Did SVU do a racist episode about tolerance?

Tonight's Law & Order:SVU, "Transgender Bridge" (my DVR called it "Transgender Bride"), was about a hate crime against a transgender teen. While it's great the show is addressing this hot button issue, they used old and racist tropes. Count them.


The transgender victim was a white, lived in a large, bright home with two very supportive parents. The perp is an African American teen who lives in a small apartment and has to make a hot pocket for his little sister because his single mother was "working a double."

The teen perp was in the park with his two friends and his sister. They were counting the money they made dancing, when they see the transgender girl. She was taking pictures. The teens harassed her while tons of African American teens egged them on and filmed it. One African American teen accidentally pushed the transgender teen off the bridge.

All the African American teens scatter. The only two people who stayed around, according to the cop on the scene, were two tourists, who were white. The cop on the scene corrects his pronoun ("he...her") but calls the other teens "Three black teens." Why not be totally PC and say African American?

In the first 5 minutes they show black people as close minded, violent, poor and uncaring. Meanwhile white people are caring, understanding, rich and good samaritans. Preventing and understanding hate crimes is important, but can we shed the racist stereotypes while we're at it?

TMZ sneaks in the C word

7 Words I spellt wrung. #6 is obveous

1. Library
2. Their
3. Wrong
4. Batman
5. Spider-man
6. Obvious
7. Spell

Tangerine review

There was a period in the 90's when every movie had a more interesting back story. The way the movie was made was more interesting than the actual movie. The filmmakers shot the whole thing in a closed convenience store, it was paid for on credit cards, it cost $12.50 to make. 

It seemed like every Sunday The New York Times had another feature about a maverick indie movie. I went to all of them. 

"My LIfe's in Turnaround," "Fear of a Black Hat," "Clerks," "Go Fish..." I came into the city just to see the film. Most of the time the movie was ok and the behind the scenes story was great. 

I feel the same about "Tangerine." It was shot on an iPhone! Not even a 6, but a 5S! They used real locations! I couldn't wait to see a movie shot in my old neighborhood about the transgender hookers who were always on the block. 

Being shot on an iPhone, doesn't make it a good movie. My friend Owen Smith (name drop?) promotes his new comedy special as the comedy special shot on 8 iPhones, that he later returned. Is that enough to watch a stand up special? It happens to be funny too, but does it have to be? Well, yes. the iPhone is the gimmick to get you to rent the special. The quality is what gets you to finish it and recommend it.

The movie is two stories. One is about two sex workers who fill their day with drama and a frequent customer and his home life. 

Tangerine has a lot of great things going for it. The acting by the leads, who are non actors is really good and believable. There are a couple of great cameos from really good experienced actors that elevate the movie.

But there a tons and tons of traveling shots. The leads taking the bus, taking the subway, walking the street (that's why they call them street walkers!) and the cab driver driving his cab.  It felt like filler between scenes. I would have rather had a shorter movie or a third story line. 

Maybe the movie would have been better if it was written on text messaging. 

7 People I owe $ to. #5 will shock you

1. Rick ($100)
2. Sharlene ($2.50)
3. Sharlene's ex ($2.50)
4. Donut shop ($1 for many refills)
5. Rick ($400) (Why would he lend me money again? And more this time?)
6. Bus driver (1 fare)
7. The lady at the donut store (one glass display case)

Clint Eastwood gives free publicity to fake awards show

The coveted "Guy's Choice Awards," which rewards celebrities who have the best publicist, got a kick in the pants the other day when Clint Eastwood made a joke about Catlin Jenner. It was a nothing of a joke. The biggest problem with it was that it wasn't funny, I mean it made no sense. He just said a name of a famous person that he couldn't remember b/c he's old.

Spike TV,who airs the "awards" show, quickly pulled the joke and then told everyone about it. Seriously , has does anyone know about it, unless they told everyone about it?
I've been in the edit rooms. It's usually a couple of producers and the editor. What happened? Was the producers tweeting the editor?
.@Donnyeditor Whatever you do, don't tell anyone that you cut that @Catlinjenner joke #guyschoiceawards. #jkdo

I guess Jamie Foxxxxxx got a lot of press when he made his childish Bruce Jenner joke on the equally made up "I Heart Radio Awards." Which should be called, "Did Pitbull show up yet?"

Ok, must sleep. good night!

