WGBH Radio; The Callie Crossley Show

I'm Calen crossly and 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 never reached our radar. We're going to look at the news that was and wasn't. We'll be dropping in on community and alternative presses for a look at the big stories from the small papers where today's neighborhood news becomes tomorrow's mainstream headlines. We'll top off the hour going tring from the serious to the sublimely ridiculous with ragtime. A tour of the tabloids and a round up of this week's pop culture. Up next on the Calla Crossley Show from gumshoe reporting to gossip rags. First the news. From NPR News in Washington I'm Lakshmi saying President Obama is

halting new offshore oil drilling leases until authorities find out what caused an oil rig off the Louisiana coast to explode last week creating one of the country's worst ever oil spills. At the White House today the president also highlighted the latest steps the government is taking to contain a spill that has grown into a major environmental threat. There are now five staging areas to protect sensitive shorelines. Approximately 900 federal response personnel are in the area and more than 300 response vessels and aircraft. On the scene 24/7 the oil slick is spreading from New Orleans NPR's Wade Goodwyn stout Goodwin tells us that high winds and waves are complicating cleanup efforts and pushing the spill into the Louisiana coast and wetlands a strong smell of crude oil has penetrated New Orleans and southern Louisiana extending as far north as Baton Rouge. Authorities are urging people with respiratory illness to take precautions or remain indoors. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has declared a state of emergency. And

David Kennedy of The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says he is frightened by the prospect of ecological disaster. High winds and waves threaten to push the oil over the top of defensive booms guarding the most sensitive areas of the coastal wetlands. The well continues to pour hundreds of thousands of gallons of light crude into the Gulf each day. And the Coast Guard says it could be months before the spill is brought under control. Wade Goodwyn NPR News New Orleans. Consumers are definitely spending their money and the economy is responding. The Commerce Department finds a gross domestic product grew at a rate of three point two percent in the first quarter. Details from NPR's Tamara Keith. This was the third straight quarter of economic growth and is yet another sign that a recovery is underway and there's even more if you look under the hood of that top line gross domestic product number under law. Saying this is actually some very good news. Behravesh is the chief economist at IHS Global Insight. He says first

quarter GDP was driven by consumer spending. Just to kind of put this in perspective. In the fourth quarter of 2009 consumer spending grew by 1.6 percent in the first quarter it grew by 3.6 percent. So one way of saying it is the consumer is back also strong where exports and business spending on equipment and software housing in nonresidential construction were weak and government spending actually contract it. Tamara Keith NPR News Washington. Despite this latest news of the GDP U.S. stocks are down in part because of the debt crisis in Greece at last check the Dow was down 96 points at eleven thousand seventy one Nasdaq has lost 34 points it's at twenty four seventy eight. The S&P 500 is down 13 at 1000 194. This is NPR News. Today is the last day that first time homebuyers can qualify for an $8000 federal tax credit. The government's been trying to stimulate the housing market but as

NPR's Chris Arnold reports after today the government is pulling the plug on that support. The government's been offering people $8000 to put in their pocket if they buy a house. Realtors say that's been getting more people to buy especially over the past few weeks as the deadline approached. Well I think the tax rates have been helpful. Mark Zandi is chief economist with Moody's Economy dot com. He says that the government succeeded in getting more people off of the sidelines and excited about buying homes again with the tax credit ending. He now thinks we'll see a slump but not a bad one. I think we will see some more price declines this summer and fall but the price declines will be modest you know 5 percent down. So in the green scheme of things you know if you get down 30 percent from the peak of 5 percent I think. Not too bad a record number of foreclosures will keep pushing down prices but Zandi is optimistic that government efforts there will succeed in preventing a substantial number. Chris Arnold NPR News. A bailout for Greece may be finalized this weekend European

negotiators in Athens are putting the final touches on a multibillion dollar financial package aim of keeping Greece's debt troubles from getting worse and affecting other European countries. The loans come with hefty consequences for Greek workers though. The prime minister says new austerity measures are vital to the country survival. NPR News has learned that the Mine Safety and Health Administration is being investigated by the FBI it's part of a federal criminal probe of the explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia. Three weeks ago. This is NPR News. Support for NPR comes from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation committed to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need on the web that aren't WJF dot org. Good afternoon I'm Kelly Crossley and 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 barely reached our radar. Joining us to talk

about some of the local stories that might have escaped us are Sue O'Connell Peter Katz And Arnie Arnesen. Sue O'Connell is the co-publisher of bay windows in the south and news. Peter Katz is the executive editor of The Boston Phoenix. Arnie Arneson is a radio and TV commentator and a former New Hampshire state legislator. Sue Peter and Arnie welcome. Hello. Ok I'm starting with you Sue. Yeah there's a lot going on in both your publication. I'm interested in the one in the south and news which profiles a guy who is coming to replace the principal at the William Blackstone. Right. Right. And this is about a larger issue really about some recent teacher firings and all of that so yeah I mean you know it's an it's emblematic of I think what's happening in a lot of the the Boston schools this is an underperforming school but a school everyone loves you know and has all of the challenges of English as a second language and parent involvement and the incoming new boss Stephens rake believes that he can turn around the M cast or scores with some statistical analysis and some basic work.

