Things I Like But Probably Shouldn't.
When it comes to some of life's most important things, I have pretty rigid, unbending standards.
Sometimes they flex and bend anyway.
To wit:
- Kelly Clarkson - Yes, I hate American Idol. And when on AI, she was like all the other AI winners - a cookie-cutter Celene Dion wannabe. And yet beyond the standard-issue laser voice with tungsten-clad pipes, she's come up with - take note of this, all you AI contenders - at least a few songs that don't suck.
- A Bridge Too Far: A very underrated war movie.
- "Captain Jack", Billy Joel. I can't stand Billy Joel. But I can't get enough Captain Jack. Maybe it's because it's Joel's Springsteeniest song - that counts for a lot. Whatever - it's a great tune.
- Veronica Mars - it's on the UPN, so it was up to my daughter to get me hooked. But it's a crisply-written noir-via-Buffy that's funny and usually engrossing; the title character is a high school girl channelilng Sam Spade. It's fun.
- Ryan Cabrera - my daughter brought the CD home. Now, teenypop is usually pretty revolting. But within that context, it was actually not half bad.
- Prairie Home Companion - Keillor is Keillor, but the show is funny, and the musical guests, from Richard Thompson to the Minnesota Orchestra, are often amazing.
UPDATE: Flash commented:
How did I miss this the first time:
""like all the other AI winners - a cookie-cutter Celene Dion wannabe""
To be clear:
Ruben Studdard = Celene Dion wannabe
Now that is funny!
Let's be clear here; I'm talking conceptually and musically, not physically. Nobody would mistake Dion and Studdard (well, frequent commenter Slash might, if a court somewhere had ever declared they were the same thing), but musically they are cut from the same cloth; diesel-powered, stump-pullingly powerful voices singing interchangeable power ballads.
Posted by Mitch at
March 30, 2005 05:40 AM
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Some of Kelly Clarkson's songs sound like they could have been done by Celine Dion; in other words, they all sound alike. But "Miss Independent" is an infectious tune. I couldn't get enough of it when it was a big hit a couple of years ago.
Pop culture is such an alien world to me that I have never seen American Idol, nor am I familiar in any way with Ryan Cabrera or Veronica Mars. My exposure to youth culture comes from listening to Radio Disney when the kids are in the car. I like it. If I made a list like this, Radio Disney would be right at the top, and I wouldn't be able to explain it. "What is this feeling taking over", indeed.
Posted by: Dave in Pgh. at March 30, 2005 07:44 AMVeronica Mars = very yes. So far it's everything the final years of Buffy weren't, along with everything every other WB comidrama wasn't. It's kind of like Encyclopedia Brown became a cute high school girl with a far more snarky attitude.
And yes, Veronica Mars is smarter than me.
Posted by: Jerry Leigh at March 30, 2005 08:19 AMHow did I miss this the first time:
""like all the other AI winners - a cookie-cutter Celene Dion wannabe""
To be clear:
Ruben Studdard = Celene Dion wannabe
Now that is funny!
Flash
Posted by: Flash at March 30, 2005 10:42 AMFunny, I like Billy Joel...and loathe "Captain Jack."
I don't know what that means, but there you go.
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