RED & BLUE

Yesterday was my little girl's fourth birthday so Katey and I took her to Disneyland.  As I walked around the happiest place on earth, I watched people.  Mickey draws folks from all walks of life.  It really is a great place to observe a cross-section of these United States.  Then I saw the flag over downtown Disney flying at half-mast and was reminded of the tragedy in Tuscon.  I began watching people in a different light, wondering about their beliefs and values.  Were they conservatives?  Where do they land on Roe v. Wade?  Do they attend church?  Then I reflected on all the folks I've met (via social networks and in person) through Sons of Anarchy over the past few years.  They are average citizens with average struggles.  They are Christians.  They are Jews.  They are agnostic.  They are Republicans.  They are Democrats.  They are Independents.  They are apolitical.  They are all decent, hard-working people brought together by a simple television show.

I've had this idea brewing in my head for awhile and now seems like the right time to explore it.  It's a simple idea, exploiting a basic function of our civilization -- communication.  It's called Red and Blue.  The basic concept is this: We go to cities throughout the country, some in Republican states, some in Democratic states.  We sit down with a panel of Liberal citizens and Conservative citizens and we just talk.  A moderator conducts an open forum that allows civilized, respectful communication between men and women with different beliefs and similar struggles.  So it's not just about debating our differences, but also engaging in discussion about how we are all the same.  This is real talk, about real issues, not hyperbolic buzz points that the media and politicians say are the issues.

I believe that the biased media (both left and right) is creating this great divide in this country.  That the conflict between citizens is not as great as we are led to believe; it is clearly being exploited to expedite an agenda.  That exploitation fuels events like the ones in Tuscon this week.  I'm not saying it made him pull the trigger, but it helped connect the distorted dots in his mind.  I applaud Jon Stewart for his attempt to out those extremities with his Rally to Restore Sanity.  If we, the people, leave it up to the media and the politicos to determine how we are divided, that division will grow and it will continue to generate more drama, more hate, more pain and more death.

Yes, I'm a bombastic liberal Hollywood writer who makes a lot of money, but this is not about my agenda or any one's agenda.  I put this pitch out here because I have no desire to profit from this concept and I am looking for people of the same mind.  Producers, production company, talent and networks who would be willing to forgo their fees for the greater good.  Other than the cost of production and airtime, no one should profit from this experiment.  When money and power are extracted from the equation, esteem is the driving motivator.  This could be an extremely esteemable act.  I am looking for people who are willing to put principles before personalities and help us heal.

I'm not sure what happens now.  This post may die on the vine and I'll just put it in my ever-growing "ridiculous idea" folder.  But if industry people (producers, talent, union-sanctioned production companies, networks) are legitimately interesting in helping me make this a reality for no pay, no career-advancement, no glory, then they can contact my reps at ICM and we will begin the process.  If you are not someone in the parenthetical category above, you can simply reply to this blog post.

I'm not delusional.  I don't think a project like this can change the tide of ill-will, but I think anything that generates awareness is a start.

And yes, Small World is still the most terrifying ride ever created.

I'M NOT YOUR DARLING, ASSHOLE

So, I have this habit.  Not sure if I picked up from my dad or if it's a Jersey thing, but I always tag a greeting or engage a conversation with a slang term of endearment.  If you're a guy, it's always, "Hey man, how are you, brother?" or "Missed you, buddy." or "That's awesome, pal!".  I do the same thing with women.  "Hey, sweetheart, how are you?" or "Love you, darling." or "All good, baby, I'll handle it."  

I used to give my father shit because he'd do it to my friends all the time.  Then, when I was in my twenties, I started doing the same thing and I realized it's because, like my dad, I'm great with faces, really bad with names.

I'm not saying it's a good thing and I understand how it could seem demeaning, but it comes from a place of candor and warmth.  I did catch shit from a cop once when I called her, "honey", and in grad school, I got lectured by a Nation of Islam member for referring to him as, "brother", but for the most part, I navigate through my day with little or no recourse to this practice. 

