And There Was a Valley Between Them

The New Yorker has run an incredible review by David Denby of the new film In The Valley of Elah. There is a rash of Iraq-related movies coming out right now, like the overblown (and, according to Anthony Lane, relatively worthless) The Kingdom (starring, ugh, Jamie Foxx…), something that is probably inevitable after spending a good 5 years involved in a losing war. And as with any war film, the decision about to portray both soldiers and combat (if combat is at all portrayed) is colored by the director’s view of war as well as the public concept of it, and will certainly color the way the public receives the film. The movies made about the Vietnam War (Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, you know, the classics [and even the much more recent Rescue Dawn]) tend to focus almost entirely on combat, its horrors, and especially the alien and terrifying nature of the Vietnamese jungles by placing the characters and the plot in the country we were fighting. Films like The Kingdom take much the same track, focusing on things happening in Iraq and, to some degree, toning down the horrors of war by placing them entirely in georgraphical context.

In The Valley of Elah is different; here, the horrors and effects of war are transposed back onto American soil. Based on a 2004 article published in Playboy by Mark Boal called “Death and Dishonor” (feel free to use this as an example of why people like me read Playboy for the articles), it is the story of a military father whose son returns from Iraq only to immediately go AWOL, having been murdered. Though the film incorporates the stories of many more soldiers in order to create a broader, more universal character on which to hang the plot, the basics remain the same: finding out about his son’s murder prompts the father to go on a quest to find out what the hell happened, both in Iraq and once his son returned home. The result, according to Denby, is both heartbreaking and beautiful; Tommy Lee Jones perfectly personifies the reticent father, emotionally destroyed by the loss of his son and comforted only by his quest for the truth. Charlize Theron plays a tough, but passionate — and perhaps most importantly, angry — detective aiding Jones in his search, a necessary foil. This movie should got at the top of your list.

–Sara Tenenbaum

Esquire’s Sexiest Woman Alive is…

It’s only part four of Esquire’s annual Sexiest Woman Alive guessing game, but the editors made two vital mistakes with their clues and now I’ve gone done figured it out.

It all came about in part four with these two clues: “English is not her first language” and “The first letter of one of her films is represented in Unicode as U+00C6.” It was the Unicode clue more than anything that gave it away. The film they’re talking about is “Aeon Flux.” The first language is Afrikans. The woman is Charlize Theron.

Can’t say I disagree. She’s is pretty damn hot.

–Sara Tenenbaum

Morning giggle

I like waking up to things like this. Posted by coyotebrat over at ONTD:

“Just because someone puts on weight in their uterus doesn’t make them pregnant.”

When are you going to confirm already, Christina? You’re happily married, your husband’s normal and adorable, and we’re all pulling for your happiness. Cop to the baby, already! I mean, you let Paris Hilton blow your cover… you would have been so much better off announcing it yourself.

–Sara Tenenbaum

Suing God

Thank you, Kevin, for brightening up my work day immesurably by sending me this little piece of not-news gold. Or maybe it is news. Because, really, how often does someone sue God?

Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers is suing God to prove a point about how easy it is to sue someone in the US. Sure, we all know lots and lots about frivilous litigation (remember the guy in DC who tried to sue a small, family-owned dry cleaners for $67 million because they lost his pants?), and many of us live in fear of it. But how often does someone try to sue a diety that large groups of people regularly disagree about, and who some don’t even believe exists?

Chambers says in his lawsuit that God has made terroristic threats against the senator and his constituents, inspired fear and caused “widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth’s inhabitants.”

The Omaha senator, who skips morning prayers during the legislative session and often criticizes Christians, also says God has caused “fearsome floods … horrendous hurricanes, terrifying tornadoes.”

He’s seeking a permanent injunction against the Almighty.

Interestingly, and somewhat seriously, the lawsuit was triggered by another lawsuit that the senator considered frivilous. That lawsuit is being filed by a sexual assault victim who feels her right to free speech was violated at her trial when the judge banned some very particular kinds of language:

Chambers said the lawsuit was triggered by a federal suit filed against a judge who recently barred words such as “rape” and “victim” from a sexual assault trial.

The accuser in the criminal case, Tory Bowen, sued Lancaster District Judge Jeffre Cheuvront, claiming that he violated her free speech rights.

