Month: December 2021

It is inevitable that the end of a year will bring reflection. The turning of the calendar all but requires that we look back on the year that’s past to remember the key events, the best music, TV shows and movies, and the famous who have passed away. The internet is awash with such lists, so it is somewhat presumptive to make my own. Yet, I feel called to do so, with a focus on positive stories, putting my own inimitable spin on events we know well, and highlighting a few that might have fallen through the cracks.  

1. Workers got a taste of working at home and there is no going back.  This started as an emergency measure in 2020, but it became clear this year that at home work is here to stay, whether companies like it or not. Employees are going to demand this flexibility. It will be a factor in recruiting that companies cannot ignore if they want to attract top talent.  

2. Europe generated more energy from renewable resources than from fossil fuels in 2021. Even if you ignore questions of climate change, this translates to a better use of global resources, less reliance on imported energy and better air to breathe and water to drink, making this a healthier planet to live on. Hopefully the rest of the world follows suit. 

3. Medical science came through with a COVID vaccine. We have to remember that initial estimates for a vaccine were a minimum of 1 to 2 years, yet this was basically done in 8 months. Put aside the political debates. This confirms that when we focus our resources, whether for financial gain or otherwise, we can achieve great things. Dwarfed by this accomplishment, yet maybe in the long term even more significant, is the fact that researchers also developed a vaccine for malaria, a devastating disease for much of the world. Both are reminders of human potential properly directed. 

4. On-line social networking has come in for harsh criticism, much of it deserved, so it is worth noting that in less than a week the WallStreetBets subreddit raised $350,000 to “adopt” 3,500 endangered mountain gorillas through the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. It started when a user posted that he had adopted a gorilla, and exploded from there. Obviously, this is not earth-shaking news, but it is nice to get a reminder that media can be used positively. 

5. Our democracy held. When protestors stormed the Capital on January 6 there was a real question about what would follow. Would there be similar uprisings throughout the country? Would the military intervene, one way or the other? Would there be a unilateral rejection of certified election results? These things did not happen. Instead, the rule of law prevailed.  Questions on election validity played themselves out in courtrooms, where they belonged. We had a peaceful, if tense, transfer of power three weeks later. 

6. Derek Chauvin is convicted in the death of George Floyd. There is no doubt that police have a difficult job, or that they can make honest mistakes in times of stress. But there must be a limit. Killing a prone suspect by kneeling on their neck for nine minutes has to be unacceptable. If it is not, the police have no accountability, no matter what they do. The conviction of Chauvin recognized that limits exist, and they can be enforced. 

7. Juneteenth is declared a federal holiday. Like many government actions, this is purely symbolic. It doesn’t erase the history of slavery, or its vestiges. However, the end of slavery is a milestone. A turning point in our quest to live up to a cornerstone of this country’s founding premises, which is that all people are created equal. We know that we have not always lived up to that standard, but recognizing the removal of its major antithesis is a step in the right direction. 
8. The African Continental Free Trade Agreement went into effect. It is  incredibly easy to forget Africa. News from this huge continent tends to be the last  reported on, unless it is something awful. We too often come away with a  sense that Africa is lost, with a bleak past and a  bleaker future.  This Free Trade Agreement won’t change that impression overnight, but  should enhance the competitiveness of member states within Africa and in  the global market. That should lead to a more balanced world in which the  exploitation of poorer countries is more difficult. I think that’s good for all  of us. 
9. The withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan. It seems odd to list this as a  positive development, since our withdrawal resulted in the return of the  Taliban. However, as I have argued previously, the withdrawal was  inevitable, as was the aftermath. We were never able to instill democratic  ideals into the Afghan people, and probably could have stayed another 50  years without doing so. At some point we had to pull the plug.   
10. 2021 was not 2020. I know, this may be faint praise, but it is worth noting.  For much of 2021 it seemed that we were turning the corner on the COVID  pandemic. This meant a return to travel, at least domestically, the  reopening of arts venues, and a sense that the world could be explored  beyond the four walls of our homes. It also helped that we were not going  through a Presidential election. Even with the current surge, it is much  easier to look forward with some sense of optimism than it was a year ago.  Hopefully, next year’s list will end with an entry saying that 2022 was not  2021!!!               

I have been on an odd movie kick over the last few months. It started with a random decision to watch the three Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Westerns, A Fistful of Dollars, A Few Dollars More and the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. I enjoyed the development of Clint Eastwood’s Man With No Name across these films, and the increasing assurance of the director as the plots and characterizations got more complex. It made me want to watch other movie series to see if they could match the consistency and creativity. 

Some of the series I chose were predictable, like The Lord of the Rings – Extended Version (except for one glaring plot hole filled in the last movie, probably not necessary) and the Daniel Craig Bond movies (stick with Casino Royale and Skyfall). Other series are less well known, such as the Koker Trilogy, by Iranian Director Abbas Kiarostami. (Where is the Friends’ House is one of the most unexpectedly tense movies I have ever experienced. Who would have thought that watching a 9-year-old boy search for his schoolmate’s house to return his homework book could be so suspenseful?).  

As we approached years’ end, I realized that most Christmas series were of little interest (no, I do not want to watch The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause), so I decided to create my own. Like many people, I have certain Christmas movies I watch every year. One of those is the 1951 A Christmas Carol, starring Alister Sim. I decided to make it a Dickens Christmas and pair it with The Man Who Invented Christmas, recently recommended to me (thanks P.S.), and A Muppet Christmas Carol, which I remembered fondly, but had not seen in years. 

Even before the Hallmark channel decided to churn Christmas movies out like bad sausage, such films were a mixed bag. Unless part of the sub-sub-genre of Christmas horror films (Krampus, Treevenge, Silent Night, Deadly Night), Christmas movies have to ultimately be uplifting and cheery. Even those that buck the usual tropes, like Bad Santa and Scrooged, must give in at the end to reflect the “true meaning of Christmas”. 

In fact, I would go so far to say that if a movie involving Christmas does not end on a positive, edifying note, it is not a Christmas movie. Fanny and Alexander has one of the greatest Christmas segments ever, but those scenes are there to contrast the children’s subsequent life with their stepfather, not evoke Christmas. Yes, Die Hard takes place on Christmas day, but that is superfluous to the plot. Not a Christmas movie!!!  

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Knowing what you are going to get with a Christmas movie is not necessarily a bad thing. There is something nice in being assured that you can pluck any Christmas film off the shelf (a dated Blockbuster reference) and come away smiling. Still, it is a fine line between a film that is comfortably elevating and one that is sickly sweet. No other genre crosses that line again and again like Christmas movies.  

A Christmas Carol provides the ultimate Christmas arc. A character who rejects everything that Christmas stands for – hearty fellowship, charity, goodwill to all. Then, through a string of unlikely events, comes to realize the enchantment of Xmas and fully embrace its magic (bring out the hankies).  

According to Wikipedia, there have been 30 live action filmed versions of the Dickens story, 17 animated Scrooge films and a dozen TV renderings, though I have no doubt the list is incomplete. There are no surprises in any of them. You know the characters. You know what is going to happen to them. And yet the story stands up, whether Scrooge is Captain Jean-Luc Picard (alias Patrick Stewart), an American like George C. Scott (amazing similarity between his Patton and his Scrooge), or Mr. Magoo.   

And yet, for me the Alister Sim version is the one I come back to time and time again. I am not sure why. Part of it is undoubtedly that I know it so well, but I think there is more to it. Not only is this Scrooge spot on, but so are Fezziwig, Marley, Mrs. Dilber and the other secondary characters. The film perfectly captures the spirit of the story, its otherworldliness, its humor, its intensity.  

The Man Who Invented Christmas, about the writing of A Christmas Carol, attempts the difficult task of mixing the tortured artist and Christmas genres. Surprisingly, the film pulls it off. It does not hurt that Jonathan Pryce plays Dickens’ father, and Christopher Plummer the avatar of Scrooge. It is a pleasure to watch this classic story emerge, while at the same time Dickens is learning the lessons imparted by his own characters. I am not sure if it is historically accurate, but I really do not care. 

The Muppets Christmas Carol deftly manages to blend the wonderful zaniness of the Muppets with this, at times, dark tale. The songs by the under-appreciated Paul Williams, who also wrote The Rainbow Connection and Rainy Days and Mondays, are terrific. (We’re Marley and Marley is my favorite). But what really surprised me was that it was mainly filmed with natural lighting, maintaining the gloom of old London so central to the story. A more than worthy addition to the Christmas Carol inventory. 

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Another season passes. Time to park these movies on the to watch list for another 11 months. However, it’s nice to know that come next year, and the year thereafter, there will be films to revisit that are guaranteed to raise a smile and put a clutch in the throat. Until then, as Scrooge would say, “A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world!”.       

