Remembering the Time Gloria Steinem Delivered a Homily at St. Joan’s in South Minneapolis

Welcome back to The Flyover, your daily digest of important, overlooked, and/or interesting Minnesota news stories. 

RIP Gloria Steinem: We Honor Your Memory With the Following Local Angle

Gloria Steinem, the feminist journalist and activist who co-founded Ms. Magazine, the National Women's Political Caucus, and the Women's Action Alliance, among so many other things, died Wednesday at the age of 92. (It has truly been a week for the "My idols are dead and my enemies are in power" meme.)

Looking for a local angle? Thank Racket reader Ted Cornwell, who wrote us to say, "In 1978, Steinem controversially gave a guest homily (as a guest of Father Harvey Egan) at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Minneapolis. Her appearance and the ensuing protests received national attention at the time."

It's true: "The appearance of feminist leader Gloria Steinem as the homilist at two Sunday masses of a parish church here has stirred protests by hundred of Roman Catholics and has been denounced by Archbishop John R. Roach of St. Paul and Minneapolis," reads the lede to a Washington Post story from the time.

You can hear portions of the audio from Steinem's homily in the video below, along with recollections from LeRoy Vague (what a name!), the former song leader at St. Joan of Arc.

Nonstop GOP Slop

For better or worse, the Minnesota State Fair reveals something about our historical moment every year. And this year, the Year of Slop, is no exception. The phony, garish crap your aunt reshares on Facebook is making its way into political campaign materials, and it’s predictably grotesque. 

As part of a local political slop roundup at the Star Tribune, reporter Briana Bierschbach shares a terrifying vision of the fair from Republican AG candidate Ron Schutz, whose backers couldn’t be bothered to find an actual photo of the Giant Slide.  

Schutz also appears as a superhero in this super embarrassing puddle of digital puke shared by Carver County Republicans. And since there’s such sad loser energy to the whole “old flag” thing, of course Scott Jensen, who’s running for… auditor, we think?... is on board. (Jeers, as they say at the Strib, to DFL congressional candidate Matt Little for getting in on the “fun.”) 

Finally, an Instagram post of Michele Tafoya at the Corn Roast was flagged as AI on Reddit. On closer inspection, however, it was revealed to be just a hacky edit job: A woman was digitally removed from the photo, leaving an ear of corn floating demonically in the air. Sorry, but if you want to be a U.S. senator, you could stand still long enough for someone to take a second photo of you.

Great work, everyone.

Two Minnesotans Launch One NFL Podcast

If you've paid attention to the sports media landscape over the past few years, you know it has mutated into more of a hellscape—gambling apps, fantasy oversaturation, AI slop, private equity, and so much Barstool and Pat McAfee. It sucks ass.

Two Minnesota men—Arif Hasan (Wide Left, this dated RacketCast ep) and Drew Magary (Defector, SF Gate)—are aware of this fact. To combat it, they've joined forces to replace Defector's recently sunset flagship podcast, The Distraction, with the brand-new All Ball, which is set to debut September 10 wherever you get podcasts. Per a hype clip, we learn that listeners can expect “no fantasy talk, no gambling advice, and no other nerd shit… Drew and Arif are just two pure ball-knowers who only want to talk about one thing: football." Love it, can't wait.

Be sure to check out Magary's annual hilarious/self-lacerating "Why Your Team Sucks" post on his Vikings here.

Your Moment of State Fair Zen

Having just published this faith-in-humanity-restoring gallery of State Fair portraits, we'll now swing the pendulum the opposite direction with this caustic queen.

Happy Labor Day—see ya Tuesday.