One nice thing about working in the office where I work is that so many of my coworkers are so plugged in. I got the news about Michael Jackson today at about 4:45 PM, before his death had even been confirmed.

The not-so-nice thing about where I work is every time there’s news of this magnitude, I’m so backed up with work that I don’t have the mental capacity to care. I felt badly right away, of course, but I also felt a very quick annoyance at everyone getting up from their desks and talking loudly and not working while I was answering phones and typing furiously. I was working, those bastards, couldn’t they see? Lazy and irresponsible pricks.

But now I’m not at work. I’m at home, and I am slowly getting that profound sense of loss that I’ve seen on the faces of so many people at work and on the train ride home. And not just over Michael Jackson – I’m also sad that Farrah Fawcett passed away, since I had just heard that she was finally going to get married after being with the same guy for, like, 30 years.

And I had been thinking how much Ed McMahon did to further the status of sidekicks in society. I was grateful for Ed when I watched the first “Tonight Show” with Conan O’Brien and saw his old pal Andy Richter standing there – it was very much the Ed-and-Johnny feel, and that’s a good, good feel. It made me happy.

I have nothing earth-shattering to say about these three; I was not the most obsessive fan of any of them. But controversy or no, they were, in fact, true American icons, and I acknowledge the gravity. I would never have predicted that these three would be grouped together in any category, but this kind of makes sense.

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EDIT 6/28
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Actually, apparently they come in fours sometimes: Billy Mays, darling of infomercials everywhere, has also died.

TV pitchman Billy Mays found dead in Tampa home

And, if you count David Carradine not too long ago, that could really make five.

Or else we should be waiting for one more, which would make two sets of three. Who’s next in line?

Filed by Bil at 8:23 pm under Pop Culture, Shameless Plugs
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I have a sneaking suspicion that, just as a person can’t choose who to fall in love with (you just do), neither can a company predict who its audience will be (they just will).

But must a company make concessions from time to time to please its audience as their relationship progresses? I would grant that no company should make concessions ALL the time, but is it ever a good idea? In the interest of maintaining a healthy relationship, people must make the occasional sacrifice; should a performing arts company do the same? For example - hypothetically - if an audience base asks for a remount of a popular show and the company has the resources for only one show, do they acquiesce and remount the show the audience asked for, or do they challenge the audience with a new work and hope for the best response?

I guess the question boils down to: does the artist trust his/her audience more than his/her own instincts?

Now that I ask it, it seems like a stupid question. The obvious answer is that artists must trust their own instincts. It’s those very instincts and sensibilities, presumably, that built the audience to begin with. And no artist or arts company should ever be lazy and take its audience for granted. But where is the line that once you cross the mantra becomes “fuck you, audience, I know best, I’m awesome, I don’t need you?”

Filed by Bil at 1:17 pm under Fightin' Words, The Arts
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I will offer this confession: I did not watch the Tony Awards.

Worse yet: I have never watched the Tony Awards. Ever.

Still worse: I have never really cared about the Tony Awards. Ever.

To top it off: I watch the Oscars every year. I love the Oscars. I care about the Oscars.

I am sure this places me among the vile outcasts of the theatre community – that I should follow Hollywood and ignore Broadway – but it’s the truth, and, to quote a play, “To thine own self be true.”

(Of course, when someone says such-and-such was nominated for a Tony, then, of course, I pay attention. I’m shallow like that, yes.)

However, I do take it upon myself (as a matter of duty, I suppose) to read the list of winners after the ceremony is all done with. Apparently, God of Carnage won Best Play, which puts Yasmina Reza back on top of the world, and I really love Art, so good job, Reza! Keep it up.

Also, some of my favorite film actors won Tony Awards (Geoffrey Rush, Angela Lansbury, and Marcia Gay Harden), and oddly enough I sort-of-kind-of-barely know a cast member of Hair, which won Best Revival of a Musical.

So cool beans for the Tony Awards, and congrats to all nominees and winners. I probably won’t watch next year, either, but you know…can’t predict the future.

Filed by Bil at 1:55 pm under Pop Culture, The Arts
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I know Michael Moore is a polarizing figure, and there are probably more folks on the side of “I can’t stand that guy” than on the side of “this guy knows what he’s talking about.” However, I do strongly encourage anyone and everyone, even if you despise the man, to read his article from today’s Huffington Post.

Michael Moore: Goodbye, GM

Moore talks about the idea of repurposing GM factories not just for GM cars, which we need to let go of, but for other modes of clean, energy-efficient transportation, like cross-country bullet trains and clean buses for rural areas. Read up.

** Later that day…

I found this photo in an article from the Boston Globe:

I can’t tell if it’s on purpose or if it’s a telling sign of some kind, but the three vehicles we see here driving in front of the GM headquarters in Detroit are all made by Ford.

Hm.

Filed by Bil at 4:21 pm under Environmentality, Fightin' Words, Politics
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Note of contention: I have been trying to post this article for over a week now, but something was wrong with our Word Press editor software. Yes. Technical problems with the website prevented me from posting an article titled “Websites are the future”…anyway, here it is, in all last week’s glory…

I’m going to write this article with three points that seemingly have nothing to do with each other, starting with:

1) Pay for what you get.

If you don’t give money to Chicago Public Radio, here’s what you have to look forward to. Or, if you don’t listen to Chicago Public Radio, it’s what you have to look forward to hearing me talk about.

You don’t want that, do you?

Give $20 at WBEZ.org

Speaking of websites being the future…

2) Make the most of a dire situation.
(Keep reading…)

Filed by Bil at 11:13 am under Pop Culture, Social Issues, The Media
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(Keep reading…)

Filed by Lance at 11:45 pm under General, Shameless Plugs, The Arts
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More on the car situation. If you haven’t heard: Chrysler has both officially filed for bankruptcy protection and officially merged with Fiat. An American conglomerate known for on-the-surface class and breaking down all the time has partnered with a European company known for funny smallness and breaking down all the time.

This has promise. We all know what happens when we cross slightly-upper-crust America with European things we laugh at:

(Keep reading…)

Filed by Bil at 9:56 pm under General
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Jeff Citation Awards: for artists who don’t actually make money with their art.

I didn’t see nearly enough theatre last year, so it’s not surprising that I only saw one show out of all the shows that appear on this year’s list. This is nothing new, I’m usually pretty bad about having seen shows that get nominated, but at least this time I have the excuse that I was busy with actually working on other shows. (Other…NON-nominated shows…dammit.)

Anyway, check out this years list…
(Keep reading…)

Filed by Bil at 1:29 pm under The Arts
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It’s been a crazy two weeks. Here’s what the program looked like:

1. 4/20, Act I: The Game of Contact and a workshopped performance of The Meaning of Anthology
2. 4/25, Act II: Directing for Theatre of Women IV at Dream Theatre
3. 4/26, Act III: Directing a staged reading of a new play called To Grandfather’s House by Nancy Schaefer at Chicago Dramatists
4. Relaxing Denouement (Be be be be be beep, be be be be be beep.)

(Keep reading…)

Filed by Lance at 11:55 pm under General, Love, Pop Culture, Shameless Plugs, The Arts, The Media
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I hate to talk about the economy – we all know it’s crappy, and I’m sure I don’t have much to say about it that hasn’t already been said five million times – and I wasn’t even worried about my own day job…until I read this news story:

GM to force more than 1,000 dealers to close (April 28, 2009)
(Keep reading…)

Filed by Bil at 10:06 pm under Fightin' Words, Politics
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