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FILM REVIEW | THE WILD ONE

3/31/2020

photo manipulation by nacrowe

in my opinion, THE WILD ONE (STANLEY KRAMER PICTURES, 1953) is one of the most consequential films of all time. even up there with CITIZEN KANE (RKO, 1941) in terms of influence.

in many respects this is a result of its content rather than its construction (as was the case with ORSON WELLES' opus still being held in high esteem). the film basically introduced the AMERICAN public to teenage rebellion. in the post-WWII period the economic pursestrings controlled by young adults was sizable for the first time in modern history and HOLLYWOOD took notice. later films like REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (WARNER BROS, 1955) take their cue from THE WILD ONE, which deals with a clash of two motorcycle gangs in a small town. in many ways it is almost like a WESTERN in its construction, here bikes and leather jackets taking hte place of steeds and leather chaps.

there is also the immortal MARLON BRANDO line "What have you got?" to the question "What are you rebelling against" that is one of the great lines in all of cinema. for me this film is the ground zero of modern youth culture. you can even start with the fact that there is the well-known myth that THE BEATLES got their name from the rival biker gang in the film (a reference to the BEAT WRITERS and BEAT GENERATION). for the record the ALTERNATIVE ROCK band BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB is named after the corresponding BRANDO bike gang in the film.

at some point the legend of the film is divorced from the actual film itself which was low budget with minimal set locations. by standards of the time it is a pretty bare bones production. but where it succeeded it did so brilliantly in exploiting a burgeoning teenage market that was as-of-yet untapped with characters that questioned authority and went against the status quo, creating their own community of like-minded riders that lived by their own code. again, this is straight out of the WESTERN playbook, but being transmogrified in this new context was brilliant. to this day motorcycles, leather jackets and the paraphernalia of the imagery from this film represents rebellion, independence and freedom in AMERICAN popular culture.

the fact that there is no focus to their defiance is a core issue that gets explored to great effect in the aforementioned NICHOLAS RAY film REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE starring JAMES DEAN, but i will leave that to another review.

THE WILD ONE is definitely worth watching if you are a fan of film history or the evolution of AMERICAN popular culture through the generations.

BOOK REVIEW | "BRAVE" BY ROSE MCGOWAN

3/30/2020

photo & text by nacrowe

ever since i saw GREGG ARAKI's stridently apocalyptic THE DOOM GENERATION (DESPERATE PICTURES, 1995) film in high school i was a fan of ROSE MCGOWAN. she really seemed to exude an inner confidence that manifested in her physical being. and really that was read on her throughout her early career. that she was this impossibly beautiful, no bullshit force of nature.

in her recent memoir BRAVE (HARPERCOLLINS, 2018) that was released in the aftermath of the #METOO and #TIMESUP movements that had a long overdue cascading effect on the male-dominated AMERICAN entertainment industry, MCGOWAN eviscerates any notion that HOLLYWOOD is not a cult that we are all subservient to in one fashion or another. and she should know, being raised as a member of CHILDREN OF GOD as a child in ITALY, escaping and then living broke on the streets with no security system until being plucked out of obscurity by a production assistant.

for me, her life details were only interesting in that they empowered her overriding thesis that any system (whether they be political, religious, regional or even personal in nature) which demeans our individual sense of identity and self-worth is inherently destructive and should be eradicated. in her case, this focus of her ire is the entertainment industry and the networks of supplicants that allow power-brokers to go on unchecked in sexually assaulting young women as had been done to her by (now newly convicted) HARVEY WEINSTEIN of MIRAMAX/THE WEINSTEN COMPANY notoriety. it wasn't just that she was raped by an influential producer of OSCAR-nominated films who subsequently black-listed her, it was also the fact that other managers, co-stars, agents, producers, directors, etc. knew about her situation (as well as other similar victims) and did nothing in fear of upsetting the apple cart. some, like former partner and director ROBERT RODRIGUEZ even had her reenact her trauma in his PLANET TERROR (DIMENSION, 2007) film.

