Funeral Blues

funeral-songs

I have a somewhat morbid confession to make: I keep an iTunes playlist of songs I want at my funeral.

Before you get all wigged out by that statement, please know that I don’t have a terminal disease (of which I’m aware) and I’m looking forward to a long and happy life.  I just thought that — when the time comes –  it would be nice for my loved ones to be one click away from my posthumous music requests.

Macabre or brilliant?  You be the judge.

My song choices aren’t exactly church-approved, so I’m thinking they might work best at a celebratory memorial service vs. a traditional Catholic funeral mass.  Feel free to play “On Eagles Wings” and “Be Not Afraid” in the church, but please give these secular tunes a spin where appropriate.  Here’s what you’ll find in my Funeral Blues playlist…

“One Hell of a Life” by Katell Keineg

 Who in the world is Katell Keineg?  Beats me.  I think I saw her open for someone at a club called Shuba’s back in Chicago once.  But I love this song, mostly for one particular line with which I couldn’t agree more:  “When I’m dead please don’t philosophize or feel regret, just remember when I said:  I had one hell of a life.”  Indeed, I have.  (So far.)  And I am beyond grateful.  In the song, Keineg starts the first verse setting herself up for burial:  “Lay me down in a wooded field, plant a bush above my head,” while the second verse opts for cremation: “Throw my ashes to the wind, watch them blow into the sea.”  Let the record show, I prefer the latter.

“Find the River” by R.E.M.

I originally thought I wanted R.E.M.’s “Sweetness Follows” since that is such a nice sentiment for the end of one’s life.  Your time on earth may be over but, you know, sweetness follows.  Plus it contains some of my favorite lyrics to live by:  “Live your life filled with joy and thunder.”  But then I decided the rest of the words and the music itself were just too dark, so I swapped it for “Find the River.”  This one is less about a specific lyrical message and more about the overall mood it creates. That said, I do love the words that come at the end of the song…

“Strength and courage overrides

The privileged weary eyes

Of river poet search naivete

Pick up here and chase the ride

The river empties to the tide

All of this is coming your way“

Don’t try to read too much into it; I just think it’s pretty.

“Remember Me” by Diana Ross

I’ve always loved Miss Ross’s voice, and it’s in great form on this little ditty.  She’s all breathy at the beginning and then wails on the chorus, just like I like it.  Along the way she makes these requests:

“Remember me as a sunny day
That you once had along the way

Remember me as a funny clown
That made you laugh when you were down

Remember me as a big balloon
At a carnival that ended too soon

Remember me as a breath of spring
Remember me as a good thing“

Who wouldn’t want to be remembered like that?  By the way, I’m assuming these songs will all be played in their originally recorded formats.  But if they’re performed live, please be sure to have a gospel choir backing up the singer who does “Remember Me.”  :-)

“Keep Me in Your Heart” by Warren Zevon

He knew he was dying of cancer when he wrote this and it became the basis for a stunning tribute at the Grammys after he passed away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlLbSZLX-e0

If that weren’t enough to pull at the heartstrings, how about these opening lyrics?

“Shadows are falling and I’m running out of breath
Keep me in your heart for awhile
If I leave you it doesn’t mean I love you any less
Keep me in your heart for awhile

When you get up in the morning and you see that crazy sun
Keep me in your heart for awhile
There’s a train leaving nightly called “when all is said and done”
Keep me in your heart for awhile“

I mean, how beautiful is that?

If it seems like I’m being a little emotionally manipulative with my song selections, then so be it.  I don’t want a single dry eye at my funeral.

By the way, the inspiration for the name of my playlist — Funeral Blues — comes from the beautiful poem by W.H. Auden that  John Hannah recited so lovingly in Four Weddings and a Funeral.

If someone wants to read Funeral Blues at my memorial service, that’s just fine by me.  So much the better if it’s in a Scottish accent.

Today’s Poll:  What’s your favorite tribute song?

Puff Daddy’s “I’ll Be Missing You” ( for The Notorious B.I.G.)

Elton John’s “Empty Garden” (for John Lennon)

Diana Ross’s “Missing You” (for Marvin Gaye)

R.E.M.’s “Let Me In” (for Kurt Cobain)

Post a Comment (2) 8:30 am on March 29, 2013

Dream Jobs

job20hunting

There’s something about spring that brings about the desire for change. People begin dusting the cobwebs out of their homes for the annual spring cleaning ritual and then become inspired to dust the cobwebs off themselves. New hairstyles emerge. The season’s colors, inspired by the most recent fashion collections, begin to appear. New Year’s resolutions get a second chance at succeeding as fitness devotees head to local parks to run laps. The real estate market goes crazy as people start thinking about how they would love to have an outdoor area for grilling. And people take a long hard look at their careers and start to ask themselves if improvements can be made in that area, too. Seems like a lot of my friends are currently in this job hunting mode as I find myself editing and offering suggestions for a large number of resumes of late. Should resumes include interests or skills? Why bother to put an address if email is most likely the preferred method of contact? Should resumes be one page or two? These are all good questions that, depending on who you ask, could yield different answers. But if you, too, are currently in the job hunting process, it is important not to get overwhelmed. If stuck, take a break and get some inspiration from these beloved characters who took less than traditional routes to land their dream jobs.

