Today on AirTalk, we discuss the latest on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's comments calling out four progressive freshmen democratic representatives for dividing the Democratic party. We also examine Netflix's ban on depictions of smoking from their original content rated TV-14 or PG-13 and under; and more.
Pelosi Versus ‘The Squad’: Fault Lines Deepen Between Establishment And Progressive Dems
As reported by the Washington Post, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) called out Democrats earlier this week for dividing the party -- and though she didn’t mention any names, her comments were likely directed at “the Squad,” the four progressive freshmen Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York), Ilhan Omar (Minnesota), Ayanna Pressley (Massachusetts) and Rashida Tlaib (Michigan).
This is one of various remarks that Pelosi has made over the last few weeks that have been dismissive of the so-called “squad’s” moves, such as their progressive environment proposals and their opposition to the emergency border aid package.
AOC criticized the House Speaker for isolating and targeting the four freshmen women of color, each of whom has online followings and represents a real and potentially growing demographic of progressives on the left.
The squad has not shied away from using their followings on Twitter -- for example, AOC’s chief of staff has made denigrating comments about moderate Dems.
Pelosi said she had to defend the more moderate members of her party. Her supporters say she is trying to keep together her party in order to oust Trump in 2020 and to preserve the Democratic majority.
Much like the Freedom Caucus within the GOP, this emerging tensions between factions within the Democratic party raise questions about how to create unity, whose goals to highlight, who best represents the desires of the base and what choices will lead to favorable outcomes for Dems in 2020.
What do you think? Call us at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist and founder and chief executive officer of Rodriguez Strategies. He is also a former senior Obama advisor in 2008; he tweets
Nicole Boucher, vice president of Way to Win, a national donor and organizer network that works for progressive causes
Netflix To Snuff Out (Some) Smoking In Original Programming Aimed At Younger Viewers
Netflix has decided to nix depictions of smoking from original content rated TV-14 or PG-13 and under.
The announcement comes after the release of a report from an anti-tobacco group that found that imagery of smoking in Netflix content had tripled last year, when compared to the year prior. The top offenders? “Stranger Things,” “Orange Is The New Black,” and “Fuller House.”
Netflix will allow exceptions for factual or historical accuracy, although it’s unclear, for example, if the popularity of cigarettes in the 80s would grant that exception for a show like “Stranger Things.”
As reported by Indiewire, even adult content will need to justify scenes of smoking as necessary to the larger vision of the project.
Do you think this is a responsible move by Netflix that will deter younger viewers from potentially swaying imagery of smoking? Or is this an unnecessary clamp down on artistic agency? If you’re a parent, how do you feel about smoking on the screen, especially in content meant for kids?
Call us at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Todd Spangler, New York digital editor at Variety; he tweets
FilmWeek: ‘Stuber,’ ‘Crawl,’ ‘The Farewell’ and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Christy Lemire and Wade Major review this weekend’s new movie releases
'The Farewell' at the ArcLight Hollywood & The Landmark
KPCC’s “The Frame” talked with director Lulu Wang at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and aired that interview on the show this week. You can listen to it at KPCC.org/theframe
'Crawl' in wide release
'Stuber' in wide release
KPCC’s “The Frame” talked with co-star Kumail Nanjiani on their program earlier this week. You can listen to the full interview at KPCC.org/theframe
'The Art of Self-Defense' at the ArcLight Hollywood
'Firecrackers' on video on demand
'Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable' in select theaters
'Armstrong' at the Arena Cinelounge Sunset
'Lying and Stealing' at Laemmle’s Monica Film Center
'Three Peaks' at the Nuart Theater
CRITICS' HITS:
Wade: 'The Farewell,' 'Firecrackers,' 'Armstrong' & 'Three Peaks'
Christy: 'Crawl,' 'The Art Of Self-Defense,' & 'Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable'
MISSES:
Wade: 'Lying and Stealing'
Christy: 'Stuber'
Guests:
Christy Lemire, film critic for KPCC, RogerEbert.com and co-host of the ‘Breakfast All Day’ podcast; she tweets
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and CineGods.com
Trading Laughs For Gasps: Comedians Who’ve Shed Their Funny Personas For Dramatic Roles
In this week’s new film “The Farewell”, comedian Awkwafina steps away from her comic persona and plays a complex, three-dimensional character.
She follows the likes of Lily Tomlin, Richard Pryor and Sarah Silverman -- just a few of the many stand up comics who’ve surprised audiences with critically acclaimed performances in non-comedic films. Monique and Robin Williams went on to win Oscars for their respective dramatic turns in “Precious” and “Good Will Hunting”.
It’s not always a smooth transition from silly to serious. Comedians must shake the iconic comedy roles with which audiences associated them. One way is to change themselves completely, both in mannerisms and physical appearance, like Steve Carrell in “Foxcatcher” or Melissa McCarthy in last year’s “Can You Ever Forgive Me”. For others, playing grounded, ordinary people helps them pull off dramatic roles, like Maya Rudolph in “Away We Go” and Molly Shannon in “Other People.”
Today on FilmWeek, Larry and the critics discuss their favorite dramatic performances from comedians. Do you have a favorite film where a comedian took on a more serious role, or a notable performance by a comedian in a more serious role? Join the conversation at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Christy Lemire, film critic for KPCC, RogerEbert.com and co-host of the ‘Breakfast All Day’ podcast; she tweets @christylemire
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and CineGods.com