WGBH Radio; The Callie Crossley Show

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

unemployment rate is now at its lowest level in more than two and a half years after employers created 120000 jobs the rate fell sharply from 9 percent to 8.6 percent in November. NPR's John it's the reports of the big drop in the unemployment rate may not reflect the actual health of the job market. Part of the reason for the big drop in the unemployment rate is that three hundred fifteen thousand workers left the workforce. There's little doubt many left because they were discouraged by the lack of jobs available. The 120000 new jobs added to payrolls in November is about average for the past 12 months. But theoretically not enough to bring down the unemployment rate. One of the factors in the seeming disconnect between the modest job increase and the big drop in the unemployment rate is that the two numbers come from different surveys one of businesses the other of households over time however the two reports tend to converge. JOHN It's NPR News Washington. President Obama is pushing ahead with a centerpiece of his jobs agenda he wants Congress to

pass a payroll tax cut extension before the holiday break. I expect that it's going to get done before Congress leaves Otherwise Congress may not be leaving. And we can all spend Christmas here together. He says failure to pass an extension will effectively raise taxes on nearly 160 million Americans. Yesterday the Senate voted down competing Democratic and Republican plans. A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner says House Republicans will not negotiate with the Democrats before they unveil a payroll tax cut plan next week that includes spending cuts to pay for it. A high courting Greece is hearing appeals on an emergency property tax that the government has imposed in exchange for international bailout loans. Greeks despise this tax but as Jonica case's reports from Athens the government says the country needs the revenue to avoid default. Many Greeks say they can't afford to pay the tax or won't pay it because they think it's unfair that tax is being collected through electricity bills and the government says it will shut off power to

those who evade it. The government hopes to raise nearly three billion dollars with this tax. It is part of a deeply unpopular austerity program that has sparked riots outside parliament. Some municipalities have told their citizens not to pay the tax. But prime minister Lucas Papademos appointed just three weeks ago to lead a coalition government says authorities will work out payment plans for disadvantaged households. For NPR News I'm Joanna casus in Athens. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is pledging fiscal discipline in the European Union no quick fix quick fix. A speech that sent stocks higher in Europe as well here in the U.S. At last check on Wall Street the Dow was up forty eight points to twelve thousand sixty eight. This is NPR News. Finance ministers of South Africa and Nigeria are sharply criticizing the European Union for failing to so far stop the spread of Europe's debt crisis. NPR's Ofeibea Quist Arkan reports volatility in currency and commodity prices

is threatening Africa's economic growth. South Africa's finance minister Pravin Gordhan warns that your financial problems all halting the continent this says it needed to step up to the effects on the economies of kind of the Seas depreciating one day appreciating the next day and that kind of volatility is not useful. But European leaders don't seem to be getting the rest of the world. They don't seem to have the political capacity to both manage their own backyards on the one hand and show that they don't damage the rest of the world on the other hand. Nigeria's finance minister suggests industrialized economies. Loan from developing countries about how to manage debt stopped in NPR News. Honda is recalling more than 300000 vehicles worldwide for faulty airbags. The company says the devices may inflate with too much pressure in a crash send metal and plastic debris flying and cause injuries or deaths. Ana says it so far 20 accidents have been linked to the faulty airbags. Republican presidential candidate

Herman Cain reportedly is traveling home to Georgia today to have a heart to heart with his wife and reassess whether he should stay in the campaign. He has told Fox News that allegations of sexual harassment and a 13 year long extramarital affair all of which Cain has denied have hurt his family. Cain recently admitted to providing money to the woman who claims to have been his mistress a GOP candidate says he was only helping a friend. This is NPR. Support for NPR comes from CIT for last selling all callers of the Herman Miller Aeron chair online including sit for a last true black online at CIT for last dot com. Good afternoon I'm Kelly Crossley. Barney Frank steps away water bills are jumping in Revere and a crime spree. A small one in the south then these are the topics we'll be talking about today as we take a local look at the week's news with Sue O'Connell co-publisher of bay windows in the south in news.

Peter Katz is executive editor of The Boston Phoenix. And Seth Daniels senior reporter of the independent news group which includes the Revere Journal. Welcome everyone. OK Kelly Kelly. All right Barney Frank Barney Frank steps down. Yeah you always always good for news. You know Bonnie went out vanishing places. Yeah I sent him a few months left of it. Well he he does. Surprisingly he actually pulled its punches. I don't think he did himself any service I mean he's really ticked off at Congressman Markey who is the dean of the Massachusetts delegation and as such sort of has an official Suzerain of the oval reviewing what the state legislators did with the districts and Bonnie was ticked that he got. District drawn up where he'd have a fight. I mean I think it's a shame he's going. I mean but I think the real reason he's stepping down. Is

