"Eating the Dogs" Dance Remix Erases Trump's Horrible Debate Night?, Netflix Action Flick Proves You Shouldn't Carry Large Amounts of Cash, Zach Bryan Recruits Oscar Winner (The Five for 09/13/24)
Plus, Saturday Night Live's origin story gets the big screen treatment. Rings of Power loses half it's audience. One of the year's best books dives deep into the experience of death.
Hey, welcome to The Five, a publication about the stories that matter.
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Now, let’s dive into Culture & Commentary.
[one]
If you haven't seen the latest Netflix hit, Rebel Ridge, make plans to this weekend. The film is the spiritual successor to Sylvester Stallone’s groundbreaking First Blood.
The movie centers around a corrupt police department who takes $38,000 in cash from the lead character, who plans to use the cash to start a freight business, despite not charging him with a crime.
Sadly, this happens regularly in real life, in cases like Cristal Starling, who lost her life savings when the police raided her boyfriend's house for drugs (side note: he had no drugs).
The police found no drugs in the apartment. But the search produced something else: While rummaging through cupboards and drawers, officers found Starling’s cash in a bedroom dresser and pants pockets.
Starling, who owns a hot dog stand, had earned the money through legal labor and was saving to buy a food truck. She never consented to her then-boyfriend’s alleged activities, and the police did not accuse her of wrongdoing. But they seized her money anyway.
Initially, Starling thought the setback would be temporary. “I hadn’t done anything wrong,” she told the Institute for Justice. “I wasn’t arrested for anything. There were no charges brought against me. So, I didn’t see a reason why I wouldn’t get my money back.”
Rebel Ridge is worth a watch as an action flick (and a star making moment for actor for relatively unknown actor Aaron Pierre, who we will surely see in a bigger budget production next time.
The film also serves as a stark reminder that modern anti-terrorism and anti-drug laws can be manipulated against everyday citizens…and it’s not a good idea to carry large amounts of cash on your person or vehicle.
Most cops aren’t corrupt…but if you get pulled over by one that is, you may lose your hard earned money forever.
[two]
Well, this is kinda awkward. Green Day is gearing up for the 20th anniversary of their seminal American Idiot album, which was the first major release to criticize the invasion of Iraq.
While I’m not a huge fan, I am looking forward to the expanded edition here, as the California trio dropped one of the most significant pieces of pop culture in this century. The first three tracks are out now, with the full 56 songs (you read that right) hitting streaming on 10/25.
The awkward part is that Green Day, who are supporting Kamala Harris, are now in the same political camp as then-VP Dick Cheney, who endorsed the Democratic ticket in 2024…and had a big part in the Iraq invasion of 2004.
It’s not like I expect America’s pop stars to have a coherent political philosophy…but the fact that the Bay Area punkers don’t see a hint of irony in this might just show how much celebrity has soaked into their brains.
Similar to when Rage Against the Machine demanded proof of a COVID vaccination for their 2022 tour (which never happened), Green Day are more closely aligned with major corporations and “American Imperialism” than their roots in activism.
On the one hand, people are allowed to change their minds. On the other, one has to wonder if young Green Day would be pissed at middle-aged Green Day.
Over in the pop world…after raging against Donald Trump in 2020, Taylor Swift had been quite mum on the election. Some of her fans were Big Mad about it:
It’s possible Swift was quiet because she was rattled from a foiled ISIS attack on one of her concerts.
Does she feel the same need today? While there is time to go before the Nov. 5 presidential election, Swift has remained silent thus far. Unusually protective of her likeness even by the standards of celebrity, Swift let Donald Trump’s use of A.I.-generated images falsely suggesting she endorsed him go by unremarked-upon; unusually willing to leverage high-profile friendships to show different sides of her, she’s chilling at the U.S. Open with Brittany Mahomes, whom Trump has thanked for her support.
Swift seems from one angle to have no more responsibility to speak out than any other high-profile person — perhaps she might argue she has a responsibility to remain silent. In her only public comments addressing the foiled plot to stage a terrorist attack on a planned concert in Vienna, Swift wrote on Instagram: “Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows.” Her Eras Tour is to continue through December, after the election; it is not unreasonable to think that Swift speaking out on a highly contested race might come with some element of risk. (Indeed, that was one of the arguments put to her in favor of staying silent in her documentary.)
