Disqus - Latest Comments for michaelgbenner

Re: http://woefullymisinformed.tumblr.com/post/1009806111

michaelgbenner — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:55:56 -0000

Sometimes I just don't get America's taste. Why is this guy a superstar, Vampires Suck a hit movie and McDonald's considered delicious food?

Re: http://woefullymisinformed.tumblr.com/post/791347882

michaelgbenner — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:30:41 -0000

Oski's owner is a Berkley alum. Makes sense?

Re: http://woefullymisinformed.tumblr.com/post/501187693

michaelgbenner — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 01:07:50 -0000

Working now?

Re: Thank you for reading this

michaelgbenner — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:59:50 -0000

He looks like such a noble pup here.

Re: "With A Shout" - tikilights: bryanschutmaat: By chance, I came...

michaelgbenner — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:01:31 -0000

http://www.nytimes.com/2009...

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Re: "With A Shout" - tikilights: bryanschutmaat: By chance, I came...

michaelgbenner — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:56:59 -0000

I guess there's no arguing my cynicism. But it's this kind of enthusiasm that got that Fred kid his own feature film. I'm not saying this 15-year-old won't grow up to be a fantastic director or cinematographer or whatever, but to point at a YouTube video and say it has more emotional resonance than, to use recent examples of Hollywood movies, "Up in the Air" or "Up" or "500 Days of Summer" is just plain silly and/or naive.

Then again, I guess it's just the Internet being the Internet.

Re: "With A Shout" - tikilights: bryanschutmaat: By chance, I came...

michaelgbenner — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:43:24 -0000

I am probably the only person on Tumblr who finds this to be insufferable navel-gazing. Are we really saying this is somehow superior to a Hollywood film? There is no story here, there is little emotional resonance that is not provided by the soundtrack, there are superfluous and meaningless shots of bottle caps and price tags, and it is essentially just repeated shots of a girl drinking a Slurpee and speaking unheard words. The only truly nice touch is the point-of-view of the camera, its shakiness and lack of focus conveying a sense of nervousness and excitement, but let's be honest: it's probably coincidental with the fact that a 15-year-old kid is holding a digital camera. Sure, it looks pretty and the song is a very nice choice, but I am entirely unmoved by this. As a YouTube video, it works great. But I would not pay $15 to see ninety minutes of this in a theater, and I would call anyone who would a sucker.

Am I cynical?

Re: Woefully Misinformed - This is Root. It is an artisan-made drink of epic...

michaelgbenner — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:38:18 -0000

You can't just waltz into my home and drink my Root like you own the place, Jamison. You gotta earn it just like everyone else, by an ol' fashioned wrasslin' match.

Re: Aziz is Bored

michaelgbenner — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:46:33 -0000

Pretty sure this video has absolutely nothing to do with Mindy Kaling.

Re: "With A Shout" - Is Bono a conservative? - Beliefnet.com

michaelgbenner — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:16:27 -0000

I know you plenty well, sir. It was the article that caught my ire.

Re: "With A Shout" - Is Bono a conservative? - Beliefnet.com

michaelgbenner — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:20:55 -0000

FYI: Just because someone is godly, compassionate and looking for more in life than "the dead end credo of 'sex, drugs, and rock and roll'" doesn't mean they fall on the right. Conservatives don't hold a monopoly on morality or spirituality. A lot of them just think they do.

That said, I haven't read the article. Just this pertinent quote you throw up there matched with the headline.

Re: "With A Shout" : Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp

michaelgbenner — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 03:16:42 -0000

Mellencamp is--well--kind of dumb. But I see his point, and I would maybe agree if he modified it a little bit. Freedom of speech is a pretty serious thing, and people have taken it as a protective shield to defend idiotic things they say. The Founding Fathers, I think, dreamt it up as a way to protect their nation against practices common amongst the British Empire at the time. IE if people had political points of view or religious points of view or critical points of view, they would be free to speak it without fear of government retribution thanks to the First Amendment.

Today, we have a lot of people who make degrading, insulting, ridiculous commentaries that have no point other than their own existence or an intent to offend. When questioned, the purveyors of said commentaries point instantly to the First Amendment thinking they are participating in a sacred political rite. But is a designedly offensive statement with little value sociologically or politically speaking as valuable as a cry for democracy or a defense of one's theology against an oppressive government? I don't think so.

All that said, I know that speech is--and probably should be--protected. But it's kind of annoying that it is sometimes. And it's definitely annoying that people cite the First Amendment to protect this kind of speech, as if it were their sacred right to be assholes.

Re: From The Word today...

michaelgbenner — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:43:50 -0000

I'd like to introduce you to my friend Terri Ble, but it seems you are already well acquainted.

Re: "With A Shout"

michaelgbenner — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:37:58 -0000

THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN POLITICS BEFORE, EVER!!!

Re: Woefully Misinformed - Part of my good friend Joe’s MFA show was last...

michaelgbenner — Wed, 13 May 2009 15:34:49 -0000

At PAFA, Broad and Cherry, I believe. Part of the Masters end of year show.

Re: Paul Scheer.com

michaelgbenner — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:04:44 -0000

The guy who cut this trailer is a man amongst men. The voiceover, the music, the overly loud zipper noise... it's all so good.

Re: "With A Shout"

michaelgbenner — Wed, 06 May 2009 13:29:30 -0000

Haha, oops! I didn't know she was going to be there, she was just part of the bigger show.

Re: "With A Shout"

michaelgbenner — Wed, 06 May 2009 13:03:49 -0000

I saw part of Mindy Kaling's "Farewell to Standup Tour" at the UCB the other night. She deserves her own show.

Re: Paul Scheer.com

michaelgbenner — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:24:08 -0000

John Travolta, still dead behind the eyes after all these years.

Re: "With A Shout"

michaelgbenner — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:36:51 -0000

Don't worry. This is the kind of legislation that will never pass--and is probably designed specifically not to pass.

Re: Woefully Misinformed - This person started following my Twitter feed...

michaelgbenner — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:30:40 -0000

I do enjoy users like this, though. Twitter serves as a sort of stream-of-consciousness commentary, and it's highly entertaining to think that thoughts like these populate some people's streams.

Re: Paul Scheer.com

michaelgbenner — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:56:24 -0000

That is the most deliciously stupid thing I've seen today.

Re: Dollar$ignDirt - kcpenny: A 10-year-old British girl named...

michaelgbenner — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:20:15 -0000

This girl is weak, her graff is little more than finger-painting at this point. Comparing her to Banksy is the most retarded thing ever. Check back in ten years.

Re: Dollar$ignDirt - Saturday day rain.

michaelgbenner — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:37:32 -0000

Watch out Brian, Dmont could turn violent at any moment.

Re: Thank you for reading this

michaelgbenner — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:22:35 -0000

Hah!