I watched the Teen Choice Awards tonight. Though my teen years are most definitely (and happily) behind me, I like to watch the show and see the people I like on it (like the cast of Twilight). So yeah, I saw Miley Cyrus's performance. And my opinion is...what's the big deal?
As a kid of the 90s, I remember the first time I saw Britney Spears flouncing around in a little schoolgirl outfit and pigtails. Please, that is like two steps away from a pole. Maybe even worse. She was sending mixed signals. At least with Miley's performance it was what it was. She danced against the pole for like a minute and then kept going. It's not like she jumped on top of it and flipped upside down in a spread eagle. And don't try to say she might as well have done that. That is a crock of bull and anyone with a semi functioning brain can see that. Do you know how many people go to aerobics class where you work on the pole? It's a serious workout. What, was it because Miley had on shorty shorts and boots? She didn't take any of her clothes off though! And honestly, that's no worse than a nude colored bra and pants covered in rhinestones.
I think this really comes down to something that has irked me for years. Parents are always quick to blame the artist for being a bad role model because of various reasons. The way the dress, what they say, how they act. The last time I checked, it wasn't Miley Cyrus's job to maintain anyone's moral integrity but her own. So people shouldn't be giving her a hard time because of what she wears or how she acts on stage. Sure she's 16 (almost 17) but she's still a hell of a lot more admirable than a lot of regular girls her age. Let us not forget that at 16 Jamie Lynn Spears was knocked up. That's really not uncommon at that age! That's what parents should be talking to their daughters about, keeping their goddamn legs closed. No 16 year old girl needs to be having sex and if they are, put them on birth control. At least Miley's not walking around with a big old pregnant belly going "Hey y'all, watch my show!" So what that she wore some shorty shorts and danced against a pole for a few seconds? It's really not the end of the world. It's a part of a show.
My philosphy is that if you're so concerned about what Miley's doing and worried that your young daughter is going to get the wrong impression, sit down and talk to her! Explain that what Miley was doing was just a part of a show, that she's a performer and that's her job. Tell her that just because Miley did it on television does not mean that it's okay to dress like that and act that way when you're out in public. Don't look to celebrities to teach your kids what's right and what's wrong. YOU'RE the parent; that is YOUR responsibility! It really bothers me that parents don't want to step up to the plate and deal with it. It is Miley Cyrus's job to be an entertainer, nothing else.
And sure you can say that it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. Yes, there were pictures circling the interwebs of Miley flashing her panties...they're just underwear! She was otherwise covered, unlike Vanessa Hudgens or some other Disney stars who were showing all their business! Honestly someone could get a good view of your panties if you accidentally open your legs too wide wearing a skirt. The point is, she was wearing panties. You didn't see any boobies or any other lady parts.
If it really comes down to the way she was dressed while dancing...HELLO! have you walked into a store for juniors any time recently? I went on a quest to find a simple pair of denim shorts, nothing too fancy or anything to wear when it was warm and I didn't want to wear a dress. I went to about three or four stores before I found a pair that didn't show off my business!! I'm 23 years old and if I shouldn't be showing off my goods, what makes it okay for a 16 girl? And those are the only people I see wearing these shorts! Psh, they should be called denim underwear! So its okay for your kid to be traipsing the streets looking like she forgot to put on pants but it's not okay for Miley Cyrus to dance against a pole? Where is the logic in this?! Maybe I missed something. But I don't get it. Again, she's not walking around pregnant saying "Hey everyone! Look up to me! I'm knocked up because I danced on a pole at the Teen Choice Awards!"
Seriously, give me a break. Performers PERFORM. Parents PARENT. Honestly, Miley's performance was no worse than some of the conversations I hear from girls her age (and younger) on the bus. So either, we clean it all up or we can't complain. And remember, only parents can teach their children moral integrity. And we ain't Miley's momma.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
I'm Not A Feminist But...
Why are people so threatened by a strong woman? We've had rights to speak our mind in this country for awhile now and it feels like every time it happens, the world falls apart. I feel like its especially worse in the entertainment industry which makes me seriously nervous because I want to be in that industry. But it seems like whenever a female artist has something to say that someone doesn't like, she gets all sorts of backlash.
