America has always been heralded as the great melting pot: people from across the world were suposed to come to the new world and create a new democratic and uniquely American culture that was united by personal liberty and shared ideals. And while many people would still consider the United States a melting pot, it is quite clear that it is anything but such a pot. We know the true history: Italians occupied their specific area of the city, as did the Irish…African Americans were enslaved, Chinese Americans were killed building the American railroads, and Native Americans were exterminated.

But the headlines, it seems to me, are always filled with the news of America’s progress towards some ideal of a post-racal society. The election of our first black President, whose middle name is Hussein, was heralded as one such indicator of a fundamental shift in the United States. The term “Majority Minority” is the new catchphrase that describes the demographic trend in America, where the current majority white population will slowly decrease proportionally with regard to “minority” groups.

There are two points to consider about the post-racial society. The first is that simply because America is becoming more diverse does not mean that it is post racial. What’s even more concerning is that this quick demographic change can often lead to the rise of intense, race-induced prejudices. How often do we hear about foreign groups stealing American jobs…etc. Regardless of the truth or fiction of these statements, race plays a role in, at least, the expression of these frustrations. This in turn tends to entrench racial identities among respective groups.

Second, if we were truly a post-racial society then none of these racial and demographic changes would truly matter. Think of it this way: what would you think of an Ivy-league educated intellectual who decries the aloofness of the Ivory tower and the heartlessness of the establishment. Hint: you shouldn’t take him/her seriously. The mere fact that American intellectuals/media waits for any particle of an indication that our country moves towards a post-racial society (i.e. its intense focus on race) disproves what they try to prove.

A recent Center for Disease Control and Prevention study reports that suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States and that there are more suicides each year than homicides. Suicide is also most common among men, Native Americans, whites and people between 45 and 54 years of age. This is quite an alarming age range, even more so because younger people are now committing suicide than ever before (the average age used to be 80 and above).

According to this report, of those who committed suicide, people with a “Currently Depressed Mood” numbered at 43.6%, a “Current Mental Health Problem” were 41.9 % and “Current Mental Health Treatment” were at 32.8%. Though there is overlap here (the report also outlines alcohol abuse as another factor), it is safe to say that not everyone who commits suicide has these depression issues and that exhibiting a “Currently Depressed Mood” is an incredibly broad characterization.

It is also worth noting that this study was based on numbers in 2007, well before the economic downturn, when things were supposed to be “better.” Of course, just because Wall Street is enjoying a pay day doesn’t mean things are better. In fact, the average wage has declined in the United States, when you factor in inflation. And all the jobs that were gained since the dot com bubble burst have all been lost. So, it could be a reflection on the economy. It could also be a bleak reflection on the state of American life: disillusionment, unhappiness and a sense of the unfulfilled life. On average, Chinese and Indian citizens are more optimistic about their country and lives than their counterparts in America and Europe: perhaps those living in the West are spent and jaded?

Either way, whether its economic or social, any shift of the majority of suicides to younger people is a serious change, and an ominous one at that.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnOAXvSiybA

Commercials are changing. Think about commercials from 15 years ago: mini narratives selling a specific aspect of a product. Reliable cars, tasty snacks, comfortable shoes. Today, the nature of the commercial has changed. Quirky humor and randomness dominate…just take a look at Progressive Insurance or Geico. Somewhere in the background a product is sold but the main interaction is in the humor, which is often disjointed and abstract.

The other night I was watching TV and saw the latest Sobe commercial. The commercial begins with some complete jerk harassing his coworkers. He’s got some great one-liners, telling Debby she should be jumping out of cakes instead of eating them or his antisocial friend to get a friend-finding app to improve his social situation. The next thing you know, this guy gets thirsty and takes a sip of the new Sobe drink. Suddenly, we cut to a shot of Ashley Greene (of “Twilight” fame) laying on the beach in a bikini. Then it cuts back to the main guy, who now thinks that his office building is throwing a luau and his coworker has now become a gecko. He takes another sip of his sobe, which sends the commercial full on into shots of Ashley Greene rolling in the sand and an awesome song (o0Oo0Oo U by Oberhofer).

After I saw the commercial and sorted through what I just saw, I realized that it combines three things that I love: sarcasm, hot girls and good music. This type of commercial is one of two things: ahead of its time or drunk on the excesses of pop culture. Time will tell.

I was reading the most recent issue of The Economist yesterday and came across an article I had to blog about. The article is called “African Moonshine: Kill me quick” and discusses the state of alcoholism and alcohol consumption in Kenya, but also Africa in general. This is what they said:

“The equivalent of $1 is enough to buy four glasses of illegally brewed chang’aa [which translates to "kill me quick"]–and oblivion…[In] Nairobi, chang’aa is spiked with embalming fluid from mortuaries..even without [up to 30 ml of methanol] the brew is impure. The water is filthy with fecal matter. When police recently made some raids, decomposing rats and women’s underwear were found in servings of chang’aa…”

If that wasn’t horrific enough, listen to this: “But the price and the potency are more tempting than the heavily taxed bottles of beer that are the staple of richer Kenyans.” Wait a second, you mean to tell me that because beer is too expensive, Kenyans drink this poison…as an alternative? Are they out of their minds? I don’t care how much I love/crave a cold brew. Nothing could ever make me substitute a food/drink item with fecal matter and embalming fluid-infused anything.

