Sunday, August 15, 2010
Boston Market Corn Bread
Dear Boston Market cornbread, thank you for existing. The End.
Posted by soft rock star at 12:04 AM
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Dr, Of racism: Laura Schlessinger
Ok, after last night's blog I was going to counter the crabbiness and find something I like to write about! Something like Betty White's warmth, Ricky Gervais's laugh, Paul Rudd's charm or Jane Lynch's comic delivery. But tonight I turned on Anderson Cooper 360 and heard about Dr. Laura Schlessinger and her hideous, grossly insensitive and wildly racist rant against a listener Tuesday night on her radio show. I really dislike people like Schlessinger. I put her in the category of Pat Robertson, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and Glenn Beck. They sit on their high horse every day: sanctimonious, judgmental, pompous, sarcastic and... every once in a while their sense of ego gets the best of them. They get caught up in a rage and they let their true colors show. What are their true colors? Well they are all racist, homophobic, divisive people who try to use morality and, most times, God and religion to separate and judge. They seem to think the rich white person is quickly losing their footing as the most powerful in the land and they are terrified. They reason that minorities don't deserve the rights they have and are hypersensitive. If they had their way blacks would still be sitting on the back of the bus. Gay people would be locked up as pedophiles. Hispanics would never make their way across the border in search of a better life, even legally. Poor people would given no help to get back on their feet. The hypocrisy sickens me. Though I must say, I do LOVE when one of them gets tripped up by their own words and shows how they truly feel. And no amount of flimsy, inauthentic, 'don't leave me advertisers!' pandering and apologies will erase Schlessinger's TRUE feelings. Read them here below, IN context. I only wish you could hear her flippant, dismissive tone. If you want to, click here and listen for yourself!
SCHLESSINGER: Jade, welcome to the program.
CALLER: Hi, Dr. Laura.
SCHLESSINGER: Hi.
CALLER: I'm having an issue with my husband where I'm starting to grow very resentful of him. I'm black, and he's white. We've been around some of his friends and family members who start making racist comments as if I'm not there or if I'm not black. And my husband ignores those comments, and it hurts my feelings. And he acts like --
SCHLESSINGER: Well, can you give me an example of a racist comment? 'Cause sometimes people are hypersensitive. So tell me what's -- give me two good examples of racist comments.
CALLER: OK. Last night -- good example -- we had a neighbor come over, and this neighbor -- when every time he comes over, it's always a black comment. It's, "Oh, well, how do you black people like doing this?" And, "Do black people really like doing that?" And for a long time, I would ignore it. But last night, I got to the point where it --
SCHLESSINGER: I don't think that's racist.
CALLER: Well, the stereotype --
SCHLESSINGER: I don't think that's racist. No, I think that --
CALLER: [unintelligible]
SCHLESSINGER: No, no, no. I think that's -- well, listen, without giving much thought, a lot of blacks voted for Obama simply 'cause he was half-black. Didn't matter what he was gonna do in office, it was a black thing. You gotta know that. That's not a surprise. Not everything that somebody says -- we had friends over the other day; we got about 35 people here -- the guys who were gonna start playing basketball. I was going to go out and play basketball. My bodyguard and my dear friend is a black man. And I said, "White men can't jump; I want you on my team." That was racist? That was funny.
CALLER: How about the N-word? So, the N-word's been thrown around --
SCHLESSINGER: Black guys use it all the time. Turn on HBO, listen to a black comic, and all you hear is nigger, nigger, nigger.
CALLER: That isn't --
SCHLESSINGER: I don't get it. If anybody without enough melanin says it, it's a horrible thing; but when black people say it, it's affectionate. It's very confusing. Don't hang up, I want to talk to you some more. Don't go away.
I'm Dr. Laura Schlessinger. I'll be right back.
After taking a commercial break, Schlessinger resumed her discussion with the caller:
SCHLESSINGER: I'm Dr. Laura Schlessinger, talking to Jade. What did you think about during the break, by the way?
CALLER: I was a little caught back by the N-word that you spewed out, I have to be honest with you. But my point is, race relations --
SCHLESSINGER: Oh, then I guess you don't watch HBO or listen to any black comedians.
CALLER: But that doesn't make it right. I mean, race is a [unintelligible] --
SCHLESSINGER: My dear, my dear --
CALLER: -- since Obama's been in office --
SCHLESSINGER: -- the point I'm trying to make --
CALLER: -- racism has come to another level that's unacceptable.
