Editorial
AG Bill Barr Compares National Mandate For Coronavirus Lockdowns To Slavery
Source: KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / Getty Attorney General William Barr, perhaps emboldened by the hackneyed views of President Donald Trump and his followers, made a most egregious comparison recently. During an event to recognize the constitution, Barr compared suggestions of a national lockdown due to the pandemic to slavery. CNN has more: Addressing a Constitution Day celebration hosted by Hillsdale College, the event’s host asked Barr to explain the “constitutional hurdles for forbidding a church from meeting during Covid-19.” The question lead Barr into a four-minute response where he said state governors were using their executive powers to stifle citizens and businesses from going back to work. “You know, putting a national lockdown, stay at home orders, is like house arrest. Other than sl...
That “Strange Case” in HBO’s Lovecraft Country We Can’t Stop Thinking About
Warning: This editorial discusses scenes depicting rape and sexual assault. HBO’s Lovecraft Country has been a wild ride so far. In just four episodes, we’ve seen haunted houses, vampiric monsters, and mysterious cults, along with the real world horrors of Jim Crow laws and white supremacy. The series’ fifth episode — this past Sunday’s “Strange Case” — manages to top all of that with one of the most disturbing scenes in recent memory. In a twist on Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Ruby (Wunmi Mosaku), a Black woman takes a potion and wakes up in a white body. At first, she’s shocked and horrified, but begins to see the value in this new “currency” of whiteness. The potion eventually wears off, causing Ruby to violently shed her new skin in bloo...
No Duh: Homeland Security Says White Supremacy Is “Most Lethal Threat” To U.S.
Source: Sandy Huffaker / Getty In a new draft document from the Department of Homeland Security, it was depicted that white supremacy poses the greatest challenges regarding domestic safety. In short, the document stated that radicalized and potentially armed white extremists present a “most lethal threat” to the United States through next year. In a detailed report from Politico, the draft document, which was revised twice by the time of reporting, share a consistent message: white supremacists and far-right extremists are the greatest threats to the Homeland through 2021, although they were categorized under the kinder “Domestic Violent Extremists” heading rather than earlier draft framing the group as “white supremacist extremists.” From Politico: The document discusses white supremacis...
Cobra Kai Offers Lifelong Lessons on Redemption
“You can’t let the mistakes of your past determine your future.” Cobra Kai is a study in redemption. On August 28th, the former YouTube series hit Netflix with a splash, offering uplifting empowerment and sweet nostalgia that feels like rooting through an old shoebox filled with mixtapes. After all, 1984’s The Karate Kid is a beloved classic that empowered a generation to stand up for themselves (not to mention, catch flies with chopsticks and practicing crane kicks on the playground). But by expanding the narrative, Cobra Kai offers a powerful story of redemption that is a much-needed and much-welcome message for these divided times. The series follows a down-on-his-luck Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), the bleache-blonde bully who tormented Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and ultimately l...
I’m Thinking of Ending Things “Explained”
If you’re reading this, you’ve likely finished Charlie Kaufman’s i’m thinking of ending things, and you’re probably wondering what the hell you just watched. You’re not alone. The general consensus from everyone who’s seen the film is that it’s a dense, labyrinthine meditation on, well, a lot of things. The film chews on memory, ego, grief, time, loss, and the laundry list of existential woes rattles on. It’s all permeable enough that the takeaways to be had are nothing short of infinite, and the film is very self-aware about that notion, so much so that one could argue that was Kaufman’s meta intent. But that’s always been par for the course when it comes to Kaufman. His ironclad resume speaks to a cinematic tradition of turning everyone’s minds into puzzle pieces — and that’s why anythin...
What’s Next for Cobra Kai?
The future is bright for Cobra Kai. Two years after it first premiered on YouTube Red — ha, anyone remember YouTube Red? – The Karate Kid spinoff series is a pop culture phenomenon. Lesson learned? Never doubt the influence of Netflix. For die-hard fans, this development is both aggravating and refreshing. As Johnny Lawrence might say, “Where the hell have you wimps been all this time?” But then again, as Daniel LaRusso might wisely counter, “More fans, more future.” After all, without Netflix, there was no telling whether Cobra Kai would live past its forthcoming third season. If you recall, YouTube was in no place to commit to a fourth season, which means the doors would have most certainly closed on this dojo. Editors’ Picks Given the response and the fact that the show has been N...