Article referenced: “African moonshine: Kill me quick.” The Economist. (May 1-7, 2010) p. 50

I meant to blog about this before, but better late than never. Iran has been under international scrutiny for its nuclear program, which is perceived by most reasonable people to be a step towards getting the bomb. In response to continued criticism, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the following:

“These foolish people who are in charge are like stupid, retarded people who brandish their swords whenever they face shortcomings, without realizing that the time for this type of thing is over.”

This is absolutely comical, but it just goes to show exactly what the Western World is going to deal with moving forward with Iran, as we negotiate about nuclear weapons and state-sponsored terrorism. I also cannot imagine what would happen if Former President Bush or President Obama said something like that. Maybe it is because we expect more from our leaders…but still, “retarded?”

You may have seen a recent advertisement on television. It initially appears to be a preview for the latest installment of Iron Man. One-liners about power, speed and sex appeal are cut with shots of Iron Man in action, shooting hot jets of energy out of his palms, or with his assistant/lover Gwyneth Paltrow making out with his mask and then throwing it out of an airplane. I was thinking, “OK…playing up the (undeniable…yeah right) sex appeal of a man in a red metal suit. Good marketing…” Only thing is, the next part of the commercial cuts to Robert Downey, Jr. getting into a white Audi and that is when you realize that the whole commercial has been for the new Audi sports car.

I have nothing against commercials for automobile manufacturers…However, I am concerned about the new trend in cinema and television for product placement and corporate marketing to play an influential role in the design, cinematography and, even worse, plot of films. I saw a movie the other day and, for no reason at all, in the middle of a conversation, someone asked what time it was just so that they could cut to a close up of a woman’s watch (it was a Rolex or something). Or when alcohol and beer are cleverly positioned in a prominent position in a scene, drawing the viewer’s attention to a specific brand. Transformers and Transformers 2 (some of the worst trash to come out of Hollywood in the last 5 years) revolved around Chevy’s new Camaro. In the course of making a movie or television show, the choice of alcohol, car, city…etc. is determined by the highest bidder? I can imagine John Favreau asking an assembled group of auto makers to make their bid for Iron Man’s car. Has it come to this?

Most importantly, what does this mean for film in general? Is the art of filmmaking compromised when commercialism influences what filmmakers do, and thus, what we see?

I was in the LaGuardia Marine Air Terminal coming back from New York with my cousin. The Marine Terminal is wholly different from the main airport and is not even connected to it. In fact, it is a much smaller and older terminal, and thus quite unimpressive: The outside is made of the gray stone and cement that was so popular in the seventies, something out of which my high school was constructed many years ago.

The name of the terminal stands above the main entrance in dull metal looped into a bland font, which compounds the appearance of outdatedness. Having passed under this sign and entering the front door of the terminal, I came upon a similarly boring, though renovated, room that does not have a purpose at all, other than showing it has been recently renovated. It has new, blue desks with no one behind them and LED signs that display nothing, though I suspect that they were meant to display airline and flight information.

Needless to say, my cousin and I were equally bored and surprised, on the brink of contemptuousness, with the terminal, now that we were used to the shine of new glass skyscrapers in New York City and the rather post-modern domestic terminal at Boston’s Logan Airport.

However, the next room of the Marine Air Terminal is something amazing. The room is a small rotunda and its doors and windows, which stretch from the floor to the tops of the doors, are inset into the walls halfway up the sides of the room. This leaves a large circular space of wall that is painted with beautiful pictures of the human history of flight. I specifically remember Icarus, with his wings of feathers and wax strapped to his back (though this may not be a good image to paint in an airport). His face can be accurately described as a mixture of amazement and fear. While I hope he is on his ascent to the sun, it is a feeling that is common amongst all fliers, whether during take off, while hitting turbulence, or feeling the plane skid and jump as the wheels burn on the runway.

Leonardo da Vinci can be seen with his ridiculous and ingenious flying machine. He is in a mechanical and contemplative pose, which one comes to expect from so scientific and methodical a man. One wonders what Leonardo is thinking, this man of thought and innovation.

Leonardo and Icarus (man’s dreams of flight) come to fruition in the portrayal the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk with their flying machine. And further down the line the viewer is presented with the modern aviators: the commercial pilots, businessmen, and airline workers as they plan flights across the country and world, bringing the dream of flight, once a seemingly impossible pursuit, to millions across the globe.

Further research into the terminal (via Wikipedia) when I returned home and I uncovered a brief history of the terminal. It was the only work commissioned and finished by the WPA under President Roosevelt and its artwork was covered with a grey paint for many years because its imagery was seen as being socialist. Recently, it was renovated and restored after many years in hiding and obscurity.