DigBoston 11.30.17

DIGBOSTON.COM 11.30.17 - 12.07.17

STREAMS

‘SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT’ ALL SPIKE’S JOINTS ROLLED INTO ONE

WORKING

BITING THE BEDBUGS BACK CALL CENTER WORKERS ORGANIZE

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SOUTH SHORE COMICCON LOCAL AND INDIE AF

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ROYALE

THE ‘FARAONE OPERATION’ Dear Reader, Twenty years ago this month, on an otherwise completely uneventful late-fall evening in Central New York, local police officers, along with a few regionally stationed feds from some agency or another, busted through the wooden door of my third-floor dorm room, scaring the ever-living shit out of me and a friend who was visiting me at college.

They didn’t care one bit about the empty bags of weed and other pot paraphernalia scattered about; rather, the fuzz was there to break up what the local newspaper would later call the “Faraone operation,” which basically consisted of my laptop and a few assorted other instruments I used to produce fake Florida driver’s licenses.

That’s right—I was the idiot on campus who people turned to for fake IDs. My black market racket was hardly the elaborate enterprise that prosecutors made it out to be; still, make no mistake about it—I was stupid, and what I did was not only illegal but morally bankrupt as well. While there were obviously other punks who also helped their peers sneak into bars and illegally buy alcohol, that doesn’t change my feeling fortunate that, as far as I know, none of the fake Floridians who I hooked up with fraudulent laminates drunkenly injured themselves or others.

At the same time, I wasn’t that lucky. Facing several years in prison, which terrified me after having merely seen the inside of a county jail after my arrest, I was put on state probation for five years, forced to pay an obscene fine, and ordered to do 350 hours of community service. After years of winning scholarships and grants for high school and then college, I also nearly spoiled all the hard work I had put in. I was suspended from school for a year and told that I would probably not qualify upon return for the assistance I’d received up to the point that police flipped my mattress.

Looking back on the ordeal, I see it partially as a lesson in privilege, as well as an example of what happens when you lack the right last name or background to evade real repercussions in such situations. Since my family was in a position to loan me enough dough to pay for a decent lawyer, I was spared from having to do serious time behind bars. But since I was nevertheless a disposable middleclass financial aid student, my college kicked me to the curb, while the upstate judge basically sentenced me to an excruciating gauntlet through the so-called criminal justice system, in which it is ridiculously easy to slip up and remain under state supervision indefinitely. If I strayed even once, I was told, it would be five to seven years upstate.

Not all my friends from growing up have gotten off so easy. While I have nightmares about my probation supervisors standing right behind me while I urinated in a cup each week for several years, and of them showing up to bother and embarrass me at work, none of that compares to what those who have been incarcerated for long stretches of their lives endure each day. From the inedible grub to the relentless humiliation and recurring abuse, it’s as painful as it’s absolutely necessary to think regularly about what prisoners go through.

I suppose it goes without saying that I was dramatically impacted by my rift with the law. I eventually returned to school, and for the first time ever gave a damn about what my professors had to teach. As it turned out, some of them were quite informed about the justice system, and could help explain why the state had no interest in reentry, education, and rehabilitation. Those lessons, of course, spurred my interest in social justice, and my career in journalism.

All these years later, I would like to think that I’d have come to many of the same conclusions without catching a case. Unfortunately, I’ll never know.

CHRIS FARAONE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Need more Dig? Sign up for the Daily Dig @ tiny.cc/DailyDig

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NEWS+OPINION BLOOD SUCKERS NEWS

Call center workers battle abusive customers, managers, bedbugs

BY EOIN HIGGINS @EOINHIGGINS_ spokeswoman Melina Engel wrote in a statement provided to BINJ.

Abraham Zamcheck had had enough. On Wednesday, Nov 8, the 32-year-old call center representative jumped onto his desk in the offices of downtown Boston security systems firm SimpliSafe and attempted to rally his fellow workers to fight for their rights.

“There are these hurdles the company makes you go through to make you feel like you shouldn’t step out of line,” Zamcheck told the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism(BINJ) in November.

He took action, Zamcheck said, to change that. That action has turned him into a “working class hero,” said Steven Gillis, financial secretary of United Steelworkers Local 8751.

“We call on the labor movement to come to the defense of SimpliSafe workers and all unorganized struggling in this gig, precarious economy,” Gillis said.

Despite the drama of his moment, Zamcheck’s not alone. After months of mistreatment, filth, and apparent abuse, workers at the Boston home security firm are taking matters into their own hands—by petitioning the company to address their grievances and by forming an organization, United SimpliSafe Workers, that they hope will help to unionize their workplace soon.

And they may be part of a new national trend.

“It’s telling that in a moment when traditional unions are under attack, we’re seeing workers come together in new formations, like the workers’ organization that has been formed at SimpliSafe,” said Gillian Mason, the coordinator of development and education at Massachusetts Jobs with Justice.

Mason added that the solidarity movement taking place at the company is indicative of the courage and resourcefulness of labor when confronted with 4

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challenges. “It’s a sign that despite an unfavorable political climate, workers are not backing down,” she said.

“They’re actually getting bolder and more creative.”

UNITED “The one main thing in a struggle is to get people to come together,” said Ryan Costello.

Costello, a fellow call center representative, joined with two other members of the company on Nov 6 to protest the latest incident in what employees call a long pattern of abuse at the firm’s downtown Boston headquarters.

This time, it was an infestation in the company’s third- and fourth-floor call centers at 294 Washington St in Downtown Crossing. The bed bugs issue, which has reportedly been a problem since April and continues to plague the company’s Boston offices, was the tipping point for SimpliSafe workers.

“We found out that SimpliSafe had been lying to us and exposing us to dangerous chemicals and pests,” said Costello.

The bed bugs aren’t the whole problem. SimpliSafe workers told BINJ that the company’s treatment of its staff has long been a point of contention—and that, despite the immediacy of the ongoing issues surrounding the insects, all of those issues need to be resolved.

“SimpliSafe does not value the health and safety of its workers,” read a workers’ petition posted in a company break room on Nov 7.

In a statement, SimpliSafe said it was committed to its staff.

“Our workforce is one of our most valuable assets and we are committed to providing a safe, productive and compliant workplace for all of our employees,” SimpliSafe

GOING PUBLIC Founded in 2006, SimpliSafe has a unique niche in the home security world: a do-it-yourself approach to installing a system to protect your home. The product doesn’t require anyone come into your house to do the work—necessitating the involvement of the company’s call center tech support.

SimpliSafe is, for now, a privately held company.

The startup boasts less than 1,000 employees and is in its seventh or eighth year of business. According to a spokesperson for United SimpliSafe Workers, speaking on background, the major question now is whether and/or when to go public.

SimpliSafe’s viability is seemingly a concern for investors, who will only front so much capital. Meanwhile, the company has a product with a narrow profit margin that comes from American workers—both the boxing of security systems for distribution as well as the manning of call centers is done in the US. Manufacturing is tightly subcontracted with China, and the rest of the value of the product comes from its engineering. That’s why a labor dispute like the one brewing in Boston has potential to damage the timing of and revenue from a public offering.

Employees say that their complaints haven’t resulted in much action from the top. Abraham Zamcheck says that’s nothing new. He’s worked for SimpliSafe for nearly a year, though he’s suspended right now for his involvement in protesting the treatment of workers. The problems at the company that the staff are dealing with now, said Zamcheck, are not new.

“The lead-up to this has been since I started working there,” Zamcheck told BINJ. “After seeing how afraid people are, how isolated—there’s a lot of pressure.”

Zamcheck and Costello are joined in their push for more workers’ rights by fellow call center representative Lauren Galloway, 22. Galloway, who lives in Brockton, has worked for SimpliSafe for five months. She joined Costello and Zamchek in their push for workers’ rights, she said, because it was a way to feel less vulnerable. The informal organization, United SimpliSafe Workers, sprung out of that desire to feel protected.

Galloway said her activism came from her circumstances—not a belief system or theory. “This was completely organic for me,” she told BINJ. A CULTURE OF INTIMIDATION Staffers at the company go through a rigorous training period that some describe as demoralizing. They call it an “interview,” but it’s a 40-hour regimen. Then there’s a 30-day probationary period, after which staff receive sick days and vacation.

“There are all these hurdles to go through to make you feel like you shouldn’t step out of line,” Zamcheck said.

Costello and Zamcheck work as call center representatives. The task involves tech support and “by and large answering people’s questions about their home security system,” Costello explained. Costello joined the company in late February.

SimpliSafe advertises predominantly on right-wing media, yet its staff is majority people of color and women. Some employees say that combination of factors, alongside the insecurity inherent in the employment, creates a hostile work environment.

