Ke$ha's Influence on Teenage Girls

This was originally planned to be a written post, but I couldn't think of a better was to explain the influence than through a video. We got a little carried away...

Britney Spears-Lucky Music Video

The original and mine.

Is Lady Gaga a Genius?

"Well, that's your opinion, isn't it? And I'm not about to waste my time trying to change it."-Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga, you either love her, hate her, or don't understand her. Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta or "Lady Gaga" is a popular American recording artist. Her first album: The Fame reached number one in six different countries and top-ten in numerous countries world-wide. This album won her two out of her six Grammy nominations in 2008. Later came her next album: The Fame Monster, the songs on this album dealt with issues and problems that come with fame, while the first album dealt with the happy and fun side. This album includes her newest singles including: Bad Romance (225,754,949 youtube views), Telephone (55,263,327 youtube views) and Alejandro(the video came out last week and already has 14,849,480 youtube views)

Many people argue that Lady Gaga is filled with Kaka and her work is utter garbage and she is simply crazy. I strongly disagree, I think Lady Gaga is like no other, I absolutely think she is a genius. Though her songs don't exactly have the deepest meanings or aren't quite life changing, they are extremely catchy and she seems to be doing extremely well, so clearly it's got the right stuff. Her influences: David Bowie, Queen, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury, and Gwen Stefani. There have been comparisons between Madonna and Lady Gaga, but it was Madonna who revolutionized music 25 years ago, today's Madonna is our Lady Gaga.

“And, now, I’m just trying to change the world one sequin at a time.”- Lady Gaga

Recently there has been some controversy between Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera, fans have been going back and forth saying that Christina has stolen Gaga's image or that Christina has been around before Gaga. But when it comes down to it, it's nobody's fault, it's just Lady Gaga's success, she is revolutionizing music as we know it.

Lady Gaga's fashion is the most peculiar and amazing fashion I've ever seen, I think this is another reason she is an absolute genius. Everything she wears is either something NOBODY would have imagined that would be used as clothing, something nobody has seen done before, or has taken something incredible from the past and enhanced it (picture to right). Her outfits are outrageous and everything about them is "crazy" according to society, but this is exactly why it's so great.

"You have to be unique, and different, and shine in your own way."- Lady Gaga

Over the Top Pop Culture Artifact

This product is fairly similar to the example shown in class, but just because its a Hannah Montana Grilled Cheese/ Panini Grill its so much worse. Hannah Montana's target audience is girls aged 4-15, an I really don't understand why little girls would need a $49.95 panini maker, odds are they don't even know what a panini is! Surprisingly enough the actual device isn't covered in glitter and Hannah's name isn't plastered across the front, but interestingly enough it does get your sandwich to say "Pop Star" or have an electric guitar. I understand that they made this product for grilled cheese, because children love it, but I really just can't wrap my head around what made Disney decide this would double as a panini grill. Just why?!?

FIST PUMP!

Jersey Shore is a reality TV series on MTV that follows eight roommates, similar to The Real World. The cast live, work and party on the Jersey Shore, the show began to run in December, and in January it was confirmed that there will be a Jersey Shore Season 2 (click for trailer) where the cast will be cold in their hometowns during the winter and snow, therefore escaping for a vacation in Miami.

"That's why I don't eat lobster or anything like that cause they're alive when you kill it."

When I first watched this show I was aware that it was probably just as stupid as everything else aired as "Reality" on MTV. However, I actually became obsessed with this show. I found it incredibly stupid, yet amazingly intriguing, it has the similarity to Pop music, though it's not in any way clever or talent driven, but pretty good. I found all the character's names absolutely hilarious, such as: Snooki, JWOWW, The Situation.

Each character is involved with some kind of drama in every episode, during the first season the roommates end up in prison a few times, have stalkers, get into fist fights with others and amongst themselves, hook-up, play practical jokes, party and of course, fist pump (click for an instructional video).

"We’re beatin’-up-the-beat, that’s what we say when we’re doing our fist pump. First, we start off by banging the ground, we’re banging it as the beat builds ‘cause that beat’s hittin’ us so we’re fightin’ back, it’s like we beat up that beat."

However, the show faced a lot of criticism from the Italian-American population because of the stereotyping and using the term guido. There was also some controversy over the "glamorizing" of tanning, the inappropriate subject matter and the violence. But I found this show extremely exciting, watching some drama and some actions satisfied me.

No Wonder it Tastes so Good!

The Originals: Welch's Boy and Welch's Girl.
Remake of the Welch's commercials, the originals are much cuter.

Movie Quotes Trivia!

1)"How could I possibly be expected to handle school on a day like this?"

a)The Breakfast Club
b)Ferris Bueller's Day Off
c)Harry Potter I
d)Mean Girls

2)"'I love you. You... you complete me. And I just...'
'Shut up, just shut up. You had me at hello.'"

a)Forrest Gump
b)Grease
c)Wall-E
d)Jerry Maguire

3)"So that's it then? That's the secret grand adventure... You spent three days lying on a beach drinking rum?"

a)Pirates of the Carribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
b)Get Rich or Die Tryin'
c)The Hangover
d)The Wedding Planner

4)"'Why do you need a fake I.D.?' 'So I can vote'".

a)Superbad
b)Sixteen Candles
c)The Breakfast Club
d)Fast Times at Ridgmont High

5)"There's a 30% chance that it's already raining!"

a)Clueless
b)Georgia Rule
c)Parent Trap
d)Mean Girls

6)"Mickey is a mouse, Donald is a duck, Pluto is a dog. What's Goofy?"

a)Stand by Me
b)Lean on Me
c)Fantasia
d)Forrest Gump

7) "You and I are such similar creatures, Vivian. We both screw people for money."

a) High School Musical
b) Ghost
c) Pretty Woman
d) Leap of Faith

8) "His name is Blaine?? That's an appliance name or something. That's not a name!"

a) Pretty in Pink

b) Fern Gully
c) Mean Girls
d) American Psycho

9) "This car hasn't given me a problem in the last few hours".

a) Gigi
b) Singing in the Rain
c) Too Fast Too Furious
d) Herbie: Fully Loaded

10) "I was at Woodstock for Christ-sakes! I peed in a field!"

a) The Doors
b) Freaky Friday
c) Dirty Dancing
d) Parenthood

Answers:1-b, 2-d, 3-a, 4-c, 5-d, 6-a, 7-c, 8-a, 9-b, 10-d.

Review: CATS

I'm not really one who goes to the theater often, however, for a friend's birthday, I bought tickets to see CATS, the famous musical. I had obviously heard of the musical before, but I really had no idea what it was about, I walked in expecting a cute story about cats that face some sort of obstacle in society and has cats in love an cat drama. But I sat there until the intermission waiting for the plot to start, however, there really isn't one, it's just cats singing about different kinds of cats, no dialogue. When the lights turned on and looked at my friend who was just as confused as I was. I sat there on my Blackberry trying to google what the story was about.

It's the story about a tribe of cats called Jellicle Cats who gather once a year to choose a cat to be reincarnated, that's about it. There's also a scene with a pirate cat, the fat leader cat gets cat-napped by the evil magic cat, but no worries, the good magic cat brings him back. In the end the old glamour cat who had left the tribe when she was young and beautiful in hopes of a better life returned old and ugly who is sunned by the other cats, but then she sings the famous "Memory" and the fat leader cat sends her to be reincarnated. Then there's a speech about how humans should be kind to cats and call them by their names, which there apparently are three original names for each cat that we're supposed to know. ...What?

Though the actual story/ plot of the musical just confuses and makes me laugh, the performance was incredible, the dancing and singing would have taken my breath away had the story not been that hilarious. I know that this show was on Broadway for really long and won lots of awards, but why? I mean, I could definitely come up with a more intriguing plot if I had the money and talented performers.

Regardless of the utter confusion and giggle fits through the show, it was money well spent and we had a good time, but what I really can't wrap my head around is why this became a success. The songs are catchy, the dancing is great, but that applies to hundreds of musicals. Is money the reason this became successful? It makes me sad to think that the less weathy talented writers don't get the fame and success of the ones with money, of course this doesn't only apply to writers but the entire world.

Desert Island Mix

If I were stranded on a deserted island and could only bring one mix CD with ten songs, the CD would definitely include... (in random order)

1) Bankrupt On Selling - Modest Mouse/ The Lonesome Crowded West/ 1997/ Alternative Rock
Modest Mouse is my favourite band, so if I could only make a mix with one band I wouldn't even hesitate, it would be the mouse. I really like this song because every time I listen to it it relaxes me and calms me down, this is probably my favourite song of all time.

2) River Flows in You - Yiruma/ First Love/ 2001/ Piano
A little known fact about me is that I love classical piano music, and a really good piano song is River Flows in You. Yiruma is a Korean pianist and some people chose this song and said that it is "Bella's Lullaby" from Twilight, but I heard it before that crazy stuff.

3) Imagine - John Lennon/ Imagine/ 1971/ Ballad/ SOCIAL ISSUE SONG
Classic social issue song, I love it. It's great, not very original but the best social issue song that came to mind.

4) Kiss With A Fist - Florence And The Machine/ Lungs/ 2008/ Indie Rock
I love this song! It makes me smile and want to dance every time it comes on! I heard this song first when I watched a terrible movie called Jennifer's Body, the horror movie with Meghan Fox, and while I was confused by the idiocy of the movie this song came on and I instantly loved it.

5) There is a Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths/ The Queen is Dead/ 1992/ Alternative Rock (Note: Mr.Catalano I actually had to think so hard and sing it out loud to remember the name. I just never remember it!)
I love, love, love this song, I never remember the title, I don't know why. But I always fin myself singing this when I walk home from the bus stop.

6) Born Free - M.I.A/ /\/\/\Y/\/ 2010/ Synthpunk/ SAMPLED "GHOST RIDER"
Don't really like this song that much, I like M.I.A but this song is pretty lame, theres always that one song you regret putting on your mix, that's this one. But it does have a sample! Also the name of the album (/\/\/\Y/\) is stupid.

7) New Soul - Yael Naime/ Yael Naime/ 2008/ Indie Folk
I've attended two YRPC leadership conferences, which is pretty much a four day leadership conference for a select 200 students from all of York Region. This song reminds me of my experiences there, I love it :)

8) Float On - Modest Mouse/ Good News for People Who Love Bad News/ 2003/ Indie Rock
Obviously I put my favourite band twice, this song is the complete opposite of Bankrupt on Selling. I listen to this song when I need some cheering up and it always does the trick, it's just such a happy beat. Also the music video is pretty cool.

9) Everytime - Britney Spears/ In the Zone/ 2002/ Pop
When I was a little girl, just like any other, I LOVED Britney. And I remember watching this music video and thinking that this was the saddest thing that existed in the world. Over the years I've learned that Britney getting hit in the head with a camera, getting in a fight with her boyfriend and dying in the bathtub, but not really dying isn't exactly the biggest issue. However, still love crazy Britney and this is my favourite song of hers, I love belting out these lyrics with passion.

10) Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran/ Rio/ 1982/ New Wave
Do I need an explanation? It's Duran Duran and makes me laugh, its also catchy, I can see myself venturing through the island jungle with this song playing.

BONUS TRACK
I'm totally kidding.

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