Dixie Chicked

I know I promised a rant about the Dixie Chicks last week, but when you’re busy scrounging for dollars you let some things slide.

After their interview last Thursday night the local ABC affiliate chimed in with a poll from 96.3FM KSCS country radio. According to their poll roughly 80% of their listeners still wanted the Chicks banned from airplay. I don’t know if a sampling of about 3000 people counts for the demographic of Texas or even the nation, but I don’t expect the Dixie Chicks will be welcomed home anytime soon.

I would agree that what the Dixie Chicks said was inappropriate given the circumstances. Being in a foreign country essentially dissing the government that’s what everyone is in a huff about. However, I don’t think their actions are that much different than other anti-war folk nor do I believe that there should be such a backlash. In Iraq, where we just removed the evil dictatorship, the people are experiencing freedom, some for the first time. How does a radio ban and CD burnings reflect on the idea of those freedoms?

“Your opinion is valid only if it agrees with mine, otherwise you’re un-American.”

Why is it hard to accept that anti-war folks can actually support the troops? Just because a person questions the government or our reasons for being in Iraq doesn’t mean they don’t want the troops to return home safe & sound. That would be like saying anyone who is pro-war encourages collateral damage. Simply not true. It is possible to feel compassion for the soldiers and the country we are trying to liberate without agreeing with the President. It’s less of an oxymoron than saying “Thank God I’m an Atheist”.

I don’t think the Dixie Chicks are un-American, yet they’ve been outcast and had their lives threatened all for expressing an opinion others didn’t agree with. Funny, but I think the Iraqi people can more closely identify with that feeling than we can. I mean what’s the use of gaining free speech if you’re too afraid to use it?

they say size doesn’t matter…

Katie mentioned that perhaps I’m getting a little out of hand with all the pictures of scantily clad women so I thought I’d whip up a peace offering.

(Yes, I know her comment wasn’t serious)

I say for all the marketing surveys that tell impressionable young girls that their bodies aren’t perfect (breasts are too small, hips are too big, etc) there are actually some of us that don’t fall into that trap.

You know what’s sexy? CONFIDENCE. Would you want to be with the guy in the picture over there? (I didn’t ask would you sleep with him) I totally dig Michelle NOT because she poses for pictures like this, but for knowing that model isn’t a better person because of her appearance. In fact, it was Michelle’s idea to do that photo and it was the model “Nicole” who hesitated just a bit. How can tall & leggy compare to arms like this? Michelle is my Jennifer Garner.

Don’t fall into the hype. There will always be somebody with more money, larger breasts, a bigger dick, more athletic or brains like Einstein. Capitalize on your strengths, be confident in who you are and if the other person can’t love you for that then they aren’t worth your time. I might not be John Holmes, but Michelle certainly isn’t with me for my financial status.

UPDATE – The votes are in for Katie’s Two Lies & One Truth game.

Picture Picture…

Did I mention there are new pictures up in the photo gallery?

OK, I’m running off to class. You’re too late to put an entry in for Two Lies & One Truth, but that doesn’t mean you can’t place your best guess on other people’s stories.

Expect a rant about the Dixie Chicks – GO FREE SPEECH – later on tonight after their interview.

Two Lies & One Truth…

Katie started a great game which is begging for more comments. Go play Two Lies & One Truth to see how scandalous you can be.

Monster Madness

OK, so the only other person in the blogosphere stoked about Buffy The Vampire Slayer is Ryan. Last night’s episode was a rerun, but I wanted to point out a flaw that is quickly sucking the fun out of the action genre. Not everyone on the planet is a kung fu expert.

Last night’s episode (recapped by Ryan here) introduced a primordial vampire, “the vampire that other vampires fear”. Now without going on a tangent about vampire lore, what pissed me off about the introduction of this monster is that he had more moves than Jackie Chan. Not only did I see various Wushu styles in the fight choreography, but my god the monster used some tricky Capoera moves. I didn’t realize the “Uber-Vamp” got all funky in Brazil on his way to kill the slayer.

[Capoera references at Sambnovo & Dacascos]

I don’t understand why the writers & makeup artists would spend time to develop this new monster only to cheapen its realism with Matrix style fight scenes. Sure I love the Matrix, but Buffy is NOT the Matrix.

I do miss old action pictures. Sure the fight scenes didn’t look as slick, but at least they were somewhat authentic. What the hell was The Musketeer? (Not that anything could have made that a good movie) Blame it on the marketing people and their friggin’ demographics. “We can sell more merchandise if we overuse THIS cool technique”. I am so longing for the next big thing to get me out of this kung fu rut. Oh, and I do REALLY like martial arts, but that’s why I rent MARTIAL ART films.

Don’t even get me started about the crappy fight cinematography Hollywood is using. If you’re actor doesn’t know how to fight and you don’t have a decent stunt double, don’t jerk the camera around with extreme close-ups so I can pretend there’s a brawl happening. You might as well shake your camera every time you want to film an earthquake scene.

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