Horror Report

Tag: pop culture

  • The Internet gangs up on Jeopardy contestant for celebrating 3 wins? Or have they discovered someone’s hidden beliefs!

    The Internet gangs up on Jeopardy contestant for celebrating 3 wins? Or have they discovered someone’s hidden beliefs!

    Over the past several years, the “ok” hand symbol has progressively been called a racist and white supremicist hand gesture..

    So when Jeopardy contestant Kelly Donahue put up three fingers to celebrate three days of wins on the show, people on Twitter quickly posted his image and commentary that he showcased a racist hand gesture!

    What occurred from that point was nothing else but a modern day electronic witch hunt.

    Donahue issued a comment on Facebook that he was in on way being racist.. but then he deleted that post as public pressure and endless comments called him out as a white supremacist.. At that point, the on-air moment resulted in Donohue receiving immense backlash from at-home viewers and past contestants. The gesture many accused him of using has been classified as a symbol of hate by the Anti-Defamation League as of 2019..

    Donahue then issued another newer statement in which he further tried to quell the personal attacks:

    “I’m truly horrified with what has been posted about me on social media. I absolutely, unequivocally condemn white supremacy and racism of any kind. People who know me personally know that I am not a racist, but for the public at large it bears repeating: I am not a racist and I reject and condemn white supremacy and all forms of bigotry for the evil they are,” Donohue wrote in a lengthy statement on Facebook.

    “It’s shameful to me to think anyone would try to use the stage of ‘Jeopardy!’ to advance or promote such a disgusting agenda. During the taping of my fourth episode, I was simply raising three fingers to mark my 3rd win. There was nothing more I was trying to indicate,” he said.

    “I deeply regret this terrible misunderstanding. I never meant to hurt a soul and I assure you I am no friend of racists or white supremacists,” his post continues..

    x x x

    Meanwhile, a formal letter from more than 400 alleged former “Jeopardy!” contestants published to Medium on Wednesday called for showrunners to act on the alleged condemned hand gesture.

    “This, whether intentional or not, resembled very closely a gesture that has been coopted by white power groups, alt right groups, and an anti-government group that calls itself the Three Percenters,” the letter reads….

    x x x

    …everything went into chaotic hell when Alex Trebek left the world…

  • The apocalypse is now. Institutions destroyed across America

    The apocalypse is now. Institutions destroyed across America

    Yesterday before Savanah Guthrie even was able to finish her sentence that NBC executives suddenly and decisively fired MATT LAUER from the company, news outlets already were running blazing headlines.. Drudge’s siren rolled out from the 1990s GIF graveyard.. People were able to commentate on Youtube live streams within seconds. Reactions on Twitter were ferociously pouring in.

    The firing happened so quickly that there was an awkward moment when the story of Lauer’s termination was posted right under a logo still showcasing Lauer’s face..

    We are saturated with media. We are surrounded by opinion.. we are disturbed by the constant zeal of citizen reporters giving us eye opening accounts in truth that was once held secret by a ruling class.
    And we will never get over it.
    To sum up what happened in just one day of news is almost impossible. 
    Many women are now coming forward with accounts that Matt Lauer had sex with them, showed them his penis, had a button under his desk to lock the door, and may have done much worse. The allegations were so specific that NBC did not do the typical media suspension/investigation. Not at all..they fired on the spot, leaving the hosts of NBC’s TODAY SHOW to only have seconds of time to react with class and expertise. 
    IT did not end there. Garrison Keillor last his job at PBS, though on a scale of Lauer his actions (thus far) seemed to pale in comparison. He even used humor when addressing it. Keillor said that he tried to console a woman when his hand went up her dress. She got a lawyer. He lost his job. He wrote jokingly that he always wanted to be fired, but for something heroic instead of what occurred.
    And it did not end there!
    Almost immediately, the President reacted on Twitter. @RealDonaldTrump decided to weigh in on the Lauer situation, albeit only briefly. His big focus seemed to be another NBC media star making millions a year; JOE SCAROROUGH.  Trump Tweeted that executives of ‘fake news’ NBC should be fired.. and that Scarborough should be investigations for the ‘unsolved mystery’ in 2001.

