Daily Archives: May 11, 2021

Last August, Missouri voters made themselves perfectly clear when they voted to expand the states Medicaid program, passing a ballot measure with 53 percent of the vote. It was just the latest in a series of recent victorious expansion campaigns in red-leaning states, including Maine, Oklahoma, Idaho, and Utah, aimed at plugging a gaping hole in the Affordable Care Act created by the Supreme Court. While the high courts 54 ruling in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius was, in 2012, hailed as a victory for upholding the legality of the individual mandate, there was less attention paid to what turned out to be a far more consequential caveat: that the choice of whether to extend Medicaid eligibility to cover all residents below 138 percent of the federal poverty line would be left to individual states. Several Republican-run states used their newfound leverage to win concessions from the federal government, such as lifetime benefit caps or monthly premiums that were never supposed to be part of a public safety net program intended for vulnerable patients. Many other states under GOP control took a more destructive path, refusing to change their Medicaid eligibility requirements at all and stranding some four million people without insurance; this included more than 200,000 Missourians.

Ironically, nearly a decade after the Sebelius ruling, we have come to understand that the individual mandate barely mattered at all to the law, and that Medicaid expansion accounted for far greater gains in insurance rates than tinkering with the individual market produced. We also have years worth of research on the tremendous impact Medicaid has on patients lives: Enrollees were able to access and use more necessary care; their health outcomes improved; and they experienced greater financial, professional, food, and housing security. This smorgasbord of quality-of-life gains was remarkable enough to win over large margins of the countrys most ostensibly conservative voters.

In Missouri, that may not be enough. The state Senate has voted 20 to 14 against funding the winning measure, effectively punting the issue to the courts to determine whether a cut-and-dry referendum ought to be acknowledged. Youd be hard-pressed to find a purer distillation of the Republican Partys nihilistic political project anywhere in the country.

See the article here:

The War on Medicaid Expansion Exposes the Nihilism of the GOP - The New Republic

Fried Barry is deranged, repulsive, juvenile, borderline pornographic, and one of the most memorable, visually arresting, and unique movies Ive seen in ages. Hailing from music video director Ryan Kruger, the film tells the disgusting yet riveting story of a junkie in South Africa whose body is taken for a joy ride by an extraterrestrial through the nihilistic world he calls home. For most of its run time, Fried Barry is not a movie where an alien learns to love life from its human host; in fact, it is the antithesis of any wholesome alien/human narrative you can picture. A sliver of decency is found within the climax, naturally, with the nihilism only being everything preceding it, but the momentum of Fried Barry's narrative thrust is depravity, and I couldn't not watch it.

To describe Fried Barry without spoiling its contents is an impossibility, and a disservice to those with the constitution and willingness to view its mad genius. In simple terms, its like a drug-fueled descent into the heart of darkness, but Fried Barry feels steeped in the bananas art that influenced it. Simply put, its as if Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Crank, and Mandy were ground up into a powder, snorted through a straw made from the tunnel scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and into the nose of Under the Skin.

The film exposes itself from frame one, carrying the billing of A Ryan Kruger Thing in its opening titles, which prompts the question that this isn't simply a movie -- it's an experience, a night out in the clubs that becomes a nightmare at every corner. A cavalier and wanton disregard for anything sensible, the film is powered by Kruger's vision but piloted by the tremendous work of star Gary Green, who delivers the best alien-in-a-human-body performance since Vincent D'Onofrio in Men in Black.

With his first starring role, Green delivers an iconic style of movement and dead-pan comedy that delights, horrifies, and constantly feels fresh. Green is offered a brief moment of playing the actual Barry, a burnt-out ne'er-do-well with few prospects in life and seemingly no bottom to fall into, and though this set-up is necessary for what is to come, it's not where he's at his best. Once possessed, though, Green personifies this being in a man's skin with layers, contorting his face into unnatural positions and bringing a physicality that makes him seem like a master of the art.

Fried Barry is like watching something you know that you shouldnt be seeing. A television flipping channels at three in the morning between the mad programming that only appeals to anyone else who is awake at this hour, be they sober or impaired. It's dirty, nihilistic, perverted, and not for the squeamish, but those willing to buckle up and endure its boundary-defying absurdity will find something that's never not entertaining.

Under no circumstances can I recommend that everyone watch Fried Barry; its sure to offend and its frenetic style of insanity is not for all palettes, but I found it to be one of the most compelling examples of the limits of filmmaking and bad taste in years. Director and co-writer Ryan Kruger has a brain we must cherish, a style that feels fresh, and a sensibility that will make him infamous, while star Gary Green is destined to become a cult icon. Fried Barry defies all the odds by being its own type of animal, and then mutilating that animal in front of the audience.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Fried Barry will premiere on Shudder Friday, May 7th.

View post:

Fried Barry Review: The Most Demented Movie of the Year Has Arrived - ComicBook.com

There can be no higher law in journalism than to tell the truth and to shame the devil.

Many professions are governed by a code of ethics. These codes are adopted by organizations to assist members in understanding the difference between right and wrong and in applying that understanding to their decisions. There are also avenues for legal action for the victims of those wronged by members of certain professions, as defined by the industry-acknowledged ethical codes.

Healthcare is one such notable profession. A good physician adheres to a commonly understood set of standards. The modern version of The Hippocratic Oath is inspiring. The full document can be found here. Each phrase has been crafted thoughtfully and together they contribute to a body of ideas that is vital for the safe practice of medicine. Of course, the profession is only as trustworthy as the individual health care providers that choose to adhere to these words to the best of their ability. One phrase that stood out to me is the requisite respect for the Hard won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk This sentiment promotes the idea of honoring those that have practiced medicine before you by striving to achieve their standard, or hopefully raising the bar.

Financial advisors, lawyers, counselors and many other professions are bound by a set of ethics for the protection of their clients. In my opinion, the journalism field is a profession that has lost its way in this critical objective of protecting its clients the consumers of news and desperately needs to return to a commonly held ethical standard. In 1914, The Journalists Creed was written by the first dean of the Missouri School of Journalism, Walter Williams. The full body of the Creed can be found here. The first line states, I believe in the profession of journalism. As many know, I have worked in the journalism field my entire life. I desperately want to believe in the profession of journalism. But today I do not even recognize most of its members as adherents to any sort of ethical code whatsoever. The Creed also states that accuracy and fairness are fundamental to good journalism and that a single standard of helpful truth and cleanness should prevail for all; that the supreme test of good journalism is the measure of its public service.

For years going on decades, our most available news outlets are actually heading in the opposite direction by providing a criminal disservice to their viewers. There is only one truth. And if every channel is reporting something different as truth, then we have a crippling problem. Journalists are literally responsible for filling the minds of a society. That is a tremendous responsibility. And we are living the grave consequences of its failure. In the utopia in my head, the industry would be legally bound by a code of ethics, such as the Journalists Creed, and there could be a path to salvaging this crucial need in our country.

Get the truth and print it.

I believe the measuring stick of public service begins with how well a news organization deals in facts straight up, indisputable, unbiased, truth-based facts. Today it is easy, and lazy, and devious for journalists to first decide the way they want the story to be received, and then cherry pick the facts that support their end goal. It isnt journalism. It is an agenda. And it is a stain on all of those true journalists that came before us.

Journalists should be watchdogs, not lap dogs.

The Creed goes on to say that the journalism which succeeds the best is stoutly independent, unmoved by pride of opinion or greed of power This ideal deserves a moment of silence and to be repeated for emphasis. UNMOVED BY PRIDE OF OPINION. Is there anyone reading this who can honestly report that their favored news organization is unopinionated? Well that my friends, is the standard set generations ago. That is the goal. And the players in this entire industry should be absolutely ashamed. A free press is paramount to a free society. Unless you find yourself on an opinion page (such as the piece you are presently reading), a journalist should never tell you how to think. Most headlines and stories are so routinely filled with opinion that the reader is becoming immune.