that even if he was re-elected which as I said I think he would be the Democrats most likely still going to be in the minority. I mean that's bad news. But I think it the just for him because it was very very was his chairmanship. Exactly. OK in that 71 I I don't blame him. What's been very interesting is to watch the Republicans and the not the OR NOT KC's among the conservatives try to revive the big lie that it was Bonnie Frank who was responsible for the economic collapse. And there's cable television the right wing radio talk shows have been full of talk which is of course ridiculous. I mean it started in Washington I'm sorry it's out of Wall Street. Washington may know of helped but. It's been great for the news so well so you know because his personality is so volatile particular in the last years I think maybe people are more open to

believe most anything about Barney Frank those that don't like him. Yeah I mean Barney Frank is has been sort of the epitome of a human in Washington you know he had his his flaws and his problems certainly and was able to overcome them. One of the first openly gay elected officials to Congress wasn't openly gay when he ran the first few times and then a scandal ended up coming out and had some scandals throughout his lifetime but never took his eye off what his job was to do in representing the fisherman and the working folks in the blue collar folks that Congressman Frank. Represented well and the other thing about Barney which is support I mean it's. And then Lee was talking about earlier on her show. We've all been yelled at by Barney Frank. I mean it's a tranquil opportunity yeller and I mean he said to me once on air that that was the stupidest thing he ever heard when I offered a suggestion about something. And you need that you know especially when you're talking to your own people if you will and Barney has been famous for walking into a human

rights campaign fundraiser which is the largest gay and lesbian political organization. And seeing like you know petitions on the table and saying this is the stupidest thing I've ever seen why are you doing this. So you know that voice that contrary voice which I am certain isn't going away to be both lovable and cranky at the same time is no easy feat. And I think it's you know. He's not gone yet we have a few more months and they're certainly going to be some sort of book and he's certainly going to be a commentator but I was shocked that he was 71 he's been sort of ageless to me. He's been in elected office I think as long as I've been a grown up and you know remember his narrative you know and I just I was shocked to find out he was 71 Not that that's old by any means but yet you know what you are what what what what does it mean that the sort of the third or fourth thing that we say about Barney Frank that he was openly gay congressperson. Yeah I mean his personality and his issues I mean he's emblematic to a

lot of folks even the younger and I mean younger sort of a newbie elected officials who are gay or lesbian that you can fight for gay rights and not be labeled as the gay congressman. You know that is. That's the second or third or fourth thing about him you know he was essential and in the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell and working for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act he was sometimes controversial. You know his his stance of inclusion around the transgender issue and the Employment Nondiscrimination Act which is still down there has been controversial but at the same time he hired Diego Sanchez who is a transgender man who is working in his office and the first staffer to be hired who was openly transgender if you will so you know it's he's emblematic to people who don't want to be a one note you know don't want to be the black congressman or the Jewish congressman. Again you know a Jewish congressman which he was you know. So he's certainly a force.

So what do you think. Well the interesting thing about him was coming out of Boston City Hall. And he had that old style politics which we still see in East Boston and revere and you know he stood up he yelled at people I think he got it from that that was a time when people did in the rounds they would you know do whatever they could to maybe stab you in the back it was a different time. We still see it at the local level in parts of Boston and the northern suburbs there and it's very unpopular now though. We noticed that the people who are voting. They just you know they're not into that as much anymore and maybe he saw that it was a style you know and he carried it out better than probably anybody. You know Kellyanne I want to point out that during one of the he appeared a couple of years ago at a Human Rights Campaign dinner and was talking about how Congress was working hard on something and his partner brought him dinner and walked in to where they were working. It was sort of up on the stage and handed him the dinner and walked away and the whole audience of Congress members went all the time and Arnie

thought you know this is the progress we're looking for and that's the part of the story he related that it could just be a cute thing that happened rather than this you know political moment. Yeah yeah. All right. Well moving on as we've said he'll be around. He doesn't actually officially step down until the middle of next year. So we'll hear more any time to tell us we're stupid. Yeah. Sense I'm interested in this story that you all have about the water bills going through the roof because of an EPA action. Tell us about it. Well what does happen is it really started in Revere for one reason or another and it's based on the Clean Water Act which is existed for a long time. You can enforce it you know very harshly or not so. And what's happened is in the last couple of years they've decided the U.S. EPA has decided to enforce it very strictly. And they came down on review very harshly. There was a U.S. Department of Justice Action and it ended up in some pretty

severe fines some huge lawyer bills for the city. And the biggest thing though was about 50 million which could end up being about 100 million dollars worth of infrastructure work within 10 years which this is not the time for that in the opinion of a lot of elected officials and obviously who pays for it but it's the rate payers in Revere because they were the first we've already seen the bills really jump up. People come to public meetings when it's not even on the agenda. And they're complaining they're saying what are you doing to us one guy said I didn't want to the yard my grass die because my water bill is too high. It's now moved to Everett. It's and went through the same thing as happened in Boston it's just getting a taste of it. So what are you talking about like what would have been a typical bill and what now may be looking at jumps of about 250 dollars a year. Oh yeah and it's going to get worse as they have to do more work they've got to pay for it. It's really going to go up it's like I think people feel a little betrayed especially in Revere and went through it because they paid

