Last stand before the Florida primary. Did Twitter just commit social suicide? FilmWeek: KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell and Henry Sheehan join Larry to review the week’s new film releases, including The Grey, Man on a Ledge, Margaret, Norwegian Wood and more. Groucho Marx’s later years.
Last stand before the Florida primary
Newt Gingrich wasn't saving his voice ahead of CNN's debate in Jacksonville. In his fight for the GOP nomination, Gingrich spent Thursday blasting his foremost opponent, Mitt Romney, for "hypocrisy that should make every American angry." Gingrich appeared ready to fire up an audience that was free to react -- within limits.
After Monday night's staid debate that muted the crowd, CNN's Wolf Blitzer said, "People are going to be able to applaud if they want, but I don't want to see any craziness." Most of the drama was contained to the stage, as Mitt Romney continued his new role as aggressor in reacting strongly to Newt Gingrich’s campaign ads labeling him as “anti-immigrant.”
Gingrich attempted to relive a moment from one of the South Carolina debates when he tried to swat away a question from moderator Wolf Blitzer as another example of the media not focusing on issues. Blitzer, however, pushed back hard, saying the question was one of substance and got Gingrich to respond.
Rick Santorum and Ron Paul were not relegated merely to the sidelines, either. Santorum got one of the bigger reactions of the night after he reacted to a long exchange between Romney and Gingrich debating ads and their respective campaigns by calling for a return to talking about the issues. Ron Paul, however, seemed to have had a joke a minute, as nearly every answer he gave was preceded by a one-liner. Perhaps you remember when, when asked about Gingrich's plan to build a colony on the moon, "Maybe we should send some politicians up there."
WEIGH IN:
What did you think about the craziness on the stage? Was this more of the same, or did this debate offer a new look at the same candidates? How far will the candidates go to win over undecided primary voters in Florida? How did they appeal to the varied constituencies within Florida throughout the course of the night? Who came out on top?
Guests:
Jonathan Wilcox, Republican Strategist; former speech writer for Governor Pete Wilson
Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist; former senior Obama advisor in 2008, now runs the Los Angeles office for the Dewey Square Group.
Did Twitter just commit social suicide?
In a week of big tech news, one little tweet from social media giant @twitter last night just blew out the rest. The company announced it has refined its technology so it can censor messages on a country-by-country basis.
Twitter's blog explains the changes, "As we continue to grow internationally, we will enter countries that have different ideas about the contours of freedom of expression. Some differ so much from our ideas that we will not be able to exist there. Others are similar but, for historical or cultural reasons, restrict certain types of content, such as France or Germany, which ban pro-Nazi content."
Forbes tech writer, Mark Gibbs, calls the move an "epic mistake" by Twitter management. He thinks it amounts to "social suicide" for the site.
Until now, Twitter was both lauded and reviled for its no-holds-barred approach to content. Since the launch of Twitter in 2006, it has been revolutionary in every sense of the word. It wasn't just a new website. It was a new medium within the medium of the Net. Individuals with the power of 140 characters of text could communicate instantly with the world.
Tweeters in Iran did not take that power for granted in January of 2009. Their so-called Green Revolution was fueled by tweets alerting activists about the where and the when of protests. Similarly, the hashtag #Jan25 just celebrated its one year anniversary. That marks the date of the Egyptian revolution last year -- helped in huge part by individual users shouting for change one tweet at a time.
WEIGH IN:
What if Twitter had the ability to censor content all along? Would these revolutions have turned out differently? How will Twitter know which tweets do and do not violate a country's restrictions? And who defines those restrictions? Today the Chinese activist Ai Weiwei tweeted Friday: "If Twitter censors, I'll stop tweeting." Is he overreacting? Could another company fill the void if users flee? Will users protest with a #twitterblackout?
Guests:
Brian Barrett, Senior Editor, Gizmodo
Cynthia Wong, Director of the Center for Democracy and Technology’s Project on Global Internet Freedom
FilmWeek: The Grey, Man on a Ledge, Margaret, Norwegian Wood and more
KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell and Henry Sheehan join Larry to review the week’s new film releases, including The Grey, Man on a Ledge, Margaret, Norwegian Wood and more. Plus, KPCC film critic Peter Rainer gives us his take on the Sundance Film Festival. TGI-FilmWeek!
Guests:
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and Box Office Magazine
Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and henrysheehan.com
Peter Rainer, film critic for KPCC and Christian Science Monitor
Groucho Marx’s later years
It’s a very select few people who get to meet their idols, let alone develop a relationship with them. However, not many people are as lucky as Steven Stoliar, author of “Raised Eyebrows: My Years Inside Groucho's House.”
Stoliar, a lifelong fan of Groucho Marx, writes in his new book about how he got to meet the comic genius while a student at UCLA. Then, he managed to leverage that one meeting into a job working for Marx at his own house. Stoliar, so taken by his hero, eventually started coming to work on the weekends.
Stoliar spent nearly every day with Groucho Marx for the last three years of his life. He heard stories about Hollywood, met some of the biggest stars on the planet, and was exposed to the quick wit and charm of Groucho Marx more than almost anyone else in that time period.
What stories does Stoliar have to share with us about, arguably, the funniest man to ever be on screen? How did he get the chance to meet and work for his hero? What are your favorite memories of Groucho Marx, on the big screen, small screen or in Hollywood lore?
Guests:
Steven Stoliar, author of “Raised Eyebrows: My Years Inside Groucho's House,” worked with Groucho Marx during the last three years of his life
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and Box Office Magazine
Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and henrysheehan.com