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You are what you read. And what you see. And what you hear.
I am Heath.
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Friday, March 29, 2002
Guestimonial II Yesterday I watched Noam Chomsky in "Manufacturing Consent" three times as I was programming. The programming came to nothing much; I'm trying to figure out MIDI functions using Java. Anyway, I'm thinking of becoming an activist. What an inspirational story. Of course, the whole time I was thinking of Media Diet and how great it is that I can use the Internet now (it wasn't nearly as possible in 1992, and I wonder what Noam has to say of the possibilities). But it is only useful if people communicate: what happened to me today, what happened to you. Well, thanks Heath for this forum. I now listen to WUMB-FM's folk shows on Live365. I bet you can hear my local station KBOO-FM online too. I had a resolution of sailing at least once a week. I think I'll amend writing to Heath and Media Diet, if he takes it. -- Rob Upson Humor Me IV Pow! Magazine #2, November 1966, Humor-Vision Inc., NYC, NY (bimonthly, 30 cents) Publisher: Robert C. Sproul Editor: Milton Duggan Production: Ray Brunshaw Artists and Writers: Andy Dutton, Ward Williams, Thomas Lorton, Vic Twinner, Shirley Saunders, Ben K. Lorton, Frank Frumkin, Arlene Peyton, Charlie Place, Mel Craft, Arnie Brickmush, and Iggy Noonan Water Cooler: supplied by the Gunga Den Wet Water West Company Inc. Cover: John Severin image of Powman! running toward an out-of-order telephone booth as a giant lizard monster tramples through town. Cover lines: Humor-Vision Presents; A Monstrous Barrage of Mighty Mirth!; The Magazine That Contains Instant Laughs; Fab Bonus -- A Crazy Champ "Camp" Certificate Inside front cover... Photo funnies including a scene from Dr. Terror's House of Horrors. Best joke: "Which hand has the M&M's?" p. 4 Pow! Mail Call Reader letters about features in #1 p. 5 Super Heros in Advertising d/McCartney... Products are pitched by a Captain Marvel-like superhero, Buttman and Nick O'Teen, and Wonder Peddler p. 9 Like It's Happening Now! Photo funnies aiming at iced tea, tennis, and baseball cards include scenes from Hercules and the Princess of Troy and Dr. Terror's House of Horrors p. 10 Camping Out d/Richard Doxsee... The outdoors life is funny. And scary p. 12 Ultra Realistic Dolls d/McCartney... Action figures and their accessories based on racketeers, beatniks, communists, Wall Street brokers, Bridget Bardot, college basketball players, and vampires p. 16 I Wake Up Screening! d/Golden... TV makes it necessary to edit movies' original widescreen. Now that's funny! p. 20 Pow's Pix Strike Again! Photo funnies jab at Kentucky, hair dye, and the Chinese mafia p. 21 The Man on the Ledge d/McCartney... The South will rise again! p. 22 Handshakes d/Will Elder(?)... Hip grips for doctors, prizefighters, panhandlers, bowlers, hitchhikers, modern artists, farmers, bartenders, and drama critics p. 24 Build This Beautful Color TV Set How not to make a TV p. 26 Robbin Hood and His Band of Merrie Men d/Will Elder(?)... What if Robin Hood weren't so pure? p. 29 Phone Services for Tots and Teens d/John Severin... Sexy, sexy toe dialing; pocketbook phones; monster fan phones; health faddist phones; and other telecommunications innovations. Additionally, Telephone roulette and classroom services p. 34 G.I. Remember Those Days! Photo funnies drawing on U.S. Army stock photography. Best joke: "Play 'Melancholy Baby'!! (Hic!!)" p. 36 Dinosaurs Are Sweeping the Country d/John Forte p. 38 More Nuts A-Go-Go! Five gag panels by Don Orehek, O'Brien, and others p. 39 Fresh, Fast & Funny! Photo funnies featuring scenes from Dr. Terror's House of Horrors and Crack in the World. Best joke: "Of course I don't know how to do the frug. This is 1809, remember?" p. 40 The Testimonial Dinner d/Burgos... It turns into a roast once the chef's son perfects the truth serum p. 42 Stories of the Month d/Kirschen... Three strips about a panhandler. Rather Snappy Answers for Stupid Questions in quality Inside back cover... Two photo funnies from Cat Ballou and Dr. Terror's House of Horrors Extras: Pow's Fun Premium, a camp certificate that recognizes the bearer for collecting kitsch such as a banjo pick used by Eddie Peabody Marginalia: "I bet I've been in 20,000 phone booths during my lifetime. Would you believe 5,000?" -- Superman; Q: "Why does Batman wear a yellow belt?" A: "To hold up his blue shorts!"; Q: "Where does King Kong sleep?" A: "Anywhere he wants to, buddy!"; Q: "For which newspaper does Brenda Starr work?" A: "Whichever paper buys the strip!"; Q: "How tall is Dagwood?" A: "About 25 sandwiches high!"; Q: "How old is Little Orphan Annie?" A: "12... going on 37!"; Q: "How old is Prince Valiant?" A: "XXI!"; Q: "What's Mandrake the Magician's greatest trick?" A: "Making all those other magician comic strips disappear!"; Q: "Why does Dick Tracy wear a yellow hat?" A: "To hold up his black hair;" Q: "Why does Tarzan always yell, 'Aaawwhoo?'" A: "Because the lion skin he wears itches!"; Q: "Does Terry always battle the pirates?" A: "No. Sometimes he plays against the Dodgers and the Mets!"; Q: "How tough is Steve Canyon?" A: "Tough enough to get into 1,000 newspapers!" Humor Me III Pow! Magazine #1, August 1966, Humor-Vision Inc., NYC, NY (bimonthly, 30 cents) Publisher: Robert C. Sproul Editor: Milton Duggan Production: Ray Brunshaw Artists and Writers: Andy Dutton, Victor Martin, Donald Austin, Bill King, Shirley Saunders, Ben K. Lorton, Fred Quimmby, Arlene Peyton, Charlie Place, John