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Culture Tag

Posted by Mary Chastain on October 30, 2017 23 Comments
On Sunday night, BuzzFeed published an interview with actor Anthony Rapp, who accused Kevin Spacey of making a sexual advance on him when he was only 14-years-old over 30 years ago. Spacey stated he did not remember the incident, but also used the opportunity to officially come out as a gay man, which has been speculated for many years. Now many, especially in the LGBT community, have blasted Spacey for using his sexuality as cover for his alleged sexual misconduct. They have a point because I noticed a lot in the media making the story about Spacey's sexuality instead of Rapp's claims.

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on October 29, 2017 68 Comments
First, they came for the Confederate flag, but I didn't fly a Confederate flag, so I did not speak out.  Then they came for Confederate statues, but I didn't feel strongly about Confederate statues, so I did not speak out.  Then they came for statues of George Washington and Andrew Jackson, and I have a chance to speak out . . . so I am. While I purposely evoke Martin Niemöller's famous quote about Germans turning a blind eye to Hitler's incremental buildup to genocide, I mean not to diminish the Holocaust but to show how we can so easily inch into dangerous territory ourselves. What we are seeing now has unfortunate parallels to the insidious escalation and gradual expansion of beliefs and mores that drove Germany into the abyss.  At this time in our nation's history, the radical left has identified as obscene and offensive George Washington.  They've deemed him and his great legacy worthy only of being eradicated not just from the face of the earth but from historical and socio-cultural memory.

Posted by Mike LaChance on October 28, 2017 25 Comments
Newsweek published an article this week which took direct aim at Irish Americans. Who knew Irish-bashing was still alive and well in the 21st century? The author of the piece is named Van Gosse and teaches history at Franklin & Marshall College. He's not kidding, either. He obviously sees this as a serious problem:
Why Are All the Conservative Loudmouths Irish-American? Just as they used to play an outsize role in the Democratic Party’s apparatus, and in organized labor, putative Irishmen are now the face of the hard Right.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on October 27, 2017 28 Comments
The world has gone mad, but thank the Good Lord for the National Park Service. A group wanting to bring construct a 45-foot-tall naked lady opposite of the Washington Monument on the National Mall was denied a permit by the National Park Service. The NPS expressed concern that the structure would detract from established historical monuments and possibly damage underlying turf.

Posted by Mary Chastain on October 27, 2017 16 Comments
The government released some more of the files pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy by Harvey Lee Oswald along with files about Oswald's death at the hands of Jack Ruby. I scoured through a handful and noticed one particular name kept coming up: Arnold Johnson, the public relations director of the Communist Party the USA (CPUSA). In three instances that I have found so far the files stop when the documents are about to go into the substance of a Johnson speech or his correspondence with Oswald. I also found a file that documents a conversation between Oswald and a KGB agent.

Posted by Mike LaChance on October 26, 2017 23 Comments
The Harvey Weinstein scandal has given actor Corey Feldman an opportunity to revisit an issue he has been talking about for years. Feldman claims he is a survivor of sexual abuse at the hands of pedophiles who hold powerful positions in Hollywood. He has also repeatedly said that the problem is worse than anyone knows.

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on October 25, 2017 9 Comments
America's First Ladies have historically selected an area of focus during their husband's tenure as president.  Nancy Reagan chose the war on drugs ("Just Say No"), Laura Bush chose literacy and education, Michelle Obama chose nutrition and exercise.  First Lady Melania Trump announced that as First Lady her focus would be on curbing bullying in K-12 education, particularly cyberbullying. The Guardian reported at the time:
Melania Trump, whose husband has built a public profile partly around his vulgar and offensive Twitter account, called for a gentler and kinder America on Thursday, where children can spend time on social media without fear of harassment. In a rare public appearance, Trump portrayed her husband as a devoted family man with “deep love and respect” for all Americans with a speech intended to help soften his public image with women.

Posted by Mary Chastain on October 24, 2017 6 Comments
Musician Kid Rock confirmed on Howard Stern's show that he is not running for the senate. The whole idea was a publicity stunt for his new album, but doesn't really regret it. From Detroit Free Press:
"F--- no, I’m not running for Senate. Are you kidding me?" Rock said on Howard Stern's SiriusXM show. "Who couldn’t figure that out? I’m releasing a new album. I’m going on tour too. Are you f---ing sh--ing me?"

Posted by Mary Chastain on October 20, 2017 22 Comments
Once a rising star at Fox News, Megyn Kelly transferred over to NBC and hosts Megyn Kelly Today, which airs in the third hour of the Today show. However, it has placed her out of her element and the ratings continue to fall. Popular host Hoda Kotb appeared on the show on Thursday, when an impromptu dance party happened. It is one of the most awkward 22 seconds you will ever see.

Posted by Mary Chastain on October 18, 2017 48 Comments
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced today that he personally believes that players should stand for the national anthem, but the league will not make it a rule requiring it. From NFL.com:
"I think our clubs all see this the same way -- we want our players to stand, we're going to encourage them to stand and we're going to continue to work on these issues in the community," Goodell told reporters after meeting with team owners at the Fall League Meeting in New York. "We'll address issues -- I can't deal with hypotheticals right now, we'll deal with those issues if they come up -- but for right now, that's our focus."

Posted by Mary Chastain on October 16, 2017 52 Comments
Former NFL quarter Colin Kaepernick has filed a grievance against NFL owners because he believes they colluded to keep him out of a job due to his protests during the national anthem. Kaepernick first protested in the 2016 preseason when he took a knee during the national anthem. He claimed he protested against racial injustice across the country. The protests took off, with many players following his lead.
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