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In case you couldn't tell, I've been on a big documentary kick lately. I watched three yesterday (while simultaneously catching up with email, reading the news online, doing office work, and probably writing some blog posts). While I'm not going to write three extensive reviews, I will offer a brief vignette.
Documentary #1: For the Bible Tells Me SoThe Human Relations Commission of Bowling Green (of which I have been the university rep for the last two years) screened this interesting film, and I was happy to be a part of it. The purpose of the HRC is to promote diversity within the community, so it was fitting that we sponsored the event. For the Bible Tells Me So takes an objective look at the Bible and homosexuality (ie: reading the original text and putting it into the context of the times). All things considered, the film was well done, and I really think everyone needs to see it. If you live in Bowling Green, the HRC is donating a copy to the public library so you can see it for free!
Documentary #2: Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices
I'm a little late in seeing this. Since most of you have already watched it, all I am going to say is that if you haven't watched it yet, you need to watch it now. I've always known that Wal-Mart was bad for the world (I refuse to shop there, and so should you), but I didn't know how bad. Bottom line: stop giving them money right now, and watch this doc when you get a chance.
Documentary #3: Breasts
That's right, it's a documentary about breasts. More specifically, it is about how women feel about their breasts. I loved this film when I saw it in Women's Sexuality last year, and I couldn't resist seeing it again. It's only about an hour long, it's insightful, it's great. Watch it when you need something lighter (I think it would work well paired with this amazing documentary!)
So the BF and I decided to make Sunday night documentary night (again, I acknowledge that I am super late in blogging about this). This week's title: The US vs. John Lennon, a film about the treatment the coolest Beatle received at the hands of Nixon and him henchmen after he moved to NYC. I'll give you a hint: apparently Tricky Dick was a McCartney fan.
Although I've been interested in Lennon's life for a number of years (in another life, I am also an amateur music historian. Don't believe me? Let's go to the Rock Hall together), this film gave me a new appreciation for his protest art (the bed-ins for peace, press conference in a bag, etc. I still don't get the "Primal Screams" album).
The way I see it, Lennon was a PR genius. He knew the status of his celebrity around the globe- and he turned it into a medium for his protest art. For instance, let's take the bed in for peace. After Lennon and Ono got married, they knew that their chances for a normal honeymoon were slim; paparazzi all over the globe wanted a picture of the newlyweds in bed together. So they decided to give the media what they wanted; only they turned it into an anti-war protest. The whole thing was a beautifully executed, avant garde political masterpiece.
Anyways, his artsy stunts didn't sit so well with everyone; Nixon and his pals at the FBI actually considered Lennon the dissenter a threat to the nation. They tried to deport him on bogus charges (crooked cop busted him with weed in Englandseveral years previous), but really waned him out because he vocally disagreed with US foreign policy.
The treatment Lennon received at the hands of the US government was shameful. Definitely worth watching, even for those who aren't Beatles fans. More than anything, it's an interesting look at freedom of speech (or lack thereof) in America.
Today was unusual- it was an absolutely beautiful day in Bowling Green. In fact, it was so nice that I decided it would be a great idea to take my cat, Harry Potter, for a walk. The BF and I tried taking him to Video Spectrum, the neighborhood video store with a bigger, better selection of movies than I have ever seen in one place. While trying to handle Harry on a leash was a relative failure, the trip did yield one success: we left Video Spectrum with a wonderful documentary, One Bright Shiny Moment. It's all about George McGovern's 1972 presidential bid (he was the guy challenging Nixon, and boy, if only Americans had had the foresight to support him!). Fascinating! I enthusiastically recommend giving it a watch. Even though I've been fixated on 1960s and '70s politics since, oh, age twelve, I must admit that I did not know much about McGovern. Little did I know that he was the presidential candidate I have always dreamed of! With a pragmatic, populist message of peace, McGovern built a grassroots juggernaut that should have taken him to Washington. Unfortunately, he was a little before his time. Americans weren't ready for his promise of progressive change, and we wound up with a national embarrassment in the White House (story of American politics- always so close, yet so far away). Anyways, this film is a must-see for anyone interested in the inner-workings of American politics, or for anyone with leanings toward social justice. Plus, it featured interesting cameos by Warren Beatty, Howard Zinn, and Gloria Steinem (one of Toledo's favorite daughters) just to name a few. Skip this week's Gray's Anatomy re-run and give it a try!
