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It's New Year's Eve!
Besides getting rip roaring drunk and making out with anything in sight at the stroke of midnight, this is also the last day of the year, which is the perfect time to do a "Of The Year" list.
Many publications publish their "Best of" or their "Worst of" around this time, and I decided since my opinion is so highly respected and regarded, I should do the same. Though, my categories will be a little less predictable. So, while I still have 12 more hours of 2009, let's begin.
**Editor's Note** Some of my selections may or may not have been released in 2009. However, 2009 was the year that I discovered them, which is all that really matters since I'm the one concocting this list.
Category 1: Music
Music is my life. Anyone that knows me or reads this crappy blog I update every 7 weeks knows that. This year has been an interesting one in music. We had some high profile releases that debuted and were received with a dud. We had some releases that came out of nowhere and dominated the album charts. We had some releases that are just now beginning to pick up steam and word of mouth, months after being released. Below are my choices:
Album Of The Year:
Alicia Keys: The Element of Freedom
Six months ago I blogged about Lily Allen's "It's not me, It's you". I mentioned that it was half way through the year, but that it was shaping up to be my album of the year. I did, however, preface it by saying that anything could change, as there were tons more releases to be had, and that the major labels usually save their blockbusters for the 4th quarter. I was right.
Just 3 weeks shy of the new year, Alicia Keys released her 4th album, the absolutely incredible "The Element of Freedom", and knocked Lily out of the spot that she was, up until now, almost certain to claim.
I've always been a fan of Alicia Keys. I have every album, enjoy almost every single, think she's an incredible live performer and I respect her musicianship and talent. However, I never really gave much thought to her. I guess I was an unconscious fan. I just happened to buy every album, just happened to enjoy every single, etc. I have never seen her live, with the exception of a television project I was a part of a few year's ago, I've never immersed myself in her life story or gossip about her and I never really took her for anything more than face value.
Her new album, to me, has been marketed by her label terribly. I actually had no idea she even had a new album coming out, until I logged on to Itunes and saw it in the "New Release" column. I had only heard the single "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" once, on the American Music Awards, and had no clue that it was actually the SECOND single. The first being "Doesn't Mean Anything". I never saw a video, an interview, any press or television appearances. I suppose had I been more immersed in Keys' website, social networking outlets and newsletters, I would have expected the album.
It was Alicia Keys, I thought, and downloaded it without hearing anything about it.
What a surprise I was in for. Alicia has not only crafted her best album to date, but she's also managed to step up her game in a way that I never saw coming. "The Element of Freedom" is essentially a concept record. A break up album. But there is a story. The track listing is sequenced in a way(confirmed by Keys' herself), that takes the listener through heartbreak, in every stage. There is Anger ("Love is Blind", "Put it in a Love Song"), Heartache ("Love is my Disease", "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart", "Doesn't Mean Anything"), Hope ("Wait to you see my smile", "Distance and Time") and lastly, Acceptance, ("Pray for Forgiveness").
It's a genius album that is so relatable to the listener(especially if you've ever gone through a break up), and so catchy and inspiring, it leaves you with a feeling of hope yourself. You're going to be OK. Listen to Alicia.
Runner Up's:
Lily Allen: It's Not Me, It's You
Rihanna: Rated R
I'd love to give Rihanna the top spot on this list, and actually probably would have, as she's crafted one of the best break up album's I've ever heard...except...she didn't craft any of it. She has barely any writing credit on the songs(some of which are the most personal and introspective pop songs I've heard in years), and for that reason, I can't give her anything more than a runner up position.
Category 2: Television
My god do I love TV. I love TV a little too much. I'll watch anything. Check my "Series Recording" tab on my DVR and you'll see everything from "Chelsea Lately" and "Pop Up Video", to "90210", "The Vampire Diaries", "Hoarders", "Grey's Anatomy" and "30 Rock". I'm a television schizophrenic. I'm all over the place, and I should probably be embarrassed by about 98% of the shows that I watch, but I'm not. I've learned to embrace what I enjoy. And with that being said...
Television Show of The Year:
True Blood
Is there anything more addicting that this show? HBO really got it right when it put this show on the air. At first glance, it looks like nothing more than a cheap attempt to capitalize off of the Vampire craze started by "Twilight", but look closer, and you'll see one of the most intelligent, thought provoking and clever shows since...well, since "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer".
Based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris, "True Blood" encaptures everything a television addict could want: Wit, suspense, great story lines and acting and an uncanny way of making the unbelievable believable. And the way they do that, is one of the most intelligent aspects of the series: They make the Vampires the victims. In a not so subtle comparison to the Civil Rights movement of the 60's, or the Gay Rights movement that is currently underway, "True Blood" uses the ridiculousness of a "Vampires Rights Movement" to show us just how hateful we are at times. Many of the Vampires are, in fact, good, decent people, who never chose to be the creatures that everyone is so terrified of, only because they are different(sound familiar?), and with that storyline in place, viewers are treated to some of the best use of analogies since "Buffy".
My only complaint? It's exactly one YEAR between seasons. Season 3 won't be debuting until June '10. WTF?!
Runner's Up:
"Chelsea Lately"
I'll never grow tired of this hot bitch.
"The Bad Girl's Club"
Drunk Slut Alert! Drinking, Sluts, Catfights, Weaves, Short dresses while wearing no panties, Shit talking, yelling and fist fights....and we are only on Episode 4! I'm in "C" Heaven!!!!
Category 3: Film
Movies fucking SUCK. Seriously. I was the biggest movie buff growing up. Take my love of music now, and multiply it by one million and you'll get a taste of how much I used to love movies. Unfortunately, there are NO films this year that stood out to me enough to put them on a "Best of" list. Ridiculous, I know. Any films that were critically acclaimed that I caught("The Wrestler", "Juno") I didn't really think were THAT great. I did just watch "Burn after Reading" and "Revolutionary Road" last night, and both were good, but weren't good ENOUGH to be given the title of "Movie of the Year". So let's discuss the worst:
Worst Movie of the Year:
Bride Wars
I know, I Know, I KNOW! What was I thinking? The movie poster alone(our 2 heroines, standing back to back in matching wedding gowns and glares) should have warned me enough. But I was bored. I was bored, and I'm paying for HBO on demand, and I sometimes enjoy both Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson, and I...OK, I'm done making excuses. I was self loathing. I wanted to inflict some unnecessary pain on myself.
