Sexy.

And the ladies are pretty good looking too.

The Next Birth Control Anthem

The best song encouraging condom use that I have ever heard; Hilarious yet true.

Some seriously great lines to be heard.

I Should Have Used - Big L

I can only hope that this a production still from the American Torchwood.

So... How was American Top Gear?

The seminal auto show from the UK has finally made it's way to the United States after making stops pretty much everywhere else (Germany, Australia, Russia) when it premiered yesterday on the History Channel. Most of America was probably watching the AMA's (God help us) or The Walking Dead (Can't blame you) or The SNF game (Which I had my eye on and seemed to be a pretty good game until Eli choked), but with the British version of the program being quite possibly the best reality/documentary style show currently airing I had to see if Top Gear USA was worth the time of day.

The pre-release buzz surrounding this new iteration has been pretty dismissive, especially from fans of the British series. It's understandable when fans of a certain series (such as The Office) have concerns about an Americanized version, but the life of Top Gear doesn't hinge on the presenters, as much as fans of the original trio of James May, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond would like to disagree. Top Gear will always be about the cars and treating them with dignity and respect; Closer to a work of art then as a preferably alternative to walking or riding the bus. To this end the premier was quite successful and has me excited for future episodes.

The three on-air hosts, Tanner Foust (Drift and Rally Car Driver), Adam Ferrara (Actor/Comedian), and Ruthledge Wood (Some sort of analyst that has been on Speed TV a lot) struggle to find their footing, but this is to be expected. So much of what people love about the British show is how self referential and pandering it is, and the interactions between the three make it seem as if there is a good possibility of creating a similar feel.

The high production values that have come to be expected by fans of the original are thankfully intact. Camera angles and shots are dynamicand echo the stylistic approach that has become the standard for automotive shows.

From the outset of the show which featured an homage to the Dodge Viper (A model thats current iteration is being phased out and replaced in the 2012 model year) it's clear that this isn't going to be a second fiddle that echos the opinions of the UK presenters. While the Brit's wouldn't touch the Viper with a 10 foot pole, the Americans gave it a proper send off as opposed to a string of jokes about it being like an American (big, loud and stupid looking). An interview with Buzz Aldrin was short and a bit weak with the role probably being Ferrara's biggest challenge as he seems by far the most comfortable on camera.

The big test segment came in the form of each picking a Lamborghini and putting it through it's paces with standing miles. The trash talk was good, if a bit forced (although once again, it's a tad difficult to build an onscreen report immediately). While it might become apparent to the contrary latter in the series, at least for the moment it seems as if the presenters have license to criticize to their hearts content, especially with Ferrara calling the $650 cup holder option in his chosen Lambo 'Bull Shit.'

Although I was apprehensive about History Channel picking up the series, the thought and planning for a successful series are in place. While it will still probably be a companion to the British version (Which History Channel should right out license from BBC America) the pieces are falling into place far better then I thought that they would.

Another Song?

Yup, Too lazy to write anything intelligent, maybe a little something about CERN will happen this weekend, but I am once again, reaaaalllllllyyyyy lazy right now.

Katherine Jumped Off Me (Franz Ferdinand + Lil Kim)

Song Sing Song

Still Getchu Twisted - Lisa Miskovsky + Krazy Bone + Teddybears

ROBYN. WAS. GREAT.

Redline Review (Hint: it was good)

Last Saturday night I spent some of my extra hour attending the Minneapolis/St. Paul Asian Film Festival at the St. Anthony Main Theater and a showing of the anime racing film, Redline. Now I've harped on anime and animation on this blog with quite regular frequency so go ahead and skim if you will but I promise I have a FEW NEW POINTS to make.

The crowd was kind of what you would expect at a showing of a niche anime title, with the obvious stereotypes showing up in droves - I shouldn't make too many derogatory statements because with my long unkept hair and patchy beard I fit in just fine.

Redline is essentially a pretty par for the course racing story which sees a protagonist entering a dangerous "The only rule is that the is no rules" race. The conflict in the film comes from holding the race on a planet dubbed hilariously as 'Roboworld' where the racers have to contend with the military as well as the other racers. Added conflict and plot development comes from the tacked on love story, which despite it's incredibly shallow and unnecessary nature actually worked in an odd roundabout way.