Chambers said Bowen’s lawsuit is inappropriate because the Nebraska Supreme Court has already considered the case and federal courts follow the decisions of state supreme courts on state matters.

I think Chambers is kind of missing the point here. It’s very disturbing to hear that one cannot use the words “rape” or “victim” at their own sexual assault trial… presumably one would need to use those words (especially the second one!) in order to convey the misdeeds done to them. And moreover, doesn’t it seem like banning words like that may not just violate her right to free speech, but also her right to due process and a fair trial in front of a jury of her peers? I mean, if you’re a victim of rape, and can’t say you’re a victim of rape, wouldn’t you have a hard time convicting your rapist? And would that leave him free to rape you, or someone else, again?

It seems to be that such a lawsuit would not be frivilous, but potentially very important to supporting victims’ rights in sexual assault cases. Suing God, on the other hand, while hilarious, is just…. weird.

–Sara Tenenbaum

Go Longshot

I must admit I follow the Television Without Pity bible — I read recaps, weecaps, recaplets, even forums. I love that website, and check it regularly… there’s even TV shows I like more via recap than I do on actual television! So, of course, I was interested when they published their Emmys odds this year. After watching the show last night, blogging it, and then falling asleep, it occurred to me that I should see how the winners panned out odds-wise. The result is rather interesting. According to TWoP (who admit their numbers are rather arbitrary and cannot be mathematically supported, beyond representing who they thought was and wasn’t a longshot), last night was a rather good night for the longshots. Let’s take a look:

Outstanding Drama Series — The Sopranos, 3:2
OK, so this was not a longshot win, but both expected and deserved. We’ll leave this one alone.

Outstanding Comedy Series — 30 Rock, 18:1
“30 Rock winning would be an upset, but not out of the question — Arrested Development’s win a few years ago means the Academy knows quality, they just very often vote against it. “

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series — James Spader, 10:1
“You can never count Spader out because: won before.”

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series — Ricky Gervais, 20:1
“Though it seems like awarding anyone but Carell or Baldwin (or maybe Ricky Gervais) would be sheer lunacy…”

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series — Sally Field, 5:1
“I’m possibly making the critical error of thinking Sally Field has a better chance than she does because I’m rooting for her, but when awards bodies see her name on a ballot, they tend to want to give her things.”

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series — America Ferrera, 4:1
[I just want to say, the only reason I didn't give it to her is because I honestly thought she had already won an Emmy for this. I was wrong]
“Another fairly easy call: America Ferrera’s name gets called and she holds her trophy aloft, shouting, “This is for all the pretty girls who get put in ponchos and braces so we can all pretend they’re ugly!” while somewhere in the universe, Camryn Manheim weeps bitter tears. She’s really pretty, is what we’re saying.”

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series — Terry O’Quinn, 12:1
[YES! YESSS!!!!]
“The best chances at an upset probably rest with Knight — a feel-good capper to the Isaiah Washington ugliness, not to mention throwing a bone to a Grey’s bright spot — or O’Quinn, who, again, maybe we’re projecting, but other people think he’s awesome, right?”

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series — Jeremy Piven, 5:1
“Okay, pull up a chair while your Uncle Joe tells you how this is going to work. Rainn Wilson and Neil Patrick Harris are maybe the two most deserving nominees on the entire Emmy ballot. In addition, their co-nominees in this category are essentially the Larry, Curly, and Moe of the acting categories (yes, Piven’s the Moe). The quality gap between the first two and the last three is so significant that it almost fools you into thinking the TV academy will have no choice but to award at least one actor you’re actively rooting for. And that’s when Jeremy Piven will win again. Because it’s the Emmys, that’s why.”

