Deficits v. Dolomite

My plan tonight was to write an awesome post about the GOP’s $1.5 trillion tax-cut of 2017, and how, contrary to what we were promised at the time, they didn’t “pay for themselves” by driving increased corporate investment, but instead pushed the federal deficit to a record-breaking $747.1 billion. None of this, of course, is a surprise to those of us who actually read the report of the Congressional Budget Office, which projected that the Trump tax cuts would end up costing us trillions of dollars. But, once again, the Republicans fooled enough people into supporting their untenable tax give-aways to the rich by promising that, if we just slashed corporate tax rates, the beneficent corporate entities of America would pass along the windfall to their employees in the form of bonuses, and invest mightily in their U.S. operations, bring jobs back from oversees. As it turns out, though, the bonuses never materialized, the corporations just used the money to buy back their own stock, and, as a result, the non-wealthy among us didn’t see much, if any, benefit. In fact, we saw the opposite, as the deficit rose, giving Republicans the justification they needed to go after the social welfare programs that may of us depend on… But, then, I started reading about the Rudy Ray Moore biopic that’s being developed by Netflix. And, now, I’d really rather spend what’s left of this day thinking about Moore’s devastatingly effective style of kung fu.

Here, if you’ve yet to see it, is the trailer for Dolemite Is My Name, starring Eddie Murphy as Rudy Ray Moore.

And here, so you can compare, is the trailer for the 1975 blacksploitation classic Dolomite.

If I were a better blogger, I’d try to figure out a way to tie these two things together somehow — maybe suggesting a Dolomite reboot in which our protagonist pimp heads to Washington to take on the likes of Trump administration Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who promised in 2017 that the administration’s tax plan would not only “pay for itself,” but “cut down the deficits by a trillion dollars” — but that’s way too much work, and I’d much rather just lay here in bed and listen to Moore’s first XXX Dolomite comedy album Eat Out More Often, which paved the way for his film career. I will, however, leave you with the following, in case anyone really wants to keep talking about tax cuts and deficits when the subject of Dolomite is on the table.

Oh, and here’s the studio’s synopsis of the new Dolomite film, for those of you who don’t already know Moore’s incredible origin story.

Stung by a string of showbiz failures, floundering comedian Rudy Ray Moore (Murphy) has an epiphany that turns him into a word-of-mouth sensation: step onstage as someone else. Borrowing from the street mythology of 1970s Los Angeles, Moore assumes the persona of Dolemite, a pimp with a cane and an arsenal of obscene fables. However, his ambitions exceed selling bootleg records deemed too racy for mainstream radio stations to play. Moore convinces a social justice-minded dramatist (Keegan-Michael Key) to write his alter ego a film, incorporating kung fu, car chases, and Lady Reed (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), an ex-backup singer who becomes his unexpected comedic foil. Despite clashing with his pretentious director, D’Urville Martin (Wesley Snipes), and countless production hurdles at their studio in the dilapidated Dunbar Hotel, Moore’s Dolemite becomes a runaway box office smash and a defining movie of the Blaxploitation era.

One last thing.. Back in about ’94, I had Rudy Ray Moore’s phone number. I want to say that I got it from my friend Russ Forster, but I’m not 100% sure. What I am certain of, though, is that, for quite a few years, I carried around a scrap of paper that said “Rudy Ray Moore” on it, followed by a phone number. And I know I must have dialed it at least once, but I don’t recall having ever spoken with the legendary man. I’m not sure why I wasn’t more persistent. Maybe I was intimidated.

Oh, and the U.S. budget deficit has jumped by 23.1% just the last year alone. If this were happening under a Democratic president, conservatives would be rioting in the streets. Instead, though, there’s not a peep. One wonders why that is… Why is it that deficits only matter when Democrats are in office, and Democrats seem to be the only ones who can bring down deficits?

Sorry. One very last thing… How great would a buddy cop movie staring Dolomite and Tony Clifton have been?

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35 Comments

  1. ElsieGal
    Posted August 13, 2019 at 10:14 pm | Permalink

    I have never heard of Dolomite so this post was quite a treat. Love love the Netflix trailer! The 70s once made me groan and laugh at the same time, so thanks for that, too. This almost makes up for the deficit—and by that I mean the deficit you have caused by not listing the remaining films you are recommending for the film class…I am looking forward to that.

