William K. Wolfrum's blog

Now that Biden has defeated Trump, it's time to pretend none of this ever happened

William K. Wolfrum — Sat, 07 Nov 2020 19:20:41 +0000

Joe Biden is the President-Elect and I'm feeling pretty good myself, as the saying goes. Biden's epic victory puts America back in steady hands. It means we can be proud of being Americans again. And it means we can start pretending that none of it ever really happened.

Yes, my friends, now is the time to forget the past four or even five years. Because nothing good will come of it. It was four years of embarrassment and humiliation. It is time to look forward and not backward. Unless someone you loved died of COVID-19. So, that would be 250,000 people, plus their families. You do the math. You guys don't have to forget it all happened.

And the kids separated from their parents at the border? Oh, yeah, they'll never forget, that's for sure. The past four years will surely be memorable to them their entire lives. And maybe journalists will never forget about Khashoggi being murdered or how they were attacked daily. And maybe women may have a hard time forgetting about Trump's past misogyny and sexual assaults and Kavanaugh and his blatant anger toward women. And Hispanics will struggle to forget how they've been demonized and Black people may have a long memory about Trump's Nazi-esque rallies and overall disrespect toward all non-whites.

But for the rest of us, let's just pretend this never happened and move on. We went right from Obama to Biden without missing a beat and now we're rolling and the past four years are just a system error. We're America, we're better than that. And what good will ever come from remembering?

--WKW

Topics:

Politics

America may survive the Trump sickness, but can it beat its diseases?

William K. Wolfrum — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 12:49:17 +0000

It is becoming more clear that America's first real experience with a populist demagogue is going to end in a historically satisfying way. Donald J. Trump's political career is about to look like this:

2016: Loses popular vote by 3 million, wins Electoral College.

2018: GOP loses 30+ House seats.

2019: Impeached.

2020: Loses popular vote by 6-8 million, loses Electoral College to Joe Biden to become a one-term President.

Historically, the American people did pretty well with this challenge, though of course it remains to be seen how much damage Trump will do before he leaves. But Trump was never much more than a symbol. He is the symbol of the white nationalist movement in the United States of America. It is a movement big enough to elect a President, and it's a movement that needs to be crushed, lest the U.S. Be remembered solely for being a racist state. And he is the symbol for how America has lost its way in the eyes of the world.

The mask has again slipped for the U.S., and a time of accountability is coming. The U.S. survived one Trump but may not survive the next one, especially if the next one has any level of competence. American citizens have stood tall this week, and will need to stay on their feet for the foreseeable future.

But while there is much work to be done, and accountability to accept, now is a time for optimism. And here's the final optimistic point – maybe the U.S. isn't as completely divided as we think. Because Trump is about to lose by millions of votes and dozens of electoral votes and the GOP actually did quite well in all other facets of the election. This might sadden Democratic partisans, but the fact that 2020 wasn't a blue wave shows that a lot of Republican voters were eager for Trump to be gone.

Americans, the war is far from over and there are a lot of hard issues left to face. But recognize that battles are being won and that the story of the United States of America hasn't been completely written yet.

--WKW

Topics:

Politics

The Shockingly Unbelievable Case of What the Man-Eating Monsters Ate

William K. Wolfrum — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 15:37:08 +0000

The town of Rock Springs, Wyoming has a violet past. Violent to the point it was long ago called "The Murder Capital of America," and it was a moniker deserved. The years have passed and the population has dwindled and with that, the violence has slowed down. Not stopped, mind you, as at least once a year someone shoots someone else for reasons fair or foul. But the residents didn't get shaken up about these sort of things. They had seen it all. At least, until the monsters came.

There had always been stories of man-eating monsters and sometimes even evidence had been found, but those that sounded the alarms about the possibility of a ravenous monster attack were generally laughed off and considered wackos. And then one day the monsters showed up in town. It was January and Rock Springs was snowed in. There were five monsters versus a couple hundred citizens. It was a slaughter, as the monsters fed on the residents of Rock Springs, often right in front of their loved ones.

