1. "Here, My Dear," Marvin Gaye (from Here, My Dear)
2. "Home," David Byrne and Brian Eno (from Everything That Happens Will Happen Today)
3. "Lamaset (Miami Mix)," Jef Stott (from Sarcasen)
4. "Everybody Needs Love," Marvin Gaye (from Here, My Dear)
5. "Need U Bad," Jazmine Sullivan (Digital Single)
6. "Amelia (featuring Luciana Souza)," Herbie Hancock (from River: The Joni Letters)
7. "Whatever You Like," T.I. (Digital Single)
8. "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You," Black Kids (from Partie Traumatic)
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
The Other Man's Treasures
My buddy Rodney's designs got a write-up in realsimple.com's Simply Stated section. His studio, T.O.M.T. (The Other Man's Treasures), is a veritable ode to both Duchamp's readymades and the green movement.
The Luggage Medicine Cabinet (de: old luggage, glass & mirror)
©2005 T.O.M.T.™ / Rodney Allen Trice
One of these days, I'm going to get crazy and have enough money to buy a home--so I can start filling it with T.O.M.T. Until then, I'll just gaze upon the other man's treasures longingly.
The Luggage Medicine Cabinet (de: old luggage, glass & mirror)
©2005 T.O.M.T.™ / Rodney Allen Trice
One of these days, I'm going to get crazy and have enough money to buy a home--so I can start filling it with T.O.M.T. Until then, I'll just gaze upon the other man's treasures longingly.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Top 8 Songs: Week Ending August 23, 2008
1. "Here, My Dear," Marvin Gaye (from Here, My Dear)
2. "Caught a Lite Sneeze," Tori Amos (from Boys for Pele)
3. "Time to Get It Together," Marvin Gaye (from Here, My Dear)
4. "Anger," Marvin Gaye (from Here, My Dear)
5. "Cat Diesel," K-OS (from Atlantis - Hymns for Disco)
6. "Lamaset (Miami Mix)," Jef Stott (from Sarcasen)
7. "I Want You," Marvin Gaye (from I Want You)
8. "Kiss the Sky," Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra featuring Nino Moschella (from Voices and Choices)
2. "Caught a Lite Sneeze," Tori Amos (from Boys for Pele)
3. "Time to Get It Together," Marvin Gaye (from Here, My Dear)
4. "Anger," Marvin Gaye (from Here, My Dear)
5. "Cat Diesel," K-OS (from Atlantis - Hymns for Disco)
6. "Lamaset (Miami Mix)," Jef Stott (from Sarcasen)
7. "I Want You," Marvin Gaye (from I Want You)
8. "Kiss the Sky," Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra featuring Nino Moschella (from Voices and Choices)
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Nothing Says "I Need a Vacation!" Like...
A definite cry for help.
I've decided to take an end-of-summer hiatus and get a bit of the R&R. I'll keep the Top-8 list going and will attempt random bits of posting when possible, but I can't make any promises. Enjoy the rest of August.
Back after Labor Day.
L.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Closure, Fissure or Striptease?: The Two Coreys
The season finale of The Two Coreys ran like a long striptease. Every layer that was peeled away only revealed more layers than any interesting food for thought. Dr. Monti's individual sessions with Teams Haim and Feldman started off with promise. Having them watch the footage of their blowout in Maple Corey's driveway was supposed to alert them to their parts in the drama that played out.
Yet 'Merican Corey & Susie saw nothing wrong in their behavior. In fact, Susie announces, "Here comes the part where he calls my mother a crack whore." without noting how her own comment about his mother the enabler may have set the denigration into motion. She calls Maple on his behavior--which he totally deserved--but fails to give 'Merican & Wife the good talking-to this viewer felt they needed. The Feldman's good intentions were clear--but so was the toxicity of the attempts to enact them.
Canadian Corey gets into a car wreck after therapy and destroys the front entry of his victim's home. Nell, seeing the damage on her way to Haim's house, flips out and gives him a frantic talking to (as well as off-camera counseling to flush his drugs). Series director Mark S. Jacobs is also called in and pleas with his not-so-sober co-star to pull it together.
