Album Review; The Smashing Pumpkins "Zeitgeist"

The Smashing Pumpkins were slightly different from the rest of the burst of early alt-rock 90's bands. For one, the Pumpkins have always been a moniker of sorts for lead singer Billy Corgan - just as the Cure is to Robert Smith, Nine Inch Nails is to Trent Reznor, and Guns 'N' Roses is to Axl Rose….OK well, maybe the first two. Corgan has been and always will be the ring leader of and sole contributor to the band. This made Corgan an irregularity during those grungy, nihilistic days when other groups like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden couldn’t exist without each group member and their subsequent symbiosis. Corgan assembled the band around himself. With James Iha on guitar, D’Arcy Wretzky on Bass, and Jimmy Chamberlin on drums, this classic lineup became the group we remember as the Smashing Pumpkins, but really behind the scenes Corgan was pulling all the strings.

With that much power, some would say Corgan became a tad bit egotistical. Some would also say "tad bit" is an understatement. But can you really blame the guy? Where it ordinarily took four or five musicians to create a powerful alternative band, not only did Corgan prove he could do it all himself, but in the process he became one of the biggest alt-rock acts of the 90’s and a defining voice of Generation X. However, what really separated Corgan from the rest was his musical inspiration. Where other bands of the era harnessed that 90’s meaningless void to express their depression, Corgan dared to emote his depression through lovesick anthems and egocentric desires. He was inspired by theatrical glam bands like Queen, The Cure, and70’s David Bowie, which directly contradicted the toned down, apathetic-to-fashion look of grunge. This direct violation of the Gen-X code made The Pumpkins an irregular act that musically stood out like a sore thumb in the 90’s, yet they still fit in perfect with it's despondent sound.

By the year 2000, when the Gen X’ers had grown up and alt-rock had all but dissipated into mainstream blandness, Corgan knew that The Pumpkins time was up. He had disbanded the band, but really in name only, as if he already knew The Smashing Pumpkins were an artifact of the era rather than a band of longevity. It seemed like the noble thing to do was go out on top; as legendary and significant. But considering Corgan’s egocentricities it seemed he was doing it only to scoff at the competition; knowingly expressing that the Pumpkins were better than the rest and didn’t have anything else to prove. Afterwards he carried on with his new band Zwan as well as a solo album, yet Corgan never quite reached the stardom and/or recognition The Pumpkins once gave him. Little did he know, seven years later the very thing he was trying to diverge from would come back into style. With all this is mind it shouldn’t have been a surprise when one year ago Corgan self-exclaimed that The Pumpkins were reuniting, even though the only real reunion involved Chamberlin and himself.

No one could have predicted that this decade would not only represent a huge regression in rock, but dedicate itself to and rehash the same pomp, glam and extravagance that once made The Pumpkins such an irregular act of the 90’s. Today, headline, arena-filling acts, such as AFI and Panic at the Disco, practically model themselves after the Pumpkins theatrics, and My Chemical Romance’s lead singer Gerard Way not only worships Corgan but admits he is his greatest influence. The whole internet generation, raised on the merits of these bands, owes at least some of their overdramatic, emo life-styling to Corgan. So the new album Zeitgeist must be Corgan’s conscious step backwards into this musical oblivion, almost as if he wanted to remind all the kids on MySpace that he was doing this way before any of their new, favorite bands. The very fact that the album is named Zeitgeist, a German expression meaning "the spirit of the age", is the clearest indication that he is appeasing this generation’s lower standards.















Part of Corgan’s appease apparently involves discussing the political climate. Although on it's exterior, the album appears to be politically charged with songs like “United States” and “For God & Country”, it does not disguise Corgan’s huge ego. Coming from the guy who sang “Love is Suicide” during the grunge days, these statements more or less show he’s overcompensating for lost time in the spotlight. Gone are the long, sweeping movements and grand gestures of classic songs like “Soma” and “Tonight, Tonight”. They are instead replaced by fast chugging, melody-less songs like “Tarantula” & “(Come On) Lets Go”. In fact, the whole album plays this way. The songs sound like they were made to be played on Guitar Hero rather than to become memorable. Granted the Pumpkins have always been known to rock hard, however this time around it seems they were crafted to sound like they’ll rock hard instead of actually rocking hard.