But even to the bitter end, doubters remained. After the monsters had devoured everyone else, just two people remained. Brothers Timmy and Jimmy Johnson, who had hid in a shed for the initial attack, but finally left the shed as Timmy had said they were "acting like pussies."

Back inside their home, in a town overrun with corpses and random pieces of flesh dotting the landscape, Timmy was still not fully bought in.

"This is unbelievable, right?" said Timmy.

"Well, yeah," said Jimmy. "But it's been going on for a long time now. I'm finding it pretty believable."

"I'm just saying. It's amazing," said Timmy. "Surreal, really."

"We have to keep quiet so they don't come and eat us!" Jimmy whispered to Timmy. "It's real."

"Oh, stop it," said Timmy in his regular voice."You're overreacting. We're going to be fine."

"What?? Are you nuts??" whispered Jimmy. "They ate Mom and Dad in front of us!"

"Anecdotal evidence doesn't prove anything," said Timmy.

"You were there!" said Jimmy, too loudly. "Oh my god, please, shut up."

"First off, don't go violating my 1st Amendment right to free speech," said Timmy. "Second, it would be shocking if they came here, if they even exist. Let's watch TV."

At that moment, the monsters broke in and began devouring Jimmy.

"This is shocking!" Timmy yelled as his brother was eaten alive. "Who could have seen this coming!?"

"Anyway, I'll be ok," added Timmy, who went back to watching TV.

--WKW

Topics:

Humor & Satire

Politics

I know Why the Caged Man Cries for Sports

William K. Wolfrum — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 17:08:45 +0000

At the age of eight, I enjoyed being in school plays and funny things. I loved cartoons, especially off-the-wall ones like Heckle & Jeckle. I adored H.R. Pufnstuf, without knowing a thing about the obvious drug references. My childhood bedroom door was covered in silly and gross Wacky Package stickers. I wrote silly little plays and dialogues. And when my Dad asked me if I wanted to play Little League Baseball, I said no.

At the age of nine, I said yes to baseball after hearing so often about how I had broken my father's heart the year before.

My team was the Brewers and I was a quick learner who played second base and was the best fielder on the team. While I struggled hitting, I was proud of the respect I gained for being able to catch and throw a ball. In the eight- and nine-year-old division, we somehow managed to finish first and make it to a regional playoff game.

It was a wonderful experience. Until my last at-bat. The first game we played in the playoffs we got wiped out and I couldn't hit the ball for the life of me. I was very frustrated when I went to bat for the last time in a game we were losing 20-4, when my dad – one of the team's coaches – called me over where he was coaching first base. “If you don't hit the ball this time,” he said, somberly. “I don't think I'm going to coach you next year.” Tearfully I made my way to the plate, and by some miracle I hit a weak grounder to second base. I was out, but I had made my dad proud. And my entire identity changed in that moment.

Baseball and sports became my entire life. I played basketball, soccer and football. I became an avid boxing fan and studied the history of the sport with far more intensity then I ever had studied a school subject. From morning to night, sports was my life. It was my identity and remained so for a long time.

I achieved minor success in baseball as time went on and I learned to hit. I made a couple all-star teams and played some in high school. I made my dad proud a few times, as sports was our sole way of communicating. Despite being of average size and athletic ability, it was constantly inferred that I would play in the Major Leagues one day. I was never pushed to go to college, I was pushed to play in the Major Leagues.

By the time my career ended at the age of 16, I dreaded getting on the field and had the yips so badly I could barely play catch. When sports ended for me, so did my enthusiasm for everything. If I couldn't make my dad proud by playing in the Big Leagues, what was the point of anything? It took nearly two decades to find my identity again.

And that's why grown men are screaming for professional sports to return despite the worst pandemic in generations. Even as the Florida Marlins announced that more than a dozen players and coaches were infected with COVID-19, some men are demanding they return.

There is clarity in my vision of these men. The toxic masculinity that caused them to stop growing as humans is buried in sports, and emotions that should have been understood by maturity were given over to sports. This is why you see grown men playing softball with far too much passion, or being literally devastated by a pro team's defeat, or attacking an umpire for making a bad call for their kid and why sports web sites can be toxic hellholes of angry men.

