[Trigger warning for homophobia, sexual violence, Christian Supremacy.]
"There isn't one single civilization that has survived that had openly embraced homosexuality. So you say, 'What's going to happen to America?' Well, if history is any guide, the same thing's gonna happen to us."—Pat Robertson, professional gay-hating wankstain, on his comedy show The 700 Club, after New York enacted marriage equality.
I think we need to remember the term 'sodomy' came from a town known as Sodom, and Sodom was destroyed by God Almighty, and the thing that they practiced was homosexual activity, and even they tried to rape angels who came down there, so that's the kind of people they were. But, uh, beyond that, Jesus didn't—when He spoke of Sodom, he didn't say anything about the homosexuality; he talked about just the fact that business was as usual until God decided to destroy it. And he sent an angel down there, and he said to Lot and his family, 'Get out now 'cause I'm gonna destroy this whole area.' So, that's where sodomy came from. We use the term sodomy, and it means Sodom. What's it like? Well, we're heading that way as a nation. In history, there's never been a civilization ever in history that has embraced homosexuality and turned away from traditional fidelity, traditional marriage, traditional child-rearing, and has survived. There isn't one single civilization that has survived that had openly embraced homosexuality. So you say, "What's going to happen to America?" Well, if history is any guide, the same thing's gonna happen to us. [edit] It's not a pretty world we live in right now, and we need all of God's help we can get, and I don't think we are exactly setting ourselves up for his favor.
Consumer spending was flat in May, breaking a string of 10 straight months of gains, as households struggled with rising prices and automakers failed to deliver the models Americans wanted.
When adjusted for inflation, spending slipped 0.1 percent, the Commerce Department said on Monday, falling for a second straight month.
The report, which showed underlying inflation quickening, suggested that consumer spending would offer little support to the economy in the second quarter.
Well, that's pretty much the noest of all the doys.
Hey, I've got an idea to stimulate the economy: Legalize same-sex marriage nationally. The average amount spent on a wedding in the US is $25,000, which doesn't even include the cost of a honeymoon or any jewelry that may be exchanged before and/or as part of the ceremony.
Hey, I've got another idea to stimulate the economy: Stop chipping away at Roe. Give women access to affordable birth control and abortion so that they can have the most control over their reproduction possible, which will give them more disposable income.
Hey, I've got yet another idea to stimulate the economy: Amnesty for undocumented workers. Let's offer citizenship to immigrant and migrant workers who don't have it, but want it, providing them easier opportunities to obtain credit, invest, and make large, long-term purchases.
Hey, I've got a fourth idea to stimulate the economy: Legalize weed. Not only would legalizing weed provide new business opportunities for entrepreneurs (and thus new jobs) and create a whole new industry for a legal, taxable product, but it would also eliminate the wasteful spending of extended sentences in for-profit prisons for pot busts.
Et fucking cetera.
I could do this all day. Social justice is inextricably linked to a robust economy. We don't just need progressive economic policies; we also need progressive social policies to empower marginalized people economically as well as legally.
The lovely Ms. Anna, 3, holds a sign with her mom, Shaker Westsidebecca, during a rally Saturday in Syracuse to celebrate marriage equality in New York State. At left in adorbz polka-dot dress is Ms. Anna's other mom, Eastsidekate. Photograph by Lauren Long for The Post-Standard. Posted with the family's permission.
So, Friday night, the New York State legislature voted to legalize same-sex marriage in New York. This has already been much-discussed in the Open Threads, but I wanted to offer a dedicated thread for the decision, too.
There was much rejoicing at Shakes Manor Friday night, not only because we are fervent supporters of marriage equality generally, but because we have New York peeps, including family, who are personally positively effected by this decision.
On a personal level, I blubbed my face off.
On a political level, well, I blubbed my face off. But I also observed: "The fact is, in New York tonight, there are Republicans to the left of Obama on marriage equality." This is something that did not escape the notice of the New York Times editors, either. Their editorial "Gay Marriage: Where's Mr. Obama?" is really very good.
Fundamental equality, however, is hardly the equivalent of a liquor law that can vary on opposite sides of a state line. Why is Mr. Obama so reluctant to say the words that could lend strength to a national effort now backed by a majority of Americans?
The US is ready for marriage equality. This is the time.
During Clarence Thomas' confirmation hearings, one of the topics of discussion was his history of sexually harassing women. This was an issue for a couple of reasons. First, sexually harassing women is wrong. Second, if you're the kind of privileged asshole who thinks it's okay to violate women's autonomy, there's a good chance that you'll be an abusive and generally fucked-up Supreme Court Justice.
We all know how that worked out.
Poorly.
I'm not going to go all Weiner on you, but permit me to be the nth person to assert that it's pretty hard to trust a man in power who abuses women.
Claiming the privilege to abuse people in one's private life (or public life), and using one's political privilege to abuse people are two manifestations of the same fundamental disease. Violence against women is a political issue, then, not only because HOLY SHIT ABUSING WOMEN IS WRONG, but also because government is, or damn well should be, about people working together to make sure everyone's needs are met. It's about respect.
Sadly, I'm not terribly surprised to hear about the latest case of a governmental leader who cares fuck all about justice abusing women.
Today's example is Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser. You may recall that he just won a hotly-contested re-election bid. You may also recall that he sided with a four-to-three conservative majority in ruling that Republican legislators' secretive and outrageous disenfranchisement of many Wisconsinites was a-okay. Bully for bullying!
Prosser acknowledged...that he called Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson a "bitch" and threatened to "destroy" her during a closed-door meeting...
"In the context of this, I said, 'You are a total bitch," Prosser said. "I probably overreacted, but I think it was entirely . . . warranted". [Emphasis mine.]
Over the weekend, Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley reported that Prosser put her into a headlock during the um, deliberations on the above four-to-three decision.
If the latest allegations are true, Judge Prosser needs to resign.
If you think my political beliefs are the reason I'm calling for Prosser's resignation, you're right. People who hold public office should be in the business of respecting others. If that's not a succinct description of my political philosophy, I don't know what is.
1. My garbage governor, Mitch Daniels, is still not running for president. Phew.
2. His garbage governance is still being considered a model of Republican leadership to be rolled out in statehouses across this nation. Eek.
By the way, despite Republican's constantly touting the "success" of Daniels' highway privatization scheme, I will just note, as a user of the privatized highway, that I used to be able to drive to Chicago on the Indiana Toll Road for 80 cents. Since it has been privatized a couple years ago, it now costs 3 times that, the quality of the road has significantly diminished, and the toll booths have been automated and all the booth attendants put out of work. SUCCESS!
Hey, remember when I posted that video of President Obama being very cute with a baby? And remember when Shaker everstar said, "Maybe if we as constituents put on diapers and bawled our heads off...?" And remember when we all "liked" that comment and thought it was so funny? Well, now is the time to stop laughing and start stocking up on nappies (which is what the Founding Fathers called them) because that idea was actually genius. EVIDENCE:
Video Description: President Obama sits in his limo with two young white children, a girl and a boy. He hands the phone handset to the boy and asks, "Who do you want to call?" (The phone is corded, btw. POTUS Code Name: Mannix!) The boy answers, "Uh, I'm gonna call my mom's cell." The president responds, "All right. Let's see if she picks up." Pause. "Did she pick up?" asks the girl. "Is it ringing?" asks the president. The boy tells him it's gone to her voicemail, and the president tells him to leave a message. "Hi, mom," says the boy into the phone. "I'm in the president's—Mr. President's car." Obama laughs; it's almost a giggle. "Soooo," the boy continues, "call me! It's really cool." He hands the phone to the president, who says, "All right—bye!" and hangs up.
Please, Mr. President, do some policying that makes me like you this much!
"Wouldn't you prefer a nice game of COME UP WITH A NEW IDEA AND STOP PILFERING IDEAS FROM MY CHILDHOOD IN A DESPERATE BID TO AVOID GLOBAL THERMONUCLEAR CREATIVE BANKRUPTCY?"
I took this picture while I, Mother of the Year candidate that I am, let my daughter play in the East River (she's fine). I like the picture so much, a few months back I made it my computer wallpaper.
This morning, I was staring at my monitor, thinking about Albany, and it struck me. If the New York State Senate approves gay marriage, same-sex couples will be allowed to marry in New York. I'm slow on the uptake, sometimes.
Now, not to overlook the fact that millions of folks live Upstate or on Long Island, but New York City is pretty special. CENTER OF THE KNOWN UNIVERSE special.
I grew up hating New York, because as every child of the Midwest knows, everybody in New York City is the villain from a 1980s movie. Also: Yankees suuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
Having actually spent time in The City at this point in my life, I now know that exactly one of those two assertions is incorrect.
I've now met tons of ex-New Yorkers. I've learned from their [TW for ableist language. video opens at link] culture, or more to the point, cultures. It's definitely made me a better person.
I've learned to accept that the dominant culture in the US doesn't seem to fully appreciate fly-over land. Whatever, assholes. That just leaves more corn for us. (And if you think the Midwest is all corn, permit me to remind you: Yankees suuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.)
Having lived abroad, I'm pretty aware that the United States is actually comprised of two states: New York and San Angeles. It's struck me that most folks seem to have very strong feelings, one way or another, about those states.
And honestly, New York (which as far as most of the planet is concerned is a city attached to some vestigial wilderness) is the most American part of America. I don't mean that in a good way, or a bad way. It's just that New York is legendary as this Triangle Shirtwaist-Bodega-Coney Island-Gordon Gecko-Harlem Renaissance kinda place.
When I think of the original thirteen colonies, I recall New England as being run by Jesus types-- not the fun Jesus-types, mind you, but the boring-ass Stephen King kind. Virginia talked a good game, but I'm not so sure they ever wanted to be American in the first place. And as much as I love Pennsylvania, it's precisely the sort of cheap knockoff that you'd buy from some guy on Canal Street.
In other words, in the eyes of the world, New York is the United States. Sure, that's a colossal misconception, but when you consider the number of US residents whose ancestors called New York home at some point, I can think of more outlandish statements.
Sooner or later, gay couples in New York City, the densely populated expanse the world so often conflates with a state and a nation, will be allowed to marry.
As important as marriage equality is, it also has its own symbolic qualities. It is not the endgame in the struggle for universal human rights.
Marriage equality in New York, is, however, a big step in the right direction. Consider the alternative. What does the lack of equality in New York OF ALL PLACES say to the world about the US as a country?
Gov. Rick Perry received a tepid response when he addressed the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials on Thursday, joking about the pronunciation of a Hispanic appointee's last name and frequently staring blankly at the audience when they failed to respond to his conservative applause lines.
...[A] joke about how perfect it was to appoint Jose Cuevas to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission because his name sounds like Jose Cuervo - a brand of tequila - fell flat. Perry struggled to regain his confidence as he described Texas as a land of opportunity.
"You have a role model you can look up to, someone who proves that any obstacle can be overcome," Perry said. "That is especially true for a Hispanic child in Texas."
Obstacles like your governor making fun of your name, you mean? Or obstacles like this:
Democratic Mayor Julian Castro derided the latest legislative session and Perry's emergency bills, as "the most anti-Latino agenda we've seen in more than a generation, without shame."
Below is the trailer for the new film Footloose, which is a remake of the old film Footloose, except without any of the good stuff, like Kevin Bacon, Kenny Loggins, Dianne Wiest, John Lithgow, and hey look it's Sarah Jessica Parker dancing around with Chris Penn! The new version, which didn't even have the sense to cast Kevin Bacon in the Mean Old Conservative role (or maybe he just had the sense not to accept the offer), basically looks just like the old version, except pointless and terrible.