    Trump is referring to the death of then Congressman Scarborough’s intern in his office. Lori Klaisutis was found dead with a head injury. An official report at that time said she had a heart condition, leading her to somehow fall and hit her head, only to die in her desk. The family disputed that, however, because she was an avid runner. Years later, NBC kicked off DAILY KOS’ Marlo’s Moulitas for bringing this issue up on the year. At that time, Michael Moore raised questions and even registered a domain name implying that Scarborough killed his intern..
    Take a breather…
    All of this in one day. One sole day.
    This has been a whirlwind of a year. Allegations along with dynasties destroyed.. It would appear that ever since Donald Trump won the election in 2016, there has been a day of reckoning EVERY DAY in some regard.. some form of America has crumbled, at least the America that was built over the past few decades. Political families ruined.. Hollywood stars crumbling.. Journalistic institutions filled like cesspools of sultry sexual escapades. Nothing seems safe.
    We already had a decade of Catholic church scandals … But lately there has been an increase in priestly affairs, pun intended. People close to the Pope involved with human trafficking (check Wikileaks if you want proof) .. priests in Italy supposedly molesting children but still practicing sacrements.
    The light of illumination is shining brightly on the scarred landscape of humanity as of late..
    One particular subject matter that has yet to be fully vetted or talked about: Pedophila networks within government and Hollywood. Corey Feldman is going there. He has been publicly going there for years, but lately upped the ante with specific talk about how said awful things in Hollywood led to the drug addicted Corey Haim to kill himself.. 
    In what now seems awful, Matt Lauer interviewed Feldman on the TODAY show a few weeks ago and was particularly rough on him about the topic, highly questioning the information and allegations presented. And now.. fast forwarding a few days and Matt Lauer’s questions seem to look very different when compared with his own potentially awful actions towards co workers and colleagues.
    This is the year of illumination. Revelations.
    And yes, quite possibly, this is by definition an apocalypse year..By the truest sense of the definition. The great unveiling.
    Everything is beginning to unveil, unravel…Upheavel sure to come. 
    Locusts by Friday and end times on the weekends.
    Enjoy…

  • BALDWIN MELTDOWN ON TWITTER! Polanski meltdown! insanity over abuse allegations! Baldwins bids ‘Au revoir’

    BALDWIN MELTDOWN ON TWITTER! Polanski meltdown! insanity over abuse allegations! Baldwins bids ‘Au revoir’


    The DAILY BEAST sums up what is occurring on Twitter right now like this:


    First, McGowan tweeted out a link to the video interview with the message, “Told you everyone knew. No one cared. Men ran the show. Women toed the line. No more. #ROSEARMY.” Then, Asia Argento, who also accused Weinstein of raping her, tweeted a link to the video with her own, more pointed message: “Hey @AlecBaldwin you’re either a complete moron or providing cover for your pals and saving your rep. Maybe all three.” This missive caused Baldwin to fire back, tweeting, “If you paint every man w the same brush, you’re gonna run out of paint or men @AsiaArgento.”

    The argument continued with others involved..

    Baldwin struck back:

    First, McGowan tweeted out a link to the video interview with the message, “Told you everyone knew. No one cared. Men ran the show. Women toed the line. No more. #ROSEARMY.” Then, Asia Argento, who also accused Weinstein of raping her, tweeted a link to the video with her own, more pointed message: “Hey @AlecBaldwin you’re either a complete moron or providing cover for your pals and saving your rep. Maybe all three.” This missive caused Baldwin to fire back, tweeting, “If you paint every man w the same brush, you’re gonna run out of paint or men @AsiaArgento.”

    Rita Panahi, an Iranian-Australian columnist for the Herald Sun, tweeted a screenshot of the Argento-Baldwin exchange with the message: “But it was AFTER Polanski had fled justice AFTER drugging & anally raping a child. Get in the bin, @AlecBaldwin. Stay strong, @AsiaArgento.”..

    And the highg school-ish exchange escalated.. continued.. Tweetstorms arose.