This is why you see some grown men demanding a pro sports return at the worst possible time. I know these men because i was one of them. Sports is all they are, it's their identity and it's how they have learned to emote. And a pandemic is not enough of an excuse to take it away from them.

--WKW

Topics:

Personal

Sports

U.S. Constitution hospitalized following suicide attempt

William K. Wolfrum — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 17:39:21 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Constitution, the long respected legal document of the United States government, is in serious condition at George Washington University Hospital, following a suicide attempt late last night. Sources close to the document say it despondently tried to shred itself in a nearby office shredder at approximately 11 p.m. Monday.

The suicide attempt comes after many have warned about the health of the Constitution, which has grown increasingly despondent the last four years. The Declaration of Independence said the last straw was likely seeing U.S. tanks rolling through city streets and kidnapping protesters.

“Man, Connie saw that and you could see the lights go out,” said the Declaration. “It's an amazing document that is just being ignored.”

The road to the suicide attempt started on Election Day 2016, when many Republican politicians ignored the obvious interference in the election. This was immediately followed up by a reckless array of emoluments that the Trump family accepts, which goes on to this day. Again, Republicans who have had control of the Senate ignored the flagrant violations.

“This took a lot out of Connie,” said the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679, from its bed in a French nursing home. “But we all thought justice would prevail.”

Unfortunately for the Constitution, the violations continued unchecked, including: bypassing the Senate to build portions of a wall-type structure on the border; using foreign policy to benefit himself; interfering in Senate investigations and a host of others violations, including blatant 1st Amendment violations, hints at forcing private citizens to quarter soldiers and tampering with Census data.

While it remains unclear as to what will happen next for the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence gave a cryptic warning.

"Connie has mentioned leaving the 2nd Amendment in its place and just taking off, maybe finding some citizens who still recognize its importance," said the Declaration. "You know how they say 'The Constitution is not a suicide pact?' Well, ignoring it absolutely is."

--WKW

Topics:

Humor & Satire

Politics

The COVID-19 Show on hiatus as ratings plummet and people leave their homes

William K. Wolfrum — Mon, 04 May 2020 17:38:18 +0000

Despite stellar early ratings and a cast of guest stars that included Tom Hanks and Idris Elba, The COVID-19 Show is being put on hiatus due to dwindling viewership and a general lack of interest in the ongoing pandemic. Producers of the show will now retool it's format, but promise that the deaths will continue.

“We feel that we can get interest in this virus back to where it was in the beginning,” said producer Michael Bay. “People are still in grave danger, but the plot just isn't pulling people in.”

The controversial program was starting to come together and the industry was seeing the results of a cast of millions working together. The show had drawn a strong fan base of people unwilling to die or kill someone else via transmission. That unfortunately wasn't enough to for the show to continue being transmitted

As Americans flood out of their homes into the streets, shopping malls, movie theaters, churches and Chuck E. Cheese pizza parlors, The COVID-19 Show is looking for a new structure and new characters to work with series star Donald Trump.

Previously, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Deborah Birx, Mike Pence and a supporting cast of hundreds of thousands of sick people were featured on the show, but a shake-up seems to be in the horizon. Bay said the producers are looking to add a baby to the cast, as many shows have done over the years. Rumors are circulating that Jared Kushner is being considered for the part of the baby.

“The baby character will most likely get the virus and die an awful death,” said Bay. “We're hoping dead babies get people more interested than dead grandparents.”

The question remains – will the public once again get interested in The COVID-19 Show, after so obviously getting bored with it? Or will interest continue to wane? Bay said he's hoping for the best, but with a fickle public, it remains to be seen.

The show appeared on all major cable news stations, seven days a week. Nearly 70,000 Americans died on the program, and more will continue to die whether people watch or not, said Bay.

“For so long I've heard that people would rather kill themselves than watch a movie or TV show I produced,” said Bay. “But this is the first time they are actually doing it.”

