DigBoston 3.1.18

DIGBOSTON.COM 03.01.18 - 03.08.18

FEATURE

SEX IN CUSTODY HOW COPS CAN CLAIM CONSENT IN MASS DEMOCRACY IN CRISIS

BLOODSPORT WHAT TRUMP’S FAVORITE FLICK REVEALS

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DIGBOSTON.COM

BOWERY BOSTON WWW.BOWERYBOSTON.COM VOL 20 + ISSUE09

MAR 01, 2018 - MAR 08, 2018 BUSINESS PUBLISHER Marc Sneider ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Chris Faraone John Loftus Jason Pramas SALES MANAGER Marc Sneider FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION sales@digboston.com BUSINESS MANAGER John Loftus

EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF Chris Faraone EXECUTIVE EDITOR Jason Pramas MANAGING EDITOR Mitchell Dewar MUSIC EDITOR Nina Corcoran FILM EDITOR Jake Mulligan THEATER EDITOR Christopher Ehlers COMEDY EDITOR Dennis Maler STAFF WRITER Haley Hamilton CONTRIBUTORS G. Valentino Ball, Sarah Betancourt, Tim Bugbee, Patrick Cochran, Mike Crawford, Britni de la Cretaz, Kori Feener, Eoin Higgins, Zack Huffman, Marc Hurwitz, Marcus JohnsonSmith, C. Shardae Jobson, Heather Kapplow, Derek Kouyoumjian, Dan McCarthy, Peter Roberge, Maya Shaffer, Citizen Strain, M.J. Tidwell, Miriam Wasser, Dave Wedge, Baynard Woods INTERNS Kuresse Bolds, Victoria Botana, Rob Katz, Murray, Brynne Quinlan

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ON THE COVER PHOTO OF WYCLEF JEAN BY KARL FERGUSON. READ NINA CORCORAN’S INTERVIEW IN THE MUSIC SECTION THIS WEEK.

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BRUSH WITH DEATH

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Dear Reader, W/ YUNGBLUD

SPILLACK!#¡@!?¡ It sounded like a toilet being catapulted into a brick wall. I was walking down the street in Portland, Oregon, where I traveled last week to meet with friends from across the US and Canada who work at newspapers like DigBoston, and suddenly my whole existence flashed before my eyes.

As far as the roughly five of us who stood there shaking after narrowly escaping death could tell, a significantly large potted plant had just plunged from the roof of a 15-story building above us, landing feet away from me and a couple of others. I don’t know too much about physics or brain trauma, but I’m pretty sure it would have killed or maimed one of us had contact been made.

I can’t recall too much from the next 10 or so seconds, other than that we all kind of stood there staring at each other, happy to be breathing. I passed the joint that I had already been smoking to a guy wearing a chef’s apron, and without flinching he accepted the cone and filled his lungs with relief.

He then passed it back, and we both looked at the sky with a mutual horror in knowing that at any moment, even in the middle of a dream stroll through amazing Portland hopping between weed dispensaries and taco stands, some asshole’s flying garden may decapitate your lifted ass.

There’s no way I can know for sure, but I probably risk life and limb whenever I walk out the door, and for sure when I ride on the Red Line into work. Still this one felt like something different; it was the kind of brush with death that could spur someone to discover God, or which at least gets one to seriously consider what they’re doing on this planet.

I personally started to think about everybody who I would have wanted to say bye to and taking stock of all the petty nonsense that drives me insane when I should just be chilling the hell out and appreciating my family and friends.

As for what it all meant cosmically… I racked my brain, and it turns out that despite whatever trauma I endured from my extremely close call, I’m still far too pragmatic to read too much into any spiritual hunches. The most I’m willing to concede is that it would have really been a hoot if a lifelong pothead like yours truly, while floating in a cloud of berries on a sidewalk in the cannabis Xanadu of Portland, got hit in the head with a pot.

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

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TWO SHOWS ADDED! SUN. & MON. JULY 1 & 2 ROYALE

Tickets for Royale, The Sinclair, and Great Scott can be purchased online at AXS.COM or by phone at 855-482-2090. No fee tickets available at The Sinclair box office Wednesdays - Saturdays 12:00 - 7:00PM FOR MORE INFORMATION AND A COMPLETE LIST OF SHOWS, VISIT BOWERYBOSTON.COM NEWS TO US

FEATURE

DEPT. OF COMMERCE

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

3

NEWS+OPINION

THE INCREDIBLE, INEQUITABLE MBTA NEWS

If you lived here, you’d be broke by now WORDS AND PHOTO BY OLIVIA DENG @OLIVIADENG1

To get from one place to another in Boston, many commuters use the public transit system for commuter rail, subway, and bus route services. However, the tracks and lanes that are supposed to connect residents from their homes to their jobs and other destinations can have the opposite effect, stranding us and pushing people farther away from the city and essential services.

The MBTA has come under fire from transit activists and others for engaging in inequitable practices: cutting late-night weekend service, instituting fare hikes, and greenlighting development projects that gentrify neighborhoods and displace residents. Fanning the flames, on Feb 12, the MBTA released an analysis estimating a $111 million deficit by fiscal year 2019. To balance the budget, the agency has several options, many of which—like service cuts and fare increases—would likely place the system further out of reach of Greater Boston’s most vulnerable populations.

Justice organization Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE), along with the T Riders Union, recently hosted a community discussion on the role the MBTA plays in gentrifying neighborhoods and on the impact of that on residents. According to Lee Matsueda, political director at ACE, “In the past, the major ways they’ve [MBTA] done it [addressed their deficits] … has been fare increases and service cuts. Those have been the major things that have taken a huge hit on riders and people who depend on public transit.”

When it comes to the methods the MBTA uses to address budget deficits, land sales are oftentimes hidden in plain sight, said Matsueda: “There are specific stories that we’re hearing about what the T is doing in our neighborhoods to make money. Selling off land, for example, in Mattapan.” As a significantly large landowner, Matsueda said that the MBTA has the power to develop tracts across the region. “[The MBTA] is transforming neighborhoods from Mattapan to Union Square and Chinatown,” Matsueda said, adding “Ruggles, Forest Hills, and Jackson Square” to the list.

The MBTA calls such projects transit-oriented development. They define TOD as “an approach to development that contributes to creating active, dense, walkable, mixed-use communities which center around transit and thereby increase transit usage.”

Asked to comment about equity in transit around here, MBTA spokesperson Lisa Battiston said, “MassDOT and the MBTA jointly adopted a TOD policy in June of 2017 to set forth a vision for smart growth on and near our transit stations. In general, future joint developments with at least 15 residential units on MassDOT- or MBTAcontrolled property near transit will have a goal of at least 20 percent of the units be[ing] affordable to lowincome and/or moderate-income households.” She added that MassDOT and MBTA planners partner with a wide range of entities on equitable TOD projects—from elected officials, to regional planning agencies, to public interest organizations and development communities.

Kimberly Barzola, transit justice organizer at ACE, points to Assembly Square as a major TOD. “If you’re going to build something like Assembly Square, which is a recent and great example of transit-oriented development, that’s on the Orange Line. That stop did not exist before,” Barzola said. “There’s retail, there’s also some housing there as well, but it’s mostly this massive 4

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DIGBOSTON.COM

shopping complex.”

A 2010 study conducted by the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University looked at demographic shifts in neighborhoods across the country after new light rail and subway stations opened.

It found that compared to the rest of the metro area, 60 percent of those areas saw an increase in average household income, while 70 percent saw rents rising faster than they had previously risen.

“Ironically,” Barzola said, “as income rose in those transit-centered neighborhoods, car ownership also became more common. … They [MBTA officials] are acknowledging it’s a problem not only just in transitoriented development projects but in general. When you start investing in transit in certain areas, you’re going to see this upward pressure on the real estate because that’s what people want. … I think the next step, as people who are observing these trends, is what exactly does this translate into as far as what is the rent of these places?

Who can afford these new housing situations?”

According to Barzola, the MBTA and the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA), though different agencies, work with one another in development projects.

“They [BPDA and MBTA] are different stakeholders, but ultimately are working with each other in the sense that you’re creating this space that’s accommodating and welcoming for these private developers.”

The city defines affordable housing as having costs that “are at or below 30% of a household’s gross income.”

Michael Prentice, community organizer at ACE, said the word “affordable” is used to describe housing that is not market-rate, which spans a wide spectrum. To determine income eligibility for government housing programs, area median income is used as a benchmark. For a family of four in Boston, the AMI is $98,000.

“The median income in 2017 was $103,000 a year for a family of four … In Roxbury, since we are the lower part of the spectrum of Boston’s earnings, we can’t afford the affordable housing,” Prentice said. “The BPDA averages a lot of their projects at around a family that needs $72,000 a year to afford.”