i share her disdain for an industry that routinely cannibalizes itself. i also greatly admire her sense of courage in relating her story, even as such no doubt will expose her to professional retribution in loss roles. but i doubt she cares about that anymore. she is on a new powerful path of advocacy for the exploited. perhaps my initial reading on her was correct.

side note:
one of the really prescient observations MCGOWAN makes in the book is how as consumers of the media, we are all susceptible to its messaging. all of us. whether we consciously reject or acquiesce to it matters not at all. as a member of a media-consuming population we are inculcated with belief systems and biases that are deep at root in our ability to self-define who we are as individuals and our role in society. she takes ownership of her role in that "cult" she describes us all being subject to. i respect her for that.

"DEER GOD RADIO 89: ALICE IN CHAINS" LIVE TONIGHT AT 8PM EST ON MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC

3/29/2020

parodies by nacrowe

tonight's new episode of DEER GOD RADIO at 8PM on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC is focused on the phenomenal music from both acts of the career fo SEATTLE ALTERNATIVE ROCK icons ALICE IN CHAINS.

past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

NEW "NOWHERE FAST SHOW" AVAILABLE NOW

3/29/2020

photo by nacrowe

with MAKERSPACE.NYC closed due to an abundance of caution surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, TOM FERRIE got to work the only way he knows how, relocating his radio show to his living room.

in many ways this is MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC at its core, sharing music as a means of escape and exploration with anyone that is interested. here is EPISODE 3 of his LOCKDOWN SPECIAL that finds him taking a stab at playing one song from everything in his collection in alphabetical order.

so hunker down, stay safe and socially distance yourself in comfort while listening to this special extended playlist. enjoy!

and remember that past episodes of THE NOWHERE FAST SHOW as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like DEER GOD RADIO, MAKE HER SPACE, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

NEW "MAKE HER SPACE" EPISODE AVAILABLE NOW

3/28/2020

cover by nacrowe

watch this second LIVE QUARANTINE streaming episode HERE of MAKE HER SPACE as JEN and MAGIE discuss the continuing hardships of dealing with COVID-19 as NEW YORK becomes the nation's center with regard to the global pandemic.

past episodes of MAKE HER SPACE as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like DEER GOD RADIO, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

NEW "SYNTHESIZER SHOW" EPISODE AVAILABLE NOW

3/27/2020

cover by nacrowe

click HERE for the most recent episode of THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW where Reed and Vince celebrate their 50th episode(!) on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC . due to the CORONOVIRUS pandemic, this show finds both hosts reporting in from remote locations.

as always, you can access all past episodes of THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW via the DEER GOD website as well as those of MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, DEER GOD RADIO and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

CHECK OUT THIS BAND | THE VISIONS

3/27/2020

photo manipulation by nacrowe

brooklyn R&B/FUNK trio THE VISIONS go way back with DEER GOD. back to the days of the former [the end] studio in greenpoint where they were recorded and mixed by our engineers.

they definitely have a sound that channels classic PRINCE with their lilting falsettos and supporting harmonies that really set a chill vibe. all while keep the groove as a live ensemble on their instruments. they are quite the live band and having witnessed their labor intensive recording process firsthand i can attest that they work very hard to produce harmonies this easy on the ears.

recently they put out a new single "ONLY ONE" which you should definitely check out below or hit up their BANDCAMP for further info.

THROWBACK THURSDAY | HOARDING IN VENEZUELA

3/26/2020

photo by veronica serrano

its crazy seeing all the shortages of things like toilet paper and basic food stuffs happen stateside these days, basically because i've experienced it all before.

this is the kind of thing i saw happen in the mid 90s during the isolated military regime of SANI ABACHA in NIGERIA and in VENEZUELA shortly after the death of HUGO CHAVEZ when NICOLAS MADURO took over in 2013. in both cases once you saw a desired product on a shelf you knew it was only a matter of time (usually within hours) that such would be gone to return who knows when.

in NIGERIA the company my father worked for got around this with large annual shipments (one per family) that were sent via international container ships that would take months at a time. you'd fill these things up by weight stateside during the summer and then see them in AFRICA in late autumn. it was crazy because you'd purchase a year's worth of any particular item (candy, napkins, detergent, etc). but it worked and meant you weren't relying on the local market for basic necessities, which was a good thing given the corruption of the military dictatorship of the time.

recent photo by nacrowe somewhere in new jersey

VENEZUELA was a different experience altogether in that i entered the country during a time of immense upheaval and change. CHAVEZ during his reign had nationalized various industries and kicked out foreign investment in things like oil and manufacturing. the UNITED STATES in particular used to manufacture napkins, paper towels and toilet paper in the country and after CHAVEZ' decision they merely relocated the factories to COLOMBIA (which in turn assisted in stabilizing their economy). i taught for two years there and over that time their currency spiraled out of control. the inflation was the highest in the world. since 2016 their currency has inflated 53,798,500%.

so what does that mean in human terms? it means people don't save, they spend because every day you wait the money has less value. prices are always climbing and basic common necessities like bread, food stuffs and household paper products are out of range for most to buy. during the end of my time there i went to COLOMBIA for a job conference. during my time in BOGOTA i brought two bodybags with me and filled them with deodorant, toilet paper and HARINA PAN (a cornmeal used in arepas, empanadas, etc). when flying back in VENEZUELA the officials there asked me point blank if i had any of the items on a checklist in my possession (the first three items being DEODORANT, TOILET PAPER and HARINA PAN). they weren't looking for drugs or weapons. i told them i didn't have any of those and they didnt check.

i brought those back to the school i worked at and over a few days passed them all out equally to the workers at my school. these included the gardeners, custodians, clerks, guards, drivers, etc. essentially i was handing them commodities that would appreciate with time and be worth more than their paycheck.

think about that. toilet paper, deodorant and cornmeal. now i don't think that the UNITED STATES will ever get to this level, but what i did learn in these situations is the resilience and dignity of NIGERIANS and VENEZUELANS i met. they really saw their individual needs in the context of their families and greater networks of friends. these desperate situations showcased what a true community was all about. i did what i could in VENEZUELA to the people i was around, but things have gotten much much worse since then and the rise of TRUMP has only made things worse.

not a day goes by i don't think of VENEZUELA. my goal is to return one day. NIGERIA i hear from friends has gotten much better as the government has succeeded in changing over its power a few times in fair elections, bringing in foreign investment. im glad that is the case.

SPOTLIGHT | FRISKY DINGO

3/25/2020

cover by nacrowe

if you were ever a fan of the animated series SEALAB 2021 (CARTOON NETWORK/ADULT SWIM) or ARCHER (FX) then you are pretty much beholden to seek out its more insane antecedent FRISKY DINGO (CARTOON NETWORK/ADULT SWIM).

the show deals with a would-be hapless super villain named KILLFACE who is hellbent on enslaving the people of earth if he can just get over his complete incompetence and terrible people skills. there is also a playboy tycoon/superhero named XANDER CREWS/AWESOME-X that can't support his fighting force the X-TACLES after conquering the last of his villains. much like ARCHER deals with the mundane internal paper-pushing business of being an international super-spy, FRISKY DINGO equally finds humor mined from efficient PR strategies and the business implications of being too good at your job of being a superhero. basically, FRISKY DINGO takes the superhero construct to its logical conclusion and mines it for all its worth comedically.

unlike ARCHER, FRISKY DINGO has basically little to no character development and an ever expanding internal network of inside jokes and catch phrases. in fact the whole show just seems to be an excuse to expand on these in unexpected situations. the plot is minuscule and largely not the point. whether or not KILLFACE is successful is not the point. his futile efforts in organizational management and networking allies in his evil deeds is far more interesting. perhaps this is why this show was killed off after its second season, a blunder not made in the aforementioned follow-up series ARCHER, which uses its characters to parody a myriad of films, locations and tv shows.

but i prefer FRISKY DINGO for its almost MONTY PYTHON level of insanity and ever shifting plot points to no avail. it was quite the ride.

FILM REVIEW | BLAZING SADDLES

3/24/2020

photo manipulation by nacrowe

sometimes you feel so connected to a piece of art that you start to wonder what you were like before encountering it. such is the case with me and the work of MEL BROOKS in general. as i think i mentioned before in my REVIEW of SPACEBALLS (BROOKSFILMS, 1987), my first viewing of his movies was early, like around kindergarten.

so that should explain quite a bit about me.

i remember during one of my first semesters at RUTGERS UNIVERSITY as an undergraduate attending a required class that was focused on the gifted and all-too-human cultural prodigy that was PAUL ROBESON. somehow with a fellow classmate, who was AFRICAN-AMERICAN, i got into a heated discussion about whether or not BROOKS was racist. if you haven't seen BLAZING SADDLES (CROSSBOW PRODUCTIONS, 1974), it is a send-up of WESTERN films in the tradition of JOHN FORD, HOWARD HAWKS, JOHN WAYNE, ANTHONY MANN, etc. and really just eviscerates them. the language alone is something that likely wouldn't be allowed in today's political and cultural climate, as it regularly used racial epithets and ethnic, gender and sexuality-oriented slurs. but you have to ask at whose expense in the film. the answer to that is the white men. the only people being debased and pilloried in BLAZING SADDLES are the dumbass white frontier folk (men, women, young and old) that use it.

during those arguments i eventually won given that i mentioned that one of the co-writers of the screenplay was none other than RICHARD PRYOR, arguably the greatest comedian of all-time (he has my vote). if you didn't know, he's also black. years later i watched the director's comments by BROOKS and learned that all the great one-liners in the film are more or less PRYOR's, but the racist stuff was all BROOKS. hilarious.

i understand that now life is more complicated given that foolish people think that given media where people use unfortunate language that somehow gives them permission to do the same. i am talking about white people here. this phenomena is something famously that CHRIS ROCK, DAVE CHAPPELLE and countless other comics of color have had to deal with over the years, white appropriation. forget about it now in the age of TRUMP. so i get why this film still chafes at people.

but for its ability to utterly annihilated the tropes of a bullshit genre that was created to showcase the primitive superiority of the white man (a la MANIFEST DESTINTY), i am a huge fan of this film in its original savage context. not how a moronic TRUMPIST may misinterpret it and weaponize it for their own regressive agenda.

BOOK REVIEW | "OFFICIAL TRUTH: 101 PROOF - THE INSIDE STORY OF PANTERA" BY REX BROWN WITH MARK EGLINTON

3/23/2020

photo & text by nacrowe

its been over 15 years since DIMEBAG DARRELL's murder, but he's seemingly been omnipresent in the METAL community in spirit ever since. OFFICIAL TRUTH 101 PROOG: THE INSIDE STORY OF PANTERA (DA CAPO, 2013) is PANTERA/DOWN bassist REX BROWN's attempt at making sense of his former band's legacy and laying bare the warts-and-all narrative of how their insatiable drive to succeed over time alienated themselves from each and ultimately led to their estrangement and break up. the bizarre, unforeseen shooting of guitarist DIMEBAG by a mentally ill midwestern fan in DECEMBER 2004 only further heightens the loss felt by fans for this once indomitable juggernaut of a band that basically single-handedly maintained METAL as a cultural entity in the ALTERNATIVE ROCK doldrums of the 1990s.

in essence, BROWN promotes his perspective that PANTERA fell apart due to over touring over a 15 year career that found them rarely taking extended breaks. initially this was due to their commitment to each other to make it in the business, but later it seemed they were worried about maintaining their lifestyle and appeasing fans worldwide. the narrative forwarded by fans in the years after DIMEBAG's murder there has been much blame and consternation being forwarded singer PHIL ANSELMO's way for his issues with heroin and dalliances with DOWN, SUPERJOINT RITUAL and various other side projects. BROWN counters this line of thinking arguing that the reality was that they needed a break and the brothers ABBOT (DIMEBAG and drummer VINNIE PAUL) by the end did not have communication with ANSELMO enough to come to that sort of conclusion.

