Wednesday September 24, 2003 www.michigandaily.com artseditor@michigandaily.com UIpf £ t i 4 J m x D a t RTS 5 incredibly up to date - guiding readers from the 2000 election to the current debate on weapons of mass destruction - it is fact checked by 14 Harvard University students, and most importantly, it's funny. At times, it is even disturbing, as in the account of Bill O'Reilly's sex- ual suspense thriller "Those Who Trespass," a novel that is more ambitious than Ludacris' Word of Mouf album: "While Ludacris, like Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them By Al Franken E P Dutton Courtsey or EPr uunon I refuse to beat myself up. I am an attractive person. I am fun to be with. By Stev Daily Art PA NTS ON FIRE AL FRANKEN TAUNTS THE RIGHT re Cotner president. But in crafting the story s Writer behind the book - the triumph of free speech over Fox News Channel's R1 EI E Wthreats to sue for slander - Franken has used the rumor mill of media for anken understands the role of his own good. He has engineered his anship in politics. In his new own buzz, sending his book to the Lies and the Lying Liars Who top of the bestseller list for three em, he takes on the biggest weeks now. en in the business: Bill But "Lies" has enough incisive y, Sean Hannity and even the content to stand on its own. It is O'Reilly, enjoys describing oral sex scenes, there are none on his album involving a teen crack whore." Franken fills his pages with small facts like these, choosing to tear down today's religious ideologies, sexual hypocrites and chickenhawk patriots with whatever he can conjure. At his worst, Franken pulls the reader into forgettable, petty squabbles. At his best, he transcends the fray and pro- vides firm maxims like "Conserva- tives ... love America like a child loves their mommy," or his analysis of media bias: "Politics - no liberal bias ... The Funnies - funny bias, or in the case of Family Circus, funny and heartwarming bias." Unlike his enemies, Franken can fall back on a humble crutch: "I'm a comedian." But strangely, this "funny bias" does not prevent him from being excessively partisan. He praises the Clinton administration for the longest period of economic growth in American history, for reducing crime rates, for suggesting the homeland security plan imple- mented after 9/11 and for sustaining "the greatest president of the twenty- first century." One problem with comedians is you can't tell when they're joking. Franken makes some very far- reaching arguments in his book. He warns of the power exerted by Rupert Murdoch, the world's most powerful media mogul, and by Clear Channel Communications. He addresses exploitation in the third world, the tightening grip of corpo- rate hegemons and the active misin- formation campaigns of this administration. But too often, he brings the debate back to the most simplistic and irrelevant question: Clinton vs. Bush. Still, "Lies" is important for its unflinching look at the conservative elite, whom Franken accuses of propagating "a worldview designed to comfort the comfortable and fur- ther afflict the afflicted." Their atti- tude towards telling lies - that they must have inherent value if they suc- ceed in the "marketplace of ideas" - is especially invidious. And judg- ing by book sales, Americans are eager for some truth. THE HOTTEST PICKS IN ENTERTAINMENT FROM A DAILY ARTS WRITER S, "Mr. Show" - Oh god, Its Bob and David! The recently released third-season DVD set should act as a reminder that TV was once funny before falling victim to the devastating entitilitus. "12:51" - The new single from the Strokes captures a decade of music within two minutes of tape. And what could be better than irregular clapping and copping licks from the Cars, you ask? The video is going to be a tribute to "Tron." The Decemberists - Finally, Colin Meloy proves that he's not just another two-bit Jeff Magnum rip-off by creating one of the most haunting, introspective albums of the year. Sofia Coppola - Her screenplay for the upcoming "Lost in Trans- lation" is an elegant love letter to the nature of close friendships and to the city of Tokyo. A fas- cinating endeavor into the emotions of the filmmaker and her love for those unexpect- ed connections we make which may not last. Al Fr showm book, "I Tell Th showm O'Reill Achewood.com - The sometimes- twisted, always-surreal online-exclusive comic based on the lives of five animals living in a California home brings topics such as anarchy, Jared from Subway and sexing up Cathy to a whole new, psychotic level. Courtesy of Achewood~com __j There's no joy in 'Poland' 'Threat Matrix' preys on American paranoia By Niamh Sievin Daily Arts Writer TV REVIEW David E. Kelley has hit upon a novel way to reach his male viewers: Life- time for Men. Who says women are the only ones that need hugs and happy family feel- ings in their lives? "The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H." offers men the The Brother- hood of Poland, N.H. Wednesdays at 10 p.m. CBS The Shaw brothers undoubtedly have their issues with women. Waylon (Chris Penn) fears his wife might be having an affair. Hank's (Randy Quaid) girl doesn't seem attracted to him anymore, and Garrett (John Car- roll Lynch) is fighting to keep his beloved from discovering his own past indiscretions. In the midst of their public scandals, these men must deal with the hassles of marriage counseling, personal inse- curities and troublesome children. But through it all, they have each other, and boy, doesn't that make you feel all cuddly inside? However, Kelley strives to showcase their insecurities so much that he ceas- es to provide any inkling of a likeable We need a cab! One lousy fuckin' cabs character. The men seem so one dimen- sional that the show drags painfully through their banal existences. The David E. Kelley stamp on the show may attract its initial viewers, but it's doubtful the target audience will remain faithful. "Poland" is as boring to its spectators as it is to its inhabitants and unfortunately, the more experienced "Law & Order" is merely two remote clicks away. By Niamh Slevin Daily Arts Writer In a world where terror lurks around every corner, only one super agency can save us. In a country where ship containers and drone bees threaten our very existence, ABC gives us the best unknown guardians: the men and women of the Department of Home- land Security. Everybody scoffed at the birth of the newest government agency, wondering how exactly they planned to safeguard the nation. But no more! ABC's "Threat Matrix" seeks to show the world that Ton Ridge's baby is one bad mother. They hunt down bad guys with little evidence; they brave the toughest of situations to get their man. When a Threat drug trafficker Matrix compromises Thursdays at national security, T . these agents flaunt ABC their technological skills to trace a single terrorist cell ... halfway around the world! Oh yes, they certainly are smarter than the average bear, but they're not without heart either. While Agent Frankie Kilmer (Kelly Rutherford) dodges bullets and assassins in Jakarta, her ex-husband John (Jamie Denton), conveniently also her colleague in the department, stops at nothing to get her back safely, even if it means releasing three young terrorists back to their homeland. Despite its role as Bush-era propa- ganda, it still finds the action-packed charm to capture wanting viewers. It's got the fancy camera work and fast- paced plots, much like its competitor "CSI," and like "CSI" did for forensic scientists everywhere, "Threat Matrix" successfully glamorizes a seemingly banal job. However, with its all-too-complicat- ed storylines and elusive supporting characters, "Threat Matrix" has a lot of growing to do before it can survive in the big leagues against time-slot ene- mies like NBC's "Friends." chance to share in the characters' grief and joy along with the women. Now, the question is: Will they want it? We invite University of Michigan seniors interested in full-time opportunities to !"ffieg re f Irr fl ,elutl ald' Dnm M217~