Transformers 2: Revenge of the Racists

I am a huge Transformers fan and I liked the movie for what it was. . . mostly. In order to enjoy the movie, you kind of have to put all higher brain functions to the side. Once you do that you will enjoy this movie. The problem is I could not get past how racist two of the characters were.

In the movie there are twin robots named Skids and Mudflap. In a nutshell, they are minstrels. I never thought I would see a robot minstrel. They might as well have been wearing black face, as opposed to the actual bug eyes and gold teeth that the characters actually had. I will let that sink in. Skids had bug eyes and a gold tooth. Not to mention the fact that the twins mentioned that they were illeterate when asked to read. The twins spoke in ebonics and acted like idiots. Each scene with them in it became more and more uncomfortable for me. I am all for comic relief, but this was ridiculous. Everytime they were on screen, I was taken out of the movie experience and wondered WTF ws Michael Bay thinking. Again. . . the robots had bug eyes, gold teeth, spoke in ebonics, and were illeterate.

I kept asking myself, how the hell does Paramount allow something like this in such a high profile movie as Transformsers 2? No one at Paramount thought that shit was racist? Seriously Paramount. I could understand it if there was some reason for the characters acting that way, but I just don't see it. It is obvious that no black people were producers on the film or even work for Paramount. If they did one would have surely said something like "Hey guys, this movie is cool and all but WTF is up with those minstrel robots. That shit is not cool." It pisses me off that a franchise that I like so much, would allow this to happen.

The most dissapointing thing for me is that no one caught this before the movie came out. Not the Director, not the studio, and not the toy manufacturer. Just wait till Christmas when your 7 year old wants a racist ass tranformer with gold teeth. Don't let me see your kid with one, I might have to have a "talk" with you.

Random Thought

Ass FX. That is what I hear everytime I see a commercial for the new hearburn drug called Aciphex. Whoever named that drug gets the loser of the year award. I am not taking any drugs that make me think of explosions in my butt, or a light show in my bum. No thank you. I don't even want to know what the side effects are.

Who greenlit that name choice BTW? Probably the same person who thought it was cool to name his kid Dick Pole (an actual person. . . he is a pitching coach for the Reds) or Jack Goff.

Governor Lover

There are a lot of thoughts running through my head right now about the Governor of South Carolina, Gov. Mark Sanford. As a quick primer to the non-news watchers. Gov. Sanford, who was touted as a potential Republican candidate for President in 2012 went missing over the Fathers Day weekend. Rumors swelled regarding his whereabouts. First we heard he went to the woods for solitude to write. Then we heard that he went hiking through the Appalachian trials. Finally we find out he was in Buenos Aires boning his Argentinian mistress (one of the more scenic ways of cheating). The first thing I have to say about this is that for the sake of Republicans, I am glad he was not having an affair with any teenage boys. I don't know that the GOP can take too many more of those.

Now for my commentary. Cheating is wrong. . . but if you are going to do it, you can at least do it right. If you are a governor, how the hell do you not have a plan for managing this situation? He can't be a good governor if he can't even plan his indiscretions better than disappearing for several days. Lets put this into perspective. Dude has four kids and bounced to another country to bang his mistress during Father's Day weekend without leaving a cover story. Who does that? My man is in charge of the state and thinks to himself. . ."eff it, I'm out," and flies to Buenos Aires. The absurdity of this situation is magical.

Plus, if I am a governor of a state, I'm not coming to you. . . you are coming to me. Being one of only 50 governors in the country, I think Sanford's job was a little more important than whatever it is that his mistress does in Argentina. Seriously, what is his mistress doing that is so important that he has to leave his job and his kids during Father's Day weekend to come see her? He apparently didn't wear the beach pants in that relationship.

Oh yeah, and his poor aids who had to come up with those BS stories on the fly about him hiking in the woods and being incommunicado is so funny/sad. I imagine a room full of guys with great political ambitions sitting around with the following conversation. "WTF do we do? He just up and left without telling us what to do!" "We can't say he's in Buenos Aires boning his mistress, that is probably a bad idea." "I know! Lets say he is off writing in the woods somewhere to get away from all the noise at his home. He does have 4 kids you know." "Hey dumb ass, its Father's Day Weekend. How do you think that will play in the media? A dad going into the woods on Father's day to get away from his kids? You sir are an idiot." I could laugh about this for weeks.

Lastly, it is funny for me to watch all of these guys, that were so hell bent on impeaching Clinton for lying about Monica Lewinsky, get in trouble for infidelity. He was one of the many Republicans that voted to impeach Clinton, only to later reveal that he too is a cheater. Pot meet kettle. . . and then cheat on your wife with it.

I Love Jon & Kate

It has been a while since I have posted on the blog. Largely because I have been unable to keep up with current events due to being busy with work and an increased workout regimen from nothing to something. There are a lot of things going on these days. The election fallout in Iran; the economy; universal health care; blockbuster summer movies; the rise of Twitter; Supreme Court nomination of the first Latino; and my personal favorite Jon and Kate Plus Eight.

I am generally not a tabloid t.v. type of guy, but I love watching train wrecks and there is no bigger train wreck right now than JK+8. I am fascinated by watching the disintegration of a marriage. While sad, it is fascinating and cruelly funny. If loving JK+8 is wrong, I don't want to be right. Jon, seems like a regular guy who lacks confidence and is berated by Kate like he is child number 9. That is funny to watch. Apparently there is a point to where being embarrassed weekly by your wife on national t.v. becomes too much.

The emasculation of Jon finally took its toll this year. If you watch the show (and I do. . . now), they are rarely on screen at the same time and whenever one is at home the other is "away." Jon couldn't stand his wife so much that he decided not to be around to help Kate prepare for the kids birthday party. Then on Kate's birthday, he decided to go to Aspen for a skiing trip. That couldn't have been an accident. Watching this show is like having dinner with that couple that everyone knows is going to get a divorce. Its a little awkward, but when its over you laugh at them and thank God that it isn't you.

It is like watching the old t.v. show Married With Children, except with real people. Other people's misery is funny to me. Is that wrong?