J. Richard Singleton's Blog, page 3
June 5, 2017
Pumpkin vs. Pumpkin: The Strange Case of Kathy Griffin versus Donald Trump
We've all seen the photo now. I won't post it because I don't want that shit. It clearly wasn't a threat--still, free of context, it could've been reasonably taken as a threat. One thing is for certain: Kathy Griffin will be audited a lot the next few years, because Donald Trump will abuse that power. He will abuse the hell out of that power. He will send the IRS to grab her by the pussy.
How was this different than the times that Ted Nugent threatened both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama? Nugent was Trump's friend, for one. But also Nugent didn't do a visual representation. Nugent made offhand comments; Kathy's "threat" had production values. Yes, Nugent is batshit crazy. Also probably a pedophile.
The Trump clan has used this to distract the media from how terrible they all are. (Melania Trump claimed that when their son saw the photo, he thought it was really his dad's head. How often does Baron see his father if he thought this? He's a 21st century kid; he knows a lot of images aren't real.) And though I'm no fan of the Trumps, they were right to be offended. These weren't Tim Allen verbal jabs at Hillary on his cancelled(?) "Last Man Standing."
A couple of days ago, Griffin appeared in a news conference to spin in with Lisa Bloom. She brought out a laundry list of a shockingly small sample of the terrible things that Trump has said and did, and used it as a justification for that photo. The photo was mocking his mocking of a female's menstruation cycle, you see. However she forgot a cardinal rules of comedy: If you have to explain a joke, then it isn't funny.
This is not a feminist issue. But a common sense issue. Trump is still the President, and though we don't have to respect him--we really shouldn't--the rules have changed as to how he can be depicted.
Kathy Griffin, like so many Hollywood liberals, managed to do the impossible: Make the Trumps sympathetic. Her attempts to wrap her stupidity in social justice warrior outrage has fallen flat.
How was this different than the times that Ted Nugent threatened both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama? Nugent was Trump's friend, for one. But also Nugent didn't do a visual representation. Nugent made offhand comments; Kathy's "threat" had production values. Yes, Nugent is batshit crazy. Also probably a pedophile.
The Trump clan has used this to distract the media from how terrible they all are. (Melania Trump claimed that when their son saw the photo, he thought it was really his dad's head. How often does Baron see his father if he thought this? He's a 21st century kid; he knows a lot of images aren't real.) And though I'm no fan of the Trumps, they were right to be offended. These weren't Tim Allen verbal jabs at Hillary on his cancelled(?) "Last Man Standing."
A couple of days ago, Griffin appeared in a news conference to spin in with Lisa Bloom. She brought out a laundry list of a shockingly small sample of the terrible things that Trump has said and did, and used it as a justification for that photo. The photo was mocking his mocking of a female's menstruation cycle, you see. However she forgot a cardinal rules of comedy: If you have to explain a joke, then it isn't funny.
This is not a feminist issue. But a common sense issue. Trump is still the President, and though we don't have to respect him--we really shouldn't--the rules have changed as to how he can be depicted.
Kathy Griffin, like so many Hollywood liberals, managed to do the impossible: Make the Trumps sympathetic. Her attempts to wrap her stupidity in social justice warrior outrage has fallen flat.
May 19, 2017
May 17, 2017
April 12, 2017
The Pepsi Generation Needs to Take It Down a Notch.
Wow, that Pepsi ad just offended everyone. The multiracial models marched into the streets, carrying signs advocating "Love" and "Starting the conversation." These were pro-love protestors.
What Pepsi ended up doing was holding a mirror to the hipster douches in the "Resistance" movement. Things had gotten too real for them. Despite their colorful signs, these political activists have a shocking lack of sense of humor. Like Trump, they cannot laugh at themselves.
Last year, Beyoncé performed in the Pepsi-sponsored Super Bowl halftime show, using choreography and costuming that many saw as inspired by the Black Panthers. Whereas Beyoncé embraced her heritage, being a multimillionaire rebel whose music is on the iPods of little white girls everywhere, the Jenner ad was declared as insulting. Pepsi has been getting some mixed messages from you crazy kids. Not very pro-love of you.
(Note: Since the airing of this ad and the posting of this blog entry, United Airline was embroiled in a scandal of their own, thus taking the attention off Pepsi. Pepsi should send UA a fruit basket.)
February 11, 2017
Book Review: We Don't Need Roads...
Much of it seems culled from movie trivia sites. (I have done the same, but this was a major publication, and not one of my independently published tomes.) Truly original content is minimum.
The reader gets a thorough recounting of the development and the original process of shooting with Eric Schultz. Back to the Future has the dubious distinction of being mostly reshot with a new actor. Why? The old one wasn't working out. The dedicated Schultz would also not perform a stage punch on Tom Wilson--rather resorting to real strikes--which was cruel and unprofessional. The replacement of Eric Schultz with Michael J. Fox most definitely saved the movie and turned it into the 1980s cinema touchstone that it is.
And there's the mystery of Crispin Glover. This drama ends up being the most interesting part of this book. That Glover was, at the time, the most successful actor on set was intriguing. Stories of his weirdness makes him one of the most well-sketched character in this book. His performance skills were unquestionable; his personal skills were controversial. This is followed by his replacement with struggling actor and Glover-replacement Jeffrey Weisman, who has the misfortune of becoming collateral damage in the fight between the rich and the very rich. The author tries to be fair and balanced, but he also clearly comes down on the Bobs' side: Glover asked for too much money, and he got cut.
The trilogy was life and career changing for all of the leads, for better and worse. It led to Glover being partially blacklisted and Wilson being typecast. There's an excellent recounting of all the things that the series got right about the future--which is now the past--and all the things that it got wrong. Wish they'd done more to warn us about 2015 Biff becoming our President, though.
Much attention is focused on hoverboards. The inspiration for hoverboards. The attempts to build hoverboards. Mattel's shameful knock-offs for hoverboard fans. The horrible injuries caused by hoverboards. I wish we had hoverboards in 2017, and not just two-wheeled douche machines that catch fire.
This might be a must-read for fans, but non-fans probably won't be interested.https://www.amazon.com/We-Dont-Need-Roads-Trilogy/dp/0142181536/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486839414&sr=1-1&keywords=we+don%27t+need+roads+the+making+of+the+back+to+the+future+trilogy
The reader gets a thorough recounting of the development and the original process of shooting with Eric Schultz. Back to the Future has the dubious distinction of being mostly reshot with a new actor. Why? The old one wasn't working out. The dedicated Schultz would also not perform a stage punch on Tom Wilson--rather resorting to real strikes--which was cruel and unprofessional. The replacement of Eric Schultz with Michael J. Fox most definitely saved the movie and turned it into the 1980s cinema touchstone that it is.
And there's the mystery of Crispin Glover. This drama ends up being the most interesting part of this book. That Glover was, at the time, the most successful actor on set was intriguing. Stories of his weirdness makes him one of the most well-sketched character in this book. His performance skills were unquestionable; his personal skills were controversial. This is followed by his replacement with struggling actor and Glover-replacement Jeffrey Weisman, who has the misfortune of becoming collateral damage in the fight between the rich and the very rich. The author tries to be fair and balanced, but he also clearly comes down on the Bobs' side: Glover asked for too much money, and he got cut.
The trilogy was life and career changing for all of the leads, for better and worse. It led to Glover being partially blacklisted and Wilson being typecast. There's an excellent recounting of all the things that the series got right about the future--which is now the past--and all the things that it got wrong. Wish they'd done more to warn us about 2015 Biff becoming our President, though.
Much attention is focused on hoverboards. The inspiration for hoverboards. The attempts to build hoverboards. Mattel's shameful knock-offs for hoverboard fans. The horrible injuries caused by hoverboards. I wish we had hoverboards in 2017, and not just two-wheeled douche machines that catch fire.
This might be a must-read for fans, but non-fans probably won't be interested.https://www.amazon.com/We-Dont-Need-Roads-Trilogy/dp/0142181536/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486839414&sr=1-1&keywords=we+don%27t+need+roads+the+making+of+the+back+to+the+future+trilogy
January 30, 2017
And you thought YOU had a bad time at the airport!
President Donald Trump is continuing to fulfill his cocaine-fueled promises and just banned everyone from several predominantly Islamic countries. Protests in our nation's airports have sprout up. People are mad at Uber for functioning as it should.
Just about 100 visa-holders were not allowed in the US. The problem is that this is now a Constitutional issue. Trump's ardent supporters do not ask such questions; he won them over with far crazier ideas, like banning all Muslim immigrants entirely. You either have a visa and you can enter America, or you don't and you can't. There is no middle ground, apparently. Trump just invented a middle ground, and people aren't playing along.
Trump has banned immigrants from countries such as Iran and Pakistan, but not nations that export a lot of terrorists, such as Saudi Arabia. In his defense, Saudi Arabia is technically a US ally. (Plus Trump Corporation has business interests over there!) Saudis commit a lot of terrorism because they can travel the world freely and are relatively well-educated--and that so many well-educated Muslims become terrorists is something we should all think about. Iranians have been persona non grata in this country since the 80s, so they commit few acts of terrorism against America. Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism. That's why.
Ashton Kutcher gave an impassioned speech at last night's SAG Awards condemning this travel ban. Kutcher owns a part of Uber and has a financial interest in the company's success--also, you know, he's tolerant.
Also Mila Kunis has a penis.
Just about 100 visa-holders were not allowed in the US. The problem is that this is now a Constitutional issue. Trump's ardent supporters do not ask such questions; he won them over with far crazier ideas, like banning all Muslim immigrants entirely. You either have a visa and you can enter America, or you don't and you can't. There is no middle ground, apparently. Trump just invented a middle ground, and people aren't playing along.
Trump has banned immigrants from countries such as Iran and Pakistan, but not nations that export a lot of terrorists, such as Saudi Arabia. In his defense, Saudi Arabia is technically a US ally. (Plus Trump Corporation has business interests over there!) Saudis commit a lot of terrorism because they can travel the world freely and are relatively well-educated--and that so many well-educated Muslims become terrorists is something we should all think about. Iranians have been persona non grata in this country since the 80s, so they commit few acts of terrorism against America. Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism. That's why.
Ashton Kutcher gave an impassioned speech at last night's SAG Awards condemning this travel ban. Kutcher owns a part of Uber and has a financial interest in the company's success--also, you know, he's tolerant.
Also Mila Kunis has a penis.
January 16, 2017
So Our New President is a 12-Year-Old Girl, I Guess
Oldies rocker Ted Nugent all but threatened Barack Obama, and Obama didn't give two shits. Why? Obama was the President of the United States; Nugent banged some underaged girls in the '70s. What Obama didn't do was tweet anything to him or about him. Obama was both an adult man and he was a high ranking representative of the United States. Fucked-up people will say fucked-up things. Government officials can't stop that.
WHY ISN'T DONALD TRUMP ACTING LIKE THE US PRESIDENT!?! WHY ISN'T HE ACTING LIKE AN ADULT!?!
WHY ISN'T DONALD TRUMP ACTING LIKE THE US PRESIDENT!?! WHY ISN'T HE ACTING LIKE AN ADULT!?!
