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GRITtv: Ed Pilkington: Political Conflict in U.S. & U.K.
TV networks and bloggers alike got some mileage out of the comments in a Goldman Sachs email that an investment was a "sh*tty deal," but Ed Pilkington of the British newspaper The Guardian thinks it's about time that U.S. politics got a little rougher, say, how they've been in the U.K. for a while now. But an import from U.S. electoral politics--a televised debate between the three main candidates for Prime Minister--has shaken up politics in the U.K. and rocketed a former Nation magazine intern, Liberal Democrat candidate Nick Clegg, to fame. Pilkington joins us in studio to discuss the political scene in both countries, from Goldman to the Tea Parties, Nick Clegg to Barack Obama. GRITtv with Laura Flanders brings participatory democracy onto your computer screen and into your living room, bridging the gap between audience and advocates. Watch any show, at any time: http://grittv.org Distributed by Tubemogul.
Email this pageGRITtv: Katha Pollitt: The Mind-Body Problem
Katha Pollitt writes the Subject to Debate column for the Nation magazine and her essays on life, love, and politics have become American standards. But you many not know that Pollitt is also a poet and published her first book of poetry, Antarctic Traveller, in 1982. Her new book, The Mind-Body Problem, explores many themes including motherhood, middle age, and what she's learned from some of her favorite authors.
GRITtv: Bruno: Offensive, Funny, or Just Shock Value?
Sacha Baron Cohen's new film, Bruno, premiered in theaters on Friday to mixed reviews. Several were offended by the admittedly provocative antics of Cohen onscreen. But was it offending the wrong people? Scores of people from the gay community have voiced their distaste for Cohen's depiction of homosexuals in the movie, fearing that his behavior perpetuates common stereotypes and strengthens homophobic tendencies. A scene where Bruno treats a baby like an accessory has especially angered some, in a time when the gay community is having difficulty gaining adoption rights. Others disagree, saying Bruno's character is an obvious cartoon version of the ridiculous stereotypes that have been wrongly placed on homosexuals. But in the end, Bruno is a comedy, so is it funny? And if so, do we laugh more from satire or sheer shock value? Here to discuss these questions and more we have Richard Kim of The Nation, Antoine B. Craigwell of GBMNews.com, and Shawn Edwards creator of www.iloveblackmovies.com and contributor at FoxTV.
GRITtv: Progressive Politics and the LGBT Movement
What can the progressive movement learn from the LGBT community? On the 40th anniversary of Stonewall there has been a good deal of reflection and soul searching on the role of the struggle for gay rights within the larger civil rights movement. Yesterday when Barack Obama met with gay couples in the White House he said, "It's not for me to tell you to be patient any more than it was for others to counsel patience to African-Americans who were petitioning for equal rights a half-century ago. We've been in office six months now. I suspect that by the time this administration is over, I think you guys will have pretty good feelings about the Obama administration." That could be applied to a number of issues, not only those affecting the LGBT community. Richard Burns, Chief Operating Officer of the Arcus Foundation, Naomi Clark of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, Richard Kim, Associate Editor at The Nation, and independent journalist Nancy Goldstein on the role of LGBT politics within the progressive movement.
