Powerthirst

I was at work this weekend and I overheard some of the guys I work with quoting something. It caught my attention mainly because of he voices they were using. Things they were saying for example were: "You will have so many babies, 400 BABIES", and "You will run as fast as a Kenyan, people will think you are Kenyan". This was all done in a crazy voice of someone who is clearly on tons of steroids. So I asked them what they were quoting. After they laughed for another ten minutes about it they explained it to me. It didn't really sound that exciting but I was still curious. After work we all went to my apartment where they showed me Powerthirst 1 and 2. At first I wasn't really sure what I was watching but as soon as I heard the first recognizable quote I began laughing. The videos are all about an energy drink and it basically makes fun of people who are overly ripped and obsessed with steroids and energy drinks, basically muscle builders. These videos on youtube although extremely random and slightly inappropriate are very entertaining. So I hope you all enjoy and share them with your friends. There are different versions to them with different pictures which are also quite entertaining.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qRuNxHqwazs

The Giants?!

So, I went to Buffalo Wild Wings for Super Bowl Sunday and was pretty excited for both the game and of course the commercials. As it turns out, this Super Bowl had higher ratings than ever before with 97.5 million viewers. At first I wasn't exactly sure who us Green Bay fans would be cheering for...the Patriots out of spite or the Giants so they would feel better about the Giant's defeat over the Packers. 

One of the 2.7 million dollar commercial spots was a Pepsi max commercial that was spoofing the movie "A Night at the Roxbury". It showed people- normal and famous- nodding their heads as they fell asleep while they were out in public. And to tell you the truth, this is kind of what the bar looked like when I looked around- people weren't even paying attention! By the end of the second quarter people realized the game was going nowhere fast.

But then came the fourth quarter...and things were much more exciting. The Patriots were over confident and the Giants were determined, and you could tell. Even though the Giant's ruined an otherwise perfect season for New England, I have to say that I think this was the better outcome. And it turns out everyone was cheering for the Giants. 

As far as the commercials go, I was a little disappointed. The only two I found myself actually laughing at were a Fed Ex commercial that had huge carrier pigeons delivering people their packages and destroying the city in the process, and a Doritos commercial where a gigantic mouse attacks a man trying to lure it with a Dorito. The Budweiser commercials were disappointing to say the least. 

All in all it was a good night with an exciting ending- even if it couldn't be the Pack.

Parasitic Televison

Earlier in the week I watched I watched an episode of the ‘Steve Wilco’ show. Steve as you may or may not know gained fame as the former quasi-security-bodyguard for the somewhat “talk” show ‘Jerry Springer’ hosted by you know who. Jerry Springer gained wealth and fame off making a mockery of human scum and presenting it to us as entertainment. Unfortunately, lower IQ America ate it up and his show become wildly successful. Now his buddy Stevie is sponging off the same format…but wait it has a new twist…Steve is the hero, the quintessential “good guy” taking on the “bad guys” of America! Wow. Let me put my boots on as the sh*t gets deeper.
When has it become ‘cool’ to dehumanize people? Who needs a moral compass to agree that child molesters are bad? Who needs to gloat over someone who beats his wife? When did this type of behavior become entertainment for the masses? Now we put these scum on TV for us to say “look at the bad guy”. What’s worse is that Steve is profiting off the suffering of others. Yes..without child molesters, wife beaters, dead beat dads, and the like...guess what..no show! Steve needs this human scum. He’s like a parasite feeding off decaying tissue. What’s next, televised executions? Help can only be offered by PROFESSIONALS. And the process is certainly not entertaining to me.

why do we care?!

 

I may be in the minority when I say this, but I rarely ever find it necessary to turn to a tabloid magazine for information about…anything. Whenever I go to a grocery store, gas station or even a Walgreens, I can’t help but be flooded at the counter by covers that scream other peoples’ drama and gossip and that drives me nuts. When I see these, my mind screams “WHY DO WE CARE?!” We dig and dig and dig into celebrities’ lives as if it’s some type of right as the American general public to know. Some people argue that these celebrities ask for paparazzi to be in their face and for there to be stories made out of them every day. 

As we can see celebrities, especially Britney Spears (how could I not mention her in this blog?) make really stupid decisions. But do we need to dig this far into their daily lives and their past just to write a story about a single hotel party they went crazy at? It definitely takes up time that could be used to investigate real stories...

