he strips them and sniffs them, voraciously. (Guardian Unlimited -- Film)
Existential 'Aura' is no simple crime story Dec 8, 2006
Is he a confederate or an idiot savant. Bielinsky paces the story methodically -- you could argue he should have tightened the screws a bit more -- and he introduces predictable crime-movie elements that go off on unpredictable tangents. (Boston Globe)
Well shut my mouth ... but please, not his Nov 25, 2006
But suggesting that soldiers who love the thrill of shooting their guns and risking their lives shouldn't whinge when they get shot or injured is genius/idiot savant audacity ... He comes off as quite the idiot savant. (Sydney Morning Herald)
CHANGE THE WORLD AGAIN Nov 16, 2006
This writer is, to me, typical of the 'idiot savant' employed in UK intellectual circles. He can write a column, probably over night, but his perspective of civilizations and their intentions and beliefs is akin to Bill Clinton's born-again Christian approach to Arafat in 2000. (London Times Online)
Pippin's magician Oct 28, 2006
Schwartz shakes his head with regret that "it had to come to as petty a level as it did between Bob and me. He was a genius, but he was also an idiot savant. Along with the eight great ideas out of 10 that he brought you, he'd also have the two lousy ideas you couldn't talk him out of."But I believe the artistic tension between us ultimately yielded a better show. And the irony is, now I've become the guardian of his vision. (Toronto Star -- Arts)
Sarasota artist gives 'Clowning Around Town' a thumbs-down Oct 19, 2006
"Herein lies the entire problem. Artistic standards have been entirely too loose for the last century, to the point where no one really knows what "art" is anymore. For most of the history of art, a project like this would have never gotten off the ground; it would have been stifled by the guilds.Art can be light and fun, even frothy: Picasso often drew like a child; Miro painted like an idiot savant. Fragonard is light and airy, all about flirtation, diversion and silliness. But there is one... (Herald-Tribune)
Jill Lepore on Thomas Paine Oct 11, 2006
In the wake of that revival, the Princeton historian Sean Wilentz agreed with Miller s assessment; in The New Republic in 1995, Wilentz called Paine hopelessly na v 00004000 e. Paine emerges in most academic accounts as a kind of idiot savant; savvy about adjectives but idiotic about politics. Common Sense is a work of genius, Bernard Bailyn concluded, but, next to men like Adams, Jefferson, and Madison, Paine was an ignoramus. (New Yorker)
'Subversive' wants to help little guys Oct 8, 2006
I'm kind of an idiot savant about the market. I wonder if someone on the set is talking in your ear. (Sunspot.net -- Business)
Horganism: Scientists and Their Autistic Kids Oct 6, 2006
Last weekend, I watched the 1988 film Rain Man, whose title character is an autistic idiot savant, played by Dustin Hoffman, lacking empathy and social aptitude but able to perform astonishing mnemonic and calculational feats. Id seen the movie before, but only this time did I appreciate its central irony, that the solipsistic Rainman helps his slick, car-salesman brother, played by Tom Cruise, overcome his own self-absorption. (Discover Magazine)
Fun And Games Oct 1, 2006
Does your ability to rattle off actor Richard "Shaft" Roundtree's entire filmography have the members of your inner circle jokingly referring to you as an idiot savant. Were you awakened recently in the middle of the night by a call from a friend who needed to know the name of Elton John's first American No. 1 song. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
After the baby visit, the letter and the bullying, the plot feels different now Sep 12, 2006
All the same, the suddenly fashionable view of the Chancellor as an idiot savant brilliant with figures but unable to eat soup in company is not my experience. Mr Brown can be funny, a good listener and very open to debate. (TimesOnline)
Dating: Keeping yourself safe Sep 7, 2006
Count your blessing while you still can DUMMY in my Redd Foxx voice Also, you should not get tested for those reasons, you should get tested because you are an idiot savant. PLease do not switch teams. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
‘When Do We Eat?' DVD: a funny look at Passover Aug 28, 2006
