Just saw Grindhouse, if you didn’t guess.

“The end is near.”

No pun intended.

… but having barely survived the disco era in one piece, I’m coming down on her side on this one, folks.

…

52Ranger on April 10, 2007 at 1:55 PM

Yeah, that was certainly a dark time in our nation’s history. However, at the same time, there was actually some incredibly good rock music coming out, so at least you had the yang to go with the yin. What do we have to balance things out nowadays?

Mostly when people don’t get it.

I see Alannis as VALIANTLY trying to get the point across that, even if you think her lyrics can be overwrought at times, there isn’t much effort at all going on at the other end of the spectrum. Hate to say it, but having barely survived the disco era in one piece, I’m coming down on her side on this one, folks.

(Trivia question…What are the lyrics to the Silver Convention song “Get Up and Boogie”? If you have the answer to that question, you know why I’m coming down SOLIDLY on her side…We need never go back there.)

Her male “dancers” in this one, (Who look like members of my local law firm…Guido, Vito, Nunzio and Vinny) are proof that she’s joking. I haven’t seen dancing like that since dollar beer and quarter wing night at what used to be called the Levee. (Ask Don McLean . . . He’ll tell you where it is :) )

Is a STRONG LANGUAGE WARNING necessary?

Alanis is a semi-talented performer that escaped institutional objectification by virtue of her being Canadian and not quite attractive.

spmat on April 10, 2007 at 9:39 AM

Yeah, but that pretty much goes for the entire population of Canada, eh?

While I’m sure that would’ve been funny, we never chose “Beth” because that was a Peter Criss song and wouldn’t really have fit the whole Gene Simmons’ Poetry vibe.

Good point, although I was under the impression that Simmons wrote the song.

“The Poetry of Gene Simmons” where our friend Corby would sit in front of a bookcase while reading the lyrics to such KISS classics as “Rock N’ Roll All Night,” “Plaster Caster,” and “Domino” in a George Plimpton voice.

Not “Beth”?
Rick on April 10, 2007 at 12:57 AM

While I’m sure that would’ve been funny, we never chose “Beth” because that was a Peter Criss song and wouldn’t really have fit the whole Gene Simmons’ Poetry vibe.

Glad someone else mentioned Steve Allen. When I was a kid, I saw him do a recitation of “My Sharona” and fell smack in love.
mikeyboss on April 10, 2007 at 10:09 AM

Saw Steve Allen do a bit (a very, very long time ago) on his college tour, where he lamented the loss of our poets, and claimed to have found them — writing pop music lyrics!

He did a dramatic reading of “Shake Your Booty” that had me rolling.
Jaibones on April 10, 2007 at 11:33 AM

While it was good to find out more about American comedic history, this is exactly why our “The Poetry of Gene Simmons” TV bits only went 3 episodes. I knew I’d eventually get sued by either Steve Allen or Gene Simmons.

EDIT – took me 2 times to get what alanis was doing here. I think, its obvious (now) that she’s making the point about how ludicrious (sp?) the original song is. the only reason its popular, is because of the beat. put any lyrics in the original or no lyrics at all, and the song doesnt change. switch it around, remove the beat, and the song is god awful.

lorien1973 on April 9, 2007 at 10:43 PM

Nailed it in one. Perfect.

Is it feminist critique? Conservative analysis? Post-modern irony? I have no idea.

But Alanis certainly demonstrated just what a stupid, stupid, stupid song it is … like the vast majority of pop music today.

When the BEP song came out, I couldn’t believe it was serious – or that anybody would like it. Now I hear teenage girls using “My Lumps” (or whatever the @!#$% its called) as their ringtone on their cell.

Feminists certainly DO need to start speaking up. It’s pathetic what’s happened to them. I thank God I don’t have daughters. I don’t know how you raise them these days.

But even more important than the feminist issue, in my opinion, is the fact that people make MILLIONS selling absolute CRAP like this song. Consumers will not only buy crap today, they’ll lap it up and ask for seconds. It’s just embarrassing.

Listening to Morrisette’s version, while realizing that the original version has sold millions of copies, ought to make you simultaneously weep for our culture and laugh so hard your sides hurt.

Glad someone else mentioned Steve Allen. When I was a kid, I saw him do a recitation of “My Sharona” and fell smack in love.

mikeyboss on April 10, 2007 at 10:09 AM

Saw Steve Allen do a bit (a very, very long time ago) on his college tour, where he lamented the loss of our poets, and claimed to have found them — writing pop music lyrics!

He did a dramatic reading of “Shake Your Booty” that had me rolling.

The wonders of make up, lighting, etc. Prepare yourself for Fergie unplugged.

billy on April 10, 2007 at 3:27 AM

Most “stars” are makeup queens. This is my problem with the media/movies and everything. You see them always when they are perfect, after an hour of makeup, a custom hairdo, etc. But take it all off, and they look like everyone else.

I don’t get people worship any of these people are the hottest in the world or whatever. They are just people. They droop and sag like anyone else.

Here’s a great link in thar regard:

http://demo.fb.se/e/girlpower/retouch/retouch/

Play around on that above link for a while. Look at the before and after. Shocking what they do to people. And how they alter people’s perception of beauty.

Man, pop music just sucks, sucks SUCKS these days. Is it any wonder that the recording industry is losing money like a degenerate gambler on a losing streak?

Commenters were smacking Allah around like Fredo Corleone …. and if you take the analogy a little further, I guess that means Ace is Mo Green. Or maybe Barzini.

Ace is clearly Johnny Ola, the one who turned Fredo on to the “Superman” show in Cuba.

I too am disappointed that more “liberal” women’s groups are not speaking more loudly about the state of women in most Middle East and Islamic nations. I often tell my liberal friends these days to get their wives and daughters sized for burkas, because “tolerance” of a literal interpretation of the Koran’s teachings about women is aiding and abetting violence against women.

Really, if feminists were intellectually honest, I think they’d realize that they agree with conservatives quite a bit. For example, feminists really ought to be strongly in favor of American military actions in the Middle East since, among other things, we’re creating circumstances in which women have the option to take off the burka and the hijab, get a job, and not be beaten to death for it. I’ve never understood why feminists oppose what we’re doing in the Middle East. They should be our biggest cheerleaders!

Commenters were smacking Allah around like Fredo Corleone …. and if you take the analogy a little further, I guess that means Ace is Mo Green. Or maybe Barzini.

Ali-Bubba on April 10, 2007 at 12:17 AM

I lolled.

Alanis is a semi-talented performer that escaped institutional objectification by virtue of her being Canadian and not quite attractive. She’s as much an attention whore as Britney and Fergie. She just didn’t have the, ah, marketability. So, instead of inspiring millions of little girls to hate themselves, she inspired them to hate men. Not much of a trade, but it’s something.

That mocks a different song though.

lorien1973 on April 9, 2007 at 11:32 PM

Plus he actually changes the words. He’s not mocking the words the way “My Humps” seems to be.

Gee. Thanx for the invite.