for the harbor cleanup they thought Finally it might be coming to an end our bills might go down and charges might go down. And now here we have this. We're going back up. So it's almost like a never ending thing. Is there any reason that you decide to come down harder on review to your knowledge. Well it's not just revere I know it yeah. I'm wondering if it's historic violations so these are things that could have happened as far back as the 1970s and 1980s. That's where they started they started around the Mystic River and now they're going at like I said Boston's going to get a taste of it already has started to. I don't know why they would start there but they have been very aggressive. And no one can really figure out why in fact Winthrop didn't even know they were in trouble until we got a press release and called them. Wow. OK you know it's interesting Kelly I grew up in Revere and you haven't lived in Revere since 1980 and I was talking with Seth about how you know during the 70s this was indeed the water problem I mean you know the infrastructure in the water channel

overbuy Beach Mall and the clean up of Mystic River over by the over by Chelsea I forget the name of it but you know that this is this was a hot topic all through the 70s and it's still a hot topic now in Revere and it's I think it's also the future for all of us yeah taking our water for granted. It's not just water for less than for 30 years. This country has been putting off dealing with repairing its infrastructure whether it's water pipes whether it's sewerage pipes whether it's highways you know. God knows we are all the money has gone because we've certainly paid taxes but we. I'm not an advocate for higher taxes we haven't been paying enough to keep what we have in repeat here and have to 30 is the Bills coming to 1 the everything it's in the away I mean shows you how can you be asleep at the switch to have all these violations. I mean this is not just wrong here this is. Yeah as you said in Winthrop and I'm sure that it's

historically one of those things where you walk into the office and say what's happening with the AP EPA thing and somebody said I worry about that they never check on it and then here we are. Yeah well I think I think the problem goes back to the actual law. You know I was crafted a long time ago and it gives a lot of leeway to either. Like I said be very harsh with it or not. Also don't forget for 8 years previous that we had a Republican in office who I think is healing him who wasn't particularly interested in the volume at all. I will say that the one in Revere and some of the elected officials there might disagree but it really took off in February after the after President Obama came in and I think there was a different mindset and they took that. OK much more to go when we come back. I'm Kelly Crossley we're looking at local news. We'll be back after this break. Stay with us. This program is made possible thanks to you and Skinner auctioneers and

appraisers presenting their auction of fine jewelry on Tuesday December 6th at Skinner's Boston gallery featuring Art Deco jewelry diamonds colored stones and wristwatches info at Skinner Inc dotcom. And the Boston Symphony Orchestra through December 30 years. Logic leads a program of Harbison and Beethoven including Beethoven's piano concerto number four with guest soloist Jonathan Bess BSL dot org. On the next FRESH AIR we remember influential jazz drummer Paul Motian. He died last week at the age of 80. Motion played with Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett before becoming a band leader and self will listen back to our interview with him. Join us. This afternoon at two on eighty nine point seven. WGBH. Holiday have a come and go.

Too quickly this year take some time to savor the season with the Christmas Celtic sojourn hosted by WGBH is Brian O'Donovan this live show combines traditional carols and dance with lots of wonderful surprises. Learn more and reserve two of the best seats in the house with a gift of $150 online at WGBH dot org slash Celtic. Celtic music best enjoyed with friends. Join me on Saturdays at 3 with the Celtic soldier Anita 9.7 WGBH. Welcome back to the Calla Crossley Show. If you're just tuning in we're looking at news through a hyper local lens. Joining me to talk between the headlines are Sue O'Connell of bay windows and the South in news Peter Katz is executive editor of The Boston Phoenix. And Seth Daniels senior reporter of the independent news group which includes the

Revere Journal. Peter Katz is a big controversy over at Suffolk law school. Oh you know. Which Harvey silver of late and Daniel Swartz wrote about in the Phoenix Tell us about it. Well it's shades of the 1960s. You know we have a if you'll pardon the pun a major problem at Suffolk law school it seems that Professor Michael Avery a dyed in the wool liberal circulated an e-mail to his colleagues as is his right suggesting Do we really want to be sending. Well I'm colloquially calling a care package holiday packages to the troops overseas because these folks are after all involved in killing and cetera et cetera is this really something we should do. Now whether you agree with it annoyed there is a constitutional right. And in terms of academic freedom a sort of academic right to do this. Well

law professor. Hold on before I get this robber and Roger Ruff said who happens to be serving in Iraq who is a major in the military. I guess not surprisingly took issue with this and resigned in a huff over this which I can't really understand. We call it a hate speech. Well that's what I was going to get at you know what is interesting is that to find a conservative right wing guy employing the he the if you will of the left and saying this is hate speech if you don't agree with something it's hate speech. Now the poor Deano over there Dean Nelson I thought took a very Solomon like approach. She reaffirmed Professor Avery's right to send his e-mail and said but also managed to point out at the same time that she was sending a package.

