I wanna go, I wanna go, I wanna go, Hot Roddin'!

6/27/08: Dreamy Jorma Taccone pics added. Did my blog just jump the shark with this one? My only excuse is I'm severely jet-lagged, so it is probably impeding my judgment. Severely.

So, my mom always reads People and told me there was a "The Guys of Gossip Girl" thing in it -- somehow neglecting to mention interviews with both Joe Elliot and Bret Michaels. Um, hello?

But anyway, it's the like "Hottest Bachelors and whatever" issue which seems to mostly equal all body hair having been photoshopped off of Mario Lopez. So I'm flipping through and I land on... Andy Samberg and Akiva Shaffir. And all I can say to that is WHERE THE EFF IS JORMA TACCONE??!!??!!??!!

So, to back up: Remember a while ago when I was making fun of that Andy Samberg movie from last year that I had never watched? Well, I finally watched it. And it. was. AWESOME.

I will never, never, ever understand all the Hot Rod haters out there. That movie is freakin' hilarious. I watched it and immediately became like, an evangelist for it. I promptly re-watched it so I'd be able to quote relevant lines, then have since proceeded to get everyone who comes within my reach to watch it. So I've watched it probably a half-dozen times in the past few weeks, and let me say it holds up under re-watching. Though for some reason, during the punch-dancing in the woods scene, so far 3 out of 4 viewers watching it with me have said, unprompted, "I can't believe this was released in theaters." Well it was cause it was awesome! Also if as planned it had been released with Will Ferrell in the title role (since he's really the originator of movies that involve sports-obsessed weirdos yelling random lines and having daddy issues), I bet people would love it. Whatever. I think the people in it are amazing.

Particularly the magical, nay, the magnificent Jorma Taccone. At first I was like "ew, he looks kinda like Scott Baio." But rewatching has made me strangely obsessed with him. (For the record, I'm obsessed with the entire movie -- I freaked out the other day when I scored the C&C tank top that Isla Fisher is wearing in one scene.)

So, this is probably the most disturbing thing I've ever done. On a side note, can you believe this man is over 30?

But anyway, Jorma. I almost want to become one of those psycho fans who posts a tribute music video on YouTube, but luckily dignity stops me. Also, the fact that he's married.

Still I think the total-crush tipping point was learning he was responsible for so much of the music stuff. As previously noted, much of the music in the movie comes from Europe. No, not just the continent of Europe -- Europe the band. And they don't waste time with obvious songs like "The Final Countdown." They dig up crazy tracks like "Ninja." I don't think the only-in-it-for-the-money Joey Tempest realized at the time that he was writing tracks for this type of movie, but trust me, he was.

Most of the other music in the movie is taken from Giorgio Moroder's theme from Midnight Express. So right off the back, um hello -- hair metal and synth pop? Are there two genres of music I enjoy more? I think not. Second, he's tiny and adorable. Third, he has two of the funniest scenes in the movie (I'd reveal what they are, but I want you to go watch this movie. Suffice to say one involves stuffed animals and karaoke = hearts). Long story short, we are totally meant for each other.

If my massive Jorma-crush has not convinced you to see this movie, will this do it? For one, it features Gob from Arrested Development, who I love (note that I make exceptions to my Freaks and Geeks cast member rule for movie-watching for cast members from Arrested Development). For two, if you sincerely enjoy films along the lines of No Retreat, No Surrender or even just the South Park episode where they go to Aspen, you will definitely like this. You will! I promise. This movie changed my life. The one reason I'm excited to go back to San Diego is because The Foot-Fist Way is playing there.

P.S.: Sing it to the tune of Judas Priest's "Hot Rockin.'"

P.P.S.: I might add photos to some of these newer posts once I'm back in CA with my Mac -- doing such things on a Windows-based laptop is a world of pain.

[As per always, I'm at home so I'm catching up on back issues of Wired. I've got to say I'm getting kind of sick of it though -- Wired are a little too proud of themselves in their fifteenth anniversary year. There's lots of focus on all the great stuff they've thought of, but most of the newer stories are more sexy than actually like, interesting. It's getting to the point that before I read a feature on Apple, I already know what Steve Jobs anecdotes they're gonna trot out ("Park different" blablabla). Since I've been reading/coding so much all day, I'm not much for reading in the evening anyway -- and if nothing else, it's a good thing to tire me out.]

[Also putting me to sleep -- I've finally been watching all those episodes of Goober and the Ghost Chasers I got a while back. OMG that show is bad. Partridge Family 2200 A.D. is not all the Partridges have to be ashamed of -- the "Partridge Kids" (a.k.a. everyone except Shirley Jones and David Cassidy) seems to guest star in every episode, except the one where it's randomly Wilt Chamberlain. This show is brutally horrible -- Goober is one of the ugliest cartoon characters I've ever seen, and the animators' choice to give him human-style knees makes his body look broken and malformed. Also, he makes frequent unfunny asides to the camera using Snagglepuss' voice. Goober is made of fail.]