That all changed on Tuesday night, when Swift dropped an Instagram post endorsing Harris/Walz, and signed it “Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady.”
Yawn. There was some mild backlash online…but not much. Because that’s what everyone expects celebrities to do. If one of the main takeaways of Tuesday night’s debate is that the media have lost the last shred of trust with the American people, a secondary lesson is that Swift’s endorsement barely moved the cultural needle…because celeb opinions on politics are now so lock-step that it’s not even worth stopping the Instagram scroll to see the particulars.
The final piece of pop culture hypocrisy this week comes from Nirvana alum and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, who has been Big Mad at Trump:
Listen, who cares what I think about guns or religion, but the thing about Trump that stings the most is this: he just seems like a massive jerk. Right?
But, oopsie, Dave is ALSO a massive jerk, admitting to an extramarital affair and secret baby this week:
Dave Grohl shocked his fans with a surprise announcement Tuesday that he fathered a child outside of his 21-year marriage to Jordyn Blum.
The Foo Fighters frontman is seeking "forgiveness" from his family after the birth of his youngest daughter. "I've recently become the father of a new baby daughter, born outside of my marriage," Grohl, 55, wrote in a statement shared on social media Tuesday. He is already a father to Violet, 18; Harper, 15 and Ophelia, 10.
"I plan to be a loving and supportive parent to her. I love my wife and my children, and I am doing everything I can to regain their trust and earn their forgiveness," the statement continued. "We're grateful for your consideration toward all the children involved, as we move forward together."
By having a side chick…Grohl puts himself on equal footing with Trump…the only difference is, Trump has never claimed to be anything but Trump, and Grohl had claimed the moral high ground, and therefore had a more epic fall.
As to how much this hurts Trump or helps Kamala, it’s tough to measure…because celebrities are losing their influence almost as fast as the mainstream media.
The power that pop and punk rock stars held in the 80’s and 90’s has obviously faded out, replaced by the meme creators and community moderators and independent cultural commentators dropping hot takes from their spare bedroom studios.
As to how that’s happening…
[three]
When the slog that was the Presidential debate ended at roughly 10:30 pm, I was exhausted from listening, and generally frustrated that Trump took Kamala’s bait every. single. time.
However, a couple of things became apparent immediately after the debate. The first was that Trump actually won over independents on issues of the economy, despite his abysmal performance.
The second is that Trump’s “eating the dogs, eating the cats” comments were remixed by a Socialist who hates Trump…only to take the internet by storm with pro-Trump accounts loving the song and making dance challenges:
Two things can be true at once:
A). Dance offs to sway a Presidential election are just as stupid as Kamala running on “vibes” and we’re getting dangerously close to Idiocracy territory here (if you don’t get that reference from a 2006 movie about the stupidest possible version of America…go watch that movie ASAP).
B). Trump really understands the internet and pop culture in a way Kamala does not, and that fact could factor in heavily to the election results come November.
[four]
Social media will no doubt be buzzing with reactions to Am I Racist? this weekend, a Borat style undercover film from conservative juggernauts The Daily Wire, in which commentator/personality (actor? kinda?) Matt Walsh goes undercover as a DEI expert.
NYT bestselling author Robin DiAngelo of White Fragility fame, who claims she was “tricked” into the movie says she was paid $15,000 to appear on screen for a documentary she thought was titled “Shades of Justice” and would be a project warm to her content.
DiAngelo posted a rebuttal statement, and then just deleted her social media accounts completely ahead of the release.
The author claimed everything seemed normal until 'things got weird' when Walsh told her that if she supported reparations for black Americans, then she should give his black producer cash on the spot.
During the scene, DiAngelo obliged, without irony, saying: 'On behalf of myself and my fellow white people, I apologize.'
She seemed wary at first, calling a personal payout for slavery 'really weird' but eventually joined in.
DiAngelo said she could 'get some cash for sure,' before crossing the room and taking $30 from her designer purse and handing it to Ben.
'The way Matt set this up felt intended to put Ben and I on the spot. Because Matt was pushing this on us, I expressed my discomfort and checked in with Ben, to be sure he was okay with receiving cash in this way. Ben reassured me that he was, so I went to my wallet and handed him my cash and the interview ended,' DiAngelo wrote.
