Fashionistas you have arrived 3-25-03 - 10-3-03

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally posted by Bad_Rich_Chic
Perhaps an irrelevant aside, I was quite surprised when the verdict came down that this was true. However, the crying white people I knew of (personally - there were probably bunches shown on the evening news, but I sort of ignored the whole thing while it was happening) was a friend and her co-workers in Canada. (OK, in fairness I don't know how many of them were white or not, but my friend was, anyway.) She called me a couple days after to ask what we thought about it down here, and I basically said "if he couldn't afford bigshot lawyers to manipulate the courtroom, he'd be screwed, but he walked and people with much crapier cases against them fry because money talks, and yeah that sucks."

Anyhow, my Kanuk friend launched into along speech about how we Americans just didn't understand how our justice system was viewed in the rest of the world, as a great forum for ensuring fairness etc., and the manipulation of evidence & jurors racial sentiment was just a crushing blow to people who admired the model of free government the US represented, and they were crushed, just crushed at this failure, and it seemed to the rest of the world that the whole US legal system was entirely corrupted by money and race. And she and her whole office broke down in tears and wept when the verdict came down because it was such a failure that the court system couldn't withstand money and racial hatred.

I have to tell you, this whole thing really sort of freaked me out. First, she was Canadian, so why did she care anyway? Second, she was never a particularly pro-Yank Canadian, either, so why was she so surprised? Third, who out there really think money doesn't affect that stuff here? I mean, really? Fourth, who cries about something like that? And her whole office? I gotta say, I really thought that someone just obviously slippled LSD into the water cooler up there that day, 'cause nothing else could explain it.

But, anyhow, the "point" of this digression was yes, it is absolutely true that white people sobbed when the verdict came down.

Yeah, I was referring to (the stuff you ignored at the time, like) when they showed split screens of people on the streets and in offices and Times Square or wherever where there would be groups of whites and groups of blacks. When the verdict came down, they showed the whites crying and hysterical and they showed the blacks cheering and jubilant. It was like there were no sane people with a reaction to the verdict.

On a personal level, I was surprised at how shocked and pissed off white people were that he got away with it (because he was rich, famous, an athlete, black, whatever). Shit like this has been happening since day 1. What's the big shock?

But, I agree with your surprise about others' reaction to our judicial system. It seems pretty clear that money buys you freedom and OJ bought his.

TM

[Mister_Ruysbroeck]

Originally posted by bilmore
Yeah, the legal system under Stalin was soooooo much more pure. (Power runs systems. In some societies, money defines power. In others, influence defines power. You're not getting any less corruption by minimizing the money influence - you're just handing the power to a different group, distributed by a different measure.)

Oh, I agree. I'm not saying there are, in reality, any better systems than that which we currently have. In theory, however, taking money out of the mix sounds like a good idea.

Originally posted by spookyfish
Man, was this waaay overdue. I agree that based on the performances, both Kim and Josh deserved bottom two. Since Kim has shown flashes of brilliance, she deserved to stay and at least live to compete another day. I'm glad it did not happen as I had feared it might, but I think FOX doesn't want to see no girls in the finals, either. That said, I think the best two -- Ruben and whoever-- will be left.

With regard to the possibility of two black finalists, as someone brought up, what's the big deal? We live in the 21st century, and if you're good, you deserve to be there, period. I think, or would hope anyway, that most people recognize this. If someone thinks the dorky white guy deserves to be there based on talent, then he does. Ruben will win. Mark my words. He deserves to.

A short comment about Josh's swan song. When he brought his cute little baby on stage, all that was missing was him wrapping himself in the flag. He far exceeded his shelf life in the competition for the very reason that he was a marine, a "good guy" and a loving husband and daddy.

I couldn't help but say to my wife when Josh started singing to his little girl and she started bawling, "see, Josh, your daughter, like the rest of America that is not tone-deaf, thinks you suck, too -- now go home." That was easily the most funny moment of last night's show.

I made the commenta bout two black finalists. Its not that I was being racist (I dont give a shit what color the people are- its whether I feel them dawg and I felt trenyce and ruben the most), it just seems the voting can be, or at least that racism has explained some of it. And I am not the only one who has thought it a possibility. After I initially posted this, salon posetd an article on it. I suspect that a lot of people who vote tend to live in the less urbanized places where racism might tend to be alive and well. I think this voting trend would explain the success of both Josh, Carmen and CLay (but especially Josh). Clay can sing, though he has an awful vibrato and is more overrated than guacamole, thw other two could not.

And Josh's swan song was a revolting display of americana.

[purse junkie]

Originally posted by Mister_Ruysbroeck
To me, this is the only MAJOR drawback of capitalism. In a capitalist society, you can never, ever have a pure (just?) legal system. Throwing money into the legal mix guarantees that the truth, if it's out there, will rarely, if ever, come to light.

And this is what makes capitalism so hard to change--even if say a socialist legal system might distribute the resources more fairly, who the hell with a serious checkbook would want to do that?

Of course, upper-class discretion, and labeling anyone who complains a "class warrior," is key. Openly muttering "let them eat cake" will likely get one beheaded.