its funny how many people mocked METALLICA for their documentary SOME KIND OF MONSTER (THIRD EYE, 2004) in which they hired a group counselor to work through interpersonal issues, but they had the last laugh as they are still together performing almost 20 years later. for all their macho, alpha-male posturing, PANTERA couldn't look each other in the eye and admit they needed help reevaluating their business choices in light of physical and mental health concerns.

speaking of which, one repeated line of criticism for this book are the shots BROWN takes at VINNIE PAUL for his immaturity and stubbornness. nobody argued that such were untrue, just that they didn't see the point in kicking a guy down after a family tragedy. i disagree, if anything BROWN comes across as a pretty relaxed, even-keeled and not particularly emotional narrator. i found him to be pretty reliable, but what do i know? his criticism of VINNIE PAUL was done in order to relate accurately the internal dynamics of the band and how there was a clear dividing line between the brothers and BROWN and ANSELMO. what comes across glaringly is the idea that BROWN served as a middle man in PANTERA. a middle man between the band and management, accountants, lawyers and even feuds between members themselves. lots of tough choices that needed an unemotional adult participant often found their way to BROWN, which was ironic given that he rarely talked in interviews, leaving the rest of the band members to give off the impression to their fanbase that they were in control.

this book is sort of his take on everything, and given ANSELMO's reluctance to speak on the issue and the recent passing of VINNIE PAUL years after his brother's murder, this book will likely be the final take on that issue by an actual band member.

tragic story about a great band that i really enjoyed as a teenager. its well-written and overall comes off pretty level-headed. if you are a fan of PANTERA or a lover of METAL in all its forms, SLUDGE METAL, DEATH METAL, THRASH METAL, NWOBHM, DOOM METAL, BLACK METAL, METALCORE and beyond, this book is worth your time.

NEW "NOWHERE FAST SHOW" AVAILABLE NOW

3/22/2020

photo by nacrowe

with MAKERSPACE.NYC closed due to an abundance of caution surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, TOM FERRIE got to work the only way he knows how, move his radio show to his outdoor tiki bar.

in many ways this is MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC at its core, sharing music as a means of escape and exploration with anyone that is interested. don't know how he did it but here is EPISODE 1 of his LOCKDOWN SPECIAL that will last as long as the crisis continues.

so hunker down, stay safe and socially distance yourself in comfort while listening to this extended 4+ hour playlist. enjoy!

and remember that past episodes of THE NOWHERE FAST SHOW as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like DEER GOD RADIO, MAKE HER SPACE, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

NEW "MAKE HER SPACE" EPISODE AVAILABLE NOW

3/21/2020

cover by nacrowe

can't even describe how cool it is that during this COVID-19 PANDEMIC / SLOW-MOVING TRUMPOCALYPSE that someone was able to keep their radio show going. leave it to the unflappable women of MAKE HER SPACE to figure out a way.

definitely watch their latest streaming episode HERE of MAKE HER SPACE as JEN and MAGIE discuss the consequences of the COROANVIRUS on business, health, relationships and family life.

past episodes of MAKE HER SPACE as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like DEER GOD RADIO, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

CHECK OUT THIS BAND | ACE & THE MIGHTY GAN

3/20/2020

all photo manipulations by nacrowe

happy to announce that our friends and frequent collaborators ACE & THE MIGHTY GAN have released their SWEET TIME EP recently which you can access HERE via SPOTIFY.

ACE & THE MIGHTY GAN members LOGAN and DENNIS have long been associated with DEER GOD going back to the former [the end] recording studio in BROOKLYN that predated the company. they both are talented recording engineers that have have worked with top level talent in the area and ACE & THE MIGHTY GAN is a passion project that showcases their song-craft and falsettos equally.

definitely check them out and enjoy the "AFTA PARTY" video embedded below, which was shot at KREISCHER MANSION back when our DEER GOD recording studio was located there.

definitely check them out and enjoy the "AFTA PARTY" video embedded below, which was shot at KREISCHER MANSION back when our DEER GOD recording studio was located there.

