Family files suit blaming Dodgers for attack. After 25 years, Oprah bids adieu – to networks that aren’t her OWN. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is in the house. Can children be raised in an entirely gender neutral way? Geeks get ahead. And, the latest news.
Family files suit blaming Dodgers for attack
The family of Bryan Stow, the Giants fan who was beaten on opening night at Dodger Stadium, has filed a civil suit alleging that cutbacks in security and outdated facilities contributed to the attack. The suit was filed on behalf of Bryan Stow, who remains in critical condition in San Francisco General Hospital, and his two children. In response, the Dodgers released a statement acknowledging the seriousness of Bryan Stow’s injury and reiterating their support to the family and commitment to safety. “But, to be clear,” the statement continued, “Mr. McCourt and the Dodgers will defend themselves against the allegations made by Mr. Girardi in the lawsuit that he filed...” Should the Dodgers have provided more security? Will Frank McCourt or the Dodgers be found liable?
Guest:
Tom Girardi, partner of Girardi Keese, the law firm representing Bryan Stow’s family in the civil suit filed yesterday
After 25 years, Oprah bids adieu – to networks that aren’t her OWN
Today, the final episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show will air. The crowned "Queen of Day-Time" has had a three-day farewell bash fit for royalty. Appearances by Aretha Franklin, Tom Cruise, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jordan and Madonna, were among a plethora of other stars. Over 25 years, some 30,000 guests have appeared on the show. It had plenty of razzle dazzle in that time -- but also intense personal drama from the guests and Oprah herself. Fellow talk-show host Ellen Degeneres said of Oprah's impact, "She's changed the lives of millions of people. She brought important issues to the dinner table that never would have been there otherwise." True enough, she talked about sexual abuse, weight-loss battles and racism. It brought her legions of fans and, of course, her fair share of detractors. Today we’ll open the phones to talk with Oprah fans and critics alike. Why do you think she was so long-lasting and successful? What doors, if any, has Oprah’s success opened for others? What were your most memorable or most uncomfortable Oprah moments? Who can replace her? And have you watched her newest venture, the Oprah Winfrey Network?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is in the house
The Harlem Renaissance is probably the greatest basketball team you have never heard of. They were the first all-African American professional basketball team to win a national championship, a little known fact even in sports circles. Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar co-wrote and stars in “On the Shoulders of Giants,” a documentary about the team’s rise to fame in the early part of the last century when all pro sports were segregated and all-black teams were excluded from competing in national championships. The Harlem Rens were known for their very fluid and fast style of play, not typical of professional basketball at the time. They were the first all-black team to win a national championship title when they won the World Professional Basketball Tournament in 1939. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a former Lakers assistant coach but has recently expressed disappointment with the way the team has treated him, complaining that they haven’t erected a statue of him in front of Staples Center where statues of Magic Johnson and Jerry West stand.
Guest:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Executive Producer of On the Shoulders of Giants: The Story of the Greatest Basketball Team you Never Heard Of; Basketball Legend who played with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers and was instrumental in winning six NBA championships and was voted the NBA’s most valuable player six times
Can children be raised in an entirely gender neutral way?
A Canadian couple is testing that idea on their four-month old baby. As reported in the "Toronto Star" newspaper, parents Kathy Witterick and David Stocker, have chosen to keep the sex of their new baby, Storm, a secret. The parents want him or her to grow up free from social conventions about males and females. So they have shared Storm's gender identity only with their two sons, Jazz, 5, and Kio, 2, a good family friend and, of course, the two midwives who helped deliver Storm. Witterick wrote to the "Star": "In fact, in not telling the gender of my precious baby, I am saying to the world, ‘Please can you just let Storm discover for him/herself what s(he) wants to be?!.” The notion of sexless child-rearing isn't new. For decades, girls have been crashing Hot Wheels and boys have cooked up brownies in Easy Bake Ovens. Nevertheless, this couple's unconventional choice is getting a strong backlash. What do you think of their choice? Why might they feel the need to keep Storm's sex a secret? What are the benefits or the risks for the child? Where do children get their gender identity anyway? We’ll talk with an expert in gender identity and take calls from boys and girls – however they identify!
Guest:
Diane Ehrensaft, Psychologist specializing in gender identity in private practice in the Bay area
Geeks get ahead
If you were popular in high school, look out! Your unpopular geek counterparts are probably going to be more successful than you are. In her new book The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth, Alexandra Robbins promotes her “Quirk Theory” which states that the traits that cause people to be excluded from the “in crowd” in high school are the same qualities that others will admire, love and respect in adulthood. Robbins argues that too many students are disparaged, rejected or ignored by their peers because they exhibit certain unpopular qualities but that these same students are often the most imaginative, creative and interesting ones in the school. Robbins also addresses the treatment of outsiders and explores what popularity means, how “sticky” social labels are and whether students are better off being popular or unpopular. Were you a geek or a popular kid and how did your status in high school prepare you for a life in the adult world?
Guest:
Alexandra Robbins, author of The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: Popularity, Quirk Theory and Why Outsiders Thrive After High School