THIS WEEK’S JOE BIDEN FOOT-IN-MOUTH AWARD GOES TO…

Say something really stupid in America this morning and the whole country will know about it before lunchtime. Oh gosh, I should have mentioned that to five guys who said some truly stupid things this week. It’s way past lunchtime, but in the unlikely event you didn’t hear about these guys yet, here they are in descending order of stupidity:

1. Paul Shirley: Here we have a professional basketball player who has played for no fewer than 11 teams in 9 years. That should tell us something, right? On some blog that he maintains Shirley told his readers he has not donated any money to Haiti. And then he threw in this letter to the Haitian people:
“Dear Haitians –
First of all, kudos on developing the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Your commitment to human rights, infrastructure, and birth control should be applauded.
As we prepare to assist you in this difficult time, a polite request: If it’s possible, could you not re-build your island home in the image of its predecessor? Could you not resort to the creation of flimsy shanty- and shack-towns? And could some of you maybe use a condom once in a while?
Sincerely,
The Rest of the World”
Shirley’s bitter attempt at humor got him fired from his writing job at ESPN this week.

2. Donny Deutsche: The CNBC talk show host and mega-zillionaire advertising titan appeared the other day on Larry King to say that he does not understand why a gay dating service would want to advertise during the Superbowl. Deutsche’s position is that the dating service can’t reach its target audience (gay males) during a football game, apparently implying gays don’t like football. Watch:

3. Ray LaHood: In response to the massive Toyota recall, Transportation Secretary LaHood said at a Congressional Hearing that individuals who own one of the auto models in question should “stop driving them.” Everybody immediately pounced on him from legislators to media talking heads to Toyota owners. Did LaHood forget that the few Americans who still have jobs can’t get there without driving their cars? Did he forget that American commerce is already in dire straits, and when a person in his position says something so irresponsible and thoughtless, he puts a major manufacturer at further risk of losing its customer base? It took a media firestorm to bounce him back in to reality, and later that same day, LaHood said, “"What I said in there was obviously a misstatement. What I meant to say ... was if you own one of these cars or if you're in doubt, take it to the dealer and they're going to fix it."
Hmmm…Dear Ray, Too little, too late. Love, Toyota Motor Company.

4. Brian Johnson: Here’s what AC/DC singer Johnson had to say about U2’s Bono:
"When I was a working man I didn't want to go to a concert for some bastard to talk down to me that I should be thinking of some kid in Africa. I'm sorry mate, do it yourself, spend some of your own money and get it done. It just makes me angry. I become all tyrannical…Do a charity gig, fair enough, but not on worldwide television…I do it myself, I don't tell everybody I'm doing it. I don't tell everybody they should give money - they can't afford it."
Not to Brian: The entire reason Bono has been able to raise the awareness and the funds that he has is because of his high profile and notoriety in the music world. Duh.

5. Mel Gibson: And finally, America’s favorite anti-Semite, misogynist, actor (?), this week called an interviewer an asshole when asked whether he felt the public would forgive him enough for his transgressions to support his new movie. Watch:

Mel...dude...temper, temper now. Remember Malibu.

INAUGURATION DAY 2009

THE INTERSECTION OF ART & HOPE

It will be a truly distinctive moment in American history - the inauguration of the first black President of the United States, celebrated one day after the commemoration of the 80th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King. Barack Obama clearly feels a real connection with Abraham Lincoln, but I believe the timing of his inauguration and the obvious parallels in their influence on America will always somehow associate Obama with King. Each of these men has demonstrated the rare gift of being able to cause togetherness and meaningful commitment among the American people. It is akin to what we felt in the months after 9/11, but then there was no strong leader to inspire a sense of long-lasting intimacy among us. Now there is.

The coming together of the American people after so many years of deep fragmentation is a wonder in America right now. Sometimes, the most significant moments in our history cause art to emerge, as well. Witness the Works Progress Administration (WPA) artistry during the Great Depression (example at right). On numerous occasions historians have highlighted the relationship between social change or upheaval with the emergence of distinctive art forms. With that in mind, if you have not heard the name Shepard Fairey yet, you surely will. Fairey is the artist who created the now iconic HOPE posters so pervasive during the Obama campaign (left). Fairey also created the header art you see at the top of this piece.

I am not an art critic. But I am a great audience. And what I see, from out here is a real commonality between much of the WPA art and works by street artists like Fairey. They are both what you could call populist art. In both we see the real daily dreams and struggles of American men and women. On some level, no matter what your politics are, you have to step back and appreciate America's heart and soul starting to show itself again. We were neutralized for eight years. A little spirit couldn't hurt us about now.

It is that spirit that moved music producer David Foster to team with musician Will.i.am to write America's Song just days before the inauguration. It was reportedly easy to engage the participation of Faith Hill, Mary J. Blige, Bono and Seal to perform the song, first on the January 19 episode of our holy St. Oprah of Chicago's show. Like much of the WPA art and Fairey's works, America's Song is clean, straightforward and elegant.

Now, pump up the volume, go full screen and enjoy this shiny, new artistic collaboration: