IN THIS ISSUE
FEATURE Alec Baldwin is just the latest to satirize political figures on Saturday Night Live. CoMo co-authors Bill Horner and Heather Carver explore how comedy affects politics and the show’s influence on the 1976 presidential election. PAGE 6 NEWS & INSIGHT Parks are welcome places of respite from the constant activity of the world. Learn all about how the city of Columbia and its residents help maintain these local oases. PAGE 4 THE SCENE Grab some napkins, and dig into Columbia’s finest barbecue. Choose from a saucy selection of mouthwatering eateries. PAGE 5 MUSIC Out with the organ, in with the bass. Local churches are working to expand their congregations by balancing classical and contemporary selections. PAGE 12 ARTS & BOOKS Are you a college student on a budget looking to rediscover your love for dance? A local studio has a solution. PAGE 13
ONLINE
May 10, 2018 VOLUME 20 ISSUE 18 | PUBLISHED BY THE COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN
MIX UP YOUR MAKEUP Find the best beauty trend for you, whether it’s upside-down eyeliner, golden highlighter or vibrant eyeshadow shades. CHICK-FIL-A, FROM SPICY TO ZESTY A Vox writer answers the question,“Would you like sauce with that?” with a ranking of all eight choices available at Chick-fil-A. SILVER SCREEN RE-CREATIONS Ever been disappointed by a movie adaptation of your favorite book that just didn’t measure up? With ample time to set the scenes, perhaps these four book-based TV shows will shine.
EDITOR’S LETTER
Q&A She won’t make you quack like a duck, but she could help you face your fears. Hypnotherapist Barbara Phillips talks about what drew her to hypnosis. PAGE 14 CORRECTION: In the May 3 issue, a story incorrectly stated the location where Toni Anderson was recovered from the Missouri River. Her car was pulled out of the river near Parkville. In addition, the crew that assisted Aaron Lisle did not use Humminbird sonar.
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I started watching Saturday Night Live with my parents around 2002. I’d stay up late and watch Will Ferrell impersonate Alec Trebek to host “Celebrity Jeopardy,” and I watched Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake don their best ’70s garb as they channeled their inner Bee Gees on the “Barry Gibb Talk Show.” And once the DVDs of previous seasons started coming out, my parents jumped at the chance to show my brother and me the SNL they grew up with: Dana Carvey’s “Choppin’ Broccoli” and “Church Lady” routines or the Molly Shannon and Ana Gasteyer “Schweddy Balls” skit. But right alongside its silly acts making fun of pop culture and media come the acts about political issues and national leaders. Will Ferrell as President George W. Bush and Tina Fey as Sarah Palin are two that stand out in my mind. This week’s feature (Page 6) discusses just how political SNL can get — and how it can have lasting effects. Bill Horner and Heather Carver, two MU professors, spent years investigating this for their book Saturday Night Live and the 1976 Presidential Election: A New Voice Enters Campaign Politics. They look at the impact the characters played by Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd (as Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, respectively) had on that election and the younger voting demographic. And if you’re drawing parallels to the SNL and the current administration, you’re not the only one. As the show has continued its political satire, Bill and Heather are working on a new book that looks at Saturday Night Live during the 2016 presidential election.
VOX STAFF Editor: Madison Fleck Deputy Editor: Sten Spinella Managing Editor: Kelsie Schrader Digital Managing Editor: Brooke Vaughan Multimedia Editor: Meg Vatterott Online Editor: Brea Cubit Creative Director: Keegan Pope Art Directors: Corin Cesaric, Tong Li Photo Editor: Annaliese Nurnberg News & Insight Editors: Samantha Brown, Morgan Niezing, Erika Stark The Scene Editors: Alex Edwards, Annamarie Higley, Margaux Scott, Peyton Stableford Music Editors: Jessica Heim-Brouwer, Anna Maples, Hannah Turner, Chloe Wilt Arts & Books Editors: Kat Cua, Kayla McDowell, Rachel Phillips, Ashley Skokan Digital Editors: McKenna Blair, Amber Campbell, Michael Connolly, Brooke Kottmann, Lauren Lombardo, Megan Schaltegger, Rosemary Siefert, Micki Wagner, Bobbi Watts Designers: Corin Cesaric, Annamarie Higley, Tong Li, Jennifer Litherland, Lidia Moore, Morgan Seibel, Rebecca Smith Multimedia Producers: Zhongqi Cao, Zechang Fu, Emily Kummerfeld, Alex Li Contributing Writers: Allison Cho, Kori Clay, Emily Hannemann, Brooke Johnson, Ashley Jones, Caroline Kealy, Clare Roth, Grant Sharples, Madi Skahill, Savannah Walsh, Jing Yang Editorial Director: Heather Lamb Executive Editor: Jennifer Rowe Digital Director: Sara Shipley Hiles Office Manager: Kim Townlain
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PHOTOS BY OR COURTESY OF JORDAN KODNER AND PEXELS
RADAR
Vox’s take on the talk of the week
AMERICAN VIOLENCE
SHRIMPLY THE BEST
THE SESSION SITUATION
HAPPY NATIONAL SHRIMP DAY
The Greitens saga continues. With the legislature going into a special session to consider impeachment, any hopes of Greitens’ troubles disappearing could be dashed.
CoMo! Don’t be shellfish today; grab a friend to enjoy everyone’s favorite little crustacean. We rounded up a few local restaurants where you can grab a bite:
1st
Aloha roll from Geisha Sushi Bar featuring deep fried shrimp: $8.99 Shrimp & Scallop Po’boy from Room 38 is stuffed with battered shrimp: $11 Blackened Shrimp dish at Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen is piled with skewered seasoned shrimp: $9–14 Garlic Shrimp appetizer at Coley’s American Bistro is served with sauteed shrimp: $9.99
This is the first time the Missouri legislature has called a special session. These sessions have previously been called at the request of the governor.
14th The May start date of the invasion of privacy trial, which the Greitens lawyers tried to move up.
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The lawsuits currently against Greitens: for invasion of privacy, use of a message-destroying app and open records violations.
NOT SO NOBLE
PHRASE OF THE WEEK: VOLCANIC FISSURE
— a vent through which lava erupts without explosive activity Following the eruption of the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island last Thursday, the ground split in nearby areas, and fissures formed. By Tuesday, lava flow covered at least 104 acres and 1,700 residents were ordered to evacuate. Kilauea’s last major eruption took place in 1983.
Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) released the music video for “This is America” on Saturday, the same day as his lauded appearance on Saturday Night Live as the host and musical guest. The video, which takes place on a set reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s “Bad,” features Glover, shirtless and sporting a wide grin, dancing alongside different groups. As the video progresses, the musician repeatedly commits acts of violence.
The Swedish Academy, the body that awards the Nobel Prize in Literature, has been engulfed in scandal after it was made known that sexual assault allegations from 18 women against photographer Jean-Claude Arnault, who has influence over the award, were ignored for more than 20 years. The 2018 award has been postponed until 2019.
In The Atlantic, writer Aida Amoako described an interpretation of the images as “a denunciation of the distractions that keep many Americans from noticing how the world around them is falling apart.” As of publication, the video had 50 million views on YouTube.
While we wait, read these #MeToo-related books instead: • Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou: Angelou wrote this book of essays to the daughter she never had, offering insight and lessons from her turbulent life. • Fierce: How Competing for Myself Changed Everything by Aly Raisman: This memoir details Raisman’s struggles with body positivity on the way to three Olympic gold medals. • The Power by Naomi Alderman: In this alternate universe, teenage girls become the dominant gender after acquiring the power to send electric shocks through their fingers.
NO MORE MONKEYING AROUND After a half-decade of anticipation, Arctic Monkeys is finally releasing its latest LP since AM. Here are some interesting facts to learn about the band before you lend your ears to Tranquility Hotel Base and Casino tomorrow: • • •
MySpace success: The band was one of the first to take off on the early social media platform. By the time it got mainstream attention in 2005, online fans were already obsessed. Chart-toppers: The group’s 2006 album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, was the fastest-selling debut album in UK history at the time. It’s since been surpassed by reality competition stars Leona Lewis and Susan Boyle. Biker gang: When the band moved to Los Angeles to record AM, it developed an obsession with riding motorcycles in honor of rock ’n’ roll history.
Written by: Sam Brown, Alex Edwards, Anna Maples, Rachel Phillips and Erika Stark PHOTOS COURTESY OF PIXABAY, USGS EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS PROGRAM, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
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NEWS & INSIGHT
Friends in green spaces Do good for yourself and your city by visiting CoMo’s parks and trails BY NATHALIE KAEMMERER If you’re feeling stressed, turn to the trees. A study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information shows that those within walking distance of a park had the lowest depression rates. This shouldn’t be a surprise for Columbians familiar with the city’s 71 parks and about 58.1 miles of maintained trails, says Park Services Manager Gabe Huffington. Read on to find out how Columbia maintains its parks and what you can do to help.
KOPN 89.5fm...Where Else? It’s not just radio, it’s community radio. On your radio dial at 89.5 fm or live streaming at kopn.org
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Who funds the parks? Funding for Columbia’s parks and facilities comes from three main places: city sales tax, park sales tax, and fees, says Parks and Recreation Department Director Mike Griggs. The city sales tax funds public works and services, and the park sales tax money is used to improve the parks. Since 2015, a tax of .25 percent per each purchase has gone to fund the parks. Half of this provides permanent funding for general maintenance and paying off debts. The other half goes to other park projects, such as building the agricultural park that will be started this summer, Griggs says. How are they maintained? There are six divisions within the park services department that cover over 3,000 acres of park land, Huffington says. Employees are organized into parks and grounds maintenance, natural resources, golf and athletic maintenance, planning, construction and park rangers divisions. Departments such as Parks and Grounds make sure the areas are clean and functioning properly while park rangers enforce the rules. Using Columbia’s own planning and construction employees allows the city to stretch its budget for these projects, Huffington says. A lot of park maintenance has to do with planting more greenery, usually trees. Park Natural Resource Supervisor Brett O’Brien says the city tries to bring a diverse selection of trees. The parks also try to be as sustainable as possible. Concession stands don’t use styrofoam coffee cups or disposable straws. At the Activity and Recreation Center, all incandescent light bulbs were replaced with LED ones,
Columbia hosts various gatherings in its 71 parks. Events such as this Kite Flying Day at Douglass Park Ballfield bring nearly 90,000 people to parks every year.
which Griggs says saves roughly $35,000 per year. How can residents help? To get involved, residents can adopt a trail, become a TreeKeeper, join the Park Patrol or volunteer for the Columbia Aquatic Restoration Project. The responsibility of trail adopters is clearing invasive species, such as honeysuckle, so local plants can grow. The TreeKeeper Academy is a day-long class where attendees are certified to help the city with tree projects in Columbia’s parks. Park Patrol helps keep the city’s parks safe, clean and maintained. CARP volunteers focus on bodies of water and tasks such as removing invasive species, Huffington says. What can residents do to get involved? Volunteers are frequently needed at park events, such as the Stephens Lake Amphitheater Concert Series. According to Columbia’s Parks and Recreation Department, over 90,000 people go to park events per year, and 92 percent of households in the city go to parks in general. “It starts with the citizens,” Griggs says. “We are a reflection of what they want. We love getting ideas from them.” The simplest way to get involved is to go. Take a walk, lounge by a stream, go for a run, or just sit by a tree.
PHOTO BY MONIQUE WOO
THE SCENE
Beyond the smoke: a taste of CoMo’s barbecue scene These flavorful foods are the answer to any grumbling stomach in the upcoming summer days BY KORI CLAY
102 3 BXR .
WHERE
CoMo Smoke & Fire serves a BBQ egg roll that’s far from traditional.
Nestled between two prominent barbecue destinations — Kansas City and St. Louis — Columbia is a city vying for its spot at the grill. Often overlooked, CoMo contains a number of barbecue pit stops that are equal parts experience, enthusiasm and — some might even say — artistry.
