Midrange Weekly Jan 4
Your Weekly Round Up On What’s Got The Midrange Staff’s Attention
Midrange Staff @midrangeyvr
Welcome back to Midrange Weekly, and if you’ve made it this far congratulations on finally escaping the vortex that was March 2020. We think. Of course it being a new year does not magically ameliorate all of the wretchedness that was last year’s dumpster fire. We still have a raging pandemic, financial immiseration is a debilitating issue and Trump has not yet -as promised- reverted to the form of a pumpkin. In fact he’s recently threatened to crash the upcoming formal electoral vote count to certify Biden’s win because of course he has. Still, the relative lack of manicured ‘new year new me’ resolution posts on IG gives us hope that things might be a bit better this year. And while hope is a powerful thing, it’s ornery editorial petulance and the memes that get those clicks, so more of that still we’re sure. Speaking of which…
Looking Back On The WSJ Opinion Page’s Pathetic Year
It seems that ever since the NYT opinion piece in which ghoulish senator Tom Cotton advocated for using the army to suppress the protests in America last summer, a take so awful in its vitriol and seditious candour, a lot more scrutiny has been afforded to the process of just how the hell these opinion pieces get published. In many legacy journalist publications there has been a long gestating, tense and fractious schism between the news room and the editorial or opinion pages. The former is held to the strict rigours of journalistic norms and integrity where sources’ veracity must be carefully calculated and statements are anal retentively fact checked. Failure to adhere to these standards lead to swift admonishment. The later is often a forum for mendacious hot takes and errant points of view that are given a platform to be expressed with the structural norms of responsible journalism largely obviated under the guise of whatever is being claimed is merely opinion.
This uncomfortable dichotomy has been no more messy and public than in the Opinion section of the Wall Street Journal. The WSJ is one of the foundational pillars of print journalism in the New York/ Washington DC nexus. Owned by billionaire tyrant Rupert Murdoch’s corporation News Corp, their reporting has always had a subtly conservative slant. Less so in the vein of blunt culture war narratives and dog whistle rhetoric that has captivated and animated much of the right wing in the Trump era, more of the traditional but no less pernicious neo conservative Reganomics variety. Such low intensity ideological alinements may be intended to keep them firmly and steadily in operation with little push back, but no one told the plan to the opinion side of the publication. Repeatedly in 2020 the WSJ editorial section has elicited outrage and controversy for their wildly inaccurate takes, incendiary pieces, and frankly just plain stupid opinions. It has led people to collectively wonder time and time again in 2020, how the hell did this get published?
Let’s take a brief but by no means complete survey of some of the pieces the WSJ thought were fit to publish. In mid June Vice President Mike Pence was given the venerated platform to tell the world that no, there was in fact not a second coronavirus wave. It doesn't take any kind of hindsight, 2020 or otherwise, to see what bullshit that was. Even at the time it was clear the lockdowns, which had already begun to end due to political capitulation, were not enough and cases were once again spiking. This was pure propaganda in its most rank form, telling you you’re not on fire when you in fact very much are. There’s also something deeply unethical about the WSJ handing over its opinion apparatus to a politician, especially one of the chief enforcers of an administration as Orwellian as Trump’s. They already have a press room, they can stick to that. One of the principle and foundational functions of the capital M media is to be a check on politicians, not to conspire together or enter into an obsequious relationship.
Later in the year the WSJ Opinion posted a piece by Kimberly Strassel, after one of the Biden/Trump debates, which purported to have smoking gun evidence of Biden’s son Hunter’s alleged malfeasances and corruption in China. She detailed claims of cashing in on his father’s name for which the senior Biden helped orchestrate in pursuit of shady and covert corporate adventurism, where the nucleus of these revelations were based on documents provided by an alleged Hunter confidant. Within hours of publication, Strassel’s piece was found to be rife with misleading insinuations, gross over exaggerations, and just straight up factual inaccuracies. The piece was such a mess of spurious claims the WSJ news room had to release their own piece disproving and disavowing the one Strassel wrote. That an opinion piece was allowed to be published in such a adultered form simply because it wasn’t presented as actual news sparked a mutiny in the WSJ that had been brewing since summer. Back in June, hundreds of WSJ staffers wrote an open letter to the Opinion Board demanding more accuracy and intellectual honesty in their publications, to which the board bitched about cancel culture. Strassel’s cynical and unfounded conspiracy has only made tensions worse.
Towards the end of 2020 we got another gem for the WSJ opinion. Apparently they thought it would be a good idea to let a Dr. Joseph Epstien wax intellectual on his thoughts that Biden’s wife Jill should not get to use the honorific Dr because her doctorate is in education. First off all this is astonishingly, almost unfathomably petulant. Why in the world does such a specifically petty and sexist remark need to be given the platform of the Wall Street Journal? Secondly, the manner in which Epistien prosecuted his thesis was arrogant and condescending, to say the least. You’re not exactly operating on the most respectable levels of political or cultural discourse when you refer to the incoming First Lady as ‘kiddo’, but that’s what Epistien did. Further exhumation of the whole pointless affair brought to light just how weak Epsiten’s claim to academic elitism was- which would be problematic no matter what- considering his own credentials come from an honorary degree- as in not one that you actually studied for. Yet he still had the unmitigated gall to argue that you can’t call yourself a doctor unless you have delivered a baby? What? Great job WSJ, keep it up; it will at least keep your name in the news. -Tristan
What The Republican Arsonists Hope- And Don’t Hope- To Achieve
Hannah Mckay/ Getty Images
As of publication we are one day away from the joint sessions of congress meeting to count the electoral college votes for Joe Biden, completing the final step in formalizing his November election and ensuring come inauguration day on Jan 20 he will become president. This step follows state certification of election results, automatic recounts for states that were squeakers, state secretaries certifying the proper slates of electors and then sending them off to congress to count. If this whole process seems needlessly arduous and convoluted, that’s because usually all of these steps are mere formalities that swiftly proceed in the background of every day life and bears no cause for scrutinizing or disrupting. But also, have you met republicans lately?
Despite the fact that over 60 lawsuits been filed, all of which but two resulted in Trump’s lawyers being laughed or chased out of court; despite the fact that no evidence has been offered in way shape or form short of Sidney Powell’s absolute fever dream of fictitious theories; despite that even the heavily partisan Supreme Court wants nothing to do with hearing Trump whine; despite all of this, Trump and his sycophants are still angling for ways to overturn the results of the election. The most recent perpetrator of constitutional immolation is none other that Senator Ted Cruz, perhaps the most annoying person in the entire US legislative branch. He and 11 senators and senators-elect are objecting to the certification of electoral votes for Biden until an emergency 10 day investigation of the election results is administered.
First things first: it’s absolutely wild that several senators-elect- as in those who just won their seat this past November and have yet to be seated- are besmirching the validity of the very contest that got them elected. The cognitive dissonance it must take to argue the case must have them on the verge of their head exploding like in that movie Scanners (I think about that scene a lot actually when it comes to republicans). Furthermore, as noted above, state recounts have been conducted where applicable. After all of the scrutiny and still nothing to show for it further validates Trump’s own government’s claim that this was the most secure election on modern US history.
So what’s their plan here? It’s not to prevent Trump from getting the boot. Cruz and his entourage know that without control of the house and with not enough republican senators willing to subvert the will of the people to such a cartoonishly evil extent, this motion is dead in the water. However, this will make the likes of Cruz look sufficiently loyal not just to Trump, but more importantly to his increasingly ravenous and delusional base of supporters. Detached from reality as they are, Trump’s core base are crucial to any republican who isn’t named Mitt Romney that hopes to have a political future beyond 2022. Pulling bat shit fealty stunts like this is a proven effective means to engender people towards the idea of their populist credentials.
