Trailer Park Drive-In: God Bless The Hunger Games

[ Comments Off ]Posted on April 13, 2012 by admin in Lifestyle & Culture

What could be more fun than cornholin’, PBR, and pirated copies of the Hunger Games and God Bless America at the trailer park on a global warming March night? A surreal evening of self-unaware meta-irony, wherein the working class unknowingly watches itself being watched.

Recently, I was invited to a party at a trailer park. Yeah, go ahead and laugh. It’s in your nature, since you foolishly think you’re more like the one percent than “those people”. I said yes of course; as you may know, this is one of my areas of anthropological expertise (see my field work here). Besides, we were enjoying some exceptionally nice climate change here in the Midwest. It was nearly 80 degrees that day. In March! I arrived a little early to find all the expected trappings of a trailer park party. People were cornholing, playing hillbilly horseshoes, and PBR was in abundance. The crowd was a little embarrassed about drinking hipster beer, but they pointed out that they could hardly pass up the 30-pack for $12.99. As the pink slime smoldered on the grill and the smell of medical marijuana began to waft through the air, I stopped mingling for a bit to step into the “back yard” and observe. The back yard in this case was the thirty-foot wide strip between the host’s trailer and the next one. By the way, before you get the urge to get all politically correct on me and tell me the polite term is “mobile home”, the host himself at one point said “Shit. Wikipedia calls them that, but this home ain’t been nowhere”. He also added that “no damn bank is takin’ it anywhere neither”. I pondered his financial savvy for a moment. His house is paid off, but 99% of the “smart” people I know are in debt up to their eyeballs. As I stood watching a particularly spirited round of cornholing, a few guys started attaching a bedsheet to the side of the next trailer and setting up a laptop and some other gear, including an insanely bright portable projector. I went over to check out what was going on. It turned out the gang had been looking forward to warm weather, because one of the guys had dropped part of his severance pay from GM on the projector and some sound gear, figuring if he couldn’t find a job, at least he’d finally have that big screen TV. I asked what was on the bill for the evening, and he surprised me a bit with “Hunger Games and that new Bobcat Goldthwait movie”. He was referring of course to God Bless America. When I observed that one of those wasn’t even in the theaters yet, he smiled and said “Yeah, I paid this nerd ten bucks each for ‘em.” I didn’t point out the exploitation and irony inherent in the fact that some unemployed kid living in his rich folks’ basement had ripped off the film industry to enrich himself by exploiting the working class. Things started feeling a little surreal not too long after that. A woman walked up to me and started a conversation with “I ain’t so sure you and me belong here. I think we’re both a little bit more NPR than PBR”. I pondered her remark as I tried not to stare at the barcode tattoo on her neck. As we watched the movies over the next couple of hours, we had a good laugh when – as we talked during God Bless America – one of the guests stood up and jokingly brandished a PPK, telling us to shut up. Life still has an irritating tendency to imitate art. I decided to test my new pal’s “NPR-ness” by asking her what she thought about a group of hardworking people who had little hope of rising above their current lot in life being thoroughly engrossed in a film that was not only a not-very-subtle exploration of the very life they were leading, but which had enriched its author by exploiting their teen children by using the public schools as a marketing and propaganda machine. She sort of stared at me with a hurt look. I wasn’t meaning to be a jerk; it actually saddened me that the crowd at this trailer park drive-in party was cheering on and rooting for their futuristic Hunger Game counterparts on the screen. Partly because the story’s theme was probably not inconceivable as a near-future reality, but more because the audience was proving the point. I was relieved when my “date” laughed heartily a few minutes later. God Bless America’s hero Frank had just shot the screaming baby in the film. “Who hasn’t wanted to do THAT at least once in their life” she said. I just smiled and prayed silently for the future.

Jack U. Abramoff

[ Comments Off ]Posted on March 9, 2012 by admin in Editorial & Opinion

If the Jack Abramoff Fan Club ever elects a president, it will probably be Jack Abramoff.