The run-in and ensuing conversations seemed to have helped, because a spooked Haim is shown the next day. (Haim has made arrangements with the owners of the home to pay for the repairs.) Half clear, half mired in denial ("I didn't hurt anyone. If anything, I only hurt myself."), he pledges to make amends/closure with Feldman. The talk between them is tense as Maple apologizes and 'Merican explains his frustration. Eager to blow past their blowout ("water under the bridge"), he tries to set up a meeting with his estranged bud, whose reluctance keeps him from agreeing to meet.
It is in this moment--where Haim's shoddy attempt to atone and Feldman's need to move on--that the show's center of male-male relationship issues comes full circle. Maple was alone with the debris of his own self-sabotage, and 'Merican was surrounded by his wife and seemingly supportive friends. Their respective--and collective--heartache was palpable. Haim was trying to fix things in his usual screwy way and Feldman seemed to have come to the realization that the friendship he'd been trying to recapture was gone. The only thing that could have made the moment any more dramatic was for the director to have them play Damien Rice's "The Blower's Daughter."
The rest of the episode was split between Haim waiting at the meeting point (which looked a lot like either Laurel Canyon Park or Runyon Canyon Park). As the time passes, Maple muses alone about the possible end of their friendship while 'Merican wavers back and forth between finality and forgiveness, thus reinforcing the striptease. An hour and fifteen minutes later, no Feldman--though he has apparently geared up and taken off in his car for...only Feldman and the show's producers know.
Will 'Merican show up and give them closure? Will they or won't they get back together? Will Feldman be able to move on professionally without the T2C brand? Will Haim pull it together and become a motivational speaker with a bestselling book? Will anybody still care by the time the third season rolls around? The answers to these questions and more shall remain elusive, which is why they call it entertainment--and why I call it a striptease.
Canadian Corey gets into a car wreck after therapy and destroys the front entry of his victim's home. Nell, seeing the damage on her way to Haim's house, flips out and gives him a frantic talking to (as well as off-camera counseling to flush his drugs). Series director Mark S. Jacobs is also called in and pleas with his not-so-sober co-star to pull it together.
The run-in and ensuing conversations seemed to have helped, because a spooked Haim is shown the next day. (Haim has made arrangements with the owners of the home to pay for the repairs.) Half clear, half mired in denial ("I didn't hurt anyone. If anything, I only hurt myself."), he pledges to make amends/closure with Feldman. The talk between them is tense as Maple apologizes and 'Merican explains his frustration. Eager to blow past their blowout ("water under the bridge"), he tries to set up a meeting with his estranged bud, whose reluctance keeps him from agreeing to meet.
It is in this moment--where Haim's shoddy attempt to atone and Feldman's need to move on--that the show's center of male-male relationship issues comes full circle. Maple was alone with the debris of his own self-sabotage, and 'Merican was surrounded by his wife and seemingly supportive friends. Their respective--and collective--heartache was palpable. Haim was trying to fix things in his usual screwy way and Feldman seemed to have come to the realization that the friendship he'd been trying to recapture was gone. The only thing that could have made the moment any more dramatic was for the director to have them play Damien Rice's "The Blower's Daughter."
The rest of the episode was split between Haim waiting at the meeting point (which looked a lot like either Laurel Canyon Park or Runyon Canyon Park). As the time passes, Maple muses alone about the possible end of their friendship while 'Merican wavers back and forth between finality and forgiveness, thus reinforcing the striptease. An hour and fifteen minutes later, no Feldman--though he has apparently geared up and taken off in his car for...only Feldman and the show's producers know.