But what's really interesting here is is that this use of the term hate speech that just because you disagree with what someone is saying you're terming of this hate speech in it's interesting that this is moved over from the left over to the right. I guess maybe he's destined to be a commentator on Fox News or something. Well that's this is one point that I think we should mention before Sue and and Seth weigh in and that is Professor Avery is tenured. OK. The Suffolk Robert Ruff said the Major who characterized his words as hate speech was an adjunct professor meaning he's not full time incomes and property. He or he came in probably teach one of two courses. So there's a difference in comfort level salary level and all of that. And you know I mean that's a that's a principal stand to take. But. You know he wasn't tenured so no indeed yeah.

You know in the Major did he put his job where his mouth was. You know Peter's right that the hate speech part of it is is troubling. I'm personally I don't love the idea that there is hate speech. You know I think that in this country it's just speech. You know I don't I don't really subscribe to the idea that these words I mean I know there are extremes and there are certainly protections that are in that. But you know just just saying that expressing one's opinion or expressing thought even as outrageous as it might be and harmful which this is harmful it's just you know stupid it's stupid speech but it's still the professor I mean this also I think speaks to the importance of tenure. You know you know though I disagree and I would also should have said care packages you know hate the war love the warrior. This is this is well within his. This is why we have tenure so professors can push forward thought in push forward conversation and ideas based on what they say.

Do you think that maybe characterize it as hate speech in this instance obviously as a partition or a particular point of view because he's in the service but also because of the nature of the of the of the subject matter. If it had been something else and he disagreed with this professor get out to vote. I don't want you to vote well or something. You need to name something else. And they disagreed perhaps he would not have characterize it as hate speech but he felt that at a perceived attack on the troops was hate speech. I don't I think I like what Sue says that the idea of hate speech it's so hard to figure out sometimes I really think that this is just an example of how people are so provocative now. There's not a lot of tolerance you know and I think the article described it as a hissy fit and it's both of you have a hissy fit. You know I mean Barney Frank calls people stupid. Yes you will. I know I have to say though that you know only within the university could something that's true. I mean

there is something of a real I mean I I have to say I defend 100 percent Professor Avery's right to have his opinion. But why does he feel. I mean he has a right to tell anyone. But to be so wrapped up in yourself that you have to send an e-mail to all you call exact Christmas to be this is this is the thing that's going to make the difference in war. You know by not sending some granola bars and toothpaste. So that's you know that's important what's in the care package you know it's toothpaste it's you know yeah it's not bullets. Yeah well alright. Seth while you're talking the drug situation in. Revere Everett Winthrop and Chelsea is bad and these are urban suburbs as you describe them. Tell us about it. Well what I see is just a tremendous amount of opiates and that's documented from the federal level all the way down about Revere about went

about those areas and you know it's been kind of a move basically you were used to having the inner city it was concentrated. We're also talking about crack cocaine again. Really yes we are not just opiates which together it's terrible. But that's moved out it's moved out more into the some of the suburbs. You see all the time kids from Burlington getting arrested buying drugs at the movie theater. You know that's it's crazy. But the biggest thing that I think about this is when we think of a drug problem we're talking about hope people making a deal on the corner. You said you grew up on Shirley Avenue it was terrible there at one time but it's not happening on the corner. It's happening in houses. People have cell phones that use the Internet text messages it's inside someone delivers you a bag of heroin or something which is which is astounding. But that's what they're doing. And it can happen three or four times a day. But that's where the problem is no one's really talking about it so much the states try to do some things. The fire

department in Revere actually carries an opiate overdose reversal medication and they use it frequently. You know one of the challenges that revere has always had and I don't know if there's a city like it is the access to the city an up and down the north shore with the blue now you know the train the transports protégée Sion with both the buses and the trains. Makes it a great location to do business. Yeah yeah. You know you don't need to go through the tunnel of the Ted Williams Tunnel to get into Boston East Boston itself has changed in the way that their drug business works it's a much more gang related sort of business so you can just be a casual user and get to revere with Europe for that matter quickly and get out and get your drugs so it's always had that double edged sword of some poverty and economic challenges and great transportation system. Also this shows how the drug industry has picked up. From where the wire on the famous cable TV show The

Wire left off the drug business has become very service oriented and you don't come to them they'll come to you. You know it's the capitalism illegal Albion you know you are like them in the action and I mean I can't help but thinking you know as horrible as this is that you know it's just another example of the complete and total failure of the war on drugs. There's also I think depressing because these are people I assume you know the logical young people who are just sort of they have no hope for doing anything else. And so they're just more or less obliterating themselves you know either with an upper or a downer to sort of dull the pain of day the day life it's pretty depressing and if it's service oriented Peter and it's going inside as Seth has said does the police respond to that I mean that that seems to require a paradigm shift in the search warrants. Yeah well you know yeah it's very difficult