Take for example, Katherine Heigl. I mean, I'm not a huge fan but I admire her for being so open with her feelings. But most people (in the industry and just regular people) consider her public enemy number one. Why? Because she wasn't afraid to say that she found "Knocked Up" to be misogynistic? Um, hello it kind of was. And completely unrealistic. I'm sorry but someone as hot as Katherine Heigl would not sleep with Seth Rogen no matter how many beers she had. But as soon as she spoke out everyone came down on her because it was the movie that launched her film career into orbit. So fucking what? And I know people will say well if she felt that way why did she make it? Um, forget not that this is a business. And maybe it read one day and then came to be something completely different once it was done. It's not like she could have pulled out halfway during filming because she didn't like the image of women the movie portrayed. Then she'd have to deal with backlash from that.
And now two years later Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen have something to say about her comments. It's like "really?" Did it offend them that much that they had to make a comment all this time later? Hey, maybe the woman had a point. Did you ever think about that guys? Give me a break okay? If you don't like what she had to say, tough. You have no problem spending the money the movie made you right? And how much of that was because she was in the movie? I mean, it's just a thought.
And let's not forget when she gracefully pulled her name out of the hat for an Emmy nomination the year after she won. She very simply stated that she didn't feel like the material that had been written for her gave her a performance worthy of being nominated for an Emmy. I watch Grey's Anatomy and I can say that she really had a horrible season and if she had been nominated for an Emmy I would have been pissed. I understand that characters have arcs and such but Izzie made me want to punch her in the face she came on screen. The writers and creator of the show should not have been mad that she told the truth; they should have been mad that they put that garbage on my tv screen week after week. Of course, they gave her a kickass season this year (as well as a terminal disease) but her being honest made them sit an reevaluate things.
Another example is Kelly Clarkson. She is the first and most successful American Idol winner and yet she can't get any respect from Clive Davis and her record label RCA. Really, because of the way they treat her, if I saw Clive Davis in the street I'd spit in his eye. I'm not even joking. When Kelly's album "My December" was released in 2007, she told interviewers that her label had offered her $10 million to take about 6 songs off her album because they didn't think there were enough radio friendly songs. When refused, they pulled all promotion away from the album. There weren't really many singles released...I think there was only the first single "Never Again." If there were any additional singles, they weren't on the radio and there were no videos made. The tour that was to take place right after the album's release was cancelled. I was supposed to go to that tour and I was so angry. Their excuse? Low ticket sales. Other artists have had tours with low ticket sales and the shows still happened so that was a bullshit excuse.
With her new album "All I Ever Wanted" Kelly did what was excpected of her. There are more poppy radio friendly tracks and it sold well. I also think that people need to expand their musical horizons. Just because "My December" was a little darker than what we had previously heard from Kelly a lot of people say the album sucks. It's a great album and if people just opened their ears they would see that. The newest single from "All I Ever Wanted", "Already Gone" is a great track, don't get me wrong but it wouldn't have been what I would have picked from the ballads. Kelly also stated this recently. Her label wanted her to release the song which was co-written with Ryan Tedder. He's a great songwriter no question but people started comparing it to Beyonce's "Halo" which was also penned by Tedder. Kelly said that this was a reason for not wanting to release the song as a single but her label did it anyway. And as soon as the words left her mouth, bam goodbye support from RCA.
It really bugs me that men have the power over the decisions. Here is a strong, opiniated female just merely stating what is her opinion and possibly fact and then losing all kinds of support from the men in power. Forget losing support, she is downright punished for speaking her mind. How is that fair? Isn't this country based on the freedom to have your own opinions? These two women are being treated horribly just because they shared their opinions on projects they were involved in, be it truth or not.
Why are people (men and women) so afraid of a woman who is not afraid to speak her mind? Why shouldn't we feel like we can shake things up a little bit every once in awhile? And not even shake things up. But we shouldn't be afraid to tell the truth because of how it could come back to bite us in the ass later. I consider myself to be a strong, independent woman and I am not afraid to speak my mind most of the time. What kind of message is that putting out there for young girls. That if you speak your mind, you will be publicly shamed and have thousands of people turn against you? You're not going to see me standing up and burning my bra anytime soon but this is something that has really bothered me lately. I mean, how do I know that after writing this someone isn't going to try and tell me that I'm not allowed to write this blog anymore?
