Tag: Stephen Colbert

Ian McKellen, Thomas More, Shakespeare, and The Strangers’ Case

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There really is nothing new under the sun. Man’s “mountainous inhumanity” is something that’s always been with us. We constantly need to remind ourselves of that when it comes to our current moment, especially as relates to our current ICE capades.

Ian McKellen appeared recently on The Late Night With Stephen Colbert for an extended interview in which he recited a 400-year-old monologue from the play Sir Thomas Moore, that speaks to directly to the plight of immigrants. 

You can watch the clip below. It should be cued to the monologue. In case it’s not, the monologue begins at roughly 22:16 in the 26 minutes interview. Naturally I’d recommend watching the entire thing.

For an intriguing bit of context, the play largely thought to have been originally written by Anthony Munday and Henry Chettle, but contains pages attributed to Shakespeare and others in what was largely a collaborative effort over time as it passed from troupe to troupe. Which is when Shakespeare would have entered the picture. Of course, Shakespeare’s authorship has been debated as it always is. If interested, you can check out a Wikipedia entry on the play and its history that will give you some idea.

McKellen stepped into the play for the first time in 1964 after the original actor left the production due to artistic differences. 

Setting aside authorship debates, the 400-year-old speech certainly speaks to our current moment as it has through generations, even if the play has been rarely performed live in its 400-year-old history.

You can also find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above.

 

The Cowards and Greedy Captains of Industry

If you can’t take a joke…

Once upon a time things like free speech, freedom of expression, freedom of the press were considered hallmarks of what America stood for. That feels more and more like a fairy tale. The folks in control of the government keep ripping their claws into social and political fabric and turning America into some weird fascist and cultish state that worships a convicted felon and child rapist.

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The latest outrageous move of the Trump administration is threatening ABC to take late night comedy host Jimmy Kimmel off of the air “indefinitely.” It’s a political move and a business move. It’s also a mob move.

Disney, the pseudo-family corporate parent of ABC, Disney made the move after one of the ABC affiliates, Nexstar Media said it was so offended by Kimmel’s comments about the recent shooting of Charlie Kirk that it would pre-empt the show on its stations.

Here’s the fun part. Nexstar is trying to expand its stable of channels and that requires FCC approval. You don’t need a crayon to draw your own conclusions because the thugs in charge are so transparent with their thuggery.

Day by day we’re watching what used to be called the Captains of Industry, academia, and the media drive their boats into what they presume is the safe harbor under Trump’s protection. That harbor is getting so crowded that no one is going to be able to sail out again. Forget the ship of state, the ships of commerce are running themselves aground. This will continue because once ground is given, the bully keeps taking. It’s a tale told too well.

This feels like a yet another power move and of course it requires power to pull off. But it’s actually the move of cowards who realize they are despised and have skin so thin that they can’t take a punch line from a so-so comic. It also requires what we once thought of strong business leaders to show their true colors as cowards. Captains of Cowardice fits more today than the former sobriquet of Captains of Industry.

Another president in another time, Lyndon Johnson, once said about the comedic and satiric criticism tossed at him by the Smothers Brothers.

“It is part of the price of leadership of this great and free nation to be the target of clever satirists. You have given the gift of laughter to our people. May we never grow so somber or self-important that we fail to appreciate the humor in our lives.”

Don’t get me wrong. LBJ was pissed. But he was man enough to rise above it, at least publicly. Those were tumultuous times then as well. These times are becoming not only tumultuous, but tortuous because of the daily drip of news like this.

You can also find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above.

Are You Laughing or Crying?

Comedy kills or killing comedy?

Just a quick link to this piece from Alexandra Petri that had me laughing called Are You Laughing Yet? She also had me angry, but then that’s my state of things these days. I laughed because the writing and commentary is excellent. I got angry, because, well if you’re not angry at what’s going on these days, you’re either dead, or… well, I’ll just leave it at that.

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Petri has a blisteringly funny take that begins with Trump’s takedown shakedown of Stephen Colbert via his pressure on Paramount. But it quickly spins into a larger take that’s well worth your while, especially if you enjoy comedy.

Well worth your time. Scroll back up and click the link.

(Image from Miguel Alcântara on Unsplash.)

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome. I can also be found on social media under my name as above.