Tone of the Times
Three stories all ran under the heading of “Entertainment news” today. The implication
hardly seems like the perspective of a liberal media.
In Israel, A poster featuring Sarah Jessica Parker in a backless, short evening
dress was quickly made over — her back and thigh were covered days after the
poster went up. Apparently, it was because ultra-orthodox Jews complained.
An A.P. story reported that Almodóvar's new movie “Bad Education” got “slapped
with” an NC-17 rating. [It's the new “X” dahlink!] The story goes on to explain
that Almodóvar's movie “Tie Me Up / Tie Me Down” was partly responsible
for the NC-17 rating because Miramax sued the MPAA when they gave that movie
an “X” rating. The part they left out, was that the MPAA was responding to
the porn industry, which had taken up the “X” as a marketing tool and expanded
upon it. Porn films flaunted “XXX” ratings, and there was nothing the MPAA
could do about it. So, when MPAA created NC-17, they registered it as a trademark,
so that no one else could use the rating.
And in Sonoma, a “1920s-style European beer hall” called Little Switzerland
may have its liquor license suspended for a performance by 2 Live Crew. Remember
them? Cali Alcohol & Beverage Control is citing the beer hall for the show,
which featured “partially nude lap dancing and simulated sex acts.”
Demonstrating
how the accusation is enough to stick in these times, the A.P. report went
on to report that a Florida record store owner was charged with obscenity
for selling a 2 Live Crew album to a 14-year-old girl... [so what if they were
acquitted?] The story also reported that Florida's state court declared their album
“As
Nasty As They Wanna Be” legally obscene... [oh yeah, that was overturned
by the Supreme
Court.] Well, at least they reported that the charges weren't upheld, if you bothered to keep reading that far.
As I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day coverage today, I saw dancers shaking
their breasts, and the Radio City Rockettes and others flaunting their legs
and even doing gestures that called attention to women's crotches. I wondered
if Michael Powell was readying a charge or two against NBC.
On the way back from the convenience store this morning, I spotted a small
truck with a “Kennedy Johnson” bumper sticker. Calls to mind a different era.
:::
On TV last night, I watched Ken rack up another win on Jeopardy. I figure
he's maybe two shows shy of $two and a half million in winnings. He
will lose someday. Really.
:::
Thanksgiving in Perspective
On the history channel last night, I saw an interview with a Native American
leader, who commented that when you look at the Thanksgiving day parade, you
see people who are supposedly religious pilgrims carrying muskets and bibles.
He said that Native Americans see Thanksgiving as a day of mourning.
:::
What's a Re-publican?
Look up “publican” in the dictionary, and you'll find it defined as “ A collector
of public taxes or tolls in the ancient Roman Empire.”
