This is me last night upon learning "Crash" had won for Best Picture. Although it's not visible, I am giving two wildly enthusiastic thumbs-up. Finally a movie brave enough to point out how racist LA drivers have become. What's great about this film is that it teaches us that we're ALL racist, even when we think we're not. Admit it, people, you got a little nervous when those two black teens looked at you "hard". And all of us, in some small way, abuse what little authority we have by sexually molesting a minority. In the end, though, it balances out. For every victim we molest, there's someone whom we save from a fiery automobile. And it's in life's little moments--those moments when we pull people out of burning vehicles--that we are reminded of our shared humanity. I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to try extra hard to acknowledge that those people of a different race and class than mine, are people too, even if I don't always trust them.
Just kidding! That's not really a picture of me from last night. It's a picture that folks in Austin will see on my lil' badge. The geniuses at SXSW have given conference attendees power over their badge photos this year. In years past, whenever you checked in to the festival, a kind but overworked volunteer would just snap a pic with a cheap-o web cam. Said pic would be used on your badge. The problem with this system is that you're usually weary from traveling when you check in, and jetlag and bad lighting conspire together to prevent your natural radiance from shining through.
This year they're allowing festival attendees to upload our own badge pictures. So now I can look like a dork on my own terms. Thanks, technology.
3 comments:
True story: I was walking to the liqour store to get some Smirnoff (for my knee), and these black kids ask me to buy them some "Tequila Swishers." At first I declined, but the night before I had seen "Crash" and thought, "Gee whiz, if I don't buy these underaged tykes some 'blunts' am I a racist?" So I bought them two (2) long cigars just to make sure. Thanks a lot "Crash" now two youngsters are addicted to nicotine!
I didn’t see "Crash" but I keep seeing reports in print and network newscasts about the great national dialog on race generated by the movie. CBS mentioned it again tonight. I haven’t heard any dialog. Not even a peep. They said that hurricane Katrina generated a national dialog too.
Six months since Katrina and I see today authorities in New Orleans have restarted the process of recovering bodies. Restarted? The search teams are just one quickstep ahead of the demolition teams and their bulldozers. Even recovery of remains wasn’t a priority until the land needed to be cleared for resettlement.
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