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Scarface (1983)

Notable Music: The “dope” soundtrack and original score by Giorgio Moroder

An American / Drug Culture / Hip Hop Culture / Pop Culture Icon

I recently bought the newly released 4K UHD Limited Edition of Scarface that comes with the 4K disc, a remastered Blu-Ray disc, the original 1932 version of Scarface, and a little replica “The World is Yours” statue as seen in the movie.

It’s a nice looking set and I got a good deal on it during Amazon Prime Day. I was really glad to see that the video quality had substantially improved since I last saw the movie on DVD many years ago.

** Spoilers Below** (My reviews are meant to be read by those who’ve already seen the movie. I don’t rehash the plot, I just muse, ask questions, and share my perspective on things.)

Scarface has been deeply ingrained in pop culture and hip hop culture since I can remember. One of my friends used to have a Scarface poster in his room and I remember watching MTV Cribs back in the 2000′s and seeing that every rapper on the show had Scarface posters in their homes. There were countless references in 90′s hip hop. I remember listening to Nas on “If I ruled the World” say

Just some thoughts for the mind. I take a glimpse into time, watch the blimp read “The World is Mine.”

I’ve only seen the movie a handful of times throughout my life, which is nothing compared to the hundreds of times that I’m sure the many enthusiasts of my generation have. I’ve never actually been a hardcore fan of it and have always just observed how so many people truly love this movie inside and out, revere the character of Tony Montana, and have idolized him. Tony has been such an inspiration for people and symbol of a person who made himself into something out of nothing. This is essentially the definitive “rags to riches” story of Generation X and early Millennials.

Say goodnight to the bad guy - T. Montana

I don’t know how to feel about Tony. I feel like my biggest question throughout this movie is “Is he a good guy or a bad guy?” He’ll tell you that he’s the bad guy, as he did in the restaurant scene (although this was said in irony, pointing out the hypocrisy of the other diners judging him when most of them probably used cocaine themselves.)  His staunch supporters will fiercely defend him and point out the fact that he refused to kill the ambassador because his wife and children were in the car with him, therefore pointing to the fact that Tony had a moral code, and was unwilling to cross that line, even though it meant betraying Sosa and leading to his demise. 

I got my balls, and I got my word, and I don’t break ‘em for anybody - T. Montana

People also love his ferocious nature and ambition to succeed, making the argument that he is loyal to those who are the same to him. I would like to point out that although he may have been loyal, he never trusted anybody and for someone who has nothing, that’s bad enough, but for someone who has everything, that manifests itself into extreme paranoia and becoming psychologically reclusive while shutting out all others, no matter how close they might be. 

Mix in the heavy cocaine abuse, violating Rule #2 “Never get high on your own supply.” (Another line referenced in hip hop, the Notorious B.I.G.’s The Ten Crack Commandments) and suddenly Tony just self-destructs. He cruelly mocks his wife, Elvira, in public, chastising her and hypocritically calling her a “junkie” and talking about how “her womb is so polluted” that she is unable to bear him any children, resulting in her leaving him. 

Then there is Manolo. Everybody loves Manolo. Steven Bauer (who is actually Cuban, unlike the rest of this mainly whitewashed cast) did such a good job playing Manolo that he was able to share every scene with Al Pacino and not let him take all the attention. (Who else other than DeNiro have we seen that has successfully pulled that off? I can’t think of anyone.) Despite Manolo being such a good dude and a loyal friend to Tony, Tony still didn’t trust him when it came to Manolo’s romantic interests in Gina. Granted, Manolo was definitely a ladies’ man, so Tony had good cause for concern, but towards the end of the movie when it becomes known to Tony that Manolo had slept with Gina before Manolo had a chance to tel him that they had secretly gotten married, his shock turns into pure blind rage and he kills his best friend, ironically crossing a different line than the earlier one involving the wife and kids. 

I think people wrestle with this tragedy, but I feel that they look past it for the sake of seeing Tony in a positive light. Gina’s hatred for Tony consumes her and she eventually loses her life, and their mother’s words become reality. 