Then today.  I was coming from boxing and walking to my car in an underground parking garage.  As I was opening my door, someone called out, "Excuse me".  I turned and saw a forty-something, very slender woman pointing to a white towel on the ground.  "Is this yours?"  It was.  It slipped off my neck coming down the stairs.  "Yeah, it is."  I jogged over, picked it up and as she turned to head up the stairs, I expressed my appreciation, "Thanks, darling".  She stopped in her tracks and turned.  The look on her face was a mix of puzzlement and rage.  Then she elaborated, "What did you call me?"  The energy shift was so extreme I couldn't quite figure out what was going on.  I followed her query with my own, "Excuse me, I'm sorry --"  She cut me off with a blunt clarification, "I'm not your darling, asshole."  It took a moment for it to crystallize, then I realized what I said.  But she was up the stairs before I could apologize.  I called out, "Sorry... it's a bad habit..."  Somewhere from the top of the steps I heard her mumble, "Fuck you, Ronny Killer." I'm sure that's not what she said, but that's what it sounded like... 

I'm truly sorry I offended Ms. Towelfinder and I'm sure my choice of nickname affected her on a very personal level.  But quite honestly, I also know this event will have no impact on me.  I'm too old, too set in my ways to begin major upheavals in my vernacular.  So to all of you reading this: Baby, Sweetheart, Darling, Honey, Doll, Lovey, Brother, Buddy, Man, Pal, I mean no disrespect, most likely, I just don't know your name or I've forgotten it.  

And after this mea culpa and qualification, if you are still offended... Fuck you, Ronny Killer.

THE BESTED OF 2010

As I review the BEST OF 2010 lists, I cringe at the some of the names the blogosphere is giving season three of Sons of Anarchy.  "Uneven" "Problematic" "Counter-intuitive".  It's fucking hard to watch your child being bullied and yet I've realized that one must live and die by buzz. 

The truth is a lot of bloggers and critics are too fucking lazy to actually watch the show and form an original opinion, so they'll let a few other critics determine what the show is.  In season two, a few critics tagged Sons as one of the best shows on television.  That buzz was picked up and so season two was labeled "brilliant".  This season, a few critics struggled with the Ireland/Baby narrative and labeled those middle episodes as confusing and off-point.  That buzz was also picked up and so season three is being labeled "not-so-brilliant".  The reality is that neither assessment is true.  It's just that one is easier to accept that the other.

I, of course, did not see a problem with season three.  Obviously.  In my mind, it was the most complex and in-depth storytelling we've ever done on the show.  Perhaps that's the problem.  I do know that anything I say in defense of the show will land as sour grapes and desperate, so I'll let a critic describe my feelings.  Tim Goodman, former critic for the SF Chronicle, now head TV critic for the Hollywood Reporter listed SOA as one of the top 18 shows of the year (#13).  This was his follow up assessment --

Sons of Anarchy

 
Of all the excellent dramas here, fan reaction to SOA in Season 3 is the most interesting, and baffling. This outlaw biker-club series from Kurt Sutter embraces its heightened gangster mentality, its Hamlet-on-a-Harley agenda. You’ll find few series whose fans are as rabid and outspoken. The story line that took the club from the fictional Northern California town of Charming to Northern Ireland had a lot of viewers and critics claiming it meandered and that the skillfully riveting first and last episodes held together a soft middle. It’s too tough on Sutter; any creator/writer/showrunner ought to take chances — that’s essential to greatness. Had he kept SOA in Charming for a third year, playing the same tune, the backlash would rightly have been more fierce. Fans ultimately might look back at this ambitious season as instrumental in the series achieving brilliance.

Besides, who wants a show that resists change and shies from a creative leap? If you want that, turn on broadcast TV. Now that these shows are gone, you’ll get plenty of settling.