The New York Times reports that, for the first time, women in their 20s who work full time in several American cities — New York, Chicago, Boston and Minneapolis — are earning higher wages than men in the same age range.
Category: Blog Post
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The Way Things Sometimes Play Out, Unfortunately
I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know what a dream is anymore. I got a lot of shit kicked out of me.
Have you somehow made your peace with this world? I’m curious: without getting all religious or flaky on me, can you tell me how you did that?
Once upon a time, lord, wasn’t I sweet? A more mild-mannered, easy-going guy you couldn’t find. We all know, though, that things change, and often enough we’ve no good idea why, or how. Not exactly, anyway. The goodness bleeds out of you. The world takes your trust through a series of thefts both large and small. One day you wake up and you no longer recognize your face in the mirror. The muttering voice in your head is as unfamiliar as the face.
Dreams are tough things, cruel schoolchildren, cheap balloons, faded flowers, broke down hot rods, blind dogs, etc. Time carves them all down to dim wishes and fragments of memory.
In my more chipper moments I like to imagine that all those old childhood dreams are still out there somewhere, drifting in the gloaming of another waning summer, waiting for their dead mothers to call them home. It’s sort of lovely to think so.
Meanwhile, my daughter is a sad, pretty girl who is well on her way to becoming a woman every bit as miserable as her mother. At the age of fifteen she has no broader desire than to be a cheerleader –a cheerleader, period. The poor girl is so dim that she actually seems to believe that being a cheerleader is a realistic occupation for an adult in America.
I’ve tried to explain to her that cheerleading is an extracurricular activity for a very few, mostly unfortunate, high school and college students, and that paying jobs in the field are pretty much non-existent. She counters this argument with the claim that she sees cheerleaders on television all the time, performing in a clearly professional capacity.
At fifteen years of age she is apparently already calculating enough to recognize that professional cheerleading would offer her the best opportunity to meet, date, and eventually marry a professional athlete.
The fact that I don’t feel this represents a very healthy or realistic goal for any young woman doesn’t seem to carry much weight with her.
My own life, I’m willing to admit, hasn’t exactly been a blockbuster success, and I’m also quite clearly no paragon of happiness. All the same, I try to explain to the poor girl –my daughter, I have to constantly remind myself– how such dreams usually play out.
This pathetic little town, I tell her, is full of old cheerleaders. On any given Sunday the church pews are crowded with unhappy women who had variations of the same ridiculous dream my daughter harbors. Look around, I say to her. There are no professional athletes here, so chances are good you’ll settle for a star on the high school football team, who will become in very short order –after he’s knocked you up– a miserable fuck in hog kill at the plant, or maybe an insurance salesman if he’s really ambitious. He’ll gain weight faster than you can pump out the infants, and drink like a fish, and there’ll always be some other unhappy woman who remembers that he was once a local football hero and is still willing to sleep with him while you stay home and take care of the kids and watch television.
You’ll see, I say. Just ask your mother.
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A Heavy Dose of Pop Culture
STYLE & THEATER
Fashion 47
Though she loves classics, Diane Paulus has a penchant for finding inspiration in the more theatrical aspects of pop culture. The New York City-based director recently staged Turandot in a professional wrestling ring, but she’s better known for her production of The Donkey Show, a disco adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. So it’s not surprising that fashion shows, what with all the elaborate costumes, makeup, and entrances and exits, became a recent and ripe subject for Paulus’s picking. By transplanting an ancient Japanese samurai narrative called Ronin 47 to the dog-eat-dog world of high fashion, Paulus has created a surprisingly family-friendly work in the style of Project Runway. Here’s an amusing tidbit from a production in which characters set out to out-design and out-strut one another: Instead of switching off their cell phones, theatergoers will use them, á la American Idol, to vote. –Christy DeSmith7:30 p.m., Cargill Stage, Children’s Theatre, 2400 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-874-0400; $12.
THEATER & PERFORMANCE
Just Before Sleep
While the Children’s Theatre is strutting their stuff on the runway in a pop tribute to American consumerism, the Youth Performance Company will be offering a somewhat more “socially conscious” performance. The subject? American homelessness — you know, the children who won’t be making it to the runway show, the children who won’t be wearing those clothes, the children who have never even seen Project Runway because they have no television, no home, and certainly no cell phone with which to vote. According to the Youth Performance Company’s website, 3500 Minnesotan children are either homeless or living in temporary arrangements on any given night. That’s a lot of children — a lot of children who are lacking what they need, and what they deserve. Just Before Sleep, a Theater All Year production opening this afternoon, “gives voice and dignity to a mother and her to children who struggle to survive on the streets while seeking shelter through the maze of social agencies.” Yes, it’s a tale of woe, but uplifting nonetheless. It’s a story of “unexpected friendship, fierce love, and survival.”10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. (Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m.), Howard Conn Fine Arts Center, 1900 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-623-9080; $12 (children $10).
