I did not envy actor Dennis Farina when he was cast to replace Jerry Orbach on Law & Order. Farina’s Det. Joe Montana had an edge and flashiness that was more old time Little Italy than Lower East Side. But that was fitting for such a quintessentially New York series. Lennie Briscoe was irreplaceable but Joe Montana was still compelling to watch.
Rolling Stone‘s decision to feature Dzhohkar Tsarnaev, the suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing, on the cover of its latest issue has generated a public reaction that I cynically suggest is probably what they expected.
Late Wednesday morning, both Tedeschi Food Shops and CVS pledged not to carry the Rolling Stone issue in its stores.
On its Facebook page, CVS wrote:”CVS/pharmacy has decided not to sell the current issue of Rolling Stone featuring a cover photo of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect. As a company with deep roots in New England and a strong presence in Boston, we believe this is the right decision out of respect for the victims of the attack and their loved ones.
And from Tedeschi’s Facebook page: “Tedeschi Food Shops supports the need to share the news with everyone, but cannot support actions that serve to glorify the evil actions of anyone. With that being said, we will not be carrying this issue of Rolling Stone. Music and terrorism don’t mix!
CVS’s statement is understandable. It’s less a free speech issue than a business decision. They don’t wish to offend their customers. Tedeschi’s statement makes less sense. Having not read the piece, Tedeschi can’t definitely state that the article “glorifies the evil actions of anyone” (unless Tedeschi is referring to the feature on Robin Thicke). Also, the line “music and terrorism don’t mix” reveals an ignorance of Rolling Stone‘s regular content — much of it is political and not related to music at all.
Catherine Parrotta reported on Twitter that Boston Mayor Thomas Menino believes the cover is a “disgrace” and that it should’ve featured first responders instead. The mayor already has one job with a limited career path, does he really need to try his hand at publishing?
Rolling Stone released a statement:
“The fact that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is young, and in the same age group as many of our readers, makes it all the more important for us to examine the complexities of this issue and gain a more complete understanding of how a tragedy like this happens.”
Otherwise serious people are spooked about the impact Jenny McCarthy’s hiring on The View might have for the health of a nation.
Dr. Claire McCarthy writes:
By choosing Jenny McCarthy to be a host on “The View”, ABC made a decision that could end up costing lives–even worse, the lives of children.
Can we take a mom
ent to express sympathy for a group who’s about to experience a trying few weeks? I refer, of course, to black conservatives. They’ve got to agree that the Zimmerman verdict was not just appropriate but that Zimmerman’s version of events was most likely completely true. They’ve got to agree that race had nothing to do with Trayvon Martin’s death… although, race was the reason George Zimmerman was unfairly prosecuted and victimized. They’ve got to nod and say how Martin shouldn’t have been wearing a hoodie. How else would Zimmerman have known he wasn’t a criminal like so many other black males that the Democrats have failed with their social polices and lenient welfare handouts? And, yes, Martin shouldn’t have attacked Zimmerman or fought back or anything like that. He’d still be alive if he’d just politely waited for the police with Zimmerman, who he should have trusted completely was not a sexual predator. It’s not like he looks like one, after all. They’ve got to agree that Benjamin Crump is a “race huckster” just like Al Sharton, Jesse Jackson, and the NAACP. They’ll probably have to talk about O.J. Simpson some more. And, oh yes sir, Barack Obama is dividing the nation by race when he refers to the death of a violent thug as “tragic.” He’s promoting race riots, just like his crony Eric Holder. If he were alive today, Martin Luther King would agree, because he’d also be a black conservative.
On the upside, black conservatives will receive lots of invitations to dinner and cocktail parties for the rest of the month so their friends can get their comforting opinions on record.
Can you name the actors in this clip from a 1993 episode of Batman: The Animated Series? Two starred in popular 1980s TV series, and the other is currently starring in a critically acclaimed cable show.
“So, Gov. Kasich, shouldn’t we find, I dunno, at least one of those… uh, whaddaya call em? …. women for this photo op of you signing this restrictive abortion bill? What about Dunlap in HR? It’s her first day but she’d just have to smile at the camera. Oh, she’s in orientation? Well, shoot, what about Gladys the sandwich lady? Just take off the apron, spruce up her hair a bit. She doesn’t have to speak English or anything. It’s just a photo. OK? We’re just gonna do this? All right, hey, what do I know?”
Frankly, if Kasich is truly pro-life, the next bill he’ll sign would ban Cincinnati Chili.
serhasacomplaint 
Ukulele Serenade…
Posted by Stephen Robinson on July 22, 2013 in Social Commentary
Tags: Alberta Arts District, Black Cat Cafe, Portland