Salon.com > Caitlin Shamberg http://www.salon.com Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:38:16 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 What Joe Jackson knows about Michael http://www.salon.com/2009/07/21/joe_jackson/ http://www.salon.com/2009/07/21/joe_jackson/#comments Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:22:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/video_dog/media/2009/07/21/joe_jackson Larry King  interviewed  Joe Jackson last night, and it took several strange turns.  (Read the whole transcript on CNN).  Jackson and his son, Michael,  were clearly estranged (Joe admits he was barred from his son's home) and as King probed into their relationship the conversation veered into a weird territory.  Here's an early exchange:

KING: Where is -- where is Michael's body?

JACKSON: I don't know. You'd have to ask somebody that knows. I don't know. All I know is that...

KING: You're the father.

Later, King, having established that the father and son didn't have anything to do with eachother, pushed Joe Jackson on whether he was an abusive father.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2009/07/21/joe_jackson/feed/ 8 Obama talks personal responsibility to NAACP http://www.salon.com/2009/07/17/obama_naacp_2/ http://www.salon.com/2009/07/17/obama_naacp_2/#comments Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:45:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/news/politics//war_room/2009/07/17/obama_naacp If, somewhere, there's a rating system for coincidences -- a scale ranging from the ordinary to the almost miraculous -- then the one that played out when President Obama spoke to the NAACP on on Thursday night has to rank pretty high. That the first black man to be elected president of the United States could speak to the NAACP 's annual convention was miracle enough, of course. But this convention also just happened to mark the great civil rights organization's centennial.

Obama, obviously, went out of his way to recognize the milestone, and to acknowledge the role the NAACP had played in his election.

"What we celebrate tonight is not simply the journey the NAACP has traveled, but the journey that we, as Americans, have traveled over the past one hundred years," the president said at the beginning of his address, according to his prepared remarks.

Speaking of civil rights leaders and workers from the NAACP, Obama continued, "Because of what they did, we are a more perfect union. Because Jim Crow laws were overturned, black CEOs today run Fortune 500 companies. Because civil rights laws were passed, black mayors, governors, and Members of Congress serve in places where they might once have been unable to vote. And because ordinary people made the civil rights movement their own, I made a trip to Springfield a couple years ago -- where Lincoln once lived, and race riots once raged -- and began the journey that has led me here tonight as the 44th President of the United States of America."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2009/07/17/obama_naacp_2/feed/ 35 “I’ve spent the last five days crying in Argentina” http://www.salon.com/2009/06/24/sanford_argentina/ http://www.salon.com/2009/06/24/sanford_argentina/#comments Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:25:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/ent/video_dog/news/politics//2009/06/24/sanford_argentina During Mark Sanford's strange, addled press conference Wednesday, he explained his sudden disappearance from South Carolina by admitting he hadn't been hiking the Appalachian Trail after all but had instead been much further South visiting with a "special friend," i.e., cheating on his wife. In fact, he made reference to having "spent the last five days crying in Argentina." Was the wayward Governor really unaware that he had lapsed into showtunes? Did he mean to quote Evita? Because he had every right -- the overlap between his own emotional turmoil and that of the imagined Mrs. Peron is uncanny. Just read the lyrics to "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina": "I had to change/I chose freedom/Running around, trying everything new." Better yet, pay homage as Broadway diva Patti Lupone sings them, below. (But first, listen to the inimitable Charlotte Greenwood "Sing to Your Senorita," from the musical "Down Argentine Way"!)

 

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2009/06/24/sanford_argentina/feed/ 2 The dark side of the moon http://www.salon.com/2009/06/11/moon_4/ http://www.salon.com/2009/06/11/moon_4/#comments Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:20:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/feature/2009/06/11/moon Today’s science fiction usually features big stars, big budgets and big explosions, but a small independent film with only one star has found a place in the summer release schedule. “Moon,” starring Sam Rockwell, is a quiet study in loneliness and isolation, revolving around the idea that an astronaut is just a working man stuck on the moon.

