Thomas Friedman has been on sabbatical from the NYT Op-Ed page writing a book on how Green is the new Red, White and Blue. He's back.
http://tinyurl.com/63n2dy
After surviving a pie-ing at Brown University, he's back on the job. I look forward to his new book and his weekly columns.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
The Wright Stuff
Now that Barack Obama has separated himself from Rev. Wright, an act that visibly cut Obama to the quick, maybe all — but the far right — can get back to deciding who's right on the issues. I still have something on my mind, though. The day before Obama gave his press conference rejecting Rev. Wright, the same day that Wright gave his own press conference at the National Press Club, I wrote about how much this episode in this long race has to do with a cultural misunderstanding. Then I saved it — rendering it untimely. I think it still bears examination.
"The most recent attack on the black church, it is our hope that this just might mean that the reality of the African-American church will no longer be invisible."
— Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright, The National Press Club, Washington, D.C.
This quote, though merely a sound bite of words, sums up much of the controversy surrounding the revered Biblical scholar and retired pastor, Rev. Wright. His claim to represent the whole black church in this controversy sounds egotistical, but I feel that there's some merit there. It's clear from folks I've spoken with that Wright's not like most other African American preachers, but much of the strong reaction in the MSM and in the public has as much to do with what he says in his sermons as with how he says it. Nonreligious observers understandably lack insight into the value and complexity of a church community — that not all members agree or march in lock step with each other and their pastor. Religious observers, right and left, are often not familiar with any church tradition outside their own.
While much can be written on this, I just want to highlight two conversations that really opened my eyes to a cultural tradition that I was previously blind to. A culture that was invisible to me. The first conversation was with an African American coworker and the second was with a former student of Rev. Wright's. I learned something about the tradition of the black church — that it is an amalgam of traditions: the African tradition brought here, the African American tradition cultivated here and the Christian tradition shared at a basic level by all Christians (Catholic and Protestant). I learned also that black churches routinely meld the social issues of the African American community with the teachings from the Bible making the pulpit a place where ideas flow both out of and also in to. That it is not uncommon for the energy level to become elevated and for the volume to rise. While I attend a church that is staid and solemn, black churches engage in an exchange of ideas between the pastor and the congregation that can be imagined even in the simple call and response popular in hip hop. Because the issues relevant and vital to the African American community aren't always addressed in the MSM or in many other arenas, they become topics during the church service on Sunday. Far from being divisive to society, these problem sharing opportunities — containing passionate speech — are a catharsis. Just like revivals have been for more than a century.
Maybe this sounds like a high fallutin' look at the black church. That's OK. There is a misunderstanding, even an ignorance, about what goes on behind church doors among all races and creeds. Most folks don't know what it's like to worship in a mosque or synagogue let alone in an Orthodox church, a Catholic church or an Evangelical mega church. Though the latter gets beamed into many households every weekend. We could use a little anthropology on our neighbors faiths, then perhaps we could leave it out of the public forum for good.
"The most recent attack on the black church, it is our hope that this just might mean that the reality of the African-American church will no longer be invisible."
— Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright, The National Press Club, Washington, D.C.
This quote, though merely a sound bite of words, sums up much of the controversy surrounding the revered Biblical scholar and retired pastor, Rev. Wright. His claim to represent the whole black church in this controversy sounds egotistical, but I feel that there's some merit there. It's clear from folks I've spoken with that Wright's not like most other African American preachers, but much of the strong reaction in the MSM and in the public has as much to do with what he says in his sermons as with how he says it. Nonreligious observers understandably lack insight into the value and complexity of a church community — that not all members agree or march in lock step with each other and their pastor. Religious observers, right and left, are often not familiar with any church tradition outside their own.
While much can be written on this, I just want to highlight two conversations that really opened my eyes to a cultural tradition that I was previously blind to. A culture that was invisible to me. The first conversation was with an African American coworker and the second was with a former student of Rev. Wright's. I learned something about the tradition of the black church — that it is an amalgam of traditions: the African tradition brought here, the African American tradition cultivated here and the Christian tradition shared at a basic level by all Christians (Catholic and Protestant). I learned also that black churches routinely meld the social issues of the African American community with the teachings from the Bible making the pulpit a place where ideas flow both out of and also in to. That it is not uncommon for the energy level to become elevated and for the volume to rise. While I attend a church that is staid and solemn, black churches engage in an exchange of ideas between the pastor and the congregation that can be imagined even in the simple call and response popular in hip hop. Because the issues relevant and vital to the African American community aren't always addressed in the MSM or in many other arenas, they become topics during the church service on Sunday. Far from being divisive to society, these problem sharing opportunities — containing passionate speech — are a catharsis. Just like revivals have been for more than a century.
