This One’s For Andy Bernard
So, I've been feeling the need to post something, but nothing's really ready for the site yet. Then, I came across this video on a facebook friend's profile. I've never been Mr School Spirit - something my mother chastises me for on a regular basis. However, I am proud of the fact that I went to Cornell because I busted my ass.
Sure, I may not be a captain of industry, or the head of a cool new start-up, but I wouldn't be where I am without that place. I loved this video because it showcased all of the things about The Hill that we miss once we're gone. And no, it's not lost on me that the instrumental is from a song toasting the douchebags and the assholes - they're also part of Cornell's charm.
Glee: The Music Presents The Warblers
I haven't really discussed Glee much on this site. I actually wrote a pretty scathing review of the "sneak preview" that Fox aired back in '09, but it's still sitting in draft form. Basically, I didn't think the show would last, but I wanted to give it a chance to prove itself. After a bit, I became happy with myself for not publishing that post, as I fell in love with the show.
Season 1 of Glee was this musical quirk fest that shouldn't exist, yet somehow became popular - kinda like Lady Gaga. You'd ask anyone why they liked it, and you'd get the Apple Jacks response: "I dunno. I just do." Glee launched a bit slowly, but then exploded after winter hiatus during its first season. Of course, the candle that burns brightest burns fastest. Season 2 started off contrived, and just continued to go downhill. In conversations I've had with folks, I've pointed out that I was driven away by how preachy the character of Kurt had become. If you want to know more about that viewpoint, we can handle that in another post. Mainly, I felt that few of the characters were likable, and it was no longer worth tuning in just to hear the gold that comes from Brittany and Santana's mouths - especially when those lines will just end up on twitter.
My biggest problem with the second season, however, is the role that the music now fulfills: in the first season, the plot dictated the song choices, but now it's the other way around, as the song choices have begun to dictate the plot. It was already illogical that these kids would break out in song this much, but now it's harder to believe that they all suffered Britney Spears-centric hallucinations from a visit to the dentist. These are Sitcom Season 6 plotlines, when the cast is just trying to burn off some stories to add to the syndication count. Glee now feels like an odd combination of lazy/forced, as you can tell that a lot of work went into the musical aspect, but they're just so lazy in setting up a *reason* for said music. So, I gave up on the show about 6 episodes into the season. However, one good thing did come from this season: The Warblers.
I dropped out of Glee just as The Warblers were introduced, so I don't know the full story there (nor do I care enough to wiki it). I know Kurt was thinking of transferring to Dalton Academy, and his new school would feature this A-MAH-zing all-male group called The Warblers. While New Directions music contained instrumentation, The Warblers were full-on a cappella, bringing a new sound to the show while also showing people that not all show choirs are a cappella (and vice versa).
Once I gave up the show, I continued downloading the songs, as I still liked the music - especially the songs that clearly had unique arrangements and weren't just karaoke versions of Top 40 hits. The tracks that never failed to impress me all came from The Warblers. Not only do they tackle some pretty intricate arrangements, but they also have a sound remiscent of late 90s collegiate a cappella, which was a time before technology came to dominate those recordings. Currently, as technology has become cheaper, a cappella recordings have started abusing autotune as much as Top 40 radio.
The main force behind The Warblers' sound would be the Tufts Beelzebubs, an all-male collegiate a cappella group from Tufts University. The Bubs dominated a cappella during the late 90s/early '00s with a clean blend that was achieved through talent and effective mixing, but didn't overuse unnecessary effects. The current Bubs actually contribute the vocals for The Warblers, and it's nice to hear that the group is still amazing at what they do. When you meet someone on the street and tell them you sang a cappella, they always ask "Oh, like Rockapella?". Yeah, sure, but what we really wanted to be were The Bubs, The Derbies, The Crosbies or The Dukesmen. So, you could say I'm a fan.
I finally got around to listening to Glee: The Music Presents The Warblers, which collects the Warbler songs that have been featured on the show. I had heard tracks here and there, but after listening to them altogether, I feel that this is once of the best a cappella albums I've heard in QUITE some time. From start to finish, from song selection to blend, this is a nearly flawless collection. Plus, it's nice that Chris Colfer has a platform where his voice can finally shine. He has that distinctive voice where, in an a choral setting, it would be a bitch to get him to blend, but the trade-off would be that he's a dynamic soloist.
There are some real standout tracks on this collection. A cappella groups have done a good job reinterpreting Train songs, and that's true here as they guys turn in a great arrangement of "Hey, Soul Sister."You can also hear the fun in their voices in their cover of "Animal" by Neon Trees. Out of nowhere, they blow the doors off "When I Get You Alone", originally performed by a "Robin-less" Thicke. Finally, I found myself really enjoying a simple, yet still moving, rendition of Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know". If there's one track that might go into the "miss" category, I'd have to say it's their version of "Blackbird". It's not bad, per se, but it lacked the dynamics of the other arrangements. Other than that, it's a solid collection.
If you went to a school that didn't dabble in a cappella, or if you just want to hear what some consider to be the gold standard of collegiate a cappella, you can't go wrong with Glee: The Music Presents The Warblers. I consider this a nice little "Bon Voyage To Glee" present for me. I came for the Lea Michele, but I left with the Darren Criss. Y'all let me know if they ever make a Warblers spinoff show.
5 Corners of Pop Culture That I Don’t Understand
Yeah, so I go around boasting that I know so much about pop culture, but even I have my blind spots. For example, I'm not much of a movie guy. I've never been one for going to movies, and I used to just tell myself "I'll catch it when it comes on TV". As a result, there are tons of movies that have become modern day classics (Titanic, Shrek, Avatar) that I've never seen. So, don't recruit me for your trivia team if you need a Movie Guy. Outside of movies, though, there are 5 particular areas of pop culture that I just don't "get".
Now, I'm not exactly trying to be controversial, but I just know I'm opening the gates for a flame war. That said, I'm not necessarily saying there's anything wrong with these five things, but they just don't really hold much meaning for me. If you can think of a way to change my mind, or can point out great aspects that I've missed, then I certainly invite you to do so. This isn't a bash session, but rather a cry for help: help me understand the big deal about these things.
1) The Big Lebowski - I've had people tell me "You don't get The Big Lebowski 'cause you're black." Um, OK...That's never really affected my interpretation of movies before (although Bamboozled did make me hate white people for a day or so). Since college, I've had people tell me that Lebowski is the most quotable movie ever, while extolling the virtues of The Dude. It was an entertaining movie, quirky in the vein of Fargo. It's a fine movie, but I don't get the *phenomenon*. I don't get why there are action figures of crew-cut John Goodman and Jeff Bridges looking like stoner Jesus in a bathrobe. I don't get the uptick in White Russian consumption.
