We are still in the middle of getting moved in to our new house, and getting organized, set up, settled in, and whatnot.
I spent much of last night putting together a "home entertainment center," which means slapping together a bunch of fake wood and hoping it doesn't collapse under the weight of the the TV, the VCR, DVD, and receiver.
We watched another high-tension episode of 24 where undercover Jack helps blow up his own place of employment in an effort to stay down with the "patriot" terrorists as a conduit to the Middle Eastern nuclear terrorists.
A side thought: has any teenage girl been subjected to such a concentration of peril as Jack's daughter Kim in a time frame spanning a mere 27 hours? I think not.
So anyway, I'm madly assembling and following the 24 action - poor George Mason, exposed to a lethal dose of radiation!! - when, as TV does, 24 ends and the local Fox news comes on.
I used to work at the station and like most of the people there (other than the fat, lying, smarmy, dumbass news director), and though the ancient, ossified, decrepit 10pm news team of Wilma Smith, Tim Taylor, and mummified weather man Dick Goddard are a little long in the tooth, they still do a pretty good job. There was even a legitimate investigative report on sexual predators that swept away any lingering civil rights concerns I have for baby rapers, child murderers, and incestuous parents: expose them, keep a keen eye on them, and kick them in the balls if they get near the kids.
But then the "Cleveland Idol" finals segment comes on: remarkably similar to the American Idol final, the contestants are a young white male with spiky, poofy hair, and a spunky young white woman. Backed only by piano, the young man sings "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" with great verve and misses half the notes. It is embarrassing. Then the young woman - who is packed into a dress she bought before the cookies and chips binge - sings Celine Dion's "Power of Love."
Mother of God - she could not have picked a worse song, and although she doesn't miss the half the notes, she misses a third of them. In some ways her performance is even more embarrassing because she seems less oblivious to her surroundings than the pleasant bopping idiot who has sung before her.
The wretchedness of this spectacle is then nearly matched by the toupe of the the sports anchor, which makes Jim Traficant's look almost natural.
Shudder - thank goodness we get the cable hooked up tomorrow.
Article comments
1 - Katie
You obviously don't know how to spot talent when you see it. That "young white male" will be coming out with his first CD soon and has performed numerous concerts. Ryan is a performer and when he is making millions and doing what he loves, just remember your worthless critisism and your petty pay check.
2 - Natalie
I can't speak to the young man's talent or lack thereof, but in truth, there are plenty of performers (too many, in fact) with absolutely no talent. Popularity does not mean quality. It's no secret that, by and large, Americans' only taste resides in their mouths. One only needs to see the pop-music charts, TV ratings breakdowns, and movie rankings to know that's true.
3 - The Theory
I find it interesting how you assume that your precious Ryan will make millions (something only very few musicians/singers do) and that you make assumptions about Eric Olsen's pay check. It's offensive, honestly.
Besides, when has the ammount of talent a person has been based on how much money they make?
peace.
4 - Al Barger
Oh, yeah, Katie, I'm sure some half-assed white boy cover of a Motown song is going stop the world in it's frickin' tracks. It better be an extraordinary cover, with a wholly new and unique arrangement and effect from the original to even begin to be credible. Hitting the notes would be the least of it.
5 - Natalie
Funny. Similar shit took place all the time in the '50s. Ask Pat Boone. Bet ter yet, ask Little Richard. Boone may not have been credible, but he sold a lot of records.
Shameful.
6 - Al Barger
Yeah, well that's one example 50 years ago. No watered down white boys rap, for example, will do the job today.
7 - The Theory
Pat Boone is a funny guy, though. I don't know about his music... that was a few generations before my time.
peace.
8 - Natalie
Youngsters ought to read about what happened before they were born. That's how we (try to) avoid that sort of nastiness in the future.
There are lots of examples from the past just like Boone (the only thing funny I find about him are his shoes). The good news, is, yes, I think less of it happens today. Certainly it is far less overt. Although record execs still lump melanin-challenged artists into R&B, rap, or soul categories, even when they don't belong there. They may not call it "race" music anymore, but they still think along those lines.
9 - Eric Olsen
Hey, I'm back. That's for defending me you guys, I am touched. Katie, I don't begrudge anyone success in showbiz - it's very very difficult. Good luck to Ryan.
This was 8 months ago - I barely remember it - maybe it was a bad day for Ryan, maybe he's much better than he seemed. But he was not impressive on that show, at all. I have been wrong before, however.