FILM
On The Lot with Andrew Hunt
It’s Membership Week at IFP, which means film, video, and photography folks can expect ample opportunity for networking and professional development; and the rest of you guys can mooch off the events. OK, not mooch, really, as you’ll have to pay a slightly higher price; but at least you’ll be able to benefit from it. (Or simply avoid the higher price by becoming a member. IFP is offering $10 off the price of membership through the end of October.) Start cashing in tonight as Andrew Hunt shares his On the Lot experiences. When Andrew Hunt heard that the FOX reality-show was looking for the nation’s next big director, he jumped at the chance. “Selected from over 12,000 hopefuls, Andrew wrote and directed numerous short films on national television under incredible pressure and overnight deadlines, eventually emerging as one of five finalists before being voted off the show.” Tonight he shares his experiences, lessons, and work samples from the show and discusses how he and his company, Sleepy Eye, have parlayed that exposure into new connections and opportunities. Finally, a real look at how these ridiculous shows actually help people’s careers.7 p.m., IFP Minnesota, 2446 University Ave. W., Suite 100, St. Paul; 651-644-1912; $8 (IFP & MFA members $5).
MUSIC & TRIVIA
Big Brain Bash
No, this has nothing to do with Big Brain Comics — nor Big Brain Academy nor Big Brain Tattoos. Clearly, we just like the idea of having a big brain. Or is it a big bash, in this case? Somehow, I doubt there’ll be too big a showing, but there’s a pretty good chance you’ll get to flex that brain a bit. Always looking to host intellectually stimulating events, the Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library bring you an evening of music, laughter, and trivia at Minneapolis Central Library. The evening’s entertainment will include a trivia challenge hosted by the infamous and very funny quiz master John Cosgrove, and fiddle and guitar music from Irish duo Nathan Gourley and Brian Miller. Put together a team of four, or come on your own. The price of admission includes appetizers and a free cocktail. And no, you can’t google the trivia questions. And no, Google is not a verb.7 p.m., Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; 612-630-6000; $25.
MUSIC
Vintage Soul in a Shiny Pink Wrapper
There’s far too much pink on her website (and in her hair). She has a cheesy fake hearts-and-peace-and-love tattoo bursting out all over her back. And if that’s not bad enough, she’s performing at Myth, which great as it may be, I consider to be on the far side of the boondocks. There’s certainly a whole lot of fodder with which to fuel an increased resistance to new experiences, the great unknown. And yet… I’ll leave you with just one thing: She’ll make you feel sexy if you let her. Stone serves up vintage soul like few others. James Brown recognized it. Stevie Wonder recognized it. The Rolling Stones even recognized it. (She’s played with all of them, as well as with Elton John, Patti Labelle, Mavis Staples, Donna Summer, and Smokey Robinson.) So, recognize, my friends. Recognize. Opening for Stone is Georgia native Ryan Shaw, another worthy vintage soul man. Mmm… if only he could see how sexy you feel.6:30 p.m., Myth, 3090 Southlawn Dr., Maplewood; 651-989-5151; $38.
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McHale and Wittman Invite Us To Lunch
The media were invited to Champs for a little lunch and hunch three days before the official media day this coming Friday. Coach Randy Wittman and VP Kevin McHale leaned against tables in the front of the room and took questions from about two dozen media folk. Here’s what I gleaned from the 45 minute affair.
* McHale likes this team a lot better than the past two or three because they are young, teachable and will play the way he has always wanted the Wolves to play. Today he and Wittman talked about the need to get to the free throw line and pound the offensive glass. McHale likened rebounding to a running game in football, a crucial fundamental that separates the contenders from the pretenders.
* Don’t be surprised to see Al Jefferson play some center this season. Not surprisingly, Jefferson is one of the reasons for McHale’s upbeat demeanor. Comparing AJ and KG, McHale said, “Kevin was a freak of nature. Al is more of a prototypical low post player; he wants to bang you…We haven’t ever had a smashmouth guy, someone who will put his shoulder down and get to the rim…Al doesn’t shoot the same way twice, he just does what it takes to put the ball in the hole…if you’re making shots from twenty feet away, the [opposing] coach will tell you to get a hand up in his face, if you’re making shots from three feet away the coach says we need to double-team. That opens things up.”
So why might AJ play the 5? Because McHale also loves Craig Smith and Ryan Gomes. McHale on Smith: “He’s a matchup nightmare, a unique guy…in our league if you’re odd and give [opponents]something people don’t see [you have an advantage]. He’s got strength and quickness…he can be a really good player in our league for a long time.” As for Gomes, McHale calls him a banger too (one of his favorite compliments) and then flat out says “I love what I see out of Ryan Gomes.”
