It’s Beginning To Geek A Lot Like Christmas – An Interview With Geeks For Tots
This should come as a surprise to no one, but many kids out there won't receive gifts this holiday season. Times are hard for everyone, but luckily that's where Toys For Tots comes in. People donate toys to the organization and kids who otherwise wouldn't have a fun holiday can get some kick butt presents. And to help encourage people to donate to Toys for Tots, the Geeks for Tots contest gives you a chance to win lots of cool prizes just for donating to Toys for Tots!
I've had experience "adopting" a family for the holidays, and I really enjoyed knowing that I was helping to brighten someone's holiday. Of course I'm behind this contest 100%, but I asked Vincent at Geeks for Tots a few questions so that you can become more familiar with the organization.
How did you get into this?
Well it's for selfish reasons. When G.I. Joe was having a 25th anniversary the line wasn't getting much shelf space. I thought it was a shame, since 25 years ago whole aisles would have been dedicated to G.I. Joe. I thought, "How could I get G.I. Joes into kid's hands and possibly make more Joe fans?" What followed was the brilliant idea to try to get people to buy G.I. Joes to put into the Toys For Tots system in order to spark interest in the line with kids.
Well of course that quickly transformed into wanting to get any toys into the hands of kids. Now I do it because it's fun and helps kids, but I still buy G.I. Joes to drop off with Toys for Tots.
Why Joes for Tots, leading to why the switch to Geeks for Tots?
Like I said, the original idea was G.I. Joe based, but after taking a year off from the contest I thought that it would be easier to market the thing to a broader spectrum of people with a more general geek name. Plus the focus of the contest was not on G.I. Joes, so it just makes a lot more sense to do it this way.
What's the takeaway message of the whole thing?
Kids need help! Yes there's charities to make sure they have food an clothing, but it's such a depressing thought of getting nothing for Christmas. I had a friend once who wasn't that well off that got shampoo for Christmas. Shampoo! Toys for Tots helps lifts the spirits a bit and gives some hope in what should be a fun time.
Any memorable stories since you've started the charity?
Uh nothing really except some of the donation pics I've gotten. People always look super happy in them. And some people have donated a whole bunch of stuff. One family had a whole mini-van worth of toys. Another guy started up a toy drive and entered and he ended up winning the grand prize. It was a totally random thing, so it was cool to see karma going in a positive direction for once.
So, are you convinced? Ready to enter the contest?! Well, there are two ways to enter:
- You can take a picture of yourself donating to a Toys for Tots drop off box and send it to us.
- Send proof of an online cash donation to the Toys For Tots website (they send an email receipt that can be forwarded).
Both entries should go to geeksfortots@gmail.com. Please include “Geeks for Tots Entry” in the subject line.
You can find drop off locations here or you can call your local Toys For Tots representative.
For a full list of prizes, as well as official contest rules, be sure to visit the Geeks For Tots website!
Back & Fourth: The One With The Beyblades
So, just when I was settling into a groove with the whole lunch duty thing, The Man threw a wrench into our plans. You see, the kids used to eat in their classroom, which sort of made them a captive audience. Now, the multipurpose room is being used as a cafeteria for EVERYONE, so now I've got to deal with 5th graders, a different class of 4th graders, and the 4th graders I actually like. Today, I was finally able to sit down and have a tete-a-tete with "my" kids.
First off, an observation: I'm noticing these kids REALLY hate their school lunch. Now, I know the whole general cultural belief is that kids are supposed to hate school lunches, but I'm not used to that experience. I went to private school and our shit was catered. Then, I went to a college that was the home of the #1 dining hall in the country. So, I guess you can say I've been spoiled. I'm not gloating, though; I'm fat, so I got what I had coming to me. Anyway, it just sucks to see all the food these kids throw away. I'm not even one of those "think of the starving kids in China" people. I mean, a lot of these kids are starving, yet, they STILL won't eat it. That's some bad food. When the fat kid throws it away? That's some bad food. I know the stuff doesn't look appetizing. I mean, half the time it looks like someone took a shit in a Kid Cuisine tray. I've eaten some of it, and some of it wasn't that bad, but I can see why the look might turn folks away.
