Category: Entertainment

David Stern

In response to a question from a NY Post reporter who failed to identify herself before asking her question, David Stern used the word ‘replete’. It seemed like a perfectly timed, deliberate verbal bitch slap. His expression made it clear that he did not expect her to know the word. Just vicious. Hey, harsh quoter!

Be well.

And oh yeah, we’re baaaack!

TP

Cry Me A River

Okay, here’s the link. The Sports Guy on ESPN.com writes about Cry Me A River as “the most destructively vengeful song of all-time”. My wife and I have been talking about this for a couple years now. It’s hard for me to remember sometimes (or maybe I just want to forget) but Britney was the first White Aailyah.

{Eventually I ‘ll work through why NKOTV was the Black New Edition but it seems so obvious I haven’t bothered.}

When Aaliyah died it was national mourning for Black America; I suppose what we’re seeing now is the possibible slow death of Britney.

In Freakonomics, there’s a great line from Stephen Dubner about Britney Spears being ‘an effect not a cause’ (of her given name not anything more, uh, public). I like to think of her that way sometimes, ‘an effect not a cause’.

Apparently, vengeance hath no fury like a Justin scorned.

TP

Amy Winehouse

Another fun new musical find has been Amy Winehouse. Even though she’s better known for her antics than her music she’s a tremendous singer. I’ve listened to Back in Black a few times now and I still can’t decide who she sounds like. But wow, she’s so good. Really talented, self-aware (Rehab?!?) and just plain fun.

Good stuff.

TP

Do YOUR Ears Hang Low?

Realistically, I imagine we’re just about to begin the real firestorm of controversy concerning the Jibbs song ‘Chain Hang Low’. Before the excoriations begin let’s please just get this one thing out of the way. A young kid is just not going to know where the tune arose and what it might have meant. Now it’s up to us to make sure that the adults who pay youngsters like Jibbs know that throwing a thin veneer of sonic sheen over garbage like this will not make them money. That’s not on Jibbs. He’s just a child. That’s our job.

TP

Kenan Thompson

Rachel and I sat on the couch talking about Kenan
Thompson’s post-Nickolodeon career. When I mentioned
Fat Albert Rachel suggested that she shouldn’t have
been surprised by that job for him. After all, Cedric
is too old.

Ouch.

We then began listing all the folks who would fit the
Fat Albert mode. There are far too many of them.

TP

Ricky. Bobby. Really.

I finally saw Talladega Nights last night. There were some really funny moments but it was still a bit hard for me to watch at times. There were such surreal changes in scene, tone, intent and plot that I honestly wasn’t sure (multiple times!) if we were in a dream sequence or the confusion of someone coming out of a coma. Two separate times I was actually surprised when some bizarre happening was NOT part of a dream sequence. A friend tells me that I should just learn how to go along with the ride. He’s probably right but this movie would have been like riding through the Twilight Zone of Other Movie Snippets.

TP