How feminism is defined today, a look at the future for the Los Angeles Lakers with President Jeanie Buss, a preview of the Women's World Cup Final.
LA’s Man Cave readies for soccer fans
The final game of the Women’s World Cup is sure to be a boom for sports bars across the Southland. Japan edged England last night in a 2-1 semifinal victory. They will now face-off against the U.S. for the final game this weekend.
To understand the importance of this game, some background is necessary: Japan and the U.S. played to a 2-2 tie four years ago. Japan won in a penalty shootout 3-1. In the world of international sports, few things are more exciting than a rematch. Because the final game coincides with the 4th of July holiday weekend, spirits and patriotism will be in high supply.
Take Two spoke to Eddie Jones, owner of The Man Cave in Studio City about the crowd he’s expecting this weekend.
Press the play button above to hear more.
The Grateful Dead is big business
The Grateful Dead are celebrating their 50th anniversary. Starting tomorrow, they’ll play three concerts in Chicago.
The band is known for its psychedelic sound and an incredibly loyal following, but few people know that the Grateful Dead are also very savvy businessmen.
Barry Barnes is the author of the book "Everything I know about business I learned from the Grateful Dead.” He says that the band’s ability to adapt to changing times helped them remain successful, even when album sales were slow. He tells Take Two, “The Grateful Dead didn’t hit the mark right off the bat. They just never had any super successful singles, but what they could do is sell tickets. So they came up with this strategic improvisational model of touring and selling tickets instead of selling records. That’s what put them in the bigtime."
Click the play button above to hear more about how the Grateful Dead made their money.
Charles Phoenix teaches us how to make the perfect 4th of July dessert, the Cherbluble
This weekend is the Fourth of July, on a Saturday, no less and chances are you may be headed to a potluck or barbecue.
And if you want to make a HUGE splash at said event, why not wow your fellow guests with a Cherbluble?!
What's a Cherbluble? Well, it's three pies inside a three layer cake that's decorated for the most patriotic of holidays!
Charles Phoenix breaks it down in the video at the top of the post. And if you'd like to hear him talk about how he came up with his ground breaking idea, check out the full interview embedded above.
3 leading female thinkers define that other 'F-word': Feminism
When you think of the 'F-word,' what comes to mind? No...not that 'F-word.' Another one that stirs up a tremendous amount of debate — Feminism.
Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina said recently, "A feminist is anyone who chooses the life she lives." But, she also called for a new definition of the term. "I think it's time to take that word back, for all women," Fiorina told MSNBC.
How should feminism be defined today? Is it a concept that we still even need? Where are we these days in the battle for equal rights for women?
Take Two host Alex Cohen recently sat down with three leading thinkers about women's issues to explore these questions.
Madeline Di Nonno is the CEO of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media; Hanna Rosin is the author of "The End of Men" and editor of Slate's Double X section; and Ange-Marie Hancock, is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Gender Studies at the University of Southern California.
Using Fiorina's comments as a jumping off point, Alex Cohen asked each guest how they define feminism.
To hear an extended version of the conversation that aired on Take Two, please click on the audio player above.
INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS
On Carly Fiorina’s definition of feminism
Ange-Marie Hancock: The idea that we can have multiple types of feminism underneath this broader definition has pretty much been the history of feminism.
We always think of that Gloria Steinem tradition and women so-called ‘burning their bras’ in the 1960s and 70s, and Betty Fernand, and that’s our history. But, in fact, over the past two centuries of our nation, there have always been multiple types of feminism.
What Carly Fiorina is expressing — ‘choice feminism’ — is actually something that is more contemporary, it is more 1980s and 1990s; but more, not just Conservatives, but also Libertarian and Independent women, also support this version of feminism.
The Millennials I teach everyday at USC — this is what they want. They want the choice. And, so that debate about having it all is really about, ‘I want to be able to choose.’
One of the things that they often miss is this notion that not everyone has a full compliment of choices to actually make.
Watch Carly Fiorina's full interview with MSNBC:
On how feminism is portrayed in the media
Madeline Di Nonno: It’s not [portrayed in the media] in many cases, and particularly in the media that we’re showing our youngest children. In our research that has looked at family films, primetime television and children’s shows, has shown that there are very few female characters, approximately 2 ½-3 to 1, in terms of male characters.
And when we do have a female character, more often than not, her sole purpose is to be objectified or to be used as eye candy.
Clearly when we start to think about occupations and how media can depict a window to the world in terms of employment for our girls, and also how our boys view them, we’re not really showing these female characters with any type of career at all.
On the ‘Women Against Feminism’ movement
Hanna Rosin: I am always suspicious of movements like where young women wear a shirt called ‘Menism,’ or where they think feminism is anti-man. It just seems like a weird straw man. That kind of feminism hasn’t existed for a really, really long time — of women, kind of, male bashing.
Feminism these days is not incompatible with, say, feeling sympathy with men who are out of work…are for men who are struggling these days.
On implicit-biases
Ange-Marie Hancock: We learn these before we can walk or talk. We learn them from places like the media. We learn them from places like what our parents say when we’re listening to them in the back seat of the car while they’re driving. So things that [parents] don’t think we’re listening to are how those implicit biases are communicated.