I've also wondered if the kids might hate it just because it's more nutritious than they're used to eating. I am FAR from a bastion of healthy eating, but one chick's lunch was comprised of two glazed doughnuts and a popped bagged of microwave popcorn. Another kid's lunch was about EIGHT Fruit Roll-Ups and some Goldfish. This is the shit that happens when kids have kids! Kinda hard to give your kid a nutritious lunch when you still do most of your shopping at Five Below. Where's the First Lady now?! She fucks up the Happy Meal, but doesn't get to the root of the problem, the food that kids pretty much have to eat - school lunches.
Anyway, I sat down with the kids and we shot the crap. The kids had brought their Beyblades, and I was at a loss. I sold the things for years, but never really knew how they worked. It's like if Scarface had never tried the coke! So, when Mike asked, "Mr. West, do you wanna rip my Beyblade?", I saw it as my chance to finally learn what the whole thing was all about. For you old folks out there, let me just break it down for ya: "Beyblades" is just a fancy marketing word that means "fancy tops". Ya know the shit your great grandpa played with on the Titanic? Yeah, those things. I'm just kinda surprised their still this popular. Shouldn't they have been unseated by Bakugan? Has the Era of the Bakus gone?
I wasn't gonna settle for kids being excited about an almost 10 year old toyline! No, I decided to take it to the next level. You see, there'd been some Twitter discussion about what might be The Toy of the Holiday Season this year. There's usually an Elmo, and some other thing soccer moms are willing to shank each other over. So, I decided to take it to the kids. They're at the "one foot out of the door of toys, one foot into the world of console games" age, so they're the perfect audience. I also told them that they couldn't name video games, so no Arkham City, Modern Warfare, Uncharted, etc. So, what did they answer? Beyblades! All of them. Really?! I kept asking about Bakugan. Seriously, I've asked them about Bakugans so much that you'd think I worked for Bakugan marketing, but those kids simply don't give a shit about balls that open up into weeblesque "beasts". No, today's kids love the shit out of fancy tops. Sharpen your shivs, moms!
Thrift Justice – The Case of the Three Jokers
So, last weekend the rain was too much of a nuisance for any of the local yard sales to take place, but I was still jonesing for a treasure hunt. That meant that I had to find someplace indoors, which led me to the Civitan Flea Market. Located in Arlington, VA, the Civitan Flea Market occurs on the first Saturday of each month, from the months of April to November. I checked it out for the first time a few months back, and I liked what I saw. Since it takes place in a multilevel parking garage, it's open rain or shine. Basically, a vendor pays about $20 to set up in a parking space, and you're left to just make the rounds. From what I could tell, vendors don't seem to have "regular" spots, so I walked around to see if I noticed any of the good vendors from my first trip. But we know you're not here for the words - you're here for the haul!
Recently, I've been buying up all the cheap Calvin & Hobbes books I run across. Here's a little confession: I really hated C&H up until about 2 months ago. I know most of my peers fondly look back on the series, but I just never "got" it. I think I had the misfortune of always tuning in when it was one of the, for lack of a better word, "preachier" strips, so I just always felt it was overrated. That said, as someone who had a myriad of imaginary friends, this series was pretty much right up my alley. So, I found a collection at a yard sale a few weeks back, which has led to the acquisition of 2 more collections.
As a fanboy, this is one of those things that I guess I'm expected to have read. I'd never really come across it, and it always seemed a little too much of a Sandman gateway book anyway. Since I'm neither a cutter, nor do I work at Hot Topic, I always shied away. Well, on this particular day, I guess I was kinda desperate to buy a comic, and this was the best I could do. The vendor wanted $3 for it, which I felt was kinda steep. Then, she told me that it was for her grandson's college fund. I couldn't let the guy suffer through student loans as I had. I forked over the three Georges. Then, I asked her where he was thinking of going for college. She replied, "Well, he's only 16 months old right now." Huh. All I could say was, "Well, I guess you've got a couple more sales ahead of you."