Prentice said that many units are built in Mattapan and Roxbury because that is where public land parcels are located. Plan Dudley Square is the latest development surge, according to Prentice.

The neighborhood’s stuck with vacant land, and the city is capitalizing on that to jumpstart development in the private sector, he added.

“The city is in this development blitz to get rid of all these public land parcels in one go,” Prentice said. So the [BPDA] negotiated with the MBTA to acquire one of the parcels at Bartlett [Yard in Roxbury] that they are using to create an open-air shopping mall. They call it something nice, but it’s a mall essentially,

with a bunch of housing that has a lot of affordable units. … It goes [on] a spectrum from 80 percent AMI down to 50 percent AMI.” Prentice cautions against normalizing legalese.

“Affordable housing, the legal definition, is usually a trap,” he said. “It’s usually misleading. And especially when we talk about workforce housing, that is a joke in terms of what working-class people can afford. That’s why it’s key to understand Roxbury as the final frontier of how this gentrification is going down, especially in Dorchester and Mattapan.”

Stacey Thompson, executive director at transportation advocacy organization LivableStreets Alliance, told DigBoston that the Hub’s inequitable transit system is worsened by poor zoning practices.

“Zoning and misallocation of how we use our space and how we require people to use our space is intimately linked to displacement,” Thompson said. “Improving transportation is a valuable asset for our community and it has value. … We would say that we need to improve transportation in under-resourced communities. As we increase development, heavily advocate for requiring mixed use, mixed income, and not just putting a bunch of low-income and middle-income units in a community that’s isolated.”

In ACE’s fight against transit-related gentrification, they hope to arm residents with knowledge of the MBTA’s complicated processes and with that knowledge, to create counter proposals.

“This isn’t an academic exercise for us,” Matsueda told DigBoston. “People’s lives are really deeply being affected by this problem. … There’s impact on families accessing healthcare when they get pushed further and further outside of the city and the city’s services they rely on. We can’t lose sight of the people who are directly affected by it.”

This article was produced in collaboration with the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. Help support this kind of reporting at givetobinj.org.

Opportunity for All

Pictured above: New apprentices outside the IBEW 103 / NECA Joint Apprentice Training Center in Dorchester, MA

IBEW Local 103 is proud to fight for good jobs and economic justice for all Boston families.

We are excited to be welcoming our largest and most diverse apprenticeship class ever in 2018 at our innovative training facility in Dorchester, MA. This achievement was made possible

by IBEW Local 103’s recent apprenticeship outreach campaign, conducted in partnership with Millenium Place, and amplified by our collaborations with neighborhood media outlets including the Bay State Banner.

Planning a construction project? Whether it is a large or small project, call us at 617-436-3710 to access locally trained, professional electrical services, and to obtain referrals for local, certified contractors who care about the community.

Looking to start a new career? Visit The103Advantage.com to learn more about our apprenticeship programs and how IBEW Local 103 is building career pathways for workers across the city.

Through our advocacy and training programs, IBEW Local 103 and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) of Greater Boston are proud to be fostering opportunity for all.

Lou Antonellis, Business Manager, IBEW Local 103

Kenell Broomstein, Business Agent for Boston, IBEW Local 103

NEWS TO US

FEATURE

DEPT. OF COMMERCE

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

5

FEEDBACK REQUESTED EDITORIAL

DigBoston asks readers to chime in about our coverage, digital presence, and events

BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS Frequent readers know that my colleagues and I on the new DigBoston staff like to hear from people from all the varied communities that make up our audience, talk with them, and hang out with them. So, it should come as no surprise that we’re very open to suggestions about what we do as a news organization and how we do it.

Nevertheless, we believe it’s important that we periodically extend a formal invitation to our audience— our extended community—to give us such feedback. To demonstrate that we’re not only amenable to two-way communication as journalists, but that we actively encourage it. And that, as we’ve said in the past, we think it’s impossible to be good journalists without it.

After running this paper for eight months, we can use specific input in three areas: our coverage, our digital presence, and our public events. We’d really appreciate it if respondents put some serious thought into their suggestions, and then email them to us at editorial@ digboston.com. Please put FEEDBACK in the subject line.

Coverage The heart of any news publication is obviously its content. DigBoston has a number of regular sections, including News, Music, Theater, Film, Visual Arts, Comedy, and Comics. In addition, we run Chris Faraone’s “Dear Reader” editorial weekly, a number of columns, opinion pieces when we have them, and my occasional editorials (like this one). Increasingly we also have big special features that dive deep into important issues of the day.

And nice photos and artwork scattered throughout our publication and featured on the front page of our print edition.

In terms of feedback on our coverage, we’d like to hear: a) what people like and want to see more of, b) what people don’t like and want to see less of, and c) what areas readers think we don’t cover but should.

General responses are appreciated, but specific responses are always more useful to us.

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Digital In this era, it’s expected that a print newspaper like DigBoston will have a robust online presence. We do our best with limited resources, but we know that we still have a ways to go before we’re up to speed on this front.

The core of a good digital news operation remains a website. But now that more and more people are getting their news from phones, tablets, and traditional computers alike, websites have to be upgraded to display properly on a variety of screen sizes.

At least once a week these days, one or more readers will hit us up to complain about our digboston.com website not being mobile-friendly. And we definitely hear them loud and clear. So this spring we’re building a new website that will look good on any device.

Still, since we’re just about to start work on that site, it’s a great time for folks to let us know what kind of other features they’d find useful on it.

We’d also like advice on a couple of innovations we’re planning to introduce on digboston.com. Namely, we’re thinking about eliminating ads from the site entirely, and about doing a pop-up on every web article that will take up the bottom third of the reader’s screen (like theguardian.com) and invite them to become sustainers (in exchange for invites to special events, etc.) to help make sure that we’re able to keep providing you all with the kind of hard-hitting news coverage and fun arts and entertainment articles that you can’t find anywhere else in our region. Any advice on those moves would be super helpful.

Also, you can find every Dig article on no less than six social media platforms. We post to them pretty much every day. Here they are: Facebook: facebook.com/weeklydig Twitter: twitter.com/Digboston Instagram: instagram.com/digstagramboston LinkedIn: linkedin.com/organization/29803 Pinterest: pinterest.com/digboston Tumblr: digboston-blog.tumblr.com

You can also subscribe to DigBoston content for free on the following news aggregators: Apple News, Google Play Newsstand, and soon Flipboard.

We even make the pdf of our print edition available on issuu.com/digboston.

While that seems like a broad digital presence, there are new social media platforms and news aggregators starting up all the time. So we’d like to know if there are any we should be on, but aren’t. And are we using the platforms and aggregators in question in the best way? If digital mavens have any tips and tricks to share with us, please do.

Events We organize public events all the time, and participate in the events of other organizations as well.

We do talks, workshops, courses, concerts, conferences, fairs, and festivals. We now also do a discrete amount of direct political activism by working for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

Are you with an organization—particularly a group rooted in one of the many Boston-area communities we cover on a regular basis? Do you like what we do at DigBoston? Are you running an event you’d like us to participate in? Or would you like to propose organizing an event with us? Then drop us a line.

And readers in general, are there events we’ve done that you have some input on? Are there events you’d like to see us do? Let us know.

Anything else I didn’t mention about DigBoston that you’d like to comment on? Then, again, please chime in at editorial@digboston.com… and put FEEDBACK in your subject line. You can also drop us a line at 617.426.8942 if that’s preferable. Then hit 3 to leave a message.

Look forward to hearing from you all.

Jason Pramas is executive editor and associate publisher of DigBoston.

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FEATURE

DEPT. OF COMMERCE

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

7

PRESIDENT DICKPUNCHER GOES TO THE MOVIES DEMOCRACY IN CRISIS

Bloodsport and more in Trump’s movie syllabus

BY BRANDON SODERBERG

movies was High Noon, a western about a marshal who wants to be peaceful but just can’t because he feels responsible for all the baddies; George W. Bush loved Field Of Dreams, a dim, signifying baseball movie dipped in nostalgia, enough said; and like Trump, Barack Obama apparently loves The Godfather, a lament for a certain kind of criminality, one that’s more decent, respectable—appropriate for 44, who quietly drone-bombed the hell out of many and deported plenty.

“You lose, American asshole!” Bloodsport

That Bloodsport is Donald Trump’s favorite movie is, like so many things about Trump, thinly sourced, apocryphal yet pathetic, and regularly reported as fact.

He once praised the 1988 Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle, a crude tapestry of gnarled battles and quietmoment scenery-chewing about an American’s victory in a Hong Kong underground fighting tournament, in Mark Singer’s 1997 New Yorker article. And that’s about it.

But facts don’t matter with Trump, and it makes cosmic sense that Bloodsport—which was released 30 years ago on Feb 26—would be Trump’s favorite movie. It says something about political discourse too: The turning point involves its hero, Frank Dux (Van Damme), proudly punching someone squarely in the dick.