I think to conduct this sort of policing and still live in the. A community that observes so the sun's right. I mean the classic way to tell if someone was dealing with so many people would come to their house you know and then you would call the police and say So-and-so has got traffic in and out all day and if you're just going door to door pretty much from neighborhood to neighborhood nobody can figure that. Sure a little harder. All right Sue. Crime Wave looks like going in the south and what's up with that. Yeah well one of the things you know we checked the police. The Boston Police Department website on a regular basis and we kind of saw and see a pattern happening of these sort of group muggings where three or four or five girls or guys who are young adults or older teens are surrounding people and stealing their bags stealing their phones stealing their wallets. And the idea of it is just terrifying in that you know no one wants to be surrounded by teenagers under any circumstances. And the police are working very hard we had that

spike in murders and gang related issues in the south and a few months ago. Since then things have been tapped down in generally the area d police department really go on alert for the holidays in terms of pickpockets and we're part of the back bay so that feeds over into the south end. But this is disturbing because it ties in just with what we're talking about that teens obviously you know they feel the economic crunch as well. Christmas is always you know the crime of opportunity season. I think you'll see more reports of people stealing Christmas trees. You know in the news then we have in the past and these are kids who are young adults who are stealing things that they can use immediately it's not that they might certainly but I can tell you what they're using the money for but generally it doesn't look like the smash and grab that you do to cars you can get some change to buy some drugs. And it's disturbing that this seems like like a good idea. You know this is what kids are doing or young adults doing in order to get money. And I know it. I know this. I suppose sound sexist but the idea that girl these

gang of girls makes it seem even more disturbing. This is emblematic I mean this is a trend that has been we've been watching develop over the past 10 years or so where women are now and young young girls and young women are now equal opportunity. Attackers and fear are not mugging someone and also unfortunately you're not going to jail. So I've noticed that one of these incidents happened for eight that's pretty early. Is it a daytime thing too. Yeah it's. I mean what happens also in the city especially in the south end is that once it starts getting dark you know once we get through the five o'clock it's nighttime you know. And there are different areas that have different amounts of traffic and there's enough of the areas over by Shawmut and Harrison that are necessarily very dangerous but just don't have a lot of population on it. You know we did see a crime wave in the spring where people waiters and restaurant workers coming home from their shifts were being mugged. You know that they they had a pocket full of cash after work

on Friday or Saturday or you know night a busy night and they were being followed from the restaurant and so it's all you know looking for folks who have a lot of cash on them and that's that bodes of economic uncertainty. You know I we have the same thing going at our we had a senior center worker is a friend to everybody this past week on Thanksgiving Day get beat in the face took her purse by every mail. And you know you mentioned the drugs that's part of it. But I really think that for the youths we have a lot of that they circle around you on bikes knives out or something. It's disturbing but I don't see see it as something they're doing because they need something almost see it as like this not to be a downer of a clockwork orange just youth gone wild you know it's just it's corrupt somebody. You know there has I mean I would say this is just totally anecdotal and just from reporting in the South and for the year it does look like the incidence of minor violence crime has gone up you know where somebody used to just take

your wallet. They're now punching you and taking your wallet and I think that that's an indication not just of that but just of everything we've been talking about lately that if things don't start turning around economically and the services that are getting cut and all of that that we're in for a long haul. Well Seth when you're in the bullying is an issue you've been writing about which you know is coming at kids a different way. What's happening there. Well this is this is just come out. Our superintendent in Revere and the superintendent an effort to are fairly well-known as leaders in the state in their field and especially in Revere we just had the superintendent is almost fed up with with the new laws in terms of administrative type things. Every little adolescent spat he said results in a hearing with you know five administrators at a cop and both sets of parents and you know we're talking about someone calling someone stupid or or not letting them sit at the same lunch table with them. And you know that's really become disturbing to him and he said that he

believes that maybe we're not able to teach our kids coping skills because of all this process and you mentioned bullying and there's a process and they have to go through it. Look look at the front page of the globe. First grade they're charged with sexual harassment. But at the same time I mean I'm involved in my daughter's elementary school world and in Canton they do a great job I mean I can't I don't understand why the administrators can't take take hold of what has to happen. You know and I don't know these are all is a good thing but I think that's I mean the real incidents they've got no problem with and they are they are looking into those. Several months ago on the show when the bowling legislation was going through I told the story just so happened unfortunately one of my kids wasn't so much bullied as assaulted you know classic. Yeah kid picked on them really beat him up. What would happen today the school by the way did a wonderful job of dealing with now of course. My wife and I were upset at the time as parents always but when it was all

said and done they did a excellent job of handling every aspect of the public school the public school you have Boston Public School today you would have you have all of these complicated procedures you have to go through reports to file. I'm I think that instead of letting. Common sense sort of take over I mean look it is wrong to bully a kid but hitting someone is wrong I mean there are you don't have to be almost criminal ones. What is an acceptable childish behavior. But who determines that that's the problem but I was wrong about the law zero Yallourn you write anything that zero tolerance is wrong. You know Gary I just can't have a zero tolerance tolerance policy and it's and it also takes away from the issues that are serious when people are sick and I agree with with what the administrators are saying. The coping skills. I mean you just watch it. The kids just one thing to say we walk to school in our bare feet you know in the snow.