I'd seen this book during one of the Borders liquidation sales, but couldn't bring myself to pay what they were asking at 25% off. This, however, is not only an advance reader's copy but it was also a quarter! I'm a sucker for preview and promo items, so this was just what the doctor ordered. The seller had placed a sticky note on it, saying it was "Perfect for fans of Family Guy and The Daily Show". This might just be an oversell - kinda like how every comedy compared itself to The Hangover for a whole year.
If you dare claim there was a better game for the Nintendo Entertainment System, I will slap you in the face and kidnap your dog.
Stallone was supposed to be in Beverly Hills Cop. They decided they wanted to go in another, more comedic direction. He made this instead. And it was GLORIOUS. I love this movie for the odd product placement. Just imagine: Pepsi paid to have one of their soda fountains shot up in a standoff; a Christmas-themed Toys "R" Us commercial is playing in the background, as Stallone cleans his gun and eats cold pizza!
I wouldn't buy season sets of this show, but I am sucker enough to fall for "The Mike Judge Collection". Sure, it's a best of collection, but it's a multi-disc best of. Plus, I trust Mike Judge. The man went on to give us Office Space and King of the Hill. It'll be worth it if "Teen Talk" is one of the episodes featured. "I'm Lolita, and this here's Tanqueray. You boys wanna go back behind the bleachers and make out?"
And now we come to the reason for this post's title. You may not be able to tell, but this is a deck of Batman Begins playing cards. It was purchased for three reasons:
1) I love Batman
2) I love shiny things/holograms
3) They were $0.25
Now, I knew what I was getting into. The seller told me that someone earlier in the day had counted the cards and that while the deck was missing an Ace, there were THREE Jokers. Now, I'm used to quirky merchandise, so I wondered if it was supposed to have 3 Jokers. I mean, "Joker" kinda means a little more in a Batman-themed card deck, so maybe that was the novelty. Still don't know. I don't even play cards!
This is Tri-Klops. He's from He-Man. That is all.
This is Lothor - the "big bad" from Power Rangers Ninja Storm. While he was far from the most menacing villain, I always loved his aesthetic. It's not everyday you see an evil alien ninja in a luchadore mask. The articulation sucks, like most Power Rangers villain figures, but he still looks cool standing around.
A Nightwing doll! How cool is that?! Yes, I'm calling it a "doll" because that's basically what this is. Sure, his body is probably based on a G.I. Joe style body, but he's got a cloth outfit and hard plastic head. He appears to have mustard or something on his chest, but I don't care. Nightwing doll for $1!
I got this from my favorite vendor. Last time, she had some great Batman stuff, and this was just as cool. If you're not a comic person, this is an unused cover from X-Men: Alpha, which kicked off The Age of Apocalypse. This event started just as I was getting into comics, and I haven't experienced something that riveting since. A lot of comic crossovers are cyclical now, but this was actually a fresh idea. Anyway, this appeals to my love of comics, as well as my love of shiny thing/holograms. Oddly enough, I don't remember this as having a holographic cover gimmick; it shipped with a foil cover gimmick, so I wonder if this was some sort of retailer exclusive.
These came from the same vendor as the X-Men cover. It may not be immediately apparent, but the "Vote DC" poster is actually a promotional item from the Marvel vs. DC event. You'll notice Batman hiding Captain America's shield in his cape, as Superman brandishes The Hulk's pants. Below that is a poster for 1991's X-Men #1. I collect comic promo items that are typically only available to retailers, so these 2 posters were great finds.
Well, that's all she wrote for the flea market. Next month is the last one of the season, so I'm pretty sure I'll go check it out one last time. In the meantime, I've got my hands full with the thrift stores. Tune in next time, where I'll show ya some autographed stuff I came across!