This film is awful. It's awful in a "From Justin, To Kelly" kind of way, not a "Showgirls" kind of way. There is a difference. "Showgirls" is so bad, it's amazing. "From Justin, To Kelly" is so bad, it's unwatchable. The plot sounds like something from my dreams: 2 girls act catty when they book their weddings on the same day, at the same location, and do juvenile, hot things to get the other to switch their day. You had me at "2 Girls act Catty..."
But the execution is terrible. The pacing is off. The ending is SO.FUCKING.PREDICATABLE. and the writing is insulting to anyone who has, or has ever wanted, a vagina. What WOMEN did the writer of this movie associate with? The girls I know would handle this situation in 3 minutes: They'd beat the shit out of each other. The girls in the movie? They act like 6 years old. Dying each other's hair blue, switching out tanning oils to sabotage what was supposed to be a light, unnoticeable tan, fist fighting in the middle of the aisle at the wedding in Wedding Gowns(OK, that scene was kind of hot)!!!! I get that it's all in the name of an interesting movie. Cheap gags satisfy an audience more than seeing two women strip to their bra, panties and heels, going WWF on each other in mid November on the Brooklyn Bridge, while ice cold water is spilled on them every 4 minutes. I get it.
Still, this "movie" was complete garbage. Yes, this is coming from someone who has been known to watch "Showgirls" twice a week.
Category 4: "C's"
I'll never hide my love for a good "C". Click on the tag of this blog labeled "A Total C" and you'll catch my drift. This year saw the makings of new "C's", and the taming and downfall of some of my favorites, leaving me both heartbroken and hopeful.
Worst "C" of The Year:
Katherine Heigl
Never has a woman been discussed more on this blog than Katherine Heigl. She was the "C" of my dreams. She reigned supreme for 3 years as the total "C" of my heart. She complained. she berated, she smoked, she scowled, she smoked, she complained, she smoked, she bitched, she moaned, she smoked... She was the BEST! Every day I'd look forward to seeing how she'd top herself as the biggest "C" in Hollywood, and every day she never let me down. From chain smoking and giving her Heigl trademark "FUCK OFF" stare, to complaining about every project she's ever been a part of that's given her success, to spending more time correcting the announcer who mispronounced her name at the Emmys then to her speech when she WON an Emmy, to everything in between. My hero.
But what the FUCK has happened to her?! In the past 5 months, Heigl has done such a completely 180, that I don't even have time to cope with her betrayal. She quit smoking. She stopped complaining. She fucking ADOPTED a Korean newborn baby with her Husband! Who the FUCK is this woman and what has she done with my "C"?! My Queen, the woman I always looked to for advice when I wanted to tell someone to "Eat Shit!" simply by taking a drag of my Cigarette, is now probably sitting at home, Indian style, reading her DAUGHTER a story and debating how much money should go to each of the 11 Charities she's now a part of.
Heigl, It's been a great 3 years, but you are now OUT! You are no longer my "C". I can't. I CAN'T with you right now. I've given you so many chances to redeem yourself, but you've failed.
It's a New Year, and it's time for a New "C". So, as an end to this RIDICULOUSLY long Blog Post, below are my top picks for the 2010 "C" of my life:
Danielle, "The Real Housewives of New Jersey"
I've written about this "C" before. She hasn't totally penetrated my heart, but if she keeps being a "Prostitution Whore" and causing women to flip tables over at the sight of her, she's well on her way.
Flo, "The Bad Girl's Club"
Flo may end up being the manliest "C" I've ever worshipped. This bitch is BUTCH! Flo has gained a spot on my "Maybe" list, because not only does she resemble Shrek if Shrek was Italian and from Staten Island, but because she's out of her fucking mind. Be sure to catch the episode "Bad Girl's Club" where Flo has a FUCKING MENTAL BREAKDOWN because the other Housemates left her ass at a pool and went home. If you caught the episode midway through and saw Flo's behavior after the fact, you'd think the girls burned her family in front of her, banished every lesbian in the world to a submarine in the Bermuda Triangle and smoked every last one of her Virginia Slims as they did it.
Bitch goes APESHIT. Throwing furniture, screaming my favorite phrase "I am NOT the one, I am NOT the one!", threatening bodily harm, chain smoking like Heigl, and screaming like a complete LUNATIC the whole time. All because she didn't get a ride home with the other girls. Be.Still.My.Heart.
Annie Krasner, Personal Choice
Annie has been a loyal reader of this blog since it's inception, and is actually one of the reason's I started it in the first place. She's not a "C" in the way that Heigl, Danielle and Flo are, but she's earned a special place in my heart by being totally blunt, worshipping at the alter of Heigl and having a hot mom that raised her right. With some more Mike Fortino time, Annie could be a valuable asset to the "C" Community.
Well, I hope this was enough rambling to hold you over for another 9 weeks, which will probably be when I'll be able to gather my ridiculous thoughts and update this.
Leave some Feedback, Have a great Night and Have a Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
I'm a Writer.
It's been a few months since I've updated this blog.
I suppose you could say I lost my desire to write. I won't go in to details, but it's been a rough couple of months. That's not really the point of this post. The point is, that I lost sight of what I love to do...and that's write. I'm a good writer. I'm not great, but I'm good.
Writing skills aside, I enjoy writing. I always have. And for the last few months, I stopped enjoying it. Maybe it was because there was just SO much to write about, that I knew if I started to put it all down on a piece of paper, or a word document, or blog or even Facebook status update, that I'd be opening flood gates that I wasn't really ready to open.
Writers have a gift and a curse. Their gift is their ability to convey their thoughts and feelings in the written form. Their curse is their ability to convey their thoughts and feelings in the written form. They tend to bottle their emotions and thoughts up until they write them out. They don't discuss many things with family or friends because they are so used to the therapy of writing it all out. But what if it gets too emotional to write? Then you are left with the curse of keeping it all inside...and that's never a good thing.
Sometimes it just takes a little bit of time to build the strength to get everything out.
Last weekend, I went back home to Philadelphia for the Thanksgiving holiday. Wednesday afternoon I stepped into Penn Station to wait for my train, and while waiting in the holding area, I was overcome with the need to write. It was the first time in months that I felt this feeling.
I rushed to a local "Hudson News" and bought the gaudiest, cheapest notebook they had. It was a hardcover journal with a dark red coloring with gold details. It was so ugly. I usually choose my journals wisely, because the actual journal, in my opinion, is just as important as what you write in it. Sometimes a quote, image or color scheme can inspire you as much as anything else.
It was different this time. This time I would have been happy to write on a Auntie Anne's napkin.
I bought this ugly, discolored notebook and made my way to the Amtrak train that would take me home. I opted to sit in the cafe car instead of a seat, because I needed to be able to lean and write. And that's what I did.