SCHLESSINGER: Yeah. We've got a black man as president, and we have more complaining about racism than ever. I mean, I think that's hilarious.
CALLER: But I think, honestly, because there's more white people afraid of a black man taking over the nation.
SCHLESSINGER: They're afraid.
CALLER: If you want to be honest about it [unintelligible]
SCHLESSINGER: Dear, they voted him in. Only 12 percent of the population's black. Whites voted him in.
CALLER: It was the younger generation that did it. It wasn't the older white people who did it.
SCHLESSINGER: Oh, OK.
CALLER: It was the younger generation --
SCHLESSINGER: All right. All right.
CALLER: -- that did it.
SCHLESSINGER: Chip on your shoulder. I can't do much about that.
CALLER: It's not like that.
SCHLESSINGER: Yeah. I think you have too much sensitivity --
CALLER: So it's OK to say "nigger"?
SCHLESSINGER: -- and not enough sense of humor.
CALLER: It's OK to say that word?
SCHLESSINGER: It depends how it's said.
CALLER: Is it OK to say that word? Is it ever OK to say that word?
SCHLESSINGER: It's -- it depends how it's said. Black guys talking to each other seem to think it's OK.
CALLER: But you're not black. They're not black. My husband is white.
SCHLESSINGER: Oh, I see. So, a word is restricted to race. Got it. Can't do much about that.
CALLER: I can't believe someone like you is on the radio spewing out the "nigger" word, and I hope everybody heard it.
SCHLESSINGER: I didn't spew out the "nigger" word.
CALLER: You said, "Nigger, nigger, nigger."
SCHLESSINGER: Right, I said that's what you hear.
CALLER: Everybody heard it.
SCHLESSINGER: Yes, they did.
CALLER: I hope everybody heard it.
SCHLESSINGER: They did, and I'll say it again --
CALLER: So what makes it OK for you to say the word?
SCHLESSINGER: -- nigger, nigger, nigger is what you hear on HB --
CALLER: So what makes it --
SCHLESSINGER: Why don't you let me finish a sentence?
CALLER: OK.
SCHLESSINGER: Don't take things out of context. Don't double N -- NAACP me. Tape the --
CALLER: I know what the NAACP --
SCHLESSINGER: Leave them in context.
CALLER: I know what the N-word means and I know it came from a white person. And I know the white person made it bad.
SCHLESSINGER: All right. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Can't have this argument. You know what? If you're that hypersensitive about color and don't have a sense of humor, don't marry out of your race. If you're going to marry out of your race, people are going to say, "OK, what do blacks think? What do whites think? What do Jews think? What do Catholics think?" Of course there isn't a one-think per se. But in general there's "think."
And what I just heard from Jade is a lot of what I hear from black-think -- and it's really distressting [sic] and disturbing. And to put it in its context, she said the N-word, and I said, on HBO, listening to black comics, you hear "nigger, nigger, nigger." I didn't call anybody a nigger. Nice try, Jade. Actually, sucky try.
Need a sense of humor, sense of humor -- and answer the question. When somebody says, "What do blacks think?" say, "This is what I think. This is what I read that if you take a poll the majority of blacks think this." Answer the question and discuss the issue. It's like we can't discuss anything without saying there's -isms?
We have to be able to discuss these things. We're people -- goodness gracious me. Ah -- hypersensitivity, OK, which is being bred by black activists. I really thought that once we had a black president, the attempt to demonize whites hating blacks would stop, but it seems to have grown, and I don't get it. Yes, I do. It's all about power. I do get it. It's all about power and that's sad because what should be in power is not power or righteousness to do good -- that should be the greatest power.
Posted by soft rock star at 10:34 PM
You're Annoying
Dear one-note actors, wannabe celebrities, and opinionated talking heads. Actually, why am I speaking in plurals? It's really just the three of you. I find you annoying.
Michael Cera. Your schtick was cute on Arrested Development. But then you did it again in Superbad. Ok, it's one movie, I could handle that. But then you did it again in Juno. Then you did it again in Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. Then you did it again in Year One (ok, actually I just assume you did, I couldn't stomach watching that one but I did see the previews so I know you did). Then came Youth In Revolt... now Scott Pilgrim. Please stop playing this nerdy, supposedly endearing man-boy. It's not working anymore. I see you on talk shows and I just cringe. And please get a new hairstyle. This lion thing is not working for you.
