Emily Dill and Karen L. Janke from Indiana University have written a wonderfully titled academic paper: “‘New Shit Has Come To Light’: Information Seeking Behavior in The Big Lebowski.” A sample:
Whether intentional by the writer/director Coen Brothers or not, The Big Lebowski reveals how subjective the terms “information” and “facts” truly are in the 21st century; a world of nonstop news and ubiquitous talking heads. What is truth to one person is not necessarily truth to another — what is merely a ringer briefcase full of “whites” to one person can be a $1,000,000 epiphany to the next. The film’s most important contribution to the study of information seeking behavior is its illustration of how a highly complex information search is not about finding the “answer,” but rather about an individual’s ability to make sense of and create meaning from the process of information seeking.
I love when academia and stoner comedies collide. This instance looks to be suitably entertaining.
For further reading on Lebowski, check out “Life Does Not Start and Stop At Your Convenience: The Greatest Mystery of The Big Lebowski.“