It's a fresh approach approach to to looking at ways to improve how the school is viewed while still improving the school. He is coming in with a major Many teachers being let go. He's got an uphill battle in front of him but you know the community at large seems to be energetic about about his approach. Happy to have a fresh approach coming in at a time when the school isn't in such a like like many schools in a precarious position but overall it seems like a very favorable hire and people are hopeful that he's going to be able to make some changes I mean the whole statistical. I don't know about about anyone else but there seems to be this new emphasis on statistical analysis or analysis in order to make things different and I don't know if it's just suddenly the media's paying attention to it or not but he's a fan of that and believes that he's going to be able to take a look at these gas approaches and since that's how we judge you know that's that's he's going to be able to make some improvements there. Well looking at some of the underlying

concerns I mean I get concerned that these urban schools get judged on AM CAS as if they're a failing school when in some regard it's a successful school. You know it's the M-class is not the end all be all and end all. You know there are a number of challenges within the school that am CAS is not is not a good a good indicator of how they're doing. Well your profile. Seems like you know a very enthusiastic guy and all that. Well I think what I was interested also about this story is I mean he's part of the mass not the mass but many of the firings that are going on across the city. And so the question is you know who replaces all those people that he's now working with half the staff that was there before and whether he goes to school or not yeah that's got to be an impact. Yeah yeah. I mean in some ways it's also allows him to have a bit of a clean slate. OK. You know I mean there is the challenge of I was on the board of my my daughter's Montessori preschool in the suburbs for many years and there were five teachers and

they had been there for 20 years and every time we brought in a new head of school it was always a challenge because that's how we did it and that's what we did. So in some ways although not having new teachers and losing teachers is by no means a good thing. It does give them an opportunity to dig in and really make a mark for himself. What do think about this Peter. Well my my feelings are a little complicated. I think the superintendent of schools Carol Johnson is strategically on the right course. There are too many schools in Boston that just the not serving their kids well I know what some of the school. All three of my kids are in various Boston public schools. So I'm not an expert but I'm a consumer. And I know she's out walking my dog I ran into it. One of my son's teachers from a former school and he was talking about some of the other teachers who were placed in this and some were good teachers some warrant. It's a wrenching experience but I do think it's a necessary one. I got to say I hear about

all this statistical analysis and it leaves me scratching my head. I'm sure there's a tool that you know it's valuable and I probably just don't quite get it but I think there's a larger societal problem here that's really at the root of this and that's broken homes lack of jobs poverty. I mean hasn't that always been the case that has always been the case and I think it's it's in this society we want. We want a quick fix and a quick fix the end is not the end caps the end Kassa good that it measuring how well we're doing. But if you've got two working parents at home all are if there's only one parent to the home and if your parents can't find a good job. Out of work parent impacts the schools and no one wants to hear that in this day and age. Arnie This is what superintendent Carol Johnson is doing here in Boston. Reminds me

a little bit of what Michelle Rhee and Washington D.C. is trying to do she's close schools actually in this instance there's been more of some eliminating of teacher positions and just identifying as Sue said you know underperforming schools and trying to figure out well what can we do about it. So let me truth in advertising I'm the daughter of two public school teachers. Teaching is in my blood and I ran on education reform when I ran for governor so trust me I think about this a lot. And there are a couple things that are running through my head and that is leaders do matter and I mean principles matter principles can change. A conversation in a school. They can change and the excitement in the school they can change what people the expectation in the school. So principals truly matter. They are it is about leadership and this principle has a real opportunity in part because it's going to be a whole new mix of teachers. So if there isn't going to be a lot of how do I think I want for them is baggage but people who have a resentment about the change that aren't willing to work with this new principal when this new principal

goes and hires the he's going to be hiring people that are ready to sort of try something new to experiment and that's very very useful. At the same time what really bothers me is that they're still in the same damn straight jacket AVM Kaz because I'm not sure the test is actually improving schools. I'm not sure the test is going to be the solution for this particular school. And you still have to work within that straitjacket of the test and that becomes problematic. And last but not least. Schools are different today than they were 20 30 and 40 years ago. And part of the reason is is that now we have nuclear families. My grandparents took care of me every single day after school. Tell me how many children have that opportunity. They don't so families are seeing mothers and sons and fathers all working. They don't have an extended family to scoop the kid up to make sure the kid isn't fooling around at 2 3 and 4 o'clock is making sure that homework is getting done. And now you have not five languages in the school you have 100 in five languages in the school. So don't tell me it's always

been the same. There are greater challenges now and then throw into the mix the cost of special education and that costs must be paid for first and then everybody else. That has changed the whole dynamic of investment and expectation and let me and I think that's why it's a it's really difficult. Let me add one more problem some of those kids who didn't have the grandparents as you have were accustomed to going to the library right there. They were asking where are we on that. You know one of the positives about the house and I'm I'm on a very mixed you know depending on what day it is viewpoint of the empty house but what it does require the school to do is keep track of the kids especially in high schools that when the cast was introduced suddenly the Boston Public Schools realized that many kids just fell off their radar and they let them go and they never saw them again. And now I'm cast since they're there counting them as requiring them to check in and get some of these families the services that they need and it is also requiring a different approach to studying some of these kids just aren't getting from their parents you know teaching them

how to read how to read for content how to take a test. You know as much as I hate it as a measurement I do like the I'm cast for ways that it teaches fundamentals that some of these kids are getting at home. Can I just want one thing on the testing issue. I totally agree with you I mean I'm a kid from New York you know I'm in New York we had the regents exam I've been testing my whole entire life and I have no problem with testing. I don't have a problem with testing if you create an individual education plan for each kid. Therefore it isn't about the generic test. It isn't about the generic grade. It's about the change that that individual student is achieving. Well what up with that are you aware as that happened I think you might realize this yet again. Well there really was a story and yeah I was like yeah that's not what I'm saying. He has a way to look at it. Tests measure success. They do not help us on the stand failure and I think and I think that is the important out here. Why your kids failing. And that's a complicated question. Well maybe this guy the new guy will be able to shed some light on it and we can be open to it. I got to go

back to you so yes you have a piece in your other publication bay windows and this is about KISS want to wait which is a radio program has a hotline program and they're directing gay kids yeah. In the absence of full disclosure I worked at this one away early in my career in the early 80s as a music director and have a lot of friends over there. I work with the great Sonny Jo White who was the program director who in those days was out but was called flamboyant. I think it was the work and is actually the longest that it was is being honored this year by AIDS Action Committee as the 25 people who made a difference and AIDS and HIV. So it's ironic that in this month that Sonny Joe and kids are being honored kids want to wait has this syndicated program on which is on Sunday nights which is a call in program for kids. What has been happening is the name of the program. What isn't. I mean it's gone done McAlister and it's part of the Clear Channel group ask this one away it is and kids have called

in and when they talk about sexual orientation issues he has directed them to a helpline which has then directed them to Exodus and the ex-gay movement. And just a bad bunch of characters who believe that any kid who calls in with a question about sexual orientation needs to be cured and needs to pray it out is basically you know just the bad camp of bad actors which which almost anyone of any thinking fair minded brainpower knows is a bad idea. The other problem with the story is this is representative of what's wrong with radio today with the syndication issue. You know Clear Channel is owning so many parts of this that the management over Kiss want to wait really have no idea what they have on and what's happening. You know that they've had this this show which is going to harm gay kids on a radio program on a radio station which many gay kids look at as a safe haven you've got you know Matty in the morning a good friend of mine and gay Jim who is his producer who is you know that's his character name but

definitely pro-gay and a friend to the gay community and again the legacy of Sonny Jo White so we've been working to just bring awareness to this. Just want to wait the management has referred everything to Clear Channel National and Tom Lange who is the activist who did. Who organize know thy neighbor dot org which is the group that got the signature of the petition for the anti-gay marriage referendum is the one that's really forwarding this this effort. Well we'll continue this and I get Peter and Arnie in on this conversation we come back after the break. I'm callin Crossley and we're looking at local news with Sue O'Connell Peter Katz's and Arnie Arneson. We'll be back after this break. Stay with us. The.

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I'm Cali 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. And joining me to talk about it Sue O'Connell Peter Katz listen Arnie Arnesen Sue O'Connell is with bay windows in the south in news. Peter Katz is with The Boston Phoenix. Arnie Arnesen is a radio and TV commentator based in New Hampshire. Now before the break we were talking about this case one syndicated program which directs gay kids. Some not so not don't really get a friendly helpful hotline. Exactly I want to get Peter's take on it. Well the the ridiculousness of the issue around the show was so obvious. I think Sue was talking about something that really interested me and this is the prevalence of syndication shows and all but to me there's an even deeper problem and that's the concentration of ownership of

media ownership in the heat. A small number of hands in Clear Channel you know which does rock concerts owns billboards radio show is a prime example of this. You know during the Reagan years during the Clinton years during the Bushie is we had this and we have had this enormous concentration of ownership we had there were five or six media giants WGBH being independent is an exception then Sue and I both worked for independently owned publications. But there is this corporate mind speak I mean I was really struck you know End of story you know it says you and you were pretty clear channel right. Everything's referred to Clear Channel you know to the people of KISS one a way to not have a brain. The answer is of course they had it right. But what I think. That's really the amazing part of the story and I think what you said about the fact that they don't know what's on the program really was scary. That's scary and the fact that you know I can I get goosebumps just thinking about I can't imagine a time like when a program director like a sunny Jo White or like an Oedipus from the

