Obsession of the Week: Pictures of You

I have a new obsession. For a person with an addictive personality, that is not to be taken lightly. When I find something I love, I latch on. My friend Jill has watched me for almost 20 years as I dive head first into everything from hobbies to people. I like to say it’s passion more than obsession. Every coin has two sides right?

Buy this album.

So less than a week ago, my friend Joni mentioned in a text to me, as she often does, that she was listening to a great song...Pictures of You by The Cure. I read her text and thought for a minute...did I know this song? Hmm...I summoned up my limited knowledge of The Cure...Mint Car...Friday I’m in Love...yeah...I know The Cure. But I couldn’t get Pictures of You in my head. When most people recommend songs, I just YouTube them, but with Joni, I know it’s a given. If she likes it, I’m probably going to like it. I went to iTunes and bought it. To be clear, I bought the version that is about 7.5 minutes long. There are a lot of them out there.

That was less than a week ago. Since that moment I have played the song over 100 times. That’s the count on my iTunes, not including God Knows How Many Times I’ve listened on my iPod. I am obsessed. How could I have missed this song in my 33 years of life? My mom definitely did her part to give me all the best of the 70’s and I hit the 90’s in my teens, but the 80’s fell in that unfortunate period of time where I was a child and my parents were...well, busy being parents. This is why we need friends of all ages. Because one day, one of those friends who WAS a teenager (the most important period of life for discovering the bountiful gift of music) during a music era you were not will text you that they are listening to a song that will change your life, feed your soul, and become your instant new favorite.

I have no choice but to write a blog about Pictures of You. Remember last week when I geeked out about Gotye’s mouth? This is gonna be like that only maybe less creepy, more dorky.

Any song that starts with chimes is bound to be magical. And that's how this one begins. Then there's this great low, lengthy, but rhythmic syncopated guitar over a basic bass line that repeats. More chimes, then the guitar line comes in again an octave higher, building the music, making it escalate. It repeats and just when you've got the idea, cue the chimes and keyboards to fill in the chords and the foundation of the music is set.

By the time Robert Smith starts singing, with his incredibly unique voice, his British accent pushing through, I was already hooked on the song. It was predictable enough that I could get into it immediately, but was still interested in what was coming. The music takes a backseat to his lyrics, which are surprisingly not that bad! I mean, listen, 80's lyrics were not known for their poetry. The 80's were known for fun! Booming economy, neon colors, materialism, pop music! So sometimes I have to put my love for words aside while listening to music from that time. (More recent music coming from the grunge angst of a no longer happily ignorant world has no excuse. Life House...what are you thinking..."it's you and me and all of the people...." geez.) But as I said, the words to THIS song are not that bad. A little repetitive, but the song calls for it.

What I like about the story he is telling is that he is so clearly reflecting back about a relationship he was in. But it is definitely in the past. He is not longing for that person or whining even. He is just reliving a memory. As a person prone to reflection, I can really get behind this idea. He kind of knows that the pictures are not real, but looking at them, he realizes all of the emotion attached to them, how they beg him back to another time. He lets himself go there, and in the process creates a great formula in the lyrics, which serve as his vehicle for going.

Smith found this picture of his wife after a fire in his home. The song is loosely inspired by it.

He begins each verse with "Remembering you..."and then follows that with an actual memory "...running soft through the night." Reflecting on the relationship in its glory. But then he punctuates it with some of his internal thoughts "You were bigger, brighter, and whiter than snow." These are things he probably never said or even thought at the time, but have been summoned by these pictures and painted with silver linings through the rose colored glasses of memory. I get that. Colors are brighter in my memories, voices are sweeter, moments I never want to forget are frozen and played in slow motion losing the nuances of the less than perfect things that might have accompanied them in their reality.

Leonardo DiCaprio's last words to Mal in the movie Inception are a perfect explanation of what a "picture" or imagination lacks that reality provides. He says to her, "I can't imagine you with all your complexity, all your perfection, all your imperfection. Look at you. You are just a shade of my real life. You're the best I can do; but I'm sorry, you are just not good enough." Smith's lyrics are proof of this sentiment. The pictures of his lost love have kept her frozen in time, bringing out only what he wants to remember, which in this song, is the best of her and them.

While Smith is singing, the guitar rhythm, keyboards, chimes, and drums keep their pace, backing off during his words, coming forward during breaks. It's a dance really, both partners are vital, neither can stand alone.

By the time the "bridge" shows up we have had a glimpse into his relationship and we get that it was pretty incredible to him. After reminiscing...the emotions are bound to surface. He can't just tell us about it anymore, he can't just recall it, he actually misses it. This is where we get the few lines of regret, remorse, and the "what might have been" element of the song. "If only I'd known of the right words, I could have held on to your heart." And it's a feeling almost everyone in the world has felt. What I love about it is that it doesn't really keep him down. He gets a little quiet in the following measures as if to give himself time to be sad, to recover, and finally to get it together. The music takes the stage to let him have these moments.

That hair.

And you think the song is going to end. You think it's going to fade out into this guitar rhythm it started with, but then the chords start changing and the music revs back up, cue chimes, and then...the anthem comes...

His declaration...his last words...a statement of clarity that says to the once beloved person of his former relationship, in case you were at all confused as to how I feel or have felt, THIS is what I want you to understand. "There was nothing in the world, that I ever wanted more, than to feel you deep in my heart! There was nothing in the world, that I ever wanted more, than to never feel the breaking apart..my pictures of you." He sings more loudly here than anywhere else in the song. More confidently. This is the take away. The declaration is made and even though what's done is done, and he is probably at peace about everything ultimately, no one likes to be misunderstood. The clarity he has in those last lines show the best of his intentions, the depth of the love he once had for someone he held so dear, shared so many memories with, and will never forget.

