2 August 26-September 1, 2020 | metrotimes.com
metrotimes.com | August 26-September 1, 2020
3
Vol. 40 | Issue 47 | Aug. 26-Sept. 1, 2020
Publisher - Chris Keating Associate Publisher - Jim Cohen
News & Views Feedback/Comics ................. 5 News ...................................... 6 Informed Dissent .................. 8
EDITORIAL Editor in Chief - Lee DeVito Music and Listings Editor - Jerilyn Jordan Investigative Reporter - Steve Neavling Copy Boy - Dave Mesrey
ADVERTISING Regional Sales Director Danielle Smith-Elliott Multimedia Account Executive Jessica Frey Account Manager, Classifieds - Josh Cohen
BUSINESS/OPERATIONS
Feature
Business Support Specialist - Josh Cohen Controller - Kristy Dotson
GOP Senate John James and the art of the deal ............... 10
CREATIVE SERVICES Graphic Designers Haimanti Germain, Evan Sult
CIRCULATION Circulation Manager - Annie O’Brien
EUCLID MEDIA GROUP
Arts & Culture All the small screens ............ 16 Savage Love ......................... 18 Horoscopes .......................... 20
Chief Executive Officer - Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers - Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP of Digital Services - Stacy Volhein Digital Operations Coordinator - Jaime Monzon euclidmediagroup.com National Advertising - Voice Media Group 1-888-278-9866 vmgadvertising.com Detroit Metro Times 30 E. Canfield St. Detroit, MI 48201 metrotimes.com Got a story tip or feedback? Email letters@metrotimes.com or call 313-202-8011 Want to advertise with us? Call 313-961-4060 Want us dropped off at your business, or have questions about circulation? Call 313-202-8049 Get social: @metrotimes Detroit distribution: The Detroit Metro Times is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. The Detroit Metro Times is published every Wednesday by Euclid Media Group.
On the cover: Photo by REUTERS/Rebecca Cook
Printed on recycled paper Printed By
4 August 26-September 1, 2020 | metrotimes.com
248-620-2990
Verified Audit Member
EUCLID MEDIA • Copyright: The entire contents of the Detroit Metro Times are copyright 2020 by Euclid Media Group LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publisher does not assume any liability for unsolicited manuscripts, materials, or other content. Any submission must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All editorial, advertising, and business correspondence should be mailed to the address listed above. Prior written permission must be granted to Metro Times for additional copies. Metro Times may be distributed only by Metro Times’ authorized distributors and independent contractors. Subscriptions are available by mail inside the U.S. for six months at $80 and a yearly subscription for $150. Include check or money order payable to: Metro Times Subscriptions, 30 E. Canfield St., Detroit, MI 48201. (Please note: Third Class subscription copies are usually received 3-5 days after publication date in the Detroit area.) Most back issues obtainable for $5 at Metro Times offices or $7 prepaid by mail.
NEWS & VIEWS Feedback H e l l o , I ’m c u r i o u s o n t h e r e c r e a t i o n a l u s e g u id e lin e s in D e t r o it . I w ill b e m o v in g h e r e a n d I ’m c u r i o u s o n t h e l a w s . — A le x is M . Hi Alexis. Thanks for reaching out, and welcome to Michigan! We covered these issues in last year’s 4/ 20 issue; look up “Michigan’s cannabis laws for dummies: The dos and don’ts of dope” on oogle to find the full article. In a nutshell, any adult 21 or older can use and possess cannabis. People can travel with up to 2. o . of cannabis flower or 15 grams of concentrate anywhere except on a school property, school bus, or a
correctional institution. For perspective: A plastic sandwich bag holds about 2 o . of cannabis flower concentrate cartridges tend to be .5 gram or 1 gram each. At home, people can possess up to 0 o . of flower as long as anything over 2.5 oz. is locked up. Violations are a civil infraction punishable by a 00 fine. By law, people can grow up to 12 marijuana plants per household, and if you grow your own, there’s no limit to how much marijuana you can possess. ou can find a list of stores that sell recreational cannabis on our website, metrotimes.com. —L e e D e V ito W e k n o w y o u h a v e o p in io n s ! R e m e m b e r, y o u c a n c o n ta c t u s a t le t t e r s @ m e t r o t im e s .c o m .
metrotimes.com | August 26-September 1, 2020
5
NEWS & VIEWS
Detroit police tackle a protester early Sunday morning.