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series — Katherine Heigl, 25:1
TWoP considered Heigl to be such a longshot, they didn’t even mention her! They said:
“Seeing two Sopranos actresses up against three from Grey’s Anatomy makes it tempting to think that Rachel Griffiths might be able to ride the vote-splitting wave to a victory, but that doesn’t happen as often at the Emmys as you’d think. My sense here is that Turturro or Bracco will be viewed as “owed,” and one of them will pick up the trophy — Turturro, if I had my druthers. But the idea of all four acting winners for drama coming from the same show gives me pause, so this could be where Sandra Oh gets her (deserved) Emmy. No one in this category has ever won before, which makes it a little harder to handicap. If these odds weren’t completely made up and mathematically unsupportable, I might consider putting a sawbuck on Chandra Wilson at 18-1 just in case. “

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series — Jamie Pressly, 20:1
“This is me at my most cynical. A win for Fischer, Pressly, or Perkins would probably be the coolest thing I’ve seen from this awards body in years. “

So there you have it. Last night was a pretty decent night for longshots. One might assume that, if television continues to produce high quality shows as it is right now, and if people (especially academy members) continue to watch them, these “longshots” might become well-deserved favorites. And c’mon Emmy folks… let’s give The Office some more awards please?

HERE IS A (MORE) FULL LIST OF EMMY WINNERS:

Drama Series — The Sopranos
Comedy Series — 30 Rock
Lead Actor, Drama — James Spader, Boston Legal
Lead Actor, Comedy — Ricky Gervais, Extras
Lead Actress, Drama — Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Lead Actress, Comedy — America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Supporting Actor, Drama — Terry O’Quinn, Lost
Supporting Actor, Comedy — Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Supporting Actress, Drama — Katherine Heigl, Grey’s Anatomy
Supporting Actress, Comedy – Jamie Pressly, My Name Is Earl
Reality Program, Competition — The Amazing Race
Reality Program — Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List
Miniseries — Broken Trail
Lead Actor, Miniseries or Movie — Robert Duvall, Broken Trail
Lead Actress, Miniseries or Movie — Helen Mirren, Prime Suspect: The Final Act (Masterpiece Theater)
Writing for Variety, Music, or Comedy Program — Late Night with Conan O’Brien
Writing for Drama Series — The Sopranos, “Made in America”
Writing for Comedy Series — The Office, “Gay Witch Hunt”
Directing for Drama Series — The Sopranos, “Kennedy and Heidi”
Directing for Comedy Series — Ugly Betty, “Pilot”
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program — The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Animated Program (less than 1/2 hour) — South Park, “Make Love, Not Warcraft”

–Sara Tenenbaum

LiveBlogging the Emmys

The fashion portion is done, the channel has changed from E! to FOX, the Emmy are about ready to start, and I have chinese food on the way. Perfect. Let the LiveBlogging begin.

8:00: Oooh, Family Guy opening. I like that. They’ve done this song for FG before, but Seth McFarlane’s a great satarist.

8:03: The jokes were good. The Sopranos joke was great. And the post-song Stephen Colbert/Jon Stewart moment of love was fantastic. This is a good start, that Ryan Seacrest is about to ruin.

8:04: Host homage. BORING! C’mon, Seacrest, no one likes sincerity.

8:08: Do. Not. Sing. Oh, thank god.

8:10: That was wierd; the cut in the middle of Ray Romano’s joke about Fraiser to the dead camera. I bet it was a wayward elbow. Also, isn’t he presenting something? Are we making up for Seacrest’s lack of hosting talent with extended presenter stand up comedy segments? That’s not ok, FOX.

8:15: Here we go, Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. And the winner is… Jeremy Piven? He’s great and all, but Rainn Wilson was kinda sorta really robbed. Ah well. Jeremy is both humble and quite charming, and I’m not so much mad that he won than I am disappointed that Rainn didn’t.

8:17: Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series… I’m HUGELY invested in that. C’mon Lost, c’mon Lost… The winner is… YES!!! TERRY O’QUINN!!! I think he is just BRILLIANT and this is ROUNDLY deserved!!!

8:22: I’m going to use this commercial break to say that the Emmys can do just about anything they want from here on out and I will be satisfied. The fact that the voters eventually came to the conclusion that Locke deserved that Emmy restores my faith in those who voted. Both Michael Emerson and Terry O’Quinn got a lot of phenomenal material last season on Lost, and they both did an exceptional job with what they were given. Either was extremely deserving of the award, and I’m glad one of them was recognized. And O’Quinn’s Desperate Housewives joke was pretty good, too.

8:26: Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Tina Fey and Julia Louis-Dryefus are funny too, btw. Oh, Jamie Presley won! She’s super funny on My Name Is Earl (a show my parents ADORE). Awww, she’s all choked up and sincere and cute. I’m happy about this, really I am. Although, I have to say… The Office is 0 for 2 so far…

8:20: Katherine Heigel is pretty. I only barely remember who Thomas Hayden Church is. I never saw a single thing nominated in that category. Oh look, commercial.

