Today on AirTalk, Larry sits down with a reporter, a first amendment expert and a media studies professor to discuss Facebook’s decision to ban extremists and other right-wing leaders from the social media platform. Larry also interviews outgoing MPAA ratings chair Joan Graves; and more.
Weighing the implications of Facebook’s ban on extremist leaders
After years of pressure to crack down on extremist content, Facebook has banned Louis Farrakhan, Alex Jones and other extremists, saying they violated its ban against hate and violence.
The company also banned right-wing leaders Paul Nehlen, Milo Yiannopoulos, Paul Joseph Watson and Laura Loomer, along with Jones’ site, Infowars. The latest bans apply to both Facebook’s main service and to Instagram. They also extend to fan pages and other related accounts.
Decried as censorship by several of those who got the ax, the move signals a renewed effort by the social media giant to remove objectionable material — and individuals — promoting hate, racism and anti-Semitism. Critics praised the move, but said there is more to be done on both Facebook and Instagram.
Larry sits down with a reporter, a first amendment expert and a media studies professor to discuss Facebook’s decision.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Mike Isaac, technology reporter for the New York Times; based in San Francisco; he tweets
Alex Abdo, litigation director at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University; he tweets
Jeffrey McCall, professor of communication at DePauw University in Indiana and former journalist; he tweets
Rated R for retirement: MPAA ratings chair Joan Graves reflects on three decades of rating films
The longtime chair of the the Classification and Rating Administration for the MPAA is retiring after 30 years of watching and rating movies for the organization.
In her role, Joan Graves assigned ratings to an estimated 12,500 movies, ranging from G to NC-17. During her time at MPAA, Graves added descriptors to the PG, PG-13, and R rating and helped create a liaison between directors and MPAA filmmakers. She also added tobacco and tobacco-imagery to be factored into movie ratings. Along with her position, Graves oftentimes faced criticism from directors and parents alike who disagreed with a given rating. She cites opening communication between filmmakers and the MPAA as one of her proudest accomplishments.
Graves first joined the organization back in 1988 as a part-time movie rater. Over the past three decades, she’s served as Administrative Director, Vice Chairman, Co-Chairman, and has been the Chairman of the rating administration since 2000. She will be succeeded by corporate counsel Kelly McMahon.
We take a look back at her time with MPAA, and reflect on the challenges and achievements she encountered throughout the years.
Guest:
Joan Graves, Senior Vice President and Chairman of The Classification and Rating Administration (CARA) for the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)
FilmWeek: ‘Long Shot,’ ‘UglyDolls,’ ‘The Intruder,’ and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Lael Loewenstein, Tim Cogshell and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases.
- "Long Shot" in wide release
- "UglyDolls" in wide release
- "The Intruder" in wide release
- “Ask Dr. Ruth” at the Laemmle’s Royal, Playhouse, Town Center, Claremont & Glendale
- “Meeting Gorbachev” at the Nuart Theater
- “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” at the Vintage Los Feliz and streaming on Netflix
- “At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal” at Laemmle’s Playhouse and HBO On Demand
- “Bolden” at Laemmle’s Monica Film Center, Playhouse, Town Center, Claremont, NoHo & Glendale
CRITICS' HITS
Lael: 'Long Shot,' 'At The Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal' & 'Foster'
Tim: 'Meeting Gorbachev'
Charles: 'Ask Dr. Ruth'
MIXED FEELINGS
Tim: 'The Intruder,' 'Bolden' & 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile'
MISSES
Charles: 'UglyDolls'
Guests:
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC, Alt-Film Guide and CineGods.com; he tweets
Lael Loewenstein, KPCC film critic; she tweets
Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine
‘Boyz n the Hood’ director John Singleton, first African-American nominated for a directing Oscar, passes away at 51
Director John Singleton passed away on Monday after his family removed him from life support following a stroke that he suffered in mid-April.
The 51-year-old was the first African-American to earn an Oscar nomination for best director, which he received in 1991 for his film “Boyz n the Hood.” At age 24, he was also the youngest to ever earn an Oscar nomination for directing.
Singleton grew up in South-Central Los Angeles and attended film school at USC, where he parlayed his student thesis into the screenplay that would eventually become “Boyz n the Hood.” Singleton also directed the 1993 film “Poetic Justice, the 2000 remake of “Shaft” starring Samuel L. Jackson, and the second installment of the Fast and Furious series “2 Fast 2 Furious.” He had originally signed on to direct the Tupac Shakur biopic “All Eyez on Me,” but ended up leaving the project due to creative differences. Singleton was also a champion for black filmmakers, and spoke publicly about the need for more inclusion of directors of color.
Today on AirTalk, we remember John Singleton’s career as a filmmaker and the impact that his work and life had on Hollywood and the millions who loved his work.
Guests:
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC, Alt-Film Guide and CineGods.com; he tweets
Craig Brewer, director of “Hustle & Flow” and “Black Snake Moan”; both films were produced by Singleton; he tweets
Steve Nicolaides, film producer and longtime friend of John Singleton; he produced several of Singleton’s films, including “Boyz N the Hood,” “Poetic Justice,” and “Shaft”