WGBH Radio; The Callie Crossley Show

I'm Cally Crossley This is the Cali Crossley Show. Today we're hitting the rewind button on this week's news from the great lady's front pages to the stories on the small screen and the reporting that went under the radar. It's a hyper local look at the news that was and wasn't. We'll be dropping in on online communities and alternative presses. For a look at the big stories from the small papers where today's neighborhood news becomes tomorrow's mainstream headlines. Well top of the hour venturing from the serious to the sublimely ridiculous with Greg time on tour of the tabloids and a round up of this week's pop culture. Up next on the callee Crossley Show from gumshoe reporting the gossip rags. First the news. From NPR News in Washington I'm Lakshmi Singh.

Cheers erupt outside a medical center in Tucson today for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords as she embark on the next big phase of her recovery from a gunshot wound to the head. NPR's Wade Goodwyn reports the Arizona Democrat is on her way to a rehabilitation facility in Texas. Representative Giffords was taken by ambulance to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base to be flown by a military plane to Houston hospital staff and well-wishers lined the street outside and applauded and waved as the ambulance passed by her motorcade of police cars and motorcycles and security was joined by a group of motorcycle riders from a local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post. She will be treated at TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston by doctors who specialize in gunshots to the head. She will be with her husband Mark Kelly who is preparing for a mission to the space station. Yesterday doctors took Giffords outside to enjoy the sun and say she smiled in the warm

rays. Wade Goodwyn NPR News Tucson. President Obama is in Schenectady New York touring General Electric's alternative energy factory. Karen DeWitt of New York State Public Radio reports it will be Mr. Obama's first appearance with S.E. or rather G.E. CEO Jeffrey Immelt since simle was named today as chair of the president's new Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. Immelt travel to India with President Obama last fall and won over 750 million dollars in contracts for new turbans which are being manufactured in Schenectady the birthplace of General Electric. The city still houses the company's largest energy division which is also focusing on green energy sources like electric batteries. The new council on jobs and competitiveness represents a change in direction for the Obama administration. The group which Immelt will chair replaces the economic recovery and advisory board formed in the depths of the current recession. Immelt says he will continue to remain committed to G.E. while he fulfills the White House

job. For NPR News I'm Karen DeWitt in Schenectady New York. A 19 year old Virginia man is reunited with his family nearly a month after he was detained in Kuwait. Mohamed says he was tortured and his return home was delayed for weeks because he was placed on the U.S. His no fly list to claim the Justice Department declined to confirm after his arrival in the Washington D.C. area today Muhammad said he feared for others trapped in similar circumstances. There's still probably other people to torture like I was and this is my voice has been heard with voices and I've heard the Associated Press reports that a lawsuit filed on behalf of Muhammad this week States the no fly list has expanded to 400000 people on Wall Street the Dow is up 30 Ford 11000 857. This is NPR. Nearly a year after his first testimony before Britain's inquiry into the causes of the Iraq war former Prime Minister Tony Blair was again being

grilled on what led him to believe conflict was inevitable. Larry Miller reports from London that Blair claims he convinced then President Bush to ignore advice of his own administration and return to the U.N. to seek a further resolution. Blair says he persuaded Mr. Bush to go to the U.N. by promising Britain's backing when it got hot. He blames the French for scuppering a further resolution while the war was predicated on the need to remove the threat of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. Blair says the Americans were concerned with toppling Saddam Hussein when regime change was that policy said regime change is always part of the discussion was a goal post and now it wasn't a policy to have regime change but it was a policy to deal with the WMD issue. Blair denies he deliberately kept his own cabinet in the dark while conceding he did not share military planning papers concluding his testimony Blair said he deeply and profoundly regrets the loss of life. Too late. Came shouts from the public gallery. For NPR News I'm Larry Miller in London.

Afghan politicians are getting ready for a political standoff with President Hamid Karzai over his decision to delay the opening session of parliament by a month. At a gathering in Kabul today hundreds of lawmakers threaten to convene this Sunday session of parliament with or without Karzai hoping to avoid a public showdown Karzai's inviting his critics to lunch Saturday to talk about the dispute. Karzai says he postponed the session while an investigation into alleged election fraud was pending. I'm Lakshmi Singh NPR News Washington. Support for NPR comes from the Casey Foundation promoting lifelong family connections for eight children and youth in foster care on the web at 8 dot org. Good afternoon I'm Cally Crossley. This is the Calla Crossley Show. Today we're hitting the rewind button on the week's news with a look at the stories that went under the radar. I'm joined by Howard Manley the executive editor of the Bay State Banner and Marcella Garcia

