MacArthur grants

[RDK]

I love thread drift!

[RonF]

Yes, I do, or else I wouldn't watch him. If you've ever watched Bill O'Reilly, that's basically who he's modeled this character after and I think he's suceeded in taking a ridiculous figure like O'Reilly and making him even more so.

It's a fake news show! It's comedy! And yes, it's damned good satire. Did you guys read or hear him ripping the administration in front of Bush last spring. It was fucking brilliant.

[Guest youmustbe]

Well, the first 'Jazz; I heard was Glenn Miller on Voice Of America, had to keep it real low otherwise the neighbors might inform on you in the Commie Paradise I was born into. I next heard Benny Goodman Carnegie Hall Concert on the radio when we got to Paris and thought Harry James was God! After coming to the Land Of The Free and The Home of the Brave (40 years this past week since I landed in Vietnam so as to protect our right to discuss Jazz on this website), after a 3 year detour into Rock and Roll, I bought a Charlie Parker Savoy and haven't looked back. Sometimes it works, although I agree that from Ella to Ornette is one Giant Leap For Mankind.

[Christiern]

I think Colbert is very funny, sometimes brilliant. I try not to miss his show. The Zorn bit was spot on.

[Dan Gould]

... but in Brooklyn that often means a fake Django combo at brunch (an evil institution but i will save that for the foodways thread)

Since you're saving this for a food thread I presume that the evil institution is brunch, not fake Django combos. Please let me know when you do explain, because I am positively dying to hear what makes scrambled eggs with salami, an onion bagel and OJ "evil". Throw in the Sunday paper and that's damn close to heaven.

Edited September 23, 2006 by Dan Gould

[J Larsen]

I think there is clearly some secret, harshly-enforced law that says you can never give these types of awards (Nobels, Genius Awards, Pulitzers, etc.) to the "right" people except under extraordinary circumstances.

The one exception seems to be in the hard sciences, where surprises are very rare (although the 1999 and 2000 physics Nobels were stunners - 1999 in a good way...)

[AllenLowe]

I'm with Clem- I hate the new Django clones - all speed and notes.

Edited September 23, 2006 by AllenLowe

[AllenLowe]

and nobody's mentioned COlbert at the correspondents dinner, in which he took on Bush while the Prez was sitting right next to him - took some guts, as this is rarely (actually never) done at these events -

[Guest youmustbe]

Although I think Colbert would agree that that didn't 'work'. No matter how good you are, if the audience isn't with you....

[7/4]

and nobody's mentioned COlbert at the correspondents dinner, in which he took on Bush while the Prez was sitting right next to him - took some guts, as this is rarely (actually never) done at these events -

I thought someone did, that Colbert was riot!

Edited September 23, 2006 by 7/4

[Randy Twizzle]

Don Imus did something similar to Clinton at one of the Gridiron Dinners, but of course he was universally criticized for lowering the dignity of the proceedings. Now We know that Imus is an annoying schmuck and Colbert has talent but somehow I don't think that's why Colbert has escaped criticism for his performance. Colbert knew he'd be the toast of the media world after going after Bush, so it's really not much of a profile in courage. Now if he'd had gotten up and praised Bush, then the shit would hit the fan!

[Jim Alfredson]

w/a cpl soul/organ dudes hanging out in small black bars that don't get any press.

You talking about Seleno Clarke?

[Big Wheel]

Colbert knew he'd be the toast of the media world after going after Bush, so it's really not much of a profile in courage. Now if he'd had gotten up and praised Bush, then the shit would hit the fan!

Complete revisionist nonsense. What actually happened was that 99% of the media first ignored Colbert completely and spent all their time talking about the cornball Bush impersonator that started off the evening. Then, after a couple of days of the video circulating like crazy on Youtube and other places, they couldn't ignore it any longer and spent all their time talking about how Colbert wasn't funny.

[AllenLowe]

and what Imus said had nothing to do with politics - he just made comments about Clinton's sex life - now that took guts -

[RonF]

and what Imus said had nothing to do with politics - he just made comments about Clinton's sex life - now that took guts -

No brains is more like it. Imus apologized and has deeply regretting saying it to this day.

[RonF]

Colbert knew he'd be the toast of the media world after going after Bush, so it's really not much of a profile in courage.

