Racism in Your Fascism

Occasionally, I watch SCAT (Somerville Community Access Television). What can I say? I get a kick out of some of the programs. There is a karaoke show taped in a local bar. The lighting is horrific, as are most of the performers. The host, a middle-aged woman in tight sweaters and skirts, mc's each show with a bouncy feminine voice, similar to that of Teresa Ganzel. You just know that some of the folks look forward to this night with great anticipation, probably practicing at home before debuting a new song.

Then, there's the holiday classic I will call "Christmas Triple Deckers." Someone drives around and tapes the most festive looking apartment houses in the city and splices them together into a 30-minute feature, crowning a winner at the end. A true delight, never to be missed.

Last night, I was drawn into Finding the Truth, a working class documentary of sorts, describing the woes of the blue collar residents in Somerville and how they've been impacted by its gentrification. Obviously, its directors worked very hard on this project, conducting interviews with teenage "experts" (their friends) and creating an impressive soundtrack. Basically, the documentary consisted of a group of "we know everything" white kids regurgitating all the belly aching they've been subjected to by their moms and dads regarding "the problems with Somerville." One guy talked passionately about how unfair it is that his buddy and their family of five can no longer afford to live in Somerville so they had to pack it up and move to "the slums of Brockton." Another guy sat on his back porch and complained about how Somerville used to be a haven for immigrants, but it is no longer a place that can sympathize with them because its real estate is untouchable. He described days of ole (mind you, he looked about 20) when the Somerville community consisted mainly of Irish and Italian immigrants and now there are "Haitians and Brazilians - lower class citizens." Do they review this stuff before they air it? They used a Bob Dylan song in the background as the credits rolled. Are you kidding me? The worst part is that these guys naively thought they were creating a piece that identifies with the poor. I feel like contacting Bob Dylan's agent to let him know that one of his respectable anthems is being used in such an ugly way. Horrible. Two thumbs down.

On a lighter note, I am psyched about SCAT's 6PM offering tonight: Bitchin' About the Movies. This ought to be good.

Hey, I hear that Manny and his wife put their $6 million + place up for sale. A subtle sign? Oh, and our left-handed side arm specialist is on his way to the Bronx, according to the NY Post (but, supposedly, there were no sources to support this).

Another Celtics loss last night, in what was a pretty close game. Doh-eth.