Is Universal Studios open on Thanksgiving Day. How crowded are the parks during the holiday weekend. What special events and attractions are available for visitors during Thanksgiving at Universal Studios.
Universal Studios’ Thanksgiving Operating Schedule
Universal Studios has historically remained open on Thanksgiving Day, offering visitors a unique holiday experience. For Thanksgiving 2023, the park is expected to maintain this tradition. However, it’s crucial to note that operating hours may differ from regular days.
Universal Studios Orlando typically opens at 9:00 AM and closes at 9:00 PM during the holiday season. However, these hours can vary depending on specific park events and crowd levels. It’s always advisable to check the official Universal Studios website or contact their customer service for the most up-to-date information on park hours for Thanksgiving Day and the surrounding holiday weekend.
Crowd Levels During Thanksgiving at Universal Studios
Thanksgiving is traditionally a busy time for theme parks, and Universal Studios is no exception. The holiday weekend often sees an influx of visitors looking to enjoy their time off with family and friends. While exact crowd levels can vary from year to year, it’s generally safe to expect larger than average crowds during this period.
To manage the holiday rush, Universal Studios often implements strategies to enhance guest experience. These may include extended park hours, additional staff, and increased frequency of shows and attractions. Despite these measures, visitors should be prepared for longer wait times for popular rides and attractions.
Tips for Navigating Crowds
- Arrive early to make the most of potentially shorter morning queues
- Consider purchasing Express Passes to bypass regular lines on select attractions
- Use the Universal Orlando Resort App to monitor wait times and plan your route accordingly
- Take advantage of single rider lines where available
- Visit less popular attractions during peak hours when major rides have longer waits
Special Thanksgiving Events and Attractions
Universal Studios often offers special events and attractions during the Thanksgiving holiday to enhance the festive atmosphere. While specific details for 2023 have not been officially announced, based on previous years, visitors can expect a range of holiday-themed experiences.
One of the highlights of visiting Universal Studios during Thanksgiving is the opportunity to experience the park’s transition into its winter holiday celebration. This often includes festive decorations, special holiday-themed shows, and unique seasonal treats.
Potential Thanksgiving Offerings
- Holiday-themed character meet and greets
- Special Thanksgiving menus at select restaurants
- Festive parades or street performances
- Holiday light displays and decorations
- Exclusive Thanksgiving merchandise
Dining Options for Thanksgiving at Universal Studios
For those looking to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal within the park, Universal Studios typically offers special dining options. Several restaurants within the park and at CityWalk often feature Thanksgiving-inspired menus, allowing visitors to indulge in holiday favorites without missing out on the park experience.
While the exact restaurant lineup for Thanksgiving 2023 has not been confirmed, based on previous years, visitors can expect options ranging from full-service sit-down meals to quick-service alternatives with a holiday twist. Some popular choices in past years have included:
- Lombard’s Seafood Grille
- Finnegan’s Bar and Grill
- The Three Broomsticks (for a magical twist on Thanksgiving fare)
- Various CityWalk restaurants offering special holiday menus
Given the popularity of holiday dining, it’s highly recommended to make reservations in advance if you plan to enjoy a sit-down Thanksgiving meal at the park.
Wizarding World of Harry Potter During Thanksgiving
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, one of Universal Studios’ most popular attractions, takes on a special charm during the holiday season. While not specifically Thanksgiving-themed, the area begins its transition into winter holiday mode around this time, offering visitors a magical experience.
Visitors during Thanksgiving can often catch a glimpse of the early stages of holiday decorations in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. The Hogwarts castle, in particular, becomes a spectacular sight as it’s adorned with magical projections and light displays as part of the “The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle” show, which typically begins in mid-November.
Holiday Experiences in the Wizarding World
- Festive decorations throughout Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley
- Holiday-themed food and beverage offerings, such as hot Butterbeer
- Special holiday performances by the Frog Choir and Celestina Warbeck
- Unique holiday merchandise available in the various shops
Planning Your Visit: Tickets and Packages
When planning a visit to Universal Studios for Thanksgiving, it’s important to consider your ticket options. The park typically offers a variety of ticket types, from single-day passes to multi-day options that can provide better value for those staying for the entire holiday weekend.
For Thanksgiving 2023, visitors should check the official Universal Studios website for the most current ticket offerings. Some options to consider include:
- Single-day tickets
- Park-to-park tickets (allowing access to both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure)
- Multi-day passes
- Express Passes for shorter wait times on popular attractions
Additionally, Universal Studios often offers special holiday packages that can include accommodations at on-site hotels, meal plans, and exclusive benefits such as early park admission. These packages can provide excellent value for those looking to immerse themselves in the full Universal Studios Thanksgiving experience.
Accommodations and Transportation During Thanksgiving
Given the popularity of visiting Universal Studios during Thanksgiving, it’s advisable to book accommodations well in advance. The park offers several on-site hotels that provide convenient access and additional perks, such as early park admission and complimentary transportation to the parks.
On-Site Hotel Options
- Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
- Hard Rock Hotel
- Loews Royal Pacific Resort
- Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort
- Universal’s Aventura Hotel
- Universal’s Endless Summer Resort
For those staying off-site, Universal Studios offers various transportation options. The park is easily accessible by car, with ample parking available (though parking fees apply). Additionally, many nearby hotels offer shuttle services to the parks.
During peak periods like Thanksgiving, it’s important to factor in potential traffic and longer travel times when planning your visit. Arriving early can help ensure you make the most of your day at the park.
Weather Considerations for Thanksgiving at Universal Studios
Orlando’s weather in late November is generally mild and pleasant, making it an ideal time to visit Universal Studios. However, it’s always wise to be prepared for various conditions to ensure a comfortable visit.
Average temperatures in Orlando during Thanksgiving typically range from lows of around 60째F (16째C) to highs of about 75째F (24째C). While rain is less common at this time of year compared to summer months, brief showers are always a possibility in Florida.
Packing Tips for Thanksgiving Visit
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Lightweight, layered clothing to accommodate temperature changes
- Sunscreen and sunglasses
- A light jacket or sweater for cooler evenings
- Portable umbrella or rain poncho (just in case)
By being prepared for various weather conditions, you can ensure that your Thanksgiving visit to Universal Studios is enjoyable regardless of what Mother Nature has in store.
Universal Studios’ Holiday Season Transition
Visiting Universal Studios during Thanksgiving offers a unique opportunity to witness the park’s transition into its full holiday season celebration. While some holiday elements may already be in place by Thanksgiving, the weeks following typically see the park fully embrace the winter holiday spirit.
This transition period can be particularly exciting for visitors, as they may get to experience a blend of Thanksgiving festivities and early Christmas celebrations. Some holiday season highlights that often begin around Thanksgiving include:
- The start of Grinchmas at Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Holiday decorations throughout both parks and CityWalk
- The beginning of holiday-themed shows and performances
- Special character meet and greets with holiday costumes
- The gradual introduction of seasonal food and beverage offerings
For those planning a visit during this time, it’s worth checking the official Universal Studios calendar for specific dates of holiday events and shows. This can help you plan your visit to catch both Thanksgiving-specific offerings and early holiday season experiences.
Making the Most of Your Thanksgiving Visit
To truly maximize your Thanksgiving experience at Universal Studios, consider these additional tips and strategies:
1. Prioritize Your Must-See Attractions
Given the potential for larger crowds, it’s crucial to identify your top priorities. Make a list of the attractions, shows, and experiences that are absolute must-dos for your group. Plan to hit these early in the day or use strategies like Express Passes to ensure you don’t miss out.
2. Take Advantage of Single Rider Lines
Many popular attractions offer single rider lines, which can significantly reduce wait times. If your group is willing to potentially ride separately, this can be an excellent way to experience more attractions in less time.
