THE 90’s: Episodes 107-113

Streaming June 23rd:  Episode 107 – 113

The 90's, episode 107: Sex In The 90's

Episode 107: Sex In The 90’s (12am, 7am, 2pm, 9pm CDT)

01:17 Cold Open: Mr. Condom. Joe Cummings interviews Nolan Panisak from Tevor, Wisconsin about his condom vending machine business.

02:16 Mr. Condom talks about the products he sells.

06:45 “Medienpornesie” by Peter Vrana. In German with no subtitles. Music video with collage of images relating to sex.

10:54 Truckers and Condoms. Joe Cummings interviews truckers about condom use. Most claim they don’t use the condoms at the truck stops because they are married or because they don’t sleep with strangers on the road. Mr. Condom agrees that truckers aren’t the ones buying the condoms.

12:36 Paul Krassner on condoms by Nancy Cain. Krassner satirizes the Catholic church’s stance on condom use, claiming that they have authorized the use of a condom that doesn’t prevent pregnancy.

13:58 Voices from the Sidewalk by Nancy Cain and Suzanne Knittel. Scott Kelman is the artistic director of Pipeline, Inc., an arts program for the homeless. He talks about politics and the future. Homeless people read poetry in Skid Row.

22:48 Pat Boone and Rev. Harold Bredeson by Nancy Cain. In Beverly Hills, California, Boone and Bredeson share a chuckle about Shirley MacLaine’s new spiritualism.

23:55 Two Nuns Painting by Skip Blumberg. Two nuns copy a painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art.

24:14 “Leaving the Twentieth Century” by Max Almy. A man dreams of the future.

29:10 “The Kissing Booth” by Merrill Aldighieri and Joe Tripician. Excerpt from a documentary about kissing, featuring interviews with poet Emily XYZ and South African musician Spider.

30:40 “Kinema No Yoru” by Peter Callas. A Japanese computer-animated music video.

33:19 Pro-Choice Rally in LA by Nancy Cain. Celebrities attending include Barbra Streisand, Goldie Hawn, Leonard Nimoy, Mariel Hemingway and her baby. The celebrities drive up in their limos, step out for a minute or two, then drive away.

40:05 “Intimate Interviews – Sex in Less Than Two Minutes” by Maxi Cohen. One-on-one interviews about sex.

41:55 Mr. Condom shows us his edible lubricants.

42:45 “The Million Dollar Spot” by Maxi Cohen. Cohen shows us her study of what people use for birth control, then tells us about “the million dollar spot,” a spot on a man’s body that can be manipulated in order to prevent him from ejaculating during orgasm.

48:48 “Cabbage Patch Baby Land” by Paper Tiger TV. Cabbage patch dolls give birth.

50:29 Ben Lee: The Turkey Man by Jon Alpert. Lee, a turkey-calling enthusiast, tells us about his obsession.

55:36 Voices from the Sidewalk by Nancy Cain and Suzanne Knittel. More poetry by the homeless over credits.

59:30 :30 promo.

Main Credits:

executive producer, Tom Weinberg; producer, Joel Cohen; program producer, Nancy Cain; chief bureaucrat, John Schwartz; editor, John Grod; outreach producer, DeeDee Halleck; technical coordinator, Jim Morrissette; 90’s correspondents, Appalshop, Eddie Becker, Skip Blumberg, Nancy Cain, Elizabeth Laden, and Phil Morton; associate producer, Ricki Katz; “Medienpornesie” by Peter Vrana, excerpt from Infermental 7, copyright 1988 Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, Buffalo, NY; “Voices from the Sidewalk” by Nancy Cain with Suzanne Knittel, poets, Dino, Nancy Lambert, John Bramler, Dawn Allred-Viotto, Kathi Georges, Russ Garner, David, Clyde Casey; “The Kissing Booth” by Merrill Aldighieri and Joe Tripician; “Kinema No Yoru” by Peter Callas, excerpt from Infermental 7, copyright 1988 Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, Buffalo, NY; “The Million Dollar Spot” by Maxi Cohen; “Cabbage Patch Baby Land” by Paper Tiger Television; special thanks to Maxi Cohen, New Video Theater; additional production, Wendy Apple

Additional Credits:

art, Matt Gilson; paintbox, Richard DuCasse; major collaborator, Scott Jacobs; production administrator, Linda Schulman; business services, Eric Kramer; station relations, Jonathan Cohen; story consultant, Heidi Goldfein; production assistance, Pat Creadon, Brian Strause, and Kara Scholz; titles and effects created at Independent Programming Associates; opening sequence produced by John Anderson; opening film sequence by Tom Finerty, original music by The Cleaning Ladys; hotel accommodations, Weinberg and Jake’s Hotel; for KBDI, director of programming and production, Diane Markrow; post-production facilities, The Center for New Television, Chicago; funded in part by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Instructional Telecommunications Foundation, Inc.; copyright 1989 The Center for New Television


The 90's, episode 108: The Environment

Episode 108: The Environment (1am, 8am, 3pm, 10pm CDT)

01:14 Cold Opening: Everett Akers, former Kentucky State Representative. “They have taken our rights! They have taken our freedom! When you own land and control your land you are a free man! When you own land and can’t control it, you’re a slave!” From “On Our Own Land” by Appalshop.

02:10 Ted Turner talks about environmental problems. From the National Association of College Broadcasters.

02:48 “Kayapo Indians of the Amazon” by Realis Pictures. The Kayapo Indians of Brazil demonstrate against the building of a hydroelectric dam.

09:23 “Poet-Laureate of the Blues” by Michael Prussian and Starr Sutherland. An intimate look at the musician Percy Mayfield. West L.A., 1982. Mayfield sings “Hit The Road, Jack” and dances his way into the kitchen to mix himself a Mudslide.

13:24 “The Laughing Alligator” by Juan Downey. In this excerpt from Downey’s video art piece, the Yanomami Indians of the Amazon Rain Forest smoke hallucinogenic drugs prepared from three different trees.

15:34 “Prison Public Service Announcement.” A female prisoner berates herself and urges others not to take the same path as her.

16:16 “Crackfish” by Byte By Byte. Computer-generated fish are blown up. PSA warns: “Crack gets you out of school. Permanently.”

17:05 “On Our Own Land” by Anne Lewis / Appalshop. Kentucky landowners express their bitterness and demonstrate their continuing confrontation with coal-mining companies who have claimed their land for strip-mining, based on a century-old transfer of mineral rights. Everett Akers: “They have taken our rights! They have taken our freedom! When you own and control land you are a free man! When you own land and can’t control it, you’re a slave!…Who gave you permission to steal our land, to kill our land? We can’t produce, we can’t make a living off of our land!…Shame on you! Shame on the courts of Kentucky!”

26:33 Peter Thompkins, author, advocates organic farming.

28:00 “Four on the Floor” by Sandy Smolen. A classical music quartet plays while cars are crushed at a junk yard.

30:32 “One Man’s Trash” by Dee Dee Halleck. Two little girls sing “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

31:22 Ted Turner, media entrepreneur, reads his ten “voluntary initiatives” to help the environment. From the National Association of College Broadcasters.

34:48 “Korea is One” by Young Koreans United of U.S.A. Since the Korean war in 1953, the 38th parallel has divided the country into North and South Korea. Students from Communist North Korea demonstrate for reunification.

38:14 Quayle Watching. While visiting Latin America, Vice President Dan Quayle distributes flags.

39:14 “The Nutty Professor” by Randy Marcus. Marcus plays a professor character who demonstrates how to “make” The 90’s in a test tube.

40:00 “Red M&M’s” by Bianca Miller. Nostalgic music video.

42:34 Connie White, spokesperson for Save Our Cumberland Mountains, talks about the fragility of life.

44:30 “Lava My Life” by Matt Gilson and Alex Keay. Documentary about lava lamps.

46:45 “Greater Yellowstone News” by Phil Morton and Elizabeth Laden. Duck hunting with decoys and canine retrievers in Yellowstone National Park.

50:18 Ted Turner talks about poverty. From the National Association of College Broadcasters.

52:02 Santa’s Christmas Chain. Joe Cummings reports. An electrical trolley train with Santa, Mrs. Claus, their helpers, elves and reindeer travel from Mukwonago, Wisconsin to East Troy, seven miles a way.

55:27 “Mother Earth” by Ark Trust. An animated Earth warns about environmental disaster over the credits.

59:50 :30 promo.

Main Credits:

executive producer, Tom Weinberg; producer, Joel Cohen; chief bureaucrat, John Schwartz; editor, John Grod; outreach producer, DeeDee Halleck; 90’s correspondents, Appalshop, Eddie Becker, Skip Blumberg, Nancy Cain, Elizabeth Laden, and Phil Morton; associate producer, Ricki Katz; “Korea Is One” by Young Koreans United of USA & One Korea, One People Movement of USA; Randy Marcus is The Nutty Professor; “One Man’s Trash…” performed by Molly Kovel and Chandeen Wardell, tape by DeeDee Halleck; Ted Turner tape by National Association of College Broadcasters; Joe Cummings really does believe in Santa Claus; “Crackfish” by Byte By Byte

Additional Credits:

art, Matt Gilson; paintbox, Richard DuCasse; major collaborator, Scott Jacobs; production administrator, Linda Schulman; business services, Eric Kramer; station relations, Jonathan Cohen; story consultant, Heidi Goldfein; video production, Tom Vlodek and Eric Jensen; production assistance, Pat Creadon, Brian Strause, and Kara Scholz; special thanks, Shu Lea Cheang, Steve Klinenberg, Doug Liman, Monica Meyer, and Jim Trengrove; titles and effects created at Independent Programming Associates; opening sequence produced by John Anderson; opening film sequence by Tom Finerty; original music by The Cleaning Ladys; for KBDI, director of programming and production, Diane Markrow; post-production facilities, The Center for New Television, Chicago; funded in part by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Instructional Telecommunications Foundation, Inc.; copyright 1989 The Center for New Television


The 90's, episode 109: Offbeat TV

Episode 109: Offbeat TV (2am, 9am, 4pm, 11pm CDT)

01:23 Cold open.