Jack U AbramoffThe other day I snagged a copy of Jack Abramoff’s Capitol Punishment from the local library. I was going to buy it, but something inside me resisted the idea of putting money in Abramoff’s pockets, even if it was the paltry royalty from a single book. I have been fascinated for several years by the way DC insiders developed such profound amnesia when Abramoff’s corrupt lobby empire imploded in 2006, especially the way George Bush essentially denied ever knowing him while in almost the same breath he commuted his pal Scooter’s sentence  before he even served time. I’m only about half way through the book; one of the benefits of today’s information overloaded world is that for almost any topic of interest, there’s probably a film version, a book, and in the case of Jack Abramoff, 1,240,000 Google search results. Rapidly wearying of Abramoff’s “I’m just a regular guy from Atlantic City and Beverly Hills who got into Brandeis because Sugar Ray Robinson was a friend of the family” style of storytelling in the early part of his book, I opted to watch Casino Jack and the United States of Money and Casino Jack back to back for additional color. The former seemed to be a fair take on Abramoff’s career arc, and includes shocking video footage of things like Karl Rove with hair. The latter – although liberally spread with cheese at points, was worth a look, if only to see Kevin Spacey pull one of the more amazing acting feats imaginable. If you’ve ever enjoyed Spacey’s startlingly accurate impressions of people like Jimmy Stewart and Al Pacino, you REALLY need to see him execute the subtle twist of Spacey playing a character doing the impressions. In exloring some of Abramoff’s background – which I was only superficially aware of prior to recently – a vague obsession brewed within me. I’m certainly not here to re-indict him; for one thing, he actually served time, which is a little unusual for a figure in his former world. And for another thing, the hypocrites like John McCain who helped put him away should probably be in jail themselves for the rest of eternity merely on the basis of their crimes against basic human integrity. No, the disturbing thing is that on some level I actually found myself liking the guy. Not because I was falling for his “bad guy making good” routine, but because his story is such a classic example of tragically flawed heroism and a dramatic display of the Jungian Shadow at work. As an example of the latter, his recent involvement with efforts to raise awareness about DC corruption – like writing for United Re:Public  – come across with a lack of fire that suggests he’s really just playing the repentant crook role as well as he played the nuclear-powered lobbyist role. One is easily left with the sense that inside all the bluster and larger than life stories, there’s a fairly genuine guy. A fairly genuine guy who believed in everything he ever did. I’m left with a lot more understanding of the weaknesses of human character that enabled the man to do the things he did, but also the feeling that the only person that will ever really love Jack Abramoff is Jack Abramoff. Read the rest of this entry »

Is The Occupy Movement Dead?

[ Comments Off ]Posted on February 26, 2012 by admin in Lifestyle & Culture

Not likely. But it probably needs to get itself off the ropes. And though it’s no longer in tents, it might still get intense. Remember: it’s the banks, stupid.

Is the Occupy Movement dead?Perhaps the only thing more tedious than a roomful of liberal intellectuals endlessly debating the world’s problems is a roomful of moderate Republicans, Tea Partiers, Libertarians, socialists, anarchists AND liberal intellectuals doing the same thing. And if you attend an Occupy-related meeting or assembly anywhere across the country, there’s a good chance that you will run into this phenomena. It’s equally likely that you will encounter a similar mix of people having a surprisingly productive and efficient meeting, using methods that will seem strange to most people. And no, I’m not talking about twinkle fingers; as one of the folks involved in some re-organization of Occupy Ann Arbor, I attend a lot of meetings and events, and haven’t seen many twinkle fingers since December. No, I’m talking about consensual decision making that may borrow both from the most ancient of methods – like the Greek Forum – to cutting edge ideas like Open Space, which also is used by organizations that range from AT&T and Rockport to Israeli/Palestinian peace organizers.