Each member of the workforce BINJ spoke to claimed that the company’s management engages in racial and sexual harassment and discrimination. In the most egregious instance, a worker says a white supervisor made a comment to a black subordinate implying that he could rape her because his family had owned slaves in the past.

The staff is allegedly frequently the target of racial and sexual verbal abuse from the people they serve.

Complaints about that treatment are frowned upon and workers are not allowed to stand up for themselves under the barrage of hate speech they may be subjected to by customers.

SimpliSafe told BINJ that the company has policies in place to deal with abuse and harassment in the workplace and that the company takes allegations of misconduct seriously.

“When we receive complaints, they are immediately investigated and, without going into details of personnel matters, SimpliSafe takes prompt and appropriate action,” said spokeswoman Engel. “Employees have numerous mechanisms to report issues, including direct supervisors and managerial supervisors on the call center floor, as well as human resources and senior management all of whom are in the same building.”

Engel added that there were also measures in place to deal with harassment from customers.

“As for any alleged issues with customers,” Engel said, “employees are trained to transfer any problematic calls to a manager, for any reason, at their own discretion.”

“There is no democracy in the workplace at present, and because of how poorly we are treated, people are afraid to stand up to SimpliSafe’s draconian policies and practices,” said Costello. “That’s why we are trying to unionize.”

THE PETITION “We were aware of issues regarding health conditions in the building,” said Zamcheck. “The office is a disease breeding place, there’s no ventilation, it needs to be cleaned.”

Workers knew there was an issue with bedbugs, too.

The office had been infested with the insects for months.

People complaining of the infestation were sent home and instructed not to talk about bedbugs.

“Through talking to people, we found out there was a major cover-up,” said Costello. “And it’s part of a larger problem at the company of real dishonesty and treating people as if they’re disposable.”

“Chemicals were sprayed,” said Costello, to fix the infestation. But workers say they were told neither of the extent of the spraying nor about the chemical used by the exterminators. The company had staff in the office the next morning. That reportedly led to workers feeling ill. One of Costello’s fellow call center representatives, a pregnant woman, spent the beginning of her shift vomiting from the toxins.

“The fumes were still fresh when we went in the next day,” Galloway said.

That’s normal, says Engel.

“The professional exterminators recommended that there should be four hours between treatment and employees’ return and we followed that guideline,” said the SimpliSafe spokeswoman.

Costello, Zamcheck, and Galloway got together in the wake of the insect infestation and drafted a petition to the company’s management. They were asking, Costello said, for honesty and clarity moving forward so that workers would know the health risks they were taking by working in an environment with both an insect infestation and chemicals.

“We have come to realize,” the petition read, “that we have been deliberately deceived about this infestation; we were told that previous spraying—which occurred

“The office is a disease breeding place, there’s no ventilation, it needs to be cleaned.”

over a month ago—was to address the existing rodent infestation.”

“This is a clear violation of Massachusetts state law,” the document continued, “and a deliberate attempt to keep us in the dark so that we will keep working.”

Soon after, people started getting interrogated for their involvement with the petition, a practice known as “captive audience meetings.” Costello sees the interrogations as intimidations in violation of US labor law, designed to produce a chilling effect on the staff.

And the threats were real, said Costello, who told BINJ he had seen people fired for standing up against racism and sexual harassment from both supervisors and customers.

“So at 5:15, they came up on me to ask me to come in to be interrogated,” said Costello. “I knew I was about to be fired.”

Costello told Galloway and Zamchek what was happening and the 32-year-old staffer took immediate action. Zamcheck was dragged out by police after being told to leave, but his goal was achieved: Costello wasn’t fired, but instead suspended—with pay.

“I was in jail until 9:30 pm,” said Zamcheck.

“Approximately three hours.”

The officers were freaked out about the insects, Zamcheck said. When he went to court the next day, the judge threw out the charges.

“In this period of dead-end, gig, high-tech capitalism, young people like Adam literally standing up to their blood-sucking call center bosses are the way forward,” said Local 8751’s Gillis.

The petition and the fallout provided a minor but important victory. The entire staff saw the power of their control over their labor as the company’s call center experienced a total work stoppage through the end of the day. The way that workers at the company used their collective power to force a response, said Zamcheck, shows that the “climate of real disposability” in the company isn’t enough to stop the solidarity.

“There was this enthusiasm,” said Zamcheck.

The three have also filed a class action lawsuit alleging wage theft from the company. Attorney Hillary Schwab, who is representing the class, told BINJ that there were a number of circumstances under which staff were not paid for their labor: training and breaks went fully unpaid while required time-and-a-half on Sundays was also not compensated to workers at the company.

“These are hourly, intense schedules, and the workers are not paid for all the work they are entitled to,” said Schwab.

As far as when there will be a solution to the suit, Schwab urged patience. These things take time, she said.

“We’re trying to proceed on everyone affected and obtain NEWS TO US

recovery of the lost wages,” said Schwab.

SimpliSafe did not have much to say about the suit.

“As this matter is in litigation, SimpliSafe will not provide any specific comments on it,” said Engel.

SOLIDARITY AHEAD “The company is terrified of the power that we have when we come together and stand up,” read a document published by United SimpliSafe Workers after the Costello and Zamcheck incident. “They can pick us off one by one, but when we stand together, as some did yesterday, we have the power to change everything!”

Moving forward, the three activists hope to turn their protest into concrete action.

“Our hope,” said Costello, “is that through this struggle and eventually forcing the company to recognize the existence of the United SimpliSafe Workers, we can have a more democratic workplace where people can discuss and debate issues in the office with their coworkers.”

For now, Costello, Galloway, and Zamcheck are all suspended—with pay. Not being able to enter the office is tough for organizing, though not an insurmountable hurdle.

“This suspension is to silence us,” Zamcheck said.

If so, it’s not working. The three are there in the mornings to protest, then talking to their coworkers at night. The solidarity is real, and the effect of a united front is already forcing change. The company shut down for two days on Nov 22 to spray for bedbugs.

“The thing is, because we have come together and formed United SimpliSafe Workers and begun to organize, the company can no longer sweep this stuff under the rug,” said Costello.

The trio hopes there are more victories ahead. So does Mason, who sees the fight at the Boston company as tied to the broader struggles of labor across the country.

“With even more attacks on unions coming in the next few months,” said Mason, “we are going to need more workers like those at SimpliSafe to come forward without the protection of a traditional union.”

“It’s riskier,” she added, “but necessary in this moment.”

“Workers have every right to protect themselves from indignities and dangers on the job, from sexual harassment to lack of benefits and bathroom breaks to toxic pollution,” Gillis said.

“Despite everything,” Zamcheck said, “people came together.”

This article was produced in collaboration with the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism.

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HOT EARTH TIME MACHINE NEWS TO US

Climate-crusading millennials write hopeful letters to future WORDS AND PHOTOS BY OLIVIA FALCIGNO Hours before a controversial so-called “free speech” rally on the Common consumed so much media attention earlier this month, a group of 75 demonstrators assembled on the same Saturday to bury their environmental fury in hopes of sprouting solutions in turbulent times.

Formed primarily by young people who are concerned about climate change, the Sunrise Movement has been working with related groups like Better Future Project and 350 Mass to hold Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (among others) environmentally accountable. Partly inspired by the actions taken by President Trump to pull out of global agreements to combat climate change, the group’s mission on the Common was to compile a time capsule reflecting their ideas, worries, and observations.

“This is a community-oriented event,” said Brian Stilwell, a 30-year-old Sunrise Movement member. “[It’s] reflective of the world we want to build that is just and fair

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for everyone.”

In what’s become something of a tradition in the climate justice movement, people of all ages, ranging from middle school to senior citizens, added their “letters to the future” to the capsule. Some brought artifacts—buttons, tchotchkes—symbolizing things they love that may not be here in 50 years if action is not taken to protect the planet.

In tandem with people in other public places all across the continent, those participating in the dedication took to writing stations where locals could pen letters in real time.

There was also a photo booth, where images were recorded for a digital archive, plus a slate of speakers of all ages who spoke about their experiences with climate change.

Following words from participants ranging from Grady McGonagill of Elders Climate Action to Newton South High School activist Daniel Abdulah, Sunrise Movement members led the group in songs about the fight on hand.

Emily Hart, a 29-year-old high school science teacher from Somerville and volunteer at the event, said she was deeply moved by some of the keepsakes submitted by young people. One middle schooler brought a milkweed pod, an item commonly eaten by migrating butterflies. If the climate continues to rise, such pods will not only become more scarce, but there will also be an impact on the food resources available for various animals.