"AFTA PARTY" VIDEO CAMEOS

BRIAN

LJ

THROWBACK THURSDAY | "DEER GOD RADIO 86: INDUSTRIAL MUSIC"

3/19/2020

photo manipulation by nacrowe

with the recent passing late last week of GENESIS P-ORRIDGE from leukemia, i thought it was fitting to take a look back at a DEER GOD RADIO show we aired earlier this month that celebrated their work in THROBBING GRISTLE as well as the INDUSTRIAL MUSIC scene that they largely initiated.

rest in power to a fearless, boundless creative who questioned everything and in the process reconstructed our expectations regarding music.

if you are interested in donating to help fight cancer, here is a link to the donation page of THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY.

NEW "NOWHERE FAST SHOW" AVAILABLE NOW

3/18/2020

photo by nacrowe

check out the ST. PATRICK's DAY episode HERE of TOM's free-form live streaming NOWHERE FAST show on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC live from his basement(!) as part of his recent LOCKDOWN series of impromptu shows with the station being closed. here on EPISODE 2 he celebrates the joy, passion and tragedy that is IRISH culture with some handpicked favorites from the emerald isle.

remember that past episodes of THE NOWHERE FAST SHOW as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like DEER GOD RADIO, MAKE HER SPACE, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

FILM REVIEW | THE BIG LEBOWSKI

3/18/2020

photo manipulation by nacrowe

its funny, when my brother and i were both attending high school in KUWAIT roughly 20 years ago our middle eastern peers were largely naive about AMERICAN culture and pretty much anything that wasn't related to that isolated oil-rich hellhole. my brother had a binder that carried a printed out picture of JOHN TURTURRO's epic bowling nemesis from the THE BIG LEWBOWSKI (WORKING TITLE, 1998) and his KUWAITI classmates would ask him who that was. he'd cooly reply "that's Jesus" to which they'd inquire confusedly "THAT's JESUS?!"

THE COEN BROTHERS are masters of playing with genre expectations and THE BIG LEWBOWSKI is a great example of them experimenting with the cinematic form of NOIR films and their ROMAN NOIR literary antecedent. NOIR films were largely created in a post-WWII climate where the world order was being rebuilt and the role of men was being challenged and rethought along economic, cultural and social considerations. the literary analogue to this genre predates WWII. usually there is a single male who throughout the film is fighting a series of outside forces that include government agencies (of the secretive variety), the media and (of course) women. women in particular are depicted as agents of destruction, i.e. femme fatales, who use their sexuality to attempt to derail our hero from his goal. of course its bullshit, but its a construction that is dear to a genre that at its heart is questioning what identifies masculinity when their hegemonic influence is questioned in a patriarchal society.

what makes THE BIG LEWBOWSKI so interesting is that instead of a determined, idealized male protagonist that rises to the occasion to supersede these overwhelming forces, we are instead given JEFF "THE DUDE" LEBOWSKI, an aging inept stoner with no will to effect change on the world other than his commitments to his bowling league and listening to CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL. he is the personification of ineffective masculinity, yet he is the protagonist that meanders his way through a convoluted plot of outside forces that he inept to deal with any reasonable capacity. that is the core of its humor and humanity.

i think i identified with that character not for his slacker-ness but his being thrown into crazy situations, much like i had at that point survived NIGERIA and boarding school.

LEBOWSKI throughout the film is manipulated by more sophisticated and devious counterparts, including another high-achieving JEFFREY LEBOWSKI who is nonetheless crippled and cuckolded by his barely legal porn star wife. even his doppelgänger or mirrored-self is compromised. much like his inability to effect change, the film also just kind of ends where it begins, and endless loop of inadequacy and mediocrity.

a film that never really ends or begins. no character development. no lessons learned.

great film well worth watching on repeat. i have since i was a teenager.

