Horror Report

Tag: politics

  • Politically incorrect or culturally inappropriate ?

    Politically incorrect or culturally inappropriate ?

    The latest from pop culture:

    Bill Maher, the HBO late-night host of “Real Time,” was criticized widely on social media after an interview with a Nebraska senator that aired Friday night where the host joked that he is a “house [expletive].”

    Maher was having a back-and-forth with Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., and the senator invited the liberal talk-show host to visit his state.

    “We’d love to have you work in the fields with us,” Sasse joked.

    Maher responded, “Work in the fields? Senator, I’m a house [expletive].”

    Some in the audience groaned and a few clapped. Maher appeared to quickly reassure the audience and said, “No, it’s a joke.”

    Sasse did not address the comment and the two moved on to another subject. Sasse faced some criticism on social media for not quickly condemning the host’s comments.

    The word was not cut from the Midnight rebroadcast on HBO..

  • KATHY GRIFFIN ‘ABOUT FACE’

    KATHY GRIFFIN ‘ABOUT FACE’

    PR stunt today attempts to turn tables as pendulum swung against her.. CNN fired her. And the President questioned her mental health.

    Today..
    Tears… for fears..

    “That apology absolutely stands,” Griffin said at the packed morning news conference held at her attorney’s office in Woodland Hills. “I apologized because it was the right thing to do and I meant it.”

    “Then I saw the tide turning,” she continued, adding that she has received death threats. “I saw what was happening. It was a mob mentality pile-on.”

    Public outrage over the photo was immediate on Tuesday, and Griffin apologized soon after, but the damage had already been done.

    President Trump and family speculated on Twitter about Griffin’s mental health, saying that she should be ashamed and calling for CNN to fire her from her New Year’s Eve hosting gig, which the cable news network did.

  • Reviewer writes that she is Haunted By ‘Get Out’ — But Not Because It’s A Horror Film

    Reviewer writes that she is Haunted By ‘Get Out’ — But Not Because It’s A Horror Film

    Reviewer writes that she is Haunted By ‘Get Out’ — But Not Because It’s A Horror Film:

    GET OUT continues to garner media praise and reviewer praise alike.. while not at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes at this point, the film is still scoring above 97% and is widely loved by professional and amateur reviews alike..

    The latest interesting perspective comes from Shira Hirschman Weiss. She wrote this in the HUFFINGTON POST, linked above:

    Without spoiling Get Out, I will say that as a woman whose skin is pale, I came away pensive. In the resulting week, I’m more perplexed. The movie was incredibly powerful, but it highlighted for me how we can all make buffoons of ourselves in the face of diversity. In an ultra-PC environment ― that Donald Trump notoriously seems to shun ― there are several types of Americans. Among them are the blatant racists and of the other extreme, those who want to prove how un-racist they are that they end up overdoing it.

    GET OUT is a prime example of horror done right: Elements of fear coupled with the modern societal horrors of a generation.. without being spoken, it can be a commentary on our world. Truly done well.

    Expect a long term ramification from GET OUT.. long term results with more movies like it to follow. Especially during the hyper-political era of Donald Trump..

  • Horror movies during the Trump years

    Horror movies during the Trump years

    W MAGAZINE has a very good article running: Why horror movies will be the best art during the Trump Administration..

    Author Max Lackin writes in part,

    Get Out subverts the home invasion genre’s classics like Friday the 13th and Scream—here, the menace is what’s already residing inside the white suburban house—while going further. Its first scene, of a young black man out at night alone walking through suburbia, goes from a feeling of unease to something deeply sinister with the appearance of a car that stalks him. “When this man anxiously looks for a way out, the scene grows discordantly disturbing because you may, as I did, flash on Trayvon Martin,” wrote Manhola Dargis in the New York Times.

    And more..

    “Social thriller” is Peele’s nomenclature, but it’s a good descriptor of the swell of recent films that wear horror’s cowl loosely, masking their progressive messaging just beneath genre makeup. The class commentary of The Purge franchise is more emphatic, but heavy-handedness doesn’t make its point any less true. Set in a near future in which a national holiday of state-sanctioned anarchy has yielded record-low crime and a one-percent unemployment rate, it’s a dystopia masquerading as utopia, thanks to a few hours of cathartic bloodletting—and a warning about where a few missteps could land us. The first installment came out in 2013, when the heft of the monthly unemployment rate carried weight.

    IT FOLLOWS was also a societal commentary.. the overriding sense of dread came less from the invisible sexual monster but more the poverty and desolation in Detroit..

    While I’d agree that GET OUT was social commentary, I am not sure it is truly about Trump.. same with PURGE ELECTION YEAR, this was released before Trump’s win. That said, the movies seem relevant ..

