Monday, April 25, 2016

Truest statement of the week

Debra has too much time on her hands. I don't know.  She kept going and going and going. And then finally after a while I said, ''Debra, look, report me to the homeroom teacher and let's just stop."

-- Activist and Academy Award winning actress Susan Sarandon on the Twitter fight Debra Messing started, quote via JUST JARED.



Truest statement of the week II

The Sanders phenomenon is a repeat of the Obama 2008 marketing extravaganza. Sanders is the flavor of the month for people who are disenchanted with the front runner, Hillary Clinton. Her presence creates mass revulsion and first Obama and now Sanders moved up in voter preference when given an opportunity to make a case before the public.
But there is something particularly disconcerting about the Sanders phenomenon. Like Obama he allows liberals to be proud of uttering mealy-mouthed words instead of acting to make the change they say they want. In a recent debate in New York City Sanders famously declared that “we have to treat the Palestinians with respect and dignity.” He added that Israel has a “right to exist” and said only that the Israel massacre in Gaza was “a disproportionate response.”


-- Margaret Kimberley, "Not Feeling the Bern" (BLACK AGENDA REPORT).

A note to our readers

Hey --


A Monday.


Well, we do the best we can.


First, we thank all who participated this edition which includes Dallas and the following:





The Third Estate Sunday Review's Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess and Ava,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz),
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix,
Ruth of Ruth's Report,
Wally of The Daily Jot,
Trina of Trina's Kitchen,
Marcia of SICKOFITRDLZ,
Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends,
Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts,
and Ann of Ann's Mega Dub.



And what did we come up with:

Susan Sarandon gets a truest.
Margaret Kimberley gets a truest.
Debra Messing is such an idiot.  Ava and C.I. tried to be nice back on April 3rd with "Media Criticism not for the lazy (Ava and C.I.)," but Messing just can't let it go.  She continues to think we need her to tell us how to vote.  She really needs to own up to the lies she tells and endorses by endorsing Hillary.  Messing became the theme of this edition.
Ava and C.I. take on the remembering of Prince that three network programs offered.
Who should you vote for?  Don't let Debra Messing tell you, take the quiz and decide for yourself.

Debra wants to tell us not to use the word "whore."  Since she's endorsing Hillary, we understand why she doesn't like the word "whore."
She's so stupid.
And after smearing Susan Sarandon with a lie, Debra's suddenly concerned with accuracy.

We listened to the late Prince while writing this edition.
Mimi offered live commentary during the latest Dem debate.
Repost from Great Britian's SOCIALIST WORKER.
Bernie Tweets.
Jill Tweets.
IAVA repost.
Mike and the gang wrote this and we thank them for it.





Peace.




-- Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I.







Editorial: Iraq and shame

Cindy Sheehan has observed, "The antiwar movement has been effectively neutralized by its affiliation with and devotion to the Democratic Party, but we as true revolutionary anti-imperialists must never waver in our resolve to resist and smash the US empire and to try to lead others to the same conclusions and principled action."

Some people can't handle that reality.

People like Debra Messing hiss and boo when reality intrudes and someone dares to hold War Hawk Hillary Clinton accountable for her vote for the Iraq War.


It's so unfair, they insist, that Hillary is held accountable for the Iraq War.

They try to justify the vote -- there is no justification for it.

Then they try to insist it's Bully Boy Bush's war.

Because they're idiots or liars or whores -- or all three.

Former US Senator Mike Gravel explained in 2007 how the Dems in Congress could immediately end the Iraq War if they really meant what they were saying.

It's how he ended the draft.

But they didn't really care about ending the Iraq War.

Why would they?

The 2006 elections proved that them pretending to be against it could move mountains.  In a historic outcome, the 2006 elections saw the Democrats go from the minority party in the House of Representatives to the majority.

That was amazing enough.

But the same thing happened in the Senate.

"Give me one house," of Congress, Nancy Pelosi would insist, and they could end the Iraq War.

America gave them two.

And the Iraq War continued.

And continues to this day.

And, yes, Hillary is responsible for her vote and for her actions.

And shame on any American who puts their sexually dysfunctional attraction to War Hawk Hillary ahead of the Iraqi people.

That's you, Debra Messing.

Shame on you.







TV: Attempting to remember

Last week, the world was shocked to learn that Prince has passed away.  In the days that followed, another shock took place.

Prince was a singer-songwriter who altered popular music forever.

