Jim may have found his entire rise to fame completely exploitive, but we can now safely quell the rumor that William Hung has not ended his meteoric rise (and life) with an intentional heroine overdose.

see article here

You know, I can definitely see how see how folks might see William Hung's fame as a bad thing.  But I don't.  And here's why:

Jessica Simpson's sister.

I missed the whole part where Jessica Simpson became famous, but we all know that it's not exactly like Jessica Simpson worked her way up and out of the club scene, paying her dues and performing at humiliating shows at Astroworld for years before she got her lucky break.  She was a pre-packaged deal, a face for magazine covers and album jackets.  Don't mind if she can't dance at all, and she has voice as bland as Kroger brand Vanilla ice-cream.

According to certain factions, we live in a meritocracy.  But it ain't a perfect world, and that's not really how it works in certain realms.  At least in the entertainment business, it's who you know and how you know them.  Hundreds and thousands of bands can tell you: even if you do get a record deal, the chances of you getting the kind of promotion that Jessica Simpson, et al, have enjoyed is nil.  That kind of marketing is based solely on marketing research and not on years of a steady build-up of fans.  But, hey... it's America.  If that's what the record companies want to do... whatever. 

So now, riding on Jessica's coat-tails comes Ashlee Simpson.  Who, you know, is some sort of rocker.  Like Johnny Lydon and shit.  But she is still managed by mom and dad, and she has a TV show.  Never mind she's like 12, doesn't write her own music, and let's face it... she's maybe a good enough singer for a high school production of Annie, Get Your Gun.

Does this mean we should automatically dislike Ashlee?  Nah.  Again, this is America.  If Ashlee Simpson turns your crank, best of luck to you.  But at least recognize her as being as pre-packaged as a Happy Meal.

Then I think:  When Avril Lavigne was announcing Grammy nominations and misprounced David Bowie, shouldn't she have been euthanized just then?  I'm no music snob, but, I mean... holy moley.  This girl is making MILLIONS of dollars, and she's a cardboard prop.  And she can't identify one of the most important pop stars of the past forty years.

So maybe William Hung doesn't know who David Bowie is either, but he knows what he likes.  And, darn it, he at least TRIES to know something about the tunes he likes.  And he was willing to go all out at the AI auditions.   And he took his rejection with grace, which is more than you can say for most of the bozos who pass before the AI tribunal.

So William Hung sucks.  So what?  So does 90% of what comes out in any given year. 

My point is, if Ashlee Simpson is given carte blanche to make millions of dollars with her talentless self, then why can't William Hung?  Because he doesn't have a pretty, talentless sister? 

I'd like to see William Hung rewarded for daring to dream in a cynical world.  He doesn't have parents working around the clock to get him face time with record producers and record execs.  Nope.  Instead he stood in line and patiently waited his turn and gave it his all when the opportunity arose.  How many of us can say we did the same? 

So he's a little goofy and sweetly-naive?  And unsure of what to think, folks want to write their own readings onto the William Hung phenomenon.  You cannot honestly say that you think William is doing this with anything but the best of intentions.  So as long as he gets a big fat check at the end, I'm happy for the man.  I hope he makes a billion dollars.

New teaser trailer for the upcoming Batman film, Batman Begins.

Go to the site here and click on "trailer".

Hmmm...  this tells me absolutely nothing.   After Warner Bros.' last foray into superherodom with Catwoman, I am a bit overly skeptical.  However, it all looks fairly accurate to the comics.

I'll be curious to see if the studio sees fit to foist an unnecessary love interest upon Batman once again.

Just watched a chunk of a PBS documentary called "People Like Us". 

There was a section in which they attempted to use high school as a microcosm to demonstrate the formation of class consciousness at a young age.  As you can imagine, the producers let the rich kids talk long enough to sound like real boneheads and like a bunch of ignorant and bigoted maroons.

Funny thing.

The high schools they interviewed were some Austin, TX high schools.  The rich kid school being Anderson high school.  You know, I went to high school briefly in Austin and I don't remember it having a reputation for being full of rich a-holes.  Upper middle class a-holes, yeah.  But rich a-holes?  That was reserved for the Westlake kids when I was in Austin.  (ex:  they had astroturf on their high school football field).

Nonetheless, it's a good doc.  Worth watching, even if it makes you uncomfortable from time to time. 

Oh, and the guy who runs UT's film department was somehow attached in the credits.  I should have scrolled back on my DVR to see if I knew anybody, but I went and changed the channel.  If anyone from Austin knows anything more about this doc, let me know.

2004 Mellies, Day 69,890

The end.  Seriously.


Most loathsome Democratic presidential nominee

Jim D.

Al Sharpton

Jamie

Gephardt

Jilly

are there any democrats running?