The fact that the motion will fail is actually exactly why so many republicans are willing to do this. Knowing this will go nowhere allows them to make their performative ploy to appease Trump without concern for any of this actually working which would do irrevocable harm to America’s already anemic democratic systems as they understand- but it will in the long run no matter what. This is the most vile form of cynicism- playing with fire for selfish short term benefit without the slightest concern for lasting impact. If this seems like in of itself a cynical reading of republican motives, rest assured many of these exact people have done this kind of thing before. During the second Obama term multiple votes were instigated by congressional republicans to nullify Obamacare, knowing full well they didn’t have the votes to actually pull it off or Obama would veto it. They made their grand speeches and then got to say the were one of the few standing up against socialism or whatever. Then when Trump took over and they had control of both branches of congress, they suddenly found themselves with all the institutional power to do it exactly what they claimed they always wanted. Faced with the prospect of actually rescinding the Affordable Care Act without even the slightest idea of what to replace it with the republicans backed off, revealing themselves to be the cowards that they always were. That it’s Cruz currently leading this current shit show makes perfect sense. Trump called his wife ugly and accused his father of helping assassinate JFK and yet Cruz is still happily subservient simply due to the proximity of power it affords him. Plus he’s probably the Zodiac Killer, maybe we should investigate that. -Tristan
Politicians Are Selfish, Let’s Not Be Surprised By This
The controversy surrounding the numerous Canadian politicians who decided to flee the country for warmer pastures this past month is neither shocking nor unsurprising. Have we not learned anything from the way Donald Trump acts? The man spends more time playing golf in Mar-a-Lago than he ever has doing his job as leader of the free world.
Elected officials can’t help but live and die by the hubris their positions command they develop. Ontario’s finance minister Rod Phillips thought he could straddle the line of good natured citizen by pre-recording a video of himself championing holiday cheer whilst away down south in the Caribbean on a warm beach drinking margaritas. Caught in the act, he was certainly mistaken to have expected he could and should have done either. The level of vitriol which emanated from the discovery of his vacancy is staggering. Currently there are over 8,900 comments alone just from this CBC report. Soon after his return and subsequent firing, numerous other reports of MP’s and Cabinet leaders surfaced with similar allegations. The list has grown day-by-day.
What this reveals is that those at the top are just as selfish as we are when it comes to their personal choices. We condemn them for not acting accordingly and standing by the measures they expect us to respect, yet, we are doing the same. Thousands of Canadians have flocked away this past month to vacation homes in Florida, to Hawaii or wherever. We shame but we don’t look in the mirror. Everyone has an excuse. A need. A personal “but” for their selfish decision. It’s okay. We all do this. The actions by these politicians are wrong. They set a bad example for sure, but let’s not lose sight of our real problem as a society, that unless you’re a family member or a close friend, it’s difficult for us to give a damn about others. It’s why this virus still survives. When it comes to our own needs and wants, even during a pandemic, we always win. Let’s not be surprised by this and lose sight of who we truly are. - Jamie
FLUX FIVE
This Week:
Screen Vinyl Image “Synthetic Apparition” 2009 Interceptor
Milk Carton Kids “Hear Them Loud” 2013 The Ash & Clay
The Stylistics “Break Up Just To Make Up” 1998 The Stylistics: Best Of
Henry Mancini And His Orchestra “Lujon” 1980 Best Of
Dexter Gordon Quartet “Damn That Dream” 1955 Unknown
Enjoy! - Mick
Things From The Internet We Liked
Season 3 of Cobra Kai Is Out And It’s Great
Ever since migrating to Netflix, Cobra Kai, the sequel to the Karate Kid franchise that no one asked for but is awesome anyways, has been a mini cultural sensation. The third season just dropped and without spoiling anything, the dream is still alive. The call backs to previous entries are far more extensive and fulfilling than one may expect, with a little dues ex machina tossed in for good measure. Characters you once hated you’ll grow to love and vice versa. It is as unapologetically cheesy as always and there is so, so much fairly decent karate. Also is that Dee Snyder? get on it.
The Ringer Releases An Excellent Video Essay On The Best Movie Shots Of 2020
This feels like something my colleague Tristan would do if he had the time. Capturing the esthetic of a great shot isn’t easy. But when done correctly, a well executed shot can lay claim to a movie’s mystique long after it’s release. The many angles of Carrie Ann Moss kicking at the beginning of The Matrix spring to mind of such a moment. This video essay by The Ringer’s Adam Nayman is fantastic. I really need to see The Assistant.
Here’s Trump Conspiring To Commit Election Fraud On Tape
Just a couple weeks left in office and Trump decides to go full on Nixon by getting himself caught on tape pressuring Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find him 11780 votes. As in, one more vote than what he lost the sate by. Looks like the only evidence of election fraud was perpetrated by him. Yikes!
Every American should listen to the President attempting to intimidate and blackmail a state official into falsifying election results so he can win:pic.twitter.com/kGJyac5z0n
— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) January 3, 2021