8:36: I don’t know how much of that was improvised, or just well-delivered, but that Ellen thing was funny. And this montage isn’t so bad, mostly because of the preponderance of Colbert Report and Daily Show clips.

8:38: Even the ugly Entourage boys are cute and charming. Adrien Grenier, mmm. Best Supporting Actress, Drama… Katherine Heigel! I like her, but not for her TV work. I’ll give her a hearty “yay” nevertheless; she’s a talented young woman.

8:42: Katherine Heigel was absolutely adorable. Best Writing, Variety, Music, etc. These little thingies are (mostly) funny. I liked Conan’s a lot. The Emmy goes to… Conan. Cool. Conan’s head is enormous. It’s so enormous, the White Stripes made it a part of a music video. Seriously, it’s huge. And I know, that joke is old, but this isn’t a joke, this is me just thinking about how goddamn big his head is. Christina Aguilera is performing next. The real question is, will she admit she is pregnant before the baby is born? Before it turns 18? No one knows.

8:51: Christina Aguilera looks beautiful in that pink dress and NUDE LIPS. Thank god. I also see definite baby bump, but that dress does a fairly good job of minimizing it. She did not interviews, no red carpet aside from pictures, and is clearly not saying anything now. I kind of admire that degree of firmness. Performance is pretty perfunctory, but Tony Bennett is old.

9:12: Robert Duvall is seriously making me uncomfortable. That’s twice now. Why don’t the people around him stop him from talking? I know he’s old, but maybe when you’re old you should let someone else do the acceptance speeches.

9:13: Hayden Panettierre (or however you spell it) looks like an ugly upside-down cupcake. Oh, Creative Arts Emmys.

9:15: By the way, peeps, I’m about 2 minutes off the live broadcast as I DVRed the show and am playing with avoiding commercials. Lost loses a directing award, boo! Sopranos win, eh. Hayen Pantyairs (thanks, Michael K) is gone, yay! Pointy jokes are funny, especially involving kids or cats.

9:18 The Sopranos dominate the nominations, but Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindloff deserve the writing award. They don’t get it. I’m a little ticked now.

9:23: Heh. Steve Carrell and the rest of The Office is funny. Oooh, Best Variety, Musical or Comedy Show. I say the Daily Show should keep its streak alive. And it does! Oh yay, go Daily Show! I truly believe that the only people left in America who can see clearly are on this show. Thank you, Jon Stewart and pals, for keeping me, and a lot of other rational Americans, insane. Poor Stephen Colbert… Stewart is blockin’ the aisle every time.

9:37: Mary Louise Parker no longer looks amused. I wonder if she’s tired of people making jokes about how little a “role model” her character is. I think it’s sad that, while we’re finally recognizing more and more women being given strong, central characters on tv, we still require them to be “role model” characters. Tony Soprano is not a role model. Not a single male lead on Lost or 24 or Heroes is a role model. The most interesting characters, especially on television, tend to be the ones that are most definitly not role models. Nancy is a really, really interesting character, and Mary Louise Parker plays her perfectly. Oh and that Western won again. Did anyone really watch that?

9:40: These guys sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks in real life. They’re clearly singing live, but the addition of the background track, and maybe something done to the microphone?, make them sound like they’ve inhaled helium. It’s really bizarre.

9:41: I hope, off in the darkness of the auditorium, the singer was gazing so passionately at Tom Sellick.

9:45:This is a lot of applause. Enough applause to trigger a commercial break! Wow. Probably so that the producers can make an announcement to quiet people down. Wow.

10:05: This is like looking directly at the TV Academy’s giant nerd boner. And Masa Oki is one of my favorites.

10:18: Oh yay, The Office wins something. Good.

10:32: That was actually pretty funny, and the first time Kanye has ever said anything about never winning that didn’t come off as totally pompous. Rainn Wilson’s hilarious. I’m so sick of Project Runway not winning this award. Even the crowd was louder for them. Boo, boo, boo.

10:41: Unsurprisingly, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert usher in the nights most genuinely fun and funny moment by “giving” Steve Carell an Emmy because Ricky Gervais isn’t there to pick up his award. Much jumping and yelling and running ensues. Marry me, Jon.