From the moment I sat, I wrote. I wrote about everything and anything. I wrote for my my entire hour and a half ride home. I wrote 70 pages and almost filled the book up. I had no plan, or structure. I just free wrote. I let it out. I let it all out. I printed, I quoted, I drew...I did whatever came to mind.
And as we pulled into my stop in Philadelphia, and I closed my new journal, I took the first full, deep breath I've had in a few weeks. Damn, it felt good.
This blog isn't really meant to be a personal blog. In fact, I think this is the first blog I've written on here that wasn't meant to be funny or ridiculous or pop culture related. But I felt the need to explain the lack of posting.
So, yea, I'm back. I'll keep the personal thoughts to my ugly journal and my appreciation for C's, whores, good and bad music and anything that inspires me to this blog.
Which leads me to my next post...
I suppose you could say I lost my desire to write. I won't go in to details, but it's been a rough couple of months. That's not really the point of this post. The point is, that I lost sight of what I love to do...and that's write. I'm a good writer. I'm not great, but I'm good.
Writing skills aside, I enjoy writing. I always have. And for the last few months, I stopped enjoying it. Maybe it was because there was just SO much to write about, that I knew if I started to put it all down on a piece of paper, or a word document, or blog or even Facebook status update, that I'd be opening flood gates that I wasn't really ready to open.
Writers have a gift and a curse. Their gift is their ability to convey their thoughts and feelings in the written form. Their curse is their ability to convey their thoughts and feelings in the written form. They tend to bottle their emotions and thoughts up until they write them out. They don't discuss many things with family or friends because they are so used to the therapy of writing it all out. But what if it gets too emotional to write? Then you are left with the curse of keeping it all inside...and that's never a good thing.
Sometimes it just takes a little bit of time to build the strength to get everything out.
Last weekend, I went back home to Philadelphia for the Thanksgiving holiday. Wednesday afternoon I stepped into Penn Station to wait for my train, and while waiting in the holding area, I was overcome with the need to write. It was the first time in months that I felt this feeling.
I rushed to a local "Hudson News" and bought the gaudiest, cheapest notebook they had. It was a hardcover journal with a dark red coloring with gold details. It was so ugly. I usually choose my journals wisely, because the actual journal, in my opinion, is just as important as what you write in it. Sometimes a quote, image or color scheme can inspire you as much as anything else.
It was different this time. This time I would have been happy to write on a Auntie Anne's napkin.
I bought this ugly, discolored notebook and made my way to the Amtrak train that would take me home. I opted to sit in the cafe car instead of a seat, because I needed to be able to lean and write. And that's what I did.
From the moment I sat, I wrote. I wrote about everything and anything. I wrote for my my entire hour and a half ride home. I wrote 70 pages and almost filled the book up. I had no plan, or structure. I just free wrote. I let it out. I let it all out. I printed, I quoted, I drew...I did whatever came to mind.
And as we pulled into my stop in Philadelphia, and I closed my new journal, I took the first full, deep breath I've had in a few weeks. Damn, it felt good.
This blog isn't really meant to be a personal blog. In fact, I think this is the first blog I've written on here that wasn't meant to be funny or ridiculous or pop culture related. But I felt the need to explain the lack of posting.
So, yea, I'm back. I'll keep the personal thoughts to my ugly journal and my appreciation for C's, whores, good and bad music and anything that inspires me to this blog.
Which leads me to my next post...
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Michael Vick is playing in MY city.
Let's take a break from talking about Trashy TV shows for a minute, and discuss Trashy people and shitty situations instead. This blog was created for me to comment on the things that really interested me: Cunty women, Trashy TV, Things that piss me off and Cunty Women.
I think I've really hit my goal so far, judging from my last 47 posts, but now it's time to talk about something that actually matters to me: Animal Rights.
When I was 14 years old, I did a presentation on Animal Rights for a project on school, and from that moment I have been a staunch supporter. Maybe it was the amount of research that I did on the subject, or the statistics that I found, or the disgusting displays of cruelty that I uncovered and let seep into my young, impressionable mind. Who knows. What I do know is that I have no tolerance for the unnecessary cruelty and mistreatment of living things that in many cases can not defend themselves from the power of man.
I do not and will not ever go to a Circus. Even before seeing the explosive videos of how the Animal Trainers treat the supposed "stars" of their show, you have to ask yourself: How does the circus staff really get a 700 pound Elephant to walk a tightrope? Or have a beautiful Bengal Tire jump through a 7 foot flaming ring, not phased by the dangers of making one small misstep? The answer is simple: Intimidation. Once we the audience leave the show, smiles on our faces and wonderment in our eyes, these animals are taken back to their cages and beaten, berated and mentally abused for the enjoyment the audience will feel the next night, and the next night, and so on...
I do not wear fur. I never have and I never will. Besides the fact that you are skinning a living thing to wear on yourself, which is barbaric in it's own right, It actually just looks plain tacky to me. Even when It's fake fur(which really, can anyone, save the 76 year old Madison Ave. Socialite, really tell the difference between?) it looks ridiculous. There's something so campy repulsive to me to see someone wearing something so furry, especially when they prance around in said coat as if they're wearing a million bucks, which disgustingly enough, sometimes they are. My entire argument for this, which I will happily exclaim to anyone wearing fur, is "Would you wear your dog or cat?" Obviously, the answer would be "No". So why wear ANY animal at all? Just because you are wearing an animal that is not domesticated and doesn't beg for treats or fit in your Gucci handbag, doesn't mean the animal has no feelings or emotions. And it sure as hell doesn't make that animal more expendable because of it.
Above are two cases in which there is absolutely no excuse for the mistreatment of those animals. They are for entertainment and fashion purposes. Which brings me to the reason behind this blog: Michael Vick's recent employment by the The Philadelphia Eagles. Philadelphia. MY Philadelphia. The city I was born and raised in and have nothing but fond memories of. They have decided to sign and employ a man that spent years running a Dog Fighting ring, crippling, killing and mentally destroying hundreds of dogs, for the sake of entertainment and profit.
Here's where I struggle: I am a HUGE believer in second chances. I believe we all make mistakes. No one is perfect. And someone who judges someone on one mistake for the rest of their life, is no better than the person they cast judgement on. However, there are some cases which I feel make this way of thinking a little more difficult, and this is one of those cases. I forgive Michael Vick. I do. I believe he is sorry. I believe that he served his time, without weaseling his way out of a sentence, like so many others would do. I believe that he knows that what he did was wrong, and understands the severity and cruelty of his actions, but I don't think that he should in turn be "rewarded" with a high profile new job, contract, and I'm sure, plethora of cash to spend.
