A Social Class War?

Some interesting things are happening in our country. Banks are failing, unemployment is growing, and people have been ostriching about it, but not for very much longer.

I believe this election season is going to be the most polarized in decades. Somehow the tipping point has been achieved; there's always been a few (call them hippies, yippies, etc.) who are resolutely in the left of the political column -- but today there seem to be more people who have moved from the "Don't care/don't follow politics" to the "I *DO* care very much" column. I see those on the right becoming increasingly aggressive, vituperative, desperate to cling onto their party's hegemony of our country.

The Republican Party has alienated thinking people in it's "maverick" effort to embrace "Joe Sixpack". This collective pseudonym is just "code" for the working and less educated class -- which connotes the unflattering image of a boorish, slug of a fat white guy drinking beer in front of his TV and farting into the cushions. Isn't that a lovely way to backhandedly compliment your constituents?

For years now, the Republicans have packaged up their obfuscation of the real issues in a pretty box with a nice bow and presented it with a pious nod, a Palin wink. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain! But at some point even some of their "Base" of Jane and Joe Sixpack will have enough of their mavericking ways and kick them out. The rest will ostrich, continue to polarize around hot button issues and never allow themselves a moment of self-reflection because they are CONVINCED that the Republican of the Year will save them all from the Liberal Elite Boogeyman hiding under the bed.

I declare myself Jane Latte and I approve of this moniker.

Hosney

When I was a student at AFI in the producing program from 1997-1999, Jim Hosney lectured for 30-45 minutes then showed us a film on Tuesday nights.

He's now blogging and has listed 100 of the great American Films in his first entry.

Now his students over the years from Crossroads, AFI and other places he taught are throwing him a big bash for his retirement over the Thanksgiving weekend. I wish I were in town, because it will probably be an amazing event. I learned about it via a Facebook group, The Hosney Underground.

I saw some incredible movies in Jim's lecture hall: The 400 Blows, The Conformist, Day for Night, The Loved One, Last Tango in Paris, 8 1/2...Jim's enthusiasm was boundless for these films. This class was the first time I'd sat in a lecture at the AFI where I felt my intellect was being addressed - so much of our coursework was about the nuts and bolts of how to be on set. I'd just come from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where there was a much more intense and scholarly atmosphere. The first lecture I slipped into I was stunned at how crowded it was and how this guy with the big black geeky glasses was reading from Cahiers du cinema. Then we saw the films, and sometimes he even spoke after them. It was a struggle to stay awake, not because I was bored but because our days were long and jam-packed. The classes sometimes ran to 10:30 or 11:00 PM. Sitting in a dark room when you're tired makes falling asleep a breeze!

Jim Hosney made my time at AFI incredibly rich and I thank him for it. I hope every one of his students, adepts and acolytes will join in honoring and celebrating his contributions to us and our business.

Heat Wave Broke

This morning it is cloudy and there's a fall dampness to the air. The Small Dog is sleeping beside me on the dining room floor. It feels much more like October now.

But I digress!

I've been reading the scripts of my colleagues in the Producer's Lab, just finished a script that reminded me very much of an incident I witnessed in my own high school life. I thought it really captured the smaller moments of people's private lives incredibly well. I have the Sloan winner's script to read this morning.

I've been looking at Peter Broderick's website, Paradigm Consulting he was one of the speakers at the Filmmakers Forum. I like what he is doing to help indy filmmakers, you might want to check it out. My former colleague Don Burton has finished a short called Homeland and has a nice website up for it or check out Don's personal art site, Flickering Spaces.

I also met with people at The Culver Studios this week to see what they were up to, and of course, being a DC Native I had to watch the VP Debate last night.

I Twittered my commentary but at some point after shouting at the TV and dinner being ready, I got up and switched it off before it was officially over. Today in the Huff Post I found this article which seemed to square with my own perceptions of the debate. All I can say is that clearly it's Republican Doctrine to pronounce the word Nuclear "Nuke-you-luhr" as opposed to "Nuke-lee-uhr" because I don't see an additional U in this word, do you? It's their shibboleth but I bet she couldn't say where it came from.