I was planning to skip discussing Jerry Springer’s passing yesterday at age 79, but he had a few good self-deprecating lines I’d like to share. (FYI, if you’re not familiar with the term “self-deprecating,” it means to deprecate yourself.)
Springer was born on Feb. 13, 1944 in the Highland station of the London Underground, which was being used as a shelter from German bombing, and set up as a maternity ward for late-term pregnant women. His parents were German Jews who fled Poland to escape the Nazis. Both of his grandmothers and a great uncle were killed by the Nazis. His family moved to Queens when he was four. He attended Forest Hills HS, then Tulane U., and then Northwestern for his law degree.
Springer’s first taste of broadcasting was at the radio station at Tulane, WTUL, with which he kept in touch over the years. On its 50th anniversary in 2009, he sent them a note observing that he got his start at WTUL, and “it’s been downhill ever since.” He worked briefly in a law firm in Cincinnati, but then entered politics. He was the mayor of Cincy at one point. He was embroiled in a minor scandal when it was discovered that he wrote a check to a massage parlor for prostitution services. He later sought to use that to his advantage in a campaign by saying, “you know my credit is good.” But, of course, he gained his notoriety with his mishegas on his crazy TV show.
When he was invited to give the commencement address at Northwestern in 2008, some students protested, and in his speech he conceded that he would also have chosen someone else. And he said:
“I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy a comfortable measure of success in my various careers, but let’s be honest, I’ve been virtually everything you can’t respect: a lawyer, a mayor, a major-market news anchor and a talk-show host. Pray for me. If I get to heaven, we’re all going.”
Rather than dredging up a photo of JS, here’s Miss Universe from 2008. (Jerry hosted the pageant that year.) She is Dayana Mendoza, representing Venezuela about as well as it can be done, IMHO. She’s an orthodox Jew. [No she isn’t.] (Later we’ll see whom she edged out.)
The puzzle was a real bear today. I couldn’t make headway for the longest time, so I was pleased to only blow a few squares by the time I finished. For “Zesty liqueur” I had LEMONCELLO instead of LIMONCELLO. D’oh! And I didn’t know “Actress Mitchell of “Pretty Little Liars.” I had SHA–, and didn’t know it was SHAY. I took comfort in Rex rating it “challenging.”
Do you know the “Gil Scott-Heron poem inspired by 1969 events?” It’s WHITEY ON THE MOON,” and it’s pretty hard-hitting. Here are the lyrics, with GSH performing it, below:
A rat done bit my sister Nell
With whitey on the moon
Her face and arms began to swell
And whitey’s on the moon
I can’t pay no doctor bills
But whitey’s on the moon
Ten years from now I’ll be payin’ still
While whitey’s on the moon
The man just upped my rent last night
Cause whitey’s on the moon
No hot water, no toilets, no lights
But whitey’s on the moon
I wonder why he’s upping me?
Cause whitey’s on the moon?
Well I was already giving him fifty a week
With whitey on the moon
Taxes taking my whole damn check
Junkies making me a nervous wreck
The price of food is going up
And as if all that shit wasn’t enough:
A rat done bit my sister Nell
With whitey on the moon
Her face and arm began to swell
And whitey’s on the moon
Was all that money I made last year
For whitey on the moon?
How come I ain’t got no money here?
Hmm! Whitey’s on the moon
Y’know I just ’bout had my fill
Of whitey on the moon
I think I’ll send these doctor bills
Airmail special
To whitey on the moon
It led to this back-and-forth between two Rex commenters:
First, from “Bob,”
WHITEYONTHEMOON was a real poem. But the clue refers to 1969 events [i.e., plural]. Was the fact that the astronauts were Caucasians a separate event from the moon landing itself? This struck me as an example of racism in reverse, a little bit like saying, “Darkie on the basketball court.” A really regrettable choice of title for poetry.
And this response from “Weezie:”
Bob, I don’t think we’ll change your opinion here, and maybe this is discourse you’ve already engaged with, but I wanted to respond in good faith in case you’re open to it.
