GM

The original “Situation”

My husband HATES The Jersey Shore. We never watch it, but from the clips we see on television he finds the whole thing so offensive. I find it amusing, which does make me a terrible human being, let’s be clear. Let’s just say, I’m not a native New Yorker and leave it at that. I suppose that the barrage of television depicting people from middle America as simple, slow and chubby only to be healed by the hand of Oprah or some swapping of spouses gives me a small bit of vindication. I understand stereotypes are harmful and offensive. I’m a woman, I get it. But it is easier to laugh at when it’s not you. The fact that juiced up guys are the butt of the joke doesn’t really bother me that much. Call it revenge.

People from the Mid West are smart, funny and hard working. Just because they may have a few extra pounds on them and that their jobs are not primarily in the entertainment or financial industry does not mean that there is no place for them in modern society. Can you imagine what would happen if there was no middle America? We would have no Al Capone. We would have no ER, no GM, no Second City, no Dorothy Gail. Jesus, NO OPRAH!

So if The Jersey Shore offends you, which it should, don’t get me wrong…here’s a great, great Pre-Code Gangster Movie. Let me know, but I’m pretty sure this was the original gangster movie. Let’s take a look at one of the most famous stereotypes in film. The little tough guy. The original“Situation”.

Little Caesar (1931)
Caesar Enrico Bandello: Did you ever stop to think what you’d look like with a lily in your hand?


So skip Jersey Shore and watch Little Caesar see…

Movies to Celebrate with as GM goes Bankrupt

So I was reading the headline in the New York Times today about how GM is about to bite it. I am someone who grew up in a car manufacturing community. I saw them close their plant in the ’80s and honestly the place I grew up in is better off for it. Now I don’t think this is a universal scenario, but survival is possible.
Anyway, while you are crying on the couch from the loss of your job, pension, life, car, home…okay while you are watching a VCR in some homeless shelter with a bunch of people you don’t know, find some comfort in this classic Pre-Code film The Crowd.(directed by King Vidor and can I just say that King is a baby name that needs to make a comeback)

It is basically a great story of going to New York with hopes and dreams and…the concept that you could have a future. And way you become a drone and the machine destroys you. I haven’t seen it in a while but I think there is a great uprising and everyone is better off for having bucked the man in the end. Very profound lovely movie and I have read it is the first time a toilet has ever been filmed in American Cinema…so..you know keep your eyes peeled.

This is exciting stuff. I wonder when the first stainless steel appliances were first filmed in American cinema.

Another film I think is pretty obvious, but is appropriate for this moment is Metropolis (directed by Fritz Lang…Fritz not as fun a name as King), now for all you special effects buffs out there, I know this doesn’t look like much to you now, but I dare you to actually sit there and create all those models and drawings that they shot against now without Vectorworks. I think they were glass paintings…wait, I’ll check back later, glass painting came later. Someone let me know if I am wrong.
Anyway, Happy End of the American Dream and know that the world has turned after such tragedies and will continue to turn. You may just not get to spin around the planet with your HD Flatscreen TV.