3. Explore Less Crowded Areas
During peak times, consider exploring some of the less crowded areas of the park. These can offer a more relaxed experience and may include hidden gems that are often overlooked by the majority of visitors.
4. Utilize Child Swap
For families with young children, Universal’s child swap program allows adults to take turns riding attractions while the other stays with the child. This can be a great way for all members of the family to enjoy the park’s offerings.
5. Stay Hydrated and Take Breaks
With potentially larger crowds and a full day of excitement, it’s important to stay hydrated and take regular breaks. Universal Studios offers various rest areas and air-conditioned spaces where you can recharge before continuing your adventures.
6. Consider Purchasing Memory Maker
If you want to capture your Thanksgiving memories without the hassle of carrying a camera, consider purchasing Universal’s photo package. This allows you to get professional photos at various locations throughout the park.
7. End Your Day with Nighttime Spectaculars
Many visitors tend to leave the park early, especially families with young children. By staying until closing, you can often enjoy shorter lines for popular attractions in the evening and cap off your day with Universal’s impressive nighttime shows and spectaculars.
By following these tips and strategies, you can create a memorable and enjoyable Thanksgiving experience at Universal Studios, making the most of your holiday visit despite the potential crowds and busy atmosphere.
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Culture wars on the eve of Thanksgiving
Alexander Genis: Thanksgiving, which America is preparing for this week, despite all the misfortunes, is a universal holiday.
Even the New Year, which, say, Jews and Persians celebrate according to their own calendar, cannot be compared with it. Everything about it is unusual, and from the very beginning. The peoples of the Old World lost their roots in hoary and legendary antiquity. Their origin is outside the document, outside written history. Americans, on the other hand, know their ancestors by name, by day and hour they can list the debut events of their past. A nation that remembers its birth is as unusual as a person who remembers the circumstances of his birth.
Of all the American holidays, Thanksgiving has definitely become mine. Of course, I love Christmas, but my family and I celebrated it back in the Soviet Union. This was a kind of fronde, bringing it closer to the West. Moreover, in Riga, where I grew up, Christmas traditions lived on in Soviet times.
I learned to celebrate pagan Halloween already in New York, but there is nothing specifically American in it: devils everywhere. But July 4 remained for me an addition to the weekend – the holiday of someone else’s revolution, the day of not our independence. But the last Thursday of November is certainly a red day in the calendar of any emigrant. This intimate holiday seems to be specially adapted for clarifying personal relations with the New World.
Which is exactly what I have been doing for the last forty years, since that gloomy autumn day when complete strangers invited me to share a traditional turkey with them. That’s how I learned that, according to a centuries-old tradition, the Thanksgiving dinner menu includes a new one.
Norman Rockwell. Freedom from want
The table was set in an unusual way: the turkey turned out to be dry, the potatoes – sweet, the pie – with pumpkin, vodka was not served at all. The hosts were courteous but unobtrusive. They didn’t know where my Riga was, confused Brezhnev with Khrushchev, and even listened to an anecdote about the Chukchi, though not completely.
For them, I was like that very turkey – an indispensable part of the celebration. The presence of a guest who had just descended from the ladder (even if it was an airplane, not a ship) symbolically linked eras, animated history and reminded us that we are all newcomers in the New World.
That’s why Thanksgiving, even during the period of strict quarantine, is a holiday that unites everyone. There is no “neither Greek nor Jew” for him, neither a Republican, nor a Democrat, nor a passionate Trumpist, nor his gambling opponent. Or is there anyway?
Today, culture expert Solomon Volkov and I will discuss the culture wars that have unfolded in America, which are unlikely to stop even at the festive table.
David Brooks, our favorite columnist for the New York Times, Solomon, has come to an optimistic conclusion in advance of these squabbles. America is not as divided as it may seem. Three-quarters of Americans hold conservative or moderate views. In general, the majority shares confidence in a market economy, fears socialism, is concerned about the environment, and hopes for the development of infrastructure with the help of the state.
