I'm so excited about this blog because I get to justifiably talk about one of my favorite subjects and favorite TV shows. My favorite subject would be the paranormal and my favorite show would be Ghost Hunters. Part of this comes from the fact that I, myself am a ghost hunter. And once again I alienate my readers before I reach even the second paragraph. But, I've never much cared in my writing and I'm not about to change.
Some may not consider Ghost Hunters on the SyFy (science fiction) channel a reality tv show because the truth behind the subject matter is questionable and the network it airs on doesn't exactly promote the truth. However, I really hope this show lasts for years to come, until they reach the holy graile of evidence for the paranormal. Although they have already found so many voices, shadows and moving objects...it's just never enough for people because it scares people to believe that there is something that we can't control and harness like the rest of the natural world. If another world exists and we can't always see it but yet it has the power of physical manipulation of our natural world, how are we supposed to sleep at night?
But, I'm getting alittle ahead of myself. For those of you that don't know, Ghost Hunters is about a paranormal society called TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) who go into haunted locations and look for scientific evidence to back up the stories. They use a completely skeptical, scientific approach by setting up cameras, recorders, electro-magnetic field detectors and other equipment to capture some sort of proof of existence for whatever is going on at the location.
This one always makes me a little uneasy....
This was caught on live Tv. You can say it's fake, it's someone behind the camera or whatever but there are too many starnge occurances in the world and too many people who believe it because of personal experiences. And I will say this, if you ever have a true paranormal experience you wouldn't think people are so crazy for watching these shows.
I think this show appeals mostly to people who have had a paranormal experience and want to understand it more or people who believe it's possible and want to learn more about it. Suprisingly, that is a large number of people.
When the TAPS team first started they were working out of a trailer. They now have a hugely succesful tv show, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth in equipment and their own office. I think this boils down to the fact that people are interested and probably will remain interested. It's been airing since 2004 and has only gotten more and more popular each season.
Call me crazy but next time you hear or see something you can't explain, don't rule out the paranormal.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Rhymin and Stealin
Alright, let me first just establish I am...er, um, caucasian. I'm not a huge fan of rap but I have nothing against it and do have respect for alot of the artists in this genre. So when I was posed with the idea of chosing someone I considered a "gangsta-rap" artist, I decided to go for a stretch. I chose the Beastie Boys. I know for a fact that most readers will already have a preconcieved idea about how wrong I am from this point on but let me explain (please).
Most people know about the Beastie Boys by their famous song "Fight for your right (to party)" from 1986. It is considered a rock- rap crossover song and has no real characteristics of gangsta-rap. However, if we look at the rest of the album "License to Ill", we find all the characteristics of a gangsta-rap group. According to allmusic.com, gangsta-rap is classified by abbrasive lyrics with profane, witty tales of urban crime and sex.
For example, there is a song on the album called "Paul Revere". It's supposedly about the day the Beastie Boy's all met each other. Here are some of the lyrics.
"He put the gun to my head and this is what he said, "Now my name is M.C.A. I've got a license to kill. I think you know what time it is, it's time to get ill. Now what do we have here? An outlaw and his beer. I run this land, you understand. I make myself clear?" We stepped into the wind he had a gun, I had a grin. You think this story's over but it's ready to begin. "Now I got the gun you got the brew. You got two choices of what you can do. It's not a tough decision as you can see, I can blow you away or you can ride with me" I said, "I'll ride with you if you can get me to the border. The sheriff's after me for what I did to his daughter...I did it like this, I did it like that I did it with a whiffleball bat. So, I'm on the run the cop's got my gun and right about now it's time to have some fun. The King Adrock, that is my name and I know the fly spot where they got the champagne."
In this paragraph alone, you can see the violence, profanity, breaking the law and certainly the gang aspect since they "ride" together. Although the Beastie Boy's angle on story telling can be very humerous I believe it still fits the qualifications of gangsta-rap. Later in the song when they meet the third Beastie Boy "Mike D", they hold up a bar together. Adrock even mentions "wasting two kids that ran for the door". I'm not great with the urban dialect but I know this means shooting them. The last line of the song is "Mike D. grabbed the money, M.C.A. snatched the gold. I grabbed two girlies and a beer that's cold." It's clear that although funny and entertaining, the Beastie Boys choose to portray themselves as gangsta-rappers (with a twist).
