I sort of agree with Romano's response. I don't think our main goal in life is to pursue grace, necessarily. How does one achieve grace? Is it by letting everything else go and being confident in your place in the world?* When are we all supposed to figure that out so we can be like Mariel Hemingway in Manhattan? Like Romano, I'm not sure what our interactions would be like if we didn't talk about those big (or 'big,' as Didion thinks) questions. His argument against Didion's rattling off of intellectual-approved pop culture things is a little silly, though.
I think the people Gabe is talking about who repost pictures on Tumblr (and there are way too many people who literally just do this and that's all, but anyway) and say 'I want this' or 'omg so true' or whatever will say those things because THEY like whatever they repost, not because it is cool to like it. One person's Twilight is another person's The Hunger Games, or whatever - there is no one 'cool.' So they are still self-obsessed, but not looking for nods from anyone else. Maybe from their friends/Tumblr followers who they know in real life (and maybe that's what Didion means), but by posting those things on Tumblr you're sort of hoping that people will stumble onto it anyway. Huh. Do you think everyone has an agenda for liking the things that they like now? Why can't we just like things? I'm getting off the plot.
This was a cool post, Gabe; thanks for writing it. I like when Videogum gets introspective.
*Wait, that's what we all want, isn't it? Hmm...
For real though, Philip Seymour Hoffman would be great as Newt Gingrich in a movie where the audience is supposed to dislike Newt Gingrich. Like a Clinton biopic. Linda Cardellini plays Hillary Clinton. Come at me, Hollywood.
Let's theorize: why did the jockey saying 'We're going to ride big today' make the trainer angry?
Theory #1: Riding big means that the jockey will be extra hard on the horse today, and the trainer is worried that the horse will be hurt as a result.
Theory #2: Riding big means 'riding far' and the jockey is not very good at hiding his horsenapping plans.
Theory #3: They are showing the movie Big at the race track.
Theory #4: A 'ride big' is like a meet cute for horses.
Didn't watch it, but that cast! Dennis Farina! Kevin Dunn! Richard Kind! I am somewhat interested now that I know my favorite old-ish white male actors from the '90s are doing their thing together.
Thanks for doing this. I dug up Oaklandazulasylum recently and was surprised by how much good stuff was on there that I missed when I heard it the first time. I know the music on the new album won't sound the same, but it's cool that the process is similar as it was for that first record.
I'll be the first to admit that I never really sat down with Eskimo Snow for a long time. Not that I dislike it; I think I just got stuck on their other records too much. Sorry, Yoni :(. The songs from ES were good live when I saw them a couple years ago, though.
Some of these videos could use some more judicious editing. Like, porcupine trying to eat out of a mug could easily be #1 if it were two minutes shorter. The filmers just don't know how much of a good thing is too much.
To be fair, the same person comments right above it and says that she's Russian, so her English is probably not very good. She also apparently just heard that Tilly and the Wall song for the first time, which I'm a little jealous of (it's a good song!).
Parks and Rec was nonstop laughs last night. Paul Rudd was very good (I simultaneously loved and hated his character during the ending's "just give it to me" conversation).
I watched The Office last night too, and I have a question: did Jim, while waiting for a good exit moment, drink all of his wine? And then when he left, he drunkenly drove into Robert's mailbox? Or did he just do it because he was angry at having to stay for so long (or maybe because he thought that would be an even BETTER exit moment)? Because it definitely seemed like drunk driving to me, but I have to believe The Office wouldn't endorse that. Maybe next week we'll find out that Jim is dead.
"Bobby Newport endorses drunk driving." -Ben Wyatt
There's a band (they broke up) called Congratulations on Your Decision to Become a Pilot with a song called "Congratulations on Your Decision to Become a Pilot" from the album (you guessed it) Congratulations on Your Decision to Become a Pilot. It's actually pretty good if you can track it down.
I've always thought of Nada Surf as being musical comfort food, but judging by this and "When I Was Young," they may have reached the point where they're too bland. At least Lucky was promoted by "See These Bones," which had a bit of bite to it.
Not that it's a competition, but I'd take The Shape of Punk to Come over Relationship of Command any day. So much cool stuff going on in that record. Hope they play some non-festival shows too; I can't picture them as a festival band after watching the Refused Is Fucking Dead documentary.
I mean, it's a song. Whatever. Not terrible, not great, kind of trite lyrics, similar to all of her other stuff. It would be nice if 'better' music were as heavily hyped, but she's got major label $ behind her, so mehr. Such is life.
Parenthetical Girls release some great original Chirstmas/holiday-themed music every year, and this year was no exception: http://parentheticalgirls.com/discograph/savechristmas.html
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