managing editor of Mehta. Welcome back you too. Thank you. Glad to be back. Now listeners I'm at Columbia University in these lovely radio studios where I've been attending the ceremonies for the Dupont Columbia journalism awards last night. So I'm not in studio with those two but we're going to have a rather rollicking conversation none the less and I'm starting off this way with you Marcella. The closing of the Hi-Lo grocery store in Jamaica Plain this got to mainstream media this week. But you guys have been covering this for quite some time. Yeah Hi-Lo has been really is the end of an era it's an iconic supermarket it's a symbol of Latinos in the area and immigrants alike. I I really when I first heard that he was closing it was very personal to me because I can I could think back to you know the first time that I went there as an immigrant and found the products you know from back home. And I kept coming back with my friends

and and yeah you know it was you know little old plays dirty whatever but. You know it was just it was heartbreaking to to hear that all these people you know first of all are going to are going to be left without a job and second of all like Council of early 0 you put it as we talked to him in our story. He said you know what's going to happen to the customer to the Hi-Lo customer and I think that's being that's the main point of how this conversation should be seen. You know we should be looking at it from that point of view. Granted you know Whole Foods is going to attract a different clientele and yes there is this population in Jamaica Plain that will welcome it but honestly there's a huge difference in the cost. You know we were talking earlier. You go in with $20 into high low and you come up with three bags and if you go to Whole Foods with $20 you really can just get you know a couple of tomatoes and that's it. So you know there's something to be said about the value of having you know a

neighborhood store. And now you know it's going to be gone. I got to tell you Marcello This marks the first time that we're going to have a major disagreement apparently on this highway OK because I've gone in that store and I get the fact that it's inexpensive food and I get the fact that it's a community iconic place but thank god food is coming there and the differences. And then we had this conversation in the green room. If you cook you want Whole Foods for one baby an uptick in the price. But you just know the stuff is clean it's fresh and it's it's it makes a difference when you're not necessarily a foodie but you definitely want good food. And I've been in a hollow you just go like why. You know I mean I don't even know if I can buy paper. I don't know you know but you know and I don't I leue The Hi-Lo to my paper you go to CBS or you go to other stuff you see the thing that this is reflecting I guess is the diversity of the neighborhood you know there's Well Lootie is right there's yuppies there's Latinos

recent immigrants that of course find the value of having a place a high low in their neighborhood. I just wish and this is what has been reported at least in the Latino papers that you know local officials and local community leaders are really pushing to have a conversation with Whole Foods to make sure that they're going to carry at least some of the products that Hi-Lo is carrying to satisfy the demand of you know immigrant products. And not only that that you know they could find a way to keep a low open or something you know a smaller version possibly cleaner. Hi-Lo it a different area in Jamaica Plain because remember this is the Latin Quarter of Jamaica Plain. This is you know the area that was billed as the Latin neighborhood by Thomas Menino by Mayor Menino So you know Whole Foods is going to be there what happens to the D.A. Well I think Whole Foods will be open to that discussion. I really do believe that you're just going to have to pay for. Exactly. That's what it is that's why I'm saying it goes back to the law. Thank god for someone. So let me ask this question.

There were some who said and I don't know if you got the same kind of response in your reporting for Marcella that some of the smaller bodegas are saying hey we think it might actually be Whole Foods coming to replace Hi-Lo could be a boon for us because you get some walk in traffic to Whole Foods and then people can't get all of the variety of products that they would be able to get at I love. So they'll come to us. But no you know if you think I don't think none necessarily because I think it's a fake idea first of all because again we're talking about the clientele. There's different you know quote unquote audiences here because if you want to you know if you want something specific you go to high low. If Tyler is not going to be there you know I doubt this is the thing about Hi-Lo that he caught across in this it is like you know you could find something from a salad other you could you know find something from Mexico for Colombia so you really cater to the immigrant population the Latinos all across you know Latin America not just Puerto Rico's or Dominican there was something for everybody there. And so some of these but they guys may may have you know Puerto

Rico and they're more specialized and you know Hi-Lo was more more generalized in that sense. So I don't think the Whole Foods customer is going to necessarily want to go into it with a guy because he wants to go to Whole Foods. So I think again the conversation or. Or rather. You know we're talking about the diversity of this area that this is a sign of the times that the fact that Whole Foods is coming maybe it's inevitable but I think there's something to be said to the power of having you know a community store or such a symbol the symbol of the community in Jamaica Plain and there's nothing more basic than food and we've had this right over the years about just cultural identity with food the cultural taste the food. Except I can tell you one beneficiary right now is the Cuban restaurant right across the street Oriental where there's not until because where do you think they got some of their supplies you know and they actually talk to nobody which is you know the owner of letting down the group and he's sad

he's like this is a heartless closing referring to the high low high low so he's going to have to go somewhere else to buy his products. So it's really more than a closing of a store it's really a closing closing off in some way of a cultural piece of that community absolutely and the point that Howard is making is very interesting because food Latinos as you know you know food for us not just food. Well that's exactly right. That's you know so that's why there's more than a connection. It's really it's your soul it's what you express with this is how you express love you know. Well the other thing about J.P. is that it's undergoing a major transformation. There's a lot of redevelopment right with the sign of the times. Yeah it really really is your creation. Yes. Yeah right. Well it's no question AJP is a hip happening place. You know one of the places in Boston so I guess this is a sign of the times and we'll see what happens when Whole Foods arrives. Let's yes let's move to a story that just really is on the other end of the

