Scritti Politti: February 9, 2009

I had the privilege of seeing the Oscar-nominated documentary Man On Wire yesterday, and heartily recommend it. The movie is as spry and balletic as its subject, wirewalker Phillipe Petit, who in 1974 strode out on a high-wire suspended between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, in defiance of the law, good sense, and, seemingly, the laws of nature.

Of course, the Twin Towers loom large in the film, literally and figuratively. The buildings serve as something of a character foil to Petit's protagonist, and he sets about his conquest of the edifice almost the way one might plan a great seduction. Or, a great heist. While the events of September 11, 2001 are never mentioned in the movie, there are strong and inescapable resonances. One shot in particular, of the exposed foundation of the World Trade Center, leaves the viewer wondering if they are seeing the buildings at the beginning, or at the end of their existence.

But these resonances never make the viewer uncomfortable. In fact, the movie is a great gift. For a little while, you get to have those towers back as a triumphant human marvel that Petit only enhances by using them as the stage for a marvel of his own making. I could, I suppose, go on and on about how Man On Wire makes a very powerful case for the way a piece of art can recover that which is lost and renew that which is forgotten. But, simply put, the movie will make you very, very happy.

Tin Foil Hattery: OMGZ! If this stimulus package passes, suddenly the pursuit of that which is "cost-effective" will be defined as the elimination of anything that is expensive! And then, what will you do when you want to shoot proton beams at your children? You'll have no where to go - for the proton beams, that is - and thus the stimulus will kill you! It will! I mean, if the terrifying leaps to a bunch of idiotic conclusions don't kill you first!

Binyam Mohammed Case Update: It won't get widely reported, but the Obama administration truly failed in their first big opportunity to set themselves apart from the abuses of their predecessor. Andrew Sullivan reports the "depressing" news that the White House will continue the cover-up of the alleged torture of the British resident Binyam Mohammed.

Also, JFK Still Moves Some Magazine Covers: As Obama's first prime-time presser draws near, Walter Shapiro recalls "the gold standard for presidential Q-and-A's" - namely, John F. Kennedy: "Sure, there were presidential evasions and a bit of politically convenient double talk. But, for the most part, Kennedy took the questions seriously and responded with bracing forthrightness."

Fox: Eclectic As Ever: Fox's Obama press conference post-game will feature Bill O'Reilly talking with Ari Fleischer and Mitt Romney, followed by Greta Van Susteren and Sean Hannity. Since everyone has already decided on what they plan to say about it afterwards, we assume that all parties involved will spend the next hour working on their inflection.

Shepherd Fairey Has a Posse: And it includes Peter Feld, who tweaks the litigious AP today.