I think alot of people would disagree with me for the reason that when you picture a gangsta-rapper, typically you picture african-americans living in Compton who rape, steal and murder. Not 3 caucasian best friends with beards who grew up in Brooklyn and have no real criminal history or drug addiction. In fact, all three Boys were raised Jewish in upper-middle class homes.
It's hard to tell whether or not the group would agree that they are gangsta-rap. They have many websites, blogs and social networking sites. Some say they are gangsta-rap, others say hardcore-rap and some even say hardcore punk (which was their original genre). But, gangsta-rap is derived from hardcore rap so I stand behind my decision to consider them gangsta-rap.
Most people know about the Beastie Boys by their famous song "Fight for your right (to party)" from 1986. It is considered a rock- rap crossover song and has no real characteristics of gangsta-rap. However, if we look at the rest of the album "License to Ill", we find all the characteristics of a gangsta-rap group. According to allmusic.com, gangsta-rap is classified by abbrasive lyrics with profane, witty tales of urban crime and sex.
For example, there is a song on the album called "Paul Revere". It's supposedly about the day the Beastie Boy's all met each other. Here are some of the lyrics.
"He put the gun to my head and this is what he said, "Now my name is M.C.A. I've got a license to kill. I think you know what time it is, it's time to get ill. Now what do we have here? An outlaw and his beer. I run this land, you understand. I make myself clear?" We stepped into the wind he had a gun, I had a grin. You think this story's over but it's ready to begin. "Now I got the gun you got the brew. You got two choices of what you can do. It's not a tough decision as you can see, I can blow you away or you can ride with me" I said, "I'll ride with you if you can get me to the border. The sheriff's after me for what I did to his daughter...I did it like this, I did it like that I did it with a whiffleball bat. So, I'm on the run the cop's got my gun and right about now it's time to have some fun. The King Adrock, that is my name and I know the fly spot where they got the champagne."
In this paragraph alone, you can see the violence, profanity, breaking the law and certainly the gang aspect since they "ride" together. Although the Beastie Boy's angle on story telling can be very humerous I believe it still fits the qualifications of gangsta-rap. Later in the song when they meet the third Beastie Boy "Mike D", they hold up a bar together. Adrock even mentions "wasting two kids that ran for the door". I'm not great with the urban dialect but I know this means shooting them. The last line of the song is "Mike D. grabbed the money, M.C.A. snatched the gold. I grabbed two girlies and a beer that's cold." It's clear that although funny and entertaining, the Beastie Boys choose to portray themselves as gangsta-rappers (with a twist).
I think alot of people would disagree with me for the reason that when you picture a gangsta-rapper, typically you picture african-americans living in Compton who rape, steal and murder. Not 3 caucasian best friends with beards who grew up in Brooklyn and have no real criminal history or drug addiction. In fact, all three Boys were raised Jewish in upper-middle class homes.
It's hard to tell whether or not the group would agree that they are gangsta-rap. They have many websites, blogs and social networking sites. Some say they are gangsta-rap, others say hardcore-rap and some even say hardcore punk (which was their original genre). But, gangsta-rap is derived from hardcore rap so I stand behind my decision to consider them gangsta-rap.
Friday, April 15, 2011
One Swift Lady
I'm hesitant to say I'm going to write this blog about a famous young lady named Taylor Swift. I'm not exactly a huge fan of her work but to each his own. She fits the criteria for the topic at hand, an artist that has crossover appeal. If you don't believe me (I don't know why you wouldn't), turn the radio on to a country station, then to a pop station, then country, then pop, then country and back to pop. Sound the same? That's because it is. It's Taylor Swift. I'm still scratching my head about why country fans like her. She was born and raised in Pensylvannia, she sounds like a pop star and her lyrics don't consist of any of the following: My spouse cheated on me, I'm drunk, I love america. She says her influences are Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, the Dixie Chicks, Patsy Cline and LeAnn Ryhmes but I don't hear it.
Regardless, they both like her. I believe she even won an award for best country-pop crossover. Here is the best I can come up with: she actually plays an instrument unlike most pop artists (and it's accoustic) so she has a patriotic, country girl feel. However her beats are up tempo, usually are about teenage crisis which is typical of pop music and she young! To proceed we have to accept that pop music is short for POP-ular. What's popular is what is "fresh", "young", or "new". And please, before I go any further, don't get the image of madonna in your head. Yes, she is the queen of pop. But ask yourself this...would you feel "popular" attending her concert right now? I doubt it. If yes, that's fine as well but you're dilusional about what is really "in". (It's okay, I am too) If you attended a Taylor Swift concert? Probably more popular. The hottest pop artists are usually young. If you pay attention, you'll notice that the biggest pop star of that day, week, month or whatever is usually in their twenties. But, I digress.