--WKW

Topics:

Health

Humor & Satire

The Top-10 Top-10: The Top-Ten-ification of 2018

William K. Wolfrum — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 12:32:20 +0000

Back in the good ol' days, when entertainment was more theoretical than a science based on algorithms and other maths, entertainers would come up with one good shtick and run it into the ground. For example, Rodney Dangerfield made an epic career on comedy based on the idea that he couldn't get any respect. And Woody Allen had an epic career as a film maker as the guy who slept with underaged girls. Shticks can work wonders.

Another example is David Letterman. As a nondescript comedian and weatherman, Letterman was handed the “Late Show” because no one else wanted it. As Letterman and NBC waited for audiences to take a shine to Letterman's style of comedy, Letterman came up with a “Top-10 List” to start his show. Now this was shtick that worked. Letterman's show took off and sent him rocketing to the greatness of being an Oscar host and muttering “Uma … Oprah …” all night. That's how big the Top-10 lists were for him.

Now, during those years (the 1950s or something), when one person had a good idea, everyone else on the planet respected it like there was an actual commandment about stealing. So for years and years and years, only Letterman dared to do a Top-10 list of any type. Those were the days when the word “content” could only be found in books behind the worlds “Pages of,” however. These days, experts know that the typical human requires and almost unstoppable parade of entertainment at all times to keep themselves from blowing their brains out. Content is king, and no one is ever content with the amount of content.

It is with this in mind that we pay homage to the Top-10 list by looking at the Top-10 Top-10 lists of 2018. With the help of a few experts, here's a look at the Top-10 of 10 subjects from sports to lifestyle that should give you the content you need to take on the day.

10) Top-10 Worst Passwords of 2018: If there is one thing we humans can learn, it's that we humans will never learn. This, the year we learned that Kanye West uses “00000” as his iPhone password is yet another year we learn that “123456” and “password” are still among the world's most popular passwords. Take a look at the SplashData list here.

9) Top-10 Best Podcasts of 2018: Podcasting has become a juggernaut the past decade and now there is literally a podcast for everyone out there. Taking a look at this offering from Vulture is Melanie Dione, part of the Bad Advice Show Podcast. “I'm shooting myself in the foot here as someone with a 'conversational podcast, but stream of consciousness gab-fests among friends can be hard to follow,” said Dione, who co-hosts here podcast with comedians Cerrome Russell and Gordon Baker-Bone. “The evidence of what makes these "top" were concise and complimentary without pandering. As a podcaster who doesn't really listens to podcasts, I subscribed to three of them.” See the Vulture article here.

8) Top-10 Newsmakers in Golf in 2018: Sports, as a rule, are essentially top-10 lists just waiting to happen and golf is no different. Golf Channel – the dominant golfing content site in the known universe today – comes up with a list a and look at these 10 people and situations that dominate their sport, but it all comes off as maybe a little sad that after all these years Tiger Woods won something and is back at No. 1. See the Golf Channel list here.

7) Top-10 Stand-Up Comedians of 2018: No sense messing around here. Let's go to comedian Corky McDonnell to give a breakdown of Time Magazine's breakdown of comedians: “These specials have all the elements that make the best stand-up comedy: standing (preferably vertically), sadness, pain, pathos, the audacity of hopefully overcoming all that sadly painful pathos, and lastly (and definitely least important for this list)...comedy,” said McDonnell, a co-host of the “Dare Daniel Podcast.” “Make no mistake, every one of these specials is funny and worthy of being remembered at year end lists**. However, if this list could apologize for having to reference comedy at all it would. Comedy has often been described as "speaking truth to power," but what turns on the makers of this list is the comedy of powerfully speaking your truth.”

6) Top 10 List for Reducing Threat of Semi IP Hacking: Ok, I'm not even going to pretend to know what's happening here, but as we start 2019, maybe we should all study hacking a little more. Let Ted Miracco, the CEO of Smartflow, give you 10 ways to help protect your semiconductor company. See the Electronic Design List here.

5) Top-10 Business Books Shared by Barack Obama, Bill Gates and Other Successful People: Here's a simple fact – if you don't buy any of these books, you'll be a head of the game by at least the amount of the book. Of course, if this is your thing, let CNBC tell you where to find some motivation for riches here.

4) Top-10 TV Shows of 2018: The Good Place is first in this list because that's the law now. Some other good finds in this Vanity Fair List include Benedict Cumberbatch's “Patrick Melrose” and Phoebe Waller-Bridge's and Sandra Oh's “Killing Eve.” See the rest of the list here: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/12/best-tv-shows-2018-top-10-list

3) Top-10 Smartest People of 2018: We all recognize that you should probably be on this list, ok? But let's give the eggheads their due, including top-rated Grigori Perelman, a Russian scientist with an IQ of 238. The other thing we get from this list is the knowledge that having a 238 IQ doesn't give you any special powers outside of being able to solve ridiculously complicated math problems. See the entire list - which you aren't on - here:

2) Top 10 Red Dead Redemption 2 Secrets And Easter Eggs: In the era of Trump and with the likelihood of a complete collapse of civilization at our doorsteps, it takes a special kind of videogame to make everyone stop and notice. RDR2 was such a game and it came at a time when all of us desperately need to spend 100s of hours focusing away from reality. See the video here.

1) The Year's Best Movies: Bill Simmons created The Ringer not to long ago and he smartly hired a bunch of smart young guns to take the lead. Here is Director Dan Mirvish (Bernard & Huey, Between Us) taking a look at this list.

“It's a solid movie Top 10 that accomplishes what the best of them do: A nod to the critical consensus, thus establishing bona fides. Pandering to its more mainstream readership with a couple blockbusters so as not to sound too aloof,”wrote Mirvish, the founder of the Slamdance Film Festival. “And one or two idiosyncratic choices to stand out from the film critic orthodoxy. Finally, like the best of this year's Top 10 film lists, it conspicuously ignores my own film, "Bernard & Huey (now available on Amazon Prime!).”

Topics:

Arts & Entertainment

American Football in Nigeria - After God is Football

William K. Wolfrum — Fri, 12 Jan 2018 16:14:51 +0000

AFFAM players meeting with HRH. Alh. (Dr.) Shehu Idris, the 18th Emir of Zaria in the Royal Palace of the Emir of Zaria. Idris is a supporter of American football in Nigeria.

The Bear of Africa discovered American football at the age of nine, watching a televised game with his father. It was a simple moment - a father and son watching a game on TV - but it changed thousands of lives in Nigeria.

Coach Amadi Chukwuemeka Innocent is the Bear of Africa, and the big man - who played defensive end during his playing days - fell in love with the sport that first moment, and years later, in 2010, he founded AFFAM - The American Football for Africa Mission.

"Our mission is to use football as a vehicle to reach out to the youths of Africa whom are among the vulnerable and defenseless in the society," said Coach Amadi. "Teaching them the game and helping them build their career."

Once he began, Coach Amadi went to work spreading the game of American football throughout his country. Taking time off of his playing career (he is hoping to return to the gridiron eventually) he studied the game and received tips and lessons on how to teach and coach the game from a group of Americans. The group - the Nigerian Institute of American Football.

"I quickly took my initiative to gather the youths in my community to teach them the rudiments of the game," said Coach Amadi. "I was able to teach well over 300 youths from the ages aof 13-20 yrs old for the first year."

At 6-foot-2 and more than 250 pounds, Coach Amadi says he is proud to be known as the Bear, and that those characteristics are required in his effort to bring American Football to Nigeria.

"The characteristics of a bear, which is resilience, fierce determination and strength to survive," said Coach Amadi. "Its a foreign animal in a foreign land and it has to survive the tough times in its new domain in the midst of other established and indigenous mammals.

"That is what football is over here. We need the determination, resilience, fierce and strength of the bear to claim a stake here in Africa where soccer, basketball and other sports is much popular," said Coach Amadi.

Coach Daryl Hayes - one of the Americans who worked with Coach Amadi with the group, the Nigerian Institute of American Football - said he is impressed with how the game has grown since he and his group were there in 2011.

"They have done a great job improving the sport there. Coach Amadi is working very hard, I am very proud of him," said Hayes.

Taking things to the next level, Coach Amadi was a founder and is the head coach of the first American football team at a university in west Africa - the Ahmadu Bello University Titans football club.

Since the beginning of AFFAM, Coach Amadi and others have worked with thousands of young Nigerians, teaching them not only the basics of the sorts, but the teamwork and camaraderie that the sport of American football demands.

The result has been impressive as young Nigerians are now not only playing the sport in their homeland, but have completely bought into the positive aspects of the sport, including discipline and teamwork. Some, like Peter Agabe, are getting to study and compete abroad due to their prowess at the sport.

Having been part of AFFAM since the beginning, Agabe now lives in Florida where he has had the opportunity to study and play on the football team at Orlando Christian Prep High School.

"I started playing American football in 2010. I wanted to be part of something great, to make a difference, make history," said Agabe, a 19-year-old defensive end. "Coach Amadi helped me in so many ways. He made me understand what sacrifice was, held me accountable. He checks on me in school and life in general."

In 2017, with a grant from the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, Coach Amadi and AFFAM were able to organize the first youth football league in West Africa, as they sponsored eight teams of players between the ages of 9 and 14. The league showcased how far the game has come, as each team consisted of 53 players and four coaches.

Coach Amadi is planning a second season of the youth league, all the while working on a bigger prize - a large American football camp in July that will feature a game between Nigerian and American athletes, then a return game in the United States in September. The series promises to both help young Nigerians learn more about the game, but also expose Nigerian student-athletes to Americans,

And while Coach Amadi, AFFAM and others continue the hard work of spreading the game, one need only look to the athletes to see that this experiment is a success. Because while the game has not even been thriving in this west African nation for a decade, young athletes are now dreaming of playing in the NFL or playing college football in the U.S. or Nigeria. But more than that is the love of the game.

Kehinde Oginni is a wide receiver who scored twice in the first university game in West Africa. At 6-foot-6, Oginni has the body - and desire - to play at a higher level.

"I am hoping to go to a junior college program for one or two years to gain experience, so I can get a chance to play for an NCAA team," said Oginni.

Moreal Omale is a young defensive end and linebacker who lives in Abuja, Nigeria. Omale said when he was younger, American football reminded him of a game he played called "Touch and Run." Omale said the game appeals to both his strategic and aggressive sides, and that he often dreams of game situations.

"Today I don't think I can do without football," said Omale. "After God is football, because after church, I go play football in the evening and it makes me happy, it gives me joy.

"Coach Amadi said that whatever you love doing gives you joy," added Omale. "That's what football gives me."

More About American Football in Nigeria:

AFFAM
American Football International
U.S. Embassy - Nigeria

Topics:

Sports

Man positive oncoming train won't really hit him

William K. Wolfrum — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 21:51:06 +0000

When Norm Rixon woke up this morning, he expected it to be like any other morning with some coffee, news and time with Shifty, his dog. Instead, he awoke tied to train tracks in a dusty location outside Joshua Tree, Calif.

"I did not expect that," said Rixon, 32.

Despite his predicament, Rixon said he felt confident things would work out for him.

"Oh, this will be fine," he said. "There's no way the train will just hit me."

As Rixon spoke, a small crowd of people gathered nearby. Tanya Hansen, a 29-year-old teacher from San Bernardino said she felt bad for Hansen, but that she wouldn't feel right helping him.

"I mean, someone went to the trouble of tying him there, right?" she said. "Who am I to change that?"

Rixon said it wasn't Hansen's responsibility to help him.

"It's not her problem," said Rixon. "It's going to be fine. Someone will do something. You know, someone in charge."

As it the train became visible over the horizon, Rixon began to reflect on the choices he made that may have led him to being tied to a train track.

"Signing up for that 'Tie You to a Train Track and Leave You to Die" contest was probably a mistake," said Rixon, the train within a quarter-mile and not slowing down. "But I didn't think they were serious. Jeez."

Even in the end, Rixon refused to give up hope.

"I really think the train will, you know, stop being a train," said Rixon, the train within 100 yards, horns blaring wildly. "Seriously, everyone needs to just stop overreacting. It'll be fine."