WBC end would know every single moment that was on you know on their radio station and to have a station that is a citizen within our community you know that is a longstanding friend to the LGBTQ community and not be able to release a comment because it's they're certainly getting orders from Clear Channel that they can't. That's really the disastrous part of the story I agree with Peter. So can I be this I mean our neighbors are yeah. And that is is that here's the kids I'm hearing about KISS and I don't listen to that station. And I think one of the concerns you have Sue is that kids are in a rut. They turn on kids and they put it on the morning and it's on all day until they go to bed at night. So they're not going to necessarily notice that there is a change in conversation or direction when this guy comes on Sunday night. And that's that's of great concern. But the. I think I kind of like and I kind of miss is that I really want to have diversity on the dial and that means I want people who are on that have the right to be wrong. And so I think this guy has a right to be. Oh

absolutely I think he's off the deep end on his age and the problem and so I'm I'm torn. I understand. But Arnie I would and I can let me just say this I believe the bottom line issue is that the show is not articulated in that way so the kids don't know what they're getting in other words. And so yeah it's a religious you know it's also a religious handoff you know so yeah. And so here's the question do you do we have something where do we have disclosure. What does the disclosure look like what do we expect him to say. I mean in the end what is the result because I mean I hate to say this I don't want someone to tell me what to think and what to say and say that I'm really good to this station or that station but what is the solution here. I think the corporate media ownership issue is a huge problem because one Clear Channel makes a decision to put something on it doesn't go on one station it goes on hundreds of stations Yeah you're forced to eat what they decide. But then the question is what's the solution. Yeah I mean I think yeah ok it's a clear channel to have more Lady Gaga.

Yeah that's what I'm that's a public service. Program was well I would say in the short term the solution is that you say this is a show that we're inviting there's a hotline for teens but so everyone understands our perspective this is our perspective right. And you know if that something is going to make you uncomfortable then move on I don't like a particular chat right. I did and I disagree with it all being on you know and it's also sort of like if you look at the talk radio world if you look at say ninety six point nine you have a variety of voices there but you expect you know overall I don't expect you know Jim and Marjorie not to be on because Jay Severn's All right. It's a different environment entirely and unless you know what Arnie kids are really listening to radio that much anymore they're doing the download so well that's Thank you. And by the way TIME magazine said Lady GaGa was a fourth most important person ever so there you changed my letter saying I want to go to Arnie Arnie. There's a gay GOP presidential candidate heading to New Hampshire. Well there is. But Shh don't tell anyone. That was the whole point of this was that blue Hampshire had a post on there and apparently he is coming to

Kenya coming to a number of other locations in the state. And you would think that maybe the Union Leader which is an organ of the Republican Party anyway would be celebrating the fact that there's a candidate coming. But of course they don't talk about it because there are candidates and then there are candidates. If this was an anti immigration candidate and this is it. Gun packin candidate I'm sure we would all know about it and be encouraged to intend. But I think what the point here was was that isn't it interesting we now have selective disclosure. This is not exactly the big tent Republican Party. So to me it was just it was just a fascinating post and of course it was interesting is on the Democratic you know blog that we were informed about this not even a Republican blog was telling anyone about it. So in the Live Free or Die state it's Live Free or Die but if you're a Republican don't mention the fact that you might be getting. Well according to a piece in The Boston Phoenix Peter King says a lot of people are challenging the hierarchy in these parties and you are calling your people angry white lefties very white lefties leave it to the

Phoenix all more specifically David Bernstein to discover the rage the rage with Dr. Brink you know I've been there. Tell us about this story. Well it's interesting a bit of background. There's a special election first to fill the state Senate seat that was vacated by now U.S. Senator Scott Brown. In the 30 year old doctor an empty paedo I hope I'm pronouncing this properly small wits beat the state rap. Linda Harkins for the right to challenge the Republican here. And it was considered a big upset. Now surprise surprise he beat MS hearkens because he ran as an outsider there and put trade her as a sniffling hack of the powers that be up on Beacon Hill. You know what. He has a point. OK not that far off. So no you know in now the powers that be in the Democratic Party you know

have been knickers in a knot that you know oh my god I mean the poor guy who wins the election fair and square. Some Democrats said you know he fought during the I mean my God come on boys you mean this towel snapping in the locker room and you know they actually booed him when he showed up at the caucus. This shows the Democrats that they have problems within their own party too and I actually I wouldn't say it's a problem I'd say it's a blessing that there were people on the outside who want to get the end of this. I think it's likely if your piece was entitled Tea Party lefties or Tea Party. Oh yeah party years on the left or something. The rest if they came up with that idea hoping to drive everyone crazy. OK this is the new blood I always love this it's you know when you're inside and in the in the war room and they're trying to register voters you know they only want to register certain types of voters depending on who the candidate is and this is an example of yeah we want people to run we want people to come in we want to energize the party but only people that we're picking. Yeah you know and I

