FanFare

This week, from the void: The RNC convention is filled with tonedeaf shouting people who think the world is great and only getting better! But also there's the recent horrors in Kenosha, Wisconsin, with Jacob Blake being repeatedly shot in the back by police and a teenage vigilante killing two people. On YouTube (20m) And Now: The RNC Gets Off To A Great Start. Finally, the city of Danbury, Connecticut responds to John Oliver's playful dissing of their town, up to their mayor threatening to name their new sewage plant after him. But they didn't actually do it, leading John to make a promise: name their sewage plant after him, and he'll donate $55,000 to various charities in the Danbury area. And in case the major is reluctant to spend public money on the sign, LWT went ahead and made one for them. [more inside]
posted by JHarris on Aug 31, 2020 - 9 comments

This week, from the white void: Coronavirus spreads like crazy due to idiotic mass gatherings by US Americans, enabled by powerful idiots who refuse to take it seriously. And Now: For An Extra $150, Steve Gutenberg Brainstorms Names For Our Co-Worker's New Dog. The main story is on U.S. history, and many US Americans' ignorance of it, especially its history of slavery. On YouTube (28m) LWT is off next week. [more inside]
posted by JHarris on Aug 3, 2020 - 3 comments

If you slept on it, Wyatt is still there for you. The Second Season is a must-watch if you want to think "What does 're-opening' schools mean in the middle of a pandemic?" HBO published all the episodes on Youtube in the wake of George Floyd's murder. Earlier Fanfare posts 1 and 2 [more inside]
posted by eustatic on Jul 12, 2020 - 0 comments

Black people all across the US are receiving the world's weirdest form of reparations: Venmo payments from white people. Producer Emmanuel Dzotsi investigates. [more inside]
posted by ellieBOA on Jun 23, 2020 - 0 comments

This week (again from the White Void): protests over the brutal police killing of George Floyd continue, Tucker Carlson gripes about puppets telling kids about racism, and Minneapolis votes to abolish their police department while New York criminalizes the use by police of chokeholds like the one that killed George Floyd. Statues of slave traders the world over have been toppled, wrecked or defaced, but police unions continue to angrily justify the status quo. (There's a lot of infuriating material in this section.) And Now: C-Span Callers Have Some Thoughts On The Coronavirus For The Second Most Patient Man On Television. Main Story is on the use of technology for facial recognition, and, ominously, its increased use by law enforcement, especially as provided by a company called Clearview AI. On YouTube (21m) [more inside]
posted by JHarris on Jun 16, 2020 - 4 comments

This week: it's a strange episode, even from among those coming from the White Void of Sad Facts, as the entire show is about the protests over the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, and the police reaction to them. In the words of John Oliver, "If police are trying to convince the public that they're not guilty of displaying excessive force, it's probably not a good idea to repeatedly display excessive force on national television[...]" Instead of listening to me summarize it, you can watch the entire episode on YouTube (33 minutes). [more inside]
posted by JHarris on Jun 8, 2020 - 9 comments

While Jennifer mourns, Anissa's relationship with Grace takes a sudden turn. Meanwhile, Markovians make moves in Freeland. [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief on Feb 5, 2019 - 4 comments

A disciple of Coville's escapes from what's left of his cult and gives Kara and James a journal that could help save Sam. Guardian's secret could be exposed. [more inside]
posted by numaner on May 22, 2018 - 11 comments

A highly-publicized court case involving police brutality and an African-American teenager leads the kids to ask tough questions, but Dre and Bow have conflicted views. Dre and his parents think the children need to know the harsh reality of the world while Bow would prefer to give them a more optimistic view of life. [more inside]
posted by General Malaise on Feb 25, 2016 - 6 comments

Ed Crawford had never been to a protest until he heard about the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Robert Cohen, a staff photographer with the St. Louis Post Dispatch, ended up taking a photograph of Ed that would be seen around the world, and change both of their lives.
posted by Potomac Avenue on Dec 12, 2015 - 2 comments

Jerrod is excited about celebrating his birthday and upset when his girlfriend, Maxine, wants to go a Black Lives Matter protest instead; the rest of the family pick sides. [more inside]
posted by Margalo Epps on Sep 2, 2015 - 2 comments

Scandal's take on Ferguson and #BlackLivesMatter.
posted by lunasol on Mar 6, 2015 - 3 comments