For something to be racist, it needs to exist within a societal pattern of oppression, power, and control in which that systemic power is maintained (intentionally or not) by marginalizing a particular racial identity. Because we white people as a category in America have historically and still do directly and indirectly benefit from the oppression and disenfranchisement of Black people/ Indigenous people/ people of color (BIPOC), we can’t experience racism. Meanwhile, Black folks daily live in fear of police violence, are less likely to be interviewed than white folks if they have a “Black-sounding” name, are more than 2.5 times as likely to die in childbirth than white people, and are criminalized for trying to ensure that their history is taught in schools.
White people can experience *discrimination*, sure, and I’d agree that the term is *discriminatory* against white people. And, I’d say that’s fair/fine with me, given all that’s been done to BIPOC in this country by white folks – the poem/song was written in 1970, just 16 years after segregation was declared illegal, for context. And, in cases like this poem, I would argue that it’s more about someone who has experienced racism and violence so profound from white institutions and individuals that he’s leveraging the punch of that word to make a cutting point about his country’s priorities.
Then there were these two “anonymous” comments:
I saw a cabaret singer with a piano guy sing Whitey on the Moon around 1990. The singer was transvestite and they played it very seriously. For some reason it was one of the most poignant things I’ve ever experienced.
And:
I don’t know why everyone is so worked up. The poem is actually about Yankees’ Hall-of-Famer Whitey Ford and that time he went to the moon.
After that, the discussion was renewed. First, Bob wrote:
For Weezie; Thanks for the thoughtful reply. Forgive me for extending the argument, but assuming you’re right that the poet had suffered from discrimination personally, why does that constitute permission to delegitimize a remarkable scientific achievement, simply because the astronauts happened to have white skin? Did Neil Armstrong or Buzz Aldrin ever discriminate against African-Americans? I promise to let you have the last word. Thanks again for the dialogue.
And then Weezie:
Yes Bob, more than happy to respond. The piece actually doesn’t have much at all to do with the moon landing itself, I think, and in my opinion, it has nothing at all to do with the individual astronauts who landed upon it. “Whitey” in those days was a stand-in for the *institution* of white supremacy as exemplified by the US government at the time, which was hungry to conjure up goodwill with something like the moon landing while distracting from the very real problems at home and abroad here on Earth. (e.g., the Vietnam war, as mentioned by @jberg). The author describes the violence of poverty – a rat biting his sister, inaccessible healthcare, rising rents and taxes – speaking to deep social issues which were being obscured and de-centered by all the hoopla around the moon landing. He isn’t *able* to be excited about the scientific advances in space, because he and his people’s basic human needs and rights aren’t being met right here on earth.
And to be clear: I like space exploration and I think it’s important for the longevity of humanity (though I wish we’d take trying to save this planet more seriously.) I just don’t blame Scott-Heron for seeing it through the lens that he did at the time.
The clue/answer at 13D was neat: “I think I can see a future with him” was the clue, and the answer was IT’S SERIOUS.
“[This is looking very bad for me]” was a good clue for GULP.
How about this one: The clue: “Deification.” Answer: APOTHEOSIS. [Murder, right?]
And 30D was completely new to me. The clue was “Sexy selfie posted on social media, in lingo,” and answer was THIRST TRAP.
The following is from Wikipedia:
Often, the term “thirst trap” describes an attractive picture of an individual that they post online. It can also describe a digital heartthrob. For instance, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has been described as a political thirst trap.
“Gatsbying” is a variation, where one puts posts on social media to attract the attention of a particular individual. The term alludes to the novel The Great Gatsby where Gatsby threw extravagant parties to attract Daisy. “Instagrandstanding” is an alternative name for this.
And then there’s “wholesome trapping,” where one posts pictures of more meaningful aspects of life, such as spending time with friends, doing outdoor activities, or reading Owl Chatter. [I know, — Bore. Ring.]
Aaron Judge, who signed his gargantuan contract with the Yankees this year, had to leave the game yesterday due to discomfort in his hip. Apparently, the hip is stressed from carrying his wallet in his pocket.
New Yorker cartoon from a long time ago: Two old guys are sitting at a bar. One of them says: “I’m like a workaholic, but with alcohol.”
As promised above, in case you were wondering about the first runner up in that 2008 Miss Universe contest, it was Miss Colombia, Taliana Vargas. Tough competition!
More nonsense tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by.
The Wellington Files 