absolutely think you know from the good part of the the Tea Party people in the good part of you know meeting the people I agree with you. OK. It's all good it's good about shaking it up and I'll tell you a lot of these elected officials who have just been coasting you know need to wake up and actually show up for work and cast some votes and actually campaign which will be a surprise for many of. And what's a primary for a primary is not to rubberstamp whatever has been there before a primary is to mix it up a primary is to appeal to the base of your party and to talk to them just to let you know there was a Hundred Club dinner the Democrats had a dinner last night. Only three or four hundred people showed up which meant it was all insiders. And here is where I understand that sort of outraged Democrat Oh my God. And it turns out that the party was funded not by just unions but the Hundred Club Dinner was funded by Wal-Mart general Genesee and Wyoming Atlantic Railroad. And I'm going women whose party is this. Look at who is on you know. Well I think one of the reasons why you're seeing

this is that people want to take the conversation back not just the party but the conversation back at least it wasn't a lesbian bondage club. Yeah yeah. Yeah yeah she was right it started with that expression. Listen we should applaud that the duo ogling the unsocial rising. I would have become a Republican if I knew I could do very well. Really quickly Arnie I'm very interested in this bio diesel given all the stuff going on with oil spillage and clean energy and not so clean energy old baby drill. Yeah. Bio Bay sort of mind already. Yeah. Is that they started this in 2008 and they thought they could get this this is we're talking about waste oil from like you know french fries right. And they thought they're around during steak all around Greece exactly they're going to get this baby like up and running in a couple of months and it is now 2010. They still cannot get the goal. And it turns out that they're waiting now for an IRS approval this is the frustration on the part of so many people if you want to know why small business gets really torqued sometimes that the government is that here's this great idea whose

time has really come and you are now two years waiting for the approvals to happen and I think that's what's so frustrating. So as we are watching you know what's happening in the Gulf and I'm just telling everyone now go out and buy your last oysters. You may have to be given the yeah ok whatever you thought yeah yeah you'd say you look at this story about the biofuels. You look at what just happened with Cape Wind you know and in some ways Cape Wind came about because of the fact that we've been knuckle dragging on so much and finally they say they approved it but how long is that then waiting to happen. So again if we're going to embrace alternative energy it can't happen a decade from now. It had to have happened yesterday. So just to be clear clear for our listeners it's a bio diesel refinery in downtown Nashua that is just sitting there waiting to go. This is what we say is the future of energy and yet it can't get my Nonna Well I doubt I do know where the two things are I don't think it's really the big future it is however a small piece of a much more varied future. You know my solution to things

like this is ratchet down the approvals for the local City Council approve of the symbolic day and look if it's having trouble being approved in New Hampshire it's not as if there's half a world away. I mean actually bring it back to the local level. Oh I agree with this is a win win to just remember because this stuff would be going to a landfill would be going to an incinerator instead it can go into some busts. You know exactly. I'm looking at the alternative. It's the problem was 2008. They started it is 2010 and nothing has happened. And how do you keep a company or an organization going for two years when you can start selling your product. It's about your kill it and it just says to friends I'm going to tell your business exactly. Sorry to hear you have a really interesting piece that just didn't get a lot of attention and that's about the gender politics in the financial debate which I found fascinating and essentially Blanche Lincoln was kind of squeezed out of the conversation because the boys didn't like her.

And it's very much a boys versus the girls. I mean gender is only part of it. Financial policy in the United States is made by a very small elite of people who are all men. Now I'm blanking on the woman's name but can't well know the PSA I was referring to the front line. Last summer Frontline had a documentary about an official a woman in the Clinton administration who tried to rein in derivatives training. And Larry Summers all the the big boys shut down what's happening in Washington this Tim Geithner who's a disciple. Larry Larry you know they're basically dissing sound of the Mary Cantwell Now these are you know it's a curious thing that commodities are controlled by the Agriculture Committee because back in the day that's

wise and these women who have a different point of view are just being shot out from the table. I mean it's if some of my women friends a lot of PETA Cavazos know that feminists but it is it's true. It's a small group of all men. It's a boys club it doesn't matter whether you're a Democrat or Republican and that's one of the many reasons that they suffer from groupthink. And I think that's part of the problem and women haven't been in those bathrooms. Women haven't been on those golf clubs. I mean how do you know it's a poker. What exactly. So they're not talking to each other they almost insulate each other because they're constantly sort of massaging each others ego and looking for what the goal is. And because women have been outside and not been permitted at the table or permitted in that conversation they have a different set of eyes and those eyes are valuable they're not better. But they're different. Well I think that's what's been missing from this financial reform conversation. Part of it is is the guys who are the financial experts. It's like

