It's a Clown World After All
Good afternoon, everyone.
Have you seen these camo Harris-Walz hats? Saw a woman walk out of a yoga studio wearing one today. Back when the Joy Wasn’t Yet Gone from the Democratic candidate’s demeanor, the hats hit the shelves soon after the campaign announced Tim Walz would be her running mate to play up his folksy Mid-Western charm.
But there’s more to the camo play. It’s come in vogue among the youth. Walk around trendy neighborhoods in Los Angeles or New York City and you’ll see scenesters and hipsters dressed like they just left the duck blind and hung their waders up in the mud room. Bass pro hats, camo pants and jackets, and work boots all worn and fatigued from heavy use.
I was at the Post Malone concert last weekend (surprisingly good) where the rapper played songs off his new country album, covered Toby Keith and Brad Paisley, and brought Blake Shelton out on the stage. All signs point to a kind of aspirational redneck-ness or rural affectation among the youth. And put simply, there’s only one political coalition that finds any purchase there and it ain’t Harris-Walz.
In other news, we're hosting an Election Night party at the Eighth Room. Cigars, booze, music, and much more. RSVP here if you want to attend.
Finally, our own Megan Podsiedlik will be speaking about the transit referendum at the Nashville Conservatives Breakfast Club tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. More info here.
Onward.
“I got this sneaking suspicion that we’re not giving the people what they want,” Joaquin Phoenix says to Lady Gaga midway through the sequel to 2019’s dreary blockbuster Joker. Phoenix is decked out in his now-iconic maroon suit and clown makeup for this bad trip version of The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour with Gaga taking the reins in a sparking imitation of the Queen of Camp. It’s a self-reflexive moment of pure punk spirit from director Todd Phillips meant to egg on those who came to see the Joker once again rage against the machine.
Throughout his career, Phillips has proven much more than just an insular Hollywood bro who enjoys pranking his hard-working audience. In the lowbrow hits like Old School and The Hangover released before his metamorphosis into an awards darling, he railed against the ruling class status quo and revealed himself quite ambivalent about his success.
As he told The Hollywood Reporter at a now infamous 2010 writer’s roundtable when asked about the Writers Guild’s penchant for strikes. “I make more money as a writer on Old School than my sister, who is a pediatric oncologist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. I’m embarrassed to be talking about money and standing in front of a studio holding a sign fighting over 3 cents a DVD when we’re already overpaid.”
It took Joker for Hollywood to tentatively consider Phillips a serious filmmaker. However, the problem with that movie’s runaway success was that its Golden Lion win at the Venice Film Festival forced critics and self-serious cinephiles to acknowledge its merits months before it spoke so deeply to the same mass, largely male, audiences that are now proving a major hurdle to the Kamala campaign. Hollywood admitted Phillips into its most lofty of echelons before they realized for whom he was speaking.
ELECTION NIGHT PARTY
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🗳️ Voter Enthusiasm: Meh Voter enthusiasm continues to wane among Nashvillians. Early, in-person voting numbers from yesterday show that the cumulative total stands at 114,838 compared to 2020’s eight day tally of 127,933 votes. That said, state-wide early voting totals show that in-person turnout is similar to four years ago while mail-in totals tell a different story: There's been a 62 percent drop in absentee ballots across Tennessee compared to the uptick we saw in 2020 due to Covid. Overall, State Affairs reported that more than half the counties are seeing a dip in combined vote totals—the most significant being in blue strongholds like Davidson and Shelby.
📝 Down Ballot Races In Nashville When it comes to potentially game-changing races in Davidson County, we’ve laid out a few to keep an eye on. This morning, Axios’ Nate Rau shed a bit more light on one race we haven’t covered: District 50. Democratic incumbent Bo Mitchell is facing off against Republican challenger and current council member, Jennifer Frensley Webb, for the House seat. Though Mitchell has run unopposed during the last two General Election cycles, he has had to wrangle a few narrow victories in the bi-partisan district over the years. The veteran representative originally secured his first term in 2012 by beating Republican candidate, Charles Williamson. At the time, Mitchell won by a small margin of 156 votes. Check out our quick guide for all contested state and local races in Nashville here.
🏚️ They Will Live In the Pods In 2021, Nashville spent $1.2 million on Covid pods. Since then, they’ve sat untouched in storage, mocking advocates who’d like to put them to use as temporary homeless shelters. Three years later, they may finally get their wish: According to News Channel 5, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance sent out a memo on Wednesday outlining a pathway for Metro to tap into the resource. According to Councilmember Erin Evans, the pods would have to meet two code requirements: Each structure would have to be affixed with a fireproof barrier and placed 12 feet apart. “Neither of those things will happen without them being prepared for use (which would only happen after an RFP process),” Evans explained on X.
Efforts to find housing solutions for the homeless have been top of mind given the recent demolition of Tent City and impending winter weather. Last week, multiple council members expressed outrage at the discovery of at least 130 empty beds in two Metro-funded homeless facilities. In response, Councilmember Ginny Welsch has called for a change in leadership in Metro’s Office of Homeless Services.
DEVELOPMENT
- Nashville business owners plan floral centric cocktail bar (NBJ)
- Berry Hill property sells for $1.3M (Post)
- Ex-McDougal’s Chicken building sells for $850K (Post)
- Hotel company buys East Nashville commercial properties (Post)
✹ WEEKLY FILM RUNDOWN: October 24-30
Venom: The Last Dance (Dir. Kelly Marcel; Starring Tom Hardy) Marvel’s antihero faces off against a rogue military man and a mysterious alien invader in the worst reviewed entry of the comic-book trilogy. Now playing in theaters.
Conclave (Dir. Edward Berger; Starring Ray Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow) The year’s early Oscar frontrunner finds a cardinal uncovering the Vatican’s darkest secrets amid a succession crisis after the Pope’s unexpected death. Now playing in theaters.
The Line (Dir. Ethan Berger; Starring Alex Wolff) This indie thriller about a fraternity pledge garnering the wrath of the Greeks has earned some solid buzz over the last few weeks. Now playing at AMC Thoroughbred 20 and Regal Hollywood 27.
Shocktober @ The Belcourt Nashville’s arthouse has our Halloween needs covered this month with a curated selection of 15 horror movies. This week’s killer finale brings Carrie, Halloween III Season of the Witch, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, It Follows and 35mm prints of witchy romcom Practical Magic and Snoop Dogg’s Bones.
The Man You Don’t Know (Dir. Christopher Martini) Donald Trump’s family and members of his closest circle talk about the most demonized person in contemporary history in this Election’s Eve doc. Now playing in theaters.
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week here and our weekly film rundown here.
📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.
🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.
👨🏻🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide and yearly festival guide.
TONIGHT
🎸 Sturgill Simpson @ Bridgestone Arena, 8p, $72+, Info
🪕 The Kody Norris Show @ Station Inn, 9p, $25, Info
🎸 Shane Smith and the Saints @ Ryman Auditorium, 8p, $54+, Info
🪕 The Cowpokes @ Acme Feed & Seed, 12p, Free, Info
🍀 Live Irish Music @ McNamara’s Irish Pub, 6p, Free, Info
🎸 Kelley’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.