Arts

Hanging Out with Arnold at the Gym — Mickey Z.

(YouTube screenshot) Mickey Z. — Worlds News Trust March 1, 2021 I recently told you a little about my gig at the Vertical Club (VC). Think of it as Studio 54 with bench pressing (or is that redundant?). One of the most mega of mega-stars I got to know while working there was none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was nearing the peak of his Hollywood fame but remained one of the friendliest, ...

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Up Against the Wall, Motherf***er — Mickey Z.

(public domain) Mickey Z. — World News Trust February 26, 2021 As a student at St. Patrick’s grammar school back in the day, I knew all about the concept of “patrol boys” — and, for the (sexist) reco ...

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Limbaugh, Obama, and the “Monsters” We Choose to See — Mickey Z.

(AP photos) Mickey Z. — World News Trust February 23, 2021 “They say that what you mock/Will surely overtake you And you become a monster/So the monster will not break you” (“Peace on Earth,” U2) NOT ...

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When Andrea Dworkin and Catharine MacKinnon Tried to Show Us the Way — Mickey Z.

Photo: John Goetz Mickey Z. — World News Trust February 21, 2021 I’ve written plenty of valid critiques of “activism,” e.g. here and here and here and here. A common knee-jerk reaction to my work is ...

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Supporting Mick Jagger’s Drug Habit — Mickey Z.

Mick Jagger mugshot: 1967 (public domain) Mickey Z. — World News Trust February 13, 2021 In the glory days of Astoria’s Steinway Street, there was an establishment called Record Spectacular. A combin ...

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Hepburn Wore Pants (she even wore sneakers) — Mickey Z.

Haynes Archive/Popperfoto Mickey Z. — World News Trust February 9, 2021 It’s a hallmark of innovation and rebellion that what was once outrageous is eventually mundane. After all, what could more unr ...

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That Time I Became Robin Hood — Mickey Z.

Eduard Muzhevskyi / Science Photo Library Mickey Z. — World News Trust February 7, 2021 With “Robin Hood” in the news recently, it’s made me hark back to a time when I engaged in some “steal from the ...

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Letters Against Isolation: It Started With Two Compassionate Sisters — Mickey Z.

(screenshot from Letters Against Isolation website) Mickey Z. — Now With Purpose February 3, 2021 A survey in mid-2020 found that 56 percent of people over 50 said “often” felt isolated from others. ...

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Billy Blanks Still Owes Me $150 (and other tales from my “acting” career) — Mickey Z.

Billy Blanks and me, on the set of Low Blow (courtesy of Mickey Z.) Mickey Z. — World News Trust February 2, 2021 Like most martial artists of my generation, I dreamt of being the next Bruce Lee. The ...

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“All Men Are Trash” (Don’t Judge a Book By Its Title): My Interview with Gina Ranalli — Mickey Z.

(image courtesy of Gina Ranalli) Mickey Z. — World News Trust January 18, 2021 The last time I interviewed Gina Ranalli was all the way back in August 2008. I opened that article like this: “Upon fir ...

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What Will Your 2021 MixTape Sound Like? — Mickey Z.

(credit unknown) Mickey Z. — World News Trust December 30, 2020 There was a time when I was a very popular mixtape maker. (Mixtape = “a compilation of favorite pieces of music, typically by different ...

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