Currently reading: Wired (It's a magazine, duh)

When I see lightning...

6/27/08: Added pic of actual Matthew Williamson dress. Apparently the color is called nude... also apparently it still has the tags from me buying it used AND from original owner buying it... sheesh. I'll post a pic of the Betsey Johnson dress once I get it (yes, I had to ship three boxes back to California). Sorry about the image quality -- I'm relying on an iMac webcam for my digital imaging needs these days! I also added a pic of the page from Elle that I clipped out -- I wish I could figure out when it was from. That image you can click on to see it larger.

...You know it always brings me... well, not down, really. But the other day, driving home from New York in the midst of crazy sporadic downpours and thunderstorms, I actually saw not just one but several rainbows in the dark. Also lightning and rainbows at the same time -- totally awesome. It made me remember that the previous weekend, I'd been with some people at a teeny tiny bar in the basement of an also pretty tiny hotel, and for some reason they had a guy playing loud acoustic guitar (like he was really mic'd up in spite of the fact that the room was like, the size of the bathroom at most places. And you know people playing those kind of gigs always like, tell unfunny anecdotes between songs, even though everyone's like pleasssseeee don't talk, we can finally all hear each other without screaming). Anyway, the high point was when he played, actually, a pretty decent solo acoustic version of "Rainbow in the Dark" which led me to scream and make the Dio sign. He then played the first few bars of "Holy Diver," which now that I think of it would be amazing acoustic, but my cheers were to no avail, as pretty soon it was back to deadly boring Oasis covers.

Anyway, that whole incident got me to thinking about this Matthew Williamson dress I bought that I've had on ice for like a year, cause I have nowhere to wear it. I couldn't find a pic of the colorway I have it online -- mine is paler rainbows with a sort of beige/cream background -- but here's a picture of someone wearing the actual "Rainbow in the Dark" version. The crazy thing is, when I got the dress I actually already had the top in the true "Rainbow in the Dark" coloration which I bought at an Intermix sample sale a couple of years ago. But I had always really wanted the dress, which I'd spotted in Elle magazine in like, I can't even remember when. But I'd liked it so well, I'd clipped the page, even though I was like, "I can never afford these things." (I dug out the page I clipped and scanned it -- you can click on it below to see it bigger. The dress they show is a slightly different color than mine, but the top is the exact one I own. They're showing it in "nude," I have it in black, the color they show the dress in.)

But then, the following year, while picking up dirt cheap C&C tops and Havaianas at said Intermix sample sale, I spotted a whole rack of the tops in both colors for like $40 bucks a pop. At its original price, the thing cost more than my laptop -- so I guess that means people weren't willing to pay that much for something that is both high fashion and a clever Dio reference, which doesn't make sense to me. Anyway, shocked that I'd even come that close to owning the dress in the picture, I snatched up the top instantly.

Then last year, I spotted the paler rainbow ("Rainbow in the Day"?) dress on a mannequin at a vintage shop in SD. They'd put it on display since it was Pride Week. Anyway, I promptly freaked out and chased down one of the too-hip-to-actually-provide-customer-service sales clerks and was like, I have to buy this dress, take down my name and number (they won't let you buy what's on their mannequins, but I'd had them do this for me before when they had a Lilly Pulitzer skirt in the window that I had to have). So I did that and then spent the next month or so bugging out and waiting for them to call.

And then they didn't call. WTF, right? I realized this and, in a panic, drove down there, figuring there was no hope. And then there, in the middle of a rack of '50s and '60s cocktail dresses, it was. Joy! I barely took the time to try it on or ask the price, I pretty much just bought it. The exact one from Elle! It was crazy. Though not as crazy as whoever sold them that dress -- which originally cost more than buying two of my desktop computers, possibly three -- for them to then resell it for barely even a fraction of that. I'll never understand people who do that, but thank god for them -- they're the reason I recently snagged a pink, tie-dyed, TSE cashmere cardigan secondhand for under $20.

Anyway, I've had this dress for a year now, and all I've done is occasionally taken it out and looked at it. During the fires, I put it in my suitcase and took it with me when I left. But I've never actually worn it. Sigh!