01:35 90’s opening.

02:09 A 1939 newsreel explaining how television, a new invention, works.

04:34 Show id with Joe Cummings.

04:46 Marc Canter from Macromind Inc. discusses the future of computer technology and makes some predictions for that technology in the 1990’s. His predictions include how computer technology will change the entertainment industry (streaming TV shows as an example), and the merger between video games and other forms of entertainment.

07:10 “Secret Video Game Tricks, Codes and Strategies” by MPI Home Video. A clip from a video game instructional tape.

07:47 Excerpt from “The Laughing Alligator” by Juan Downey. (Called “A Life and Death Video Game” here). An excerpt from a video art piece in which Downey relates how he was saved by his video camera when he found himself in a stand-off with armed Yanomami Indians, who considered the camera a weapon on par with their own and backed off.

10:18 “Virgil Q. Wacks Varieties” by Suzi Wehling and Appalshop. A documentary about Wacks, a man who produced a popular show that featured Appalachian locals for a local TV station. Includes clips from the show.

14:36 “1954 Arthur Godfrey Show.”  A clip from a 1950’s TV show starring Arthur Godfrey plus a 1954 Lipton’s Chicken Noodle Soup commercial.

15:50 “Brazilian TV” by Wendy Appel and Alan Barker. Brazilian actress Christine Nazareth gives us the inside scoop on Brazilian TV: the stars, the most popular programs, and the politics.

20:14 “Ian Mitroff.”  Professor/author Ian Mitroff talks about TV: “TV has become a self-sealing universe… a culture. There’s too much garbage on TV but you can’t turn it off… how do you turn off a culture?”

21:18 “Television Delivers People” by Richard Serra & Carlota Fay Schoolman. Text scrolls onscreen while benign-sounding Muzak plays in the background. In simple sentences, the text informs us about the true role of television: “Television delivers people to an advertiser.” “Mass media delivers masses of people, at least twenty million per minute.” “The television watcher is a product, which is consumed by advertisers.”

22:48 “Morning Becomes Electric” by Mindy Schneider. A satirical look at the role of television in the middle-class family: Dad praises the “automatic homework robot,” saying, “Son, you’ve been missing too many TV shows lately. Why strive for A’s and B’s when you can have C’s instantly?”

25:23 1989 CLIO Award-Winning Commercial. A PSA that urges people to watch television “sensibly.”

26:21 Maureen Moore, an advertising executive, talks about TV advertising: “The commercial industry is moving away from salesmanship to entertainment… we have to make people want to watch commercials…”

27:43 1989 CLIO Award-Winning Commercial for Nike shoes.

28:13 Excerpt from “Greetings from Lanesville” by Media Bus, in which Laneville, NY locals are interviewed about a supposed UFO sighting as part of a playful spoof.

30:39 An excerpt from a WBBM-TV Chicago news broadcast. Anchor Bill Kurtis reports on UFO sightings in the USSR.

31:58 “Everyone’s Channel” by David Shulman. A documentary that argues for the importance of public access TV and provides a brief history of portable video cameras.

37:30 Nixon Resignation. White House pool feed of Nixon before his resignation broadcast on August 8, 1974. Nixon jokes with the photographers and reporters: “My friend Ollie is always taking pictures. I’m afraid he’ll catch me picking my nose… You wouldn’t print that, now would you, Ollie?”

40:39 “Microphone Technique” by Richard D. Rosen. A humorous look at a seasoned TV reporter’s relationship with his microphone. “He knows it’s a valuable prop… an implement of journalistic power…”

43:19 “Attack of the Flying Logos” by Gregory MacNicol. A parody of television’s overuse of its “bells and whistles.” It will “dazzle, blind and astound you with millions and millions of pixels…”

45:06 “Broadside TV” by Suzi Wehling. A documentary about “Broadside TV,” an early cable TV show produced in and about the small town of Johnson City, Tennessee.

48:32 Albert Einstein graphic gives statistics on home video viewing in the ’80s.

49:01 Kim Long, a forecaster, is concerned with the recent popularity of camcorders, citing the fact that a Denver man was arrested for taking pictures up women’s dresses. “You wonder how much of this is going on and when it will stop.”

49:53 “Motor Sports Unlimited: Part 127.”  A clip from an actual cable TV program featuring scantily-clad shapely women interviewing fully clad men about their radio-controlled miniature racing boats.

50:53 “ASTN Sales Meeting” A satellite-delivered series broadcast to car dealers across the country, complete with a news anchor and co-hosts, dealing with issues such as “how to conduct interpersonal relationships within a sale.”

51:46 “Deep Dish TV” by Dee Dee Halleck. While preparing a pie, Halleck states that public access TV is a real way to exercise our First Amendment rights.

52:29 More from Marc Canter. More prophetic words on the future of TV and how it will change because of computer and digital technology.

53:30 1989 CLIO Award-Winning Commercial for the Tate Gallery in Liverpool, G.B.

53:58 “Sid & Irv” by Bart Lipton and Philip Paternite. A parody of two cigar smoking, insensitive, sleazy, opportunistic TV producers brainstorming to come up with some new program ideas.

56:19 Tom Palazzolo, a Chicago-based filmmaker, believes that “video is ugly… the color is flat. Film is better.” He smashes some TVs.

56:50 End credits over more Nixon resignation footage.

Main Credits:

executive producer, Tom Weinberg; producer, Joel Cohen; chief bureaucrat, John Schwartz; editor, John Grod; outreach producer, DeeDee Halleck; 90’s correspondents, Appalshop, Eddie Becker, Skip Blumberg, Nancy Cain, Elizabeth Laden, and Phil Morton; associate producer, Ricki Katz; “Attack of the Flying Logos” by Gregory MacNicol; “Virgil Q. Wacks” produced by Suzi Wehling, Appalshop; “Video in the 80’s” source: Videography Magazine; archive footage, White-Janssen Film Library

Additional Credits:

art, Matt Gilson; paintbox, Richard DuCasse; major collaborator, Scott Jacobs; production administrator, Linda Schulman; business affairs, Eric Kramer; station relations, Jonathan Cohen; story consultant, Heidi Goldfein; video production, Jim Morrissette, Brian Strause, and Joe Cummings; production assistance, Pat Creadon, Brian Strause, and Kara Scholz; special thanks, Herb Channick, Clarence Cross, Dee Davis, K.B. Daughtry, Madonna Gauding, Kristin Graziani, Ellen Meyers; titles and effects created at Independent Programming Associates; opening sequence produced by John Anderson; opening film sequence by Tom Finerty; original music by The Cleaning Ladys; for KBDI, director of programming and production, Diane Markrow; post-production facilities, The Center for New Television, Chicago; funded in part by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Instructional Telecommunications Foundation, Inc.; copyright 1989 The Center for New Television


The 90's, episode 110: Compilation

Episode 110: Compilation (3am, 10am, 5pm CDT)

00:00 Color bars and tone, slate.

01:07 Cold opening: Old TV footage.

01:22 The 90’s opening.

02:04 “Erika Becker” by Eddie Becker. Erika talks to her father about her “Several Policy” [Cerebral Palsy]. She explains what the disease does and how it made her feel. “What’s the worst part of having a handicap?” “I think being made fun of. That really hurts.” “Inside, even grownups treat me differently… but that’s because I’m different.”

09:25 Music video for the song “All Your Affection’s Gone” by Dion Payton and the 43rd Street Blues Band. Exterior shots of The Checkerboard Lounge. By Colleen McNichols.

13:43 “Muddy Waters” by Tom Weinberg, 1981. An interview in which Muddy Waters explains the roots of rock ‘n roll.

13:59 “Rock and Roll Controversy.” Old black and white film clips that highlight the generational gap surrounding the emergence of rock ‘n roll. “Rock ‘n roll is cool, daddy, and you know it!”

14:35 Promotional compilation for the band Johnny Clegg and Savuka by Globalvision/South Africa Now, featuring news reports, music videos, and interviews.

18:38 Studs Terkel Interviews critic Dave Marsh at WFMT. Marsh talks about the importance of Southern racial politics in the emergence of rock ‘n roll.

20:08 1989 CLIO Award-Winning Commercial for the Tate Gallery in Liverpool, G.B.

20:37 “Flying Morning Glory (On Fire)” by Skip Blumberg. At an outdoor restaurant in Phitsanulok, Thailand, a cook demonstrates how to make a stir-fried dish with morning glory leaves. “Make sure the wok is very hot,” he says and then tosses the meal in the air behind him, which is caught on a plate by the server.

24:02 David Halberstam commentary by Tom Weinberg and Skip Blumberg. Halberstam talks about how young people today are going to compete with people from around the world for jobs that their parents were almost guaranteed. “The new definition of national security is… ‘How good is your high school graduate?’ The easy affluence has gone; other nations have caught up… slice of middle class is slimmer… Americans are now competing with people their age from Osaka, Beijing, Singapore, Jakarta etc.”

26:05 “Uncle Sam Falls” by Bill Stamets. A humorous clip where a mannequin dressed as Uncle Sam topples over and people scramble to right him.

26:41 “Quayle Watching.” During a speech Dan Quayle is heckled.

26:55 “Yuppie Rap” by Bill O ‘Neil. A music video for a song that parodies the young urban professionals of the 1980’s.

30:43 “Washington Homeless Demonstration” Marchers demonstrate in Washington D.C. for affordable housing.

