Page 6-The Michigan Daily -Weekend etc. - September 24, 1992
I
Hiphoprisy - a great luxury
Heroes shine, but we want our Zoo TV
0.
Director Robert Altman's "Tanner '88" is an overlooked classic.
Re-select 'Tanner'
by Michael John Wilson
Before there was "Bob Roberts," there was "Tanner '88." While every-
one calls Robert Altman's "The Player" his comeback, those who saw his
made-for-HBO series know he was never gone.
Altman teamed up with "Doonesbury" creator Garry Trudeau for a mock
documentary about a Democratic presidential candidate named Jack Tanner
(Michael Murphy of "Manhattan" fame). Altman follows the mismanaged,
hilariously futile Tanner campaign from New Hampshire to the end of the
primary season.
. Altman brilliantly (and inexpen-
sively) chose to shoot Tanner 88"
on video instead of film. The raw
immediacy of video makes the
"documentary" feel even more real,
W'- as if we're watching CNN instead of
a slick Hollywood production.
Trudeau's script displays the po-
litical insight that characterizes
"Doonesbury." His unforgettably comic situations and characters show the
viewer how a campaign really runs.
Highlights include a focus group of New Hampshire residents who laugh
at the corny Tanner campaign video; a Tanner speech about the environment
which is interrupted by snowmobiles; and an "assassination attempt" on
Tanner in a bar which actually turns out to be a fight between two local
drunks. Tanner even runs into "real" candidates like Bob Dole and Pat
Robertson, who convincingly exchange small talk ("See you after the
convention!") with the fictional candidate.
Murphy is quite good as the ill-fated Tanner, finding the right balance
between charismatic leadership and slimy politicking. But the star of
"Tanner '88" is Pamela Reed ("Kindergarten Cop") in the role of Tanner's
burned-out, chain-smoking campaign manager. While maintaining a ro-
mance with one of the Kennedys, she desperately attempts to keep the
campaign from falling apart. It is through her handling of the press that we
gain the most insight into the powers behind the candidates.
Not all of the "Tanner '88" episodes are currently available on video, and
the few that are available are very hard to find (complain to your video store
until they buy it). But, with the renewed interest in Robert Altman and
campaign politics this year, hopefully the series will be more widely
available to show us what Tim Robbins must have studied to make "Bob
Roberts."
by Scott Sterling
On those rare occasions, one gets
to experience one of those ironically
perfect moments thatreally say some-
thing. One such moment occurred at
the second leg of U2's Zoo TV tour at
the Pontiac Silverdome.
Halfway through their opening set
at the show, the Disposable Heroes
Of Hiphoprisy launched into the song
"Television, The Drug of The Na-
tion." The San Francisco-based duo
filled the cavernous arena with their
booming beats, with vocalist Michael
Franti authoritatively dropping much
knowledge on the mic. Suddenly, his
partner in informational terrorism,
Rono Tse took a metal grinder to a
bombed-out TV set, creating a huge
wave of noise and sparks. Surrounded
by the vast technology of U2's stage,
the flying cars, countless video screens
and electronic monitors, it all made
too much sense.
In that one motion, he had per-
fectly summarized the entire evening,
and so much more.
From the ashes of mid-1980's
Afro-industrial confrontationalists
the Beatnigs, Tse and Franti formed
the Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy.
Drawing as much inspiration from
Gil Scott-Heron as Public Enemy, the
group creates a dense mix of politi-
cally-charged hip hop that thinks to
the beat. Their debut album, Hypoc-
risy Is The GreatestLuxury, addresses
political issues with an uncanny in-
telligence. Their views on African-
American culture (as well as people)
as a bankable commodity, ("Famous
And Dandy Like Amos And Andy")
gay bashing, ("Language Of Vio-
lence") and mixed-race heritage
("Socio--Genetic Experiment") are
painfully accurate.
With the emergence of other inno-
vative new artists in the hip hop na-
tion, such as Basehead, Me Phi Me,
and Arrested Devel-
opment, music jour-
nalists are scrambling
to define and pigeon-
hole these bands into
aconvenientheading.
Read: "Alternative
Rap."
"You can call it a
movement, or just see
it as hip hop's con-
stantly changing dia-
logue," Tse says.
"Rap is much like
jazz, continually
evolving. But we're
all different, and we
all want to preserve
our uniqueness."
And while that
uniqueness has
earned the band
much critical suc-
cess, Tse feels that
they may have alien-
ated some rather im-
portant potential lis-
teners.
"This first
record is not hitting
the mainstream," he
0
The D.H.H.'s Rono Tse captivates the audience at Pontiac's Industry earlier this year.
explains. "Some of
the beats are maybe a bit too compli-
cated for the average hip-hop listener
or dancer. I personally want to target
those people more next time out. But
as far as the content, the lyrics will
still be there."
Live, the Disposable Heroes are as
visually captivating as they are au-
rally. Both Tse and Franti dominate
the stage with their presence (which
at 6'6", isn't difficult for Franti). But
it's Tse kinetic rubberband man danc-
ing that steals the spotlight. He adds
to the frantic stageshow with the con-
tinual shower of sparks that he creates
from his assemblage of metal and
power tools.
"I try to enhance the show through
my dancing, by making instruments
out of tire rims, creating with some-
thing that's been thrown out as gar-
bage," Tse says. "It's a release. For
me, music and dance are one." '
And unlike many politically moti-
vated artists, Tse's beliefs are much
more than just a pose to sell records.