If Brooks is right, then why argue at the festive table? Only ideological strife remains, which are called “cultural wars”.
Solomon, what do you mean by this concept?
Solomon Volkov: I believe that culture wars exist as long as culture itself exists. There will always be different interpretations of contemporary cultural phenomena, sometimes, even more often, diametrically opposed. These fights affect the political climate in the country. We just did not know this term when we lived in the Soviet Union, although the same culture wars took place there, maybe only they were much more hidden. But in the West we have seen that fights can be open and very violent.
Alexander Genis: The culture wars were also fierce in the Soviet Union. They were, on the one hand, underground, on the other hand, obvious. Let’s remember the 1960s, which we know well, remember what culture wars were then: on the one hand, the camp of the “New World”, on the other – the camp of the magazine “October”.
It is characteristic that in Russia the culture wars were led by thick magazines. But these were irreconcilable camps. It was necessary to be Akhmatova, who said: “What do I care about your strife?” She stood too high above party differences. Nevertheless, the wars were very serious. Despite the fact that total censorship reigned, despite the fact that the totalitarian system reigned, there were cultural wars even then.0019
Solomon Volkov: Yes, of course. But the essential difference was that you cited this wonderful statement by Akhmatova, which I very often, by the way, recall, but it was expressed privately, and not on the pages of some large organ, not into a microphone or into a megaphone. Here, in the free world, all this spills out immediately into the public arena. With the advent of all these tools of influence – Facebook, Twitter, all other Internet miracles – this debate is becoming more and more fierce, people do not even listen to each other anymore, and this, of course, is a big problem.
Alexander Genis: The current culture war reminds me of another – the same 1960s, but in America. Let’s say 1969 was just as turbulent. Today the country is divided into two camps. Biden won the election, but the 71 million voters who voted for Trump have not gone anywhere. To understand who they are, you need to look into their camp. In this regard, I want to quote from a column of the editor of the conservative National Review magazine. His name is Rich Lowry, he has been in charge of this central conservative magazine for 25 years. You and I, Solomon, often refer to the New York Times, let’s Let’s hear what they write from the other side of the culture war front.A few days before the election, Lowry wrote a poignant essay.0019
“Trump,” he argues, “is a symbol of resistance to the tide of the Cultural Revolution and its ferocious censorship that has taken over the media, Hollywood, the Academy, and the corporate world. Simply put, Trump is a symbolic raised middle finger, with which many are trying to besiege the elite, who call all dissenters racists and constantly lecture them from the rostrum of moral perfection.
Do you agree with this diagnosis?
Solomon Volkov: Yes, I totally agree that Trump has become a symbol. He has become a symbol on the part of that significant part of the population of the United States, which believes that the intellectual elite has seized the leading role in these culture wars and is pushing traditional values to the sidelines. As one of those who also disagreed with such a mainstream media remarked, “our whole life has become a campus.” That is, we all feel as if we are living on a campus, where young students simply do not let those professors or invited guests open their mouths who can express some positions alien to student views, try to prevent that tide of not just liberal, but extremely leftist views.
Alexander Genis: The fact is that this same campus in question imposes its own point of view, which does not correspond to reality. You can’t call 71 million voters racists. Of course, there is some racist element among Trump’s voters, but remember that many of them are the same people who elected Obama, the first African-American president.
He won by 9 million votes. If it were not for those 9 million votes of Obama’s fans, and then Trump’s supporters, then Obama would not have become president. This must be understood and remembered. And the constant accusations of racism that we hear from the Democratic left camp are insulting because in America it is terribly shameful to be and be known as a racist. I wouldn’t even say that it’s bad, dangerous, wrong, no, just ashamed. Well, let’s say, how to be an anti-Semite in Russia. There are, of course, anti-Semites in Russia, but most often they are embarrassed about this, this is something that is indecent to admit. It’s the same in America with racism. And in this regard, the pressure from the left is palpable and insulting.
And then the question arises: how do you feel about a kind of percentage that should equalize the lack of presence of minorities on the American cultural scene?
Solomon Volkov: The percentage rate is just an extremely indicative phenomenon.
It also has its historical roots. Remember where this phrase “percentage rate” came from – this is the tool that even in pre-revolutionary Russia, in tsarist Russia, was used by the state, the bureaucracy in order to limit the access of Jews to higher education and through this education to some kind of command positions in the cultural , intellectual life of the country.
And you say that it is shameful to be an anti-Semite in modern Russia. Yes, and it is a colossal evolution, I must say, and extremely positive. Because at that time to resist this, as some people then considered, incomparable with the percentage of the country’s population, the position of Jews in the press, in journalism, in the newspaper business, people like Blok or Andrei Bely, whom we used to respect, to whom we treated as creative personalities with great sympathy, they protested against the fact that command posts in newspapers and magazines are occupied, in their opinion, by Jews. That’s where it all came from.
Alexander Genis: I remembered a quote from Dovlatov’s Notebooks, when he said in a conversation with Vera Panova that key posts in the Russian state should be occupied by Russian people, she replied: “This is anti-Semitism. Posts should occupy worthy people.” This is a completely fair remark. But the percentage rate was in Soviet times. Khrushchev once said: “If the Jews are not interfered with, they will fill all the universities.” Therefore, as you and I know very well, it was very difficult for Jews to get into good, prestigious universities. But this is not the point, at the moment I am talking about something completely different , I’m talking about the percentage that reigns in, say, the American press, especially after this summer’s racial riots.0019
(Music)
Alexander Genis: Solomon, have you noticed how the New York Times, our favorite newspaper, has changed?
Solomon Volkov: Oh yes! Unfortunately, I must state that she has changed a lot.
When we arrived here, my foreign language was German, I learned English from the New York Times. I bought it every day and understood only the words “Brezhnev” and “Afghanistan”, gradually, reading this newspaper stubbornly, I mastered the basics. At the moment, I know the meaning of some words in English, but I will find it difficult to translate them into Russian, it is easier for me to use anglicisms in this case. It was the most authoritative newspaper and the most sensible in my eyes, not to mention a very important quality – the quality of reporting, the quality of newspaper research. I believe that the New York Times is still the unsurpassed media organ in this sense both in the United States and throughout the world. It is The Times journalists who seek out, dig up extremely important news, document it, and the rest of the press picks up. But the New York Times today seems to me to have lost its position as an unbiased arbiter in the controversy that has gripped America. Don’t you think so?
Alexander Genis: Undoubtedly.
It all started after a scandalous and indecent story, when, during the race riots this summer, the New York Times published the opinion of a US senator who is elected to the Senate by millions of votes.
Solomon Volkov: Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton.
Alexander Genis: He said that federal troops should be brought in in order to stop these riots, to stop pogroms and so on. It was a controversial point of view that many did not share, including the Pentagon. But what happened after that? They kicked out the NYT editor who published this column, that is, published the opinion of the American senator. After this incident, many of my friends canceled their subscription to The New York Times. My own hand was raised, but still I cannot live without The New York Times, as without tea, it is something without which morning does not exist. This bias is still noticeable, but it was especially noticeable this summer. If you open the cultural section of The New York Times, as you and I do every day, it is almost entirely dedicated to the achievements of various minorities.
It could be African Americans, it could be Latinos, it could be women who somehow became a minority. But the main thing is that this constant pressure irritates many Americans who do not want to be forced into political correctness in such an annoying way.
Do you think there is censorship in American media now?