Why do you have to hurt everything you touch? Why do you have to destroy everything that comes your way? ¡Malagradecido! ¡Mal hijo! - Mama Montana

She is absolutely right. Tony’s ambition and disregard for whoever got hurt exacted a heavy toll on those closest to him. They were the ones who paid the price for his actions, his greed, and his recklessness. And I feel that this is the central message of the film. Sadly, no one acknowledges this. Everyone pretty much turns a blind eye and continues to romanticize Tony Montana, and I feel that says a lot about the fans. 

Perhaps we live in a culture of entitlement, of people who would rather try to get rich quick and profit on the misfortune of others than to grind out the years of hard, honest work, or at least applaud those who can (**cough**Trump**cough). Tony Montana couldn’t last a day washing dishes at the sandwich shop. For Tony, that kind of work is for suckers. The life of a “working stiff” is looked down upon in every gangster movie. They would rather bulldoze their way past others in their efforts to secure power and riches. 

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? - Mark 8:36 (NKJV)

In the end, people will see what they want to see. Maybe they see the allure of infinite possibilities. Maybe they see themselves in Tony Montana, and they think to themselves “If I became rich, I would do noble things, give money to the poor, etc” without anticipating how complicated life can become to those who achieve those feats. We don’t anticipate the new problems that would come our way, along with all the new people looking to capitalize on your achievements. 

Maybe, in his infinite wisdom, God keeps some of us poor to keep us humble. It’s not that money and power changed Tony, its that his character deficiencies didn’t allow him to make good choices when it came to relating to others. Sure he made good business decisions. He was smart in that way, but he lost those who loved him. He was not smart in that way. The money and power just enhanced those shortcomings.

Say hello to my little friend! - T. Montana

Conclusion

I didn’t expect his movie review to be a criticism of Tony’s character when I started writing it. It just naturally became that way. And I think that I wrote it this way in order to balance out all of the gushing praise and love for the character without any reflection on the negatives. But to answer my earlier question of whether Tony was a good or bad guy, I will conclude by saying that it isn’t my place to judge, even if he is a fictional character. I will say that he was fantastically written by Oliver Stone and brilliantly performed by Al Pacino. I’ve enjoyed musing on the depth of his character and will continue to enjoy repeated viewings of Scarface in the future.

[lower7896]

Do the Right Thing

Set on one block of Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy Do or Die neighborhood, at the height of summer, this 1989 masterpiece by Spike Lee confirmed him as a writer and filmmaker of peerless vision and passionate social engagement. Over the course of a single day, the easygoing interactions of a cast of unforgettable characters—Da Mayor, Mother Sister, Mister Señor Love Daddy, Tina, Sweet Dick Willie, Buggin Out, Radio Raheem, Sal, Pino, Vito, and Lee’s Mookie among them—give way to heated confrontations as tensions rise along racial fault lines, ultimately exploding into violence. Punctuated by the anthemic refrain of Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” Do the Right Thing is a landmark in American cinema, as politically and emotionally charged and as relevant now as when it first hit the big screen.

Criterion Collection Spine #97 Notable Music: Fight the Power - Public Enemy Fear of a Black Planet 1989  

**Spoilers Below** 

What a colorful movie this was, so vibrant and full of life. The costume design was amazing, highlighting the tendency for bright and vivid color palettes in Afro-American fashion trends. This was also an effective way to enhance the heat felt throughout the movie, as it was supposed to be on the hottest day of the summer. NBA sportswear, Nike sportswear, Air Jordans, and other activewear was used throughout to great effect.  

 Radio Raheem has been on my mind for awhile. What seemed like a minor role, quickly turned into one of the central roles in the finale, and he is a polarizing figure, quite complex and I feel that he is easily dismissed by many as just a plain “thug” with a tragic ending. Bill Nunn played him in such a way that its easy for him to be misunderstood and cast in a negative light, which is what often happens to young black men who carry inner pain, and lack the skills to assimilate into society in a positive way. In an interview, Bill Nunn expressed Radio Raheem’s desires as wanting people to experience the empowerment and the joy that he feels whenever he listens to “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy. The fact that people on the street keep complaining about the volume and keep telling him to turn it off and the fact that he keeps ignoring everybody and continues to blast his boombox, signifies that he might have issues empathizing with others, since he wants so badly to have everyone empathize with him and how he feels. The real tragedy however, is that this behavior is the catalyst by which the incendiary ending manifests itself and sets in motion, the events which will consume Radio Raheem. His soliloquy on Love vs. Hate encapsulates the whole movie and the greater issue of racial tensions in America.