Take for example, Katherine Heigl. I mean, I'm not a huge fan but I admire her for being so open with her feelings. But most people (in the industry and just regular people) consider her public enemy number one. Why? Because she wasn't afraid to say that she found "Knocked Up" to be misogynistic? Um, hello it kind of was. And completely unrealistic. I'm sorry but someone as hot as Katherine Heigl would not sleep with Seth Rogen no matter how many beers she had. But as soon as she spoke out everyone came down on her because it was the movie that launched her film career into orbit. So fucking what? And I know people will say well if she felt that way why did she make it? Um, forget not that this is a business. And maybe it read one day and then came to be something completely different once it was done. It's not like she could have pulled out halfway during filming because she didn't like the image of women the movie portrayed. Then she'd have to deal with backlash from that.
And now two years later Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen have something to say about her comments. It's like "really?" Did it offend them that much that they had to make a comment all this time later? Hey, maybe the woman had a point. Did you ever think about that guys? Give me a break okay? If you don't like what she had to say, tough. You have no problem spending the money the movie made you right? And how much of that was because she was in the movie? I mean, it's just a thought.
And let's not forget when she gracefully pulled her name out of the hat for an Emmy nomination the year after she won. She very simply stated that she didn't feel like the material that had been written for her gave her a performance worthy of being nominated for an Emmy. I watch Grey's Anatomy and I can say that she really had a horrible season and if she had been nominated for an Emmy I would have been pissed. I understand that characters have arcs and such but Izzie made me want to punch her in the face she came on screen. The writers and creator of the show should not have been mad that she told the truth; they should have been mad that they put that garbage on my tv screen week after week. Of course, they gave her a kickass season this year (as well as a terminal disease) but her being honest made them sit an reevaluate things.
Another example is Kelly Clarkson. She is the first and most successful American Idol winner and yet she can't get any respect from Clive Davis and her record label RCA. Really, because of the way they treat her, if I saw Clive Davis in the street I'd spit in his eye. I'm not even joking. When Kelly's album "My December" was released in 2007, she told interviewers that her label had offered her $10 million to take about 6 songs off her album because they didn't think there were enough radio friendly songs. When refused, they pulled all promotion away from the album. There weren't really many singles released...I think there was only the first single "Never Again." If there were any additional singles, they weren't on the radio and there were no videos made. The tour that was to take place right after the album's release was cancelled. I was supposed to go to that tour and I was so angry. Their excuse? Low ticket sales. Other artists have had tours with low ticket sales and the shows still happened so that was a bullshit excuse.
With her new album "All I Ever Wanted" Kelly did what was excpected of her. There are more poppy radio friendly tracks and it sold well. I also think that people need to expand their musical horizons. Just because "My December" was a little darker than what we had previously heard from Kelly a lot of people say the album sucks. It's a great album and if people just opened their ears they would see that. The newest single from "All I Ever Wanted", "Already Gone" is a great track, don't get me wrong but it wouldn't have been what I would have picked from the ballads. Kelly also stated this recently. Her label wanted her to release the song which was co-written with Ryan Tedder. He's a great songwriter no question but people started comparing it to Beyonce's "Halo" which was also penned by Tedder. Kelly said that this was a reason for not wanting to release the song as a single but her label did it anyway. And as soon as the words left her mouth, bam goodbye support from RCA.
It really bugs me that men have the power over the decisions. Here is a strong, opiniated female just merely stating what is her opinion and possibly fact and then losing all kinds of support from the men in power. Forget losing support, she is downright punished for speaking her mind. How is that fair? Isn't this country based on the freedom to have your own opinions? These two women are being treated horribly just because they shared their opinions on projects they were involved in, be it truth or not.
Why are people (men and women) so afraid of a woman who is not afraid to speak her mind? Why shouldn't we feel like we can shake things up a little bit every once in awhile? And not even shake things up. But we shouldn't be afraid to tell the truth because of how it could come back to bite us in the ass later. I consider myself to be a strong, independent woman and I am not afraid to speak my mind most of the time. What kind of message is that putting out there for young girls. That if you speak your mind, you will be publicly shamed and have thousands of people turn against you? You're not going to see me standing up and burning my bra anytime soon but this is something that has really bothered me lately. I mean, how do I know that after writing this someone isn't going to try and tell me that I'm not allowed to write this blog anymore?
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Positivity
Hello again! Just a short thought tonight. This time we have a very nice blog post; not a scathing review of peoples' actions.
My good friend and fellow blogger "Carrie Blackshaw" (http://alwayskeepinitclassy.blogspot.com/) and I are trying to have a new outlook on life. We are aiming to be positive! You'd think "hey, how hard is it to have a positive outlook on life?" It's a lot harder than people think it is. Especially now, when the economy is in the toilet and I can't get a callback at an audition or anything. It's very easy to be overwhelmed by your own life and fall into a slump of negativity. Despite my new desire to be positive, it's impossible to be that way all the time. But whenever I begin to feel down, I try to think about something good that has happened to balance out the bad.
The reason I wanted to share this with you all is because I feel that its really important. I try to always be the cheerleader for my friends, encouraging them to keep positive and have a nice open lookout on life. Because it isn't just about not feeling negative, it's also about being open to what life has to offer. You never know what's going to happen when you walk out of your front door. Heck, you never know what's going to happen the minute you open your eyes each day. But you can't shut out new experiences. My belief is that you can't have a totally positive life outlook if you aren't open to the universe. Take each thing that life hands you and use it to help you get to the next point. You should always live your life moment to moment. Don't plan ahead too far; you may never know how long it make actually take for life to catch up to your plan.
Like I said, this is going to be a short post. But I want you to try this. After you've read this blog, the next morning I want you to get up and say "Happy ______! (insert day here) Today will be a good day and even if it isn't I will do one thing to try and stay positive and open to the universe." Remember kids, you are in control of your own mind.
My good friend and fellow blogger "Carrie Blackshaw" (http://alwayskeepinitclassy.blogspot.com/) and I are trying to have a new outlook on life. We are aiming to be positive! You'd think "hey, how hard is it to have a positive outlook on life?" It's a lot harder than people think it is. Especially now, when the economy is in the toilet and I can't get a callback at an audition or anything. It's very easy to be overwhelmed by your own life and fall into a slump of negativity. Despite my new desire to be positive, it's impossible to be that way all the time. But whenever I begin to feel down, I try to think about something good that has happened to balance out the bad.
The reason I wanted to share this with you all is because I feel that its really important. I try to always be the cheerleader for my friends, encouraging them to keep positive and have a nice open lookout on life. Because it isn't just about not feeling negative, it's also about being open to what life has to offer. You never know what's going to happen when you walk out of your front door. Heck, you never know what's going to happen the minute you open your eyes each day. But you can't shut out new experiences. My belief is that you can't have a totally positive life outlook if you aren't open to the universe. Take each thing that life hands you and use it to help you get to the next point. You should always live your life moment to moment. Don't plan ahead too far; you may never know how long it make actually take for life to catch up to your plan.
Like I said, this is going to be a short post. But I want you to try this. After you've read this blog, the next morning I want you to get up and say "Happy ______! (insert day here) Today will be a good day and even if it isn't I will do one thing to try and stay positive and open to the universe." Remember kids, you are in control of your own mind.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Celebrity Skin
*duh duh duh* I'M BAAAAAAAACK! hehe Hi again out there in the blogosphere! So what's up? I have a few great blog ideas, so be on the look out for them soon! But today is another topic...so here we go!
Well, this is something that has been boiling my butter lately. I will not name names because that's not how I roll but there is a certain *ahem* celebrity who I feel is in need of me sharing some thoughts on. When I become a fan of someone, especially when I was in my younger years (haha cuz I'm so old) I became fiercely loyal and in a lot of cases I'm still fiercely loyal. Why shouldn't I be? If they've done me no harm why should I pull my support away? But lately this particular figure has made me question my loyalty to him because of his actions recently.
As someone who wants to be in the public eye myself, I have of course my own opinions on how celebrities should conduct themselves, especially with their fans. Because I am such a fan of so many people, there are certain levels of decorum that celebrities should follow when dealing with fans. Its called humility. You have to remember that your fans are the ones that make you who you are. Celebrities should never feel entitled to ANYTHING. Not a dang nabbed thing. And that is my biggest gripe right now with this particular person. They don't seem to have any humility. Maybe at moments, but there is definitely a certain sense of entitlement. Like just because this person was a huge global star like eight years ago does not mean a dang thing today. You have to work to get back to that level.
The American music industry is like a tide; it ebbs and flows constantly. Just because you're up today, doesn't mean you will be tomorrow. And sometimes I think that celebrities forget that. Its never a guarantee. And this person just assumes that now that they are ready to be back in the spotlight everyone is just supposed to be like falling all over themselves and if they have one doubt about anything its like "mind your business because I'm going to do what I want anyway" Well if that was going to work, they wouldn't need fans...which they clearly do. So even if this whole front is just for publicity or attention, its being counterproductive. By acting like a fool, you're only going to push fans away, not making them throw themselves at your feet. And if they are, they're really pretty stupid. Sure, fans outside of the United States may be bending over backward for you but they clamor for any American music, even if its someone who is no longer popular in the United States. Come on, David Hasselhoff is still popular in Germany isn't he?
