WGBH Radio; The Callie Crossley Show

I'm Calen Crossley 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 to wring 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 Singh. We're expecting to get a

progress report from President Obama this hour about the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The president arrived in Louisiana today for a briefing by officials on the front lines of what's now considered the worst oil spill in U.S. history. We have the latest from NPR's Scott Horsley. This is President Obama's second trip to the Gulf since BP Deepwater Well began spewing crude oil into the water five weeks ago. He's visiting a Louisiana beach where protective booms have been strung up and meeting with Coast Guard and local officials. Some Louisiana Democrats have criticized the president for not showing a more visible command of the oil spill which government scientists have now confirmed is growing at a rate of at least 12000 barrels a day. In a White House news conference yesterday Mr. Obama conceded some missteps including overconfidence in the oil company's ability to respond to a spill. But he insisted he and his administration are fully engaged in shutting off the flow of oil and cleaning up what's already spilled. Scott Horsley NPR News.

At least 70 people are confirmed dead from attacks on two mosques in Lahore Pakistan today. The BBC's Aleem Maqbool reports police say several suspected Islamist militants including suicide bombers struck the buildings as hundreds of worshippers were inside. This happened in Pakistan's second largest city sorry to hold during Friday prayers when schools of people were gathered to mosques both mosques where firing was reported initially and now. We've heard that there have been explosions at at least one of the mosques. Three explosions both mosques all for a minority religious sect within Islam and the sect. The BBC's Aleem Maqbool reporting. China's premier is taking a wait and see approach to the latest dispute on the Korean peninsula allegations that a North Korean torpedo sank a South Korean warship in March as the wildly psych out towel reports from so when has yet to declare China's official position on the controversy. Premier Wen Jiabao stopped briefly in Seoul on the way to a regional summit to be held on the South Korean island of juju. During a two hour talk with Lee Myung-Bak the president

of South Korea one expressed China's opposition to any action that might endanger peace and stability on the peninsula. This was an apparent response to President Lee's request that China join in condemning North Korea for sinking a South Korean warship last March. In related news Japan announced it was tightening sanctions against the North to punish it for the alleged torpedo attack. Japan also pledged its support for South Korea's effort to bring the incident before the United Nations Security Council a move that might result in further sanctions against the Kim Jong Il regime. For NPR News I'm too a police account in Seoul. U.S. stock still seeing declines. Dow's down 94 points to 10000 165. This is NPR News. After six months of gains consumer spending was unchanged last month and the Commerce Department also reporting today personal incomes rose four tenths of a percent not fast enough to generate robust growth. More people have been

holding on to their money. The government finds a savings rate increase three point six percent in April after falling nearly as much a month earlier. Security at the Paris Museum of Modern Art side of a one hundred twenty million dollar art heist last week is a lot worse than initially thought. Anita Elash tells us about a new auditor's report that describes the museum's Security system as deplorable and auditor's report published today helps explain why the theft was so easy. It says the museum did 17 million dollars worth of renovations to improve fire safety but that the work destroyed part of the museum security system and damaged much of the rest. A group that represents Paris museum says no substantial work has been done since a new alarm was eventually installed but it stopped working two months ago. Investigators say they were surprised to find that security guards were stationed in the basement of the building next to a noisy ventilation system. The thief entered on the second floor and the guards didn't hear a thing.

For NPR News I'm Anita Elash in Paris. Guatemalan authorities are dealing with the impact of a volcanic eruption It forced hundreds of people to evacuate. Eruption also forced authorities to shut down an airport. Officials say at least one person was killed when the Kiowa volcano erupted last night. Local media report the victim was a television journalist who suffered head wounds when he was hit by falling lava rocks. This is NPR. Support for NPR comes from the William T Grant Foundation supporting research to improve the lives of young people online at W Grant Foundation dot org. Good afternoon I'm Kalee 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 through some of the local stories that might have escaped our attention are Howard Manley the executive editor of the Bay State Banner and Marcella Garcia the managing editor of Elle planeta. Howard

Manley and Marcella Garcia welcome. Thank you. Sometimes what happens in the small local papers in our hyper local focus merges at the same time with what's going on in mainstream media and that's that's happening right now the Senate OK the budget. Marcella and apart of that they also okayed a measure by a vote of 28 to 10 which is an amendment to the budget which would place some increased restrictions and limitations on illegal immigrants as they're described in the bill. Tell me about how bad it is to sing that. Well we we were not expecting that nobody I guess saw it coming it was very it was an abrupt change of heart I guess. Unfortunately I guess it's a result of the it's the Arizona effect in Massachusetts it's I think it's real and I think we're feeling it with this. Measures being passed in the Senate. We had to adjust our coverage immediately because this was a story that we had to put out