  Spike Lee took on making this movie at a time when it was difficult to find a studio that put faith (read: money) into a project by a black filmmaker, even though Lee had already proven himself with two verifiable hit movies. Reading the notes in his production diary gave me all kinds of insight into his thought process before and throughout the making of the film. One of the most notable parts that stood out to me was that he really wanted Robert DeNiro to play the part of Sal the pizzeria owner, which ultimately went to Danny Aiello. I mean, Spike really had his heart set on “Bob” (as he called him) to accept the part and bring real gravitas to the film. DeNiro turned him down citing scheduling conflicts or not wanting to play a part similar to what he had already played. I call BS. This was 1988 and DeNiro had done The Godfather, Raging Bull, and Taxi Driver, but he hadn’t yet done Goodfellas, Heat, Casino, or any of the other iconic Italian gangster roles of the 1990s. My theory is that DeNiro read the script and upon seeing that his character would be manhandled by Radio Raheem, and then have his pizza shop looted and burned to the ground by everyone in the neighborhood, and then pay Mookie $500 the next day, it would make him look like a sucker and a loser. The character Sal loses everything and the next day, everybody in the neighborhood just goes about their lives as if nothing ever happened.  

My point is that we all know that DeNiro is one of the ultimate movie badasses of all time, and the roles that he chose in the movies that he was in solidified his status. Had he chosen to play Sal in Do The Right Thing, would we have seen him in the same light? Would he have received the offers to play those badass gangster characters by the studio execs after seeing the ultimate macho badass sitting on the sidewalk in front of his smoldering pizza shop, completely defeated? Let me ask you this. Have you ever seen Danny Aiello in any major film or TV production that involved Italian mafia characters since Do The Right Thing? He was nowhere to be seen in that Golden Age of Mafioso TV shows and films of the 1990′s, including the Sopranos. My guess is that nobody in the movie-watching audience would take a Mafia gangster who had been “defeated by the moulignans,” seriously. DeNiro is no dummy. He knew that taking this role would have killed his career, but Spike Lee didn’t realize that DeNiro would think this way since Spike could only look at the film through his own lens, and the importance of the message that the film carried. In other words, Spike Lee had blinders on when it came to considering DeNiro for the role of Sal.  

The Ending 

What a clever way to suss out inherent racist value systems within an individual’s sense of morality and justice. In later interviews, Spike Lee has said that the only people who have ever asked him about why Mookie instigated the riot by throwing the trash can into the pizzeria window, have been white people. Not a single black person has ever asked him that question, and therein lies the genius of this ending. For those white people who are upset about the loss of Sal’s pizzeria, the loss of a young black man to the injustice of police brutality is not much more than an afterthought. Perhaps, because Radio Raheem committed a crime against Sal (assault, perhaps attempted murder since he was not letting up on choking Sal.) then the perceived value of his life was completely gone? Does he then have no value as a human being and is therefore brushed aside as the more pertinent issue, the burning of the pizzeria by the mob, takes center stage? Is he just irredeemable? Are criminals of all races seen this way? As irredeemable and therefore without value, or certainly as having less value than a pizza parlor? 

 These are the questions that must be asked of oneself.  If we were to reverse the situation, what would we feel? If a white man were killed by a group of blacks, and the white mob rioted and burned down a black-owned business (a barbershop, for example), would you feel that the greater injustice was the burning of the barbershop?? Would the innocent barbershop owner and the years of toil and hardship that it took to build his business be of more value than the life of that one white man? Because if in both cases, you choose Sal’s Pizzeria and you choose the life of the hypothetical white man, then you must confront the fact that you value whites over blacks, and that is definitively racism. We have to get to the point where can we can admit this to ourselves if it is indeed, true. Only then, can we move forward and begin to heal the racism and bigotry that exist within our society.

