just finished watching madonna's 1991 documentary truth or dare, which chronicles her historic blond ambition world tour. there is nothing like watching a gigantic star at the absolute prime of their career. imagine being a fly on elizabeth I's wall and you're basically there.
"when people talk about the good old days, i say to people, 'it's not the days that are old, it's you that's old.' i hate the good old days. what is important is that today is good." --karl lagerfeld
jane austen meets the park avenue preppy crowd during a winter debutante season of balls and bridge games. with an intense focus on coattails, titled/untitled aristocracy, and exquisitely-decorated apartments, it looks and sounds like an ancient artifact one first handles with care yet then greedily places their fingers all over.
change of plans: no more sci-fi and onto a tragic teen romance about two kids who meet online and fall in love over a few days. think nicholas sparks with plenty of cussing, fucking, and smoking. ooh la la.
classic fairy tale dipped into moody surrealistic artifice. poetry in motion and lyrics as dialogue, it is more grimms than disney but just as sumptuous.
"his kind of music is deplorable, a rancid smelling aphrodisiac. it fosters almost totally negative and destructive reactions in young people." --frank sinatra on the king of rock
aretha franklin is worshipped. selena gomez looks good in straplesses. paramore shoulda beat train. gaga is birthed from a pod. justin bieber needs to embrace his changing voice. usher proves himself to be out of touch, yet again. cee lo is a god and gwyneth is his angel. the avett brothers make me cream my pants. bob dylan is the grim reaper. katy perry copies britney (quelle surprise). norah jones, john mayer as jack sparrow, and keith urban do acoustic dolly parton. drake is a sex god but rihanna is a bore. mick jagger proves he still has it (and probably always will). lady antebellum wins almost everything, except arcade fire, who, after years of being underdog beauties, collect the coveted album of the year. there is hope in this manic world, after all.
yesterday the heiress-apparent of pop music finally released her future megahit. surging with an industrial-disco thump and soulful vocals that reminds one of church, "born this way" is not so much an instant-classic as it is a bonafide dancefloor sermon. immediately the stylistic change is obvious: gone are the cold, vampiric vibes of the fame monster and in their place are softer, earthier throbs. tres pansexual/panracial/panyouth in tone and spirit, this robotic call-to-arms is what happens when you mix studio 54, dc10, and any local divebar into a blender and press "glam."
with the rise of popularity in books focused on fantasy and escapism, i'm planning a sci-fi, heavily inspired by everything japanese: godzilla movies, colorful/moody animes, and video game consoles. after i mix that with subtext on imperialism and consumerism, this may very well be "the one." eat your heart out, stephenie meyer.
dear white house, this is what happens to your youth after two wars, an economic recession, and eight years of banality. on the other hand, without your bullshit, we would not have gotten this amazing portrayal of modern high school life. sincerely, a satisfied teenculture aficionado.
these 5 sirens only truly lasted for 2 1/2 years but they ruled the world with five manicured fists during that colorful period. with their first two albums, they changed the way we looked at pop music and globalization, while being loved by royals and political activists, producing a cult-classic satire, their own brand of lollipops, polaroid cameras and a playstation video game, yet also empowering the lives of millions of tweens with sheer positivity, particularly young women with the slogan "girl power." even today in our judy jetson-eep-opp-ork-ah-ah pop climate, their music is still as fresh and edgy as it was when released and makes your typical disney fare appear absolutely quaint in comparison. just as our parents had "beatlemania," we had "spice."
