Roger E.

With all that is being written in praise of Roger Ebert upon his passing---what a great film critic he was (NOT movie reviewer, a HUGE difference), his vocal support of progressive politics, and so on. For me, he most moved me with this piece from his blog in August of 2009: My Name is Roger and I'm an Alcoholic. It had a huge response (almost 1400 comments and still counting) both positive and negative, and is still to me one of the most honest and courageous writings on the subject of recovery from alcoholism I've ever read.

The first sentences of the post set the tone:

In August 1979, I took my last drink. It was about four o'clock on a Saturday afternoon, the hot sun streaming through the windows of my little carriage house on Dickens. I put a glass of scotch and soda down on the living room table, went to bed, and pulled the blankets over my head. I couldn't take it any more.

If you haven't been there, then this passage probably means little to you. If you have, then you can remember the desperation and terror of not being able to stop drinking, and yet knowing you can't continue. He went on further in the post to preemptively answer the charges of violation of the tradition of anonymity thus:

An A.A. meeting usually begins with a recovering alcoholic telling his "drunkalog," the story of his drinking days and how he eventually hit bottom. This blog entry will not be my drunkalog. What's said in the room, stays in the room. You may be wondering, in fact, why I'm violating the A.A. policy of anonymity and outing myself. A.A. is anonymous not because of shame but because of prudence; people who go public with their newly-found sobriety have an alarming tendency to relapse. Case studies: those pathetic celebrities who check into rehab and hold a press conference.

In my case, I haven't taken a drink for 30 years, and this is God's truth: Since the first A.A. meeting I attended, I have never wanted to. Since surgery in July of 2006 I have literally not been able to drink at all. Unless I go insane and start pouring booze into my g-tube, I believe I'm reasonably safe. So consider this blog entry what A.A. calls a "12th step," which means sharing the program with others. There's a chance somebody will read this and take the steps toward sobriety.

Still, the comments are rife with those who take him to task for outing himself in a public forum, but I believe he knew he was closer to the end of his life than the beginning, and he wanted to offer his experience, strength, and hope to those who might be helped. His chance of relapse was certainly small, and at one point he even commented to a criticism of his public statements "Did you miss the part about how I am now physically unable to drink?"

But all that is really beside the point. This was a vital and beautiful bit of "Twelfth Step" work; reaching out to the still suffering alkies, most of whom he would never meet. What a wonderful man! Thanks again for everything, Roger. You are a true hero.

Friday Random 10 plus 1

It has been a while, but here's a random sampling of what's on my computer's hard drive auditorially, chosen by the iTunes DJ.

Let's Take A Trip Together/Morphine/Cure For Pain

That's Not My Name/Ting Tings/We Started Nothing

Ahead Of The Curve/Monsters Of Folk/Monsters Of Folk

This Is My Second Show/Bill Hicks/I'm Sorry, Folks

Winterness/Pousette-Dart Band/Amnesia

Never The Same Again/Moonlight Towers/Veronica Mars Unofficial Soundtrack Season 3

Cool Vee/The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion/Controversial Negro

Echoes In The Well/Corrosion Of Conformity/Blind

I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man/Prince/Sign O The Times

Jetstream/Doves/Kingdom Of Rust

Someday/Neil Young/Freedom

Don't know who Bill hicks was? There's a documentary coming:

"At the Movies" to air last show today:

(Via blogs.vocalo.org)

The longest running and most respected movie-review show in television history will tape its final broadcast today for airing this weekend. And when it’s over, the imaginary balcony that Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert first opened in 1975 will be closed forever.

This show was one of the schools that taught me how to watch movies; not just as a passive experience, but as an active, critical experience. starting with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, it was a fixture of my television viewing, and after some rocky transitions, the last seasons with Michael Phillips and Tony Scott were outstanding. The fact that the hosts often were at odds over this or that film made watching a pleasure, and their humor echoed the rivalry/friendship that Gene and Roger displayed for many years.

Taking over its Saturday night timeslot the following week will be “On the Red Carpet,” a syndicated celebrity news show, co-hosted by a former Miss USA and a former correspondent for “Extra,” offering viewers “front row access to premieres, award shows and special events, movie star interviews and more.”

Ah, just what the world needs! Another celebrity obsessed bit of pablum. This is an example of the bleakness of our American culture as it stands today. Oh well, I know what I won't be watching on Saturday evenings.

Goodbye, "At the Movies".

Quote for the Day (Beastiality Division)

I love Mickey Mouse more than any woman I've ever known. - Walt Disney

Quote for the Day (Film Auteur Division)

Thought: Why does man kill? He kills for food. And not only food: frequently there must be a beverage. - Woody Allen