    Then Baldwin said bye:

    Baldwin responded to the online backlash by tweeting out a six-part apology, writing, “it is w some degree of sadness that I will suspend posting on this a TWITTER account for a period of and in the current climate…It was never my intention, in my public statements, to ‘blame the victim’ in the many sexual assault cases that have emerged recently…I simply posited that the settlement of such cases certainly delayed justice, though I am fully aware that those settlements were entered into w understanding that settlement is wise, intimidated into believing so. My heart goes out to all such victims. My goal is to do better in all things related to gender equality. Au revoir.”

  • A President Tweets after a storm. And causes a Category 5 storm of Tweets.

    A President Tweets after a storm. And causes a Category 5 storm of Tweets.

    In an 11-hour period beginning at 7:19 a.m. and ending at 6:46 p.m. Saturday, the President of the United States ripped off 18 — yes, 18! — tweets dealing with the dire situation in Puerto Rico following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria.

    None of them were good.. it has created a monster of a problem for the President..
    In the aftermath of a storm that ground Puerto Rico to a halt and turned off power for just about 100% of the people, the leader of the free world decided to blame Puerto Rico.. 
    He attacked San Juan’s Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz.. 
    “They want everything to be done for them” he Tweeted at one point.. 
    Then he slammed news organizations for being critical of him not responding to the crisis in Puerto Rico..
    The entire fight became the focal point of the cold opening of last night’s SNL ..

    The season premiere of Saturday Night Live was hosted by Ryan Gosling with Jay-Z as the musical guest.

    (by the way.. SNL is stale stale stale stale… stale)

    18 tweets in 11 hours..
    It has not even been one full year yet since the election.. only 9 months of the presidency.. And the year’s tension is at the highest level yet. Football is not a diversion but just another reason to get angry..
    Storms? Weather? All political.
    This is where we are now..
    THIS IS THE TWEETED VERSION OF THE PRESIDENCY.
  • THE CHAINSAW NUN AFTER IRMA

    THE CHAINSAW NUN AFTER IRMA

    An off-duty cop in Miami went to check out the damage Hurricane Irma brought to a local neighborhood when he encountered a nun cutting up trees to clear the roadways…with a chainsaw.

    Sister Margaret Ann wanted to help clean up damages after witnessing an almost car accident as a result of the storm. She took it upon herself to start the cleaning process.

    The Miami-Dade Police Department posted to Facebook, uploading the video and praising her for being the symbol of kindness in the community.

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

  • Watching 9/11 all year long

    Watching 9/11 all year long

     
    I have always struggled to know why I, along with many others, watch footage of 911 every year … also several times throughout the year. It seems ghoulish, it seems like we just relive a snuff film in real time every moment. For me, there is a sense of guilt that comes with it because of how it can also induce nostalgia. 

    For me, I become nostalgic for the year I turned 21, the moment when my youth seemed the most buoyant and yet obnoxious.. and a time when things seemed much more simple.

    Ever since the events of that day occurred headlines about it have been taken over by Xenaphobia, warmongers, and conspiracy theories of all nature.  If you were listening to the talking heads and pundits, then you most likely have been told the exact reason why 9/11 occurred.  Some will give you the backstory on the government officials that they believe were actually behind it. 

    Others will tell you about how we should have bombed Middle Eastern countries to smithereens because of their support of the terrorists.  A few may point out how inept American leadership was in the summer leading up to the event. Remember that memo given to Bush during his August vacation ??  

    We do this all the time, we relive the nasty events and try to shad them in a civilized way.  People strive to bring some common sense and normalcy of thought progression as to why things occurred.

    But I don’t believe that is why we watch footage of 9/11, and not why we relive the same 102 minutes time after time.

    I actually think the reason is quite simple.

    For the raw emotion.

    The true and visceral raw emotion that it brings, it seems real. We can relive those days when commercials along with TV coverage of the mundane and trivial was all we cared about. September 11 was the end of the Seinfeld era, the conclusion of the decade about nothing. Stock markets were strong, mortgage loans being given out like candy.. the conclusion came, though, and the piper was paid.

    I can recall the footage of the today show one Bryant Gumbel was cautiously curious as to why some would say the second plane flying into a building was a purposeful act.  Because we were naïve, because we were innocent. A generation that grew up lost in space forgot the space that they were in. The dotcom bubble was first, then everything burst at 9 AM on September  11th..

