Real reasons to be proud to be from the U.S.

Given the state of...what I'll laughingly call our national security, status in the world, Constitution, respect for our soldiers and leaders from both the right and the left...

A number of bloggers have been writing sardonic posts in recent days about how proud they don't feel to be Americans, this fourth of July. I can certainly agree with the sentiment. And yet, maybe it's just my contrary nature, but I feel like remembering a few of the things that I actually am proud of.

Singers as diverse and fine as Marvin Gaye or Frank Sinatra or Johnny Cash. There's no comparison. Here's Marvin Gaye singing our national anthem better than anyone has ever sung it.



Jazz. Smooth, mellow, acidic, swinging, popular, "arty," fusion, straight-ahead and virtuoso jazz.

Rock and roll. Everybody tries to do it better than us and yes, to my personal taste, two or three groups from England may have succeeded. But we invented it and I never forget that.



Josie & the Pussycats! The Monkees! The Archies!



Ok, just like rock, it took Englishmen (Neil Gaiman...) to perfect the form, but it's still our model.

Cartoons. Looney Tunes. The Simpsons. The Iron Giant! Walt Disney. Chuck Jones. Pixar. Brad Bird.



Radio, Radio: The Great Gildersleeve. Duffy's Tavern. Abbott & Costello. Jack Benny. Burns & Allen...

TV: The talk show. For better and for worse, it's ours. Star Trek! Aaron Sorkin. Yes, Joss Whedon, damnit, and Joe Straczynski. The first season of Huff. Amy Sherman-Palladino...

Comedians: Robin Williams. Mel Brooks. Groucho Marx! Chevy Chase. John Belushi.

Authors: Norton Juster. Harlan Ellison. Mark Twain. Isaac Asimov. George S. Kaufman. The mystery novel itself.



The American girl. I'm a big fan. Represented above by Phoebe Cates (center), Betsy Russell (right) and Kathleen Wilhoite (left), in red, white and blue.



Just so you shouldn't think I'm completely indulging my "antifeminist" side...

A signifigant portion of the great films. Singin' in the Rain, Gone With the Wind, Vertigo...





And musical theater! They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway...