Current Events Watch

We just celebrated Labor Day! And no doubt, flipping through the channels on our day off, at some point we all happened upon the everlasting, neverending, annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon . Oh, my God! When will it end? I think people are sick of it already after 41 years. I remember as a kid, it was something I kind of looked forward to, back in the ’70s. We’d sit and watch, not so much to see the parade of Jerry’s Kids being wheeled onstage, but the show was entertaining. Famous comedians, famous musicians, it was more like a variety show than a charity event. At least that’s why I wanted to watch. Sorry, crippled kid, too much air time for you, I want to see Elvis!

But I was just a kid, albeit not one of Jerry’s, so cut me some slack. What did I know? Of course it’s a great cause, and I don’t intend to offend. I’m honestly all about helping other people. And as I grew older, I redeemed my lack of pre-adolescent compassion by generously tossing cash into the firemen’s boots at every intersection. I do mean every intersection. Firefighters at every corner, bearing boots. (Why boots?) I think even they are tiring of this annual charade. Every year it seems there are fewer willing to risk their welfare by standing at a busy intersection to play “catch a quarter in the boot.”

So after billions of dollars raised, where’s the cure? Or, at least, what advances in research have been accomplished? I guess once a year we might get an update, if we happen to be channel-hopping at the right time. And if we’re willing to watch long enough. I’m not. It’s torture. So, as a disclaimer, as far as I know, there may well have been massive advancements in MD research this year, and I just missed that clip. I was probably watching HBO at the time.

The entertainment element is long gone. Jerry is certainly no longer entertaining. He’s become an old, fat, babbling, nonsensical fool, who needs to give it up. And the guests that have performed on the telethon for the last many years are, well, let’s just say, definitely on the D List.

Jerry is all about “his kids”, of course, and we all know who they are. When someone asks if you’d like to help Jerry’s Kids, you know that he or she is not asking if you want to donate to the spawn of neighhbor Jerry Goldberg, two doors down.

But again, he’s become an embarrassment, in my opinion, and needs to quit. Hey, if he wants to continue the telethons, great. Go for it, but he needs to delegate the hosting duties to another. Maybe then, too, the booking agents could attract performers who actually will draw an audience.

Hopefully, he would choose a replacement who isn’t so old, or so tired, or so drunk, or so doped up, that he or she would call a kid in the audience an illiterate fag.

Watch that video clip from this weekend’s telethon here.

Yep, Jerry loves the kids! The ones on wheels, anyway. The rest are fair game for name-calling, I suppose. Still, “illiterate fag” is pretty harsh.

Maybe he was just venting after a lifetime (isn’t he, like, 90 now?) of repressing his own sexual tendencies. May I present the following for consideration. Rest in peace, Dean. Sorry to drag you into this.

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Lesbians drive Subarus, gay guys drive Saturns. Both are equally likely to drive a Jeep Wrangler. While drinking a Bud Light. (Not condoning such behavior, just trying to make a point.) Subaru, Saturn, Chrysler, Anheuser Busch, have all made a concerted effort to market to the gay community. That’s why we buy their cars, drink their beer. And now Levi Strauss is targeting the gay community. I’m happy, because I love my 501s.

Like I said in a previous post about the Democratic Presidential candidates courting the gay vote in the Logo debate, we are a loyal bunch. It’s worth the effort to market to us, because in general, the gay community is an affluent demographic (good for business!) and a community that appreciates the recognition. Advertise in our magazines, and on the channels we’re known to watch. We certainly notice, and we will buy your cars, and drink your beer. And wear your jeans.

I liked the Bud Light commercial that aired on television a few years ago, the one where a hot woman was hitting on a hot guy at the bar… and then his boyfriend shows up and they walk away holding hands, much to her dismay. Well, that commercial didn’t last too long. Conservative folks seem to be able to shut down such nonsense fairly quickly.

I don’t drive a Saturn. Or a Jeep. Certainly not a Subaru, lest I be mistaken for a lesbian. But I do love my Levi’s 501s, and my Bud Light.

We’ve all seen this recent commercial on TV.

I like it. But here’s the alternative version airing on Logo and certain other channels. Thanks, Levi Strauss & Co., for recognizing that we are here, too. We also buy your jeans. And thanks, also, for casting this guy. I’ll buy whatever he’s selling.

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Once again, Elizabeth Edwards is in the spotlight. This time she wasn’t sharing info about her medical problems. She was confronting Ann Coulter.

Edwards phoned into MSNBC’s “Hardball” Tuesday. She asked Coulter to stop using insulting language and Coulter responded Edwards shouldn’t tell her to stop speaking. That retort is the essence of Coulter.

It’s also the essence of others on the far end of their party preferences. Bill Maher is a classic example. Remember the show where he goes on and on about the vice-president? Catch the second video posted below.

These pundits often use hyperbole for the purpose of publicity. A pundit without publicity is like a pickle without brine. These people are in the entertainment business, and the last time I looked, the political entertainment business was alive and well. That is, unless you’re a certain liberal radio show.

That’s the American way and it’s nothing new. Stroll back through our nation’s history for a look at muckraking and political propaganda in keeping with what’s happening today. The difference is that until now, the reach was limited. You could only go so far with newspapers. The Internet keeps words and gestures alive in perpetuity. Another difference is now you don’t challenge someone to a duel involving guns. Great tools for modern-day duels are sound clips, blogs and talk shows.

I keep wishing we could get this sort of footage from Iran, or Russia or North Korea. Venezuela might be fun.

Seems the rest of the world wants to catch up to the United States in every way but one.

Freedom of speech can only be a holy grail in a country that’s truly free.

On neither of the videos below do I see anybody “playing pretty.” All the participants can rest assured when they go home, they’ll keep their heads. No secret police will be waiting.

Somebody tell the rest of the world to catch up to us in that regard.

Word Press, Technorati, Tags, vice-president, Cheney, Maher, Coulter, pundits, talk shows, left wing, right wing, American politics

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The buildup was what you might expect for a classic American pop culture series. Last week as the final episode of The Sopranos drew near, the Web was abuzz with theories. Would Tony finally get whacked? Would he go into witness protection, courtesy of his FBI buddy?

The aftermath was just as frenetic. According to media reports, irate fans crashed the HBO site shortly after the episode concluded.

To me, the finale was somewhat of a letdown but not a total crash. I think the powers-that-be decided on art versus entertainment. I figured the setting, with Tony and his loved ones sitting down to dinner, with a few cautious glances at others in the diner by Tony, put the viewer in the same seat the boss occupies.

Tony Soprano doesn’t really know what’s ahead and nor do we. He’s living his life as he always has, anticipating violence at every corner, but eating onion rings as though he hasn’t a care in the world. We’re sitting there with them, wondering will it be the last meal.

The only violence we saw Sunday night was Phil Leotardo’s death by gunshot, followed by that extreme bone-cracking sound as his wife’s SUV rolled over his head.

There was a pivotal moment missed by everyone I’ve talked to, with A.J. confessing to his therapist his enchantment over the way his SUV burned when leaves caught fire from a catalytic converter spark.
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