On Wednesday, California Democratic Party Chair Eric Bauman tweeted a call to boycott beloved SoCal burger chain In-N-Out because of it’s donation to the California GOP. We also discuss the implications after California passes net neutrality bill; look into rehabilitation after #MeToo; and more.
A look at the implications if California passes net neutrality bill
The California Assembly voted Wednesday to enshrine net neutrality in state law, delivering a major victory to advocates looking to require an equal playing field on the internet.
In the latest effort by California lawmakers to drive national policy and rebuff President Donald Trump, lawmakers approved one of the nation's most aggressive efforts to revive regulations repealed last year by the Federal Communications Commission. The rules prevented internet companies from exercising more control over what people watch and see on the internet.
The 58-17 vote Thursday was surprisingly lopsided after the Assembly was seen as a potential barrier to the bill's passage. It returns to the Senate, which passed an earlier version and is expected to sign off on changes from the Assembly before the Legislature adjourns on Friday.
The measure, if signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, is likely to face a legal challenge. The FCC has declared that states cannot pass their own net neutrality rules, though proponents of the California legislation say that only Congress can tie California's hands.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guest:
Klint Finley, tech reporter for Wired, who has been reporting on net neutrality; he tweets
Dem leader says no to double-doubles: the implications of In-N-Out’s political contributions
On Wednesday, California Democratic Party Chair Eric Bauman tweeted a call to boycott beloved SoCal burger chain In-N-Out because of it’s donation to the California GOP.
Et tu In-N-Out? Tens of thousands of dollars donated to the California Republican Party... it’s time to
- let Trump and his cronies support these creeps... perhaps animal style!
— EricBauman (@EricBauman)
Et tu In-N-Out? Tens of thousands of dollars donated to the California Republican Party... it’s time to #BoycottInNOut - let Trump and his cronies support these creeps... perhaps animal style!https://t.co/9zkdFaG5CJ
— EricBauman - The UnCommon Sense Democrat (@EricBauman) August 30, 2018
In-N-Out had made a $25,000 donation to the California Republican Party Monday, listing it as a contribution for the November midterm election. The chain responded to criticism by pointing out it made equal contributions to a Democratic Political Action Committee. According to reports, Democratic PAC “California for Jobs and a Strong Economy” received donations from the burger chain.
How will this affect In-N-Out and will consumers care? How should a business navigate political donations in a time of hyper partisanship? And is there a way for a business to make donations without affecting their brand?
Guests:
Robert Winsor, professor of marketing and business law at Loyola Marymount's College of Business Administration
Abby Wood, campaign finance expert and associate professor of law, political science and public policy at the USC Gould School of Law
A week of paying respect to Aretha Franklin concludes with her funeral service
A week of remembrances for Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin conclude today with her funeral service at the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit.
The service is expected to last about five hours, with performances from greats such as Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson and Faith Hill. The event will be private, but you can watch the live stream here. The stream will also be broadcast on TV screens outside the church, where people will likely be gathered.
We check in with WDET editor Quinn Klinefelter who’s outside the service and has been covering Aretha Franklin-related events all week.
Guest:
Quinn Klinefelter, a senior news editor at WDET, a public radio station in Detroit, Mich.; he’s outside the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, where Aretha Franklin’s funeral is being held; tweets
Rehabilitation after #MeToo: Is the public ready for a Louis C.K. comeback?
Comedian Louis C.K. has returned to the stage for apparently the first time after he admitted to engaging in sexual misconduct.
He made an unannounced appearance Sunday night at the Comedy Cellar in New York City’s Greenwich Village. The club’s owner, Noam Dworman, told the New York Times he watched a video of the appearance. He says the 50-year-old was “very relaxed” and was greeted by an ovation from the audience. He says he performed “typical Louis C.K. stuff.”
Five women last November accused the comedian of inappropriate behavior. He released a statement in which he said the stories were true and he expressed remorse for his actions. The actions resulted in the end of a production deal with FX Networks and the cancellation of a movie release.
