I gotta see this documentary!

There's a new documentary being released in June called The Corporation. The film's premise is that, if corporations were people, they would fit the textbook definition of a psychopath: someone congenitally unable to care about another person. It's an interesting, and surprisingly logical, thought; corporations are legal entities organizated solely for self-preservation. Anyway, check out this New York Observer profile. Further riches in The Observer: Philip Weiss' excellent column on how the rural poor are fighting our war in Iraq.

Excellent Fellini documentary...

I watched "The Magic of Fellini" last night, and was once again reminded how much I love Federico Fellini's movies. If you haven't seen "La Dolce Vita" or "8 1/2," you're only hurting yourself. As soon as either movie ends--and they are both three hours long--I want to watch it again, but I don't, lest I get stuck in an infinite loop and starve to death. George Saunders has a funny piece in Slate, about the Iraq war.

It's a funny old world...

Gee, Michael Moore's still having trouble with Fahrenheit 9/11. Wonder why? You'd think that an acclaimed movie by an award-winning filmmaker certain to make money wouldn't have trouble making it out to theaters. But you'd be wrong. The New York Times reports that the film has gotten distribution in every major market besides the US, but it seems that the negotiations between Disney and the Weinsteins are proving difficult. The Times casts it as "a rights problem," as if it were clearances or something. If you read the article, it turns out that all that's going on is that Disney is dragging its feet. Lion's Gate, Newmarket, and others have expressed interest in distributing the movie, but the longer it takes for them to get it from Disney, the more likely it will be hampered by slap-dash distribution. I wonder if the company too chickenshit to distribute it in the first place might possibly be dragging its feet on purpose? That company with one massive themepark in Jebland, and another in Arnoldville? Impossible--after all, we have a "liberal media." Also, I just checked out J.K. Rowling.com, which is just about the coolest author site imaginable. It made me think about how much fun it must be to be a young HP fan. One of the elements of childhood I hope I never lose is the ability to lose oneself in a world...

John Cleese is doing a website!

John Cleese doing little films and putting them on the Web? Does Life get any better than this? I've registered at Thejohncleese.com and can't wait. Here's Ed Page's blog for all the details. Ed really runs a great blog. It's what my blog wants to be when it grows up. Read down a bit and you'll read a snip from an old article from the Harvard Independent weekly newspaper about the Harvard Lampoon mafia in the TV comedy biz. A word to the wise: writers are egotistical, so if you ask them if they've been successful via old school connections, expect them to say "oh, no, no, no, no." Whenever a writer achieves something, it's always raw, pulsing genius. (Myself included, naturally.) I always get a kick out of reading college journalism, because the reporter always thinks his/her source is being honest. It's sweet how they haven't learned how to interpret adult-speak yet. "Talentless Idiot '83, who is Executive Producer of Truly Horrible Show with Devastatingly Unfunny, said, 'It's strictly on merit around here. People who talk about a mafia are missing the point--we're just more talented. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go commit suicide.'" Also: what wonderful news about Michael Moore at Cannes!

Fahrenheit 9/11

The New York Times has a disappointing article about Michael Moore's new movie, "Fahrenheit 9/11." Here's the lede: "The Michael Moore documentary the Walt Disney Company deemed too partisan to distribute offers few new revelations about the connections between President Bush and prominent Saudi Arabian families, including that of Osama bin Laden." "Few new revelations"--what the fuck country does the Times think we're living in? What percent of NYT writers/editors think Saddam had a hand in 9/11? Now contrast that with the poll numbers for Americans as a whole. To the vast majority of Americans, anything Moore says would probably be quite new. Disney apparently agrees. Most people don't read books, but most people do see movies--and that's exactly why "House of Bush, House of Saud" got published without incident, while "Fahrenheit 9/11"'s having trouble getting out there. The Times plays the old journalism trick of making both sides of an argument equivalent, and calling that "objectivity." Objectivity means evaluating each side's claims objectively, then reporting which one IS TRUE. Is it true that Disney wouldn't distribute the film because it gets massive tax breaks from Jeb Bush's Florida? Is it true that rich Saudis exert too much influence on the Bush family? Don't tell me, "One side says yes, the other side says no." Tell me which is TRUE. That's the role of the Press in a democracy, and we're not getting it anymore. That's why the U.S. media is becoming a world-wide laughing-stock. And rightly so. By the way, Ty the Skunk died over the weekend. Rest in peace, "King of the Living Room."

Meet Gary Clarke...

This morning, I had a lovely conversation with a friend from The Yale Record, Gerald Clarke '59. He's written a fascinating biography of Truman Capote ("Capote"), and, more recently, Judy Garland ("Get Happy"). Really good stuff, if you're interested in either figure. This Fall, he's coming out with a collection of Capote's correspondence, which I'm sure will be just as excellent. For those who love to surf, his website is here.

Another week begins...

...and there's so many links to pass along. First, I noted with sadness the death of Alan King, who I worked with for a bit back in 2001. He was a real gentleman to me, even though it was clear that he was frankly befuddled by the concept of a comedy writer named Gerber who was not only a gentile, but a Midwestern one at that. A nice, very funny man, and I was glad to know him. The New York Times disgorged something else worth linking to today--an article on literary readings. I noted with pleasure that my old pal John Hodgman was featured prominently. My own relationship with the "reading-as-performance" phenomenon is mixed; NOT having to perform is sorta why I decided to be a comedy writer--as opposed to a standup. Readings-as-performances reward writers with a gift for self-promotion, rather than a gift for writing; furthermore, I wonder if they actually sell books as much as create a very high-schoolish cult of personality. I experienced both of these negatives in my dealings with the Eggers crowd in the late 90s, and all I can say is, yuck. Yuck, yuck, yuck. Yesterday was "Rampant Beatlemania," on WXRT radio here in Chicago, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The DJ, Terri Hemmert, has been the patron saint of Chicago Beatles fans for decades, and she always plays a lot of interesting tracks--live stuff, outtakes, interesting solo stuff. Speaking of The Beatles (and when am I not?), Beatle Brain of Britain Mark Lewisohn has just signed a huge book deal to write a huge multi-volume biography of the group. I can't wait--but I'll have to; the first volume's not due until 2008!

Barry 2 in Germany, and other heroes...

Young Trottermaniac/internet hound Simon has found the cover of BT2 in Germany. And I found this site, a roundup of the world's non-U.S. superheroes.

Daily Telegraph article on print parodies...

Couldn't find a link when I blogged about it before, but Ed Page of the excellent Danger Blog! found it for me. So take a look.

Excellent Ted Rall cartoon...

...censored by MSNBC (owned, as we all know, by the defense contractor GE) should be required viewing. Take a look here. Also: in honor of the school's 250th anniversary, the Columbia Spectator has been publishing the people it believes to be the 250 most important alumni the college has produced. Today, it runs the top ten. Without being too hard on the young folk--it is, after all, an impossible task--the Top Ten is exactly what you'd expect a bunch of college kids would compile: some unassailable Founding Fathers at the top, then Margaret Mead (good value there: female, academic, and bisexual), then a bunch of ethnically diverse media people. God, I can only imagine the bitter sectarian fights inside the Spectator building! Friendships ended, I guarantee it.

Barry 2 hits Japan!

Here's hoping it doesn't hit back. Check out the cover and illustrations here and here. Young Simon can find anything on the Internet. Also, my friends at the Robert Benchley Appreciation Society have issued a summer reading list of short humor pieces. Check it out!