Anyway. I was thinking about this because on that drive home, looking at the rainbows in the dark, and thinking about the rainbow in the day dress, with me in the car were three new dresses, at least two of which... well, at least one of which may never really see the light of day. And which I bought new = further guilt. I try to buy almost everything secondhand, except for underwear and some shoes, because 1) More stuff is being made than anyone needs, and I don't need to create more demand; 2) If people are getting rid of perfectly good stuff, it should keep getting used (ideally they wouldn't get rid of said stuff, of course); 3) I could try to get around all this by having all my stuff like handmade or something, but that's really a rich person's solution, whereas buying used clothing is an affordable option for pretty much all people.

That said, this trip home I did go on a minor buying-new spree, the latter half of which took place at a mega outlet mall that was majorly swarmed with non-US tourists taking advantage of the exchange rate. Now I could try to justify this by saying well, outlets are giving you last year's stuff, so it's not like new new, but you know, it's not really a good justification. Stores could just keep having the same stuff year in and year out until it sold, but then there wouldn't be fashion, I guess. It is difficult to try to be moral, environmentally reasonable, and have cool clothes, but again, you can do it by buying used.

That said, on this day I was practicing only the latter (having cool clothes). But a raspberry pink cashmere DvF wrap dress? How the hell could I possibly resist? (And for the record, that definitely will get worn -- it is the most comfortable and yet fashionable thing ever). I was pretty sure that would be it, but then we decided to go into Betsey Johnson, where it turned out they were having this crazy "buy one, get one free" sale. In most of the outlets, it's more like a "buy one, look it's scuffed, smudged, and totally out of style but hey it's $10 off the original retail price" sale, so this was kind of a thing. And let's face it -- as much as I want to loathe Betsey Johnson, I heart pink and animal prints, so what're you gonna do.

Anyway, the ones I got were kind of un-Betsey. A white shift dress with pockets trimmed with pastel-colored rick-rack, with pastel colored polka dots -- casual enough that I can probably wear it whenever. But then the other one is a strapless, kind of crazy early '60s-style silhouette -- sweetheart neckline, super-fitted bodice, and then reallllly big skirt -- done in a kind of striped pink floral on white. It looks amazing on, and I feel like is the kind of thing I would have worn in New York to go to like, brunch or the UES or something. But in San Diego... well, there's a spot in my closet right next to the rainbow-in-the-day dress just waiting.

[So zomg, it sounds like there's gonna be an It Girl show. This is most welcome news as I've come to like these books better than Gossip Girl (though I haven't read The Carlyles yet -- I read this book on my flight out to the east coast [actually I finished it just on my first flight] and have The Carlyles for the trip back). Anyway, The It Girl axes all the tedious male characters (Nate), and particularly those who become tedious recurring jokes (Chuck and Dan) and focuses more on the female characters (though there are a few tedious male characters thrown in for good measure -- Easy and Brandon). Also unlike GG, TIG has a mix of characters who you unequivocally hate unless you're a complete sociopath (Tinsley) and characters who are sometimes almost sympathetic (Callie).]

[But the biggest difference -- which I think I've noted before -- is that the ghostwriters are much, much better writers than Cecily von Ziegesar (who purportedly did actually write the first few GG books). The characters in TIG have actual motivation for the things they do, which makes the books I think a much more interesting read. Things happen for a reason, not just because of the characters' sheer fabulosity. The main thing you do miss from GG is the actual voice of Gossip Girl herself, which is always funny as she calls the various characters out on their flaws and foibles. I will say also for other reasons I just reread the first Gossip Girl book, and it's actually really good -- it's the later ones (especially the humiliating and uncomfortable "Is Dan gay?" plot) that have left such a bad taste in my mouth.]

[I will say also re: an It Girl tv show, it will be interesting to see how they decide to do it, since a lot of the events featuring Jenny in both series revolve around her bust size and general appearance, and the girl playing her on the Gossip Girl show bears zero resemblance to the character in the books (the only main character with less resemblance is Vanessa). Anyway, they'll need something else to slot in there when the new 90210 inevitably founders and fails, so I bet this show gets made. Though if 90210 does succeed, that'll possibly prevent a tv version of The A-List from getting made, so probably I do have to support it.]

Currently reading: The It Girl #5: Lucky (Alloy's army of ghostwriters)

June iPod Shuffle Mix!

So, I need to write yet another massive paper in the next couple days. But you know that means I still need some kick-ass music to work out to and stuff! And don't worry too much about my work ethic... technically I wrote most of this a while ago, knowing that now I'd be too busy to write.

Girl Talk, "Bounce That"
Yo I need to track down some more Girl Talk, cause I never get sick of listening to this. This track includes, among other things, the Emotions, LCD Soundsystem, the Breeders, Elastica, Ludacris, Britney Spears, and once again polishes up that old chestnut "Rumpshaker." (P.S. Of course since the music's unauthorized, so is the video -- click on it, you need to watch it and read the info. It actually reminds me less of what they mention and more of "Genius of Love")

Egyptian Lover, "Egypt Egypt"
I know very little about this track except that I like it. I've read it being referenced as a "New York New York" response, but other than both titles being a place name repeated, there's zero similarity. (Also, that link is just to the song, no video -- to see the Egyptian Lover in all his glory, you've got to check this out.)