spectrum. Howard you have in the Bay State Banner this week about Governor Deval Patrick's bill to toughen Massachusetts parole laws. There was already a bill out there by state legislators most notably representative Bradford Hill who had been pushing something called Melissa's bill and this is in the wake. All of the controversies around the parole board's decision with regard to the letting out that guy who went and killed the Wilburn cop so speak to us about Governor Patrick's bill whether or not you think that has some support. What's going to happen there. The governor really showed his statesmanship throughout this ordeal from the time that the police officer was shot and killed to the time when he accepted the resignations of the entire parole board plus high ranking staff. He weighed it. He expressed his grief over the tragedy and for the year in

review interview that I know I had Marcella came in later on. The governor talked about just the sort of problems of how do you balance this whole idea of rehabilitation with public safety. The fact that a guy with three life sentences could come before the parole board that is a matter for the legislature to deal with is them to change the laws that these guys cannot go before the parole board and ask for release. Given their sort of history of violent crime and I think this goes a long way for Deval taking a leadership position. Filing a bill that at this point. And you gotta remember how emotional and charged this issue was just three weeks ago and the legislature calling for parole reform and. And you had this corruption going on in the probation department. And so now here's a chance for the legislature to actually do something. And I think that will definitely happen.

Governor Patrick's bill requires these things it would require that anyone convicted of a third serious felony receive the maximum sentence and begin serving it only after completing any prior sentences. Also it would allow parole for those repeat offenders only after they have served two thirds of their sentences or if sentenced to life after serving 25 years. Now currently offenders can be paroled after serving half of their sentences or 15 years for a life term. Now believe it or not the Melissa's bill which is been put forth by Representative Bradford Hill and Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone is stricter than that because it closes up the loopholes for a federal violation of federal convictions. So one of these tough bills is going to get through it seems to me. Well exactly. And again the backdrop of this is when most people hear a life sentence you think it's going to be a life sentence. And so you don't expect to hear a person with a real life and so yeah I mean it's an obvious thing that they can fix this is something that they can do.

Marcelle you want to weigh in. Yeah I know I was just thinking on the whole you were saying the backdrop of you know how this came to take place and I have to agree with Howard when he says that the governor acted in the right way but also all the other actors too you know the media was very you know quiet. You know they didn't go about sensationalizing all of these things with which in fact I guess allow for all of these changes to start happening because the discourse was very very quiet in the wake of having you know a police officer killed under this you know horrible circumstance so I think you know it's a good example of how you know policy should be policy execution. Any concern that for people who are deserving of revolt I'm using that word advisedly. Might get pushed to the back of the line because there is so much concern about what happened here. Well you know there's always there are organizations working for you know prisoners and you know I guess making sure that this doesn't happen

in that people get their you know their fair amount of time before a parole board or that they you know they get a fair chance at getting you know Pearl but I think that you know somebody was saying it's safe to you know are on the side of caution with these things and if you know if there can be more you know procedures in place to to look at these people before we let them free. I think it's just beneficial for everyone because you know you just feel so bad about the folks that work hard. I mean the other side. Yeah. I mean that completely the other side of this is that. You need to still balance that with rehabilitation already. We get more and will be coming up right after this break I'm Cali Crosley we're talking taking a hyper local look at this week's news with Howard Manley of the Bay State Banner and Marcella Garcia of L. planus. We'll be back after this break stay with us. Support for WGBH comes from. And from Somerset Subaru. You were invited

to the Subaru love event featuring five star any government crash test rated vehicles with symmetrical all wheel drive. Somerset Subaru Route 195 in Somerset Somerset auto group dot com and from the New England mobile book fair in Newton for 54 years. New England's independent bookstore. The New England mobile book fair. Find them online at an e-book fair dot com. That's an e-book fair dot com. On the next FRESH AIR we remember writer Wilfrid Sheed He died Wednesday at the age of 80 sheets novels essays and critiques satirized the literary world and often reflected his own life's challenges. You had polio as a boy and struggled with drug addiction and alcoholism. We'll listen back to one thousand eighty eight interview with him. Join us this afternoon at two on eighty nine point seven WGBH. It's been called the best new show of the year and this generation's upstairs dance to

the speech gets counted for a Masterpiece Classic on WGBH television if you can't wait for next week's episode support. Eighty nine point seven with the gift of one hundred twenty dollars right now and WGBH will say thanks with online access to each new episode of Downton Abbey a whole week before it comes to TV. Already a member you've got access to. It's all online at WGBH dot org. Christopher Kimball and I'm going to investigate the olive oil business which many people compare to the drug trade on our new show America's Test Kitchen radio tomorrow at 2 o'clock right here on eighty nine point seven degrees. I'm Cally Crossley and this is the Calla Crossley Show. If you're just tuning in we're hitting the rewind button and looking at the news that went under the radar this week. Joining me to talk between the headlines are Howard Manley the executive editor of the Bay State Banner and Marcello Garcia the managing editor of. Marci I want to start with