The guitar keeps going but begins to fade until it all comes to an inevitable but still somewhat abrupt end.

As things tend to do.

Animated Childhood Memories--By Vicky

I recently found myself singing a song from an animated movie I used to watch probably on loop.  I thought to myself, this might make a good post.  Amber, I’m obsessed.  I’m sure other bloggers have this happen regularly and are grateful for inspiration.  This is the first time I realized I was doing it or doing it consciously.  I had to write it down so I didn’t forget.  Cool!

So anyway… I was singing this song which made me think about a conversation I had with some colleagues from work who are actually around my age (I’ve spent the better part of 3-4 years with many people who are much younger than myself.  Upwards of ten years, in fact).  It was nice to reminisce about childhood movies that have shaped our lives.  And of course, the movies now aren’t nearly as good as our movies were.  Of course.  (I know, it’s not necessarily true, but nostalgia wins every time).

I started thinking about the movies that I used to watch as a child and even into my teens that I really adored.  And I still know the words to the songs.  And I’m talking about non-Disney movies.  Sure, I loved some Disney, but I’m talking about some of the other movies that were a little darker, a little more emotional, and became part of me.  Some of the videos are just the song with lyrics or pictures; I couldn’t find them all, so I apologize for that.  There are some spoilers, but these movies have been around for a while, so I don’t feel too bad.  So at the risk of dating myself, here are some of my favorite childhood cartoons:

Rock-A-Doodle (1991)
Rock-A-Doodle was a great movie about a singing rooster.  Basically.  There’s a lot of other stuff involved, including a little boy being turned into a cartoon cat, evil owls, and lots and lots of rain.  Rock-A-Doodle was about finding yourself while trying to save others, friendship, loyalty, and how to tie your shoes.  “Over, around, under, and through, that’s how Patou ties the shoe.”  (I knew how to tie my shoes by then, but I could appreciate the rhyme).
Favorite Moment/Song: Sun Do Shine

This is the song Chanticleer sings to bring the sun up.  Such a great start to the day!

Anastasia (1997)
This movie is based on the missing Russian czar’s daughter.  Anya is an orphan looking for a home and Dimitri and Vladimir are all too happy to help...to con the crap out of her actual grandmother.  Of course, along the way Anya finds herself, her purpose, and love.  With John Cusack and Meg Ryan as lead vocals, I’m sold now as much as I was then.  Just let me list the first 8 voices that appear in this movie: Meg Ryan (Anya), John Cusack (Dimitri), Kelsey Grammar (Vladimir), Christopher Lloyd (Rasputin), Hank Azaria (Bartok), Bernadette Peters (Sophie), Kirsten Dunst (Young Anastasia), Angela Lansbury (Dowager Empress Marie) and oh yeah, Lacey Chabert was Young Anastasia’s singing voice.  Holy crap, you can’t spit in Hollywood and hit that much talent.  With its beautiful animation, lively songs, and darker side, you can’t help but be charmed by this optimistic take on the traditional Anastasia lore.
Favorite Moment/Song: You Can Learn to Do It

The great part about this song is Vlad and DImitri’s realization that she might not be some random girl.  And the kiss on her hand from Dimitri.  Adorable.

Ferngully: The Last Rainforest (1992)
This is the point where I start getting a little choked up.  I used to love this movie, no I still love this movie.  I quote it even now.  It has Robin Williams and Tim Curry in it, so it’s automatically amazing.  This was a movie about saving the rainforests and the effects of pollution before “Green” was cool.  The magic of the rainforest, Batty’s one-liners, Crysta’s growth with her magic, and Zach’s realization and appreciation are all wonderful.  And Tim Curry.  Tim Curry always makes a terrific bad guy.  The below video is actually a link to the entire movie.
Favorite Moment/Song: Batty’s Rap (Go to 10 minutes for entertainment, 11 if you just want to hear the song)

This is Batty’s introduction after he crashes into the fairy’s realm.  Robin Williams rapping always equals a good time.

The Secret of NIMH (1982)
My mom loved this movie and passed on her adoration to me.  It’s based on a book which is a little less supernatural and a little more scientific, but still a great story.  I used to love watching Mrs. Brisby braving all of her fears to help her sick son.  Talking to the Great Owl, going to the Rats for help, breaking out of the cage when she was caught by the farmer’s son, and of course, finding the power within herself to use the “sparkly” to lift her house to the lee of the stone and save her children.  Jeremy the crow is great comic relief with so much at stake and I still don’t like cats because Dragon was such a scary, mean thing.
Favorite Moment/Song: Mrs. Brisby lifts the house to save her children

The music behind this moment is so compelling.  And the moment where all the rats are awed over Mrs. Brisby as she faints with exhaustion.

All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
Classic.  This movie makes me cry every time.  Charlie’s tricks and manipulations that add up to one bad dog are redeemed with the sacrifice of his life for an orphan girl, assuring his place in heaven.  Anne-Marie, the little girl orphan and Itchy, the sidekick really round out Charlie’s journey.  Charlie, the collie/German shepherd mix was written with Burt Reynolds in mind and he loaned his voice to the charming con-dog.
Favorite Moment/Song: You Can’t Keep a Good Dog Down

It’s just a great song that epitomizes Charlie’s character.

