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‘We’re doomed’: ‘Wire’ creator David Simon on the end of America


 
David Simon, creator of The Wire and Treme, gives a sobering assessment of the future of America in these powerful clips from a 2007 talk at Loyola College.

Simon feels we’re headed for separate Americas, where the “haves” exploit the “have-nots,” and where human beings will lose their value. He faults “raw, unencumbered Capitalism” for making our country numb to the plight of the most vulnerable among us. America makes the wrong choices every time, he says, and unless we change, Simon predicts “we are doomed.”

The man is a genius, and as a writer and journalist, he’s explored the very darkest corners of our fraying “civilization”—trust me, this is really worth listening to… Keep in mind as you watch that this was recorded a year before the world economy did a belly-flop on concrete.
 

 
More of David Simon on the end of the American empire after the jump…

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Posted by Richard Metzger
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09.28.2011
05:54 pm
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East Village West: Ambitious exhibit of NYC’s fabled 70/80s art scene opens in LA
09.28.2011
01:54 pm
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Photo of Ann Magnuson at Club 57 by Robert Carrithers

The block quoted text below is a slightly edited email that Dangerous Minds pal Ann Magnuson sent me this morning regarding an amazing sounding art exhibit that she and artist Kenny Scharf are curating at the quirky Royal/T gallery in Los Angeles. Titled “East Village West” (in official partnership with “Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980”) the show aims to link the fabled New York neo-Dada art scene of the late 70s/early 80s that coalesced around Magnuson’s Club 57 nightclub with its campy Hollywood influences. In the words of the curators “Walt Disney, Russ Meyer, Roger Corman, The Beverly Hillbillies, Sonny & Cher, The Partridge Family, Hanna-Barbera, Ed Wood, Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, Sid and Marty Krofft, The Monkees, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, The Mamas & The Papas, the cast of Rowan & Martin’s LAUGH-IN, Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, Rodney Bingenheimer and his glam rock English Disco and every Shindig-lovin’, hullabaloo-ing teenager who ever rioted on the Sunset Strip.”

This is a museum-quality show, another art world score for Royal/T.

The exhibit is primarily art and ephemera from the collections and archives of Kenny and myself. Funny enough, I was finally sorting through all my East Village memorabilia when Kenny called me and asked if I’d take on the lions share of this curating job as he has a big show coming up and is painting night and day. It’s become massive! We have paintings, sculpture, fashions, video, photographs, ephemera….it is really a museum quality show! We focus primarily on Club 57 but there are many other elements as well…

We have art by Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Jean-Michel Basquiat (one real and two of my fakes), Tseng Kwong Chi, John Sex, Kitty Brophy showing art she’s never shown before, Bruno Schmidt, Kenny Scharf, Ann Magnuson, Vincent Gallo, Frank Holliday, Scott Covert, Stefano Castronova, Nancy A. Kintisch, Greer Lankton’s Terri Toye doll, Paul Monroe, Plasticgod and Randy Focazio; photographs by Robert Carrithers, Harvey Wang, Ande Whyland, Lina Bertucci, Joseph Szkodzinski; video by Barry Shils, Steve Brown, Andy Rees, Tom Rubnitz, and others; fashions by Natasha Adonzio (Natasha N.Y.C.) and Katy K; special ‘vintage’ DJ mix by original Club 57 DJ Dany Johnson in the “Porta Party” installation pod; PLUS cool ephemera and rare video provided by original Club 57 members like Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman, Kristian Hoffman, Howie Pyro, Naomi Regelson, Jerry Beck and so many more! PLUS excerpts from THE NOMI SONG (directed by Andrew Horn) and ARIAS WITH A TWIST (directed by Bobby Sheehan)!

We are showing a lot of John Sex’s art that has never been exhibited. He made these gorgeous silkscreens and several feature Klaus Nomi. We also have many of the beautiful large silkscreen posters he did for events at Club 57.

Joey Arias is sending us several of Klaus Nomi’ costumes.  The Victoria and Albert Museum’s Postmodernism show is currently showing two of Klaus’ costumes. They wanted the vinyl coat that we will be exhibiting (a very early costume of Klaus’ that he had made based on the Sixties plastic raincoat Howie Pyro stole out of his mother’s closet so Klaus could use it to create his Nomi character that he debuted at the New Wave Vaudeville show). Joey couldn’t find it when he was gathering items for the V&A but he finally did find it and he sent it to us! (Howie is also DJ at the opening).

There is a beautiful slide show featuring work from 5 different photographers on the scene. LOADS of video including live footage from Club 57 never shown. Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (who won the Tony for HAIRSPRAY) did some of their first musicals at Club 57 and we have a clip from one of them. Clip from THE NOMI SONG about the New Wave Vaudeville show and clips from ARIAS WITH A TWIST to give the youngin’s a quick East Village history lesson.

Kenny Scharf videos (very Warholian if Warhol was a complete goofball), my MADE FOR TV, the video of the Ladies Auxilliary LADY WRESTLING night…

A compilation of our California influences that were transmitted into our still forming noggins via TV edited by Jonathon Stearns that I KNOW you are gonna love.

A special display for the Monster Movie Club (Howie Pyro lending us his MMC t-shirt).

Young members of the ‘new generation’ carrying on the tradition of Club 57 will be performing. Fresh off last seasons AMERICA’S GOT TALENT, Prince Poppycock will sing The Mumps song THAT FATAL CHARM to a track he is recording with Kristian Hoffman (who wrote the song). Another Hoffman hit is one originally sung by Klaus Nomi and sung by Timur of the Dime Museum who is simple astounding! Drag King Mo B. Dick is ‘coming out of retirement’ to do John Sex (John Waters says she is his favorite Drag King, she was featured in PECKER) , and more! (Everyone is listed in text below).

Austin Young is doing an on site art installation called CALIFORNIA NEW WAVE creating New Wave makeovers, Austin Young style.

Dany Johnson made a 4-hour DJ mix of her Club 57 favorites.

The list goes on! As you can see, the show and the opening in particular is going to be a bona fide old skool ART HAPPENING!

We encourage everyone to pull their pointy toed shoes and ripped fishnets out of mothballs and come on down!

We hope to inspire and encourage the young kids how to have fun and be wildly creative with no money! We did it during the first great recession, it can be done during the second!

The details: Royal/T presents East Village West, curated by Ann Magnuson and Kenny Scharf. From October 1, 2011 until January 10, 2012. Opening reception Saturday, October 1, 8-11pm

DJ Howie Pyro and performances by Prince Poppycock, Timur of The Dime Museum, Drag King “Mo B. Dick” as John Sex (along with “his” Bodacious Ta-Tas), Stacy Dawson Stearns, Gregory Barnett, and Meg Wolfe are The Psych-Out Dada Go-Go Family and of course Ann Magnuson and Kenny Scharf.

Plus video from Club 57 never before shown in public. Doughnuts are promised.

Below, a slideshow of some of Harvey Wang’s great photos of Club 57:
 

 

Posted by Richard Metzger
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09.28.2011
01:54 pm
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Inexplicable photo: George Carlin and hairy voodoo doll
09.28.2011
01:16 pm
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While rummaging around on the Internet trying to find a George Carlin action figure (which I did find, BTW), I stumbled across this bizarre image of a cut-out George Carlin waving at a hairy voodoo doll and thought I’d share. You’re welcome!

Posted by Tara McGinley
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09.28.2011
01:16 pm
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‘Snuff Box’ invades Los Angeles
09.28.2011
12:19 pm
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This weekend, Matt Berry (The IT Crowd) and Rich Fulcher (The Mighty Boosh) will descend upon Los Angeles to promote the release of their BBC cult comedy series Snuff Box on DVD by Severin Films. The DVD (which includes a bonus CD of Matt Berry’s excellent soundtrack music) will be in stores by October 11th, but Los Angelenos will be able to pick it up early at Amoeba Records where there will be a DVD signing October 1st at 4:30pm (You might want to get there earlier to see Rich in action as auctioneer for Amoeba’s Monthly Charity Auction at 4pm, I’m sure that will be memorable…).

Berry and Fulcher will also be appearing that night at The Upright Citizens Brigade at 10pm for a screening of two Snuff Box episodes and a Q&A. (Earlier that day, I’ll be interviewing them for the Dangerous Minds talkshow).

On Sunday, October 2nd at 7pm Berry & Fulcher will be appearing at Cinefamily for a screening and panel discussion co-hosted by Steve Agee and Rob Schrab of The Sarah Silverman Program (which both Matt and Rich have appeared in). Some live musical numbers are promised as well.

Below, an awkward date… Her last line is a stone classic, isn’t it?
 

Posted by Richard Metzger
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09.28.2011
12:19 pm
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Jesus’ Facebook profile photo
09.28.2011
11:38 am
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At least The Lord, Our Savior isn’t making “duckface.”

(via Cynical-C)

Posted by Tara McGinley
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09.28.2011
11:38 am
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American Juggalo: The Movie
09.28.2011
10:57 am
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Wait, someone brought a child to this???

American Juggalo, a new short film by Brooklyn-based director, Sean Dunne explores (without judgement or editorializing) the distinctive youth culture of the Juggalos, adoring fans of Christian horrorcore metal rappers, The Insane Clown Posse. It is funny, fascinating and disturbing in turns.

Each year approximately 20,000 juggalos and jugglettes, meet up (usually in campgrounds far from civilization) for the four-day musical festival known as “The Gathering of the Juggalos.” Think of it as a white-trash version of Burning Man, but with a much lower collective IQ, no good-looking people, pregnant drunk chicks with cigarettes, and empty two-liter bottles of Faygo orange soda littering the landscape…

As one participant reflects: “These motherfuckers made me the motherfucker who I am today.” I believe him!
 

Posted by Richard Metzger
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09.28.2011
10:57 am
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Classic albums rephotographed in real life settings
09.28.2011
10:33 am
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I like French rock radio station OUÏ FM‘s new marketing campaign featuring classic albums rephotographed in real life settings. They sort of work!

The photographs are the work of French photographer Matthieu Raffard.
 

 
More after the jump…

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Posted by Tara McGinley
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09.28.2011
10:33 am
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‘Primitive London’: A look at the city’s Beatniks, Mods and Rockers from the 1960s
09.27.2011
06:02 pm
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A brief vignette from the “exploitation” documentary feature Primitive London from 1965, featuring London’s beatniks hanging out in their local bar, answering questions on dress, work, idling and marriage. The bar is where Rod Stewart (aka Rod the Mod) hung out, and the featured musicians are Ray Sone, harp (later of The Downliner’s Sect) and Emmett Hennessy, vocals, guitar.

Though some have been dismissive of Primitive London, it’s now a film of cultural importance, which, at first glimpse, reveals a world long gone, but when closely examined, the groupings, motivations and patterns of behavior are still the same today.
 

 
Via Publique, with thanks to Tara McGinley
 

Posted by Paul Gallagher
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09.27.2011
06:02 pm
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Michael Moore at Occupy Wall St: Anti-capitalist protests will spread to rest of USA
09.27.2011
04:08 pm
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Michael Moore stopped by the Occupy Wall Street demo last night to show his support. If you’re wondering why everyone keeps repeating what he says, the protestors are not allowed by law to have any amplified sound. The “people’s mic” is how they get around it—and make a little legal noise—so that what the speakers are saying can be heard in the cheap seats…

From Moore’s interview with Piers Morgan on CNN last night:

[L]ook, we got rid of slavery in 1863 in this country. It wasn’t until the 1960s that you saw the large marches and the voting rights and the civil rights act being passed. Women couldn’t vote until 1920, and then you didn’t have the real women’s liberation movement until the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Things take time. This won’t take that long. This won’t take 100 years for people to respond because Wall Street has overplayed its hand. They have come down too hard on too many people, especially people in the middle class who used to believe in Wall Street.

Forty-six million people living in poverty right now in the United States. That’s an absolute crime, it’s immoral. And these guys are just posting the largest profits ever this year.

You’re right, where’s the rage? Where’s the uprising? It’s starting. It’s down right now on Wall Street. It starts with the young people. But this is going to grow because people watching this tonight, people are afraid that they’re going to be foreclosed on this year, don’t know if they’re going to be out of a job next year, can’t afford the medical bills for their kids. Fifty million people still without insurance. They’re sitting home right now going, god, I wish I could do something. What can I do? Somebody has got to start it somewhere. That’s what these kids have done down in Wall Street. It’s going to spread across the country. And believe you me, I won’t have—it won’t be because of anything I say or you say or this show or those kids down there, people already feel it. They’re sick and tired of it. And I think you’re going to see that happen more and more in this country.

AMEN TO THAT!
 

Posted by Richard Metzger
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09.27.2011
04:08 pm
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‘Cop Hard’: Berserk Web TV show
09.27.2011
03:49 pm
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Cop Hard is an Australian-based Internet series that plays like an 1980s-style TV cop show under the influence of strong drugs. Think Hill Street Blues on strychnine-laced STP. 

A cop show that pulls no punches and cuts to the very heart of what it is to be good cop in a world of bad crime. Growing up on the mean streets of Brooklyn, acclaimed writer director Charles C. Custer peels away the veneer of lies and uncovers a true depiction of crime fighting never before seen. He invites us into a world that is both hard and cruel but has the decency to provide a true hero in the form of Detective Larry Hard, a symbol of hope in these dark times of democracy.

Five episodes of Cop Hard were screened at this year’s Fantastic Fest and I got hooked. So far, there are 15 episodes in all and they can be viewed at the Cop Hard website. It’s some diabolically goofy fun featuring fine acting, great production values and a shitload of dirty bits. Here’s a taste (NSFW):
 

 
More hardness after the jump…

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Posted by Marc Campbell
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09.27.2011
03:49 pm
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