In terms of pop culture clout, The Big Lebowski has basically become the White Scarface. Scarface has become somewhat inspirational in urban circles, especially to a generation of rappers. Sure, Tony Montana ends up dead, but before that, he came from nothing and ended up having everything. With that, you can kind of understand why he has become the poster child for those who also come from very little. On the flip side, I don't see anything aspirational about the story of The Dude. They occupy the same levels of pop culture, for different demographics, for different reasons. Maybe those folks were right: I understand Scarface, but I don't understand The Dude. Maybe it is because I'm black...
2) The Muppets - Don't get me wrong: I love Muppet Babies, and the Muppets version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is one of my favorite Christmas songs. That said, I just never really got into the movies. In college, I spent time around a sketch comedy group, and that was the first time I learned how much comedy circles revered the Muppets. Maybe I haven't seen the right movies, and I'm missing out. I just don't get the appeal. In some ways, I think I may have the same issues with the Muppets that I have with Alvin & The Chipmunks - I can suspend my disbelief, but I have a problem with these "creatures" coexisting with humans. The same way that I'm slightly disgusted by the idea that humans girls have the same kind of crushes on 4 foot singing chipmunks as they would on Justin Bieber, I also can't really deal with the Muppets gallivanting around the "real world". Sure, it works for Sesame Street, but I don't see why adults are entertained by this, unless they're high. And yes, do understand the irony of this statement coming from the guy who still watches Power Rangers.
3) Jersey Shore - Sorry, folks. Watching the premiere of Jersey Shore felt like a chore. Everyone who knows my love of bad television thought that I'd simply fall in love with the show, but they were wrong. I think I may have a different threshold than others. It seems that Jersey Shore is a guilty pleasure for quite a number of young professionals who love the show, but would never admit to it. It also seems that quite a few educated people love tuning in. That's great. It's just not my cup of tea. I LOVED the True Life episodes that spawned the show, but I really found nothing likable or engrossing about the cast of Jersey Shore. I did, however, enjoy watching that guy punch the shit out of Snookie 'cause, really, how often do you see something like that? Jersey Shore is like going to the zoo - people feel superior as they ogle the "dumb" animals, but that shit eventually gets old and you find yourself looking for the hot dog cart.
4) Harry Potter - They're cute books. I get that. They're not, however, a worthy basis of what has become a literary juggernaut. Let's rewind a bit, though. I missed the genesis of the Harry Potter phenomenon because I was somewhat off the grid. I went to Summer College at Cornell the summer that the first book started picking up steam. Now, if you're not familiar with Cornell or Ithaca, its almost like its own little world. Generally, you have to really seek out information from the "outside world", or else you won't know of anything outside the Ithaca city limits. These were the early days of the internet, and there was no social networking just pushing information at you. When I got back to civilization, I started hearing rumblings of this "Harry Potter" thing, but really didn't know what folks were talking about.
A big reason that I was resistant to Harry Potter was that I didn't like the caliber of the early adopters. Sure, everyone reads Harry Potter now, but in the beginning, it was a certain group of people: the kids who weren't allowed to watch TV, who only played with no-name educational toys from mom & pop stores, whose parents drove hybrids. Mainly, Harry Potter was the entertainment of yuppie children, and I hated all that they stood for. I can't ignore what the franchise has done for literacy, which has actually been a great by-product of the phenomenon. It truly got people into reading, and that's the one thing I like about it. That said, I've never found it all that original.
I grew up in a Roald Dahl household, so it was quite obvious when I started seeing his ideas popping up in the Harry Potter books. The extent of most people's knowledge of Dahl is typically Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, and maybe Matilda or James & The Giant Peach. If you've more than just those, however, you'll see what I'm talking about. It angered me that people felt that Rowling's ideas were so groundbreaking, when I'd seen many of them before. For the people who saw where I was coming from, they still brushed me off with a "Well, nothing's original anymore" or "Well, Rowling did a great job putting all of those Dahl concepts into one series". Whatever. Like I said, they're cute books, but I don't see why they took the world by storm.
5) Star Wars - Basically, this comes down to the fact that I grew up with the philosophy that "Trekkies Can't Be Warsies". I latched onto the late 80s Star Trek revival, and that was where I put my focus. Unlike the other things I've mentioned, I "get" Star Wars, but I just don't have the patience for it, nor do I have the desire to learn.
Star Wars just feels downright inaccessible to me. A few years ago, the only stuff that was "canon" consisted of 3 movies (and a holiday special that no one likes to acknowledge). Later on, there were 3 more movies, which was still manageable, especially since the "real fans" hated the new films and flipflopped on whether they acknowledged the events portrayed in them. Then, however, there was the Clone Wars cartoon, which bothers me because you can't get attached to any characters, knowing they're ALL gonna die. Then, there's all the Expanded Universe stuff (which may not be considered canon, but is still held in high regard amongst the hardcore fans) and don't get me started on all the comic series. So, at the end of the day, it's still just 6 movies and some shows, but it feels so much more daunting. In terms of fandom, I like to go ALL IN. You can't just tell me, "Oh, there are these books, but they don't count." If they exist, I'm going to feel like I need to read them and decide for myself if they count. And it's just too much. The same argument could be made for Star Trek, but I got in early on that stuff, while Star Wars got rolling before I was a gleaming "surprise" in my father's eye. I know it's all psychological, but it just feels like being a Star Wars fan requires too much damn legwork. If you've got an "Star Wars in 3 Minutes" primer you want to send me, I'm all ears. Otherwise, I don't think I'm ever gonna have that soft spot for The Force that so many of you seem to have.
So, there you have it. I hope we can all still be friends. I didn't set out to bash the stuff that people hold dear, but I simply wanted to give my impression of these things. I welcome you to try to convince me otherwise, as I will admit that I do feel a bit left out at times. However, I fear that I'll just get a bunch of comments like "Ur a fuckin' moron!" Oh well, at least you're leaving comments!
The Digital Revolution Is Being Televised
I like to think of myself as an informed person. By no means am I a genius, but I like to think of myself as "Jeopardy Smart" - I know a little about a lot. There's one thing, however, that I know a LOT about, and that's television. I'm not just talking about shows and actors, but the behind-the-scenes aspect of television. I've studied the biography of Brandon Tartikoff, I've read everything I could about the Late Night Wars, and I recognize there's more genius to Peter Engel than we give him credit for. So, with all this focus on TV, I'm always taken aback when something fails to make any real sense. One such occasion was the broadcast switchover from analog to digital. While we were given plenty of warning (and even an extension), it was never fully explained as to why the switch was taking place. For non TV folks, I'm referring to the fact that you can no longer watch TV with a simple antenna, but are now required to have a digital box in order to catch an over-the-air TV signal. Some explanations suggested that it would free up the analog airwaves to be used for emergency purposes. According to some accounts, the government plans to auction off the vacated analog spectrum. For whatever the reason, it was never clear, and it was a huge headache for the elderly population. Most of the folks reading this have cable, so y'all never noticed any real change. I, however, grew up without cable and I was raised by the Black Golden Girls. Preparing them for the switchover was akin to prepping them for potential missile attacks from the "reds". What truly came as a surprise, however, was that the switchover would open a door to the past that I never dreamed possible.