    Any other deficit (fiscal and political) is just too depressing to ponder right now.

  2. dogmatic dolt
    Posted August 13, 2019 at 11:21 pm | Permalink

    Aloha, I was always told you will be known by the friends you keep. Steven Mnuchin just plagiarized the “pay for it” line from the Iraq war play book. The people who most upset our ruling elite are the ones who are most likely to be “good” candidates. That is Bernie and Tulsi. Most of the rest have already climbed into bed with the plutocrat elite, or are auditioning for roles with them in the future. These connections are the lines that corruption will follow.
    https://medium.com/@RobletoFire/tulsi-gabbard-has-enemies-in-high-places-6fa7da05284

  3. Anonymous
    Posted August 14, 2019 at 5:44 am | Permalink

    Someone has to do something with your Dolomite-Clifton idea. It cannot be allowed to wither on the vine. There is too much potential.

  4. Lynne
    Posted August 14, 2019 at 11:44 am | Permalink

    I think the issue is that for a lot of Republicans, their small penises make them love a huge defense budget more than they hate deficits. They only care about deficits when things like social safety net spending come into play because they hate the poor. I.e. deficit spending on penis substitutes = OK but deficit spending on the poor is not. It really is as simple as that. They are not good people as a group. That is what it boils down to.

  5. Eel
    Posted August 14, 2019 at 11:57 am | Permalink

    WWDD?

  6. torn from the headlines
    Posted August 14, 2019 at 3:20 pm | Permalink

    Dow Jones dropped about 800 points, or 3%, while the yield on the U.S. 30-year Treasury bond fell to a record low.

  7. Elliot
    Posted August 14, 2019 at 8:16 pm | Permalink

    Apparently none of the conservatives who read this site want to comment about the Trump deficit. What a shock.

    As for Rudy Ray Moore’s kung fu prowess, you weren’t kidding. I just did some googling.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv6J3CqGauY

  8. Posted August 15, 2019 at 6:18 am | Permalink

    Well, I guess I was right about having his phone number, and having gotten it from Russ Forster. I just received the following from him in response to a message that I’d sent about this.

    “…I used to have a phone message he left for me around that time period, but it became lost to the ravages of time. I bought some choice items from him (on 8-track and VHS, I believe) and I probably passed his info onto you. RRM forever!”

  9. Posted August 15, 2019 at 6:20 am | Permalink

    And it does seem odd that self-proclaimed conservatives don’t want to weigh in on Trump’s deficit, when they were more than happy to weigh in on Obama’s, doesn’t it?

  10. Jean Henry
    Posted August 15, 2019 at 7:30 am | Permalink

    Lynne– I’m surprised to see you engage in body shaming.

  11. iRobert
    Posted August 15, 2019 at 7:30 am | Permalink

    That’s been the most unnerving thing about the supporters of the GOP; They never apply any of their critical analysis to those who identify with their own party. It’s really pretty disturbing to observe. Some seem to be absolutely oblivious to the glaring hypocrisy. Others seem almost to see it all as a game, the way a dangerous sociopath does. When you bring it up in front of them and carefully watch their eyes, you can see they’re holding back intentionally. It’s so disturbing that anyone would feel so constrained by a game mentality in their interactions with other people. It’s as if they feel they’re on a stage representing their “side” and can’t break from the script to be genuine for even a moment. Maybe there isn’t anything genuine in there.

  12. Demetrius
    Posted August 15, 2019 at 8:57 am | Permalink

    Does anybody else think that the gentleman in the first “Dolomite” screen-cap above looks a lot like present-day Eddie Murphy?

  13. Lynne
    Posted August 15, 2019 at 10:08 am | Permalink

    JH. – Indeed. That was very wrong of me. I was using a common shortcut for insecurity of masculinity without giving it much thought. I apologize to any men with actual small penises because of course there are many men out there with small penises who are not insecure about their masculinity. I thank you for the reminder, Jean. I will do better in the future.

  14. EOS
    Posted August 15, 2019 at 11:14 am | Permalink

    I think the deficit is horrible. We have to rein in congressional spending. Why did Trump sign it?