Opening up my computer to a headline of the day easily proves my point. Many news outlets are calling the audit currently happening in Arizona a GOP fraud fantasy. If that news organization had even a modicum of integrity, this sort of headline would never make it past the editor. But that is not the world we live in today. This fact absolutely ruins me. The industry that I love and have been so proud to be a part of is failing. It provides little worthy public service. In my opinion, the media is the sole reason our country is irrevocably divided today. Certain subjects are sensationalized. Others are ignored. The pot is continually stirred for ratings and the true purpose of the industry is gone. And the worst thing is, so many citizens are unaware, or just dont care. For the record, the news source from which this is being written, is driven to uphold the dire responsibility of reporting the truth to the best of our ability.

Can you imagine if we had an independent review board for the journalism industry responsible for holding the actors accountable to the truth? And those that fell short were removed from their duties? The victims of its crimes would regain their sight. The massive impact would transform this country in a year.

The Creed goes on to suggest that journalism is constructive, tolerant but never careless, self-controlled, patient, always respectful of its readers but always unafraid is unswayed by the appeal of privilege or the clamor of the mob; seeks to give every man a chance is profoundly patriotic

Today, our 24-hour news cycle is largely about instant gratification. Being first to break a story is often more important than being right about the details. Brian Sicknick, the police officer who died at the Capitol protests on Jan. 6 was widely reported to have been struck by a fire extinguisher and that caused his death. Since then, it has been revealed that he actually had two strokes and died of natural causes, not blunt force trauma. But patiently waiting for the truth, doesnt fan the flames. And now that the wrong story has been portrayed it is impossible to correct the damage done.

A lie can travel halfway around the world, while the truth is putting its shoes on.

The influence the media has on society today is monumental. Greater than at any time before. A phrase in the Hippocratic Oath urges to avoid the trap of therapeutic nihilism. In the medical realm, this suggests that the cure should not do more harm than good. This is squarely the space that the mainstream media occupies today. Doing more harm than good. Just look around at the society it has created. While many are busy pointing fingers at all of the reasons our country is falling apart we actually need to look no further than the talking heads from our living rooms.

Make the lie big, keep it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.

Original post:

Opinion: 'Journalists are literally responsible for filling the minds of a society' | ClarkCountyToday.com - clarkcountytoday.com

Heres how deeply the absurdist British panel program Taskmaster has embedded itself in my psyche over the course of the last many months: Rather than taking its classic pandemic-era form of oh no! Im in a crowd!! in public!!! and none of us are wearing masks!!!!, my most recent stress dream manifested as me waking up to a Twitter announcement that Taskmaster had been renewed for a twelfthbut final!series.

To be clear: Taskmaster, which is currently in the final stretch of its Series 11 run, hasnt yet announced anything about its inevitable twelfth series (though astute superfans have already sussed out a likely line-up)nor has there been any hint that its living on borrowed time. To the contrary, its under contractual obligation to Channel 4 to run at least through Series 15. But when I tell you the *panic* I felt, jolting awake to actually scroll through Twitter and confirm it had all been a bad dream? I mean, I could obviously survive, if the world never got a new series of Taskmaster ever again, but damn if that world wouldnt be a whole lot grayer.

Now that were in the fourteenth(?) month of the pandemic (at least here in the United States), anyone whos even a little online is likely to have heard of Taskmasterjust off the top of my head, I can recall seeing its praises sung by everyone from YA authors to lit mag editors to longform feelings essayists, to one whole Vlogbrother (the latter of whom even started a pandemic-era podcast about it with his wife). When I started watching it, I called to harangue my brother into joining me, only to find he was already a full two series in. When I told my book club to seek it out, I came back a month later to hear that at least one of thema newly minted lawyer and full adulthad been ecstatic to discover something she and her 14-year-old twin brothers could finally bond over. My parents love it. Pajama companies love it. Everyone loves it. Truly, with its endlessly flexible ask comedians to accomplish increasingly arcane tasks then defend their decisions in person premise, Taskmaster was already verging on perfect show for literally any mood territory before we were all trapped inside for a year; since then, the prospect of ending each day sinking into that same absurdist premise has become, for many, a kind of lifeline.

