The "Conservative" Fox Network had an episode of So You Think You Can Dance that had 10 anti war dance solos as part of the competition. Of course it's art so it's immune to criticism according to executive producer Nigel Lythgoe."Art should be allowed to make statements," he said.
I wonder if next week, they will do a pro-war anti-terrorism episode.
In addition, choreographer, Mia Michaels showed her "support of the troops" by wearing a Marine Corps Dress Blues blouse with lance corporal chevrons upside down and in the incorrect location on the sleeve. She claims that she had no idea. Emphasis mine.
"Emmy-nominated choreographer Mia Michaels thought she was going to have a wonderful day. She woke up this morning to find hundreds of messages posted on her website. "And I thought, wow, I must've been a really good judge last night," says Michaels.So let me get this straight, the show does an episode with 10 anti-war dances and during the show, Mia Michaels wears a Marine Dress Blues blouse with upside down insignia, and we're supposed to believe that it was a mistake? Give me a break. It was a deliberate and planned insult to the men and women of the Marine Corps.But then she opened the messages and was shocked by their tone and content. "It was hate mail," she says simply. "Saying things like, 'You should be ashamed of yourself.' It was really intense. It was awful."
The writers were responding to a jacket worn by Michaels on Wednesday's show. She had no idea that anyone would be offended by it, she says. She simply thought she was being fashionable by wearing a navy blue military jacket that happened to have a Marine emblem, upside down, on the sleeves. After hearing the feedback, Michaels tried to make amends on the air. "I understand why people were upset and I respect that," she says. "That symbol is sacred to the Marines, it's what they earned. The problem needed to be addressed and I'm glad we addressed it. That's why I made a public apology."
Update: I pasted all the non-spam comments as a single comment.
"It was a deliberate and planned insult to the men and women of the Marine Corps."
ReplyDeleteThe men and WOMEN of the Marine Corps? Now you've got your head up your PC ass!
7/31/2007 3:01 PM
Delete
Andy B. Hammond said...
anonymous,
What was that supposed to mean?
There have been women in the Marine Corps since 1940's.
Take it easy, buddy.
7/31/2007 3:21 PM
Delete
Steve said...
ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! No brained anonymous drive by poster coming through.
7/31/2007 3:38 PM
Delete
Colby Natale said...
Andy, it must be hard living in fear of this mythical liberal bias. Why the hell do you paint these as anti-war dances? I love that show, and while there was a vague theme of 'peace', there wasn't any statement of anti-Iraq; nothing nearly that concrete. Or is the abstract notion of peace really that offensive to you? I think you are reading WAY too much into this one man. I don't know how you find any joy in life being so sensitive and critical about these things.
7/31/2007 9:22 PM
Delete
Checker 5 said...
"I don't know how you find any joy in life being so sensitive and critical..."
Hahaha. Being “sensitive and critical" is the focus of your whole life, Colby. Who do you think you’re kidding?
Or is it that you secretly enjoy being a hypocrite more than being sensitive and critical?
8/01/2007 9:43 AM
Delete
Andy B. Hammond said...
Colby,
I grew up and was influenced in the 1970s where "Peace Activists" spit on and mocked my father when he came back from serving in Viet Nam.
So when I see people advocating "peace" when I believe it's necessary and important to be at war, I see it as an anti-war message. With Mia wearing the upside down insignia during the show, it made it all the more clearer.
8/01/2007 11:52 AM
Delete
Colby Natale said...
Andy,
No matter how much you might think the war is justifiable, I would hope that even you say it is undesirable. We can argue about important and necessary, but hopefully we can agree on undesirable. If that is true; it we agree that war is undesirable even when necessary, then should also agree that its opposite, peace, is desirable. Am I wrong?
8/01/2007 12:41 PM
Delete
Colby Natale said...
Checker, not that I am surprised, but you misrepresent me by chopping my quote. I said he is critical about these things; meaning inconsequential things like the plausibility of political undertones in reality tv. Sure, I am critical and sensitive about things; we all are. However, to work so hard to find conspiracy theories in So You Think You Can Dance is a bit too over the top, don't you think?
Or is it that you are so paranoid about the war that you see dissent everywhere?