Zeke (Ben Feldman) is in a stupor from too much recreational drug use, while Lionel (Adam Lamberg) hides under a mask of deception as an autistic idiot savant. Even the father's chosen career as a successful manufacturer of Christmas ornaments is fodder both for comedic and tragic examination. (Cleveland Jewish News, OH)
Ween ready new album Aug 18, 2006
Those musical idiot savant "brothers" Dean and Gene Ween noted on their freaky website that they have been recording new music and promised to keep going "until the well runs dry". They recently appeared on Lollapalooza and are set to end their tour with two State Fair shows alongside The Flaming Lips and Sonic Youth and two more solo shows in the South. (VHI.com -- Undercover Music News)
The Storm of Style Jul 18, 2006
Scholars have also demolished the old idea that Mozart was an idiot savant, transcribing the music that played in his brain. Instead, he seems to have refined his ideas to an almost manic degree. (New Yorker)
Good and bad, it's all part of Manny Ramirez's being Jul 13, 2006
Do not make the mistake of thinking he is some sort of idiot savant when he walks into the batter's box. No Red Sox batter studies more videotape or gets more out of trips to the batting cage. (Boston Globe)
Bring a flag, or bring a fridge Jul 8, 2006
Montreal is a city that does not excel at pothole repair, or street cleaning, or fixing park swings but we are the idiot savant of festival management, able to handle millions of revellers as effortlessly as holding a tea party. Unlike daily life in our city, everything at the Jazzfest runs precisely on schedule and without a hitch, more like Switzerland than Quebec. (Toronto Star -- National Report)
Is Paris Hilton Really That Dumb? Jul 6, 2006
"You know what? This is probably the answer, she's an idiot savant," he says after mulling the question for a while ... "I think idiot savant," he reiterates. (Orlando Sentinel -- Entertainment)
'Theft: A Love Story' Jun 18, 2006
There is a determined play and power to the language of an idiot savant, a quirkiness that abstractly reflects the artificial seamlessness of his more talented brother's depiction. This is dizzyingly poetic prose that eventually examines the struggle of creative genius or why some people, even with all their frustrations and failure, cannot help but put paint onto canvas. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Why boys have trouble being boys Jun 4, 2006
As recently as 1999, Germaine Greer, in her book The Whole Woman, wrote that to be male was to be a kind of idiot savant, full of queer obsessions about fetishistic activities and fantasy goals. Dada s Boys, Hopkins says, is part of a process of talking again about what it means to be a man. (The Sunday Times)
You did notice I was gone, right? Jun 2, 2006
A: Political cartoonist Pat Oliphant did a savage caricature of me after I inadvertently referred to him as an "idiot savant" during a Wallace House seminar. We'll see who gets the last laugh when the drawing goes up on eBay in a few years. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
There are lies, damned lies... and literature May 29, 2006
The two brothers, one a genius and the other an idiot savant, generate, in their stream of consciousness, scatologically poetic and gloriously energetic comic prose that leaps off the page. "I sucked love like phthalo green sucks light," Butcher says of himself with the mysterious Marlene, who invades their remote, bug-ridden home, in a vixenish pair of Manolo Blahniks, with an expansive knowledge of modern art and a very shady agenda. (Scotsman)
The weather man May 28, 2006
"The ascendancy of geek chic has served Gore well; he comes off as a wonk gone wild, overflowing with self-deprecating stories about falling off ladders and butchering Keynote, the program he used to convert the slide show into a computer presentation. ``I'm a Keynote idiot savant," he says with pride. The trademark Gore earnestness, central to the film, exists in person, too. (Boston Globe -- Living)
Sing it again, Uncle Sam May 26, 2006
Frank (Leslie Nielsen) is the idiot savant detective in "The Naked Gun." While impersonating an opera singer asked to do the honors at a ballpark, Frank warbles: " ... and the rocket's red glare, lots of bombs in the air.". The nation's music teachers are trying to change such sorry performances with a high-powered campaign called The National Anthem Project. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Pulp Valentine: May 24, 2006
