The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Some habits never die. For my family (really for me), the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual ritual. While my mom slaves away in the kitchen making what is certain to be an excellent meal after which I'll drop off into a deep and satisfying coma nap, I'm within shouting distance (in case of kitchen emergency) watching the parade. But even as I sit here, watching a high-school marching band from Kansas play a selection from the nutcracker while their flag corp and dancers are dressed as the little girl (whatshername) and dancing with teddy bears, things are not copacetic. Why is there no joy today? Allow me to break it down:

1. I don't know at least half of the "featured" performers. Since I've been watching, the average age of such gems is about 15 and the word "Nickelodeon" has been thrown around more than several times. Frankly, they don't even look remotely exciting or interesting to me.

2. The best "features" of the parade--the enormous helium balloons and the marching bands--seem few and far between, replaced by crappy tween pop-stars and, well, crappy tween *up-coming* (or so they say) pop-stars. Instead of a festive and felicitous atmosphere, it's now a celebration of mediocrity. (It was always somewhat mediocre, but at least the atmosphere saved it).

3. The loss of Katie Couric as the parade play-by-play gal. Hey, you know--I don't like Katie Couric. But she was perfect for this job--that morning mix of perky and witty. Matt Lauer and (unfortunately) Al Roker don't cut the mustard on their own and Meredith Viera will never be able to fill Katie's annoyingly but perfectly *up* shoes.

4. And last: every musical performer (except the bands, of course) lip-synch. Ever since Tony Bennett royally screwed up "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" Macy's canned all live-performances (literally) including the Broadway Show(let)s. So now instead of watching and hoping for these pre-teen tartlets to bite it while also looking forward to the prospect of getting to hear really excellent performers live, we get to watch people (poorly) attempt to matching their lip movements to their own song. The only joy I can try to find is waiting for the performer to stumble so that it appears that their voice is dis-embodied. See, it doesn't even sound fun.

So, I'm considering shopping for a new Thanksgiving tradition. While I have never objected to the overt consumerism or exploitation of Macy's workers in the name of an excellent parade, the fact that it now has lost any prior sense of entertainment is the last straw. I'm open for suggestions...be in touch if you have any.

A Slip Or Strategy?

Usually I leave politics out of this blog because it's a buzz-kill (albeit sometimes an important one) but check this out:
What the...? Seriously.

Who's Alyssa Milano to Baseball?

I'm confused on multiple levels. As I was surfing along, trying to get info on the progression ALCS (that's baseball, people) I found out a couple interesting turns that had been happening on TBS who was carrying the early rounds of the playoffs. Apparently Alyssa Milano (formerly of Who's The Boss and Charmed fame) is a, like totally huge, baseball fan. She has a baseball blog ("Touch 'em all" or something) as well as designs baseball fashions for women--the line is named *Touch*, of course. All of this, apparently, made her eligible to be the feature reporter for TBS during the early rounds of the playoffs. Who knew...what we were missing! (read with the height of sarcasm).

Being the cub reporter I, myself, am I went about finding Alyssa's specific contributions to this venture and stumbled upon some excerpts of her "interviews" on The Hot Corner (yes, that's what it was called) via YouTube. Check this one out:

What I find interesting here is the overt sexiness of the interview. I didn't think it was going to be that kind of Hot Corner. Is that what TBS was hoping for when they hired her. Well, besides her crackerjack interview skills which I think are apparent here...um, no. So who is this supposed to appeal to? Guys? Because I'm thinking if guys are watching TBS for the playoffs, chances are they're watching for the games? If the appeal is supposed to be for women, I don't get it at all. And frankly, it makes me want to turn it off because it looks like Alyssa's uncomfortable and awkward, which makes me tense.

All I have to say is, I'm glad the playoffs are now on Fox...and the Hot Corner is closed, at least for another year.

Home Spun Attempts at Music Videos: The Technology That is YouTube

I have a friend, Jayme, who I know is a pop culture hound underneath all of his high culture bluster (and I mean "bluster" in the kindest way). Yes, he sings with the CSO. Yes, he's an Elliott scholar. Yes, he's got multiple advanced degrees. But all of that becomes details to what I've been trying to convince him is a calling toward the embracing of pop culture. How do I know? He always asks me to comment on things Pop Culture and takes great pleasure in my ensuing discussions. He's watched The Sopranos from beginning to end. He trolls YouTube. That's right--if you're a YouTube troller, you immediately become a pop culture consumer.

So, Jayme is moving to El Salvador for three years on Monday and in order to convince him that this blog needs to be a regular stop on his daily tour of the Internet (which I've found is infinitely funnier if you call it the "Interweb."), I'm gladly posting and commenting on a little gem that he suggested to me via YouTube. So, I offer it here--make sure to watch all of it (hold on...it's not easy) with my thoughts on the flipside.

There's a lot going on here, so allow me to unpack all the ways this could be detrimental to society.

1. First and foremost: YouTube can become scary technology when in the hands of someone like Mamamialove. Really, my questions range from "Does Hellen Reddy really need to make a comeback?" to "How do I stop the pain of this song from invading my worldview?" This is evidence of YouTube gone wrong...but then, I've not seen huge evidence of YouTube gone right.

2. What I found fascinating was the commentary on the site responding to this spectacle. There was "Absolutely breathtaking. Thank you for the song. Kathie" to " OMG-how Beautiful...Thank you. Words fail me right now." Well, frankly, words fail me too, but that doesn't mean anyone should ever have to see this. The reviews were overwhelmingly positive, leading me to believe that most of the people responding were friends who were actually encouraging this behavior...and asking for more. Mama responded with these comments: "Someone asked me what this video is about. It's about prayer. It's about looking, watching, and believing in the best outcome for people that are having it rough in life. Once I went on a cruise and was over the sometimes scary bermuda triangle. First the calm came. It was the erriest calm ever. Then the came the Hurricane. Everyone thought we were going down. Life is like that hurricane- We need each other. And most times without the kind prayer of others I know I wouldn't make it." Hmmm. Okaaaay.

3. Which leads me to the next point: I'm fascinated in Mama's own view of herself as kind of a religious prophet, if you will, simply touting her own kind of religion based on an animated-yet-real Disney cartoon feature film popular in the early 80s (Pete's Dragon is where this little ditty debuted). There's a spiritual claim being made here which is clear in the *staging* of this self-directed video. The veil...the lighted candle...the starry background. I'm sure Mama would give you a great deal on a tea-leaf reading if you'd just let her sing to you some more, but that's part of her ministry--bringing Helen Reddy (of "I am Woman Hear Me Roar" fame) back to the people. Oh good.

Aaaand 4. Let's discuss the staging here for just a sec. Jayme suggested I pay close attention to the end when she manually fades in the *candle* (notice the lack of water) and I think it's a good suggestion. I love the tension here between artistic, dare I say symbolic, intention and the constraints of practicality--a line which every director worth his or her salt must learn to straddle. Marty Scorsese, hey, pay attention--you could learn somethin' here (Taxi Driver reference).

Oh, how many ways this whole experience makes me lament this song, Helen Reddy, Pete's Dragon, candles, water, and new age nuts just practicing their *special* kind of internet love via bad homemade music video. Mamamialove 1 The Hope for a Better Society 0. But as Natazha says, "Bless you! You don't need music. Your voice is music (heavenly)!" which helps me more clearly understand my own sense of spirituality. If this voice is heavenly music, then I feel little better about the musical selections I'll surely find in hell.