32:49 “Voices from the Sidewalk.” Scott Kelman is the artistic director of Pipeline, Inc., an arts program for the homeless. He talks about politics and the future. Homeless people read poetry in Skid Row.

37:47 “Henry Moore Sculpture.” A teacher talks to teenagers about the first self-sustained nuclear chain reaction while standing at the site where it occurred on the University of Chicago’s campus.

38:24 “Disarmament Survey” by Skip Blumberg. A boy in New York discusses his fear of world nuclear proliferation.

39:18 “Duck and Cover.” A 1950’s educational film advising how to react to an atomic bomb blast.

39:53 “Ike for President.” Animated commercial for Dwight Eisenhower.

40:10 “Political Posture” by Bill Tunnicliffe. Spoof of a political ad styled like a Calvin Klein commercial.

41:46 “Brazilian TV” by Wendy Appel and Alan Barker. Brazilian actress Christine Nazareth gives us the inside scoop on Brazilian TV: the stars, the most popular programs, and the politics.

45:54 “Guns and Women.” Joe Cummings reports from an Orland Park, IL shopping mall, where women are going to a shooting range called Target Masters. Cummings investigates this increasing phenomenon of women learning to shoot guns.

48:07 Music video for the song “Wagon Ho” by Raunchy Bob Yup Yup.

49:48 “Advice Ladies” by Skip Blumberg. Women give advice on the streets of New York City.

50:47 “On Our Own Land” by Anne Lewis/Appalshop. Kentucky landowners express their bitterness and demonstrate their continuing confrontation with coal-mining companies who have taken their land for strip-mining. Everett Akers: “They have taken our rights! They have taken our freedom! When you own and control land you are a free man! When you own land and can’t control it, you’re a slave!… Who gave you permission to steal our land, to kill our land? We can’t produce, we can’t make a living off of our land!… Shame on you! Shame on the courts of Kentucky!”

57:46 End credits.

59:32 Promo for The 90’s.

Main Credits:

executive producer, Tom Weinberg; producer, Joel Cohen; chief bureaucrat, John Schwartz; editors, John Grod and Keith Dadey; assistant editor, Matthew Konicek; outreach producer, DeeDee Halleck; 90’s correspondents, Appalshop, Eddie Becker, Skip Blumberg, Nancy Cain, Elizabeth Laden, and Phil Morton; “Erika Becker” by Eddie Becker; “Voices from the Sidewalk” by Nancy Cain and Suzanne Knittel; “Flying Morning Glory (On Fire)” by Skip Blumberg; “Uncle Sam” by Bill Stamets; “Political Posture” by Bill Tunnicliffe; “The Thinker” by Max Almy & Teri Yarbrow, featuring Ian Sholes; associate producer, Ricki Katz

Additional Credits:

art, Matt Gilson; major collaborator, Scott Jacobs; production administrator, Linda Schulman; business affairs, Eric Kramer; station relations, Jonathan Cohen; story consultant, Heidi Goldfein; titles and effects created at IPA, The Editing House, opening sequence produced by John Anderson, opening film sequence by Tom Finerty, original music by The Cleaning Ladys, “Johnson Family TV Special” music by Decades and Audience Evolution, designed and produced by John Anderson, paintbox design by Rich DuCasse, elements produced by Matt Gilson, musical assistance, Michael Polydoris (guitar), Tom Gilson (piano), and Eric Wanger (synthesizer); video production, Jim Morrissette, Brian Strause, Pat Keaton, and Kara Scholz; archive footage, Rick Prelinger; special thanks, D. L. Bean, Tony Judge, Tom Finerty, Starr Sutherland, and Dee Davis; for KBDI, director of programming and production, Diane Markow; post-production facilities, The Center for New Television, IPA, The Editing House, Chicago; funded in part by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Instructional Telecommunications Foundation, Inc.; copyright 1989 The Center for New Television


The 90's, episode 111: Conspiracies

Episode 111: Conspiracies (4am, 11am, 6pm CDT)

Episode 111 of the award-winning TV series The 90’s. This episode is called “CONSPIRACIES” and features the following segments:

02:18 Excerpt from “News From Afar” by Shu Lea Cheang. A documentary about Emile de Antonio, the innovative documentary filmmaker, radical leftist, and critic of the Establishment. It was produced a few weeks before his death in 1989. Featuring interviews with de Antonio himself.

03:36 “Todd Alcott” by Skip Blumberg. Hyper, obsessed, New York resident Todd Alcott laments over the stress of his big-city lifestyle.

06:59 “Diana’s Hair Ego/AIDS Info Up Front” by Ellen Spiro. A piece about a South Carolina hairdresser who is involved in dispensing AIDS info and condoms from her hair salon. She has developed game to teach kids “safe sex”… Bambi Sumpter, VP of SCAEN ( S.C. AIDS Education Network) comments on young peoples’ continuing promiscuity and the need for everyone to get involved with AIDS prevention education.