Like a sort of sapphic idiot savant, Therese decides to send the woman a Christmas card, but in an odd fit of diffidence leaves it unsigned except for her employee number, 654-A. No matter. As in the giddiest wish-fulfillment dream, the girlish self-abnegation works a charm. (Slate)
The Simpsons as philosophy May 21, 2006
Homer is an idiot savant who shows us the folly of our own rigistic thinking. He is often stupid, and sometimes irritating, but no more so that those around him who claim a more sophisticated outlook, whether it is religious, moral, legal or intellectual. (BBC News -- UK)
Up the creek May 13, 2006
I had Hugh the Poet and Hugh the Murderer, Hugh the Idiot Savant, and he was heavier and stronger, and once he had me down I could only control him by bending his little finger as if I meant to snap it. We neither of us required a dog. (Guardian Unlimited -- Books)
When Do We Eat? *½ May 5, 2006
"He's an idiot savant," Ira says of his youngest, "though we're not sure what his talent is." Joining them are Vanessa (Mili Avital), a scantily clad cousin who continues to tempt Ethan into sin, and Rafi (Mark Ivanir), the hostile one-eyed Israeli who built the Passover tent. Last but not least, Quincy's Jack Klugman appears as Ira's dad, who, having survived the Holocaust, has evidently earned the right to make tasteless jokes about it. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
When Do We Eat?: Leftovers on menu May 5, 2006
And Lionel (Adam Lamberg), the youngest, is autistic, or seems so, but his father considers him an idiot savant. Grandfather Artur (Jack Klugman), meanwhile, is a Holocaust survivor who takes a suitcase with him wherever he goes in the event of a sudden diaspora. (Toronto Star -- Arts)
After 12 years this guy's had enough college Apr 20, 2006
Is Lechner an idiot savant, or just an idiot. I can t decide. (La Crosse Tribune, WI)
J.J. Needs a Paternity Test Apr 19, 2006
star is pasty; he has the look of an idiot savant, who you couldn t trust to operate machinery; and he also tends to choke in big games. There is only one logical conclusion. (TitanCentral.com)
American Idolz: Paul Weitz, Mandy & Hugh* Apr 17, 2006
When you're making a comedy about really serious issues, you're in the position of being an idiot savant. It's like you're using the vocabulary of broad comedy to talk about what's most important. (Comingsoon.net)
Forget 'Amadeus': Mozart revealed Jan 27, 2006
" What appalling balderdash sentimental and plain wrong. It's embarrassing merely to copy that out. But given that the Child of the Sun turns 250 today, be prepared for similar twaddle this year. More nonsense has been written about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart than almost any historical figure except Jesus Christ. Plenty made its way into film too, in the outrageously inaccurate "Amadeus" (1984), which fixed Mozart in the popular imagination as an uncouth idiot savant, at once genius and... (LA Times, CA)
X-Men, Superman and the impossible Jan 25, 2006
Martin stars as the idiot savant French detective in a crime caper co-starring the actor's old pal Kevin Kline as Clouseau's long-suffering boss, along with Beyonce Knowles and Jean Reno. "Lady in the Water" (July 21): M. Night Shyamalan ("The Sixth Sense," "Signs") spins another strange one, about a building super (Paul Giamatti) who discovers a water nymph (Bryce Dallas Howard) living in the tunnels beneath the apartment complex's swimming pool. (CNN -- Showbiz)
Sun Tzu and the Art of Spying Jan 11, 2006
A master of pre-emptive thought, Bush is an idiot savant, without the savant part. On the other hand, if appearing incompetent while you really are competent is the cunning strategy, Bush has out-mastered the master Sun Tzu. (AlterNet.org)
CNBC's MAD MONEY MAN Jan 9, 2006
"I'm an idiot savant about that stuff," he said. The show weaves strange sound effects - Cramer has a set of buttons on his desk that emit everything from the sound of hogs grunting to a Darth Vaderesque voice bellowing "House of Pain" - informational graphics, references to Shakespeare, Coleridge and other famous writers, and, of course, the theatrics of the star. (Philly.com -- Business)