Implicit biases can persist across decades, and so, no matter how educated you are, you can still go back to that thing that you learned when you were 18 months or two years old, before you had a filter, about where women belong, and where women don’t belong.
Lakers President Jeanie Buss on Kobe Bryant's legacy, and how the storied franchise plans to bounce back
Coming off the worst season in Lakers history means lots of tough losses and heartache for fans used to success.
The silver lining?
It got them the second overall pick in the NBA Draft, which they used on dynamic point guard D'Angelo Russell.
And with Kobe Bryant heading in to what is expected to be his 20th and final season, the Lakers appear to be on the cusp of change
They have money to spend on free agents, but is the lure of the Laker brand as strong as it used to be?
Host A Martinez spoke with Lakers President Jeanie Buss.
Highlights from the interview:
Back when my dad bought the team in 1979, there were only 20 teams... Now there is 32... The rules have changed and we have to evolve as an organization so we can control our future and be the Lakers the fans have come to expect.
What kind of a job is your brother Jim doing?
I think that's its been clear... For the Lakers to miss both playoffs in the last two years, it's tough to swallow. He needs the time to show people that he can turn the team around.
Does he have total control?
I have empowered them to put everything out on the court. I have to give them the tools they need in order to have the resources they succeed. Now, getting the second draft pick and using it for a guard shows that we need a better direction.
Is there a deadline to turn this team around?
3 years, one has already passed in the plan
How are women perceived in meetings with other men in board and owner meetings?
I've been in this business for over 25 years, and I'm pleased to see all the changes. Plus, there's been a lot of change in ownership, with a large number of younger owners [and] current owners don't have a "women don't belong in the clubhouse" mentality
What are your plans for Kobe this season?
What I've made clear is that Kobe Bryant is that he will be the only one to make the decision about when he wants to retire. However, we are going to be celebrating his 20th year with the Lakers
What happens if he wants to come back?
I'd hate to put that kind of pressure on anyone. I don't think any thing is off the table though.
Is it fair to be compared to your father?
When you're dad is literally the "greatest" owner (Guinness World Records), all I can do is be the best president I can be
Click on the blue player to hear the interview.
The Wheel Thing: 'Hey, Doc. You built a time machine? From a DeLorean?'
Friday marks the 30th anniversary of the beloved film, Back to the Future. The time travel fantasy spawned two sequels and legions of devoted fans. One of the more talented is named Danny Botkin.
He manages the service department at the DeLorean Motor Co in Huntington Beach, south of Los Angeles. In his spare time, he builds replicas of the time machine featured in the movies.
Our Wheel Thing guide, OC Register auto critic Susan Carpenter convinced Botkin to bring his time machine to our studios earlier this week. It was the biggest drain on productivity since March Madness. Most of the staff decamped to the parking lot, gawking, selfie-ing and peppering Botkin with questions.
Read all about Danny Botkin's time machine replica, and about some of the Back to the Future events, in this OC Register story by Susan Carpenter.
The life and tragic downfall of Amy Winehouse
Nearly a decade ago, singer Amy Winehouse took the world by storm with the release of her second album, Back To Black and the single Rehab.
She went on to win five Grammys including Best New Artist , Record of the Year and Song of the year.
But her life was in turmoil. Dogged by personal problems as well as drug and alcohol addiction, she died of alcohol poisoning at the age of 27.
But a new new documentary explores her life, before the fame and after. It's called AMY, and its already receiving praise all over the globe. Here's the theatrical trailer:
Take Two spoke with the film’s director Asif Kapadia, and he started by talking about what struck him most when he began digging through the old footage.
"I think it was just the simple things that came across when I saw the early footage, one she was really funny, and she was really intelligent. I showed an early version to friends of mine and they started crying when they saw the beginning. And I asked them after why they were crying, and they said, I'd never seen her happy before …"
State of Affairs: Vaccination bill passes, new laws go into effect, SCOTUS takes up CA union case
On this week's State of Affairs, Governor Brown signs the vaccination bill, new state laws go into effect, and the Supreme Court takes up CA teacher's suit.
Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, USC Professor of the Practice of Public Policy Communication, and Katie Orr, state government reporter for Capital Public Radio, join Take Two.
Weekend on the cheap: Grand Park, Dance Yourself Clean and Shakespeare in the Park
There's a city of fun beyond the burgers and beer. For example: Fireworks, a Drake tribute party and Romeo and Juliet remixed.
Every week, KPCC's social media producer
joins us to talk fun things to do on the cheap. Click on the audio link above to hear her top picks for the holiday weekend.
Click here for even more events this weekend.
Reading by Moonlight: 'Valley Fever,' Lummis Day and more
Look up in the sky tonight and you will notice it's a full moon, which means it's time for our literary contributor David Kipen to come on to talk about the latest in literary news.
He's the founder of the lending library Libros Schmibros in Boyle Heights.
This week David talks about the novel "Valley Fever," Lummis Day, the Annual Outdoor Literacy and Arts Festival in Northeast San Fernando Valley and more.
And if you've ever dreamt of David reading you campfire stories, outside you can join him tonight. Click here for more details.
Listen to the embedded audio to hear the whole interview.