immediately. And yesterday as we were actually putting the paper to bed we had to change the cover and in our article about it because we were reporting on the fact that he had passed and now all of a sudden it passed so it's definitely an Arizona effect type of thing that we're seeing it's very political to you really is more symbolic than anything because illegal immigrants are not getting this benefit to begin with. It's a totally unnecessary and also it's unfair because illegal immigrants are undocumented immigrants rather they they do pay taxes. Some of them even pay income taxes. So it's unfair. Well one of the things that became clear because it was confusing after it was it was passed. Is that really what this is doing is toughening or expanding current law. So you referred to that you know this is an additional This is not an additional measure this is sort of shoring up what was already there so right. But some people say and obviously the people who supported

this that it needed to happen because of the other laws the laws even if they were on the books were not being I were not holding people to the fire. I think that's misrepresented I mean one example was made clear by the blue blue mass group the blog I was reading a post there. One example what this law means basically if you want to claim unemployment benefits from from the state you have to do the process online right and your Social Security gets cross check not just once but several times. This measure you actually have to go to the office and present your driver's license in addition to the social security measure so obviously that's going to cost taxpayers a lot more money because that's extra paperwork that's extra man hours and it's unnecessary because first of all you're already cross-check in the Social Security to begin with you don't need an extra step. So that's just an example of of how unnecessary This measure is where which which is why they're completely political driven you know.

And I think this goes to your point earlier about the intersection of hyper local with the National we're going to need federal guidelines on all of these state's rights issues I mean Arizona comes up with their little bit. Massachusetts comes up with a little bit 11th hour and I know the president is busy with this oil spill but this is one of those things that is very corrosive. It's causing a lot of division within cities and towns and states and it's causing even more tension between groups that want to reach the American dream but are feeling that they're being dragged down by these sort of negative perceptions that folks may have because of their documentation. What do you think about the fact that a month ago a bill put forth by Representative Jeff Perry which would be have been new legislation essentially saying the same thing that this legislation does to toughen or enhance or expand what's already on the books was turned down. Now it was a closer measure than one a closer vote than one thought but it was turned down.

Again this gets into the whole politics of everything where the timing is right. We need federal guidelines on this is the bottom line you cannot depend on the states to do anything. Correct on their own. You need federal guidelines on this. Well in the meantime why there are no federal guidelines and this now has well at least it's passed the houses of the House and the Senate there's a different bill that passed the Senate. And of course it has to survive a veto by Governor Patrick who has indicated in the past that he was NOT be in favor of this. So we will see what what happens to it. But here's some things that people should know that are added to it. It includes an anonymous hotline to report illegal immigrants or companies that employ them to the government. That's just awful. I'm not so upset. I mean if the call came and it was about Mitt Romney's lawn keeper OK all right all right. But when you have wholesale companies profiting off the backs of folks who are not they're not not only paying not only getting health care benefits to a legitimate but to spy

on you. I mean that's again you're demonizing them that I have absolutely. I'm not saying they have no responsibility but they're not the ones that are our fault it's the system that that's that's failed in. Like Howard says the government needs to step in. Obama I mean this is the time for him to really push for immigration reform because that's the only thing that is going to clear out this mess. Now Marsha let me just follow up and said there are a lot of people who have always said that the really the issue hangs with the employers. If there are lawyers who are not hiring folks absolutely then that's the end of the story. They're exploding the workers. That's right. So now it would seem that if you have an anonymous hotline which is this new measure requires then that's an opportunity for people to say here here are some employers who are flouting the law. Yeah I don't think that's going to discourage them because as long as they're cheap there's cheap labor they're going to pursue it one way or another. It's just a

basic economic situation. I just hope that again the governor steps to do something at the state level and vetoes this Senate. I mean the whole budget provisions and stuff. This is the real opportunity for him to show what he stands for what he really stands for. What do you how do you respond to this is a quote from a Senator Steven bad ur I believe that's how you pronounce his name was Matthew an Democrat. But he worked with the Republicans late Wednesday night to craft the final bill. You supported it. He says we are not Arizona. This is different from Arizona. How do you respond to that. It's different but it's not it's going in the same direction and in a descent effect of Arizona Unfortunately these people are looking for they're seeing an opening for them to make a political statement and to gain political votes and they're just going for it. Even the Democrats it's really it's amazing to see how they they quickly go go for the cheap political points just like Senator Chang thius

said on Wednesday after a press that was this is before when yesterday's you know change of heart. But she set it up in the attic press conference. How this was just the multimillion campaign ad for Republicans. Really is is just an effort for them to discard political points. It's almost like a new version of the soft on crime you can't be soft on immigration reform you've got to go tough and you gotta put something on the table. And again there's more responsibility. I mean the employers have a huge responsibility in check and so secure in numbers. But what if you buy a fake Social Security number. I mean that's a huge market. So I'm not getting them off the hook. But there are some. Exceptions to to some of these tips that come in they have to be checked vetted out. No one should be prosecuted because they acted on good faith that this was so Security numbers is legit. But if you have 300 of them now we got some problem. One of the things that also this this measure would require or ask