     

    When I watch coverage from those moments, when I view the footage again, and when I relive my own emotions and memories from that day, I don’t do it in any joy of those who perished.
    When viewing those television moments prior to the breaking news, I actually feel in some strange way like 911 will not happen. When I watch the footage of the ‘Everybody loves Raymond’ interview on CBS before the first plane hit, or the fact that Nokia stock was up 5% and Motorola was closing on CNN, I feel like the next moments actually will not occur. 

    An impossibility..

    Because we all know what occurs next, we all know the planes crash and that the Pentagon is it in that building is fall down, that President Bush is flown around the nation and Dick Cheney is in a bunker in no mans land. We all know that the speaker of the house is rushed out of DC and that news coverage comes to grips with the fact that their world, along with ours, has been changed forever with them only mere seconds.

    But we still watch, and I don’t believe we watch because it’s fun. I believe we watch because even to this day we have not come to grips with this moment and we have not been able to actually make sense of what we saw.

    We’ve gone to war, we debated who is behind the events, we have become divided as a nation and almost 20 years later a much more racist and bigoted world. None of it had to happen, but it did. And we watch the coverage of this day to feel that true and raw emotion because somehow perhaps we get united in our sadness in our anger. Even if it’s only for 102 minutes and it goes away once the replay on YouTube has ended. 


  • HURRICANE PENNYWISE AT BOX OFFICES

    HURRICANE PENNYWISE AT BOX OFFICES

    I have a few ‘floating’ observations to make about this past weekend. Initially I fell victim to the hype..the overkill..the horror–from the news media!

    I have been in touch with some family and friends–a few haven’t responded yet–who live in the hurricane zone in Florida.. So far fine. Power is out for them, about over 3 million people. News media reports this morning indicate that about 5 so far have been confirmed dead because of the storm–a few from car wrecks while trying to evacuate..

    But last night while trying to sleep through some anxiety that has been increasing with recent weather conditions worldwide, I tuned in to hear Chris Jericho from the WWE during the initial minutes of Coast to Coast AM hosted night by Richard Syrett. I needed to hear it.. Jericho was in the Tampa area–the location where most damage was said to be coming. The eye wall..the horror! The misery! Jericho said he was busy watching Game of Thrones and, if he didn’t know Hurricane Irma was outside, may have just thought it was a rainstorm with wind. I was thankful to have heard this…

    I saw a few articles this week of people planning hurricane parties.. people saying ‘F IRMA’ online. Even a few that would have taken a really bad road and shot guns into the storm. Bad, bad idea people.

    There has been looting, yes. There is flooding.Some locations may be without power for days, weeks..or months. All of those dire warnings have come true for some. The storm surge isn’t done ravaging.. and yes, low line areas like Miama have been dealt a warning shot that, in case climate change continues to march ahead, they will have to deal with being at sea level. Maybe one day below.. All of these things are true…

    ….fear.

    With fear comes violence..with fear comes people making really awful choices. Distraught souls wandering in the land of fright .. their plight.. without might.. no fight.

    Fear takes away so much potential from people. Fear, heralded by the media so often as they hype storms for ratings, forces the human condition into a less than desirable state.

    Fear.

    It’s interesting that Pennywise the Dancing Clown made his presence known in movie theaters across America the same weekend we dealt with IRMA. The film adaptation of Stephen King’s IT was a remarkable success! $110 million domestically and the biggest horror release ever. A record setting film. Biggest R rates release .. the global box office has been rocked by a clown and the Loser’s Club facing their fears just enough to fight off the enemy.

    He thrusts his fists against the post but still insists he sees the ghost.

    Pennywise is a bit like Irma, isn’t he? The fear… so many are placed into a ‘holding’ position by fear..they get locked in the ‘dead lights’ of the media. We are rampaged mentally by media outlets showcasing the doom and gloom of the planet. Just as Derry is damaged permanently by a killer shapeshifter who utilizes the deepest fears of its prey in order to defeat them quickly.

    We cannot allow fear to overcome us.

    So often I think we have turned into a circus of ourselves. Social media is amazing..You can literally watch someone Periscope live from a hurricane half a globe away and chat. Amazing. The speed at which information is disseminated is unbelievable .. But so often we overhype things that shouldn’t be and marginalized amazing things that need to be known. The goodness of the world is sidelined … blistering headlines this morning showcase that: DOOM! HORROR! IRMA! MISERY! DESTRUCTION! And a sale on meat at the local grocery store. Sports in section b.

    Yes..Pennywise is the darkest horror figure in box offices perhaps ever. The remarkable film actually deserves an Oscar, and whether it’s the first to get one in the genre since SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, I don’t know.

    Pennywise is also a lot like the media tycoons that promulgate misery and fear.. Sex doesn’t sell nearly as much as blood. If it bleeds it leads baby. Pennywise is similar.. he will lurk in shadows and sewers and wait until the moment when your’e most afraid.

    When the Loser’s Club faces their fears, thrusts their fists against the post and stop seeing ghosts, they can overcome not only an outside presence of evil but also the darkest demons within themselves. We all should be a little more like the Loser’s Club from IT.

    We are all messed up. We are people. People filled with histories that keep us down and nostalgia that removes the darkest days from our past. Mixed up people who so often cannot express ourselves without medication or alcohol. We have fright when we look in the mirror, but only because we see what’s inside.

    So on this September 11–an anniversary of a day that also fills us with heartbreak and fear, I sa this: F Irma. And Jose too.

    F Pennywise, or whatever incarnation he takes on in the madness of your mind.

    Bravo Loser’s Club. We are ALL members, if we want to be..

  • Finding your best defense with someone else’s worst offense..

    Finding your best defense with someone else’s worst offense..

    Early in the week Kathy Griffin thought it would be humorous to be showcased in a photo shoot raising the severed head of Donald Trump.

    Later in the week.. Bill Maher uttered the N word during his HBO REAL TIME live broadcast..

    Anger online!

    Twitter repudiates!

    This morning, Bill Maher is facing widespread calls that he should be fired for his joke!

    Maher was talking to Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska) about the senator’s book, “The Vanishing American Adult,” which explores why today’s young people are unable to survive in a competitive global economy. The conversation drifted to Halloween and how dressing up is no longer just a children’s tradition. Sasse said adults don’t do that quite as much in his state because it’s frowned upon. In response, Maher said he should visit Nebraska more.

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

    “Work in the fields? Senator, I’m a house n—–,” Maher said, raising both of his hands up. “No it’s — it’s a joke.”

    At this time, there has not been a public response from Bill Maher. It will undoubtedly come.

    But we did have a response from Griffin, who late in the week blamed Donald Trump and family for attempting to take her career down.

    At this time, people including Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson and Jack Posobiec, a Trump supporter who writes for the right-wing site Rebel Media, have called for Maher to be fired. #FireBillMaher is circulating on Twitter.

    The rest.. rest.. the rest may be history.

    This has been an awful year for fake outrage over things that don’t matter. Like when the Late Show host Colbert had a nasty joke about Trump.. Or when people wanted Sean Hannity fired for being political opposed to them.. or when Steve Martin had to say sorry for calling Carrie Fisher beautiful shortly after she passed away.

    This is tiring.. This is getting to be a drag on freedom of speech. And unfortunately, as the whole mess of 2017 continues, this nonsensical tripe will most likely keep occurring.

    Should Kathy Griffin say sorry? Sure if she wants to. Same for Bill Maher. But should they be fired? ….I suppose the private companies who employ them can only decide after reading the tea leaves.. But my God.. my God.. jokes are over. In the new age, everyone can take offense at what they choose..demand repercussions for their agony.. and then at the end of the day still demand the termination of whatever person said something to offend them.

    Conservative.. Red states.

    Blue state liberals.. All the same.

    In the end, the middle of the roaders–all of us–have been forced into a giant mess of madness.

    Welcome to the modern age. Pop culture may have to slice and dice the MIC in favor of the duct tape. Over the mouth. Not a word to be uttered in the 21st century breakdown.

  • 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.