An American Tail (1986)
The story of Fievel and the Mousekewitz family is sad and joyful.  This epitomizes what must have happened to some families in their travels to America to seek a better life.  The ideal of “No cats in America,” the name changes at Ellis Island, the downtrodden rising up to fight against the cats and rats, it’s an amazing story that rings true to our history.  Tiger the cat is probably one of the few cats in cinematic history that I actually like.  Besides Oliver.  But that’s another post I suppose.
Favorite Moment/Song: Somewhere Out There

You thought I would go for There Are No Cats in America or Never Say Never, but this song has always been in my heart and I think of it when I miss my friends or family (especially my brother).  Also, I love the imperfection of the mice children’s voices.

There are some other movies, but these are really near and dear to me.  I hum many of these songs even to this day, and often quote the movies.  A friend and I had a Facebook Ferngully quote off once.  It was epic.

So what non-Disney movies from your childhood do you adore?  Can you name a favorite song?  Maybe hum a few bars?

Agenda vs. Awareness

It’s no secret that Hollywood has a “hidden” agenda. Lots of them. And they leak out through the TV we watch. You might think you are just sitting down to watch Law and Order, SVU, enjoy a good crime drama, but then Olivia Benson starts throwing out some facts about rape or abandoned children and before you know it, it feels less like a crime drama and more like a lecture.

Lots of shows do this, but some do it better than others. And there’s a difference in Agenda and Awareness. This blog is going to try to explore and explain that difference.

Agenda:

When I think of Agenda the first show that comes to mind is Glee. Agenda tries to make you feel guilty about not embracing whatever issue it presents. It’s heavy handed and wants to drive you to action. It’s full of rhetoric, extremes, and fails to SHOW the issue at hand, but rather TELLS you the issue at hand. Agenda does not know its audience.

Glee has done this with a few things. Sexuality and Bullying (and more specifically, bullying BECAUSE of sexuality) are at the top of the list. Having a gay character on a show is not a big deal anymore. But Glee kind of acted like it was. And it acted this way in EVERY EPISODE for the better part of 2 seasons. While there were moments of heartfelt interactions between Kurt and his father, for the most part Glee kept on keeping on with reminding us just how hard being gay was for Kurt. He was picked apart and picked on, lots of tears, lots of statements about not fitting in. And then there was the horrible and awkward thing with the football player who assaulted him but then became someone he wanted to help....and then Kurt seemed to be fine, once he met Blaine and the perils of his sexuality were lessened because he wasn’t alone in it anymore. Then Santana came out, Britney expressed her bi-sexuality, and so forth and so on. 

Thanks for spelling it out for us Glee.

Glee beat us over the head with the sexuality issue. Instead of approaching it with some subtlety, and letting us watch the progression of how these teenagers handled themselves, each episode came with a monologue delivered by some character who was practically spotlighted and looking at the camera teaching the audience something. And who is the audience of Glee? Mostly, people under 25: the one demographic in America that really doesn’t care much about sexuality anymore. They have a live and let live mentality. Also the demographic that is going to do what they’re going to do no matter what a TV show says. 

Awareness:

When I think of Awareness, Parenthood comes to mind. Awareness dangles something out there for you to see, but doesn’t push it on you. It kind of says, hey...we’re all thinking about this topic here, but we get that it might not be on your mind as much as it is ours. Even so, Awareness wants to bring you up to date and let you know that this thing, whatever it might be, is happening and well...you might want to at least be...aware.

Now, having said all that, I do appreciate what Glee was/is trying to do. I just think they do it poorly. But take another show by Ryan Murphy, American Horror Story, and let’s discuss the very same issue. One of the main characters on the show is a lesbian in the 1960’s, which was obviously frowned upon at the time. As they try to “fix” her on the show, she doesn’t spend much time talking about how hard it is for her in life, nor does anyone else really bully her. Instead, the show simply puts her in a mental institution (with lots of other characters “suffering” from other afflictions) and gives her “conversion/aversion therapy” to solve her lesbianism. She is forced to look at pictures of women and injected with something to make her vomit when she sees the pictures. (The aversion part.) Then she is asked to look at a man and touch herself, and him. (The conversion part.) 

Worst. Therapist. Ever.

Watching that one scene was more effective than 2 seasons of Glee’s trying to teach us that sexuality is not something that is chosen, not something to be picked on. Because it didn’t lecture or throw out statistics or dumb things down for us. It just worked a perfectly viable scene from the 1960’s into the show and it was believable and horrible all at the same time, making anyone with any sort of compassion or basic appreciation for humanity want to scream, “Just leave her alone!”

I am aware now. I get it. And awareness can spur someone to action just as easily, if not more effectively than agenda. Awareness says...here’s what’s going on and here’s what you could do about it, but it’s up to you if you want to. Agenda says, you’re wrong/bad/evil if you don’t do what we think you should do.

I mentioned Parenthood as an example of a show that does awareness well. The center storyline of the show this season is Christina’s breast cancer. The writers do a great job at showing how it affects the entire family. Rather than spouting off statistics or over explaining the finer points of breast cancer, we watch someone go through it. And honestly, it’s not trying to convince us to do anything, it’s just making us aware of what people might go through who face this disease. The same way it makes us aware weekly what it might be like to live with a kid who has Aspergers. Or what it might be like to adopt an older child of a different ethnicity. All of the issues that Parenthood explores, happens in the context of the characters’ lives. I never feel like I’m being guilted or even manipulated, even though they make me cry every week. I don’t cry because of the issues the characters are facing, I cry because I can imagine what they are feeling. It’s good writing, good acting, sweet or sad, and pretty true to life in a lot of ways. It tugs on the heartstrings, shows flawed characters, and lets us imagine ourselves in their shoes.