“What, did she copy this out of a resume book?” That’s the question the jealous secretary, Caroline, asks of the new Executive Assistant upon being skipped over for the job herself. Yes, Sue Ellen Crandell – played by the darling Christina Applegate – did tell a tiny little white lie (OK, a whole page of little white lies) to get her foot in the door at GAW in the classic ’90s movie Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, but it was her sparkling personality – “I’m right on top of that, Rose!” – and keen fashion sense that made her of instant value to the boss-lady. Now I’m not advocating a false resume by any means (in today’s age, a simple Google search could render you busted.) But, I do think the lesson here is to do anything you can to get that foot in that door. Make your resume stand out by dropping a name, delivering it in a creative way or going the route of my next applicant hero, Elle Woods.

“Oh! And it’s scented! I think it gives it a little something extra, don’t you think?” A scented, pink resume is definitely one way to go and it was the way Reese Witherspoon’s character went in the adorable 2001 film Legally Blonde. Now this lady definitely didn’t follow the normal path as she applied to law school and ultimately an internship at a law firm, but she was a character who never took no for an answer. Lesson here, believe in yourself and know your stuff so that, at the end of the day, when all the smoke and mirrors have evaporated, it is clear that you possess the knowledge to get the job done. Or, you could just rely on dumb luck to land your next job, like this next applicant, Josh Baskin.

“It was called George Washington.” That’s the response that Tom Hank’s character gives when asked in a job interview what school he went to. Lucky for him, George Washington was not only a high school in northern New Jersey, but a reputable university that the interviewer had a connection to – his brother attended. The fact that Josh Baskin got the job in the memorable ’80s film Big is definitely a little unbelievable but if you remember, as the scene plays out, he happens to be in the exact right place at the right time since a position at MacMillan Toy Company happens to become available as he is sitting in the HR office. Two lessons here. One, don’t be afraid to decorate your resume with personal experiences as you never know who else might have experienced something similar. And, two, the only way you can be in the right place at the right time is if you actually go places. So don’t hold out for the perfect job listing… get interviewing! Make it known that you are interested and available and an opportunity just might present itself to you, like it did for our next applicant, Agent J.

“He’s just really excited and he has no clue why we’re here.” This is a line from Will Smith’s character in the original Men in Black movie as he and a group of Navy Seals and Marines gather for a job interview that they don’t even really know they are on. Smith’s character is there because Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) saw something in him – a real talent for chasing down aliens – that he displayed while on a routine NYPD bad guy hunt. While I can’t imagine many of us are interviewing to become the next man in black, the point is you never know who is watching you work, so always deliver your A game and, hopefully, good things will come.

So there are some tips from Hollywood on how to land a dream job. Good luck to you if you are looking and, if not, I hope you enjoyed the random movie references. Now tell us, which of these movie jobs would you want most?

Fashion Executive
Lawyer
Toy Developer
Government Agent

Post a Comment (0) 8:27 am on March 28, 2013

Chasing Cars

images

All my life I have bought only 2 cars. The first was a 1975 Toyota Corolla that I paid $50 bucks for back in high school from a woman renting a room at my aunt’s house in Long Island. The car was literally sitting under a tree for months on end (to the point of being so covered in leaves and debris that it was practically camoflouged into the woodsy backdrop of the property). Having learned how to drive on my dad’s Honda Civic hatchback (stick-shift, I might add) I was so excited to have my own wheels that even the questionable Toyota born the same year as I was sounded like a fantastic option. And while it couldn’t go faster than 55 miles an hour without shaking, it did the trick and got me from point A (my house) to point B (school, a friend’s house… occasionally, a Manhattan night club - shh! don’t tell my parents). I loved that little Toyota because it was mine. It took me hours and many paper towels and cleaning agents to clean it up, but it was ultimately the best $50 dollars I’d ever spent.

My next car was another Toyota – I was brand loyal and didn’t even know it! – an MR2, this time. Definitely a step up from my first set of wheels, and a much cooler car for my college years. It was red and sporty and was the most fun way a person could drive the 7+ hours it would take to get from New York to Charlottesville, Virginia, where I went to school. (I, like Tina Fey, attended the University of Virgina - out of state, I might add.) Save for the one time I drove home through a blizzard, and the one time the car was broken into right outside my off-campus home, I have nothing but fond memories of that car. I’d bought it from a friend’s parents for $700.  Affectionately named “Mr. 2″ by my friend’s brother, I never called it anything but. I moved to Manhattan shortly after graduation and left the car with my parents in Queens where it survived another few years as an extra beater for my family to use as needed. It was literally “beaten” to the ground when my parents’ neighbor borrowed it one day and claimed that is just “seized” on him for no reason. Upon investigating, we learned that he had driven it with no oil in the tank… and so we bid farewell to Mr. 2.