 Addendum (2020):  

In light of the recent Black Lives Matter protests that have come after years of police brutality having been captured on video have having culminated with the murder of George Floyd by a white policeman, Do The Right Thing has, sadly in my view, found what seems to be a sort of timelessness in its relevancy that I wish wouldn’t exist. I wish we didn’t have to deal with racism and bigotry in our society anymore. The fact that Do The Right Thing is this relevant in 2020 forces me to ask myself if we’ve made any progress at all since it came out in 1989. The only progress I can think of is that the technology that we now have (cameras on our smartphones and social media) has proven to further shine a national spotlight on what has always existed. It’s as if we’ve lived in the dark and technology has flipped on the light switch and we can now see that we’ve been living with roaches this whole time. Awareness is the only progress that we seem to have made, with the hope that maybe we can make some real changes. The roots of white supremacy are so deep in the country, and there is so much resistance to systemic change, that I wonder if we will ever live in that world that Martin Luther King dreamed of. For now, let’s keep our foot on the gas, continue to speak out for justice, and VOTE out those who are clearly on the wrong side of history.

[lower7896]

Quotes from "Scener ur ett äktenskap"

Johan: We're emotional illiterates. We've been taught about anatomy and farming methods in Africa. We've learned mathematical formulas by he

If it were possible to encapsulate a marriage into 5 hours and then show slices of its complexity and emotional layering, and then boil that down into a single quote, this would be the quote. We, humans, are so unprepared to take on the heart and soul of a whole different person, with fears, egos, traumas, masks of conformity, appearances, dreams, anxieties, failures, regrets, and so on. These are planets that revolve around the core of the soul of each human being and we are expected to harmoniously weld ourselves to each other and move in the same direction. We are so wholly unprepared.

[lower7896]

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) - IMDb

Directed by Stanley Kubrick. With Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn. An insane general triggers a path to nuclear holocaust that a War Room full of politicians and generals frantically tries to stop.

A dark, satirical comedy is sometimes difficult to understand when it’s seen over 50 years later, but such is not the case with Dr. Strangelove. The after effects of the Cold War, the fear and hatred of communism by the right wing in America, and the incompetence of politicians and people in charge who act on impulse and bypass the checks and balances that are put in place in order to avoid disaster, all of this is sadly relevant in 2019. 

I’m a believer in satire, in trolling, as it’s called in the 21st century. I feel like it can be used as a passive-aggressive tool to get one’s point across, and to expose the faults in another’s ideology without having them put up their defensive walls, as would be the case if you were to approach them in a direct, confrontational manner. Dr. Strangelove does this very effectively (and so did The Colbert Report.) It’s a commentary on the obsession that many have in regards to “national security” and “deterring enemies” by posing the questions “If we all have our missiles pointed at each other, can we really say that we are all safe?” “Wouldn’t it take one rogue agent to set the entire thing off?” 

The anti gun-control argument (or pro-gun argument) comes to mind. What’s the ideal world look like for someone who believes that not only should we not have gun control, but that every man, woman, and child in America should be armed, therefore deterring any criminals from committing mass murder? Is the ideal America one that has regressed into what was the Wild West, where gun-toting gunslingers, outlaws, lawmen, and the general population was packing heat? Were people really safer back then? Or did people tend to take the law into their own hands. What is to prevent shootouts in the general public instigated by those unable to check their emotions and trigger-happy tendencies or those who might ascribe to a “shoot first, ask questions later” frame of mind (i.e. Trayvon Martin)

It is my perspective that what this all boils down to is our inability to handle our fear of the unknown, fear of those who are not like us, whether they speak a different language, have a different skin color, worship differently, or have different political leanings. Those fears are then stoked by the individuals in power who  then wield them as a means for war, profit, and influence. As Yoda, in his infinite wisdom, once put it.

“Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

The the ending of the movie is meant to instill a sense of hopelessness, that no matter how much we try, no matter how much information we have, people will still act according to their own interests and fears, ignoring logical arguments, and pursue what they deem is the greater good. This is quite the relevant film in the modern political era.

[lower7896]

Ron Swanson: Just give me all the bacon and eggs you have. Wait, wait. I'm worried what you just heard was, "Give me a lot of bacon and eggs

The signature line from Ron Swanson

[lower7896]

Bought a new pair of Pegasus 33's today. Tried them out for a little bit.

[kit-harington]

[lower7896]

Season 7 Finale Spoilers Ahead!

My whole life is a lie. Robert’s rebellion was founded on a lie. Elia never loved him! She loved Rhaegar! (and who could blame her, now that I think about it.)