Such a good crier. Take notes Claire Danes.

The truth is, almost every show has a hot button topic from time to time. Every producer/writer/creator wants to bring attention to something that has most likely affected them personally in some way. And even though you know my philosophy, TV IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT, ultimately, writers write what they know. Here are just a few other shows that work through agenda/awareness.

Two Broke Girls-The state of the economy/Reclaiming sex for women/Feminism. 

Scandal-The pervasive corrupt personal and business practices in politics.

Homeland-Perpetuating conspiracy theorists/Justifying the need for Homeland Security.

Modern Family-Challenging current beliefs of what “family” should look like.

SVU-Sexual crimes.

Nashville-Playing games associated with fame/Corrupt politics.

I could go on, but I will leave some for discussion. 

What shows come to your mind (past or present) that have an agenda or try to drive awareness home about any given issue? Was it agenda or awareness? Was it successful?

Otherwordly: Emotional Vocabulary At Its Finest

You guys...someone is stalking me.

Seriously, someone is like...seriously stalking me. I mean, not physically. And that's a lucky break for sure. Though at this point, I would welcome ANY company here in China.

But someone has tapped into my brain. My emotions. This "person" is paying close to how I am in the world and they have made a Tumblr that is essentially a tell-all of the inner most parts of me.

My friend Aimee posted the otherwordly Tumblr on my Facebook a few weeks ago and I've been following it since. Because it seems like it is following me!

The words that show up in this blog are sooooo "Amber-esque" that even a friend who has only known me a year pointed that out. It doesn't take long to figure out what makes me tick, so if you're interested at all in that, or if you just want to learn some great new words, then check out the blog. For now, here are a few I've enjoyed lately!

I mean...right!? Aren't they the greatest!? I could go into why I love each of these, but I could write an entire blog on each one, so you will just have to figure it out yourself. If you are looking to enrich your emotional vocabulary, I seriously suggest you check out Otherwordly!

10 Things in Pop-Culture This Week I'm Thankful For

Gotye's mouth. (Obvi.)

See yesterday's blog for more information on this.

Seeing Freddie Prinze Jr.'s name for the first time in maybe...7 years.

Remember this guy!?

Anne Hathaway's "near death" experience filming Les Mis. Losing 25lbs.

I dreamed a dream that I was Natalie Portman and it was the 5th of November.

My Repair by Brandi Carlile and Jason Scavone

Hearing "Tell Me Something Good" on 2 TV shows last week. Scandal and The Neighbors.

American Horror Story has been renewed for a 3rd Season.

She deserves an emmy nod JUST for her performance in Episode 5. That accent, that story. Amazing.

Twinkie Memes.

Well played Mayans.

Justin Bieber looking like a lost member of Color Me Badd.

I wanna love you down, I think I wanna throw up!

This picture of Honey Boo Boo made of trash.

This might be an attempt at commentary, but I think it's just fantastic!

Heidi Klum enjoying a Big Mac after the AMA's

As a conspiracy theorist, I can't say this actually qualifies as her EATING the Big Mac, I need more proof.

Oh there it is...she's fat. 

Gotye's Mouth

Does he even have a top lip?

Thin lips...I got em. In fact, occasionally I seriously spend time looking in the mirror trying out different faces/mouth positions that might somehow make my lips suddenly morph into those of Angelina Jolie...or at least the much inferior, but still substantial lips of Jennifer Aniston. It never works though. My lips are almost always chapped, even though I use so much Carmex I should have bought stock in it back in 1990 when I started playing the trumpet. That's a thing right? Stock in Carmex?

Anyway, probably because I do not have one, I love big mouths. I actually love mouths in general. Some of my friends have the most interesting mouths and just as you might find yourself looking at the length of my eye lashes (because the best feature I have is the HAIR ON MY EYES) when we talk, I probably spend too much time looking at lips. Not in a lusty way, in an envious way. I have this one friend who has this perfect mouth. Her lips are always the right amount of shiny, and never with extreme color, but instead with this natural gloss, like she just licked them and stimulated the exact right amount of blood to make them the perfect pink. When she is emphatic, her lips spread wide across her face, but they always stay full. If I try to imitate her, my lips all but disappear. When she laughs they make a perfect “O” and when she cries they quiver just the right amount. Whereas some of my friends have lips that are too agape and hang open or closed too tightly, this friend has the perfect “resting” position for her lips. Just slightly parted, not in the way someone who is waiting to talk might have theirs parted, but in the way someone expecting to receive a kiss might leave the slightest opening. 

Do you get it now? I mean, I really pay attention to mouths, and I like the ones with full lips. (Cue insecurity in all my friends...)

Barely parted, you can see how the corners of his lips curl up slightly.

So imagine my surprise when Gotye popped up on the scene earlier this year and I found myself completely enthralled by his mouth. I mean, look at it.