The list of artists he worked with is enormous: Sheila E, Vanity 6, The Time, Stevie Nicks, Sinead O'Connor, The Family, Apollonia 6, Andre Cymone, Jimmy Jam Harris, Terry Lewis, Wendy & Lisa, Mavis Staples, Madonna, Tevin Campbell, Sheena Easton, Patti LaBelle, Rosie Gaines, Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder and George Clinton to name only a few.

The songs he wrote and had hits with were equally impressive and include "Controversy," "Little Red Corvette," "1999," "When Doves Cry," "Sign o' the Times," "Around The World In A Day," "Kiss," "Purple Rain," "Thieves In The Temple," "I Wanna Be Your Lover," "Let's Go Crazy," "Raspberry Beret," "Let's Work," "Delirious," "If I Was Your Girlfriend," "Batdance," "I Would Die 4 U," "Pop Life," "Anotherloverholenyohead," "Gett Off," "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man," "Partyman," "Alphabet St," "Cream," "Diamonds and Pearls," "Insatiable," "7," "The Arms of Orion," "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold," "Letitgo," "Uptown," "I Hate U," "Betcha by Golly Wow!" and "Pink Cashmere."

He won an Academy Award for writing the title track to his 1984 hit film PURPLE RAIN. He won seven Grammys and four MTV Awards.

He didn't just create the sound of the 80s when he emerged in the late seventies, he changed music period.


He was rock, he was pop, he was rhythm and blues.


He covered all genres.

And he emerged ahead of Boy George and Annie Lennox and other gender benders of 80s videos.


If there's a road today, chances are Prince helped pave it.

So the idea that two networks would devote their news magazines to covering him on Friday seemed like a good idea.

The best of the two was NBC's DATELINE featuring Lester Holt as anchor for "Prince: Life & Death of an Icon."

This news program attempted to provide context and treat the artist with the respect he had earned.

Over on ABC, 20/20 was attempting to provide something but what it was lacked clarity and focus.

It didn't help that Elizabeth Vargas seem stilted quoting Prince's lyrics.  Maybe not quoting them as if they were lines from a sonnet would have helped?

Far worse than that was the 'report' by Chris Connelly.

Even if the hack were back on MTV, it wouldn't have held water.

"Whatev"?

Seriously?

"Whatev?"


A fifty-something gray hair trying to appear 'topical' and 'current' by stealing the lingo from the 90s hit CLUELESS?

He did not look current.

He did not come off journalistic.

He just looked and sounded like an idiot.

And Prince deserved so much better.

Better finally arrived on Saturday night.

A special compilation of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE entitled "Goodnight, Sweet Prince."

prince

Utilizing SNL performances from 1981, 1989, 2006 and 2004 as well as from a 2015 after party, the special telegraphed what made Prince so very special.

And utilizing Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph sketches ("Prince Show"), SNL provided the context that the performances alone could not.

All of that and a heartfelt tribute by Jimmy Fallon.

Watching all three specials, what became especially clear is how prime time is no longer set up to cover these passings.

There is no Ed Sullivan.  There is no SONNY & CHER COMEDY HOUR.  There are very few broadcast network music specials.


Music largely comes via guest spots outside prime time (GOOD MORNING AMERICA, THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JIMMY FALLON, etc) or from the talent shows (NBC's THE VOICE and formerly FOX's AMERICAN IDOL).  Every few months, one of the networks airs an awards show which features a few musical performances.

But despite the fact that Americans crave music, there is little effort to provide it during prime time.

We get why that is to a degree: several high profile failures.

The biggest bomb was US's promotion of their album POP on ABC with the April 1997 U2; A YEAR IN POP.  If anything was less popular than the album, it was the special which managed to come in 101 out of 107 shows that aired in prime time that week.

But that bomb (and others) should not have sunk music on TV.

The success of various live musicals on NBC and FOX demonstrates there is a strong audience for music.  The popularity of videos on YOUTUBE also makes that case.

Possibly the answer isn't a variety series starring some music performer but instead regular specials hosted/anchored by one performer?

The sort of special that would, for example, feature Adele or Alicia Keys as the primary music act and host who would bring on two or three other acts who would perform a solo piece as well as a number with the host?

ABC's SCANDAL is on its last legs and that's surprising to some.

Not us.

Check February to May 2015.  Last year.

We were explaining that the show was dying.

We were explaining why.