you. There's a new network new network which is going to focus on local programming for Spanish speaking audience. Yeah this is this is very very good news for the Latino community here and for people who actually just want to listen to Spanish TV and learn learn another language. Mass TV was announced a couple of weeks ago it's a partnership between a local. Network that was already in place. Own CNN has been you know speaking of icons. Another icon in local TV. They run in cable in the Boston area only but they they really it's a place for community leaders or local committees to have a voice in TV that you know they Haitians do a lot of shows they're Tino's and now they create. He joined forces with another local entrepreneur and the local entrepreneur to launch mass TV and yes they're focusing on local programming as

well as bringing programs and shows from Latin America to people here. And I think this is why you know this new TV network brings something new. In other words I don't think it's going to be a competition for the local NBC on station or the Telemundo station because. As you know they broadcast a lot of their national shows but but this is going to be local in the sense that you know I don't know if you know but there's a lot of Colombians here from a specific area in Colombia. Maybe yeah. And so this network is actually partnering with a TV station from the ying to bring their programming here so they're they're targeting their shows to the local community as well as also offerings lauds to local shows there's already a Salvadorian show that signed up to three more we're not going they're actually a radio show. And what they're going to do is they're going to broadcast their radio you know as they do it on the radio they're also going to show it on on TV. Kind of like how

Larry King started years ago. So I think it's great it's a great addition to you know to all the options that the Latino customer has in you know in terms of TV. What we know Howard from the latest census results is that the Latino population grew from almost 9 percent to well almost it just by two more percent. So it's growing. There is a local audience for this programming and it's not only going to be news but also sports programming and I mentioned that power to sports not that you are. Is that a lot of people don't realize the numbers of Latino's are huge in watching sports programming so this will be Spanish language. I'm imagining they're going to get a lot of people viewing this what do you think. Well I think so. And this is the first I've heard of it and it's just a such a wonderful idea to sort of broaden what you can see on television. And learning and satisfy your own curiosity about

different cultures and different foods and all that sort of stuff it is wide open territory for those who want to take advantage of it. Sports is just limitless in terms of its support across ethnic diversity lines. And yes you will start off with I guess maybe some soccer but I mean there's more folks. Sports is just sort of the backbone of American culture and to have that on a local channel now I don't know it's going to be in Spanish. And it's you know it's all in Spanish and I think one of the other boys that they they're in aiming to to fill I heard is that locally there isn't you know we have a newscast in Spanish provided by you needed. And then there's also you know. Programs like you know interview programs like you know people interviewing someone from the government or community leaders but there's only so much that you can do with that. What they want to do mass TVs when they want to offer like a talk show kind of thing like you know an Oprah type of stuff which people respond to a lot because they interact you know they go there they

go to the studio. And this is completely local So I think it's a great way to reach out to to the Latino community to fill a void that was in there and that's in that sense I think it's not going to be direct competition to the other Spanish networks. You know the more it's been you know when is this conversation there's more and more interest in the general public in local information so. Correct. I'll be keeping an eye on this I think it's going to be interesting to watch. OK. Howard I want to turn to you now. You've got a couple of pieces focusing on the ACP the first one deals with the newly elected. Forty two year old my curry. Who is head of the Boston. He and he did a thoughtful piece reflecting on the image of Boston still. Really it's kind of a racist community and what he thinks about that. Yeah. Michael Curry is a thoughtful thoughtful man. And there's nothing that could have happened that was better for the local branch of the WCP than his election and he's not tied into sort of the civil rights movement

generation and he's not a younger gal like in the 20s he's that perfect sort of bridge dad that can bring younger people into the organization that frankly is just been stumbling around without any sort of clear sense of focus on just how are they going to continue their mission which has to be expanded to in just clued all of humanity as opposed to continuing to look at things through the black and white paradigm. So Curry has the ability to do that and the opportunity and it's almost a mandate that he has to have to broaden out its numbers because you do not want a civil rights organization given what the history of Boston has been and some people will argue that it's even. Prevalent now to a race these vestiges of discrimination and racism throughout the city in the state. So he is the very very good man to sort of tackle these two thousand and ten challenges.