Maybe this sounds like a high fallutin' look at the black church. That's OK. There is a misunderstanding, even an ignorance, about what goes on behind church doors among all races and creeds. Most folks don't know what it's like to worship in a mosque or synagogue let alone in an Orthodox church, a Catholic church or an Evangelical mega church. Though the latter gets beamed into many households every weekend. We could use a little anthropology on our neighbors faiths, then perhaps we could leave it out of the public forum for good.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
A Former Presidential Candidate and Obama
Lately there's a grumbling in the media about the similarity of former Democratic nominee George McGovern's run for the White House and Barack Obama's. Maybe that makes him unelectable!!! *sarcasm* Those same people said that electability was a factor that couldn't — and shouldn't — be assessed in the primaries just a couple of months ago. I won't go into the details of McGovern's 1972 run for President, but the gist is that he was wildly popular with a segment of the population — not enough to win the general election. It certainly looks like a comparison that is worth some investigation, but the media is not really investigating it. Not the mainstream media, that is.
I read an interesting piece about George McGovern's take on the campaign by Sam Stein in Huff Post the other day: http://tinyurl.com/3fdsg5. In it Mr. McGovern explains that the problem with his candidacy in 72 was with other Dem. nominees who lost to McGovern before the convention. That nomination process went long and was decided late. The competition was fierce — and dirty — and apparently the rifts didn't heal in the brief Fall general election period. According to the former nominee, himself, his opponents continued their attacks throughout the Fall adding to the opposition's appeal.
I know that it is appealing to look back for a precedent that mirrors 2008. But it's hard if not impossible to use McGovern's name as a curse if that person debunks the very basis for the curse. On the other hand, history is not entirely wrong — McGovern had a loyal and limited group of supporters as all candidates do. So many aspects of our political climate are different from that time in our history, let alone any other, that we would be much better off just reporting on the progress of the race for a Dem. nominee. Journalists hardly report anymore, they represent interests that are sometimes obvious and sometimes obscured. Now journalists interpret, something that used to be left to Sunday morning talking heads. Now every minute of 24 hours news is full of tea leaf reading and innuendo, guessing and cataloging.
Obama is not like McGovern, yet. When the Democrats figure out that they can only win the White House if they come together for the general election then the big truth of McGovern's loss in 72 can be avoided. That will have to included all the candidates who lost. Already we see in the "Vote for Change" 50 state voter registration, a solid effort by the Obama campaign. The media can help by avoiding tags like McGovern or Brady that are divisive rather than illuminating. They can help by telling like it is and not like they think it should be. Some people are still listening.
I read an interesting piece about George McGovern's take on the campaign by Sam Stein in Huff Post the other day: http://tinyurl.com/3fdsg5. In it Mr. McGovern explains that the problem with his candidacy in 72 was with other Dem. nominees who lost to McGovern before the convention. That nomination process went long and was decided late. The competition was fierce — and dirty — and apparently the rifts didn't heal in the brief Fall general election period. According to the former nominee, himself, his opponents continued their attacks throughout the Fall adding to the opposition's appeal.
I know that it is appealing to look back for a precedent that mirrors 2008. But it's hard if not impossible to use McGovern's name as a curse if that person debunks the very basis for the curse. On the other hand, history is not entirely wrong — McGovern had a loyal and limited group of supporters as all candidates do. So many aspects of our political climate are different from that time in our history, let alone any other, that we would be much better off just reporting on the progress of the race for a Dem. nominee. Journalists hardly report anymore, they represent interests that are sometimes obvious and sometimes obscured. Now journalists interpret, something that used to be left to Sunday morning talking heads. Now every minute of 24 hours news is full of tea leaf reading and innuendo, guessing and cataloging.
