Festival Review: OZY Fusion Fest Solidifies Itself As My Fave Festival (Part 2)
Yes, I said it: Karl Rove, Tom Steyer, and Chelsea Handler discussed Trump’s Impeachment, and absolutely no tears, curse words, or blood was lost. Sure, I cringed at hearing certain comments from Rove, but even I, a non-fan of his, felt okay. So did Chelsea and Tom, who continued to push forward the need for basic humanity over party lines. Yet, overall, OZY Fusion Fest was a domain built for people to approach what they, otherwise, do not know, ignore, or wish to learn more about.
OZY Fusion Fest became a prime example that, while some people will always choose to hate, most of us are choosing to love others. Yet, we have no idea who the “other” is and thus how to love them. OZY Fusion fest introduces you to “the other.” Hence, I think my favorite quotes of the weekend had to be of Tom Steyer and Chelsea Handler. Handler’s message was to not get fatigued; good people need to continue fighting for themselves and stop questioning their heart, and Steyer chimed in with the idea that the future is for the good-hearted. It was a beautiful thought that resonated with me throughout this weekend, and gave me hope throughout some of the tougher panels.
It was tough hearing Rose McGowan’s emotional cries while talking about suffering through trauma publicly, and how Anthony Bourdain’s good heart felt challenged by toxic definitions of masculinity. Meanwhile,Mark Sanford’s terrifying, and probably accurate prediction, of the world’s future economic collapse also stood out as “intense” because he, inadvertently, discussed what it is to have the world fail an individual life. Challenging the morality of conceptions/ constructs and how they impact the person everyday was felt throughout the panel of Malcolm Gladwell and Tom Perez’s outcries on the need for everyday people to stop watching history and become it.
Like it or not, we are all affecting each other, and OZY reminds you of that, even if it gives you free snacks and the VIP has a massage section and food tasting. Blessed to be in the beautiful Central Park’s Rumsey Playfield, you could forget that you were in the middle of some of the most honest discussions on politics. Why? Because, nowadays, talking politics feels emotionally devastating.F rom headphones that helped you hear full capacity panels as you sat drinking iced coffee to Michelle Wolf and Hasan Minaj making the crowd laugh at our world’s insanity, OZY was completely inclusive and light. There was never a moment when you did not feel apart of “something big”, and that felt summed up with Hillary Clinton’s presence.
As the entire crowd stood, with their phones up, Hillary was treated like a literal star had been born in front of us. Not a lot of people know what to feel about the election, especially because it is a dark occurrence in American history, which is something Mrs. Clinton easily approached. She does not back down from the fact that she was hacked, in calling Putin a literal bully, and that Trump’s policies, especially the separation of families, are downright cruel and un-American. More than ever, she speaks on and for morality; something that politicians do not do. Yes, we have heard of “family values,” but this is apart of the word game. Not many, are discussing what it is to be kind, loving, compassionate, aware, and generous to those in need, but Hillary was all about those words and their meaning, which made her speak to the people more than ever.
Mrs. Clinton was incredibly honest and engaging for someone whose entire career had been defined and marked by judgements of her as “cold” and “fickle”. Yet, it was not only her that had changed since her campaign. People have been humbled and more open, in some ways, to understand how and if others grow. In some ways, we have grown as a nation, and OZY Fusion Fest showed this by through panels that felt base on discovering humanity. Like many other celebrities speaking, Hilary went out into the crowd and met the audience of intellectuals whom greeted her, not according to her image, but according to her mind: Hence, why OZY Fusion Fest is so different: it is a 100% mindful place. Click Here For More Information On OZY Fusion Fest.
Impeachment is a Strong Word panel highlights:
Chelsea Handler:
On “picking sides” in politics:
Trying to decide whether were gonna be real left or middle left is a waste of time.”
There are some candidates that are more middle of the road than I am but Im supporting them because I knew they can win. Trying to decide if were going to be real left or middle left is a waste of time.
On Donald Trump’s Presidency:
“Its a stain on American history but there is a wave of women and people of color being elected right now. We need to get the establishment out. Old white men are not reflective of what this country looks like.
“My fantasy is seeing Donald Trump dragged out of the White House in his boxer shorts and landing in the Rose Garden… this country is getting browner and gayer you’ve got to hop on board”
Karl Rove:
On Trump critics:
The things that you are saying about him have been so over the top that youve succeeded in making him a sympathetic figure.
On the 2016 Elections:
Democrats succeeded in nominating the one person that Donald Trump could best. And he beat her. And theyre on track to do it again.”
On Democracy today:
I like the constitution the way it is. Someone in crowd shouts: treason!
On Texas politics:
I live in Texas. When I moved to Texas, they hunted Republicans with dogs.
On the Democratic Party base:
The reason that Kerry lost in 2004 is he only focused on the base of the democratic party. The base is not enough to win an election.
Tom Steyer:
On Donald Trump:
this is a guy who breaks a law every day.
This is a president who has met the criteria for impeachment.
We want to impeach this president because he is lawless, reckless and dangerous for the American public.”
Lets give the devil his due. Trump did react to the despondency around the country but every prescription he has is bad. He attacks different parts of America to cover up his failings.”
On the immigration battle:
This last month started with internment camps for children on the border.
On the economy under Trump:
“Lets talk a little about whos getting the benefits of economic growth. The average working person has not had a raise since 1980.
We have seen a corporate takeover of our country.
Its a stark choice. Democracy or Corpocracy.
On Democracy today:
If there were two things I would change [about US democracy]. 1) corporations arent people. 2) we gotta get rid of the electoral college. Its gotta be one person one vote.
On Running for President in 2020:
Steyer didnt respond to a question when asked.