The dogs that he forever crippled will never be able to run, jump or fetch again...so why should he be able to? Mistakes happen, but with Mistakes come consequences. Consequences that last a lifetime, not just the term of a jail sentence. Had this been a fight club that Vick ran, with humans fighting, mauling and killing each other for profit, I doubt any NFL team would extend this man a new contract. But because it's animals, because in some people's eyes, they aren't as important, or their life isn't as precious, it's considered OK to hire this man again and welcome him to the team.
If you ask me, if you can do what Michael Vick did to an animal, to a group of DOGS, and watch it every night without shame, then I think you are capable of far, far worse. What decent human being, with any amount of a soul or conscience, could really sit through a dog fight? Honestly. I don't care what kind of person you are, or who you claim to be, or how tough you look. Could you really sit in a room, and watch a smaller, weaker dog be used as bait and ripped apart as a warm up? Could you put your hard earned money down and bet on which dog will destroy the other? Could you really watch as two animals attacked each other while a room of human beings cheered them on? That's what Michael Vick did many, many times.
And sadly, with this new contract, he's being rewarded. He's being told that his only consequence to all of this was an 18 month jail sentence. He's free now. He can resume life the way it was before this all happened. He'll cash his enormous, undeserved paycheck for throwing a ball across a field for 5 months out of the year, and he'll retreat back to his beautiful new home in the Philadelphia suburbs. Will he be haunted by the faces of the animals he helped savagely destroy? Maybe. I doubt it though, because he looked at those faces many times before and continued to do what he did.
And you know what? If he is haunted, who cares? He's got a new contract, a new team and a ton of money. Maybe he can start a new dog fighting ring to take his mind off his hauntings. If he gets caught again, he'll just have to spare another 18 months. After that, it's smooth sailing.
I think I've really hit my goal so far, judging from my last 47 posts, but now it's time to talk about something that actually matters to me: Animal Rights.
When I was 14 years old, I did a presentation on Animal Rights for a project on school, and from that moment I have been a staunch supporter. Maybe it was the amount of research that I did on the subject, or the statistics that I found, or the disgusting displays of cruelty that I uncovered and let seep into my young, impressionable mind. Who knows. What I do know is that I have no tolerance for the unnecessary cruelty and mistreatment of living things that in many cases can not defend themselves from the power of man.
I do not and will not ever go to a Circus. Even before seeing the explosive videos of how the Animal Trainers treat the supposed "stars" of their show, you have to ask yourself: How does the circus staff really get a 700 pound Elephant to walk a tightrope? Or have a beautiful Bengal Tire jump through a 7 foot flaming ring, not phased by the dangers of making one small misstep? The answer is simple: Intimidation. Once we the audience leave the show, smiles on our faces and wonderment in our eyes, these animals are taken back to their cages and beaten, berated and mentally abused for the enjoyment the audience will feel the next night, and the next night, and so on...
I do not wear fur. I never have and I never will. Besides the fact that you are skinning a living thing to wear on yourself, which is barbaric in it's own right, It actually just looks plain tacky to me. Even when It's fake fur(which really, can anyone, save the 76 year old Madison Ave. Socialite, really tell the difference between?) it looks ridiculous. There's something so campy repulsive to me to see someone wearing something so furry, especially when they prance around in said coat as if they're wearing a million bucks, which disgustingly enough, sometimes they are. My entire argument for this, which I will happily exclaim to anyone wearing fur, is "Would you wear your dog or cat?" Obviously, the answer would be "No". So why wear ANY animal at all? Just because you are wearing an animal that is not domesticated and doesn't beg for treats or fit in your Gucci handbag, doesn't mean the animal has no feelings or emotions. And it sure as hell doesn't make that animal more expendable because of it.
Above are two cases in which there is absolutely no excuse for the mistreatment of those animals. They are for entertainment and fashion purposes. Which brings me to the reason behind this blog: Michael Vick's recent employment by the The Philadelphia Eagles. Philadelphia. MY Philadelphia. The city I was born and raised in and have nothing but fond memories of. They have decided to sign and employ a man that spent years running a Dog Fighting ring, crippling, killing and mentally destroying hundreds of dogs, for the sake of entertainment and profit.
Here's where I struggle: I am a HUGE believer in second chances. I believe we all make mistakes. No one is perfect. And someone who judges someone on one mistake for the rest of their life, is no better than the person they cast judgement on. However, there are some cases which I feel make this way of thinking a little more difficult, and this is one of those cases. I forgive Michael Vick. I do. I believe he is sorry. I believe that he served his time, without weaseling his way out of a sentence, like so many others would do. I believe that he knows that what he did was wrong, and understands the severity and cruelty of his actions, but I don't think that he should in turn be "rewarded" with a high profile new job, contract, and I'm sure, plethora of cash to spend.
The dogs that he forever crippled will never be able to run, jump or fetch again...so why should he be able to? Mistakes happen, but with Mistakes come consequences. Consequences that last a lifetime, not just the term of a jail sentence. Had this been a fight club that Vick ran, with humans fighting, mauling and killing each other for profit, I doubt any NFL team would extend this man a new contract. But because it's animals, because in some people's eyes, they aren't as important, or their life isn't as precious, it's considered OK to hire this man again and welcome him to the team.
If you ask me, if you can do what Michael Vick did to an animal, to a group of DOGS, and watch it every night without shame, then I think you are capable of far, far worse. What decent human being, with any amount of a soul or conscience, could really sit through a dog fight? Honestly. I don't care what kind of person you are, or who you claim to be, or how tough you look. Could you really sit in a room, and watch a smaller, weaker dog be used as bait and ripped apart as a warm up? Could you put your hard earned money down and bet on which dog will destroy the other? Could you really watch as two animals attacked each other while a room of human beings cheered them on? That's what Michael Vick did many, many times.
And sadly, with this new contract, he's being rewarded. He's being told that his only consequence to all of this was an 18 month jail sentence. He's free now. He can resume life the way it was before this all happened. He'll cash his enormous, undeserved paycheck for throwing a ball across a field for 5 months out of the year, and he'll retreat back to his beautiful new home in the Philadelphia suburbs. Will he be haunted by the faces of the animals he helped savagely destroy? Maybe. I doubt it though, because he looked at those faces many times before and continued to do what he did.
And you know what? If he is haunted, who cares? He's got a new contract, a new team and a ton of money. Maybe he can start a new dog fighting ring to take his mind off his hauntings. If he gets caught again, he'll just have to spare another 18 months. After that, it's smooth sailing.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
My DVR Hates me.
