“To commemorate three decades of spoken word releases on Alternative Tentacles, the label has complied four budget-priced spoken word box sets for release this fall—two in September, two in October. The first set collects Noam Chomsky, the foremost political commentator of our time, on some of the major topics he has spoken about for the last few decades—state power, imperialism, free markets, transparency, and institutional secrecy.”
Two of my favorite establishment-jammers of the modern age!
So, the following is an old rant of mine entilted, “Why American Idol is Evil” that I posted on my (and a few other KLAYMERS’) old blog, Wakefield Etudiant about three years ago. I wrote it in a notebook in a matter of 5-10 minutes whilst listening to The Replacements’ Stink EP. Then a few months later, I came across it and posted the basterd. Much to my amusement it received various comments, mostly hateful! lol After that it was posted on a forum or two and garnered even more (negative) comments. People seemed to take it way too seriously. I found it hilarious that readers actually thought I invested time and energy into making some sorta “journalistic endeavour,” when it really was just a written translation of my views on the show and the music industry with some exaggerations and strong language. Looking back at it now, I realize this rant is not my best piece of writing, but it sure is one of my favorites; after all it’s always a delight to piss people off. If I had written this piece today it would probably be different, but at the same time the general position is the same. Ok, so here’s the damn thang:
Music or art for that matter always meant to me, playing from your fucking heart, with no regard for who you offend. Some corporate bithces like to destroy this legacy and sell out for more money and more pussy. Fucke em’ I say. When I see Alice Cooper doing Staples commercials, I shake my head in disapproval, screaming to myself, “What happened to the ‘Parent’s Worst Nightmare,’ what happened to the snakes, the gory, torn apart chickens, ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy,’ and ‘School’s Out For Summer.” Well, I hate to break it you Mr. Cooper, you (and countless others) are “nice guys” and are the parents’ perfect image.
Seriously, it’s like the fucking 80’s again where your parents like the same music you do. Where’s the rebellion? Fuck, the entire nature of Rock and Roll is gone. I mean, don’t get me wrong it’s been dead for a while. Disco took a huge toll on us, MTV melted our brains with intellectually dilute, unimaginative, videos (still does, but videos are even dumber, less creative, and worst of all safer) and of course the 21st Century has brought us the greatest, most unholy, derelict, stain on the music world, none other than… American Idol.
I don’t know where to begin with this fucking show! It is evil, morally incorrect, and worst of all: sugar coated bullshit, fresh fo children of all ages! “Warning! if you like to use your brain or think for yourself and would rather listen to true fucking rebels, please turn your televison off right now. Thank you and may God bless your soul!” This caveat should appear in big fucking bold letters before they air AI (acutally most TV shows for that matter) on Fox and bring their filthy, government approved, pussy, garbage into millions of American Homes.
People always say to me, “come on now Chris, AI isn’t that bad, it gives countless, young , aspiring artists a chance to make it in the big time and millions of people can witness them do what they love on national television…” Fuck that! it assists countless young singers (who are doing the same fucking shit we’ve seen for the past few decades) become even bigger corporate, little bitches; slaves to a machine, that they are sadly oblivious to. When these faggots hop around and do their stupid fucking dances I just want to strangle each and every last one of them.
If Rock meant rebellion, rebelling to “the man,” then AI contestants are sucking the man’s cock and letting his pearly black cum posion millions across the nation, whenever they open their mouths. All artists, whether they are singers or whatever must do it themselves and do what they feel like doing, not what three, dickhead, judges want them to do. I mean can you picture an AI in 1967. Lou Reed sings “Heroin,” I bet Paula would say, “Lou that’s not exactly a safe song.” Or Hendrix out of his mind on acid setting his instrument ablaze. The fat, black guy (shit, what’s his name?), oh yeah, Randy, can you imagine him telling Jimi to put out the fire, cause it may turn off some of our viewers. Now, of course that would have never occurred because those artists had balls. It seriously makes my blodd curdle when I hear that young kids yearn to be big stars on AI. It’s the fucking kiss of death! There’s nothing dangerous or controversial about it and it is a major sign of how we have lost our momentum, ultimately becoming complacent zombies, eager to chow down on the next, fresch crap they have to serve us. Bullshit! Never do we have to accept crap, just because it is popular or because all of our friends adore it. Do a little searching, broaden your horizons and you will discover numerous classic and contemporary artists that always play from their fucking hearts. The music/art I get the biggest hard-ons for, offer me insight and best of all, allow me to think for myself. If you or a loved one enjoy watching AI or even worse want to be on AI (yikes!) please seek help! You are already a sell out, you sold out to yourself.
As far as I’m aware Mr. Butch is in a category of his own on Wikipedia. How many homeless people have a Wikipedia page? Mr. Butch was a homeless man who spent somewhere between 20 and 30 years as a hobo in Boston, Massachusetts. He was attached to the Allston community during the latter part of his life. He was killed in 2007. Here is a link to watch a documentary about Mr. Butch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWQV_nMoLoQ
Here is a collection of quotes from Mr. Butch:
– “Articulate I am for sure. Yes, I have bought many whore. When I had the money I did it straight. Now I have to masturbate.”
– “Please I need some money. It’s not funny.”
– “Penny, nickel, dime, or quarter. Any way, any order.”
– “Today be drinking, smoking some weed. That’s about all I need. If I can find a girl to give me a hand-job, I’m not a fool, I’m not a slob.”
