This week’s new releases include Malia Civetz, Motorhead, Dumpstaphunk, Tom Jones, Topaz Jones (no relation), Dinosaur Jr., highlights from the massive John Lennon “Plastic Ono Band” boxset, & singles from H.E.R., Julian Michaels, and Offset.
History
1) Vice-President Walter Mondale was kind of blah. When he ran against Reagan in ‘84, he became yet another Democratic presidential candidate in a long line of past (failures) who let Republicans crack wise, win debates with one-liners, encapsulate platforms in campaigns in a single phrase, etc. (See his predecessors Humphrey, McGovern, Carter and his successors Dukakis, Gore, Kerry, Clinton.)
But as this article points out, his public image was the problem— in private, he, like Gore, McGovern, and certainly Carter, he was actually a charmer. [CNN]
2) You all know Mary Ann Vecchio, even if you don’t recognize her name. She is the woman in the famous photo from the scene of the Kent State Shootings. A man pretending to be a protestor but actually an undercover FBI agent (at least, he was rumored to be) spread the idea among the Guardsmen that they needed to fire shots into the crowd. Regardless of how the violence started, the book Nixonland makes it clear that the public blamed the students for their deaths and injuries.
This week, after 50-plus years, Vecchio gave a press interview that seemingly every newspaper in the country picked up. Here’s one report. [Miami Herald]
3) Also, re: history, yep, Brian got a book contract (actually, six, maybe seven, and is being a little wuss and can’t choose which one to take because they’re all such lovely companies and editors.) We can’t discuss much of it right now because certain politicians have not yet signed off on interviews for it and we don’t want to scare them off when they see the title, lulz. But yes, thank you for your support! You may be seeing excerpts and more info in this newsletter (soon.) [tbd]
Movies
4) Has everyone seen The Collective? Only the second movie in Oscars history to receive nominations for Best Documentary and Best International/Foreign Film, it’s a must-see inside view of investigative journalism, public health, and European politics— but way more riveting than that sounds. (Warning: there is a scene with harrowing footage about three minutes into the film.) The Times interviewed the film’s director and, although this is not as in-depth as we would have liked, it does update viewers on what’s happened in Romania since the credits rolled. [NYT]
5) Also, the Oscars are tomorrow at 7c/8e. Gonna be weird.
Misc.
6) Brian is on TikTok and went viral this week with what he says is “probably the worst video I’ve ever shot, from a technical standpoint.” He’s only posted three videos, so you’ll be able to tell which one went viral from the view count. Follow him! [TikTok]