Carterson, and Mel Craft Coffee Breaks: catered by the Godzilla-Fream Gypsy Tea Room Cover: John Severin image of fighting television and movie actors. Cover lines: It's Loaded with Exploding Humor!; Collector's Edition -- Special Giant Summer Issue!; A Wacky Look at Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow!; Free Bonus! Travel Stickers That Go-go-go! Inside front cover... Photo funnies featuring fight scenes, including one from Hercules and the Princess of Troy. Best joke: "The tiger in the tank just ate the muffler!" p. 4 Pow! Mail Call Reader letters "swiped" from Lifee, Saturday Evening Pest, and Newsweak addressing Mickey Mantle; Kalamazoo, Michigan; Truman Capote; Santa Claus; Sonny and Cher; and socks p. 5 Super Hero Confidential d/Vic Martin... Details of the trials and tribulations of Powman! as he goes to jail, tries the dating scene, joins the military, causes a labor dispute, and becomes an advertising pitchman p. 10 Pow! Puts You in the Laughing Seat Photo funnies featuring scenes from Crack in the World and Seaside Swingers. Best joke: "I sure hope this bomb doesn't go off. I just bought a long-playing record!" p. 11 Mail This Risky Coupon Now! Fake ad for Johnson Smith-like correspondence courses and products. Learn how to make short men look tall, and "don't make these here mistakes in English" p. 12 Alfred Hitchshnook Presents Hitch himself gets into a fight with the advertising sponsor from Benro Wrist Watches before presenting the Case of the Case. The sponsor offs him before the Sherlockian sleuth can even get to Melvin's ancestral castle in King's-County-on-the-Thames p. 15 Arrowed Shirts for the Smart Looking Man d/Don Orehek... Fake ad. Best jokes: "Just flip flap over folded flap and flip on board," and "Packed by real Indians. Worn by real men" p. 16 How to Play Pool d/John Severin... Billiards how to addressing trick shots, distractions, game strategy, hustlers, and equipment p. 20 Wacky Inventions d/Don Sinnott... Blueprints and usage examples for a boomerang book, personalized tornado kit, all-commercial TV set, and other imagined products p. 22 The Airline with the Most d/John Severin... Fake ad extolling Ignited Air Line's DC-9 Jet Brainliner's comfort, service, and imported Swiss ski jump. Nice Bob Dobbs image p. 24 Historical Telegrams... That Never Got There Bitter riffs on the Titanic, American flag, Custer's last stand, Gettysburg address, Dewey v. Truman, Paul Revere's midnight ride, the Hindenberg disaster, and other events p. 26 Remember! Forest Fires Can Prevent Bears! d/Russ Heath... Poster that depicts, well, guess p. 27 Pow's Pix!! Photo funnes making fun of the Japanese, wash-and-wear clothing, and medical insurance p. 28 Digest Magazines d/John Severin... Four spoofs of Reader's Digest aimed at monsters, cotton pickers, psychotics, and soldiers. Best article titles: "Putting profit into blood," "Union sluts aren't in vogue," "After the truth serum, what?" and "We don't say fall out around here" p. 32 Have Grunion; Will Travel d/G. Peltz... A Fish Police-like Western. Yawn p. 35 Nuts A Go-Go Five gag panels by Don Orehek, Pete Wyman, and some guy named O'Brien. His strips on bar life and sign painting are the best p. 36 Quiz Time The puzzle pieces don't match up, but it's supposedly C. Aubrey Smith. Uh, ha? p. 37 Zwordo d/Burgos... Zorro parody poking at, oh, this is horrible p. 40 Grins That Won the West! Photo funnies including scenes from Stagecoach and Seaside Swingers. Best joke: "It may not look like much, but I get 20 miles to a bag of oats!" p. 42 Stories of the Month d/Kirschen... Three silly but well-drawn strips about coffee, upstairs neighbors, and the postal service Inside back cover... Fake cigarette ad Extras: Pow's Power-Packed Premium, ungummed travel stickers imprinted with jokes riffing on Spain, the Bronx, and Canada Marginalia: "Show me a man who can smile when everything goes wrong, and I'll show you Smilin' Jack!" Tailspin Tommy; "I wish I had a crew cut!" Prince Valiant; "Sure wish Al Capp would buy me a new pair of pants! I jus don't look neat!" Li'l Abner; "I'm not really such a bad kid, once you get to know me!" Dennis the Menace; "Last week, I took a walk in the park and almost got lost!" Mark Trail; "I had a girl in every port, but the trouble was that they all looked like Olive Oyl!" Popeye; "It's not fair! They won't let me get out of the Army!" Beetle Bailey; "You won't believe it, but when I was a lad, I wanted to be a fireman instead of a policeman!" Dick Tracy; "I wish I had enough money to buy my own telephone booth!" Superman; "Wanna know something? I like steak much better than corn beef and cabbage!" Jiggs; "I've been in high school for so many years, I'll soon be collecting social security!" Archie; "How's tricks? How's tricks? All day long, that's all people ask me!" Mandrake the Magician; "I bet I spend $20 a week on sandwich meat alone!" Blondie; "My father was an old newspaperman, but he gave it up. There was no money in old newspapers!" Brenda Starr; "I must be growing up. Yesterday, I carried Little Orphan Annie's books home from school!" Dondi Humor Me II Grin #3, April 1973, APAG House Publications Inc., NYC, NY (40 cents) Presented by Gerald Rothberg Cover: d/ Tony Tallarico. Cover lines: The American Funny Book; Salute to the Stars -- Little Richard & Dr. K; Film of the Year -- Deliverancid; Book of the Year -- Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Sex; Plus: The Teeny Weenie Boppers. p. 7 Deliverancid (or Up Creek Without a Paddle) w/D.J. Arneson, d/Henry Scarpell... A shallow interpretation of the "message