MUSIC MATTERS
Across states and plates
CoMo Smoke & Fire, 4600 Paris Road Suite 102
With sections of the restaurant dedicated to the barbecue capitals of the nation, CoMo Smoke & Fire is the go-to for originality and an array of flavors. Enter: the barbecue egg roll. This take on the traditional egg roll is wrapped, fried and stuffed with your choice of pulled pork or chicken and served with spicy mustard and sweet barbecue sauce. Chef Patrick Hawkins says customers leave stuffed because there is no such thing as small portions. Barbecue for a catering occasion Smokin’ Chick’s BBQ, 3301 W. Broadway Business Park Court Suite A
Smokin’ Chick’s BBQ brings drool-worthy barbecue right to your door. The restaurant and catering company has a customizable catering menu that is “completely up to the customer,” says co-owner Lissa Gaw-Orscheln. She and her husband, Chick, have over 20 years of restaurant experience involving both pizza and barbecue, but the grilling is where their passion lies. The meat is prepared
The Memphis sandwich from Smokin’ Chick’s BBQ — a customer favorite — is piled high with slaw and pulled pork.
in-house, smothered in a dry rub and then smoked for hours to create layers of flavor and a crisp coating. A Southern sweet spot Big Daddy’s BBQ, 1205 N. Garth Ave.
With roots extending to the ’80s, Big Daddy’s BBQ is a Columbia mainstay that offers that quintessential Southern barbecue taste. What makes it taste so “Southern”? Owner Lloyd Henry says it’s a family secret. Henry says the tenderness can be attributed to the length of time the meat is smoked. The less amount of time spent smoking the meat benefits the customer twofold: a moister meal on your plate faster.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF COMO SMOKE & FIRE AND SMOKIN’ CHICK’S BBQ
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Q Q & & A A
By Connor Lagore
A PARTNERSHIP OF PERFORMANCE AND POLITICS Live from CoMo, it’s Bill Horner and Heather Carver talking about their book Saturday Night Live and the 1976 Presidential Election: A New Voice Enters Campaign Politics
Heather Carver and Bill Horner’s new book features interviews with both SNL cast members and political figures.
PHOTO BY JORDAN KODNER
W W
hen MU political science professor Bill Horner returned to school after spring break one year, a red light blinked on his answering machine. A Ghostbuster was on the other line. “Dan Aykroyd calling.” Aykroyd, an original Saturday Night Live cast member, was reaching out to Horner to explain his portrayal of President Jimmy Carter. He was responding to a letter the professor wrote him about the book he and his wife, MU Theatre Department Chair Heather Carver, were writing about the impact of SNL on the 1976 presidential election. “I just took a look at Carter: the cardigan sweater, the smile, the eye contact, the sandy hair,” Aykroyd said in the message. “I enjoyed doing the impression. It’s nice to have a good voice and a good accent to work with.” That was about seven years ago. After years of research and interviews by Horner and Carver, Saturday Night Live and the 1976 Presidential Election: A New Voice Enters Campaign Politics was published by McFarland this spring. From constantly editing each other’s work to spending a year trying to nail down an interview with SNL creator Lorne Michaels, the duo joined forces to
combine their academic and personal interests. They dived into a topic that required both Horner’s political knowledge and Carver’s performance expertise for it to come together. This partnership had been years in the making. The two met as freshmen on Northwestern’s campus in 1986 and have been together for 30 years, married for 25. In this particular case, their interests intersected perfectly. “Performance is collaboration, and politics is collaboration,” says Claire Syler, an assistant professor of theater at MU. This teamwork comes easily to the pair, who, Syler says, have no trouble finding that synergy. “The way they work together is pretty seamless,” she says. In their collaboration, they covered both political and theatrical grounds, interviewing former and current SNL cast members, such as Aykroyd, Kenan Thompson and Garrett Morris, and political figures, including President Gerald Ford’s speechwriter Bob Orben and former President Jimmy Carter. Saturday Night Live has been a mainstay on living room television screens since its first season. It’s a cultural force that shapes worldviews, and it’s a subject both Carver and Horner are passionate about. Writing a book seemed like a good way to further explore it. “We’re both writers,” Carver says. “This is what we do.” Vox writer Connor Lagore sat down with the couple to find out how the book came together.
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W How did you come up with the idea for the book? Bill Horner: Probably in 2003 or 2004, I started teaching Politics and the Media. When I was putting it together, I was around because I wanted to have a little section on entertainment. I came across a page about Saturday Night Live and the election of 1976. It just threw out there that Saturday Night Live had influenced the outcome of that election. That, to me, was a compelling question and one deserving of research. I had it in the back of my mind, and around 2009, I started doing interviews, and then after a few years, Heather started working with me. Now we have a book.
What was the impetus for you to get involved? Heather Carver: The earlier interviews that I started going on with Bill were very cool. He had an interview with Garrett Morris – Bill: He was one of the original cast members.
Heather: Yeah, Garrett Morris has been around a long time. But before he did Saturday Night Live, he was a Juilliard actor; he did really important work with the black-theater arts movement in New York. I was really excited to meet him and talk theater. Bill: He ended up talking to her more than me.
Heather: I had been interested in the book project for a long time. I’m a professor of performance studies, and, in studying performance, one of the areas is looking at the “liveness” of the performance event and the dynamics that differ from electronic media. And there was something really intriguing about the liveness of SNL. It’s televised, but there’s still that live element, right? So that’s how I got roped into the more academic side of the book.
How did people respond when you pitched the book? Bill: It seemed like the book people we talked to were all of a certain age, who were maybe teenagers when Saturday Night Live started. So, these are people who are somewhere around 60, or a little older than 60, and so they have a nostalgia for that particular era of Saturday Night Live. SNL started in October of ’75. And so you get people’s ear just because they have fond memories of that. One of the great advantages we had in convincing people that this was an idea worth pursuing was that when we first got started on it, you had all the Obama versus McCain stuff and Tina Fey playing Sarah Palin that drew so much attention on Saturday Night Live. So that interest in what was contemporary SNL at the time made it easier for people to see the connection back to 1976 as well.