Obama is not like McGovern, yet. When the Democrats figure out that they can only win the White House if they come together for the general election then the big truth of McGovern's loss in 72 can be avoided. That will have to included all the candidates who lost. Already we see in the "Vote for Change" 50 state voter registration, a solid effort by the Obama campaign. The media can help by avoiding tags like McGovern or Brady that are divisive rather than illuminating. They can help by telling like it is and not like they think it should be. Some people are still listening.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Walk Hard
Walk Hard, the Apatow clan's most recent addition to its fake bio pic repetoire, stars John C. Reilly with a cast of supporting actors out the Apatow troupe, SNL and The Office. Unlike the previous two bio pic parodies, which starred Will Ferrell and were plenty funny, this one takes full advantage of the dramatic range of Reilly — finally a leading man in a comedy. The humor in these has been more subtle than in the other Apatow-related films like 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up. Certainly there's the genitalia as comic device, the oddly placed profanity, and the desire for sex that isn't always fulfilled, but the comedy is more about the juxtaposition with real life stories of similar people that are often told with extreme seriousness.
The film is acted and shot with a straight face and there are fewer caricatures than in Talladega Nights or Anchorman, which makes it funnier and more challenging. The humor is darker in Walk Hard. Jake Kasdan has used photography and his actors to create a film that doesn't differ much in tone from a typically well made bio pic. Walk the Line comes to mind often, though Johnny Cash is not the only musical legend lampooned by Dewey Cox. He has experiences similar to Elvis and others who came out of the Memphis music scene — in a recording studio he sings a treacly version of an Italian America standard that's met with disgust, but creates a stir with a song sung his own way.
This movie didn't do as well as its makers hoped I'm sure, but it should be enjoyed by many more people now that it's on DVD. The trailer suggested a campy, silly movie — another example of the misleading quality of many trailers — when in reality it's a smart, funny movie. Neither shy nor offensive, Walk Hard strikes even notes creating many chuckles and a few belly laughs. Ultimately it's more satisfying than a laugh fest can sometimes be. Put it at the top of your Netflix cue.
The film is acted and shot with a straight face and there are fewer caricatures than in Talladega Nights or Anchorman, which makes it funnier and more challenging. The humor is darker in Walk Hard. Jake Kasdan has used photography and his actors to create a film that doesn't differ much in tone from a typically well made bio pic. Walk the Line comes to mind often, though Johnny Cash is not the only musical legend lampooned by Dewey Cox. He has experiences similar to Elvis and others who came out of the Memphis music scene — in a recording studio he sings a treacly version of an Italian America standard that's met with disgust, but creates a stir with a song sung his own way.
This movie didn't do as well as its makers hoped I'm sure, but it should be enjoyed by many more people now that it's on DVD. The trailer suggested a campy, silly movie — another example of the misleading quality of many trailers — when in reality it's a smart, funny movie. Neither shy nor offensive, Walk Hard strikes even notes creating many chuckles and a few belly laughs. Ultimately it's more satisfying than a laugh fest can sometimes be. Put it at the top of your Netflix cue.
Race and the Right
I've been a little surprised by the polarizing use of race in the Democratic primaries. I know that politics ain't bean bag, but there are certain things the Democrats stand for and represent that doesn't really include stoking racial prejudice. I've been particularly dismayed by the repeated use of the divisive language of race by the king and queen of the Political Correctness movement. However, none of that compares to the fearless use of race as already exhibited by the institutionalized Right of our politics.
I've been thinking about this a lot recently — following the stories of the N.C. "Too Extreme" ad and a Willie Horton-style ad — created by the folks who made that 1988 ad — also out of N.C. The former rehashes the also ran controversial sound bytes of the retired pastor of Trinity United in Chicago — addressed by one of the most famous and respected political speeches in memory, "A More Perfect Union". (Those sound bites now drowned out by the new loop of Rev. Wright in a suit and tie speaking with Bill Moyers, NAACP or the Nat. Press Club.) The latter full of outrageous bloody shirt writing and photography regarding a death penalty bill that Obama voted against in 2001 — left unsaid, the Republican governor at the time vetoed the bill for its broad reach and lack of specificity. Neither of these ads bothers too much with accuracy or timeliness or tastefulness. I suppose that they might hit their mark, but with whom?
The New York Times (NYT) editorial board said on Saturday today that the "Too Extreme" ad is nothing but "Manipulative. Shameful. Race-baiting." Very true. They cite an ad that Jesse Helms ran in a N.C. race that directly taps into the Right-wing hate for affirmative action, a passive aggressive attack on his African American opponent, Harvey Gantt. In both cases, the ads strongly suggest negative euphemisms for African Americans that sometimes resonate with voters: Reverse Racist and
The NYT ed. board might have also included the death penalty ad mentioned above. The more direct insinuation is that Barack Obama is a gang member because he opposed the same bill that his Republican governor even felt needed to be vetoed. Everyone should check barackobama.com for the facts on Obama's record on crime. What these two ads do implicitly if not explicitly is assigned some of the most disgusting racial stereotypes associated with African Americans in this country — reverse racist and gang member. Disgusting. And false.