8/01/2007 12:43 PM
Delete
Checker 5 said...
“If that is true; it [sic] we agree that war is undesirable even when necessary, then [we?] should also agree that its opposite, peace, is desirable. Am I wrong?”
Yeah, Colby, you’re wrong, as usual. If you can get people to agree with your faulty premise, then you can win any stupid argument, right?
All history refutes your premise. Common experience refutes your premise. People like war. That is why there have been so many wars, and that is why no war has ever suffered from a lack of participants.
***
I did not misrepresent you by “chopping” your quote. I merely reduced your hypocritical, gaseous exhalation to its essence, in the hope of preventing further global warming.
Conspiracy theories? Be real. You breathlessly follow all 250 Democratic congressional investigations currently underway.
And I don’t see any dissent anywhere, except from you and six or eight other pinheads in the Montana Leftosphere.
8/01/2007 1:41 PM
Delete
Colby Natale said...
Checker,
It never fails that if you are pushed passed one or two responses that your ability to debate these issues falls apart right before our eyes, resorting to immature taunts and empty words.
Saying people like war shows your true ignorance of humanity. If the dissent you see is really only contained to 6 or so people, why do you uselessly spend so much of your life fighting them?
8/01/2007 2:29 PM
Delete
Checker 5 said...
Sorry to have hurt your feelings, Colby. But you persist in wandering around, trying to engage people in your immature and meaningless “debates.” You’re like a lost child with a head injury.
Anyway, rest assured, I will always be here for you.
8/01/2007 3:56 PM
Delete
Andy B. Hammond said...
Colby,
War is absolutely horrible and undesirable. Unfortunately, war is necessary because there are and always have been evil and powerful people who desire to take away from other people.
Peace is always desirable but without freedom and liberty, what is peace worth? To me, nothing. There's peace in North Korea but they're starving to death. There was peace in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe but they suffered repression and gulags.(I know this well as I have family and visited during the 80s)
Sure, we can have peace now, but is the price of this peace continued random terrorist attacks on our country and citizens? That is unacceptable to me. We must fight the terrorists on their turf, the Middle East, regardless of who they are or what they call themselves.
Note: I'll be out of town tomorrow so I won't be able to participate again until Friday.
8/01/2007 4:30 PM
Delete
Steve Jones said...
Geez, has it come to this? To the point that we seek for "pro" and "anti" declarations in idiotic pop culture? What a waste of time. While your nation's troops are abroad doing the bidding of our political leaders, indulging in pop culture is a horrible waste of brain cells. Pardon my noise, but f*** Mia what's-her-face, f*** "So you think you can dance", and especially, f*** Fox for broadcasting such twaddle.
And f*** the lot of you for indulging in "gotcha" games while those people are knee deep in the Big Sandy, dying and killing and coming home f***ed up or lucky.
Andy, I was alive when your father came home from Vietnam, and I know of absolutely no verified instance of peaceniks - or anyone else - spitting on returning soldiers. If you can document one, I'll eat my hat. No doubt, there were people that dishonored them, and for that may they realize and live with their shame.
Good for you for recognizing that "Semper Fi!" can often be heard in a high voice. I knew one in my youth, a wonderful woman who I worshipped from afar. I hope she is well and happy these days.
"Peace is always desirable but without freedom and liberty, what is peace worth? To me, nothing."
To me, life. I will, as will most people, tolerate a certain amount of surveillance for safety. God knows that the modern so-called "conservatives" seems willing to give up a lot more liberty than I will. As long as they agree with the folks in authority at a given time, they are willing to give up quite a lot. But what will you do, Andy, when Hillary or Obama or John try to use the same "unitary executive" powers now in the possession of GWB?
I thought so. You'd scream like a rabid baboon. And you'd be right. See you on the barricades.
8/02/2007 10:21 PM
Delete
Get you hat out and start munching Steve. I know more than one guy who was spit on after returning from Nam.
ReplyDeleteBefore I break out my hat, the ketchup and the eating utensils, I'm going to need a better authority than an anonymous mouse who can't name names.
ReplyDeleteUnless you can document a case, the hat stays on my head.