  15. dogmatic dolt
    Posted August 15, 2019 at 11:39 am | Permalink

    Aloha EOS, He signed it because he is a cowardly tool of military industrial security congressional complex. Not really hard to understand. Oh and of course his tax give away to his plutocratic buddies in crime just makes things worse.

  16. EOS
    Posted August 15, 2019 at 12:00 pm | Permalink

    But why do our elected representatives in Congress continually increase spending? Sometimes they talk about “cuts” in the budget but the “cuts” are mere reductions in the amount they had intended to increase. Why do we continuously re-elect incumbents who do this?

    Who among us can say that they ask their representatives to vote against a program that may be personally beneficial?

  17. Bob
    Posted August 15, 2019 at 2:02 pm | Permalink

    Is Hillary one of the Republicans with a big dick? I would have probably supported her more enthusiastically if I’d known that.

  18. dogmatic dolt
    Posted August 15, 2019 at 2:09 pm | Permalink

    Aloha Bob, penis size is really very subjective. It is all in the eyes of the beholder. Thank my lucky stars that my wife is a scientist and always uses the metric system when describing dimensions.

  19. Bob
    Posted August 15, 2019 at 3:45 pm | Permalink

    I always give out my size in centimeters because it sounds more impressive

  20. Jean Henry
    Posted August 15, 2019 at 8:27 pm | Permalink

    Bob– no one is surprised that you would have liked Hillary if she had a penis.

    Meanwhile–Qanon has been listed as a domestic terrorist group by the FBI. Must be the deep state.
    https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/fbi/455770-fbi-memo-warns-qanon-poses-a-potential-terror-threat-report

  21. Jean Henry
    Posted August 15, 2019 at 9:32 pm | Permalink

    Oh and Trump wants to buy Greenland.
    How much you want to bet he’s thinking he’ll name it after himself.

    I can’t believe how f’d up everything is.

  22. EOS
    Posted August 16, 2019 at 3:38 am | Permalink

    @Mark

    If you are concerned about the deficit, why do you support Warren? Here’s some of her promises:

    A Green New Deal with government jobs for all. Net-zero carbon emissions. “Medicare for All,” including migrants here illegally. Free tuition at state schools. Forgiveness of most or all of $1.5 trillion in student debt. A trillion dollars of infrastructure. A $15 minimum wage. Reparations for slavery.

    If the choice is between Warren or Trump, which candidate will show more fiscal restraint?

  23. Anonymous
    Posted August 16, 2019 at 5:54 am | Permalink

    Neither, but in one scenario, the money goes into a few pockets that are already pretty full while in the other, the money goes into more pockets that are a bit more empty.

  24. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 16, 2019 at 7:44 am | Permalink

    “Meanwhile–Qanon has been listed as a domestic terrorist group by the FBI. Must be the deep state.
    https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/fbi/455770-fbi-memo-warns-qanon-poses-a-potential-terror-threat-report

    We’ve been through this, slowpoke. That’s a memo from the Phoenix Field Office.

  25. EOS
    Posted August 16, 2019 at 8:14 am | Permalink

    Anonymous,

    That’s exactly how the Marxists took control of Russia. In Marxism, the proletariat is the working class, including farmers and low-skilled factory workers. They do not own any means of production. The bourgeoisie are the capitalist class, the wealthy, who own most of the means of production. Class warfare – divide and conquer.

    But can you find anyone in Russia who thought life was good under Marxist rule? Most reputed scholars and historians estimate that the number of people Stalin killed ranges from between 20 and 60 million. They had no means to resist once Stalin took power.

  26. Anonymous
    Posted August 16, 2019 at 10:04 am | Permalink

    Not exactly. There is a difference between an election and a revolution. Thanks for playing.

  27. EOS
    Posted August 16, 2019 at 10:34 am | Permalink

    That free people would choose socialism is indicative of the sad state of education in our nation.

    https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/commentary/what-americans-must-know-about-socialism

  28. Lynne
    Posted August 16, 2019 at 10:47 am | Permalink

    EOS, and yet we have found the most successful nations have aspects of their economy socialized.

    Even the USA would not be as successful as it is without significant aspects of our economy socialized. Warren is advocating for socializing things like medicine which have been proven to be much more efficient. It isn’t a matter of how we will afford Medicare for all, it is a matter of how we can possibly afford not to. Seriously, Medicare-for-all will save us money. A *LOT* of money.

  29. Anonymous
    Posted August 16, 2019 at 10:53 am | Permalink

    You are partially correct. That free people would choose socialism is indicative of the sad state of wealth hoarding in our nation.

    But there are other modern democracies that in the past had revolution against what was thought to be unfair wealth hoarding by the ruling class. I can name at least two. France. America. Like in Russia, the revolution did not end well for the rulers.

    Unlike an election, revolutions typically develop momentum beyond that of the original instigators, such that lots and lots of third party people are affected, and there is no guarantee of a desirable outcome.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/this-will-be-catastrophic-maine-families-face-elder-boom-worker-shortage-in-preview-of-nations-future/2019/08/14/7cecafc6-bec1-11e9-b873-63ace636af08_story.html

    This is what EOS and FF will go into ahead of the rest of us. Good luck, and thanks for all the fish!.

  30. dogmatic dolt
    Posted August 16, 2019 at 1:00 pm | Permalink

    Aloha EOS, Curious if you ever listen to The Leaders speeches? I was listening to him last night (the reason why I decided I had what it takes to watch Seconds). Did you know that the EU treats us worse than China–way worse? Did you know that thanks to The Leader we no longer have to bow down to foreign powers running our country? That thanks to The Leader we are getting the guns out of the mentally unfit peoples hands (the crowd did not cheer for those lines) so he promptly added that he would protect his people right to have fire arms. Oh and we are winning the Trade War, the Chinese are paying “big time”. Then of course there were several times when he seemed incoherent, but the crowd would cheer anyway.
    Do you know what foreign power we were bowing down to before?
    You guys never comment on his speeches, I honestly believe you don’t have a clue as to what he says–it does not seem like his crowds care as long as he puts in the appropriate one liners for applause. but we all know I’m a dolt, and just can’t follow the brilliance of the Leaders thoughts.

  31. Lynne
    Posted August 16, 2019 at 1:11 pm | Permalink

    FWIW worker shortage = wages are too low

    I suspect that we will most likely not have huge worker shortages but rather will have shortages in job categories like CNAs. This is because it takes a bit if training to do that job and currently it pays barely better than minimum wage.

  32. EOS
    Posted August 16, 2019 at 4:49 pm | Permalink

    Anonymous,

    I don’t care what he says. I don’t like him personally. I don’t watch him on TV and I woudn’t go to hear him talk. But I do prefer the Republican platform more than the Democratic.

    I don’t for people because they look like me. I don’t vote for the person who seems nicest. I don’t care what MSM says about the candidates. I am not persuaded by any Tweet, Facebook or Instagram post. I don’t try to jump on the bandwagon of who I think will prevail. I don’t vote according to what my friends think. It doesn’t matter how many people hate him.

    I vote for the policies that I think will benefit our country the most. I vote for the party who upholds the Constitution and protects the unborn. I vote for capitalism. I vote for the platform most likely to preserve my freedoms.

  33. Frosted Flakes
    Posted August 16, 2019 at 5:23 pm | Permalink

    You are very odd and creepy person, Anonymous…

    I am pretty sure I am younger than average compared to most of the people who post here, Anonymous. I will say, I think your posts usually have a childish quality to them–probably because you have a severe lack of understanding. (I am not sure that is something you ought to be proud of.)

    I certainly wouldn’t joke about some kind of desperate elderly workforce future. I also wouldn’t joke about inevitable elderly living condition that are poor. Were those jokes? I am so confused. You say weird, weird things…

  34. dogmatic dolt
    Posted August 16, 2019 at 6:31 pm | Permalink

    Aloha EOS, what does the Republican Platform stand for. Obviously not small government. Obviously not control of the deficits. Obviously not Free Trade. As near as I can tell the Republican Party stands for re-electing Trump, stripping protections from workers, the environment, and minorities all in the name of de-regulation. Is that what you are in favor of? Or as long as he supports the appointment of judges who you HOPE vote the way you want he has your support. Such a venal base out look on life, If I prayed, I would offer one up for you.

  35. Posted August 26, 2019 at 6:26 pm | Permalink

    FYI… Dolomite is now on Amazon Prime.

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