“When you’re in a fight with a bully, always throw the first punch—and don’t telegraph it—hit hard & hit fast!” @realdonaldtrump, Sept. 25, 2014 Trump is full of it, and the real-life Frank Dux was too.

Like Gatsby in a karate gi, West Coast martial arts instructor and veteran Dux turned his life into a grandiose story of covert operations and victory in a fighting tournament called the Kumite, which he recounted to karate magazines not so hot on fact checking. Eventually, his account of those events became Bloodsport. That’s when the Los Angeles Times exposed its “true story” as a lunkheaded hustle: The Kumite trophies Dux won were from a Hollywood-based trophy manufacturer, a Kumite-related organization’s address was Dux’s own, the “secret” medal of honor he was awarded seemed sketchy, and a few friends half-assedly corroborated his stories (“If he says it’s true, it’s fine with me,” a high school buddy told the Times).

As for Dux’s underground work in Asia—which

He doesn’t even watch his favorite movie, he races through it like it’s porn.

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included saving orphans from being trafficked by selling the sword he won for winning the Kumite to buy their freedom—it’s hard to prove, Dux explained, because these were “clandestine” missions. It is good mythography, and his audience of karate aficionados were primed to embrace it no matter what.

Wakanda isn’t real—as Ben Shapiro, supposedly intellectual “hip” hatemonger of the Trump era, tweeted recently—but the Kumite isn’t either.

“If it was anybody else, I’d say what’s going to happen to you would be a lesson to you. Only you’re going to need more than one lesson.” - Citizen Kane Trump frequently cites Citizen Kane as another favorite, because of course: It’s a massive critique of power and control that flexes and bloviates like the powerful, so it appeals to powerful bloviators, the way rich coke-snorting dickheads like The Wolf of Wall Street or man-baby losers love Garden State.

Trump’s Bloodsport love, meanwhile, is cast as yet another example of how unpresidential he is—a 1988 actioner is surely beneath the presidency. Worse, as detailed in the New Yorker, is one of his sons fastforwarding to the ass-kicking parts, squashing the movie into a supercut of thrills. Through this, you can learn something about the absurdity of respectability politics that mar political conversation: The problem with Trump is, as always, not his opinion or his point of view so much, but how he goes about it. He doesn’t even watch his favorite movie, he races through it like it’s porn. As if Trump’s love of Bloodsport would be praised if he sat back and enjoyed the little things, like, say, Dux rocking a split atop a skyscraper, a lighthearted Jacques Tati-like scene where army officials chase Dux through the streets, or its coiled soft-serve synthesizer score.

On the campaign trail, Trump often entered events to music from 1997’s Air Force One, a movie where the president does away with all of the separations of power and literally defeats terrorists himself.

Most movies are indoctrination. Bill Clinton of the infamous 1994 crime bill claimed one of his favorite

Trump is all about bloodsport. His reality shows were bloodsport, the business world he stomped around in is bloodsport, the primaries were all about drawing blood for him, and when he offers up something like teachers becoming Charles Bronsons and arming themselves so they can get into shootouts with school shooters, that’s bloodsport. Our reality show president, the totally logical next step after Hollywood actor Reagan—with detours into sub-Kennedy creep Clinton and warmongering dullard Dubya, parts of which Trump also subsumed—eats up the fuck-it-see-howit-shakes-out pathology of reality TV. Remember, that New Yorker article said Trump turned off 1996’s Michael, a sentimental snooze starring John Travolta as a schlubby angel, 20 minutes in and put on Bloodsport instead. And as Trump watched Van Damme drop down into a split, stick his fist straight out, and bop his opponent in the junk in slow motion, a unique example of how Trump pops the hood on reality followed.

“You want to write that Donald Trump was loving this ridiculous Jean-Claude Van Damme movie,” Trump said to reporter Singer. “But are you willing to put in there that you were loving it, too?” He dares Singer to embrace Bloodsport and suggests that if he doesn’t, he’s just denying himself a hard truth. This is the typically Trumpian dick-punch: His bullshit detector is strong, though his own propensity for bullshit is unmatched.

“Unfortunately, most thugs and muggers aren’t looking for a fair fight.” - Frank Dux in Self-Defense Against Knives, 1980.

A shabby epilogue courtesy of TMZ (who else): Van Damme, in 2016, holding a small dog, wearing a hat that says “JCVD” (the name of the first of two meta-action projects he has made where he plays a sundowning version of himself), loose as a goose, reedy, hardly the boyish Frank Dux, pacing around a parking lot, praising The Donald.

“You’re talking about the wrong things in politics. Right now, you need a guy like—” Van Damme told TMZ cameras, then stumbled for a second and reset. “I would say, look, I love my brother Muslim. They love martial arts, I love them.

I love everybody on earth. Right now, we need Donald Trump.”

Download the Democracy in Crisis podcast on iTunes or Soundcloud.

CRYSTAL BOWL TALKING JOINTS MEMO

7 things to expect when rec dispensaries come to Mass

BY DIG STAFF @DIGBOSTON

With the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission in the process of ironing out regulations for the industry in this state, we headed to Portland, Oregon, to see what a functioning recreational pot culture looks like. We went to the Pacific Northwest last year too, shortly after rec dispensaries opened, and things have already changed pretty drastically in a matter of months. And for the better. Prices are affordable, options are plentiful, and the pre-rolls are cylindrical. We’ll be back soon with our analysis of the Mass regs when they’re ready, but for now here is a look into your crystal bowl…

7 - You are going to have more plastic joint holders and smell-proof pouches than you know what to do with. And plastic jars too. Start thinking about cool art projects to do with the kids.

6 - Your recreational dispensary will also soon become your head shop a lot of the time. Sure, medical dispensaries already have some sweet paraphernalia, but rec is sure to be another story altogether, packing everything from dab materials galore to dugouts in their cases.

5 - Any given shop will have products from a wide variety of manufacturers, which in Mass will have different licenses than those doing the retailing. This will of course be different than the current “seed to sale” medical dispensary system, in which everything from cartridges to flower came from the operator.

4 - There’s no real telling at this juncture just how pricey or affordable cannabis, in any of its myriad forms, will be when rec finally comes. But one thing we can safely surmise based on this most recent trip to Portland is that you will always want to hit up the newest shops. Established storefronts seem to be asking establishment prices, whereas newjacks lure ’em in with rock-bottom offers.

3 - Fortunes aren’t just for cookies anymore. We got several with different cannabis goodies, including this one from Mahatma Gandhi: “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do, are in harmony.” Indeed.

2 - In case you haven’t noticed, some medical dispensaries resemble hospitals. They’re cold, vast, and faceless. They’re getting cozier with some of the newer facilities, including at one of our sponsors, Revolutionary Clinics in Somerville, which has regular events.

But under recreational, we should finally have places where you may want to remain for a minute or more after your purchase, instead of exiting immediately like you just did something wrong.

1 - More than anything else, you can expect more equity. And less arrests. And not such a big fucking deal to be made about cannabis. It will take a while, just like it has for Mass to get its regulations straight, but if what we’ve seen out West is any indication, it will have been well worth the wait.

Sign up for Talking Joints Memo e-newsletter at talkingjointsmemo.com and keep on top of what is happening in Massachusetts and beyond

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PHOTO VIA MASSACHUSETTS DEMOCRATIC PARTY

WHOLE LOTTA CAUCUS POLITICS

Elections have returned to the Commonwealth. Sort of.

BY PATRICK COCHRAN Last month marked the beginning of the weeks-long caucusing process for the Massachusetts Democratic Party.

It’s an annual occurrence, but this year’s delegate elections bear far greater significance than in presidential and off years. That’s because these caucuses fall on the midterm election cycle, when the Commonwealth holds all of its statewide contests—including, of course, the race for governor.

“This is a real good one this year,” said Jack Colangeli, a Malden delegate who will be heading to his 10th state Democratic convention in June. Colangeli was elected delegate to the convention in February, when the Malden Democratic Committee kicked off caucus season. He continued: “Last year was just platform, this year’s big. I just love this stuff.”

“It’ll really start to pick up with the caucuses,” said Gus Bickford, chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party.

“From this point forward it’s about building momentum.”

Between February and March, the party will hold more than 400 caucuses, electing a couple thousand delegates and alternate delegates to the convention in Worcester, where they’ll vote to endorse a slew of candidates for office. Bickford said that caucus turnout has risen significantly in 2017 and so far in 2018 (since Trump’s election to the presidency), compared to recent years.

All things considered, the results of the caucuses make little tangible difference in determining the party’s nominee for the governorship. What’s really on the line is a candidate’s ability to garner 15 percent of the delegates’ support; crossing that threshold gets you on the September primary ballot. It would take a miracle to win a primary as a write-in candidate, so, first and foremost, the caucuses are a battle for the ballot.