It is that time of year again. Time for the WXPN greatest countdown. Some of you may remember that last year they did the 2020 best songs of all time, with Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen the ultimate winner. This year it’s the 2021 greatest albums. Let the debates begin. 

I came of age in the heyday of the album. In the 1970’s you couldn’t make a playlist across artists, or shuffle through multiple discs. Skipping a song meant getting up, lifting the needle, and the putting it back down again on the next track, usually with an accompanying screech that told you another scratch was coming. Needless to say, it didn’t happen very often. You just accepted that there were going to be tracks on most albums you had to put up with. (i.e., Maxwell’s Silver Hammer). 

It is why finding an album that was outstanding first song to last was a revelation. There is something satisfying about a side 2 deep cut that you like better than the “hits” (like “Chest Fever” of The Band’s “Music From the Big Pink” album). It is even better if the album had no hits and you feel like you are in on something that the radio listening world was missing. (Radio was just awful in the 70’s, unless you liked to listen to the same song over and over again). 

An album is also a better measure of an artist’s worth. Many musicians can come up with a good song now and then. “Come on Eileen” is a great rocker, but do you really want to listen to a full Dexys Midnight Runners’ album? It takes real talent to put together 10 to 14 songs worth listening to, let alone sustain that across multiple albums. Pink Floyd, with the four albums from “Dark Side of the Moon” through “The Wall”, pulled it off, but few have been able to do so. 

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The trouble is that appreciating an album takes commitment. You have to listen to it over and over. Many tracks sound good first time through, but wear quickly. I am sad to say that I haven’t taken the plunge all that often for many years, so my list is dated. I know that there are outstanding albums coming out annually (St. Vincent’s, “Masseduction” (No. 711), and Father John Misty’s “I Love You Honeybear” (No. 824) are some of the more recent that come to mind), but I hear few of them all the way through. 

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It is almost surprising that artists today bother with albums the way music is consumed now. Streaming that allows playlists, and shuffling begs for most of an artist’s output to be ignored. And yet, musicians keep putting out quality material (My son would point you to Phoebe Bridgers last two albums, Nos. 536 and 551). My guess is that much of it does not get the listens it deserves.    

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Looking at the WXPN responses, I am not the only one to be stuck in the 70’s. The list, especially at its higher reaches, is scattered with albums from the 2000’s, but earlier years predominate, with the 1970’s having 150 albums more than the next nearest decade (the 1990’s). Just as telling, almost half of the top 100 come from the 1970’s, with only 3 issued in 2000’s, as well as 8 of the top 10 (the only two holdouts being Beatles albums). 

I know that a lot of that has to do with demographics. There are way too many old people like me voting and not enough younger listeners. Plus, the WXPN audience is mainly white, which definitely skews the list (nice to see To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar in there at 137). Yet, I do think the list reflects the change in how music is being consumed, for better or worse.  

I submitted my top ten list some time, ago and am not fully sure I remember what I sent in. However, to the best of my recollection it was as follows (in no particular order). 

1. George Harrison – All Things Must Pass (No. 62) 

2. The Beatles – The White Album (No. 35, down from No. 6 when they last did this in 2005)  

3. John Coltrane – Giant Steps (No. 274. A Love Supreme came in at No. 68) 

4. Miles Davis – Kind of Blue (No. 22. Top Jazz album) 

5. Steely Dan – Aja (No. 19) 

6. Pat Metheny Group – Still Life (Talking) (No. 804) 

7. Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks (No.7) 

8. Pink Floyd – Wish You were Here (No. 40) 

9. Bob Marley and the Wailers – Exodus (No. 107) (Thanks Dan W.) 

10.  David Bowie – Blackstar (No. 1562) 

The WXPN Top 10 were: 

1. The Beatles – Abbey Road (also No. 1 in 2005) 

2. Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon 

3. Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run 

4. The Beatles – Sargeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band 

5. Stevie Wonder – Songs in the Key of Life (up from No. 54) 

6. The Clash – London Calling 

7. Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks 

8. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours (up from No. 36) 

9. Joni Mitchell – Blue 

10. Carole King – Tapestry 

Again, all of this has no meaning, but it is still fun. I wonder what XPN will do next year?