If you've been living under a rock, than here is what you need to know. Taylor Swift is BIG. She's big in country and she's big in pop. If you have a female daughter, cousin, or neice between the ages of 8 and 18, you probably already know this. She's a perfect example of an artist with crossover appeal. I don't really understand why, but it's true. The proof is in the music.
Regardless, they both like her. I believe she even won an award for best country-pop crossover. Here is the best I can come up with: she actually plays an instrument unlike most pop artists (and it's accoustic) so she has a patriotic, country girl feel. However her beats are up tempo, usually are about teenage crisis which is typical of pop music and she young! To proceed we have to accept that pop music is short for POP-ular. What's popular is what is "fresh", "young", or "new". And please, before I go any further, don't get the image of madonna in your head. Yes, she is the queen of pop. But ask yourself this...would you feel "popular" attending her concert right now? I doubt it. If yes, that's fine as well but you're dilusional about what is really "in". (It's okay, I am too) If you attended a Taylor Swift concert? Probably more popular. The hottest pop artists are usually young. If you pay attention, you'll notice that the biggest pop star of that day, week, month or whatever is usually in their twenties. But, I digress.
If you've been living under a rock, than here is what you need to know. Taylor Swift is BIG. She's big in country and she's big in pop. If you have a female daughter, cousin, or neice between the ages of 8 and 18, you probably already know this. She's a perfect example of an artist with crossover appeal. I don't really understand why, but it's true. The proof is in the music.
Friday, April 1, 2011
"Confounding the Images"
In order to even begin this blog I had to really analyze this term. I could have chosen another topic to discuss but this phrase challenged me to understand it better. I was confused by it even when I read it from the context in which it came. The "images" are never clearly pointed out in the article. It's a simplified term for a grander list of topics. In the article there are many images discussed. There is the image of adolesence, the image of men and women and their sexuality and the glitter-glam side of rock and roll. What images are confounding? Or which images are being confounded?
I'm going to go with my first instint on this and say that the "confounding images" are when rock and roll, sexuality and adolesence are all mixed into one "scene" so to speak. David Bowie was one of the first main stream artists to really blur the line between these and make it one large topic.
Another group similar to this (perhaps even a little more controversial) would be Queen. You take rock music which, in its beginning stages, was intented to be kick-ass, in your face, roughness and turn it into something feminine. And not only is it feminine but it's still coming from the in-your-face standpoint and from a man. It's truely a unique experience that still isn't explored very often. There are alot of homosexual or feminine forms of rock but rarely do they make it to the mainstream. An example of this would be The Darkness. Although their music is from a heterosexual standpoint, their theatrics are very feminine and glittery. And because of this they are either openenly embraced or outwordly hated by critics. They aren't a fly under the radar kind of band where they are too mediocre to either hate or love.
I personally love this kind of music, where there are no black and white lines. There are gray areas, blended areas and meshed ideas that don't always necessarily seem to go together from the naked eye. It's a true art from. And I have to bring up again the famous idea that true art is formed when you try something new and even out of your comfort zone.
I'm going to go with my first instint on this and say that the "confounding images" are when rock and roll, sexuality and adolesence are all mixed into one "scene" so to speak. David Bowie was one of the first main stream artists to really blur the line between these and make it one large topic.
Another group similar to this (perhaps even a little more controversial) would be Queen. You take rock music which, in its beginning stages, was intented to be kick-ass, in your face, roughness and turn it into something feminine. And not only is it feminine but it's still coming from the in-your-face standpoint and from a man. It's truely a unique experience that still isn't explored very often. There are alot of homosexual or feminine forms of rock but rarely do they make it to the mainstream. An example of this would be The Darkness. Although their music is from a heterosexual standpoint, their theatrics are very feminine and glittery. And because of this they are either openenly embraced or outwordly hated by critics. They aren't a fly under the radar kind of band where they are too mediocre to either hate or love.
I personally love this kind of music, where there are no black and white lines. There are gray areas, blended areas and meshed ideas that don't always necessarily seem to go together from the naked eye. It's a true art from. And I have to bring up again the famous idea that true art is formed when you try something new and even out of your comfort zone.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)