How do you go about establishing that SNL had an effect on the 1976 election? Heather: I think part of what was interesting is we really can’t — the data doesn’t exist for us to prove that SNL had an effect on the election.
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Right: Jimmy Carter won the 1976 presidential election with 297 electoral votes to become the 39th U.S. president.
Below: Chevy Chase (second from left) joins Jane Curtin, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner and Laraine Newman in 1978 when he made a guest appearance on Saturday Night Live. All except Murray were original cast members on the show.
erformance Is collaboration, And
POlitics
Is collaboration. — MU theater professor Claire Syler
Bill: From a purely political science standpoint, 8
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF AP IMAGES
which is really heavily reliant on data, they didn’t ask the right questions in surveys in 1976. Now, there are a lot of good questions asked, you know, the kind of data we rely on in political science and things like the American National Election Studies. They ask about shows now, but they didn’t ask that in ’76, which is why it’s so valuable to have Heather’s perspective from an impact of theater perspective — an impact of live performance perspective — to put together with what I think is convincing circumstantial evidence that it had an impact. We interviewed SNL people, and we interviewed people from the Ford campaign and the Ford administration and the Carter campaign and the Carter administration. There was a general sense that it had an impact. But it was hard for anybody to put the finger exactly on what the impact was. Heather: People have a memory, and what their memory is has to be carried through several different years. And that is really interesting, too, from a performance aspect. There are a lot of people, when they say something about SNL in the early years, they say something about Ford; they talk about Chevy Chase
falling, right? So, the physicality of the performer is something that is memorable for people and has lasted. That’s another way of us forming a whole argument of why it’s of interest to people now.
Where did the interview process start? Bill: I happened to pick up at the public library an autobiography of a guy named Tom Davis. Tom Davis was an original writer for Saturday Night Live, and his writing partner, who he grew up with in Minneapolis, was Al Franken. At the back, it had a little contact and address at the publisher, so I wrote (Davis) a letter. And the publisher got him the letter, and Davis called me. He said, “I don’t know if I can help you, but I’ll talk to you.” So it started with him, and he opened an enormous number of doors. The hardest interview we wanted to get was Lorne Michaels. Heather: Harder than the former president of the United States! Bill: I spent a year making weekly, sometimes daily,
emails and phone calls to (Michaels’) assistant because he made and canceled dozens of appointments to talk to me. I said to Heather: “I don’t know what else to do. I don’t know how we’re going to get this.” And I had kind of a meltdown because he had made and canceled another appointment. It was going to be a phone interview, and I was missing something that our girls were doing. Heather: We had something very important.
Bill: I canceled it to take this call, and then he canceled on me again. I called his assistant, and I said: “Look, I can’t do this anymore. I give up. I mean this is really inconsiderate. He doesn’t have to talk to me, but he shouldn’t keep telling me he’s going to talk to me and cancel.” The next day, he called me on his way to his house in the Hamptons. And he talked to me for two hours. Heather: So, we ended up with this great, you know, lengthy material.
Political primer If you’ve forgotten what you learned in your U.S. history course, brush up on the 1976 election.
Setting the scene Public trust in government was low after the Watergate scandal shocked the nation. There were economic problems facing the country, as inflation and stagnation were hitting the middle class.
The candidates Gerald Ford — The Republican candidate was the first unelected president given that he was not on the presidential ticket before taking office. He was appointed to the vice presidency by Richard Nixon after Spiro Agnew was forced to resign over charges of taking bribes and evading taxes. Ford took the presidency on Aug. 9, 1974, after Nixon’s resignation. He pardoned his predecessor on Sept. 8, an act his reputation never fully recovered from. Jimmy Carter — Carter beat out 16 other candidates for the Democratic nomination. He started his political career on his local board of education then moved on to the Georgia State Senate. He won the Georgia governorship in1970 and announced his candidacy for president just before his term was up.
On the campaign trail
After announcing his campaign, Carter spent two years traveling the country. He presented himself as an outsider to Washington and called for a return to values like honesty. Ford leaned into his presidential position, spending time in Washington, D.C., signing bills and holding press conferences. His running mate, Bob Dole, did most of the initial campaigning. Both faced problems. Carter confused voters by attempting to cater to a wide range of bases and harshly attacking Ford. He also gave a revealing interview to Playboy that included his admittance to having “committed adultery in my heart.” Ford was dealing with an economic crisis. Within his own party, some thought he was too liberal, while other members felt he was too conservative.
A close race According to the Miller Center, a nonpartisan affiliate of the University of Virginia with a specialty in presidential scholarship, Ford’s strategy was to win five of the states with the highest numbers of electors. He only won four. Carter won nearly all of the Old South except Virginia, as well as industrial states such as New York. Carter won the electoral college 297 to 240 and the popular vote by 2.1 percent.
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Clockwise from top left: College student Chuck McManis watches President Jimmy Carter on TV in 1979; young adults were the target demographic of SNL. Having taken office after Richard Nixon’s resignation, Gerald Ford launched his 1976 presidential campaign while he was already president.
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Chevy Chase watches Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels accept an Emmy in 1976. SNL has been nominated for 221 Emmys and won 54. Dan Aykroyd (right), who Heather and Bill interviewed for their book, was an original SNL cast member who went on to star in Ghostbusters, along with Bill Murray.
Saturday Night Live was sometimes getting as many as 30 million people watching an episode. — Bill Horner
How did you balance the political and performance aspects of the book? Bill: I think that the main area where poli sci and theater had to intertwine was coming up with our theory of why Saturday Night Live mattered, which boils down basically to how live theater makes an impression in people’s minds, and then they remember parts of it that go on to form their impression of people. 1976 was only the second time that 18-year-olds could vote (in the presidential election). So you’re talking about a generation of voters who haven’t voted before. SNL’s main demographic was 18 to 28 probably, and they’ve got this impression from SNL that Ford’s not very smart, and then the Saturday before the election, Saturday Night Live, during Weekend Update, ran two previously unaired presidential commercials. The ad for Carter replayed about 60 seconds of Ford’s address from the Oval Office pardoning Richard Nixon. And that was their parting shot, the Saturday before election day, that 20-some million 18- to 28-year-olds saw. And it’s only a little over a million voters that separated Ford and Carter. So, when you consider that, it’s pretty plausible to think that takeaway of Ford could have had enough impact on enough voters to make a difference in the election. 10
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Did you watch SNL‘s first season live? Bill: Yeah, I was 8. My parents were in college when I was born, so they were exactly in the SNL demographic when it was a brand new show; they were 27. I used to sneak down and watch it over their shoulders. Sometimes they’d let me watch it. Heather: I was not allowed to watch. But I had babysitters, and I would stay up, watch that and then run and get in bed when my parents got home. When I became a babysitter at the age of 12, that is what I did every Saturday night. I would get paid while the kids were in bed; I didn’t let them stay up. I would get paid to watch Saturday Night Live.
Being so young, were you aware of the impact SNL had on pop culture? Bill: I just watched it because my mom and dad watched it. But no, it was a huge hit. Today, a show is a hit if it gets 3 or 4 million people, right? And Saturday Night Live was sometimes getting as many as 30 million people watching an episode because it was a completely different era. Most people didn’t have cable. Those people had three networks and maybe a local channel or
two, and so what was on was what you watched. It drew huge audiences. Heather: The impressions were what the kids talked about. I remember being a fourth-grader and being at lunch and people talking about impressions. The kids were not necessarily interested in political ones, but Gilda Radner was huge. I mean people were always doing Rosanne Roseannadanna and all of those. It was talked about. I do remember the election. I do remember my parents watching the news. I do remember us talking about those kinds of things.
How has the show continued to blur the lines of politics and media? Bill: Do you want to take it first? Heather: You take it first.
Bill: From a political science standpoint, it’s relevant because politicians think it’s relevant. It’s part of the record that you go, and you appear on Saturday Night Live. Donald Trump hosted an entire episode for goodness sakes during the campaign. Hillary Clinton has been on multiple times. It has become PHOTOS COURTESY OF AP IMAGES
Packing a political punch part of the conversation. It still actually draws pretty good audiences for the standards of today. But more importantly, it gets covered as a media event. It has its social media presence. You know, SNL produces original material for Snapchat and Instagram. But also, it becomes a thing that people share clips of on the Saturday Night Live YouTube channel. Now we have a president who actually watches it and engages with them on a weekly basis on Twitter. I mean, how much more relevant can you be? So they have somehow managed, after 40-plus years, to continue to be part of the discussion. I think it’s still incredibly relevant, and I don’t think you can ignore Saturday Night Live. Heather: I think that longevity has been important also, that they’ve kept doing the same kind of improv. They’ve never changed the game on what they were doing. They kept that consistency of always commenting on politics, on things happening during a week, and people really feel like it’s a place to turn. It’s become even more a part of the conversation. But that’s what they always wanted to be — that’s what Lorne Michaels set out to do — is to call people out.
very interested in the classes — politics in media, studying film. Bill: A lot of what we did was we would write our own thing, and then we’d edit each other and make sure things merged together. There were no really tense, terrible moments, right? It went very smoothly. Heather: I think I probably have viewed Saturday Night Live very differently since we started writing the book. What’s been interesting, too, is we’ve been working on this book so long that our daughters have grown up, and now our daughters watch Saturday Night Live, and they have their own takes. Often our daughters have seen clips of things that their friends have shared through social media long before Bill and I even get to watch the episode.
Who’s on your Saturday Night Live Mount Rushmore? Heather: I couldn’t pick just four.
Bill: You have to though – that’s Mount Rushmore.
You’re a married couple, and you teach at the same university, so you spend a lot of time with each other. What was it like working on a book together, too?
Heather: No, I don’t have to.
Heather: It was awesome.
Heather: I am a feminist, and I reject the premise.
Bill: It was. It was fun.
Heather: We’re doing another one. I have made the joke at Bill’s expense a lot when people ask me. I say, “Oh, if we were remodeling a house, I don’t know that we’d still be together,” just because that’s not what we do. Actually, we would probably be fine because neither one of us cares about faucets that much. But the idea is this is what we do. We’re both writers. There’s nothing I’ve written that Bill hasn’t read, and there’s nothing that he has written that I haven’t read in 30 years. It is a part of what we do, but it’s also our interests. I have always been very political and interested in politics, and Bill has always been
Bill: Yes, you do. That’s the exercise.
Bill: It is very hard. This is going to be a little out there. So, Dan Aykroyd, Darrell Hammond, Tina Fey and — I’m probably a little bit biased by the current cast, but she does so much stuff on there — Kate McKinnon. Saturday Night Live and the 1976 Presidential Election: A New Voice Enters Campaign Politics is available now for a retail price of $35. Bill Horner and Heather Carver are not done with SNL. They’re working on another book project that will examine the show in the 2016 election year. This interview took place on March 13. By its end, Heather still declined to narrow her favorite SNL cast members to four.
Many Saturday Night Live episodes provide a highlight that starts the internet buzzing. Often, it’s a scathing political sketch or impersonation. Here are some of SNL‘s recent memorable political moments:
Sarah Palin’s CBS Interview — Sept. 27, 2008 Tina Fey’s impression of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is one of the most effective in SNL‘s history. (Bill Horner says that the portrayal “ended the serious political aspirations for Palin.”) It was so effective that after the show re-created Palin’s interview with Katie Couric, many thought the dialogue in the sketch was directly from the interview.
“Undecided Voter” — Sept. 22, 2012 Attacking the American people themselves, this “ad” ribs the mass of uninformed voters throughout the country and the major role they play in the election’s outcome. The cast members in the ad ask the important questions such as “who is the president right now?” and “what is oil?”
“Donald Trump Vs. Hillary Clinton Town Hall Debate Cold Open” — Oct. 15, 2016 Just a few weeks before the election, SNL parodied what it called “the second and worst-ever debate.” The debate allowed Kate McKinnon and Alec Baldwin to showcase their biting versions of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Both struggled to compliment each other, which was only slightly exaggerated from the real debate. Plus, Ken Bone.
