For Johnny Tapia

Absent is a recent documentary that stars two of my artistic heroes, future Boxing Hall of Famer Johnny Tapia and Metallica's James Hetfield. Somehow, the big names haven't helped much with the movie's distribution--it's currently missing from Netflix and has only one comment on IMDB. Public interest in Absent will probably pick up now that Tapia has been found dead in his Albuquerque home.

Absent looks like a sad alternative to The Other F Word, a portrait of the emotional damage that comes with growing up without a father.



Tapia's demons gave the sweet science one of its most captivating stars, a throwback to the hard-living athletes of the early 20th century. He did backflips in the ring, cried in postfight interviews and won titles in three different weight classes. He willed himself to victory against bigger opponents and often helped his victims off the floor at the end of his fights. Remember Johnny Tapia today with this video of him overcoming a three-year suspension for cocaine abuse to win the WBO Super Flyweight title by a knockout.

"Start counting, and he'll get up at nine." 

--Wilson Mizner

The Other F Word

Even if Warped Tour bands leave you cold, or if you can't tell the difference between Black Flag and Blink 182, you'll find something to like about The Other F Word.



Directed by Andrea Blaugrund Nevins and distributed by Oscilloscope (Adam Yauch's company), The Other F Word follows Fat Mike, Lars Frederiksen, Jim Lindberg and several other punk rock dads while they balance their anti-authority principles with their authoritative new roles as parents. Watching conspicuously pierced and tattooed dudes taking their kids to the park and singing "Wheels on the Bus" should be a novelty, but thankfully the film never gets sappy. Instead, we get a thoughtful look at punk rock growing up, told with respect for both the genre and the families.

I love this clip with Flea and his daughter, Clara. I've been following the Red Hot Chili Peppers for long enough to know what a smart guy he is, but hearing him talk about "the classic parent attitude" vs. his own gave me a new level of respect for him. What a champ.



Mall-punks will watch the trailer and assume that this is an anti-punk, pro-families doctrine. They can stick to Hot Topic while the rest of us enjoy The Other F Word. Stream the full movie below: