This is Dahlia’s Blog
Haunted Homes [excerpt]
The following is an excerpt from my forthcoming book Haunted Homes, out June 2021 via Rutgers University Press. “Even serial killers live next door to somebody.”—Summer of 84 Haunted houses feel as much a part of Halloween as pumpkins and costumes. It can be hard to...
Construction Workers Are Not Disposable
In case you haven't been paying attention to the news these last few weeks, things are pretty fucked up. Not only has the corona death toll surpassed Vietnam numbers, but countless states are already planning their re-opening strategies, all while testing and vaccines...
From AIDS to Corona, Silence=Death
In his book The Return of the Real: The Avant-Garde at the End of the Century, American art critic Hal Foster writes that it is trauma that allows us to escape from the traditional binary approach that plagued most postwar art: that images either refer to something or...
Pandemics, Contagion, and Fear, part 4
Over the next few days (weeks?), I will post excerpts from my book Going Viral: Zombies, Viruses, and the End of the World. Taking a look at these fictional narratives before and even during an outbreak can help us see what to do and, more important, what not to do in...
Pandemics, Contagion, and Fear, part 3
Over the next few days (weeks?), I will post excerpts from my book Going Viral: Zombies, Viruses, and the End of the World. Taking a look at these fictional narratives before and even during an outbreak can help us see what to do and, more important, what not to do in...
Pandemics, Contagion, and Fear, part 2
Over the next few days (weeks?), I will post excerpts from my book Going Viral: Zombies, Viruses, and the End of the World. Taking a look at these fictional narratives before and even during an outbreak can help us see what to do and, more important, what not to do in...
If fear is their lifeblood, why didn’t Trump and the Republican Party embrace the Coronavirus?
Do you remember the migrant caravans? How can you not, right? You barely escaped with your life! In 2018 and 2019, Trump couldn't stop warning Americans about the large, organized caravans—full of criminals! rapists! gang members! terrorists!—that were headed straight...
Pandemics, Contagion, and Fear, part 1
Over the next few days, I will post excerpts from my book Going Viral: Zombies, Viruses, and the End of the World. Taking a look at these fictional narratives before and even during an outbreak can help us see what to do and, more important, what not to do in real...
If Only Elizabeth Warren Would Sit Down and Shut Up — Then She Would Be Perfect!
Telemachus is a figure in Greek mythology, the son of Odysseus and Penelope, and a central character in Homer's Odyssey. The first four books of the Odyssey focus on Telemachus's journeys in search of news about his father,...
When Dave Chappelle tried to make a room full of people laugh at me, it backfired, and they laughed at him. But I’m not laughing.
Yesterday, I had lunch with a good friend at a restaurant in New York that shares a bathroom with the adjacent comedy club. It's a little awkward, but it's a bathroom, you just have to walk through the comedy club to get to it. I've done it many times, without...
Why We Need To Put Pizzazz in Impeachment (and Rebuild America’s Educational System)
Shortly after the world changed on November 8, 2016, one of my no-longer-friends enthusiastically declared that we finally had a president who was entertaining. I was horrified, for all the obvious reasons. But I also realized the harsh reality: this is how the world...
FIT Screening Series Fall 2019: Hail Satan? with director Penny Lane / Oct. 22nd @ 6:30PM
Chronicling the extraordinary rise of one of the most colorful and controversial religious movements in American history, Hail Satan? is an inspiring and entertaining new feature documentary from acclaimed director Penny Lane (Nuts!, Our Nixon). When media-savvy...
Tarantino’s Love Letter to Trump
During his 2016 Presidential campaign, Donald Trump recycled a campaign slogan used several times before (by Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton). However, when Trump used it, the slogan took an ominous turn. When Trump or his supporters call out to "Make America Great...
How Madonna Became Gaga (and Gaga Became Stefani)
In 2010, Camille Paglia wrote an essay for The Sunday Times entitled "What's Sex Got To Do With It?" Despite the vagaries of the title, the essay is a pointed and methodical critique of Lady Gaga. One of the primary critiques discussed in the article is Gaga's then...
Not Ready to Make Nice
I was told not to write this. I was told not to "pick a fight." I was told to be more patient and kind. I was told not to alienate potential allies. I was told how to feel and what to say. Nope. I'm done with that. I was done with that on November 9, 2016, and I'm...
L.A. Private Eyes Launch Event This Week (and More!)
Dearest reader, My latest book, L.A. Private Eyes, examines the tradition of the private eye as it evolves in films, books, and television shows set in Los Angeles from the 1930’s through the present day. It takes a closer look at narratives — both on screen and on...
“Mom, I am a rich man.”
I have daddy issues. My father was detached and disinterested (at best) for most of my childhood and adolescence before cutting off contact with me completely. A shadowy figure, usually working, often distant, frequently disapproving, he never seemed to provide me...
Why Shrill Sabotages Its Own Empowerment Message
(If you plan to watch Shrill and care about spoilers, definitely don't read this until after you've caught up.) Shrill, one of Hulu's recent contributions to original television content, is emphatically marketed as "empowering," mainly because its protagonist (Annie,...
The Problem with ‘A Star Is Born’
Warning: SPOILERS. Bradley Cooper and and Lady Gaga in a scene from A Star is Born, which Bradley Cooper also directed. Hollywood loves a good makeover montage, and the story told within A Star Is Born—successful musician stumbles upon a talented but unknown singer,...
A Case for Clemency: Why the Menendez Brothers Should Be Released
These days, the world feels crushingly bleak. There is no shortage of horror in our daily news, no shortage of abuses by those in power, no shortage of inequalities and injustices—and all these can leave you (me) crushed by the steamroller that has become a regular...
Just Some Facts (About Israel and the Myth of Apartheid)
This post is not meant to declare that any one people is "good" or "bad." I've repeatedly tried to move away from such simplistic binaries. The simple purpose of this post is to discredit some of the claims that Israel is an apartheid country. Many of these facts are...
Forget about Your Feelings. Look at the Facts.
Okay, everyone. I think it's time to review the current insult "snowflake" (with thanks to Dana Schwartz) -- There is not a single political point a liberal can make on the Internet for which “You triggered, snowflake?” cannot be the comeback. It’s purpose is...
Why Are White Women Unhappy?
The New York Times recently published an article by Benedict Carey and Robert Gebeloff with the dramatic headline: "Many People Taking Antidepressants Discover They Cannot Quit." Carey and Gebeloff warn of the withdrawal symptoms that unexpectedly cripple users...
Let’s Not Watch Roseanne, OK?
You may or may not have noticed that Roseanne is back. Not Roseanne Barr--she never left--but Roseanne Conner with her accompanying family (Darlene, DJ, Dan, Becky, Jackie, etcetera). Various entertainment publications are abuzz about not only the show's return but,...
Our Government’s War on Women (and Free Speech) Wages On… Stop SESTA-FOSTA!
There is a lot going on. I could spend entire days following the news and still feel like I was missing several important things. There is no question that it can feel as if we are in a boat rapidly gaining holes every time we turn away. In our mad rush to empty the...
Introducing…Going Viral: Zombies, Viruses, and the End of the World
Dearest reader, I am delighted (and a bit nervous) to announce the release of my latest book, Going Viral: Zombies, Viruses, and the End of the World! More info on the book can be found at GoingViralBook.com. There is a video of me talking about the book just below......
Tempting Fate: Bringing Dangerous Pathogens to Life (in Our Backyard)
On December 19, 2017, federal officials ended a moratorium imposed three years ago on funding research that alters germs to make them more lethal, writes Donald McNeil. In an article published for the New York Times, McNeil explains that while critics caution that...
LA + DC: Save the Date(s)!
Two upcoming bi-coastal events to celebrate the launch of Going Viral: Zombies, Viruses, and the End of the World: For more info on the book, please visit: GoingViralBook.com.
OUT 2.10.18 — Going Viral: Zombies, Viruses, and the End of the World
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kifimwZCHM8] Pre-order your copy now: http://a.co/1lT6lVX
Enough About Harvey
Confession: I am sick of hearing about Harvey Weinstein. It's not that I support the perpetual harassment and objectification of women, it's just that the selective focus of the whole situation makes me want to scream. Why Harvey? Why now? After all, our...
#MeToo, of course
I've been telling myself over the last few days that I need to write a blog. As the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment/assault/rape scandal appears to rock Los Angeles, as well as (perhaps) the rest of the United States, and woman after woman steps forward to share...
Taylor Swift as Unruly Woman
I'm not a "Swiftie." There is an occasional Taylor Swift song that I won't move past if it's on the radio, but I was hardly inconvenienced by the absence of her music on Spotify. That said, I feel compelled to speak up in defense of "Look What You Made Me Do." Her...
Where’s the Music?
Where are our protest songs? I recently watched the film London Town, a coming-of-age drama set in 1970s London and directed by Derrick Borte. It reminded me of what music could do, of what music is supposed to do. In the film, Shay Baker (Daniel Huttlestone), is a...
