Just a few random thoughts I have accumulated over the past couple of weeks; intending to delve more deeply but who has the time any more?
Speaking of time, who decided that 40 was the magic number when it comes to hours worked per week? Please let me know so I can track them down and kick their butt. Eight hours a day - it's too many. And how many of us work 9 or even 10 hours some days? Considering that many of us commute, and the time we take to groom ourselves each day, I would say that many people average half of their 24 hours getting ready to go to work, going to work, leaving work and working. Not to mention the kids, the pets, the meals, the laundry, the housework....I wonder how Jack Bauer manages to do so much in his 24 hours? Speaking of 24 hours, it's good to remember that life as we know it can change in just one day. It did for the baby of Anna Nicole Smith. Whatever you may think of her, whatever she did or did not do, or take, or wear, or didn't wear....she is a human being, and deserves a modicum of respect in her passing. However, what she deserves and what she gets are two decidedly different things. Read this MSNBC article about how the "culture vultures" were feasting on her demise before she was even pronounced. Sad, sick and disgusting. But then what do you expect from those who are as obsessed with hating celebrities as many are obsessed with loving them?
Culture Vultures
On the other hand, this is the very same network who quoted an Internet gossip blog as a source, and featured reps from tabloid publications in their news story about Anna Nicole's death. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black...Hello!
Speaking of culture vultures, a random gossip blogger recently reported that he was "invited" to a music industry showcase hosted by RCA's Clive Davis. This very same vulture has very publicly denigrated some of RCA's top selling artists, published unflattering and juvenile altered photographs of them, besmirched their reputations, and questioned their character. In return, he is "invited" to attend an industry event? I have to wonder if this was a "reward" of sorts, or if the persons planning the event are just insanely ignorant.
Or, is this what PR in the entertainment industry has come to? It gives new meaning to Clay Aiken's comment in TV Guide a couple of years ago, that some people in Hollywood are so concerned with their outsides they let their insides rot. Indeed.
Speaking of entertainment, the Grammys aired tonight. Started out with a bang with the reunited Police, singing their 70s hit Roxanne. Another highlight was Rascal Flatts, dueting with Carrie Underwood on a medley of Eagles hits, including the beautiful Desperado, from...what's this? The 70s. John Meyer riffing like Jimi Hendrix, Smokey Robinson and Lionel Ritchie rocking the stage with their hits from the 70s and 80s, Christina Aguilera singing James Brown's It's A Man's World, from the 60s, and really...need I say more? These current pop stars were basically singing the dreaded cover songs, and not their own songs. Even some of the commercials during the show featured 80s music. Why?Possibly because there isn't much to be happy about in the music industry right now. The entire show seemed to be marketed to the boomers, unlike previous years which were usually filled with live performances by people who can't sing, presenters I've never heard of, and music I don't like. This year there was lots of talk about music in schools, encouraging kids who love music, and letting an unknown win a chance to sing with current pop king Justin Timberlake. A grand display of promoting everyone's accessibility to music. I wonder why there was no mention of radio payola, free music downloads on MySpace, and price collusion on CDs.
Lots of people now download music a song at a time, and not since the current baby boomers were boomettes have many of them actually purchased an entire CD, a actual disc, in an actual record store. I'm not expert; in fact, I'm not even that interested in the music business. Rather, I'm just interested in MUSIC.
Are there still record stores? With the demise of Sam Goody's and Tower Records, are the Walmarts and Best Buys of the world the last bastion of brick and mortars where you can enter, purchase a CD, and listen to it in the car on the way home? Does anyone have a cabinet full of CDs any more, or is all our music stored on our computers, and what happens if you have a hard drive failure? Bye bye Death Cab for Cutie.
This Claymate enjoyed the show this year. I'm glad I watched. Congratulations to the Dixie Chicks, who share a manager, Simon Renshaw, with Clay.
And while I thought the performances this year were above average in comparison to recent years previous, Clay Aiken still would have blown them all away.Peace, Love, Music.
touchstone (n) a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated
technorati tag: clay+aiken
technorati tag: grammys
technorati tag: anna+nicole+smith
technorati tag: UNICEF
technorati tag: gossip
technorati tag: music
technorati tag: baby+boomers
©touchstone 2006
3 comments:
The Grammys were good this year but I sure did miss seeing Clay there. He'll get there though, I have faith!
Like Carrie UnderWOODEN has any right to criticize Clay - and I say this as someone who hates Clay. This is a woman, who, on the show, sang songs by Air Supply and Tiffany. She's so bland and corny that she makes Clay look like Sid Vicious.
anonymous, what the hell are you talking about?
Get a grip, man.
Carrie is wonderful. And Clay.
Oh, and Kelly Clarkson is doing just fine as well.
Just saying.
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