Essays: the Collection

                 WESTWORLD When entertainment engages the mind. There is a conceit that small independent films are the exclusive sanctuary for cinema as an art form. H.B.O.’s ambitious new series, Westworld, almost defiantly asserts that art and big budget productions are not mutually exclusive. The motto “It’s not television, it’s H.B.O.” has a new resonance. The old fashioned edict in television has been to play to the lowest common denominator. Free of the constraints of network T.V., premium channels have the luxury to explore adventuresome material without the meddling of censors. However, as the need for new material rises, so do the demands. At this point, H.B.O. has a great deal at stake. Producing intriguing programing like The Sopranos, Sex and the City and the epic Game of Thrones, which is coming to a close, H.B.O is now in need of a hit. As is the case with anything, when you take risks there is the...

                                                                                                                                  Donald Trump, The wealth populist From the moment Donald Trump was on the podium with the confederation of dunces that comprised the nominees for President by the Republican Party, I knew he was not to be underestimated. Once th...

                                             Brock Turner and Lena Dunham                  W hen Stanford University Swimmer Brock Allen Turner’s sentence for rape became known, the outrage and disbelief caused an instant outpouring of anger, both off and online.  One reaction in particular that stood out was a powerful statement from the victim herself.  She addressed it to the accused.  It was articulate, horrifying and ultimately tragic. Brock and Dunham, art by Kurt von Behrmann 2016                 Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky’s verdict was a visible reminder that race, class and privilege still determine outcomes that are favorable to those who enjoy them....