Randy

No answer

Maxwell

Not so much loathsome as amusing, Mr. Warren Roderick Ashe is a real card. In his Votesmart Bio he tells us "I have poetry, music, television publications that have remained a publication secret in Radio and television broadcasting." Huh? He is also has special talents in "Astronautical and Astrophysics computer math involving saucer technology and time travel."

Scaljon

Kucinich. What could be appealing about the Bela Lugosi look? And what did you do to Willie Nelson, you freaky SOB?!

Harms

The Republican president has already lowered the bar so low that this question doesn't make much sense anymore.

Valdez

No Answer

Nord

a. Wesley Clark - paper general, paper candidate  b. Albert "Al" Hamburg - Crazy MF from Wyoming

The League posts a vote

This all seems so moot this week.  Didn't see a plurality here.  So, uh...  I gotta go with Maxwell on this one.   

 
Best book you read

Jim D.

The Time Traveler's Wife

Jamie

Identity Crisis.  Because it's the only one anyone here might also have read and it made me want to cry

Jilly

all of them are boring but dissertation necessary

Randy

No answer

Maxwell

Just finished Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera, a sprawling classic story of unrequited love that is "unfaithful, but not disloyal".   Also enjoyed Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees even if it is everyone's favorite book of the month to trash. 

Scaljon

The Templars, by Piers Paul Ried

Harms

What Should I do with my life - Po Bronson  A Scanner Darkly - PK Dick

Valdez

"Reefer Madness" by Eric Schlosser. Three essays on illegal "underground" enterprises. Engrossing. 

Nord

a. Inside Al Qaeda by Rohan Gunaratna  b. Memoirs of U.S. Grant (in progress)

The League doesn't read books without pictures

And the stuff we read this spring for school was boring.  Looks like a nifty book list for people looking for a good read.  I can safely recommend "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" as not just a biography, but an excellent peak into a part of American history and culture which was not so long ago, but might as well have been a million years ago.


Other blogs of wonder

Jim D.

Rationator Mirus (Nord)

Jamie

Musings of the Queen Mum.  I wonder if this *is* a blog....

Jilly

don't read any others (aren't you flattered?)

Randy

No answer

Maxwell

In addition to the blog that got me started, Pamie.com, and my entire blogroll, new blogs Verbose Coma and The 'soon to be added to blogroll' Rage Diaries rock my socks. 

Scaljon

hmmm... so many to read. I like baseball musings

Harms

boingboing.net 

Valdez

No Answer

Nord

a. Electronic discovery blogs  b. The chinese sex-blog that caused a ruckus in the republic. 

The League

See the blogroll


Which former POTUS (President of the United States) do you know least about, but want to know more?

Jim D.

Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce

Jamie - it appears that Jamie believed I was referring to which member of the band "Presidents of the United States" did she wish to know more about...

Chris Ballew.  Because 'Kitty' is an *awesome* song.  (btw I just found out they are releasing a new album soon!)

Jilly

Jimmy Carter

Randy

No answer

Maxwell 

MARTIN "The Little Magician" VAN BUREN

(editor's note:  it appears Maxwell has joined The Van Buren Boys)

Scaljon

Franklin Pierce

Harms

Polk - I just picked a random one out of the bevy of presidential streets in the Fillmore / Marina districts of San Francisco

(editor's note:  please refer to They Might Be Giant's Album "Factory Showroom" for more info on Polk)

Valdez

No Answer

Nord

a. Zachary Taylor   b. Chester A. Arthur 

The League takes to the Bully Pulpit

Looks like Franklin Pierce is our winner.  I'll see what I can do to learn more about the man myself.  Unfortunately, I have 100 pages left to go in the Roosevelt biography, and then I have to read the next 800 page volume of "Theodore Rex".  Maybe I'll take a little break in between and read up on Pierce.  I do recall some info on Pierce from my days as a history major, but jeez... not much.

maybe I'll do a little report.  Right now, The League promises nothing.

And that's it

Stick a fork in me.  I'm done.  Next time I'm making this easier for all of us.

why I will not see Catwoman

I forgot to mention, as Nord already has, that Unky George has given a name to my pain.

Star Wars, Episode III shall be entitled:  Revenge of the Sith
 
Well, good for Unky George, then.  When I was 21 years old I could not envision a world in which Star Wars was not the be all and end all of what I loved about movies.  Insert Episode I, and then a helping of Episode II, and voila!  Ambivalence.

I was duped into seeing the last two movies at the midnight premiere.  Never again.  Maybe a Tuesday matinee, if I get around to it.  Sure, I want to see how UG tries to tie it all together for me.  And, sure, I want to see what I assume to be the final installment in the franchise.

Or maybe I'll go rent Spaced Invaders or something.  I haven't decided yet.

Further evidence as to why conventions are a terrible idea...

Good God...  my mind is reeling...  Okay!  Unofficial short contest.  Put a caption on this picture!

 

(fill in caption here)

It must be terribly fun to be a right-wing pundit when you're given opportunities like this on a silver platter.