I mentioned the other day how much I enjoy The Graham Norton Show talk show on BBC America. However, I didn't watch it last night. There was a specific reason: one of the guests was Arnold Schwarzenegger. No doubt he was promoting his new Terminator movie. It's not that I had no interest in watching the show, it's that I couldn't bear it.
It's been a common feeling for me. I get annoyed just driving around town and seeing billboards for the movie. When the TV spots come on, I switch the channel. Lest one think otherwise, this has nothing to do with the Terminator franchise. My reaction is far more rounded. As little as I think about his time as governor, which is significant, I find next to nothing amusing or entertaining about Arnold Schwarzenegger and his post-gubernatorial career. In fact, every time I'm reminded of him making another movie, it just confirms to me not only that he did a terrible job as governor of my state, but why this was so. When someone is governor of the state of California -- any state, in fact, but most especially California -- the largest state in the union, with an economy bigger than most countries, that person takes on a huge amount of serious responsibility. It suggest that the person who goes after and then accepts the job not only has a deep interest in the political process, but far more commitment to social well-being. And though the job stops when you leave office, the platform you've been given for continuing public service (whether in the public community or private business) is as great as any available in the nation. Now, to be clear, Arnold Schwarzenegger has absolutely been under no obligation to continue working for the public benefit. But he didn't even try. He went immediately into making movies again. And as I said, my concern is not what he does post-governorship, but how that choice shows how little he was concerned about running a state for the good of the people in the first place, and as a result ran California into the ground. Keep in mind, that as his time in office was nearing an end, he began moaning about how unfair it was that, as a foreign-born citizen, he was unable to run for president, and was even looking into what efforts could be made to change that prohibition. Thank goodness we were spared that possibility. After all, here's a man interested enough to consider running for President of the United States, yet after leaving office as governor of California couldn't be bothered to do anything -- not a single thing - for the public welfare. President was just, apparently, a bigger role. Instead, he just jumped back into movies. (And huge flops every one. But at least he got his paycheck, so happily he came out from it fine. I suspect the new Terminator film will do well -- though we'll see. Thank goodness he had a fallback, now that being president didn't work out.). It always seemed to me that the man ran for governor because his movie career was on the wane, and being a governor -- and governor of California, no less -- would be a massive ego trip. He lucked into the job, since there had been a recall election, and the process to run was much easier than would be normal. No real debates were necessary to get the Republican nomination, and little campaigning was necessary. Having a big name among so many little-known challengers under the odd, uncommon circumstanced lead to a far-smoother path. And once elected governor of the star-eyed state, he did an awful job. Progress came to a halt, the economy collapsed during his tenure, the state's budget surplus turned into significant red ink, and he used borrowed funds to merely temporarily patch the leaking, causing unattended long-term problems -- which only finally were addressed and turned around with austere but strong actions by his successor, Democrat Jerry Brown. Further, the Enron scandal overlapped with his meeting as a private citizen with Ken Lay, Enron's head. The state's resulting energy crisis -- caused specifically by Enron's illegal activities in California-- is what lead to then-governor Gray Davis getting recalled...which opened the door for Schwarzenegger getting the job. So, when I seen Arnold Schwarzenegger immediately leap back into movies right after being governor of California, I just clench my teeth and only find comfort in having all my suspicions confirmed about how microscopic was interest he had in doing the actual job of governor and working for the public interest. Imagine with his profile and that background, former governor of California, he could have done after leaving office. He could have run for the U.S. Senate; he could have been a congressman; he could have worked for public interest groups, even if only as a mere figurehead to get attention for important causes; he could have done something, anything, large, small, whatever. He could have formed a PAC to push for allowing foreign-born citizens to run for president, something he said he was interested in, even if it now only benefited someone other than him. He could have done a conservative radio talk show. Gotten a gig on "Fox News." Something, anything. He was governor of California. He was a Big Name. But he did nothing. He jumped right back into movies. Which explains why California suffered during the time he was the oh-so-adorably named "the governator." He didn't have the ability. He didn't have the substance. But mostly, far above all, he just simply couldn't care less. Which is sort of how I feel when I see one of his movies hit the screen. Keep in mind, too, that Arnold Schwartzenegger is someone who was feted as the Republican Party's Darling. The "new conservative." The Poster Boy for the foundation of the GOP. Well...in some ways I guess he actually was that. Someone in politics with no actual interest in governing or helping others, who drove his constituents into the ground and then fled. Put that on the billboard. I'm sure he was very entertaining on The Graham Norton Show. I'm not sorry I missed it, though. Or pretty much anything about the guy...