At the end of season 6, my biggest question was “Who is Jon Snow’s father?” I thought that maybe Robert might have been his father, which would have made him a Baratheon AND a Stark and would have made him the True King of Westeros. It turns out that he’s a Targaryen and because he’s the son of the firstborn of the Mad King, he has a direct claim to the Iron Throne anyway! Anyway you slice it, Jon Snow is the rightful king.

This and and the Littlefinger scene were my favorite parts of the season finale. Sansa straight up owned Petyr Baelish. He couldn’t backtalk or weasel his way out of it, not after having to contend with the mystical knowledge of the Three-Eyed Raven. (The look on his face when Bran told him exactly what LF said to Ned when he betrayed him was priceless.) The Stark kids played him perfectly. LF was caught completely unaware and unprepared to defend himself.

Treachery and Deceit

I kind of feel like, as in real life, those who try to achieve their goals through lies and manipulation will never really be at peace, no matter if they achieve the success that they are striving for or not. Petyr Baelish’s ultimate goal was, like so many others, to try to make a claim for the Iron Throne. Like I was telling my roommate, Lord Baelish is an expert in the “long game” or the “long con”, patiently making subtle moves and inching his way closer to his ultimate goal without drawing too much attention to himself and trying to avoid making enemies. Alas, although he was careful to cover his tracks and make the right moves to further his agenda, he still had to take risks. But he made two costly mistakes, among others. The first was betraying Ned Stark when he saw that aligning himself with the Lannisters was the surer bet.

The second mistake was betting on the notion that Arya Stark wanted to be Lady of Winterfell and that he could manipulate Sansa to grow suspicious of her and kill her. This would’ve been reasonable to assume in the South, where mostly everybody is ambitious and hungry for power and glory, but in the North, family and honor are more important, so he underestimated the Stark sisters by trying to pit them against each other. And then the wildcard of course, Bran. How could Littlefinger have anticipated having his plans foiled by a boy who could see into the past and present? This totally random and supernatural element was beyond any sort of preparation and careful maneuvering. But such is the life of those who live by lies and treachery.

[lower7896]

Travel Blog 5/5/2014

Swiss Garden Resort & Spa Kuantan, Malaysia 1:20 am I've been staying at a time share resort since Friday on Balok Beach in Kuantan. It's really nice here but there are too many kids. I can't relax when there are too many kids running around and making squealing noises. I wait until 7pm to go take a swim in the pool because that's usually when all the kids have gone inside the rooms with their parents. Yes, nighttime is the most relaxing time. I've been doing lots of reading for my thesis research and have been watching soccer games at night. I haven't been able to watch soccer in a long time, I've missed it. I wanted to go to Brazil for the World Cup this year but the airfare was simply too expensive and I didn't want to spend that kind of money so I decided to come to Southeast Asia where the cost of living and traveling is substantially more affordable. And I'll be happily watching the World Cup on the television while also doing my research. The weather is hot and sunny but not so overbearing that I can't be outside. I ate a couple of meals at the resort but then I realized that I could save a lot of money by simply walking across the street and eating at the small local restaurants instead of the expensive hotel restaurants. I believe in supporting small local businesses so that's what I'll be doing for the rest of my stay here. My room is fantastic. I posted photos on Flickr and Facebook and I'll never forget the moment when I checked in on Friday and the receptionist asked me if I wanted two single beds or a King-sized bed. "Uh, yes, king size please" Easiest decision of my life. It's wonderful waking up at 10am, soaking in the bathtub, having the morning newspaper delivered to my room, walking across the street for some local Malaysian food with mango juice and then lounging by the beach while reading my research material on my iPad. These things don't happen on their own, I truly believe that they are blessings from The Lord. And because there is no telling when my circumstances might change, the best thing to do is to thank God and enjoy the moments that I've been given. You should do the same.

