I'd Be Willing to Bet This Is True

Intellectual life in Dallas vs. New York or SF...

Intellectual life at USC film school is non-existant as public form. Only through friends does it exist.

In my directing class last week our teacher (the head of the directing track at school) actually compared the Cultural Revolution to Tommy Chong being arrested.

It was brought up while we discussed Zang Yimou, Chinese filmmaker of Hero, Raise the Red Latern, To Live, who grew up during Cultural Revolution, influencing his films. Our professor went on to say, "under this administration, we are undergoing a type of Cultural Revolution..."

No one said anything for a moment, while I looked around aghast. Finally I raised my hand and said, "I don't see it as a valid comparison - a ten year time period of killing and imprisoning intellectuals and artists versus anything that's currently going on in the United States. I mean, can you name one artist or intellectual who has been locked up for his/her thoughts?"

He nodded his head and said, "Tommy Chong." (with a straight face, mind you) And then he went on to say, "But, yes, it isn't the same, but it's a slippery slope (in so many words.)"

And you wonder why WE (liberals) lost the election.