Danny Brian LeClaire came to Boston to attend the counterprotest against “free speech” provocateurs later in the afternoon, but he stopped by the Sunrise pop-up to add his own note plus a few relevant items. LeClaire has ardently protested the Dakota Access Pipeline, and contributed a button reading “mni wiconi,” which means “water

is life” in Lakota.

“You can’t live without water,” LeClaire said. “You can live without oil. Oil is a luxury.”

By the time you read this, the capsule will be buried at the Langdon Farm in Roxbury. Along with several other capsules that were submerged all around the country, it will not be reopened until November of 2067.

In the meantime…

The goal of the time capsule project was not only to write, symbolically, into the future. Instead, demonstrators intended to send a message that Mass politicians will be held accountable if they reject policies to boost renewable energy. Sunrise Movement members invited the governor to stand alongside them and to commit to imposing a ban on all future fossil fuel infrastructure. It hardly came as a surprise that Baker, who is reluctant to remove natural gas from his energy planning, sat out the event. According to Stilwell, by standing on the opposite side of such issues, the governor by default stands with fossil fuel executives, President Trump, and everybody else who is responsible for putting the future at risk.

To help push its agenda along, Sunrise Movement also drafted an executive order for Baker to sign, which would make him promise to protect the environment.

It wasn’t their first rodeo; for two months leading up to their delivering said order, group members participated in stand-ins on Beacon Hill. According to Stilwell and others, while Baker talks about proactively preventing climate change, he hasn’t backed his words up with action. So far, the governor has not responded to their efforts.

“We will be coming back in January bigger, louder, stronger, and more powerful,” Stilwell said. “[We’re going to] keep that message going and to try to push Gov. Baker to do the right thing.”

BOSTON

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UMB DRUBBING, PAWSOX GRUBBING TOWNIE

University cuts and a (possible) corporate scam just in time for the holidays

BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS UMass Boston admin lays off more staff, unions push back The neoliberal war on public higher education continues unabated in Massachusetts as the UMass Boston administration announced the layoff of 36 personnel last week, and a reduction in hours for seven more. According to the Boston Globe, all of them are “staff who clean the school, help run academic programs, work in the student health office, or in other ways support the daily operations of the university. Some have worked there more than 30 years.”

UMB had 2,095 employees in 2016, but has cut 130 jobs so far this year. The university serves over 16,000 students.

As of this writing, campus unions are planning protests.

Hopefully, such actions will ultimately build a political movement capable of operationalizing the prescriptions of the fine report a coalition of UMB “students, staff unions, and faculty” released in September. Entitled “Crumbling Public Foundations: Privatization and UMass Boston’s Financial Crisis,” it lays the responsibility for the budget crisis currently engulfing the university at the feet of the UMB administration, the UMass Board of Trustees, and the state legislature.

As well it should. The legislature has been slashing the state higher ed budget since the 1980s. The board keeps raising the tuition and fees paid by students and families to cover the resulting gap. And the UMB administration continues increasing the number of highlevel administrators with questionable job descriptions and fat paychecks who somehow rarely face layoffs—despite

The UMB administration continues increasing the number of highlevel administrators with questionable job descriptions and fat paychecks who somehow rarely face layoffs

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costing the school far more per capita than each of the lowlevel employees who keep getting axed of late. All while expanding the campus in ways that don’t always benefit the urban students that institution was built to serve… running up unsustainable debt loads in the process.

The report calls for five major reforms that its authors believe would set the campus to rights: 1) UMass Boston should not be required to show a positive net income in its budget. Instead, it should be allowed to make debt payments using the reserves it’s been forced to build up for the last few years—and the Board of Trustees should “release Central Office reserves” to help with those payments. Rather than compelling students and their families to shoulder such costs through ever-increasing tuition and fees.

2) The UMB administration should engage in an open and transparent planning process with faculty, staff, and students that will “ensure that the campus can continue to provide an affordable and diverse education along with appropriate support services to its students,” review interest and principal payments, and review the rapid increase in high-level administrator expenses.

3) The UMass Board of Trustees should endorse the Fair Share Amendment that will levy an additional 4 percent income tax on millionaires and spend the money on public higher education, pre-K-12 education, and transportation if passed by binding statewide referendum next year.

4) The Mass Legislature should cover the cost of rebuilding crumbling campus infrastructure.

5) The Mass Legislature should annually increase appropriations for public higher education until we are at least on par with the national average based on our state’s wealth. The Commonwealth is presently at the bottom of the pack for state appropriations for public higher ed.

The white paper concludes with a visionary sentiment

that’s worth reprinting in full: “In considering these recommendations, we ask that we all—members of the Massachusetts legislature, the UMass Board of Trustees, UMass Boston’s administration, and the larger community of Boston—remember the purpose with which we are tasked. Chancellor John W. Ryan, at UMass Boston’s 1966 Founding Day Convocation, reminded those gathered that ‘we have an obligation to see that the opportunities we offer… are indeed equal to the best that private schools have to offer.’ This is the expectation that the citizens of our Commonwealth have for themselves and their family members when they come to UMass Boston. This is the responsibility that UMB staff, faculty, and administrators take on each day on behalf of our students. This should be what guides the decision of the Board of Trustees and the Mass legislature as we work to address the crisis at UMB.” PawSox Worcester visit: boondoggle in the making?

Meanwhile, in faraway central Mass, my Worcester Magazine colleague Bill Shaner is tracking what could be another big giveaway of local and state money. Seems that the Pawtucket Red Sox—the BoSox Triple A affiliate team— have been courting Worcester for a few months and might be looking to move there in exchange for lashings of public lucre. Shaner reports that multiple sources said that Jay Ash, secretary of Gov. Baker’s Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, attended a meeting last week between Worcester officials and PawSox bigs. Though “City and PawSox officials both declined to comment on the meeting, or whether or not it took place.” While “Ash’s staff confirmed he was in Worcester Monday but couldn’t say what for.” All I can say for now is that, like some capitalist Santa Claus, whenever Ash appears corporate leaders can virtually always expect a yuuuuge present from the Bay State and any municipal government in range in the near future. So this nascent Woo-town deal is definitely worth watching.

Townie (a worm’s eye view of the Mass power structure) is syndicated by the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. Jason Pramas is BINJ’s network director, and executive editor and associate publisher of DigBoston.

TOWNIE

A NOTE OF APPRECIATION TO OUR FRIENDS AT THE NEW YORK TIMES

BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS The timing couldn’t have been better.

No sooner did this publication release last week’s editorial announcing our “unnaming” policy of refusing to print the names of ultra-right wing leaders and organizations, than the Gray Lady provided the best possible example of the type of reporting we think American news organizations need to stop producing immediately.

The New York Times article in question offered a warm and fuzzy portrait of a midwestern nazi family.

The reporter, Richard Fausset, didn’t press his subjects about their politics in any meaningful way and essentially humanized them for no good reason at all. The result of this misstep was a huge and immediate backlash from the public.

And Atlantic magazine swiftly retorted with a devastating parody of the piece called “Nazis Are Just Like You and Me, Except They’re Nazis… despite what you may have read in The New York Times.” A must read, if ever there was one.

What Fausset and his editors did was valorize an ultra-right winger and his small but growing political party.

They provided publicity where none was called for. In doing so, they violated their ethical mandate as journalists to “minimize harm” in their reporting.

Since the article will doubtless help recruitment for its subject’s organization while making nazi ideology seem like a totally ok belief system that anyone might have.

So, for readers wondering why DigBoston has taken our stand of refusing to publicize the ultra right, this episode should provide clarity. Nothing good comes of news organizations helping nazis, fascists, and white supremacists spread their ideas. We’re not doing it going forward, and we continue to encourage our colleagues around the country to join us in our stand.

Jason Pramas is the executive editor and associate publisher of DigBoston.

LIVE MUSIC • LOCAVORE MENU PRIVATE EVENTS 11/30

Rory Scovel Kooky comedy.

12/01

The Dream Syndicate, Richard Lloyd Band Legendary alternative rock 12/02

Strangers By Accident, The Wolff Sisters & the Last Cavalry Alternative folk 12/03

Hundredth, Spotlights, Tennis System, Gleemer Indie rock 12/05

Jah9 & The Dub Treatment

VERY FUNNY SHOWS.

Seven Nights A WWk.

Poetic reggae 12/06

Miss Geo, Violet Nox, VQnC, Audrey Harrer Eclectic local music show

156 Highland Ave • Somerville, MA 617-285-0167 oncesomerville.com   @oncesomerville /ONCEsomerville

IMPROVASYLUM.COM | 617.263.6887

ON DISPLAY, a deconstructed art exhibit/fashion show, raises questions about the body as spectacle and society’s obsession with body image.

Join us on December 3rd, the International Day of Persons With Disabilities to celebrate inclusive art & design. Some of Boston's own Disability community members will be a part of this global show.

