Here’s an interesting tidbit: Radiohead is asking Prince to allow footage of his recent performance of their song “Creep” to appear on YouTube. I heard that he absolutely destroyed the song at the Coachella festival, and apparently Radiohead heard that, too.
As of Friday morning, there actually is a short clip of the performance on YT, but it may disappear. See it after the jump…
Stephen Hunter’s Washington Post review of the film “What Happens in Vegas” came out on May 9, but I just read it today. The reason I’m sharing it is that he does a great job of celebrating a no-brainer movie without sounding superior about it.
Sure, he admits that it’s hard on him to see someone as young as Ashton Kutcher become a full-fledged movie star, but he’s really turning his snarkiness against himself. That sets the stage for the rest of the review, in which you can feel Hunter capitulate to the charms of a silly little comedy. Maybe he’s embarrassed to be taken in, but he still writes about the movie sincerely. Many of us would “like” the movie while making ironic air quotes in the theater for 99 minutes, annoying our fellow audience members.
Even better, Hunter doesn’t let his unabashed enjoyment turn off his brain. He analyzes why he likes this fluff, making an especially vivid point about Cameron Diaz’s performance.
Thanks for that, Stephen Hunter. That’s why you are The Critical Condition’s Critic of the Week!
As “Rehab” was making its way to America, it obviously opened some kind of floodgate. Ever since Amy Winehouse invaded our hearts, ears, and tabloids, British acts have been pouring into our music scene. And the good news? Most of them are great.
Yes.. the latest British Invasion began before “Rehab.” Lily Allen and Sandi Thom and a few others dropped their records first, but Ms. Beehive, with her top ten hit and her Grammys, was the first one to make a monumental impact, putting herself up there with Coldplay in terms of Limey Acts We Love.
I hope the following reach her level of notoriety, because all of them rule.
Listen up ya’ll it’s Music
Dear Katy Perry,
I don’t know you, but I’ve got your public persona figured out. Or if my perception of you is wrong, then you might want to tweak it, because the message you’re sending over the airwaves and through the internet is unmistakable. It says, “I don’t like myself, so I crave attention.”
Listen up ya’ll it’s Music
Last night, Andrew made an excellent point: If I’m going to dis my three least favorite expressions that are currently dominating the world, I should also celebrate my favorites.
If you know me, you know that slang is a regular part of my speech. It’s like I was spit out of a Slang-o-Tron. Or born and raised in Slangagonia. So to front like I don’t use crazy expressions would do us all a disservice. And then The Critical Condition would be a house of lies.
Thus, I present My Three Favorite Phrases That Are Currently Dominating the World.
Listen up ya’ll it’s Media
So I finally saw Iron Man. I know, right? I sometimes forget that movies play after their opening weekend. By the time Entertainment Weekly runs their cover story on an event film, I feel like I have six days or less to see it, or else I’ll become totally unhip. Forever!
But sometimes there are cookouts to attend, you know? Plus, I wasn’t psyched about this movie, despite its “generally favorable reviews.” I love me some X-Men and Batman, but Iron Man has always seemed a little… clunky. Yet people were flipping out about the movie, so I figured, what the hell?
For me, it was decent. Not Batman Begins or the Bourne movies, but not Transformers either. And there were things it did that shook me pretty deeply.
Listen up ya’ll it’s Movies
“Just one more round, and then I’ve got to stop.”
“Crap! I’m ranked #14! I’d better play one more, so I can finish the morning in the top ten.”
“Yes! #2! Well… I’ll just play one more to see if I can hit #1.”
—-
Those sentences? Are what I say to myself every day. I’m hooked on Scramble–a Boggle-like game on Facebook–and it’s killing my soul with its sweet, sweet poison. Update the Critical Condition? After this round! Eat breakfast? One more game! Go see a doctor about that cut? I said just a minute!
And Scramble… oh, Scramble… it enables me. As soon as I finish one round, it loads another. It literally never ends.
It’s gotten so bad that I’ve started “breaking apart” the words I use in casual conversation. I might say to Andrew, “Let’s got to that Thai restaurant,” and then I’ll think, “Restaurant. Rest. Rant. Ant. Three good words.”
Is there a support group for this?
Listen up ya’ll it’s Media
Take a look at that photo: It sums up a reaction I have almost every day.
But first, context…
That’s my awesome friend Kerri, pretending to vomit in front of a store called Bump, which is located here in Park Slope, Brooklyn (where we live.)
Why is Kerri awesome? Well, there are too many reasons to discuss that here, though I can tell you that at least one of them involves break dancing.
And why is the store called Bump? Because it sells maternity clothes. Which means “bump” refers to “baby bump.”
I know. That’s why Kerri is gagging.
Because, really? I hate the term baby bump. In fact, it’s one of my Top Three Least Favorite Phrases That Are Currently Dominating The World
Hello everyone! Welcome to the first post in a section we’re calling “Bylines.”
As my work gets published in other places, I want to share it with you here. This week, for instance, I’ve written the lead Legit feature for Variety, exploring the unusual life of a musical based on the movie Saved! To read it, just go here.
Happy memorial day!
Listen up ya’ll it’s Bylines
Why, hello my little numerators! Welcome to “Reaper, Part 2.” You may remember “Reaper, Part 1.” And this is the sequel.
If you were in my eighth grade algebra class, you may also remember when Stephanie and I called each other “my little numerator” in a German accent. Awesome.
Anyway, here’s my second reason for loving the season finale of Reaper: It expanded one of the most satisfying arcs that network television has ever given to a gay couple. (That’s them up there.)
Listen up ya’ll it’s Television
