A breakdown of why this clip is so amazingly awesome:

1) Kelly's reaction to the guitarist suggesting she show her boobs: horrified but amused, conveying the message "I am not going to do that not because I am a prude but because flashing your tits on stage is like lame X 100. But har har."

2) Then later she flashes her sweater vest. Sweater vest! What famous person wears a sweater vest out in public? And then makes a boob joke involving it?

3) Then later she takes off the sweater vest, but only in order to acheive a "performance look." She would clearly rather be wearing it, but OK, she thinks, I'm on stage now, better look put together.

4) After taking off her sweater vest, she then ducks behind her male companion, the Dude From Yellowcard, and pretends to play with his nipples. This is emo but with a sense of humor. (Remember, emo + girls = tolerable!)

5) The suggestion (only half-serious I think) that she is there to "put some edge" on her image. No rational person would consider going to see a band called "Metal Skool" if they wanted to seem edgier, though if anything this is a point in Metal Skool's favor. They would go into rehab, or punch the shit out of Carson Daily, or something. Plus, Kelly Clarkson is like 75% of the way toward being the coolest white person alive, she doesn't really need help at this point. Correspondingly, she nods sarcastically. And then licks her fingers and pretends to play with her nipples. Very thematic!

6) It is simply unwise to have Kelly Clarkson singing immediately after anyone else. Normally she just sounds great; in direct comparison to other people, it's like, oh, that's what good singing sounds like. Poor Dude From Yellowcard.

7) She clearly doesn't entirely remember the song but sings harmony.

8) The headbang! That's a pretty good headbang.

9) In light of the previous rock people discussion, I think it's fair to take this not as an indication, as it usually would be, of either metal's relevence to pop, or of Kelly Clarkson being awesome, although it is both of those. Primarily it indicates how rock is now just another tool in pop's bag, illustrated best by the Metal Skool people never breaking face but Kelly laughing her head off. It's all a laugh because it is all a laugh--none of this shit's real anymore. Rock people are already halfway to this conclusion, but part of their particular viewpoint is pretending like they're not, like it's serious and it matters, while also wanting to party. Kelly just thinks it's hilarious, and from an outside perspective, hers is the one to make the most sense. An American Idol winner comes to an ostensible metal concert and doesn't feel out-of-place--indeed, feels so comfortable that she actually gets up on stage and starts singing? This does not seem to be particularly indicative of the genre's vitality, or of the ostensible trueness that its more serious-minded boosters posit. It's in the spirit of Metal Skool itself: not parodic, but certainly tongue-in-cheek.
posted by Mike B. at 4:47 PM 3 comments

My Interior Monologue: Snakes on a Plane Trailer Edition

"Wait, why are there ninjas?...Oh, right, that's a stupid question."

Always a stupid question: "Why are there ninjas?" (Also: "Why is there bacon on this?")

posted by Mike B. at 12:06 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Oh hello there. I have three reviews in Flagpole this week: Casper & the Cookies, CSS, and Mr. Lif. All, or at least the last two, are probably worth your time, and you know how highly I value your time. The Casper album is the one I mentioned some time ago about talking myself into liking it, and it has actually really grown on me. I feel I need to be a little less jumpy in my music-listening habits.

In totally unrelated matters:

- Has anyone pointed out that the singer from Man Man sounds almost exactly like Rob Zombie? He's just farther back in the mix.

- I think Nelly Furtado is going to be this year's Gwen Stefani in the sense that I loved loved loved it at first but slowly grow to absolutely despise it. I'm pretty disgusted with "Maneater" now. And I can't tell you how happy I was to hear the Stefani diss on the Puffy album.

- Speaking of, is there something sonicly particular about teenpop albums that makes them sound better on headphones, presumably the chosen medium for the chosen audience? The Puffy album sounded pretty meh on the home stereo, but on headphones this morning it really popped.

posted by Mike B. at 11:39 AM 5 comments