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Hinckley had a Vision = Just Wrong

When Jello Biafra explained that the shockingly tasteless name "Dead Kennedys" was purposeful irony "to bring attention to the end of the American dream," I gave him the benefit of the doubt. When a seminal skate punk band from Arizona decided to call themselves "Jodie Foster's Army" after would-be Reagan assassin John Hinckley Jr's obsession with the actress, I sensed no such higher purpose behind the sick joke. Believe me, I was no Reagan fan, but to quote Joe Strummer "murder is a crime." With apologies and happy birthday wishes to Ms. Foster, who today turns 47.

After writing the above, I wondered if something akin to a maturity that comes from being the same age as Jodie Foster has me preferring shock value satire to have some ultimate moral purpose behind it. Upon reflection though, I remembered being completely turned off by the Crucifucks performance of Hinckley Had a Vision when I saw that Lansing, Michigan hardcore group perform the song at the Rock against Reagan free concert in Washington, D.C. And I was a mere lad of 22 back then.

Why care that today is 72 year old rehabbed into Republicanism Dennis Hopper's birthday? He cowrote & directed Easy Rider. Admittedly more a period piece than an enduring work, the film's original sound track is one of the best in my library. It features the only song I've ever heard (so far) by the Holy Modal Rounders, the classic Don't Bogart that Joint from the short-lived group Fraternity of Man and this one from the Byrds.

Several lost years, life changes and 17 years later, Hopper played the sick & dangerous Frank Booth in David Lynch's film Blue Velvet, for whom minor character Hector karaoked one of Roy Orbison's best works.