    One point that seems to be missed–and one I stress all of the time, hence my study of horror movies–horror has always been social commentary. FRIDAY THE 13th was not just about teenage dreams being slashed, but actually the religious right that rose during the Reagan years.. Other films, like NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, were all about race relations..  and even the SAW films were a response to the torture and warfare of the post 9/11 years..

    Movies have gone there before..and they will again. To be truly effective they need to have somewhat concealed.. somewhat overt. A mixture of both succeeds on all audience levels.

  • The strange death of the Vitaly Churkin

    The strange death of the Vitaly Churkin

    FROM NBC NEWS

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkAUgKG4XhQ]

    It is not surprising that most are considering this death to be quite suspicious.. quite strange.. quite bizarre.

    Adding a bit of intrigue of the injury of his sudden heart attack in New York City, this tidbit of information has been gaining speed on social networks: Wikileaks exposed that John McCain had a strange quest for campaign cash from the same ambassador who is now dead.. 

    Since his death tensions are now evident between Russia and Ukraine.. 

    His body has been delivered back to Russia.. 

    An autopsy was done earlier this week..

    City medical examiners concluded Churkin’s death needed further study, which usually includes toxicology and other screenings. Those can take weeks.

    The medical examiner is responsible for investigating deaths that occur by criminal violence, by accident, by suicide, suddenly or when the person seemed healthy or in any unusual or suspicious manner. Most of the deaths investigated by the office are not suspicious…

  • Witches brew: Are you casting a spell on Trump at Midnight?

    Witches brew: Are you casting a spell on Trump at Midnight?

    The popular website ELLE is the first on this feed:

    Starting at midnight on Friday, witches around the country are calling for a mass spell to be cast on Donald Trump every night of a waning crescent moon until he’s driven from office.

     The spell was publicized by Michael M. Hughes, who told ELLE.com that it was tweaked from multiple spells he saw going around private witchcraft groups. He published it on Extra News Feed because he felt “it would be very welcome to a lot of people.” It quickly spread, with events being formed around the country and support on social media.
    Matt Drudge also linked the ELLE article and caused a worldwide flurry of activity from witches and others who want to take part in the paranormal play..
    According to further reporting from Jaya Saxena:
    The ritual itself is pretty standard magic working, binding Trump from doing harm to others and to himself, rather than asking any forces to do harm to him. There are objects to represent the elements and to represent Trump himself. The tarot card of the Tower represents ambitions built on lies, which are struck down by a lightning flash of truth. For those who believe in witchcraft, it looks to be an effective spell.
    Various media organizations have given the story press, including the Huffington POST, USA TODAY, and the Associated Press.
    The #Resistance has gone to the dark side..
    There is now also a Facebook page dedicated to people’s photos and detailed info on what happened during the binding..

    A Spell to Bind Donald Trump and All Those Who Abet Him (version 2.0)

    To be performed at midnight on every waning crescent moon until he is removed from office. The first ritual takes place Friday evening, February 24th, at the stroke of midnight. This binding spell is open source, and may be modified to fit your preferred spiritual practice or magical system — the critical elements are the simultaneity of the working (midnight, EST—DC, Mar-a-Lago, and Trump Tower NYC time) and the mass energy of participants.

    See below for the upcoming dates. Some lodges/covens are doing a variation of this as a group working, while a number of solitary practitioners are planning to connect and livestream via Facebook, Twitter, and other social media.

    Components:

    • Unflattering photo of Trump (small); see below for one you can print
    • Tower tarot card (from any deck)
    • Tiny stub of an orange candle (cheap via Amazon)
    • Pin or small nail (to inscribe candle)
    • White candle (any size), representing the element of Fire
    • Small bowl of water, representing elemental Water
    • Small bowl of salt, representing elemental Earth
    • Feather (any), representing the element of Air
    • Matches or lighter
    • Ashtray or dish of sand

    Optional:

    • Piece of pyrite (fool’s gold)
    • Sulfur
    • Black thread (for traditional binding variant)
    • Baby carrot (as substitute for orange candle stub)

    Preparation:

    • Write “Donald J. Trump” on the orange candle stub with a pin or nail
    • Arrange other items in a pleasing circle in front of you
    • Lean the Tower card against something so that it’s standing up (vertically)
    • Say a prayer for protection and invoke blessing from your preferred spirit or deity. Reading the 23rd Psalm aloud is common in Hoodoo/Conjure/Rootwork traditions. Experienced magicians may perform an appropriate banishing ritual.