It’s nothing special. Where are his lips? Of the people I’ve ever kissed, almost ALL of them had substantial lip size. Someone has to make up for what I’m lacking in that area. And yet, with Gotye, (not that I’ve kissed him, but I’d consider it) his lips are something like a pencil mark, or thinner, a single line of thread. He doesn’t really fit my typical “type” and yet, I cannot stop watching him sing. While his lips are definitely thin, his mouth is kind of big. It’s wide, especially when he opens it fully. And even though his upper lip is almost invisible, when he pronounces certain words, it rolls slightly up, exposing just a tad more pink than usual. In his video of Somebody That I Used To Know, (and I’ve studied it extensively at this point) the corners of his mouth curl up slightly each time his lips part. The words sort of slip and escape through them during the verse, but then when the chorus starts, his mouth gets HUGE. As he sings, it makes the most amazing shapes showing his teeth, tongue, and even his throat at times.

I love the way his upper lip is shaped in this picture.

Ok, I know, this is a little much, probably beyond obsessive and getting into mentally unstable territory. I can admit it; I am hoarding pictures of Gotye’s mouth on this blog. And I’m not done yet. Just hang on.

So...what I love about Gotye’s mouth is what I love about any mouth. It’s watching the muscles work. Having played trumpet for so many years, I learned to isolate the individual muscles around my mouth for various sounds, notes, and other terms that would only prove that I am a band nerd. On a person with thin lips, it’s very easy to see the movement of these muscles. So when I saw Gotye sing his one hit wonder (yeah, I’m calling it) the way his muscles pulled his mouth into various shapes was fascinating to me. 

The right (your left) side of his mouth tends to raise a little higher than the other.

Facial muscular movement = passion. Anyone who has ever talked to me about anything important to me, knows that I will make dozens of faces during the conversation. At one camp I worked at, I was kind of known for my various and unexpected faces. Watch someone watching their favorite football team in a close game, their face will contort and reshape hundreds of times. It’s passion. And I do believe the opposite is true. The deadpan who never raises his eyebrows, never scrunches her nose, never maneuvers his mouth into any somewhat strange shape...well, I’d be willing to bet there’s a lack of passion there. 

Which is fine if you like that sort of thing. But for me...you guys know by now...passion is my jam. It’s a must quality for me. If a person can’t get excited, riled, upset, expressive about something then most likely they become somebody that I used to know. (See what I did there?)

This is what passion looks like.

So back to the song itself, it’s simple. Good, but basic lyrics. The only real surprise is his use of the word “rough” which is maybe my favorite word in the song. It’s unexpected and rolls out. The way he says it is as though he’s been so hurt. Think about what it means to be treated rough. I love that word, the wear and tear of it, the mark it leaves. 

The music itself isn’t much to listen to, the harmonies are very simple. But it definitely made its mark this year and I doubt any of us will forget it anytime soon. Still, Gotye’s other music isn’t that great. It’s unique, some of it too unique. The kind I really try to tell myself to like...but ultimately just can’t do it. I do like one from the Whip It Soundtrack, Learnalilgivenanlovin. But I mostly just want to see him sing it. 

And that is a big mouth. 

And that’s what it boils down to for me when it comes to Gotye. Watching him sing is enjoyable for me. It’s not this John Mayer style borderline orgasmic/seizure situation that makes me nervous and want to laugh and actually distracts me from the singing. It’s an enhancement of what’s already happening. For this reason, I would probably attend a Gotye concert but never actually buy his album. 

Oh, and I’ve had time to consider it and in light of our dual pair of thin lips, it might be strange to kiss him, but I would definitely let him sing to me.

5 Killer Cover Songs--By Meredith

I’ve been threatening Amber with a guest blog since Weekend Fat launched. Today, I’m finally making good on at least one of many promises. I’m diving in with a good old-fashioned list (lists perform exceptionally well as blog titles and topics) and an evergreen topic: The cover song.

There are tons of cover songs out there – lots of opinions - so I feel it’s necessary to lay down my ground rules for today’s post:

1. No covers originating from American Idol, X Factor, Glee, Nashville, etc.
2. Similarly, no teens with a guitar or piano, playing covers for their YouTube fans & followers (as talented as they may be – go Annelise).
3. All covers included in the list must be true “covers.” No “samples” or “mash-ups.”
4. No Beatles covers. No jazz, bluegrass or folk rock standards. There are just too many to process. 
5. Also, no Fleetwood Mac covers. There are some good ones out there, but Fleetwood Mac is hallowed ground.
6. No holiday-themed covers.
7. All originals must be good songs to start; so it follows, all cover songs must be genuinely notable. We’re talking either a complete reinterpretation or a completely different style of music. 
8. Johnny Cash’s cover of NIN’s “Hurt” is too easy. Excellent - but easy. I’m angling for more obscure on one or both tracks within the grouping.

Obviously, these are my completely arbitrary rules – mostly in place for the sake of brevity. Without further ado: five awesome originals and their equally awesome covers.

Immigrant Song

Original: Led Zeppelin 

Cover: Karen O w/ Trent Reznor & Atticus Rose

I’m starting with my favorite because, well, it’s just badass. I was in middle school when NIN was at its apex. The boys sported grungy NIN and Stone Temple Pilots t-shirts. The girls were all about bubblegum and The Backstreet Boys. I was woefully misguided by my sex. NIN is the shit. And Karen O can do no wrong in my eyes. Maps and Gold Lion are on my multi-generational, cross-genre “classics” playlist. 

Running Up That Hill

Original: Kate Bush 

Cover: Placebo 

Kate Bush is a quirky, English powerhouse that frequently ousted 80s-era Madonna when she was at the top of the charts. She’s worth revisiting. Kate is a definite reference point for many artists enjoyed now. Bjork and Florence & The Machine borrow heavily from Kate’s pop-opera delivery. I’ll get you started: Cloudbusting, Breathing and Hounds of Love.

