By Jonathan Miller, on Thu May 12, 2011 at 2:15 PM ET The political blogosphere is abuzz with the news of family strife within a bi-partisan family dynasty: the separation of former California Governator Arnold Schwartzenegger and Kennedy scion Maria Shriver.
The mainstream news and political media want to know why, and they’re making their best guesses: Read here and here and here and here.
My response?
It’s None of Your Freaking Business!
Yes, he’s an international movie star who served two terms as Governor of our nation’s most populous state. Sure, she was a national news broadcaster, and a member of the most influential and popular modern American political dynasty. Of course, a long time ago, they both voluntarily submitted themselves to public scrutiny.
But as I argued a few weeks ago concerning three-year-old Trigg Palin, I believe that every one of us — even the richest, most powerful, and most famous — have a discrete zone of privacy which the responsible press should not disturb. And as long as their separation did not involve actions that were criminal or a violation of the public trust while Arnold was in office, the mainstream media should leave them and their family alone.
Of course, I am a passionate First Amendment advocate, and I certainly don’t believe in laws to restrict such reporting. But I believe that the Fourth Estate bears a special responsibility to the public to draw ethical lines every so often and not cross them. This is one of those occasions.
Let’s leave this story where it belongs: to trashy mags like TMZ and OK and The Hollywood Gossip.
The rest of us should leave Ah-nuld and Maria alone.
What say you, RP nation?
By RP Staff, on Thu May 12, 2011 at 1:30 PM ET The Politics of Immigration How does an American president, fully aware of the need for immigration policy reform and the ROI that progressive immigration reform could bring to the economy, convince a jittery public that it’s in the American interest to provide people with a path to citizenship? Read more here from NPR.
In the same speech on the U.S.-Mexican border, President Obama also mocked Republican lawmakers for “never be[ing] satisfied” with border security. “Maybe they’ll need a moat,” he said. “Maybe they’ll want alligators in the moat.” Ah, presidential humor. The AP from NPR
This is a fascinating new book on the history of immigration in the United States, from colonial times through today. Dr. Susan F. Martin of Georgetown University explores three models of historical immigration in the United States that, she claims, have all favored immigration more consistently than immigrants. A Nation of Immigrants
By Robert Kahne, RP Staff, on Thu May 12, 2011 at 12:30 PM ET
A sad fact: the politics of film will always eventually mesh with the politics of money. While original films do eventually make it big in the mainstream, this is often a function of someone’s star power, the insistence of a bankable director, or just plain luck. It’s too bad that original film very rarely makes big money. I think this is a problem, and I think it is a problem with a very clear source–us. Yes, I don’t blame money grubbing film producers, nor do I blame the industry for its “lack of originality”. The culprit of this scandal is the movie-going public.
In 2010, fully 5 of the top 10 highest grossing films were sequels. One of the top 10 was a remake (Alice in Wonderland), and three others were original animated films. One, just ONE, of the top ten highest grossing films made in 2010 was a live-action movie made for adults. This film, Inception, was made by bankable director Chris Nolan, who had previous made The Dark Knight. Other high grossing films intended for adults include The King’s Speech (13), Black Swan (21), and Shutter Island (23). How did these films become popular? Mostly for the same reason as Inception, in my opinion. Both Black Swan and Shutter Island were directed by name-brand guys–Darren Aranofsky and Martin Scorsese. The King’s Speech starred high profile British actors Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter. The highest grossing film which meets my criteria of not being a sequel or remake, and lacking “real” star power was The Social Network, which finished at number 33, grossing $224m. I realize “real” star power is a metric that is totally based on my own opinion and is not at all quantifiable. I invite you to check the numbers yourself and see if I am right in my estimations.
To me, this is a big issue. I think Hollywood misuses a lot of its talent by rehashing old films we have already seen before and making sequels of films which already have a good enough ending. Ethan Hawke is a pretty good actor–but I probably won’t go see him in a remake of Total Recall. I adore many comic book films, and as much as I am looking forward to the new Spider-Man flick, I would be lying to myself if I thought that was the best use of great new actor’s Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. The same logic can be applied to the new X-Men movie. And I love Johnny Depp, but how many times can he reprise Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean? Isn’t that franchise stale enough? Thank goodness some actor’s see the writing on the wall, as Matt Damon has bowed out of the next Bourne flick. Unfortunately, some actors just can’t see failure coming–Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith have started filming Men In Black III without a completed script–there is no way that film ends well.