movie" Deliverance, which seems to be about a river that's about to be dammed and four men who set out to find it -- and themselves. Best joke: "Ya ate a bear whole? Nope, just the bear." p. 16 Grin Predicts w/D.J. Arneson, d/Tony Tallarico... The satire mag's predictions for 1973 blend stock art and illustrations to touch on law enforcement, commerce, Disneyworld, gender relations, fine art, lifestyle sports, and militarism. Two weak acupuncture jokes indicate it was all the rage p. 20 Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (So Why Didn't You Ask Already?) w/John Norment, d/Tony Tallarico... An alphabetical analysis of Woody Allen's approach to the subject. Tallarico's interesting blend of photos and illos pokes fun at celibacy, STD's, phone booth graffiti, Henry Kissinger, the Supreme Court, geishas, and Chinese restaurants. A war reference makes me wonder whether the racist bits were inspired by the Vietnam War p. 25 Pollution Is a Nine Letter Word w/D.J. Arneson, d/Al Scaduto... The prolific Arneson and long-active Scaduto team up to eke some humor out of environmentalism. The Mad-like look at reuse and recycling elbow abandoned refrigerators, hair implants, the wastefulness of disposable batteries, and used records. The decidedly unfunny piece fails to comment on the pros or cons of recycling or surprise the reader with innovative inventions. Still notable for its Mad influence -- and Scaduto p. 28 The Teeny Weenie Boppers w/Fred Wolfe, d/Jose Delbo... Pre-pubescent musical superstars bump up against hard rock musicians in a popcult panning of societal mores in music, the duplicity of the pop music industry, slang, and innocence p. 31 King Richard and Frankenkissinger w/Joe Kiernam, d/Tony Tallarico... A half-assed musical parody set in Transylvania in which Dick Nixon creates a Kissinger-esque monster who can't solve the economic and societal problems in the kingdom. Lots of one-liners. Best joke: "What about our air? It's so thick, birds are walking south for the winter." OK; that's a two-liner p. 37 Knowstalgia d/Al Scaduto... Cometbus-esque lettering opens this piece, which is a forward-thinking look at nostalgia. The economics of free sex, gender roles in the home, Kissinger, hair transplants, Ralph Nader, celibacy, cross-dressing, and aging pornographers all receive a drubbing p. 40 Battycek w/Fred Wolfe, d/Jack Abel... The movie-cum-TV Polish detective Banacek is parodied. Ethnic jokes flow heavily while the actual humor comes at a trickle Ads: American Cancer Society p. 4, Movie Buys p. 5, Columbia House Tape Club p. 6, Columbia House Record Club p. 48, Circus magazine p. 50 Extras: Calendar featuring Bela Lugosi Dracula stock art and text: Open your hearts; Says poster boy Willie Joe Dracula; Give generously in the privacy of your own home to our 1973 blood drive; Support vampirism in your community; Give on the full moon of every month; Our representative will call on you, just leave a window open Join the Comics Club II Along the same lines of Antony Johnston's recent essay on Ninth Art, Lindsay Duff analyzes some of the comics industry's efforts to attract new readers -- including the upcoming Free Comic Book Day. Lindsay states that instead of trying to lure comic-book newcomers into comic shops -- decidedly unfriendly and arcane places for people not already comfortable in them -- we need to address other aspects of comic retail and fandom. Things like: All good points, but I don't think Lindsay goes far enough. We need to stop thinking about bringing people who don't read comic to comics and into comic shops -- and instead think about creating comics that can find a home outside of direct sales outlets. Let's get comics into libraries. Let's get comics into schools. Let's get comics into book stores. This isn't about comic shops. It's about making good comics. Join the Comics Club Antony Johnston makes an interesting suggestion to the comics industry: Take some cues from record and book clubs -- and the media tie-in reading habits of Babylon Five fans -- to create a club for comic book readers. It's an interesting idea -- but one that already exists in several ways. If you frequent a comic shop, you can already sign up for their pull service and "subscribe" to titles you buy frequently. Also, through online and mail-based services such as Comics Now, Mile High Comics' NICE Subscription Club, and Westfield Comics, people can already subscribe to comics and place special orders as new releases are announced and published. I agree that a Book of the Month Club for comics readers is interesting. But I think the idea needs to be fleshed out more fully before it's a better method than, say, Westfield. Of course, that's only if such a club is aimed at people already reading comics or frequenting comics shops. Antony's right that another model might work better for folks immersed in other pop culture adjacent to comics. But even if that's the case, if you look at science-fiction digests such as Asimov's and Analog, while they do have ads for the Sci-Fi Channel, the book club they advertise is a writing book club -- not the Science Fiction Book Club. That strikes me as odd. Does the Sci-Fi Channel advertise Asimov's? I'd be surprised. Rock Shows of Note IX Andi has posted some pictures of the Also-Rans festivities Tuesday. There's even one of me, mugging in my usual manner. Your Local Use-Paper II Kudos to the San Francisco Chronicle for a recent Question Man column that tapped into Bay Area residents on the question, "If you were a reporter, what would you write about?" Newspapers and magazines do focus groups all the time to gauge how they're doing and what their readers and potential readers are thinking, needing, and doing. But it's rare that publications actually share what people said -- in print for other readers to see. I hope this isn't just a one-time thing. Thursday, March 28, 2002