It just really bugs me that this celebrity feels they have the right to talk to their fans like they don't matter. There is a general "Eff you, because even though I say you're important I don't really mean it" vibe going on in a lot of the things they are saying in public venues. Again, like I said, if its a publicity stunt, its really not working. Instead of making people more interested, its pushing people away. And its something that this person has really only started recently. I don't know where it came from. First starting a fight with a gossip blog...that is so Perez Hilton. An established artist should be above that, no matter how low they are now. And now I can honestly say I don't blame the blog for leading a revolt against this person. They are not being very nice and have totally alienated some of their incredibly loyal fans by making some very rude and unnecessary comments. Just a really big "Eff you" while saying that only the true fans are worth having around. I was a true fan and right now I don't care how good their new music may be, if they don't get their attitude in check, I'm done.
And while they may not think they need fans, they do. Let this be a lesson.
Well, this is something that has been boiling my butter lately. I will not name names because that's not how I roll but there is a certain *ahem* celebrity who I feel is in need of me sharing some thoughts on. When I become a fan of someone, especially when I was in my younger years (haha cuz I'm so old) I became fiercely loyal and in a lot of cases I'm still fiercely loyal. Why shouldn't I be? If they've done me no harm why should I pull my support away? But lately this particular figure has made me question my loyalty to him because of his actions recently.
As someone who wants to be in the public eye myself, I have of course my own opinions on how celebrities should conduct themselves, especially with their fans. Because I am such a fan of so many people, there are certain levels of decorum that celebrities should follow when dealing with fans. Its called humility. You have to remember that your fans are the ones that make you who you are. Celebrities should never feel entitled to ANYTHING. Not a dang nabbed thing. And that is my biggest gripe right now with this particular person. They don't seem to have any humility. Maybe at moments, but there is definitely a certain sense of entitlement. Like just because this person was a huge global star like eight years ago does not mean a dang thing today. You have to work to get back to that level.
The American music industry is like a tide; it ebbs and flows constantly. Just because you're up today, doesn't mean you will be tomorrow. And sometimes I think that celebrities forget that. Its never a guarantee. And this person just assumes that now that they are ready to be back in the spotlight everyone is just supposed to be like falling all over themselves and if they have one doubt about anything its like "mind your business because I'm going to do what I want anyway" Well if that was going to work, they wouldn't need fans...which they clearly do. So even if this whole front is just for publicity or attention, its being counterproductive. By acting like a fool, you're only going to push fans away, not making them throw themselves at your feet. And if they are, they're really pretty stupid. Sure, fans outside of the United States may be bending over backward for you but they clamor for any American music, even if its someone who is no longer popular in the United States. Come on, David Hasselhoff is still popular in Germany isn't he?
It just really bugs me that this celebrity feels they have the right to talk to their fans like they don't matter. There is a general "Eff you, because even though I say you're important I don't really mean it" vibe going on in a lot of the things they are saying in public venues. Again, like I said, if its a publicity stunt, its really not working. Instead of making people more interested, its pushing people away. And its something that this person has really only started recently. I don't know where it came from. First starting a fight with a gossip blog...that is so Perez Hilton. An established artist should be above that, no matter how low they are now. And now I can honestly say I don't blame the blog for leading a revolt against this person. They are not being very nice and have totally alienated some of their incredibly loyal fans by making some very rude and unnecessary comments. Just a really big "Eff you" while saying that only the true fans are worth having around. I was a true fan and right now I don't care how good their new music may be, if they don't get their attitude in check, I'm done.
And while they may not think they need fans, they do. Let this be a lesson.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Emotional Purging
Remember back in May when I wrote that post about that guy who turned out to be king of the douche colony? Yeah, so do I.
I took tonight out to do some emotional purging. I scoured through my Facebook and read every message, wall post, whatever I could find from him. (I do find it annoying though that one cannot see wall-to-wall if you are no longer FB friends with the person) I didn't delete them because I feel like this is an ongoing process. It's not something that is going to happen once and then I will be magically cured. Its been about two months since it all ended and I've been dealing with it really well. Every so often he'll creep back into my thoughts and then I remember how everything ended. The only reason I chose today to purge is because my dad asked me if we still talked. A simple "He doesn't exist." kept my parents from prying but a part of me wanted to tell them. I wanted to say this jerk took total advantage of my fragile emotional state. But what would that have done? Absolutely nothing.