10:43: They just cut out part of Sally Field’s speech by cutting to that wierd silent camera when she was talking about the war. Maybe Ray Romano said something offensive earlier and that wasn’t just a mistake? That is wierd and creepy — I would be really upset to find out that FOX is somehow censoring these awards. I hope someone who was there will transcribe that little comment later tonight.

10:53: I totally thought America Ferrera had already won an Emmy! Was that a Golden Globe? She won something, I swear she won something. I think she’s very talented, and Ugly Betty is good (I just don’t watch it regularly). And that color is stunning on her.

10:55: I think Kate Walsh is a little drunk. Go Kiefer. Oh, James Spader! You were great in Secretary. Aww, he looks so nerdy! Good for him.

10:57: “I’ll tell you, I’ve been to thousands and thousands of concerts in my life and these are the worst seats I’ve ever had.” Heh.

11:03: Of course we’re over time. 30 Rock wins Comedy Series. Word, Tina Fey.

11:08: Of course The Sopranos wins. That was a landmark, and excellent, television show. Congratulations all around, especially to David Chase who looks happy and sad and bewildered all at the same time. Bravo. I wonder if — Oh wait, there he goes. Well, this was a wonderful night as far as Emmys go… The Office was shut out (boo), the show was pretty funny (yay), and Terry O’Quinn won an Emmy (double yay!) I’m out.

–Sara Tenenbaum

Emmy Predictions!

As a self-confessed television addict, I love love love the Emmys, which are airing tonight at 8 on NBC (I think. I’m recording it, so I might be making that up). Following are my predictions for tonight’s Emmys which I will be liveblogging this evening. Tune in for snarky commentary all around!

Outstanding Supporting Actor for a Comedy
- Kevin Dillon, for Entourage
- Jeremy Piven, for Entourage
- Neil Patrick Harris, for How I Met Your Mother
- Rainn Wilson, for The Office
- Jon Cryer, for Two and a Half Men
Will Win: I have no fucking clue, I don’t watch, like, any of these shows.
Should Win: Rainn Wilson, because The Office is pretty bomb.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama
- William Shatner, for Boston Legal
- T.R. Knight, for Grey’s Anatomy
- Masi Oka, for Heroes
- Terry O’Quinn, for LOST
- Michael Emerson, for LOST
- Michael Imperioli, for The Sopranos
Will Win: Michael Imperioli, because The Sopranos just ended and are going to sweep the Emmys like it’s nobody’s business. Or T.R. Knight, getting thrown a bone for all that “faggot” business.
Should Win: Terry O’Quinn or Michael Emerson. Aside from my complete and life-consuming obsessions with LOST, those two are the most talented actors in this category, and also offer the most complex and convincing performances. Though they’re nominated as supporting actors, they are quintessential members of television’s best ensemble cast, and one of them should be taking home a statue tonight.

Outstanding Supporting Actress for a Comedy
- Jamie Pressly, for My Name Is Earl
- Jenna Fischer, for The Office
- Conchata Ferell, for Two and a Half Men
- Holland Taylor, for Two and a Half Men
- Vanessa Williams, for Ugly Betty
- Elizabeth Perkins, for Weeds
Will Win: Jenna Fischer, because she’s funny and she broke her back this summer.
Should Win: Elizabeth Perkins. I haven’t seen Weeds in two seasons and I’m still confident she’s the best part of that show.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama
- Rachel Griffiths, for Brothers and Sisters
- Sandra Oh, for Grey’s Anatomy
- Chandra Wilson, for Grey’s Anatomy
- Katherine Heigl, for Grey’s Anatomy
- Aida Turtarro, for The Sopranos
- Lorraine Bracco, for The Sopranos
Will Win: Lorraine Bracco, because it’s The Sopranos.
Should Win: Lorraine Bracco, she’s pretty awesome on The Sopranos.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy
- Alec Baldwin, for 30 Rock
- Ricky Gervais, for Extras
- Tony Shalhoub, for Monk
- Charlie Sheen, for Two and a Half Men
Will Win: I don’t know. Alec Baldwin, probably.
Should Win: Ricky Gervais, he’s hilarious all the time.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama
- Kiefer Sutherland, for 24
- James Spader, for Boston Legal
- Hugh Laurie, for House
- Denis Leary, for Rescue Me
- James Gandolfini, for The Sopranos
Will Win: James Gandolfini. Guess why.
Should Win: Hugh Laurie. Kiefer Sutherland would be acceptable too, but only if the presenters yell “Kiefer! Kiefer!” all during his walk to the stage.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy
- Tina Fey, for 30 Rock
- Felicity Huffman, for Desperate Housewives
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus, for The New Adventures of Old Christine
- America Ferrera, for Ugly Betty
- Mary-Louise Parker, for Weeds
Will Win: Felicity Huffman, maybe? I’m not sure. America Ferrera took it last year, I guess she could take it again.
Should Win: Tina Fey. She’s funny.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama
- Sally Field, for Brothers and Sisters
- Mariska Hargitay, for Law and Order: SVU
- Patricia Arquette, for Medium
- Kyra Sedgwick, for The Closer
- Minnie Driver, for The Riches
- Edie Falco, for The Sopranos
Will Win: Edie Falco. If I have to tell you why, you’ve not been paying attention.
Should Win: Edie Falco. Or, anyone other than Mariska Hargitay. That character drives me crazy.

Outstanding Reality Show
- Antiques Roadshow
- The Dog Whisperer
- Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
- Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List
- Penn & Teller: Bullshit!
Will Win: Hard to say. Oh wait, was this one of the ones already presented? Didn’t Kathy Griffin win already?
Should Win: Tsst! Tsst!

Outstanding Reality Show, Competition
- American Idol
- Dancing With The Stars
- Project Runway
- The Amazing Race
- Top Chef
Will Win: Project Runway. Clearly the best reality show on TV.
Should Win: Project Runway. Clearly the best reality show on TV.

Outstanding Variety, Musical, or Comedy Series
- Late Night with Conan O’Brien
- The Late Show with David Letterman
- Real Time with Bill Maher
- The Colbert Report
- The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Will Win: It’s tight between the Colbert Report and The Daily Show.
Should Win: The Daily Show. It’s still better than the Colbert Report, and it’s probably the only show in America being real about the sorry, sorry state of this country.

Outstanding Comedy Series
- 30 Rock
- Entourage
- The Office
- Two and a Half Men
- Ugly Betty
Will Win: Dunno. I’d say it’s close between The Office, Entourage, and 30 Rock.
Should Win: The Office.

Outstanding Drama Series
- Boston Legal
- Grey’s Anatomy
- Heroes
- House
- The Sopranos
Will Win: The Sopranos, duh.
Should Win: Sopranos might deserve it, but so does House. If Heroes gets it, I will stage a protest.

See you guys tonight!

–Sara Tenenbaum

Awwwwwwwww, inter-species love!

How fucking cute is that? That baby monkey was rescued, orphaned, from China and brought to the UK where he was nursed back to health. Despite regaining his vitamins, he seemed to have no lust for life, as it was, until this dove took him — literally — under its wing. Now they’re inseparable.

After all the anger yesterday, I thought this might be a nice change of pace. And I’ll say it again — how fucking cute is that???

–Sara Tenenbaum

I’m Not There

This is a scene from the upcoming film I’m Not There starring 6 or 7 people as Bob Dylan, including Christian Bale, Heath Ledger and my favorite actress, Cate Blanchett. Yes, I said Ms. Blanchett will be playing Mr. Dylan. What, you think it won’t be amazing? Check it:

P.S. – That’s David Cross as Allen Ginsberg. How perfect is that??

–Sara Tenenbaum

Where We Are

I had about half a post written yesterday, a somber and somewhat angry reflection on the time that has passed since 9/11 happened and 9/11/07 rolled around. About the subtle changes in the country that have allowed 9/11 to become 9/11/07; the effect of the inevitable and unstoppable passage of time that eventually robs all tragedy of its relevance so that we no longer stop on December 4 to remember the soldiers and civilians who died in Pearl Harbor, just as one day 9/11 will pass without memorials, speeches, and the collective guilting of a nation. It was going to be a sweet post, a nice post, until I turned on the television after work.