Music to My Ears VI A three-pack of new record reviews! Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: "The Tyranny of Distance" CD I've held off on reviewing this local record because, well, it's not what I expect from Lookout! and its Bay Area pop-punk past and because Ted didn't really resonate with me at first. I've yet to see the Pharmacists live, but on record, Ted has always hit me as a Paul Heaton-meets-Push Kings power pop wunderkind (a la Grand Royal's Ben Lee, who doesn't remind me of the aforementioned folks, but still). Now, in part thanks to Brad's accolades, I'm giving Ted another chance. Color me a push over, but the record's not bad! In fact, it's amazing. There's a lot of mersh pop superheroics that I'm sure the Harvard-bred-yet-Bay Area-transplanted Push Kings wish they were party to, but Ted's catchy, slightly kitschy and solid pop phenomenon is quite impressive. Take "Parallel or Together"'s bubblegum repetition and, damn it, lyrical direction toward my ex. Nice sax (I think) in "Under the Hedge." And "Timorous Me" nods toward Ben Folds, sans piano, and "Stove by a Whale" recalls Brett Rosenberg's Kinks leanings. "The Great Communicator" is the Replacements plus the Tar Babies with some Morrisey vocals mixed in. The record is that weird, and I don't know why I dismissed it at first. Maybe it's the insidious influence of Brad and Amie. Massive Distribution: CompHellation 2000 CD-R My CD player at home wouldn't play this at first, but it did eventually. The comp opens up with a burst of crowd noise and a sample, and Elf P's "The Pond Song" is an unimpressive lo-fi dirge. Godbuls' "Live at the Green St." is a more interesting smidge of crowd noise, segueing into Donkey Disaster's "Let's Rock," reminding me of the early Runt of the Litter comps and Bill T. Miller's "Heavy Hardcore Headroom" comp, which helped launch Toxic Narcotic and Showcase Showdown. This comp is a mix of the categoric comp and the freeform fantastic. "What's fantastic?" you ask. A good question. I listened to this comp so you don't have to. Deerhoof's brief Suzanne Vega-like vocals on "Live at HappyPunk" are interesting, as is Devil Music's spoof of Karate's post-rock posturing (unintended, perhaps). Tunnel of Love's Slim Cessna-esque approach to the death song "California" is a highlight. Other neat bits: 2000 Flushes' amateurish scratching and beat boxing; the Judd$' bad-ass, cut-off country caterwauling; the Frogs' brief Fugs-led-by-Sander Hicks imposition; Jimmy Cousin's "Hole in My Hat;" Tristan Dunster's Maestro Subgum-manhandled opera "Male Sexuality;" J.K.'s "Sun Theme" and its guitar-driven revelations; Stinky Treats' "Love Them Ho's"' undersung Beastie Boys beatifics; and X-Members' wind-ridden "Left and Right Speakers." This comp is similar in many ways to Darryl's Black Apple comps. Thank the gods that we have Massive Distro now that Darryl's moved to LA. A good look under the covers of the Boston indie-rock, hip-hop, and no-wave scenes. Call 617-427-3267 for more information. The Eric Zinman Trio CD-R Eric begrudgingly lent me some tapes to issue on my now-defunct cassette label Tulip Tapes years ago, so I'm rather psyched that he's finally released his own CD. Featuring Laurence Cook on drums and Craig Schildhauer on bass, this set of piano trio recordings captures much of the original tape, given that it was recorded in 1996, before I moved to Massachusetts. I'm guessing that Eric remixed and mastered many of the original sessions to release this. "Lightning" is a quick hit at five minutes, and "Shopping" is a playful ode to what might be Eric's favorite pastime (given that he lived near the glass-encased Chestnut Hill Mall when I first sat in his living room to learn about the history of and players in the Boston jazz scene back in 1996 or 1997). I'm trying not to make Ahmad Jamal or Keith Jarrett comparisons, but Lowell Davidson's "Stately" begs their mention. Eric doesn't deal in your average pinky-twinkly piano jazz, but his music isn't overly exciting or enervating. The ending of "On Demand" gets somewhat intense, and the opening to "Marx Brothers" is OK, as is that piece's drum work and the little bit of chaos at the end, but for the most part, I think that this is background music. Background music infused with subtle humor, yes, but nothing that's too far forward. Read But Dead V Misleading headline alert! Do not be fooled by Media Bistro's proclamation that long-missed megazine Ben Is Dead is not dead. It still is, as far as I know. But the Bistro uses that teaser of a headline to top off Bill Lessard's study of blogging's roots in the zine world. The dude knows his history and context, name dropping Obscure, Crank, Murder Can Be Fun, and Factsheet Five as precursors to Web sites such as Memepool, Metafilter, and Kuro5hin. His kitchy pop commentary on '80s icons such as Miami Vice and Mad Max hampers the impact of his parallel, relegating zines to the cute and quaint bin, but on the whole, the connections are valid and visible. Now, if only Bunnyhop would relaunch. That'd be a reincarnation I'd be quite pleased to see. The Perfect Pitch I guess I'm surprised to see this given the state of publishing and freelancing these days, but Media Bistro features a helpful how to on pitching stories to Inc. magazine, Fast Company's sister