    RITUAL

    (v. 2.1)

    (Light white candle)

    Hear me, oh spirits
    Of Water, Earth, Fire, and Air
    Heavenly hosts
    Demons of the infernal realms
    And spirits of the ancestors

    (Light inscribed orange candle stub)

    I call upon you
    To bind
    Donald J. Trump
    So that he may fail utterly
    That he may do no harm
    To any human soul
    Nor any tree
    Animal
    Rock
    Stream
    or Sea

    Bind him so that he shall not break our polity
    Usurp our liberty
    Or fill our minds with hate, confusion, fear, or despair
    And bind, too,
    All those who enable his wickedness
    And those whose mouths speak his poisonous lies

    I beseech thee, spirits, bind all of them
    As with chains of iron
    Bind their malicious tongues
    Strike down their towers of vanity

    (Invert Tower tarot card)

    I beseech thee in my name
    (Say your full name)
    In the name of all who walk
    Crawl, swim, or fly
    Of all the trees, the forests,
    Streams, deserts,
    Rivers and seas
    In the name of Justice
    And Liberty
    And Love
    And Equality
    And Peace

    Bind them in chains
    Bind their tongues
    Bind their works
    Bind their wickedness

    (Light the small photo of Trump from the flame of the orange candle stub and hold carefully above the ashtray)

    (Speak the following loudly and with increasing passion as the photo burns to ashes)

    So mote it be!
    So mote it be!
    So mote it be!

    (Blow out orange candle, visualizing Trump blowing apart into dust or ash*)

    (Pinch or snuff out the white candle, ending the ritual)

    Grounding and Disposal

    Afterward, ground yourself by having a good, hearty laugh, jumping up and down, clapping your hands, stomping your feet, and having a bite to eat. Grounding is very important—don’t neglect it. And remember—he hates people laughing at him.

    Finally, bury the orange candle stub or discard it at a crossroads or in running water.

    VARIANTS

    Alternate Closing: After you’ve visualized Trump’s energy dissipating, gaze at the white candle flame for a few moments, close your eyes, and imagine a bright light emerging from the darkness and gradually being revealed as the flaming torch of the Statue of Liberty. The light from the torch then brightens intensely, expanding into infinity and burning away all darkness. After a few moments, open your eyes, ground yourself, and pinch or snuff out the white candle, closing the ritual. You can also leave it burning until it is fully extinguished.

    Traditional Binding Variant: This variant was contributed by a rootworker, and incorporates a more traditional form of binding magic. In place of burning the photo, the magician ties the photo to the orange candle with black thread. As you are wrapping the thread around the photo and candle, say “I bind you” three times. You may also tie knots in the thread. Then the whole package is buried or, as the contributor suggested, “Leave it outside a Trump hotel.”

    The Use-His-Pet-Phrase-Against-Him Variant: In place of “So mote it be,” instead say, “You’re fired!” with increasing vehemence. This should be particularly beautiful as the flames consume his image.

    Baby Carrot Substitution: For those who can’t acquire an orange candle stub, Frater SHUF suggests using a baby carrot (and lighting the photo from the white candle).

    Waning Crescent Moon Ritual Dates:

    February 24th (Midnight, Friday evening); March 26th; April 24th; May 23rd; June 21st (especially important as it is the summer solstice); July 21st; August 19th; etc.

    Trump photo for ritual (print and cut)

  • Lady Gaga in a bra, a sneak peak of the new Super Bowl Pepsi…

    Lady Gaga in a bra, a sneak peak of the new Super Bowl Pepsi…

    Lady Gaga in a bra, a sneak peak of the new Super Bowl Pepsi commercial .. set to start a stir.
    By the time the halftime show rolls, we will wonder if we are shaken or stirred..

    There is a high degree of attention being paid or the show this year. Hollywood and showbiz has taken to the airwaves to protest every move Donald Trump makes. If things go as some hope, Gags will make a political statement. In that light, there is already online petitions asking her to be BANNED> Because we have become frightened of FREEDOM OF SPEECH in Amurica…?

    Regardless, I am intrigued as well by whether the LADY will make her appearance political in nature.

    I predict this: We will hear some old songs..we will hear Poker Face.. we will see Patriots fans dancing (before and after the game, I predict as well) …and we will get a covert statement. Nothing overt.

    But that’s just me.. and my little zany prediction…
    The game time is coming. We will see soon.

  • Trump demands apology from ‘Hamilton’ after cast’s message to Pence

    Trump demands apology from ‘Hamilton’ after cast’s message to Pence

    Trump demands apology from ‘Hamilton’ after cast’s message to Pence:

    image

    The next four years are going to continue like this. So as long as Donald Trump has a Twitter account, he is going to use it like the millions of others who do: Nonstop barrages of commentary on mundane events.

    The President-Elect is normally busy building a team of rivals, or friends, or whatever type of cabinet he wants to.. this year, Donald Trump is using his time to frequently go to Twitter to attack the cast of Hamilton–a broadway show that most likely most of Americans don’t care one bit about. This is not inside the beltway, but instead inside the big apple.. high above the lofty lofts of NYC are penthouses filled with people chattering about this. But the rest of the American people are scratching their heads at ..why..

    image

    Donald Trump is going to make just about everything about him over the next four years. No doubt people will bite every time. Why change now.

