Monday April 19, 2004 arts.michigandaily.com artseditor@michigandaily.com ARTS 9A' HASHING OUT THE TRUTH SCHLOSSER EXPOSES UNDERGROUND MARKET By Bernie Nguyen For the Daily Upon initial observation, "Reefer Madness" seems diminutive in comparison to the topic it tackles - the American black market's giant sex, marijuana and labor industries. Then again, it is an almost per- fect analogy for the market itself. On the surface it's hidden, unacknowledged or underestimated, but in reality, it is enormously significant. Eric Schlosser, in what he called "old-fashioned investigative journalism," deals with one of the ris- ing concerns of the domestic economy in his new book. He concentratessonethree huge Reefer industries in this underground Madness world: marijuana, migrant By Eric Schlosser labor and pornography.By Houghton focusing individually on each, he calls attention to the expansion of the cumulative market itself, one that he described as a symptom of "a society that's fundamentally unhealthy." The book demands recognition and forces acknowledg- ment of the illegal, illogical and often dangerous world that is right beneath our noses. Schlosser spoke about these themes and his new book in Angell Hall last Thursday. In the marijuana section, the author clearly pres- ents the facts and figures of the marijuana industry, estimating its annual monetary intake to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Scientific studies show it to be non addictive, with fewer harmful side effects than tobacco or alcohol and with potentially useful medicinal qualities. Yet, he argues, the drug retains a powerful social stigma and is associated with a destructive, rebellious subculture. The legal penalties for marijuana offenses, even involving miniscule amounts, are sometimes extremely harsh. Marijuana offenders can face life sentences without parole alongside murderers and rapists. Schlosser presents a particularly disturbing exam- ple of a paraplegic who smoked marijuana in order to relieve the phantom pains in his missing limbs and was prosecuted and sent to prison for the tiny amount hidden in his wheelchair. 54 percent of col- lege-age students, he says, may legally be considered criminals for marijuana usage. "If you have over half of young people technically criminals that's a bad law," Schlosser commented. "You could decriminal- ize marijuana next week and no harm would result. A lot of money that is. being wasted ... could be put to better use." Those hoes forgot to install my eight-track player. Cedric and Harvey can't sustain 'Vacation. By Zach Mabee Daily Film Editor Schlosser signs autographs at Angell Hall on Thursday night. Schlosser's voice is most poignant when he speaks of the plight of migrant farm workers. He uses Cali- fornia's strawberry industry, which is almost com- pletely dependent on illegal labor, as a case study. During his appearance at Angell Hall on Thursday, Schlosser vividly outlined the need for better labor laws to help the illegal Mexican laborers who are underpaid, overworked and living in conditions well below the poverty level. He sketches a disturbing picture of the labor process behind America's low- priced produce. Schlosser succeeds admirably in jar- ring complacency and provoking thought about one of the most dangerous and overlooked issues in today's economy. The last section of the book chronicles the pornog- raphy industry through the story of Reuben Sturman - one of porn's revolutionary pioneers and one-time corporate giant. Schlosser analyzes the changing face of America's obscenity laws and the enormous revenue drawn from the industry of secret desires, pleasures and shames. America's obscenity laws have done next to nothing to check the growth of the bur- geoning sex industry, a fact Schlosser sees as extremely unsettling. He descibed it, saying "We have a very complicated culture when it comes to sexuality. The obscenity laws we have now are based on all kinds of religious notions of sin and blasphe- my. Eventually, hopefully, we will have a more grown-up attitude towards sex, but right now it's pretty crazy." Schlosser's attempt to get at the truth stems from a personal sense of necessity. He said "I just thought that there's a need for this kind of inVestigative jour- nalism." His book is well-written, well researched and matter-of-fact, with an undertone of sympathy. When asked what, in his opinion, was the most criti- cal issue, Schlosser didn't hesitate: "If there's one thing that unites them," he said, "it's a culture that firstly is in denial of what's really happening and sec- ondly is one that for all kinds of reasons has lost a sense of compassion." "Reefer Madness" is a fascinating, probing inves- tigation of contemporary American society. Com- menting on his intended audience, Schlosser smiled a little and quietly suggested that those who should read his book are "people who care about what's happening in this country right now." Schlosser knows that nothing will happen tomorrow or next week to change America for the better, but he's opti- mistic about the impact of his book on readers. "At least if I've made them think ... if I've raised these issues - that's the goal." Why Cedric the Entertainer and Steve Harvey continue to make movies - in spite of apparent criti- cal distaste - is perplexing. Why they attempted to remake a seminal piece of cinematic comedy - name- ly, "National Lampoon's Family Vacation" - is utterly inexplicable. Remaking the Chevy Chase classic, though, is what the two Kings of Comedy have Johnson done in "Johnson Family Family Vacation." Vacation Nate Johnson At Quality 16 (Cedric the and Showcase Entertainer) has Fox Searchlight long awaited his family's upcoming reunion. Sure, he'll have an opportunity to see his distanced relatives; more important- ly, though, he'll be able to compete against his older brother, Mack (Steve Harvey) for the highly covet- ed Family-of-the-Year crown. After earning a job promotion, Nate purchases a new Lincoln Navi- gator, gathers his wife (Vanessa Williams), from whom he's legally separated, and two children (played by Bow Wow and Selange Knowles) and departs hastily from California to reach Missouri as quickly as he can. From the trip's commencement, plans go awry, and the Johnsons' journey to a family outing becomes a complete debacle. The comedy style of Cedric and Harvey (although Harvey is used very sparingly) simply cannot sus- tain a film of this nature. Both men are adept stand-up comedians, but their tired jokes about hip-hop cul- ture and race relations are not enough to support a plot that is driv- en primarily by dialogue in a cramped car between four family members. Cedric's other three family mem- bers and the rest of the supporting cast also provide him with little sup- port. As his dissatisfied, prudish wife, Williams is little more than a nui- sance; and Bow Wow's and Knowles's characters are, as is to be expected, empty. Shannon Elizabeth fails as a sexy, covertly demonic hitchhiker, and Christopher B. Duncan (TVs "The District") exhausts even more his recurring role of exceedingly sophisticated, cultured nerd. "Vacation" is, in its essence, .a reckless amalgamation of generally tired material. Cedric and Harvey had innovative ideas in their.earlier days, but most of their material is now sim- ply pedestrian - it's the stuff that floods 'ET's airwaves nightly on ComicView. Moreover, the broad story behind "Vacation" is one that is duly familiar to any fan of comedies. To adapt it some 15 years after its release is simply foolish. Hopefully in the future Ced and Steve will plan their outings more carefully. Toots finds True Love with friends DAILY ARTS. DAIRY OPINION'S ANTI-DRUG- By Rachel Krer Daily Arts Writer erful duet on the title track, while Ryan Adams timidly carries the lyrical bur- den on "Time Tuff." Accustomed to a piercing whine, Adams lacks Toots's deep-rooted soul. Bootsy Collins and the Roots have the most fun with their remake of "Funky Kingston;" but it lacks the sweat-inducing energy of the original. Although Toots does not need his musical counterparts, they add fresh elements to his classics and, most importantly, bring his music to a wider audience. Whether it gains them legions of new fans or not, Toots and the May- tals prove that their guest stars are the lucky ones to be granted the opportuni- ty to play alongside the reggae great. Toots and the Maytals enlisted the help of some friends for their new album True Love. Keith Richards, Ben Harper and Jack Johnson are only a few of the performers lending their talents to the legendary reggae act. However, the all-star lineup is unnecessary as Toots really does not need their help. 11 ..... ..... * .............. ....... - "' ' m .- . , .. , , -m l l .., - .. I ll With the excep- tion of the opening song, "Still is Still Moving with Me;' written and per- formed with Willie Nelson, all of the the £oo04 Toots and the Maytals True Love V2 songs on True Love have already been elevated to classic status. Not much has . changed since their unveiling 40 years ago. Toots still consistently delivers lethargic tempos that flow with the ease of a needle puncturing velvet. The best collaborations on the album derive from the musicians that under- stand Toots. Eric Clapton demonstrates that he is still a guitar virtuoso on "Pres- sure Drop." No Doubt contributes to "Monkey Man," but only a mere shad- ow of Gwen Stefani's voice pierces through Toot's vibrant baritone. On other parts, Toots downplays his efforts, allowing his guest stars to shine. Bonnie Raitt holds her own in the pow- SCOREEPERS WE HAVE SOME NEW WEEKEND DRINK SPECIALS WE THINK YOU'RE GONNA LIE FRIDAY ANN ARSOR'S LONGEST HAPPY HOURf With Featured Mug Drinks On Sale Along With The Bells Pints/Botdes For Only $2,75 Aew6 ut. a 1616-M k Textbooks List your textbooks for auction today... Set your auction to end the day your final is over... GET PAID CA$H FOR YOUR TEXTBOOKS THE VERY MOMENT CLASS ENDS! **students taking that same class next semester are likely to pay you a lot more $$ than the bookstores will! Ustin is FR brad un d k p awa ,Uatc zra ciatc T fooc Rcls Kasdan Scholarship in Creative Writing Arthur Miller Award Chamberlain Award for Creative Writing The Dennis McIntyre Prize Helen S. and John Wagner Prize Andrea Beauchainp Prize Robert F Haugh Prize Meader Family Award Naomi Saferstein i.iterary Award Leonard and Eileen Newman Writing Prizes Paul and Sonia Handleman Poetry Award Geoffrey James Gosling Prize Theodore Roethke Prize John Wagner Prize Will be announced Tuesday, April 20 3:30 p.m. Rackham Auditorium (main floor of the Rackham Bldg.) Lecture by MARY GORDON 'r :., . .,.