And maybe that’s exactly the point. Perhaps Corgan had made precisely the album he wanted - the Smashing Pumpkins Zeitgeist album for the iGeneration. It is the album you download (iTunes) individual songs from instead of listening to all the way through. It may be an overcompensation and it may be Corgan’s way of reassuring himself that he’s still relevant, but is this album really any worse than the bands he overcompensating for? Sure it’s no Siamese Dream, or Mellon Collie, but that really was a different age of refinement. If anything, this album is a perfect artifact for the year 2007. It’s cold, calculative, self-righteous, over confident, pseudo-politically aware, hyper-active, and starving for attention. If that’s what Corgan’s intentions were than kudos to him, but if it wasn’t and he was unaware of the synthetic feel of this album, then maybe it's time for him to get back in that cage, despite all his rage.

3 out of 5 stars

Movie Review - Fantastic Four; Rise of the Silver Surfer

Even though I read a lot of comics growing up (and I mean a lot) Fantastic Four was never really on the top of my list. I was more of an X-Men junkie. But when I did get a chance to breeze over a Fantastic Four book, what always pulled me in was the dynamic between the four members. Although over the years, the Fantastic Four have been through many incarnations, the core group of Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Women, The Human Torch, and The Thing have always been the 4 are what has made the comic so wildly popular since the early 60’s. It isn’t really the adventures they go on, or the intergalactic superbeings they cross, but the relationship between the 4 teammates that have made them so appealing; the mix between borderline soap opera drama, and comic relief banter that make not only for a perfect “comic” comic book, but fit perfectly into a big budget no-holds bar, Blockbuster, action movie.

With that said, it is for this reason I defend the Fantastic Four movies, and can also attest that Fantastic Four; Rise of The Silver Surfer is one of the best “comic” comic book movies to come out in a long while. The first Fantastic Four (2005), was mediocre at best, but did succeed at setting the right tone for the characters. If you disagree with this, go find the Fantastic Four film they tried to make back in 1994 directed by Oley Sassone. Now there’s a travesty on film. Although some will argue, I think the best thing about the current Fantastic Four movies is that the writers, as well as director Tim Story, keep the tone lighthearted. Unlike big movie missteps Daredevil, Ghost Rider & The Punisher (characters who were suppose to be serious, dark, mysterious and brooding, but were treated like sideshow acts in each respective film) The Fantastic Four movies are suppose to be campy and lighthearted. I feel like if they tried to make the characters to overtly serious they would be disrespecting the heart and legacy of the characters. So for all the naysayers who can’t stand the movie for it's camp factor, you probably wouldn’t be able to read a Fantastic Four comic book for the same reason.

Fortunately, Rise of the Silver Surfer balances the camp and the seriousness just right, to where exposition moves out of the way for some decent action sequences. So in a nutshell, a being from outer space (The Silver Surfer) comes to earth basically to decide whether earth is suitable to be devoured by a planet eater named Galactus (he’s a whole ‘nother story). Turns out our planet is quite delicious and Galactus is ready to feed, but once our Government’s spy satellites catch the Silver Surfer in action, they go running to uber-scientist Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) to help find out what kind of threat our country is dealing with. Of course this directly interferes with Reed marrying Sue Storm (Invisible Women/Jessica Alba) which gives the story it's nice, little conflict. Just as in the comics, Reed has to decide whether to choose his extraneousness work in the laboratory or spend quality time with Sue. It is this conflict that has been a problem for Reed since his inception by Stan Lee himself. As the plot moves forward, Reed, with the entire earth depending on him, works in secret to find out what the Silver Surfer is up to. It is this superhero paradigm, selflessness over selfishness, that plays a very important role throughout the course of the film resulting in some incredibly successful scenes .