of and I don't know how this is going to work because again Governor Patrick has not yet weighed in as we understand and as we've stated here immigration reform is really the purview of the federal government. So what states are doing is in addition to trying to set themselves up in some way that they can find a little space to operate without having a federal law on the books. So this bill though asks of Attorney General Martha Coakley that she sit down and try to craft something that makes it possible for the state of Massachusetts to be firmer to be harder in a crackdown on undocumented workers. I wonder what your response is to that because that's now a bridge. It's not. Yet federal law it's not states law but is is asking her. And that goes against what she has thus far said she supports which is why I said that this is going in the same direction than Arizona where she's going

to to really to really state or continue her position and continue to stand for that position. I don't know if I know that several A local immigrant organizations are already asking to meet with her to obviously plead with her that you know for her to stop this. But again it's opening the doors to wait you know to go exactly in the same direction than her so in any one of the best things for her to do in this process of crafting the law is to hold hearings. And you really will see. Are you trying to solve a problem or are you trying to make political points. This goes to Deval Patrick meeting with the Muslim community on Saturday. He and a good faith effort has very little to do with terrorism per se but it had everything to do with opening the door to discussions about how these particular folks are going to be treated not only in the state but also in the court system and in employment such we all that stuff. And if you're ever going to start bringing in all sorts of new laws and regulations it would be helpful

to hear what everyone has to say. And that's that's not how this thing never happened. I mean that's why you don't see all these numbers thrown in the table like how do you know that immigrants contributions to society especially to the government are as you don't hear that because I think it's irresponsible on the part of politicians to not these laws without considering all that that's what that has to be on the table. Right. And then and then to show you how just despicable the politics of this gets in. And Tim Cahill got down in the polls criticizes the governor for pandering to terrorists. Now that's just that's just unfair despicable. No no no we're trying to solve problems here. And speaking of Tim Cahill both he and Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Cahill is the independent candidate running for governor. Have both come out and said that they would enact further measures for in illegal immigrants undocumented worker crackdown. Also I think they're responding to the numbers in this recent poll that was just

announced this week. Peoples or not people as voters voters decisions or their feelings about the whole undocumented immigration issue I think that totally fueled the politicians you know greed or ambition. They they saw an opening. They saw that people are calling for stricter measures so they went for. Is it going to work that's the question. See you in November. OK all right. I'm Kelly Crossley we're looking at the news that went under the radar with Howard Manley of the Bay State Banner and Marcella Garcia will be back with more hyper local stories to discuss after this break stay with us. The. Support for WGBH comes from you and from proven winners. Are you ready

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rewind button and looking at the news that went under the radar this week. Joining us to talk between the headlines are Howard Manley the executive editor of the Bay State Banner and Marcella Garcia the managing editor of neta. Now Howard in the Bay State Banner you've got a piece that definitely is under the radar because Haiti as we know for many months has been off of the front pages not even in the back pages. But you have a really kind of depressing piece by Brian right O'Connor about the recent trip of delegates from Massachusetts. Tell us about. Yes Marie Saint Flora a Haitian born state legislator who's stepping down organized the trip with some of her colleagues in the state house and went down there what they found. I'm not going to use the word shocking but but it was depressing. Of the millions of dollars that have been poured into that. Earthquake devastated country. The amount of money that you see actually being spent is a tremendous gap in that. So while there is these millions of dollars you still have folks living in tents you still have

folks living next to open sewers. I mean it's been about two months now three months now. So and that's in the short term so over the long term what the question is is how are the infrastructure repairs the roads the schools everything the hospitals the power plants. How is it going to be built. Well right now it takes like six weeks to get a permit to bulldoze the grounds so you can build something or so and then you have food issue I mean basic food issues where the local growers are had their little fruit stands up. Their food is rotting because they have to pay a little bit of money. And when you have all this free food going around no one is going to pay the money. Not that they even had any money right. So as Maurice a floor said it's not over yet but there is a great opportunity for Haiti to get together. Join the 21st century and start a new and she's

skeptical about that. Yeah I quote in your pieces we could hardly see any evidence of the money we've invested and we need more visible progress to build confidence right. And again in the time that they've had people should not be living in tents. Still there should I mean they're running out to the to the high ground. The roads are still not being cleared out the hospitals you can't even imagine that. And it's the rainy season coming and there's a great opportunity again I think safer was exactly right. That needs to be and so what happens to the local pub there's no politicians right. There's no one to sort of no government there's no government so there's no one to make decisions. And Haitians by and large are very very skeptical of foreign intervention. Governing their affairs. So you had that sort of interesting dynamic. It's a mess and you hate for another tragedy to happen over this. You really do. Because there's