Some are quick to say that “There just aren’t good original films made anymore.” I take great umbridge at that statement. I would point to films such as Never Let Me Go, The Ghost Writer, The Kids Are Alright, Get Low, Mother and Child and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. There really are lots of great, original films of all genres being made right now–but people aren’t showing up to see them! What is Hollywood to do, except give the people what they want. And what we are saying–loudly–is that we want more of the rehashed sequels and remakes being made today. So, if you agree that this is a problem, and agree that the solution can be found with us–go see a movie this weekend. And make it an original.
I do a film show on the radio in Lexington, KY every week (WRFL 88.1 FM at 10 AM on Mondays), and also via podcast everywhere. It’s called Surreelfilm. I promise, you’ll enjoy it if you listen to it.
By RP Staff, on Thu May 12, 2011 at 11:00 AM ET The RP swore that he wasn’t going to run for office again any time soon. But it looks like he’s falling off the wagon after only a month of political sobriety.
Of course, he has a helluvan excuse: The Ultimate Authority has pushed him into a race for the U.S. Congress. As Alison Knezevich of the Charleston Gazette reports (h/t Aaron Ament):
Jonathan Miller, a Berkeley County Republican, announced online today that he plans to run for Congress in 2012.
Miller told me he would run in the 2nd District, for the seat now held by Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito.”I firmly believe that God has called me to run for this office now,” he said when asked why he made the announcement today. “The reason I’m running is because I’m tired of seeing Washington politicians put themselves before you.”
He wants to cut federal lawmakers’ pay in half, eliminate their benefits, and enact term limits.
Miller, first elected in 2006, said he rededicated his life to Christ in 2009, and prayed about whether to stay in politics. He said he received his answer in May 2010 and is responding now by announcing his future candidacy.
Read the whole article here.
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UPDATE: An alert reader noticed that Congressowman Capito represents a district in West Virginia, and the RP hails from Kentucky. The RP Staff understands, obviously the reporter made a small mistake. The two states are contiguous.
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UPDATE 2: Another reader commented: “The article says that Jonathan Miller ‘rededicated his life to Christ.’ I’m pretty sure the RP is Jewish. Otherwise, this post about Jew-ish Gentiles is pretty offensive.” The RP Staff agrees: the RP is pretty offensive.
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UPDATE 3: Um…It turns out that there are actually two Jonathan Millers. The new candidate for Congress and the RP. The RP obviously is too busy to run for Congress: He blogs at The Recovering Politician; serves as Senior Advisor to Wellford Energy; practices law at Frost Brown Todd; has been a British theater and opera director; has served 20 years as Senior Rabbi at Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham; has been President and CEO of Miller Samuel Inc., a leading real estate appraisal and consulting firm; is a photographer; has gone to prison due to misdeeds during Iran-Contra, and runs a ministry where he “miraculously” has healed “countless” people.
Take that, Jeff Smith!
By Grant Smith, RP Staff, on Thu May 12, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET
BREAKING NEWS: President Obama resists the urge to nuke the world for another day. [The Onion]
It had to happen eventually: Batman arrested in…wait for it…Michigan. [The Smoking Gun]
Bristol Palin: “It wasn’t plastic surgery, it was corrective surgery.” [The Huffington Post
The Politics of Fame: The European Court of Human Rights rejects a limit on celebrity tabloid stories. [All Headline News]
Don’t be haters: NJ Police voice outrage over First Lady Michelle Obama’s White House invitation to a famous rap-star. [NBC News]
By RP Staff, on Wed May 11, 2011 at 5:00 PM ET We have a lot in store for you on Thursday at The Recovering Politician.
We lead off with a Friend of RP whose first piece actually made the RP cry. Hint: He’s been kvelling with pride about this 15-year-old writer.
You’ll also hear from the RP about his opinion of the media’s coverage of the Schwartzenegger/Shriver divorce. For a spoiler clue, read this.
And we’ll also debut the stylings of one of our outstanding young RP Staff, Robert Kahne, who has been writing Weekly Web Gems on Tunes, the Screen, the Diamond and Hoops, and will share tomorrow his first full length piece.