And another thing or have them report every little tiny thing that someone said to them and it's just oh my god man up get to school your first grader. How do you know. Quandary Yeah yeah and I don't know they yet know where they're going with but they're frustrated and like I said there's been some pushback by parents who say leave it alone. You know we want to. Yeah. So just in closing. Jarrett Barrios Yeah Red Cross. Yes Jarrett Barrios I have full disclosure I actually spoke with him about this job before I went to it and urged him to take it. Jarrett former state senator here in Massachusetts former executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation went out in a really messy way I'm glad due to some AT&T. Yeah exactly. You know you know Jared is going to the Red Cross which is a great job. The Red Cross of course still has a ban on only men who have had sex with men in the past 10 or 15 years being able to give blood. I imagine that

Jared will show the leadership that he showed on a number of issues and worked toward changing that. I think it's a great job for him as I told him and you know we're looking forward to having Jack back in the Massachusetts news you know. OK all right well fabulous. Kelly great read from what's happening locally we've been talking from our point there you know that. Yeah no offense we have to force an infraction All right I'm shutting this down and we've been talking local news with Sue O'Connell co-publisher of bay windows in the south the news. Peter Katz is executive editor of The Boston Phoenix. And Seth Daniel first time here with us senior reporter of the independent news group which includes the revered Journal thank you all for joining us here today. Coming up we're taking a turn from the serious to the sublimely ridiculous with a tour of this week's tabloids. We'll be back after this break stay tuned to eighty nine point seven. For. This program is on

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answer on the next edition of the world. Coming up at 3 o'clock here at eighty nine point seven. Eighty nine point seven listen as we're talking about the protesters in Egypt. I will die on the soil of his new occupiers are hostile. Well that's. All right. And the resilience of one congresswoman from Arizona Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head. The story of Giffords recovery is told in a new book titled Gabby. Happy to pal hope and make a tax deductible gift to support what's next. Call it 8 8 9 7 9 4 2 4. Great question. That is a great question and it's a great question. It's a great question great question on FRESH AIR. You'll hear unexpected questions and unexpected answers this afternoon at 2:00 here on eighty nine point seven. WGBH. It's time for a few of the week's pop culture happenings. It's an

examination of the salacious the ridiculous and everything in between. But this big public radio will conduct our review with the help of some highbrow analysts are pointy head of pop culture Rachel Ruben and Thomas Connelly. Rachel Reuben is the chair of the department of American studies at UMass Boston. Thomas Connelly is a professor of English at Suffolk University. Welcome back you two. You know again. Well let's talk about Miley Cyrus. An Occupy movement and the Occupy movement you know we've been hearing about so many of the one percenters the 99 percenters being the Occupy folks. Going down to support the 99 percenters but somehow I have to tell you I never thought of Miley Cyrus in the mix. But yes she is she's released a new video with lyrics that are specific to the support of the movement. And here's a taste of it. OK if you couldn't understand it it says it's a liberty walk and the end of it is don't stop don't

stop. You know mixed reviews by folks Tom. Well I think it would have had a little more resonance if it were just her and a guitar. And this is so overproduced. I wonder you know what her fan base think. Well they probably are doing it but I wonder what she thinks anybody else will how they will react to it I also can't help but think of the other story that brought Miley into the tabloids you know her birthday party and the Bob Marley shaped cake she was given and the jokes about being a stoner. Given what some of the right wing critics of the Occupy movement have done to dismiss a lot of the members of the movement. So you say she played right into that. Yeah yeah yeah. OK. And so I mean I'm I'm sure anyone's grateful for her support but I wonder how deep it is and how lasting it will be and what it's with the occupiers being moved out. Now Miley Cyrus is moving in and I don't know

if it's I don't think it's a particular profound moment but it's interesting I really don't know where Miley Cyrus's career was going. It's strange. She does say that she's all of 19. Do we know. No. I think it's very interesting I mean I do confess I didn't make it to the end of the song but that's partly because there's a sound in the background that sounds exactly like my alarm clock and it was making me anxious. But but the images in the video were really really striking to me and in particular you saw so many cuts very dynamic of police brutality she put that front and center and a person walking by with a sign that said I woke up this morning on the wrong side of capitalism and you know stuff like that it was really surprising to me. And what's interesting too is that she this isn't actually a new song she's repurposed a song that was originally about domestic violence. So if if if she's repurpose sing a song about domestic violence the to be about the Occupy movement I guess that you know makes the banks are abusive husband collectively and there's sort of a play on two words you know two meanings