A Mr. Richard Feder of Fort Lee, New Jersey asked, “Hey Tomser! Why do you think we focus on the significance of World War I when the Spanish Flu, starting in 1918, is estimated to have killed twice as many people?”. In response, I gave a typically shallow and glib answer, saying, “I think as humans we are attracted to stories, and the WWI stories are just more compelling than stories of the flu”. As I thought about this more, I realized that this is a material question. Why do certain events resonate in our collective memories and others not, even if they should, and how this has changed over time? 

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I read a book a number of years ago (don’t ask me the title) where the author posited the theory that humans had evolved in respect of memory. He claimed that humans had traditionally relied on what they could personally recall to remember what they needed to, and developed the skill to retain it. Now, he argued, humans rely on sources outside the brain for memory storage, changing not only how we access memories, but our actual anatomy.    

I am not sure that I bought the biological aspects of this argument, maybe because they went over my head (which they did). But the idea that we had, to a large extent, outsourced our memories has stuck with me. Whether we like it or not, our understanding of events, and even the importance of events, relies primarily on sources external to us. That is true for things that happen to us directly, where we often rely on such items as photographs, but even more so for things we were not directly involved in.  

Outsourced memory has been a expanding process that went into hyperdrive in the 20th Century. As travel and communication became easier, we all of a sudden had a wealth of information at our fingertips about what was going on not only in the next town, but on the other side of the world. With the advent of the internet, that knowledge could be instantaneous. (For example, a quick search disclosed multiple days of on-going violent protest in the Solomon Islands. Who knew.). 

The problem is that this is more information than any individual can digest. We have access to everything, but must filter the news somehow. We cannot do that ourselves, and so have to rely on sources which we hope are relatively honest and accurate. Those sources must also pick and choose what they cover and emphasize, even within individual stories. 

This conundrum is multiplied when it comes to understanding historic events. For example, there are thousands of books, websites, movies, etc. about World War I, more than any individual, even an obsessive, can absorb. And that is just if we isolate it as a topic. What about everything that led to WWI, like Austria-Hungary’s 1908 Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, or the Moroccan crisis of 1911? And what about everything that followed, like the partitioning of the Middle East, German hyperinflation, not mention the Spanish Flu?  

 So, we are stuck with what comes across our path. What books are recommended to us, what movies are streaming, what internet sites Google chooses to highlight. Those decisions are going to be largely driven by what is accessible and popular, not by what is the most insightful or thorough. 

I recently encountered this with the book The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell, covering debates within the American Air Corps about bombing strategies, leading to the incendiary bombing of Japanese cities in the months before the atomic bombs were dropped. Gladwell paints this as a morality tale between two Generals with competing views of the morality of bombing non-combatants. 

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It is an interesting, readable book, but, as pointed out in a review by a history professor, is incredibly simplistic. The debate was more one of tactics, not morality, and encompassed many more players than the Generals Gladwell highlights. However, as the Professor also points out, Gladwell’s best-selling take is likely to become the defining narrative of these bombings because of his popularity and the book’s accessibility. A more nuanced history will have to wait, and even then is unlikely to be read by many people.    

This historical culling is also impacted by the fact that the moving image is generally more memorable than the written word. Movies and television play an outsized role in determining what historic events are burned into the public conscious and which are not. This can spark great public debate, as did the airing of Roots in respect of slavery, but can also leave less dramatic incidents out in the cold. 

The other problem with a reliance on moving images is that those making these films and shows are driven as much to entertain as they are to enlighten. This means cutting historic corners. Dunkirk was a movie that sought to depict a key landmark in WWII as realistically as possible. Yet, in watching the movie you would think that there were only about a dozen planes in the sky during the retreat, rather than the hundreds that were there. It was just dramatically more satisfying to focus in on a handful of pilots. History be damned. 

More insidious are movies that get the factual record horribly wrong, but manage to instill those errors in the public conscious. The most notorious of these are, of course, Birth of a Nation and Gone with the Wind. Both are great movies, and both distort the realities of slavery and reconstruction. Both also were hugely influential on how Americans viewed the Civil War for decades (No, Woody Wilson, it was not all “so terribly true”).  

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So, back to Mr. Feder’s original question, from which I wandered so aimlessly. Much of what we remember as a society, and how we remember it, is out of our hands. For the most part we have to rely on others to present materials for our consumption and absorption. We can fight this on a personal level by taking in multiple narratives of an event, and by reading historic accounts that may challenge accepted wisdom, but there is only so much time in the day. And even then, that wouldn’t change societal focus. So there we are. Feel better now Mr. Feder?