I have tinnitus, and if you’re reading this, know that you are not alone.
An estimated 25 million adults in the United States experience tinnitus. Tinnitus or unwanted ear noises can be brought on or aggravated by stress. The past few months have been filled with challenges and surprises at every turn. Most of us have experienced a bit of stress for a variety of reasons. The loss of employment, illness, isolation, and a constant state of worry can all create unavoidable stress.
Closing the doors to our family business for direct patient care was certainly the right decision mid-March. Figuring out how to work effectively and efficiently from home was the greatest challenge. While making these decisions, two of my family members tested positive for Coronavirus. No surprise that my tinnitus got out of hand. During the day I heard crickets and at night the high pitched whine would creep in. Stress was certainly my trigger.
As an Audiologist who counsels patients on a daily basis, it was time for me to start taking my own advice. Although there is no cure for tinnitus, it certainly can be managed. Diet and health style choices can have a positive impact.
Limiting caffeine and restricting salt can help curb tinnitus. Anything that restricts blood flow can potentially exacerbate tinnitus. Aerobic exercise or walking are easy ways to make a positive difference. I have to remind myself to relax, and taking deep cleansing breaths does help. Making time for myself became a priority. After all, if you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of anyone else.
Now that my family is back on track and headed towards good health, my tinnitus has improved. The crickets have left but the soft high pitched noise remains as a reminder of my youth. Listening to loud music without ear protection has its consequences. Tinnitus and hearing loss are the gifts we get when we crank up the volume.
If you experience tinnitus and haven’t had your hearing tested, put that on your 2020 calendar. An Audiologist is waiting to meet you. We can help.
Dr. Gostomelsky earned her Bachelors Degree in Speech and Audiology at the University of Illinois, in Champaign IL, her Masters Degree in Audiology at Illinois State University, and her Audiology Doctorate (AuD) from the Arizona School of Health Sciences.
Dr. Gostomelsky is licensed through the State of Illinois, and maintains membership in the Academy of Dispensing Audiologists, Illinois Academy of Audiology, and the American Academy of Audiology. She has over 40 years of experience treating patients.
Dr. Gostomelsky takes pride in helping her patients understand what it takes to be successful in both protecting and improving hearing, one patient at a time.
With “The Last Dance,” Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Phil Jackson, Jerry Krause and the Chicago Bulls the talk of the sports world, the Bulls’ Twitter account got to work “Rodman-izing” their current players.
Jerry Krause is the villain of “The Last Dance.” Social media has had a ball sharing their thoughts about the former ChicagoBulls general manager after seeing how Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson have felt about him for the past 30 years.
Chicago bookstores are open, but not in the usual way! We can’t walk through their doors, unfortunately. But we can order new books, rare books, old books and great books. Sign up for each store’s newsletter! Some stores offer online events, virtual book clubs, chats with booksellers and personal recommendations. Almost all are offering fast delivery to your door and even blind dates with puzzles and other unique merch! If we act fast, we may get some famous authors re-enacting the dance scene from The Breakfast Club. More on that below. Following are ways to support our city’s bookstores. They make up the most vibrant literary paradise in the world. Please read on, order, and support to ensure that each of these enchanted places can usher us back through their welcoming doors when these crazy sci-fi times are over.
If I missed anything or you have a Chicagoland bookstore to add, please email me at [email protected] and I promise to update immediately!
Extra note: Libro.fm, purveyor of audiobooks, is offering two valuable promotions to benefit an indie store of your choice. Details here.
Thank you to all the booksellers who responded to my questions in the midst of difficult times. They are working long days to keep us happily in books (and puzzles and more).
I asked: What is the best way to support you? Is it by ordering books, other merchandise or a gift card? Is ordering directly through you better than through bookshop.org? Or absolutely anything else?
Order through AfriWare’s site and the store’s distributors will expedite your book to your home. Will AfriWare still make money on these sales? Yes! Your support is appreciated.
If you are looking for a face mask, you can order them from AfriWare. You can also purchase a selection of personal care products and beautiful one-of-a-kind handmade items which will be gathered by a personal shopper and available for curbside pick-up.
The best way to support The Book Cellar is “by ordering books or gift cards. The purchases that people are making are fantastic.
We have some virtual events coming up. Some are ticketed such that they require a book purchase. Those will help us.
