Blogs and Stories
Bloody Brilliant
The champion’s low-keye but emphatic description of vengefully stomping Don King in the lobby of the Beverly Hills Hotel will delight those who feel the slime of the promoter on their skin every time they see him or hear his name. Yes, it will probably be amusing. That is, until the realization that a man as out of control as Tyson was, when snatched into action by his anger, is a danger to everyone—to himself and even those who "deserve" an icy draught of the medicine reserved for thieves and liars. That must have been a terrifying assault and a very, very bad day for the bellhops. With less luck, Tyson would be serving a life sentence and King would be dead. Not quite worth the millions of dollars the promoter was supposed to have stolen.
But, for all that, I think the film is perfect for the Obama era, in which race no longer needs to be the definition that overrides the individuality of the person, as it once did back when everyone from Jack Johnson to Jackie Robinson to Ali had the task of gracefully carrying the entire ethnic group on his back or was accused of demeaning all Negroes if bad behavior got into the media.
The documentary makes it clear that Mike Tyson is a man alone and always was alone and will never be less than that, which is the engine that provides the power and the poetry and the shocking human fallibility of Tyson.
Stanley Crouch's culture pieces have appeared in Harper's, The New York Times, Vogue, Downbeat, The New Yorker, and more. He has served as artistic consultant for jazz programming at Lincoln Center since 1987, and is a founder Jazz at Lincoln Center. In June 2006 his first major collection of jazz criticism, Considering Genius: Jazz Writings, was published. He is presently completing a book about the Barack Obama presidential campaign.
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Michael Moore is an Academy Award-winning filmmaker and author. He directed and produced Roger & Me, Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, and Sicko. He has also written seven books, most recently, Mike’s Election Guide 2008.
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Nicole LaPorte is a West Coast reporter for The Daily Beast. A former film reporter for Variety, she has also written for The New Yorker, the Los Angeles Times Magazine, The New York Times, The New York Observer, and W.
Ralph Ellison's Endless Blues
Stanley Crouch's culture pieces have appeared in Harper's, The New York Times, Vogue, Downbeat, The New Yorker, and more. He has served as artistic consultant for jazz programming at Lincoln Center since 1987, and is a founder of Jazz at Lincoln Center. In June 2006 his first major collection of jazz criticism, Considering Genius: Jazz Writings, was published. Next year the first volume of his long-awaited biography of Charlie Parker will appear.
The Trouble with Soul Train
Stanley Crouch's culture pieces have appeared in Harper's, The New York Times, Vogue, Downbeat, The New Yorker, and more. He has served as artistic consultant for jazz programming at Lincoln Center since 1987, and is a founder of Jazz at Lincoln Center. In June 2006 his first major collection of jazz criticism, Considering Genius: Jazz Writings, was published. Next year the first volume of his long-awaited biography of Charlie Parker will appear.
Shut Up, Scarlett!
Stanley Crouch's culture pieces have appeared in Harper's, The New York Times, Vogue, Downbeat, The New Yorker, and more. He has served as artistic consultant for jazz programming at Lincoln Center since 1987, and is a founder of Jazz at Lincoln Center. In June 2006 his first major collection of jazz criticism, Considering Genius: Jazz Writings, was published. Next year the first volume of his long-awaited biography of Charlie Parker will appear.
guiltybystander
We saw Tyson fight back in the mid 80's when he almost knocked Lorenzo something-or-other out of the ring in less than 4 rounds. That was back in the good old days when Cus D. was having him fight a chump a month-- he was AWESOME! And now, what a waste-- Don King should be convicted of taking his life...
werrit
Mr. Crouch, your subjects are always interesting, but you stretch too far for your mixed, messy metaphors. Your writing is too turgid and self-conscious to get out of its own way. I wish you had a better editor--your rough diamonds need shaping!
bubbahotep21
Respectfully disagree. I find Mr. Crouch's prose a stunning find, and I delight in his every article. Clearly the best writer on the DB's deep lineup.
SFGiants
Well, said, werrit. I too enjoy Crouch's columns but the writing is often overly ornate by half.
nystan
yeah-I loved it when crouch tried to turn Wynton Marsalis into the second coming...the words, o my, the words....a zillion frikkin words. Of course, the facts of Wynton's lack of originality was never an issue....same here. Crouch may in fact suffer from a head explosion one of these days...all said, he is a man with a lot to say. I just wish he would read some more Hemingway and somehow, catch the drift...less is more.
logicwhore
Insight to this man leaves many in awe. Tyson as an enigma represents the adverse to the old euphemism "no man is an island"....Tyson is Antarctica. Conversely, his story, his struggle is not unlike many African American youth in this nation, even in the "Obama era" as you put it. Careful examination of this story, and more specifically, Tyson's own take on this saga, opens a door to a vast chasm of life untouched by many.
SC, when you write and the subject matter has little to do with race, you are amazing. BUT when race is the subject, you're like a car wreck, you turn my stomach but damn it I cant look away.
inexpugnable0199
Mr. Crouch, I like your writing, and respect your take on Mike Tyson. Boxing peaked with Tyson and soon will be playing second fiddle to MMA. The fact that Tyson is intelligent, recognizes his guilt, and has come to terms with his incredible experiences, makes him a great man above and beyond his brutal skill in the sweet science. I can't wait to see this film.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
amigosito
Oddly enough, I saw Public Enemy open for the Sugarcubes (Bjork) and U2 in Oakland back in 1992. And yes, I'm a white boy. Who the hell is soldier boy?
amigosito
Good article....I have always found Mike Tyson to be an intelligent and refreshingly honest person. Emotional unstable, but smart and honest. He's always blamed himself for his problems...I just wish he could forgive himself.
hockeydog
Talk about revisionists! From reading the comments posted thus far, and from Crouch's own drooling, one would think we were reading about Albert Einstein morphed with Mother Theresa.
Why is an otherwise excellent author, stooping to superlatives for a common, violent thug? For balance, would it not be appropriate to ask Evander Holyfield if he misses his ears? Or Robin Givens her self respect?
"His troubles resulted in the champion losing faith in his imagination, his compassion, and his ability to deeply empathize. Those were the qualities that both liberated him from his grounding in criminality and individuated the man in sparkling ways..." - give me a break!
Oh, don't misunderstand me, I will contribute to Tyson's financial future by watching the movie, and I suppose he may deserve another chance at public redemption. But, to call him a "great man", as one of the other bloggers has done, is to call Clarence Thomas a great philosopher. Anita Hill may have a different opinion.
If Mr. Crouch truly wishes to ballyhoo the achievements of other black people, perhaps he should be more discerning in his choice of subjects.
raptor
Great article Mr. Crouch, Tyson's train wreck had it all. Sex,money,drugs,women,and shady front men.
Thank you.
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