16:37 “Phoebe Legere” by Skip Blumberg. Phoebe Legere, a New York lounge singer, prepares for her performance and shares some insights. “Criticism is easy…but art is very difficult,” says Legere. She comments about being on TV, “I hope it’ll conquer my shyness.” A scantily clad Legere insists that “sex is the last thing on [her] mind.”

20:29 “Father Bill Davis/Christic Institute” By Eddie Becker. Father Bill Davis spent the last ten years in a poor, drug-infested neighborhood a stone ‘s throw away from the nation’s capital in Washington D.C. He’s outraged at the government’s “war on drugs.” Davis comments that “It’s just a PR campaign…how can we purport to have a major war on drugs when foreign policy supports drug cartels?” He is convinced that drugs are only part of the problem – unemployment, housing conditions and hunger are the real issues. “People who have very few choices in their lives are told to say no,” he says.

27:29 “Ain’t Gonna Pee in the Cup” by Bianca Miller. A comical, anti drug testing music video.

29:44 More from “News From Afar.”

32:45 “Harold Pinter in London” by Chuck Olin. Playwright Harold Pinter speaks about political and economic changes in Eastern Europe: “We in the free West have a responsibility to the people of Eastern Europe who have demonstrated incredible courage…There, the words ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’ mean cheap labor. We have to look at our obligation…”

34:22 “Witness” by Barbra Nei and Judith Yourman. Various witnesses recall events. Although the courts claim that eyewitness testimony is the best testimony, the truth is that more people are wrongly convicted by eyewitness testimony than anything else.

39:08 “John H. Davis” by Skip Blumberg. A piece about the theories of John H. Davis, author of Mafia Kingfish , who is convinced not only that the Mafia was involved in the assassinations of John and Bobby Kennedy, but is also sure that the CIA covered it up.

43:27 “Washington Pro-Choice Demonstration” by Eddie Becker. A raw, unedited tape of a pro-choice demonstration in Washington D.C., in which police threaten the media. “You have five minutes to leave or you get locked up,” an officer says. The crowd chants, “Just like China! Just like China!” Police verbally abuses cameraman: “Get outta my face…”

49:53 “Abortion: Past, Present and Future” by Educational Video Center. On her way to get an abortion, a woman admits that she is glad she doesn’t have to go to a “butcher” for the procedure. Another woman who had an abortion in 1946 offers a graphic description of what it was like when abortions were performed in back rooms under less than sterile conditions. Since then she has vowed to help legalize a woman’s right to an abortion .

55:22 More from “News From Afar.”

58:07 End credits.

59:48 Promo for The 90’s.

Main Credits:

executive producer, Tom Weinberg; producer, Joel Cohen; chief bureaucrat, John Schwartz; editor, John Grod; outreach producer, DeeDee Halleck; 90’s Video Correspondent Reports: “Todd Alcott,” “Phoebe Legere,” and “John H. Davis” by Skip Blumberg, “Christic Institute” and “Pro-Choice Demonstration” by Eddie Becker; other 90’s correspondents, Appalshop, Nancy Cain, Elizabeth Laden, and Phil Morton; associate producer, Ricki Katz; “Harold Pinter in London” by Chuck Olin

Additional Credits:

art, Matt Gilson; paintbox by Richard DuCasse; major collaborator, Scott Jacobs; production administrator, Linda Schulman; business affairs, Eric Kramer; station relations, Jonathan Cohen; story consultant, Heidi Goldfein; video production, Jim Morrissette, Linda Schulman, and Matt Gilson; production assistance by Pat Creadon and Kara Scholz; titles and effects created at Independent Programming Associates; opening sequence produced by John Anderson; opening film sequence by Tom Finerty; original music by The Cleaning Ladys; for KBDI, director of programming and production, Diane Markrow; post-production facilities, The Center for New Television, Chicago; funded in part by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Instructional Telecommunications Foundation, Inc.; copyright 1990 The Center for New Television


The 90's, episode 112: Drugs And Other Wars

Episode 112: Drugs And Other Wars (5am, 12am, 7pm CDT)

Episode 112 of the award-winning TV series The 90’s. This episode is called “Drugs And Other Wars” and features the following segments:

01:37 Cold Opening with Bill Sampson. “These folks are permanently poor – it’s new in America. It’s not what welfare was supposed to be, it’s not what public housing was supposed to be…”

02:25 “Anti-Trident Missile Action” by Greenpeace. In December 1989, the United States Navy was preparing to launch a Trident Two Missile off the coast of Florida. Greenpeace set out to block the test with an 800-ton boat and video camera. The Navy claimed it had a right to protect itself under international law, and proceeded to ram the Greenpeace boat, leaving a 3-foot gash in its side. After two hours, the trident missile was successfully launched.

04:44 “Life’s A Beach” by Marilyn Wulff and Wayne Fielding. Animated. A sunbather is stripped to the bone by polluted water.

05:15 “John Parker” by Skip Blumberg. In New Haven, Connecticut, ex-addict John Parker illegally distributes clean needles to intravenous drug users to prevent the spread of AIDS. Parker is in thousands of dollars of debt, paying for the program entirely himself. He claims that his program empowers people to feel like they can make a difference in their own lives, which is the first step towards treatment. On the day when Blumberg is shooting, Parker is also being interviewed by an ABC news crew. Blumberg ‘s shooting style contrasts greatly with that of the ABC crew, who prefer to set up artificial situations rather than shoot events as they unfold.

17:38 Todd Alcott performance piece by Skip Blumberg. Hyper, hysterical Todd loses his keys and can’t leave his apartment.

22:55 “High School Poets” by Skip Blumberg. High schoolers read poetry that speculates on the future of the ’90s.

24:03 Greater Yellowstone News by Phil Morton and Elizabeth Laden. Ice fishing for trout at Yellowstone.

28:45 “Fish Peace” by Jim Jenkin. Underwater shots of salt water fish and sea life.

30:05 “Voices of Cabrini” by Fred Bridges. Youth Leadership volunteer Anthony Tharpe reports on how his organization has motivated the Chicago Housing Authority to make repairs at Cabrini Green.

32:37 Patricia Ford commentary. Academic counselor Patricia Ford encourages African Americans who have “made it” to return to their communities and lend a helping hand. “People don’t reach back and lift others up as often as they should.”

35:15 “The Las Vegas Tapes” by Scott Jacobs and Valjean McLenighan. A 1976 black-and-white look at the gambling, greed and corruption of Las Vegas.

38:05 “Jerry Lewis in Las Vegas” by Randy Marcus. Jerry Lewis impersonator makes predictions for the ’90s.

39:27 “Days of Swine and Roses” by Dennis Darmek. At the Wisconsin State Fair, a pig farmer sings the praises of swine: “They’re very intelligent, they never overeat, they have great toilet habits… and they really bring people together.” We also meet “Popeye,” a man who can pop his eyes out of his head.

44:14 “High School Poets” by Skip Blumberg. Students speculate optimistically about the future.

45:30 “Images of the Homeless” from the student video magazine show “San Diego Stew.” Video montage of homeless street people with Bruce Springsteen singing “This Land is Your Land” in the background.

47:00 “Policing the Police” by Educational Video Center. A teenager in New York City talks about police harassment.

49:30 “John Parker” by Skip Blumberg. We visit a “shooting gallery” where IV drug addicts inject themselves. We learn that the health department has cut off his support and Parker has competition from gay organizations. An ABC news story reports that Parker has been found “not guilty” on the criminal charges against him.

58:15 An unidentified street performer plays under credits. By Esti Marpet.

1:00:05 :30 Promo.

Main Credits:

executive producer, Tom Weinberg; producer, Joel Cohen; chief bureaucrat, John Schwartz; editor, John Grod; outreach producer, DeeDee Halleck; 90’s Video Correspondent Reports: “Todd Alcott” and “High School Poets” by Skip Blumberg, “Greater Yellowstone News” by Phil Morton; 90’s correspondents, Appalshop, Eddie Becker, and Nancy Cain; associate producer, Ricki Katz; “Life’s a Beach” by Marilyn Wulff and Wayne Fielding; Randy Marcus as Jerry Lewis; Voices of Cabrini: segment producer, Fred Bridges, thanks to Tommie Johnson, Demicco Youth Services, and Greg Darnieder, CYCLE; closing video by Esti Marpet

Additional Credits:

art, Matt Gilson; paintbox, Richard DuCasse; major collaborator, Scott Jacobs; production administrator, Linda Schulman; business affairs, Eric Kramer; station relations, Jonathan Cohen; story consultant, Heidi Goldfein; video production, Jim Morrissette, Matt Gilson, and Linda Keay; production assistance, Pat Creadon and Kara Scholz; titles and effects created at Independent Programming Associates; opening sequence produced by John Anderson; opening film sequence by Tom Finerty; original music by The Cleaning Ladys; special thanks, Steve Goodman; for KBDI, director of programming and production, Diane Markrow; post-production facilities, The Center for New Television, Chicago; funded in part by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Instructional Telecommunications Foundation, Inc.; copyright 1990 The Center for New Television


The 90's, episode 113: Global Voices

Episode 113: Global Voices (6am, 1am, 8pm CDT)

Episode 113 of the award-winning TV series The 90’s. This episode is called “Global Voices” and features the following segments:

00:51 Cold Opening. Shots of a protest in Prague, Czechoslovakia.

01:52 “Panama” by Che Che Martinez in collaboration with Deep Dish TV. This tape was shot in Panama three weeks after the U.S. invasion in December 1989 that deposed leader Manuel Noriega. It attempts to contradict the rosy portrayal of the invasion popularized by the U.S. media, and was produced at great risk to the producers and to the Panamanians. Several Panamanians express their feelings about the U.S. invasion: “The U.S. imperialists are an enemy of Latin America… the new government will try to appear democratic… I don’t share the idea that anyone is receiving humane treatment…”

07:45 Richie Havens commentary by Skip Blumberg. “We are now facing actual problems in an actual world and we have to stop throwing our weight around…”

8:36 “Brazil Air Pass” by Wendy Appel and Alan Barker. Appel and Barker investigate alternatives to deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.