[lower7896]

Travel Blog 5/1/2014

Bukit Bintang Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1:19 AM I arrived in Kuala Lumpur last night at around 6:15 pm. Immediately after getting off the plane I saw how different this place was from the Phillipines. Malaysia is a mix of Indian, Malay, and Chinese people. There are also Indonesians and people from all over Southeast Asia. I bought a ticket to take a bus to the center of the city from the airport but had to wait almost 2 hours for the bus because I just happened to arrive the day before Labour Day, May 1st, which is the beginning of the "Golden Holidays" which include Buddhas birthday and I don't know what else. The point is, that everyone is coming here for vacation so it's really crowded. People from all walks of life are in this country. It's very different from Korea in the sense that it's multicultural whereas Korea isn't. Korea is mostly homogenous. The result is that in Malaysia, because Malay, Indian, and Chinese people all speak different languages, the only way that they can all communicate with one another is to use that lovely international language called English. This makes it very convenient for me and other travelers who just want to get around and do stuff and eat stuff ^^ So today was full of finding my bearings, figuring how to move around, figuring the true cost of things. I can use the monorail system now and I know when a taxi is overcharging me. I used the lonely planet guide to find some of the best attractions and ended up going to see the Petronas Towers, which are the famous towers from the movies, maybe you remember them in that Catherine Zeta-Jones movie "Entrapment" or maybe not. I went to the Lake Garden and took some nice floral shots with my new camera. Ah speaking of the camera, I was a bit worried at first that there might be someone who would try to snatch or steal my bag or camera, but I find that as long as you keep everything with you and don't leave anything lying around, no one will try to snatch anything from you. That's good. That means that this place is relatively safe. It's not as safe as Korea, but it's not as dangerous as some other places. It's pretty tourist friendly and that's a good thing. My first impressions of this city is that it's not first world yet although it's quickly heading there. There's a lot of luxury shopping malls and high end stores in the main downtown area. Every luxury brand that you can think of is here. It's not first world and it's not third world, there isn't rampant poverty in this city although you can tell that maybe 30 or 40 years ago, it was really poor. It's a fast growing Asian city that is looking to rival Bangkok and Hong Kong one day, and from the looks of all the construction going on, it'll soon get there. Tomorrow I'm heading toward the coast....to the beach... Gnite~

[lower7896]

Travel blog 4/30/2014

Ninoy Aquino International Airport Manila, Philippines 11:31 AM After putting all my belongings in storage and cleaning out my apartment, I rushed to the airport and arrived ten minutes after the check-in counter had already closed. I asked 3 different employees who were still there to please just help me and print out my ticket. The first two girls said that they couldn't because the computer system had already shut down, but then I asked the guy who seemed to be in charge and he was able to quickly make it happen and got my ticket printed. There were two lessons to be learned here. One, I have to have better judgment with managing and anticipating my schedule. I thought I had enough time to get to the airport but I misjudged it because the airport subway takes 30 minutes longer than the express bus. Also, the check-counter closes 45 minutes before departure. So combine both of those things and I got in by a miracle. And on top of everything the plane was delayed for 30 minutes anyway. Two, there is always a way to make things happen. You just have to find the person who is willing to go outside of convention. I've been that person many times. When I worked at the insurance company, I helped people after hours, I figured out how to solve problems and satisfy clients even when I could've just told them "I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do." I learned how to make things happen. Find those people. And become like those people. Make things happen. I saw Dolly on the plane, she is on her way to take care of some immigration issues in Manila and I hadn't seen her for a while. I have a lot of former theology classmates who are from the Philippines and I love how positive and joyful they are all the time. They love laughing and joking around but are also serious when it comes to studying. The purpose of this trip is to take time off from work so I can travel and work on my thesis at the same time since it's way too long to finish. I'll also try to make time to blog about what I experience along the way. I'm traveling really light, with just a backpack and camera. I'll be staying at timeshares for 2 out of the 8 weeks and the rest of the time, I'll be staying at cheap guesthouses and hostels with other backpackers. My flight leaves in a couple of hours. I'll be heading to Kuala Lumpur and then will head to the coast on Friday to check in at a beach resort. I'm going to do some reading now.

[lower7896]

10 years ago today, on October 14, 2003, Steve Bartman interfered with a foul ball in the 8th inning of Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS between the Florida Marlins and the Chicago Cubs. At the time, Chicago was winning 3-0 and they were 5 outs away from going to their first World Series since 1908. After this happened, the Cubs completely collapsed and gave up 8 runs in the inning and lost the game 8-3.