Placebo, on the other hand, is Placebo. Admittedly, I’m not terribly well versed in their work but big props on the cover.

Kate Bush Cover Song, Honorable mention: This Woman’s Work (Maxwell) I don’t know who has the cheesier video, but Kate and Maxwell are melodrama at its best.

It’s My Life

Original: Talk Talk 

Cover: No Doubt 

No Doubt follows Talk Talk’s arrangement; and yet, these are two strikingly different songs. 80s-era British pop-rock or Gwen Stefani? It’s a draw.

Can We Still Be Friends

Original: Todd Rundgren 

Cover: Mandy Moore 

Rundgren is a prolific singer-songwriter and record producer, with a significant hand in the 70’s and 80’s pop scene. Rundgren is the real deal. And I maintain, Mandy Moore is an under-valued entertainer. I wish she did more. She has a solid voice, she stuck to her guns during the over-sexed Britney Spears / Christina Aguilera era and she also happens to be a decent comedic actress too (Saved!). Anyway, this is my hidden gem.

I Will Always Love You

Original: Dolly Parton 

Cover: Whitney Houston 

Cover: Jennifer Hudson 

Get ready to turn on the tears. 

Everyone knows Whitney Houston’s amazing version of Dolly Parton’s original. In fact, even Dolly admits that David Foster’s arrangement for ‘The Bodyguard’ floored her and she’s thankful the song turned into the iconic hit that it is. In both versions, “I Will Always Love You” is all about sweeping, romantic love and saying goodbye.

And then, Whitney Houston died tragically, a day before the 54^th Annual Grammy Awards. As a former live television producer, I can’t imagine what those 24 hours between the news hitting and the curtains coming up were like; but the Grammy team did an excellent job. A night of tasteful tributes and awards was capped with Jennifer Hudson’s memorial performance - and she’s the reason I get to break Rule #8 concerning obscurity.

You can’t find J-Hud’s live cover of “I Will Always Love You” on any album, but it’s a heart-wrenching and wholly original take on the epic song. Jennifer mutes the crescendos, goes with a bit more staccato and translates a song about bittersweet romance into palatable, general grief.  She can sing at my funeral.

Share your favorite cover...but make sure you follow the rules!

Breaking Bad

The first time I heard of Breaking Bad was my friend Julie saying she loved it. Julie is a lot like me in that she is expressive and emotional. People like me and Julie use the word LOVE for TV shows, movies, family, and really good tacos. It's versatile that way. So on the spectrum of "love" I had no idea where Breaking Bad really fell. I knew it was about some guy selling drugs, and that Bryan Cranston's name kept creeping up in more and more articles and blogs, but other than that, I was clueless.

I saw a clip of the show a few months ago that peaked my interest just because the line that was in the clip was really great writing, and it was delivered incredibly by Cranston. He said in the scene, "I am the one who knocks!" Here's that clip:

So yeah, I started watching Breaking Bad last week. All the episodes are available for free on the Magical Chinese Internet, so why not! Plus, it makes for a great break from Downton Abbey. If Weeds and Dexter met in the desert and had a baby, it would be Breaking Bad.

In case you are ignorant as I was, the set up of Breaking Bad is as follows: Walter White is a high school chemistry teacher in Albuquerque, but really he's a brilliant chemist who has a past in groundbreaking work on various projects including one that received a Nobel Peace Prize. His life is pretty humdrum. He works at a carwash after school to make a little extra money. His wife is pregnant. He has son in high school who has Cerebral Palsey. One day he blacks out at the car wash and awakens to find that he has lung cancer. He's never smoked a day in his life. The cancer is in advanced stages and will kill him within a year or so, it's not treatable. This is what awakens Walter White. Through his awakening he pairs with former student, Jesse Pinkman, and begins to cook meth. The meth is the finest quality anyone around ABQ has ever had and the result is of course, a great business opportunity which he embraces with intention to set up his family financially when he dies. Oh, and also his brother-in-law is the DEA.

Was this the moment of origin for the new Walter White?

The first season was breathtaking. I flew through it as White learned the business, developed a partnership with Pinkman, and juggled his family while coming to terms with his diagnosis. Brilliant writing. But after that, the plot kind of went stagnant or something, or spiraled around itself a lot.

The characters in the show, even White, are not really likable. Pinkman is maybe the only one you can root for consistently, but he does stupid things from time to time that set him back. Every one of the people are truly flawed, and in no way does White become some mastermind of meth overnight. In fact, well into season 3 he's still trying to understand how it all works and find his place in it. I gotta be honest. I really hate Walter White. I loved him to begin with, but now I see him as manipulative, uncaring, and kind of out of control. He talks badass like he's got it all together, but truthfully his actions are impulsive and selfish beyond belief. He's bipolar at best, and I kind of see him as a coward who happens to get some (far-fetched) lucky breaks along the way. The thing is, I WANT him to either be a humble man trying to do right by his family OR a drug lord. Instead he comes across as someone half in on both sides of his double life rather than fully committed to either, and that makes him seem...empty.

I find myself wanting to see him cook more meth, I want more science, more on the drug side of things, because it's a world I know nothing about, but instead the show really does what I usually love, it explores the relationships between the characters. Except exploring these characters feels like one of those claw machines at the front of Wal-Mart. The story opens wide, dips down, and seems to have a good grasp on the character, but drops it at the last minute. There's nothing to latch onto. No one is consistent enough, except maybe Pinkman, to identify with, to love or loathe, or even to root for. Which in truth, is probably a lot like real life. But if you have the chance to play with people's lives by writing a TV show, why not play a little less into reality and get us really hooked!