    He will utilize Twitter to keep the masses who voted for him faithful to the cause, while silently changing policy opinions on world events and Obama care.. yes, the Hamilton attack only gives more red meat to those who have not had any since the last Trump rally.

    By Saturday morning, both #NameAPenceMusical and #BoycottHamilton were trending on Twitter. There was a pro-Trump flash mob on Saturday night on Broadway. By Sunday, morning AM Trump again went to Twitter to slam Hamilton.

    This is unprecedented.

    Is it unpreseidential-elect?

  • Trump: Twitter helped me win but I’ll be ‘restrained’ now

    Trump: Twitter helped me win but I’ll be ‘restrained’ now

    Trump: Twitter helped me win but I’ll be ‘restrained’ now :

    While covering and linking up several political stories over the past 15 months, I have primarily been silent as to the candidate of my choice. I will continue to do so, so nothing within this opinion relates to who I actually voted for this year.. Some time honored private matters, to me, are still cherished.

    That said, I do not think the election of Donald Trump should be considered a surprise to anyone watching. Social media, the way we chat and chatter online, created this. We created this. WE made Donald Trump …

    It also reminds me of using a spirit board.. or conjuring up something from another existence. If you really, really REALLY want to talk to a spirit, one may just talk back. Then you got your wish.
    In our world, social media use and the quit hits of Twitter and Facebook have allowed us to dumb down political talk .. we have gone from large 10,000 word articles on the events of the day or week down to 100 character or so tweets. We decide on things after only glancing at headlines.. we do not check sources, but instead eat up anything we see on Facebook. So as long as we agree with it.

    And that is another problem with modern social media. We do not find things to challenge our thoughts or opinions… we don’t want to be challenged. Instead we are given the ability to follow the places we are fans of on the newsfeed……and you miss valuable contrary information by doing so.

    And the news? The news has become a victim, too. There is no ‘news’ anymore.. Today as Itype this there was a 7.8 quake off New Zealand and a tsunami warning. That is news. But it doesn’t sell in America. Instead the airwaves will be filled with indigestable political stories 24/7.

    The protests against Trump are being made worse by a media that glorifies them. But when violence occurs, the media shutters back and quickly showcases brief and not-so-serious calls for calm.

    Today on Twitter a friend asked me why I think Saturday Night Live was a fan of Hillary. She pointed out that Trump guest hosted the program. My answer was twofold. 1) Ratings. Trump equals ratings. 2) It was pre-extreme and pre-Muslim ban and pre-wall.

    Trump used his social media influence in the 2016 election like no other candidate. Elections will not be fought on airwaves anymore.. radio ads don’t matter. TV ads just annoy. YouTube ads? They work… Social media platforms? They work. And sadly, fake clickbait websites work as well as the solid and reliable ones.

    The 2008 election was the first time a candidate was able to harnass social media and Facebook to elicit donations and support among the young. In 2016, eight lightspeed fast years later, a candidate did not even bother raising money but instead used the platforms to gain a mass of people who, many of which never voted before, to vote for him.

    It was the perfect storm in 2016..
    You may not be happy with results. You may be one of those college students in certified ‘weep rooms’ or being told by university staff to form PlayDoh to express emotions (very silly in my thought)… or you are a member of the red state victors now hoping and praying that the president you so hoped for does not become a president you are not proud of.

    We just don’t know.
    We don’t have a clue.
    A social media candidate is the modern day version of Mr Smith goes to Washington. But even Mr. Smith was forced to give more detailed thoughts on plans. And Mr. Smith was fiction!!!

    Fiction is now alive and real in modern day 21st century politics.

    A Congress, a Court, and a populace will now have to work and watch a President Donald Trump.

    We got to know him (*kinda!*) through social media. And now as president, he says, he will tone it down. Backtrack… keep it less brash and unabashed.

    …..perhaps that is the most interesting thing of all. Sure, social media changed everything. It changed how we read politics.. it changed how we vote.
    But as Donald Trump is now realizing, it does NOT change how to govern….
    We will now collectively watch how President Trump governs.

    (Through it all, I still cannot stop to think about the Simpsons in 2000 predicting that a president Trump would happen……… wise beyond years)

  • Some of the stranger ways people are dealing with the election results

    Some of the stranger ways people are dealing with the election results

    Some of the stranger ways people are dealing with the election results:

    The University of Michigan offered its traumatized students coloring books and Play-Doh to calm them.

     The University of Kansas reminded its stressed-out kids that therapy dogs, a regular campus feature, were available.

     Cornell University, an Ivy League school, held a campus-wide “cry-in,” with officials handing out tissues and hot chocolate.

     Tufts University offered its devastated students arts and crafts sessions.

     At campuses from elite Yale to Connecticut to Iowa and beyond, professors canceled classes and/or exams — either because students asked or because instructors were too distraught to teach..