ADAM J. DEWEY
Black and blue
Lawmakers call for investigation after Detroit police arrested 42 protesters, seriously injuring some B y S te v e N e a v lin g
Two lawmakers are joining calls for an investigation after more than 40 peaceful protesters, some of whom were seriously injured by baton-wielding cops, were arrested early Sunday morning for blocking Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit. At least five protesters were ta en to the hospital. “There should be a full independent investigation of this incident and the use of excessive force involved against the Detroit Will Breathe protestors,” state Rep. Stephanie Chang said on Twitter Sunday. Protesters were rallying against the influx of federal agents who are part of Operation egend, a crime fighting initiative that was recently launched by the Department of Justice. “The Detroit Police Department has been using the arrests of innocent Black people to deceive the public as they help justify Trump’s racist, scapegoating, ‘ tough on crime’ rhetoric that both appeals to his base and creates an
atmosphere of authoritarian rule,” Nakia Wallace, an organizer for the protest group Detroit Will Breathe, said in a statement late Saturday night. Shortly after midnight, police in riot gear used pepper spray, tear gas, batons, and shields to plow through the group of protesters. Police struck protesters with batons and pushed them to the ground. One cop pepper-sprayed a protester in the face while he was held down by officers on the street. At least five protesters, some of whom were initially denied treatment, were taken to the hospital, witnesses tell M e t r o T i m e s . One of them was Alex Anest, a clearly marked medic whose rib was broken and lung collapsed when an officer clubbed him in the bac with a baton and “dragged me 15 feet across the sidewal and cuffed me, Anest said on Facebook. He said he called 9 11 after he was denied treatment and police held him with a group of detained protesters. e eventually was let go and flagged down protesters for a ride to the hospital
6 August 26-September 1, 2020 | metrotimes.com
at 4 a.m. “Standing up for Black Lives can be dangerous, but not standing up for Black Lives is disgusting,” Anest said. “This nation was literally built on the backs of enslaved people and that’s a fact that white people must never forget. The legacy of slavery is with us always.” Anest was still in the hospital Monday morning. His friend Matt Hollerbach, who also was arrested, said other protesters had black eyes and cuts on their heads. One had a broken wrist. “My friend had a hole gouged into his face with a baton and will need surgery to fix a compound wrist fracture, ollerbach tells M e t r o T i m e s . K evin K wart said a cop punched him in the face more than 10 times and injured his shoulder. Both of his eyes were swollen and black and blue. Police also arrested a journalist and a legal observer. Detroit police tell M e t r o T i m e s they are investigating. “Any allegations of misconduct we will
investigate,” Sgt. Nicole K irkwood tells M e t r o T i m e s , saying the department is reviewing videos and a photo. U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, called on the Detroit Police Commission to investigate. “While there have been a few commissioners who have spoken up about police violence consistently, we need the entire elected Board of Police Commissioners to take action,” Tlaib tweeted Sunday. “We cannot standby while residents & peaceful protestors continue to be harmed.” Detroit police also were accused of using excessive force on protesters in late March and early April. They also arrested reporters. On July 20, Wayne County Prosecutor K ym Worthy charged a police corporal with three counts of felonious assault for allegedly firing rubber pellets at three photojournalists, all of whom were injured, on May 3 1. Detroit police are holding a press conference at 1:3 0 p.m. to discuss how police handled the protest.
metrotimes.com | August 26-September 1, 2020
7
NEWS & VIEWS
America, in two speeches.
SHUTTERSTOCK
Informed Dissent
In 2004, Barack Obama offered us hope. In 2020, a warning. By Jeffrey C. Billman
There are lots of policy ques-
tions we should focus on over the next 10 weeks: the COVID pandemic, the economic recovery, the climate crisis, systemic racism in our criminal justice system, the wealth gap, expanding access to health care. There are political matters, too: the devolution of the MAGA Republican Party into a grifters club, Democrats’ insistence on relegating the activist left to the kids table. But as November nears, I’m convinced all of that is secondary. Foremost is something more foundational: Will we allow the continued erosion of democratic fundaments, or will we arrest our hastening slide into authoritarianism? A more eloquent version of this idea was the centerpiece of Barack Obama’s speech during the Democratic National Convention last week, an unusually scorching takedown of his successor. “Donald Trump hasn’t grown into the job because he can’t,” Obama said. “And the consequences of that failure are severe. One hundred seventy thousand Americans dead. Millions of jobs gone while those at the top take in
more than ever. Our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before.” He continued: “This president and those in power — those who benefit from keeping things the way they are — they are counting on your cynicism. They know they can’t win you over with their policies. So they’re hoping to make it as hard as possible for you to vote, and to convince you that your vote doesn’t matter. That’s how they win. That’s how they get to keep making decisions that affect your life, and the lives of the people you love. That’s how the economy will keep getting skewed to the wealthy and well-connected, how our health systems will let more people fall through the cracks. That’s how a democracy withers, until it’s no democracy at all.” His point — unspoken though not difficult to intuit — was this: As much as Joe Biden is on the ballot, democracy is on the ballot. Whatever you think of Biden is irrelevant. Win this war before you fight the next one.
8 August 26-September 1, 2020 | metrotimes.com
I was also struck by the emotional dissonance between this speech and the sunny optimism of the 2004 DNC address that launched Obama into the national spotlight: “Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes. Well, I say to them tonight, there’s not a liberal America and a conservative America; there’s the United States of America. There’s not a Black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there’s the United States of America. … We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.” In 16 years, we went from “we are one people” to the despair of “our worst impulses unleashed” and the desperation of “that’s how a democracy withers.” The boyish Obama of 2004 reflected the America of Hollywood imaginations; his was a Sorkin-esque appeal to our better angels to bridge insignificant partisan divides. The wizened Obama of 2020 knows better. This wasn’t a
speech about the America we want to be; it was a speech about the America we might become. The first was a promise, the second a warning. When the primaries began, Biden wasn’t anyone’s platonic ideal of a standard-bearer. His campaign wasn’t rooted in ambitious visions or big ideas. His pitch was his humanity — he’s Joey, a decent, empathetic guy who’s persevered through unimaginable loss and would rather be a good man than a great one. He wasn’t there to change the country, just to save it. In most elections — against a different opponent, without the backdrop of a pandemic and an economic crisis — that wouldn’t suffice. But as I watched the DNC, I realized that Trump is a script-perfect foil for Biden: quiet competence to bombastic failure; knowing steadiness to perpetual tumult; the warmth of your favorite grandfather who is going to fix this mess because he still loves you, goddammit, to the uncouthness of your belligerent drunk uncle who caused the mess but blames everyone else for it. That doesn’t tell us if he’ll be good at the job, of course. I have reservations. Biden is moored to political instincts and advisers two decades past their sell-by date, which hints at pusillanimity. Perhaps, though, he’ll rise to the occasion. As Biden noted during his acceptance speech, “America’s history tells us that it has been in our darkest moments that we’ve made our greatest progress. That we’ve found the light. And in this dark moment, I believe we are poised to make great progress again.” But even if he’s a mediocrity, President Biden will be a victory merely by his existence. America will have rejected a lawless regime. The new White House will take the pandemic seriously; climate change, too. Justice Ginsburg can retire. And the country will remember that the federal government wasn’t always a clown car of incompetents, white nationalists, obsequious lickspittles, and con men. We will live to fight another day. As Obama put it, “You can give our democracy new meaning. You can take it to a better place. … That work will continue long after this election. But any chance of success depends entirely on the outcome of this election. This administration has shown it will tear our democracy down if that’s what it takes to win.” In other words, to fight the next war, you have to win this one. Get Informed Dissent delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up today at billman.substack.com.
metrotimes.com | August 26-September 1, 2020
9
FEATURE In 2017, as much of the nation
was still nursing a major hangover following the election of President Donald Trump, there was a very real possibility that Michigan could have a celebrity-turned-politician of its own — with none other than Kid Rock, the performer from Macomb County once crowned “Boob of the Year” by Metro Times, threatening to run for one of Michigan’s Senate seats. Eventually, the “Bawitdaba” singer admitted on Howard Stern’s show that he had no intention of actually running, and the whole thing was just a joke to drum up publicity. But soon, a different selfdescribed “outsider” running to be the Republican candidate emerged: Army veteran and Detroit-area business leader John James. As a patriot, businessman, and rare Black Republican, James proved irresistible to Fox News, who gave him his first national television interview on Fox & Friends. “Some say he could be the future of the GOP,” fawned host Ainsley Earhardt. In the short segment, James touted the number of jobs his company created under his leadership — a line that would be repeated many more times on the campaign trail, more or less verbatim, in the following months. “I’m over there fighting for Iraqi freedom, and there are not enough people back here fighting for people here in the state of Michigan,” James said. “So I got out of the military and I joined my family business, a small automotive logistics company in Detroit, and grew the company from $35 million to $137 million in revenue and added 100 jobs in Michigan and east of the Mississippi.” James’s alleged business acumen likely helped catch the eye of President Donald Trump, who endorsed him in 2018. “Just met John James of Michigan. He has every single quality to be your next Great Senator from Michigan,” Trump tweeted. “When the people of Michigan get to know John, they will say he is a true star. Also, distinguished Military and a Combat Vet!” But Trump’s Midas touch did little to help, with James losing to incumbent Democrat Debbie Stabenow in November of that year, 45.8% to Stabenow’s 52.3%. This year, James is giving it another shot, this time against incumbent Democrat Gary Peters. Like Trump, James’s company appears
to be an excellent dealmaker — at least when it comes to looking out for itself. According to documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and reviewed by Metro Times, under his tenure James’s company took nearly $2 million in tax breaks from the state, a condition of which was that the company had to create 108 jobs. In fact, according to the documents, James’s company actually lost more than 30 jobs under his leadership, and the MEDC revoked its tax-exempt status after it failed to create the jobs it promised. Based on the documents available, the company does not appear to have been subject to a “clawback,” or being forced to return the money for violating its agreement. But the facts laid out in documents run counter to another claim that James has made repeatedly on the campaign trail: that he’s against “free handouts” from the government. “Send a job creator to Washington who understands that working-Michiganders are looking for a fair hand up, not a free handout,” he tweeted in 2017. The next year, he doubled down on the claim. “We believe at West Point that you don’t lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do, which is why I’ve gotten President
Engler’s “Renaissance Zones” initiative. Launched in 1996, Engler’s Renaissance Zones offered businesses in designated zones a break in paying property, income, and utility taxes for about 10 years, described as an “experiment” to see if it would spur development and investment in economically distressed cities. Renaissance Global Logistics was awarded a Renaissance Zone status in 1997 and broke ground in Southwest Detroit shortly after. Beyond that, the site was also located in a federal “empowerment zone,” making it eligible for additional tax credits for employees, including up to $3,000 against federal taxes per employee hired who lived and worked there. According to a 1998 report from the nonprofit Citizens Research Council of Michigan, the two-square-mile site located amid the overlapping zones was “among the most heavily tax-abated in the state.” As a cherry on top, James Group International also received $2 million of taxpayer money from the state to clean up the 16-acre site of its headquarters on Fort Street in Southwest Detroit, not far from the Ambassador Bridge. In 2006, a state law amended the Renaissance Zone Act to allow time extensions, and another amendment in 2008 implemented additional require-
Quicken Loans, which ranked second. Still, in the wake of the bailout of the auto industry, the company appeared to be having trouble generating the jobs it promised. In a Renaissance Zone report sent to the MEDC on Friday, Jan. 18, 2013, James’s brother Lorron, the company’s vice president of business affairs, sought to get ahead of the story. “Before you dive into it, it has come to my attention that, due to a clerical error, the number of employees we had in 2011 was 120, not the 129 that was originally reported,” he wrote. “Based on the reporting form, it will appear that we have had negative job growth. Because of the way the flow chart was set up in the reporting document and because of fluctuation of employment due to volatile volume forecasts from our customers, among other things, our result yielded a figure that was less than we started the year with.” In the email, Lorron said the company now employed 137, and in the report noted that the presence of Renaissance Global Logistics “had a positive effect on the area, decreasing crime, decreasing blight, and attracting other business opportunities in the immediate area, including a potential new automotive supplier park.” It didn’t work. Later in 2013, the Michigan Strategic Fund board revoked the