This healing process is a process for me and me alone. Every few months I will sit and look back at all of those ridiculously sappy "I love you's" and "You're beautifuls" and everything that could have been a total lie. It's not like I'll ever find out the truth. And I think that's my main reason for this emotional purging. I'll never find out the truth. I won't get to find out if any of those "I love you's" or "you're beautifuls" were true. Because reading back that message it's hard to tell how much of it was true and how much of it was a defense mechanism. It's hard to tell someone the truth. It's hard to hear the truth. And I also know that it's hard to look at your own reflection after you've heard the truth. So who knows? But I will purge and I will reflect and I will keep positive (except for those few comments that will make me scream "You jerk!" at my computer screen. hey, a little yelling is healthy =P)
I took tonight out to do some emotional purging. I scoured through my Facebook and read every message, wall post, whatever I could find from him. (I do find it annoying though that one cannot see wall-to-wall if you are no longer FB friends with the person) I didn't delete them because I feel like this is an ongoing process. It's not something that is going to happen once and then I will be magically cured. Its been about two months since it all ended and I've been dealing with it really well. Every so often he'll creep back into my thoughts and then I remember how everything ended. The only reason I chose today to purge is because my dad asked me if we still talked. A simple "He doesn't exist." kept my parents from prying but a part of me wanted to tell them. I wanted to say this jerk took total advantage of my fragile emotional state. But what would that have done? Absolutely nothing.
This healing process is a process for me and me alone. Every few months I will sit and look back at all of those ridiculously sappy "I love you's" and "You're beautifuls" and everything that could have been a total lie. It's not like I'll ever find out the truth. And I think that's my main reason for this emotional purging. I'll never find out the truth. I won't get to find out if any of those "I love you's" or "you're beautifuls" were true. Because reading back that message it's hard to tell how much of it was true and how much of it was a defense mechanism. It's hard to tell someone the truth. It's hard to hear the truth. And I also know that it's hard to look at your own reflection after you've heard the truth. So who knows? But I will purge and I will reflect and I will keep positive (except for those few comments that will make me scream "You jerk!" at my computer screen. hey, a little yelling is healthy =P)
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Man in the Mirror
Today, the music industry lost a legend. I still can't believe that Michael Jackson is dead. It just doesn't seem real. I mean, he was only 50...not much older than my mom. And he was getting ready to do all those shows in London...its such a tragedy.
Its hard to remember any part of my life without Michael Jackson's music...probably because he became famous before my parents even met each other, lol. Like I said, he's not even a whole year older than my mom so she felt like they grew up together. But really, my entire childhood was dominated by his presence. I'm a product of the 80s, which is without argument, the pinnacle of his extraordinary visions. I remember being scared shitless by the "Thriller" video (to be honest, I still am to this day. It was obviously being played before and my dad came in and tried to scare me by putting it on. I was luckily reading a book but he got a nice smack from me) but I also remember loving "Bad" and "Beat It".
When I was about nine or ten, my uncle Mike (mom's brother) gave me a five disc stereo for my new bedroom. I was so excited. That was the age I had really started to discover my immense and intense love for music. I noticed with the stereo he gave me a single CD...Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall." OTW was his first official solo album, which came out in 1979. My favorite song from that album is definitely "Rock With You" but I remember coming home and blasting that album and dancing around the house with both of my parents. It was always one I listened to on a Friday afternoon after school because the title track is definitely one of those "whoo-hoo its the weekend kind of songs." A lot of people don't know that my first CD ever was Michael Jackson but I always thought it was so cool. It was also super cool that the Jackson 5 was on the soundtrack to my favorite movie "Now and Then." I would warble along to "I'll Be There" at the top of my lungs.
There have been a lot of times in my life that I can recall one of his songs being a big part of it. I can remember being a little kid and my mom dancing to "Smooth Criminal" in a dance recital. She even had a hat like Michael's. I thought she was just the coolest. I remember the video for "Black or White" and all the cool morphing faces. In the third grade when we had to learn to play the stupid song flute and I remember getting insanely excited when we got to learn and play the Free Willy song "Will You Be There". For a long time I could still play parts of it and would steal my little cousins' flute to play it. Then of course who could forget the final ballet scene in the movie "Centerstage?" "The Way You Make Me Feel" made me want to do ballet which is definitely my least favorite style of dance. That was always one of my favorite songs and I was so stoked to see it in a movie I liked so much.