We are part of book shop [bookshop.org]. I haven’t had time to build a beautiful listing yet but I will. We receive a percentage from those sales. The way I see it, every little bit helps.”
The Book Cellar has a new crowdfunding campaign. Please read owner Suzy Takacs’ heartfelt statement and contribute here.
“People who shop with us online at www.bookendsandbeginnings.com have access not only to titles we carry in the store, but millions of titles carried by the distributor we work with, and these are currently being shipped to people’s homes directly from the distributor’s warehouse.
People can also purchase either an online gift certificate, which can ONLY be used to order things via the website, or an in-store gift certificate, which they can save for the happy time when we re-open the doors.
We are not doing virtual events right now, but that’s something we may initiate if the shutdown lasts for a while.
We do have a GoFundMe campaign running right now and we deeply appreciate the donations! Online sales don’t have the same profit margin for us as in-store sales, so while we love them, those alone are not enough to keep us going. The GoFundMe money we have raised so far has been critical to allowing us to retain all our staff.
At Bookshop, they say their mission is to attract customers who might not already be shopping with an independent bookstore and convert them into a supporter of indies instead of Amazon. But buying direct from the indie stores you decide to support always brings in the most revenue for them.”
“The best way folks can support us is ordering books from our website. We are not working in the store, so we are having books shipped directly from our distributor, and the turn-around time has been quite fast for most books. The other way people can support us is just by following our social media: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.”
“Ordering through our website is the best way to help us, and gift cards especially help. Bookshop.org sales get us a tiny affiliate fee that is split among hundreds of stores–when ordering direct all proceeds come immediately to us.”
From Teme: I’ve always love the beautiful Book Table gift cards and other merch designed by award-winning graphic artist Chris Ware.
The Book Table will offer curbside service beginning May 1.
“In what ways is Open Books staying connected to the community? Since we are a non-profit that provides reading and writing experiences to Chicago kids that also runs two bookstores, we’ve had disruptions on both fronts. For the bookstore, we are still selling books online (with free shipping on orders over $10) for delivery or contact-less pick up. Our book clubs are meeting virtually over Zoom, and we will soon be launching a blog with recommendations and lists to recreate some of the in store experience online.
Beginning next week, we will be delivering free books to CPS meal distribution sites to allow families to build home libraries and promote independent reading for students during this time. We will also be offering the public a chance to buy books directly for under resourced kids in Chicago from a list curated by our literacy experts, which we will distribute through city and neighborhood partners.
What are some ways Open Books is managing shipping and the safety of staff? We are following all the OHSA/CDC recommendations for businesses during the outbreak, as well as increasing the frequency and depth of our cleaning regimen, including a full terminal cleaning since the last time we were open to the public. We are working with minimal staffing, running split shifts to eliminate any excessive overlap of team members. We are also letting all donated books sit for at least 24 hours before handling. We are also offering free shipping for all online orders of $10 or more. Books can be purchased at http://shopwestloop.open-books.org/.
What ways can people support Open Books? People can support us financially (all donations are tax deductible) at www.open-books.org, shop our store online, or donate books contact free at our two drop bins (in the alley behind the West Loop store at 651 W. Lake St., or on the corner of Halsted and Superior) or through the donation slot at our Pilsen warehouse (905 W. 19th St.).
Open Books is working with the Chicago Public Schools Department of Literacy to distribute books to families who are taking advantage of meal distribution at local schools. Supporters can buy books on the Open Books website to be donated to kids who are in need. Books can be purchased at https://www.open-books.org/giftofbooks/
“The best way to support us is through online orders at www.pilsencommunitybooks.com. We are offering contactless curbside pickup and home delivery for a fee. Folks can also donate to our collaborative book drive with the Liberation Library on our website, which is a great way to not only support the store but get books into the hands of young folks who have been incarcerated.
It’s definitely better for folks to order directly through us than through bookshop.org, but we’ll take the sales however they come! Folks can also buy audiobooks through us on our libro.fm page.”
“The best way people can support us is online book orders and gift cards.”
Roscoe Books is offering $1 shipping.