plenty of goodwill and money right now in the bank ready to go and they just can't get it together. Do you think that I mean I know she said you it is hard to see any any progress but when the situation the problem is so massive even if there has been lots of money poured in and by you know many accounts there has been I mean it's going to come across at the moment as a dent. You know there's a little bit of that I mean that I mean you got to remember the country was just devastated. And so any little improvement I mean just is like cleaning your dirty room just getting the clothes hung up is progress it hasn't done anything to do the room improvements or anything. But as I was this progress because people I mean there's hospitals there's people on the ground there's people getting fed. There are tents up for example. But over the long haul this is what. This delegation was there to do was to look and just see and assess what building blocks are in place so that they can move into the future because that aid will at some point stop. There's

always another tragic case in point Louisiana that money will go there international So they have a good head start but they have to come up with a plan but because of sort of the political nature of Haitian government because there's no real infrastructure there now. It will be very difficult for them to get it up and running with any sort of trust or popular backing by the people. Marcella Boston and New England I guess but Boston particularly it's a very large Haitian population so this is it for people who are listening thinking OK we've got a lot of stuff going on. Why are people going to Haiti now at this point. There is a large population some constituents here that need to be attended to who have family who have connections there. But one of the things that we have heard over a time is we've been following up on the Haiti stories is that to Howard's point people are not interacting with the folks on the ground in Haiti whether or not they be government in quotes or not. And those are the people who have the information about how best to help themselves. Yeah I guess it's unfortunate people don't realize that even before the earthquake

in Haiti had. Faulted faulted institutions folded structures so then you have in there quick of that magnitude any just sense everything that really was ground zero. And people don't realize that that's the connection or that it's that that's a link missing so no matter how many dollars you have to help them you have to have a basic institution structure and you don't have that in Haiti and the Boston connection is pretty strong obviously but again it's this underground community that nobody ever heard about unless you live in those areas and the richest Amana been in it's very unfortunate people are trying to help their loved ones but they can't without a government. What do you think in terms of Boston and New England being leaders in this. Howard because because of the strength of the numbers of the population but also obviously very very strong interests and leaders and this is in more recent flare and she's got a new job by the way right and she's going to continue her work after she leaves the state house in the land of their

CEO fori another Haitian American and married to a real good guy who has the Haitian reporter Bill Forry. They're just going to first of all you have to start with the medical community. And Boston has the greatest medical community. In the world they say. And so it has to start with the health and well-being of the community and that's where Boston that's our strong suit. And then it's comes down to basic construction I mean we need Haiti's bulldozer they need all that stuff to get things going on and then you don't have to reinstate and rebuild the educational system. So a generation of kids are not lost. They're already behind now they're lost without any school build and so I think you've got to start with the health and the food. Then you have to start building it up from the ground. I mean with the schools and the power systems everything is gone there. And I think we tend to sort of minimize that because we're up here living good. But they have zero. And that's the tragedy in Boston will always be a leader in that

and sort of the legacy of take Kennedy as well I mean he was a very very involved in the Haitian government I think Senator Kerry will take on that mantle as well. I think very interesting to see that CBS numbers government. Issued a teepee as a protection like the temporary protected status for Haitians. I'd be very interested to see the numbers of how that's working are they coming are they applying. How many are coming to the point. That's that's I think a very very good measure of how we're helping them. I think that's an excellent question and you know what that will be a follow up story here on the Kelly Crossley Show. I do want to point out following up on what Howard said that Partners in Health is a Boston based organization and they've been very instrumental in working on the ground with Haitian relief and another institution if you will. Jody Adams who's the chef and reality show just won almost $20000 on Top Chef Masters and her her charity was Partners in Health So there's money going

to Haiti to be partners in health because of her work. Marcel I want to turn to this piece that you guys have an implementor about the students mobilizing and demanding respect for the BTA police. Howard did a piece like that. OK this is a this is a bigger story than I think a lot of people understand. I know because it's grassroots I bet they had a press conference recently and I know the base about her Governor we talk about it here and I sent a reporter and he was it was very interesting particularly because of the feedback that we had we had a reader write us telling us that you know yes it's great that the teens are talking they're speaking out there but that essentially they are a nuisance in the bus. Oh yes he was complaining. You know it's great that they demand respect from the police but that sometimes they are you know are loud crowd and and you know I had to agree with him and I think that's the other point then and I think we're going to follow up on that because it seems to be

a general feeling of the people that write the tea to work every day when they see a group of teens on the T they you know they get annoyed because they are loud especially when they're in a pack. So you know it's in this story that I think is going to develop more. OK. So now Howard in Marcellus peace the police are saying they haven't hurt anybody the kids are saying there's racial slur there's all kinds of stuff. You know police say we have heard that what are you talking about. Well that's the great thing about these kids because they knew that they had to do a little bit more than just tell the story. So they went out and actually interviewed 700 people. So no the police can't just ignore the fact that of the 700 kids I forget what the percentage is that they had some form of harassment that had been arrested or they had been treated without any respect. Now again that respect is a two way street and it goes to Marcello's point I mean they are unruly and you as a not a teenager you feel a little bit comfortable when you see a officer there. But I think this is one of those good stories is going to have I don't know. Have a happy