It's been a slow couple of weeks in DVR land. Most of my regular shows have ended for the season, and what was once a list of about 30 shows a week that were on my schedule, has now turned in to about 4.
Now, I can rejoice that "True Blood" has returned, along with a new favorite of mine, "Hung". Both shows are part of HBO's counter programming of airing new shows, while basic cable airs repeats. It's working, because it's giving me something to look forward to, and it's giving my DVR a job to complete.
However, I think my DVR is just a little lonely. It's been so used to recording just about every piece of total trash on TV, that it's gone into a state of panic from only being in charge of recording the newest episodes of shows of quality, like "Chelsea Lately", "The Soup" the previously mentioned "True Blood" and because I like to pretend I'm cultured, "Real Time with Bill Maher".
That must be the reason that this week, after not turning my TV on for 2 days(I KNOWWWWW!), I was confused to see the following list of shows in my recorded list: 2 episodes of Chelsea Lately, Hung and Toddlers & Tiaras.
Toddlers & Tiaras. Seriously.
Now, I don't really recall EVER asking my DVR to record this show, and in fact, if it wasn't for "The Soup" I wouldn't have even known it existed. But, I kid you NOT, my DVR recorded an episode of "Toddlers & Tiaras" without my knowledge or consent.
I immediately went into my "list of recorded shows" menu, and scrolled down the 4,000 that I had in there, and, wouldn't you know, "Toddlers & Tiaras" WAS in there. It was selected as "Record only First Run Episodes", which means that I had recorded the Season Premiere. I swear I do NOT remember asking my DVR to record this show, but in a way, I'm kinda glad it did because it gives me something else to talk about on this blog besides Katherine Heigl...for now.
AND OF COURSE the ONE TIME I am NOT going to write about Heigl, Newsweek.com decides to write an op-ed piece entitled: "Why is Katherine Heigl so Annoying?" I'm.fucking.serious.
I need to get back on track before I go on a rampage about someone dissing my Queen C.
So, as I said before, my DVR must REALLY hate me. It's either bored, or it hates me. Or, it knows me...because there is was, "Toddlers & Tiaras", sitting in my recorded shows menu, just BEGGING for me to watch it.
I watched "Chelsea Lately" first, followed by "Hung", and then realized that I had nothing left to view, and decided to throw all rationality to the wind and watch this shitshow. I hit "play" and began my journey into absolute FUCKING INSANITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where the FUCK do I begin?! I felt like I had just gone through 2 World Wars by the time the credits rolled(actually, by the time the credits OPENED). I sat in confusion and anger and disbelief for an entire hour, something that doesn't usually happen to me unless I'm viewing something that has Brett Michaels in it. I'm going to attempt to give you a run down about the premise of this show, with as much objectivity as I can. For once, I want to just describe the show with none of my two cents interjected. We can discuss MY thoughts after the description, but for now, read a completely un-biased synopsis:
The show "Toddlers & Tiaras" is the brainchild of a few producers who decided that there was a subject that America was just clamoring to know more about. A subject that had been the cause of many a sleepless night and water cooler conversation. A subject that caused so much dialogue and discussion, curiosity and a need and hunger to learn more. A subject that that gripped the entire Nation: Child Beauty Pageants.
Remember that time you just could NOT stop thinking and wondering about Child Beauty Pageants?! How were they put on? What are the categories? How do the girls rehearse? What is the judging criteria? I NEED TO KNOW!! Well, thanks to "Toddlers & Tiaras", you do!
The show, from the episode that I gathered, follows a different group of girls each week through a specific pageant. The Episode usually begins with an introduction of each girl, their family, a history of the Pageant they are competing for and Interviews with the Pageant Director. You're then treated to an hour of prep, rehearsing and finally, execution of each girl's hard work. Does it pay off for them in the end? Well, you'll have to wait until the very last few minutes of the episode to see which title, if any, our little ladies end up with.
I can't even believe I managed to write that paragraph with only a small dose of sarcasm and hatred. Are you FUCKING kidding me?! Now, I LOVE a trashfest more than anyone else. Hell, I have an entire awards ceremony that honors Trashy, Cunty Women. But this is beyond Trash.
First off, NO. Secondly...NO! And lastly, these are little girls. These are children. Worse, these are FORCED Children. The Episode I saw took place in the south(Surprise, Sur-fucking-prise!), and the amount of time, energy and money that these PATHETIC "Mothers" spent on these little girls is infuriating. I DARE you to watch an episode without cursing at the TV. I almost didn't have a working TV by the end of it. It took every ounce of of strength I had not to throw my fist into the 7 chins attached to the mouth of one of the Pageant Mother's faces.
Oh yea, that's the best part. The Mother's look like something out of a "Chronicles of Narnia" book. Jagged teeth, peeling, disjointed skin and unkempt hair. Their usually overweight, in ragged, dollar store worthy clothing, and their little pageant princess doesn't resemble them AT ALL. Half the time, it looks like a kidnapping.
To watch these creatures prance around in the audience and guide their children through the exact routine she's doing on stage, is one of the only redeeming qualities of this show.
I'd love to take these little girls, who Mommy claims just "LOVES being in Pageants" and put a trophy, sash and crown on one side of the room, and a stack of Brand New Barbies, stuffed animals and coloring books on the other side. Then, I'd ask her "Go to the side of the room that YOU want to go to". Think I'd find one girl throwing that sash over her shoulder?
My point with this particular rant(I'm honestly not sure I even have one. I just wanted to write about the Fat Stage Mothers), is that there is a difference between willingly signing up to look like a complete asswipe(New York, The "Rock of Love" Sluts, The Bad Girls Club), and being a complete asswipe that takes innocent victims along for a ride they never agreed to take part in(Toddlers & Tiaras, Jon and Kate, That fucking PIG that had 14 kids, etc).
Kids need to be kids. If you expose your children to Television and Pop Culture too early, resulting in a loss of their innocence, the ONE thing that MAKES them a CHILD, then you run the risk of having them grow up to be...like me.
I will admit that I didn't cancel the series recording of this show. I'm not sure I'll continue watching after the abuse my TV took from my dirty mouth raging against these disgusting slobs that call themselves Parents, Or from my eyes witnessing a 4 year old with more Make Up on her face and higher heels on her feet than most of my 20 something girlfriends. But if you REALLY want to see TRASH in it's purest form, which is Trash that doesn't know it's Trash, then I recommend you do what my DVR did. But don't say I didn't warn you.