of the word domestic there. So you know it's very it's interesting I think. And it's doesn't feel a little like because she's 15 million dollars last year or some such. And you know she's clearly in a different. Can she win she's the 1 percent. But you know she's not the first one to come down or you know who to go to Congress and say please tax us more. Right. But it is I mean she's got the maybe the unlikeliest pop star to come out and do this or even write a book he's got a point that Princeton hasn't said Your Honor is gone oh yeah right. Hey researchers have developed a program to measure revealing photo shopping in magazines. This is this is something that people have been talking about for years and finally there's some science to this. Rachel what do you think. I think it's we're at a moment now with this comes at a moment where there's been a lot of attention to photoshopping in the past year and a half or so you know there have been every now and then celebrities or models have released on photoshopped pictures of themselves. So

it's it's great it's developed a scale from 1 to 5 and are suggesting that magazines that print images that are photoshopped use the numbers you know underneath so that people can tell what degree of photo shopping has happened I think it's great I mean it's it's different I mean the way we take in video visual information you know you look at the images and they bombard you when they have an effect. For example if you keep seeing violent images. Well you know time after time after time knowing that their fate is not necessarily going to you know entirely mitigate the effect on you but I'm definitely glad anytime somebody pays attention to this time just so people know. These were researchers that at the department of science at Dartmouth College so this is not like some frivolous thing you know and that men. Yeah. And their men and their quote is that if the tool is used in the future magazines that advertisement could have a warning label on images similar to a nicotine ad and they are referencing that there are many opportunities for the for people to take

in these unrealistic videos or pictures rather and you know be probably maybe have problems with eating disorders or whatever body image issues. And speaking of man one of the images they use is of George Clooney who is many people's idea of man candy. But it's interesting to see you know this is done for men too it's not it's all across the spectrum of showbiz that's a good point because you know you do think it's all women and particularly women who are somewhat voluptuous. Well back in the new someone from way back in the 50s in the 60s Doris Day that may be a name that some people are trying to figure out who is that. And she starred in so many wonderful movies in the 50s playing a very very good girl. She has a new album coming out. She's 88 and the album is called My heart and it actually is released today so here's Doris Day singing Heaven tonight. Her new CD my heart. Thank.

You. You're. Just. Playing. Around. Like. Rachel she sounds good to me. All right then we'll leave that right. Now. You know actually the thing about this that really gets to me isn't about how she sounds but how I am. I was sort of limited tolerance for irony anyway when it comes to music but I particularly don't like it if she does not seem to be in on the joke. And you know so it's not quite like William Shatner where everybody is laughing along or even Betty White who sort of definitely has this self satirizing way she embraced her latter day you know resurgence in popularity. And with Doris Day she's just she's dead serious and the other people are saying you are

taking it as a sort of a piece of of kitsch and that makes me uncomfortable. She's 88 the same age as Betty White. That's right. And watching you enjoy the song tell her I can't help but think of one of my favorite doors Day songs secret love. But I am an unabashed I'm not crazy about her later movies but as a singer and particularly her first musicals like romance on the high seas when a very different Doris Day. Difficult spunky getting in trouble a dangerous woman on that ship. And getting into bed with Oscar Levant. I mean she changed a lot and but also not a bad actress I mean I think her performance in The Man Who Knew Too Much is extraordinary. And anyone who watches her singing in that is due to for an entirely different experience from the tree Glee version she did for her situation comedy. Also I think Doris Day is a little bit more sophisticated than

you do. Rachel I think her concern for animals and her backing away from her career is something she did because she wanted to. And I think she's doing what she wants to do and she's she's just having a good time. She doesn't the way she she dealt with Scott Simon on NPR I mean she doesn't care she's doing what she wants to do. And I'm glad to see that she's back and you know I'm glad you mentioned the animal rights and support causes because all the proceeds for them sell them go to that. And when the album was released in Britain earlier in the fall it went to the top did so obviously there's a mist across the waters as well. Well speaking of singing I'm so happy about this western you've always written that the singing tell. I just think this is great. I love it. So I'm thinking there are a lot of people who maybe never experienced a singing telegram. We found a great clip here's Grover from Sesame Street delivering a singing telegram. Old school singing telegram. All right.