* Wittman is directly comparing this Wolves squad to the Chicago Bulls of two and three years ago. “We’ve got eight guys under 24 years of age. Hopefully two and a half or three of them will step up and become all star caliber playhers. That’s what Chicago has gone through…they had three guys who emerged and they were able to trade Chandler and Curry and now they are very competitive…we’re looking for a similar thing.” Later, when it came to the unhappiness of Juwan Howard, Witt didn’t deny Juwan was bummed about the KG trade, but appropriately said the reasons they wanted Howard around are just as relevant pre- and post-KG. “Howard should look at what PJ Brown did with Chicago,” Witt continued, noting that he played the good teammate, the veteran glue guy, “and now he has his choice to play with Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio…” Translation: We’re not trading your ass this year but if you’re a solid presence on the court and in the locker room, we’ll see if we can send you someplace you might pick up a ring next year.
* Wittman is not using youth as an excuse for a poor record this season. He points out that Jefferson, Gomes, Green and Telfair are all in their 3rd or 4th year and that Foye and Smith “had good years last year and didn’t back down…so it is not like we have eight guys who just came out of high school…we have the ability to compete in this league…with the talent we do possess we are going to win some games.”
Then McHale chimed in that sometimes young guys get too competitive with members of their own team, become too preoccupied with surmounting a teammate and then struggle, rather than coming together once the rotation is sorted out. While there is truth to this, it is also serving notice that there will be some tough winnowing out and some promising youngsters who think they deserve more time are going to be logging a lot of bench sitting. “You can’t play 10, 11, 12 guys. You’re really only going to play 8, 9 guys,” McHale declares.
* Given that view, my early handicapping would put minutes in for, in order, Jefferson, Foye, Davis, Smith, Brewer, and Gomes, with Jaric, Hassell, McCants, Blount, Green and Telfair on the bubble.
* Why is McCants downgraded? Strictly my interpretation, reading between the lines, but even when Wittman was talking about Shaddy in positive terms, there wasn’t a lot of enthusiasm and conviction behind it. Maybe it was because it was the first question of the afternoon and everyone was still getting warmed up, but there was just something tepid, to the point where Witt followed one sentence by conceding, “I didn’t see him his rookie year.” Yes he said some nice things about McCants, noting that his injury is “night and day from last year…he’s back to 100 percent…we finished near the bottom of the league in free throw attempts and he can help that…he’s been here all summer so [if he falls off] it won’t be for lack of effort…” But then McHale jumped in and claimed that McCants still doesn’t have that “crazy hop up,” adding that God puts people together best the first time and it is hard to come all the way back after such a significant injury.
* When someone mentioned that Davis could be a key to the season, Wittman replied that the “different things that went on last year can’t happen,” quickly amending it to mean he was addressing that to all the Wolves’ players, but it certainly wasn’t mere coincidence that the sentiment was raised in sync with RD. “We don’t have to put up with that this season, we’ve got 16 players,” Wittman reiterated. We’ll see.
* Asked about trades, McHale was less enthusiastic about it then when I posed the same question three weeks ago. But some guys may be looking to leave before too long. For example, McHale is truly excited about Gomes. And he genuinely is pleased with the opportunity to have drafted Brewer. So where is the world does Trenton Hassell fit on this team? He wasn’t mentioned by either Wittman or McHale; ditto Mark Blount.
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Types of Fantasy Sports Users
Lee K. Farquhar, of the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and Robert Meeds, of Kansas State University’s A. Q. Miller School of Journalism, present their research on Types of Fantasy Sports Users and Their Motivations.
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News Media Online
The Journal of Online Behavior published a research study on The Role of the Internet in National and Local News Media Use.
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Man Dies from Gaming Binge
I don’t know how I missed this, but according to CNN, a man in Beijing, China died from exhaustion after a three-day gaming binge. See, computer games can kill you — not just brain cells.
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Young Girls Tell Us What They Want
Thanks to Adrants for pointing out these videos of teenage and twenty-something girls discussing their reactions to ads that try to market to them. Interesting. More interesting still is the idea of a young all girl creative agency.
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Halo 3? Not this one.
My favorite Madonna. From Eddie Munch. Looks troubled.Saints are frequently (always? help me as I am not Catholic) depicted with halos around their heads. In the car biz, there are certain revered cars that emit a similar glow. And few halo cars are worshiped more fervently than the BMW M3.
That is why the first notices on the latest model about to hit our shores soon are as troubling as Munch’s Madonna (depicted above.) In fact, if you believe the English motoring press (as you should because it is the best) things look very dark indeed.
They say its just not snappy enough (for an M3, even with 420 HP, my God) it lacks steering feel (for an M3) and is a little porky (for an M3, as all have been compared to the first beloved iteration in mid-80s, the bad boy with the spoiler).
Personally I think something Faustian is going on. I believe someone whispered into some southern chu-man’s ear that the current M3 is a little too edgy for the typical American gold chain guido. If the Oracles are right, then BMW planned it this way.
And the thought of it makes me mad as you know where.
Like Guidos? then this is your flick. Or if this is too taxing to watch, try the story in more literate form. The comic book is for sale BTW:
