The principal at Danvers High School, in Danvers, Mass., has asked students to stop using the word "meep" because of the frustration and confusion it caused among the faculty. Mike Spiewak, a senior at the high school, helped to popularize the word. NPR's Guy Raz talks with Spiewak about what exactly "meep" means, and what the future of the word at the school may be.
President Obama was elected with a large enough mandate for fundamental change that he could forge a fresh social compact, lock in place a new set of mutual obligations and rewrite the relationship between the state and the populace.
Sasha Abramsky's comments in his book Breadline USA: The Hidden Scandal of American Hunger and How to Fix It (which I'm paraphrasing there) would be striking enough on any day. The need for change is obvious. In 2008 the official poverty line stood at a shameful $10,590 for a single person and $21,203 for a family of four. And according to the Census 37 million Americans were living at or below those numbers. In 2008, 28.4 million Americans were receiving food stamps, a number that's risen 19 percent since today's recession started.President Obama was elected with a large enough mandate for fundamental change that he... more
Michael Jackson. Dead at 50, with over 750 million albums sold. A genius, a freak, a trail blazer, a victim. Jackson's been called all that and more – Sometimes in a single piece of prose.
People will be talking about Jackson, his music, performance style, but most of all perhaps his persona, for decades. But ironically, one of the most perceptive reflections on Jackson was penned not since he died, on June 25, but years before. Circulating around the internet over these past few days, has been an essay by James Baldwin which originally appeared in Playboy in 1985.
It’s not about Jackson, James Baldwin, wrote in the essay, originally titled “Freaks and the American Ideal of Manhood" (and later renamed "Here be Monsters.") Our culture's discomfort with those we consider "freaks" actually reveals something about ourselves.
"The Michael Jackson cacophony is fascinating in that it is not about Jackson at all," Baldwin wrote. "All that noise is about America, as the dishonest custodian of black life and wealth....the burning, buried American guilt; and sex and sexual roles and sexual panic; money, success and despair…”
Baldwin put his finger on it: we're provoked -- and call "unstable" those who actually destabilize us. While Jackson may have been struggling with his own demons, he powerfully stirred up ours.
“Freaks are called freaks and are treated as they are treated–in the main, abominably" continued Baldwin, "Because they are human beings who cause to echo, deep within us, our most profound terrors and desires.”
Freaks, so-called, destablize notions we're more comfortable keeping fixed, and mess about with ideas we prefer to box in -- like ideas about identity, sexuality, race, and control. "Freaks” destabilize. They also release something, if we let them.
So thanks to Michael, and to freaks and transformers everywhere. On a good day, loosening up that previously fixed-space opens us room for change.
The F Word is a regular commentary by Laura Flanders, the host of GRITtv which broadcasts weekdays on satellite TV (Dish Network Ch. 9415 Free Speech TV) on cable, and online at GRITtv.org and TheNation.com. Follow "GritLaura" on Twitter.Michael Jackson. Dead at 50, with over 750 million albums sold. A genius, a freak, a... more
It’s beyond mind boggling. Barack Obama’s administration has such a habit of saying one thing and doing another that it's beginning to look like a concerted policy to drive us mad.
Consider. Soon after coming into office, Obama’s big speech about getting the economy back on track sounded great. He talked about poverty and helping those in need. But the most significant action step was bailing out the banks to loosen up credit. That's nice for businesses, but the biggest plague on American families is debt brought on by not being paid enough. They don't need credit, they need money.
Not long after that Obama gave a speech about housing. Again, the moving description of families in trouble. 1 million foreclosed homes and a likely 10 million more this year. The action -- the administration pledged to make it easier to renegotiate mortgage payments. But even Business Week reports that house prices are likely to fall another 25 percent this year – thousands of Americans owe more than their houses are worth. They don't need newly creative ways to pay the bad mortgages they have, they need help renegotiating the mortgage entirely. And those who were lied into bad loans, need help taking their brokers to court.
Then it was National Security. Obama talked up what he called America's timeless ideals – while simultaneously endorsing timeless detention. The rule of law, but also special tribunals. A few problems there.
And then last week, there he was, speaking out against the Defense of Marriage Act while his Justice Department defended it.
And the very next day -- announcing his financial regulatory plan -- Obama blames the financial crisis on a culture of irresponsibility and then gives the Fed more authority. As one guest on today's program put it, it's like awarding the king of irresponsibility with a larger kingdom.
If President Obama wants to get something done he is going to have to, in the words of financial columnist Joe Nocera, "make some bankers mad." Fat chance. Instead, he's driving the rest of us insane.
The F Word is a regular commentary by Laura Flanders the host of GRITtv which broadcasts weekdays on satellite TV (Dish Network Ch. 9415 Free Speech TV) on cable, public television and online at GRITtv.org and TheNation.com.It’s beyond mind boggling. Barack Obama’s administration has such a habit... more
Amy Goodman called it the Access of Evil...When pushed about the timidity of their questions to people in power, reporters will often--even more timidly--squeak something about their fear of losing access to their subjects.Amy Goodman called it the Access of Evil...When pushed about the timidity of their... more
There's agreement and then there's forced submission. It's hard to tell which is which when news reporters leave out key facts from the story.There's agreement and then there's forced submission. It's hard to tell... more
Vice President Dick Cheney said Sunday that Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, deserved it when Cheney launched the f-word at him in 2004.
In an interview with "Fox News Sunday," Cheney was asked if he had any second thoughts or embarrassment. "No. I thought he merited it at the time," Cheney said, laughing.
The incident occurred in June 2004 when both Cheney and Leahy were on the Senate floor.
Sources who related the incident to CNN at the time said the vice president had told Leahy to either "f— off" or "go f— yourself."Vice President Dick Cheney said Sunday that Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, deserved it... more
Job site Caterer.com released two brilliant promotional videos starring little Gordon Ramsay. F***ing unbelievable.Job site Caterer.com released two brilliant promotional videos starring little Gordon... more