It would take a miracle to win a primary as a writein candidate, so, first and foremost, the caucuses are a battle for the ballot.

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“I’m not ahead in money,” Democratic candidate Bob Massie said at a recent event. “I’m starting to be ahead in people, but I need to get my 15 percent at the convention.

Which means I need as many people who are excited about my candidacy to go forward.”

Starting last year, the caucuses have implemented same-day registration, which is likely to boost turnout and make the elections more inclusive. Previously, attendees had to be registered as Democrats prior to the caucuses to participate.

Ultimately, the prize of winning caucus delegates is a glorified endorsement by Democratic party honchos at the convention. The state caucuses do little more than determine who the party officially backs leading up to the statewide primary. Last time around, in 2014, delegates at the convention endorsed Steven Grossman as the party’s choice, but despite emerging in first place from the caucus scrum, Grossman went on to lose the primary and the nomination to Martha Coakley.

Precedents aside, in a year when challengers are struggling to gain notoriety against a popular incumbent governor, expect the caucuses to take on heightened significance, even if the end result is unlikely to be shocking. At this point, it’s all about building up the face of the opposition to popular Gov. Charlie Baker.

“It’s tough to judge someone when they don’t have opponents,” Bickford said.

Given the quick and chaotic nature of the caucuses, they can be extremely difficult to organize. Some of the campaigns have been reaching out and corralling local support for months leading up to local elections.

“It’s a lot of hard work,” said Massie campaign manager Mike McGinn. “We’re trying to identify delegates, and then you need to find the people to vote for those delegates [at the caucuses].”

Building excitement within the Commonwealth’s liberal base is essential to winning statewide campaigns, and that’s an opportunity the caucuses provide, as rigorous as they may be.

“When the doors opened for the first caucus, the campaign to beat Charlie Baker began for the Democratic Party in Massachusetts,” said Kevin Franck, deputy campaign director for Setti Warren, another Democratic

candidate and the former mayor of Newton.

*** In Malden, it’s a tired-looking crew congregating early on a weekend morning for the first of many of these local caucuses.

“It’s great to see democracy at the ground level and get away from all the money and fundraising,” said Donna Patalano, a candidate for Middlesex County district attorney.

About 70 caucus-goers fill the local Irish American Club, some picking at the refreshment table as campaign representatives try to recruit potential favorable delegates.

The atmosphere is casual, with most participants mum on who they intend to support at the convention.

Asked who he supports for governor, Colangeli said, “I’m not going to tell you that.” But he seems to be interested in Warren.

“I don’t know a lot about [candidate Jay] Gonzalez,” he said. Tapping on a Setti Warren brochure, he continued, “I know more about this kid, I like him. … He’s a vet, he’s got two terms of executive experience.”

While Colangeli likes candidates with experience at the executive level, others are looking for a decidedly progressive horse in this race. Local Dem Vinh Holmquist lamented the party’s nomination of establishment candidates like Coakley in the past.

“It was a mistake,” Holmquist said. In 2014, the CoakleyKerrigan ticket picked up 57 percent of the Malden vote over four other choices. “And we’ve done it twice.” (Coakley was also the nominee for senate in 2009, when she lost to Scott Brown in a special election to fill Ted Kennedy’s seat.)

At this point, Holmquist says she is a Bob Massie supporter.

Otherwise, everyone at the caucus agrees on one thing: The next governor of the Commonwealth needs to be a Democrat.

“Anybody but Baker,” said Ryan Moore, a delegate wearing a Tyson/Nye 2020 T-shirt.

The caucus process peaks on March 3, the last Saturday of caucusing. That day will feature more than 30 caucuses, including a bulk of Boston’s delegate elections.

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SEX, CONSENT AND CUSTODY FEATURE

Is there a loophole in Mass law that helps cops who rape perps?

BY KORI FEENER @KORIFEENER

Earlier this month, BuzzFeed published an explosive article about a New York City teenager accusing two police officers of raping her while she was in custody.

The entire story is harrowing. But one aspect seems especially pertinent—as it turns out, there are legal loopholes in 35 states that potentially make it so that law enforcement officers can have sex with somebody who is in custody and then claim it was consensual.

Excuse me, what?

This apparent oversight is actually quite complicated.

In Massachusetts, there is no law clearly stating that an officer on duty is forbidden from engaging in sexual intercourse with a person, perp or otherwise. One exception is corrections officers, who are specifically barred from having sex on the clock and in uniform. Which leaves one to wonder what, if anything, is in place to prevent an arresting officer from abusing their powerful position.

In another line of work, professors have been fired over starting consensual and lawful sexual relationships with students. It is considered highly unprofessional if one party lacks the power to say no, and in many cases there is some accountability at institutions where such things transpire. When it comes to police, though, in 35 states, including this one, the management (aka our government) has much less stringent guidelines.

Is this ambiguity an actual problem? It depends who you ask. Said lack of a law might have some bearing on the upcoming trial of Salem police Officer Brian Butler, who is claiming that he had consent to have sex with a naked drunken man in his custody back in 2016, in a closet no less.

That case goes to trial in June.

Peter Manning, who teaches at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Northeastern

Though they may know some are engaged in this kind of activity, there is a failure to recognize it.

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University, said the loophole in the Massachusetts law “is striking.” “The courts tend to be very generous to police officers in the line of duty,” Manning said. “They realize how difficult the job is, how officers are subject to complaints and retaliation, so they tend to be lenient around issues around this unless it is repeated. Speaking generally, because I wasn’t aware of this, the traditions of different police departments on how they enforce regulations vary widely in regards to how far they go into investigations. Big cities have larger internal affairs and more resources to look into it.”

Philip Stinson, associate professor of the criminal justice program at Bowling Green State University, has written about sexual police misconduct. A former police officer in Dover, New Hampshire, he closely follows all reported incidents in which cops are arrested for sex crimes at work, and he says that while it isn’t normal, it is fairly common for cops to have sex while on duty. His research shows that the most vulnerable parties are often targeted: “people who are on the fringes, groups dealing with a predator type of officer, young teenage girls, sex workers, exotic dancers, prostitutes.”

Stinson continued: “Different categories of people who are really at risk of being sexually abused … [in] some situations may feel like they weren’t able to do anything but submit.” In certain other cases, the Bowling Green professor said that there are police “groupies” who intentionally try to sleep with officers in uniform.

According to Stinson, some media outlets have misunderstood the loopholes in question. “Rape is rape,” he said. Indeed, there are laws in every state that clearly define rape as a criminal offense. He adds: “There is a difference between consensual and non-consensual sex.”

Regardless of the statute, when consent is used as a defense strategy, credibility comes into question.

“In court, police are deemed to be truth tellers,” said Manning, the Northeastern criminology professor. “So if a case does go to court, a reliable witness, typically the citizens, are discredited in court. Either through bias, lack of education, and race; police officers are considered the truth teller.”

Manning also acknowledged the blue wall of silence: “I personally doubt that there is any toleration [for such acts]—it might be something that is overlooked.

When people talk about the thin blue line, what they mean is someone might overlook this behavior, not want to know or talk about it.

Though they may know some are engaged in this kind of activity, there is a failure to recognize it.”

As for why this issue barely registers with lawmakers, or with the public: “These are not topics that are discussed in polite company,” Stinson said. “To a large extent, the ones that make the newspapers only make local and regional news.

Other people in other areas are reading similar cases—a lot of this stuff flies under the radar. It’s rare when it gets traction on a national level.”

Locally, Manning said there could be support for a measure to close the socalled loophole in Mass. “A law would clarify issues,” he said. “Generally, I think top command would be favorable to this, but wouldn’t speak out about it because they wouldn’t want to alienate troops. … I presume a substantial number of women would be supportive, but the public in general tends to tolerate a great deal from officers. They view them as having a certain kind of status, a sacred status allows freedom and latitude. … It would be helpful for people who are powerless or don’t have the resources to sue. … Laws don’t solve everything, but they would make a symbolic statement about the importance of this.”

Following the aforementioned BuzzFeed piece, some people around the Commonwealth grew concerned enough to call their state reps. Caroline Medina, chief of staff for Newton state Rep. Kay Khan, said Kahn, as well as Somerville state Sen. Pat Jehlen, were contacted by worried constituents.

“Representative Khan is in the process of drafting a piece of legislation that addresses the existing loophole by prohibiting officers from engaging in sexual conduct with those in their custody, supervision, or with whom they interact in the course of their professional duties—these details are still in the process of being defined,” Medina said. “Hopefully such legislation, in addition to our existing sexual assault statutes, will eliminate ambiguity and help victims of such abuse feel more empowered to come forward.”

