Essays, Interviews, Observations, Pop Culture, Stories, and other Dodginess

Elegantly Wasted

Posted on April 3, 2012

A typical Liffey weekend at a local pub? Yes. But this blog title shares that of a cool INXS song. One you’re not likely to hear on WXRT-FM (93.1) in Chicago. Or any local station, for that matter.

I like to touch on the uninspiring playlist of ‘xrt once in awhile. Because I know they can do better. I punched them up today during an afternoon drive and my ears were assaulted once again with “Devil Inside” by INXS.

INXS has a lot of good songs. Quite a deep catalogue. And yet xrt only knows a few of their top 40 old tunes like “Devil.”

Does anybody there care? You think someone might say, “Hey guys, instead of playing this song yet again how about something else from the Aussie rockers?  I know I would.

Here are three, for starters:    “Elegantly Wasted”     “Original Sin”     “Kiss The Dirt”

Is it really that difficult?

How about shocking listeners by giving them “Slide Away” – the becoming Michael Hutchence solo tune featuring Bono?

Hutchence

What made matters worse was the fact that they spun the old and tired “Roxanne” from the Police almost immediately after.

Meh. Thank Guinness for Internet and satellite radio.

Xrt also, for its annual April Fool’s Day trick, played an hour of ELO music as if it were to be a weekly program. I have nothing to say of that. Glad I didn’t catch it. What would have been funny is if they jettisoned their tired playlist for the day and spun a more eclectic and deeper catalogue of tunes. Then announce “April Fool’s!” and get back to Floyd, Zeppelin and alternative top 40.

And This

It was reported the other day that a new DJ has signed on to Chicago’s WLIV-FM (100.3) Her name is Lisa Allen and she’s a beaut.

Beauty behind the Mic

Too bad the music that station plays is not as pretty.

It’s your typical Adult Contempt and every time I tune in I hear KC and the Sunshine Band.

And Finally

Z107.1 FM, which is a Northwest Indiana station, has, over the last several days, been playing Linkin Park’s “Waiting for The End.” I’m not complaining. I’m not a huge fan of Linkin but I’ve always liked that song. I’m  just not sure why suddenly it’s getting regular airplay at Z. It came out in 2010. It was performed on Saturday Night Live last year.

It’s almost like someone said, “here’s a cool song we never played.” That sorta thinking could improve Chicago radio.

And one final thought today on xrt. People love their Sunday morning program “Breakfast with The Beatles.”

That’s fine. But I want to host “Dinner with Depeche Mode.” I think it would work.

V

Posted on April 2, 2012

So that time a few weeks ago when I was sitting with recluse author Clive Javanski at Quenchers Saloon, he asked me a question in between our pints.

“Liffey, whatever happened to V?”

Clive was talking about that tv series from about a year ago, about the alien invasion of earth. Or alien visit. Whatever.

I was a little taken aback because Clive doesn’t watch much television, as far as I know. And he’s more of a Wire kind of guy, or so I thought. But Clive is the type who might tune into an episode of MTV’s Real World just because it might give him some kind of inspiration for one of his weird but brilliant essays.

Anyway, I told him from what I know that the show was canceled. It never got as popular as the source it drew from, the original V miniseries (there were two) from the 80s. Hell, I don’t think it lasted much longer  than the shitty original V tv series that followed the minis.

I’m not all familiar with either show, especially the original ’cause it’s ancient. But I watched the first V online and on DVDs and pretty much figured out why the new show wasn’t even close to the old.

Three reasons: Voice. Eyes. Apparel.

It’s all in the fashion. The original had those iconic red uniforms worn by the aliens. I’ve seen people where those at Comic Con thingys and for Halloween, etc. They were very Nazi-like down to the big ass black boots.

The V look

Now look at a promo pic from the reboot: Granted not everyone in the pic is an alien but two or three are.

Looks more like a Law and Order series.

V2 also sucked because you couldn’t distinguish the aliens from the humans. In the original miniseries, even with their fake human skin the lizards still had that funky distinctive resonance to their voices. I saw one seen in the original where the resistance hero, Donovan, stole a red uniform and snuck upon an alien transport ship. It was tense because the entire time he couldn’t say a word lest it expose him.

Couldn’t do that with V2 now, could they?

For the record, the original tv series dumped that voice vibration with no explanation.

The other distinguishing trait the aliens had were those clunky sunglasses they all wore because they’re eyes were super sensitive to the sun or something.

Another thing V2 ditched.

Look at it this way. All those movies that involve Nazis – they wouldn’t have the same villainous effect without the uniforms and the accent.

The original V had that. In fact it was kinda based on the Nazi shite. They even had their own version of the ominous swastika, digitized.

I’m not really into science fiction and this sorta thing (except Lost seasons 1-5 — notice I didn’t mention that bullshit sixth year) but I think what the creators of V2 should have done was follow up the original V. Maybe make it a “next generation” sorta thing.

I could really give a shite. But I’m gonna  explain this to Clive when we hook up for pints later this week. Unless there are girls around us.

The Cheerleaders

Posted on March 29, 2012

I watched the first season of Glee and liked it. After that it seemed to veer off course, or at least the course I wanted it to take. Sometimes I still catch an occasional episode or two and there’s something that’s always intrigued me.

The cheerleaders wear their uniforms to school every day.

Glee Cheerleaders

The cheerleaders at my high school wore their uniforms only on Fridays. I guess I’m not really bothered by the Glee wardrobe choice, just maybe jealous my cheerleaders only chose the one day.

In biology class my teacher assigned this freckled brunette girl Heidi as my partner. That meant we shared a table with two chairs for an entire semester. It also meant that I would never cut Friday’s class because….Heidi was a cheerleader. Miss the chance to be that close to the blue and white skirt and sweater on beautiful pale skin of one Heidi? Hecks no.

I wish I can say Heidi and I hooked up that term. No, but she would show off an occasional bump or bruise on her legs from cheer mishaps. She would even take my hand and say, “feel this – does it seem normal?”

I have dated my share of cheerleaders. My first girlfriend, in junior high, was not only the only Mexican girl in school but she was a cheerleader. So I’ve been into cheerleaders, yes. But eventually I found theater chicks and hippie singers sexier.

I never thought cheerleaders have been accurately portrayed on television or film. And usually when they are the uniforms don’t look quite right. Too cheesy. Hellcats is the most recent and it focused on college cheerleaders. It’s been canceled. I never cared for the cheerleader in Heroes.

I liked Eliza Dushku and Kirsten Dunst in the original Bring It On (Kirsten also rocked a tennis outfit in Wimbledon).

I remember once there was a Twin Peaks episode, season two, where they had these cheerleaders walking around the Great Northern Hotel. For no apparent reason.

I faintly recall Tia and Tamera rockin’ green and gold cheer unis in an episode of Sister Sister and not looking too shabby.

The list is endless. I’m not gonna start naming shows and gals like Minka Kelly and Ali Larter, etc. There are blogs devoted to just that.

In Chicago I always found Depaul University cheerleaders to be cute. Plus I worked/lived near campus and saw quite a few of them (and dated one). Loyola, Northwestern, Ok I guess. Purdue not bad and Valpo – well except for their occasional brown uniforms they’re swell. A friend of mine once said any gal would look good in a cheerleading uniform. I disagree somewhat. And  you can actually say that about any kind of  uniform.

I thought Brit Marling was sexy as  hell in the janitor outfit she wore in Another Earth.

Brit Marling in "Another Earth"