California's Proposition 19: It's a Lifestyle Preference. Deal with It.

Proposition 19, the California initiative to legalize and tax Marijuana, is an annoying necessity, like having to get out of a nice, warm bed on a cold winter morning to let the cat in. Why are we still having the Puritan debate over Marijuana legalization in California, in 2010?

Smoking pot is a lifestyle; it denotes everything the conservative movement disdains, qualities that they do not possess. Americans may not agree on whether or not we should legalize pot, but they certainly agree that it exists in our society. For today's Baby Boomers it was a rite of passage, as much a fabric of the tapestry of life as frat parties and sweaty makeout sessions in the backseat of a car. The 60s happened, and pot has been a reality ever since.

We elect presidents who openly confess to doing it; we listen to music and see films that speak to a shared experience, a tacit understanding of profound perception shifts, without even batting an eye. Why are people still going to jail because of it?

Opponents of Proposition 19 use exaggerated imagery of spiking crime and "reefer madness" as a way to deny everything that pot smoking represents; its inherent threat to traditional American culture. Their fierce opposition only reinforces the fact that, like in Arizona, American traditionalists are rising up to rabidly resist what they perceive as a wholesale attack on their values. Californians legalized medical Marijuana 14 years ago. It's only logical that full freedom from persecution follows; but Proposition 19's opponents are acting like Proposition 215 never passed. and that there is no such thing as a legal precedent.

Those who so vehemently disagree with the equality that Proposition 19 proposes have the right to abstain from using or associating with people who smoke pot. Surely towns and counties would band together to create "safe zones" for Marijuana use. Not all of California is going to turn into Woodstock. The state has politically divided itself very successfully up to now. Conservative bastions like Orange County coexist with San Francisco, and, while the state legislature may suffer from perpetual gridlock, most Californians manage to carve out their appropriate niches without too much geographical turmoil. Those who don't endorse Proposition 19 can safely congregate, like they do now, without being exposed to the attitudes they deplore; but surely they can all agree that a person's lifestyle preference should be his or hers to freely decide.

Don Draper: Mad (White) Man

The real question, I thought, as I watched the "Mad Men" season 4 premiere on Sunday night, is: What are they mad about? AMC's smash hit debuted Sunday to its highest ratings ever, with 2.9 million viewers tuning in to revel in the exploits of the enigmatic Don Draper. This is 5% more people than tuned in to the season 3 premiere last summer, and proves that the show is continuing to draw new viewers. Now, sure, the title is supposed to be a play on the fact that they are ad men, and that these men are impetuous and lacking in moral clarity, therefore, a little "mad" (as in the crazy sort). But, if we look at the portrayal of Don Draper and his cohorts of mischevious misogynists, could the "mad" in the title really being referring to the impending loss of white male power in the 1960s?

Could "Mad Men" be a reflection of white male angst in 2010, the same kind of angst they felt in the early 60s as they stood on the precipice of the massive social change that would ultimately challenge their exclusive social supremacy? We are living in a mad world right now, with economic hardships, the first African-American president, and unemployment fanning the flames of racial conflagration at every turn. The news is rife with stories of racial tension in cities all across the US, and the Tea Party has turned their paranoid delusions of "reverse discrimination" into a white, disaffected rallying cry.

Yet through all this, Don Draper struts around, posing and grinning, as his marriage crumbles and his assumed identity slowly unravels; and we love him for it. We love his stoicism and feigned strength, even if it is all an illusion. AskMen.com published the results of a survey on the most influential man in America last year, and Don Draper was number one, ahead of Barack Obama or any other living man who has beaten the odds and overcome adversity or worked to improve the planet. American men today want to be like Don Draper.

A lot of people defend the show, saying that it is an accurate portrayal of its time. I guess that's because Draper's ad agency is run by white men who walk into the office and immediately pour themselves a drink and light a cigarette. The women on the show are nothing more than pretty little accessories, who answer phones, have babies, and swoon over Draper. What would this show look like if it were told from a woman's point-of-view? It would probably look a lot more like "Revolutionary Road" or "Mona Lisa Smile" than James Bond.

This is pure white male fantasyland. Don Draper assumes an identity; he's a cipher on which disaffected white men can project their idealized lives. American men (white, affluent American men) are hearkening back to "simpler times," when their identity was constructed around their libido and they reigned supreme in society. The women stand around looking pretty, providing Don with numerous chances at infidelity, and therefore, power; all other races are nonexistent. If Don Draper is supposed to be on the verge of some kind of moral crisis in season 4, he's certainly having a lot of fun getting there. American history has already been told from the rich, white male perspective. This story is redundant and needs another point-of-view.

Mel Gibson is a Sociopath

Radaronline.com reports that Mel Gibson twice punched Oksana Grigorieva in the face while she was holding their baby. The incident is captured on the same tape in which he spews racial epithets, threatens to burn the house down, and tells her that she deserves to be punched.

This type of behavior should not be tolerated and Mel should be seen as the psychologically unbalanced, out-of-control sociopath he really is. Mel exhibits most of the character traits of a sociopath (http://www.mcafee.cc/Bin/sb.html), such as glibness, a grandiose sense of self, a lack of remorse, shame or guilt about his actions, an incapacity for love, callousness, and a lack of empathy toward others.
Sociopaths, according to H. Cleckley and R. Hare, "never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible"; they are "covertly hostile and domineering," and they "may dominate and humiliate their victims."

Mel has still not come out and apologized for his racist rant, which was leaked last week. Instead, he and his lawyer have focused on who leaked the tape and whether or not it was Oksana (as if that makes any difference). Mel Gibson has no idea how out-of-control he really is, and if he does, he doesn't care. Everything that goes wrong in his life is someone else's fault, and he uses these adverse events as excuses to spout his hate-filled views to whomever is around. When he was arrested for DUI in 2006, he proceeded to go on an anti-Semitic tirade and sexually harass the female police officer who was on-scene; and in this latest rant, he insults and punches his girlfriend, spewing racial epithets, and telling her she deserves to be hit. This mentality is the same as a rapist who believes that his victim "really wanted it." Mel Gibson is a sociopath, and this is more than a tawdry tabloid story. This is the profile of a very sick mind.

WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Mel Gibson Caught On Tape Admitting He Hit Oksana -- "You F**king Deserved It" RadarOnline.com

The Immanent Credibiilty of Kate Gosselin

Kate Gosselin: No Breast Implants, ‘Bachelorette’ Or Holiday Album Access Hollywood - Celebrity News, Photos & Videos

I'm so sick of supposed "actresses," displaying obvious evidence of breast implants, who come out denying that anything is fake. Kate Gosselin is the lastest pseudo celebrity to do just that, telling "The View" that she did not have implants and nothing on her is "airbrushed."

So, despite the tabloid evidence to the contrary (stories even had her bodyguard helping her decide which size breasts to get), along with everything that our eyes can see, we are supposed to believe her when she simply denies the stories.

Sure. Because a lower-level reality star, desperate to remain relevant after DWTS has NO incentive to try and boost her career through surgery. Right. Jon sports the new dragon tattoo, while Kate sports new breasts. Wasn't that reality show originally about a family who had octuplets?

Landon Donovan Lovechild: Is it really a scandal?

News - Landon Donovan: My Wife Means So Much to Me Now - Celebrity News - UsMagazine.com

The revelation that Landon Donovan may have fathered a lovechild is quickly running out of steam on the scandalmeter because he is a soccer player, and now that the US is out of the World Cup, soccer is no longer at the forefront of our cultural focus.

Besides, Donovan wasn't that big of a star to begin with. This sudden concern about his estranged wife, his lovechild, and his mistress is feigned. It was a way to make Americans care about soccer in time for the World Cup.

Look at the way some of our most popular magazines have begun publicizing all of those "sexy soccer stars." This is a ploy for ratings, and it becomes even more important now, since the American team has been eliminated.

Trying to make the Landon Donovan story into a scandal is a weak attempt at publicity. It will disappear in a few weeks, after the obligatory World Cup hype is over.

Chris Brown Cries During BET Awards

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEWS: Chris Brown Breaks Down Crying During BET Awards Tribute To Michael Jackson RadarOnline.com

Was Chris Brown's emotional rendition of Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" authentic or just a publicity stunt to try and resurrect his tanking career? The singer got very choked up during his tribute to Michael Jackson at last night's BET Awards, so much so, that he couldn't even sing some of the last song. RadarOnline.com reported that Brown's performance "stole the show."

One gets the sense, when watching Brown, that his tears were more an expression of grief over what once was, then they were over Jackson's death. His career has never been the same since his infamous fight with Rihanna, and his last album "Graffiti," suffered from poor sales and reviews.

Will this latest PR stunt manage to revive Brown's floundering career? Will his tears convince people that he is not a violent abuser of women, but really a sensitive artist whose emotions got the best of him? Celebrities interviewed at the BET Awards last night seemed to think that Brown should be left alone by the media and should be allowed to have his career back. One thing is for certain, it will take a lot more public repentance before Chris Brown is going to be trusted again.

The Toy Story Phenomenon

Look at the box office snapshot of June 27, 2010. Seven of the top ten movies blatantly exploit the innocence of youth, and obviously to great effect. Why, then do studios keep trying to tell us we should crave something else? I'm sick of critics pretending they're shocked when period pieces, dramas, or romantic thrillers fail. These are AUTUMN MOVIES, people. Haven't you realized that by now?

It's summer and my mind wants to go on vacation. I want sun and fun, beaches and Fantasyland. No stuffy wood-paneled rooms, cubicles, or desolate ghost towns. I want Katy Perry singing about "California Gurls" and Buzz Lightyear, the enduring staple of youth, comforting me with shouts of, "To infinity... and BEYOND!"

Seven of the top ten movies this week are staples of our youth, and if not our youth, then that of our children: innocent, enduring, and secure. "Toy Story 3," "The Karate Kid," "The A-Team," and "Shrek Forever After" are remakes, variations on a time-tested theme that has proven successful; while, "Get Him to the Greek," "Grown Ups," and "The Prince of Persia" capitalize on the rituals of male adventure, bonding, and virilty.

These are unsure times. We have enough to worry about, with terrorism, nuclear threats, increased surveillance, and impending economic collapse an everyday reality. We need fantasy and escape, comfort and security. We need to feel safe again, like we did in our youth.

Impending doom has always dogged us, the everpresent shadow ready to snatch us up at any given moment, but when we were kids, we didn't care. We were bound and determined to experience life, to imbibe of as much as we could before we ran out. Money, alcohol, drugs, and sex: the fleeting summers bonding with friends; memories you carry with you throughout your life, and that placate you as you grow older.

Security. Cartoon characters that never get old, heroes that never die. Sequels represent summer and are expected by audiences the same way they expect catchy pop songs and risque clothing. These staples are even more in demand today, because times are indeed bleak. So why don't the studios save some money, forego the pretense, and just give us what we want?