happy ending but I will have a good anyway I think both sides will gain the respect of the others. Yeah and your bet is right. Here's what the young people said they wanted they say this is their plan. Create a Youth Advisory Council to transport police which would meet monthly with officials to share observations and create a more pleasant atmosphere. Educational workshops and regular Manda for all traffic officers reinstall the community advisory board of the transport police and have a minimum of two US members. That seems reasonable to me but the police were not very interested in how they were completely close to those suggestions I may not like that but they they said not at this point something to that effect right. And like you say they all sound like race suggestions suggestions that would definitely open the door for a better communication between these two groups because like Howard said that's that's only going to improve things no matter what no matter who writes it to. If I'm the PR guy for the tea I would say you know what we welcome those suggestions we want you to come in. And by the way we're going to show film clips of how you all act and you and we want

you to tell us what you think we should do. Yeah yeah OK. Free advice from if you know of the Howard Manley the executive editor of the Bay State Banner and Marcella Garcia the managing editor of Lynette. Howard back to you. I had heard about this strike out in recent months and when I had no idea that it was centered around health care you know when you look at these numbers of what had happened over the last couple of years where Shaws I think is the second largest grocery chain. They made billions hundreds of millions of dollars last year. They cut their workers to full time workers there. So the employee contribution to the health care is down to 1 percent. So that comes out to one hundred thirty five dollars a week for folks who really don't make a lot of money. And that's a real crying shame given the fact that the CEO I hate to bring that up makes 2 million with a whole bunch of other stuff and this sort of duplicitous nature of their negotiations which is OK we have all these four full time employees.

We're going to lay you guys off and bring in temporary workers. So again no benefits no you don't have to pay the benefits so. How did $35 a week for folks who basically were physical labor manual labor. That's a little bit much. And again that shows you what kind of a wacky world that we live in. Because if they had the same union as the firefighters maybe they would have had a better shake out of that deal. But think about it 1.5 percent is what the employer contributes to their health care and I think that's it's immoral I think that's one of the things that we're going to close to $500 per employee then you know new additional monies that they have to pay into under their proposed program. They've been they've been out for a while but I was going to say I'm really surprised that this has stayed under the radar for so long they have been going at it for a while even the governor pronounced himself in their favor I don't know how that's going to help them or if it's going to help them but I guess the point is it's about the union they really you know should have a better you know negotiating point and

they don't have most of these people obviously to you know back to the immigration. Point of view that there are immigrants a lot of them. So something has to happen soon and they've already cut off their benefits so they're actually striking with no benefits no benefits and a lot of them have been fired which means the law and I think they've ended the sort of protest last night. But it's just that's an outrageous situation and that needs a little bit more attention. Yeah because they're not asking for exorbitant raises they're not they're just asking to pay and they make that point then I ask you for money they're just not they're able to just give us the health care and their point is we don't their workers don't want to drain off of the community by taking unemployment and taking public free public health service they want to pay they want to pay a decent share but they can't pay 99 percent of it. Yeah. When you're talking about a multimillion dollar company. Well we have to keep an eye on that. All of our stories that I was interested in. Is

it true. Marcello that this guitarist Pocock de Lucia is the first Spanish artist to get a doctorate an honorary doctorate at Berkeley. Yes I was. Seems Yeah I mean part of Berkeley is big focus is that there's like a brilliant even I in my the few that I know. Yeah I couldn't see a great guitar is Flamenco he's like seen as the father of flamenco even in Spain right. And you know I have to give it to Berklee If anything I mean maybe they haven't recognized them as much as they should have but they really have strength in their their their ties to Spain and I don't know if you guys know but they opened an academy there oh this school and I think it's the only one outside of. The U.S. I think they have like also like a satellite school in Mexico City but the one in Spain is like the State of the art school and so they they really have string their ties

with Spain and the Latin American community. So obviously they wanted to show it or recognize one of the most important artists in the world everyone knows about CA's he has called collaborated with a lot of musicians in the world so so yeah I mean I guess it's kind of surprising that in 2010 you bet I maybe it's me but I don't think so. I mean I'm hat's off to Berkeley too but you know boy a long time coming. Now on the other front faced a banner notes that you know do yez writer local writer is going to be added to the pilots aboard. Yeah that's a good man he's a writer and a good many. The second Latino. Oh yeah that was a shocker. Yeah yeah yeah I want to give all the writers over the years and you know Diaz is a fascinating guy. He won a Pulitzer a couple years ago for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Yeah which is just a great great great book great read. And so that's a good thing. That's a very very good thing and a time progress at all happens.