RePlay: The Christmas Experiment
So, in the DC area, WASH (97.1) becomes the all-Christmas station at this time of year. In recent years, it's been almost a race to see how soon they'll make the format switch. It used to occur on Black Friday, but now it happens about a week before that. Many people hate this, and groan "Let's take care of Thanksgiving first", but I LOVE it. I love Christmas music. I love the season and everything about it.
Now, I've already discussed how there aren't any modern Christmas classics being released, so I thought I would try a little experiment. I decided to just let WASH play, and then write up a little blurb about the feelings I got from the songs played during that stretch of music. Let's take a closer look, shall we?
Baby, It's Cold Outside (Any): Winter time Date Rape at its finest
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (Jackson 5): Bitch better not let Joe catch her!
Last Christmas (Wham): A wonderful '80s classic. I keep this in my rotation year round. I'm actually surprised Diddy never got around to sampling this beat.
Do They Know It's Christmas? (Band Aid): Those poor savages. I'll bet they don't have calendars.
All I Want For Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey): As far as I'm concerned, Love Actually Girl beat Mariah for the championship on this song. No, not really, but I love the Hell out of that movie.
White Christmas (Bing Crosby): If you listen closely, you'll realize this used to be a Klan propaganda song. As Uncle Ruckus would say, "Look how perfect and white these nice folks is, smellin' like lemon furniture polish!"
The Christmas Shoes (NewSong): This song takes on a whole new meaning when you realize the kid is just trying to con the store out of a fresh pair of Jordans.
Christmas Through Your Eyes (Gloria Estefan): You realize this is sung from the point of view of a Miami Sound Machine member who was blinded in one of Gloria's bus accidents, right?
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Any): Silly folks! You can't make a yuletide gay...unless you send it to prison. Otherwise, it has to be born that way.
Feliz Navidad (Jose Feliciano): The definitive Latin stamp on Christmas. You know Spanish people were as siced about this as black people were when we created a new version of "Happy Birthday". Still waiting on a remix with Pitbull and Daddy Yankee, though.
OK, enough rambling from me. Until next time, remember to keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.
RePlay: Oi to the World!
So, yesterday we covered La Bouche, and the voice behind the hits, Melanie Thornton. Well, around that same time period, I was also really into No Doubt. I guess it all came down to local radio: DC had just gotten a pop station with the arrival of Z104, but there were only so many times that Billy Bush could play that Ultimate Dance Party '96 CD without you wanting to go on a killing spree. So, I'd switch over to the late, great WHFS (the good one, where the Spanish station is now) and get my "alternative" fix. Sure, No Doubt eventually made their way to the Z104s of the world, but for this moment in time, "Just A Girl" and the like were still confined to specific genre stations.
Now, I didn't actually discover this song until many years after it came out. In fact, it was during my stint as a retail slave at H&M that I first heard it, as it was part of our "hip" holiday playlist. That playlist was a welcome change, as most of H&M's music choices sounded like the soundtrack to a date rape at someone's loft. Anyway, being all European and whatnot, the company's Christmas music skewed towards the secular, especially when it came to groups with the words "Good" or "Charlotte" in their name. I remember not even really thinking it was a holiday song at first, as it was so...different. You know what first caught my ear? The mention of "nunchucks"! If you hear any reference to nunchucks, and your ears do not perk up, then you cannot call yourself a man. And then I was like, "Oh, shit! Haji just pulled a sword?!" Once you go back and listen to the thing from the beginning, then you realize the ska "Joy To The World" melody, and well as the "If God came down on Christmas day" reference.
I think I also like this song for the same reason that Tony Kanal probably liked it: it wasn't about HIM. By this point, I'm surprised that Tony never stormed off stage with a "God, bitch! Fucking get over yourself!" Anyway, this was originally a song by The Vandals, but they were friendly with No Doubt, which paved this way for this cover. It's not the kind of song that's gonna make you reach for a cup of cocoa and turn on The Grinch, but it does prove that there's no one way to make a holiday song.
RePlay: Santa Packs and the Wonderful Dream
So, the holidays tend to be a sentimental time, with memories triggered by the sights and sounds of the season. Now, I can be a sensitive guy, but I don't really cry at many movies or TV shows. That's why it was surprising to me when I found a lump in my throat from a particular commercial. In recent years, you may have seen this Coke commercial announcing that the "Holidays Are Coming!", but it originally touted the arrival of Coca-Cola's holiday Santa Packs:
I think the aspect that really appeals to me is that it really heralds the approach of the Christmas season, and makes it feel more epic that it already does. My birthday is actually December 23rd, so I always made a big deal counting down to that day and Christmas. To watch the commercial today, it almost seems as if the Coke trucks are the road crew for a big concert or circus coming to town. Sure, Coke got a lot of mileage out of the polar bears, but this was the commercial that I always anticipated. So, you can imagine how surprised I was when I discovered that Melanie Thornton had recorded a full length version of the song in Europe.
No, I know you think you don't know who Melanie Thronton, but trust me - you do. If you've ever hear the chick asking you to be her lover, or droning on about her sweet dreams of rhythm and dancing, then you're already familiar. For most of the '90s, Melanie Thornton was the singer for Eurodance act La Bouche. In 2001, she released her first solo album, which included the song "Wonderful Dream":
While the studio version of the song is a bit more clear, I chose the version above for a particular reason. You see, only a few hours after that very performance, Melanie was killed in a plane crash near Zurich, Switzerland. Tragically, she never lived to release another single from her album, which was ironically titled Ready To Fly.
I was a fool for La Bouche, as I had all the studio AND remix albums. On top of that, I was, and still am, a fool for Christmas. Nowadays, when I hear that song, I still get a little choked up, but for other reasons. With Melanie's passing, the Eurodance world lost an amazing voice, but she chose a magical song on which to go out. So, the "Holidays Are Coming" song still makes me long for Christmas, but I'll always hear a little bit of Melanie in there.
All I Want For Christmas Is A New Christmas Song…And An End To Jason Derulo
"And there ain't no nothin' we can't love each other through"
(The following is a post that I wrote for TGRIOnline.com, my friend, Marcus's culture blog)
Christmas songs. I know this is a bit of a hipster blog, so y'all might not be into the Christmas thing so much, but it's hard to ignore at this time of year. There's a constant race to see which radio station flips to the all-Christmas format first. Locally, that honor always goes to 97.1 WASH. They used to wait until the day after Thanksgiving, but it has gotten earlier and earlier in recent years. This year, WASH flipped formats on November 20th. At this rate, they'll be flipping the day after Halloween by 2015 (that is, if the Mayan Armageddon doesn't get us first).
When it comes to Christmas songs, I'm always surprised by how hard it is for new songs to gain acceptance. Sure, if you write a song about trees and family and snow, you can pretty much call it a "Christmas song", but the public isn't going to necessarily accept it. When you really break it down, there are really only about 25 different Christmas songs. The boyband du jour or some New Age artist might try to introduce something new, but when it comes down to it, people only want to hear those 25 prime songs (No, I'm not going to list them - you know the ones), which have been recorded and re-recorded by every artist under the sun. They're mainly broken down into 2 categories: The Jesus Saga (Oh Holy Night, Silent Night, etc) and Secular Funnies (Grandma Got Runover By A Reindeer, The 12 Days of Christmas, etc). That first category is pretty locked up - there are no more angles of The Jesus Saga left to explore, unless someone comes up with a song about aliens who watched the whole thing unfold. Even then, I think the Bible Belt would put that into the Secular Funnies category. If you want to break into the Christmas music scene, Secular Funnies is the category to aim for. The most recent Christmas song to really have any staying power is Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You", and that was in 1994. Do you realize how long ago that was? That was like 4 Cher Farewell Tours ago! THAT's how hard it is to make your dent on the holiday season.