Now, I can rejoice that "True Blood" has returned, along with a new favorite of mine, "Hung". Both shows are part of HBO's counter programming of airing new shows, while basic cable airs repeats. It's working, because it's giving me something to look forward to, and it's giving my DVR a job to complete.
However, I think my DVR is just a little lonely. It's been so used to recording just about every piece of total trash on TV, that it's gone into a state of panic from only being in charge of recording the newest episodes of shows of quality, like "Chelsea Lately", "The Soup" the previously mentioned "True Blood" and because I like to pretend I'm cultured, "Real Time with Bill Maher".
That must be the reason that this week, after not turning my TV on for 2 days(I KNOWWWWW!), I was confused to see the following list of shows in my recorded list: 2 episodes of Chelsea Lately, Hung and Toddlers & Tiaras.
Toddlers & Tiaras. Seriously.
Now, I don't really recall EVER asking my DVR to record this show, and in fact, if it wasn't for "The Soup" I wouldn't have even known it existed. But, I kid you NOT, my DVR recorded an episode of "Toddlers & Tiaras" without my knowledge or consent.
I immediately went into my "list of recorded shows" menu, and scrolled down the 4,000 that I had in there, and, wouldn't you know, "Toddlers & Tiaras" WAS in there. It was selected as "Record only First Run Episodes", which means that I had recorded the Season Premiere. I swear I do NOT remember asking my DVR to record this show, but in a way, I'm kinda glad it did because it gives me something else to talk about on this blog besides Katherine Heigl...for now.
AND OF COURSE the ONE TIME I am NOT going to write about Heigl, Newsweek.com decides to write an op-ed piece entitled: "Why is Katherine Heigl so Annoying?" I'm.fucking.serious.
I need to get back on track before I go on a rampage about someone dissing my Queen C.
So, as I said before, my DVR must REALLY hate me. It's either bored, or it hates me. Or, it knows me...because there is was, "Toddlers & Tiaras", sitting in my recorded shows menu, just BEGGING for me to watch it.
I watched "Chelsea Lately" first, followed by "Hung", and then realized that I had nothing left to view, and decided to throw all rationality to the wind and watch this shitshow. I hit "play" and began my journey into absolute FUCKING INSANITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where the FUCK do I begin?! I felt like I had just gone through 2 World Wars by the time the credits rolled(actually, by the time the credits OPENED). I sat in confusion and anger and disbelief for an entire hour, something that doesn't usually happen to me unless I'm viewing something that has Brett Michaels in it. I'm going to attempt to give you a run down about the premise of this show, with as much objectivity as I can. For once, I want to just describe the show with none of my two cents interjected. We can discuss MY thoughts after the description, but for now, read a completely un-biased synopsis:
The show "Toddlers & Tiaras" is the brainchild of a few producers who decided that there was a subject that America was just clamoring to know more about. A subject that had been the cause of many a sleepless night and water cooler conversation. A subject that caused so much dialogue and discussion, curiosity and a need and hunger to learn more. A subject that that gripped the entire Nation: Child Beauty Pageants.
Remember that time you just could NOT stop thinking and wondering about Child Beauty Pageants?! How were they put on? What are the categories? How do the girls rehearse? What is the judging criteria? I NEED TO KNOW!! Well, thanks to "Toddlers & Tiaras", you do!
The show, from the episode that I gathered, follows a different group of girls each week through a specific pageant. The Episode usually begins with an introduction of each girl, their family, a history of the Pageant they are competing for and Interviews with the Pageant Director. You're then treated to an hour of prep, rehearsing and finally, execution of each girl's hard work. Does it pay off for them in the end? Well, you'll have to wait until the very last few minutes of the episode to see which title, if any, our little ladies end up with.
I can't even believe I managed to write that paragraph with only a small dose of sarcasm and hatred. Are you FUCKING kidding me?! Now, I LOVE a trashfest more than anyone else. Hell, I have an entire awards ceremony that honors Trashy, Cunty Women. But this is beyond Trash.
First off, NO. Secondly...NO! And lastly, these are little girls. These are children. Worse, these are FORCED Children. The Episode I saw took place in the south(Surprise, Sur-fucking-prise!), and the amount of time, energy and money that these PATHETIC "Mothers" spent on these little girls is infuriating. I DARE you to watch an episode without cursing at the TV. I almost didn't have a working TV by the end of it. It took every ounce of of strength I had not to throw my fist into the 7 chins attached to the mouth of one of the Pageant Mother's faces.
Oh yea, that's the best part. The Mother's look like something out of a "Chronicles of Narnia" book. Jagged teeth, peeling, disjointed skin and unkempt hair. Their usually overweight, in ragged, dollar store worthy clothing, and their little pageant princess doesn't resemble them AT ALL. Half the time, it looks like a kidnapping.
To watch these creatures prance around in the audience and guide their children through the exact routine she's doing on stage, is one of the only redeeming qualities of this show.
I'd love to take these little girls, who Mommy claims just "LOVES being in Pageants" and put a trophy, sash and crown on one side of the room, and a stack of Brand New Barbies, stuffed animals and coloring books on the other side. Then, I'd ask her "Go to the side of the room that YOU want to go to". Think I'd find one girl throwing that sash over her shoulder?
My point with this particular rant(I'm honestly not sure I even have one. I just wanted to write about the Fat Stage Mothers), is that there is a difference between willingly signing up to look like a complete asswipe(New York, The "Rock of Love" Sluts, The Bad Girls Club), and being a complete asswipe that takes innocent victims along for a ride they never agreed to take part in(Toddlers & Tiaras, Jon and Kate, That fucking PIG that had 14 kids, etc).
Kids need to be kids. If you expose your children to Television and Pop Culture too early, resulting in a loss of their innocence, the ONE thing that MAKES them a CHILD, then you run the risk of having them grow up to be...like me.
I will admit that I didn't cancel the series recording of this show. I'm not sure I'll continue watching after the abuse my TV took from my dirty mouth raging against these disgusting slobs that call themselves Parents, Or from my eyes witnessing a 4 year old with more Make Up on her face and higher heels on her feet than most of my 20 something girlfriends. But if you REALLY want to see TRASH in it's purest form, which is Trash that doesn't know it's Trash, then I recommend you do what my DVR did. But don't say I didn't warn you.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
She totally reads my blog...
She did it.
She stepped it up!
Katherine, you've brazenly pushed that amateur C Danielle out of the way and firmly cemented your place as the Biggest C in the entire Universe!!!
I bow to you, my Queen.
People.com reports:
Katherine Heigl may be back to work on the set of Grey’s Anatomy, but according to the actress, it hasn’t been a super-happy homecoming.