Fast forward to *gulp* 15 years later, and I am finally on the market again for a car. Living in NYC all these years, a car would simply have been superfluous, not to mention incredibly burdensome (do I pay hundreds a month for a parking spot, or do I challenge the parking gods and tackle alternate side of the street parking twice a week?) But here I am, with a need to get out of Manhattan multipe times a week for various reasons, in most cases with my three year old daughter in tow, and the subways and railroads, while a practical alternative, are simply not cutting it anymore. So I recently hit the dealerships and, man, was I unprepared for what ensued. I mean, was I to seriously expect that the smarmy car salespeople depicted in TV and film were in fact not at all an exaggeration of their real life counterparts? Were they really still using ridiculously outdated negotiation tactics to try to brainwash me into buying a car – not to mention, buying all their BS while I was at it? It was a rude awakening and it made me think about the fictitious car salespeople in pop culture that had helped shape the stereotype for me in the first place.

First, there’s my favorite – the anti-car salesman, if you will, Owen Thoreux, Jr., (Andre Braugher) owner of Thoreux Chevrolet on TNTs Men of a Certain Age. (Which is sadly, no longer on the air.) There is NOTHING car salesman-like about this guy – he cannot be more honest, likeable, sincere and considerate. So what’s the catch? Well, he essentially inherited the dealership from his (not so squeaky clean) father who had only recently retired and left it in his hands. Obviously a lucrative business, it made sense for him to take it on. And as far as the stereotypical salesmen, well, the dealership is chock full of them, and the shenanigans that ensue in every scene set on the showroom floor are likely indicative of exactly what happens in dealerships nationwide. I could not help but recall the many antics from the show as I sat in a real life dealership last weekend, waiting for the salesman to return from the “back room” where the very secret “negotiations” were being made with the “person in charge” – or, in other words, as I waited for him to come back from his coffee break to present me an offer I couldn’t refuse. One that, by the way, was no where near the parameters I’d given him in the first place. Classic.

Next there’s the famous Jon Voight episode (actually referred to as the ‘Mom and Pop Store’ episode) from my all time favorite sitcom, Seinfeld. This is the one where George is hoodwinked into buying a Chrysler convertible by a slippery NYC car salesman who tells him the previous owner was Jon Voight, the famous actor and father of Angelina Jolie. That was enough to convince him (and probably a lot of people) to take the plunge. Turns out the car was actually owned by John Voight, a local dentist, which is discovered when the tooth marks on a pencil from the glovebox are about to be compared to the tooth marks on Kramer’s arm which had been left by the actual Jon Voight who bit Kramer when he tried stopping his cab. (Gotta love that show). Anyway, George was planning to have a dentist-friend compare the toothmarks when he reveals that JOHN Voight is a periodontist he knows who was selling his Chysler convertible. George, defeated, snaps the pencil in two and gives up hope that the car ever had anything to do with the famous actor. While the car salesman’s role is small, it was certainly not insignificant, as it set the stage for one of the most memorable episodes of the hilarious series.

Lastly there’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. (Can you tell I’m a big Larry David fan?) There is an episode entitled “The Car Salesman” in which Larry decides to take a job as an actual car salesman. For anyone who knows his character, you already know where this is going. While he might be cut out for wheeling and dealing in Hollywood (although what he really does all day is still a mystery) he is certainly not made of whatever it takes to sell cars. He does put some real creative effort forth (“GTS” stands for guaranteed tremendous safety!) but in the end he is proven unable to get the job done. Surprise surprise.

Hopefully I’ll be greeted by more of an Owen Thoreux than a Larry David at the next dealership I walk into but, either way, I’ll try to see the humor in it all and hopefully laugh my way into my brand new car.

Voice your choice in today’s featured poll and tell us which of these popular car-themed songs is your favorite?

Baby You Can Drive My Car (The Beatles)
Chasing Cars (Snow Patrol)
Counting Blue Cars (Dishwalla)

Post a Comment (1) 8:31 am on March 27, 2013

Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun: When Hollywood Repeats Itself

deep impact vs armageddon

Olympus Has Fallen opened this weekend to so-so reviews and mediocre box office sales, no doubt blunted by the extravaganza known as March Madness. For those of you who did see the Antoine Fuqua directed flick but didn’t find it all that engaging, don’t worry. Hollywood took another bite at the ‘White House gets taken over’ apple and has another movie coming out with basically the same plot, White House Down, in June.

In the White House Down version, Channing Tatum is swapped in for Gerard Butler as the leading heroic warrior, Jamie Foxx replaces Aaron Eckhart as POTUS, and Richard Jenkins takes over for Morgan Freeman as the Speaker of the House. Directed by Roland ‘Independence Day’ Emmerich, this movie might be more your cup of tea.  Me, I lean towards Olympus Has Fallen: it’s got a better title, I’d choose Aaron Eckhart as my president over Jamie Foxx any day, and Morgan Freeman makes anything and everything just a little better.  Although I feel for the Secret Service… two movies where they get their butts handed to them on their own turf in less than a year? They probably haven’t been this annoyed by their Hollywood portrayals since season six of 24 when the White House was breeched via an underwater passage through the Potomac River.