Teenagers being played by adults are dancing at a party in a barnyard. They are also drinking beer from kegs. A car full of them takes off. The male driver leans over to kiss his girlfriend while he is driving. There is a honk, headlights, and a crash. RIP reckless teens. And, naturally, RIP dancing—as the City Council responds to a drunk-driving accident by criminalizing "public dancing among Bomont's minors." Sure.
Already this movie needs to be thrown in the garbage, and we're 30 seconds into the trailer.
In the original Footloose, there's no elaborate set-up for the dance-ban that is central to the story. It's just a stupid rule supported by a prominent preacher in a small town who's desperately worried about his property getting ruined daughter getting pregnant. (I haven't seen Footloose in awhile, so there may have been a plot thread about Reverend Lithgow's anti-dance fervor partially being a reaction to some tragedy, but, if so, it was limited to his character's motivation, not something shared by the whole town.) And in 1984, that was an entirely believable premise; in fact, the story was loosely based on real events in a town in Oklahoma.
Almost thirty years later, though there are certainly small, rural towns in which stuff like that still happens, they tend to be towns so cloistered and isolated and anachronistic that teenage residents don't even have access to the pop culture that's being banned. The whole concept doesn't really work anymore. So, okay, new variation on the concept needed. Fair enough. But if you don't want everyone with a brain barfing on your movie, you've got to do better than "fuddy-duddies overreact to car crash—and entire town inexplicably goes along with BANNING DANCING." Nope!
Don't insult us, Footloose 2011.
Anyway, Ren arrives in Bomont, pop. 19,300, according to the welcome sign, way too many people for how small-town this small town is supposed to be, further undermining the incredible premise that the City Council could unilaterally ban underage dancing. He has come to live with his aunt and uncle and two little girl cousins, who think he's the coolest cat, no doy.
His uncle gives him a broken-down VW Beetle, the same one that everyone has laying around their garages in the movies, and tells Ren it's all his if he can fix it up. Which, naturally, he can, because all teenage boys are mechanics.
Ren goes to school. The preacher's daughter's friend thinks he's cute. Because of his Boston, or possibly Australian, accent, his soon-to-be-BFF Willard thinks Ren talks funny. (Wait—is this really a remake of Grease 2? Because that would cool.) Montagery. Ren and the preacher's daughter observe each other from various distances and make "witty" observations about each other. She takes him to a secret dance, where they bump and grind.
There is not the sound of a scratching record, because none of the people in this movie or likely to buy tickets to this movie have ever seen a record ("What is that—a Blu-Ray for dinosaurs?"), but THERE SHOULD BE! Because the Reverend Dennis Quaid (yup) has shown up at the totally-not-remotely-secret dance party where everyone is dancing SO HARD! The Reverend Quaid looks disappointed.
He takes his daughter home and asks her what he's going to do with her. She back-talks him and slams her bedroom door in his face. He stands there impotently. Good job, Reverend Dad!
Ren learns about the car crash. A cop tells him to get his "cheap thrills" (sure) "outside of Bomont." As if cars drive that far!
Ren becomes a pro-dance activist. The Reverend Quaid tells his daughter he's heard Ren is trouble. The cop who hassles Ren seems to agree. Gosh, this town stinks!
Ren dances angry. Hello there, iconic scene from the original Footloose! Psst, if you are going to invite comparisons to the classic film you're remaking, you'd better be sure that your new star is at least as charismatic as the old star. Whoooooooooooooops! All I can think of is Kevin Bacon and how he is not being lived up to!
Also: I'm a little bit thinking of Bret McKenzie. In any case, I am NOT thinking, "This movie looks really good."
Montage of scenes from the movie. Fighting. Kissing. Iconic maroon prom jacket. Etc. There is literally no mystery or surprise. It's not a trailer—it's a synopsis. Normally, I would make some snarky comment here about how I don't even need to see the film now, except this is a remake of a film that is still constantly shown on television and everyone has seen dozens of times, so NO ONE NEEDS TO SEE THIS FILM. At all. Ever. Just watch the original. The end.
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