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“June 1st businesses across the state will reopen en masse,” says ReOpenMN Coalition

A flag flying over the top of a building.

“June 1st businesses across the state will reopen en masse,” says ReOpenMN Coalition

For Immediate Release: 5-26-20

Press Contact info:  Paul Anderson https://m.facebook.com/ReOpenMNCoalition/?

 

In the wake of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's shelter-in-place order several groups formed on social media to take political action against what they saw as a violation of their Constitutionally protected rights.

In late May a large meeting was held by the owners of several businesses worried about their livelihoods to discuss reopening efforts in defiance of the governor's orders.

Recognizing the growing desire to open their businesses in a coordinated fashion, several of these social media groups came together in a combined effort, calling themselves "The ReOpen MN Coalition".

The group's Facebook page states, "This has gone on long enough. It’s time for Minnesota to get back to work. We’ve all done our part and flattened the curve. We’re ready. Now it’s time to open back up before everything we cherish is destroyed. Minnesota’s unique culture—the bars, restaurants, resorts, campgrounds, gyms, small businesses that make our communities unique are disappearing."

The groups post continued, "Let’s stop the carnage. On June 1 businesses across the state will reopen en masse. There is safety in numbers. We are collecting the names of businesses ready to reopen safely and will announce their reopening on Sunday, May 31 so customers can find and patronize them. If you want your business added to the list, sign up here: http://tiny.cc/reopenMN"

"We've seen businesses publicly announce their plans to reopen and even though local law enforcement is not shutting these places down in many cases, the Attorney General of Minnesota has taken it upon himself to threaten these business owners personally. We're keeping their names secret until the last possible minute, when people in the community will find out anyway."  Paul Anderson a spokesperson for the group stated.

The groups plan is to support and organize these businesses in preparation for a June 1st statewide reopening. The coalition plans to keep participating businesses secret until the day before they open. They have set up a Facebook page and a Go Fund me account to support this effort.

https://m.facebook.com/ReOpenMNCoalition/?

 

A group of people sitting around drinking wine.

9 to 5 Revisited by Anna Purrington

In the film world there are workplace comedies and there’s 9 to 5. Written in 1980 by Patricia Resnick and directed by Colin Higgins, 9 to 5 is a film that gets everything right: the laughs are smart, the cast is perfect, and hey, that song, right?

 

One of my parents picked this out at a video store’s liquidation sale in the late eighties and I fondly remember watching it on our beta for probably a straight year with my brother and best friend where we delighted in memorizing Violet Newstead’s lines and reciting them to each other in everyday moments of life (“Thanks, Ros, I know just where to stick it”). We may or may not still do this. In fact, I may or may not be able to recite the entire film from start to finish.

 

In any event, this is a throwback with some serious staying power. The story begins with Judy Bernly (Jane Fonda) arriving for her first day at a busy corporate office; Violet Newstead (Lily Tomlin) is the supervisor charged with training her. Violet is a twelve-year company veteran, Judy, a recently-divorced housewife, but they easily connect over the work, which employees are gossips, and the truth about their boss, Franklin Hart (Dabney Coleman), a semi-competent vice president but disgusting human being.

 

When he’s not taking credit for Violet’s ideas or explaining the greater points of men’s superiority in areas of teamwork or dealing with numbers, Hart is setting up disgusting schemes to sexually harass his secretary, Doralee Rhodes (Dolly Parton), who is shunned by the rest of the office. When Hart finally crosses the line with each woman--giving away Violet’s promotion, admitting he’s been spreading rumors about Doralee, and firing one of Judy’s friends--the three get together and bond over fantasies of serving Hart some payback and taking him out.

 

When Violet mistakenly seasons Hart’s coffee with rat poison (the same method she’d used in the fantasy the night before) and he’s taken to the hospital, the women eventually find out just how far they’re willing to go to defend each other and how maybe, they might be able to do Hart’s job better without him. Throughout all the action, some of it serious like gunfire and car chases, the comedy takes a few different forms. Tomlin as Violet is full of wit and one-liners; her exchanges with office employees range from sarcastic to all-out snappy, but she’s also not above making sentimental comments about cartoons or singing the praises of her son’s marijuana.

 

There are nice bits of physical comedy that usually focus on Hart tripping or flinging objects around or the entirety of each woman’s “kill fantasy” as imaginary Hart tries to wiggle his way out of justice (Doralee’s hog-tie comes immediately to mind, which she performs brilliantly), and Judy gets some pretty major mileage out of the sexist egotistical lying hypocritical bigot reference, but underscoring all this funny business is the persistent idea that Hart is offensive and vile.

 

The message is that he’s getting his comeuppance, but he’s too much of a jerk to even see it. Late in the film, when the unrepentant Hart realizes he’s been outsmarted he asks, “Don’t you think I might be missed at the office?” Our ladies don’t answer, but they don’t really need to, do they?

 

By Anna Purrington

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