Stephanie Clifford in the cold open — May 5, 2018 Stephanie Clifford, better known as Stormy Daniels, showed up in an unexpected appearance that commented on the ongoing legal battle with Donald Trump. At the end of the sketch, Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump told Ben Stiller as Michael D. Cohen to call Stormy Daniels, which is when Clifford appeared, telling Baldwin, “I know you don’t believe in climate change, but a storm’s a-coming, baby.”
— Connor Lagore 05.10.18
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MUSIC
Singing contemporary praises Local churches draw new audiences by trying different music BY SAM STOKES A 6:45 a.m. call has Amanda Dablemont and her band up and rehearsing early. Marques Ruff spends the 20 minutes before showtime working with his singers on breath techniques for strong vocals. Ed Rollins splits his Wednesday night rehearsal time between vocal and bell choirs. These musicians might not seem similar, but they’re all connected by a common thread: faith. Dablemont, Ruff and Rollins are music directors at three Columbia churches, and they use their positions to inspire their congregations through song. According to a 2014 study from the Pew Research Center, only 36 percent of respondents said they attend church at least once per week, compared to 39 percent reported in 2007. As the number of regular churchgoers in the U.S. decreases, places of worship are experimenting with new styles of music. These incorporate informal settings and popular, more current music styles to make their churches more accessible.
Many churches in Columbia sing contemporary worship songs that keep services upbeat and more accessible to different kinds of people. Alive in Christ Lutheran Church is rooted in this kind of worship.
Alive in Christ Lutheran Church: 201 Southampton Drive First Baptist Church: 1112 E. Broadway Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbia: 2615 Shepard Blvd.
Alive in Christ Lutheran Church was founded as a contemporary place of worship. Compared to a traditional religious space, Alive in Christ features a large, open room with cushioned chairs, soundproof paneling on the walls and bright stage lights. Dablemont is the music director, and she leads a praise band — think guitar, keyboard, drums and bass — during service. “Music is a big part of the Christian faith,” she says. “Music is a part of scripture. It’s everywhere.” Dablemont says the music style played at the church is more personal and simple, which helps the congregation “talk directly to God.” “There’s more energy (in contemporary music),” she says. At the Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbia, interim music director Ruff says the church’s mission of “radical welcome” — being as inclusive as 12
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Amanda Dablemont, a music director at Alive in Christ Lutheran Church Some well-known current Christian artists are Hillsong in Columbia, leads her band in both music and prayer during rehearsals. Worship and MercyMe. Songs are often accompanied by The worship style gives her a way to talk directly to God, she says. lyrics projected onto a screen.
possible — has inspired him to explore a diverse range of music for his choir. Ruff says he programs more than just sacred music, but all of his selections speak to the theme of that week’s message, whether it be community, unity or acceptance. During Black History Month, for example, Ruff and his choir highlighted the works of prominent black composers and artists. Overall, Ruff says he hopes his music programming will give all musicians a chance, especially those previously
excluded from the traditional church music canon. “This church embraces radical welcome,” he says. “That transfers directly into the music.” It’s important at First Baptist Church to find the perfect balance between classic and contemporary, says Rollins, the associate pastor for music and administration. Rollins has been with the church for 30 years. He directs a traditional church choir for a later Sunday service, the counterpoint to an earlier service’s
modern style and praise band. Rollins has also spent years cultivating his congregation to praise and worship through various forms of art and music. In addition to his church choir, he directs a bell choir, children’s choir and band. First Baptist also regularly features art displays that tie in with the music and message of the week. Rollins says, “The more we engage, the more (the congregation) develops a deeper relationship with God and one another.” PHOTOS BY HAILEY HOFER
ARTS & BOOKS
The chance to dance
Dancearts helps college students twirl their way to a creative outlet
BY MADISON SKAHILL
MU sophomore Abbie Ries is a current scholarship recipient at Dancearts. She says the organization has given her the opportunity to continue to pursue her hobby.
When former Dancearts owner Dodie Holmes started her business, she made sure to leave the door propped open for eager college students who might be short on cash. Because of that, nearly 40 years later, MU sophomore Abbie Ries is up to something you won’t find many other industrial engineering students doing two weeks before finals — expressing her creativity by rehearsing for her group lyrical dance. Since its opening in 1979, Dancearts, a local dance studio on the corner of Tenth and Walnut streets, has offered scholarship opportunities to college students interested in taking dance classes. It is a tradition current co-owner Marie Robertson has kept alive, and it allows students such as Ries to continue dancing. The number of scholarships varies each year, but there is no limit on how much money is given out. Robertson says Holmes recognized that there were students who might have an interest in dance but nowhere to pursue it. Now Robertson estimates that there are around seven undergraduate and graduate students in the program. Holmes also acknowledged that for college students, money is tight. To draw in dancers, they would have to help with costs. Depending on the length of the PHOTO BY HAILEY HOFER
class, tuition for a 16-week semester at Dancearts can cost between $160 and $240 for one class per week, according to the studio’s current rates. Students attending a college or university in Columbia can audition to have half, or even all, of their tuition covered. The only stipulation is that the student participates in at least one dance in the spring recital at the end of May.
I REALLY LIKE TO DANCE, BUT I DIDN’T WANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT WAS A HUGE TIME COMMITMENT AS A TEAM OR SOMETHING AT MIZZOU. – ABBIE RIES Getting into the program starts with an audition. Robertson offers students the opportunity to take a class or two for free; then, she and the teachers observe the student in class and can make an offer based on their evaluation. Scholarship recipients can take any number and variety of classes. The scheduling flexibility is something Ries
mentions as a benefit of the program. “I really like to dance, but I didn’t want to do something that was as huge of a time commitment as a team or something at Mizzou,” she says. “You can take as few or as many classes as you want, and you can pick what fits your schedule.” DANCEARTS SPRING RECITAL Jesse Auditorium May 25–26, 6 p.m. $15 875-1569
Breezy Grotzinger, a graduate student at Stephens College and teacher at Dancearts, says dancers often use their art as a coping mechanism for the many stresses of life. She remembers how the scholarship program affected her experience when she was an undergraduate at MU. “Sometimes you’re frustrated and angry, and you go take a dance class, and you feel so much better,” she says. “So just coping with the stress of transitioning, it really helped.” Kennon Sheldon of MU’s psychology department agrees. “People have psychological needs, and anything that brings in a stream of satisfying experiences is likely to be helpful,” he
writes in an email. Based on the self-determination theory, there are three psychological needs — autonomy, competence and relatedness. Autonomy is the ability to do what you choose and want. Competence is doing it well. Relatedness is connecting to others. Sheldon writes that to an extent, participating in the classes could increase those experiences. Dancing can reduce depression, according to an article on the blog website mentalhealthscreening.org. The article cites a study that monitored 100 teenage girls suffering from anxiety and depression. Half of the girls were placed in a weekly dance class while the other half were not. The girls who were in the classes experienced improved mental health and reported a boost in their moods. Grotzinger recalls feeling similar benefits by continuing to pursue her passion for dance during college. “You forget how much your body needs this movement to stay happy and healthy,” she says. In college, it’s easy to lose touch with hobbies you once held, which is where Dancearts comes in, helping ease the transition by offering a creative avenue and a community.
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Hypnotherapist and nurse BARBARA PHILLIPS explains the mind-based treatment and its misconceptions
B
arbara Phillips spent much of her time as a registered nurse and nurse practitioner incorporating hypnosis without realizing it. The way she communicated with many of her patients to calm, distract or refocus them was reminiscent of hypnotherapy. Specializing in chronic pain management, Phillips opened her practice, Hypnosis Mind Works, in Columbia in January 2017. As more research has been published, she says the medical community is starting to recognize the practice of hypnotherapy as a legitimate way to treat a variety of issues, such as smoking and anxiety. It can also enhance skills, such as sports performance and public speaking. Every Thursday, she meets with a four-person study group via video chat to discuss advancements in the field and practice new techniques. Linda Szabo, a fellow study group member and hypnotherapist working out of North Carolina, says, “(Phillips) scrutinizes everything very closely. She wants to get the best practices ... She’s really on top of the latest, of what’s going on out there.” In June, Phillips will present on how to use hypnosis in a clinical practice at the American Association of Nurse Practitioners National Conference. What led you to hypnotherapy? It was something I experienced when I was probably around 30 years old. I had a pretty severe phobia of bees, and I wanted to get rid of it. I actually saw 14
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someone at the University of Washington, where I went to school, who took care of it. Over the years, it was something that I thought about studying, but by that point, I went back to school and did two different nurse practitioner programs. Who do you typically treat? I see a lot of students for anxiety. I’ve had some inquiries about it, but I don’t tend to see a lot of children. I see a lot of people who want to quit smoking. I would like to see our medical community opening up more to this, because I think that’s something that can add to what is going on. I would never say that people would be able to get off their medications, but we certainly have plenty of research showing that people who use those medications for a variety of things have been able to reduce the medication they’re having to use. What are people’s first reactions when you tell them what you do? Curiosity. Most (people) can remember some type of stage show that happened in high school or something in Las Vegas, which is nothing related to what I do. A lot of times, it’s really explaining to people that what happens on a stage show or in a comedy show, that it’s set up that way. People are participating in that because they want to have fun. What I do is work with people to overcome
something usually that they don’t want, or they want to enhance something they already do and get better. What are some of the misconceptions you hear about hypnosis? I’m controlling somebody’s mind. I can make them do something. I cannot make anybody do anything. You have to agree to want to do something. If I were to tell you that I want you to rob the bank and bring me back the money, you’re not going to do that unless you’re already a thief. You’re not going to tell me your secrets, you know? Another myth is that I can make you bark like a dog or quack like a duck or something like that. Do you have any advice for someone who is hesitant but willing to try the treatment? I would say call and ask questions. It costs nothing to sit on the phone and ask a question and discuss it. I think the biggest thing is we shouldn’t be afraid of what we’re able to do. Nobody is going to control your brain. Hypnosis really is nothing more than a belief in what you can and cannot do. If you believe that you are never going to stop smoking, if you believe that you will never get over your fear of snakes, then you never will. — BY ALEXA HODGES PHOTO BY ZIXUAN ZHAO
THE TO-DO LIST
this week in Columbia
ARTS & CULTURE
FOOD & DRINK
SPORTS
School of Visual Studies Faculty Showcase
Guns and Grub 2018
SEC Softball Tournament
Check out diverse media on display in the Fine Arts Building from full-time and adjunct MU faculty members. Their works demonstrate complex visual concepts. Through Aug. 16, All day, George Caleb Bingham Gallery, Room A125, Free
DanceAbility Spring Showcase: Under the Sea
Plunge into the sea with the School of Missouri Contemporary Ballet’s DanceAbility at its spring student showcase. Afterward, see the MCB Performance Company preview of an upcoming rendition of Peter and the Wolf. Saturday, 6 p.m., Windsor Auditorium, $5, 825-0095
