Star Power

This week, we take a bit of break from the politics of the day to delve into the culture a bit with our guest Richard Rushfield, Editor-in-Chief of the indispensable Ankler show business newsletter. We talk Roseanne, Samantha Bee, the Disney/Comcast merger, and yes, even some Solo. Then, our good friend and McRib connoisseur John Yoo stops by to a talk about pardons, special counsels, all of that stuff. Also, peak TV, and Señor Robinson is going to España. Olé.

Music from this week’s episode: Dirty Computer (feat. Brian Wilson) by Janelle Monáe

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There are 39 comments.

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  1. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    kedavis (View Comment):
    The Jeffersons?

    Sherman Hemsly is the greatest human being that ever lived after Don Rickles. 

    • #31
  2. OccupantCDN Coolidge
    OccupantCDN
    @OccupantCDN

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    OccupantCDN (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    OccupantCDN (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    OccupantCDN (View Comment):
    IF China is willing to subsidize steel and sell below cost, back up the truck and bankrupt them for payouts to the steel mills.

    You are right, but how do you lead on this politically and in a comprehensive way? This is issue is a real cluster… now that the Fed and Obama have messed everything up so much.

    You get around this by pointing to all the jobs in construction and automobile parts and assembly. Plus the obvious anti-inflationary benefit to consumers of having their major purchases a little cheaper.

    The problem with the trade debate, is that those who benefit have no clue – but every single loser knows exactly why.

    The ultimate issue is, everything people are forced to buy isn’t deflating. Shelter, health insurance, education. The CPI is a comprehensive lie in this sense, too.

    The CPI is a lie in its very construction. They use the concept of “Substitution” to model consumer behavior, who’ll substitute chicken for expensive steak. However this undermines the whole purpose of the CPI, of estimating the changing costs of a stable lifestyle.

    Capitalism – without cronyism and with asset money – would constantly find ways to reduce costs while increasing productivity.

    Candidates for office frequently use the line of “Government must learn to do more with less” as if this would ground breaking technologies. Corporations do this every single day.

    I’ve more or less gotten ridiculed for saying this here.

    The ultimate problem is, there is no such thing as one CPI number. It makes no sense.

    Inflation arguably was a good thing for some decades of The Republic. Not now.

    I often get push back on this position as well.

    The CPI number can be fairly modeled, (accuracy is always in doubt – so I’d settle for fairness) if the government wanted it to be a fair representation of reality, clearly they dont want that.

    I disagree, inflation is never a good thing. Inflation is a silent robber who slowly steals purchasing power away from the common man, making saving for retirement, starting a family or buying a home more difficult. Those at the margins get punished the hardest for this.

    Look at the massive tent cities in California. Are all those people mentally ill, addicts and convicts? or are a lot of them people who where just priced out of the housing market in California?

    • #32
  3. Blue Yeti Admin
    Blue Yeti
    @BlueYeti

    kedavis (View Comment):

    I’m wondering, do you suppose Channing Dungey would have also cancelled shows like All In The Family? The Jeffersons? Good Times? Would anyone feel able to condemn race-based decisions on HER part?

    Carrol O’Connor, Sherman Helmsley, and Jimmy Walker didn’t have Twitter. And they weren’t crazy. 

    • #33
  4. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    I’m wondering, do you suppose Channing Dungey would have also cancelled shows like All In The Family? The Jeffersons? Good Times? Would anyone feel able to condemn race-based decisions on HER part?

    Carrol O’Connor, Sherman Helmsley, and Jimmy Walker didn’t have Twitter. And they weren’t crazy.

    But it’s not just about whether the stars are/were crazy and/or used twitter, it’s more about whether the shows themselves would be considered racist, especially by a black network executive.  And especially in the case of All In The Family, where – as @roblong points out regularly – Archie Bunker was actually the hero, no matter how delusional Normal Lear might have been and might still be.  Would that be sufficient cause for Channing Dungey to cancel it?  Maybe.  And that seems racist to me.

    • #34
  5. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    OccupantCDN (View Comment):
    I disagree, inflation is never a good thing.

    I was trying to be charitable. I agree with you that it’s bad. 

    • #35
  6. Blue Yeti Admin
    Blue Yeti
    @BlueYeti

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    I’m wondering, do you suppose Channing Dungey would have also cancelled shows like All In The Family? The Jeffersons? Good Times? Would anyone feel able to condemn race-based decisions on HER part?

    Carrol O’Connor, Sherman Helmsley, and Jimmy Walker didn’t have Twitter. And they weren’t crazy.

    But it’s not just about whether the stars are/were crazy and/or used twitter, it’s more about whether the shows themselves would be considered racist, especially by a black network executive. And especially in the case of All In The Family, where – as @roblong points out regularly – Archie Bunker was actually the hero, no matter how delusional Normal Lear might have been and might still be. Would that be sufficient cause for Channing Dungey to cancel it? Maybe. And that seems racist to me.

    Channing Dungey didn’t consider the show racist (because it wasn’t). She considered what Roseanne tweeted to be racist (because it was). 

    • #36
  7. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    I’m wondering, do you suppose Channing Dungey would have also cancelled shows like All In The Family? The Jeffersons? Good Times? Would anyone feel able to condemn race-based decisions on HER part?

    Carrol O’Connor, Sherman Helmsley, and Jimmy Walker didn’t have Twitter. And they weren’t crazy.

    But it’s not just about whether the stars are/were crazy and/or used twitter, it’s more about whether the shows themselves would be considered racist, especially by a black network executive. And especially in the case of All In The Family, where – as @roblong points out regularly – Archie Bunker was actually the hero, no matter how delusional Normal Lear might have been and might still be. Would that be sufficient cause for Channing Dungey to cancel it? Maybe. And that seems racist to me.

    Channing Dungey didn’t consider the show racist (because it wasn’t). She considered what Roseanne tweeted to be racist (because it was).

    That’s in the case of the Roseanne show.  I was extending that to All In The Family, Good Times, Jeffersons… and what about Sanford And Son?

    • #37
  8. Stephen Richter Member
    Stephen Richter
    @StephenRichter

    disappointed they did not ask factual questions of John Yoo.   Who in the government knows what Mueller has on Trump?  Rosenstein, Wray, Sessions?   And ask when does he think Mueller will release a report?  Before or after the fall elections?

    If all Mueller has is Manafort then what we have is the deep state delaying their being held accountable.  If he does have something, the best, most direct tactic is to release the info, get the public on the side of the investigation and go from there.   

    Could someone explain how the Russians could influence the American election where Hillary and the democrat machine could not?

     

     

    • #38
  9. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    For me, at least, if the only way for the truth – or at least some of it – about Hillary to come out, was for the Russians to hack her systems etc and then give it to someone to report, then I’m happier it came out and she lost, rather than not come out and she wins.

    • #39
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