Chadwick Boseman Made a Career of Playing Strong Black Men
For four years, Chadwick Boseman battled colon cancer in private. No one outside of his very tight, supportive circle knew of his diagnosis. To the rest of the world, he was a supremely talented actor on the rise, delivering an instantly iconic performance as a superhero, embodying a future Supreme Court Justice with due dignity, and illuminating the experience of war. He was known for playing strong characters on the big screen, and we only saw a hint of how truly strong he was in his own life. Yet this was Boseman’s way — “to be young, gifted, and Black.” His talent came with a graceful understanding of the culture he was representing in his roles, no doubt emboldened by his experience with life’s mortal mutability. Whether he decided to keep his illness private for personal peace or to ...
Op Alert: Kanye West Won’t Be On Missouri Ballot Either
Source: SAUL LOEB / Getty Kanye West‘s blatant spoiler campaign for President is taking all the L’s. The rapper won’t be appearing on the Missouri ballot after failing to get enough signatures. Today our office issued a letter to Kanye West informing him of the insufficiency of his independent candidate nomination petition for President. The petition was determined to have 6,557 valid signatures of the required 10,000. pic.twitter.com/vxOSk8WCD3 — Missouri SOS Office (@MissouriSOS) August 25, 2020 In order to get on the ballot, Mr. West needed 10,000 signatures. However, as reported by the Kansas City Star, Yeezy came up short by 3,443 of the signatures he needed to get a spot on the November general election ballot. The info comes from Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office, wh...
LA Clippers Coach Doc Rivers Powerfully Addresses Racial Injustice In America
Source: Mike Ehrmann / Getty In a perfect world, Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers and his players should only be focused on their goal of bringing a championship home as they battle in the playoffs. Instead, Rivers, like many Black Americans, has to battle the ugliness of racial injustice despite all his achievements on and off the court and addressed the matter in a powerful postgame moment. After the Clippers blew out the Dallas Mavericks 154-111, the postgame conference with Rivers answering questions about the recent shooting in Kenosha, Wisc. that reportedly left Jacob Blake paralyzed from the waist down. With raw emotion, Rivers blasted President Donald Trump and speakers at the Republican National Convention for sowing seeds of fear. “It’s amazing to me why we keep loving this ...
The Problematic Lovecraft and How We Can Flip the Script
H.P. Lovecraft In the 21st century, the horror genre is as deeply indebted to the works of H.P. Lovecraft as generations before were to Poe and Shelly. He’s hiding in the background of every strange tale in modern pop culture. Even when his influence isn’t obvious, dig into any work and you’ll find it; a mycelial network of literary tendrils, all leading back to the weird tales of a peculiar writer from the 1920s and ’30s. His name has become emblematic of a certain kind of terror: “Lovecraftian” — meaning an unknowable, cosmic horror where all experiences and understandings that humankind hold dear melt away into a gulf of incomprehensible sensations and existential panic. But don’t take my word for it, even Stephen King, our very own Master of Horror, admits his Lovecraftian lineage: “Lo...
A Brief History of Marge Simpson Versus Washington
You may think it’s a sign of our perpetually insane times that a member of the Trump administration somehow managed to kick up a feud with a cartoon character. Nevertheless, Trump’s Senior Legal Adviser, Jenna Ellis, recently tweeted that Democratic VP candidate Kamala Harris “sounds like Marge Simpson.” This prompted Marge, ever the consummate (albeit imaginary) professional, to issue a polite but cutting response, criticizing Ellis for resorting to name-calling, something she discourages in her young children, and for disrespecting suburban housewives. That might seem like the latest bizarre cut from the never-ending “greatest hits” of 2020. But The Simpsons, and Marge in particular, have long found themselves entangled with real life political figures, most of whom, like Ellis, underest...
Kamala Harris Joining Joe Biden’s Ticket As His VP Is Already Paying Off…Literally
Source: MANDEL NGAN / Getty Regardless if you like Joe Biden’s decision to name Kamala Harris as his choice for Vice President of the United States, its already paying off for him…literally. Kamal Harris joining Biden’s ticket is paying huge dividends for Biden already, and it’s only been two days. Before the California senator was named Biden’s running mate, it was a painful process to raise money. That is no longer the case, since Tuesday’s (Aug.11) announcement, the Biden/Harris campaign has raised a record $36 million, and that includes donations from 150,000 new donors, and the influx of cash shows no sign of slowing up. Now, despite some eye rolls from those who can’t seem to look past Kamala’s record as a prosecutor and decisions she made as California’s Attorney General, the enthus...