That said, for as ubiquitous as Taskmaster has seemingly become in these trying times, I suspect that, between it being a British panel show (innit) and only available via the programs two official YouTube channels, theres a whole ocean of potential fans still out there. (Yes, free on YouTube)

To that end, I present this Taskmaster primer. Read it; learn it; love it. Let its anti-nihilist spirit wash over you, if you can. If you cant, at least leave yourself open for the longest bouts of laughter you might have succumbed to in awhile.

Originally commissioned by the UKTV channel Dave in 2015, Taskmaster is the brainchild of comedian/musician Alex Horne, who first brought the concept for what the program would eventually become to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2010. Tall, bearded, gap-toothed, and in possession of an almost tannicly dry sense of humor, Horne serves as both field moderator and studio jester for what has since become a multiple-award winning show.

That Horne is also the evil genius behind the shows signature tasks, as well as the composer of the programs clownishly slick theme music, might surprise first-time viewers, as his onscreen role is so obviously subordinate to that of the official Taskmaster, comedian Greg Davies. When it comes to the experience that Taskmaster wants both its viewers and its contestants to have, however, that kind of inversion of expectations is really the point. Think you know the best way to build a snowman without any snow? Or how to conceal a whole pineapple on your person? Think you can buy the best present for the Taskmaster, when given just 20? Unless it has occurred to you to [redacted], youll find that, noyou actually dont.

As for who Horne and Davies bring in to compete, each series panel consists of five peopleusually comedians, but also the occasional actor, quiz show presenter or Great British Bake-Off host. American audiences who watch literally any other British quiz shows will recognize at least half of the competitors (Josh Widdicombe, Romesh Ranganathan, Katherine Ryan, Nish Kumar, etc.), but people whove never even heard of 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown will still recognize panelists like Aisling Bea (Living With Yourself), Asim Chaudry (Black Mirror: Bandersnatch) and Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd), as well as Noel Fielding (Great British Bake-Off), Mel Giedroyc (same) and Lolly Adefope (Shrill). In general, the panels are a solid mix of established names (Frank Skinner, Liza Tarbuck, Jo Brand) and up-and-coming talent (James Acaster, Rose Matafeo, Mawaan Rizwan), with a demographic mix that generally skews 3:2 male/female and 4:1 white/not.

If the show has any real weakness, its in this latter pointKatherine Ryan was unapologetic in pointing out the unconscious sexism that put her at a significant disadvantage in various live tasks during her series, while similar instances of (honestly much less) unconscious racism in a TSA-themed task in the current series put newcomer Jamali Maddix at a similar, even more infuriating, disadvantage. That a show as otherwise all-around excellent as Taskmaster still has these kinds of flaws is disappointing, but if any show has the will to commit itself to doing better in the future, its also one as otherwise all-around excellent as Taskmaster.

Youve probably picked much of this up by now, but in plain English: Taskmaster is a competition program that asks its panel of comedic competitors to perform a series of pointless tasks over an extended period of time, all with the knowledge that Davies, as the Taskmaster, will eventually hold them each to account for their various decisions, good and bad. Some tasks are silly (Make this coconut look like a businessman), others arcane (Fill an egg cup with tears), still others so dead simple, the panelists end up certain there must be a trick. (Which is often true.) And the tasks dont end once their time in the field is donefor every episode they film in the studio (as few as six in Series 1, as many as ten in later series), the panelists are asked to open by bringing in an item for that weeks prize task (Best Chair, Shiniest Object, Boldest Belt), and end by competing head-to-head in a final live task.