Will 'Merican show up and give them closure? Will they or won't they get back together? Will Feldman be able to move on professionally without the T2C brand? Will Haim pull it together and become a motivational speaker with a bestselling book? Will anybody still care by the time the third season rolls around? The answers to these questions and more shall remain elusive, which is why they call it entertainment--and why I call it a striptease.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Top 8 Songs: Week Ending August 16, 2008
1. "Strange Overtones," David Byrne and Brian Eno (from Everything That Happens Will Happen Today)
2. "The Upside," The Furious Seasons (from The Furious Seasons)
3. "Edith And The Kingpin (featuring Tina Turner)," Herbie Hancock (from River: The Joni Letters)
4. "O'Sailor," Fiona Apple (from Extraordinary Machine)
5. "Amelia (featuring Luciana Souza)," Herbie Hancock (from River: The Joni Letters)
6. "Here, My Dear," Marvin Gaye (from Here, My Dear)
7. "If You Want Me To Stay," Sly & The Family Stone (from Fresh)
8. "Walk On By," Issac Hayes (from Hot Buttered Soul: EP)
2. "The Upside," The Furious Seasons (from The Furious Seasons)
3. "Edith And The Kingpin (featuring Tina Turner)," Herbie Hancock (from River: The Joni Letters)
4. "O'Sailor," Fiona Apple (from Extraordinary Machine)
5. "Amelia (featuring Luciana Souza)," Herbie Hancock (from River: The Joni Letters)
6. "Here, My Dear," Marvin Gaye (from Here, My Dear)
7. "If You Want Me To Stay," Sly & The Family Stone (from Fresh)
8. "Walk On By," Issac Hayes (from Hot Buttered Soul: EP)
Friday, August 15, 2008
Name that Voice: Morgan Freeman
The Olympics--and Visa's inspired campaign--have inspired me to honor a voice as familiar to me as a childhood friend. And in a way, the voice does belong to a childhood friend--one named Morgan Freeman.
Long before his turn in The Dark Knight, his recent car accident and its personal fallout, or being called upon to play God, Freeman played in a Children's Television Workshop gem known as The Electric Company, where he played:
Easy Reader
Mel Mounds
Count Dracula
Mark/The Cop
...and a few other characters I can't find clips for--alongside fellow "up-and-comers" Rita Moreno, Mel Brooks, Joan Rivers, Gene Wilder, Zero Mostel and Hattie Winston.
Younger audiences know Freeman from his turns in The Bucket List, Bruce Almighty, Batman Begins and the Oscar-winning March of the Penguins. Others know him as humbled has-been boxer Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris in Million Dollar Baby; Charlie, the lovestruck kidnapper in Nurse Betty; Hoke Colburn, the road-tested chauffeur who gives as good as he gets in Driving Miss Daisy; public-school principal Joe Clark in Lean on Me, 54th Massachussets Volunteer Regiment's Sergeant Major John Rawlins in Glory; and inmate/conraband smuggler Red in The Shawshank Redemption. Which is the long way of saying the chameleonic Freeman transcends generation gaps.
The revered show-biz veteran has also done voice over for War of the Worlds, Slavery and the Making of America, Freedom: A History of Us as well as the aforementioned Redemption and Penguins. Before he became the hot property he currently is, however, he was an advocate for fresh breath, as can be seen below:
"There are six billion of us, and we come from unique places, with unique ways of looking at the world. We don't always agree, but for a few shining weeks, we set it all beside..." Let us also take the time to set bad breath aside, shall we?
Long before his turn in The Dark Knight, his recent car accident and its personal fallout, or being called upon to play God, Freeman played in a Children's Television Workshop gem known as The Electric Company, where he played:
Easy Reader
Mel Mounds
Count Dracula
Mark/The Cop
...and a few other characters I can't find clips for--alongside fellow "up-and-comers" Rita Moreno, Mel Brooks, Joan Rivers, Gene Wilder, Zero Mostel and Hattie Winston.
Younger audiences know Freeman from his turns in The Bucket List, Bruce Almighty, Batman Begins and the Oscar-winning March of the Penguins. Others know him as humbled has-been boxer Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris in Million Dollar Baby; Charlie, the lovestruck kidnapper in Nurse Betty; Hoke Colburn, the road-tested chauffeur who gives as good as he gets in Driving Miss Daisy; public-school principal Joe Clark in Lean on Me, 54th Massachussets Volunteer Regiment's Sergeant Major John Rawlins in Glory; and inmate/conraband smuggler Red in The Shawshank Redemption. Which is the long way of saying the chameleonic Freeman transcends generation gaps.
The revered show-biz veteran has also done voice over for War of the Worlds, Slavery and the Making of America, Freedom: A History of Us as well as the aforementioned Redemption and Penguins. Before he became the hot property he currently is, however, he was an advocate for fresh breath, as can be seen below:
"There are six billion of us, and we come from unique places, with unique ways of looking at the world. We don't always agree, but for a few shining weeks, we set it all beside..." Let us also take the time to set bad breath aside, shall we?