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It's been a quiet week. Clarence Bunsen sleeps on his boat so he can think in the middle of the night; the story of Mr. Musselman, who was driven from town by deerflies; and the Whippets win a close game.
It's ba-ack. Here's the second episode of the new podcast, 3rd & Fairfax, from the Writers Guild of America. Last week, the writer guest being interviewed was award-winning writer Margaret Nagle. And this week -- she returns, but on on the other side of the microphone, interviewing Emmy-winning writer Danny Strong.
Strong won his Emmy for the HBO film, Recount, about the Bush v. Gore 2000 election. But he may be even better known for writing the final two films in the Hunger Games series: Mockingjay, Part 1 and the upcoming Part 2. He's also had a long career as an actor, including recurring roles on Mad Men and Justified. The episode includes an interview concerning WGA matters, this with the head of membership, Patrick Cannon. On the possibility that that might not be of as much interest to everyone -- though the subject matter does include getting into the Guild -- the magic of podcasting includes the concept of fast-forwarding, and Danny Strong's entertaining interview and story telling kicks in at the 17:05 mark. (I was going to say "about the 17:05 mark, but that's pretty specific, so I think you're well-covered.) Here's another almost-unknown Anthony Newley song, that's not bad (though it requires a bit of a backstory, because otherwise it would seem like the world's most egotistical and pretentious song ever...) And coming across it reminded me of one of the strangest screenings I've been to. It was a strange screening because, in part, this comes from one of the stranger movies, with one of the stranger titles -- Can Heironymous Merkin Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? (As you might imagine, the film is from the 1970s when such titles were in vogue. For instance, the Dustin Hoffman movie, Who is Harry Kellerman and Why is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?) Heironymous Merkin.had a bit of a reputation at the time, most particularly because it was supposed to have a lot of nudity and pretty women and a Playboy Playmate of the Year (who was the titled 'Mercy Humppe" -- o the subtlety...), and Playboy magazine had done a big pictorial feature about the film. I was at Northwestern at the time, and the film was going to screen on campus, and as you might imagine, this sort of film held much interest for college students. Well, the men folk, at least. The auditorium was packed. Though it wasn't packed for long. The audience quite enjoyed when the young woman playing Ms. Humppe appeared on screen, without much wardrobe. But before that occurred, they were a bit disoriented by a big musical number, quite a good one, in fact, sung by veteran British music hall star Bruce Forsythe, called "On the Boards." Mind you, I wasn't disoriented at all, because while I was all for the beautiful naked women and especially the nude Playmate, I wanted to see the musical. In fact, as I heard all the rumblings in the audience (and it was obvious why), I was tempted to stand up and yell, "Didn't you people KNOW that this was a musical??!!!" Then, the second song was performed, and the rumblings built to discomfort. When Mercy Humppe appeared in all her naked glory. there was at first great relief by the audience -- but as the scene built, it eventually turned in a musical number, and it was like disbelief and abject horror broke out en mass. It wasn't quite a stampede for the exits, but the departures did begin in large numbers. (I can't swear that I have all the order of this correctly, but this was about 10-15 minutes into the movie.) Probably within another 10 minutes or so, the auditorium had significantly cleared out. What was left was: musical comedy fans willing to put up with the mess on screen, fans of naked ladies willing to put up with the musical numbers, Anthony Newley fans -- though I suspect many of those had left, cinema buffs (no pun intended...) who'll watch anything, and those who had nothing better to do on a weekend night. It wasn't all that many, compared to the jammed auditorium only minutes before. And through it all, I kept wanting to yell out to people, "Didn't you know this was a musical??!!!" I can't tell you much about the story, other than it was clearly a semi-autobiographical tale written by Newley that he preferred to make instead of to an analyst. It had a lot to do with Merkin's naked romp through women and relationships and trying to find God and