Originally posted by Did you just call me Coltrane?
Yeah, b/c god knows there aren't any big cities on the Great Lakes...On another note, whenever I've been in Europe/S. America/etc. and tell people where I live (Chicago), they frequently respond with "Oh Chicago! Michael Jordan and Al Capone! Rat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat" while doing the tommy gun gesture...it's a good thing we've changed our image of a mob town...

My point was not that Chicago is not a city, but that Samantha Jones who is a "fabulous" character probably would never live there. Let alone Wisconsin.

[evenodds]

Originally posted by ThurgreedMarshall
On a personal level, I was surprised at how shocked and pissed off white people were that he got away with it (because he was rich, famous, an athlete, black, whatever). Shit like this has been happening since day 1. What's the big shock?

I watched the verdict at my boss's club, surrounded by well, old rich white men.

Their reactions were singularly horrified, as if they had been somehow damaged as a result, and as if it would have gone down differently when one of the old gents is on trial for anything, were it to go that far.

This year, I saw the HBO documentary on this specific topic: OJ Simpson, A Case in Black and White (I think). It was interesting to relive the split screen news broadcasts.

[purse junkie]

Originally posted by Pushy the Puppy
It is people like you that keep dogs naked and leashed to the bottom of civilzation's totem pole. You would promote the dressing of an inanimate doll named Barbie in any number of outfits but deny the same to another living creature, albeit a quadraped? Fie! Fie!

What kind of freakish canine fops do you hang out with? My dog wouldn't wear a simple necklace (well, collar) without a fight.

But if you truly prefer to mock your own doggish perfection by dressing like Glinda the Good Witch, I think you all ought to start by finding a better couturier.

[Did you just call me Coltrane?]

Originally posted by paigowprincess
My point was not that Chicago is not a city, but that Samantha Jones who is a "fabulous" character probably would never live there. Let alone Wisconsin.

Given her last name, she'd do fine in the 'burbs...

[bilmore]

Originally posted by evenodds
Their reactions were singularly horrified, as if they had been somehow damaged as a result, and as if it would have gone down differently when one of the old gents is on trial for anything, were it to go that far.

Given the evidence that had been made public by that time, I think that a lot of the anti-OJ shocked reaction stemmed from the in-your-face showing that a very public trial could be so completely corrupted by money and non-pertinent themes. Prior to that, money certainly had always been a corrupter of justice, but this was the first time that a nation watched the whole process, nightly. I think the racial aspect of the outrage was overplayed, right into OJ's team's hands - money had bought him a great theatrical team which was able to convince a jury that race was a factor, when it was really just about the evidence.

Originally posted by purse junkie
What kind of freakish canine fops do you hang out with? My dog wouldn't wear a simple necklace (well, collar) without a fight.

But if you truly prefer to mock your own doggish perfection by dressing like Glinda the Good Witch, I think you all ought to start by finding a better couturier.

Pushy should love this. THere is the annual "bark ball" here in the district and according to a flyer I saw, there is a dog store that will be outfitting tuxes and gowns for the canines. Hopefuly nobody will show up in the same outfit. The horror!

[robustpuppy]

Originally posted by Mister_Ruysbroeck
I'm sure chris will be disappointed.

Speaking of chris, here's a list of MIA FBers. Anyone know what these people could possibly be doing that's more important than posting here?

I don't know about you, but my hotmail account is full of messages from somebody named "chris" in which he promises to improve my sex life by selling me member-size-enhancing, breast-size-enhancing, or youth-enhancing hormones.

I was a mere lurker during the chris era, so I don't know why he's singling me out now.

[str8outavannuys]

Originally posted by barely_legal
Is anyone planning to watch either of these? At first I was horrified at the thought of American Juniors, but then I realized that the first episodes, where they show the tryouts, will have to be hilarious given how insane stage moms are, so I will tivo them. Of course, after watching the first episodes, if I'm not completely bored I will probably fall in love with one of the stupid little snots and be forced to watch the rest of the season.

As for the dog pageant thing, I will do what I did with The Family. That means I will record it, but somebody here has to watch it first and tell me if it's worth seeing before I actually commit to watching it. I'm counting on you people, don't let me down.

I saw a clip of the dog pageant on Fox morning news this morning. It's hard to say which is swept up higher and looking more grandiose: Jillian Barberie's hair or her cleavage. Her co-host is J. Peterman, which I think is an inspired choice. That said, it's the s/o's birthday, so we're probably not watching. Speaking of the s/o, she was interviewed by Charlie (from Bachlorette) in her work capacity for this weekend's Extra. Watch it if y'all are curious to see who would marry me.

str8 outta hollywood and highland

[LessinSF]

Originally posted by Bad_Rich_Chic
my Kanuk friend

You can take the girl out of the moniker, but you can't teach an old dog to spell, or something like that.

[Did you just call me Coltrane?]

Not a fan of big blowhole bellybuttons...

[andViolins]

Originally posted by Did you just call me Coltrane?


Not a fan of big blowhole bellybuttons...

Oh. My. God.

What the hell is happening with her and britney????? Did their warranties expire?

aV