From Roscoe Book’s Facebook page: “Libro.fm [is] running an amazing promotion right now: when you start a membership with code SHOPBOOKSTORESNOW, you’ll get two audiobooks for the price of one, and 100% of your payment will go to RoscoeBooks! https://libro.fm/”
“Ordering books and gift cards from our website is the best way to support us right now. We are not on bookshop.org and we are not doing any crowdfunding campaigns as of now.”
Uncharted Books kindly allowed me to reprint from its Facebook page. It’s very fun to read. Note: last week I wore my Uncharted Books t-shirt to a doctor’s appointment and learned that my doctor is a fan of the store. My shirt featured the store’s stunningly beautiful Director of Marketing and Phone Operator Ramona. You can get your shirt here.
From Uncharted Books’ Facebook:
“Looking for cool ways to support your local bookstore? Yay ur the best, here’s a round up of all of our online options, all available on our square site unchartedbooks.square.site.
And that GoFundMe? It just got a major superstar endorsement. Rebecca Makkai got 27 literary stars to agree to recreate the dance scene (“We Are Not Alone”) in The Breakfast Club if the fundraiser reaches $ 60,000. Molly Ringwald tweeted about it! Donate here.
“The best way to support W&CF is through ordering a book or gift card to our online store through womenandchildrenfirst.com! Our bookseller H. Melt is working from home to update our website with curated lists like Kids RecommendationsFeminist Favorites and Local Authors to help make our website better reflect what it’s like to browse the displays you once found in our physical space. We also recommend browsing our individual Staff Picks pages and donating to Chicago Books to Women in Prison.
Many of our events are transitioning to virtual space. Folks can sign up for our newsletter to learn about more upcoming events!
We have a non-profit arm called the Women’s Voices Fund that makes all of our events and programming possible. A donation to that fund is deeply appreciated!
Our small team also loves getting virtual love from our customers. We miss all of you so much! When folks post photos on Instagram of their orders arriving or their doorstep or tag us in a post about what they’re reading this weekend, we feel a little more connected across the social distancing. It’s also remarkable how much a glowing review on Facebook or Yelp or Google brightens our day.
We hope to have some fun new ways to shop soon–mystery bundles, etc.”
I’ve been a comedy fan since age four when Moe Howard asked me, “What’s your name, lil’ goil?” Fortuitously somehow by way of Washington, D.C., Poughkeepsie and Jerusalem, I ended up in Chicago, the comedy Mecca of the world where comedians are kind enough to give me their time and where I was lucky enough to meet the great Dobie Maxwell who introduced me to the scene. You can reach me at: [email protected]. (Please remember the “w” there in the middle.)
I am often very reasonably asked, “How DO you pronounce that?” The spelling is Teme, but it’s pronounced Temmy.
My son Kameron, who has autism, thinks he is going to be living on Easy Street because there is no school for the rest of the year. He don’t have the concept but I’m sure that he knows that something is going on, and that he should be out of the house by now. I’m very pleased to say that he’s been behaving pretty well because children with autism knows without a clock what time they should be out of the house and on the school bus. One or two moments off and you witness yourself a serious meltdown.
Maybe Kameron has been doing well because I caved in and bought another portable DVD player against my better judgment. This is his fifth or sixth one because after watching his movies, he’ll start being destructive with them until they don’t work anymore. This time, it was gearing toward the same behavior. I took the machine to my mom’s and would you believe that Kameron did not sleep for twenty-four hours (literally) because his mind was on that thing? In spite of the medication he uses to sedate him, he was determined to have that DVD player. Talk about will power!
He’s a bit better with it now. He’s going to be in for a rude awakening because he may not be using it as much because his assistant principal was sweet enough to drop off his Dynavox (a picture exchange communication device) at my security desk in my apartment building. To top it off, Kameron is not aware that I ordered the good old-fashioned Hooked On Phonics, so I’m waiting on that.
Yes, my sweet Kameron, while you won’t be returning to your old school because you were supposed to be graduating, you still will be benefitting from these items. I never knew anyone who didn’t succeed from Hooked on Phonics. I know Kameron may be a bit more challenging because he is totally non-verbal but with a little patience and a lot of persistence, it’s worth a try.
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I’m an author and playwright of urban fiction, a mom of two boys with autism, and have lupus. I lived my formative years in the Cabrini-Green Housing Projects. I have an article about my thoughts of the demise of Cabrini-Green on Page Four of the Chicago RedEye titled “Eyesore yes, but public housing was our home” (April 2010) and a lupus article titled “Butterfly is more than some ink on my leg” (May 2010).