Speaking of WWGs — plenty of them to go around, sharing with you the best of civil discourse from the Web.
See you tomorrow!
By Zack Adams, RP Staff, on Wed May 11, 2011 at 3:00 PM ET
Loves death metal music? Really? [picture]
Batman vs. Superman [comic]
Cops bust teen party, dubbed root beer kegger. [MSNBC]
By Jonathan Miller, on Wed May 11, 2011 at 1:30 PM ET My piece yesterday about Jew-ish Gentiles in pop culture (The most popular non-Jeff Smith post our site’s long, storied history!) sparked considerable discussion.
My challenge to identify a “should-be-Chosen-person that I failed to choose” was met ably by John Newton who suggested Anne Bancroft, who was raised Catholic, but who brilliantly and realistically played Jewish characters (such as in Keeping the Faith) on screen. But as Diane Hertz Warsoff noted, Bancroft ultimately converted to Judaism when she married Mel Brooks. (Who’d have thunk he was Jewish?!?)
However, surely her iconic character, Mrs. Robinson, qualifies. We can be confident that Benjamin Braddock’s Cougar was not a Jewess, as her authorized biographers (both real Jews) noted: Jesus loves her more than she would know. Wo Wo Wo.
Another reader, Mark Schneider, made a terrific discovery. Apparently, I am not the only person who has theorized that Batman/Bruce Wayne is a Jew-ish character.
Check out this 2005 piece, “Bat-Mentsch” by Alan Oirich in the Jewish World Review:
The Dark Knight, as he has come to be called, is not generally considered to have such transparently Jewish beginnings as, say, Superman whose escape from Krypton was based on the story of Moses in exodus, or Fantastic Four’s The Thing, who was officially outed as a member of the Jewish people in a comic book a couple of years ago.
But there have always been some Jewish underpinnings to Batman, and the newly released origin film “Batman Begins” addresses some of them in a way that previous films about the character never came near. If Superman is a Moses, a Samson, then the newly begun Batman is An Abraham, A Pinchas, a Maccabee…
Read the rest here.
By Jeff Smith, on Wed May 11, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET Last week I wrote about congressional redistricting, and the messy inter- and intra-party hostility it engenders – and is currently sparking in my home state of Missouri.
Congressman Russ Carnahan And as hypothesized, more hostility developed in Missouri following the Legislature’s override of Governor Nixon’s veto of the map. Because Missouri lost a seat during the apportionment process, the new map divides up Congressman Russ Carnahan’s district among four other districts, and Rep. Carnahan has been lashing out – first a few weeks ago at his fellow Missouri Democrat Rep. Lacy Clay, and then a few days ago at another Missouri Dem, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, for going along with the decimation of his district. Of course, he is more privately seething at the four Democratic members of the state House who defected and voted for the override.
Does anyone really think Rep. Carnahan would be working to kill the map if the Republican Legislature had proposed to divide Rep. Clay’s district four ways and force him to run in an overwhelmingly white district? If you do, you’ve probably never seen Jane Elliot’s famed Brown Eyes, Blue Eyes experiment – and you don’t know much about human nature. Instincts for self-preservation are strong, power intoxicating, and race often wielded as a tool to gain and maintain it.
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Now, surely Rep. Carnahan is angry at the Republicans for drawing these maps, but that anger is mild: he had to have expected it from them. Carnahan’s more visceral fury has been directed at his co-partisans.
Read the rest of…
Jeff Smith: Dirty Tricks: On Race, Redistricting, and Stalking Horses
By Stephanie Doctrow, RP Staff, on Wed May 11, 2011 at 10:00 AM ET New York Times writer David Colman discusses being a recovering alcoholic in the age of Facebook. Is anonymity in Alcoholics Anonymous even possible anymore? [NY Times]
On Monday, the United States’ first full face transplant patient went home from the hospital (note to the squeamish: this article contains pictures). [CNN]
For the first time this year, World Press Photo is awarding multimedia in its annual competition. One of the finalists is Blanco, an Italian project that explores blindness around the world. [Time]
After their capture of Bin Laden, the Navy SEALs are officially the United States’ coolest soldiers. [Newsweek]
Someone that’s probably recovering from a great week: the kid in this video. He’s got game! [Youtube]
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