Sooner or later so I was very proud of the Pulitzer board. Yeah here's a quote from one of the other people in the boy says we hope that the voice he brings to the deliberations of the board will be someone who is sensitive to immersed in parts of our culture that haven't received the appreciation they probably deserve. Let me put a big deal on that. Well it's been great talking to the two of you as always. We've been talking news with Howard Manley executive editor of the Bay State Banner and Marcella Garcia managing editor of Elle Panetta. Thank you both for joining us. Thank you. And coming up we're taking a turn from the serious to the sublimely ridiculous with a tour of this week's tabloids. We're back after this break stay tuned to a nine point seven. Support for WGBH comes from you. And from opera Boston. This season

features Gil Rose conducting Beethoven's Fidelio. Hindemith's cardiac and more. All at the Cutler Majestic Theater. More information online at Opera Boston dot org. And from Kelly Honda on the Lynn weigh in Lynn featuring a wide selection of in-stock new and pre-owned vehicles to fit a range of budgets and lifestyles. You can see their complete inventory at Kelley auto dot com at Kelley. We make it easy. And from safety insurance which is committed to working with independent agents in Massachusetts and New Hampshire to provide coverage that protects homes autos business and your financial interests. Learn more through your local independent agent or at safety insurance dot com. This is Brian O'Donovan. Don't miss weekends on the new eighty nine point seven. We've got a whole new line up of public radio's favorite weekend voices. Hello and welcome to Bob Edwards weekend THIS AMERICAN LIFE America ask. This is NPR's ON THE MEDIA. I'm brother Gladstone and a Celtic sojourn at a new time.

Saturday afternoons at 3. Weekends are all for new flavor along with the staples you've always loved was going to quietly collect woebegone mom here on the new eighty nine point seven. WGBH. Thanks to WGBH sustainers listeners who make ongoing of 5 9 or 12 dollars a month eighty nine point seventy can spend more time with the news and less time reminding you to get involved. Learn how you can help keep eighty nine point seven Boston NPR station for more news and less fund raising. When you become a sustainer securely online at WGBH or. Emily Rooney and Cali cross I'm talking Boston on the Radio weekdays from noon to two on the new eighty nine point seven. WGBH. It's true ragtime a few of the week's coverage and tabloids. It's a

low brow examination of the salacious to the ridiculous and everything in between. But this being public radio will conduct our review with the help of some highbrow analysts point he had as a 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 back alley. Well we have to start with the story that Tom begged to discuss. Not. The finale of American Idol The winner was named as lead there was a 24 year old from the Midwest but really the finale this time was about something more. And that was about Simon Cal's taking his exit from the show. The anticipation of his leaving began with Oprah. Oprah did her part facilitating an exclusive exit interview.

Would you miss I don't know if it will start getting a bit annoyed about my place because what do you think that's a side we've never seen. Thank you very very down. What do you have to do. Depressed about what's next for him. OK now the whole family are well on Wednesday night it was a two part finale was a huge extravaganza and I got to let our listeners hear what Simon himself had to say after being showered with love. This is bidding farewell to Simon Cowell and it was a star spangled swan song with former contestants and you'll hear them in a second term Rockstar rescinding Simon off. Oh man. We made. You leave. See. I have to constrain Tom you're dying to patent it. Go ahead Tom.

SIMON This is for you. With apologies to Alan Ginsburg Cowell I saw the worst minds of my generation destroyed by madness overfed overdressed hysterical dragging themselves through auditions day after day in search of this celebrity fix the ratings were still down in your and is your beginning you have the same ratings year last week as you did your first week cyan are a Charlie. Rachel. Well I have to say I've following that I'm kind of at a loss but. It's very interesting you know for me once again especially when it comes to American Idol. I'm less interested in the show than I am in you know what people have to say about it. They talk about it a lot. They really do. And one thing that this particular finality you know reminds us is that the show quite awhile ago became more about the judges than it did the contestants which is just you know interesting to think about as a framework for understanding the

show. And Paula came back Paula Abdul who was kicked off right you know came back and did a sort of a slushie you know I'm so sorry go SIMON We've always been friends which I didn't know. Did I miss something in there. Well it's important not to confuse you know reality with persona I guess. Oh darn There you go. True. I do think it's interesting that look at some of the numbers. Twenty four point two million viewers watched on Wednesday night this according to The New York Times article the lowest rated finale ever. Eighteen percent down from last year. So I guess Simon's getting out at a good time. Well I think it's the end of the show. I mean he's going to have his own show The X Factor and the thing about Simon is I mean we talked about him when he announced this. He said he is the perceived as the voice of truth and it's interesting that it's got to be a nasty voice that expresses the truth. And without him even if they bring in Madonna as has been wrong yeah there won't be someone with his edge and for some reason

