The Today Show, which Julie and I have faithfully tuned into for our morning-time news and entertainment since the inception of our marriage, and which I have had going in the background during the 20-30 or so minutes I am getting dressed and heading out of the door since I was in jr. high. It is a staple around the Stone household, though I hear my mother has defected towards a more ‘fair and balanced’ rendering of the top stories. I am praying for you, Mom.
Yesterday was a banner-day for those clever Today’rs, because they managed to both report a story about unfair criticism-for-the-sake-of-humor on the part of the judges on American Idol while themselves engaging in the selfsame activity. Let me just add that since the Meredith Vierra replaced Katie Couric there have, in my opinion, been many more of these type moments than the show previously contained. Also in my opinion, a little sarcasm only improves the news.
Back to yesterday. First there was the earth shaking news, “The American Idol Judges Are Rude and Demeaning to the Contestants This Year”, as if every other year they have welcomed them with hugs and kisses and patted them on the head for their effort. Is that not the appeal of the show? It is most assuredly the only reason Julie and I have ever stayed on the channel for more than 20 or 30 seconds while biding our time during the commercials of a Mavericks game. Apparently someone had not informed the news media of this mistreatment of young wannabes, because two Idol castoffs have, in a very Hung-ian manner, grabbed the spotlight for being emotionally scarred by their mistreatment. Not to be outdone by the likes of Jimmy Kimmel, Today thought it appropriately newsworthy to have these two losers (not making a commentary about them, merely calling them that which their definition demands) on for a 5 minute segment to bemoan their ill-treatment.
Let us stop the story here for a second. 5 minutes, really? Earthquakes in India, murders in Boston, potential cures for cancer; these received 20-30 second blurbs, but for some reason these freaks deserve several minutes to relay their terror and humiliation. The segment begins by shaming Idol with clips of the their worst entrants auditions, but they are not glorifying it; no, they are relaying the news. After indulging my sick curiosities in this manner, for I do so love mocking the delusional, debating all the while whether my friends and family are allowing me to harbor those same fantasies of talent or ability, they cut to the stars of the morning, one sitting like a slightly retarded Hawaiian-shirt clad Augustus Klum (fat kid on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), and the other, fidgeting and squirming in his seat, looking like some sort of strung-out, possibly anorexic hobbit continually flashing ‘devil’s horns’ with his index and pinky fingers and sticking out his tongue. After several teases, each time showing the pair, an SNL sketch’s dream, they finally begin the interview.
Within 10 seconds of this train wreck it is apparent that these two are not there for expose on Idol; they are there so that Today might take their turn at kicking them in the crotch, all under the auspices of a serious news story. Genius! They extend this mess for what seems like an eternity, each answer filled with the most confusing, entertaining commentary that two people could muster. What is more, they actually uncover that Mr. Hawaii is, that’s right, legitimately mentally impaired. He has some version of autism and has competed several times in the Special Olympics, but that does not stop them from continuing to subtly jab him with his own idiocy. One long, uncomfortable pause and the re-asking of the same questions, allowing different answers made for wonderful theatre.
Way to go, Today, you cleverly stole American Idol’s best idea and somehow made it your own. I say that tomorrow you give an inside look into life in a trailer park; there are always quality interviews to be had there.
I found it on YouTube. Enjoy the show.
Yesterday was a banner-day for those clever Today’rs, because they managed to both report a story about unfair criticism-for-the-sake-of-humor on the part of the judges on American Idol while themselves engaging in the selfsame activity. Let me just add that since the Meredith Vierra replaced Katie Couric there have, in my opinion, been many more of these type moments than the show previously contained. Also in my opinion, a little sarcasm only improves the news.
Back to yesterday. First there was the earth shaking news, “The American Idol Judges Are Rude and Demeaning to the Contestants This Year”, as if every other year they have welcomed them with hugs and kisses and patted them on the head for their effort. Is that not the appeal of the show? It is most assuredly the only reason Julie and I have ever stayed on the channel for more than 20 or 30 seconds while biding our time during the commercials of a Mavericks game. Apparently someone had not informed the news media of this mistreatment of young wannabes, because two Idol castoffs have, in a very Hung-ian manner, grabbed the spotlight for being emotionally scarred by their mistreatment. Not to be outdone by the likes of Jimmy Kimmel, Today thought it appropriately newsworthy to have these two losers (not making a commentary about them, merely calling them that which their definition demands) on for a 5 minute segment to bemoan their ill-treatment.
Let us stop the story here for a second. 5 minutes, really? Earthquakes in India, murders in Boston, potential cures for cancer; these received 20-30 second blurbs, but for some reason these freaks deserve several minutes to relay their terror and humiliation. The segment begins by shaming Idol with clips of the their worst entrants auditions, but they are not glorifying it; no, they are relaying the news. After indulging my sick curiosities in this manner, for I do so love mocking the delusional, debating all the while whether my friends and family are allowing me to harbor those same fantasies of talent or ability, they cut to the stars of the morning, one sitting like a slightly retarded Hawaiian-shirt clad Augustus Klum (fat kid on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), and the other, fidgeting and squirming in his seat, looking like some sort of strung-out, possibly anorexic hobbit continually flashing ‘devil’s horns’ with his index and pinky fingers and sticking out his tongue. After several teases, each time showing the pair, an SNL sketch’s dream, they finally begin the interview.
Within 10 seconds of this train wreck it is apparent that these two are not there for expose on Idol; they are there so that Today might take their turn at kicking them in the crotch, all under the auspices of a serious news story. Genius! They extend this mess for what seems like an eternity, each answer filled with the most confusing, entertaining commentary that two people could muster. What is more, they actually uncover that Mr. Hawaii is, that’s right, legitimately mentally impaired. He has some version of autism and has competed several times in the Special Olympics, but that does not stop them from continuing to subtly jab him with his own idiocy. One long, uncomfortable pause and the re-asking of the same questions, allowing different answers made for wonderful theatre.
Way to go, Today, you cleverly stole American Idol’s best idea and somehow made it your own. I say that tomorrow you give an inside look into life in a trailer park; there are always quality interviews to be had there.
I found it on YouTube. Enjoy the show.
One does not "look a gift horse in the mouth" (I think that is how the saying goes....though I admit I do not know the origin), but this is almost too good of a week not to comment upon. Thanks to the previously mentioned civil rights pioneer's work and America's fear of offending the black community, white-bread St. Alban's gave me Monday off, but today was a special surprise. Julie and I did not get home until after 11:00 last night, and, though really cold, the streets were dry and able to be driven upon at top speed. About 5 and 1/2 hours later I received a phone call saying that school had been canceled. Somewhere in those hours there had fallen a fine layer of snow and ice that once again shut down the city. So, we enjoyed yet another day of reading and resting.
I am trying to get through the "Juvenalia" of Jane Austen, which encompasses everything she wrote before she was a decent writer. Let me be brief and blunt; it is almost unreadable; seriously, unreadable. Imagine if you will enjoying your favorite singer....when they were infants. Try listening to the equivalent of 250 pages of Stevie Wonder at 3 years old; that is what I spent the majority of the day reading....except worse.
To break up the Elizabethan monotony of purity and niceness Julie and I partook of a couple of movies that promised at least a little something less good. If you know Julie and I, you know that we rent movies about once a year, and so we had to make it good. There were two or three that I had wanted to see, and luckily for me a couple of them were at the snow-day-ravaged Blockbuster. We ended of seeing "Little Miss Sunshine" and "The Last Kiss".
I was going to give my take on the movies, but this post has been sitting on my desktop for the last week, and I will never post it if I wait until I have time to think it through. Be your own judge, but check them out if you get a chance.
I am trying to get through the "Juvenalia" of Jane Austen, which encompasses everything she wrote before she was a decent writer. Let me be brief and blunt; it is almost unreadable; seriously, unreadable. Imagine if you will enjoying your favorite singer....when they were infants. Try listening to the equivalent of 250 pages of Stevie Wonder at 3 years old; that is what I spent the majority of the day reading....except worse.
To break up the Elizabethan monotony of purity and niceness Julie and I partook of a couple of movies that promised at least a little something less good. If you know Julie and I, you know that we rent movies about once a year, and so we had to make it good. There were two or three that I had wanted to see, and luckily for me a couple of them were at the snow-day-ravaged Blockbuster. We ended of seeing "Little Miss Sunshine" and "The Last Kiss".
I was going to give my take on the movies, but this post has been sitting on my desktop for the last week, and I will never post it if I wait until I have time to think it through. Be your own judge, but check them out if you get a chance.
I have lately embarked upon what can only be characterized as the cleansing of my soul through literary means. For at least the next 4-6 months I am officially trading:
for:
Disturbing, is it not?
Though it has looked debatable in recent years, I am not wandering aimlessly through the corridors of the University of Dallas, and my intention is indeed to graduate with some haste. To accomplish this, as well as my equal goal of understanding my wife, un-understandable as she sometimes presents herself, I have enrolled in a Jane Austen class. It is the only class that fits perfectly with my other two and allows me to teach and coach basketball.
So, for the sake of practicality and forethought, I spent this holiday weekend (I appreciated your post, Jamie) reading Sense and Sensibility. This semester may prove to be my toughest yet. I am going to read everything she wrote over the next few months, but I may have to sneak in some Nabokov or Nietzsche to counteract the G-rated onslaught against my mind at the hands of Austen.
One down, I will start the next this evening. Perhaps there is hope for my soul yet.
for:
Disturbing, is it not?
Though it has looked debatable in recent years, I am not wandering aimlessly through the corridors of the University of Dallas, and my intention is indeed to graduate with some haste. To accomplish this, as well as my equal goal of understanding my wife, un-understandable as she sometimes presents herself, I have enrolled in a Jane Austen class. It is the only class that fits perfectly with my other two and allows me to teach and coach basketball.
So, for the sake of practicality and forethought, I spent this holiday weekend (I appreciated your post, Jamie) reading Sense and Sensibility. This semester may prove to be my toughest yet. I am going to read everything she wrote over the next few months, but I may have to sneak in some Nabokov or Nietzsche to counteract the G-rated onslaught against my mind at the hands of Austen.
One down, I will start the next this evening. Perhaps there is hope for my soul yet.
Let me begin by stating shamefully, "I saw Rocky XI".
In my defense, let me say that I had been driving six hours that morning, from Angel Fire to Ruidoso, and I just wanted to unwind in front of a movie. The problem is that the aforementioned Ruidoso-cineplex has only four movies, and only one of these was suitable for anyone over twelve-years-old. As I flipped my coin between Charlotte's Web and Rocky, thank God it landed on heads, and so to Rocky Balboa I cheerily went. After all, who doesn't love a good Rocky movie?
Secondly, let me admit equally shamefully, "I enjoyed Rocky XI".
Though I normally go for the mentally stimulating, thought-provoking movies that cause one to consider life and oneself more closely, this was pure Rocky-fun. It was full of those surprising twists and turns that you never expect in a Rocky film. Believe it or not, he was a common man from Philadelphia who was an underdog to the much younger, more experienced title fighter. There is a training montage where, yes, he drinks raw eggs, runs up the steps a-la Rocky I, and he even boxes a raw piece of meat, all to the rhythm of some inspirational pop song. He nearly gets knocked out, but his seeing his family brings him back, and he fights strong to the end. Like I said, very surprising stuff, but it was good. The final scene, by the way; greatness. Rocky is shown with arms upraised, and the American flag is shown clear as day in the background. What Rocky movie would be complete without some patriotic overtones? The Great-White-Hope, right? I cannot say that I noticed the American flag behind the cocky, lazy, thug-life black fighter. Coincidence?
To the reason for this post:
Two days later, after several dry and warm days in the Ruidoso mountains, we awoke one morning to this.
Overnight there had fallen about 7-8 inches of snow where the day before there had been none. I ran into a dilemma. Each morning, that I had stayed there I had run down the hill to the several-mile track that outlined the golf course and ran 6-7 miles in the mountain air. It had been the highlight of my mornings, because the hills and the thin air made it as tough as any workout I ever experienced in thick-aired, flat Texas.
That is when I was reminded of this:
I remembered that Rocky IV, the one with Drago the evil Russian, was complete with yet another training-montage that featured Rocky running in the mountains in several inches of snow. He's a great patriot, so am I. He had a tobaggon-hat, so do I. He was fighting for the sake of democracy and against communism, so....maybe there are some differences. Either way, I was inspired.
So, I put on my snowboarding books, my toboggan, and about several layers of clothes, and I set off down the hill towards the snow covered track. I had never had both so much fun and so hard a workout. Each step buried me mid-shin in the snow, and for a Texas-boy this was really great. I ran three and almost turned around, but with the Rocky scene coming to mind, I pushed on through the complete seven miles and made it back home.
I believe I am now qualified to fight the steroid-ridden, communist-touting Drago.
In my defense, let me say that I had been driving six hours that morning, from Angel Fire to Ruidoso, and I just wanted to unwind in front of a movie. The problem is that the aforementioned Ruidoso-cineplex has only four movies, and only one of these was suitable for anyone over twelve-years-old. As I flipped my coin between Charlotte's Web and Rocky, thank God it landed on heads, and so to Rocky Balboa I cheerily went. After all, who doesn't love a good Rocky movie?
Secondly, let me admit equally shamefully, "I enjoyed Rocky XI".
Though I normally go for the mentally stimulating, thought-provoking movies that cause one to consider life and oneself more closely, this was pure Rocky-fun. It was full of those surprising twists and turns that you never expect in a Rocky film. Believe it or not, he was a common man from Philadelphia who was an underdog to the much younger, more experienced title fighter. There is a training montage where, yes, he drinks raw eggs, runs up the steps a-la Rocky I, and he even boxes a raw piece of meat, all to the rhythm of some inspirational pop song. He nearly gets knocked out, but his seeing his family brings him back, and he fights strong to the end. Like I said, very surprising stuff, but it was good. The final scene, by the way; greatness. Rocky is shown with arms upraised, and the American flag is shown clear as day in the background. What Rocky movie would be complete without some patriotic overtones? The Great-White-Hope, right? I cannot say that I noticed the American flag behind the cocky, lazy, thug-life black fighter. Coincidence?
To the reason for this post:
Two days later, after several dry and warm days in the Ruidoso mountains, we awoke one morning to this.
Overnight there had fallen about 7-8 inches of snow where the day before there had been none. I ran into a dilemma. Each morning, that I had stayed there I had run down the hill to the several-mile track that outlined the golf course and ran 6-7 miles in the mountain air. It had been the highlight of my mornings, because the hills and the thin air made it as tough as any workout I ever experienced in thick-aired, flat Texas.
That is when I was reminded of this:
I remembered that Rocky IV, the one with Drago the evil Russian, was complete with yet another training-montage that featured Rocky running in the mountains in several inches of snow. He's a great patriot, so am I. He had a tobaggon-hat, so do I. He was fighting for the sake of democracy and against communism, so....maybe there are some differences. Either way, I was inspired.
So, I put on my snowboarding books, my toboggan, and about several layers of clothes, and I set off down the hill towards the snow covered track. I had never had both so much fun and so hard a workout. Each step buried me mid-shin in the snow, and for a Texas-boy this was really great. I ran three and almost turned around, but with the Rocky scene coming to mind, I pushed on through the complete seven miles and made it back home.
I believe I am now qualified to fight the steroid-ridden, communist-touting Drago.