This underlying theme plays a crucial role in the socially conscious script. Like in the comics, the Fantastic Four are big celebrities, and in today’s world where celebrity life is followed more closely than religion, the biggest news isn’t the Silver Surfer's arrival, its Sue & Reed’s weeding. Where the rest of the team ignore their celebdom, Johnny Storm (Human Touch) fully embraces it, wearing sponsorships on his uniform (like a NASCAR racer) and constantly craving media attention. Also the US Government is played in fascist order by General Hager who makes demands of Reed to help find and capture the Silver Surfer. Eventually he also enlists Victor Von Doom to work with Reed and help motivate him to work faster. Although initially the enemy seems to be Silver Surfer, as he is finally captured and tortured by our Government, we learn that we are in fact the deviant ones. It is only through the kindness of Sue Storm and the gentle nature of the human heart that we find a resolution.

I believe this is a subtle jab at both our current bullying governmental policies, our ultra-celebrity obsession, and how they are both deferring us as reasonable human beings. In a way the writing of the script and the initial storyline by Stan Lee have always been a cautionary tale. What if a grand being not from our world was to bring on the Apocalypse? Would we be worth saving? Not unless we change our boorish behavior and not if we continue to act selfishly and not selflessly. The reason why the Fantastic Four are so, well, fantastic, is not because they have their superpowers, but because as a team they are willing to give up their lives, their selfishness, for a higher cause. And this is the lesson we are being taught in the movie. Sue says to the Silver Surfer when asking him to spare the planet, “There’s always a choice”. A choice to make a difference in each other’s lives and a choice to try to make our lives worth saving." This is the epic, morality tale Stan Lee set forth when he wrote this storyline in the 60’s, and it still echo’s true in this movie. And that, my friends, is why this movie succeeds and isn’t just another campy superhero action flick. See it how you may, but I think ‘nuff said.

Fantastic Four; Rise of The Silver Surfer
Rating: B+

Album Review; Linkin Park "Minutes to Midnight"

When Linkin Park released “Hybrid Theory” back in 2000 I was one of the countless millions who jumped on the band wagon and immediately became a fan (I had just turned 18 FYI). The way they blended rock and rap was unlike any other band I had heard at the time and even though many other bands had experimented sonically with it before, they were the first band to make it sound revolutionary. And that’s what I though Linkin Park was to become; revolutionary. I assumed they were going to continue to push their unique brand of rap-rock and expand upon it.

But alas, this was not to be. Since 2000 what has become prevalent in rock isn’t rap-rock anymore. That has been replaced by the faux-emo/screamo scene. Yet, what makes Linkin Park still so attractive and popular is lead singer Chester Bennington’s ability to encompass the same territory that all of the other mediocre screamo bands do today, but better. Linkin Park’s uniqueness derives from their ability to combine both Chester’s melodic emotional whaling with Mike Shinoda’s fast and furious rapping; a combination that boasted all their success on “Hybrid Theory”. In fact the name "Hybrid Theory", which was the band’s name before Linkin Park, expresses their belief in the successful combination of rap and rock.

However what has becomes immediately apparent on their new album “Minutes to Midnight” is that their patented mix of rap-rock is no longer apart of their formula for success. Linkin Park is still one of the biggest headlining acts in rock music, and with each album they have been trying to match the success and stature of “Hybrid Theory” and carefully representing themselves along the way. So for “Minutes to Midnight” they hired producing legend Rick Rubin and sat (supposedly) on a wealth of material to trim down to one compact album. But once you hear “Minutes to Midnight” its easy to conclude that Linkin Park has succumbed to the pressure of staying on the top of the charts instead of being musically adventurous, sadly because it almost abandons everything they once supposedly stood for.

There is nothing wrong with going in a different direction musically, as long as it’s for the right reasons of course. On “Minutes to Minutes” Linkin Park appears to diverge from their rap-rock roots for all the wrong reasons. The album relies on Chester’s emo-tional singing as a crutch for the sole purpose of knowing his emo voice is their trump card. That was a wrong assumption to make, and the two tracks that merge Shinoda’s rap with Chester’s vocals (“Bleed it Out” & “Hands Held High”) just so happen to be the best tracks on the album. I’m not sure what’s more ironic, that they employed legendary rap-rock producer Rick Ruben only to stay away from rap-rock, or that their best tracks are the ones that actually use rock-rap. On Shinoda-less tracks like “Valentines Day” and “Leave out the Rest” Chester presents emo-ballad lyrics like “I dreamed I was missing, you were so scared, but no one would listen, cause no one else cared”. Not only are these songs un-melodic and bland, but Chester’s lyrics are so ambiguous it seems he wrote them just to appeal to his angst filled teenage audience, not because they are sincere. Songs like these serve as nothing but filler, and without Shinoda equaling out Chester’s introspection, there is no versatility to the tracks that were once so relevant on “Hybrid Theory”.