Barack Obama has built up a lifetime of service to local, state and national communities — a real champion. He has headed a campaign that has been professional and better equipped to manage adversity and capitalize on opportunity than any of the other campaigns. Revisiting overplayed sound bites in an ad that smacks of racism, and wildly misrepresenting an old vote adds up to the shameful use of racial prejudice in the Presidential race. It's arguably a tactical decision for a Democrat to use race to divide voters since it's the primary season, but the GOP has no excuse using race to derail the democratic process before the Democratic nominee has been elected. The Right is setting up a lot of swords to throw themselves on.
Using race to divide voters at all is sad and shameful. As a final thought I'd like to offer up a recent example of the failure of racial insensitivity in local/national politics: George Allen of Virginia. His campaign against Sen. Jim Webb (D) barely hid it's racially divisive views and it failed. Happily this example is more recent than Jesse Helms' passive aggressive commercial that worked against his African American opponent and the Willie Horton ad that is credited with damaging Dukakis' run for the White House.
I've been thinking about this a lot recently — following the stories of the N.C. "Too Extreme" ad and a Willie Horton-style ad — created by the folks who made that 1988 ad — also out of N.C. The former rehashes the also ran controversial sound bytes of the retired pastor of Trinity United in Chicago — addressed by one of the most famous and respected political speeches in memory, "A More Perfect Union". (Those sound bites now drowned out by the new loop of Rev. Wright in a suit and tie speaking with Bill Moyers, NAACP or the Nat. Press Club.) The latter full of outrageous bloody shirt writing and photography regarding a death penalty bill that Obama voted against in 2001 — left unsaid, the Republican governor at the time vetoed the bill for its broad reach and lack of specificity. Neither of these ads bothers too much with accuracy or timeliness or tastefulness. I suppose that they might hit their mark, but with whom?
The New York Times (NYT) editorial board said on Saturday today that the "Too Extreme" ad is nothing but "Manipulative. Shameful. Race-baiting." Very true. They cite an ad that Jesse Helms ran in a N.C. race that directly taps into the Right-wing hate for affirmative action, a passive aggressive attack on his African American opponent, Harvey Gantt. In both cases, the ads strongly suggest negative euphemisms for African Americans that sometimes resonate with voters: Reverse Racist and
The NYT ed. board might have also included the death penalty ad mentioned above. The more direct insinuation is that Barack Obama is a gang member because he opposed the same bill that his Republican governor even felt needed to be vetoed. Everyone should check barackobama.com for the facts on Obama's record on crime. What these two ads do implicitly if not explicitly is assigned some of the most disgusting racial stereotypes associated with African Americans in this country — reverse racist and gang member. Disgusting. And false.
Barack Obama has built up a lifetime of service to local, state and national communities — a real champion. He has headed a campaign that has been professional and better equipped to manage adversity and capitalize on opportunity than any of the other campaigns. Revisiting overplayed sound bites in an ad that smacks of racism, and wildly misrepresenting an old vote adds up to the shameful use of racial prejudice in the Presidential race. It's arguably a tactical decision for a Democrat to use race to divide voters since it's the primary season, but the GOP has no excuse using race to derail the democratic process before the Democratic nominee has been elected. The Right is setting up a lot of swords to throw themselves on.
Using race to divide voters at all is sad and shameful. As a final thought I'd like to offer up a recent example of the failure of racial insensitivity in local/national politics: George Allen of Virginia. His campaign against Sen. Jim Webb (D) barely hid it's racially divisive views and it failed. Happily this example is more recent than Jesse Helms' passive aggressive commercial that worked against his African American opponent and the Willie Horton ad that is credited with damaging Dukakis' run for the White House.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Headline: McCain Drinks Starbucks!!
Believe me there is more — and better — to come. But...
Watching Hardball, Mike Huckabee and McCain together on a bus. McCain drinks some sort of venti coffee drink from Starbucks. Hmmmm. Caffeine!
Watching Hardball, Mike Huckabee and McCain together on a bus. McCain drinks some sort of venti coffee drink from Starbucks. Hmmmm. Caffeine!
Welcome. Let's Get Started.
This is my first entry. As the description above says, I'll be musing about film, politics, music or whatever catches my interest.
In the meantime I'm setting up shop and getting my bearings.
More to come...
In the meantime I'm setting up shop and getting my bearings.
More to come...
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