Perez Hilton. You are an embarrassment to all gay people. You've become rich being a sassy bitch, criticizing celebrities for being fat (the pot calling the kettle black), making fun of their fashion sense (um, have you looked in the mirror?), made 'celebrities' out of people, like you, that have no talent and should not be celebrities, spouted moral-less values to anyone that will listen ("sleep your way to the top"?), showed you can dish it out but you can't take it (Black Eyed Peas anyone?), and showed a new generation that you can make a living simply by being vapid, materialistic, rude & judgmental. I don't understand why you are famous and I wish there was some way that you would realize what a waste of space you are and go away.
Nancy Grace. Just looking at you creeps me out. The tilted down, evil face. The pointed nose. The heavy makeup. The helmet hair. The pant suits. That wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for your tone and condescension. Your opening preview of your show feels like it lasts for half the program. It's puffed up, exaggerated and falsely urgent. Everything is breaking news. Everything is shocking. Then anyone that doesn't agree with you is torn to shreds, interrupted, talked down to, and generally dismissed. I'm not sure why anyone comes on your show that doesn't want to be a yes person for you. I just find your kind of news to be impossible to watch. The only thing I enjoy is when you say Jean Casarez and it sounds like jinkasaraus. That's the closest your humorless show comes to any sort of comedy.
Rant over, haha.
Posted by soft rock star at 12:13 AM
Sunday, August 8, 2010
For Your Entertainment
Posted by soft rock star at 10:52 AM
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Songs I Missed From 2009
It's sort of sad to think how many amazing songs you don't know are even out at any one time. Since the demise of WOXY I'm a bit more out of the loop than I should be! I caught The Middle East opening for Mumford And Sons earlier this year and was very impressed. "Blood" is a slow burn song with an amazing pay off. I've heard Empire Of The Sun's Phoenix-esque "Walking On A Dream" many times on CD101 but they never said who it was and I always forgot to look it up. So here they are, done up blog-style! Strangly enough, they both appear on a soundtrack together for a 2009 Australian film (not ALL that odd I suppose since they are both Aussie bands) called Accidents Happen. It stars Geena Davis, and although it's a bit depressing, it's a really good film... and both the songs are used to great effect in it.
Posted by soft rock star at 2:34 PM
My Top 10 Movies Of 2009... Finally
Here it is August and I finally saw all the movies I figured I should see before compiling my personal favorite movies of 2009. Here they are!1. Avatar (I actually didn't care about seeing this movie but I ended up loving it. Dazzling effects and a nice message. I even liked it in 3D though I wish this silly 3D craze would end already. Nothing else that's been released since needed to be in 3D.)
2. Inglourious Basterds (I'm not really a Quintin Tarantino fan, but this was fun. And Christoph Waltz simply gave the best performance my a male actor for the year.)
3. District 9 (A science fiction movie with a message and a heart. I love when I'm not pandered to. I like intelligent action movies and this delivered.)
4. (500) Days Of Summer (The best 'non' romantic comedy I have seen in ages. It was fun, heartbreaking, and had the best use of a Hall & Oates song ever. Joseph Gordon Levitt was wonderful in it).
5. Zombieland (The best horror parody since Shaun Of The Dead, Zombieland was gory, clever and very funny. And Bill Murray's cameo was shear genius.)
6. Drag Me To Hell (I love me a good horror movie (there aren't enough of them) and this movie checked all the boxes: genuinely scary, preposterously funny, and wildly entertaining.)
7. Precious (This movie was devastatingly sad but brimming with amazing performances. Mo'nique was simply unbelievable and Gabourey Sidibe set the mark for the rest of her career at dizzying heights.)
8. A Single Man (A beautifully shot, wonderfully acted, quiet & touching film about losing your way, realizing who you are, and finally making peace with your life.)
9. Star Trek (I was never a fan of the TV show or older series of movies but this relaunch was compelling, interesting and incredibly entertaining & the use of Leonard Nimoy really gave it a gravitas it wouldn't have otherwise had.)
10. Taken (A surprisingly gripping, taut thrill ride of an movie with action, suspense, and an intense performance by Liam Neeson.)
Honorable Mention: Up In The Air, Coraline, Up, The Hurt Locker, Adventureland, Julie & Julia, 9 (not the musical... too many movies with the #9 in them!)
Disappointing: Where The Wild Things Are, The Lovely Bones, The Informant, An Education, Away We Go
