Friday, February 26, 2010

Just sayin....

DISCLAIMER: I totally made my donation to the Haitian/Save Haiti fund and this is not a knock on the crisis at hand but rather the "wolves in sheeps clothing." I know that a lot of us are so sick of hearing about Haiti and all the vent-sessions going on but you guys....but I just saw this video and the second I saw this video I could not hold it in!  In the beginning there were a few tugs at the ol' heartstrings...The shots of Haiti are truly heartbreaking.  Enter: the Sugarland singer...immediately ruined the "We Are The World" experience for me....her facial expressions are...for lack of a better word...annoying.  However, a quick save was made by none other than the illusive Josh Groban who (I've heard) moonlights as Prince Charming.  WARNING: I'm probably not going to be sympathetic to the rest of the ARTISTS  (I will to a few...but the majority...no).  The video wouldn't be complete without "the greats" Tony Bennett and Babs lend a hand or rather vocal cords in an attempt for some nostalgic flavor....here is where we start to crack down.  The split screen of Michael and Janet....no offense (but this will be offensive to some)...ghetto.....you can't really tell if Janet is singing or if she's lip syncing....the reason being: they share the same voice!  Killer.  Ps Babs. thanks for throwing in a lil' "pop" in the bits....way to stay true to your sound.  Speaking of "Pop"...enter: Miley Cyrus...now, don't hate me for this comment but I thought she nailed her snip-it...that's my girl Hannah!  Do yo' thang!!!  Oh no, don't get too comfortable with the edge b/c immediately following Miley is our latest buzz kill Enrique Eglesis...honey, we were done w/you after your last hit "Hero"....you couldn't let us have THAT be our last memory of you...you had to sign on to THIS project...didn't you?  Closely following Enrique...a favorite of mine..Jamie Foxx...thank you for doing this project.....if we need anyone to "blame" for it's disappointing solos...we know who to go to.  Question: is it wrong that I can't tell the difference btwn Will.I.Am and Wyclef John?  B/c I seriously can't....and I'm really good with pop culture.  The next few artists nail their bits on the heads...kudos to Adam Levigne, Pink, some random black guy who sounds familiar but have no idea who he is, Michael, Usher (very nice)...and the Queen of Pop herself Celine!  Flawless performance...set the bar, and set it HIGH.  I particularly enjoyed the conducting stylings of Lionel Richie while Celine is so easily doing what she was born to do....execute her "solo" w/flying colors....and then we see Fergie (whose name is really Stacie Ferguson..."Fergie" is a self-proclamation...she is NOT of royal descent..just in case you didn't know)....and Fergie...well...Fergie just botches it up, don't really know why she's there...speaking of "why is he/she there" did anyone notice (at minute 4:51) that Jeff Bridges and Vince freakin Vaughn are in the "choir?" Um....did I miss that 15 min where they had released an album with their vocal stylings (solo and/or backup)?  Not far behind we have my favorite part....Lil Wayne, who is backed-up (heavily) with synthesized technology (that's real big these days).  Snaps to Mary Mary holdin it down for the "Gospel" community. To the most comical part of the performance, I realize that it is 2010 and music has changed drastically since 1980 something when the song was first recorded, but did we have to ruin it by adding the breakdown of rap?  What was once a classic is now a farce.  I am fully amendable to "improving" things....but I resort to the old saying "if it's not broken don't fix it" and so it goes w/this song.  I am completely impressed with this project as a whole, and I am certainly touched with the unity involved.  I just have a hard time getting around the egos that went into this project "for the right reasons" b/c I'm pretty sure I saw million dollar dresses on a few red carpets AFTER this song was recorded.....I wonder what Haiti could've used THAT money on....weird.  Whew!  What a great vid right guys?  Those are just thoughts....my thoughts....again, I'm NOT hating on Haiti....just the video...and some of the artists.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Common...or Competition?

It's hard enough to go through life TRYING to figure out exactly what you're good at....what your talents are and WHY you're here.  This makes it even more annoying when you glance at someone and KNOW immediately what they're good at and why they are alive.  For example:  Lisa Leslie.  One look at the girl and it is as obvious as the day is light that she is supposed to be the Queen of the WNBA.  No doubt about it.  She was built to play basketball...not only play basketball but dominate the court as soon as she sets foot on the hardwood, pavement what have you.  She exudes basketball player.  Megan Fox.  She could be nothing less than a movie star.  Um....no offense but if she was taking my order at Burger King....or ringing me up at the grocery store, or even answering my call as a TMobile Rep....I could not/would not take her seriously.  She was born to light up the Technicolor dream screen.  I'm not saying I'm a fan but I'm not going to question the obvious.  Lady Gaga.  I have not one ounce of hesitation in my body when I say that she was born to be a big weirdo creep.  She's a creeper.  She oozes psycho grody-ness.  Some people say that she her weirdness is "originality" and that it's "impressive."  To them I make this point: you can also be impressed by a 3-legged dog, but that doesn't mean you're gonna go looking for one to call your own. My point is....you look at ANY of these people and immediately you know their calling in life. You know just by the looks of things that, THAT is what they are supposed to be.  But.......what about me?  What about us normal folk....the conventional hob-nobbers who live the everyday rustics of mediocrity? How do we find our calling in life?  *sigh*  Maybe it's just that I'm good at everything?  No....that can't be it.  Or can it?  Maybe, it's that we need a million of us average joes around so that when the ab-normal (I know this is one word but I separated it for effect) people arrive....we look bad....or do we look better?  Am I a deep thinker or what?  Maybe THAT'S what I'm meant to be (a deep thinker)?!  Oh no.  Do I look the part?