Some state lawmakers, not unlike the general public, were unfamiliar with this loophole until they were contacted for this story. State Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz said, “This is the first time the issue has been brought to my attention, so I need to learn more about the specifics.

However, if it’s true that Massachusetts statutes and regulations are silent on this issue, that’s a definite gap, and I’m glad it’s coming to light.”

This article was produced in collaboration with the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. To help support this kind of reporting, please visit us at givetobinj.org.

Gregory Csikos, CPA csikoscpa.com TAXATION ACCOUNTING PLANNING I’m a Boston-based CPA here to provide a full spectrum of accounting and tax services to meet the needs of individuals, small businesses, start-ups, and non-profit organizations. My clients get more than an experienced and dedicated accountant, they get a problem solver. I thrive on breaking down complex issues into practical steps, allowing you to focus your energies on what matters most to you.

From helping you keep accurate books to the filing of your tax returns, I handle the numbers while you focus on handling your life. ​Call to find

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ITALO, MEDFORD EATS

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The neighborhood where South Medford and Somerville’s Winter Hill and Magoun Square meet is a bit of a treasure trove of good eats, with everything from Nepali to Brazilian to Portuguese to Chinese to Italian options, and this last one really reflects the history of the area. South Medford in particular has been an Italian-American neighborhood for over a century now, and while many other Italian neighborhoods in the Boston area have mostly disappeared or been gentrified, this tight-knit area continues to hold onto its Italian roots. Most diners tend to head to Main Street in the heart of South Medford to various bakeries and pastry shops, restaurants, and Italian markets, but there is one spot further up by the Somerville line that is completely off anyone’s radar but is a must for oldfashioned bakery pizza along with other Italian and Sicilian goodies. Never heard of Italo? You’re definitely not the only one.

Italo Bakery sits on a part of Main Street that doesn’t really seem like the same Main Street in the commercial part of South Medford, as this part of the road veers off from the busier part of Main Street while Main Street seems to turn into Medford Street as it heads into Magoun Square. (As always, there is no rhyme or reason to Boston-area roads.) This, plus the fact that the shop is set off from the road and actually sits at the corner of Bow Street and Albion Street in what is basically a tiny concrete village green (again, there is no sense to any of this), makes Italo extremely easy to miss. The storefront itself looks a bit like that of a convenience store or a little market; the only giveaway to it being much more than that is the signs above the awning that say “The Best Bread & Pizza.” Inside Italo you’ll find a no-frills place that is strictly meant for takeout, with display cases of pastries and baked goods along with bread and pizza sitting behind the counter, while some Italian products such as olive oil, cookies, and pasta are displayed along the walls.

While Italo isn’t exactly a one-trick pony, many customers tend to come here to pick up bread and pizza only. That makes this place a lot different from the aforementioned Bob’s down the street, which sells countless food items and is more of true market and deli than a bakery. Among the breads here is a fantastic scali that seems to scream out “Boston,” since these braided sesame seed-covered loaves are extremely difficult to find outside of the local area. Italo sells a variety of freshly made Portuguese sweet breads as well, which makes sense because the surrounding area is also home to people with Brazilian and Portuguese roots. The pizza sold here is your basic, simple, and utterly delicious bakery pizza, or “grandma” pizza (and yes, that’s an actual term) that is cut into squares and has a rich sauce that is both sweet and acidic. Slices at Italo are almost ridiculously cheap, so even if all you have left is a handful of quarters, you should still be able to grab a couple of slices. (Italo is cash-only, by the way.) One other item to keep in mind is the Italian cookies, which rival those you might find in Boston’s North End, including the ones found at the excellent Bova’s Bakery.

If you live in South Medford, you more than likely know about Italo Bakery, but ask someone who lives more than a mile or two away from this humble little shop and you’ll probably be greeted with a blank stare. It’s indeed the ultimate neighborhood food shop in a way, with old-fashioned Italian foods, friendly people behind the counter, and prices that won’t even come close to breaking the bank. If you like hidden gems, they don’t come much more hidden than Italo.

>> ITALO BAKERY. 509 MAIN ST., MEDFORD. email eventsboston@citywinery.com for more info

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WYCLEF JEAN WHEEL OF TUNES

The iconic rapper talks Fela Kuti, stripper poles, and escaping death in the ’80s

BY NINA CORCORAN @NINA_CORCORAN Wyclef Jean needs no introduction, but he does need a little explanation. The Haitian rapper, musician, and actor first gained fame in the Fugees before pursuing solo work.

But as of late, his name has been quiet on the music front.

EPs aside, it’s been eight years since he last released a fulllength album. As it turns out, Jean has been focusing his energy on positive return, namely using his power to help those without much in his native country.

That’s exactly what he’s discussing on his newest album, The Carnival III: The Fall and Rise of a Refuge. While Jean cites marquee-level inspiration, like Bono from U2 and Bob Marley, as the guiding force behind the third LP in a series celebrating music culture from all parts of the world, there’s a personalized feel to the record, given it’s an honest look at the country, its struggles, and its undercovered successes. For nearly 20 years, he’s been giving back. He planned a tour, started a scholarship program, chipped in to future policies, and decided to give them years of service from his life moving forward. Jean felt that Haiti needed him once again, so he responded—this time in song. It’s important to serve your country; that made his return that much more fulfilling and obvious when he did decide to come back.

“My philosophy with aid is that it’s a Band-Aid. Once you take the Band-Aid off, you feel the pain again, so I focus on social entrepreneurship instead of immediate

fixes,” he says. “Some of the greatest rappers there don’t have nothing. So the program I created, and which plays a part on the album, involved going to these communities, giving a small fund for them to go to the studio, they record music, they press their own CDs, and then they come back to sell those in their communities. Automatically, one small idea like that was turning their lives around per month.

They started being able to take care of themselves and their families. We helped 5,000 kids within that program. I want music to inspire and uplift. This is what we, as Haitian kids, need.”

We interviewed Wyclef Jean for a round of Wheel of Tunes, a series where we ask musicians questions inspired by their song titles. True to Carnival III, the answers dig into details about the Haitian lifestyle, his upbringing, and how to give back—a perfect introduction before he headlines the Wilbur this Thursday.

1. “Slums” In your opinion, what can the average American do to help those living in poverty in their city or state?

In order to help poverty in cities and states, we have to help change legislation to better politics. We as community have to learn more about legislation going on in Washington, DC, and how they affect different countries that we’re involved with.

on?

2. “Turn Me Good” What’s something you recently changed your opinion

I was at a concert yesterday and I told a couple thousand people in that crowd that sometimes when you’re together in a relationship for long, you become bored. A record like “Turn Me Good” reminds you that love is forever. So don’t be scared to experiment different beautiful things with your partners. One funny thing is that we were talking about how we’re going to get a stripping pole and put it in the house. The women won’t be stripping. The men will be stripping for the women. That was my idea [laughs].

3. “Borrowed Time” Have you had a close call with death before?

Yeah definitely, a few times. Being in the hood, my cousin got shot dead once. It was meant for me. That’s how I feel secured in thinking that we’re on borrowed time. It was in the late ’80s and here I am today.

4. “Fela Kuti” Did you ever see Fela Kuti perform live growing up?

Never live, but I wish. For me, the incredible thing with Fela is the song “Zombie.” My connection with him starts in high school because I was a jazz major. I loved that he went

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to Africa. Well, first studied in England, then went back to Africa and made a complete career out of it. It was incredible to see. Definitely inspired me in major ways.

5. “Warrior” What’s your unofficial armour, something that helps shield you from harm, damage, or pain?

I would say the greatest armour is my daughter. She’s 12 right now. It’s so funny because all she wants is dad. She’s not impressed by nothing when it comes to her dad being an artist. We go to the mall and people rush looking for autographs. She respects that, but she doesn’t actually care. She just loves me because I’m her dad, nothing else.

That’s the greatest shield I could ever ask for. Keeps me humble.

6. “Shotta Boys” In what ways are you more independent than the rest of your family?

I’ve always been a hustler. I came from Haiti when I was 10 years old. By the time I was barely 15, I was already recording in the studio with Kurtis Blow. I learned how to speak fluent English in three years. I would go with my dad, who cleaned bathrooms, and always wondered what job I could do because he was open to that, too. If I wanted sneakers or a guitar, I knew I could find a job to get it. I would do whatever job it took as long as it was legal and I knew what the end game was that I was trying to get out of the solution. My first job was when I was 16. I was the Easter Bunny the day before Easter. My dad worked for a car company that needed one, so I showed up not knowing how they needed help. I saw this Easter Bunny suit and asked what the hell it was, then they told me the job was waving for cars to come in for the sale going on and I had to wear it. So I was in a pink bunny suit waving cars to come into this lot.

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7. “Double Dutch” When was the last time you played jump rope games?