What I think is interesting Marcel is that this piece by Russell contrarious begins by saying for years Michael Curry has heard this joke from African-Americans living in the south. No matter how bad things are for black people here at least we don't live in Boston. I mean there is really a lingering image of Boston that's not a good one that he's faced with dealing with in his new role. Yeah no I agree and I hope also that he sets out to. You know build partnerships with Latino organizations and in the piece a mission at least the Latino the premier Latino political organization in the state because I think there's a lot of value in building partnerships with Latinos and you know we really do have a lot in common there's blacks in the in the Latino Latin American community we also face racism discrimination and of course the issue of immigration excuse me that is you know the root of all evils but seriously there's a lot to be said about you know Latinos and blacks working together because we face the same issues and again it's racism. You know immigrants

are still coming to the area whether there is racism or not but we need to deal with this stuff. So I hope he he reaches out to to the Latino community to build bridges like Howard was saying. And you know try to tackle this together. Well the other thing and this is a very real problem is that that's a very legitimate perception that Boston had developed and earned rightly for being a racist town back in the 60s in the 70s all over this sort of busing crisis. But that's 40 years ago. And Curry was absolutely right to say that there's an unbelievable story to Boston's One is that image of Ted Landmark being stabbed with the American flag. And then there's the other image of Governor Deval Patrick. Becoming the first African-American governor and winning this the city of Boston vote so there's some political power issues. But there's so many grinding issues right now not only from education but health

and to jobs that can play a critical role as we move forward from that old image and start to make Boston that beaming city on the Hill that everyone is so proud to talk about. OK now you have another piece about the end of this time not the Boston chapter but the one in Maine Governor Paula Paige He's the newly elected governor a Tea Party candidate got some national headlines actually when he said that he was going to skip events that were connected with the Martin Luther King holiday and that if anybody thought had any problem with that they could quote kiss my butt unquote. He later seemed to change his mind on that and actually appeared at the Martin Luther King breakfast and stayed the whole 90 minutes and whatever whatever. Now he is changing his mind didn't make that much didn't make as many headlines. So I was interested and that reporting in your paper.

Well the thing and whenever you have anyone saying kiss my butt and double ACP that's going to raise the red flag about this possible Ku Klux Klan member up in Maine. And when you look beyond sort of that intemperate politic remark for an elected a state official for any group to just dismiss like that you found out who this guy on the page is. And that's I kind of like this guy. He's the eldest of 18 kids. He left home when he was 11 and lived on his own he lived in shelters and got any job that he could. He has worked his way up he has that classic story. And so this sense of responsibility that he may have. The fact that he even got the Tea Party endorsement is a little and when you say that about given the sort of national conversation about the Tea Party movement. The lack of humanity and the lack of sort of diversity within the Republican Party at large in the Tea Party.

It's just that I don't know if that's the case with this gentleman. He was those remarks wrong obviously. But what is he going to do to sort of solve some of the problems about humanity in the image of the Tea Party endorsed candidates that they have throughout the country. And that's where his challenge was. Marcella he raised when this controversy broke many times to people that he in fact has an adopted son from Jamaica I assume that means he's black and that so therefore you know he knew he felt that he was sensitive in the areas of race and people should not misjudge his comments about somebody's kids and his but myself what do you think about that. I think it was just trying to bring attention to himself. And at some point in their lives you know they they they get over it and people know who they are no you know it's important that they keep using the same tactics. But you know it's a he's a politician before this we hadn't even heard about him nationally. You know

right and I'm just trying to think how many members are in the branch in Maine Maine exactly exactly I had to ask where they have a chapter in me but I know now that God knows some national recognition right. They may be growing as we speak. I'm going to change the conversation too. There's a piece in the banner Howard Manley about Senator Brown Senator Scott Brown reflecting on a year in Congress. It was a year ago that everybody was stunned when he got what was considered to be Ted Kennedy's seat. Former Senator Ted Kennedy's seat as he made clear in the campaign Senator Scott Brown that it was a people's seat. And now he said interesting year and some people are mad at him and other people say good for him. Well he to his credit he said that he was not going to be the typical Republican candidate that he had a base here in Massachusetts that wasn't necessarily lock stock and barrel with the National Republican Party and he's voted against

several issues including the recent nuclear ban treaty. The Republicans were put in a lot of money to his campaign are very upset about. By the same token his biggest problem he's like that that that rock star politician he was this upset guy. He's just finishing a book 60 Minutes is doing a story and he's taking them all around in his hometown and and really sort of taking advantage of his moment and this is clearly his moment right now. But as the election comes up there will be Democratic candidates who will. Claim that seat back to the Democratic Party and that's where his challenge is going to go is how he's going to have to defend the sort of flip flopping nature of his politics that are done not for what he deeply believes in but for political expediency. You can't blame the guy for that but it's up to the voters come 2012 to figure out. Well we don't want that guy anymore and but who's the alternative and

that's where the question is Vicki Kennedy has said that she's not going to run at the same time that Mayor Menino has said that Scott Brown is unbeatable so this made an initial run. Well I don't know if that's going to happen but it isn't one of those things that's going to have a very interesting race that I guarantee you that there will be more money spent in this U.S. Senate race than in the history of Senate races in Massachusetts. Marcella I want you to weigh in. Within this context. As you know one of the things that Senator Brown did vote against is the DREAM Act. And this is happening at the same time I mean that happened and now recently as you noted in your paper El planeta that there was a huge forum in Florida. Among GOP leaders trying to do an outreach to Latino political leaders about just you know come into the party we're not we're not one no we're not just anti immigration blah blah blah. And I'm wondering