To him, the political and the personal
are inseparable. On the off days of
their tour, Tse and Franti help out at
homeless shelters and sponsor poetry
readings at local coffeehouses.
"Politics are important so we can
have happy relationships. At the end
of the day, having a companion, a
friendship, is what it all boils down to.
The reason behind so much divorce
and breakups is finance. The stuff you
think love will take care of. Yeah,
right," he laughs.
When U2 took the stage later that
evening, they were hypnotizing. I,
along with the thousands around me,
were lulled into a blissful trance by
the hundreds of cathode-powered
screens thatassaulted us from all sides.
The music became a soundtrack for
this incredible, two and a half hour
TV show.
I loved it.
I want my Zoo TV.
Hypocrisy is the greatest luxury. "
Quaff an ale - boozing down under
by Kim Yaged
> r
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
BALLROOM DANCE CLUB
We meet at the CCRB every Sunday night to
dance to the Swing, Fox Trot, Waltz, Cha Cha,
Rumba, Tango, Samba, Mambo,
Quickstep, and other dances
So, fraternity parties are B.Y.O.B.
and your recycled I.D. that claims
you're twenty-five years old can no
longer cut it. What to do? Go to Aus-
tralia!
What's that? You can't afford the
air fare and you have to study for
MCATs, LSATs, and all those other
acronyms? Sorry. (HA!) Well, if you
can't come to the Oz Land, perhaps
you can fake your own version of it
here in Ann Arbor. Thus follow a few
tips. (Beer consumption ones, of
course.)
For starters, there's the ladies drink
free night (with a A$6 cover, they're
generous, not crazy!) Also, Aussies
celebrate your conventional attitude
adjustment hour, the highlight of
which is the A$l schooner. This is
comparable to your buck a mug, but a
schooner is larger, and an Australian
beer is more potent. The only differ-
ence between our happy hour and
theirs is perhaps the fact that the Aus-
tralians practice it with more zest and
greater frequency. Ah, the trials and
tribulations of study abroad...
To my eye, the distinctly Austra-
lian drinking events are "Toss the
Boss" and the pub crawl. Now, "Toss
the Boss" is something that I think
shouldbe institutionalized in the U.S.,
at least Ann Arbor. So, all you cheap
alcoholics go run out to whatever
divvy bar you hang out at and demand
to speak to the boss. The way the
game works is that the bartender tosses
a coin and you call heads or tails. If
you call the right side, you get your
beer free; if you're wrong, you pay up
the cash. The only catch is that "Toss
the Boss"usually only runs at limited
times (you don't have to tell the Ann
Arbor bosses about that part), but it's
a definite favorite.
Now, the pub crawl is probably
not unlike what the average uni freshie
(a little Aussie lingo for you) partakes
in her/his firstnight out on the town at
college. (Or any random person on
her/his 21st, for that matter.) How-
ever, the Aussie version is much more
organized.
First of all, everyone partaking in
the crawl purchases a t-shirt to wear
during the evening, sort of as identifi-
cation, so to speak. Invariably, these
shirts get written on, tattered and torn
by the eve's end. Then, it's off to the
first pub. The purpose of the evening
(other than getting completely shitty)
is to drink a schooner of beer at each
pub you go to. Now, if you can't quite
hack the 15 ounces that a schooner
consists of you might partake in down-
ing a middy (which is a measly 10
ounces) per pub instead. It should be
noted that these sizes vary depending
on where in the Outback you're con-
suming.
How many pubs are you to attend
you ask? Oh, let's say a nice round
number like ten. But, here's the catch.
There's a ring leader for this whole
shabang. I suppose there's a name for
this person, but no one has ever been
sober enough to pass on the appella-
tion tome. At any rate, the ringleader's
duty is to keep the proceedings going. {
She/he is the one who directs you td
your initial pub and each respective
one from there on. More importantly"
the ring leader is the one who blows
the whistle. The whistle signals you
that it is time to travel on to the next
point, at which time you must scull, at
they say in these parts, any beer that
remains in your glass. Thus, the evening
proceeds in this manner until you have
attended all the pubs on the agenda.
It should be noted that the ring
leader is often obligated to remain
relatively sober, kind of like a desig-
nated driver of sorts, until the crawl's
completion. Therefore, time tends to
pass much more slowly for her or himVn
Consequently, you may be apt to think
your ears are ringing. No worries, mate,
they're not. It's just the whistle. "
,T 4' ..
( ' f A V P :
/i
I . '-p'
Come at Seven for a beginning lesson
" Come at Eight for general dancing
" Come alone or with a partner
" Come only once a week
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Cows
Continued from page 5
redundant or even, plagiarism.
The Cows lyrics, as well, display
well-thought and sometimes cynical
ideas that are more worthy of just a
regular "college" band. The frustra-
tions of relationships are covered well
Any questions? Call 668-2491
in a song such as "Space," where:
Feeney offers that he doesn't "need,
space,"- a definite twist on the old.
adage of relationships. The title tracki
comes to the fairly blunt conclusion
that another relationship has ended
because, "We just didn't get along."
No gimmicks. No double-talk.
The Holy Cows are a must-seep
band in person. And as if to reinforce
this thought, the cover photo is a*
blurred picture of the band live. Be-M
cause let's face it - the Cows leave"
you a little groggy, a bit confused, and!
yet somehow sure you want more.
0
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