NEWS TO US

FEATURE

DEPT. OF COMMERCE

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

9

A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND DEMOCRACY IN CRISIS

Dude columnist struggles with what it means to be a man, female editor has doubts

BY BAYNARD WOODS AND MARY FINN hold the president accountable, may as well make sure your boss isn’t a mini-Trump. —M.F. More than 50% of white women voters checked the box for Donald Trump, even after all of this was known.

He also defeated the first woman nominee. I think that matters but I’m not entirely sure how. Why are the women feeling any level of confidence to tell their stories with THIS guy as president? I’d think it would have been safer to disclose when Obama, a self-declared feminist, was in charge.

Why now?—M.F. It’s weird that we’ve turned all of this horror into a partisan issue, but that is partially what it has become.

And the Democrats are responding horribly.

Mary Finn, an editor with Democracy in Crisis, often makes extensive notes on my columns—in this case, we decided they were far more interesting than the column itself. So we left them, in dialogue with a half-formed column.

I have been trying to figure out a way, as a white man, to write about the mounting evidence that we are all horrible. Who needs to hear what I say about this?

But in the absence of an idea of what the good man may even be like, I worry that the more racist a man is the more likely he is to be believed and his victims vilified.

Donald Trump and Roy Moore are only the most obvious examples.

Some guys are staying away from writing about this because they’ve behaved badly and they don’t want to be hypocrites or get caught. Can Glenn Thrush (NYT) write credibly about Trump’s assaults when his own aggression and follow-up apology emails are now on full display? This column’s women readers may feel dissatisfied with your reflections. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.—M.F.

I was talking to a nominally progressive guy in San Francisco and he said, “I mean, it just seems like we can’t win. It feels like no matter what we do, it’s never enough.”

This guy despises Roy Moore but he feels misunderstood and attacked for being a man in the Me Too moment.

There’s some solidarity between Mobile, AL and the Bay Area after all.—M.F.

I made a list of every man I’ve ever known who I’d put my 401K on the line that they’ve 1) Never harassed someone at work 2) Never coerced a woman for sex 3) Never could be perceived by a woman as doing any of the above. There are four men on my list and I’m 42. Maybe we’re now seeing men for who they are. Even the “good” men. The “good men” need to see themselves as they are, not how they want to be seen.—M.F.

Sixteen women have gone on record to say they were sexually assaulted or harassed by Donald Trump.

He himself admitted to assaulting women in the Access Hollywood tape. There are further allegations that he raped a 13 year old. He was elected.

There’s some solidarity between Mobile, AL and the Bay Area after all.

10

I’ve been talking to parent friends about raising boys to be good men. Is this even possible?-M.F.

11.30.17 - 12.07.17 |

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It’s not a coincidence that the Women’s March was the first mass movement under Trump. Trump will get away with his sexual assaults. Still, there’s something that’s happened to me since he got elected that has changed the way I see men. A friend told me she is sick of men. Me too. I’m having a hard time staying patient with men who pontificate. I think I’m holding regular guys (bosses, landlords, men on blind dates) accountable in a way I didn’t use to because I know Trump won’t be held accountable. Is that why so many women are participating in this national mass disclosure movement? If you can’t

It is unbelievable that the Clintons threw themselves an anniversary celebration of the 1992 win. I’ve always believed that Clinton raped Juanita Broaddrick in the 1970s. It was disgusting to see the Democratic party luminaries celebrating Clinton.

Bill Clinton and Donald Trump got away with sexual assault and got elected. Democrats need to reject Bill Clinton to have any credibility on Trump.—M.F. Rather than seeing this as an opportunity to truly interrogate themselves and what they are as a party, they want Franken to stay because they see it as politically advantageous.

Is there any gradation in how we judge what all these men did? My women friends say things like, “If it’s a onetime ass grab and the guy got scolded, that’s different than a serial predator.” Should the consequences be applied bluntly or is there any room for nuance? I mean, I don’t want a boss who even grabbed one ass. But, would I be okay with a one-time ass-grab senator if he votes to keep Obamacare? I’m not sure how to judge.—M.F. Some young men growing up in this moment may take the failures of Franken and C.K. and Charlie Rose as hypocrisy and embrace their inner Trump. They have an answer to these questions that they can use: Ignore it all. Be A Men’s Rights Douche or a Far-Right Western Chauvinist ™.

I got a text from a “good guy” friend of mine: “Jesus Christ, Charlie Rose??” The more “good guy” or “progressive” the accused, the harder the blow. It really may be ALL men. Yes, even Charlie Rose. Are there any “good” guys out there?—M.F It’s the “good guys” who can be especially problematic because they hide behind their rhetoric (Franken): they can be sexual predators AND be seen as feminists/champions for the people. At least we know who Roy Moore really is.—M.F.

PUBLIC RECORDS

SHIRLEY YOU MUST BE JOKING The ugly truth about public records access under new Mass law

BY MAYA SHAFFER OF CRITICAL MASS The updated Massachusetts public records law is worse than I predicted, and I basically predicted doom.

I’ve recently run into back-to-back critical failures that threaten the ability of requesters, be they media or private citizens, to even obtain records at all, let alone obtain them in a timely manner. The Massachusetts Department of Correction has claimed it doesn’t have to produce the quarterly reports called for under a DOC policy because it hired a contractor to create and keep the records. In a separate matter, the supervisor of records who oversees the records law is closing appeals without making written determinations on them.

Last March I warned, “The old law did not allow agencies to contract out to vendors to store records, but the new law does, raising the potential that a nongovernmental entity could hamper access to records.”

As far back as last June, I highlighted that the update to the records law allowed agencies to use third-party vendors to store and handle records. The problem with vendors is that they are not governed by the public records law at all, and there is no direct way to compel them to produce records. None of the laws relating to the timeframe or cost to produce records apply to them.

By policy, the DOC generates a quarterly report related to inmates suffering gender dysphoria. I requested these reports as part of my ongoing coverage of the department’s housing of transgender inmates in facilities that do not match their gender identities. A DOC spokesperson responded, claiming, “Quarterly reports required by policy 652.07 are generated and maintained by the MA Partnership for Correctional Healthcare (MPCH), the contracted healthcare vendor. Your request for these reports will have to be filed with them directly.”

I have appealed this response to the supervisor of records, an appointee of Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin. Under the records law, theoretically, a

records custodian should be able to compel anyone holding a public record belonging to the agency to produce that record, but the updated records law does not address whether this applies to contractors hired by agencies. The supervisor’s ruling will be an important one because it could set a precedent that contractors and vendors do not need to produce records, which would resultingly allow agencies to completely shield themselves from the already meager transparency laws of Mass.

The second and almost equally important roadblock I hit was with the supervisor of records office itself. I am looking into how complaints against three high-ranking officers in the Shirley Police Department were handled after an external investigation found that the three of them had engaged in harassing and unprofessional behavior toward a female officer. I requested all citizen complaints and related IA files for the three officers for the years when they were reportedly harassing their coworker.

In either a fit of incompetence or in a calculated move to maximize the time it takes for me to get the records, Shirley responded late, sending several scattered batches of records with little explanation regarding the contents.

In a response to a records request, the agency must specify what records sought in the request are responsive, if any records sought do not exist, and if any of the records that do exist are being withheld. The response from Shirley did not contain this information.

Shirley provided some of the records I requested, with redactions and no proper response, and pledged to follow up with a full response. After officials failed to respond within the 10-business-day limit, I filed an appeal. The next day, they sent more records and a response that lacked the details required by the records law.

I asked that my appeal be updated to deal with the problematic response, and the day after I updated the appeal, an attorney acting on behalf of Shirley sent me a NEWS TO US

letter that provided no new insight into its response. That same day, the supervisor of records office closed my appeal, citing the letter from the town’s lawyer.

The practice of closing appeals without written determinations by the supervisor’s office appears to violate Section 10a of the public records law: “The supervisor of records shall issue a written determination regarding any petition submitted in accordance with this section not later than 10 business days following receipt of the petition by the supervisor of records.” I wrote back to the supervisor’s office and instructed it to never close one of my appeals again, and asked it to reinstate my appeal. Unfortunately, I received a letter saying that instead of reopening the appeal it had opened a new appeal, which reset the 10-business-day clock that the supervisor’s office has to issue a written determination. The supervisor’s office did not say it would stop unlawfully closing appeals.

Last March, I warned that those touting the update’s enforceable timeline were talking out of their asses: “Here’s the gut-punch: As of now, Galvin’s office and Attorney General Maura Healey’s office allow agencies to simply offer new exemptions at the end of the process. A requester can appeal again, but each time around, the cycle adds about another month. We need to put to bed the fiction peddled by the ACLU and Common Cause that the length of time an agency or municipality has to provide records is capped under the update.”