First-time director Duncan Jones (who happens to be the son of "Starman" David Bowie) says he wanted to make a movie like “Alien” or “Silent Running” — films he couldn’t get enough of when he was a kid. His vision for space is not the slick shiny world of the future, but a gritty industrial park. The spaceship is a messy lived-in space; worn out photographs are tacked to the wall, and the bed is unmade. This is where we find Sam Bell (Rockwell), a blue-collar mechanic who runs the space station and mines helium-3. He spends his days driving around the moon in a clunky vehicle gathering canisters of refined He-3 back to launch back to Earth. His only companion is an unsophisticated-looking robot named Gerty (voiced by Kevin Spacey). Despite the obvious HAL comparisons, we learn very early on that Gerty is devoid of human emotion, existing solely to serve Sam.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2009/06/11/moon_4/feed/ 12 Isn’t the torture debate over? http://www.salon.com/2009/05/21/video_cheney_obama/ http://www.salon.com/2009/05/21/video_cheney_obama/#comments Thu, 21 May 2009 19:35:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/news/politics//war_room/2009/05/21/video_cheney_obama It’s unfortunate that President Obama is being pitted against the former vice president as if there’s a country-wide debate raging between them.

Earlier today, Dick Cheney in a televised speech tried to convince America that enhanced interrogation methods keep us safe and that our current President is leading us off course. But Obama spoke first and he spoke louder -- he is, after all, the one setting the nation's policy right now.

If you missed it, here's a bit from the two speeches, side by side:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2009/05/21/video_cheney_obama/feed/ 22 “The Real World’s” Ryan speaks http://www.salon.com/2009/04/01/ryan_conklin/ http://www.salon.com/2009/04/01/ryan_conklin/#comments Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:45:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/int/2009/04/01/ryan_conklin It's hard to take reality TV seriously, especially the granddaddy of them all, MTV's "The Real World," which pulls together an attractive crew of 20-somethings cast to clash in pretty predictable ways. But the show's 21st season, "The Real World: Brooklyn" (which has its finale Wednesday night), surprised us. Set in a tricked-out loft overlooking a glistening Red Hook waterfront, it wasn't the expected cast members -- newly transgendered Katelynn, kooky Mormon Chet, sexual-abuse survivor Sarah -- who drew our attention. It was Ryan Conklin, the charmingly hammy 23-year-old Iraq war veteran. Conklin seemed to fill the role of the sheltered, small-town guy who would bristle at his roommates's differences and show flashes of intolerance, before ultimately learning to be a better person. It's a tried-and-true reality show narrative. But while Conklin did provide a few early awkward moments (befuddled by Katelynn, who had not yet explained her gender status, he referred to her once as "it") he proved the warmest presence on the show: a good guy eager to absorb all New York has to offer, entertain his roommates with spoofy songs on his guitar, and go to school to study film. Until, that is, he got a fateful call.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2009/04/01/ryan_conklin/feed/ 16 Will growing pot grow our economy, too? http://www.salon.com/2009/03/26/obama_townhall_marijuana/ http://www.salon.com/2009/03/26/obama_townhall_marijuana/#comments Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:45:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/news/politics//war_room/2009/03/26/obama_townhall_marijuana As noted in our earlier post on the online town hall President Obama's holding today, a fair amount of the most popular questions submitted to the White House Web site were about drug policy and legalizing marijuana, in part to help stimulate the economy.

His response, which you can watch below:

"I don't know what this says about the online audience... The answer is no, I don't think that is a good strategy to grow our economy." 

Thanks for clearing that up.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2009/03/26/obama_townhall_marijuana/feed/ 51 This is the guy who writes the Oscars? http://www.salon.com/2009/02/21/bruce_vilanch/ http://www.salon.com/2009/02/21/bruce_vilanch/#comments Sat, 21 Feb 2009 11:13:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/int/2009/02/21/bruce_vilanch Remember when Jack Palance did a one-armed push-up at the Academy Awards? It was a funny moment and host Billy Crystal riffed on the 73-year-old's virility for the remainder of the broadcast. Those riffs were written in the wings where writer Bruce Vilanch, Billy Crystal and their team tossed jokes around frantically during the live spectacle -- a feat that earned them an Emmy.

Bruce Vilanch is a funny guy, but he isn't a household name. He may be best known for his 1990s stint on the TV game show "Hollywood Squares," where he was also head writer. Earlier in his career, Vilanch helped write one of the worst television events ever: "The Star Wars Holiday Special." The 1978 broadcast featured seemingly endless dialogue in Chewbacca’s native language and a sultry, hilarious virtual-reality fantasy sequence.

Vilanch is also recognizable as a large (he lost 25 pounds on "Celebrity Fit Club") gay man with a lionlike mane, perfect for the role of Edna Turnblad in "Hairspray," which he played on Broadway. His eccentric appearance and quick wit have made him a gay icon, secured his career as a comic and ensured him an ongoing gig on the Academy Awards, which he has written for the past 20 years. He has been the head writer since 2000, penning jokes for some of America's best-known comedians: Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, Steve Martin and Jon Stewart.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2009/02/21/bruce_vilanch/feed/ 9 Chip Kidd tours New York Comic Con http://www.salon.com/2009/02/09/nycc_kidd/ http://www.salon.com/2009/02/09/nycc_kidd/#comments Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:15:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/video_dog/media/2009/02/09/nycc_kidd The New York Comic Con is sold out and is packed with fans. Video games blare near the entrance, celebrity artists sign sketches under giant DC and Marvel banners. Small press publishers and original artwork sellers display golden age comics that no one can afford. There are a million drawn variations on the joker (as well as several walking by, one licking his lips just like Ledger in "The Dark Knight"). Everyone here seems giddy. "I think my fifteen year-old self would be very proud of me," says Paige Pumphrey, a local artist presenting her Bettie Page inspired comic at the con for the first time.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2009/02/09/nycc_kidd/feed/ 0 Live! Nude! Puppies! The year in viral video http://www.salon.com/2009/01/03/year_in_webvideo/ http://www.salon.com/2009/01/03/year_in_webvideo/#comments Sat, 03 Jan 2009 12:15:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/feature/2009/01/03/year_in_webvideo Among other things, 2008 will be remembered as the year that professionally produced Web video finally trumped amateurs with webcams. Although YouTube continued to attract a huge number of viral video viewers, the Internet celebrities of 2007 were overshadowed by real celebrities, as television segments enjoyed a legal (and almost profitable) life on the Internet, and professionally produced shorts popped up on smaller sites all over the Web. But despite Andy Samberg's best efforts, and Sarah Palin going viral like a case of the measles, people still couldn't get enough animal videos. We'll begin with one of our favorites, about a very special feline named Christian.

In 1969 two young men, John Rendall and Ace Bourke, bought a lion cub from the exotic pet department at Harrods in London; they named him Christian. When the cub grew too big to keep in their apartment, they reintroduced him to his natural habitat. In 1972 Rendall and Bourke returned to Kenya to find their lion. The video captures the emotional reunion. The lion wraps his paws around his old friends while Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" swells in the background. This particular YouTube clip (one of several) surfaced in July 2008 and was viewed more than 17 million times -- it is one of the most magical cinematic meetings of animal and human ever.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2009/01/03/year_in_webvideo/feed/ 26 Luxury gifts for the outdoor adventurer http://www.salon.com/2008/12/04/adventurer_luxury/ http://www.salon.com/2008/12/04/adventurer_luxury/#comments Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:00:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/gift_guide/2008/2008/12/04/adventurer_luxury Help your sledder graduate from a snow tube ($89) to the Hammersled ($349). The sled has a strong aluminum frame and mesh seating for a comfortable ride. The skis are changeable to maximize performance on a groomed hill or in soft powder. Lie down, strap on your helmet ($85) and take off!

