Spike Lee was speaking to university students. He was being the "worst-case scenario of the 1st Amendment" Spike Lee, which is generally a good thing. I like rabble-rousers and like to think I rouse some rabbble on occasion...and have been the rabble that has been roused as well.

Anyway, he was quoted as saying, "We as a people are more concerned with J. Lo and Ben Affleck than those so-called weapons of mass destruction." In effect, he was saying that Americans need to be "deeper," that we are into too much "fluff."

Alright. I'm with you in general terms, Spike. I've been on a Dostoevsky kick. Low-budget/high-concept movies like Bowling for Columbine are on my must-see list. I truly appreciate Mississippi Delta blues and most jazz. I'm into politics as they relate to the original intent of the Constitution. I like a good game of chess now and again.

But, Spike, I gotta keep the Stephen King books. "Raising Arizona" will stay proudly in my DVD library. I'm gonna watch Simpsons reruns (at least) one of four times daily. If you think I'm not keeping The Ramones and The Talking Heads box-sets you've lost your mind (I never cultivated that taste for classical music despite several attempts, either). And, Spike, are those Knicks tickets "fluff?" Because the current events of college/pro football, hockey, and baseball are on my "keep" list, too. I dig a good game of Uno Attack, too.

Hmmm. It's tough wondering where you fit in Spike Lee's America...