Now, I know a lot of you out there are rolling your eyes at yet another example of what’s wrong with Hollywood: everyone copying each other and not taking the brave step in breaking from the pack. Believe me, I hear you.  The money spent on just one of these movies could fund dozens of less expensive, more original fare.  Instead of pushing the angle that their movie is better, one of the studios should’ve just blinked and conceded defeat.

But as we know, Hollywood egos don’t allow for concession.  And as past twin movie battles have shown executives, there is often one clear cut winner (at least box office-wise) that makes the push towards the release of dueling properties worth it.

Exhibit A: The Battle of the Snow Whites: Just last year we had the colorful, comedic Mirror, Mirror open on March 30th while the more serious, gothic, Snow White and the Huntsman opened on June 1st.  The box office winner was SWatH with over double the take of Mirror, Mirror and the potential for more money with a whole new post-Twilight franchise for Kristen Stewart. Meanwhile Mirror, Mirror appears to be a one and done. Winner: Snow White and the Huntsman (and me, for being introduced to the cuteness that is Sam Claflin who played William, the bow and arrow shooting ‘other guy’ after Snow White’s heart.)

Exhibit B: The Battle of the Super Volcanoes: Waaaay back in the late 90’s, 1997 to be exact, there was a fascination with the Super Volcano and so this became the hot new disaster flick to bring to the masses. The result? The ‘hot off his James Bond debut’ Pierce Bronsnan led Dante’s Peak and still surging Tommy Lee Jones headlined the simply named Volcano. Reviews were mixed: box office, eh, solid for opening in February ($178 Million for Dante’s Peak) and April ($122 Million for Volcano). Neither, however, spawned a franchise nor any memorable one liners to lodge itself in the pop culture lexicon.
Winner: Draw. Although, an honorable mention goes to Volcano for its snicker-inducing poster tagline (made better if you imagine Tommy Lee Jones saying it): It’s Hotter Than Hell!’

Exhibit C:  The Battle of Earth Colliding Asteroids/Comets. The year was 1998. For some reason earth colliding asteroids were the new disaster movie du jour (and could be again after last month’s Chelyabinsk asteroid-turned-meteor crashed down in Russia) and so Hollywood churned out two very different killer-asteroids-hit-Earth movies: the character driven Mimi Leder directed Deep Impact (technically, this was a comet and not an asteroid but you get the point) and the balls to the wall Michael Bay directed Armageddon. Do I even have to say which movie won? The interesting thing is had Deep Impact been the only game in town that year, it would’ve been a mammoth hit at a $349 million take, but not even the Morgan Freeman as President factor could stop Armageddon from clomping DI with $557 million. Not when you had Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, amazing space shots, LOTS of Michael Bay explosions, earth kicking the asteroid’s butt (not so in Deep Impact; downer of an ending) and a Steven Tyler caterwauling number one hit song, ‘Don’t Want to Miss a Thing’.
Winner:  Armageddon and Aerosmith. Don’t Want to Miss a Thing’ was one of their biggest hits.

So, taking in the evidence, and the potentially hundreds of millions of dollars at stake, you can see why studios have no problem playing copycat. More often than not you’re going to have people curious enough to check out at least one if not both films and/or one film is just going to have the cast and marketing behind it that creates a bigger buzz and separates it from the ‘loser’. It’s a win-win or win-break even for them. The only losers are those of us in the audience experiencing déjà vu all over again.

Unless both movies happen to be good. In that rare case, everybody wins!

POLL: Which disaster movie President would you elect?

President Tom Beck (Morgan Freeman) in Deep Impact

President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) in White House Down

President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) in Olympus Has Fallen

President Thomas J. Whitmore (Bill Pullman) in Independence Day

Post a Comment (0) 8:54 am on March 26, 2013

Why is this night different from all other nights?

mah nish

Monday night is the first night of the Jewish holiday Passover. While many people mark this day as the beginning of the longest 8 days without wheat, to others, March 25th marks the first day of their potentially illustrious singing careers.  What families often fail to realize, amid the frantic cooking and cleaning on the days leading up to the holiday, is that at least one member of the family is quietly anticipating his chance to impress his family through song. To those who are unfamiliar, at one part of the Seder (the ritual dinner for the first two nights of Passover), the youngest child must stand before the table and sing the four questions of Passover. Each verse is a question for how Passover is different from all other nights intended to inspire thought provoking questions throughout the meal.