The first thing I saw, literally the first, was a commercial. It was a low-budget ad, starring a homely (to put it nicely) middle class suburban woman who reprimanded me for “changing [my] vote for political reasons” and reminded me that the war in Iraq is making “sure we are all more secure and safe in the world.” And all of a sudden, all the warm fuzzies I had for this country were gone. All of the reflection and contemplation over the meaning of such a tragic day, and its transformation into normality, were replaced by white hot rage for once again being badgered by the ideological right over politics. So, guys, you get a different kind of post.

Six years after 9/11, four years after going to war, seven years after an election was stolen and a mere 3 years after Americans went ahead and elected the bumbling idiot again, we are not safer in the world. We are not better, we are not more secure, we are not safer, we are not more popular. We are the opposite. We are less trusted, less believed, less listened to, more attacked (physically and through rhetoric). We are hated where we were once merely resented; we are held up as an enemy to nations who once saw us as allies at least, heros at most. We have taken a century’s worth of hard work as a nation — hard work to get ourselves in working order, and to earn our place as the most powerful country on earth — and thrown it away. But instead of realizing this, instead of slamming on the brakes for the sake of our national reputation and the safety of our countrymen, we continue to allow an ideologue to follow a course with no connection with reality that is continually, unceasingly ramming our reputation and our security into the ground.

This is not a political statement, it is a human statement. Either political party can get it wrong; the extremes of either side of the political spectrum can be dangerous. The totalitarian communism that flourished in — and then destroyed — the Soviet Union and half of Europe was an extension of the extreme left; the current authoritarian administration pushing around the people of America is an extension of the extreme right. Extremes, in democracy and in life, are dangerous because they care not for the good of many and focus instead on the will of only a few. We are a country founded contrary to that belief — the entire reason our ancestors came here was because they were oppressed in their own countries and sought the ability to govern themselves. Now, 250 years later, we are having that right, that freedom taken away from us again. But should we choose to dissent — to “change [our] vote[s] for political reasons” — we are labeled traitors, deserters. We are called un-American.

I challenge you to tell me I am a traitor. As I watch my friends go to war and die; as I mobilize myself and those I can gather around me to try to take an active role in the government I was told was mine to run; as I try to make my leaders beholden to me and the rest of the American people again. I burns every inch of my American soul to hear people tell me that I am being unAmerican by demanding the most basic of American rights — the freedom of speech, of expression, and the right to petition my government for a redress of grievances. Check the first amendment — it’s there. And it’s not just my right, but my duty as an American — the only duty we as civilians are charged with — to maintain my government’s responsibility to me and my fellow Americans. We are who is in charge here, not the man we (or, well, you) gave the priviledge and responsibility of running the country. Not the other fucking way around.

And what about that man? That little monkey up in the White House? Let’s start from the beginning, the well from which this sprang, the floodgates of 9/11. What of the charges that he knew it was a possibility? What of his anti-Clinton administration; the cabinet that thought it knew better, that ignored or dismissed the intelligence gathered during the eight Clinton years on Al Qaeda and Bin Laden, the intelligence that would have given us at least a chance to lower, if not eliminate, the death toll from that tragedy. And then, only a year and half later, to lead us on a charge into innocent Iraq, single-handedly destabilizing the Middle East and allowing Al Qaeda — slowly being strangled by the Americans in Afghanistan (the few Americans Bush deigned to send) — to regroup and recover in the midst of a civil war. And now, with new floods of information telling us what many of us have suspected for a long time — that Bush knew there were no WMDs in Iraq, that he knew he was leading us to war under false pretenses. Over 3,000 Americans have died in Iraq. That is more than the number who died in 9/11. Our president has murdered more Americans than Bin Laden did. Good job, Mr. President.

We have been lied to. Not just once, but consistently, for seven years now. We live under the thumb of a government who does not believe in the rights or the will of the people. They have no concern beyond their ideology, their own agenda. 30 years ago we would have called them communists and declared them the enemy. Today we cart them around in motorcades.

We have been duped. We should be angry! 9/11 should not have been a somber occasion, but a riot of Americans who refuse to let their lives and their country go to shit for the sake of a man who would sooner throw us into a live minefield than do anything to benefit our survival. Enough is enough!

Where are we six years later? We are in the same place we were then — broken, beaten, divided and confused. Ignore politics. Ignore the candidate’s party, the candidate’s color or gender, ignore everything except the words coming out of their mouth. We will not be lied to any more.

–Sara Tenenbaum