It was like this, but picture them black
Here's a little full disclosure for you: I've never had cable. My mom finally caved and got it once I moved out, but I have never lived in a place that had cable. To make matters worse, I have a basement studio apartment, so getting any kind of over-the-air signal was a bit of a challenge before the switchover. I've never minded a little static, though, as I grew up watching Baltimore TV through the static because their Channel 54 had better shows than our Channel 20 (syndicated Punky Brewster, son!). Nobody told me, however, that digital airwaves would do away with that ability! Now, if you don't get a signal, the screen just goes blue or you get a "No Signal" message. Another part of my childhood gone. That damn digital box ruined my life, as it pretty much eliminated the ability to watch any local station. What it did provide, however, was a link to the past. You see, I now only really get 3 channels, but those 3 channels have turned out to be more awesome than I could have imagined. I tend to suffer from a pretty bad case of seasonal affect disorder where pretty much any condition makes me depressed. Yeah, I should probably see a professional about that, but my home remedy is regression. That was a big deal back in college: "Hey, it's Finals Week, so come to RPU and join us for comfort food and your favorite cartoons!" It's a remedy I still employ to this day, and it works. Apparently, "everything old is new again", and the 3 digital channels that I manage to get actually do a pretty good job recreating my childhood. Let's take a closer look at what we have here, shall we?
As I said, none of my local network channels seem to work any longer, but most of those channels have additional digital channels that the stations seem desperate to fill with programming. For instance, our local NBC station has a digital channel (4-2) that played nothing but old beach volleyball matches. Our local ABC affiliate, however, has something I actually enjoy. You see, they carry the Retro Television Network (Channel 7-2). In what could be considered a "Poor Man's TV Land", RTV focuses on showing hour-long dramas from the past. Stumble across the channel, and you'll find yourself watching I, Spy or Magnum, P.I. The true beauty of the station, however, is that it shows Knight Rider and The A-Team every glorious night. It's like I'm 3 years old again, and I ain't complaining! Sure, those shows haven't aged all that well, but I simply don't care. Forget How I Met Your Mother 5 times a week - I've got the DVDs; when I'm rushing home in the evening, it's to travel back to a time when bullets didn't kill and a talking car was a rarity.
I first discovered RTV last winter when I was unemployed, and I pretty much thought that was as good as the retro television scene was going to get. Then, everything changed on January 1, 2011, when the local CW affiliate started carrying Antenna TV on one of their digital channels (Channel 50-2). While RTV is more of a TV Land clone, Antenna TV is more of a Nick at Nite clone. It hearkens back to the days when Nick at Nite used to play actual classics, and not The George Lopez Show and Roseanne. We've had a ton of snow days recently, and during that time I've seen shows that I haven't seen in years - things like Too Close for Comfort, The Monkees, and Gidget. What really put a smile on my face was when I read that Antenna TV would also be adding Three's A Crowd to their schedule. I know it's a terrible, formulaic show, but I'm a Three's Company fanatic. It has always bothered me that spin-offs Three's A Crowd and The Ropers aren't a part of the syndication package. Antenna TV will be showing the entire franchise. I don't care if it's 4 in the morning, I'll be watching.
I've been familiar with qubo for some time, mainly due to the fact that the qubo programming block took over the NBC Saturday morning timeslots formerly occupied by TNBC and Discovery Kids. My biggest gripe with qubo was that they focused on thinly-veiled Christian CGI cartoons, like Veggie Tales and 3-2-1 Penguins. I actually enjoyed Penguins, but I felt they were hitting kids over the head with the Morals of the Week. So, when I realized that there was a qubo digital channel (66-2), I wasn't exactly rushing home to watch it. Sadly, I get the strongest signal from that channel, so I find myself watching it more than I would like. Well, imagine my surprise a few months back when I caught something called qubo Night Owl. Apparently, qubo acquired the rights to the Filmation cartoon library, so starting around 1 AM, they show He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra: Princess of Power, Bravestarr, and (the "unreal") Ghostbusters, with the gorilla. It's not award-winning television, but it's pretty cool to watch if you're drunk and/or can't sleep. You might, however, find yourself wondering if She-Ra's skirt was always that short...
So, while I still can't explain the reasoning behind the digital switchover, I found a way to turn a negative into a positive. I kinda proud of myself, as I tend to like to just complain about stuff. In any case, I'm just like you. I can drive a car and hold a job. I just can't watch television shows when they air. Oh well, thanks to the internet, I can just watch them the day after. While you're consumed with your DVR and your On-Demand, I'm taking a trip back to a better time. Everything old is new again, and I've got a front row seat. Don't you wish you could be me? Ok, you can stop laughing now. Come on, that's not cool. Stop laughing!
*channel numbers based on Washington, DC viewing market. Check your local listings for your own damn digital channels
My History with the Power Rangers
Every now and then, over the past 18 years, there have been certain points where I felt I had reached an age/level of "cool" where I probably shouldn't bother with Power Rangers anymore. That said, you really can't forget where you came from, so here I am talking about them again. While I don't write about it often, I am a 29 year old Power Rangers fan. If you knew me growing up, you probably came to my house and saw my "shrine" of PR toys and collectibles. I know my love for Power Rangers isn't natural, but it's still there, and I'd like to try to explain why it exists.
Bouncing around the internet, I've found that I'm not alone in my love for the Power Rangers franchise. Allow me to say this, however: I've been involved in a LOT of fandoms over the course of my 29 years - from Trekkies to comic fanboys to a cappella nerds. Out of all of that, no one group scares me more than adult Power Rangers fans. This is probably why I don't wear it on my sleeve like some. I've never posted on Rangerboard nor have I written fanfic to fill-in those missing years where Tommy apparently earned his PhD. I'll admit that a part of me is probably jealous of their dedication. I mean, some of them track down the original Japanese shows and watch them with subtitles. Even yet, some learn Japanese just so they can watch *without* subtitles. A lot of what I'm mentioning could also be said about anime, but that's still seen as this "fringe" thing, while we tend to think of PR as simply a "kids show".
So, I can admit their dedication scares me. At the same time, they also tend to be some of the most socially awkward people I've encountered (and I worked in comics). A good example of this is the episode of MTV's True Life which was called "I'm A Fanboy" (full disclosure: I actually applied for this episode, not even for Power Rangers, but for comics. After watching, I'm SO glad they didn't deem me worthy). There, we met Jason, who was a 26 year old Power Rangers fan. I was so happy that I wasn't alone! That is, until he met this sweet 16 year old at a convention, and then things got creepy. All of a sudden, he was trying to convince her to be his girlfriend, while she was telling him that she was too young and didn't want to be tied down. You haven't lived till you've seen a grown man get turned down by a geeky minor!
True Life: I'm a Fanboy from Punched in the Head Productions on Vimeo.
Sure, that's just one scenario, but the point is that I haven't seen many positive public depictions of adult PR fandom, so I've kinda kept it to myself, outside of a few tweets and the occasional blog post that I figure no one will read. They're not all like him, though. as I've still got good friends from my Toys "R" Us days who enjoy a good Ranger conversation AND I don't mind being seen in public with them!
Anyway, I find my interest in PR spikes whenever a new series is about to premiere. It's like when your girlfriend gets new clothes, and you suddenly think, "Where have YOU been hiding?!" I tend to lose my connection with the franchise, but I always find my way back. It wasn't always like this, though. Back in the early days of the internet, I believe I was one of the foremost PR experts in my age category. Yes, I'm audacious enough to say that. I mean, I was already on the cusp of being too old for it when it began, so I had this adolescent obsession driving me to learn more. I dunno. I remember I used a LOT of my school's paper supply to print out anything and everything I could find about Power Rangers. I still have binders filled with printouts of old Geocities and Xanga sites. What can I say? When I get into something, I tend to go ALL IN.
Through all of this breaking of the ice, however, we still haven't covered the "why" of my PR obsession. Mainly, and I'm not ashamed to say this, I like bad television. Sure, you've got your TV snobs who lament the loss of Arrested Development and Sports Night but that's not me. I enjoy guilty pleasure TV. Hell, if Baywatch Nights was still on, I'd still be watching. I'm still waiting for Team Knight Rider to come out on DVD. I'm not looking for Shakespeare - I just like good escapist television. That's what Power Rangers was in the beginning. Over time, however, the story actually got...good. Most people gave up after early Mighty Morphin', so they wouldn't know about this.
(As an aside, I'm a bit of snob when it comes to my hobbies. With comics, if you tell me that you love Batman, I'll ask you "Who killed Bruce Wayne's parents?" If you answer "the Joker", we have nothing else to discuss. The same could be said about PR. If I mention Power Rangers, and all you can say is "Man, it was messed up how the black guy was the BLACK RANGER!", I already know the extent of your Ranger knowledge.)
Anyway, for those of us who held on, the storylines got really good. Power Rangers in Space was more suspenseful and dark than many primetime dramas. Power Rangers RPM was set in a post-apocalyptic world, where most of humanity had been destroyed by a computer virus - and that shit was from Disney! Anyway, I guess you could say that I came for the schlock, but I stayed for the story.
I made a promise to myself that I would keep watching Power Rangers as long as they kept making it. I mean, who knew it would last this long?! As time went on, internet connections got faster, I went off to college, Power Rangers moved to cable, and my obsession somewhat waned as other fans began to outpace me. I was raised, however, to never make a promise that you can't keep - for this reason, I don't make many promises. I had made that Power Rangers promise, so I had to make good on it.
In college, do you know how hard it was to watch Power Rangers?! Kicking drunks out of the Common Room on a Saturday morning so that I could watch Lightspeed Rescue? Being laughed at by the Walk of Shame strumpets?! I held on, though, til Saban sold the franchise, along with the rest of Fox Kids, to Disney. Not only was it harder to find on the air (ABC affiliates tended to air it at odd hours), but Buena Vista TV had a mad on for going after piracy, so links were taken down almost immediately. As far as I was concerned, I had upheld my end of the promise: I was trying to watch, but Disney was thwarting me. So, I took a few years away from Power Rangers. Sure, I checked in when I could (how the Hell did Tommy ever become a doctor?!), but there are some incarnations that I've never even seen (I'm sorry, but Mystic Force just sounded dumb).
As for the toys and memorabilia, it really comes down to the fact that I'm a speculator. Sure, there's no baseball card market anymore, and comics are just glorified toilet paper, but I didn't know any better growing up. As far as I was concerned, I was gonna be a fucking Rockefeller in the world of collectibles. I jumped on every bandwagon that came along, and Power Rangers was no different. To be perfectly honest, I was like most of you in the beginning. I thought the first episode was kinda lame ("Day of the Dumpster" was dated even by 1993 standards), but I had seen some of the toy ads in the Fox Kids Magazine, and thought they looked kinda cool. Little did I know that they would reach Cabbage Patch/Tickle Me Elmo heights of popularity. They were THE toy of Christmas 1993, and my mom, for all of her fretting and evangelical ways, has always supported my pursuit of hard-to-find stuff. So, I got my first batch of Power Rangers toys as "an investment". She made me keep all the boxes, since they might become "collectors' items". Over time, though, speculating gave way to sheer enjoyment. If you've ever enjoyed playing with Transformers, then you'd enjoy playing with Zords. It's pretty much the same thing. Eventually, however, my collecting got out of control. I finally weened myself off of the toys once I went to college, but that doesn't change the fact that I still have a shit-ton of Saban-era Power Rangers toys. And all their original boxes.
So, what's the reason for this trip down memory lane? Well, as I mentioned, my interest spikes when the debut of a new Ranger series is upon us. Next Monday, Power Rangers Samurai makes its debut on Nickelodeon. When I first heard that Haim Saban had bought the franchise back from Disney, I felt that he was really just going to sit on it for the licensing money. Instead, it seems like he's really putting a lot of effort into Samurai. It's being heralded as a back-to-basics approach, as he has gotten the old band back together on the production side. Plus, not only is the theme a remixed version of the original "Go Go Power Rangers", but they've even got Bulk back for comic relief! While young kids may just see it as a fun action-packed show, it's really almost a homecoming for those of us who remember the early days of the franchise. Something that really should've been a flash-in-the pan fad has become something of a multigenerational franchise. It has reached that age where parents are watching with their kids, saying "I used to watch this when I was little". Whether you like the show or not, that's still an accomplishment worthy of applause. There doesn't seem to be an end in sight, as Japan is still cranking out the source material. Anyway, I've spent a LOT of time and money on what most people consider to be "a dumb kids show", but I've gotta say...I'm kinda starting to look forward to the day when I share it with my kids.
Origin: The Final Frontier
By this point, we've covered how I found comics, how I came to love comics, as well as the memories and experience they provided. Back in Origin Zeo, I mentioned the time I discovered the sense of community that surrounds comic books. That might sound lame to some, but it is almost like a family in itself. We rarely agree on anything, but we'll defend the medium to the bitter end. For me, comics have been an important means of social outreach. I'm a bit introverted, though you might not think so, what with me having a blog named after myself and all. I'm actually pretty shy, so I don't just put myself out there to make friends. I will say, however, that most of my enduring friendships have been the result of my love of comics.