For the non-skiing snow enthusiast, we suggest a new pair of shoes -- snowshoes! The high-end MSR Snowshoes ($180-$259.95) are perfect for backcountry exploration or a hike through the year's first big snowfall. Their "Televator heel lifter" helps keep the strain of a hard climb from wearing out the calf muscles, and their bindings are easy to use and secure. The MSR Web site has a handy interactive selection guide that will aid you in picking a shoe that fits the foot and the terrain.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2008/12/04/adventurer_luxury/feed/ 3 Midrange gifts for the outdoor adventurer http://www.salon.com/2008/12/04/adventurer_midrange/ http://www.salon.com/2008/12/04/adventurer_midrange/#comments Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:40:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/gift_guide/2008/2008/12/04/adventurer_midrange  Solio's solar-powered chargers ($99.95) will keep campers' cameras clicking and ice climbers' iPods humming. They also sell a range of useful chargers, cases and adapters to make any outlet-free expedition more convenient.

The online handmade wonderland known as Etsy has a great collection of warm hats and scarves for the winter-lover. Browse like crazy, or try  a cute and cuddly scarf ($35-$95) from YoKNITS, to warm the extremities of your favorite skier or snowshoer.

Winter is more enjoyable when you're warm and dry (and when the powder is perfect, and the sky bright blue and the mountain open and glistening before you). For the adventurer who hates being cold, we suggest Capilene long underwear ($38-$120). Patagonia's Capilene is made from recycled materials -- and that's something to feel warm and fuzzy about.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2008/12/04/adventurer_midrange/feed/ 0 Bargain gifts for the outdoor adventurer http://www.salon.com/2008/12/04/adventurer_bargain/ http://www.salon.com/2008/12/04/adventurer_bargain/#comments Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:45:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/gift_guide/2008/2008/12/04/adventurer_bargain Fill the adventurer's soft, cozy wool hiking sock ($19.95) -- er, stocking -- with  eco-friendly supplies, like Burt's Bees'  chemical-free sunscreen and travel kits ($13-$30). Send your favorite beach bum a supply of  fish-friendly surfboard wax ($4), or these waterproof cases ($34.99) for passports, cameras and phones.

For the nostalgic surfer, you can buy great collections of movies from the '60s and '70s as well as the original "Surfing Guide to Southern California" ($12) from San Francisco's Mollusk Surf Shop. I like its funky, water-worshipping T-shirt designs ($20-$30), too!

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2008/12/04/adventurer_bargain/feed/ 0 Checking in with the Wasilla Project http://www.salon.com/2008/10/23/wasilla_project/ http://www.salon.com/2008/10/23/wasilla_project/#comments Thu, 23 Oct 2008 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/news/politics//war_room/2008/10/23/wasilla_project A team of filmmakers calling themselves the "Wasilla Project" visited Sarah Palin's hometown. They spoke with citizens, policymakers and people familiar with the V.P. candidate to try to get more information about her politics, religion and management style.

They've posted three videos on their site, and Salon is running them as well.

Here is a look at Sarah Palin as "the first Christian mayor" and the ways in which Palin mixed religion and politics.

Here, the filmmakers find that Sarah Palin, who calls herself a fiscal conservative, made poor economic decisions (and even used the mayor's office to help support her run for lieutenant governor).

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2008/10/23/wasilla_project/feed/ 5 Mammals strut their stuff http://www.salon.com/2008/09/10/fashionweek_pets/ http://www.salon.com/2008/09/10/fashionweek_pets/#comments Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:10:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/entertainment/video_dog/animals/2008/09/10/fashionweek_pets There's something honest about making clothes by hand. Although each outfit trotted down the runway at New York's Bryant Park will eventually be reproduced many times, the single piece custom-made to fit just one model gives fashion a sense of purpose. Fashion Week reminds me that the needle has to be threaded, the fabrics handpicked and each stitch carefully placed.