they see everything in sports terms. Now look I know well that I just there were aspects of my life believe me. Well yeah yeah. But it's it's very interesting actually this story you know well it's fascinating and we're going to we're going to hear more of this I think. And I just want to be clear that Senator Blanche Lincoln is a Democrat who is on the financial committee and the boys have been you know really freezing her out with a different proposal about how what she wanted to add to the financial reform reform legislation and this was going all undercover seriously until Senator Cantwell another woman said OK I'm calling it out here because this is ridiculous. So what do you think. Well I mean it also goes back to the media's inability to understand. The economic system works I mean this is why it hasn't been covered as is. And I'm as guilty as anyone else just not understanding the process that goes through and allowing these several individuals who are in the inside to remain on the

inside because they do know no more than we do. You know it's not it's definitely a case where the media is just been playing pick up on the entire economic crash that's happened because they do know more than we do. And we've been unable to pay attention to it and I don't know if that goes back to Cass. You know that we're not paying attention the math that we just didn't understand but you know I'm I don't know if I'm happy that at this late age in my life I could still be shocked that these people didn't know what they were doing and we were we didn't know what we were doing either but can I play a gender stereotype. I mean I really feel bad about this but it's almost like I mean the short term profit because they want short term profit they want to big and they want it now. And that's really what derivatives did. They produced real big results now they could cash out and they didn't have to care about the future. Well I'm going to play the gender stereotype about females. You know what we pick up the pieces of the future. That's the problem. We care for the elderly we care for the sick. We're going to end up picking up all those pieces because the boys cashed out and they left us in shambles. And one of the reasons

why I'm glad that we have a Maria Cantwell and Blanche Lincoln is a little afraid because we got a really tough election going on right now. Are beginning to say wait a minute. When you look at the deregulation of the rivet is in 2000 and then you look at what's happened today. It goes back directly to the fact that we took our eye off the prize. Everybody saw a way to make money fast. They made it and they left the economy in shambles. We've got to go back to a whole different approach of derivatives. They get it. I think we should start listening to them. Well just so we put everything on the table Brooksley Born is the head of that committee that was there you get out everybody. Thank you. What I said you know we have to go all the names out here because we like to bring out from under the radar. OK it's been another great conversation we've been talking news with Sue O'Connell called publisher of bay windows and South End news. Peter Katz is executive editor of The Boston Phoenix and radio and TV commentator Arnie Arnesen. Thank you all for joining us. And coming up we're taking a turn from the serious to the sublimely ridiculous with a tour of this week's tabloids. Back after this break stay tune to eighty nine point seven.

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for ideas and discussion with the takeaway and the world. The new eighty nine point seven. In tabloids it's a low brow examination of the salacious to the ridiculous and everything in between. But this being public radio we'll conduct our review with the help of some high brow analysts. Our pointy head of pop culture Thomas Connelly a professor in the Department of English at Suffolk University and Rachel Reuben the chair of the department of American studies at UMass Boston. Welcome. Back. Well we got to jump right in with the big scoop by People magazine. Sandra Bullock right on the cover there and she's announcing her divorce from that bad husband of hers but also an adoption.

Tom I think Sandra Bullock is setting herself up legitimately to become the most admired woman in Hollywood. How can you not love her respect her feel for her. I mean every positive thing. I mean this woman is taking Miss Congeniality to the stratosphere and. I kept trying to be cynical about it I kept trying to find a way. OK there's an angle there and I couldn't. It's just it's just a beautiful story and it just shows you how. It is possible for somebody to come out of Hollywood and still be a genuine human being who wants to have a normal happy life and can overcome rotten things that happen to her and be positive about it. It's I find it hard to say this after decades of watching the dreck and horror that Hollywood spews forth but this is really an inspiring story and I have nothing but respect for her. You know it's actually two stories Rachael because you've got which I want you to address the

adoption and the impending divorce. But you also have this secret in this thing that she she managed to control her own image at a time when everybody was looking for her. That's right and I think what's interesting about that is that it really I hope that you know we can we can take this lesson to heart. And that is that the celebrity news that you read you can't believe that stuff you know because over the past few weeks there have been literally thousands of articles reproduced in the blogosphere and you know celebrity newspapers and the like quoting you know a source close to Sandra you know that right but not a whisper about this baby. So you know it just really makes you sort of take notice of the fact of how you know how much of that has to be just made up. And the other part of that to Tom's point about you know some part of Hollywood that's nice and genuine all of these friends who kept her secret and she literally was sort of moving around as if she was on a you know a safe going from safe and safe house

did not sell her story easily could have even any piece of it would have run down I would think how much a picture of the baby would have gone for. It's a really it's a very very big score for People magazine and they're going to do it again next week they've already started you know laying the groundwork for their big story coming up next which is that a gay celebrity is going to use People magazine to come out next week and there's a lot of speculation about who it's going to be and you know what tickles me the most is there is a a particular Hollywood agent who represents people in matters like this so it's like very short term representation to manage the coming out of this celebrity which is going to be and people will be looking at it again. The one thing that I did discover that sort of fit the typical Hollywood news approach was the hermeneutical attempts to decode Sandra Bullock's Oscar acceptance speech in light of the adoption and any reference to family or any ref if she said the word New Orleans in the