I tend to have a love/hate relationship with Christmas songs. You see, growing up, I used to LOVE the season. My birthday is December 23rd, which was just far enough away from the 25th that I didn't necessarily suffer from the 1-gift-for-2-occasions screwjob. I always considered my birthday to be the "day that we celebrated the magical birth of the baby Will". And then, 2 days later, Jesus got his day, which also meant presents for the aforementioned Will. I milked that Santa train WAY longer than a sane person should, but my family thought it was cute, and it ensured maximum giftage. So, considering I felt the entire season was my own personal holiday, the soundtrack of carols and songs really contributed to the mood of things. Then, college happened.
In college, I was not what you might call a "model student". Whenever people ask what I studied, I sometimes answer "I majored in a cappella". That was what made me feel popular, and that's where I had most of my friendships. So, I didn't do the class/homework thing so well. I usually coasted along through a semester, and then not failing the class would hinge upon me not failing the final. I went to a competitive-ass school, so it's not like there was a studying montage, and all of a sudden I had an A in the class. I usually gave up sleep, bathing, and my sanity for the better part of 2 weeks. I experienced stress I'd never felt before, because my entire future was hinging on this degree. How was I gonna be "not like all the others" if I didn't graduate?! What would I do?!!! One year, I even pulled an all-weeker - I believe that we're all given a set amount of all-nighters that we can endure in a lifetime, and I used up the balance of mine during a finals week. When the nosebleeds started for no reason, I knew that it was "Houston, we have a problem" time.
Anyway, throughout all of this uncivilized behavior, my soundtrack was Christmas music. I was trying to remind myself of the good aspects of the season, and all of the things I would experience after the finals, once I got back to Maryland. That stopped really working around Junior year. Then, a strange, Pavlovian thing took place - instead of helping me forget about the stress, the songs became synonymous with it. Now, when I hear those songs, it all comes rushing back. "Oh Holy Night" - walking home from the library, through the snow, at 1 AM. "The Grinch" - somehow tanking that Human Sexuality final (don't worry, ladies - everything's in order now *wink*). "Grandma Got Runover By A Reindeer" - those aforementioned nosebleeds.
This is why I'm so interested in Christmas songs. I NEED new Christmas songs! Those old ones are tainted as Hell. I need something to come and take the pain away. I can't keep reliving that trauma every damn year for the rest of my life. The only thing that saved that Mariah Carey song is that I love the shit out of Love Actually. So, I'm appealing to you, the hipster crowd, to save my life and record a Christmas song! That's what was missing on Wale's album: It could've been called "Under The Tree in the DMV". Somebody get his people on the phone for me!
I ran long this time around, so I've only got one pop thing on my mind at the moment: Jason Derulo's "Whatcha Say". First of all, I fucking HATE how he just liberally samples Imogen Heap's "Hide & Seek". It's so much of a sample, that he might as well have released it as "Jason DeRulo, feat Imogen Heap". The main thing that gets me, though, are the lyrics. Yeah, I know in the past that I said I wasn't a lyrics guy, but these just hit me over the head with a club. So, let me get this straight: he cheated on his girl, and now he's apologizing, and promising her that he'll take care of her when his career blows up. REALLY?
Dear Mystery Girl In The Song (and for you teenyboppers listening):
DO NOT TAKE HIM BACK. Right now, he's a nobody and he cheated on you. You know who it was? It was that bitch, Sharonda, who works at the CVS on Saturdays. You know, the one who's always chewing the gum! You knew she was acting like a bitch when you went in there for your relaxer. That bitch is fucking yo' man! But get this, that mu'fucka's only sorry he got caught. You really think he's gonna take care of you when he becomes a star? Do you realize what kinda pussy he's gonna be able to get THEN? Run, gurl! I don't think you got nothin' to worry about, though, 'cause that nigga can't even write a whole song of his own. You do you, gurl!
Peace, Love, and String Cheese,
Will
How To Avoid A Dollar Store Christmas
"...walking home from our house Christmas Eve."