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
M Is for Matricide: The Two Coreys
Mother's Day wasn't mentioned on this week's episode of The Two Coreys, but it may as well have been. T2C's mommy issues were the theme du jour and were touched on in the in-depth ways that only a 30-minute show could.
Haim's mother attends one of her son's therapy sessions and has a one-on-one with Dr. Monti. Her concern for his mental well-being is evident, as is her helplessness. And guilt; his mother is credited for getting him into acting. This explains why she blames his addiction, not on her son, but the doctors and sycophants that supply him. It also explains why she bears the brunt of her seemingly tripped out son's verbal abuse without complaint.
Judy Haim and son Corey
Even his assistant/surrogate mother Nell is driven to the breaking point--or rather, the point of brutal honesty. She lets him know how much of a mess he's been and wonders aloud what medicine/s might be to blame. Her attempts to force him to realize the extent of his substance abuse fall on deaf ears--which forces her to quit Team Haim.
Feldman's mother, on the other hand, is nowhere to be seen--except in her son's residual body issues. Mama Feldman was apparently a bit of a stage mother whose hands-on management verged on abuse. 'Merican Corey recounts his mother's weight-based taunting and portion control as his reason for wanting a tummy liposuction. Not having a six-pack has been a sore spot (ba-doom-boom-ska!) for him--especially in image-obsessed Los Angeles. The gender tables are turned as wife/mother Susie tells him that she supports whatever makes him feel better about himself. (Imagine what he'd be like if he had been pregnant!)
In the end, T2C get their mommy murder on via mutilation. 'Merican Corey gets his lipo (under general anesthesia), and Maple Corey gets a detailed tattoo (in what appears to be an altered state). The mothers may be out of the picture, but the bruising continues.
Haim's mother attends one of her son's therapy sessions and has a one-on-one with Dr. Monti. Her concern for his mental well-being is evident, as is her helplessness. And guilt; his mother is credited for getting him into acting. This explains why she blames his addiction, not on her son, but the doctors and sycophants that supply him. It also explains why she bears the brunt of her seemingly tripped out son's verbal abuse without complaint.
Judy Haim and son Corey
Even his assistant/surrogate mother Nell is driven to the breaking point--or rather, the point of brutal honesty. She lets him know how much of a mess he's been and wonders aloud what medicine/s might be to blame. Her attempts to force him to realize the extent of his substance abuse fall on deaf ears--which forces her to quit Team Haim.
Feldman's mother, on the other hand, is nowhere to be seen--except in her son's residual body issues. Mama Feldman was apparently a bit of a stage mother whose hands-on management verged on abuse. 'Merican Corey recounts his mother's weight-based taunting and portion control as his reason for wanting a tummy liposuction. Not having a six-pack has been a sore spot (ba-doom-boom-ska!) for him--especially in image-obsessed Los Angeles. The gender tables are turned as wife/mother Susie tells him that she supports whatever makes him feel better about himself. (Imagine what he'd be like if he had been pregnant!)
In the end, T2C get their mommy murder on via mutilation. 'Merican Corey gets his lipo (under general anesthesia), and Maple Corey gets a detailed tattoo (in what appears to be an altered state). The mothers may be out of the picture, but the bruising continues.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Top 8 Songs: Week Ending August 9, 2008
1. "Edith and the Kingpin (featuring Tina Turner)," Herbie Hancock (from River: The Joni Letters)
2. "Boys of Summer," Don Henley (from Building the Perfect Beast)
3. "If I Were A Bell," Amel Larrieux (from Lovely Standards)
4. "He Can Only Hold Her," Amy Winehouse (from Back to Black)
5. "49:00," Paul Westerberg (from 49:00)
6. "Overboard," Ingrid Michaelson (from Girls and Boys)
7. "Mary Jane," Alanis Morissette (from Jagged Little Pill)
8. "White Composition," Darker My Love (from 2)
2. "Boys of Summer," Don Henley (from Building the Perfect Beast)
3. "If I Were A Bell," Amel Larrieux (from Lovely Standards)
4. "He Can Only Hold Her," Amy Winehouse (from Back to Black)
5. "49:00," Paul Westerberg (from 49:00)
6. "Overboard," Ingrid Michaelson (from Girls and Boys)
7. "Mary Jane," Alanis Morissette (from Jagged Little Pill)
8. "White Composition," Darker My Love (from 2)
Friday, August 8, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
First Anniversary of a Pain in the Neck
This time last year, I was in the intensive care unit of NYU's Hospital for Joint Diseases, recovering from a double anterior cervical discectomy (also known as spinal fusion). The surgery was mandatory; due to the damage done my spine by a collision with the owner of a white 2003 Mazda 6, I was in danger of paralysis. (See "Realignment.") More frightening than the surgery was the type of future awaiting me. I knew I would lose a significant range of motion but had no idea how much. I knew I would encounter physical limitations but had no idea what they would be.
A year later, I have a better range of motion than was expected. As for physical limitations, I can't jog (for stress on the spine), but I can power-walk, Rollerblade, and go cycling (which I have yet to do). I am not allowed to lift more than 30 pounds--which is maddening to King Independence--but understand the consequences, so I'm learning to delegate.
Then................................................Now
The ride has been a rough one, riddled with postsurgical depression, health care management, joblessness, lawsuit ajada (shame on you, 21st Century Insurance!), countersuit hijinks (shame on you, Dayne Tanioka!), and other "challenges." Rainy days can wreak havoc on my back, which in turn wreaks havoc on my spirits. The dents in my spine are permanent ones, and the nerve damage I sustained--while much better than paralysis--is permanent.
My consolation: I got to have the surgery with orthopedic surgeon--and unwitting hunk--extraordinaire Dr. John Bendo*. The surgery was a resounding success--I didn't end up paralyzed, I'm ambulatory, and my bones have healed. I went dancing for the first time since before the accident (11-6-06) with my buddy Kirk and tore that floor up!
Other good news: the suit's been settled, and I'm free to move on to the next phase of my life. What said phase entails is uncertain, but I know it involves words, mobility, and forward motion.
* Photo doesn't do him justice--at all. And no, his last name isn't a metaphor.
A year later, I have a better range of motion than was expected. As for physical limitations, I can't jog (for stress on the spine), but I can power-walk, Rollerblade, and go cycling (which I have yet to do). I am not allowed to lift more than 30 pounds--which is maddening to King Independence--but understand the consequences, so I'm learning to delegate.
Then................................................Now
The ride has been a rough one, riddled with postsurgical depression, health care management, joblessness, lawsuit ajada (shame on you, 21st Century Insurance!), countersuit hijinks (shame on you, Dayne Tanioka!), and other "challenges." Rainy days can wreak havoc on my back, which in turn wreaks havoc on my spirits. The dents in my spine are permanent ones, and the nerve damage I sustained--while much better than paralysis--is permanent.
My consolation: I got to have the surgery with orthopedic surgeon--and unwitting hunk--extraordinaire Dr. John Bendo*. The surgery was a resounding success--I didn't end up paralyzed, I'm ambulatory, and my bones have healed. I went dancing for the first time since before the accident (11-6-06) with my buddy Kirk and tore that floor up!
Other good news: the suit's been settled, and I'm free to move on to the next phase of my life. What said phase entails is uncertain, but I know it involves words, mobility, and forward motion.
* Photo doesn't do him justice--at all. And no, his last name isn't a metaphor.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Word Nerd: Contango
I'll admit it: I don't get out much as I used to. Consequently, I'm not as hip with the lingo as perhaps should be. So when I heard the word, "contango" used during a newscast on Bloomberg Television, I dorked out.
And then I got Wiki with it. "Contango" is used in the futures market; it describes a situation where the predicted price exceeds the current price (otherwise known as the "spot price"). It's sort of like a certificate of deposit account. The amount you stand to gain when the term is over exceeds the amount you have at the time of deposit. Interestingly enough, the inverse effect is referred to as "backwardation"--or, as I'd like to call it "brokeassism."
Looks less magical than it sounds, I know.
It's a good thing I don't have a pet, else I'd name it Contango, poor thing. Those interested in more about the crazy little things called contango and backwardation should get clicky with it.
And then I got Wiki with it. "Contango" is used in the futures market; it describes a situation where the predicted price exceeds the current price (otherwise known as the "spot price"). It's sort of like a certificate of deposit account. The amount you stand to gain when the term is over exceeds the amount you have at the time of deposit. Interestingly enough, the inverse effect is referred to as "backwardation"--or, as I'd like to call it "brokeassism."
Looks less magical than it sounds, I know.
It's a good thing I don't have a pet, else I'd name it Contango, poor thing. Those interested in more about the crazy little things called contango and backwardation should get clicky with it.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Good Intention or Gall?: The Two Coreys
Haim versus Feldman; not quite the OK Corral, but showdown fodder nonetheless. The drama comes as no surprise, and yet, the most surprising thing about this week's episode of The Two Coreys, Season Two was that I found myself siding with Canadian Corey.
Things start of breezily enough--in therapy--until Haim presses Feldman about his true feelings. The top comes off the can, and the worms start slithering as 'Merican Corey expresses concern about Maple Corey's problems--the Lost Boys 2 debacle, his obvious floundering, etc. His solution: to get him to sit down with a few friends for a shot at perspective. Sounds healthy enough. Not to Canadian Corey, who puts the kibosh on Advicefest 2008 and opts to hang out with said friends instead.
Imagine his surprise--and rage--when he learns that 'Merican Corey has ignored his wishes and stages what appears to be a makeshift intervention. Feldman preemptively debriefs guests Todd Bridges and Pauly Shore about Haim's behavior on the LB2 set and preps them for the coming scene, thereby clouding their impartiality. He also pretends to have misunderstood Maple's firm refusal to participate in perspective-building--which, of course, heightens the drama. It also results in the following bit of unwitting (USA) Corey-on-Corey irony: "I don't want you to feel like you're being attacked."
If worse wasn't bad enough, the Feldmans head over to Haim's place to find out he could be so ungrateful for the intervention he obviously wanted no part of. As the confrontation heats up, 'Merican's good intentions begin to appear like old-fashioned masochism. His determination to help/control his friend boxes Maple into a corner that he can only come out of reactively. And he does--by kicking them off of his property as well as kicking their friendship to the curb.
The entire conflict left me wondering about two things: (1) Do Mr. & Mrs. Feldman (who engage a ghetto-savvy yelling match with Maple in his driveway) contribute to Haim's problems in order to feel like the healthy ones for fear their deflection might, in all reality (pun not intended), reveal them to be more screwed up than him? (2) Is the 0-60 conflict just part of a scripted reality meant to manipulate viewers into wanting a T2C, Season Three?
This is only funny because the country is in such dire straits--which is why it isn't funny.
I understand the desire to want to slap a friend into turning his/her life around, but at what point does the underlying virtue curdle and become standard-issue dysfunction? The episode reminded me of my relationship with a now-estranged friend. It also made me wonder which Corey I was. Am I Haim because I'm single, hate being strong-armed, and have been known to veer into the self-sabotage lane? Or am I Feldman because I'm a control freak, passive-aggressive, and delusional about the brilliance of my perspective?
Stay tuned--only one more episode left.
UPDATED: Two more episodes left.
Things start of breezily enough--in therapy--until Haim presses Feldman about his true feelings. The top comes off the can, and the worms start slithering as 'Merican Corey expresses concern about Maple Corey's problems--the Lost Boys 2 debacle, his obvious floundering, etc. His solution: to get him to sit down with a few friends for a shot at perspective. Sounds healthy enough. Not to Canadian Corey, who puts the kibosh on Advicefest 2008 and opts to hang out with said friends instead.
Imagine his surprise--and rage--when he learns that 'Merican Corey has ignored his wishes and stages what appears to be a makeshift intervention. Feldman preemptively debriefs guests Todd Bridges and Pauly Shore about Haim's behavior on the LB2 set and preps them for the coming scene, thereby clouding their impartiality. He also pretends to have misunderstood Maple's firm refusal to participate in perspective-building--which, of course, heightens the drama. It also results in the following bit of unwitting (USA) Corey-on-Corey irony: "I don't want you to feel like you're being attacked."
