general

Bob Somerby (The Daily Howler) is one of the few people who thinks Gatesgate is a moron-fest. Apologies to Mark, with whom I've been discussing this on the internets. I don't think you're a moron, but you are wrong that this is a good example of a cop on a power trip. It's not a good example of anything, since there were no witnesses, no photos and no way to verify what actually happened. Yet millions have weighed in without knowing basic facts about the incident. The Howler found, and commented on the empty-headedness of this discussion:

On CNN, the cable buffoons were pondering possible “teachable moments” last night. Lou Dobbs mused about where the “moment” might lie. And then, Keith Richburg, of the Washington Post, said this. We did not make it up:

RICHBURG (7/27/09): Let me just add one thing on—

DOBBS: Quickly if you will.

RICHBURG: Yes, it just seems that one thing is, Professor Gates and his neighbor should get to know each other.

JAMES TARANTO: But she was not a neighbor. She lived about seven miles away.

RICHBURG: Well, she worked— Yes, but she worked in an office 100 yards away.

By now, Richburg understood that the caller wasn’t a neighbor—but for reasons only these Martians can explain, such narratives must never die. When Taranto corrected him, Richburg advanced a new Mars-ready theory: You should make sure you get to know everyone who lives within 100 yards of your office. You should get to know everyone who works in a building 100 yards from your home.

(We can’t vouch for Richburg’s yardage.)

We’d call that a teachable moment—about a group of unteachable life-forms. Our teaching? Only on Mars do life-forms like these actually grow and thrive.

And yet, these strange people remain on the air, shaping America’s “public discussions.”

How many words have been written in a short amount of time about the Henry Louis Gates Jr. arrest? News stories, op ed pieces, internet comments: A staggering volume of words. That's because the story is a Rorschach meme. Consider all the ingredients here. A conflict with only the word of the two parties to tell us what happened. A perfect storm of social tensions: cop vs citizen in a post 9/11 police state context, elite university employee vs "townie," black vs white, a racist DC press still absorbing the fact of a non-white US president (and both commenting on the incident). Everyone, but everyone has an opinion on this one. Which of the above factors was the most important? What must have actually happened? Type away. Your issue is in there somewhere.

My only comment (made on twitter) concerned the Huffington Post's publishing of Gates' mug shot after the charges were dropped. Classy move, Arianna. The "blogger" press can be as bad as the National Enquirer: worse because people think it's not fiction.

Update: Since the above was written this story has turned into "cable catnip." A crazy local story to distract us from the health care we aren't getting, etc. Hats off to the US media, which now includes syndicated bloggers. You've done it again.

Update 2: Reason's headline "Put the race talk aside: the issue here is abuse of police power, and misplaced deference to authority" typifies the pedantic rhetoric surrounding this incident. Almost everyone who writes on this topic offers the definitive word on what it "means." "A phantom Negro" says: "So before we heed the call of racism, let’s be mindful of the tower from which that call came. This has something to do with race. But it has a lot more to do with messing with Skip Gates." David Brooks says: "Maybe this 'situation' had something to do with Harvard University and social class... But even if class mattered, it did so mostly because of how, in this situation, it was bound up with race." Ishmael Reed ventures: "If Gates ceases his role as just another tough lover and an 'intellectual entrepreneur,' and takes a role in ending racial traffic and retail profiling, and police home invasions...we can say, "Welcome home, Skip; welcome home.'" Everybody has their take. No one was there.

...at Marianne Boesky, a group show curated by Todd Levin. This is just one corner of the largish exhibit (over 70 works). Reminiscent of the "Unmonumental" and "Younger Than Jesus" New Mu house style but more considered and artful placement of works. Most of the artists were transgressive young craft and schlock appropriating Turks of yesteryear (Cady Noland, Leonardo Drew, Joseph Cornell (whoa)) who are now many years older than Jesus (or have passed on). The show really does show the silliness of shows based on age. Anyone can work with these kinds of ideas. Really.

Finally got up on the High Line last evening. These shots, with and without a flash, were at twilight. The High Line is an old elevated rail line that runs from the meat packing district (MePa) north about eight blocks through West Chelsea. The indigenous grasses that used to grow between the railroad tracks have been mimicked by freshly planted indigenous grasses growing among the curved Modernist pseudo rails you see in the photo. You can't tell from these pics but it was party central up there last night: you could barely walk for all the bored West Siders milling around.