publication. The piece looks at recent changes in the magazine, as well as the book's architecture, suggesting that freelances query based on feature category and section. Good luck getting pieces placed! Rules for Fools IV Rule No. 6: If they change the security code on the door to your office, you need to start using the new security code. The old security code won't work. It'll probably take me a few days to get this one down. Mary Mattrimony Sigh! Two relatively recent friends (meaning I've just started to get to know them) are getting married. They're the cutest indie-rock couple ever, and they've known each other for a looong time. Congratulations! NextGen Journalism Dan Gillmor experienced an epiphany at PC Forum. He's calling next-generation journalism Journalism 3.0 (yawn; and thanks a lot Esther for promoting this awful naming conceit), and says that its principles include the following ideas: Solid thinking. I'll look for more from Dan on this. Treacher's Pet Project Jim Treacher, creator of Clip-Art Nonsense, just rolled his own blog. One day old, I Know My First Name Is Jim explains why Jim started a blog -- "I started this blog because I was emailing all sorts of stupid crap to people, and it occurred to me that it would be less effort to just start a blog and put it here," and "Everybody else is doing it." -- comments on Michael Moore, makes fun of the French, and recounts some lackluster Oscars jokes. We'll see where this one goes! Wednesday, March 27, 2002
Other People's Reading Piles II Grovel is a new review site out of the UK that's a self-proclaimed "source for graphic novels." On the main page, they feature commentaries on Dave Sim's "Cerebus: High Society," Eddie Campbell's "Alec: The King Canute Crowd" and other, more commercial work such as Alan Moore's "Tom Strong" and Warren Ellis' "Transmetropolitan: Back on the Streets." The reviews aren't overly short, and the editor gives equal consideration to the art and writing. He's also not afraid to call things like he sees 'em -- case in point: his review of Garth Ennis' "Just a Pilgrim." So far, there are just more than 15 reviews up, covering work published between 1986 and 2001, but Grovel hints at a fair future. Among the Literati The Baltimore City Paper profiles Neal Pollack this week, considering his journalistic background, fictional literary persona, the silliness and swagger of self-promotion, and why it's better to act like a rock star than Norman Mailer. Using Your Head A 73-year-old woman got stuck in a newspaper coin-op distribution box outside of an Illinois Wal-Mart. She put some coins in the slot, reached in to get her paper, and the next thing she knew, the door slammed shut, catching on the hood of her coat and trapping her. Initially, a Wal-Mart employee refused to free her, saying that they couldn't give discounts or tamper with the box. After 20 minutes in the cold, store staff finally agreed to release her, popping two quarters in the slot and grumbling that she just didn't want to pay for the paper herself. For her troubles, the woman got a gift certificate and letter of apology from the Wal-Mart manager... and a free month's subscription to the paper. Beware misleadingly humble newspaper honor boxes. They're organizing, and they're out to get us. Bust Goes, Well, Bust II Good news! Despite reports in November 2001 that Bust magazine was going under, it's just not so. According to a recent news release from the fine folks at Bust, even though the mag's previous publisher folded, the staff was able to buy back the name and plans to continue to publish "independent-stylie once more." Expect a new issue this spring. Do yourself and the Bust staff a favor and subscribe to help support one of the best and most interesting megazines around. Theater and the Porn Sindustry Waaay back in January, Kendra and I went to see a reading of my friend Victoria Stewart's play "Live Girls." Directed by Jeremy Johnson at the Market Theater in Cambridge, the reading was done by Carol Parker (in the role of Sarah Brown, a performance artist researching her next piece), Marin Ireland (Sonia Ridge, an erotic performer), Kate Fitz Kelly (Allison, Sarah's assistant), and Dale Place (male voice). "Live Girls" is set in a hotel room during an interview with an erotic performer, as well as on a stage during a performance of the piece that developed out of that interview. Largely, the play is an analysis of the motivations to perform erotically, but the play is also about the interview process and the dramatic elements inherent in an interview. I interviewed Victoria via email. What was the original idea and concept behind Live Girls? Originally the play was the interview between Sarah Brown and Sonia Ridge and the performance that Sarah creates from the interview. As I worked on the play, I started to add more development behind the scenes, especially because people were very interested in the relationship between Allison the assistant and Sarah Brown, the performance artist. How do the relationships between Sarah and Sonia -- and Sarah and Allison -- compare? Do you think there are any parallels in terms of their methods and motivations? I think the similiarities are the issues of exploitation. Sarah, without realizing it (or thinks that it's OK to do so), exploits Sonia in a similar way that she exploits Allison. Everything is the means to her end, and Sarah feels justified. Both Allison and Sonia get theirs back in different ways. Both violate her personally for injustices she has perpetrated on them. I think their betrayals are more serious -- understandable but more