Britney Spears

You can’t turn on the news these days without seeing some kind of controversial issue about Britney Spears. I’m wondering if this is all necessary, and whether or not people think the coverage is always ethical or not. Britney recently tried to end her life and was taken to the hospital for the second time in just a month. Should the media really have the right to not only record her going ons, but talk about her psychological issues as if they know what is really wrong with her?
I think that it is time for the media to give it a rest. One of the most likely reasons for her “mental breakdowns” is due directly to the media and their constant coverage and accusations and assumptions. This girl is in the spotlight 24/7 as if she is the president. Don’t you think that there are more important issues in the world today that the media can and should be covering?

Louis C.K.

I thought I would provide everyone with a little comic relief for the weekend. I don't know how many of you have heard of the stand-up comedian Louis C.K., but I think the guy is absolutely brilliant. I first saw an hour-long HBO special entitled "Shameless" featuring the guy a couple weeks ago. I'm not a huge stand-up comedy fan to begin with, but Louis C.K. had me hooked from the get go. He talks about a variety of topics ranging from standing in line at the post office to hilarious stories about his wife and daughter. After seeing the HBO special, I couldn't resist going on YouTube and looking up some more of his content. To my surprise, a ton of his stuff showed up and it was all pretty good. Nothing beats burning some time listening to Louis C.K.'s thoughts on life. I can guarantee that after seeing this clip, some of you will watch a few more. Enjoy and have a great weekend.

What's in Paula's drink? (American Idol)

American Idol has been a hit since its start in 2002. From what I’ve heard, this season has been the lowest rated season so far. What I want to focus on though for my blog, is the way Paula Abdul has acted since the start of this year’s auditions and how it seems the show has become a joke. I reacted to Paula’s behavior during the first show’s auditions by laughing hysterically. She acted completely out of it as if she were hammered, making strange comments and getting up and walking around during judging. Paula has gotten into trouble with acting strangely during interviews before, and her behavior now doesn’t seem to have gotten any better. For example, during the second week of auditions there was an American Idol hopeful whose audition was completely horrible. The choice of whether this contestant would be going to Hollywood or not seemed obvious to viewers and when Simon asked Paula what her vote was, the cameras zoom in to her head down on the table with her hands covering her face as she mumbles what seems to be a “sure”. Shortly after the contestant leaves the room, Simon makes the comment to producers that someone should check Paula’s drink. The show just seems to be missing what it is set out to do, and that is to find a great singer who can become America’s next big singing sensation. The show does show a handful of talented singers, but it seems as though most of the auditions are of people who suck. Don’t get me wrong, I too enjoy watching the American Idol auditions because they are funny to watch as well as entertaining, but when I think about the show in a different aspect, I think it’s ridiculous the way shows today are set up. Maybe if Paula wasn’t drunk during most auditions, there would be more spots for those with actual talent to go to Hollywood to pursue their dream.

Will It Blend?

The other day I stumbled upon a very interesting Youtube video. The title was "Will It Blend: (insert ridiculous object here). The first one I saw was the video where he blended (mutilated...) bic lighters. Like most people usually do, I scrolled and chose a couple more from the related videos tab. The videos are made by a company called Blendtech, a company that makes blenders of all things! I can't believe I didn't find these videos before! According the Blendtech page on Youtube, they are the #28th most subcribed user on all of the Youtube. The man dressed in a labcoat, gloves, and goggles is Tom Dickson.

The videos are interesting because this company claims that their blenders will blend almost anything and is the most powerful on the market. I would have to agree with them...I haven't seen any other blenders destroy a rake or a tiki torch. I think the blender is way beyond what you would need for personal, and correct me if I'm wrong...but it seems a bit excessive. When the blender revs up, it sounds like a couple routers, a circular saw, and a bandsaw. Oh wel.. .it is entertaining. Glad I found this site, it's just another useless website...

By the way...from what I've heard, the blenders cost $800... little too much for my liking.

Attention Heroes Fans

Since getting the first season of the NBC show Heroes on DVD for Christmas, I've become absolutely obsessed with the show.  There aren't too many shows that I would make a point of watching every week but this has definitely  become on of them.  Sadly, the writers strike has put a damper on that because, well, there aren't any new shows to watch.  A few episodes from season 2 can be watched on NBC.com, but that just isn't good enough for me.  Sad.  

But the other day I discovered something AMAZING on Youtube (well, amazing to me or other Heroes buffs at least).  I found the personal Youtube page of Adrian Pasdar, the actor who plays Nathan Petrelli, along with 36 personal home videos he made of himself and the other cast while they were filming and traveling the world to promote the show!  Most clips are between 30 secs to 2 mins and edited in a really artsy/hipster way with music and different effects.  

Click Here to see his full page.

I think its really cool that he would share that part of his life with his fans.  In a way, I think its a lot more entertaining for fans than DVD bonus features/exclusives because the content isn't being controlled or selected by a corporation (NBC/GE).  It's a behind the scenes look that isn't necessarily being used to promote the show, NBC, etc.  It's just, as he says at the top of his profile, "Random snapshot of the way I see the world."

Does anyone know about any other personal video diaries from actors/hollywood types  like this on Youtube?  

vinylDisc

Everyone knows by now that the music industry and CD sales are in a critical situation. I love and support downloading music and feel that with the enormous amount of music out there it can help create a demand for good music and not just what record companies thrust upon us, but that’s not what I wanted to share today. I also love listening and checking out the art and lyrics on records and CD’s, but this is getting harder to enjoy due to downloading. I recently bought the new Mars Volta album that came with a bonus vinyl/disc that can be played as a CD or a record. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/oct/15/musicnews.music This is no doubt just a gimmick that was developed to perk the interest in CD sales, but it’s still an interesting idea. Maybe this idea will take off considering that vinyl sales are at an all time high. It could have the album on one side and a single for a DJ on the other, but the only draw back is considering the vinyl side can only hold about three minutes worth of music.

Caught Up By Facebook Drama

Last night at work I was talking to my co-worker about school and my classes. I don't really know how we got on the subject, but Facebook creeped its way into the conversation. She began telling me about the new drama she's been experiencing at school, and of course it has to do with Facebook. She recently noticed that her boyfriend's status said that he was "single" when it should have said in a "relationship". After finding out the saddening news, she changed her status to single just to see what kind of response she would get... and boy did she get a response. As soon as she changed her status everyone was alerted with the broken heart message and the time she made the decision.

The next day at school everyone came up to her and said, "your no longer in a relationship, what happened?". The news traveled from one high school to another, her boyfriend who goes to a different high school, eventually found out the news through some friends. She received all kind of responses, some good and some bad. The guys were lining up just to see if they had a chance, of course her boyfriend was not happy.

It amazes me at the amount of time people spend on Facebook and how they are so concerned with the lives of others. Is it necessary to put all of your personal information on Facebook? Why do people need to know your every move? I think some things should just be left private.

TV before Bed??

Since the start of this JMC 262 class, I have become way more aware of all the different media types that I personally use in my everyday life. It is crazy how peoples' lives have become so connected to different forms of media and how difficult it is for us to pry ourselves away from them in order to get back to the real world.

I have also realized how some nights I have trouble sleeping without turning the TV on and watching a little bit before I turn in for the night. I know I'm probably not the only one out there that this occurs too, but it's just something that I've noticed recently.

Recently I have been watching those old classic 90's sitcoms that used to air and I'm sure many of us in the class have seen the shows I'm talking about. Home Improvement with the wild, crazy, and accident prone Tim the Tool Man Taylor is just one of the shows I'm referring to. Another one is the Fresh Prince of Bel Air that stars WIll Smith. I know I've probably seen almost every episode of those shows but there is just something in them that keeps me intrigued and lures me in to watch them night in and night out. Since these shows are on Nick At Nite the same time every night, it makes viewing them a lot easier. These shows have a certain comedic element to them and that is one of the reasons that I keep coming back to watch them time and time again.

Another one of my favorites before bed is Conan O' Brien. I enjoy watching his monologue and sometimes watching the guests he interviews but mainly I watch him because he is crazy and insane. His facial expressions are one of a kind. HAHAH.

Anyways, I guess I'm just curious how many people out there use the TV as sort of a way to make themselves more tired and fall asleep easier. I know it sure works for me.

vampire weekend

So every so often a new band comes on the indie scene that you can tell is not long for the indie scene. It's kind of like a time bomb waiting to explode onto the radio. Vampire Weekend is that sort of band, which indie elitists are trying to enjoy one last time before they inevitably end up with posters and T-shirts strewn all over Gossip Girl and Nickelodeon TV shows.
The band is tailor made for stardom, which is made obvious by their parent friendly looks and unthreatening sound. Their Ivy League educations and pretty boy looks are sure to earn them an enormous amount of haters in the future as well. But as it is, they are a harmless, somewhat enjoyable group that sounds something like if The Libertines and Hepcat were locked in a room for a few months and forced to produce an album. Sure, they are just a poppy pampered pseudo-Afropop group, but contrary to what their name might imply, they don't suck.

Z-degress

I am the person that can't live without music. I've always tried to look for a free website to download the newest hits. I have tried "Pandora" which is a great website, but they did not have what I wanted, and most of websites have always tricked me in some ways such as, first three songs were free, and I needed to pay to download more music and so on. Furthermore, websites that provide music free, they usually do not have newest hits. Sometimes, the website itself also regulates specific songs, so people would actually buy the album. However, I found the website called http://www.z-degrees.net/ which is a completely free website to download music. The coolest thing about this website is it will give you the whole album of an artist. All you need to do is register for the website, and find the artist. After you download the whole album, you need to do the data compression, when you do it, they will ask you to type the password. This password is provided at the very bottom of each page that you select for the artist. You will have your favorite artists' albums in your hands very quickly. It seems a little bit complicated at first, but once you get used to it, you will love it just like I do. It is also a free website, so a little work can be done. However, there is the one thing about this website that you might not like. They don't provide American artists' songs. They only provide Asian artists' songs (Korean, Chinese, and Japanese). There are a bunch of websites that provide American songs, so this can be the something new to you all. If you are interested in Asian music, go check it out! (http://www.z-dgegrees.net/)

Young Hollywood

Hollywood seems to be getting younger and younger...at least to me. Every day in tabloids, teen magazines, online blogs, and even the news, a promising young "teeny bopper" is introduced.

The most popular teen queen of the moment is Hannah Montana, a.k.a. Miley Cyrus. Within the past six months, the young performer's popularity has risen dramatically. Tickets for her Best of Both Worlds tour were selling for thousands of dollars a pop! She was also featured on the cover of USWeekly's latest issue.

However, Hollywood's latest teen idols aren't just known for their innocence. Recently, pictures of Miley Cyrus allegedly sharing a lollipop with another young girl surfaced on the internet. Just weeks later, more pictures of Miley posing provocatively in her underwear caused uproar.

My question is: Is the pressure of the spotlight driving these teenagers into danger? For instance, Lindsay Lohan was the epitome of innocent. Now, a mere five years later, she's been in and out of rehab, labeled a "party girl" and so on. Also, Britney Spears' fall from grace (which, I'm sure, needs no explanation) has largely been blamed on the pressures of the spotlight.

Is the media exploiting these children, or are their parents? Is the money too much too fast for them? Are our expectations too high for these young kids? Do they pose "naked" and then find the pictures on the internet accidentally? These teens are being exposed to drugs, alcohol, and sex much sooner than others...and it's all at their fingertips and easily accessible. In short, is the media's insistence on maintaining their innocence encouraging this behavior? On the contrary, should they be held responsible for their own actions?

As Hollywood hunks and starlets get younger and younger, how does this affect our media society? Lastly, is this decrease in the average age of idols healthy for ordinary children and should they really be looking up to these stars?

It seems as though these teen queens may be acting rebellious strictly for the attention. I also wonder if they think that this is what the world really wants to see...I have a nine-year-old sister who loves Hannah Montana, and I worry that she will be heartbroken if she learns that her idol isn't quite so peachy-clean.

Writer’s Strike: When Will It End??

If someone asked me what my guilty pleasure was I would definitely have to say television shows. I am hooked on more than I'd even like to admit. But lately, most of my beloved shows have not been back on for almost two months! And there's really only one explanation: the ongoing Writers Guild of America Strike.

I have a good friend who moved out to Hollywood last year to attempt his dreams of becoming an actor. And on a side note, he's actually gotten some cool gigs already. Either way, he tells me that the writer's strike costs the state of California $22 million a day! And this has been going on for months. So when are they finally going to crack?

And let's not forget the embarrassing incidents at the People's Choice and Golden Globe Awards where no one showed. Hollywood has got to be getting pretty nervous about the Academy Awards if the strike continues.

I think it really says something about the blatant greed involved with this industry when even the actors respond to the WGA's protest and still nothing is done. In fact, The Screen Actors Guild have recently made clear that they are not happy with the DGA's tentative deal, and frustrations are mounting. Today is the 87th day of the strike.

There have been talks about hopefully resolving issues with the WGA mid-February with the Oscars at stake, and certain companies have been making their own deals with the WGA aside from larger negotiations. But others are still pretty nervous. All I know is I miss my shows!!

Variety online has full coverage of the WGA strike...all 87 days of it.

Gossip Girl

Last night for the first time I watched the show Gossip Girl on the CW. Although the title of the show did give away mostly what it was about I was curious to see if the show was good or not. Each episode starts with the "gossip girl" sending these sidekick messages to all of the students of the rich upper eastside Manhattan private school. She uses abbreviations like "S" for Serena, "B" for Blair, "dets" for details and several others. These messages of course are gossip about the students of this school. The girls in this show are so extreme, from their clothing to their lifestyles. The characters are supposed to be 14-17 years old yet they act as if they are in their mid twenties. They drink martinis, they wear overly revealing clothing, they talk like adults among other things. I just found the show very interesting. It made me ask alot of questions. Is this a pretty accurate demonstration of rich, upper eastside Manhattan children? Also I know that this show is a very popular show so with that said, will girls across the country be mimicking these girls that they admire on this show? Although I did find the show entertaining I wonder what kind of effect it has on the younger audiences. 

1990's NBA on NBC

When Prof. Newman spoke in class about growing up on shows with Scott Baio and his interest in the new reality shows featuring the actor, he made a great point. He grew up on Happy Days and Charles in Charge, and so it makes sense that he identifies with the shows today. It's probably a way of reminiscing about childhood, surely a simpler if not happier time for all of us.

To me, 1990's NBA on NBC brings back the memories. Back then, there was no worrying about full-time college classes, a job, paying bills, or trying to pursue a career. Instead, the main issue was who played on Saturday afternoon, and perhaps how to replicate Clyde Drexler's glide on the cracked pavement outside my house after the game.

The theme music alone gives me the good kind of shivers.

Today, the guys at TNT do a great studio NBA show. E.J., Charles, and Kenny make a great team and are highly entertaining. Still, there is no comparison to Ahmad Rashad, Bob Costas, Hannah Storm, and most importantly, Marv Albert in his prime.

Reggie Miller and Charles Barkley are in the booth themselves today, but they did their best work on the court in the 1990's. Mitch Richmond, Kevin Johnson, Tim Hardaway, and some classic matchups and uniforms only add to the mystique.

Above all though, 1990's NBA on NBC meant Michael Jordan's Bulls, usually tearing out the Knicks' hearts.

Since it happened right in the middle of the 90's, and I'm probably not the only one who remembers this with such fondness, I'll leave you with MJ's (first) return to the game:

drew carey anyone?

I have been watching the Price is Right probably since I was in utero. The show is just an American institution. Recently Drew Carey became the new host, and everyone was just a little bit skeptical. But it turns out he is probably better than Bob Barker. Cause let's face it, towards the end of his run, Bob was becoming a curmudgeonly old bore. Sure, Drew Carey rifles off joke after unfunny joke, but he makes up for it with his jovial presence, kind of like a year long Santa Clause.
I saw this on TV in the first week that Drew was the host, and I was glad to see someone put it up on youtube. This contestant is so excited it's uncanny. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BgMlTmpHNM

Caught in the Youtube Web

The other day one of my friends sent me a Youtube video, which led me to click on other featured videos. I ended up finding tons of bloopers videos and that somehow took me to the "Worst Fight Scene Ever," featuring a guy in a lizard costume. Following that, I found tons of bad American Idol auditions, the worst Kung-Fu movie auditions, and finally, the "Worst Scenes Ever Seen:"

So, after all that, I’ve decided two things. 1) If you make or do anything “bad,” it will haunt you forever on Youtube and 2) Youtube really is great for promoting things. Those movies look absolutely terrible, but thanks to that montage, I now know they exist. After showing some friends and talking about it enough, we might rent one of the movies for laughs. I’m not a fan of American Idol, but my sister saw the bad audition videos and out of that, got interested in the show. Go figure.