Then at the 2001 MTV VMAs when Michael performed with *NSYNC...I thought I would die from excitement. Here I was sitting at home watching Michael Jackson perform with *NSYNC, a band who had always been so vocal in their love for him. In their Disney concert, they mixed "Rock With You" into their song "Crazy For You." Honestly that could have been the moment I fell in love with them. I felt so special sitting there watching them get to fulfill one of their dreams. It truly warmed my geeky little heart. I remember MTV premiering the video for "You Rock My World" and actually sitting there like "this guy is ridiculous!" I mean he was incredible. I actually forgot about watching that until just now.
Now, there are a few songs of his that are tinged with sadness for me. Not just because of his passing but because of the part his music played in a certain relationship I had. The song "Butterflies" reminds me of falling in love for the first time. I used to listen to it and curl up in my bed thinking about the guy I was madly in love with and wondering if he'd be listening to the song too (he was a huge MJ fan). It did happen once where we were both listening to the song and I was definitely thanking Michael for writing it because it described how I was feeling. For a long time when he called me my phone rang "The Way You Make Me Feel" (it was the only MJ ringtone T-Mobile had that was appropriate). Only a few weeks ago, my friends and I were screaming "Dirty Diana" at a party. I held hands with my oldest sister while we both sang every word to "P.Y.T." twice in a fine moment of sisterly solidarity that we've never shared before? IT was great because it was finally something we had in common.
When I think of just how much our lives have all been impacted by this man, this absolute visionary, whether we know it or not, it is an incredibly humbling experience. He's influenced every musical artist regardless of genre in the past thirty or so years. He brought together all kinds of music from having Eddie Van Halen play the guitar on "Beat It" to Slash being featured on "Black or White" . His albums defied what people thought pop music could ever be and definitely broke the expectations audiences had of a black artist. He made MTV a staple even though at first they wouldn't play his music videos. He brought together all kinds of people to record "We Are the World" as one of his many humanitarian efforts. He created the moonwalk and the robot, two dance moves people will try to imitate forever. So what if his best friend was a chimp? (and a damn cute one at that) Who cared if he was a little weird? I certainly didn't and trust me, I spent the better portion of my childhood completely frightened of the man. I had so many visions of the future, being rich and famous and having Michael over for lunch to ask him so many questions...like what was it like to work with a rat? And to sing a song about one? And why did he wear black shoes with white socks? And what was with the military jackets? Why only one glove? How did it become sparkly? Did someone bedazzle it? Why did you call it the moonwalk? I mean, I guess it sounded better than that thing where I slide across the floor. And why the hell did you say "ch-mon" Michael? These are questions I won't get to ask him and bring back an answer for. I just picture him up in Heaven, hanging out with Bubbles and walking across the moon. Thank you Michael, for everything.
Its hard to remember any part of my life without Michael Jackson's music...probably because he became famous before my parents even met each other, lol. Like I said, he's not even a whole year older than my mom so she felt like they grew up together. But really, my entire childhood was dominated by his presence. I'm a product of the 80s, which is without argument, the pinnacle of his extraordinary visions. I remember being scared shitless by the "Thriller" video (to be honest, I still am to this day. It was obviously being played before and my dad came in and tried to scare me by putting it on. I was luckily reading a book but he got a nice smack from me) but I also remember loving "Bad" and "Beat It".
When I was about nine or ten, my uncle Mike (mom's brother) gave me a five disc stereo for my new bedroom. I was so excited. That was the age I had really started to discover my immense and intense love for music. I noticed with the stereo he gave me a single CD...Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall." OTW was his first official solo album, which came out in 1979. My favorite song from that album is definitely "Rock With You" but I remember coming home and blasting that album and dancing around the house with both of my parents. It was always one I listened to on a Friday afternoon after school because the title track is definitely one of those "whoo-hoo its the weekend kind of songs." A lot of people don't know that my first CD ever was Michael Jackson but I always thought it was so cool. It was also super cool that the Jackson 5 was on the soundtrack to my favorite movie "Now and Then." I would warble along to "I'll Be There" at the top of my lungs.