So, my office is doing the annual Adopt A Family drive for the holiday season. I usually participate, but this year, things are so tight that they should be adopting ME! In any case, my biggest pet peeve is that people just bring in the cheapest shit! It's such an insult. These families have fallen on hard times, but they're not BLIND.
When I've participated in the past, I bought toys for those kids as if they were my own kids. I took the time to match the most awesome, sought after stuff, paired with the appropriate age group. When I was still at Diamond, I adopted this kid named Tyquan. I swear, I gave Tyquan a kick ass Christmas.
When it comes to these office drives, I feel a lot of people operate under the assumption that "these kids will be happy to get anything". While that might be true in some cases, I don't believe it's true in ALL cases. Sure, in terms of giftgiving, "it's the thought that counts". I feel that a lot of people in the office just aren't putting a lot of thought in. They can't possibly be that cheap. Sure, we've all got that old aunt who treats the Dollar General as a one stop shop. I just think it's kind of messed up when these people are out chasing Zhu Zhu Pets (THAT reference is gonna sound dated a year from now) for their own kids, yet they throw a generic $5 "doll & dress set" or a game of "Line Up Four" into the cart for faceless little Shaniqua in Druid Hill. And don't even get me started on the donated food!
I'm glad & thankful that there are people willing to help these families, but I feel like they could be doing more. Considering I didn't contribute, I realize I'm like the guy who didn't vote that's criticizing the current administration. That said, from what I've seen, I'd rather not have my name attached to something so half-assed.
My grandmother used to have my mom write her checks out @ holiday time. She was always telling her to write the check for $11 or $13. My mother tried to explain that those were dumb increments; round them off. Give $10 or $15 - don't give some random ass odd number. My grandmother thought "they should be happy to get anything", but it still looks...off. That's the case here: these people think they're doing something good, but their contribution is a bit off.
So, what's the takeaway message? If you're gonna do something like this, make the effort to go all in. Don't get them cheap stuff just because "they should be happy to get anything". They could've bought that dollar store shit for their kids themselves. Don't insult by not thinking things through. Not a sermon, just a thought.
Dirty Pokemon, Black Snake Eyes, New Knight Rider, and Tribute To Ike Turner
"I thought you made love like an ugly woman. So present, so grateful."
Dear TNT,
There are other shows in the world than Charmed and Law & Order. I appreciate what you're trying to do. You're going for a whole theme thing. But, really? There's a whole world of syndicated shows out there, just waiting to be mined. I don't think anyone's airing The Fall Guy right now. Or how about that old show, The Wizard, with the midget who made toys that helped him "MacGuyver" out of bad situations? Just a thought...
So, I've been losing my mind lately, as Toys "R" Us is now open until midnight for the whole holiday rush. For those of you new to these parts, I work evenings and weekends at Toys "R"Us, or as I like to call it, "my student loan job". Staying open til midnight can be trying considering that's just the time at which we start turning away customers. Actually leaving the store is a whole different matter. This past Wednesday, we didn't get out until 2 AM. Keep in mind that the employees are high school students, mothers, and people with other jobs. It makes no sense to me, seeing as how we have a capable night crew, staffed with baby mama's and ex convicts. Can't they clean the store?! But I digress...
During this season, our minds start to wander, and the subject matter of our conversations isn't exactly suited for our environment. For example, a few weeks back, one of my coworkers remarked that he's both vulgar and nice. I told him that his Pokemon name would be "Vulgice". Then, his evolutions would either be Vul-Va or VulGina. Yeah...
Recently, though, we've been having a lot of discussions/arguments regarding the upcoming G.I. Joe movie. The guys were remarking that, regardless of how Hollywood decides to fuck it up, the movie won't be complete without Snake Eyes. Now, this is when one of the guys decided to say that there was a time when everyone thought Snake Eyes was Black, and how disappointed he was when he turned out to be some White guy. Now, first of all, this is a common Black thing to say, as we're always trying to claim someone in the media. Mariah Carey? She's ours. The Rock? Yeah, he's ours, too. O.J.? He's ours as long as he's acquitted. Anyway, it was weird to hear this, though, as the assertion was now coming from a White guy.
So, I had to search long and hard and think if there was ever any indication that Snake Eyes was a Black guy. As far as G.I. Joe goes, all Black members have to carry a big ass gun. And rhyme. See: Roadblock; Cross-reference: Heavy Duty. Snake Eyes didn't rhyme and he carried swords. Not a compelling case.
Then, there's the fact that Snake Eyes dates Scarlett. Sure, in the cartoon, she was with Duke, but in every other form of media, he's knockin' those redheaded boots. Now, have you ever seen a Black guy with a redhead? Have you? For real? If you have, can you find out his secret for me?
Next, there's the fact that he's a ninja. I'll admit that I was surprised he was just a blond cornhusker, myself, as he was a master ninja...who'd fought in Vietnam. This is the real clincher, as I realized there could never be a black ninja. Sure, a ninja might wear Black, but he could never be Black? Why? Because ninjas have to be quiet. There, I said it. You know you were thinking it, too!
A Black ninja would be flossin' and shit, and would never pull off the element of surprise:
"I'm a ninja, son! Look at this big-ass sword, woadie! I'm 'bout to cut you, fool! You betta check yo self 'cause I'm 'bout to ninja. yo. ass!"
But, knowing Hollywood, if they want to be hip and edgy, movie Snake Eyes will probably be Black. And played by Chris Tucker. Thanks, assholes.
Speaking of Hollywood ruining cool, black concepts, I leave you with this: The other day, I was stalking a friend on facebook, and one of his friends is a page at NBC/Universal. Her status mentioned that she was watching the new K.I.T.T. models roll of the truck. For the uninformed, NBC's filming a new Knight Rider movie which, if successful, will lead to a new series focusing on Michael Knight's son. Well, when I saw this message, I almost wet myself. I wanted to send her a message. After all, this woman was like an angel to me; my link to my savior: a talking, condescending car. Just looking at my site, you've *got* to see the Knight Rider influence. Anyway, I held off, and decided to find more info on the project myself. And here's what shattered my childhood memories:
HOW THE HELL CAN YOU CALL THIS K.I.T.T.?!!
I swear, every night when I say my prayers, I pray that someone would bring back Team Knight Rider. Or at least release it on DVD. On the bright side, at least these producers got The Hoff to agree to come back, which is something TKR never pulled off.
This post is dedicated to the late, great Ike Turner. I believe there are two sides to every story, and poor Ike never got his fair shake. So, I hope he's in Heaven, slapping and beating up angels...
- RT @MeisterShake: Seriously folks, WHY THE FUCK would I care about YOUR horoscope? Stop tweeting it.
- A midget!!! #SNL
- I love how that Bon Iver photo was like Find The Black Guy. Oh, there he is! Between Chad and Tyler!
- If y'all wanna make fun of Lana Del Ray, you can make fun of this dude's Eunuch Wails.
- This dude is just making noises - like the kind you make when you catch your balls in the zipper. I hope the internet takes notice!
- This Bon Iver song sounds like Johnny Hates Jazz. Not complaining. I just need bigger shoulder pads.
- That's why Harlem Nights is such a good movie - it passes the torch, but you'll never get that much black talent in the same movie again.
- When is Tyler Perry gonna get cracking on the black version of The Expendables?
- If I investigated rape cases, like on SVU, my first question to the vic (that's Cop Talk) would be "Did he look like Guy Fieri?"
- Ten seconds, gun to your head - who won The Voice last season?
From The Vault
- Making The Band 4, Aubrey O'Day, Smackdown, and Paige's Return to Trading Spaces
- 2007 Year In Review
- Marvel Doesn't Seem To Care About The Fantastic Four Movie
- Early Thoughts On The Upcoming X-Men 3
- RIP Rodney Dangerfield
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