What I DO still see a lot of though is opinionating. And personal irresponsibility. And confusion. Last fall a former Ann Arborite – writing for the National Review – said that  “an Occupy Ann Arbor is like a special ballet company, set aside for thin people.” Nothing could really be farther from the truth; this town is so conservative that the real problem has been getting enough people present to actually occupy anything in a noticeable fashion. And when they do get together in any notable numbers – amongst the self-identified Occupy groups in the area, there is a strange mix of factionalism and solidarity – there will often be a strange result. They will suddenly realize once again that they agree on a bunch of things, but then get mired in debate about what to do and how to do it. This perplexed me for months, and then I finally came to understand a few things. Read the rest of this entry »

Valentine’s Day 2012 – It’s Not The End of the World

[ Comments Off ]Posted on February 13, 2012 by admin in Holidays

But it COULD be the end of a relationship. If you play your cards right. Ten easy ways to help get rid of that special unwanted someone in your life.

The End
Charmageddon

Are you trapped in a dismal relationship, dreading Valentine’s Day even more than usual this year? Well put your mind at ease, because this is your time. Why? In case you forgot, we’re all going to die in some kind of end-of-the world scenario this year, like maybe Chicken Shawarmageddon. What better time to end a relationship than The End of Days? We’ve served up plenty of strange Valentine’s Day gift ideas  before, like Last Minute Valentine Gifts For Romance Impaired Misogynists, and Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas To Win Back Your Ex-Girlfriend. But this year, why worry about your existing ex, when you can make a new one? And if you want to make sure someone gets out of your life forever, what better day than Valentine’s Day? There’s no need to boil someone’s bunny, like in Fatal Attraction, or put a horse head on their bed, as in the famous kiss-off in The Godfather. Besides, in some cultures, the latter was historically considered an expression of love. No, giving someone the pink slip on Valentine’s Day will leave no doubt in their mind about whether it’s just a passing quarrel, and can be accomplished with simple and inexpensive gifts that say it all. So if you’re simply looking to dump someone, or, worse yet, if you’ve settled for an awkward half-baked solution that has left you in a position where the three words you dread hearing most as you make passionate love with the person that truly sets your heart on fire are “Honey, I’m home”, maybe it’s time to make a change. We’re here to help with the perfect gifts to break someone’s heart, instead of melting it. Read the rest of this entry »

The Swede Smell of Success – Rebecca & Fiona’s “I Love You Man”

[ Comments Off ]Posted on February 4, 2012 by admin in Music

Whenever I want to dance alone in my apartment, I drive my music snob friends away with some awesome Europop like Rebecca & Fiona

I occasionally find myself a sudden musical outcast amongst my friends. A lot of music lovers I know are frankly arrogant snobs, or so niche-obsessed as to be musically misanthropic, so when I go on a bender with something like Robyn, Die Antwoord, or Lady Sovereign, they just avoid me for a few days, or ask me how my Rebecca Black fan club is doing. Or walk around with their fingers in their ears saying “la la la la” thinking I’ll shut it off or something. Well, it looks like I’ll have some time to myself for a day or two as I keep Rebecca & Fiona on regular rotation. I first heard of them because of this fan video (also below) which is kind of an editing gem on its own. I then went down the YouTube Rabbit Hole for a while, and realized I had to have more, so I picked up I Love You, Man, their latest release. If you liked the Europoppier bands on Pitchfork’s 2007 best of list, and if you like the girly, talk-singy vocal stylings of Norway’s Ephemera, Rebecca & Fiona may find a place on your list. Their slightly derivative sound is part of their appeal to me; it’s sort of like a weird amalgam of 80′s girl bands like Bananarama, the aforementioned more recent Europop, and some particularly smooth looped and ducking-tweaked dance music. Which all makes sense; the Swedish duo found fame mostly via a Swedish reality TV show which followed them as they pursued their budding music/DJ career as hardworking teens. Keep your eyes on these two, they’ve been winning international mixing contests as DJ’s, and getting lots of remix attention as artists themselves. Read the rest of this entry »

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