– “For me, it’s like I have to screw and lay before I see my guiding day. I go on straight, I go on hard. I hope that I can get a dick at least a yard.”
– “The last woman I had. We screwed and then she said good-bye dude. Broke my heart, made me feel bad. That’s the last woman I had.”
– “Well I got a dollar and seventy-five cents. I guess I get some beer!”
News doesn’t get posted here all too often, but I read a good article in the Boston Sunday Globe yesterday. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Ron Paul (R-TX) have come together against the popular Congressional sentiment of increased or status quo defense spending. On most issues, Frank and Paul, are quite unalike — Frank is an outspoken liberal while Paul is an old Right libertarian — but here they agree and they want other Congresspeople to see the light.
Check out the article: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/11/21/frank_paul_make_a_case_for_pentagon_cuts/
Randy Randall – “It’s like asking if you are a fan of a stop sign. How can you admire or enjoy a stop sign? It exists and serves a function, but it’s impossible to root for or believe in it or enjoy it.”
“I just wanted to make a sequel to Caddy Shack (1980).” That was the explanation Harmony “Harmful” Korine offered David Letterman and his audience for why he wrote the screenplay for the controversial film Kids (1995). Anyone who has seen Kids knows that clearly Harmony was pulling a fast one on the Late Show viewers. Kids follows twenty-four hours in the lives of a few teenagers in New York City as they have unprotected sex, consume copious amounts of alcohol and drugs, and commit various acts of anti-social behavior. Suffice to say both films share the common trait of having people in them, and that is about it. It is fifteen years later and Harmony is still perplexing us with his bizarre, groundbreaking films; in fact his latest feature, Trash Humpers (2009) could be his most notorious, and yes the title is to be taken literally, just watch the trailer. Before we dissect Trash, let’s take a look at what makes Harmony the unique filmmaker that he is and why his work has caused so much debate in film circles.
Harmony Korine’s career began as a screenwriter for the cult classic Kids (1995); the film was simultaneously praised and condemned for its brutally honest portrayal of urban life in America. Harmony depicted a side of America most folks would rather avoid, this trend was further augmented in Harmony’s next film, his directorial debut, Gummo (1997). Gummo was an altogether new kind of film with images and sounds coming from everywhere. The movie has no real linear plot, but rather serves as a collection of highly impressionable and memorable scenes/vignettes. What we see and hear is almost always unsettling and more often than not downright vile. Like Kids Gummo was extremely controversial and most critics walked away from the film feeling deeply shocked and offended. Most viewers criticized Harmony for exploiting his (non) actors as well as the issues of mental illness and poverty, amongst others.
With Harmony’s past film Mister Lonely (2007) he pulled back a little bit and made a somewhat more conventional film. This time there was a narrative, in the traditional sense of the word, and more professional actors participated. Do not worry though, Harmony still maintained his peculiar aesthetic as the story followed the life of a Michael Jackson look-alike living in Paris. Now, with his new film Trash Humpers he is in some ways returning to his old form. Mister Lonely was a bigger budget production and visually speaking looked like a more accessible film by his standards. Most artists would have moved further in this direction, but Harmony is not like most artists. Trash Humpers is evidence that he is still making the films he wants to make. As self-indulgent as ever, the trailer shows various clips of masked individuals literally humping trash, vandalizing, and mumbling disturbing lullabies. The film has an old VHS look to it, which adds to its raw, analog quality. In an interview with The Stranger Video, Harmony stated that “in some ways it’s the most American movie ever made… I was hoping it would get showed in public schools and become part of like a mandatory viewing, because I feel like it clues you in to what is great about America.” Once again, the theme of the ugly side of America plays a prominent role in Harmony’s works and the motive of those works. Now, I agree with Mr. Korine that his film does show us how great America can be, but I would bet my entire life and the lives of my loved ones that Trash Humpers will not become mandatory viewing for public school students.
A review of Trash Humpers (2009) will be arriving in the near future…
Black Lips during a 2009 concert in France:
Cole: If you were the teacher, what would you grade us tonight?
Joe: A+, we know it all the way.
Cole: You would put us in special needs classes. If you were our teacher, you would put us in classes for retarded children.
Wasted Jared Swilley: This is why we are where we are right now. Because our whole life we were normal childrens in the retardeds classes. This is why we act the way do right now because no one understands us.
Cole: You put me with retarded children. I’m not retarded.
Jared: You can’t blame us for acting like retards when your whole world put us as retards. We are a product of this world that is run by white people.
Cole: It is a reflection of your whole generation. It’s just looking in the mirror.
Joe: I bet you wish you were retarded just like us!
Cole: Look in the mirror!
Jared: Your generation called us faggots, you called us white boys, you called us retards, queers, homos. We’re sick of that shit so this is the product of what we became because of you.
Ian: You were probably that kid, too. Stuck in the side room, didn’t have no friends.
For Massachusetts governor. Baker, Patrick, Cahill…they all are representatives of the status quo quo fo’ sho sho.
John C. Calhoun!
He is awarded this honor due to his commitment to nullification. Screw national law! Of course, his brand of nullification meant that slavery could be permitted in individual states and so forth, but generally he had a decent idea in mind. Keep in mind, I liked Alexander Hamilton before I actually read his work. Now, I know, Calhoun > Hamilton.
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 