Were you surprised to learn that Louis C.K. re-emerged so quickly? Can C.K. be redeemed? What about Weinstein, Spacey, Roy Moore, Bill O’Reilly, Bill Cosby, Al Franken, among a long list of others. Should there be a permanent life sentence on someone who does something wrong? Is there a room for a comeback in the #MeToo movement? Call us at 866-893-5722 and weigh in.
With files from the Associated Press.
Guests:
Melena Ryzik, culture reporter for the New York Times, who has been reporting on Louis C.K.'s comeback; she was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for public service for reporting on workplace sexual harassment issues; she tweets
Dominic Patten, senior editor at the film and TV industry news site, Deadline
FilmWeek: ‘Operation Finale,’ ‘Kin,’ ‘The Little Stranger’ and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Amy Nicholson and Wade Major review this weekend’s new movie releases.
"Operation Finale" in wide release
Listen to The Frame's interview with director Chris Weitz here.
"Kin" in wide release
"The Little Stranger" in select theatres (check local listings)
"Destination Wedding" at AMC Burbank Town Center & Laemmle’s Monica Film Center
"Ya Veremos" in select theatres (check local listings)
"Pick of the Litter" at Laemmle’s Royal Theater
"Let The Corpses Tan (Laissez Bronzer Les Cadavres!)" at Nuart Theatre
"Active Measures" at AMC Sunset
"John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection" at Laemmle’s Playhouse, Laemmle’s Royal Theatre, Laemmle’s Town Center, AMC Rolling Hills (Torrance) & Edwards Westpark (Irvine)
"An Actor Prepares" at Laemmle’s Music Hall
CRITICS' HITS
Amy: "Kin" & "The Little Stranger"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac5wrM2uYbk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASR04zW4K8w
Wade: "Pick of the Litter" & "John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW7GVR2c80k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_mOBXFtub0
MIXED FEELINGS
Amy: "Destination Wedding"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjXQzRWmb_I
Wade: "Operation Finale"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07Y4_6PD0Z4
MISSES
Amy: "An Actor Prepares"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyEV6FyJFcY
Wade: "Let The Corpses Tan (Laissez Bronzer Les Cadavres!)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONMbWj8u-RA
Guests:
Amy Nicholson, film critic for KPCC, film writer for The Guardian and host of the podcasts The Canon and Unspooled; she tweets
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and CineGods.com
Everyone’s a critic: Rotten Tomatoes revises reviewer criteria to foster inclusivity — how does it change what it means to be a film critic?
In an effort to include newer and more diverse critics from a wider array of platforms like YouTube and podcasts, Rotten Tomatoes announced earlier this week that it would be revising its criteria for what qualifies someone as a critic whose reviews could be considered in determining a film’s overall score on the site’s 1-100 percentage scale.
RT is considered by many to be a helpful tool in determining on which of the many films in movie theaters we’re going to spend our money. But some say that for as much influence as its “rotten” or “certified fresh” ratings carry with the moviegoing public, RT is cavalier with its definition of “critic” and that the way it compiles hundreds of reviews to churn out one score ignores importance nuance in the movies.
Earlier this year, a report USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found a 3.5 to 1 male to female ratio and other race and gender disparities among reviewers on RT after evaluating close to 20,000 reviews.
Larry Mantle and FilmWeek critics Amy Nicholson and Wade Major are joined by Rotten Tomatoes’ editor-in-chief Joel Meares to go over the revisions to RT’s critic criteria and talk about what it means for the diversity and inclusivity among critics and their platforms and, given RT’s significant influence on the public, whether and how it changes who qualifies to be a critic.
Guests:
Joel Meares, editor-in-chief of Rotten Tomatoes; he tweets
Amy Nicholson, film critic for KPCC, film writer for The Guardian and host of the podcasts The Canon and Unspooled; she tweets
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and CineGods.com
Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association; she tweets