Minority of One
I recently came across the following quote by Tom Robbins from Jitterbug Perfume: "The unhappy person resents it when you try to cheer him up, because that means he has to stop dwelling on himself and start paying attention to the universe. Unhappiness is the ultimate...
White People, Step Up
Ever since the election in November, I've had several friends mention that they were going to ration their Facebook time, or cut it out all together. "Facebook is just too difficult these days," they would say. "I blame Trump," they would say. "I need a break," they...
Why Are We So Furious with ‘Girls’?
A recent episode of the HBO television show Girls threw audience members into a frenzy. Specifically, it threw audience members affiliated with academia into a frenzy. The cause of the uproar? At the end of the sixth and final season, Hannah Horvath (the...
I Don’t Want Prayers. I Want Gay Rights.
By now, most people have heard of the horrific tragedy that occurred late Saturday night in the Orlando, Florida nightclub. My social media has been full of people mourning the deaths of people who were executed for no other reason than their sexuality, for no other...
Office Killer Finds Its Place
Almost two decades ago, I saw a little movie called Office Killer. When I say “little,” I don’t mean that it lacked style or attitude or impact. When I say “little,” I mean that it only grossed $76,000. By no means should this paltry sum indicate empty theaters, Molly...
Office Killer with Cindy Sherman in NYC
Dearest reader, I am thrilled to invite you to a special screening of the film Office Killer at New York City's Film Forum theater on Saturday, June 4th at 2:20PM. What makes this screening so special, you ask? Well, first of all, it's a rare opportunity to see the...
Hillary Clinton Rewrites AIDS History
This has been one hell of an election season, with outrageous claims and promises spewing from all sides of the aisle. I've felt, many times, like I was trying to keep my balance on a tiny boat in a huge turbulent sea. People speak in sound bytes and declarations,...
Why Gaga’s Bowie Left Me Empty
Last night, Lady Gaga donned a bright red wig, a hell of a lot of makeup, and partnered with Intel to bring a David Bowie memorial medley to the Grammys. The only thing seemingly left out of a show complete with forty years of Bowie iconography was Bowie, himself. I...
It’s Just Hair
One of my friends has been battling breast cancer this year. First she lost her hair, and then she lost her breasts. She commented on how the loss of both forced her to redefine (to re-find) her femininity, since what defines a woman's sexuality--her very status as a...
On World Teacher’s Day, Support Humane Treatment of Educators
Much has been written about the plight of adjuncts... On how the use of part-time faculty, with no job security or benefits or a liveable salary, has grown in the United States over the last thirty years... On how, in 1975, only 30.2 percent of faculty were employed...
Pretty Little Transgenders
[SPOILERS AHEAD!] Back when Basic Instinct premiered in 1992, it was met with massive outcry by many in the GLBT community who alleged that it portrayed lesbians as violence-prone killers and deviates. Rita Addessa, executive director of the Philadelphia Lesbian and...
Why Your Hipster T-Shirt Doesn’t Make You a Feminist
Mark Ruffalo's delightful response to the "I Am Not a Feminist" phenomenon, in which he castigates the current trend of women (and maybe also men?) to distance themselves from the feminist label (“You’re insulting every woman who was forcibly restrained...
Marilyn Monroe: Artist and Auteur
In honor of Marilyn's birthday (and she is always Marilyn to us, never Miss Monroe), an essay from my archives: Six weeks before she died, Marilyn Monroe did a photo shoot with Bert Stern for Vogue magazine. These photos show a Monroe more natural, more...
All Fury, No Soul: Why Mad Max Left Me Empty and Disappointed
Despite its glowing reviews, both by my friends and esteemed critics, Mad Max: Fury Road left me mystified and empty. What did I just see that they didn't? What did they see that I missed? Because what I just saw was a dumbed-down spectacle of explosion and...
Why Hillary’s Logo Really IS as Bad as Everyone is Saying
Hillary Clinton unveiled not only her presidential bid on Sunday but also her new campaign logo -- and general consensus, regardless of political affiliation, is that it's not pretty. But, in all the criticism, one of the crucial things no one is mentioning is what...
Baudrillard, Fake Boobs, and the Blinding White of a New Set of Veneers
Hyperreality is used in semiotics and postmodern philosophy to describe a hypothetical inability of consciousness to distinguish reality from fantasy, especially in technologically advanced postmodern cultures. Jorge Luis Borges, in “On Exactitude in Science,” wrote...
The Dangerous Lesson of Whiplash — And Why I Hated It
My feelings about Whiplash are complex, but one feeling isn't. I hated it. I hated it with a passion. If I had seen it in theaters, I would have walked out. And here's why: Whiplash glorifies a specific aspect of the artistic process -- the grueling, bloody...