There have been a lot of times in my life that I can recall one of his songs being a big part of it. I can remember being a little kid and my mom dancing to "Smooth Criminal" in a dance recital. She even had a hat like Michael's. I thought she was just the coolest. I remember the video for "Black or White" and all the cool morphing faces. In the third grade when we had to learn to play the stupid song flute and I remember getting insanely excited when we got to learn and play the Free Willy song "Will You Be There". For a long time I could still play parts of it and would steal my little cousins' flute to play it. Then of course who could forget the final ballet scene in the movie "Centerstage?" "The Way You Make Me Feel" made me want to do ballet which is definitely my least favorite style of dance. That was always one of my favorite songs and I was so stoked to see it in a movie I liked so much.
Then at the 2001 MTV VMAs when Michael performed with *NSYNC...I thought I would die from excitement. Here I was sitting at home watching Michael Jackson perform with *NSYNC, a band who had always been so vocal in their love for him. In their Disney concert, they mixed "Rock With You" into their song "Crazy For You." Honestly that could have been the moment I fell in love with them. I felt so special sitting there watching them get to fulfill one of their dreams. It truly warmed my geeky little heart. I remember MTV premiering the video for "You Rock My World" and actually sitting there like "this guy is ridiculous!" I mean he was incredible. I actually forgot about watching that until just now.
Now, there are a few songs of his that are tinged with sadness for me. Not just because of his passing but because of the part his music played in a certain relationship I had. The song "Butterflies" reminds me of falling in love for the first time. I used to listen to it and curl up in my bed thinking about the guy I was madly in love with and wondering if he'd be listening to the song too (he was a huge MJ fan). It did happen once where we were both listening to the song and I was definitely thanking Michael for writing it because it described how I was feeling. For a long time when he called me my phone rang "The Way You Make Me Feel" (it was the only MJ ringtone T-Mobile had that was appropriate). Only a few weeks ago, my friends and I were screaming "Dirty Diana" at a party. I held hands with my oldest sister while we both sang every word to "P.Y.T." twice in a fine moment of sisterly solidarity that we've never shared before? IT was great because it was finally something we had in common.
When I think of just how much our lives have all been impacted by this man, this absolute visionary, whether we know it or not, it is an incredibly humbling experience. He's influenced every musical artist regardless of genre in the past thirty or so years. He brought together all kinds of music from having Eddie Van Halen play the guitar on "Beat It" to Slash being featured on "Black or White" . His albums defied what people thought pop music could ever be and definitely broke the expectations audiences had of a black artist. He made MTV a staple even though at first they wouldn't play his music videos. He brought together all kinds of people to record "We Are the World" as one of his many humanitarian efforts. He created the moonwalk and the robot, two dance moves people will try to imitate forever. So what if his best friend was a chimp? (and a damn cute one at that) Who cared if he was a little weird? I certainly didn't and trust me, I spent the better portion of my childhood completely frightened of the man. I had so many visions of the future, being rich and famous and having Michael over for lunch to ask him so many questions...like what was it like to work with a rat? And to sing a song about one? And why did he wear black shoes with white socks? And what was with the military jackets? Why only one glove? How did it become sparkly? Did someone bedazzle it? Why did you call it the moonwalk? I mean, I guess it sounded better than that thing where I slide across the floor. And why the hell did you say "ch-mon" Michael? These are questions I won't get to ask him and bring back an answer for. I just picture him up in Heaven, hanging out with Bubbles and walking across the moon. Thank you Michael, for everything.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Too Many Words Inside My Head
Well, I'm back...for now. I have horrible trouble keeping up with this bloody thing. Mainly because I'm always thinking about so many great topics and then either a) don't have the time to write a blog, b) don't have the motivation to write a blog or c) all of the above. It's more often than not c. I'm currently writing my first novel and that takes up a lot of my brain power. And sometimes I'm physically wide awake but my brain has puttered out on me many hours before. I need to stop thinking so well in the middle of the night.
Right now I just wanted to touch base and say that I'm not dead but my brain is a little and hopefully I'll be back soon to really kick start this blog with a vengeance. In the meanwhile, check me out on twitter: twitter.com/nycstylegal. I'm actually really witty and funny throughout the day. And you might see some potential blog topics on there. I'm saying it here and now...July 2009, And It Really Makes Me Wonder gets taken to the next level!
Right now I just wanted to touch base and say that I'm not dead but my brain is a little and hopefully I'll be back soon to really kick start this blog with a vengeance. In the meanwhile, check me out on twitter: twitter.com/nycstylegal. I'm actually really witty and funny throughout the day. And you might see some potential blog topics on there. I'm saying it here and now...July 2009, And It Really Makes Me Wonder gets taken to the next level!
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