“Our first day back was Wednesday and it was — I’m going to keep saying this because I hope it embarrasses them — a 17-hour day,” Heigl told David Letterman during a visit to the Late Show on Monday, “which I think is cruel and mean.”
As open as she is about her feelings about the show, Heigl remained tight-lipped about the fate of her character, who was last seen in an ambiguous scene after undergoing surgery for a brain tumor. “You last saw Izzie, you know, flatlining,” she told Letterman. “So, I won’t give it away but, you know, I’m there so I’m either there as a ghost, on the other side or I survived a disease no one survives.”
You.Hot.Bitch
I love you, Heigl. I love you for the same reasons everyone hates you. You speak your mind and you manage to insult everyone and EAT, let alone bite, the hand that feeds you!
Bow DOWN Danielle! Bow DOWN Ivanka! Bow DOWN Ciara Michelle! Bow DOWN Cindy! This is what every little girl should strive to be!!
Heigl, I salute you. Please don't ever, ever, ever stop.
She stepped it up!
Katherine, you've brazenly pushed that amateur C Danielle out of the way and firmly cemented your place as the Biggest C in the entire Universe!!!
I bow to you, my Queen.
People.com reports:
Katherine Heigl may be back to work on the set of Grey’s Anatomy, but according to the actress, it hasn’t been a super-happy homecoming.
“Our first day back was Wednesday and it was — I’m going to keep saying this because I hope it embarrasses them — a 17-hour day,” Heigl told David Letterman during a visit to the Late Show on Monday, “which I think is cruel and mean.”
As open as she is about her feelings about the show, Heigl remained tight-lipped about the fate of her character, who was last seen in an ambiguous scene after undergoing surgery for a brain tumor. “You last saw Izzie, you know, flatlining,” she told Letterman. “So, I won’t give it away but, you know, I’m there so I’m either there as a ghost, on the other side or I survived a disease no one survives.”
You.Hot.Bitch
I love you, Heigl. I love you for the same reasons everyone hates you. You speak your mind and you manage to insult everyone and EAT, let alone bite, the hand that feeds you!
Bow DOWN Danielle! Bow DOWN Ivanka! Bow DOWN Ciara Michelle! Bow DOWN Cindy! This is what every little girl should strive to be!!
Heigl, I salute you. Please don't ever, ever, ever stop.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Step it up, Heigl.
I'll keep this blog post short and sweet.
Below is a quote my Heigl gave to InStyle magazine:
"I hate the idea that I can't be honest about how I feel about things because it's going to piss somebody off who feels differently. That seems preposterous to me."
Preach, C.
But...let's have less talking about how others feel when you are being honest. No one cares. They just care when you say something completely cunty.
You know what's preposterous to me? That people don't appreciate Heigl for the incredible C she is!! This woman is singlehandedly pissing EVERYONE off on EARTH with practicly every sentence that comes out of her mouth.
Do you realize what a RARITY and HONOR that is? She should be applauded. Though, I bet even a round of applause would piss her off...Which is exactly why I adore her so much.
But ENOUGH explaining yourself. Step it up, Heigl.
Danielle, from "The Real Housewives" is gaining on you.
I need the next phrase out of your mouth to be hateful and venomous, not reflective.
No one likes a reflective cunt.
Below is a quote my Heigl gave to InStyle magazine:
"I hate the idea that I can't be honest about how I feel about things because it's going to piss somebody off who feels differently. That seems preposterous to me."
Preach, C.
But...let's have less talking about how others feel when you are being honest. No one cares. They just care when you say something completely cunty.
You know what's preposterous to me? That people don't appreciate Heigl for the incredible C she is!! This woman is singlehandedly pissing EVERYONE off on EARTH with practicly every sentence that comes out of her mouth.
Do you realize what a RARITY and HONOR that is? She should be applauded. Though, I bet even a round of applause would piss her off...Which is exactly why I adore her so much.
But ENOUGH explaining yourself. Step it up, Heigl.
Danielle, from "The Real Housewives" is gaining on you.
I need the next phrase out of your mouth to be hateful and venomous, not reflective.
No one likes a reflective cunt.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Remember The Time
I have a collection of home movies. It's a little ridiculous. Over the years, my family has accumulated over 50 VHS tapes filled to the end with random, endless "family" moments.
The story goes, my Grandmother(on my Father's side) bought my Father a Camcorder for his first Father's Day. She wanted him to document his child(ren) so that we would always have those memories. I'm glad she did that, because I have hours upon hours of footage of myself. I can watch myself grow up anytime I want. I can relive moments that defined me, if I was lucky enough to experience them on camera.
Tape 1 of my home movie library is the weekend of my first birthday. The weekend of August 26th, 1984. Midway through the tape, a little after my first documented bath, and right before my first birthday party, there is a 4 minute piece of footage that documents my first dance. Not my first step, or first word, but my first dance. I'm laying on my back with my Mother sitting Indian style next to me. I'm staring at the Television. "Thriller" is playing. I'm transfixed. I'm watching, as if my not even 1 year old mind can even comprehend what I'm seeing...and I start to shake. I shake my little butt, and wiggle my legs, and wave my tiny arms in the air. My mother begins to laugh. It's one of my favorite moments of my life...because it documented my love of Music, and the exact moment I fell in love.
Michael Jackson is dead. I can't even believe I typed that sentence. I still can't believe it. I'm stunned. Should I be? Yes. I think It's ok if I am. Did I know him? Personally? Absolutely not. But I knew him. I knew him my entire life. He was always around. His face was always on the TV, his voice was always in my house, his image is forever in my head. He was my first Superstar. He was the first person I latched on to, and followed, even when I didn't know exactly what I was following.
I had his cassettes, and his concerts, and his doll. I listened to his music, tried to dance like him, and hung on every word he said. He was my childhood. He was one of the one things I truly, vividly remember about growing up. Some people remember their first little league game, or the first time they skinned their knee, or their first report card. I remember music. I remember Michael Jackson.
Just as depressing as his sudden death, is the realization that the Superstar, the Icon that Michael Jackson was to the world, well, those days are dead too. We'll never have another Michael. Not just because he was so talented. I'm talking about the level of stardom that he achieved. The cultural significance he stood for. The amount of albums he sold, or the hysteria at his tours, or the epic premieres of his latest music videos. It's all gone. It died with him.
Michael was our generation's Elvis, Lennon or Sinatra. The cultural and Musical Icon that united us with music, offstage antics and the power to keep us all guessing and waiting...and wanting.