--WKW

Topics:

Humor & Satire

Politics

Michael Des Barres documentary travels from Live Aid to Alf

William K. Wolfrum — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 13:49:47 +0000

The upcoming documentary "Michael Des Barres: Who Do You Want Me to Be?" began exactly 30 years ago. That's when a 14-year-old J. Elvis Weinstein watched Live Aid - the mega-concert created to raise funds for to help the Ethiopian famine. The Duran Duran off-shoot band Power Station helped kicked off the festivities, but without lead singer Robert Palmer. Taking his place, in front of an estimated one billion people, was Michael Des Barres.

"I watched a lot of MTV, but I was like, 'Who was is guy? Wasn't he on WKRP?'" said Weinstein, who directed the film. "So he became a fascinating character to me because I hadn't known about him and I dedicated myself to learning more."

And there was plenty to learn. "Who Do You Want Me To Be?" showcases the unlikely, chaotic, strange and beautiful trip that has seen Des Barres go from a lower-middle class child in a one-parent home, to child actor to iconic rock star to actor and back again. Despite his rock-star cred, many know the 67-year-old only from one of his many acting roles, including on MacGyver, 21 Jump Street, WKRP in Cincinnati and countless other TV shows and movies. As Des Barres himself points out, there can't be many other men in history who have played a concert in front of a billion people, and also acted with Alf.

And while Weinstein allows Des Barres to tell the story - and what a story it is - the documentary is as much a redemption tale as biography. Spending his early years as an entertainer often under contract - including a famed deal with Led Zepplin - Des Barres became more well known for his rock star party lifestyle than for his music, as he consumed as much cocaine as his wiry body would allow. In fact, Des Barres' biggest hit as a song writer - "Obsession" - was written about his obsession with drugs.

Leaving his first wife for famed rock groupie Pamela Des Barres, the chaos continued. In 1981, just as it seemed drugs were preparing to win the battle against the boy from Sussex, Des Barres caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror. With vanity that far exceeded his addiction, he stopped drugs, cold turkey. Weinstein said it was that decision that not only kept his career alive, but kept him in the good graces of many of his old friends.

"A big part of the reason he's pulled it off was he got sober before everyone else," said Weinstein, 44. "A lot of people are still very fond of him."

Starting his career as a stand-up comedian and with a resume that includes being one of the originals of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Theater cast, as well as being a writer and producer for the cult hit "Freaks & Geeks," at first blush Weinstein might appear an odd choice to chronicle the life of a notorious rock star. But Weinstein - who recovered from kidney cancer in 2014 - said there had long been a part of him that felt connected with Des Barres.

"We both spent our life in show business. I started doing stand up at 15," said Weinstein, who made his directorial debut with the film. "Like me, he's at his happiest when he's creating something. I mean, the guy did his best album ("Key to the Universe") at 65."

What helped make Des Barres even more fascinating to Weinstein was his kindness and interest in other people.

"Narcissistic brings out a bad connotation, but he is somewhat self-absorbed. It's part of his personality," said Weinstein, born and raised in Minneapolis, Minn. "But he is also absolutely generous wih the attention he gives other people, no matter their station in life.

"He'll tell you this amazing story & then say, and what about you, tell me about you? He's a junkie for moments. Him & another individual, an audience, a TV camera. He's always searching for the moment. He will always make someone feel like a star," said Weinstein.

"Michael Des Barres: Who Do You Want Me to Be?" is still in search of a distributor, but for Weinstein, the film has begun a new chapter in his life a director. Currently working on his second film, about stand-up comedy in Asia, Weinstein says he is only happy when he's making something.

"I've been a head writer and I've always enjoyed being in charge," laughed Weinstein. "There's a lot of control freak in me. It's not that I don't like collaboration it's just that I think I'm right, all the time."

In the end, "Michael Des Barres: Who Do You Want Me to Be?" is a triumphant directorial debut for Weinstein. He wisely gets out of the way and allows Des Barres and a cadre of his hyper-famous friends discuss an iconic time and an iconic entertainer. The end result is not just an opportunity to look back at a time of sex, drugs and rock & roll, but a chance to see the true redemption story that is Michael des Barres.

Michael Des Barres: Who Do You Want Me to Be?
Web Site: www.mdbmovie.com
Screenings

--WKW

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Arts & Entertainment