Facing death is never easy. It’s even harder to face when it’s a friend’s death. You may not know him or even care, but Mark Copeland was a great guy. He was competent, creative, and genuinely friendly. It’s inspiring that he was able to live his life doing what he loved. Many others were inspired as well.
We are infatuated with re-imagining history. Music, politics, and recently cult classic TV shows have all been subjected to a most basic human desire: the “do-over”. Given a second chance at life, the results are often mixed. Many fans old enough to remember the original Battlestar Gallactica were affronted by Ronald Moore’s and David Eick’s sex-laden, ultra-violent remake of BSG. It’s like the old vs. new Metallica debates. For the record, I’ll take the new versions of both BSG and Metallica. Now David Eick tackles another classic.
Tip-toeing through the minefield of public opinion and return on investment again, NBC breathes fresh anthrocites into Bionic Woman this fall. I’ve watched the 14-minute preview and am already hooked! It’s dark and edgy, and casts two incredibly attractive, strong female leads. Michelle Ryan (Zoe Slater of EastEnders) plays Jaime Sommers, and the ultra-yummy Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck from new BSG) is her antagonist.
The new series premieres Wednesday, September 26 at 9 p.m. on NBC.
Some observations are so astute that I wonder why people aren’t screaming them through megaphones in the street. David Louis Edelman’s take on Fox News’ “missing white woman” bias qualifies for the megaphone treatment. Better yet, replace any future primetime speeches from the Decider of the United States (DOTUS) with Edelman’s post.
It’s a bias that has previously received national attention. In June of 2005, USA Today’s story, Spotlight skips cases of missing minorities, highlighted the trend. Then, national media attention was concentrated on Natalee Holloway, an 18 year old white woman who went missing in Aruba. A year previously Tamika Huston, a 24 year old black woman had also vanished under suspicious conditions. Attempts to place Tamika’s plight on the national stage were disappointing. Huston’s public relations specialist aunt, Rebkah Howard, surmised “… that networks have found a formula that has worked for them. And they tend to be about young, white attractive, middle- to upper-class women.” Bill Shine, Fox News’ senior vice president of programming commented at the time:
I guess we know where national interests lay now. Unfortunately, the phenomenon is not solely a Fox News bias. But until people learn to interpret the news and not just watch it, keep your friends close and your white women closer.
Not having cable or actually giving a damn about MTV, I watched Britney Spears’ performance online. I’ve never really followed her career, but that hasn’t dulled my awareness of it. From cuddly, thick nymphet through cut, domineering lesbian chic, Britney has delivered, and a grateful press and fan base has eaten it up. Yet hearing the reviews of her comeback, I imagined a curvy version of Shamu in sequins.
That’s why I was puzzled after seeing the video. She certainly isn’t up to her old standards as far as dancing, or actually walking at times. I want discuss the lip-syncing other than to say I’ve seen similarly bad ADR in major movies. But it’s the criticism of her looks I find most disturbing and most telling.
This nation (among others) is hyper-obsessed with the super-chiseled ideal. As trends go, I honestly thought the notion of the muscular stick would go away. But the marketeers refuse to allow it. Not even a nuanced version of the word fat can be applied to Spears. Yet, one article said she looked “embarrassingly out of shape”. Perhaps it was embarrassing. But it’s people’s expectations that are out of shape.
Every abusive experience in Spears’ life predicated her poor performance at the MTV awards. If she had succeeded, those same experiences would still be responsible. In essence, Britney may have asked for the tabloid smackdown she’s receiving. But what tumultuous abuse empowers the rest of society to equate a woman’s self-worth with her Body Mass Index?
Every once in a while one encounters a tidbit of information that challenges an unconsciously declared assumption. Discovering web design visionary and storytelling provocateur Lance Arthur is gay is a qualifying example of the phenomena. Of course, the realization holds much more importance to him than to me in my moment’s reflection.
Let me state unequivocally that I’m not judging Lance Arthur’s or anyone else’s sexual orientation. I’m one of those strange individuals who thinks bedroom doors are good for something besides plugging that gaping hole in the wall. I believe one’s choice of companion is sacred as one’s choice of religion, or hair color for that matter.
Yet for some reason, this newly found information kept turning in my head, like a cat treading circles before settling down to nap. Perhaps it’s the human desire to seek similarities between people we respect and ourselves. When presented with such a diametric contrast, the CPU times out. Maybe the only true growth in life comes from resolving our expectations with our realities, even completely unvoiced or unfounded expectations.
Whatever the truth, it’s great to see Lance’s still relevant vision.
I was surfing Charlotte Church’s website (a whole nother story) and suddenly I hear music and an interview playing. I’m not sure what I clicked, but alt-tabbing brought a small window to the front. A couple of members from the band 311 were being interviewed. The interview was nicely done, with not too much of that freaking MTV "nervous cam" action. The really cool randomness of this incident is that just last night I was asking a guy what every happened to 311.
The website is Roxwel. It hosts videos, interviews, music biz news and more.
I suppose running for President is the ultimate status symbol. Leading with the War on Terror® and Radical Islamic Terrorism®, Fred Thompson offered nothing new in his announcement speech, and no new interpretation of why so many disapprove of the current White House occupant and his failed policies. He gave no sweeping insights into how he would do anything differently than Bush. And capping the tepid 13:50 viewing experience, he recited a Walter Reed Hospital Marine story. Bleh! What have I missed? Is this what the Right has been waiting for?
There’s something undeniably human about procrastination. You’ll never see a hungry animal corner its prey and then walk away thinking I’ll just kill the next one. No way. Instead, he pounces! Leaps! Claws extend sinking deep and snatching life itself from the hapless victim. We poor, highly evolved mammals should be so bold!
My flirtation with blogging (and writing in general) has simmered like a hearty stew for more years than I like to admit. Anyone who has ever felt the urge to write can recite from memory the many excuses that prevent putting thought to paper… or pixel. For too long, the comforting cotton of doubt, work, and school have dulled the clear siren call to write. But those sweet tones have finally broken through. It only took a little help from Fred Thompson.
For many dreary, rhetoric-filled months, pundits have treated Thompson’s candidacy like the Second Coming. It’s not a matter of if–but when will he gallop in on his made-for-TV white horse, snatch the pretty girl, and make Democracy safe for the world again. So I’ve taken notice now that an announcement of the announcement has been announced. I guess he’s been “fixin’ to get ready” as we Southerners say.
So have I. Now, I’m ready, or fixed, or possibly both. Either way, welcome to my first earnest attempt at answering my muse. I can’t promise the blog will be as exciting as a (God forbid!) Fred Thompson presidency. But at least I’m doing my part to make Democracy safe for the world again.