I was one of those nervous – scratch that – excited children. Though I am a middle child now, there was once a time when I was an 8 year old given the spotlight to sing the fabled questions. I prepared for the big night for weeks by listening to Freddie Mercury for range, Michael Jackson for flair and Nirvana for edginess. I would run into my house after school, put on my headphones, pop in the recording of a couple music videos and begin my training.  By the time the big night came, I had Michael Jackson’s snap and walk down to a tee (1:57 in “Beat it” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRdxUFDoQe0 ), Kurt Cobain’s blank stare from “Smells like Teen Spirit” down cold, and I was sure that Freddie Mercury and I had the same voice. The plan was to step out just before the song began, snap my way into the dining room with nothing but a blank stare, and bust out into a Queen-esque rendition of Mah Nishtanah (the title of the four questions).

It did not go as planned. As I began my saunter into the dining room, my great aunt “unintentionally” pushed her seat back to stand up, thus knocking me off balance into a tray of full wine glasses. My beautiful white shirt was covered in red wine, my blank stare turned into tears, and no one got the chance to hear my angelic voice. By the time I returned with a fresh shirt, they had moved on, and my moment in the spotlight was ruined. As luck would have it, a year later, my younger cousin attended and did her own solo rendition. While, yes, it was a pleasant version (apparently she listened to Celine Dion and Whitney Houston for inspiration), I am positive mine would have been better.

So for all of you parents out there with a young child, make sure you give them their chance to shine (whether it is a solo on Passover or a tiny role on stage during a school play). Bring a spare outfit, ignore their nervous cries, and yell at the teacher if you must, but get those children on stage – they will all appreciate it.

Today’s Poll

Which of these iconic live performances is your favorite?

The Beatles (The Ed Sullivan Show 1964)

Beyonce (2012 Superbowl)

Jimi Hendrix (Woodstock 1969)

Snoop Dogg and Tupac hologram (Coachella 2012)

Post a Comment (0) 10:07 am on March 25, 2013

Mission: Admission

application form

Admission hits movie theaters today.

From what I can gather from the trailer, the plot goes something like this: Tina Fey is an admissions officer at Princeton. Paul Rudd asks her to come to talk to the students at his high school (where milking cows is evidently part of the curriculum.) He tells her that one of his students might be the son she gave up for adoption when she got knocked up back in college.  Romance ensues.  Lily Tomlin plays Tina’s gun-totin’ mom and Paul Weitz of About a Boy fame directs.

I’ve already bought tickets on Fandango.  They had me at Tina Fey.  Duh.

The trailer also includes a little montage of stressed out kids desperately trying to prove that they’re Princeton material, including a Cuban-American champion gymnast whose father is in a wheelchair.  One assumes that she gets accepted into the prestigious university.

Seeing this trailer and talking to siblings and peers who have kids in the thick of taking SATs and going on campus visits has given me the confidence to state the obvious: getting into college is way tougher these days than it was back in my time.

Here’s my admission about college admissions:  I did it all wrong.  By some stroke of luck, I did end up getting accepted into the university I wanted to attend.  But sometimes I think it had more to do with them taking pity on me than my actually deserving to be there.

Exhibit A:  I only applied to one school.  No variety, no safeties, no back ups. I “requested information” from five universities but only applied for admission to one.  Laziness?  Perhaps.  Economics?  Absolutely.  My family didn’t have a lot of money and the application fees for those schools weren’t cheap, so I put all my eggs in one basket.  I have no idea what I would have done if the one school I applied to hadn’t accepted me.  Thankfully, I’ll never have to find out.

Exhibit B:  I filled out my application in pen.  Granted, this was the early ’80s and home computers weren’t yet ubiquitous.  But still, everyone else I know typed their application forms on a good ol’ electric typewriter.  Not only did I do mine in pen, I wrote with an erasable pen (popular at the time) whose ink smudged and leaked and did all sorts of other things that weren’t pretty.  What was I thinking?  I’ve always prided myself on being a stickler for excellence in visual presentation and have no explanation for why I chose to forego that on something as important as a college application.

Exhibit C:  I didn’t exactly carry a rigorous academic schedule in high school.  I’m not going to be all self-effacing and claim that I’m an idiot — I did well academically and I’ve always been a good test taker.  That said…  I never took physics.  Or chemistry.  I was in honors math but dropped trigonometry when I got cast as the lead in the fall play my junior year.  I ended up taking it as a senior, but that set me back from being an honors math student to a “regular” student.  I was definitely more focused on extracurricular activities over academia.

As you can see, by all accounts I had no business being accepted into a decent college.  But times were different then and (thankfully) things worked out in my favor.  I went to college, graduated, got a job, and have been a contributing member of society ever since.

Tonight, however, my only contribution to society will be the twenty bucks I drop at the concession stand at my local cineplex.  I’m so glad I will be able to enjoy watching Admission without stressing out over having to go through that college application process ever again.

TODAY’S POLL:  What fictional TV college would you most want to attend?