Comedy is finally good

Amy Schumer, Amy Schumer, Amy Schumer!

Megan Garber, who wrote the article in the Atlantic ("How Comedians Became Public Intellectuals")about comedians being the new intellectuals was interviewed today on the radio.  First of all, she doesn't really commit to anything.

Also, just so know comedians are now talking about politics. The author pointed out that comedy addresses politics now unlike the comedy of the 90's. Forgetting that Chris Rock put out "Bigger and Blacker," Bill Maher had "Politically Incorrect," George Carlin was still touring, Dennis Miller had a show too... 

At one point Garber describes a bit from Amy Schumer they just played as "Not fun or entertaining... but important." That's what Paul Mooney has been doing since the 70's. I want Paul mooney to be the new Amy Schumer.

http://www.scpr.org/programs/the-frame/2015/06/05/43156/how-today-s-comedians-get-their-message-about-soci/

The (NY) State of Comedy

The New Yorker's view of the world. 

Two articles came out this week about the state of comedy. One was in the New Yorker and one in the Huffington Post, which means only one of the authors got paid. 

Both talked about the state of comedy. The New Yorker brought up the Conan writer's ill fated tweets about comedy getting soft and becoming "Prom King Comedy." Then she said she likes the comedy so who knows what to believe. "I know it's dumb, but I like it." Fine. I can go with that. Plus, that's the slogan for the new Entourage movie. 

Huffington (re)Post went further and tried to define what today's comedy is. 

The Huffpo(ring) article literally says, "Call it artisanal comedy." So there you go. That's what you call hipsters standing in a laundromat, an ice cream truck, a working firehouse or where ever (but never a comedy club) telling humorous stories and god forbid jokes. Jokes have no place in comedy. It shows you're trying.  



Of course "Artisanal Comedy" a terrible name for comedy because comedy is supposed to make fun of "artisanal." It's supposed to make fun of people who buy artisanal cheese not the regular guy who eats cheese. Why not create "stuffy comedy" or "fox news comedy?"

"Artisanal Comedy" sounds more like an insult that a comic would say on stage. 

I think it's not fair to the comedians they featured in the article. A lot of them are really funny not matter where they perform. (Can you tell I might know some of the people in the article?)

I'm not going to wrap up this post. That would be too obvious and hacky. I'm just going to stop. That's what I call "Artisanal Blogging." So there. 

Oh! Come on, Netflix Computerized Algorithms!

I recently watched a doc on LA gangs. It was really good. Netflix's computerized system was right to assume I would want to watch other docs on gangs. I can see them thinking that would spill into docs about gangsters and people in jail. I guess it would also make sense that I like docs in general. I get that too. But why would they think I would want to watch a beloved family sitcom based on watching "Crips and Bloods?" I don't see the connection.

Other computer fails:
Netflix gets mean
Gameshow randomizer gets bitchy

The Amy Schumer of unpaid writers

It seems an intern from Letterman is getting herself a lot of press because she wrote a couple of top ten jokes for the last Letterman show. I say, good for Caroline Schaper,. The writers are vastly overpaid while she's not paid at all. And all the high priced brilliance in the writers room, an unpaid student came up with 1/5 of the top ten. (Don't kill me with the math. The spelling is bad enough on this site without having to worry about the math as well.)

While the intern is trying to turn her beginners luck/amture status into a career, the writers are collecting the check for writing the jokes and another check when it repeats. I think I started writing this wanting to take shots at the intern for going to the press, but let her have it. she's overworked and under (not) paid. Her exposure won't stop the writers for taking credit for it. Now Letterman can claim they have a female writer.

I love the fascination with Schaper.  "What? An intern can write silly jokes? She's in her early 20's, how does she have the brain capacity? You have to be at least 40, balding and wearing New Balance sneakers to be able to write a joke."

Also, it's not that hard for someone in their 20's to write a top ten list. All articles are top ten lists.  News stories are broken down into lists. "Top 7 reasons Hillary Clinton is wearing comfortable shoes." "Top Ten 'Top Ten Lists.' #5 is going to stop your heart."

What about the WGA? They now know about a non-union person writing for a union show. Can they going to make her join and get her paid? 

Every few years there's a new comic that can't do no wrong. For a while it was Jon Stewart, then Louis CK and now it's Amy Schumer. the press treats all of her comedy bits like it's scripture. So, hence the title of the post.