Besides the incredibly fluid and stylized animation, it is Redline's cast of characters and expertly paced dialogue that provide the film's greatest strengths. My buddy Andrew accompanied me to see the film and mentioned that the way the film introduced it's cast was incredibly well done, a sentiment I echo completely, especially for a racing title whose genre tends to favor action in opposition to any meaningful exposition. A news segment format introduced each racer, but slight differences in each profile highlighted the superb dialogue and quirky nature of the writing. Aiding the dialogue was the great translation, which seemingly captured the feel and narrative that it's creators intended. Plot dead ends and a lack of any significant conclusion could be seen as a criticism from serious cinema-goers, but by my standards didn't detract from the film in the least.

Redline once again proved why animation, and especially hand drawn animation, proves to be just as compelling of a medium to tell a story as live action or CG. It's sad that consumer expectations have all but dismissed traditional animation, forcing them into special one night events that are kind of a one and done thing.

OK, so really I had no new points, and you read it ALL... HA! Or else you skimmed to this point and it didn't matter at all!

Ke$ha and the Death of One Hit Wonders

A single statement has prompted me writing this:

'Ke$ha's new song just debuted at number one. I just feel hopeless.'

The above statement was written by a friend on Facebook referencing the new single from the musical cockroach known as Ke$ha.

Being that I have been listening to a glut of sports radio in my daily automobile time, I couldn't say that I had heard the new song, entitled "We R Who We R" and after seeking a listen I wish I hadn't for a few reasons - Lyrically it is pretty par for the course for appealing to Ke$ha's audience, and since I'm not a club kid or a 14 year old girl with ambitions of prostitution, it's safe to say that contextually this song wasn't intended for me - or was it?

"I was really affected by the suicides that have been happening, having been subject to very public hatred [myself]. I have absolutely no idea how these kids felt. What I'm going through is nothing compared to what they had to go through. Just know things do get better and you need to celebrate who you are. Every weird thing about you is beautiful and makes life interesting. Hopefully the song really captures that emotion of celebrating who you are."

The above quote was taken from a Rolling Stone Interview with the star explaining the motivations and lyrical musings of the new single.

Lets take a look at the lyrics shall we?

The Chorus, probably the portion she felt 'captures that emotion of celebrating who you are' - mainly because it is literal in it's execution -

Tonight we're going hard

Just like the world is ours

We're tearin' it apart

You know we're superstars

We are who we are

So not the most intelligent thing I have ever read or heard, nor the worst, but I think coming out and stating that she was affected by the recent string of teen suicides, and dedicating this song to them feels shallow and cheap. Lets now take a look at some of the verses:

Hot and dangerous
If you’re one of us, then roll with us
‘Cause we make the hipsters fall in love
And we’ve got hot-pants on enough
And yes of course we does we’re running this town just like a club
And no, you don’t wanna mess with us
Got Jesus on my necklace

I’ve got that glitter on my eyes
Stockings ripped all up the side
Looking sick and sexy-fied

So let’s go-o-o (Let’s go!)

Hmmmm, what part of that is meant to make me celebrate who I am, as opposed to who Ke$ha is? At least with the terribly bad Tik Tok, Ke$ha wasn't trying to sell it is a piece speaking out against a war or human trafficking or one of the other numerous societal problems in the world today.

Musically it is pretty boring, the singular drum beat and synth sample will get your toe tapping and provide the top 40 appeal, but beyond that it is becoming apparent that ghostwriters seem to be phoning it in at this point.

Why hasn't Ke$ha disappeared?!?!

Simple, The music industry has killed one hit wonders.

While it has always been around, it has become increasingly more apparent that the industry is run with spreadsheets as opposed to the artists and talent (or lack thereof). Hits seem no longer like they can be earned simply through fan support, but instead act like a commoditized item, bought and sold no differently then any other consumer product.

Producer groups have become so numerous (Stargate, The Neptunes etc) that each song produced is bet on like the stock market in hopes of scoring a number one hit, which usually ends up being the case. Growing an artist to have mass appeal isn't something new, but with these producer groups, keeping a star relevant for far longer has become as simple as writing a check. If you know me and my taste in music it will become clear that I like a number of producers, but in becoming crutches for the industry they have outgrown their welcome.

If 'We R Who We R' has proved anything to me, it's that Ke$ha needs to stop getting bailed out like an entity deemed 'too big to fail' by the government.

Getting Excited

I'm heading to the Minneapolis Asian Film Festival on Saturday for a showing of what looks to be an incredible piece of animation, Redline. Anyone else want to go? The ever great Andrew Carlson is accompanying me in the festivities.