Once theyve gathered in the studio, competitors are given the opportunity to commentate on their performances, after which point the Taskmaster ranks them, generally assigning scores according to how well each person has either executed the task at hand, or explained away their particular brand of failure. Generally, but not alwaysas the Taskmaster is a whimsical tyrantit means that the way he hands out points feels closer to chaos than reason. But this, too, is part of the restorative anti-nihilist heart of the show: Nothing matters, so everything matters. Thats life, baby! Or, as essayist Helena Fitzgerald wrote in a recent edition of her Grief Bacon newsletter, thats a metaphor both for our current moment and our lives more generally: we are constantly having to complete a series of stupid and absurd tasks that make no sense at all, often within a highly pressurized time limit, and then being graded on those tasks by totally unpredictable criteria that are really just one large mans whims.

Look: Everywhere else in life where were subject to this absurd formula, the best possible outcome is abject exhaustion. Here, within the surreal vacuity of the Taskmasters throne room, that same absurdity can just be soothing. It means nothing! It means everything! Embrace the nonsense!

If were talking about when new episodes of Taskmaster air on Channel 4, the answer is every Thursday evening, with each episode uploaded to the shows second official YouTube channel the following day. (Dont ask me why there are two official Taskmaster YouTube channels; some things are better left a mystery.)

If were talking when new episodes of Taskmaster are filmed, well, the answer to that is: All year! Or rather, throughout the year, whenever the competitors are available to turn up at the Taskmaster house and have Alex put them through their mundanely goofy paces. The show tries to put out two series a year since premiering in 2015, with the occasional holiday or Champion of Champions special (Part II of which is due later this year), and this has been the schedule even during the pandemic, which has now gone on long enough that two whole series (plus one New Years special) have aired with social distancing measures in place. Not that those have hurt the show much at allon the contrary, while having to conform to stricter health and safety standards might have been little more than an unhappy hurdle for other competitive reality productions (see: the most recent seasons of American Ninja Warrior and Dancing with the Stars), for Taskmaster, those same hurdles have given Horne and his team the chance to crank the task difficulty level up to eleven.

Of course, the fact that social distancing would only make Taskmaster stronger makes a fair amount of senseso much great art, after all, thrives under intense constraint. (That said, Series 3 did feature a task predicated on asking its panelists to overcome literal hurdles just to retrieve a bowl of soup from a microwave, so maybe its been working under intense constraint all along.)

In the practical sense, its filmed first on location at the Taskmaster house, a former groundskeepers cottage in the middle of a golf course in Chiswick, and then second in a studio where the panelists at last get to come together after months of competing individually to be judged on their performances and participate in the final live-task challenges.

In a streaming sense, Series 1-7, 10 and 11 are available in full across the shows two YouTube channels, while Series 8 is available on CW Seed. Series 9, at least at time of publication, is unavailable outside of the UK. (An especially huge bummer, as its the only series to date to feature three women, and just two men. That said, the shows primary YouTube channel boasts an upload history that would lead one to believe the series arrival is imminent.)

I mean, Taskmaster is, at its core, an absurdist showthe only why it has to answer is why not?

Another meta question, and possibly one only you can answer for yourself. But Alex, Greg, and the rest of the Taskmaster team have gone some distance to help you, both in publishing Taskmaster: The Board Game, and in running a Hometasking mini-series through their primary YouTube channel early in the pandemic. Interested in making your pointless pandemic tasks even more pointless (and thus, more meaningful)? Theyve got you covered!

As for how new viewers should dive in to their first time watching Taskmaster, I would say that, while you really cant go wrong just starting from Series 1, the fact that Series 4 boasts a majority of panelists who Americans are likely to recognize makes it a strong contender. Getting invested in how each person tackles the very concept of tasks is what makes the show so funmight as well give yourself every advantage in being able to make that investment stick early on.

In the meantime, Im about due for a hit of anti-nihilism myself, and just got a notification that the latest Series 11 episode has finally been uploaded. Ill see you all on the other side.

Taskmaster airs on Thursdays on Channel 4, if youre in the UK. For the rest of us, its available streaming on YouTube.

Alexis Gunderson is a TV critic and audiobibliophile. She can be found @AlexisKG.

For all the latest TV news, reviews, lists and features, follow @Paste_TV.

Read more:

A Guide to Taskmaster, the Only Show I Want to Watch - Paste Magazine