if these things are going to come to a head so you've got the national leadership trying to get other members to be sensitive to and aware of issues that are of importance to Latino constituencies and and are moving on it in a formal way as in this forum. And yet Senator Scott Brown's on record for saying he will not support the Dream it. Yeah he's very very adamant about that. You know he was questioned several times and there were local activists the dreamers the local dreamers held numerous numerous sit ins outside his office trying to change his mind but he was very adamant he wanted the DREAM Act passed and yet the national stage. There's all these efforts going on I feel like the Republicans are scrambling but to their credit I guess they are acting at least you know. Or finally because they do recognize the power of the Latino vote and you know we've spoken about that here. Well those national leaders are these kinds of forums put pressure on him or what do you think I don't think so

because you know this is Florida and it's very different than Massachusetts obviously so in Florida there was a huge turnout to elect a senator. What's his name the Latino center that was elected in the end. No no he the one that all Marco Rubio not exactly MARCO RUBIO Yeah which I guess was at some point had been endorsed by the Tea Party. So you know they recognize the Latino voters but at the same time they see that it's not an issue here in Massachusetts at least not yet. So. You know little by little I guess you know Newt Gingrich also held a forum a couple months ago and you know who would have thought right that Gingrich was going to be trying to reach out to Latinos So this poll shows that at least you know at some levels at the national level Republicans are trying to do something because they know they recognize that you know this is what ex-senator Lincoln said we cannot be the party. You know if we want to reach out to things we cannot be the party that

says that he's seen as anti immigrant. So they recognize that. So whether that impacts Senator Brown I hope it does because you know what you don't timidly comes out to the voters to the numbers. But you know I hope I really hope that you know someone like Menino runs against Brown because you know otherwise I don't know how he's going to lose. Well thank you very much for another rich conversation. We've been talking news with Howard Manley executive editor of the Bay State Banner and Marcella Garcia managing editor of Del planeta. Thank you all for joining if you can live in a gallery. OK. Coming up we're taking a turn from the serious to the sublimely ridiculous with ragtime. We'll be back after this break. Stay tuned to any 9.7 WGBH. Never. Mind.

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of pop culture Thomas Connelly and Rachel Reuben Thomas Connelly is a professor in the Department of English at Suffolk University and Rachel Reuben is the chair of the department of American studies at UMass Boston. Welcome you too. Hello again. Hi. I just can't believe we're starting this way just when you think there just cannot be another reality show or even any new premise for another reality show. Here we are. I think some of your listeners may recognize this music but there is a new reality show which will be hitting the airwaves soon with an unlikely premise. OK for you people under a rock that would have Batman music. Rachel Well tell us about this new show. A new show. It is indeed in the works to have a reality show based on Pac-Man. And you know if I could understand

Cali anybody's being puzzled over this also. So the way it's going to work is I guess people will be in the role of Pac-Man and they will work their way through mazes and whatnot in some kind of you know extreme competition. I don't I don't even know exactly how to describe it so it will be actual people. And that you know is somewhat better than I get or somewhat more believable than having been somehow I don't know creating the little round yellow guy. I don't even know how that would work. You know back the same to at the same time it is I sort of feel like Calley. Funny you say you can't imagine a new premise for a reality show and there is a way in which the premise for this one acknowledges that by saying this is a reality show that is based on something that's not real. It's not at all real. And then the only question is you know how much do you think by extension we are being reminded that the reality in reality shows is not reality.

The Beslan point the best line I heard about this was it was described as a glorified game of tag. And there is no it's right. There is a YouTube video of somebody dressed up as the yellow Pac-Man figure. It's a college library prank where you know so the mouth of the Pacman is moving and so forth but no one even seems to look up. It's very interesting how an interested they are in Pac-Man coming to life. And I just wish I would have like no actually I wouldn't have but I'm curious about the boardroom where this idea was floated and then approved because really where you know where. I mean it's almost like a watered down version of that old American Gladiators show with you know mazes and rock climbing and so forth. It's funny too because I would expect that the Pac-Man would really be appealing to people who recognize that musicality that you played you know from when Pac-Man was the hot thing so it seems like a way to try to you know attract sort of not younger viewers I don't even know what to make of it. You're sort of between that and betty white

fans. But one thing that is interesting about it is you know you we have a reality show or television shows. We're kind of used to the idea that they have this cultural significance that you can figure out things about their moment from paying attention to how the shows work right. So this might be pointing us back to videogames and saying hey here's a new job for cultural analysts we've got to go look at the video games see what they mean you know Pac-Man and lists consumption for example. I have to say this I took it as an I love baby boomers. I took it as the last gasp of baby boomers. I mean they're all turning 65 this year and someone was sitting in that room Tom saying OK here's something for all those people in the know they'll jump on it and they'll be popular. I can't figure out it makes no sense otherwise. It just doesn't make any sense. I mean why don't I go I'll be in a mall. Or something like that anyway.