This is completely wrong. He went after the media as brilliantly as he went after Bush. Most of mainstream media (embarrassed and angry) reduced the Colbert story to nothing or ignored it. Bungling hypocrites that they are. What Colbert did was one off the most courageous things I've seen in years.

[Randy Twizzle]

Yeah it took all of a few extra days for Colbert to become the a media darling, what terribly oppressive conditions..... Meanwhile he been the subject of fawning profiles on 60 minutes and fawning interviews with Charlie Rose et al. I happen to like him and think he was the best thing on the Daily Show, but let's be serious, Bush bashing is a cottage industry... and the basher will never want for media attention.

[mailman]

I'm curious. How did John Zorn come to be a multi-millionaire? Was he born to great wealth or is it through the millions of recordings he sells? Or the football stadiums He sells out? Rich or poor he's mostly not my cup of tea. Great musicians have died in poverty and great musicians have been wealthy. Check out Benny Carter for that. He evidently owned lots of Beverly Hills real estate. Motzart died poor (bad financial mangagement evidently) and Rossini was a rich man.

To those who don't think Colbert is funny what can be said. Humor is personal. I laugh when I watch his show. Sure with the Zorn thing he was engaging in a bit of antiintellectualism but the number of people who think that playing like that is 'genius' or even music at all is a pretty low number. For myself, I acknowedge that it's music but I find it unlistenable. I bought Braxton's 'For Alto' 2lp Delmark when it was first released, played it a few times and now it's sat on my shelf for thirty years.

Enough rambling. Enjoy what you like and let others do the same.

[7/4]

I'm curious. How did John Zorn come to be a multi-millionaire?

I'd also like an answer to that question.

[Rooster_Ties]

Bush bashing is a cottage industry... and the basher will never want for media attention.

Yeah, but Bush bashing -- TO BUSH'S FACE -- is a vintage that's quite rare.

[Big Wheel]

Yeah it took all of a few extra days for Colbert to become the a media darling, what terribly oppressive conditions..... Meanwhile he been the subject of fawning profiles on 60 minutes and fawning interviews with Charlie Rose et al. I happen to like him and think he was the best thing on the Daily Show, but let's be serious, Bush bashing is a cottage industry... and the basher will never want for media attention.

Ahem. When did Colbert appear on the Charlie Rose show? Rose's own site makes no mention of a Colbert appearance, and you can search for every guest who has ever appeared.

If we can't trust you to correctly remember a simple incident like someone appearing on a talk show, why should we trust your memory of larger trends?

[Guest youmustbe]

John is very big in Japan...he may still live there part of the year for all I know...he's done commercials there and other things that have brought him lotsa yen. Also in Europe where he gets big fees for concerts. sometimes close to a 100,000 dollars. It adds up especially when you don't spend any of it.

I have nothing against John. I like his string quartets...heard the cadenza he wrote for the Ligeti violin concerto last year at Miller Theater, absolutely stunning!!! His 'Jazz' work, having heard Dolphy, Ayler, Ornette etal live back in the day, I don't need to hear his take on it today.

John has earned everything fairly and squarly. My only problem is that in his case, that is not what the MacArthur set out to be. It was for people in various disciplines who were, to use the Down Beat motto, 'People Deserving Wider Recognition' not people who have already 'made it'. But since he got it, good luck to him.

[RonF]

Yeah it took all of a few extra days for Colbert to become the a media darling, what terribly oppressive conditions..... Meanwhile he been the subject of fawning profiles on 60 minutes and fawning interviews with Charlie Rose et al. I happen to like him and think he was the best thing on the Daily Show, but let's be serious, Bush bashing is a cottage industry... and the basher will never want for media attention.

With all due respect, whether you like him or not, you don't know what you're talking about.

[trane_fanatic]

Colbert is great. I can see how some people might not dig him though, especially Bush fans. Colbert said on "60 Minutes" he's out to play the most arrogant Bill O'Reilly character you can imagine. I have some of John Zorns's stuff, but some of that material is straight garbage.

[Randy Twizzle]

Yeah it took all of a few extra days for Colbert to become the a media darling, what terribly oppressive conditions..... Meanwhile he been the subject of fawning profiles on 60 minutes and fawning interviews with Charlie Rose et al. I happen to like him and think he was the best thing on the Daily Show, but let's be serious, Bush bashing is a cottage industry... and the basher will never want for media attention.

With all due respect, whether you like him or not, you don't know what you're talking about.

Well I guess that settles it.