past 15 years it's you can deconstruct. What do you make of that. Well I think it's people trying to play catch up and saying well you know she was so burst its eye that she was so bursting with pride or she was trying to tell us something but they couldn't cracker you know they couldn't crack it and that's why I'm convinced that it's totally genuine. And here's another I would just give I think a shout out to quote a legitimate publication. You know wherever you fall on the old media or new media spectrum there are some credible sources. And she went to People magazine feeling that she would get you know she could trust them to tell her story correctly. And I don't think it was a control thing inst and terms of her telling them this is how you must tell it but that she felt that she would get a fair hearing if you went there. People magazine has a fair amount of respectability for something with that much celebrity news it's more than 30 years old now. You know it's been establishing itself as sort of an important player for better and for worse on the American cultural scene.

OK. But 30 years ago who would have thought that people. Yeah. Would be you know gravitas Laden. I know. Well you see the rest of the stuff. OK now somebody else it was seeking a little bit of legitimacy to try to tell her own story and control her image. Earlier this week John Edwards mistress Rielle Hunter had a heart to heart with Oprah. Here she is on John Edwards publicly owning up to their affair. Elizabeth really wanted him to do that interview. She wanted him to say you know you've got to get out in front of that you've got to you know say the truth and speak the truth. And she didn't know the truth. So it's like you can't do the interview and not speak the whole truth. So you just said she did know the truth. She knew that there was the affair. She she did not tell after the interview he can claim with her after that interview. All right Rachel what's Rielle doing there. I have to say Oprah really distinguished herself in this interview I thought she did a very good

journalistic job. That's not usually always her take but this she was on point the whole time. Well what is she doing there you know it's the fourth stage in the five stages of scandal. Number one deny Number Two admit number three apologize. Number four go on Oprah number five write a book about it. So you know of course she would be there. But you know Tom just saying he's Trieste. I was trying to be cynical about the people coverage of Sandra Bullock's baby. My cynicism is so excited by all of this that you know first of all that I mean it's it is to it's tawdry and you have this example of powerful people thinking that you can do whatever they want and have everybody help them do it. You know but at the same time I want us to be able to find a way. Well for at the same time you know that we are that we are you know following avidly these these tawdry affairs were nationally some of us you know protesting about the sanctity of marriage in in the face of attempts to achieve equal marriage for all Americans and I I do sort of cynically

feel that somebody looking from the outside would say Say boy you guys are all mixed up. So I really hope we can find a way to sort of argue for kindness and honesty in relationships without without you know without making Hester Prynne wear the scarlet A. I want to retire some of the vocabulary we've been using about these things. I mean referring to their daughter as a love child that just seems like such a throwback. Yes what I love a child of our. What having a child I mean you know I read of get rid of a child get rid of you know get rid of Mistress get rid of home wrecker all of these things seem to me which are extremely gendered and extremely sort of judgments all about relationships and you know need to be out there. OK. Well I'm looking forward to her reality show Keeping it real. What's the most fascinating part of the interview for me was the lengthy disquisition on why she didn't destroy the tape effectively.

Yeah I mean come on. If you want to destroy the evidence it's not videotape is going to be the easiest medium to get rid of. I mean I don't believe I didn't believe her for a second that she she claims she pulled it out of the she planned it and Oprah West was really like a prosecutor Don't you know you can use tape to put it back together. And. It's seemed as though she was about to say Oprah why weren't you there with me coaching me. I mean she held on to that. But it's like finding her own truth. She informed you took. Yes but you know you get into this question of you know we're fascinated with this I mean what killed holding on to these sex tapes and these celebrities make these sex tapes I mean is this a rite of passage for a certain level of self esteem. Well we're an illicit couple OK get the camera. I mean. OK. Well you know she said she made a mistake that's that's that's what she copped to that's about it. And but she's maybe still in a relationship with them anyway doing a hard

turn from Rielle Hunter to this new reality show. Here is reality TV's take on a senior moment. My life now it's been people trying everything but. I have a great sex life. I just need someone to share it with. Yes I wanted a nobody. We're all you know about what every other day at the building here. Yes. More Golden. Sunset day Wednesdays at 10:00 am starting April 20th. TV. I have to say those ads are everywhere and I don't understand why they're pushing it so hard. Front page of The New York Times this is this is a reality series called Sunset Daze and all the characters are of a certain age. Like maybe a 70s thing you know 80s some of them you know it's odd.