We were winning bets with an ABC exec who kept insisting that the next week the show would turn things around in the ratings.  (The bet -- a donation to St. Jude's -- was long ago paid.)

We're told right now that what's hurting that show is the breaks between new episodes.

True or false, if networks want to run these type of programs with as few interruptions (weeks between new episodes) as possible, one answer would be a month of special programs.  Thursdays in March could mean four weeks of one hour music specials.  SCANDAL could then have a month off (in its final season) and viewers could be treated to something different.

Music always has an audience.

But its an audience that's being ignored and forgotten by the broadcast networks currently.

With their special, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE demonstrated how to remember a legend.

















Political Match Up (take the quiz)

Voting can be hard.

Especially with the current slate of candidates


Lena Dunham said in 2012 that voting was like sex -- and if you looked like her, you might confuse the two as well.

But with four simple questions, we can match you up with the candidate you are most similar to.

Choose your answers and for every "1," give yourself one point, for every "2," give yourself two points, etc.


dt


When your neighbor puts up a fence to keep their dog from running free, you:

1) tell your neighbor it's a good idea and you appreciate it
2) tell your neighbor that he is an idiot or that she is a stupid woman but what can you expect from a woman anyway
3) congratulate your neighbor on starting the wall but explain it needs to be bigger, longer and serve as a southern dividing wall
4) convey your surprise by ordering a bombing of your neighbors home
5) talk about Gaza and the suffering there.


When you learn someone you know has died, you respond by:

1) Feeling sad and offering condolences
2) Scream, "Traitor! You can't leave yet! You're a f**king quitter!"
3) Ask the surviving family member if possibly the deceased had requested an absentee ballot and, if so, could you please have that?
4) Cackle and shriek, "I came, I conquered, he died."
5) Publicly wonder how many people died in Gaza today.



hillcranky

You see two wrecked cars and someone bleeding walking to the middle of the road and waving you over.  You:

1) Call 9-11 and pull over to offer assistance
2) Yell, honk your horn, speed up and flip everyone off as you pass
3) Pull over but ask the bleeding person, "Do you have AIDS?  I can't help you if you have AIDS. I won't help you if you have AIDS."
4) Wave the person over because you're in a hurry while you yell, "What difference, at this point, does it make anyway?"
5) Pull over and rush to the injured to ask them if they realize that Palestinians suffer far greater injuries on a daily basis?



A friend is unsure who to vote for and you are running for office.  You:

1) Go through the candidates explaining the pros and cons of each.
2) Bellow, "You stupid moron!  You don't know who to vote for!  Who would want your vote anyway!"
3) explain the queerosexual, feminazi, tree hugging, Wiccan  agenda has destroyed the country so there is only one candidate to vote for and that is you or "we're all going to hell in a tea bag."
4) Insist that you are the only one running for office
5) Insist that you are the only one running for office.



bernie

Time to add up your answers.

4 - 7 You are a match with Bernie Sanders.  Congratulations.

8 You are a match with Donald Trump.  You have our sympathies.

9 - 13 Ted Cruz is your Dream Date.  Have fun.

14 - 17 You ended up with Hillary Clinton -- someone had to.  Ask Bill about how this will age you.

18 -20 Jill Stein is your candidate of choice -- but do you know what happened in Gaza today?


For those who had 'spoiled' ballots -- meaning you didn't answer all four questions -- Hillary Clinton and the DNC already filed a motion insisting you intended to vote for her so those of you who scored 1-3 are Hillary voters by default (and by hook and by crook).





Grammar Police Officer Debra Messing

Debra Messing stars on NBC's ratings challenged THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA (one of the few shows NBC has yet to announce it's renewing).

Apparently, she's preparing for a possible cancellation and has decided that, should that happen, she'll become a Grammar Police Officer.




Oh yes. Nothing like a Woman calling HRC a whore.





It's not misogynist to call Hillary Clinton a "whore."

If you use the term whore to apply to those who sell out -- as we do here -- it has nothing to do with misogyny.


We've used the term here over and over and probably applied it more to Tom Hayden than any other person.

A whore is a whore.

If Debra doesn't know the meaning of the word, that's on her ignorant ass.

Ourselves?

We think it was best explained in the best memoir of the '00s, Janis Ian's Society's Child,

Check it out, if you haven't already.


Janis Ian Best of

And if you're new to Janis, try checking out BEST OF JANIS IAN: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY COLLECTION (above, Kat reviewed it here).