the fans of the show have latched onto this idea that there's got to be a literally cutting edge on this show and without him it just won't be there I think people who want whatever American Idol has will turn to Simon's new show The X Factor. OK well I just have to say that there is a YouTube video going around which is fairly amazing about a woman who was so upset about the winner Lida was that she's screaming and crying Oh my God oh my god where her husband is sitting sort of calmly. I tell you she wasn't going to win. Meaning Crystal Bowersox it was the other person. So for people who want to continue their idol addiction you might want to look that up. It's pretty interesting. OK let's talk about some good music then. This is almost the 40th anniversary of exile the Rolling Stone record first which came out in 1982. RACHEL Yes this is your thing. You know the biggest is my thing. And you know it is a funny anniversary because it's the 40th anniversary of when the album was recorded. So it was recorded in 70 released in

72 and it's you know it's it's really fascinating. It's it's wonderful to hear you know all of the all of the people sort of really discovering what has become one of those albums that's able really somehow to articulate something about its moment I was trying to think of other albums that do that I you know nine thousand eighty eight Public Enemy's It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. You know they're every now and then something comes. The Exile on Main Street sort of capturing the stones at their raggedy swaggering best I particularly love the slightly out of sync like hollering harmony vocals of Keith Richards but acknowledging this is not a 60s peace and love album. You know this is an album that sort of is much darker that that that rocks very very hard but kind of acknowledged at the same time that it's tiring to do that. There's a sort of a weariness to it that that adds a depth to it and it's fantastic.

Well I think more than the music is the legend of the making of the album itself. I mean Keith Richards being strung out upstate in the upper floors of his chateau while the other guys are trying to desperately put it together in the cellar. Richards has made statements like You know we found out this was a bunker for the local Nazis and there were swastikas and Celera I think is embroidery a little bit but I think the legend of the making of the album is probably one of the broadest threads in the flag of the stones is such a murky reputation. Although when Richards and Sir Mick have spoken about the album it's interesting how friendly in the stalls that they are together I mean they're both 67 years old and they're really starting to sound like a couple of grandpa sitting in the rocking chair talking about the good old days. Sara Laurie I want to give the listeners just a reminder our years the Rolling Stones traveling man an outtake from the album Exile on Main Street. What's interesting right now this billboard is set it's number two and

rightly and now it's unbelievable. It really is I mean there was you know there spend some talk that you know the record label created has created scarcity in the past few years that it's been hard to buy the original exile album. So sort of priming the market for this. But you know there's there's 10 hitherto unreleased songs that are included on it that I'm sure a lot of fans are going to be dying to hear although it has been my experience in the main that when musicians pick which recordings to put on an album they generally have very good reasons to do it. And you know some of the outtakes and some of the unreleased tracks are you know are not going to stand up to the original Exile on Main Street. So here's the point. The reason is number two right now selling Number two is it's behind the Glee album. Well that just warms my heart. I'm just a gleam man from day one. In 1972 when the Stones put this album out. Richard Nixon was president.

The carpenters were on top I guess they'd be maybe equated to glee in some people's minds. And Mott had yet to make its debut on television. Just to put it in its place that's pretty interesting to me. And I just want to add because it's particularly fascinating that you know in the very integrated neighborhood where I grew up in Baltimore everybody was listening to Exile on Main Street when it came out. Black kids white cliffs you know it was just it really tapped something. OK here's something else that taps something and that is it's the 30th the real 30th anniversary of Pac man. Let's take a listen to a familiar sound. I love that so what do you guys think that I don't I like a pinball machine. So Pac-Man Jane just doesn't cut it. OK but I never played it I just think it is. But but the Google thing where you could actually hear a Pac-Man or Google that was a riot.

That was a Google Doodle they do a doodle every day this one where However they let it up let it stay up for 48 hours and you could actually play the game. It's the first interactive Google doodle to date. And here's some some some fun facts that probably a lot of people didn't know because they left it up for 48 hours and be clients you could play it. One hundred and twenty million dollars in lost productivity was tracked by a company called Rescue time. Company tracks workers not working you know beautiful. Really makes me like it even better. A little like claiming of your own time on the job I didn't get my grades turned it on time. There you go. Then when they were barely five hundred four million users four point eight million hours this is how they tracked it. If you average a person getting paid $25 an hour that adds up to one hundred and twenty million dollars of lost productivity. And here's another fun fact. The Pac-Man character in 2008 in a poll was one of the most recognized videogame characters and 94 percent of people.

