Books and Film

Books: I'll Be There For You about the show Friends. It starts with an extended discussion of its creation, which covers ground basically found in the official coffee table book published at the show's completion. That book often talks about how the show handled 9/11.The show does not directly reference it, but they show Joey wearing NY type tee-shirts and all. Plus, it helped people have something light to watch.  Which is nice, but it is not exactly some profound statement. 

This book doesn't really have much special (except reference to a lawsuit lost by a writing assistant). It was a quick read, so perhaps it would be a good summer read.  Since reading is harder for me these days, partially since I read so much online, that is of some value.  But, the book was somewhat lacking if okay.

It also leaves out stuff like Christiana Applegate, who as a major actress and Emmy winner deserves at least a footnote. After all, she did work with "Joey" before.  And, a chapter that discusses gay issues doesn't reference how one of the writers/producers is gay himself.  His husband is referenced in passing before.  It's not like she doesn't realize he is gay or anything.  Seems like his .02 would be relevant. Sorta annoying. 

I realize you can include only so much but some things are a bit worth tossing in.  And, the late seasons are basically skipped over (the Joey likes Rachel bit is covered briefly and then Rachel likes Joey, but I think Rachel having a kid warrants more than a quick reference).  After the book provides a pretty in depth look at how the show started, the actual ten seasons are not given a complete look.  Even Matthew Perry's drug addiction is only referenced as part of what he did AFTER the show.  

Again, quick read, and the allegation of sexual harassing work environment in the writer's room was an interesting bit, but a bit lacking as  a whole.  And, pictures would again be useful, though the author's pic is good.

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The book is from a few years ago.  No Common Ground: Confederate Monuments and the Ongoing Fight for Racial Justice is written more recently.  It provides a history behind the monuments and how they were not just memorials of the dead.  They were from the beginning clearly (including as shown by the speeches given at their dedications) there to promote the values of the Confederacy.  

Thus, there would be no "common ground" today.  The author wrote about the Daughters of the Confederacy organization in the past. So, she knows a bit about such messaging.   This one has photographs. The book is under two hundred pages, but arguably might have been a bit shorter.  Overall, it is an interesting account, including up to date battles.  

Written in Stone: Public Monuments in Changing Societies is by Sanford Levinson, who also writes over at Balkanization.  I re-read the original version, written over twenty years back.  An update was written in 2018 and he adds a blog on the subject in 2020 too.  This is when comments from outsiders were still allowed, so you can see some, both from people like myself and those who are basically Confederate sympathizers. Well, at least one such person, who lives in South Carolina.

I am not a great fan of the original.  It has enough material, including a helpful summary of options to address monuments (though as noted below, after listing, the possibility of applying them is basically "not happening really"), to be useful to some degree.  Still, re-reading it, it has issues.

It has some tedious philosophizing that seems a bit too stream of consciousness.  As noted below, it reminds me of his blog style, pre-blog. It is something of an extended personal essay and it shows. This includes his white Southerner viewpoint, if one that is more liberal than some others. 

The opening is basically that, talking about monuments in Hungary.  Then, the core of the short book (one hundred and forty or so pages) about the subject of the newer book basically.  OTOH, his history is much less clear about how the monuments clearly were put in place to advance racial inequality.   The new book provides clear evidence that memorializing the death, full stop, was just not why they were put up.  Why there is "no common ground" today.  If Levinson accepts (up to a point) that as to Confederate flags, monuments to Lee etc. should follow.

He also suggests secession is legitimate -- majority rule and all (okay -- see Sandy, they had majority rule -- they lost the 1860 elections), but slavery did make it problematic.  I don't accept this -- are you saying if they strongly disagreed with the North about industrial policy (and it wasn't code word for slavery), it would have been okay for them to go?  

You actually have to show your work there.  The Union was a creation of the  nation as a whole. Chunks of the Confederacy was actually bought and created by a national entity.  A national entity on principle should be involved if it is broken apart.  The South in effect argued that there was a just cause for secession.  Maybe, a grave injustice would warrant that, though even there, it is complicated.  What about California. Does "consent of the governed" allow a region to break apart? 

But, still those monuments are not just for promotion of slavery.  What about the ordinary solider?  So, the Lee and other major figure ones can go?  He tosses in that he sees the Vietnam War about as bad as the Civil War, so a monument to soldiers there would be problematic.  Putting aside the issue of those drafted and all, maybe if the monument was as racist as the average Confederate monument.  And, the U.S. was racist too. It did not break apart from England in basic part to defend slavery; its Constitution did not as blatantly protect it either. Oh let's have him ramble a bit.  

(The blog also has this character.  I'm being a bit mean here, especially since he repeatedly complimented my comments -- when I can still make them -- but his style is an extended stream of consciousness which tosses in grumpy comments about how screwed up our Constitution is in practice and other stuff that often do not hold up to scrutiny.  But, there is so much there, it's hard to really fully answer what he is saying.) 

It has a discussion on constitutional issues, but does not raise the potential Thirteen Amendment argument that Confederate flags at least are "badges of slavery."  Then, it has various options, none of which he really thinks is likely to actually happen though if the people agreed, he would generally be okay with putting monuments in museums.  

Though apparently that would be hard to do, since the first nuclear bomb drops exhibit was controversial and stuff.  Since a significant amount has happened flag/monument-wise since 1998, the update (which I think I might have read though maybe not) has a lot to cover.  Hopefully, maybe a bit less ignorance of the depth of the history.  

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Film: I recently re-watched Two Weeks Notice, so decided to check out some other Hugh Grant material.  I noted that the film was pleasant enough though the third act (to use a term used in the film I will get to it in a moment) was problematic.  It has a basic quality to it, but basically did not handle it smoothly. This often happens -- comfort food takes work.

The Rewrite was the film that was most immediately available. Music & Lyrics is a longer wait in the NYPL queue.  But, it turns out all three are from the same director.  Each has Hugh Grant with a familiar actress (Sandra Bullock and Drew Barrymore before).  The latest (2014) is Marisa Tomei, which the DVD box has being in The Wrestler.  Is this the film most people know her from? 

[The writer/director actually was behind even more films with Bullock and Grant that I watched.]

This one actually does not have a problematic third act.  It is not surprising really -- the one hit wonder screenwriter decides he likes teaching college writing -- but it is paced better.  The film overall is less amusing than the first one, and perhaps the second (from what I remember of it).  Still, it is charming -- I liked the story and respected the performers. Plus, it has some familiar old hands, which is a good way to make things go down smoothly.

The extras are two minor deleted scenes and a "making of" bit.