We live in an era of convenience and a short attention span. We go to Itunes to get music. We have albums months before they are released thanks to file sharing sites. We see concert footage on Youtube months before our scheduled date. Every week there is a new artist launched, replacing the artist that just hit it big months before. It's a revolving door of mediocrity, and we could care less. Because there's always something new and different around the corner. There is no staying power anymore. The Icons of before have survived, for the most part, but aren't breaking records like they used to. Paul McCartney tours seldom, along with Elton John and Billy Joel. Cher has a residency in Las Vegas. Madonna is known more as a blueprint and reference than as an artist. Prince releases music that falls on deaf ears. Michael is/was a tabloid fixture.
No one grips the nation, or the world, like Michael did. And no one ever will. Those days are over. I think that, more than anything else, is what makes his death so final. Everything that he stood for, culturally, musically and as an all around Entertainer seemed to die with him. We, the children of the early 80s, were the last generation to experience cultural musical icons. Michael, Madonna, Prince...they are all a part of our DNA.
But the kids now, or the ones yet to be born, they'll never experience a concert without seeing footage of it on youtube first. They'll never get to see the World Premiere of a music video like "Black or White", or "Remember the Time", broadcast on 4 networks at once. They'll most likely never even see a music video on TV. They'll never live in a day and age when an Artist sells 27 million copies of ONE album, or gets the ENTIRE world talking by doing something as seemingly simple as shuffling backwards. That's the sad part.
Michael's death has affected me for selfish reasons, first and foremost. I'm angry that I'll never get to see him live, like my Mother did in the early 80s. I'm mad that I'll never hear new music from him again. I'm upset that I'll never know what new music video concept he'll come up with. He gave me so much, and I want more. We all do. Which is I guess what made him so special.
You can say what you want about him. You can call him names, and say he was weird, or disfigured, or tortured, or that you believe the accusations against him. But you can't say he never made you dance, or sing along, or held your attention.
I owe my love of music, art and the Entertainment Business, as well as my creativity, in large part to Michael Jackson. For that, I'm grateful. And the beauty of this is, because of that camcorder, I can relive the moment I learned to dance...and thank MJ for it.
Rest in Peace(finally.)
Michael Joseph Jackson
1958-2009
The story goes, my Grandmother(on my Father's side) bought my Father a Camcorder for his first Father's Day. She wanted him to document his child(ren) so that we would always have those memories. I'm glad she did that, because I have hours upon hours of footage of myself. I can watch myself grow up anytime I want. I can relive moments that defined me, if I was lucky enough to experience them on camera.
Tape 1 of my home movie library is the weekend of my first birthday. The weekend of August 26th, 1984. Midway through the tape, a little after my first documented bath, and right before my first birthday party, there is a 4 minute piece of footage that documents my first dance. Not my first step, or first word, but my first dance. I'm laying on my back with my Mother sitting Indian style next to me. I'm staring at the Television. "Thriller" is playing. I'm transfixed. I'm watching, as if my not even 1 year old mind can even comprehend what I'm seeing...and I start to shake. I shake my little butt, and wiggle my legs, and wave my tiny arms in the air. My mother begins to laugh. It's one of my favorite moments of my life...because it documented my love of Music, and the exact moment I fell in love.
Michael Jackson is dead. I can't even believe I typed that sentence. I still can't believe it. I'm stunned. Should I be? Yes. I think It's ok if I am. Did I know him? Personally? Absolutely not. But I knew him. I knew him my entire life. He was always around. His face was always on the TV, his voice was always in my house, his image is forever in my head. He was my first Superstar. He was the first person I latched on to, and followed, even when I didn't know exactly what I was following.
I had his cassettes, and his concerts, and his doll. I listened to his music, tried to dance like him, and hung on every word he said. He was my childhood. He was one of the one things I truly, vividly remember about growing up. Some people remember their first little league game, or the first time they skinned their knee, or their first report card. I remember music. I remember Michael Jackson.
Just as depressing as his sudden death, is the realization that the Superstar, the Icon that Michael Jackson was to the world, well, those days are dead too. We'll never have another Michael. Not just because he was so talented. I'm talking about the level of stardom that he achieved. The cultural significance he stood for. The amount of albums he sold, or the hysteria at his tours, or the epic premieres of his latest music videos. It's all gone. It died with him.
Michael was our generation's Elvis, Lennon or Sinatra. The cultural and Musical Icon that united us with music, offstage antics and the power to keep us all guessing and waiting...and wanting.
We live in an era of convenience and a short attention span. We go to Itunes to get music. We have albums months before they are released thanks to file sharing sites. We see concert footage on Youtube months before our scheduled date. Every week there is a new artist launched, replacing the artist that just hit it big months before. It's a revolving door of mediocrity, and we could care less. Because there's always something new and different around the corner. There is no staying power anymore. The Icons of before have survived, for the most part, but aren't breaking records like they used to. Paul McCartney tours seldom, along with Elton John and Billy Joel. Cher has a residency in Las Vegas. Madonna is known more as a blueprint and reference than as an artist. Prince releases music that falls on deaf ears. Michael is/was a tabloid fixture.
No one grips the nation, or the world, like Michael did. And no one ever will. Those days are over. I think that, more than anything else, is what makes his death so final. Everything that he stood for, culturally, musically and as an all around Entertainer seemed to die with him. We, the children of the early 80s, were the last generation to experience cultural musical icons. Michael, Madonna, Prince...they are all a part of our DNA.
But the kids now, or the ones yet to be born, they'll never experience a concert without seeing footage of it on youtube first. They'll never get to see the World Premiere of a music video like "Black or White", or "Remember the Time", broadcast on 4 networks at once. They'll most likely never even see a music video on TV. They'll never live in a day and age when an Artist sells 27 million copies of ONE album, or gets the ENTIRE world talking by doing something as seemingly simple as shuffling backwards. That's the sad part.
Michael's death has affected me for selfish reasons, first and foremost. I'm angry that I'll never get to see him live, like my Mother did in the early 80s. I'm mad that I'll never hear new music from him again. I'm upset that I'll never know what new music video concept he'll come up with. He gave me so much, and I want more. We all do. Which is I guess what made him so special.
You can say what you want about him. You can call him names, and say he was weird, or disfigured, or tortured, or that you believe the accusations against him. But you can't say he never made you dance, or sing along, or held your attention.
I owe my love of music, art and the Entertainment Business, as well as my creativity, in large part to Michael Jackson. For that, I'm grateful. And the beauty of this is, because of that camcorder, I can relive the moment I learned to dance...and thank MJ for it.
Rest in Peace(finally.)
Michael Joseph Jackson
1958-2009
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