When I was in middle school, I attended a school for 6 weeks before we all realized that it wasn't "the right fit". I ended up enrolling in public school (for the first time, mind you), 6 weeks into the semester. It was hard enough being the new kid, but it was even harder being the late new kid. As dorky as I was, I didn't get beaten up or anything, but I can't say I had any friends, either. That all changed when I noticed a kid from my church, and we found ourselves talking about X-Men and Power Rangers. That kid was Brett King, and that conversation led to 10 years where we dissected X-Men developments, and debated new Zord combinations. We traded Marvel Masterpieces, created our own battles with our action figures, and even attended Professor Xavier's funeral together (it was an event sponsored by a local mall). Up through college, he was truly my best friend, and it was all built on the foundation of a shared love of comics. I don't know how I would've survived that period without him.
Once I got to college, I met James Lamb. To call him "interesting" or "complex" wouldn't even come close to describing the man, as he's an enigma. Passionately political one minute, and hardcore Marvel fanboy the next. He's gonna kill me for this, but he's basically an amalgam of Malcolm X and Stan Lee ("Excelsior, crackers!"). I always tell people that I majored in "A Cappella", as that was my primary focus while in school. Sad, but true. When I wasn't singing, however, I was with James, discussing the nuances of "Hush" and "The Age of Apocalypse". Once we both graduated, and found that we weren't the Captains of Industry that the world expected us to be, we had MANY 4 AM conversations where the topics would range from Jason Todd to Jim Crow. Those conversations kept me sane in my years as a "boomerang kid", back living in the room in which I'd grown up.
Eventually, I found myself actually living the dream, when I was hired by Diamond Comic Distributors as a Purchasing Brand Manager. Basically, we created Previews - the catalog that all comic shops use to place their orders. My job was to gather information for a particular part of the catalog, while also seeking out new "small press" creators who might have projects that they'd like to have promoted to retailers.
Diamond was a great opportunity, as it allowed me to learn the other side of comics. Up to this point, I had simply been a reader/fan/collector, but now I was working alongside creators/publishers/newcomers. I had some great experiences, like hanging out with a former Batman editor, being starstruck at SDCC, and even being drawn into a comic. I felt honored by the opportunity, but I also met some great people from that job. Jim Kuhoric: all-around good guy/comic creator (and greatest boss). Steve Leaf: the fanboy I'd like to be when I grow up. Jay Spence: the filmmaker who's the gonna be the next Kevin Smith. Then, there's one fellow who's gonna need his own paragraph.
When I first met Keith Davidsen, I didn't quite know what to make of him. He seemed to be vying for the "class clown" position, which made me a bit competitive, as that's the slot I like to have. There was no rivalry, however, as we ended up as a pretty good duo. I can't even remember our first "adventure", as we basically lived at Diamond. We've had craziness from San Diego to Miami, but it's all based on a shared love of comics. Nobody loves 90s comic gimmicks like this guy. Rob Liefeld, Ghost Rider, X-Force - they were all created for Keith Davidsen. Since these were prevalent when I was getting into comics, it's almost like we grew up in the same town, but went to different schools. For the better part of 5 years, he has been one of my best friends, and that's all traced back to comics.
After comics, I worked at one of the (allegedly) shittiest companies ever, where we were all basically telemarketers. Under the guise of "research associate", I dealt with a lot of people who begged me to stop harassing them. My God, did I hate that place! Anyway, I had one real friend there, and wouldn't you know, he was a comic fan: Jason Larbi. While this analogy might offend an actual veteran, working at that place was akin to being in battle, and Jason was right there in the trenches with me. Whether we were discussing "Old Man Logan", or he was trying to make me believe he had found a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 in his alley, he was the only thing that got me through the day. That was also the saddest part about leaving that place: I got discharged on Section 8, while he's still in the fight.
I'd also can't forget about Toys "R" Us. While I've written about it quite a bit, I worked at that place for 10 years. My first store was full of characters, but it wasn't until I got to the Columbia store that I actually made friends. Once that happened, it didn't even feel like "work". Sure, it got rough during summer and right before Christmas, but most of the time it was just like hanging out at a friend's house - except you wore a uniform, there were shelves, and strangers were constantly going in and out of the place. Anyway, I looked forward to going, and discussing Batman Begins and Iron Man with Amy, "Special Forces", Patty, and the late, great Lenny. I really should have quit that place years before I did, but I kept going back for the camaraderie and the geeky atmosphere. It was my Geek Barbershop.
At the end of the day, what I've been trying to say here is that comics have been my gateway for the past 18 years. Whether as a form of entertainment, or as a source for conversation fodder, I don't know where I would be if I didn't have them in my life. Some people might think it's sad, but everybody's got something. I just wanted to let you guys in on what comics have meant, specifically, to me. They started out as just "something to read", but later turned into an instrument in the creation of a make-believe family, which eventually gave way to be replaced by a surrogate, comic reading family. We get a bad rap as anti-social nerdlings, but I think that's incorrect. Comic fans are some of the most social people I've ever encountered. In some cases, they might even be too social. That said, there is an almost overwhelming sense of community that surrounds comics, and I think that's a big part of their charm. Just like you can strike up a conversation with the guy wearing the McNabb jersey, I can do that with someone I see reading DMZ. For example, I recently started a job at a school, and one of the principals is a comic fan. We often have conversations about Wolverine or Walking Dead. Just another example of how pervasive the community can be.
This is the first time I've ever taken a look back over the course of my comic fandom. It was certainly more emotional than I ever thought it would be, but it included some stories that I'm glad I've had the opportunity to tell. Taking it all in, it's clear that comics have been very influential in my life, and I can't wait to see where they take me next. Thanks for taking this trip down memory lane with me.
DC Comic-Con: Well, There’s Always Next Year…
So, today marked the 1st (annual?) DC Comic-Con. However, in this case, "DC" meant "Northern Virginia", and "Comic-Con" meant "church bazaar". I really had high hopes for this show. Established as a joint effort between Baltimore Comic-Con creator Marc Nathan, and the Laughing Ogre chain of stores, the show was poised to give the DC-Metro Area its first taste of a somewhat "official" comic book convention. Considering how great the Baltimore show has become over the years, this venture held a lot of promise. Unfortunately, something went wrong between idea and execution.
Now, I was actually supposed to volunteer for the show, as I first learned about it when I was in Marc's store a few months back. He had a really good idea: he was already hosting a Free Comic Book Day signing in his store, so he figured he would just offer those guests an extra night's hotel stay, and have them as his guests for the show. On top of that, he was going to make sure that all of the local shops had flyers available on FCBD, so that he could take advantage of the newcomers who might be flocking to stores. Considering his guest list was going to include Frank Cho (Ultimate Avengers 2, Liberty Meadows), JG Jones (52, Marvel Boy), Jo Chen (Buffy Season 8 covers), and others, it sounded like it couldn't fail. Of course I wanted to be on board with that! He told me to show up early, and he'd put me to work. Well, fast forward to this morning, as I didn't get to sleep until 7 AM because I'd been up working on restoring older entries to the site (I'll explain that situation in another post). So, considering I wasn't getting to sleep until about 3 hours before the show started, I simply muttered "Fuck that noise", and went to sleep.
Over the past few days, I guess I lost most of my interest in the show when it didn't seem like anyone really knew about the thing. I was in a comic shop yesterday, where I overheard someone talking about it, but their account of the thing was riddled with misinformation. On top of it, these were the retailers, themselves, and not just some fanboys standing around. So, it was becoming apparent that those flyers hadn't made the rounds as planned. Also, the website was only updated intermittently. By Thursday, in total, there had only been about 5 update posts - none of which contained any major information, outside of the list of creators who'd be present. The only show-exclusive item was a variant cover of Witchblade, which would benefit the Hero Initiative. That's good for the Hero Initiative, but the whole "Show Exclusives" part of the site looked pretty sad, as nothing else was being listed alongside it. It's almost like, "Why bother?"
The worst crime of the site, however, was that it didn't even list information pertaining to the price of regular admission. It stated that tickets would be available at the door, and not in advance (unlike the Baltimore show). Also, admission would be $5 IF you signed up for the e-mail newsletter. What if I don't want to sign up? Well, there's no information for that scenario. Guess I would just have to find out at the door...
So, I woke up around 11:30, and really debated whether or not I wanted to even bother with it. I had told Marc I'd volunteer, but it's not like he really cared. He'd be OK. The main thing, though, was that I didn't really know how to get to George Mason University. Sure, there's Mapquest, GPS, and all that, but I hate the thought of trying to navigate a college campus. Cornell was basically the entire town of Ithaca. I knew GMU wasn't that big, but I didn't want to waste most of the day wandering around aimlessly. I checked the con's site, only to see that they had uploaded a map of the campus, showing the location of the show, as well as the lot (Lot A) which was the only one open to con guests. Nice of them to post this...on May 1st. Yeah, they did it yesterday. The day before the show.
Honestly, though, I really just wanted to go so that I could finally meet one of my twitter pals. He's one of the few people I can actually have a tweetversation with, and I think he'd be a cool "real life" friend. I knew he was making the trip from Baltimore, so if he could do that, then I could suck it up and drive to VA.
I headed down to GMU, but I was looking at the map on my phone, as I didn't have the chance to print it. The Zoom option didn't want to work, so I was flying blind. Once on campus, I couldn't, for the life of me, find Lot A. Driving around Patriot Circle, the signs about the show/lot simply ran out. I ended up parking in the lot for a shopping center across the street from the campus. I didn't want to risk tickets/towing by parking in the wrong campus lot, and I don't mind walking. If I had found Lot A, it would've been a "5-10 minute walk" to the show. I'm not sure if that estimate was for the "normal" person, or for us geek types, who don't have much in the way of cardio training.
I wandered through campus a bit, and actually walked past Lot A. It wasn't much closer than the shopping center, so I didn't feel too bad about my choice. Since the main campus seems to be configured in the middle of a circle, it wasn't too hard to figure out the general direction of central campus. That said, all of the buildings, while nice and new, all pretty much look the same. Every now and then, I'd see a fat kid carrying a bag of comics, coming from the general direction in which I was headed, so that was an encouraging sign. Eventually, I just had to suck it up, and ask some kid where the Student Union was. Luckily, it was right around the corner from where I was. Keep in mind, this whole walk, which was in the CORRECT direction, contained NO signage to imply that I was headed in the right direction. I couldn't have been the only one to experience this. Sadly, I arrived just in time to receive a tweet saying that my twitter pal had just left.
Anyway, once at the student union, there was nothing outside to indicate what was going on inside. No "DC Comic-Con Here!" sign. The only clue was that there were more slovenly kids with bags of comics, and a line at the ATM. Once inside, I realized that it wasn't exactly a well-oiled machine. Admission turned out to be $5, so I guess the newsletter tactic was a bust. The problem was that, after I paid the money, the guy manning the table was more concerned with me filling out a raffle ticket than with giving me my wristband. People were bunching up around me, so once I was done, his partner tried to charge me another $5 before he'd give me the wristband. I told him I'd already paid, and the 1st guy co-signed it, so I got my wristband. That's when I entered the "ballroom" where the show was being held...
You know your grandma's church? The one that's old and drab 'cause only old people attend? The one where they hold bazaars in the drab auditorium? The same auditorium which has a stage up front, as they sometimes use it to present the Christmas Cantata? Well, that's exactly what this venue was like. It had a very "flea market" vibe to it. The entire room was filled with vendor tables, while something seemed to be happening onstage. I started to make the loop, but people were just in the way. This is a common problem with conventions, as everybody wants to bodyblock the longboxes until they're done looking through them - very territorial.
As I'm walking through, I realize I recognize a lot of the vendors. After all, I used to frequent those little comic shows they hold at the Crowne Plaza in Tysons. Yup, there was the guy with one arm. There was the jerk from Columbia. There was the dude who always gives me the stink eye. The gang was all there. As I continued around, something became VERY apparent to me: the vendors had only brought their older comics OR their junk. So, if you were new to comics, your only options were overpriced yellowed books from the '70s or a bunch of $1 bin books from the mid '90s. I was kind of offended by this, as it implied that none of the vendors had taken the show seriously. Just as the place looked like a church bazaar, they were treating it as one. As I walked around, I overheard a lot of grumbling amongst the vendors, as the show clearly hadn't met their expectations. Now, I'm not sure if they were unhappy with the turnout, or the lack of sales, but I have to lay some of the blame on the vendors themselves. Outside of the shitload of unnecessary Deadpool variant covers released over the last few months, the vast majority of vendors didn't have any books published within the last five years. On top of that, it was a great show for anyone looking for cheap trade paperback collections, but the single comic offerings were piss poor. One guy was selling "new comics", one of which was an issue of Amazing Spider-Man that came out six months ago. Now, considering that series comes out thrice-monthly, that book is basically a year and a half old, when compared to other comics. That's not NEW.
I made about 5 loops around the room, and couldn't find ANYTHING on which I wanted to spend money. It was all junk. Hell, I was so disgusted that I passed up the FCBD books that some guy had leftover from yesterday. I bought the DC Comic-Con exclusive Witchblade because it was the show's ONLY exclusive, and I wanted to have proof of the show's existence in case it's never held again. It helped out the Hero Initiative, though I've never exactly been sold on that organization (look up its guidelines some time - there's a a VERY narrow pool of creators who even qualify for its assistance).