California University (Beverly Hills 90210)

Greendale Community College (Community)

Hillman College (A Different World)

UC Sunnydale (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Post a Comment (0) 8:44 am on March 22, 2013

A Random Recollection of a Spring 1997 Collection

Loewe-SS12-Runway-Pit-2

While we New Yorkers can’t tell by looking out the window (snow again? really?), yesterday, March 20, marked the official beginning of spring. What does that mean to you? Does it make you all warm and fuzzy inside with thoughts of Easter bunnies, April showers and May flowers? Do you have your game face on, engulfed in sports magazines, reading up on spring training happenings and NFL draft predictions? Or are you eagerly awaiting the return of some of your favorite shows like Game of Thrones on March 31 and Mad Men on April 7? Whatever state spring puts you in, I think for the most part we can all agree it is a positive time. Kids are graduating and attending proms, moms and dads are clearing cobwebs during annual spring cleaning sessions and buds are blossoming on trees. It should also mark the official good-bye to that cold, cold weather that makes it almost impossible to get out of bed and go to the gym. Who am I kidding? I don’t go to the gym in the summer either and it has nothing to do with coldness but I’m sure I’m speaking to some of you when I say with spring comes a resurgence of exercise. What else comes with spring? Well after a very simple Google search of spring 2013 – yes, that’s what I did – I realize there is a topic I’ve failed to mention thus far: fashion. Sure enough the first couple results Google spit back at me all had to do with fashion trends, shows and colors. Which got me thinking about my experience with the world of fashion shows.

In high school, I worked for a mom and pop photography store on 5th Avenue. I would go there for a couple hours after school each day and do random jobs. The wife made dupes of 35mm slides for a list of clients she had had for decades, while the husband shot fashion photos at New York, Milan and Paris fashion weeks. So cool, right? He had a list of clients (that depleted every year thanks to the rise of Getty Images) like Nordstrom and some other fashion companies I had never heard of, and I would take care of labeling the slides on this fancy-pants slide labeler. Literally, this thing was from the ’80s and I giggle thinking about how far technology has come since then. I would enter the data, line by line, and watch the machine noisily shuffle through the slides to the sounds of an old computer printer – you know what I am talking about (http://www.soundsnap.com/tags/old_printer). I had my favorite designers – Betsey Johnson, Nicole Miller and Diane von Furstenberg, and I was proud to know these names way before they became staples in most of my friends’ closets. But the coolest was when I got to go to the New York fashion shows.

My boss would put in a request for an assistant to come with him and, really, all I did was carry in a step stool for him to sit on. Then I was off to explore. I remember the first time I went to a show – Calvin Klein circa 1997 – and I felt sooo cool wearing my badge and looking as professional as I could muster at 16. There was a turtleneck involved. Anyway, this was before all the shows were corralled under the tent at Bryant Park and you had to literally have a printed invitation (they were very elaborate) to know where to go. This one was at a vacant studio on West 16th street. Gwyneth Paltrow was there. The whole thing was so very New York. My other memories are vague (oh, if I had only had an iphone). One year I know I sat pretty close to Puff Daddy but I can’t remember at what show. Another time I went up to Alyssa Milano, who was sitting in the front row, and told her I loved her on Melrose Place, but again, I have no memory of what designer was about to take the stage. I remember Donna Karan was always about the pant suit and I remember being surprised to see polished collections from Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss as I didn’t realize they made more than street wear. I do remember the viciousness that was involved in getting a spot in the photographer section, as the vets banged elbows with the up and comers. It’s the same now on red carpets and when paparazzi vie for the latest photo of the Biebs – only the strong survive – and I remember on more than one occasion my boss ending up on the losing end (the floor) of a photographer brawl. But it sure was exciting. And it provided a nice element to my college resume.

So that’s my random recollection of a Spring 1997 collection. Which of these iconic designers still making fashion today is your favorite?

Betsey Johnson
Calvin Klein
Diane von Furstenberg
Donna Karan

Post a Comment (0) 8:58 am on March 21, 2013

The Greatest Story Ever Told

mbp and wife

By now you have probably heard all the buzz about the 10 hour miniseries airing on the History channel , bringing to life the epic stories of the most controversial, most published, most translated book in the world: The Bible. (And if you have not yet heard, you should probably come out from under that rock now.) Not surprisingly, the first episode drew a record breaking 13.1 million, making it the most watched cable entertainment telecast of the year. Executive producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey clearly know a thing or two about producing quality programming and this series is no exception – in fact, of the many notable accomplishments in their careers, it’s probably the one that they are the most proud of. Devout Christians themselves, they went over and beyond to make the retelling of the best known stories from both the Old and New Testaments as compelling, genuine and inspirational as possible. And judging from the viewership, I’d say they succeeded.

Ever the over-achievers, the producing duo opened (to much fan fare), an exhibit in downtown Manhattan last night entitled “The Bible Experience.” Admitedly when I first heard about it, I assumed it was going to be a collection of props from the set and some still photography of various scenes. Turns out, it was much more. For starters, stepping into the cavernous, unfinished, dimly lit space, I felt like I had just passed through a time machine that took me back a millenium or two and I wanted to trade in my 5 inch platform pumps for some leather sandals. There was just something about the atmosphere that transported me to another time, so very different from the bustling city street I had just stepped in from. As I began taking in the experience, I realized that I wasn’t at a typical gallery opening by any stretch of the imagination. Yes, there were breathtaking larger-than-life still photos hanging from the walls but they were only the tip of the iceberg. I approached the first glass encased exhibit and realized I was only one thin pane away from true religious history – pages of scripture from as old as the third century AD, papyrus so well preserved that the Greek writing was as clear as the print on this morning’s newspaper. We’ve all been to museums and have come in close contact with real historic items, but  the overall atmosphere had a greater impact on me that any contemporary museum setting ever has. Seeing one of the first ever printed comprehensive bibles from Spain circa 1500 was awe inspiring, as was laying eyes on actual Dead Sea Scroll fragements and medieval Torah Scrolls. It’s important to note that all these artifacts belong to a private collection on display for the first time in New York. Held by the Green family, the collection was previously at the Vatican where it will be returned when the exhibit comes to an end on March 27th.

photo(3)One of the most striking aspects of the space, made even more spiritual by they way the light shone through and reflected off  the fog (ok, so there may have been a smoke machine involved, but it was tasteful!) was the enormous replica of the crown of thorns that Jesus was forced to wear. It was suspended from the ceiling at the center of the room and I heard first hand from the event producers that it weighed 2 tons. The shadow to the floor was cleverly an equally large crown of a king, which altogether was a creative marvel and definitely worth experiencing for yourself.

All told, I highly recommend that anyone living in the New York area, regardless of religious beliefs, should go see the exhibit. It truly was an “experience” and one that I will likely never forget. And for those not caught up on the original airing of the TV series, it comes out on DVD on April 2nd, featuring tons of extras that are not to be missed.

Today’s Poll:

The Bible miniseries has been a record breaking success for the History channel. Which of executive producer Mark Burnett’s other series is your favorite?

The Apprentice
Shark Tank
Survivor
The Voice

Post a Comment (0) 10:35 am on March 20, 2013

Madly Marching Towards One Shining Moment

last game

Despite growing up in a basketball city and being indoctrinated as a Memphis State Tiger’s (now known as the University of Memphis Tigers) fan since birth, I used to loathe the time of year called ‘March Madness’.

For one thing, it pre-empted my soap operas for two whole days. Instead of a two day cliffhanger, I had to suffer through a four torturous days. Another drawback? It pre-empted my Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night television for two weeks straight- and yes, back then we had original programming on CBS on Saturday nights worth getting upset about missing.

And then a funny thing happened. Despite my Tigers having been bounced from the tournament weeks prior, I was home on a Saturday night in 1992 (not unusual for the bookish, nerdy, high school me), flipping through the channels when I landed on a game between the Kentucky Wildcats and Duke Blue Devils. I don’t know why I knew to stop and watch, but I did. You could just tell from the intensity in the eyes of every kid on that court and every coach on both benches that this was a blood match that would be historical. And it was. I am happy to say that I watched the game which would be forever known as THE game, live as it happened, undergoing the transformation of apathetic obligatory hometown college basketball fan to true blue, hard core cry-bloody-tears college basketball fanatic in the span a mere few hours.

I mean, watch this clip and tell me how you couldn’t appreciate the dramatic craziness that is basketball just a little bit more after that?

After that showing, I was hooked. And how could I not be? I love a good story and college basketball- especially March Madness- has the best narratives on television: the Game of Thrones sudden death ‘win or go home’ challenge of play; boys coming of age to men; men finding redemption; dramatic twists and turns; comedic diversions; college fiefdoms doing their schools, towns, cities, STATES proud; ruthless, cut throat competition; Davids beating Goliaths; Cinderellas keeping that clock from striking midnight; dagger to the heart shots; buzzer beater endings; boys, girls, men, and women crying in united joy, sadness, disbelief, euphoria. It’s the best kind of reality TV, bar none.

And then at the end you have the corniest, cheesiest, most moving ‘bow’ on the gift that is the Madness: the One Shining Moment musical montage. Whether it is the David Barrett, Luther Vandross, or Teddy Pendergrass version, you are glued to your television screen as you get a final recap of the tournament set against stirring vocals and music as you get one last buzz of all the amazing athleticism, crazy fan love, and heart warming displays of school spirit and community unity you enjoyed (and sometimes suffered through) for the last four weeks. I dare you to watch that montage and not either be grinning like an idiot or be just a little more sniffly and teary eyed than you were before you began watching it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moyIYzV24XI

The one time I couldn’t watch that One Shining Moment lovefest? 2008. The day I truly became a sports fan. For that was the day I had my sports loving heart truly broken by my hometown team, the Memphis Tigers, in one of the biggest chokes in college basketball. I had to turn the television off before the final play in order to spare my brain and heart from having the memory of finalization of their epic collapse burned onto them for eternity. To this day I look away whenever a clip of that game comes up and say not very nice things about former Memphis head coach John Calipari who dumped the Tigers in a bid for glory at Kentucky (which he unfortunately achieved last year ruining another ‘One Shining Moment’ montage for me.). At least I have some solace in my bitter Tiger heart: In less than a year Kentucky went from champs to chumps: they didn’t even make the tournament this year while Memphis is in and ready to be a spoiler. Ha!