SPOTLIGHT | MARK ROTHKO

3/17/2020

photo manipulation by nacrowe

around the turn of the millennium i went with my parents and maternal grandmother to the centennial art exhibit dedicated to 20th century AMERICAN ART at the old upper east side location of the WHITNEY MUSEUM in NYC. in their were the expected POP ARTISTS and ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISTS but i discovered a new favorite through an unlikely source, my clueless ENGLISH grandmother. "this is shit" is what i remembered her saying and what looked me dead in the eye was a late black-on-black painting by notable ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST (although he detested that label) immigrant painter MARK ROTHKO. "i could paint that!"

yeah, but you didnt.

if something pissed off my grandmother that immediately and that viscerally then i already loved it by default. its her side of the family that made me sit through FOX NEWS at the kitchen table and LITTLE RIVER BAND concerts, so yeah, karma is a bitch.

that aside, what i love about his work is how it draws you in. reminds me quite a bit of the zazen meditation sessions i experienced at the SOJI-JI temple in YOKOHAMA. when sitting doing nothing your mind first races but then gradually settles and you find yourself paradoxically more attuned to your surroundings as you become unaware of them. even in a vacuum there is still that space and the experience of it. its hard to explain. when i see the work of ROTHKO i am not there looking at nothing, but experiencing the space, taking note of the edges of color and the infinite possibilities available in that border. eventually i don't notice anything and i am just there.

i do not know if ROTHKO was interested in BUDDHIST concepts of SUNYATA ("emptiness") but his art relays such to me. one of my desired vacation destinations within the UNITED STATES is the ROTHKO CHAPEL outside of HOUSTON where 14 of his late black-hued paintings are displayed.

i very much would like to sit quietly and observe that space one day. just experience all that nothingness.

BOOK REVIEW | "ON TYRANNY: TWENTY LESSONS FROM THE TWENTIETH CENTURY" BY TIMOTHY SNYDER

3/16/2020

photo & text by nacrowe

in the proud tradition of THOMAS PAINE's influential late 18th-century think-piece "COMMON SENSE," TIMOTHY SNYDER, a HISTORY professor at YALE and member of the COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, offers offers twenty insights with historical context from last century into staying vigilant now in the age of TRUMP in his thoughtful call to action ON TYRANNY (TIM DUGGAN BOOKS, 2017).

now being a period where our political and civic guardrails are continually debased, diminished and dismissed by a homegrown FASCIST leader, these lessons provide hope and a game plan of sorts for how to go about as MARIO SAVIO once term it, "put[ting] your body upon the gears" of the machine.

these lessons include (from the book):

do not obey in advance
defend institutions
beware the one-party state
take responsibility for the face of the world
remember professional ethics
be wary of paramilitaries
be reflective if you must be armed
stand out
be kind to our language
believe in truth
investigate.
make eye contact and small talk.
practice corporeal politics.
establish a private life.
contribute to good causes.
learn from peers in other countries.
listen for dangerous words
be calm when the unthinkable arrives
be a patriot
be as courageous as you can

my sense of this publication is that yes, as individuals we can be manipulated. yes we can be gaslit and primed through language, symbols and other mass media techniques at the disposal of the state.

but what we can do as individuals is TAKE RESPONSIBILITY and EMPOWER OURSELVES AS INDIVIDUALS by not rely on others (talking heads on TV, far right-wing politicians) to determine what we feel and think when confronted with fascism.

make no mistake, that is what we are living through right now. as SNYDER put it "post-truth is proto-fascism." read books, inform yourself, be critical of your news diet and where it comes from, engage in your community, talk to people, make connections with your neighbors, support print journalism, learn new words and challenge yourself. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. the time of disaffected hipsterism is dead or we all will bear its wrath when others step in and think and make decisions on your behalf.

and for fuck's sake, register to vote. if you don't know how click HERE to a website (vote.gov) that will guide your through the process in your state. let's vote this bastard out.

"DEER GOD RADIO 79: WU-TANG CLAN" NOW AVAILABLE

3/15/2020

parody by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO complete with a playlist celebrating SHAOLIN HIP HOP icons the WU-TANG CLAN.

past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!