Let's cook.

As far as whether or not I like the show, I do. I have stuck with lots of shows that have disappointed me more than this one, that's for sure. Of course, once I realized the characters weren't who I wanted them to be, I did try to adjust my expectations. It has some shocking moments, great lines, and a basic progressing plot that splinters off into other smaller plots. It's a solid show, even if it's not everything that I wanted it to be.

There are 8 episodes left of Breaking Bad, which will complete the fifth season. Those are set to show during the Summer of 2013. There is a fan base that wants to see the show go on, but as you probably know by now, I'm not a fan of shows that keep going just to keep going. I think the story of Walter White could be easily wrapped up next summer, and that the writers could even redeem themselves a little, finish strong and either bring the show full circle, or bust it wide out of the gate. 

Have you watched Breaking Bad? Do you want to? 

What did you think?

Kill Your Darlings or The One With All The Spoilers

Some people think it was Whitman, others Stephen King...but I think William Faulkner said it first. "In writing, you must kill all your darlings." And that's what this blog is all about, kind of...TV Deaths.

Such a darling, they had to bring him back.

I will be giving away spoilers. Lots of them. I will do my best to label each section of the blog with what shows I am discussing in order to spare you in case you are not caught up.

If killing your darlings makes for good writing, these next shows did it up right. Some deaths were shocking, others we saw coming, but all of them were devastating.

Who Died 

Spoilers for The Walking Dead, Downton Abbey (Season 3), 90210, Six Feet Under, Game of Thrones, Dexter, Desperate Housewives, ER, Lost, Grey's Anatomy, Buffy The Vampire Slayer:

ER-Dr. Green-He was the heartbeat of the show, and I stopped watching ER when he died. Consequently, I can never hear that version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" the same way again.
Game of Thrones-Eddard Stark-I thought the entire show was going to center around him! And it did. Until it didn't.
LOST-Charlie, Sun, Jin-A lot of people died on this show (eventually most of them). But these three deaths were particularly tough to watch. Charlie's heroic death showed the evolution of his rock star character beautifully. While losing Sun and Jin was just sad because of how their love grew and changed while on the island.
Grey's Anatomy-Lexie, McSteamy, Denny, Henry-Gosh, the list of deaths on this show is a little alarming. I didn't even name them all. But these were a few of the "darlings." We've discussed in detail the most recent deaths, but two of the most shocking for me were Denny and the more recent, Henry. Both were so loved and both came as kind of a surprise, keeping true love and happiness away from both Izzie and Teddy.

This was seriously shocking.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer-Tara, Buffy's Mom-Tara's death in this show made me cry harder than any death I've ever seen on a show before. It is maybe one of the most shocking deaths I've ever seen. And the way the show explored grief in light of Buffy's mom's death was brilliant and heartbreaking. Way to go Joss Whedon!
Downton Abbey-Sybil- Yep. Talk about killing a darling. I won't give more details, since this is not even common knowledge in America yet...but it's a tough one.
The Walking Dead-Lori-I knew either Lori or the baby had to go, and no one wants to see a baby die, so...naturally it had to be her. The way it happened was pretty rough and will no doubt have a lasting effect on Carl, and even Rick who has been an asshole to her all season.
Six Feet Under-Nate-A death has never angered me as much as this one. I think because of who he was with when it happened...I always held out hope for him and Brenda. Thank God he reincarnated as Adam Braverman.

There's a lot of death represented in this picture.

Dexter-Rita-I didn't see it coming until Dexter was walking into his house. The episode should have been over. And then it hit me....Rita. And it was just so horrifying.
Desperate Housewives-Mike-Why on earth couldn't the writers let Mike live! When he was shot on that porch, I couldn't believe that Susan was going to end up alone again. I mean...so much angst!
90210-Scott-This might be the first death that surprised me on TV. Scott wasn't a main character, but he was innocent and sweet and David's friend. When he accidentally shot himself, I couldn't believe it had actually happened. Of course the episode was agenda driven with a gun safety message, but it was still pretty eye opening for my teenage self at the time.

These next shows tried to trick us. Maybe they came to the brink but chickened out, maybe ratings plummeted, whatever the reason, these are some shows that almost killed someone off.

Who Almost/Seemingly Died

Spoilers for Glee, Dallas, Revenge, Grey's Anatomy, Lost

Glee-Quinn-Texting and driving isn't always fatal.
Dallas-Bobby-Turning entire seasons of TV shows into dreams.
Revenge-Victoria-So the plane crash that supposedly killed her, didn't.
Grey's Anatomy-Meredith-She did technically die, but aside from giving us some insight into her dark and twisty brain, this moment mostly served the show by jumping the shark.
Lost-Juliet-This woman had 9 lives. She kept getting in situations that should have killed her, but managed to hold out for a while before actually biting the bullet.

Oh, I thought I was watching Grey's not Lost...oh, wait, what?

These next shows have/had potential to rock our worlds. Here's a few ideas of how I think they could/should do it.

Who Needs To Die/Should Have Died

There are no spoilers here, only speculations.

