Tag Archives: entertainment

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Son, Can You Play Me A Memory

Like many people my age, I grew up with an appreciation of classic rock. Even today, The Beatles are one of my favorite bands. To me, that music is essential in life because they made music that allowed for many of the musicians that I enjoy the musicians that they are today. Even when I’m writing, I need at least a tune in my head if I can’t listen to my iPod or I sit staring at a screen with nothing coming out. Music is essential to me and everything I enjoy. I always sing to my boys, and I always encourage them to sing even though the baby just claps along. My oldest son has a guitar he enjoys trying to play, and has the same fondness for music as I do. And yes, I borrowed the title from “Piano Man”.

A few months ago, a friend on Facebook said something like “I feel bad for our generation’s kids, because we don’t have any real classic music to pass along to them”. As my husband and I were driving around during errands, my husband posed a question “what real ‘epic’ bands do we have in our generation?” An “epic” band to him is a band that has a staying power, where they stay relevant and touring for many decades. Bands like our parents had, like Aerosmith, The Who, The Rolling Stones, that still perform for decades later and continue to be well-known.

I had to think about this. Our legacy is going to end up being the Beastie Boys or Nirvana. But are they “epic” bands? What bands do we have to share? The only one my husband could think of that would fit would be The Red Hot Chili Peppers. In this age of reality talent shows, what do we really have to add into the pool of “epic” music? Kelly Clarkson made herself a big hit, but how many of you knew that Ruben Studdard made 4 other albums after the American Idol paid for one? At this rate I’m becoming terrified that the legacy of music we’re going to pass onto our children is Poison or Guns ‘n Roses, or god forbid… I can’t even stand to stay it… Metallica.

My money is on Muse, though my husband has a point with The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Our legacy to our kids will be crappy and forgettable music with trillions of dollars of debt, and a government so partisan nothing will ever get done. I agree with my friend, I do feel bad that we can’t pass on any “epic” bands to our next generation. I’d be interested to hear what other people have to say on this topic.

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I’d Like to Thank the Academy…

I admit it, I watched the Oscars last night. Albeit on DVR so I could fast forward through everything but Seth MacFarlane and the few categories I cared to see. (And as much as I love Jennifer Lawrence, that fall needed to be seen.) The benefit is when MacFarlane stops being funny, as he often can, you can just skip him. DVR is great, it really is great. I enjoyed it though, as much as one can enjoy one of those things.

Like everything else, politics end up the main discussion of the event. Rather than Jennifer Lawrence’s fall or Seth MacFarlane’s hosting job, all I hear is how Zero Dark Thirty lost as part of a grand conspiracy against Republicans to solidify the “Evil Liberals” as the most powerful people in the world. I’ll have to see the movies, but I’ve heard from people I know that love movies that Argo just was more entertaining. Maybe I’m a dumb Liberal, but I want to see movies that entertain me. I must be naïve to think that there’s a reason it’s called “the entertainment industry”. Silly me.

I don’t like it when a celebrity tries to tell me who to vote for. I want the to entertain me, not boss me around in the field of politics. They should be separated, and I’m tired of people not separating certain things from politics. I don’t choose to watch a movie because a Democrat wrote it/directed/starred in it (though they tell me odds are there are more in Hollywood than Republicans), nor would I refuse to watch one because a Republican does. Why? Because I’m a free thinking adult that just likes to see movies and television shows that entertain me.

There’s too much focus on politics where there shouldn’t be. I said this at election time and it’s still true today: just because someone doesn’t agree politically with you, doesn’t mean they are bad people. Life would be boring if we were all the same. Not every thing is a grand conspiracy to brainwash the masses, though the jury is still out on that topic in terms of all news organizations. Entertainment is entertainment. If Paul Ryan can like Rage Against the Machine, I think Liberals can like Zero Dark Thirty.