Friday, August 03, 2001

NOW IT FINALLY MAKES SENSE: A New York Post story claimed British comic playwrights are planning an opera based on The Jerry Springer Show. The story explains that "Springer enjoys immense popularity in England, where he was born to parents who survived the Holocaust." Not only is his US show exported there, but he flies to London every other week to host a late-night variety show.

This may explain the particularities of the Springer show's cast of freaks (real Americans with assorted "relationship issues," who are chosen by the producers for their weirdness and coached to exaggerate outrageous behaviors onstage).

The Springer show, it's now obvious, is a show made for export. It's clearly devised to serve up a British/Euro vision of white Americans as uncouth louts, ignorant trailer trash bereft of either common sense or dignity--but mightily entertaining.

Not far from some white Americans' vision of black Americans.

posted by clark 10:31 AM

Thursday, August 02, 2001

CLIPPED: MTV celebrated its 20th anniversary yesterday with 13 hours of oldies videos, displaying such now-novel sights as rappers who were actually black and women who actually played instruments.

posted by clark 2:32 PM

IT'S OUT!: The broadsheet MISC magazine is now at about half the planned dropoff outlets. It can be obtained in Belltown, downtown, Queen Anne, Ballard, and parts of Capitol Hill. It will arrive today in the rest of Capitol Hill and Pioneer Square. In the next few days, you'll find it in Fremont, Wallingford, the U District, and other spots around town. Can't get to any of those? Order your own copy via the link on this page's left frame.

posted by clark 12:24 PM

Wednesday, August 01, 2001

OTHER VOICES (From a post by James Beniger to the "Triumph of Content" e-mail list): "DISCLAIMER: ABSOLUTELY NO human beings used in the creation, production, or distribution of this Internet discussion list are the result of human cloning, in accordance with the wishes of the United States House of Representatives. All persons associated with the creation and maintenance of this list are certified products of the federal government's approved process: Missionary position, lights out, male on top, all eyes closed, and all thoughts on civic responsibilities. In fact, the mere hint that humans might come to life by any other means than these we find--editorially and personally--to be both morally reprehensible and downright disgusting."

posted by clark 9:09 AM

Monday, July 30, 2001

PRINT UPDATE, UPDATED: The new broadsheet MISC magazine was the official last publication produced at the Belltown facility of Pacific Publishing (formerly Murray Publishing, formerly News Publishing). It was pasted up there this morning, following a frustrating weekend during which at least five oh-so-kind Kinko's employees futilely attempted to push my QuarkXPress pages through their oversize laser printer. Finally, the pages had to be "tiled" on a regular size laser printer and manually pasted together. But it's all done now, and the mags should be at an outlet near you this week. And for those of you in Seattle, it's a freebie again.

MUCH MERCH: A new MISC logo merchandise page will appear on this site later this week. First to be offered: The usual T-shirts, tank tops, mouse pads, and mugs. Coming soon thereafter: Postcards and a 2002 calendar based on our photojournalistic works. Watch this space for further particulars.

posted by clark 4:20 PM

ARCHIVES:

• Past weblog entries.
• 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, and 1986-94 columns.
• Reviews of literature & art, nonfiction & culture criticism, movies & videos, and music & noise.
• Longer articles and essays.
• Some slightly weird little fiction pieces.
• X-Word crossword puzzles, now with on-screen solving.
• Cyber Stuff, links to cool and/or useful sites.
• A listing of many Things I Like (and a few things I hate).
• The origin and future of MISCmedia.