I loved Susan Cianciolo's constructed frocks of printed fabrics and her boxy, asymmetrical shapes. Ashleigh Verrier, inspired by nature and the darkness of fairy tales, created a collection right out of "The Little Mermaid" -- that is, if that little mermaid were hipper and thinner. The sparkly silvery blue dress with braided silver trim was definitely one of my favorites. She played with butterfly appliqués and giant bows in the middle of the back, reminiscent of Cinderella (because, according to Verrier, fashion played such a major role in that story).

Videotaping the runway shows, on the other hand, is less inspiring. It is hot crammed up on the riser at the front of the runway, elbowing for room. We wait, heavy camera in hand. The show starts at 9 a.m., the clothes actually come down the runway at 9:50 and we’re out.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2008/09/10/fashionweek_pets/feed/ 0 Obama delegates ready to celebrate http://www.salon.com/2008/08/28/delegates_9/ http://www.salon.com/2008/08/28/delegates_9/#comments Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:17:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/news/politics//war_room/2008/08/28/delegates DENVER -- Outside of the Pepsi Center on Wednesday evening, I checked in with the sleep deprived, but still giddy Obama delegates after a week of free food, handshakes and history. You can see the video below.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2008/08/28/delegates_9/feed/ 3 Fired up for party unity http://www.salon.com/2008/08/27/video_8/ http://www.salon.com/2008/08/27/video_8/#comments Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:46:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/news/politics//war_room/2008/08/27/video DENVER -- We almost missed it.

While trying to enter the hall for Hillary Clinton's speech last night, we crossed paths with Michelle Obama. After her entrance (and in preparation for Clinton's) the Secret Service closed any access to the hall, so we high-tailed it up to the top floor and managed to find standing room almost parallel to the rafters.

Following the speech and back on the ground, we checked in with some attendees and Clinton and Obama delegates -- all were ready to follow Clinton's call to embrace her formal rival.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2008/08/27/video_8/feed/ 6 “Happy Hour for Hillary” http://www.salon.com/2008/08/26/happy_hour/ http://www.salon.com/2008/08/26/happy_hour/#comments Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:36:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/news/politics//war_room/2008/08/26/happy_hour DENVER -- The young men in the McCain T-shirts who had spent the afternoon passing out fliers for last night's RNC-hosted "Happy Hour for Hillary" didn't seem too interested in mingling with pin-wearing PUMAs when it came time for the event. But friendships were being formed between local Republicans (one was invited earlier while picking up a McCain bumper sticker) and supporters of Hillary Clinton. "It's very buddy-buddy" said Tom Kise, a McCain staffer working the party.

Clinton supporters admitted that their candidate probably would have asked them not to attend, but some think they know her mind, even if their perception contrasts with her many public statements. "Publicly, Hillary has a career to protect ... she has a career to look forward to in the future," said Lanelle Anderson. "But privately ... I'm 65, she's 60. I bet we think a lot alike."

Video I shot at the event can be viewed below.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2008/08/26/happy_hour/feed/ 10 Salon in Denver: Pre-show at the Pepsi Center http://www.salon.com/2008/08/25/denver_rtintro/ http://www.salon.com/2008/08/25/denver_rtintro/#comments Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:25:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/ent/video_dog/news/politics//2008/08/25/denver_rtintro Rebecca Traister tours Denver's Pepsi Center on the eve of the Democratic National Convention.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2008/08/25/denver_rtintro/feed/ 6 Salon in Denver: Three minutes with Ed Rendell http://www.salon.com/2008/08/24/denver_rendell/ http://www.salon.com/2008/08/24/denver_rendell/#comments Sun, 24 Aug 2008 21:10:00 +0000 http://www.salon.com/ent/video_dog/news/politics//2008/08/24/denver_rendell Joan Walsh checks in with Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell at Salon's Denver party.

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