Glee-Quinn-For all of Glee's hard hitting agendas, they sure did let up on this one pretty easily. Think about it. It wouldn't have been that horrible to kill her off. I mean, I like Quinn, I actually like her a lot. Which is THE WHOLE POINT. She's a darling! If you want to teach kids not to text and drive, do more than put her in a wheelchair for a few weeks. Let's see how Mr. Shue comes up with the appropriate funeral songs...or better yet, let's just all be silent for a minute and reflect on the seriousness of Quinn dying because of a stupid text message.
Revenge-Nolan or Jack-If you really want to kill a darling, these two need to go. Raise the stakes a little here and let's see what happens to Emily and Amanda with Jack out of the picture. Who has Emily's back once Nolan is dead. It's time for something drastic to happen. I don't want Victoria dead because if that ever happens (and it has to with a title like Revenge), it has to be at the hands of Emily.

Like this, only at the end.

Dexter-Dexter or Deb-I'm less than thrilled with this season of Dexter, I always thought the show should END with a confrontation between Dexter and Deb, which would be awesome and terrifying and just...epic. But here we are. I believe that either Dexter or Deb must die, and preferably one will kill the other. I know that's pretty hard hitting, but if you want us to take it seriously, then it has to be serious.
Criminal Minds-Reid or Garcia-The thing about crime shows is that they can just keep going and going. But this one actually has a good character arc within the week to week case solving. Reid and Garcia are the ones we love the most and their deaths would no doubt shake up the show. I think Reid could be on the chopping block for this season...
SVU-Olivia-Without Olivia, there is no SVU now that Stabler's gone. But statistics alone show that being the primary officer for 14 years on 304 cases (and those are just the ones we get to see on TV) Olivia would probably be hurt if not killed by now.

Which TV death made you cry, shocked you, or made you relieved? Who would you like to see killed off?

Stop the Hate: Otherwise Known As, "Did We Even Read The Same Book?"--By Carmen

If you are not a fan of the Twilight novels, stop reading this post now.  No really, stop, go do something else.  Come back tomorrow for some non-Twilight related Weekend Fat.

Now, everybody who's still reading should either like Twilight or be on the fence.  Okay….  

I am not a hater.  I can usually find a redeeming quality in almost anything.  I think it comes from being a teacher.  A kid can be a failing terror in the classroom but you still have to come up with something positive to tell the parents.  So I don’t understand how people can be so against something and only see the bad in it.

I saw a pin on Pinterest of a blog post entitled 10 Books you must read to your daughter (or How to keep your daughter from ending up like that horrid girl from Twilight) Here is an excerpt:

“What if someday she wants to read Stephanie Meyer’s literary atrocity, the Twilight series? You know the one, the books featuring a non-descript female protagonist who, in addition to having no interests or talents of any kind (other than smelling delicious to a sparkly 100-year-old vampire), is helpless, boring, and basically suicidal when her 100-year-old sparkly vampire boyfriend breaks up with her? Yeah, those books. So, I’m coming up with a reading list containing female characters that could put a smack down on Bella Swan any day of the week and reveal what a real woman looks like.”

Wow! This lady clearly did not like Twilight.

It is no secret that I liked the Twilight novels.  It wasn’t the great American novel, but it was a fun read with interesting characters. I really think this write was so clouded with hatred she missed some key points.  Here they are.

1. Bella was her mom’s emotional caretaker even in childhood; she had to grow up fast because her mom was basically a flake.
2. Bella came to live with her dad after years with her mom.  It was the right thing to do to help her mom’s new marriage. 
3. She was a caretaker for her dad too.
4. Bella kept an important secret to protect Edward’s family. 
5. When Bella flees to Phoenix it is apparent she cares more for her parent’s safety than her own and in the end her friends also. (This is seen in Twilight and Eclipse)
6. She worked a job to make money for herself, even though her boyfriend would have taken care of anything she needed or wanted, any whim she had.
7. After being heartbroken she picked up her life and moved on the only way she knew how. She made new friends and had new experiences. She even got her grades up in school.
8. Bella flew halfway around the world to keep Edward alive in Italy, even though she believed there was nothing in it for her.
9. Bella took her punishment from her father for leaving the country without complaint.  And continued to keep Edward’s family’s secret.
10. She was willing to sacrifice herself to save Edward in his fight against Victoria. Cutting her arm was the only choice her mortal body allowed her and she took it with only Edward in her thoughts.
11. She seriously considered the validity of marriage before saying “Yes”
12. Bella maintained her virginity until marriage (whether she really wanted to or not).
13. Bella continued a hard pregnancy she could have easily aborted.
14. She stood by her husband’s family when they were attacked
15. Bella fought for her child’s future against an unstoppable enemy.

And to answer the no interest or talent comment.  

1. Bella was an avid reader (and of the classics no less).

I know Bella oddly passed out the first time Edward kissed her. And I know that she fell apart when Edward left.  It is tough to lose the love of your life.  I had a tough breakup once too.  I cried a lot.  But eventually you move on.

Now, here is why I think people don’t like Twilight.  There is no moral point, or deeper meaning.   It is just a fictional story.  Believe it or not everyone in life is not a “strong” person.  That’s life.  People looking for a role model in all their stories, can’t even turn to the Bible for that.  There are flawed people everywhere (yes you who don’t like Twilight and are still reading, you are flawed, you didn’t follow directions). And Stephenie Meyer was a mom of three young children who hadn’t written anything in years.  She was inspired by a dream and wrote a best seller.  I wish I could turn some of my crazy vivid dreams into a best seller.  Don’t you? She created a whole new mythology.  If you don’t like Twilight or Stephenie (which all of you do because you are still reading this) don’t spend your money and time on it.  Leave everyone else alone. Stop the Hate.

So, sorry unnamed blog lady…. If my daughter wants to read Twilight or (gasp) turns out like Bella, I’d be just fine with that.