The saddest part of the convention was the lone Joker who was skulking around the show floor. This dude looked terrible! I mean, his costume was good, but he just looked depressed, and I'm not sure if it was part of his cosplay. I think he just felt out of place, as he was the ONLY one in cosplay that I saw. They were granting free admission to anyone who showed up in full costume, but he's the only one who looked like he may have taken advantage of that offer. In any case, I eventually saw him hiding behind a pillar, fervently texting someone. Maybe he was asking Batman to come and take him back to Arkham. After all, that HAD to be a better option than where he was at the moment!
Oh, remember the commotion onstage? Well, that's where those big name creators were set up. It was so awkward, however, as they were elevated over the rest of the show floor. To add to that, any fans wishing to get signatures & sketches had to wait off to the side of the stage. When it was their turn, they went up, as if they were about to receive a diploma. I'm being overly dramatic, but it really looked like an elitist setup, as we were all waiting to "pay tribute". I already had signatures from all of them, so I didn't even give it a second thought.
While on Loop #5, I noticed one vendor, who also happened to be the only vendor who was even remotely friendly to me, had a bunch of old toys for sale. Really old toys. That's when I saw them: the Hasbro figures from the Stargate movie. Kurt Russell as Jack O'Neill, James Spader as Daniel Jackson, and nary a trace of likeness rights between them. Despite looking nothing like the actors, I LOVE Stargate, and I couldn't shake a stick at the price tag of $3 each. As I took Daniel and O'Neill to the vendor, he laughed and told me he would cut me a deal for all of them. There were 6 figures, and he said he'd give them to me for half price. Now, I'm normally a sucker for a deal, but I really had no use for Lt. Kawalsky and Horus figures. I mean, Kawalsky looked just like O'Neill, but had a different color shirt, and I don't care about grunt soldiers from a defunct toy line. I could've had them all for about $3 more than I spent, but I just didn't want more junk in my apartment. I'm gonna hang Daniel and Jack on the wall, like the kitsch that they are. I simply had no use for the others.
The very second after I completed that transaction, I headed for the door. I didn't care about the raffle, or the door prizes, or spending another second in that place. I walked out the door, and didn't look back.
While I had major problems with the venue, I think my main disappointment came from the fact that I had held such high expectations. It's really a matter of semantics: this was not a convention, but a show. A comic convention is an experience. There are vendors, panel discussions, and it provides fans with the chance to meet their favorite creators. A comic show, however, is simply about selling. Vendors bring their backstock inventory, and hope to unload some of it to people who are trying to fill holes in their collections. Shows don't always have guests, and when they do, they don't tend to be "marquee". This show definitely fit the latter definition. It was geared toward the collector, and the older collector at that. It didn't serve as a proper introduction for the new fan, nor as encouragement to the casual fan. I'm a collector, and it didn't even fit my needs, so I'm left to wonder what was the target audience for this show. It's got some reputable names behind it, so maybe this was a case of "1st year mistakes". I didn't exactly have an amazing time, but fanboys are gluttons for punishment, so I'm not giving up on it completely. After all, there's always next year...
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
Possible Boyband Revival, Chris Brown, and Last Call
"Fat people are harder to kidnap"
Can you feel it in the air? It's coming! What, pray tell? The Boyband Revival!
If you remember, these fads occur in cycles. Around 1986, we had New Kids on the Block. They lasted for about 4 years and it fell apart. Then, around '96, Backstreet Boys finally hit it big (after a false start in '94 - the world wasn't ready yet), followed by 'NSYNC, with both groups tearin' up the charts and our hearts. While they were on top, a few New Kids came back (Joey, Jordan), while the main boybanders begat a slew of imitators (O-Town, 911, SoulDecision, Youngstown, LMNT, Natural, 5ive, Take 5, C-Note and the list goes on and on). Now, here we are, in 2008, and we've got the return of NKOTB, rumors of a 5ive reunion across the pond, and this little tidbit I found today:
http://www.myspace.com/bandemoniumtour
That's right, boyband manager extraordinaire, Johnny Wright, is at it again with BANDEMONIUM, a national tour featuring Menudo, NLT, Glowb and V Factory (God, I hope V Factor is comprised of a bunch of virgins - what a clever gimmick!). The only recognizable group is Menudo, and that's because of that craptacular Making-the-Band style show on MTV last year where the group was created. This kind of event, however, is how Backstreet Boys got big. Lou Pearlman held a bunch of Transcontinental Records showcases, and this propelled the Backstreet Boys to international stardom. Sure, there were other groups (Solid HarmoniE, LFO, Innosense - if you ever want to see all of Lou's acts in one place, track down a DVD copy of Longshot, as it was part of their contracts to appear in some way, shape or form) but they had to fail so that BSB could succeed. Out of these 4 boybands listed for Bandemonium, 3 of them ain't gonna make it. But I can feel it in the air: bubblegum pop is almost back, and I couldn't be happier! The Jonas Brothers just kind of reopened the door: the boyband that plays their own instruments. Pretty soon, though, the "Hannah Montana Generation" is going to demand choreographed dancing, frosted tips, and Burger King CD giveaways. It'll be great to hear something not produced by Timbaland, and not featuring T-Pain or Akon. And, oh, what a glorious day that will be!
What is with "Love In This Club Pt II"? They took a hot song and just made it boring. Did Beyonce really need to be invited to this party?
Has anyone seen the video for Jordin Sparks's "No Air"? What is that all about? She & Chris Brown would have air if they weren't wasting it, screaming at each other! He's right in front of you, in that hoodie he always wears. What are you screaming about, Jordin? Stop yelling in Chris Brown's face like that!
Speaking of Chris Brown, I really like that dude. I was in JT's corner, but as his star rose, he got a little too smug for my tastes (plus, it didn't help that he slept with every woman on the average male's "dream list"). Chris, on the other hand, seems so down-to-earth, even in spite the neck tattoo and that hoodie he never takes off. Chris Brown is like your pretty boy cousin that you only see at the family reunion. His mom is going on and on about, "Chris just made the basketball team", and your aunt comes in and says something like, "Mmm, that boy is gonna be a heartbreaker, with his good-lookin' self!" And Chris just smiles and says something like, "Well, you know..." And you sit there, thinking, "I wish someone thought I was a heartbreaker..."
I thought Chris had a new track until I found out it was Jesse McCartney. Anybody heard "Leavin'" yet? I've got to give it to Jesse - he took his "beautiful soul" underground for a few years, and I really think it helped his creativity. Well, that and puberty. A lot of people don't realize he wrote Leona Lewis's "Bleeding Love", collaborating with OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder (sidenote: I really think Ryan Tedder's going to be the David Foster of our generation. He's just getting started, and he's going to be prolific as Hell!). Jesse's releasing his version as a hidden track on his new CD, Departure. Having heard his version, I'll say it's different, but I still like it. Leona simply sells the vocals, while Jesse sells the lyrics.