Probably two weeks ago. I can actually jump rope; I’m nice with that. I remember in the hood guys don’t jump rope, but I found out that I can do it and I could whip your ass. Double Dutch, though, is a skill. You have to have a skill for that. Now you can go on YouTube and you can see different kids that are killing it. But back in the day, you had to have the skills that you learned by watching others handle the rope, and boy did it take practice.

8. “What Happened to Love” Where do you stand when it comes to dating apps like Tinder and Bumble?

To each his own, you know. That’s how I feel.

9. “Carry On” What’s the weirdest item you’ve gotten away with bringing on a plane as a carry-on?

A hammer, definitely. It was three weeks ago, too. It ended up being in my backpack by accident because I was doing some stuff in the studio. I guess I put all three back in my backpack: my keyboard, the laptop, and this hammer. When I took my laptop out on the plane, I was like, “Holy shit, there’s a hammer in here.” The scanner doesn’t catch everything, so I guess they missed it. I literally freaked out with this national security shit going on, and I told the flight attendant that the hammer was there and it was there by accident, because who knows. I didn’t want her to see it and start freaking out, you know?

Someone could be waiting for me on the other side. These days they make you paranoid for everything.

10. “Concrete Rose” What’s the hardest lesson you’ve learned from a loved one?

I think the hardest lesson is that you have to let people swim. If you don’t let them swim and you constantly put a life vest on them, then when you’re not around sometimes it’s hard for them to swim. I learned that from my mama.

11. “Trapicabana” Where is your ideal tropical haven?

The Caribbean and the beach there. That white sand, colorful drinks, white birds flying over you, the sound of the waves, and of course everyone knows how Wyclef gets down with a tight Bob Marley spliff.

12. “Thank God for the Culture” What recent piece of pop culture are you most grateful for?

I’m grateful for the pop culture moment when we saw the transition of Michael Jackson. Those moments transformed my life musically, inspirationally, soundtrack-wise. It made me feel like, holy shit, I could do this.

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A GOOD YEAR FOR BEST PICTURES

FILM

BY JAKE MULLIGAN @_JAKEMULLIGAN

The Academy Awards are not something that DigBoston typically reports on, but this year we inadvertently expanded that habit: We barely even reported on the films that ended up getting nominated. Of the nine films competing for Best Picture this Sunday evening, we only wrote about one at length thus far—Steven Spielberg’s The Post [2017]. And sometime in the next month or so, we’ll be publishing a piece on the film that I personally find “best” among those nominated—Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread [2017]. But that leaves seven movies just swept off to the side. Of those seven, there are two films I’ve yet to see (Darkest Hour [2017] and Call Me By Your Name [2017]) and three I feel mostly ambivalent or apathetic toward (The Shape of Water [2017], Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri [2017], and Dunkirk [2017]). But the remaining two—Jordan Peele’s Get Out [2017] and Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird [2017]—are vital pictures. And as cynical as I may be toward the very concept of awards ceremonies for movies, the fact that these films were nominated for Best Picture almost certainly represents a continued movement within the Academy’s voters (a group that is growing more diverse each year) toward citing a wider range of film genres among the nominees for the most prestigious awards (Get Out is a horror/satire, while Lady Bird is a memoir-comedy pitched somewhere between the French New Wave-influenced American studio dramas of the 1970s and the successive wave of John Hughes/ Fast Times-adjacent teen movies in the 1980s). There was a hypothetical scenario I considered recently, and I think it serves well as both a backhanded compliment to the awards process and as a statement of adoration for the two given films: This year’s nominees for Best Picture would make a strong repertory program 10 or 20 years down the line, as a time capsule of sorts, if we’re privileged enough to still have a robust film culture at that point in time—but without Get Out and Lady Bird, that program would likely be a long and lopsided bore.

Lady Bird, written and directed by Greta Gerwig The emotional center of Lady Bird is located between 18

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the two front seats of a moving car: Gerwig’s film stages major dramatic moments within automobiles on at least four different occasions. In the first one, high school senior Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) throws herself out the passenger’s side of a moving car to end an argument with her mother Marion (Laurie Metcalf) about whether or not Lady Bird has the grades and financial backing necessary to attend an out-of-state university (once she does so, we cut directly to a different scene).

And in the last such occurrence, Marion has dropped Lady Bird off at the airport so that she may go to one of those faraway colleges, offering a particularly cold goodbye as her daughter exits the car—a decision that Marion immediately regrets, causing her to speed her way through the drop-off loop of the airport in the hopes of getting back in time to offer a warmer farewell. Most of the film takes place in Sacramento, in 2002 and 2003, in the year between those two car rides. And most of the sequences in the movie follow the example set by the first one— dialogue exchanges occur with a screwball-esque high speed, leading up to abrupt scene transitions that restart the rhythm all over again. Within that dialogue, the film is often emphasizing the ways in which people calibrate their speech or behavior to befit whomever it is they’re speaking to. It’s a quality that the screenplay and the performances get ineffably right—say, the tentative excitement in a teenager’s voice as they try to prolong an innocuous conversation with a schoolmate they’re attracted to, or the pleading tone taken up by a mother or daughter when they perceive that a conversation with a family member is about to take a mean-spirited turn. This is a film about catching feelings, usually while riding in cars. But what makes it truly humane, and what makes it so pleasurable to watch, is that it’s got a very real interest in depicting the way that one person’s feelings and gestures can physically alter the behavior of someone else—an interest that perfectly suits a film that spends much of its time studying people as they sit side by side. Lady Bird lives for that shared emotional space between the two seats.

That description probably makes Lady Bird sound like a low-key dramatic piece, but that’s very far removed from

the energy it actually displays throughout. Following up on the rhythm set by Frances Ha [2012] and Mistress America [2015] (both were co-written by Gerwig and directed by Noah Baumbach), Lady Bird is a traditional comedy paced just as quickly as its dialogue is performed.

Gerwig’s writing remains ecstatic, inventive, and just outright funny—there are more than a few razor-sharp lines strewn throughout, like when Lady Bird’s closeted boyfriend declines to feel her up out of “respect” (her response, delivered with killer sincerity: “If you had boobs, I wouldn’t touch them either”). But the film’s more conceptual gags, like a JV football coach-turned-theater director (“A play… is a play”), are of the broader variety, usually to their detriment. That character is one of a few who are sketched thinly enough to make this film briefly feel ordinary. But most of the other elements of Gerwig’s picture are on the other end of the spectrum—her film thrives on the hyperspecific. As quickly paced as it may be, its scenes are nonetheless constructed to showcase the kind of quotidian details that can only be sourced from memory—like the kind of quotes a self-styled “cultured” teenager might Sharpie onto their walls (Tolstoy’s diaries), the amount of space that needs to be kept between two bodies at a Catholic school dance (six inches), or the kinds of songs getting played at high school parties in 2003 (“Cry Me a River”). It is unambiguously personal, which gives the film idiosyncrasies and unique textures—and that idiosyncratic nature extends all the way to its narrative arc.

Lady Bird is the rare film about “mothers and daughters” that doesn’t strain itself to find some false common ground between the two for the sake of resolution. Instead Gerwig scripts its final moments of drama to play out while the pair are separated—after a film of two-handers, it leaves each character to reach their own conclusion, a choice that proves deeply moving if only because it feels more truthful than the alternative. Lady Bird may return home after throwing herself out of her mother’s car, but Gerwig’s film is wise enough to respect the fact that coming of age means never going back to the passenger’s seat.

BOOKS

TOMORROW WILL BE DIFFERENT Sarah McBride comes to Boston

BY KATELYN BURNS @TRANSSCRIBE Midway through 2016, I was just about to come out publicly as a trans woman, leading a double life as a boring male banker by day and moonlighting as a burgeoning journalist and advocate for trans rights. I was sitting in a chain restaurant in Danvers with my trans mom, a term we in the trans community use for a mentor figure who teaches us how to begin surviving as a trans person, and she kept gushing about this amazing trans woman and advocate, Sarah McBride. I’m embarrassed to say that I had never heard of her at the time.

In the nearly two years since that day in the restaurant, McBride’s profile has risen to previously unseen heights. I cried when I heard her speech before the 2016 Democratic National Convention, the first time a trans person had spoken at a major political party convention. I’ve since had the chance to interview her many times in her role as the national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, and not only is she incredibly sharp and informed on the key issues, but she always takes time to speak off the record with me about how to survive as a prominent and visible trans woman.

Sarah has a new book, Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality, out next Tuesday, March 6, and she’s coming to the Boston Athenaeum for a Q&A and a book signing on Thursday, March 8. Ahead of her visit, I had the chance to speak with McBride for DigBoston about her book, how to exist as a publicly admired trans woman who also has a personal life, how the loss of her husband to cancer informs her activism, and the state referendum in Massachusetts this fall.

Start off by telling us a little about your book.

My book is the story of my own journey as a transgender person and as a transgender advocate. Tracing my story from coming out [as trans] as student body president at American University to fighting for equality in my home state of Delaware to having the chance to speak on stage at the Democratic National Convention and continue to the work on a national scale.

But it tells the story of that journey as a transgender woman and a transgender advocate in large part through my relationship with Andy, who was a transgender man and my later husband who passed away from cancer shortly after we married. So it’s a book about fighting for equality, but it’s also a love story. A love story that has profoundly changed me and transformed me as a person and an advocate, and I hope that these stories together can help open hearts and change minds.

The thing that I’m most excited to read is the juxtaposition between going through really difficult personal circumstances while also seeing your profile and career rise to unprecedented heights for a trans woman in advocacy. Can you tell me what it was like to deal with that pain while also having to put on a public face?

[There are] two major lessons that I’ve taken from my relationship with Andy and all the challenges I’ve been through in my personal life as I was advocating.

One, every day matters when it comes to building a world where every person can live their life to the fullest. Andy’s passing underscored for me that change cannot come fast enough and made me truly feel what Dr. King called the fierce urgency of now. Acknowledgement takes time. … at the same, even acknowledging that, we must never lose our patience, we must never allow ourselves be tempered into incrementalism. We must always be demanding change and change now.

And then the second thing: The pain of that relationship taught me and in many ways has allowed me to get through the last year and a half with more optimism and hope than I otherwise would, is that when Andy was dying, my brother, who is a radiation oncologist, said to me that even in this tragic time I should look around and take stock in acts of amazing grace that I see around me. For me, that amazing grace as Andy’s health declined was everywhere, whether it’s our family and friends organizing a rooftop wedding for us in five days, or Andy rallying and surviving and making it to the wedding even when by all accounts he shouldn’t have. That beauty in tragedy has allowed me even in these dark political moments to look around to find hope, and courage, and comfort.

Let’s talk about the last year and a half. Tell me a little bit about the whiplash of going from the heights of the Obama-era to what we’re dealing with now, which is an all-out assault on trans rights nationwide.

In many ways from a governmental advocacy perspective, we’ve gone from a presidency of progress to a presidency of prejudice. We have seen an administration intent on rolling back our progress, and they’re going to succeed on some fronts, but they’re also going to fail on many fronts. We know that once equality comes in many cases it becomes much more difficult to undo it.

As we transitioned from the Obama administration to the Trump administration, and as we go through this all-out assault on trans rights, what brings me comfort is that throughout those eight years of legal progress, because so many people came out and so much progress was made, we also gained an alliance of allies that are ready to stand with us, ready to fight with us, ready to march with us and are not remaining quiet as this administration tries to target transgender troops, kids, and patients. They aren’t going to close the hearts that have been opened and revert back the minds that have been changed.

You’re coming to Boston, and the big issue in Massachusetts is the referendum on trans public accommodations coming up in the fall. How important is it for the trans community to get a positive result from that vote?

I think Massachusetts has always been at the forefront of social progress and social change and the stakes could not be higher with the upcoming referendum. If they were to be successful in repealing the existing protections for transgender people in the public square, it would have tangible negative consequences for trans people throughout the commonwealth. It could embolden and inflame discrimination against transgender people in restaurants and stores and schools, really throughout public life, and it would communicate a really dangerous message to far too many transgender people, particularly trans young people, which is that should the referendum pass and the protections [be] repealed, it could communicate to them that the heart of the Commonwealth isn’t big enough to love them too. And that’s never the message we want to send any person.

The eyes of the nation will be on Massachusetts with that referendum, and a negative result could embolden anti-equality activists and politicians across the country. It’s incredibly important, but I am hopeful that those working on it will be able to stave off this attack.

Massachusetts residents want to continue to be known for being on the forefront of equality and progress. >> SARAH MCBRIDE READS FROM TOMORROW WILL BE DIFFERENT AT THE BOSTON ATHENAEUM ON THU 3.8 AT 6PM. $15 FOR NONMEMBERS NEWS TO US

FEATURE

LIVE MUSIC • PRIVATE EVENTS 3/02

Cake Factory

Feat. Bell Curve, !@#$%, & Orlando Boom 3/03

Hooked “Raw and Smoked” Bow market fundraiser 3/04

Ladies Rock Camp Showcase Nine brand new LRCB bands take the stage!

3/05

Local Music Monday: The Farewells Alt-folk Americana 3/07

The Susan Constant, Narrow Waves, & The Motivated Sequence Indie rock

156 Highland Ave • Somerville, MA 617-285-0167 oncesomerville.com a @oncesomerville b/ONCEsomerville

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HEADLINING THIS WEEK!

THEATER REVIEW ARTS

BY CHRISTOPHER EHLERS @_CHRISEHLERS

Des Bishop

HBO, Just For Laughs Thursday - Saturday

COMING SOON JUST ADDED: Bassem Youssef Special Engagement: Sat @ 4 PM

Michael Yo

Chelsea Lately, E! News, Sirius XM Mar 8-10

Luis Chataing

Special Engagement: Sun, Mar 11

Adam Ray

Spy, The Heat, Ghostbusters Mar 15-17

Chris Franjola

Netflix, Chelsea Lately Mar 22-24

Kurt Braunohler

Netflix’s Lady Dynamite, Comedy Central Mar 30+31

617.72.LAUGH | laughboston.com 425 Summer Street at the Westin Hotel in Boston’s Seaport District 20

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CHARITY ANGEL DAWSON, DESI OAKLEY AND LENNE KLINGAMAN IN THE NATIONAL TOUR OF WAITRESS. PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS.

A VASTLY IMPROVED WAITRESS RETURNS TO BOSTON

In my review of the 2015 world premiere of Waitress at the American Repertory Theater, I wrote that the show lacked depth and emotional texture and that there was nothing beyond the show’s light and airy meringue.

While I do promise to avoid bad pie puns this time around, I am happy to report that the show is in much better shape than it was two and a half years ago. Still playing to near-capacity houses on Broadway, the work that went into the show during the sevenmonth period of time between its A.R.T. run and Broadway opening have improved the show in every conceivable way.

Based on Adrienne Shelly’s sweet 2007 film, Waitress tells the story of Jenna (Desi Oakley), waitress and wizard of pies, who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant with the child of her abusive boyfriend, Earl (Nick Bailey). Her love of baking was passed down to her by her mother, and it seems that she’s also inherited her mother’s penchant for losers.

She’s been numb to life for a long time and she is right on track to repeat her mother’s mistakes.

Buoyed by her fellow waitresses and only friends Dawn (Lenne Klingaman) and Becky (Charity Angél Dawson), Jenna bides her time and considers her options in the weeks before she begins to show.

Jenna begins to have an affair with her goofy, handsome gynecologist (Bryan Fenkart), which further muddles her already forlorn mental state. But things begin to look up for her when she finds out about an upcoming pie contest—the prize money would be enough to allow her to finally leave Earl.

Even if most of the show’s characters are stereotypes, the musical functions as an entertaining and—dare I say—inspiring modern-day fairy tale. The book, by I Am Sam screenwriter Jessie Nelson, was the biggest detriment to Waitress last time I saw it, but it has improved substantially even if it still occasionally resorts to cliche.

Sara Bareilles’ score remains a mixed bag. At best an impressive musical theater debut and at worst forgettable, her songs have an unmistakable Bareilles flair with an astute affection for the art form for which she is writing.

Waitress made history for being the first Broadway musical with an all-female creative team, yet for all of the show’s defiant girl power, I still find it problematic that Jenna’s way of escape ultimately ends up being through another man.

The show still isn’t perfect, but director Diane Paulus has seen to it that Waitress has been gratifyingly finessed into an honest-to-goodness slice of musical theater heaven (sorry). It manages to be both hugely moving and wildly funny, a deeply satisfying confection from the heart. >> WAITRESS. THROUGH 3.4 AT BOSTON OPERA HOUSE, 539 WASHINGTON ST., BOSTON. NATIONAL TOUR THROUGH 8.26. BOSTON.BROADWAY.COM

DES BISHOP COMEDY

WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST

BY PATT KELLEY PATTKELLEY.COM

A chat with one of Ireland’s funniest

BY DENNIS MALER @DEADAIRDENNIS

Growing up can be tough, especially when your parents move you to a completely different country—and even when you’re pretty sure they speak English in that new place. Stand-up comedian Des Bishop has been through that routine more than once, being born in London, raised in New York, and finally moving to Ireland at 14 years old.

Coming of age in two different but oddly similar environments will skew anyone’s mindset, which begins to explain Bishop’s unique style of observational comedy and his criticism of Ireland as well as of the America he left behind. If tragedy plus time equals comedy, then between the culture shock of crossing the pond twice and a brush with cancer, you’d think that Bishop would have to wait a lifetime to make things funny. But he figured it all out pretty quickly.