Now this week Regis Philbin announced that he was retiring. I don't know maybe a lot of people didn't know. I didn't know till he mentioned it how old he is. You know he kind of you know one of those guys that looks the same age but he's about to be 80 and you know he said it's time to go. Do you think Tom. Well I mean this guy he goes back to the Walter Winchell era. I mean I think his first national exposure was as Joey bishops sidekick you know the member of the Rat Pack that nobody remembers. But he's really created a niche is not a big enough word I mean probably his biggest splash was of course when he was the host of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire but he's really with with Kathie Lee and now with with Kelly Rippa. He made something of the mid morning talk show. That it didn't have before with the sort of national presence and his personality also for television the you know famously cool medium. He's famous for being kind of a hothead. And I think that's one of the reasons people like him so much. And I think that's why when he leaves the show

apparently they're talking about replacing him. It will not be the same. Not only because you know who Regis is but I can't imagine finding a personality with his mixture of affable affable ness and volatility that he brought to the show and you know I haven't watched the show in a long time but I used to enjoy it particularly when he was two at the end of the Kathie Lee years when there was some I think genuine animosity between the two of them which brought some interesting tension. What do you think Rachel. Well I I'm going to sort of agree with some of the frameworks of what Thomas said. It won't be the same and he does go back to an earlier era and say you know I want it not to be the same I think he is a throwback to an earlier era. He is sort of well known among other things for being a sexist and in particular this fall as as as you may remember got in trouble for deciding to pat the rapper Nicki Minaj on the times when she was on the show just this sort of absent minded expression of

another era as you know friendly sexism and I maybe feel like OK it's really time. Yes he is 80 and but it's more important than his actual quite a logical age as his sort of where he's from his culture his. His character was formed. Yeah he's really he's an anachronism now and a throwback and maybe the worst of solu are. If you're just tuning in that's professional. Professor Rachel Reuben and Professor Thomas Connelly and this is our weekly edition of rag time our take on pop culture in the tabloids. Now moving from the tabloid pages to the screen yet another reality show this one will be interesting. This is Joan Rivers entering into this territory. Tory I want to give our listeners a chance to hear a bit. This is from a clip from the new show called Joan Knows Best. A show that revolves around Joan Rivers the comedian and her daughter Melissa. Like an actor and I am going to

tell you I will live in it. Gather about two years now. My mom doesn't know that he has officially moved in here. I went to the caucus to hang up my coat and the women's clothes they asked. You guys would be here or should have been a gender identity crisis. I love Joan Rivers I have to say for all I know she gets on my nerves on some shit but she's funny and you know. But this is weird I think it's a very uncomfortable dynamic going on here also. I mean we all know Joan Rivers has never hidden the fact that she has plastic surgery but I couldn't help but looking at her and thinking that she's wearing a comedienne Adele Artane mask. And I was trying to figure out which one of the characters she has and I think I decided on Harlequin. But it's I do want to say it's morbid but feeding off

of her relationship with her daughter which you know they've been a tag team for years and she always has used her family I mean tragically her husband Edgar committed suicide several years ago and I know she was very shaken by that. But this is taking it to another level we also know that her career has not been exactly white hot in the past decade she's recently been banned from Fox Fox broadcasting from you know making some outs for her outspokenness about Sarah Palin. But you know filming her daughter in the shower I mean you know has she at long last no decency of course not that's that's been her career. But. Will she ever recover from you know Johnny Carson feeling that she stabbed her him in the back. Will she ever be that woman who speaks the things that people want to say but don't dare to say I don't think so I think this is really just revealing her to be you know the quality Shopping Network pitch person who just will do anything to be on television will do anything to stay in the spotlight.

So Rachel I view this as a mother daughter story what do you say. You know it's a mother daughter story but it is one that makes me very uncomfortable because most of the jokes seem to revolve around the mother sort of refusing to acknowledge her daughter's autonomy. Right she says yes yes you know I'm We know i know you have boundaries and I just choose to ignore them. And I cannot believe this is you know a carefully created fiction but it is one that that makes me squirm. Another thing that I think you know that that came to my mind when I was looking at that was you know in the she tweeted her Twitter account in the fall something about oh how the Evening News is down to 30 minutes but every year there is 20 new reality shows about. And her her phrase not mine was 20 new reality shows about midgets making cupcakes. So you know she sort of bracketing off like the people who populate most reality shows and calling them freaks in a way that is unkind but sort of in keeping with her usual sense of humor. But then what are we supposed to think about her.

You know who is who is making us going to eat bacon cupcakes her Melissa. It's one thing for someone to be self-deprecating but for her to also offer him up a mother or a parent to drag down you know her her child is. That's what I find particularly disconcerting about this unpleasant. Well I will say this the I don't think that the daughter Melissa thinks she's being dragged down because in my view she has really lived Joan Rivers this lo these many years and the reason that Joan is doing it because she's getting up there in age is to give Melissa yet another boost out there somewhere she keeps trying she's always making her co-host of this or that. But Melissa doesn't to me bring anything to the table I think you're right on with the 10 and she you know I mean Joan Rivers is almost the same age as Regis I don't at this point so you're absolutely right. And I don't really feel like she's dragging Melissa into anything. But again if you just feel like well what stories about mother daughter relationships are being promoted and will be taken in by other mothers and daughters like that's not my feeling I mean

what this boils down to is take my daughter please. Yeah OK all right well moving on appears more again. The replacement for Larry King finally kicked off this weekend. He had a huge get with Oprah Winfrey his first guest. So here's a little bit of a taste of Piers Morgan interviewing skills with his first guest Queen of All Media. Oprah Winfrey had been betrayed by somebody in my family who had gone to the tabloids. And Stedman came into the room with tears in his eyes and he said the story's out. I have a copy of it if you want to see it. And I'm really sorry. You don't deserve this. It was that moment. And you looked at him and you thought I love this man. No I looked at him and I thought here's somebody who is willing to stand in and stand up for you. And that's what love is.

Now Rachel he drummed up a lot of you know pre-publicity on his show by making all kinds of nasty remarks and promoting himself on the greatest and the best whatever. After this interview people were like This is the best because he sort of kowtow to Oprah during the whole conversation. What do you think about Piers after after his having his first guest. Well I it is also to show that all of his stuff at the beginning was just this kind of bluster. And again the you know sort of calculated bluster and then you know I I really hope he keeps kowtow ing because to tell you the truth he's been obnoxious in the ways that I do not appreciate you know you the apple has his banned list All right so you you know it's maybe he thought it was like funny and cute to say all the people he wasn't going to have on his show. But the way he said it he talked about Paul McCartney's ex-wife Heather Mills as being banned from the show because he said she's a gold digger. And again just sort of participating in that familiar casual kind of sexist language. I want him to kowtow. I would

rather have him you know. I mean. All right it would be better to have somebody who could also be hard hitting and act really really probing questions but. But. You know at least he was being somewhat respectful there. Well he has got a stellar lineup coming he doesn't see him coming. He does he's I mean I think he'll get he'll get a lot of viewers just people you know tuning in to see what he has to say but this is a classic bully boy. The other thing that I think it takes away from LARRY KING is seeing him sitting down in that living room with Oprah. You know it's like every other show interview show you've ever seen at least Larry King again. You know where retro in the radio studio and so forth. But by today's standards that's rather unusual now everybody sits down on the couch and talks this way. But I found his obsequiousness with Oprah really really offensive in view of his history with Rupert Murdoch and all

the FOX media and so for them his reputation as this clever host of you know the other talent judging show that he was involved in and the sort of smarmy smart alec just. Groveling to Oprah and also more importantly in terms of professionalism letting her completely take over the interview and really never get back to the questions he wanted to ask or the topics he wanted to talk up to talk about and really almost apologizing to her that he dared not let her do all the talking. There you go I'm underwhelmed. Okay time. This one's for you. If the American Idol and it's back with new host Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler the can. I actually watched it and it wasn't. Bad. I don't think anybody else is watching it. But Tom what I'm saying you know that the tooth extraction wasn't too bad.

I'm actually it is a little different. Simon's gone and the whole tone is you know kind and gentle but it's boring. Steve Tyler Rachael must have really enjoyed his performance I mean the guy is you know the plastic man in every sense of the word and he's dead. It seems he's gone through the motions. This is what a quote rocker unquote is supposed to do. So I'm going to quote come on strong to the c h i x. And the way that J Lo is trying to be supportive was nice. But what is Randy doing there it really to me Randy still being there highlights the fact that the show has been on for a long time. Rachel what do you think about the way Steven Tyler was bleeped a couple of times in his minutes on the air. Right a man after my own heart. I have hopes for it. I have hopes for it. I haven't been that much of a fan of the show. I'm still the most watched show although less than it has been but I have hopes that bringing in Steven

Tyler might serve to sort of widen out like what kind of music is considered suitable for the show. You know because because he sort of brings that that rocker you know aspect to it. I have hopes. I think that he can do that it's been it's just been really a land like not that I don't love good pop music but it's been it's been quite bland so. But you know I mean. He's a lot worse than Regis Rachael I mean the things he was saying and intimating I mean that you will see how he gets settled and I like Jennifer Lopez being nice anyway. Professor Rachel Rubin and Professor Thomas Connelly thank you for joining us for another edition of rag time. You can keep on top of the Calla Crossley Show at WGBH dot org slash Cal across lead follow us on Twitter. Or become a fan of the Calla Crossley Show on Facebook. Today's show was engineered by Antonio only art but a little help from my friend here at Columbia Jason Graham Bell and produced by Chelsea Merz and white knuckled me and Abby Ruzicka were

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