vicious. Sarah, a woman who doesn't trust anybody, makes the mistake of trusting them both, not realizing the magnitude of their resentment. Were you inspired by any particular experience, book, or news item in particular? The concept originated when I was working for Anna Deveare Smith, who is a political performance artist who uses interviews as her source material. I do want to take pains to say that the character is not Anna -- I have used no personal information gained from dealing with her. But I was very influenced by the interview process in general, something that we as an audience take as reality, but in fact, in many ways, it is a performance. Interview as performance? Do you think interviewers and interviewees adopt roles during the interview itself? How do you think that happens? Certainly, when you watch someone who knows how to interview, you see a performance. They lean their bodies in or back in a specific way that's meant to get a certain reaction. Often they lean back to say, "You tell me." There's definitely a setting of the scene. The chairs are set up in a specific alignment. They ask the same questions to start off and break the ice, and then they improvise. They're not themselves. They are a blank wall. It's not a conversation. The interviewed is trying to be the wittiest, most glorious side of herself. (Or in Sonia's case, she shows up with a political story -- her victimization by the police -- because that's what she thinks Sarah wants to hear.) People always tell the same stories because they know they tell them well. But what I was interested in was how Sarah peels away the layers of Sonia to make her tell something that she doesn't tell people -- about her father's murder of her mother. I think people fall into roles in an interview because of what they want.The interviewer wants a good story. How can they set the person at ease to get the best story? The interviewed wants to be immortalized in the right way. For instance, right now I'm trying to sound erudite -- whereas if you and I were sitting in a bar, I wouldn't think about trying to sound smart. I would just mouth off. But let me get back to the play's inspiration. One night while working for Anna, i was watching Howard Stern as he interviewed a porn star whose father shot her mother before he killed himself. The two images merged. Porn as real sex vs. reality-based theater and the way one is denigrated by liberals while one is put on a pedestal by the same group of well-educated people. What parallels do you see between porn as performance and reality-based theater as performance? Why do you think one is elevated and the other is denigrated? A huge amount of the draw of reality-based theater, especially confessional theater i.e. "This happened to me: this rape, this injustice," is that an audience says, "That really happened. Wow." If it were in a play, if it were fiction, people would say it was unbelievable. But it's real. So it gets more attention and credibility. (Even though seeing a fictional play may be ultimately more satisfying.) Porn is the same way. Those people are really having sex. (But is porn actually sexier than good fiction?) Porn is great as a metaphor because even though people are really having sex, you can see in the film that it's a job -- the clock is ticking. The connection between art and exploitation is very apparent in porn. But porn gets a bad name because bad things happen to people involved in it. Doing the research, I read a lot of porn actors defending it, but in general they seemed like scarred survivors. They were drawn to it because of something really deep inside them, and this was how they found solace in some way. Certainly, theater has that same draw. You don't make a lot of money. The hours are long. But you work outside of the "normal world." In fact, most theater people (and porn stars) just can't work in the normal world. It drives them around the bend. Also, porn is pretty misognynistic. There's a line in the play that is actually a quote from a porn producer: "Men want to come on the faces of women who reject them." But hey, theater is misogynistic, too. Lastly, there is the sense that one woman shows are often "reality based." For some reason, we don't take women seriously unless they have someone's else's words (or their own tales of victimization) behind them. That was just floated by a feminist professor here when we talked about the play, but I don't know. How did you research the topic and industry? There are a lot of great books about porn. The two the influenced me most were "Coming Attractions" and "A Woman's Right to Pornography" -- especially interviews in both books with Nina Hartley, who is one of the Erotic Eleven, the group of porn stars found guilty of pandering and felony lesbianism, which is the event that Sonia has come to talk about. Tell me more about felony lesbianism. I'm not familiar with that. I don't know much about it, to be honest. But that's the actual charge in the Erotic Eleven case -- that it's a federal crime to be a lesbian? Or to be a lesbian in public? It could be an old law that didn't get taken off the books. In terms of interview-based theater, I was influenced by Anna's book, "Talk To Me," but also the play "The Laramie Project," Moises Kaufman's play about the Matthew Shepard murder and the Vagina Monologues. In general, reality TV was getting hot and heavy at the same time, so every week in the New York Times there was another article about reality-based art. Was there a particular message you were trying to convey with the play? This is the first time I've tried to explain the theme of the play so I may be inarticulate. I think I wanted to question the prevalence of reality-based theater -- why do we as an audience buy into it without questioning the agenda? Obviously, a lot of reality-based work has been heavily manipulated by the author, thus making it artifice. Yet we buy it as truth. For me, the play is also about selling a performance and what happens when money enters art. Even the most noble enterprise is exploitative when money enters the picture and an artist makes money off of someone else's words. (Not like they are getting rich or anything, but there is the sense that because their art is good for us, it's OK that they get the copyright and the royalties.) On an elemental basis, I feel we "get off" on the reality on some level. We like the voyeurism of "This is real," not unlike the way we get off on the reality of porn, that sex is really happening. What happens when it is exposed as artifice -- does it lose its impact? Do you think this is also true for monologists such as Spalding Grey? I do think so. I love Spalding Gray, but a huge amount of the humor is that you think, "You really did that?" He, as far as I know, doesn't disavow his work as a character. I've only seen two of his pieces, and they seem to be about him. That's a part of what makes them work. He also happens to be a great writer. So is Anna. Eve Ensler, I'm not sold on. And you know a huge amount of the Vagina Monologues is this sense of "Wow! Women really talked about their vaginas like that?" Well, no. They didn't. Eve Ensler changed their words a lot. But I think she actually doesn't make a lot of money off of the Vagina Monologues -- she gives away the royalties, lets schools do it for free, etc. The pull of reality is still there. Rock Shows of Note VIII Went to see the Also-Rans last night at the Middle East Upstairs. They played with Carrigan and True Love Always, and it was the auspicious debut of their new CD EP on SincAudio. Their set was great. Chris and Denny were in fine jump-around form. My only complaint and concern was that Mary's vocals were mixed a tad too low. I could hardly hear her during the loudest moments, and while her detail singing was nice when the point was the male-female counterpoint, she could be a little more up front in the mix. I left shortly after several of my friends left, sticking around for a couple of songs by Carrigan (I think.). They were OK, but nothing too exciting or impressive. Tuesday, March 26, 2002
Mention Me! V A blast from the past, but worth, well, mentioning. This 1995 edition of Small Press Review recounts the panel about zines and reviewing I participated in at the Underground Press Conference in Chicago. Notice the Karl Wenclas mention. He was cranky then, and he's cranky now. The Games People Pray The video game development industry has been hit by the economic downturn, just like most industries. Kurt Squire recently went to the Game Developers Conference, and he reports that moods are mellower, caution has currency, and the slow economy is encouraging experimentation. The rest of the business world could learn from these technology developers often viewed incorrectly as hobbyists. Back-Issue Bombshell Let's say you read and collect comic books. Let's say your house was broken into and your comics were stolen two years ago. Let's say you think the thieves hocked your comics at a local comic shop. Would you barricade yourself in the store armed with explosives and threaten to blow up the back issues and shop staff? Gosh, I hope not. The Movie I Watched Last Night XIII Sorry to take so long to publish these. I wrote 'em before, but then my browser froze. Bad browser! Bad! Even moments ago, after I'd written the previous sentences, my browser crashed. I think it's a conspiracy. A conspiracy against the movies. Tuesday: V: The Original Miniseries This originally aired in 1983, when I was 10. And it blew my mind. My friend Richie and I would cut V ads out of TV Guide and tape them to our bedroom doors. The book terrified me. On TV, Diana was the hottest. Mike was my hero -- and probably my inspiration to become a journalist. (Just kidding.) But watching this again on DVD almost 20 years later, I'm impressed. The story holds up well. The production isn't awful, given the year it was made. And I now understand layers of the story that completely flew over my head when I saw V as a kid. What did I miss? While I got the whole War of the Worlds-style alien invasion elements and the political realities of the resulting police state, I didn't understand the Holocaust allusions (even the blatant Anne Frank homage) or the McCarthy parallels of the ostracization of the scientists. V was a miniseries ahead of its time, and it takes the test of time well. Worth revisiting. Wednesday: American Beauty About time I watch this 1999 Oscar winner, eh? And just before A Beautiful Mind snagged its awards, too. Not sure why I waited so long. The movie is excellent in terms of balancing the tensions and edge of the solid characterizations and plotline with an understated, almost-hesitant subtlety. This movie could've gone over the top. Instead, the cast takes us just below the horizon, hinting at what's over the top, but restraining and refraining from overplaying their hand. The story's your basic male midlife crisis narrative (My friend Alex said, "It's such a man's movie!"), but it's really the story of self-examination, self-discovery, and self-expression. While it's a slight shame that Kevin Spacey's character reverts to teenage boyhood, the overall message is good: Know yourself. Then let others know who you are. Keeping secrets and quelling emotions doesn't help anyone. Even if it nets you an Oscar. From the In Box: Off-Site Insight You could always hit up the Portland Phoenix for activities. Oh, watch out for dog poop. There is, or was, a severe poop problem up there last time I visited. And if the weather's warm and the sidewalks get damp... you get the picture. I'm not a big fan of Portland myself. Portsmouth, New Hampshire, offers a much better experience with an hour less driving time involved. Go to Portsmouth, have a meal at the Friendly Toast, have colorful drinks at the King Tiki, hang out in the park overlooking the water, listen to music at the Press Room, buy music at Bull Moose Music, window shop, drive into Maine and get yourself lost in Kittery and York. Or maybe you've been there before. -- Matt Saunders I have been there before -- lost in Kittery and York, that is. Never been to Portsmouth. Some context for Media Dieticians. Matt was in a phenomenal beat pop band called the Oscillators when he lived in New Hampshire. Now he's rocking out with the Also-Rans, who have a show tonight at the Middle East Upstairs. Be there or be somewhere else. In the meantime, I'll save Portsmouth for my next existential explosion off-site site. It's an Ad, Ad, Ad, Ad World V Nike gets written up in today's Globe for beginning a guerrilla marketing and T station domination play in Boston leading up to the Boston Marathon. Nike's under fire for trumping Adidas, an official sponsor of the marathon, and for making an end run around the race's marketing rules. Instead of signing up to support the marathon (which it couldn't do, given Adidas' presence), Nike turned to the MBTA, ponying up $75,000 to dominate the Bay Back T station, which is near the planned finish line. Adidas, slower out of the starting gate, won't start its area marketing and station domination of Park Street until April 1. Fools. Rules for Fools III Rule No. 5: If you don't put coffee grounds in the coffee maker, you won't make coffee -- just hot, dingy water. I'm at work "early" this morning -- 8:30 a.m. -- for a morning meeting with one of the founding editors. And while I got a good night's sleep last night after moving my boxes to Joe's house, I'm a little slow this morning. Just made coffee without adding the packet of grounds. I haven't done anything like that in a looong time. Monday, March 25, 2002
Off-Site Insight Inspired in part by a recent Fast Company off-site and a conversation with Mike Wittenstein this afternoon, I'm going to go to Portland, Maine, this weekend for a little personal break from Boston -- and some introspection and reflection. If you have any suggestions of things to do or places to go in Portland, let me know. Existential Explosion! I'm in the midst of a little crisis of faith. What do you do when you start to question who you are, much less what you're doing? Right now I'm not sure whether I Yesterday I was all jazzed about just dumping everything and moving to an island off the coast of Maine. I'd have to take a ferry to the mainland, and I'm sure Net access would be a challenge, but I think I've got a lot of existential dust that needs to settle. Antisocial Anomaly II Oh. I also skipped the Beantown Zinetown zines and comics fest this past weekend. Sorry TD. I said I'd help work the Highwater Books table. From the In Box: Rabble Rall-ser II I didn't draw them. I can't draw. -- Jim Treacher Jim's right. I was less than accurate. Clip-Art Nonsense strips are clip-art comics. Jim didn't draw the clip art. But he did create and write the comics. Dollars for Dougnuts Woke with the sun around 6 a.m. today, but didn't get up and out until a little after 8 -- I've really been enjoying the sun and cool breezes with bird song these recent mornings... as well as no real need to get into work at a specific time. I used to sleep in because of the ex. Now I just sleep in because I can. Skipped breakfast at home despite some fresh bananas on the fridge to get to work as quickly as I could, stopping at the Haymarket Dunkin' Donuts for a glazed cruller and a blueberry cake doughnut. I haven't broken fast at a Dunkin' Donuts for about a year. There was a time when I'd alternate mornings between Dunkin' Donuts and a cafe/deli near work for an egg and cheese English muffin. But you know what? Dunkin' Donuts isn't very good. I know it's the predominant doughnut chain in New England. And I know that some people in the area absolutely love Dunkin' Donuts, even the coffee. I don't think I do. I'd much rather have a Krispy Kreme or a doughnut from the little bakery on the way to Bear Skin Neck in Rockport. And this morning, I'd even rather have had a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios at home. Dunkin' Donuts: Blech. Antisocial Anomaly This weekend was a very antisocial weekend. Sure, I hung out with Alex on Friday night. Sure, I went to the comic shop and Charlie's (chatted with Anne!) on Saturday. But otherwise, I was housebound. Skipped the Chicks on Speed show Saturday night. Skipped three shows -- Lawrence Arms, River City Rebels, a show at the Kendall -- Sunday to go the grocery store, do laundry, sit on the big blue couch, and read a lot of magazines. Sent out Easter cards. Finished a couple of books I've been taking my time to read. While I'm sure my antisocial weekend was OK, I feel weird today. Kinda like the weekend didn't happen. Kinda distant because of the silence of friends. Kinda like I should've been a little less antisocial. |
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