I recently spoke with the celebrity comic about his time on Dancing with the Stars, the Edinburgh Fringe Fest, and his book.

Which would you rather? Relearn Chinese all over again from the start, or partner with Dancing With the Stars judge Brian Redmond for a 10-minute tango?

I would rather relearn Chinese again. Not because Brian is a bad guy or anything, I just can’t handle the feeling of facial hair rubbing against my own.

Nickname you hated the most growing up?

Yank. Growing up in New York you really don’t hear that much. And here in the States it has a whole different meaning than over there.

What is the one thing you never want to hear again when someone notices your accent?

“Oh well, I bet you can really drink, huh?”

You’ve been to Boston a few times; what’s the one thing you would tell people, besides your mother, to check out when they come to visit?

Oh, I don’t know what to say. I’m not much of a drinker. I quit drinking at age 19. I was a big drinker, and I was a bad drinker with a drinking problem. That’s why I quit.

THE WAY WE WEREN’T

BY PAT FALCO ILLFALCO.COM

What is your opinion on the drink the Irish Car Bomb?

What? Is that a real drink?

Yes. It’s half a shot of Baileys Irish Cream and half a shot of Jameson, dropped into a Guinness.

I suppose I feel the same way about it as I would a drink called an ISIS Beheading.

What is your current music player of choice and the most embarrassing song in it?

Spotify. A lot of juvenile dubstep.

What is the most challenging part, the most fun thing a comedian should do, and what is the one thing every tourist should do at Edinburgh Fringe Festival?

The most challenging part would be doing 30 shows in 30 nights. Absolute madness.

Well, I had the most absolute fun playing futbol with the other comedians. And when I say futbol, I mean soccer.

Your one-man show became the focus of both a documentary and a book. What were the challenges in creating three separate works on the same subject?

The show sort of fed the doc, so the documentary’s really just chartering that journey toward doing the show. So, those two things were kind of like one thing to us, that was easy.

The book is really more about my dad’s life than just about what we did with the show. So the book is the same title, but it’s actually a very different thing.

OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS

BY TIM CHAMBERLAIN OURVC.NET

Which American comedy club would you want to spend 30 straight nights performing at?

The Comedy Cellar in New York. That’s basically what I’m already doing.

Which one would you prefer the least?

Oh, uh… Stand Up New York.

What would your wrestling name be if you were a wrestler?

The Yank.

See Des Bishop this weekend at Laugh Boston. He’ll be performing two shows—at 8 and 10 pm each night. Tickets are $25, and can be purchased at laughboston.com. For more information about this show, or any comedy show in town, visit BostonComedyShows.com.

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QUICKIES

SAVAGE LOVE

BY DAN SAVAGE @FAKEDANSAVAGE | MAIL@SAVAGELOVE.NET

I recently stumbled on an Instagram account of a young woman who’s a “knife play” enthusiast. I consider myself sexpositive, but I must say I was disturbed by the images. I was also shocked that I didn’t know this was a thing! But of course it’s a thing cuz everything is a thing, right? I don’t want to outlaw it, and everyone has a right to their kinks, I guess, but I’m so wigged out! I guess I don’t have a question here besides wondering what you think about it. Ick!

Can’t Understand This Everything is, indeed, a thing, CUT, and intimidating things like knives—objects that symbolize power, danger, and control—are far likelier to become things (fetishized objects) than nonthreatening things like waffle irons or useless things like moderate Republicans. As for what I think about knife play, well, it’s definitely not for me. But if someone wants to incorporate knife play into their sex life safely, responsibly, and consensually, and package it in a manner that doesn’t violate Instagram’s terms of service, I don’t have a problem with it.

I’m a first-time dog owner. I LOVE my dog, but here’s the thing: he sleeps in my bed with me, and would probably whine and bark at this point and wake up my roommates if I kicked him out of the room. Is it wrong to masturbate when my dog is on my bed? He’s not always sleeping. Could this damage my pup in some way?

Conundrums Are Tacky Dogs have been watching humans fuck for 30,000 years.

So long as your pup is a passive observer and not (ick) an active participant, he’ll be fine and you won’t go to jail.

About three years ago my wife declared an end to sex. (We are in our late sixties.) However, she insists on “taking one for the team” once a month. She makes it clear she derives no enjoyment from sex, but I cannot refuse to participate without a huge fight. I find that I have developed a sexual attraction to other men my age. Every man I encounter in gay bathhouses considers oral sex safe, and no one wants to use a condom. Most of these guys seem very experienced and are not worried about STDs from oral sex. Should I be worried?

Concerned Older Man Enquires You can get all sorts of things from giving and receiving oral sex: gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, herpes, etc. My advice: stop having sex with your wife so long as you’re seeking out men in bathhouses. I suspect your wife is only fucking you once a month to keep you from straying (which you’re already doing) because she believes—incorrectly— that if you aren’t getting sex at home, COME, you’ll leave her to go get sex. That’s obviously not the case—you’re getting sex elsewhere without her knowledge (or her consent and putting her at risk in the process) and you aren’t leaving. Tell her you’re also done with straight sex (the “straight” can be silent), have one last huge fight, and then go suck some dick.

On the Lovecast, Dan chats with Robby Soave on the dangers of teen sexting: savagelovecast.com.

COMEDY EVENTS THU 03.01

MIDWEST COMEDY BUFFET @ MIDWEST GRILL

Featuring: Jeff Medoff, Sarah Francis, Laura Burns, Ben Bosunga, & more.

Hosted by Dana J. Bein

1124 CAMBRIDGE ST., CAMBRIDGE | 10PM | FREE THU 03.01 - SAT 03.03

DES BISHOP @ LAUGH BOSTON

Des Bishop is one of Ireland’s most successful comedians.

Originally from NY, he moved to Ireland at 14 and went on to make six series on Irish Television. He has also released five stand up specials, won two Irish Film and Television awards, and was featured on HBO’s a Comic’s Climb in 2005.

His critically acclaimed one man show “My Dad was nearly James Bond” about his father’s battle with terminal Lung Cancer was the smash hit of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2010, which became the subject of a Documentary for Irish TV and a book in 2011.

425 SUMMER ST., BOSTON | 8 & 10PM | $20-$25 FRI 03.02

HIDEOUT COMEDY @ THE HIDEOUT IN FANEUIL HALL Featuring: Corinne Fisher, James Myers, & Ramsey Badawi (8pm)/Adam Mamawala (10pm) Hosted by Dylan Krasinski & Sam Ike

4 S. MARKET ST., BOSTON | 8 & 10PM | $10 FRI 03.02 - SAT 03.03

MIKE WHITMAN @ NICK’S COMEDY STOP

Mike Whitman, chosen by The Boston Globe as the one of the few top rising comedians to watch in 2014. His innovative material and style made him a semi-finalist of the Boston Comedy Festival multiple times. He is one of the nation’s most versatile and entertaining comics working today. Mike has performed at colleges and top venues throughout the country, sharing the stage with national headlining acts such as Norm Macdonald, Nick DiPaolo, Jim Gaffigan, Jim Norton, Jim Breuer.

100 WARRENTON ST., BOSTON | 8PM | $20 SAT 03.03

WEIRD AL YANKOVIC @ THE WILBUR

“Weird Al” Yankovic: The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, IllAdvised Vanity Tour. Four-time Grammy-winner Weird Al Yankovic forgoes his usual high-octane, big-production show for an intimate evening of music, focusing on original (non-parody) songs from his 14-album catalog. After his 2016 world tour, this is a rare opportunity to get up-close and personal with this legendary performer. Weird Al’s most recent album Mandatory Fun was the first comedy album in history to debut at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. In 2018 he will be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Opener: Emo Philips

246 TREMONT ST., BOSTON | 3 & 8PM | $59-$279 SAT 02.24

TOM PAPA @ CITY WINERY BOSTON

Tom Papa is one of the top comedic voices in the country finding success in film, television and radio as well as on the live stage. On Dec. 9th, 2016, Tom premiered his third hourlong stand-up special, Human Mule, on Epix. Tom’s first two, critically acclaimed hour-long specials Tom Papa: Freaked Out (2013) is streaming on Amazon and Hulu and Tom Papa Live in New York City (2011) is streaming on Netflix.

80 BEVERLY ST., BOSTON, | 7PM | $22 - $30 SUN 03.04

THE COMEDY STUDIO PRESENTS @ SALLY O’BRIEN’S

One of Boston’s top comedy venues for 21 years in Harvard Square, is reopening at Bow Market this summer! In the meantime, find it at one of Union Sq’s staples.

Featuring: Shawn Carter & more Hosted by Rick Jenkins

730 MASS AVE., CAMBRIDGE | 8PM | FREE

22

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Lineup & shows to change without notice. For more shows & info visit BostonComedyShows.com

®

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