Either way, there is nothing exciting about this album. “Minutes to Midnight” might sell well because they knew what would keep them profitable and on top of the pops, but it doesn’t make them any better then the rest of the bands that follow the same shtick. In fact it’s downright embarrassing that Linkin Park has lost confidence in their merging of rap-rock to accommodate to an audience of lesser concern. But what’s more embarrassing is the audience that Linkin Park is trying to attend to, and how they might consider this a good album. For shame, you faceless audience, you should expect more from your music.

2 out of 5 stars

Why the films Ghost Rider & Daredevil sucked it hardcore (an open letter to Mark Steven Johnson)

Dear Mark Steven Johnson,

I know you must think you have a very strong imagination to be both a writer and director, and I bet you're a real nice guy who’s fun to work with, but I just want to let you know you will go down in history as the man who ruined the mystique and grandeur behind characters such as Daredevil and Ghost Rider. Any respectable comic book fan, movie aficionado, or simply anyone that recognizes a decent film will tell you that you have failed miserably at helping these prolific characters stay respectable.

I know, it’s not all your fault. Marvel Studios, Columbia Pictures and the producers obviously are making these movies for a quick buck and not to tell an in depth, thought provoking story. If it wasn't you then it might have been some other hack director like Stephen Sommers or W.S Anderson, but unfortunately, you are the director and you are going to receive blame for accepting the role as the continued destructor of classic comic book characters.

In your new film Ghost Rider you tell the story of a man who sells his soul to the devil to gain supernatural powers. However perhaps it is you, Mark Steven Johnson who has sold your soul to the devil to help in your ascension towards becoming a big-budget formulaic, cliché and Hollywood-eske film director. Your films are the ultimate realization of how Hollywood can corrupt a genuine story for formulaic dreck. Your comic to film adaptations deviate so drastically from their original creative material, that they will always be a reminder of how big budget Hollywood films diminish strong plots, in depth character development, and coherent emotional storytelling. Yes, I understand these are comic book characters, and comics have always been bombastic and hyperbolic in nature, however both Daredevil’s and Ghost Rider’s comic book personas have real emotional depth with strong ties to relevant human regret and sacrifice. These anti-heroes remind us of our frailties and how our dark sides can control us if we are not careful. But you diminish these characters by portraying them as being comical, unrealistic, and one dimensional. Just because Ghost Rider has a flaming skull you shouldn't have to point out the obvious and allow him to say "feel’s like my skull’s on fire". This may be acceptable for comic book characters who are meant to be portrayed as satirical such as Deadpool and Hellboy, but for serious characters such as Daredevil and Ghost Rider, who have a strong history of being dark, moody, intense and relevant you're just destroying their legacy.

So here is my suggestion: please stop accepting directing roles for classic comic book characters such as Daredevil and Ghost Rider and accept roles for films your better suited for. You’re obviously very good at Hollywoodizing film plots so stick with it. Just please stay away from comic book films that should be crafted delicately with justifiable plot substance, and not just glazed over. Stick to the casual and lighthearted films you’re used to like “Jack Frost” and “Grumpier Old Men”. People need a good laugh and you sure do provide it with those oh so classy films. Believe me I am not just saying this as a comic book fan, but as a movie fan, or better yet, and fan of original, insightful, tangible, un-formulaic films. So please, on behalf of comic book fans and movie fans around the world, QUIT PATRONIZING US AND ADMIT YOU’RE A HACK. Thank you.

Sincerely,
J.Stone


P.S. I posted this rant on IMDB because you are not cool until you post on IMDB;
http://imdb.com/name/nm0425756/board/nest/67155013

Album Review: Matchbook Romance "Monsters"

Most bands will stick to that old antidote, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," especially when it comes to rock bands that are contained in the highly profitable rock format known as emo. However, Matchbox Romance has done something quite daring. They have decided to take a chance and make a record that would push the boundaries of not only their genre but also their musical ability.

In a world where rock music is smothered by the egocentric whines of post-hardcore and screamo outfits, it is tough to receive recognition if you are a band botched together in its self-indulgent havoc.

Matchbook Romance, debuted with its album "Stories and Alibis." By 2003 ,screamo was becoming what "grunge" had become for the early 90s, a movement in rock that was diminished by its wide-ranging accessibility and replicated sound. Suddenly the personal dark emotions of grunge weren't so personal when the whole world felt them and the same would follow in screamo's sentiments.

For most screamo bands, the formula can almost be predicted: despairing gentle singing for the verses, and piercing aggressive screaming for the choruses, all in less than three minutes.

Fortunately Matchbook Romance, who could have remained quite secure in its emo/screamo format, decided to stray from its generic emo siblings. With the band's new album "Voices," they haven't reinvented themselves quite yet, but have made huge attempts to do so.

The album immediately grabs listeners from the opening track "You Can Run, But We'll Find You" where it becomes apparent they have shifted in sound. The band's new craftwork is much more reliant on creating melodic hooks, swaying tempos, and epic choruses, bounds away from their debut album and also far more brilliant. The evolving band presents its new strengths with tracks such as "Surrender" that has a more bombastic sound similar to Muse, and "What A Sight" with a hauntingly echoed chorus akin to Coldplay (listen to Coldplay's song "Twisted Logic").

In addition to the superior sound of the album and the even stronger song formations, what is most impressive about Matchbook Romance is its ability to change and step out from the shadow of the emo/screamo format, which would have held them back artistically if they hid in. They weren't scared or intimidated by the populous which would have been satisfied with another mediocre genre specific release.

Now that Matchbook Romance has entered a new stage in its musical life, the question is can they continue to progress into something unique, or will they continue to imitate other bands? Only time will tell.

Give this Track A Second Listen; "What A Sight"

Our rating: 3 ½ stars (out of 5)

This review written for the Quinnipiac Chronicle can be found here;
Original Quinnipiac article

Album Review: Hawthorne Heights "If Only You Were Lonely"

Ten years ago if you asked someone if they listened to emo, they probably wouldn't have known what you were talking about. The operative word here is probably because emo did, in fact, exist ten years ago, but it was nothing more than a small lo-fi subsidiary of punk consisting of a handful of bands that were crushed under the hugely successful alternative and nu-metal acts of the late 90's. Now the little genre that could has exploded into the dominant force in rock music. Emo's newfound notoriety is due mostly to punk's huge comeback in the rock genre and from their omnipresent teenage fan base, whose newfound devotion makes or breaks a band's popularity in the age of MTV and digital music downloading.

It is within the fan base of such bands where problems begin to arise. Because these bands are so momentarily popular, the genre has become a commodity, much like the boy band era of the late 90's. Most of these emo groups who are fresh out of high school speak directly to their teenage fan base and it these same adolescents and their wide range of heartfelt emotions who hang on their every lyric. The record companies who have recognized this pump out new emo bands every other second, including some bands that don't have the credentials or experience to really become all that memorable. Add to the equation that every little detail of teenage life can be expressed through internet blogs and bands can become your 'friend' on MySpace, and you realize emo has evolved more into a style of expression rather than a style of music. This makes the music quality itself not as important as the way an emo band presents its music lyrically and stylistically.

Hawthorne Heights, sadly to say, is one of the commoditized emo/screamo bands. Why commoditized? For one, purchasers of the band's latest disc "If Only You Were Lonely," receive a pre-packaged bonus sampler CD with other homogenized bands in addition to a pullout advertisement for Hawthorne Heights-brand band clothing, gear and accessories. They were a brand even before becoming a real band. The band even discusses their commoditization on their new song "We Are So Last Year" with lyrics like, "We're falling faster, this is the last year….this never happens, changing with fashion, just a few more hours until we are unknown."

Hawthorne Heights' fears may harken back to two years ago when they emerged with their debut "The Silence In Black and White," an effort panned by critics for the group's formulaic screamo, void of any real hook or melody. Although their production values were tight and they sold a gazillion albums anyway, they were still hard to distinguish in the vast ocean of emerging screamo/emo bands that stayed adrift among them.