If I can do little else to help out during the lockdown, I can get out to my local bottle shop and pick up some local brews to review. Yes, I think I can handle that responsibility.
Spiteful Brewing had punched out beers in a number of styles, especially trendy IPAs and also dark beers, since 2012. They’ve put out at least two Chocolate Milk Stouts under the name “Mrs. O’Leary’s,” and you’d think Chicago brewers would have jumped at that name before this. Their web page is a little thin on details. Presumably the “milk” part is lactose sugar, which does not ferment, so it keeps the beer sweet. But is the “chocolate” part just chocolate roast malt, or has chocolate been added in the brew? Well, in this version I can at least be certain they’ve added raspberries. Has it only been two months since I sampled a Valentine’s Day flight of “Box of Chocolate” beers, including one with raspberry? Time for another. Unlike those brawny candy beers, this one carries a “mere” 7% alcohol by volume.
This pours with a nice Guinness-like cascade of brown bubbles down the side. A black beer body with some brown highlights.
The nose is pleasingly like a Dutch cocoa, with, indeed notes of raspberry. The taste does start out sweet and chocolatey, but there is a side of roasty malt coming in after the initial sip. There’s little alcohol in the nose, which makes it an easy drink to take down. Milk sugar gives me a milky aftertaste on top of the malt roastiness. The raspberries remain subdued, but easily accessible.
This is well worth seeking out. Its more of a fall/winter seasonal (my can was packaged on November 13). I found this 16 oz. can at Orange & Brew, and the regular Chocolate Milk Stout version in bottles at Prestige Tap Room in Westmont. So watch for it on your local shelf.
Fresh Beer Events, occasional bacon, but always spam free, opt out any time.
Meet The Blogger
Mark McDermott
Writer, trivia maven, fan of many things. I thought to learn all there is to know about beer as a way to stay interested in learning. It is my pleasure to bring Chicago’s craft beer scene to you.
One of the topics of conversation for this week’s show was the all-new 2021 Kia Seltos. (Photo by Jill Ciminillo)
This week’s Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast was another at-home edition. And we still didn’t have donuts. So, I wore pants that had donuts printed on them. It wasn’t the same.
The #cardujour we discussed this week was the all-new 2021 Kia Seltos, It’s built on the same platform as the Hyundai Kona, has two engine options and most trims come standard with AWD. Collectively, we liked it, but there were a couple of weird things — like how the trim lineup was set up — that we thought were a bit off.
In the news section, we discussed exciting rumors about the next-gen Mazda6 sedan. Please let them be true.
Finally, we had a lengthy conversation with Paul Strauss, publisher of The Awesomer, Technabob and 95octane, to discuss plummeting gas prices and what it will mean for the future of electric cars.
Oh, and (spoiler alert) I won the quiz for the second week in a row!
While I will continue to post the podcast to my blog each week, you can subscribe to the Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast on any podcast subscription service or visit the Buzzsprout link. New episodes are usually posted on Friday, and then the show itself airs on WCPT 820 AM on Sundays from 1 to 2 p.m.
Be sure to let us know if you have questions or if there are any topics you’d like us to cover on future podcasts.
As the Covid-19 crisis extends into the spring and possibly the summer, Chicago theaters and dance organizations are supplying a variety of online activities to stay connected to their audiences.
While some are saying “there’s no going back” — that the communal experience will never be the same — cultural arts organizations have faith that a new normal will emerge, one that’s perhaps not too unlike the live theater/dance experience we know.
“We so look forward to when we can open our doors and invite the public in to experience these projects as they were intended,” say Tara Mallen, artistic director at Rivendell Theatre, where the company continues to work on new plays.
So for now, online streaming is bringing theaters and audiences together in new ways. While many of the offerings listed below are free, please consider, if you can, a donation to your favorite company in this unprecedented time of extinguished footlights and darkened marquees.
THEATER
Victory Gardens Theater: Streaming its 2017 production of Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron’s acclaimed musical “Fun Home.” Based on Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir, the family drama unravels the many mysteries of her childhood from her coming out to her journey to acceptance. From May 12-24; tickets are $20. Visit victorygardens.org.
Chicago Shakespeare Theater: A variety of free streaming videos are offered in the digital platform Shakes@Home site, including education initiatives for teachers; a Living Room Sonnet Series; a look at recipes from the Bard’s plays and much more from artists and staff. Check it out at chicagoshakes.com.
The Goodman Theatre: While a stream “School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play” recently concluded, the Goodman continues its free stream of Robert Falls and Seth Bockley’s adaptation of Roberto Bolano’s novel “2666.” It’s a compelling five-hour marathon perfect for home viewing from the comfort of your couch. The theater also offers videos, art and articles to keep theatergoers connected while stages are dark. Visit goodmantheatre.org.
Steppenwolf Theatre: The company replaces it’s annual gala with a free online event, Pants Optional: A Steppenwolf Soiree, at 6:30 p.m. May 9. Making appearances are ensemble members Joan Allen, Gary Cole, John Malkovich, Sandra Marquez and Laurie Metcalf as well as other celebrity guests. The event concludes with a dance party with Grammy Award-winning DJ Tracy Young. Also on the Steppenwolf website is a podcast featuring ensemble members and teen and educator workshops. Visit steppenwolf.org.
Paramount Theatre: The Connection Social Media Concert has a new theme each week and features singers and dancers performing original works created while sheltering in place. All ages and experience levels are welcome to submit songs. For more information, visit paramountaurora.com. Also at 5 p.m. Mondays, the Paramount School of the Arts has launched a free series of live, virtual Master Classes Mondays taught by the theater’s artists and staff and covering a variety of topics. Visit, facebook.cm/paramountschoolofthearts.
Porchlight Music Theatre: Artistic director Michael Weber celebrates a legendary icon’s birthday with the free online series Sondheim @ 90 Roundtable. Saturdays at 7 pm, Weber and a panel of guests discuss a work by Stephen Sondheim and his impact on the performing arts. Upcoming works featured (including performance clips) are “Sunday in the Park with George” (May 2) and “Follies” (May 9). Visit porchlightmusictheatre.org.
Verboten, the teen band, plays their grown-up gig at the Cubby Bear in a scene from the musical “Verboten.”Michael Brosilow
The House Theatre of Chicago: Streaming its recent production of Jason Narducy and Brett Neveu’s musical “Verboten.” Based on Narducy’s own experiences, it’s the story of how punk rock saved the lives of four Evanston kids in 1983. Available through May 4; tickets are pay-what-you-can beginning at $15. On May 2, a special live streaming event features Tony Award-winning actor-musician Michael Cerveris joining artistic director Nathan Allen and the play’s creators to talk about blending rock ‘n’ roll and theatre. Tickets are $99 and include access to the “Verboten” stream. Visit thehousetheatre.com.
Chicago Children’s Theatre: Streaming a variety of classes designed to teach the art of theater while building new skills like creativity, resourcefulness, confidence and collaboration. Ongoing, prices vary. Visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org.
The Neo-Futurists: The company takes its signature show online with “The Infinite Wrench Goes Viral,” a blast of 30 plays in 60 minutes. There are five price points ranging from $3-$100; the higher you go the more you get culminating in an original play written about your subject of choice. Ongoing. Visit neofuturists.org.
The Second City: The comedy outlet has adapted its shows and classes to create online experiences. The free weekly shows include “Improv House Party,” “The Last Show Left on Earth” and the family-friendly “Really Awesome Improv Show.” Visit secondcity.com.
Lookingglass Theatre: New digital content includes a weekly podcast featuring conversations with company artists about the creative process and how it intersects with life today. Other content features a yoga class and exclusive performances. Ongoing, free. Visit lookingglass.org.
Theater Wit: Streaming its staging of “Teenage Dick,” Mike Lew’s comedy about perception, disability and the lengths we’re willing to go to rise above our station in life. Through May 17, $25-$50 (a Wednesday matinee is pay-what-you-can). Visit theaterwit.org.
Northlight Theatre: The discussion series “At Home with BJ” features artistic director BJ Jones in conversation with artists from the company’s upcoming season. “Finish the Line,” play along and attempt to complete the lines from a selection of Northlight’s favorite productions. Visit northlight.org.
Collaboraction: The company has launched the Together Network a platform focused on bringing people together to explore important issues and stay connected. The ongoing weekly streams feature a variety of topics and special guests. Visit collaboraction.org.
Rivendell Theatre: Digital content features at the development process look at four new one-woman plays: “The Inside” by Lydia A. Diamond, “When Given the Choice, Bleed” by Kimberly Dixon-Mays, “Tidy” by Kristin Idaszak and “Aping Jane” by Aurora Real de Asua. Ongoing from April 29, free. Visit rivendelltheatre.org/solo-voices.
Theatre Y: “My Body’s Image, Delayed” is a retrospective of the work of Romanian playwright Andras Visky in 15 episodes streaming weekly. Ensemble members create a new video each week of a Visky excerpt focusing on introspection, self-interrogation and refracted identity. Visit theatre-y.com.
The Passage Theatre: A staged reading of “All-One! The Dr. Bronner’s Play,” a world premiere commission by Beth Hyland originally scheduled to open in April that tells the story of Dr. Emanuel Bronner, a man famous for his pure-castile liquid soap. From May 1-10, pay-what-you-can. Visit thepassagetheatre.com.
Philip Dawkins in Sideshow Theatre Company and Greenhouse Theater Center’s 2016 world premiere of “The Happiest Place on Earth.” Michael Brosilow
Sideshow Theatre: Streaming its production of “The Happiest Place on Earth,” Philip Dawkins’ play that retraces and explores the story of the women in his family. Through May 31, pay-what-you-can. Visit sideshowtheatre.org.
Black Button Eyes Productions: Streaming the world premiere of Ed Rutherford’s “Masque of the Red Coronavirus,” inspired by Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Masque of Red Death” and current newspaper stories. Ongoing, free. Visit blackbuttoneyes.com.
Hell in a Handbag Productions: Streaming its 2012 production of “Sexy Baby,” a docu-musical that goes behind the scenes of child beauty pageants. Ongoing, free. Visit https://bit.ly/2KCKdow
Prop Thtr: A free stream of its latest show, “…And I Am Not Afraid,” a work devised by the ensemble about resilience and tenacity in the face of violence. Ongoing. Visit propthtr.org.
Otherworld Theatre Company: The company focused on science fiction and fantasy streams a variety of shows including “Super Richard World III,” “Medusa Undone” and “Improvised Dungeons and Dragons.” Ongoing, free-$5. Visit otherworldtheatre.org.
Victoria Jaiani and Alberto Velazquez are photographed at the Driehaus Museum for the Joffrey Ballet’s production of “Anna Karenina.” Cheryl Mann
DANCE
The Joffrey Ballet presents weekly additions to its online presence (this week it’s all about the company’s 2019 production of Ilya Demutsky’s “Anna Karenina”) featuring interviews with dancers, performance excerpts and workouts that will make you appreciate a dancer’s training and ability. Visit www.youtube.com/thejoffreyballet.Also, every Thursday at 2 p.m.,Joffrey rehearsal director Adam Blyde hosts “On Cue,” a weekly video chat (via @joffreyballet Instagram LIVE) with a Joffrey company member about fitness tips, what they’re doing to stay sane and favorite quarantine recipes.
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: Fans can keep up with what the dancers are doing as they shelter at home (www.facebook.com/hubbardstreetdance), take a class and find educational resources for teachers. Plus coming soon, a resource for dance activities for families. Visit hubbardstreetdance.com.
Lucky Plush Productions: The organization has launched a Virtual Dance Lab in collaboration with the University of Chicago’s dance program for beginners to veteran dance artists. Included are all styles of dance, yoga, improvisation, kids’ classes, physical theater and a wake-up dance jam and more. Classes are free to students with a $5-$15 suggested donation for others. Visit luckyplush.com.
Deeply Rooted Dance Theater has launched Beyond Dance, a free online initiative with a variety of classes for children and adults, plus The Continuum Process, a series of discussions about creativity and the artistic process. Free. Visit deeplyrooteddancetheater.org.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Always a Chicago favorite during its winter run at the Auditorium Theatre, the New York-based company is offering free streams of its work: Ailey’s “Night Creature” (through April 30) and Jamar Roberts’ “Ode” (April 30-May 7). Visit alvinailey.org.
MUSIC
Chicago Symphony Orchestra: During this period, personal messages from musicians are being shared regularly on the CSO’s social media channels, with additional audio and video content available online at CSO Sounds & Stories and YouTube. Visit cso.org.
Like every ChicagoBulls fan, I’ve been enjoying ESPN’s documentary about the 1997-1998 team, called The Last Dance, at least in the early going.
But there are a few things this deep dive into Chicago Bulls history has left out.
Most of those things are true facts that paint Michael Jordan, a key subject in the documentary, the Bulls on-court leader, and, of course, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, in a less than flattering light.
I’m talking about the gambling, the cheating on his ex-wife, the over competitiveness (Jordan may have ruined Kwame Brown‘s career). None of these things are secret, but so far, the first two have gone unmentioned in The Last Dance, while the third has been positioned as a positive attribute – Jordan was so good not because he was blessed with unusual ability, but because he just wanted it (it being success) more than everyone else. As writer for The Root and VerySmartBrothas Damon Young points out, this is a problematic idea.
Vice even points out that the documentary’s suggestion that Jordan was deemed too short to be a dominant NBA player when he was coming out of college isn’t true.
On top of that, the late Jerry Krause is positioned as the villainous GM who broke up the Bulls for no good reason, at least in the first two episodes. The documentary seems to paint the players and head coach Phil Jackson as the good guys, and owner Jerry Reinsdorf as some benevolent mediator. As 670 AM WSCR’s Dan Bernstein writes, this is a bit unfair, and not just because Krause isn’t alive to give his side of the story.
As Bernstein notes, a lot the criticism of Krause is true – but the ravages of time may have also broken up the Bulls. Jordan was 35 and had logged heavy minutes over the years. Dennis Rodman was going on 37. Scottie Pippen would soon undergo shoulder fusion surgery the summer following the last championship and never again play at the same level. There was no guarantee that the Bulls of 1998-1999 would’ve been able to compete at a championship level, and the odds were likely against it.
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The biggest disappointment in the early going, however, is that all the footage that hasn’t been seen before hasn’t really shown much about Jordan or the Bulls that we didn’t already know. The Last Dance was so hyped, in part, because we expected to see footage that might paint the Bulls and their best player in a new light. Instead, we get visual confirmation of already known facts – that MJ and others were harsh towards Krause, and that Jordan wasn’t shy about ripping teammates at practice.
We do get a bunch of highlights – both well-known and less so – which is cool. But I didn’t sign up just to relive the glory days of my favorite NBA team. I wanted to learn more about what really happened behind the scenes, and see it presented in a visual way. Certainly, previous reporting has laid bare some facts that both Jordan and the organization would rather not be acknowledged, but it’s one thing to read about it in a book or a newspaper article, or to rely on someone’s fallible memory. Seeing it, in footage shot at the time, before history and faulty memories could warp the truth (however inadvertently), would’ve been great.
The lack of coverage of topics unflattering to Jordan (at least to this point – we have plenty of episodes to go), the oversimplification of Krause’s role in the breakup of the Bulls, and the narrative of Jordan simply wanting “it” more than anyone else – all of this comes about because ESPN sought, and was granted, permission to interview Jordan as part of the show.
This is because, in general, documentaries are different from works of journalism. Documentaries are often driven by an agenda, with the documentarian seeking to produce a work that backs said agenda. Furthermore, agenda-driven or not, documentarians are far more likely to agree to terms that kneecap them in terms of being able to cover all relevant facts.
Generally speaking, journalists would approach a profile of a person or event with an open mind, letting the facts guide the direction of the piece. Even when a journalist goes into the process with pre-conceived notions, he or she will adjust course as needed when new information comes to light. There are exceptions – some journalists are better at the job than others, and sometimes a journalist doesn’t respond appropriately to information that challenges the preconceived notions, and you get a piece that seems driven to fit a forethought narrative.
That’s not necessarily unethical, but it is intellectually lazy, and it tends to lead to weak stories that don’t give the full picture. Thankfully, most successful journalists avoid this most of the time. It’s also a net positive that today’s media-consumption environment makes it easy for critics to call out journalists and outlets when it does happen.
That’s not the case with documentaries, though. Sometimes the director has an agenda in mind and presents the story accordingly.
Similarly, the director of a documentary is more likely to approve of terms and conditions on how the story is presented. If a journalist was writing a long feature story on the ’97-’98 Bulls and wanted to interview Jordan, and Jordan said he’d only do it if certain unflattering facts were omitted, the journalist would almost certainly say no. He or she would instead work around Jordan’s non-participation, interviewing other people and using previously reported on-record Jordan quotes when necessary and appropriate. Jordan’s declining to participate would be noted in the story. This happens all the time in journalism.
But as the Vice piece notes, former Chicago Tribune reporter Sam Smith (also the author of The Jordan Rules) wrote a piece for NBA.com suggesting that one of Jordan’s two media gatekeepers likely approved his participation. He implies that it might be the work of Estee Portnoy, someone who often tells people requesting to interview Jordan that he won’t say yes.
All of this matters because if you’re raptly watching The Last Dance, as many of us are, you’re not getting the full story. You’re getting a story that paints Jordan in a flattering light, that paints Krause as a villain without context, and that also burnishes the ESPN brand – the company can hype the heck out of this thing, especially during a time when the world’s sporting events are shut down. Not to mention that many of the pundits who pop up either are currently employed by the so-called Worldwide Leader or were at one time. SportsCenter has been all about The Last Dance after each showing, as well.
ESPN has always struggled more than most mainstream media outlets with the tug of war between doing excellent journalism and bowing to corporate mandates. This is because the network has relationships (mostly revolving around broadcast rights) with sports leagues that complicate matters. Remember the show Playmakers, which ESPN killed after one season under rumors that the NFL, unhappy with a fictional show that painted the league in a bad light at times, pressured the network to do so? How about the frequent (but unproven) claims that ESPN gave less time to hockey highlights when it wasn’t carrying game broadcasts?
This isn’t to say that ESPN doesn’t do excellent, independent journalism or that ESPN can’t be trusted. However, it’s no surprise that ESPN and director Jason Hehir would possible be willing to abide by terms of coverage set by Jordan.
None of this is to stay The Last Dance is bad. It’s still pretty great, especially for Bulls fans, as flawed as it is. Jordan may be an imperfect person off the court, but he was never credibly accused of cheating or using PEDs, and seeing highlights of him in action during his prime is a reminder of just how talented he was. It’s certainly possible to believe Jordan was the greatest player of all time and to have rooted for him as a Bulls fan or basketball fan, while still acknowledging his faults.
As a Bulls fan, I’ve been paying rapt attention, reliving moments from my childhood and getting to see new footage or footage that’s new to me, at least. I’m enjoying the documentary series so far, and I think it’s well done through four episodes, despite mostly omitting Jordan’s blemishes to this point. It also needs to be acknowledged that The Last Dance hasn’t been shy about dredging up other parts of Bulls’ history that aren’t exactly glamourous.
Besides that, the behind-the-scenes clips are still interesting, even if they are less revelatory than expected.
All I’m saying is that the picture the documentary paints is incomplete, at least to this point. Perhaps the gambling and the infidelity and the competitiveness to the point of possible sociopathy will be addressed and addressed properly. But for now, the picture highlights the Jordan that has been marketed to us for decades, as opposed to the totality of the man – who is far more flawed than a Nike ad will admit.
This is a bit of a shame, in part because one of those flaws – the hyper-competitiveness – is often portrayed as one of Jordan’s best assets. It would be awesome to explore this dynamic further – did one of the most talented basketball players of all time need to be so damn driven? Could he have still been a success if he wasn’t? What’s the line between being hyper-focused on success and taking that desire to win too far? At what point does it become counterproductive?
The same goes for Krause’s involvement. The doc assumes his philosophies were wrong – but seeing more of a counterpoint would’ve been nice, even if the ultimate conclusions still showed Krause was incorrect.
Finally, I was certainly hoping that all this old, never-before-seen footage would show more than just a few pointed barbs from Jordan towards Krause or teammates like Scott Burrell. Jordan on a training table isn’t all that interesting. Jordan riffing on teammates at practice is more interesting, but the snippets we’ve seen so far have been tame.
None of the found footage really tells us anything we didn’t already know.
If The Last Dance piques your interest, that’s great. But if you want to delve deeper into the full picture of those Bulls teams, and especially Jordan himself, you’ll have to look elsewhere to fully complete the puzzle.
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