his family. And yes, it was incredibly, monumentally self-indulgent. (I think George Jessel played God, and Milton Berle played the Devil. Just what college kids want to see when going to a movie with young naked women and a Playboy Playmate of the Year. By the way, this God and the Devil theme was central to Newley's musical, The Good Old Bad Old Days, that played in London but never made it to Broadway.) Indeed, when I titled this article, "Lost Newley," I wasn't only...or especially...referring to the song. My recollection is that the songs weren't half-bad -- I don't say that from the screening, which I hardly remember, but I actually bought the soundtrack album. (Yes, leave it to me to get a soundtrack album to something like this. But like I said, I knew it was a musical -- and was from the guy who did Stop the World, I Want to Get Off, and The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd. To people who not only like, but actually study musicals, this was no small thing. But still...yes, I know. Even by my standards, it's odd.) However, it's worth noting why the songs ranged from fair to extremely good -- the music was by Anthony Newley, after all...but the lyrics were by Herbert Kretzmer, who years later wrote the English words for Les Miserables! And also the London musical, The Four Musketeers, which I've posted songs from here, a show that starred Harry Secombe. It wasn't a distinguished or memorable score by any stretch of the imagination, but it did have some quite good numbers. And yes, I'm well-aware that the musical numbers have absolutely nothing to do with why most anyone thinks of this movie -- if they think of it at all. Which brings us to this song. Honestly, I wish I could post "On the Boards," a great-fun vaudevillian song, but alas I can't find it. Life's a bed of roses 'Til the show you're doing closes On the boards But to be fair, this number is far, FAR more typical of the movie. So, it's just as well. On its own, when you watch it, the song is teeth-achingly pretentious and utterly ego-maniacal. But (though all that is true), you at least have to understand that the writers knew that, that it was the very point of the song. The whole point of the main character is that he is unearthly ego-maniacal and 100% self-indulgent, all the while searching for The Meaning of Life, largely provided that it centers around himself, so they wrote a Big Anthem for him. It's sort of in the vein of Newley's other Big Anthems, "What Kind of Fool Am I? and "Who Can I Turn To?" But -- intentionally -- without the subtlety. This here is the self-centered Heironymous Merkin on a mountaintop talking to God and dismissing Him to His face, singing -- in the kind of egregious staging you can only get from a movie of this era -- that "I'm All I Need." Interestingly, when you hear the song on an album, without the visuals, it comes across with more of a soul-searching edge. And when you see it in context, you at least understand from whence it sprang. Though it's still quite a...well, spectacle. But on its own, on film, it -- well, as I said, this way it's a fairly worthy representative of the film. Just without the naked women. But still, the main thing I think of when I see this, or anything from Heironymous Merkin is a full-auditorium of horrified college students aghast at what they were seeing, and me still wanting to shout out -- "Didn't you people KNOW that this was a musical????!!!!!" Discussing the political policies of Donald Trump now that he is a Republican "presidential candidate" is a pointless undertaking, not unlike inviting a raccoon to be a guest on Meet the Press. But everyone loves the circus, and so it's hard not to find great amusement in the three-ring spectacle Mr. Trump has dragged with him, complete with a clown in the center right and even an elephant.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, cast your eyes under the Big Top and watch as Donald Trump tries not to humiliate the Republican Party as an actual candidate for their presidential nomination by crowding out others on the debate platform with just enough GOP voters taking him seriously in polls, all the while fighting TV networks over beauty pageants! Forget the more general national polls that qualify him for the Fox debates, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Donald Trump is actually in second place among Republicans in New Hampshire in a a Suffolk University poll. Sure, that's likely because his name is new and fresh to unthinking voters who love flash and sizzle and confetti and parades when the circus comes to town, but still... Donald