Janis is an artist.

A real one.

And she's someone with integrity -- in her art and in her life.

Early on, she wrote "Society's Child."


This song about an interracial couple was seen as shocking to a number of people in the sixties.

No one could deny its melody or its strong chorus.

No one could deny Janis' passionate vocal.

But it struggled with airplay.

And the devil soon appeared, as Janis explains in her book,  "I can guarantee you a number one record. Just change 'black' to anything else.  I thought about it for around two seconds; then our friend looked at me and said, 'You whore now, you'll whore forever.' Strong words for a fifteen-year-old to hear, but they made sense."


Janis Ian doesn't whore.

She's demonstrated it repeatedly.

She's refused to sell out and she's remained true to herself and true to her art.


Janis is the real deal.


Debra's a little fool.

And in 2008, check the archives, we called out sexism against Hillary, against Cynthia McKinney and against Sarah Palin.

We care about sexism and we proved it.


The objection to "whore" is just another way for the Clinton campaign to try to control the narrative -- that's not how political speech works.





Poor, stupid Debra Messing



WOW. Thank you for explaining why what Tim Robbins posted is inaccurate and slanderous


How stupid is Debra Messing?


Pretty damn stupid.

First off, posted statements would fall under libel and not slander.

Poor, stupid Debra Messing.

Second, if he believes there is a problem with the voter count, he should speak up.

And anyone trashing him should remember that in 2000, we were all lied to about Florida and when the recount was finally released (after 9-11), it was buried.

Al Gore carried Florida.

That's no conspiracy.

Since 2000, smart people have every right to question voter count.

Only dumb idiots like Debra Messing don't know that.






Oh, look who's concerned about accuracy

After willfully lying about Susan Sarandon, Debra Messing is suddenly concerned with accuracy.

Not accurate. Watch interview. He said HRC would have to Change her Positions on Issues from what her rhetoric says


Susan Sarandon never said she'd vote for Donald Trump.

That didn't stop lying Debra from saying otherwise.

But now she's concerned about accuracy?


Just like now she's concerned about alleged sexism?

Those of us who called it out in 2008 -- when there was real sexism -- still have the scars.

Debra was no where to be found then.

She never is when there's actual work to be done.



This edition's playlist

PRINCE3


1) Prince's CONTROVERSY.

2) Prince's SIGN OF THE TIMES.

3) Prince's AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY.

4) Prince's PURPLE RAIN.

5) Prince's PARADE.

6) Prince's 1999

7) Prince's CRYSTAL BALL.

8) Prince's LOTUS FLOWER

9) Prince's ART OFFICIAL AGE.

10) Prince's LOVESEXY.

Mimi Kennedy Tweeted the Dem Debate

Mimi Kennedy's been entertaining Americans for some time (both in comedies -- such as currently on CBS' MOM -- and in dramas).  She live Tweeted the most recent Democratic Party presidential debate:




  1. says NATO “We will continue to look for missions” Defen$e budget in of new wars




  • When you come home after a date and your friends are like...




  • Bernie understands must achieve peaceful coexistence in equality to survive. He is Israel’s true friend




  • she says “I’m the person who” as if anything good has happened in Israel/Palestine. It’s been failed




  • Hillary’s righteousness on Israel’s violence is not the president I want to see for the next 8 years.




  • what a beautiful answer on Israel/Palestine. Hillary going into the usual demonization of Hamas&Iran. Gaza suffers.




  • War deaths are gun deaths. War is violence against women and children.








  • If is so anti-gun, then why is she so pro-war???




  • Nuclear also has a pass on liability. Hillary says guns are unique: NO. Nuclear is not liable; taxpayer pay damages




  • Hillary HELPS “advertise” guns to young people - by voting for WAR and recruiting for WAR as heroism.




  • Why is the “goal” US export biz? Carbon footprint; why can’t we & other countries make more for our own&trade only what we must?




  • Hillary nods to Bernie’s financial talk like “of course you’re poor” like she kinda holds it in contempt & pity!




  • Hillary “loves being in Brooklyn.” What was that? “Her” people again?




  • Bernie brilliant answer on banks. Inappropriate for govt to tell them other than “you can’t be this big or you close.” They solve




  • “The people of NY” as if they’re subjects of a queen. I’m sorry, it’s weird.




  • Hillary looks weirdly smug it makes me uncomfortable





    Creative Commons License
    This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
     
    Poll1 { display:none; }