Solomon Volkov: Returning to the question of racism and its role in the culture wars, you quite rightly noted that when the American people elected Obama twice as president, he demonstrated his maturity regarding some possible prejudices. What better argument could there be than that the country overwhelmingly elects an African American twice?
But when this year the New York Times Magazine proclaimed Angela Davis the heroine of the year, then I remember that for Americans Angela Davis may be a new name, they may not have heard much about her, but we have Angela Davis was everywhere – she personified anti-Americanism, she was the face of official Soviet state anti-Americanism.
And this person is now according to the New York Times is the heroine of the year.
Alexander Genis: I remember how Angela Davis came to the Soviet Union, how she talked about America being hopeless and so on. I was reading her speech just now, she is a professor for a long time, more moderate, but left enough for my taste.
When we talk about censorship, we need to understand what it is like. The philosopher Michel Foucault wrote very curiously about censorship, he was not talking about negative censorship, which in the Soviet Union forbade the publication of Solzhenitsyn or Brodsky. He was interested in positive censorship, that is, what is imposed on society and distorts reality. He cited Lysenko as an example, when his crazy theory was pushed into science in every possible way. Such positive censorship changed the way of thinking and the structure of the state in the Soviet Union. Something similar is now partly happening in the left camp.
I do not want to say that this is a total phenomenon, but the elite is trying to impose on everyone else their radical interpretation of political correctness.
David Brooks wrote another column the other day where he talks about three factors preventing Americans from connecting. Why did 71 million people vote for Trump? Because they don’t like three words: “socialism,” “political correctness,” and the word “racism,” which everyone is accused of. “Something agree with each other. Because there is no sort of gigantic division along the whole front, there is that same culture war that prevents us from talking to each other. And this complex includes a lot of things – this is the me too movement, and identity politics, and peremptory exaggeration of minorities, and censorship of dissenting statements.Now, for example, every book in major publishing houses has to go through a special reading, a special sensitivity test, to see if there is anything that could offend minorities.Have you heard about this?0019
Solomon Volkov: Yes, of course.
Do you know what figure comes to my mind, well known to you, you were friends with this person, when I think about how authors who can express controversial views are pushed out, expelled? Andrei Sinyavsky. He was a man who always went against, who always expressed oppositional views. In the Soviet Union, these were the views of a man who did not agree with the Soviet state, but under Yeltsin, as you remember, he opposed many aspects of Yeltsin’s policies. And he always found himself in an uncomfortable situation, in a situation of loneliness. And that made him, I think, the most sympathetic and the most central figure in cultural discourse. How do you assess Sinyavsky in this context?
Alexander Genis: Sinyavsky was a knight of the opposition. In his manifesto, Dissidence as a Personal Experience, he wrote of his status as a “metaphysical enemy”: “It’s not that I was someone’s friend first and then became an enemy. I am not a friend at all, but only an enemy.
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Sometimes this position seemed unfair to me. Andrey Donatovich once came to New York, gave three lectures at Columbia University, stayed with me and every morning we argued over tea, because he condemned the defeat of the rebellion 1993 years, which turned into a revenge of the Putin regime. Of course, I was on Yeltsin’s side, and he was on the other side, we argued about it. But Sinyavsky has always been in opposition, and in general this is a normal point of view for an intellectual. I’m talking about something else.
By the way, you noticed that we always refer to the Soviet experience. It seems to me that he, as it were, is catching up with us, and after 40 years in exile, we are again returning to topics that have already been in our history. One of them is the problem of identity, images in modern literature. You remember how Marxism was imposed on us, because of which all literary characters represent classes: the petty bourgeoisie, the big bourgeoisie, the peasantry, and so on.
Something similar is happening in America now, where the characters in novels are considered to represent racial or sexual minorities. And they must be depicted in an appropriate way, that is, positively, like any minority. In this regard, I would like to quote one writer, a fairly well-known author of 16 novels, his name is Rolland Merullo. He wrote an angry letter to the New York Times, where he states: “Literary heroes never represent class, gender or race. These are unique personalities that fiction is about. Otherwise it is not fiction, but propaganda.”