DiAngelo claimed she was left 'unsettled' by the scene and asked a producer that it not be used because 'this scene was not an example of reparations and could mislead viewers.'
DiAngelo links to debunkingamiracist.com from her blog, a fact checking site that’s somehow live ahead of the movie (uhhh…wut?).
In DiAngelo’s defense, being sucked into a mockumentary that’s intentionally trying to make you look bad has to be difficult. And it’s much more difficult if your IQ hovers around that of the average home’s thermostat setting. DiAngelo’s book not just been shredded by the political right, but the political left as well, with major criticism coming from Columbia Uniersity’’s John McWhorter.
Whether or not you see Am I Racist? in theaters (or at all), it’s not a bad thing DiAngelo got taken down. Hopefully the void left will be filled with an expert on race who does actual research, like the brilliant Harvard Economist Roland Freyer…who I can’t recommend highly enough.
The current crowd of “DEI Celebrities,” including DiAngelo and Ibram X. Kendy have not accomplished much of anything after nearly a decade in the spotlight…so it’s time to give someone else the mic in regards to race in America.
Start here:
[five]
As always, let’s head into the weekend with a pop culture roundup:
A heads up for any geriatrics you know in Florida, Ryan Seacrest is the new host of Wheel of Fortune.
Forty years after the original, Goonies is getting a sequel, reportedly with the original cast.
Rings of Power season 2 ratings have dipped below season 1. Third party ratings services claim 50% of season 1 viewers have not returned.
PlayStation launched the PS5 Pro, with a $700 price tag. The internet was not amused.
Director Jason Reitman has two of the best movies of the aughts to his credit—Juno and Up in the Air, so it’s (hopefully) gonna be great to see him capture the making of Saturday Night Live, which the trailer describes as “90 minutes of live television by a group of 20-year-olds who have never made anything.”
Out 10/11.
[new music]
Zach Bryan recruited Academy Award winner Casey Affleck (Ocean’s 11, Good Will Hunting)…and it hits hard.
Houston rapper Tobe Nwigwe was an NFL-bound college football player when a torn ligament in his foot ended his career. Rather than just sit around, the son of Igbo tribe Nigerian immigrants threw his efforts into music, posting an original song (often with intricate camera work and choreography) every Sunday starting in 2016.
The buzz built, and Nwigwe has worked with a who’s-who of pop and hip hop, including Nas, Pharrell Williams, Paul Wall, Black Thought (of The Roots), Royce Da 5’9” and Justin Timberlake.
His new album leans more into Gospel and Soul genres than traditional hip hop…and is well worth checking out.
[read & learn]
Sebastian Junger is one of America’s greatest living nonfiction writers, which means even his most uneven book is still worth your time, with The Perfect Storm, Into the Wild and Freedom being absolutely essential reads.
Junger suffered a medical emergency a couple of years ago, and dives into death, both medically and philosophically, in fascinating detail. Spoiler alert…his conclusion is nonsensical, which comes down to “there can’t be a God, but when we die we live on as a collective consciousness” or some such nonsense that the average college freshman could pick apart without too much trouble. Junger’s functional god seems to be his deceased, atheist father who worked in physics…but just because the conclusion leaves much to be desired (even if you’re a staunch atheist, this probably isn’t the guy you want speaking for you).
Still, Junger is a great writer, and gets you thinking about a topic most of us would like to avoid. To explore a bit more, Andrew Huberman (who I’d describe as “Christianity curious”) talking about Science and Scripture is pretty compelling as far as origins of the universe go, Jordan Peterson probably doesn’t need a shout out…but his associate Jonathan Pageau, an Eastern Orthodox icon carver, does. Pageau’s YouTube channel is well worth the subscription, as is Paul Leitner’s Deep Talks Theology, which follows a similar path to Pageau's.
And when you can…just go read everything by C.S. Lewis.
Apple Podcasts | YouTube Podcasts | Podcasts
You’ve probably heard of The Weather Underground, a group of rich-kid led counterculture…murderous Communists who were obsessed with serial killer Charles Manson’s grotesque executions.
The Free Press has an incredible audio documentary connecting that 1960’s movement to what’s happening on college campuses today.
Until the next one,
-sth