And bring it to me. Oh no it is from your end. I don't have an amp. My name's not Uncle Jay it's not my birthday and that telegram is not or me. Well we hope that's not the response. I mean he might be doing that just because he didn't like that. That's true. It's going on line though right till the time. Yeah I hear enough. Yeah I know it's very interesting and you know I think Western Union is trying to say you know it's trying to help itself out but also I think people right now are trying really hard to figure out how to make money from musical properties and for a lot of artists right now their biggest source of income is ringtones. And this seems sort of in that direction. You know there have been like smaller companies doing sitting telegram straight along. You know you can see the advertisements online. And the thing that really gets me though is one of the artists signed up is Cain and. And I think that the

Somali Canadian American rapper he's just so fantastic but he has this very serious song about him about how wonderful it is when you are really poor and you're broken you don't have money for food and somebody helps you out by wiring you some money that you can then go up in the Western Union and I think they sort of in a shallow way say hey not has a song about a telegram you know. Let's get him to do this you know but. But I thinks it is as revealing about the shifts in the music industry as it is about Western Union. Do you think you can be successful online. I think so. I just wonder how many people know what a telegram is. Yeah. There you go. I mean I think it's just this week I was having to explain what a telegram is to my students. But it's interesting it's an interesting use of technology and it also I think it's sparked by what people do on youtube too because then there's a kind of idea it's a famous singer but it's also your song too. And I think this is very

clever of Western you know to take advantage of this and applying it to their own. Rather difficult business model in the 21st century and those online greeting cards I never thought they would take off but hey they're everywhere so there you go so maybe able to be the same thing. Well here's something that I think does not have to be explained to most of the kids in your class in the office. This the very popular sitcom The Office they used to talk about their famous competitor in the in the for the company Dunder Staples being of the company was Dunder Mifflin and their their competitor is staples. But now they've given into corporate greed. So here's a clip from the TV show The Office and in this scene they are working on a jingle for their company Dunder Mifflin comes to. The City. This isn't the only clues from China. That are coming in to dry creek. OK this is the real you

present them in the book it was I know it's about time a time I thought. I was under pressure. Well Dunder Mifflin the fictional company makes paper. I think it's interesting that their competitor was Staples and now Staples is going to sell the real paper or the fictional paper for real. Clearly it's you know it's enough sort of along the line of fictional products that then become real candy bars and you know after the fantastic movie Office Space swing a line started making a red stapler. Is that sort of central image in that of my favorite is The Simpsons. Duff beer that's drunk by Homer that is sold but because they don't want to be accused of selling beer to kids they make a duff beer Hanon inside has some kind of protein drink just like candy cigarettes is worse. And in any event it's interesting

and I really I've said this before and I think it's really true that in terms of popular culture of our age the centrally defining concept maybe after technology is tyin and cross-marketing and in some cases I'm sure that the cultural artifact is made as a location for the future product. Will people buy Dunder Mifflin paper. Oh I think they will and I'm amazed at the wonder that Comcast who owns the brand would sell it to staples that the shock that some Comcast executive would say well we're kind of being untrue to the spirit of the show I just that the disingenuous ness of this just boggles my mind. You're being boggled by a lack of like corporate integrity. No no that people are surprised that people and I've read news stories where people are surprised. Oh I guess I'm just surprised at the surprise. Yeah I guess not. Yeah I'm just so much more. Yeah yeah. But I've recently I thought they're clever to sell it to Staples and I use the example of

you know because a lot of college students were Dunder Mifflin T-shirts but I thought the officer kind of passed for them but it's not tremendous Dunder Mifflin really resonates with a lot of people and I find it strange that most college students or younger people do not see themselves working in a cubicle. But they somehow glom on to the office and particularly Steve Carroll's character so to speak. So this is a brilliant marketing strategy although it was a good question are they going to have the obscene watermark that remains to be seen. Well awesome if they did. I just want to say that I think it was so. The paper yeah. Rachel Oh sure. You know I mean a lot of people just grab. Yeah I think it'll sell at least a little bit. Yeah I mean if they say if people buy the easy button at Staples they'll certainly buy again on Beta. A little shock in the acting room acting world maybe because Tyler Perry known for over the top. Some say cartoonish some say stereotypical movies

featuring himself in drag playing a character named Medea is now going to take over the role that was debuted by Morgan Freeman no less. And as Alex Cross. And it's it just shows us the central body of the franchise you can swap out the octaves you can swap out the directors but the franchise is what central and lives on. But there is you know he's sort of moving from this more insurgent. Chitlin circuit based you know African-American blue comic tradition of say Red Fox you know with his dragon his you know racialized jokes movie into the mainstream here this is a really I think big but not unprecedented move for that Tyler Perry's making. Yes second it's interesting that I thought of the James Bond how it's always an unknown actor who moves into James Bond. But Perry is very well known and it's interesting I have great faith in him the interview he gave us a star ical you know threatening the interviewer I am Alex Cross their right and you know I think.

Thank you very handsome. Yeah he cleaned up quite a bit address Al but that's all I can say. Right. That wraps up another edition of red time a review of this week's pop culture news. Rachel Reuben is the chair of the department of American studies at UMass Boston. Thomas Connelly is a professor of English at suffrage University. Thanks you too. Thank you Kelly. The Calla Crossley Show is a production of WGBH Boston Public Radio.