How is Chloe Lattanzi still on Rock the Cradle? Seriously, who is she pleasuring with those amazing lips of hers?
Still not watching Idol, but I caught the mp3 of David Cook's "Always Be My Baby". That's gotta be the best reinterpretation of a song since Clapton's unplugged "Layla". Yeah, it's that good.
In closing, I spent last weekend @ Cornell, taking in the spring show of my boys, my family, Last Call. When I was in that group, it was always my hope to go down in history as, maybe, one of the Top 20 soloists in LC. Unfortunately for me, the group just gets better and better, quickly knocking me off that list. I shall one day simply be a footnote in their existence. Maybe I'll make the list for Top 20 Black soloists in LC. Either way, I'm proud of them, as they truly kick ass. I've got to say, though, nothing wakes you up quite like this quote, which was said to me at the afterparty: "Oh my God, I had such a crush on you when I was twelve." Yeah, apparently, I'm that old now...
My Life, In Watches
"But we've just lost the beat."
I've always had a thing for watches. Carrie Bradshaw has her Manolo's, and I've got whatever Fossil/Casio/Timex catches my eye. Sure, we're talking low price points here, but that's how I roll.
Now, as far back as I can remember, I was into watches. When I was 2, Mommy bought me a Ronald McDonald watch. I had some sort of tantrum, and destroyed in the foyer of our house. When she questioned me about it, all I could say was, "Well, he was fat, anyway." She vowed not to buy me a new watch, but I had a Michael Jackson watch soon afterwards.
After Daddy died, I had a Knight Rider watch. Man, did I love that watch. If I remember correctly, it didn't even tell time. It was fake and plastic, but it had a picture of K.I.T.T. inside, and that's all I needed.
Recently, I've come to notice that I get new watches to signify new phases in my life. For some miraculous reason, it becomes "new watch time" whenever there's a sort of shift in the things in my life. Now, sometimes "new watch time" is signalled by a dead battery. Let me let you in on a little secret: I don't change watch batteries. I just buy a new watch. So far, the batteries have lasted for years, and they tend to die at just the right time.
In middle school, I had my Radio Shack calculator watch. Yup, I was THAT kid. But I loved that watch, with its calendar function and "deet-deet" alarm. I was a geek, but I didn't care. At that point, I didn't much care what people thought of me because I knew I was kind of weird and I was fine with that. I was my own best friend and I had my imagination to keep me company.
In high school, I went through several different watches, mainly because none of them really held much meaning for me. I was trying to settle on watches as I tried to figure out who I was. Honestly, though, high school was NOT this time of angst that people make it out to be. In all truth, I expected it to be like 'Saved by the Bell", and was disappointed when it was NOT like that. Either way, I didn't have the growing pains of not being asked to dances, or learning to drive. Life is like the lottery: you've gotta be in it to win it, and I decided to sit it out. My high school weekends involved me watching tapes of pre-recorded TNBC while talking on the phone to my friends while they were out living their lives.
In college, I had 2 watches that come to mind. When I first went to school, I had this really bootleg musical watch that Mommy really pushed on me at City Place. Now, I liked the watch and all, but it had a big G clef on the face, and little notes for each hour. I was emerging from a few years playing piano, and it was pre-a cappella. If anything, I was in my musical theatre phase. The watch, though it sounds kinda gay, was actually nice. The downside, though, was that I felt a musical watch should PLAY music. It didn't have a little song, so I felt gypped. Anyway, I got the watch and wore the HELL out of it. By Christmas (maybe 6 months after buying it), the band had worn off (thanks City Place!).
I came home for Christmas, and Mommy bought me a Relic watch from JC Penney. "Relic" was basically a generic "Fossil", but it was a beautiful watch. Oddly enough, it had a blueish-green face which matched the stone in my class ring. It was like my accessories had been destined to be together. It's funny because we HATE Penney's, but sometimes what you're looking for is where you least expect it. Anyway, I wore that watch for the rest of Cornell and through graduation. In fact, I wore it up until about 6 months ago.
Now, a few people might know this, but 2004 was pretty rough for me. In a LOT of ways. Hell, you can go back and read the archives. Sometimes, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Anyway, I was working at H&M and it's a freaky place. It's not simply retail, but instead it's this weird, neo-hippy, bohemian enclave that happens to sell clothes. I decided , "Hey, I'm gonna ride this opportunity til the wheels fall off", so I started crafting "H&M Will". Part of that involved a Fossil leather cuff watch. Now, I never would've looked twice at the thing 4 years ago, but at this point, I felt it would complete the ensemble. Several returns, fitting room shifts, and gay bars later, I realized that I didn't really like that world so much. Plus, I felt it was a lesson that I shouldn't have traded up watches "before it was time".
Unfortunately, while lost in the world of leather, my pretty, blueish Relic died on me. It died on me when I needed it most. I was working in the illustrious commercial real estate industry as the world's worst telemarketer. I didn't know how I got there, nor did I know how to get out. Everything was changing around me, but I felt stuck. And my accessories didn't match anymore. The high school ring had given way to the Cornell ring. For some reason, I decided that I didn't like the traditional A.D White ring and designed my own, with black onyx. It had always clashed with the pretty watch, but it went quite well with the leather cuff. And that didn't sit right with me. I always wanted to have class, be a little GQ, but now I felt very "gloryhole". And it didn't help that I didn't know what I wanted to be or how to get there.
Finally, prayers were answered, and "it was time". Not only did I gain my emancipation, but I also fell into my dream industry: comics. As a brand manager, I would have to be a figurehead at cons and whatnot, and there's a certain emphasis on appearance. Suddenly, I knew it was time to do something about the leather cuff. I wasn't really that person anymore, nor did I want to be. Right before my birthday, I was looking through a magazine, and I fell in love. Right there, I saw a attractive, black Fossil with a diamond at 12 o'clock. No, re-read what I wrote: It was an attractive, black fossil with a diamond at 12 o'clock. For all of you English majors out there, that's what you call metatext, so I'm not going to ruin your analysis. I had to have it, and actually bought it for myself before buying most of the presents I needed to buy for my family; hey, I'm an only child!
The watchband was actually too large, and I needed to take a few links out for it to fit better. Yesterday, I finally got around to getting the links taken out. It was at that time that I realized I hadn't really tried the watch on. Sure, I'd sampled it, but what can you tell from that? I was left with the feeling that it was more beautiful, more attractive on paper than on my wrist. Sure, I could grow into it. As Mr. Humphries would say, "It'll ride up with wear". Either way, as I sit here typing this, I look down at my attractive, black Fossil with the Diamond at the top, and I wonder if it's really for me. Maybe it was meant to stay on paper. I hope I don't come to regret my new watch/phase of life. Regrets...that's a topic we'll revisit tomorrow.
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