“Nature Therapy” Opening Reception
Peruse Deni Cary Phillips’ photo exhibition, which explores the human connection to the planet. The display will run throughout May and June, and a portion of sales from the reception will support Talking Horse Productions. Listen for some guitar music by Mark Atkins Lieberman. Tuesday, 6:30–8:30 p.m., Talking Horse Productions, Free, 268-1381
CIVIC Midway Crossing Neighborhood Garage Sale
Stumble upon something new and useful for your life. Located off the corner of Providence and Nifong, this isn’t your average garage sale — it’s an entire neighborhood-wide event. Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Community Association Management, Free, 499-4445
Movies in the Park: Trolls
What better way to enjoy the warm weather than a film in the park? Grab a blanket and a snack, and head to Cosmo Park for a viewing of the animated musical comedy Trolls. Friday, 8:30 p.m., Cosmo Park, Free, 874-2489
Hops & Shops 2018
Sip a beer, and stroll the street as you browse what participating vendors have to offer. Your attendance price covers a drink and a door prize ticket. Saturday, 1–5 p.m., Bur Oak Brewing Co., $5, 314-276-8009
Bikes & Brews 2018
As part of the 18th Annual Bike, Walk and Wheel Week, enjoy a fun, easy and social ride through The District. This evening bike tour through downtown Columbia will make several stops for local microbrew samples. You must be 21 or older to participate. Wednesday, 5:15–8 p.m., Walt’s Bike Shop, $35, through May 13; $40, May 14–15; $45 day of, 886-9258
Bring your appetite and favorite shotgun to this clay shooting event, which includes a BBQ lunch, a gift bag and raffle tickets to support the veterinary medicine class of 2021. All skill levels are welcome, and free firearm training will be offered on site. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Prairie Grove Shotgun Sports, $60, 355-8822
Mother’s Day Buffet
Treat a deserving mother in your life to a delicious meal. This year’s buffet includes made-to-order omelets, ham with pineapple glaze, fennel-encrusted beef ribeye, seafood cakes with lemon butter sauce, honey-glazed carrots and much more. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Seatings from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Holiday Inn Executive Center, $29; $26, seniors; $10, children ages 4 to 12; Free, children 3 and under (tax and tip not included), 203-8178
MUSIC Dylan Scott
Clear 99 presents country music’s latest obsession, Dylan Scott. Scott’s emotional lyrics and country pedigree speak for themselves. If you’re ready for a rural Louisiana-grown show, this is it. Tonight, 7:30 p.m., doors; 8:30 p.m., show, The Blue Note, $10, 874-1944
The Audra Sergel Trio at Flyover Join local jazz songstress and pianist Audra Sergel and her trio for beloved jazz standards and original music at Flyover, where you can grab a cocktail or meal. Tonight, 8–10 p.m., Flyover, Free, 424-2496
I Love the ‘90s: Live Band Tribute Dance Party
Break out your acid wash jeans and favorite grunge flannel for a night of nostalgia. The Mixtapes and Dope Ass Sneakers will be bringing live pop-punk up against hip-hop. Friday, 8:30 p.m., doors; 9:30 p.m., show, The Blue Note, $5, 874-1944
The Hooten Hallers
Lean On Pete (R)
A teenager named Charley endeavors to find a home for himself and an old racehorse destined for slaughter. Boasting a 92-percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this novel-based film should pull the heartstrings of any animal-lover. RT RUNTIME = 2:01
The Mizzou softball team might not have qualified for the SEC Tournament, but Columbia will still host 12 teams for this weekend’s SEC tournament. Through Saturday, Times vary, Mizzou Softball Stadium, Price varies, 882-6501
Mother’s Day Family Fun Ride
Life of the Party (PG-13)
This bike ride begins along the Hominy Creek Trail and ends at Stephens Lake Park. Broadway Diner will provide snacks at the finish line, along with a gift for Mom. No advanced registration is required, and check-in starts at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, 2–4 p.m., Free, 268-1798
Mizzou Baseball vs. Indiana State
As Mizzou baseball fights for a spot in the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers host Indiana State in the final week of the season. Tuesday, 6 p.m., Taylor Stadium, Price varies, 882-6501
SCREEN Breaking In (PG-13)
A single mother fights for her two kids, who are taken hostage by money-hungry criminals at her late father’s mansion. F, R RUNTIME = 1:28
Melissa McCarthy stars in this comedic tale of a middle-aged mother and ex-housewife who goes back to school in an attempt to restart after her divorce. Instead, she dives headfirst into the good, bad and ugly of the college experience. R RUNTIME = 1:45
Still playing
Avengers: Infinity War (PG-13) F, R Bad Samaritan (R) F, R Black Panther (PG-13) R Blockers (R) F Deadpool 2 (R) R I Feel Pretty (PG-13) F, R Paul, Apostle of Christ (PG-13) R A Quiet Place (PG-13) F, R Rampage (PG-13) F, R Ready Player One (PG-13) F, R Super Troopers 2 (R) R Tully (R) R A Wrinkle in Time (PG) F Theaters F = Forum R = Regal
RT = Ragtag 3D =
A Course in Miracles All misery comes from the strange belief that one is powerless. Why does it seem so incredible that faith can move mountains? This is indeed a little feat for such a power. Faith can keep the children of God in chairs, as long as they believe they are in chains. Faith and perception and belief can be misplaced and serve the Great Deceiver’s needs. Fath and belief, upheld by reason, cannot fail to lead to changed perception. And in this change is room made for vision. Perception selects and makes the world as you see it. Reason’s alien nature to egocentric perception is proof reason cannot be found there. Reason lies in the other Self, which most of humanity has cut off from their awareness. Derived from the UR-Text of A Course in Miracles
New long term study group is forming. Meetings are currently scheduled at Mo United Methodist Church, 204 S 9th Street, Columbia MO: Thursday, May 10 room 102 6:30pm - 7:30pm Thursday, May 18 room 102 6:30 pm - 7:30pm
No tuition. Donations for expenses welcome.
Merging blues, Americana and rock ‘n’ roll, this local trio is known for its energetic performances. Check out the electrifying group and its genre-bending instrumentation as it makes a mid-tour visit home. Saturday, 8:30 p.m., doors; 9:30 p.m., show, The Blue Note, $10, 874-1944
Stick To Your Guns + Hawthorne Heights
Prepare for a union of California punk and Ohio rock at this head-banging performance, preceded by opener Sienna Skies. Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., doors; 7:30 p.m., show, The Blue Note, $18 in advance; $20 day of, 874-1944
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RS
JOIN
YEA
R THIS O F US
AUGUST 25TH 2018 NOON - 4PM 4400 NOCONA PKWY COLUMBIA, MO
Visit the website for tickets and more information.
www.secbeerfest.com
www.secbeerfest.com Early Bird General Admission $30 | Early Bird VIP $50 Efforts and proceeds of the 2018 South East Craft Beer Festival will benefit: American Red Cross, Unchained Melodies Inc. (Dog Rescue), Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mid-Missouri.