I predicted an eternal loop of never-ending unenforced appeals… but at least I thought the new law would mean we could report on rulings being made. I predicted that vendors would cause issues… but I didn’t quite predict they would be used to provide a flat rejection for all records held. Our state access law was pathetic before the update made it worse, and now there is no functional public records system in Massachusetts.

FEATURE

DEPT. OF COMMERCE

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

11

ALL ILLUSTRATIONS BY RAUL GONZALEZ (AKA RAUL THE THIRD)

COHASSPLAY FEATURE

Dig alum makes home for comics on the South Shore

BY DIG STAFF @DIGBOSTON If the name Tak Toyoshima sounds familiar, it’s because you are a reader of DigBoston, and he’s a major factor in the history of this newspaper. As the longtime creative director of the Dig, from its earliest incarnation under the name Shovel up through last year, Tak helped shape our look and feel in ways that still show in each issue. We dearly miss him and his Secret Asian Man comics, and naturally enthusiastically reached out to our old friend upon learning that he is among the organizers behind this year’s South Shore Comic Con in Cohasset.

First of all, for our readers who came of age loving your work, comics, and art direction at the Dig, what have you been up to since moving on to a new gig?

I’m currently the creative director at Rustic Marlin, which is a custom home decor manufacturer in Hanover.

It really combines two things that I love: design and manufacturing. I’m a maker at heart and now I get to make things in large scale and on equipment I never would have dreamed I would be running.

But I’m also a comic nerd at heart, so I’ve also been teaching comic book classes at the South Shore Art Center

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DIGBOSTON.COM

in Cohasset on Saturdays to middle school and high school aged kids.

It seems like there’s a comic convention or comparable summit every other week in Greater Boston. Is that how it’s seen from a consummate insider’s view like yours as well?

Or are they all really filling different niches?

Boston has definitely exploded as far as being a comic book friendly town in the past decade or so, which has been amazing to see. To me there can never be enough comic book shows, just like there can’t ever be too many art shows, music shows, book readings, or theater performances. And like all those other shows, the variety of comic book shows really shines a light on the diversity of comics and their fans.

What are you aiming for with the South Shore Comic Con this year as far as themes and trends? What has the event’s signature and reputation been up until now?

This is only our second year so we’re still new to the game. I try to model the show after MICE, which is hands down my favorite show in the area. The focus is on local,

independent artists who still have a very hands-on approach to their comics, oftentimes producing a lot more than just comics. Stickers, buttons, bags, toys, sculptures, you name it. Not sure what our reputation is, but I’d like to think it’s that we’re a fun, intimate show in a gallery setting that offers a lot of folks in the South Shore what could very well be their first experience meeting and interacting with a comic book artist. And hopefully they come away with either a newfound respect for the medium or a validation for their love of comics.

What’s the key to any great comic book convention?

People (artists and attendees) need to feel comfortable and energetic at the same time. We’re all ages friendly and offer workshops throughout the day run by the artists in order to engage the attendees. Cosplay is also an undeniably fun part of any great con so I’m happy to say this year we have a workshop dedicated to cosplay as well as a cosplay photo set up for people to show off their costume-making skills.

COHASSPLAY continued on pg. 14

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FEATURE

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COHASSPLAY continued from pg. 12 How have regional comic conventions like this changed or evolved through the years? Was there anything like it when you were a kid? Other than a smoky VFW hall with a bunch of old dirtbags gathered around cheap dented folding tables ripping kids off...

When I was a kid, comic shows were basically flea markets. Smelly, damp flea markets. But I loved them.

Flipping through boxes and boxes of comics, looking to complete a run of a title. It was like a hunt. Slowly artists started to make appearances and that was great because I got to meet my comic artist heroes. Then bootleg movie vendors introduced a sci-fi, horror, and kung fu vibe and they started to become more pop culture shows.

Now the biggest shows are full-blown media star meet

and greets and there are hardly any comic book and comic art vendors at all. Even comic artists are getting priced out of tables, and “Artists Alley” is shrinking, which I believe created an opportunity for smaller, independent shows to flourish.

As an artist yourself, do you still wait in line to get your books and stuff signed when there is someone who you admire at a show?

Having tabled at shows for years at some of the biggest shows I got to meet a lot of my heroes as a peer.

But the fanboy feelings never go away. I admire any artist who always pushes the medium and deeply respect the professionals who are talented enough to make a living

doing what they love. But in some ways, I respect more those who do it not because it pays the bills, but because they simply love comics and can’t imagine not creating them.

Artists include: E. J. Barnes, Beth Barnett, Dennis Burke, LB Cassell, Jimmy Curtis, Griffin Ess, Mike Doherty, Krystal Dube, Jerel Dye, Barrington Edwards/Studio Vexer, Raul Gonzalez, Brian Hall, Ludgy Jean-Baptiste, Richard Keenan, Daniel Kern, Cathy Leamy, Jesse Lonergan, Kyri Lorenz, Cagen Luse, Donna Martinez, Tony McMillen, James Mobius, Dave Ortega, Joey Peters, Ryan Sullivan, Crispin Wood

>> SOUTH SHORE COMIC CON. SOUTH SHORE ART CENTER, 119 RIPLEY ROAD, COHASSET. SAT 12.2, 10AM-3PM. FREE. MORE INFO ON FACEBOOK.

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NEWS TO US

FEATURE

DEPT. OF COMMERCE

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

15

MUSIC

CHRISTMAS RAPPING

Get the holiday shopping done early with these hand-picked gifts

BY NINA CORCORAN @NINA_CORCORAN Now that Thanksgiving is over, the holiday season is in full swing. Christmas is coming. There’s only four weeks until the holiday, which means you better get a move on organizing your holiday shopping for loved ones. But don’t panic. We’ve got your back, as usual, and we went hard searching for the best shopping out there.

No matter how you celebrate the holidays or who you’re looking to surprise, we’ve gathered some of the most rewarding music gifts to give this season, from vinyl records to music nerd books. Just remember to act fast.

The last thing you want is for your gift to be stuck in a snowstorm before the holidays hit.

ALLSTON MINION FUZZ PEDAL mrmusicguitars.com Supporting local music goes beyond the musicians.

Swing by Allston music store Mr. Music to buy a locally designed and built guitar pedal: Allston Minion Fuzz. The Minion is a take on the popular “Fuzz Face” pedal Jimi Hendrix used. It’s a bright yellow, unique in circuit, and is built point-to-point so there’s no circuit board. Best of all,

MUSIC EVENTS THU 11.30

POP GOES THE GUITAR GOD ST. VINCENT

SUN 12.03

[House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St., Boston.

7pm/all ages/$31. houseofblues.com]

16

11.30.17 - 12.07.17 |

THROW UP YR PRAYER HAND EMOJIS LINA TULLGREN + WENDY EISENBERG + MORE [First Parish Unitarian Church, 3 Church St., Camb. 8pm/all ages/$10. houseofblues.com]

DIGBOSTON.COM

it comes with a lifetime warranty, so all parts and labor are covered cost-wise as long as they’re alive to fix it for you. ’80S MUSIC ICON STICKERS etsy.com/shop/panandscan We love to support local artists as much as you do.

That’s why we’re eager to point toward Alex Kittle, a Boston-based art designer who creates prints, pins, and more with a punkish bent. While most of her work nods to film, she has a collection of ’80s-heavy music artwork worth snatching. Whether you’re looking to have a print of Madonna, Janet Jackson, and Joan Jett hanging above your bed or your family member would love to slap a Siouxsie Sioux vinyl sticker on their laptop, Kittle’s Etsy page will have the perfect gift.

Music, is releasing a high-end vinyl reissue of the beloved jazz album, A Charlie Brown Christmas. Pressed to 180gram vinyl and housed in a sleek, old-school style jacket that flaunts the original 1965 album artwork, this record is a classic one to put on while you’re getting cozy by the fire with some cocoa. If there was ever a time to hear this album, it’s when it’s pressed on a reissue free of crackles and pops.

33 1/2: THE RAINCOATS’ THE RAINCOATS bloomsbury.com

Everybody’s favorite cartoon boy is back to celebrate the holidays. Craft Recordings, the Catalog Division of Concord

Look, you don’t need us to tell you that people could argue about punk all day. No matter where you believe it started, one thing is certain: The Raincoats were the first group of punk women to actively call themselves feminists.

Pitchfork editor Jenn Pelly wrote a standout addition to Bloomsbury’s 33 1/3 series that focuses on the band’s selftitled 1979 album that reaches far beyond the music into what the album signifies nearly 40 years later. It’s a read you will fly through, even if the first time you’re hearing this band’s name is right now—really.

