Howl

A biopic on American Poet Allen Ginsberg is in the works. We get the scoop on this literary legend from the marbled scholar caves of Yahoo:

Alan Alda, Jeff Daniels, Mary-Louise Parker, David Strathairn and Paul Rudd are attached to join the beatnik biopic “Howl.” The 1950s-era feature focuses on the obscenity trial that sought to censor Allen Allen’s groundbreaking book-length poem. “Spider-Man” villain James Franco will play Ginsberg.

Among the real-life characters featured in the film are Judge Clayton Horn (Alda), prosecution witness Professor David Kirk (Daniels), radio personality and prosecution witness Gail Potter (Parker), prosecuting attorney Ralph McIntosh (Strathairn) and literary critic and defense witness Luther Nichols (Rudd).

“Fifty years later, Ginsberg’s vision is as relevant as the year he wrote it,” Friedman said. “It resonates with issues of free speech, government censorship, militaristic empire building, fear-mongering, sexual conformity and the co-opting of religion.”

I know little about Ginsberg, but a film about fighting for free speech will always be welcome viewing in my home. I’m a strong believer in freedom of speech and consider it an issue that must always be remembered and constantly monitored. When people start tailoring or filtering information for any reason, word needs to get out, and action needs to be taken.

Freedom of speech is of great importance to me, because my job relies on the neutrality of the greatest communication forum in the history of the world; Le Internets.

I would argue that a modern threat to free speech and the free flow of information is internet throttling. This restriction of service is currently being implemented by a number of telecom companies such as Bell Canada. I used to work for Bell Canada and let me tell you about the type of company they are. In a sales meeting we were made aware of our slipping internet market share as customers dumped our service for superior cable internet. In a memo read by my supervisor from her higher ups they said: “in order to increase sales and retain our market share we need to instill more fear, doubt and uncertainty in our customers about the competition”. That is no bullshit folks I heard that with my own ears.

In light of this current issue over internet control, the case of Ginsberg will be a welcome voice of dissidence and another tale of David against Goliath.