October 24th, 2008 — Film, NONFICTION, Politics, Pop Culture
Why do Americans not vote?
In her new documentary, Holler Back: [Not] Voting in an American Town, director Lulu Fries’dat examines voter apathy through the eyes of Allentown, PA residents, ones both active and inactive in the electoral process.
Lulu Fries’dat is the guest on my WBAI-NY / 99.5 FM radio show, NONFICTION, this afternoon, Friday, October 24, 2 pm ET.
October 24th, 2008 — Humor, Politics, Pop Culture
In a new Funny or Die short, director Ron Howard briefly steps away from his Panaflex, shaves his beard, clips his nose hair, covers his bald pate, re-inhabits the classic roles of “Opie Taylor” (The Andy Griffith Show) and, above left, “Richie Cunningham,” (Happy Days), then, enlisting the help of famed actors Andy Griffith and, above right, Henry Winkler as Happy Days’ “The Fonz,” goes back in time somewhat, encouraging people to vote for Barack Obama. Now, all we need are the cast of The Wire to do the same thing.
October 23rd, 2008 — Advertising, Gender, Humor
What I love about Sprint’s Instinct “Romance” commercial, above, is its slick mashup quality, nakedly blendering dumb chickflick dialogue with a shameless cell phone pitch.
“Rachel, you know what your problem is,” the protagonist’s “biracial” BBFF urges over lunch (and faint, Ben Folds-ish piano chords). “You want everything: You want a husband, you want unlimited text, unlimited data, and unlimited calls.” Rachel gives an It’s-true-but-I’m-tired-of-you-telling-me-my-faults look in the other direction.
Then the climax: “Maybe you’re afraid to be in love!” the Best Black Friend summarizes, moments before Rachel’s breakthrough. “I think I’m falling in love…” she concedes, giving a girly headshake, “…with a phone!” Wow. What delicious crap.
October 22nd, 2008 — Design
Fashioned from polyurethane and fabric, “Black Diamond,” by ilio, a Turkish design firm, not only slants resentfully but can be rotated onto different faces for different looks and attitudes. In the words of its maker, it is “both a comfortable armchair and a dynamic sculpture.” Well, it’s definitely the latter. I’ll reserve judgment on the former.
[via dezeen]
October 21st, 2008 — Fashion, Humor, TV
Another winning shirt from SnorgTees, affirming the unstated ethos of cartoon series G.I. Joe‘s famed motto. Fashioned with Stars ‘n Stripes-style red and white lettering against royal blue 100% cotton material. S-3XL, $16.95 – $18.45.
October 21st, 2008 — Film, Government, Money
A couple of weeks back, author Naomi Klein (The Shock Doctrine) spoke at an event hosted by University of Chicago faculty campaigning against the planned creation of the Milton Friedman Institute, a research center named after UC’s most famous, most controversial alumnus and professor. (He died in 2006.)
I heard Klein’s speech on Democracy Now, and it was great. But the part that really caught my attention was her reference to an Arnold Schwarzenegger taped intro to the 1990, ten-part documentary, Free To Choose, in which Friedman outlines his ideas for the masses.
October 20th, 2008 — Black Music, Photography
Incendiary photography by Bold as Love‘s Rob Fields of Sandra St. Victor (The Family Stand, “Ghetto Heaven”), above, at a “Rock for Barack” event in New York City last month. Bold As Love takes its name from Jimi Hendrix’s 1967 album, Axis: Bold as Love. “Ultimately,” says Fields, “I believe that Black rock can save Black culture.” Imminently, from the looks of things.
October 20th, 2008 — Animals, Humor, Photography
CatsThatLookLikeHitler.com compiles pictures of felines, above, who, by virtue of their natural coloration and markings, resemble the infamous leader of the Third Reich.
Featuring thousands of “kitlers” from around the world, plus an online store full of “kitlerware” festooned with their glorious logo, right, CatsThatLookLikeHitler.com should leave ailurophilic Germanophobes clenched with debilitating uncertainty and shock, but all others in stitches. Robert Morales (Truth: Red, White & Black) calls it the “best web site ever.” Apparently, even Bob is prone to occasional understatement.
October 17th, 2008 — Controversy, History, NONFICTION, Photography, Race, Sports
It may be the most iconic moment in all of sports history. Forty years ago, this week, U.S. athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos, center and right, above, having placed gold and bronze medals, respectively, in the 200m dash at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, went to the center of the field to accept their honors.
They stepped onto the podium, shoeless, wearing black socks, and, as “The Star-Spangled Banner” sounded forth, lowered their heads, and raised gloved, Black power fist salutes to the heavens. (LIFE magazine photographer John Dominis snapped the powerful image.)
The reaction was immediate and passionate. The stadium audience hotly booed the duo as they walked away, and the International Olympic Committee, which governs the games, expelled the athletes, as their protest made headlines around the globe.
In her 2002 book, Not the Triumph but the Struggle: The 1968 Olympics and the Making of the Black Athlete, historian Amy Bass deeply diagrams the backdrop against which the protests took place, but, even more, shows how the act powerfully redefined the concept of the Black athlete in the popular imagination.
Dr. Amy Bass is the guest, today, on my WBAI-NY / 99.5 FM radio show, NONFICTION, this afternoon, Friday, October 17, 2 pm ET.
If you’re outside of the New York tri-state, you can check out our stream on the web. If you miss the live show, check out our archive for up to two weeks after broadcast.
October 16th, 2008 — Journalism, Media, Politics, Radio
Obama describes a nasty clog in his campaign. Photo by Jae C. Hong
TO: Joe Wurzelbacher, above, the Cincinnati, OH-based plumbing contractor that John McCain and Barack Obama mentioned by name 26 times during their debate last night (five times as many Joe Biden!)
Dear Joe:
I believe you have really great business sense. However, if you immediately follow my Seven Tips for Plumbing the Depths of Success, you are going to truly G-off….
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