So while on the surface March Madness seems like it’s only about basketball and is taking you away from ‘real’ TV (believe me, I’ll be missing Person of Interest, too), realize that you’re not missing out on good television; basketball can and does go so much beyond a game. It can be comedy or tragedy; a thriller or a mystery; a tale of redemption or revenge; a horror story or an epic heroes journey where your team comes out on top.

Go ahead and dip a toe in the madness and see if it does not become you.

What’s your favorite college basketball movie?

Hoosiers

Hoop Dreams

Love and Basketball

He Got Game

Post a Comment (1) 9:46 am on March 19, 2013

Fighting for Friendship

Step Brothers movie image Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly

When you spend enough time around the same person, disagreements are bound to happen. While most manifest themselves into verbal disputes, it is not uncommon for a physical fight to take its place – especially when alcohol and girls are thrown in the mix.  Whilst enjoying a hardy brew in honor of the patron Saint of Ireland this weekend, the verbal spars with my roommate were exchanged for a couple of fists. It was bound to happen.

After almost a year of living on top of each other and shoving  millions of backhanded comments aside, a fight was really all that was left. Granted, there were probably other ways we could have solved our issues, and I certainly don’t condone physical violence, but sometimes a fight is really just the better fix. Though the fight lasted only 15 seconds and neither of us were left with more than a cut above an eye or a few bruised ribs, the significance was major. It meant that we were really close friends.

About 10 minutes after the fight, I caught up with him on the subway platform. I expressed my grievances as logically as someone can on St. Patty’s eve, and he did the same. We hugged, went back to the apartment, passed out, and had brunch the next morning. The air was cleared and I can honestly say our friendship is closer. Now you might say that this is impossible and fights serve no purpose, but look at these duos and then try to question my logic.

Toy Story: Woody and Buzz Lightyear

We know the story. Woody is the favored toy of Andy until his mom buys him Buzz Lightyear. The two naturally do not get along, and thus begins a series of epic fights between them. While I concede that their story is slightly different from mine, as neither of us are toys that are used like puppets throughout the day until we get our freedom at night (wait a minute…), the similarities are there. Just as Woody and Buzz were seeking the affections of one particular person, so were we. Woody and Buzz were forced to spend tons of time together in a small space – same here. They had to brawl in a venue outside of their home to become better friends – well, look at that.

As much as we want to believe that Woody and Buzz would have naturally become best pals, I think it is pretty safe to say that if it hadn’t been for the fight, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” would not have been the choice song for the movie.

Step Brothers: Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly

Two adult children are forced to live with one another as their respective parents become romantically involved. They share verbal spars escalating into an all-out brawl involving a golf club, a German Shepard, a fire hose, some nudity, and a drum set. What happens at the end? Did they become best friends? Sure as hell they did.

Best Pre-fight Quote:

Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) to Dale Doback (John C. Reilly): “I’m going to take a pillowcase and fill it full of bars of soap and beat the S#%& out of you!”

Best Post-Fight Quote

Brennan Huff: “Listen, I know that we started out as foe… But maybe someday we could become friends. Friends who ride majestic, translucent steeds, shooting flaming arrows across the bridge of Hemdale.”

Dale Doback: “I would follow you into the mists of Avalon if that’s what you mean.”

Monsters University: Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan

While it is still unclear exactly where the fights will happen in the prequel to the famous Monsters Inc., according to IMDB’s plot description we know there are bound to be some. The film is, “A look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at Monsters University — when they weren’t necessarily the best of friends.” Could their fights prompt a reimagining of the original? Absolutely not.

If for some reason you are still in doubt about the logic of fighting and friendships, here is just a small list of films that might help:

Bride Wars (defeats the gender bias)

Dude Where’s My Car (defeats the idiocy bias)

Lethal Weapon (defeats the race bias)

Harold and Kumar go to White Castle (defeats the substance bias)

Grumpy Old Men (defeats the age bias)

So there is my logical breakdown of how a fight between friends can lead to better things.  Feel free to use the comments section below to express your opinions on the matter, and don’t forget to vote in today’s poll.

Which of these films about best friends is your favorite?

Easy Rider

Bride Wars

Wayne’s World

Toy Story

Post a Comment (0) 10:13 am on March 18, 2013

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The People's Choice Awards staff is dedicated to providing commentary about the world of pop culture through our daily blog. We are TV producers, digital mavens, PR professionals, and entertainment executives who share a love for movies, music and TV. Each day, a member of our team will divulge insights and opinions on topics from TV star trivia to musical inspirations to the ultimate pop culture guilty pleasures, and everything in between. We can’t guarantee you'll agree with every word, but we promise to always be honest, positive and celebratory in true People's Choice Awards fashion.

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