If worse wasn't bad enough, the Feldmans head over to Haim's place to find out he could be so ungrateful for the intervention he obviously wanted no part of. As the confrontation heats up, 'Merican's good intentions begin to appear like old-fashioned masochism. His determination to help/control his friend boxes Maple into a corner that he can only come out of reactively. And he does--by kicking them off of his property as well as kicking their friendship to the curb.
The entire conflict left me wondering about two things: (1) Do Mr. & Mrs. Feldman (who engage a ghetto-savvy yelling match with Maple in his driveway) contribute to Haim's problems in order to feel like the healthy ones for fear their deflection might, in all reality (pun not intended), reveal them to be more screwed up than him? (2) Is the 0-60 conflict just part of a scripted reality meant to manipulate viewers into wanting a T2C, Season Three?
This is only funny because the country is in such dire straits--which is why it isn't funny.
I understand the desire to want to slap a friend into turning his/her life around, but at what point does the underlying virtue curdle and become standard-issue dysfunction? The episode reminded me of my relationship with a now-estranged friend. It also made me wonder which Corey I was. Am I Haim because I'm single, hate being strong-armed, and have been known to veer into the self-sabotage lane? Or am I Feldman because I'm a control freak, passive-aggressive, and delusional about the brilliance of my perspective?
Stay tuned--only one more episode left.
UPDATED: Two more episodes left.
Top 8 Songs: Week Ending August 2, 2008
1. "Ain't Really Love," Mary J. Blige (from The Breakthrough)
2. "Sugar Mama," Bitter:Sweet (from Drama)
3. "Die Alone," Ingrid Michaelson (from Girls and Boys)
4. "So Much Out the Way," Estelle (from Shine)
5. "Wicked Little Town," Hedwig and the Angry Inch (from Hedwig and the Angry Inch [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack])
6. "49:00," Paul Westerberg (from 49:00)
7. "American Boy (featuring Kanye West)," Estelle (from Shine)
8. "Hidden Hand, Hidden Fist '68," STS9 (from Peaceblaster)
2. "Sugar Mama," Bitter:Sweet (from Drama)
3. "Die Alone," Ingrid Michaelson (from Girls and Boys)
4. "So Much Out the Way," Estelle (from Shine)
5. "Wicked Little Town," Hedwig and the Angry Inch (from Hedwig and the Angry Inch [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack])
6. "49:00," Paul Westerberg (from 49:00)
7. "American Boy (featuring Kanye West)," Estelle (from Shine)
8. "Hidden Hand, Hidden Fist '68," STS9 (from Peaceblaster)
Friday, August 1, 2008
Susan Shapiro teaches the Art of Losing--and Winning
My mentor Susan Shapiro just got a piece published on Newsweek.com called "The Art of Losing," about her addiction to diet soda. It's smart, poignant, and a hoot--just like her.
Shapiro has played a pivotal role in this round of my writing life. The coming fall will mark a year since I took her Writing for NYC Newspapers and Magazines class at Mediabistro. The class resulted in "Realignment," the essay that ended up in Newsweek.com's My Turn: Health Triumphs section. I followed up by taking the extended New School version of the class this past spring. It was through that class--or rather, through Sue--that I managed to get bnok, film, music, and movie reviews for Chelsea Now, Downtown Express, and the Villager--as well as an op-ed for the Gay City News. I also wrote and pitched "A Brother as Significant as Any Other" to Modern Love editor Daniel Jones. The rest is a story still being written--and written largely in part due to Susan Shapiro.
Fan-inspired rendering made by an grateful bourgeois dork
Shapiro has played a pivotal role in this round of my writing life. The coming fall will mark a year since I took her Writing for NYC Newspapers and Magazines class at Mediabistro. The class resulted in "Realignment," the essay that ended up in Newsweek.com's My Turn: Health Triumphs section. I followed up by taking the extended New School version of the class this past spring. It was through that class--or rather, through Sue--that I managed to get bnok, film, music, and movie reviews for Chelsea Now, Downtown Express, and the Villager--as well as an op-ed for the Gay City News. I also wrote and pitched "A Brother as Significant as Any Other" to Modern Love editor Daniel Jones. The rest is a story still being written--and written largely in part due to Susan Shapiro.
Fan-inspired rendering made by an grateful bourgeois dork
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
