July 31, 2023

This article is an apples to oranges examination of Tony Bennett versus Jason Aldean

"Tony Bennett sang in a key that Jason Aldean's song can't reach."

Many tributes to Bennett talked about his legendary duets with such artists who seemed so unlike him, including Lady Gaga, John Mayer and Elvis Costello.

But something else besides Bennett’s unflappability made these collaborations work. Bennett wasn’t threatened by people who were not like him. They inspired him. This, too, reflects the jazz sensibility that Bennett absorbed.

Jazz artists are known for seeking out artists and music that doesn’t seem natural to them. Brubeck, the jazz pianist, infused his music with exotic rhythms and melodies he heard during tours of Turkey and Japan. Miles Davis stepped away from his acoustic band and incorporated psychedelic rock and funk into his music while listening to Jimi Hendrix. The jazz pianist Bill Evans was heavily influenced by classical music.

Jazz artists gravitate toward differences, and instinctively aim to erase categories.

The writer makes an eloquent case for the argument that an artist's work is never truly separate from the artist's character.

July 29, 2023

These Christian Nationalists Want to Stone Adulterers to Death

Full disclosure here, I am a former fundamentalist (the term "born again" was in vogue during my believer days.) who has read the Bible closely. While I no longer believe any of the supernatural aspects of Christianity, I do recall Jesus trying to nudge people away from the whole stoning concept. And that's a "christian" ideal that I can support.

. . . a key part of this revived biblical justice, is recognizing what trespasses truly merit this death penalty. “First off,” he says, “we need to realize that whatever sin requires stoning is more barbaric than the act of stoning itself. Christians have lost that idea,” he argues. “We’re like, ‘Oh, stoning is worse than adultery.’ No, no, no! Adultery is worse than stoning.”

Why do I get the feeling that people like Trump would be exempt from such penalties? For that matter, like the Pharisees in the Gospel of John, this new breed of zealots would probably be applying this law mainly to female offenders.

July 26, 2023

" The 'Barbie' backlash isn't just cynical: The GOP is abusing its own supporters"

This article by Amanda Marcotte, (originally pubished at Salon) offers some insight beyond the current noise over a blockbuster movie about an iconic toy.

In discussing the behavior of Rep Matt Gaetz and his wife who attended a screening of the Barbie movie and enjoyed their time in front of the cameras only to turn around and join the Right Wing chorus in criticizing it, the author notes:

This is how the right-wing noise machine works: It gloms onto an immediate cultural moment, whatever that happens to be, and emits a series of high-pitched whining noises. This is financially and politically profitable for two reasons. First, it draws eyeballs. Conserva-trolls attach themselves like ticks to "the discourse," drawing attention by becoming an irritant in a conversation that basically has nothing to do with them. Second, and more important, they use these cultural moments to reinforce a message of alienation and paranoia, separating their followers even further from the majority of everyday Americans and pushing them deeper into the world of hermetic right-wing nuttery. This tactic of isolating their audience from everyone else, including family members, strongly resembles the strategies used by cult leaders.

As someone who is a borderline shut-in, my anxiety and non-driver status pretty much keep me from doing fun things like going out to a movie. Some little part of my brain is itching to be brave and get out there to see this recent theatrical release, just because I know that it will upset Ben Shapiro. . . Oh, no, does that make me a performance troll as well? Damn, it's getting harder and harder to be a simple, authentic person these days.