SUN 12.03

MON 12.04

WED 12.06

[House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St., Boston.

7pm/all ages/$25. houseofblues.com]

[ONCE Somerville, 156 Highland Ave., Somerville. 7pm/18+/$8. oncesomerville.com]

VINCE GUARALDI TRIO—A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS concordmusicgroup.com

PARQUET COURTS GOES COUNTRY A. SAVAGE

[Great Scott, 1222 Comm.

Ave., Allston. 9pm/18+/$20. greatscottboston.com]

SUN 12.03

CANADIAN POST-ROCK, EH? DO MAKE SAY THINK + KAL MARKS

[The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge. 7pm/18+/$15. sinclaircambridge.com]

SOUTHERN LONELINESS HAS THE BLUES ANGEL OLSEN + HERON OBLIVION

EXPERIMENT WITH ELECTRONICS MISS GEO + VIOLET NOX + VQNC + AUDREY HARRER + DJ RUFARO

BOSTON CALLING 2018 TICKETS bostoncalling.com

| RESTAURANT | INTIMATE CONCERT VENUE | | URBAN WINERY | PRIVATE EVENT SPACE |

It may be winter time, but festival season is already calling. It’s best to pick up early. Boston Calling will return in the spring of 2018 for another stacked lineup of international, national, and local music, not to mention comedy and a sleek mini film festival. Keep your eyes peeled for tickets to go on sale soon. Perhaps the best gift to give your friend isn’t one they can indulge in now, but one that will pay off later— because believe us when we say next year’s lineup is worth the hype.

HAND-PAINTED SKATEBOARDS facebook.com/pg/CarissaJohnsonMusic Rock ’n’ Roll Rumble winner Carissa Johnson is working on her next full-length album, which will be released in 2018. To help cover the duplication and mixing costs, she’s raffling off five incredible, hand-painted skateboards to fans who donate. All you have to do is send any amount of money to her email (carissajohnsonmusic@ gmail.com) through PayPal. When the raffle ends on March 10, she will announce the winners. Based on the selection of boards she’s shared, they’re certainly worth the money and the wait.

DREAMING THE BEATLES: THE LOVE STORY OF ONE BAND AND THE WHOLE WORLD harpercollins.com Forget about the other Beatles books. This year, Rolling Stone columnist and bestselling author Rob Sheffield wrote the Beatles book of the decade. It’s a mesmerizing, detail-filled, conversational look at why the British boys were so easy to fall in love with in a platonic and emotional way. Instead of rattling off their bio or breaking down their songs, Sheffield writes a series of essays pondering what the band means to a new generation of listeners who weren’t there when it all happened, but came to love the band as if they were.

THE FORCE OF LISTENING lespressesdureel.com Hey, excuse me? Yeah, you. Are you listening? In this book, Lucia Farinati and Claudia Firth draw the distinction between hearing as an involuntary act and listening as a voluntary act, and then ask you to learn about how to be better at both. The Force of Listening is a short book full of big questions, ultimately trying to decipher why listening is so powerful. Bonus: They reach beyond the music definition by nodding to ideas from feminist groups of the ’70s all the way to the Occupy movement.

VILLAGE VINYL & HI-FI GIFT CERTIFICATE facebook.com/devinylhifi The newest record store in town has more than just wax. Village Vinyl & Hi-Fi is Brookline’s best underground—literally, it’s underground—collection of hi-fi. There’s plenty of quality speakers to grab, but we recommend grabbing a Technic SL-1200. The sturdy, sleek, beloved record player is a must-have for anyone looking to treat their vinyl right. Best of all, owner Jonathan Sandler has been repairing hi-fi gear for years, and before he opened his store, he has been doing the work for other record stores nearby.

upcoming shows

CENTRAL SQUARE CAMBRIDGE

12.1

11.30 JOHNNY A.

ERIN HARPE & THE DELTA SWINGERS

12.1 SUSAN WERNER

12.2 DONNA THE BUFFALO

MIDEASTCLUB.COM | ZUZUBAR.COM

(617)864-EAST

SAT 12/2 - 5PM

MAKEOUT SAT 12/2 - 10:30PM

SAUCE BOSTON

FT. BARELY ALIVE X VIRTUAL RIOT

TUE 12/5 - 7PM

12.3

ROBB BANK$, KID TRUNKS

12.4

KRIS ALLEN CHRISTMAS TOUR 2017

CHRISTMAS WITH THE CELTS

12.7

12.10

12.12 DAMIEN ESCOBAR

12.13-14 SUZANNE VEGA

12.17 BEBEL GILBERTO

12.19 SHEMEKIA COPELAND

WED 12/6 - 7PM

THE SCORE, CASTLECOMER /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

DOWNSTAIRS

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THU 11/30 7PM

JOE HENRY W/ ROSE COUSINS CATIE CURTIS HOLIDAY SHOW

JADE CICADA, KLL SMTH, KEOTA FRI 12/1 - 8PM

THE PALMER SQUARES SAT 12/2 - 8PM

STRANGE MACHINES, HARSH ARMADILLO, DEWPOINT SUN 12/2 - 1PM

JUDGE, PANZERBASTARD, KIND CREW TUE 12/5 - 8PM

RAPSODY

WED 12/6 - 8PM

RONI SIZE

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UPSTAIRS

& 12.6

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THU 11/30 - 7PM

city winery and american airlines present

susana balbo argentinian wine dinner

WIKI

FRI 12/1 - 7PM

12.19

AMERICA’S HARDCORE FEST

city winery and american airlines present

sake wine dinner

SAT 12/1 - 12PM

AMERICA’S HARDCORE FEST

12.24 - 25 christmas ever and christmas day

SAT 12/1 - 11PM

chinese buffet

SOULELUJAH!

SUN 12/3 - 7PM

1.16

SONNY DIGITAL & YOUNG CHOP

Ridge wine dinner

MON 12/4 - 7PM

THE STOLEN, PAT SICOTTE TUE 12/5 - 7PM

JUCIFER

email eventsboston@citywinery.com for more info

WED 12/6 - 7PM

RICO NASTY

1 canal St. Boston Ma 02114 | (617) 933-8047

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FEATURE

DEPT. OF COMMERCE

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

17

FILM

HOMECOMING QUEEN

Spike Lee’s earliest characters get an update, in the “same” neighborhood

BY JAKE MULLIGAN @_JAKEMULLIGAN In 2017, one of this country’s foremost cinema artists revisited the grounds of an iconic early project and then recreated it as a multipart work that recontextualizes the lives of its previously established characters by foregrounding them against the spiritual and socioeconomic concerns of contemporary American life.

This statement applies, of course, to David Lynch, and to his masterful return to Twin Peaks. But it also applies to Spike Lee, who has refashioned his first movie She’s Gotta Have It [1986]—an 87-minute sex comedy centered on a young woman in Brooklyn (Tracy Camilla Johns) who splits her time between three male sexual partners—into a television series released by Netflix, She’s Gotta Have It [2017]—a 10-episode bildungsroman concerning a young woman in Brooklyn (DeWanda Wise) who splits her time between three male and one female sexual partners, and who also works to establish herself as a prominent figure in the New York art scene. For Lynchheads, the new Twin Peaks functioned as a cumulative work and as a magnum opus, one that used its unprecedented length to connect together disparate images and ideas that had already been established in previous works from the director’s oeuvre. And though hardly the artistic equal of that other longform odyssey, the new She’s Gotta Have It—which runs for about six hours, making it the longest individual work in Spike Lee’s exceptionally dense CV—similarly cites its creator’s entire filmography, and in doing so might create a comparable effect for devotees of Lee’s cinema. The series is credited, expectedly, as a Spike Lee joint. But at times it can feel like the big decorative box that all the different joints get stored in.

Much is carried over from the original film, like the character’s names, professions, and neighborhoods. As in Lee’s debut feature, She’s Gotta ’17 begins with a directaddress speech given by Fort Greene resident Nola Darling (Wise), who frames the coming story as being a study of her sexuality and her freedom—and of the conflicts that arise in their perceived intersections. We then cycle through introductions to the three male suitors currently spending nights in her “loving bed” (the actor credits refer to the 2017 series), who will later get their own chances to address the frame: Jamie Overstreet (Lyriq Bent), who’s “grown” and “takes care of” Nola, and who wishes to make their relationship exclusive; Greer Childs (Cleo Anthony), a successful commercial photographer and self-described “biracial Adonis”; and Mars Blackmon (Anthony Ramos), whose company Nola typically justifies by noting that he “makes [her] laugh,” and who is also a sneakerhead of potentially mythical proportions (the character was played by Spike Lee in the original, and he would play it again in Air Jordan commercials throughout the coming years—and in one scene of the new series, we see Ramos’ Mars literally praying to Jordan, in a way that suggests he’s heard the voice of Mike before—so whether or not there’s a direct connection between the two iterations is up for

debate).