And the idea I mean I think that it's very interesting that that Google put Pac-Man in everybody's line of vision again in this in this major way because you know puts it on that level with some of the other doodles they've done have been I Tchaikovsky's Birthday YOU KNOW MY greets birthday and so on. And it reminds us that Google is determining what's culturally important. And I think that you know when we use Google we have a tendency to think that you know it's neutral that it's the horse you know not the destination but of course it is a destination where we all go and it sort of determines the destinations where we go after that. But my favorite word on Pac-Man comes from a novel by D.B. Weiss called Lucky wanderer boy and which he gives really challenging readings of classic video games and Pac-Man. He invokes Karl Marx's concept of the ever expanding market that needs to that chases the bush was he over every surface of the earth and cast Pac-Man in the role of an corporate

anti-hero. The you know who gobbles and gobbles but the forces that try to keep you know prevent his unfettered domination ultimately will defeat him no matter what he's a monitor lizard of the capitalists. OK just for those who are interested this in the Smithsonian there are only three games one is Pac-Man the other to Dragon's Lair and Pong So there you have. Called the worst noise. Since we're all in the soldier mode it was said that this week Art Linkletter from TV land for a lot of people who are listening to this conversation. He died this year this week at age 97. Here's a taste of Art Linkletter getting hearty laugh from the grown up crowd from his hit Kids Say the Darndest Things. In the relationship. He really is a fundraiser. Gee that's wonderful. Busy raising funds for insurance. By the way who's the boss in your house your mother or your dad.

A You're a diplomat or you. Know I'm A camping band. Today was Thanksgiving and I was supposed to be thankful. What are you thankful for. From a man who came. Oh you are an American. That was. A good thing. We all do you know what an American is what is in America. So I really think. Well yeah because those are so sweet. It's interesting in 1900 to when Exile on Main Street came out that's when Linkletter joined President Nixon's anti-drug task. I mean that is really dramatizing the dichotomy in America then it's a totally different time I have such memories of the show when I was a child watching especially the Kids Say the Darndest Things like her waiting for the kids to come on when I was a kid and. Linkletter's politics aside his shows really were pathbreaking I mean America's Funniest Home Videos the way let Well man on the street as has various permutations but Linkletter really making the audience the focus of

a daytime show and even from radio really set the bar for the way that hosts continued long after him even today. What do you think Rachel. Well my introduction I have to say to the Linkletter was you know in Baltimore the sort of word on the street that that John Waters had made a movie about his family that was we didn't get to see it it hadn't been released. You know I think Linkletter you know it's interesting you think about his role in the history of television and he sort of stood as like that's really popular so powerful. But last example of a kind of like square television. He has his show you know the people are funny going up until 1961 Johnny Carson comes on in 1962 changes everybody's expectations he's faster talking he's hip or you know so a whole different idea of the television personality got introduced that sort of following Linkletter but it hasn't been dislodged yet has as we know from you know we've talked about on here.

You know. Conan O'Brien and so forth like all of those with the following in the heels of this new mold. You know that came after him but there's still that tension I think between the fast talking sophisticate and the slow talking Midwesterner although I think Linkletter was from California. But there's still something we were looking for the perfect blend and since Johnny Carson I don't think he or she has shown up of course Oprah's a different universe. Well I'm I'm I'm looking at his death and the kind of work that he did as sort of a button on time of innocence and let's go forward to something that's not innocent Sex And The City 2 is out and it's bad everybody says I'm going to ask Alan to play just a little bit of the music from him but just just a little bit. What happens after you say I do. Meaningful. One week in Abu Dhabi all expenses paid for all four of us get out. My point exactly. OK it's bad everybody says that.

I think that's the crux of the problem. Abu Dhabi the whole it's gone way beyond a few blocks of Manhattan it's even gone beyond Rodeo Drive. It has created its own engine of consumerism all that is beyond any grip on reality so that fans who watch this no longer think oh I could wear that or I could do that or I could be those people. It's just it's just a fantasy. But it's so fake that people can't recognise anything in it anymore. And yet Rachel they're expecting it to make big numbers. Well as a father a fact you know because in preparation for a day at I really I have to say I'm not I'm not willing to talk about a movie without having seen it so for that reason I attended the opening of Alex in the city too last night. I'll never get that two and a half hours back. But seriously. The place was packed the audience was engrossed and they applauded at the end. So you have to say OK they're not looking to see themselves in it I mean the one thing that did occur to me is you could go to a buddy movie every single night of the week Thomas and you'd never every single

man of the year you never run out. But for women who are looking for movies about women's friendships there's not much so much you know sparser landscape. OK well you you made a point I guess what I'm going to go see it even though I know it's bad when I know bad Mrs. Connally is very interested in the clothes and the reality and looking looking at it as a real thing so I think she's prepared to be disappointed that I find out. Well I think we can pop the champagne this week because no mention of our favorites Tiger our our cake but she's coming back. OK I'm going to have we're going to out on the American Idol tribute to Simon Cowell just for you Tom. Thank you. Professor Rachel Reuben Professor Thomas Connelly I thank you for joining us for another edition of ragtime This is the song that all of the former Idol winner sang to Simon. Cheerio. OK.