17:31 “African Religious Festival” by Skip Blumberg. In Queens, African-Americans connect with their heritage by holding a traditional African festival.

20:57 Whad’Ya Know? with Michael Feldman by Ricki Katz. The NPR show is taped in front of a live audience at Chicago’s Blackstone Theatre.

24:08 “Voices of Cabrini” by Fred Bridges. People try to contradict negative stereotypes about Cabrini Green residents. “Come check it out. You’ll see more positive than negative.”

26:01 “Joe the Worker.” U.S. government propaganda salutes the American worker.

26:47 “Panama” by Chi Chi Martinez / Deep Dish TV Collaboration. Prof. Chu Chu Martinez, a Panamanian poet, voices anti-American sentiment: “…the American invasion has caused the word ‘future’ in Panama to have a different meaning…The U.S. has given us a blow that has hurt us deeply… our poetry, our philosophy, our economy….” He asks the U.S. military to leave Panama immediately.

32:14 John Dinges commentary by Eddie Becker. Dinges, a foreign editor for National Public Radio, criticizes the American press for “falling for the anti-Noriega campaign immediately… they were too eager to demonize him… they should have been more critical.”

33:42 “Panama” by Chi Chi Martinez / Deep Dish TV Collaboration. Prof. Chu Chu Martinez rails against American Media: “I hate the U.S. media… they’re wicked… How can they say there are only 250 Panamanians dead… there are thousands dead…”

35:08 “Revolutionary Video” by Chuck Olin. Olin shows us how video was used as a rallying force in the Czech revolution.

36:36 “TV O/D” by Steve Wolfson. Music video featuring a rapid series of television images.

37:09 Todd Alcott performance piece by Skip Blumberg.

40:02 Faith Popcorn commentary by Skip Blumberg. Popcorn consults Fortune 500 companies in how to move forward into the 21st Century.

41:21 “Brazil Air Pass” by Wendy Appel and Alan Barker. Appel and Barker investigate more specifically the dilemma of deforestation in the Amazon.

47:12 Fritzjof Capra commentary by Starr Sutherland. Capra, a philosopher at the Elmwood Institute in Berkeley, is convinced that we need to shift our thinking “from domination and control to partnership…from quantity to quality…” He thinks this kind of thinking is already happening that events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall and the upheaval of Eastern Europe are political manifestations of this new philosophy.

49:56 “The Fall of Lenin” by Kris Czaplinski. In Cracow-Nova Huta, Poland, citizens rejoice as the statue of Lenin lies on the ground: “He was an unwanted leader who impoverished our world.”

53:50 “We Can Make A Difference” by Lawrence Lanoff. Various children claim they can make a difference in the world.

55:36 Joe Cummings reads from The 90’s mail bag.

59:10 :30 promo.

Main Credits:

executive producer, Tom Weinberg; producer, Joel Cohen; chief bureaucrat, John Schwartz; editor, John Grod; outreach producer, DeeDee Halleck; 90’s Video Correspondent Reports: “Richie Havens, “Todd Alcott on Intelligence,” and “Nana Asuo Gyebi Festival” by Skip Blumberg, “John Dinges” by Eddie Becker; “Fritzjof Capra” by Starr Sutherland; 90’s correspondents, Appalshop, Nancy Cain, Elizabeth Laden, and Phil Morton; associate producer, Ricki Katz; technical coordinator, Jim Morrissette; Voices of Cabrini: segment producer, Fred Bridges, original music, Patricia A. Murray, thanks to Marvin Coklow III, Tommie Johnson, Latanya Gates, and Norma Mhoon; “Brazil Air Pass” photos by IMPA; “TV O-D” by Stevo Wolfson; “We Can Make A Difference” by Lawrence Lanoff

Additional Credits:

art, Matt Gilson; paintbox, Richard DuCasse; major collaborator, Scott Jacobs; production administrator, Linda Schulman; business affairs, Eric Kramer; station relations, Jonathan Cohen; story consultant, Heidi Goldfein; video production, Tom Vlodek and Mirko Popadic; production assistance, Pat Creadon, Tony Grossman, and Kara Scholz; titles and effects created at Independent Programming Associates; opening sequence produced by John Anderson; opening film sequence by Tom Finerty; original music by The Cleaning Ladys; special thanks, The Original Video Journal, Che Che Martinez, Steve Roszell, Media Process Group, Belinda Gold, Jesse Weinberg, Brian Read, and Gothic Craft Corporation; for KBDI, director of programming and production, Diane Markrow; post-production facilities, The Center for New Television, Chicago; funded in part by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Instructional Telecommunications Foundation, Inc.; copyright 1990 The Center for New Television

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