Trump in second place, even for day, is embarrassing enough. Imagine being the party official who has to sweep up behind this elephant and clean the mess. Which is why it's so amusing watching Mr. Trump -- who seems to think that being president is so easy that you just have to issue edicts and all will do your bidding, where world affairs and diplomacy have no meaning, even when dealing with sovereign nations, and you merely have to say, "You're fired!" and everyone will go slinking off. Yet just days out of the starting gate, and he can't even help get into a fight with -- not other candidates over policy, but -- the Univision and NBC television networks. Oddly, and inexplicably to Mr. Trump, it caused problems with a TV network broadcasting to Mexican Americans after he said, "When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re sending people who have lots of problems and they’re bringing their problems. "They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists," and then added most amusingly of all, which is impressive given what he had just said, "and some, I assume, are good people." (Interestingly, as a side note, that's almost how many feel about this massive slate of Republican presidential candidates. But I digress...) So, as is now known, Univision, the huge Spanish-language television network, shockingly took offense and cut ties with Mr. Trump. And NBC distanced itself with their network's host. But that's not the fun of this circus. It's that, as befits any serious presidential candidate, of course, Donald Trump jumped out of the car crammed with all the midgets and is now in a snit fit about TV shows and has threatened to sue for hundreds of millions of dollars. Because that's just how you want to be seen as a serious presidential candidate, who's number two in New Hampshire. Mr. Trump's sense of presidential acumen has shown itself as he's ratcheted up the rhetoric, with comments like, "“And, by the way, Univision called me and they apologized for what they’re doing because they felt so stupid and so guilty.,” To which he added, "They called me this morning like a little lamb." I'm going to make a guess here that that's not how the conversation actually went, if it occurred at all, since a company has huge as Univision has tons of lawyers, who tend to check contracts and think things through before making public statements that break five-year- "ironclad" deals. (Now, mind you they might ultimately reach an agreement with the GOP presidential candidate -- or not -- but it won't be because they're a "little lamb" who feels "so stupid." Again, remember, we're talking about airing beauty pageants. But I think the best comment of all from Mr. Trump -- which is saying a lot -- is when he showed his total cluelessness (always a quality one wants in a president) and noted, "The problem that Univision has with me is that I’m honest about trade and I’m honest about the border.” Actually, the problem that Univision -- and NBC -- have with him is that he said, "They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists -- and some, I assume, are good people." And also said about dealing with Mexico that “I would build a Great Wall — and nobody build walls better and I will do it very inexpensively – on our southern border and have Mexico pay for it.” That's more likely why Univision is so pissed off. And NBC. And Mexico. And most thinking-humans. Equally humorous is when he suggests Univision is only acting this way because "The Mexican government is putting pressure on Univision." That's a pretty nifty trick since Univision is, in fact, a U.S. network, and actually based in New York City. By the way, forget for a moment that this is not how any political party likely wants its #2 candidate in New Hampshire to be perceived, getting into fights with TV networks over beauty pageants and threatening lawsuits. Instead, consider that most actual politicians try to make a point about how great they are at building bridges -- not that they build walls better than anyone. The Trump Circus has come to town! And it's a beauty. To be fair, the really huge embarrassment is not that he's running for the GOP nomination for president -- hey, anyone can file, just look at Ben Carson. Or Bobby Jindal. It's that to Republican voters in New Hampshire, he's better right now than ALL other Republicans running except Jeb Bush. As for the others -- well...some, I assume, are good people. That sound you hear is the Republican National Committee cringing. |
AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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