It was an epic collapse and everyone in the stadium and in the media blamed Steve Bartman. They yelled at him, threw beer at him, and called him an “a-hole.” It got so bad that security had to come and escort him out of the stadium. People threw stuff at him even as he walked down into the tunnel to leave and one man even tried to attack him but was held back.

I vaguely remember watching this on TV back in 2003 because I remember that whenever the Yankees were in the playoffs, I loved to watch so that I could root against them. I hated the Yankees but that’s a story for another day. The Yankees were in the ALCS playing against the Red Sox, I think, and this was the NLCS where the winner would eventually play the Yankees in the World Series.

So Florida eventually beat the Cubs, which I thought was a shame at the time because I liked Sammy Sosa. Everybody liked Sammy Sosa. Florida also went on to beat the Yankees and win the World Series, which was all I really wanted. (Sorry Randy)

So back to Steve Bartman. Poor guy. Last night I watched an excellent documentary called “Catching Hell” which is part of the 30-for-30 series by ESPN. I want to write my thoughts about each one of these documentaries, and I might just do that if I can find the time. This unfortunate man Bartman, absorbed the full impact of the wrath of the Chicago Cubs fans. They blamed him for losing the game, as if he were the one that gave up those 8 runs in the inning. They called his house and made death threats against him and his family, and the poor guy became a recluse.

He issued an apology the next day and it was read by his brother-in-law. In it he said that he was “broken hearted” and that he was “truly sorry”

Here, read it for yourself. This is his apology in full:

“There are few words to describe how awful I feel and what I have experienced within these last twenty-four hours. I am so truly sorry from the bottom of this Cubs fan’s broken heart. 

I ask that Cub fans everywhere redirect the negative energy that has been vented towards my family, my friends and myself into the usual positive support for our beloved team on their way to being National League champs.” - Steve Bartman (last public statement)

So, why am I so interested in this story? What’s the point? Well, what’s fascinating to me is the human element. My question is “What would I have done if I were Steve Bartman?” It’s clear from the picture above that 3 or 4 people were going for that foul ball. Going for a foul ball is the most natural thing to do at a baseball game. It’s part of the charm. I would’ve definitely gone for the foul ball. That’s not the issue. The issue is how do you react after you’ve done something that's angered people? Because I believe that therein lies the difference. How would you have reacted immediately afterwards? Look at Steve. The guy is acting like nothing happened. He’s got his headphones on. He’s staring straight ahead focusing on the game. At this point, people are starting to point at him and start chanting loudly. He ignores them, hoping that as soon as the Cubs make a big play, everything will blow over. But that moment never comes. The Cubs suffer a devastating collapse. There is no reaction on his face. No emotion, no fear, no regret, no reaction. Nothing. It comes across as cold..it comes across….as…a bit….arrogant.

Now I know that’s probably not the truth, but in life, everyone will react to their perception of you, not to what the truth is. And by ignoring the people and not engaging them at all, not even looking at them, it seemed unremorseful, which stoked the fire of their anger even more and made him an even bigger target for their frustration at having lost the game.

Go back and read that apology. Tell me how you feel after you read it. I’ll tell you what I feel. I feel nothing. Nothing in that apology connects with me. If I were a Chicago Cubs fan, nothing in that apology would’ve made me say to myself “Aw man, we were too hard on him. He’s just a good guy, a regular guy, one of us. Anybody could’ve made that mistake. We should just all let it go and move on.” Steve Bartman again failed to connect, failed to relate, failed to communicate, and his apology fell on deaf ears. It was ineffective and do you know why? Because he’s probably just not a good communicator or he’s probably just an introvert and he lacks the social skills that it takes to diffuse a situation like this….and that’s not his fault, that’s just who he is…and in this case…it really hurt him.

This story just reinforces the idea to me that if you are an effective communicator, you have an invaluable skill, a precious skill, the skill of relating to people, relaying your ideas and feelings and bringing out the empathy in people. Enabling connection is a supremely important life skill. It seems as if Steve Bartman lacks these skills.

In the 10 years since the incident, people have reached out to him, talk shows, interviews, Dr. Phil, you name it. He was even offered to be in a Super Bowl ad. People have been throwing money at him left and right and he has said NO to them every time. That speaks volumes about his character. He doesn’t want the money or the spotlight. He just wants to be left alone. The Cubs have offered to make him a VIP and have him come forward and meet with famous players. He’s said no. He always says no.

It’s a little frustrating to me because I just see it as lack of confidence, because my character is different than Steve’s. In my eyes, if I were acting like Steve, it would seem like a character deficiency to me. I feel like I’d wanna take Steve by the shoulders and say “C’mon man! Go out tell them your side of the story. Get your life back! It was wrong what they did to you! Take control of your life again, for your own peace of mind…you can’t just hide for the rest of your life Steve..”

Well, that’s about all I have to say about that (Forrest Gump reference) but there are two or three other things that stood out to me in the documentary. I’ll just talk about them quickly.

Bill Buckner and the Curse of the Bambino

So I’m not a Red Sox fan but before they won the World Series in 2004 (after beating the Yankees in the ALCS ^^) I heard about how much of a tortured fan base they were because of the Curse of the Bambino meaning that in 1918 after they had won the last World Series, they traded Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees which was a huge mistake and he became one of the greatest players of all time. So in 1986, the Red Sox were close to winning the World Series and they suffered a collapse pretty similar to what happened to Chicago in 2003, and the moment that everyone remembers is when the ball went through Bill Buckner’s legs and they lost the game.

There were a lot of mistakes before that but the media just focused on Bill Buckner and he became the scapegoat and all the hatred focused on him, again, similar to what would happen to Steve Bartman in 2003. Bill Buckner handled the situation a lot better than Steve Bartman but again because the media focused so much on his error and completely ignored all the other errors that the team made, that he was unfairly vilified.

After Boston won two championships, the team wanted to reconnect with Buckner, and they held a press conference for him and offered to have him throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the game. So there he was in the press conference and he got choked up and couldn’t hold back his tears. I felt really sorry for him. I couldn’t imagine all that he and his family had gone through, but again, it was his show of emotion that allowed me to connect and sympathize with him and his pain. That’s what it’s all about, I think. Share your pain in an honest way, and people will draw closer to you. They'll feel like they know you. So Bill goes and steps onto the field in front of a sold out crowd and they announce his name and the crowd cheers for him and he’s still wiping away tears. That’s what we love to see! Happy endings! I was so happy for Bill Buckner when I saw how good he felt. I was happy that he finally found peace.

Two more things I want to mention and then I’m done, I promise. I don’t know if anybody will read this far.

The Curse of the Goat

So the Chicago Cubs have their own curse called the Curse of the Goat because a long time ago, some guy with a goat tried to get into Wrigley Field and he was turned away. He wasn’t allowed to go in, so he said something like “ok now you are cursed and you’ll never win a championship!”

Does it surprise you how serious people are about curses and jinxes and rituals and luck? Especially in American sports? I’m a religion major in grad school and this kind of stuff fascinates me because I think that people are more spiritual and religious than they realize but that’s a heavy topic for another day.

This was the underlying reason for why the crowd turned on Steve Bartman. They believe in the curse. They believe that he somehow through his interference with one foul ball, created a karmic domino effect that resulted in a supernatural inability for the Cubs to play well and resulted in giving up 8 runs in an inning.

This is the 21st century. This is America. We may pretend and act like we want God and religion out of the country because we say (and by “we” I mean a lot of you) that it’s just nonsense and we want to base everything on science. But we are as superstitious and afraid of jinxes and bad luck and karma….we are as religious as anyone else and the proof is right here in the Bartman story.

There was NO LOGICAL REASON for this crowd and the media to act like it did and blame something like that on one fan. It was RIDICULOUS. It was PURELY based on superstitious crowd mentality and sports culture that thrives on stuff like “The Curse of the Goat” Give me a break people.

Scapegoat

This is my last point. Thanks for reading, I enjoy writing ^^. Do you know what a scapegoat is? Of course you do. Do you know what a real scapegoat is? Did you know that it’s a religious term? In the Old Testament, once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would lay his hands on a goat and transfer all the sins of the people onto the goat. Then, they wouldn’t kill the goat, they would release it outside of the city and banish it to the wilderness to go off and die. It was outcast. It took the full blame for the sins of the people and then just had to go live with that stigma for as long as it could. And that’s Steve Bartman….poor guy.