However, their new LP begins to show cracks in their befitted screamo mold with the creation of some actual distinct melodies. Therapeutic lyrics about breakups, unrequited love and the adolescent experience that personifies emo so well are certainly present, but now the difference is you can sing along to them.

In songs like "This is Who We Are" they prove their worth with a strong contagious chorus that chants "I know it feels like we're never coming back, you tried your best and you knew it wouldn't last." On album closer "Decembers," a piano is actually employed to create a thoughtful, beautiful song about a girl. But the symptoms for something bigger and better from Hawthorne Heights are slowly creeping out.

Give this track a second listen: "Decembers"

Our rating: 3 stars (out of 5)

This article written for the Quinnipiac Chronicle can be found here;
Original Quinnipiac Article

Album Review: Evans Blue "The Melody and the Energetic Nature of Volume"

Unfortunately for new band Evans Blue, they're entering the music scene at the wrong time. In a market dominated by punk's disintegrative subdivisions; pop punk, emo, screamo, emocore, hardcore, and any other of its off-shoots, the alternative, post-grunge, hard rock scene has all been but diminished and narrowly labeled as "modern rock" or even worse "alternative pop rock." This is mainly due to the fact that most alternative bands today are associated with the "corporate rock" it becomes rather then staying true to its eclectic beginnings. As such, most bands filed under this label are quickly dismissed as another bland sounding hard rock band, void of distinction and never really given a fair chance.

The large majority of bands today find success imitating their peers; focusing on style rather then substance. This, of course, is the harsh cycle of rock musical trends, which starts off with a brilliantly eclectic sound until its energy is corporately harnessed, turning bands into bland sounding duplications, and fading both band and genre into mediocrity. This does not mean, however, that some bands can triumph over these restrictions and still make good music in their subjugated genre.

Evans Blue is a new band listeners can safely file under post grunge and/or hard rock and know they are getting what they paid for. On their debut album, "The Melody and the Energetic Nature of Volume," the band has somewhat successfully merged many different styles and sounds of alternative/hard rock that have recently been crafted haphazardly by their peers.

The band's sound can be attributed to equal parts A Perfect Circle and Staind, both in musical style and also in the way lead singer Kevin Matisyn croons on the disc, offering a vocal performance reminiscent of Staind's front man Aaron Lewis. This sound is especially evident on tracks including "Stop And Say You Love Me" and the disc's lead single "Cold (But I'm Still Here)." A tinge of Evanescence-inspired styling can be discerned on the Sarah McLachlan cover "Possession," putting the group in danger of being labeled "hard rock mediocrity." All things considered, however, "The Melody and the Energetic Nature of Volume" proves to be a strong debut that helps breathe a little life in a mostly stale format.

Give this track a second listen: "Stop and Say You Love Me."

Our rating:
2 1/2 stars (out of 5)

This review written for the Quinnipiac Chronicle can be found here;
Original Quinnipiac Article

post: not just a cereal company

black holes are neither black or hole shaped, discuss amongst yourselves.

Rant; Reality TV & its "Reality"

Reading over an article about Fear Factor got me all pissed off about Reality TV; which I beleive is one of the most perverse voyeuristic human endeavors in the media today. As a fellow human, I feel that our rights should be preserved, and as a humanist (I believe that I am anyway) I try to avoid all contact from anything I feel is demeaning to us, as humans. This is why I don’t watch Reality Television for more then half a minute, I’m may be aware of each new reality show, but I just don’t watch them.
Not only has the format become so trite and hackneyed now that each show is only trying to top the last sickening one, but the worst part about them are their sinking human standards that drops with each new show. Shall we overview some of the new reality show’s Hollywood pumps out? Here is a sample of new reality television programming:
• The Simple Life – Rich tycoon heiresses go one a farm to try to live on it, it’s the American way.
• The Surreal Life – Stick a bunch of washed up B-level celebrities in a house together and watch them interact……… great huh?
• Todd TV – remember that movie ED TV? No? Me either, this is that brilliant idea put to test. It’s great because not only do you get to watch a man live his sorry life, but you get to choose his sorry decisions.
• Fear Factor – Yes, people love to watch other people eat pig testicles. It’s a big hit.
• Are you Hot? – I had to throw this atrocity in; people judge you on how you look, can there be anything more conceited and/or superficial?

Do we see a common trend in programming here? Because I do; 1) Reality TV is a fad, and fads always suck just before they die off; especially at the tail end of it when people star realizing how dumb they’ve been 2) Reality TV producers realize that since our standards our lowered, they can lower theirs; I feel like they sit in a board room and say, “who cares what the plot is, all we gotta do is film people doing something normally people wouldn’t do”. Every new reality show is just another trite idea in riding the wave of the corporate money maker, makes me sick. 3) Not only is each show getting duller, but they are more degrading and less inventive. By giving us crap like the simple life and fear factor I can only ask myself, what are we as humans? Are we all just a bunch of mammals stimulated by watching each other degrade and selling ourselves out? The shows producers churn out pre-planned and pseudo-realistic situations, something I’ve hated from the very first reality show on primetime. I don’t know if it should really be called “Reality TV” anymore, because there is nothing real about it. If I wanted to watch fake drama I watch a sitcom, because at least they are explicit about what they’re doing and there is actually some creativity in the writing process. 4) We are allowing our voyeuristic pleasures to be exploited. Ok humans are curious, “human nature”, Pandora’s Box, I know, but still I feel there should be a limit to our own sick pleasures, and if those pleasures are sick, then please, keep them to yourselves. The fact that we find it ok to watch celebrities churn butter, and encourage people to eat bugs for money, can only be a testament to why other countries can’t stand American culture.

Why do we as Americans feel the need to numb ourselves with such contrived trite? Why instead can’t we focus on real issues, there is a voyeurism we can all tune into and it’s called the news. Why can’t we just keep our focus on real life events? Instead of watching people do pointless shit, why can’t we focus on news around the world? News like people in other countries dying in mass numbers, the hundreds of rebellions that are sparked everyday, persecutions, executions, suicides and genocides? Or maybe within this question lies the answer; that at the heart of American culture, we just want to be ignorant. We are the leading country in the world so we choose to ignore everything in it because of our greatness. Is that the general conscientious? Because it’s not mine. I believe we must free ourselves from this mind numbing propaganda machine that keeps churning out corporate cash crops. These shows are just another device for greed, which is the greatest evil of them all.

Just to cap off this little expenditure, I like to talk about something our fantastic President Bush did today. Bush’s reign is almost over (I hope), but now that the fact that we invaded Iraq for no reason is coming out, Bush is trying as hard as he can to get his hardcore American audience back on his side. That’s right folks good ol George W. went to the Daytona 500 to go see cars race around a track. First off what the fuck, why is NASCAR one of the biggest up and coming sport events, what the fuck people? Never the less, these audiences who watch have been dubbed “Nascar dads” AKA blue collar, working class, American Joe republicans. Has this become the zenith of our great civilization? NASCAR, Reality Television? Have we become a nation that sits in front of the TV to watch cars go around a track in circles like buzzing flies, and watch people judge other people by seeing if their hot or not? I feel this is the same ID-filled logic that supports this terrible Iraq war. I know I can’t personally speak for all the brave Americans who risk their ass to fight our government’s dirty work (no way was I gonna say their fighting to preserve our freedom), but it is so out of hand, all I want is for our troops to return home.


Bush may just be the greatest Reality Television star of them all, because he pulls off the whole “pseudo-realism” better than any of those shows do. Ronald Reagan might of had a whole lifetime of acting experience, but Bush certainly has a whole nation falsely convinced that he is doing the right things for the right reasons. Every time I hear him speak it’s reminds me of a tape machine playing “I’m not here right now, but please leave a message”. I wonder if Bush really even gives a shit about NASCAR, when was the last time he made public his support for it? While at the NASCAR track he brought up the point that he served in the National Guard for awhile (another issue being debated) trying to appeal to the blue-collar base I suppose, because it’s not like he’s a rich ex -president’s son or anything. If in 20-30 years from now this man isn’t looked upon as our worst president who ushered in the biggest unjustifiable war and was the greatest deceiver, then I think I might move to Canada, although I don’t think I’ll be able to avoid the Reality TV there.