Trump’s endorsement,” he said on another Fox News appearance, adding, “I’ve never taken a handout a day in my life.” Bootstrapping is a big part of the John James story. James Group International was founded in 1971 by James’s father, John A. James, as a small transportation company. The elder James started the company after moving to Detroit from Mississippi with just one truck, one trailer, and one partner. Over the years, the company grew into a global shipping and logistics company, primarily moving parts overseas for the auto industry. By the late ’90s, it formed a subsidiary company, Renaissance Global Logistics, which appeared to have been created solely to take advantage of then-Republican Governor John
ments for extensions, including a job creation requirement. In 2010, Renaissance Global Logistics applied for and was eventually awarded an extension of the tax break — on the condition it create 108 jobs and invest $2 million in the Renaissance Zone by Dec. 31, 2015. According to the documents, those 108 jobs were to be added on top of a baseline of 119 jobs. By the time the younger James came on as director of operations in February 2012 following his stint in Iraq, James Group International was a global force. The next year, Crain’s Detroit Business ranked it as the biggest gainer of 200 privately held Michigan companies, with revenue growth of 266.7 percent — above even Dan Gilbert’s still-ascendant
company’s time extension designation. In the beginning of 2015, the year of the jobs creation deadline, James — the future Senate candidate — became president and CEO of Renaissance Global Logistics. But the promised jobs failed to materialize by the end of the year: according to the MEDC, the company lost 32 jobs. In February 2016, the state warned the company that they had 90 days to meet their end of the bargain, or else they would have their tax status revoked. The next month, the company tried to amend its Renaissance Zone status. “We respectfully request an amendment in order to adjust our requirements to match those suitable of a business serving the automotive
10 August 26-September 1, 2020 | metrotimes.com
John James. | REUTERS
On the campaign trail, Republican Senate candidate John James touts the number of jobs his company created. But documents show it actually lost jobs — after taking more than $2M in tax breaks. By Lee DeVito
metrotimes.com | August 26-September 1, 2020
11
EMPLOYMENT Senior Quality Assurance Analyst, United Shore, Pontiac, MI. Gather business &operational reqmts, define sys functionality needs, dvlp &code SW apps for in-depth testing of business functionalities. Design, dvlp, code &program automation processes &cmptr data syss to validate IT apps, such as online broker portals, loan estimate generation, underwriting Sys, loan servicing syss &mortgage payoff calculators. Automate functional test scenarios using HP UFT &Selenium framework w/ C# &.Net framework. Dvlp &design SW solutions &performance test scenarios based on sys architecture to ensure parameters are covered &exercised in load test, using application protocols, APIs, databases, queue managers, application servers &monitoring tools. Execute automated regression test suite for each release in integration, stage, &production environments. Bachelor, Computer Science, Engineering, or related. 48 mos exp as Quality Assurance Analyst, Test Leader, Engineer, Developer, or related, designing SW solutions &performance test scenarios based on sys architecture, &executing automated regression test suite for each release in integration, stage, &production environments, or related. Mail resume to Ref#2821-23, United Shore, 585 South Blvd E., Pontiac, MI 48341.
12 August 26-September 1, 2020 | metrotimes.com
sector, they wrote. “ pecifically, we request a modification which reflects our progress to date su cient to take us to the end of 201 . In its request, the company blamed the ob losses on the austerity demanded by the struggling auto industry, noting it had 119 fulltime employees at the site at the time of the Renaissance Zone designation, but only 8 by ec. 1, 201 . “ his is due to the fact that R deals e clusively with manufacturers in the automotive industry who, under the auspices of ean anufacturing,’ value processes over people, the company wrote in its request. “ s such, our customers demand that we improve processes in order to decrease headcount. In a Jan. 0, 201 memorandum, the noted the company “failed to create one-hundred eight 108 new obs by ecember 1, 201 as required per the agreement. he recommended that the ichigan trategic und revoke the company’s Renaissance Zone designation, which went into effect on ec. 1, 201 for property ta purposes, and Jan. 1, 2018 for all other ta purposes. espite the ob losses, by the fall of 201 , James launched his first enate campaign, where he began saying that line that he created “100 obs in ichigan and east of the ississippi. o what’s up with the “east of the ississippi part n one hand, it sure has as a folksy ring to it. nd indeed, James roup International has facilities in ichigan and ississippi, as well as Indiana. It could be that James was carefully trying to hedge his “100 obs claim by lumping in obs in other states across the entire company to offset the etroit losses. However, it’s a moot point, anyway, at least as far as the Renaissance Zone deal was concerned he deal required the obs to be created in the one. nd even if you consider obs beyond the one, according to the company’s own figures self-reported to Crain’s, it failed to create a single job in Michigan during James’s tenure rendering his entire statement is false. ata from Crain’s shows that James’ company cut obs in ichigan from 2012, the year he oined the company, to 201 , the year when he first claimed to have created 100 obs. he James campaign declined to provide Metro Times with companywide employment numbers. evertheless, the Renaissance Zone status proved to be a boon to the company. In a 2010 letter to etroit ity ouncil requesting a five-year e tension of the ta break, the elder James wrote that the ta status gave his company a “competitive advantage. “In many instances, R has been able to outbid its non-Renaissance Zone competitors due in large part to
utili ing ta e empt status on many state and local ta es, addy James wrote. “ s such it has played a ma or role in R ’s success over the years. In the coming years, maintaining Renaissance Zone ta benefits will be crucial to R ’s long term survival as it seeks to diversify itself away from heavy reliance on the automotive industry. hould R ’ Renaissance Zone e emption be allowed to e pire, R would lose a significant competitive advantage which could eopardi e its ongoing viability. ore importantly, we would not be able to facilitate the proposed investment. It’s worth pointing out that the Renaissance Zone deal was inked long before candidate James, now 9, oined the company. But he certainly benefited from the deal all the same. ccording to the documents, James roup International received at least 1. million from the Renaissance Zone deal under James’s tenure, from 2012 to 201 , according to etro imes’s calculations based on the annual ta savings reported in the documents. he reports did not include figures for ta savings in 2012 and 201 , so the actual number is likely higher than 1. million. ll the while, James lined his pockets. ccording to financial disclosures James filed when he launched his enate campaign, he received at least 1.6 million in salary and up to 2 million in stock dividend income from his family’s company since 201 , the earliest year the figures were available. nd that’s not the only time James’s company applied for and received government help. ccording to the mall Business dministration, Renaissance lobal ogistics received between 1 million and 2 million through the federal aycheck rotection rogram, which provides forgivable loans to keep workers on payroll amid the coronavirus pandemic. et on the campaign trail, James has railed against government handouts. “ he thing emocratic leadership doesn’t quite reali e is we don’t want free stuff we want a fair shot, he said at a meet-and-greet in enesee ounty in 2018. “ nd that’s what’s most important. We were promised life, liberty, and what he pursuit of happiness. nd when you take away that pursuit of happiness, then you take away the root of the value that people feel. nd what you do is you create a dependent society a dependent society that continuously looks for others for blame and also for help. unny that sounds a lot like James, or at least James roup International.
metrotimes.com | August 26-September 1, 2020
13
14 August 26-September 1, 2020 | metrotimes.com
metrotimes.com | August 26-September 1, 2020
15
CULTURE All the small screens
Unknown Origins.
NETFLIX
B y S te v e S c h n e id e r
Premieres Thursday:
Ravi Patel’s Pursuit of Happiness – In the 2014 documentary M e e t t h e P a t e l s , actor Ravi Patel went on a quest to find a spouse. ow he’s spearheading a four episode docu series in which he welcomes the world into his family and vice versa. In each installment, Patel takes a relative or close friend to a different part of the globe to explore an issue of deep import to the human race. Watch him and his parents discuss old age while visiting exico, then travel with him to enmar to examine immigration with one of his uslim pals. ee, every vacation I’ve ever ta en with family and friends has raised a simpler uestion: Where can I find a better family and friends? ( H B O M a x ) The Shed – irector ran abatella’s horror flic follows a couple of bullied kids who try to get revenge on the world using a monster vampire that’s living in their tool shed. ere’s hoping Will errell shows up in the third act as an elsing: The strength of the vampire is that people will not believe in him TO T TOO (S h u d d e r)
Premieres Friday:
The Binge – ince aughn plays high school principal to three year olds who are determined to cut loose in a near future where drugs and alcohol are only legal for one day a year. aturally, the producers are pitching this one as a riff on T h e P u r g e , with whis ey and weed in the place of guns and garrotes. o why do I suspect it owes a deeper debt to the umspringa
16 August 26-September 1, 2020 | metrotimes.com
se uence in 200 ’s S e x D r i v e Then again, that’s what I’ve been saying about T e n e t , so maybe I shouldn’t be your bellwether for anything. ( H u l u ) Masaba Masaba – Fashion designer asaba upta is said to play a fictionali ed version of herself in this scripted series, which emphasi es her relationship with her mother, actress eena upta. oy, a fictionali ed version of yourself that’s a concept that could get you out of all inds of trouble. ongressman aet regrets his comments about special needs students in emocratic cities. e was tweeting as a fictionali ed version of himself. et ix Unknown Origins – What happens when a serial iller starts replicating the origin stories of famous superheroes? Find out in this feature-length panish made thriller, which sees the investigating cops see ing out the expert guidance of a hot cosplay chic and a comic boo nerd who’s a dead ringer for ac lac of course . ven more fun, the superheroes referenced in the flic aren’t some made up parodies noc offs, but actual real world icons li e Iron an and The Incredible ul . ither the fair use laws have gotten laxer then I remember, or etflix really thought they were going to fly under the radar with this one. Whatever the explanation, I doff my hat to any homicidal maniac who knows his way around a gamma ray. ecause if your daddy didn’t teach you how to use those things just right, they can really blow up in your face. et ix
metrotimes.com | August 26-September 1, 2020
17
CULTURE Q : I’m a cis male in my late twenties.
I’ve recently become consumed by a specific fantasy I fear is unattainable, a fear that has been made worse by several failed attempts to research it. A little background: except for a couple dates and make-out sessions with other men, my sex life has always been exclusively with women. I’ve had male crushes and often thought I might be bi or pan, despite never masturbating to thoughts of men or gay porn. (Don’t worry, Dan: I’m not going to ask if I’m gay. I promise.) In general, I’ve led a privileged sex life. I’ve never been broken up with and it’s rare for me to experience any form of rejection. But in early 2020, my libido vanished. I stopped masturbating and only orgasmed once or twice a month when my now ex-girlfriend would insist that we have sex. But then a couple of weeks ago I began imagining being one half of a loving gay couple that replaced all MM penetrative sex with MMF sex. My sex life with my male partner would revolve around the two of us going out and finding submissive women for kinky threesomes. Since then, I’ve been masturbating to this fantasy daily and I’m excited at the possibility of finding a new lifestyle that brings me a lot of joy. However, I’ve grown concerned that nothing else seems to turn me on at all. Equally as concerning, even minor adjustments to this fantasy ruins the whole thing. And to fulfill it I’d need a man who’s at least all of the following: 1. Sensitive, giving, easy-going, and an all-around good guy. 2. Very physically attractive. 3. Into cuddling and general affection, some make-out sessions, and occasional hand jobs and blow jobs — but absolutely no penetrative sex or anal play. 4. Into picking up submissive women for MMF threesomes. 5. Into penetrative sex with said women. 6. Into using roleplay and D/s to take out our kinks on said women. 7. Into giving me the more dominant role. Now for my questions: Does anyone like this actually exist? Is there a name for the fetish I’m describing? Does it have a community? Is it similar to any more accessible fetishes out there? Does my loss of libido and this specific fantasy say something about me that I’m too close to see? Can Anyone Tell Me Anything Now
A : First and most importantly, CAT-
MAN, kinks aren’t things you “take out” on other people. They’re things you
share and enjoy with other people. Perhaps that “take out on” was a slip of the tongue or a little premature dirty talk; lots of people into s get off on talking about their kinks — BB or TT or CBT — as if they’re things a sadistic Dom gets off on doing to a helpless sub. That’s the fantasy, CATMAN, but in reality, the Dom and sub discuss their desires in advance, identify areas of overlap, and set limits. (Not just bottoms; tops have limits too.) However brutal things may look to someone who wasn’t a part of those negotiations, however degrading things might sound, kink play is consensual and mutually pleasurable — and if it’s not consensual and mutually pleasurable, CATMAN, then it’s not kink play. It’s sexual assault. Again, maybe it was a slip of the tongue and I’m being a dick; you did mention a desire to find submissive women, CATMAN, which most likely means you were planning to seek out women who wanna be “used and abused” by two hot bi guys in love. nd you’re in luck there are definitely women out there who would be into this scenario — some readers probably went all WAP reading your question — but you’re unlikely to meet those women on a night out. Meaning, you shouldn’t be thinking about casually picking women up, CATMAN, but rather cultivating connections online or at kink events with submissive women who would get into subbing for you and your imaginary boyfriend. Finding a guy who meets your long list of particulars is a taller order. It frankly doesn’t sound like you’re looking for a partner, i.e. someone whose needs you want to meet, but rather a guy you can plug into your masturbatory fantasies. He’s gotta be bi but not into butt stuff, a good guy, a hot guy, a sub where you’re concerned and a Dom where women are concerned… and any deviation from that long list disqualifies him from consideration for your life partnerin-crime, making each and every item on that long list a deal breaker. Relationships require compromise, CATMAN, no one gets everything they want, and a long list of deal breakers makes for even longer odds. If you can’t
18 August 26-September 1, 2020 | metrotimes.com
Savage Love By Dan Savage
JOE NEWTON
budge on any of the items on your list… well, then you might wanna think about getting yourself a sex doll or two. You also might wanna give some thought not just to your long and rigid list of deal breakers, but to why that list is so long and rigid that you’re unlikely — as you suspect to ever find someone. Zooming out… You say your libido tanked in early 2020, CATMAN, and studies show you’re not alone. The twin pandemics — the COVID-19 pandemic and the stupidity pandemic — have tanked a lot of people’s libidos. So, if this fantasy is working for you right now, I think you should lean into it. It may be a tall order, it may be so unrealistic as to be unachievable, but indulging in this very specific fantasy has cracked your libido open and continuing to beat off about this fantasy might blow your libido wide open. I don’t like to pathologize people’s kinks or attach meaning to what are usually arbitrary, random, and inexplicable sexual interests. But the taller the order, the less likely it can be filled, , and it’s possible you may not want it filled at all at least subconsciously, at least right now. Sometimes when sex is scary we obsess about fantasies that are impossible to realize or partners who’re impossible to find because it allows us to avoid partnered sex. I know at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic I was obsessed with a guy I couldn’t have because it
got me off the hook. y list of deal breakers at that time was ironically pretty short: He had to be Tommy. If he wasn’t Tommy, I wasn’t interested. Tommy was amazing — totally obsession-worthy — and I did love him. But I know now that I threw myself into my obsession with Tommy to protect myself from a terrifying epidemic. Maybe you’re doing something similar, CATMAN. But if I’m wrong — if this is what you want — there are cities out there with kink communities large enough for two partnered bi guys to find a steady stream of submissive women who wanna sub for them. But your list of deal breaker is going to have to shrink if you ever hope to find a guy who’s close to what you want. And that’s all any of us ever gets, CATMAN. Something close.
Q:
I’m a 39-year-old gay man living in Chicago. Recently a good friend of mine got engaged to a wonderful man from Gambia in West Africa. She’s planning a ceremony there next summer and has invited me to attend. After doing a little research I found out that being LGBT is a crime in that country and the punishment is execution. Should I go to the wedding and stay in the closet the whole time? In general, what do you think about gays traveling to countries that murder our LGBT brothers and sisters? Intensely Nervous Venturing Into This Event
A : I wouldn’t go, INVITE, and if I were a straight girl, I wouldn’t expect my gay friends to risk their lives in order to attend my wedding. While a quick search didn’t bring up news about any gay westerners being executed in Gambia in recent history, gay tourists have been arrested, imprisoned, and fined. o instead of attending your friend’s wedding next summer — which may not even happen, due to the pandemic — make a donation in her name to Initiative Sankofa D’Afrique de l’Ouest (www. ISDAO.org), an organization working to improve the lives and legal position of LGBT people in Gambia and other West African nations. Questions? mail@savagelove.net. Follow Dan on Twitter @FakeDanSavage. More information at savagelovecast.com.
metrotimes.com | August 26-September 1, 2020
19
CULTURE
Free Will Astrology B y R o b B re z s n y part of you that nows ust what you need — is fully aware of the beneficial transformations that will come your way when you get what you yearn for.
ARIES: March 21 – April 19 Aries author K areem Abdulabbar writes, ome stuff can be fixed, some stuff can’t be. eciding which is which is part of maturing. I offer this meditation as your assignment in the coming wee s, Aries. ou’re in a phase when you’ll be wise to ma e various corrections and ad ustments. ut you should eep in mind that you don’t have unlimited time and energy to do so. And that’s O , because some glitches can’t be repaired and others aren’t fully worthy of your passionate intensity. ou really should choose to focus on the few specific acts of mending and healing that will serve you best in the long run. TAURUS: April 20 – May 20 There are all inds of love in the world, but never the same love twice, wrote author . cott it gerald. This is true even between the same two people in an intimate alliance with each other. The love that you and your spouse or friend or close relative or collaborator exchanged a month ago isn’t the same as it is now. It c a n ’ t be identical, because then it wouldn’t be vibrant, robust love, which needs to ceaselessly transform in order to be vibrant and robust. This is always true, of course, but will be an especially potent meditation for you during the next four wee s. GEMINI: May 21 – June 20 As a professional writer, novelist Thomas Wolfe trained himself to have een perceptions that enabled him to penetrate below surface appearances. And yet he wrote, I have to see a thing a thousand times before I see it once. In other words, it was hard even for him, a highly trained observer, to get a deep and accurate read of what was going on. It re uired a long time and many attempts — and rarely occurred for him on the first loo . ven if you’re not a writer, emini, I recommend his approach for you in the coming wee s. ou will attune yourself to current cosmic rhythms — and thus be more li ely to receive their full help and blessings — if you deepen and refine the way you use your senses. CANCER: June 21 – July 22 It’s sometimes tempting for you to see stability and safety by remaining ust the way you are. When life pushes you to ump in and en oy its wild ride, you may imagine it’s wise to refrain — to retreat to your sanctuary and cultivate the strength that comes from being staunch and steadfast and solid. ometimes that approach does indeed wor for you. I’m not implying it’s wrong or bad. ut in the coming wee s, I thin your strategy should
JAMES NOELLERT
be different. The advice I’ll offer you comes from ancerian author and aviator Anne orrow indbergh: Only in growth, reform, and change, paradoxically enough, is true security to be found. LEO: July 23 – August 22 To be successful, the first thing to do is fall in love with your wor , says author ister ary auretta. ave you been ma ing progress in accomplishing that goal, eo According to my astrological analysis, fate has been offering and will continue to offer you the chance to either find wor that you’ll love better than the wor you’re doing, or else discover how to feel more love and excitement for your existing wor . Why not intensify your efforts to cooperate with fate VIRGO: August 23 – Sept. 22 elf love is also remembering to let others love you. ome out of hiding. oet Irisa ardenah wrote that advice, and now I’m passing it on to you, ust in time for a phase when you’ll benefit from it most. I mean, it’s always good counsel for you irgos to heed. ut it will be especially crucial in the coming wee s, when you’ll have extra potential to bloom in response to love. And one of the best ways to ensure this extra potential is fulfilled is to ma e yourself thoroughly available to be appreciated, understood, and cared for. LIBRA: Sept. 23 – Oct. 22 ibran poet Wallace tevens wrote that if you want to be original, you must have the courage to be an amateur. I agree And that’s an important theme for you right now, since you’re entering a phase when your
20 August 26-September 1, 2020 | metrotimes.com
original ideas will be crucial to your growth. o listen up, ibra: If you want to stimulate your creativity to the max, adopt the fresh eyed attitude of a roo ie or a novice. orget what you thin you now about everything. a e yourself as innocently curious and eager as possible. our imaginative insights and innovations will flow in abundance to the degree that you free yourself from the obligation to be serious and sober and professional. And eep in mind that tevens said you need courage to act this way. SCORPIO: Oct. 23 – Nov. 21 As idiotic as optimism can sometimes seem, it has a weird habit of paying off, writes author ichael ewis. According to my analysis, the coming wee s will provide you with ample evidence that proves his hypothesis — on one condition, that is: ou’ll have to cultivate and express a t h o u g h t f u l ind of optimism. Is that possible o you have the audacity to maintain intelligent buoyancy and discerning positivity, even in the face of those who might try to gaslight you into feeling stupid for being buoyant and positive I thin you do. SAGITTARIUS: Nov. 22 – Dec. 21 Author ebecca olnit writes, The things we want are transformative, and we don’t now or only thin we now what is on the other side of that transformation. er statement is especially apropos for you right now. The experiences you’re yearning for will indeed change you significantly if you get them — even though those changes will be different from what your conscious mind thin s they’ll be. ut don’t worry. our higher self — the eternal
CAPRICORN: Dec. 22 – Jan. 19 At age 22, future pioneer of science Isaac ewton got his college degree ust as the reat lague pea ed in . As a safety precaution, he proceeded to uarantine himself for many months. uring that time of being sealed away, he made spectacular discoveries about optics, gravity, and calculus — in dramatic contrast to his years as a student, when his wor had been relatively undistinguished. I’m not predicting that your experience of the 2020 pandemic will prove to be as fruitful as those of your fellow apricorn, Isaac ewton. ut of all the signs in the odiac, I do thin your output could be most ewton li e. And the coming wee s will be a good time for you to redouble your efforts to generate redemption amidst the chaos. AQUARIUS: Jan. 20 – Feb. 18 The rapper iper has released over ,000 albums. In 20 4 alone, he created 4 . is most popular wor is Y o u ’ l l C o w a r d s D o n ’ t E v e n S m o k e C r a c k , which has received over three million views on ouTube. According to T h e C h i c a g o R e a d e r , one of iper’s most appealing features is his blatant disregard for grammar. I should also mention that he regards himself as the second hrist, and uses the nic name lac esus. o what does any of this have to do with you Well, I’m recommending that you be as prolific, in your own field, as he is in his. I’m also inviting you to experiment with having a fun loving disregard for grammar and other non critical rules. And I would love to see you temporarily adopt some of his over the top braggadocio. PISCES: Feb.19 – March 20 If you don’t as the right uestion, every answer seems wrong, says singer songwriter Ani i ranco. I suspect you may have experienced a version of that predicament in recent wee s, isces. That’s the bad news. The good news is that I expect you will finally formulate the right uestions very soon. They will most li ely be uite different from the wrong and irrelevant uestions you’ve been posing. In fact, the best way to find the revelatory uestions will be to renounce and dismiss all the uestions you’ve been as ing up until now. This week’s hom ework: W h a t c o u l d y o u a c t u a lly c h a n g e a b o u t y o u r life th a t w o u ld g iv e y o u a g r e a t s e n s e o f a c c o m p lis h m e n t ?
metrotimes.com | August 26-September 1, 2020
21
22 August 26-September 1, 2020 | metrotimes.com
CLASSIFIED SERVICES DISH TV
$59.99 FOR 190 CHANNELS
EMPLOYMENT
SERVICES
MASSAGE
WINDOWS
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ONLY
ENERGY SAVING NEW WINDOWS!
(INDEPENDENT) DRAPING IS REQUIRED INTAKE FORM is given COVID -19 READY. Enjoy a calm and soothing massage HEALTHY BENEFIT HEALTHY MASSAGE $95. 734 447 7895 Early and late appointments are available must be left on Credit Card on file.
SELL YOUR RECORDS TO US!
RIPE RECORDS
15212 Charlevoix St, Grosse Pointe Park (313) 469-7479 riperecordsdetroit.com
VACATIONS
ORLANDO + DAYTONA
Beach Florida Vacation! Enjoy 7 Days and 6 Nights with Hertz, Enterprise or Alamo Car Rental Included Only $298.00. 12 months to use 855-898-8912.
WRITERS WANTED
BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR! We edit, print and distribute your work internationally. We do the work… You reap the Rewards! Call for a FREE Author’s Submission Kit: 844-511-1836.
STUDENT LOANS
STRUGGLING WITH YOUR PRIVATE STUDENT LOAN PAYMENT?
New relief programs can reduce your payments. Learn your options. Good credit not necessary. Call the Helpline 888-670-5631 (M-F 9am-5pm Eastern)
LEGAL SERVICES
NEED HELP WITH FAMILY LAW?
Can’t Afford a $5000 Retainer? Low Cost Legal Services - Pay As You Go-As low as $750-$1500Get Legal Help Now! Call 1-844-821-8249 Mon-Fri 7am to 4pm PCT
Beautify your home! Save on monthly energy bills with NEW WINDOWS from 1800Remodel! Up to 18 months no interest. Restrictions apply. Call Now 1-855-900-7192
+ $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. 1-855-380-2501
ADULT ADULT ENTERTAINMENT
HIRING SEXY WOMEN!!!
Hiring sexy women (& men). Highly Paid Magazine, Web, and Movie/TV work. no experience needed, all sizes accepted. 313-289-2008.
MASSAGE
AWAKEN YOUR MIND
with a soothing or invigorating massage. $95.00 hour. Immunity Boost or Stress Recovery your choice. Proven to distress, relieve headaches, with CBD Sage cream with Lavender oil. 248 632 9693.
ESCORT
FOOT GODDESS EBONY
Let my feet have fun with you. Hourly session $200 No blocked calls/texts will be answered. Not an escort 24/7 | In Call 517-715-7173
ADULT MASSAGE
RELAXING NUDE MASSAGE
for the quartine must not be sick. Must be clean and wear mask. Outcalls only incalls are at your cost. Hey I’m here to help. This is Candy melt in your mouth so try my massages their sweet as can be!!! (734) 596-1376 ESCORT
MALE MODEL
Bi guy seeks hot bi model looking guy to workout with, grab a bite, hang with etc.few times a week, possible travel. You should be masculine and at least 6’2 or taller, athletic, slim, toned and defined in all areas. All after 5 pm with flexible schedule-hours. $4-500/week. brown6355@yahoo.com
ESCORT
STRAP ON QUEEN.
Must have a love for licking & tasting chocolate pie. Ur fetishes & fantasies is a guarantee 313-671-0546 massage available Dimple45. loveyou@icloud.com
metrotimes.com | August 26-September 1, 2020
23