Do you like this point of view?
Solomon Volkov: Yes, of course. In this regard, I want to say that it is precisely this pressure to express absolutely uniform views that reminds me more and more of Lenin’s well-known article “Party Organization and Party Literature”, where he expressed this slogan that the newspaper and the media in general should be an organizer and propagandist. It seems to me that the New York Times, beloved by both of us, is increasingly replacing its functions of information and forum for discussion with the idea of organization and propaganda.
That is, a certain political position is taken, and all cultural norms are adjusted to it. Is not it?
Alexander Genis: I think that this is an exaggeration, this is a hassle, it will pass. This is all connected with Trump, who caused a strong reaction in most of the media and in general in the entire intellectual life of America. It seems to me that this is a reaction to the Trump presidency, and after his departure from power, the situation will gradually level off. Immediately after the election, in the same NYT, a lot of columns appeared, criticizing the radical wing of the Democratic Party and calling for a turn to the center. These are signs of an ideological rollback.
Actually, this has already happened in our memory, me too, for example, a movement that started out as quite reasonable. Well, who likes it if a man achieves sex with the help of his position? Nobody. On the other hand, everything stopped when me too turned into a witch hunt, when, as I was told in Russia, this movement was reminiscent of McCarthyism, when the wonderful masters of culture were forced to defend themselves against unfounded accusations and some of them proved their innocence, as it was with Levine, the celebrated conductor of the Metropolitan Opera.
Solomon Volkov: This happened to Woody Allen, he was acquitted. But his latest film was recently released in the United States in deafening silence, as they say on such occasions, no one wants to touch it.
Alexander Genis: Not really. When Alec Boludin, who incidentally plays the role of Trump in a satirical TV show, was pushed against the wall on Public Radio, he refused to condemn Woody Allen and chose to quit radio instead of doing so. This topic has become so dangerous, so radioactive has become this very topic. And this is also included in the very complex that causes sharp rejection among the opponents of the liberal media.
Now let’s talk about what can be done about it. I, for one, believe in racial color blindness in culture. Obama said it well: “I am not a black president, but I am a president who turned out to be black.”
Solomon Volkov: some of Obama’s thoughts are quoted more and more often, they have already become memes, as they say.
And here is one of these memes that I really like, which I already repeat in my everyday life – “do not do stupid things”, translated into decent Russian This slogan, it seems to me, should become the defining one both in modern American politics and in modern culture wars.0019
Alexander Genis: Obama’s new book is coming out these days, of course, we will tell our listeners about it. But for now, it’s time to end our show on an optimistic note. Where is the exit? It seems to me that a truce is still possible. As I recently learned, as many as 10 percent of Americans are in mixed-party marriages. How, one wonders, do they get along? The young, statistics say, in no way, but the experienced are able to take politics out of the brackets of love, patience and habit.
Solomon, how to lower the temperature at the festive table?
Johnny Cash
Solomon Volkov: My recipe is to talk less about politics and more about recently read books and recently heard music.
As such a recipe for spiritual food at the Thanksgiving holiday table, I want to offer a song by Johnny Cash, a wonderful singer, guitarist and composer who was born in 1932 and died in 2003, he was 71 years old. He is perhaps the main representative of the country style, what is called rural music, the music of the early settlers from Europe with Anglo-Celtic traditions. Cash grew up in a southern state, from childhood he worked on a farm, from the age of five, by the way, on the Roosevelt agricultural program – this is a very interesting fact. He himself is from the Scots. He became a national hero in the country music genre, selling more than 50 million of his albums. I love Johnny Cash very much, for me he is a hybrid of Vysotsky and Okudzhava.
Alexander Genis: This is the best combination.
Solomon Volkov: Yes. That is, the prison theme is quite strong for him, he sings a lot of songs related to prison motives.
