WEINKAUF AWARD NOMINEE: Our latest award goes to film, music, art, television, and other critics who manage to stretch whatever it is they're talking about into Bush-bashing, even if the topic has nothing to do with politics whatsoever. The award is named after Dallas Observer movie critic Gregory Weinkauf, who last year saw it fit to call the president of the United States "a retarded monkey"- in his review of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."
(Apparently inordinately fond of the phrase "retarded monkey," Weinkauf also used it in reference to Forrest Gump, in his 2000 review of "Cast Away." At least Forrest was actually retarded, albeit not a monkey).
Anyway, this week's winner is Village Voice theater critic Michael Feingold, a common offender who, in reviewing the "Wizard of Oz"-derived musical comedy "Wicked," has this to say (in the opening paragraph!):
Granted, American society as a whole seems to have been heading in the same direction, from the wonder and optimism exemplified in Baum's beloved book to the disaster and disillusion brought on by the White House's current infestation of unwinged monkeys.
Is he saying the Iraqis are the monkeys? Or the soldiers? Who knows... all I can say is, next time "Sesame Street Live" comes to town, I just know Feingold or J. Hoberman's gonna find some anti-Bush political subtext.
Posted by Stephen Silver at November 11, 2003 03:40 AM