I want to clarify something though. The great character on this for me is Sandy miracle Jones who does not use the term Bob but Roberto for her electronic pleasure mate. OK. What are they trying to prove. I was what I was trying to figure out. Yeah yeah. Well that's that's sort of the you know credo of reality TV. I mean what is trying to prove you know people I think are feeling a momentary You know naughty thrill from noticing that oh my gosh older people have sex. This is a culture that can tire Lee D.S.O. allies is anybody over a certain age and here they are doing this thing so you know that it sort of turns my stomach I would like a senior reality show with with characters like these. I would like to see new reality show where there is someone who is choosing between her medications and her groceries or with her someone who is raising her grandchildren. Someone who wanted to retire but lost his pension and isn't retiring and then

you know just to make me happy someone who regularly posts on the website Old Jews Telling Jokes and somebody who is and you know an activist with the Gray Panthers that's the senior reality show I'm lobbying for. Good luck with that. It's ironic that if he comes from a town called surprise because this is no surprise for me this is yet again the baby boomers showing us that they will never ever ever grow up. Your I have liked and it's all about them. You want to one other thing that you know maybe think is a recent big study has shown that the. Despite what I said about our the sexualizing of older Americans that the active retirement community in Florida called The Villages has a much higher rate of STDs than the city of Miami. That's right well that's because education is not getting through and some of the ways. Well speaking of older people there is a beloved older person who I don't know I guess she's embodying some of these stereotypes and she's going to be the host of Saturday

Night Live this week that's Betty White 88 years ago. Here's a promo for the show. Thanks to the Internet. I'm hosting Saturday Night Live. Believe everything you hear on the way. They call me. And they say I'm dating a young hottie. Frugal. I'm married and. I think that's a really funny thing. Yes yes it is. And I love the fact that people lobbied for her to get this done on the net I mean that's that's the extraordinary thing Betty White has this sudden explosion of fans who who must you know be from varying generations although I wonder you know people talk about I think there's a misperception that Saturday Night Live is watched by teenagers and college age people I think I missed perception but Betty White has been around. Everyone I mean she started nine hundred forty nine. Yeah it was interesting watching her with Larry King and I think she could deck him very easily I mean she's much stronger more vibrant than he is. I would like to see her get better. OK he wanted money to think about

Saturday Night Live. Well I guess I think it's you know it's interesting because especially in the promo you just played you know I think there is a level at which she is is is not just embodying the stereotypes but she's toying with them. And that is if she can pull that off it will make me very happy. You know so if it isn't just that we think it's sort of you know just humorous that Betty White would meet Jay-Z gasp you know more or be called by Larry King a sex symbol. Right or. Or things like that if she can make fun of us for finding that to be so in Congress in the first place then that would be I think that would be quite enjoyable. But when people refer to her a word I've commonly seen recently is how adorable she is that is a little diminutive izing. You know what I think is interesting is that she got a big boost on the Super Bowl commercial Yes that's right which was a very clever that was I think was one of the most popular ones and you know he played a football player you know actually it was funny and adorable is not the way she's been playing exactly.

Now she has not yeah and I think that I think she's able to turn that around but we'll see. Yeah the joke is not on her right by any means. But you know what she's very humble about it she said she was surprised and and the clamoring for her to be on SNL though to your point Tom these are baby boomers watching SNL not teenagers but there has been a sort of across the age spectrum support of her getting absolute to play that role which I think is very interesting and it's interesting that this resurgence of hers did come out of that Super Bowl commercial logic. Yes yes so did move from the commercial into the television show as opposed to the other way around. Though I would argue that she's got a little bit of a boost from the proposal. Oddly enough with Sandra Bullock in the starring role which turned out to be a sleeper movie and I want to see it I'm not ashamed to say and laughed out loud I think it's hilarious. It's very light. But if she was great she had a small role she was fabulous in it. And and so it's interesting that are two.

Strong women in this piece who are both humble and talented sort of have come together in our discussion and I think Betty White has got a claim that the title away from Howard Stern she's the Queen of All Media. I mean her career spans the whole since the existence of television. She's triumphed in every single aspect. Well not drama but I don't think that really counts. Oh OK. Well I have to have an announcement from the control room we need to pop the champagne. Oh. I am. And we're popping it because we did not mention Kate Gosselin that we could have and we did not mention the Tiger Woods that we could have had. OK. They're coming back. But for the moment no. So you know a toast to the two of you. Don't be honest and I now know that I know I mean you know we gotta get back down there and get down and dirty and. Be a Betty White I'm going to give her a toast. We are going out on a say a loft Glee Club Internet hit

Betty white lie just professional racial Professor Rachel Ruben a professor Thomas Conley thank you for joining us for another edition of ragtime. You can keep on top of the Calla Crossley Show by visiting our website WGBH dot org slash Calla Crossley. This is the Calla Crossley Show. Today's program was engineered by Antonio only art and produced by Kelsey murders. Our production assistant is an a white knuckle beat where a production of WGBH radio Boston NPR station for news and culture. They look very. Good. At it. Why. Get Saturday.