Governor Brown gives the State of the State, heads to the Southland. L.A. first city to require condoms in porn. Is Paula Deen your cook and your doctor? Letterman stand-up booker fired for saying women aren’t funny.
Governor Brown gives the State of the State, heads to the Southland
Governor Jerry Brown delivers his State of the State speech in Sacramento this morning then heads to Southern California. We'll carry the Governor's speech, in which he's expected to try to drum up enthusiasm for his tax initiatives that will appear on the November ballot, saying they’re the only way to pull California out of the fiscal crisis we find ourselves in. He’ll most likely also touch on his proposal to make big changes to state employee pension funds as a way of saving money.
According to the Sacramento Bee, Brown’s agenda for this year has been clear for months. In addition to his tax proposals he’ll also push for approval of the controversial high-speed rail project and a new way of moving water through the Delta region of northern California. Analysts are expecting to hear a lot about the Governor’s education initiatives as well, including a call for less statewide testing and using tax money to fund schools.
Today’s speech comes as Brown’s agenda for last year remains unfinished. He was unable to get legislators to sign on to extending temporary tax increases as well as many other budget and tax proposals.
WEIGH IN:
How will the Governor balance calling for cut backs and tax hikes simultaneously? Is his pitch to invest billions in infrastructure convincing? What state do you think California is in?
Guest:
Julie Small, KPCC's State Capital Reporter
L.A. first city to require condoms in porn
In a 9-1 vote yesterday, the Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance requiring porn performers to use condoms in adult films, making L.A. the first city in the nation to do so. The new rule applies only to films shot on sets that require a city permit, not to those made at studios.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) sponsored the initiative to stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases in the multi-billion dollar porn industry. But the Free Speech Coalition, a trade association for the adult entertainment industry, has long opposed mandatory condom use. They argue that the monthly testing protocols already in place work and that forcing condom use could drive production underground, where things would be even less safe.
Before the law can take effect, the City Council has ordered police officials, the city attorney and others to figure out how it might be enforced. The AHF calls the new rule “historic” and is now working on a measure that would apply to all porn production in Los Angeles County, both on-set and on-location.
WEIGH IN:
How will all this impact the adult film industry, much of which is centered in Los Angeles? Do they plan to comply with the new regulations? If so, how? If not, what challenges or alternative proposals might be on the horizon?
Guest:
Michael Weinstein, Executive Director, Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF)
Diane Duke, Executive Director, Free Speech Coalition, a trade association for the adult entertainment industry
Is Paula Deen your cook and your doctor?
Celebrity chef Paula Deen yesterday revealed a secret she has been keeping for a long time. She told NBC that she was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes three years ago. The famous southerner traffics in comfort foods containing lots of butter, bacon and cream, all of which can lead to the development of diabetes and be devastating to those afflicted with the disease.
Deen also announced on the "Today" show that she is the new paid spokesperson for the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk and its diabetes treatment. For years, Deen has been criticized for promoting unhealthy cooking. Her nemesis chef, Anthony Bourdain, called her "the worst, most dangerous person to America," in the past. Deen says she has always eaten in moderation and advised moderation. She told Oprah, "Honey, I'm your cook, I'm not your doctor!"
WEIGH IN:
Is it hypocritical to promote fatty foods and campaign for the medicine that treats its associated diseases? Why did Novo Nordisk choose Deen as a spokesperson? Do your trust her in that role? How will this revelation affect Deen's cooking show? She said she will adjust some recipes, but how far will she go? Why did she keep this to herself for so long instead of advocating healthy choices at the outset?
Guests:
Ken Inchausti, spokesperson, Novo Nordisk Healthcare Company, headquartered in Denmark, hired Deen as spokesperson
Arthur Caplan, Professor of Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania
Katherine Mangu-Ward, managing editor, Reason magazine
Letterman stand-up booker fired for saying women aren’t funny
Earlier this week, Dave Letterman’s long-time show booker Eddie Brill lost his job. His offense? In an interview with the New York Times he responded to the question about why he had only booked one female comedian in all of 2011 by saying that female stand-up comics are less “authentic” and act like men on stage to please the audience. This created an uproar in comedy circles and beyond.
But Brill may not be alone in thinking that there’s something less than authentic about female comics. Look in the writers rooms at most sitcoms and practically all late night talk shows, not to mention comedy clubs and you’ll see a shocking lack of women. People are STILL talking about Christopher Hitchens’ 2007 Vanity Fair takedown of women in comedy that essentially posited that women didn’t need to be funny because they have other qualities that appeal to the opposite sex.
It’s been several years since then, but how much has changed for women in the business? There are certainly many more recognizable women in comedy now than ever before, like Tina Fey, Kristin Wiig, Ellen Degeneres and Kathy Griffin. Is parity right around the corner? Does the industry still favor men over women, and perhaps more importantly do audiences? Are men given more opportunities for exposure, and if so, how do women in the business combat this? Is there something inauthentic about women on stage? And, at the heart of it all, are women funny?
Guests:
Larry Getlen, Editor, Mirth Magazine