The canonical lineage of the Mars Blackmon name is not something I’m too concerned about. But it’s a matter worth mentioning, for the canon of Spike Lee is what gives the new She’s Gotta its texture, its aesthetic rhythm, and its sounds. Along with directing every episode, Lee is also credited as “music curator,” and album covers for the tracks getting needle-dropped are often displayed onscreen via a post-scene close-up, in one of the series’ many intertextual nods (in another, we see a graffiti image depicting the original Lee portrayal of Mars, suggesting that it exists within the same universe as Ramos’, which only creates more questions). Throughout all 10 episodes, the studied eye will spy a litany of Spike Lee hallmarks: characters from his other movies (a game-spitting agent from He’s Got Game [1998], Isaiah Washington doing his “sheeeeeeeit” routine), song cues he’s used already (“Can’t Stand It” by Steel Pulse, made famous by the Do the Right Thing [1989] soundtrack), textural details he’s previously established (keep an eye and ear looking for nods to Da Bomb, the brand of malt liquors that exclusively exists in Spike Lee joints), and whole subplots that seem to call back to features from his past (in one particularly satirical interlude, Jamie, who’s married, finds that his son has filmed a music video laden with racial epithets and that his son’s collaborators were a group of white classmates in blackface—the targets of this satire align rather directly with concerns raised at great lengths in both Bamboozled [2000] and School Daze [1988], and it’s not the only subplot about which you could say that).

The most notable Lee landmark of all, of course, is the Fort Greene neighborhood in Brooklyn, which has played host not only to his movies but to his family. As he mentioned in an appearance following a recent screening of Crooklyn [1994], Lee’s parents “bought our [Fort Greene] brownstone for $40,000 back in 1968” (his production offices are located in the neighborhood to this day). The opening credits for the new She’s Gotta Have It change for each episode—they’re based around still photographs of people and places in Brooklyn—but there’s one image that’s in there every single time: the rent prices for a comparable brownstone today, where even the smallest available room is going to run you well over $3,000/ month. Throughout the episodes, the She’s Gotta Have It writing crew—which includes Radha Blank, Barry Michael Cooper, Lee himself, his siblings Cinque Lee and Joie Lee (the latter also plays Nola’s mother), and playwright Lynn Nottage (who pens what is probably the season’s strongest episode, “#LBD (LITTLE BLACK DRESS)”)—utilize the gentrification of Brooklyn as a center around which narrative devices can turn. For instance, we learn that Nola is paying a sweetheart rent as a result of a family friend, one who knows that she could be getting “four times” Nola’s payments from the white people looking to move into the neighborhood. That conflict is then exacerbated

when a payment made by Jamie for a piece of Nola’s artwork is cancelled by his justifiably upset wife, setting Nola’s attempts to pay rent back even further and leading to a far-ranging argument between the pair about the vague definitions of their relationship. This is typical Spike Lee—a social issue intersecting with an interpersonal one to create an expanded scene of argumentative dialogue where both characters have valid points that require addressing—but it’s also typical of the contemporary subgenre to which She’s Gotta Have It ostensibly belongs, that being the “20-something woman making it in Brooklyn” comedy/drama series—wherein multiepisode dramatic arcs regarding rent payments and art sales are basically standard issue. One could craft a legitimate critique of this show based around its use of formulaic dramatic scenarios—it can occasionally border on being sitcom-esque—but that critique would be mitigated by the fact that Lee’s own work predates, and might even deserve some credit for, the existence of that entire subgenre. “I don’t believe in one-word labels,” Nola says during her opening monologue, while talking about her sexuality.

Then Lee cuts to a piece of jewelery on her neck, one which reads simply “Brooklyn”—probably the only one-word label you could accurately affix to the cinema of Spike Lee.

>> SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON NETFLIX. THE ORIGINAL FILM IS AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON THAT SERVICE AS WELL.

FILM EVENTS FRI 12.01

A JEAN-PIERRE MELVILLE RETROSPECTIVE BEGINS AT THE MFA ARMY OF SHADOWS [1969]

[Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston.

5pm/NR/$11. See mfa.org for more series info] 18

11.30.17 - 12.07.17 |

FRI 12.01

AND A RETROSPECTIVE OF MOVIES FEAT. HARRY DEAN STANTON BEGINS TOO ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK [1981]

[MFA, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 8pm/R/$11. Also on 12.9. mfa.org for series info]

DIGBOSTON.COM

SAT 12.02

‘FREEDOM OUTSIDE REASON – THE ANIMATED CINEMA OF JAN LENICA’ PROGRAM ONE [SEVEN FILMS, 1957-1965]

[HFA, 24 Quincy St., Harv Sq., Camb. 7pm/NR/$7-9.

Prog 2 on 12.3 and Prog 3 on 12.4. hcl.harvard.edu/hfa]

SAT 12.02

ADRIENNE BARBEAU VISITS TO ACCEPT ITS AFTER MIDNIGHT AWARD, PRECEDED BY A SCREENING OF THE FOG [1980]

[Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harv St., Brookline.

11:59pm/R/$15. 35mm. coolidge.org]

MON 12.04

THU 12.07

[Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 7pm/NR/$12. brattlefilm.org]

[Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 7pm/PG/$9-11.

35mm. brattlefilm.org]

THE DOCYARD PRESENTS THE DEPARTURE [2017]

MUBI PRESENTS OLIVIER ASSAYAS’ IRMA VEP [1996]

NEWS TO US

FEATURE

DEPT. OF COMMERCE

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

19

COLLABORATIVE BEING ARTS

Brittany Loar and Gina Manning on their badass mashup

BY DIGBOSTON + SYDNEY SHEEHAN

respect for her artistic vision and drive to create the things she wants to create. It’s great because we are truly fangirls of one another, and after this project, that respect has only grown!

On art making a difference…

There were a lot of hands on deck in the creation of Être, a new exhibit opening in Allston this coming weekend. Billed by its creators as a “fully collaborative free-form mixed media and photography mash-up set of images,” the project came together at Red Sky studios, and was assisted by a crew of more than 10 participants, from models to gaffers to stylists.

At its core, Être is the brainchild of designer-artist Brittany Loar and photographer Gina Manning. Their joint production is roughly a year in the making, and we recommend watching the striking video teaser. The images inspired us to ask if we could share some pieces from their show with Dig readers ahead of time, and to publish the following excerpt of an interview that writer Sydney Sheehan conducted with the artists…

On their collaboration…

BL: I’ve been a fan of Gina’s for a while and that’s actually how we met. I went to one of her shows and jumped at a chance to introduce myself to discover that she was even more magical and wonderful of a person. Her work is beyond striking to me. It feels familiar in its origin and cathartic in a way that I define my own. I didn’t think she would remember me after that night but we stayed connected on Instagram and one day she reached out with this idea to collaborate. I couldn’t say yes quick enough.

GM: I wanted to collaborate with Brittany in specific because there is this raw emotion in her art that I am drawn to and relate to heavily. A feeling deep down in the meaning behind her pieces that resonates with me and how/why I create as well. Not to mention, I have such

GM: Art is such an amazing outlet for people to support one another, and more times than not the works you create are some of the most personal things you share with the world.

I know being able to share this extremely personal experience with so many other women was both a struggle and an absolute release.

BL: As the subject of oppression and varying degrees of criticism in both society and in the art world, the presence of women artists is critical in transforming stereotypes and influencing cultural opinions. Art is not only seen but felt and to feel is to relate. I believe that to truly make a difference, it takes empathy.

very dear to my heart because it represents the hard work of so many individuals who had so much much trust and respect for one another.

BL: From beginning to end and every step along the way, a woman was making the creative decisions for this body of work. Creating every opportunity possible for a woman to use her talents and skills is the most constructive way to empower women collectively.

On impact…

BL: I hope to inspire and challenge others in our field to step outside of their bubble, to realize there is power in the vulnerability of allowing another artist to join the process, and that the perspective female artists provide the world is one unlike any other.

GM: I am hoping to start something that doesn’t finish.

I enjoyed this collaboration so much I can’t wait for the next one. I want this project to be the first of many—the hope is that we can find a way to reach a larger audience with the support of people who really care about the arts and really give a damn.

On meaning…

GM: I am huge fan of letting the viewer have their own interpretation of a piece of art—I know exactly why I made it but that doesn’t mean it should be forced upon someone else.

As long as you feel something, that is what I want.

BL: I learned at a young age that putting all of your hope in the hands of other people is the worst thing to do with your talents or creations so I never make work with thoughts of what people might think of it or me. I believe that successful art will naturally achieve what you want with the people you’re looking to reach.

Overall, I obviously hope people find them beautiful and moving.

On empowerment…

GM: Collaboration, motivation, inspiring one another, using a primarily female crew, promoting one another, all of the above. Creating something bigger than I could have imagined because it all came together with such a badass crew of talented artists. There isn’t enough support for female artists, especially by other female artists. This project is

>>FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE EXHIBIT, WHICH TAKES PLACE ON SUNDAY 12.3 FROM 6-10:30PM, VISIT THE COLLABORATION WEBSITE AT MANNINGLOAR.COM. THE SHOW IS PRIVATE BUT YOU CAN REQUEST AN INVITE ONLINE. 20

11.30.17 - 12.07.17 |

DIGBOSTON.COM

NEWS TO US

FEATURE

DEPT. OF COMMERCE

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

21

SAVAGE LOVE

DESPAIR & DENIAL

BY DAN SAVAGE @FAKEDANSAVAGE | MAIL@SAVAGELOVE.NET

I am a straight woman who just started fucking a hot, younger male coworker. The sexual tension between us was out of control until we stayed late one night and screwed on my desk. Since that night, we’ve hooked up a few more times. We grope each other in the office daily, as the “fear” of getting caught is a real turn-on for me. The problem—there always is one—is that he has a live-in girlfriend. He told me they are in an open relationship, so being with me isn’t cheating.

As per their arrangement, he won’t tell her about me, but if she finds out, he won’t lie. How do I know if he’s telling me the truth or if he’s saying these things so I’ll keep sleeping with him? She comes to work events with him, and I feel guilty because she is sweet and obviously adores him. Also, being coworkers adds another layer of issues. I am a well-liked employee who people consider very professional. He is new to the company and is a bit of a scatterbrain. The sex is amazing in part because he’s too immature for me to consider romantically. I’d love to keep seeing him for sex, but I don’t want to help him hurt someone else. Can I fuck him guilt free?

Not A Heartbreak Helper P.S. I’ve already caught him in some minor lies.

For instance, he said one of the rules of the open relationship is no sex in their apartment. Guess where we last fucked?

If the genders were reversed here—if you were an older, more powerful man fucking a “hot, younger” female coworker—I’d have to find you and set you on fire or something. Because even before we get to the ishe-or-isn’t-he (in an open relationship) issue, the power imbalance makes this not okay. Or it does to some/ many/most. But I’m going to let those who object to coworkers fucking—unless both are partners in the firm with equal tenure, power, and salaries—debate that issue in the comments thread while I address the issue you asked me to address: Can you know for sure whether he’s practicing ENM, aka “ethical nonmonogamy.”

Short answer: No, nope, you can’t—and the signs don’t look good. I was making notes as I read your letter, NAHH, and wrote, “Has he lied to you about anything?” before I got to your postscript. While some couples have DADT agreements—outside sex is allowed, but they “don’t ask, don’t tell”—the DADT thing makes it hard for their thirds (or fourths or fifths) to verify that the relationship is actually open and they aren’t a party to cheating. So you have to trust the person you’re fucking—and if they’ve given you reason not to trust them (like lying about other stuff) and/or demonstrated that they aren’t honoring the other rules of their supposedly open relationship (like fucking in the apartment they share), well, then they’ve demonstrated their fundamental untrustworthiness.

Basically, NAHH, if he’s lying to her, he’s probably lying to you, too.

So you can fuck him—but not without guilt.

On the Lovecast, Dan chats with Google powerhouse Blaise Agüera y Arcas: savagelovecast.com 22

11.30.17 - 12.07.17 |

DIGBOSTON.COM

COMEDY EVENTS THU 11.30

RORY SCOVEL @ ONCE BALLROOM

Rory Scovel recently finished shooting the New Line feature THE HOUSE, alongside Will Ferrell & Amy Poehler, as well as THE LEGACY OF A WHITETAIL DEER HUNTER for director Jody Hill alongside Danny McBride & Josh Brolin. Rory’s stand up has been featured on Comedy Central, CONAN, & Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. His second album, RORY SCOVEL LIVE AT THIRD MAN RECORDS, was released in 2013 & was recorded live at their studios in Nashville.

156 HIGHLAND AVE., SOMERVILLE | 7PM | $22 FRI 12.01

THE COMEDY STUDIO

Featuring: Sagar Bhatt, Andrew Mayer, Kwasi Mensah, Arty P, J Smitty, & Erin Spencer Hosted by Rick Jenkins

1238 MASS AVE., CAMBRIDGE | 8PM | $15 FRI 12.01 - SAT 12.02

WILL NOONAN @ NICK’S COMEDY STOP

Will has appeared on “Gotham Comedy Live” on AXS-TV, The Oddball Comedy Festival with Louis CK & Sarah Silverman, told a story on NPR’s “This American Life” & his comedy is played often on Sirius XM. He is also well known for his internet presence. His Twitter account @willnoonan has over 25K in followership (including followers Jim Gaffigan, Joe Rogan , Dave Attell & Nikki Glaser) & on Vine where he has over 22K followers. Also his joke memes & standupshots have garnered over 2 million views on sites such as Reddit, Imgur, 9Gag & The Chive. Will is the creator & host of the iTunes charting podcast “High Pathetically with Will Noonan”, which has over 118 episodes & garners around 4,000 downloads per month & is always available for free on iTunes, Stitcher, & willnoonan.com

100 WARRENTON ST., BOSTON | 8PM | $20 SAT 12.02

NICK OFFERMAN @ THE WILBUR

NICK OFFERMAN is an actor, writer & woodworker, best known as the character of Ron Swanson on NBC’s hit comedy series “Parks & Recreation.” The show, in which he starred with Amy Poehler, Chris Pratt, & Aziz Ansari, wrapped its 7th & final season in 2015. For his work on the show, Offerman won a Television Critics Association Award for Achievement in Comedy in 2011, having earned his first nomination in 2010.

246 TREMONT ST., BOSTON | 6 & 9:30PM | $45 - $59 SAT 12.02

LADYLIKE @ IMPROVBOSTON

Featuring: Kristin Carnes, Pamela Ross, Cathy Coleman, & Non Kuramoto Hosted by Caitlin Arcand

40 PROSPECT ST., CAMBRIDGE | 7PM | $12 SUN 12.03

BASSEM YOUSSEF @ LAUGH BOSTON

He is a heart surgeon turned political satirist during the Arab Spring. He was dubbed “The Jon Stewart of Egypt” & he pissed off enough people to get kicked out of his country.

Come watch him guide you through a contemporary non-accurate history of modern Middle East & see if he is feeling quite at home here under our own Middle Eastern president Donald Trump. http://bassemyoussef.net/

425 SUMMER ST., BOSTON | 8PM | $25 MON 12.04

SMOKE & SHADOWS @ THE ROCKWELL

Featuring: Vaudevillian pole-dancing mime Aneya Marie, Burlesque & pole dancing by Sindy Katrotic, Illusionist Dezrah The Strange, R&B music from Théo Chaouat & Autumn Jones, & Comedian Zenobia Del Mar Hosted by Elsa Riot

255 ELM ST., SOMERVILLE | 8PM | $15

MORE LISTINGS AT BOSTONCOMEDYSHOWS.COM

WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST

BY PATT KELLEY PATTKELLEY.COM

HEADLINING THIS WEEK!

Sarah Tiana

Comedy Central, The Joe Rogan Experience Thursday - Saturday

COMING SOON

Bassem Youssef

Dubbed “The Jon Stewart of Egypt” Special Engagement: Sun, Dec 3

Michelle Wolf

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Dec 8+9

THE WAY WE WEREN’T

BY PAT FALCO ILLFALCO.COM

Chris Distefano

Girl Code, Comedy Central’s The Half Hour Dec 15+16

Ringside with Jim Ross Special Engagement: Sat, Dec 16 OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS

BY TIM CHAMBERLAIN OURVC.NET

Jess Hilarious

BET, MTV’s Wild 'n Out Special Engagements: 2 Shows | Tues, Dec 19

617.72.LAUGH | laughboston.com 425 Summer Street at the Westin Hotel in Boston’s Seaport District NEWS TO US

FEATURE

DEPT. OF COMMERCE

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

23

DECEMBER 3-9 10AM-7PM DAILY, TOWER BUILDING LOBBY 621 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115 Purchase unique, quality artwork created by MassArt students and alumni.

Homemade items range from glass, ceramics and oil painting to jewelry and more.

MassArt.edu/holidaysale Questions? Email holidaysale@massart.edu Flooded Brook 20, Mixed media by Cheryl Clinton, '93, www.cclinton.com