Slick Rick, "Mona Lisa"
Can you believe David Patterson just pardoned him? I literally read the headline (which just said like "pardons rapper" or something) and was totally like, whoa, it's gonna be Slick Rick. And it was.

DeBarge, "I Like It"
Oh man, I have so many different songs by the extended DeBarge family on my iTunes. It's crazy. This one is especially cheesy -- the only reason people know it is because some of the vocal interpolation and lyrics in the chorus shows up in, yes, "Rumpshaker." (Which for the record, I also have -- it's just not on my shuffle atm.)

Annie, "Chewing Gum"
Has she had a second album? I thought she was gonna be the next breakout Scandinavian hipster pop supastar, but I guess maybe not. I still like this song, even if at times it reminds me of myself (ew) in my wild youth.

Chemical Brothers, "Out of Control"
Man, this is from Surrender, but I remember when it came out, I was freakin' obsessed with Dig Your Own Hole. I loved everything about it. Of course, now I mostly associate this particular song with the awesome episode of The O.C. where they go to Tijuana -- this is playing when Marissa catches Luke dancing with Holly.

Motley Crue, "Live Wire"
Even if you do not normally consider yourself a Crue fan, you will like this song. It's amazing -- it sounds like really nothing else they do, super fast, super glam, super fierce. The video is incredible too. It is the only time I've ever understood their assertion that they hired Vince Neil for his looks. Also can I say I am so sad this site isn't around anymore?

Electric Light Orchestra, "Do Ya"
I think I've talked here before about my love for ELO, and in general anything produced by Jeff Lynne. I know people hate them, but I think they're just great! I also enjoy the Ace Frehley cover, which adds nothing except being by Ace Frehley. I think this was used in an ad for maybe Monster or one of the job search sites a while back, and I remember being like, "I would totally use that site for a job search based on their canny appropriation of ELO."

Tesla, "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out"
It was a long time coming, but now I really like Tesla. I didn't for years, but they have grown on me to the point that they are not one of my favorites. And not just cause I kind of have Jeff Keith's haircut. This song is a particular favorite -- I even named a blog post after its first line!

Stars from Mars, "We Got Tonight"
I know absolutely nothing about this band except they're from the later 80s. And we all know I love inspirational songs. The hand-clapping during the solo! I love it! This track is from the outstanding Hollywood Rocks! boxed set. If you want me to love you forever, get me the companion book. (P.S. I'd never seen the video before, holy !#$% it's AMAZING. Everything I could have asked for in a glam metal video. Like, I need to go put on makeup and tight pants right now. Omg. I'm changing my name to Dazzle.)

Bananarama, "Cruel Summer"
Summer in San Diego really does start off cruel, cause while the rest of the country is celebrating the return of sunshine and warm temperatures, we randomly get a two-month break from both with the "May Gray" and the "June Gloom." Whatever that xylophone-sounding instrument is in this track makes me feel better though. (No, this video does not make me want to put on overalls. Well, not really....)

Peter Gabriel, "Shock the Monkey"
This is one of the first videos I remember seeing on MTV (the very first was Yes' "Owner of a Lonely Heart"). God, Peter Gabriel looks ridiculously young in this video. Eerie Peter Gabriel facepaint reminds me a little too much of what I think is one of the all-time scariest episodes of Miami Vice, but this is still a really good song. Man, I'm surprised they didn't use this song in Miami Vice. I know they used some other ones by him.

Kate Bush, "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)"
Academics who write about music love Kate Bush. I mean someone just published a new Hounds of Love book like this past year. I, for one, am not part of that camp, though I really like this song... because a cover of it was used to great effect in one of the only decent episodes of season four of The O.C..

Leona Lewis, "Bleeding Love"
How embarrassing is this? Last week New York had some cover line about predicting "the big summer song of '08" or something like that, and I was like dude, it's gonna be that Leona Lewis song. I heard her perform it on Idol, mostly thought it was creepy (it's basically a song about picking scabs), heard it on the radio maybe twice within the next two days, realized I was humming it, downloaded it. (In spite of all this, however, I often refer to the song as "Burning Love" or "Bleeding Heart.") Soo long story short, I guess Simon knows what he's doing w/r/t popstardom. I dislike the production on the second half of the song, but the organ and drums at the beginning is genius.

M.I.A., "Jimmy"
It took me an embarrassingly long time to come around to M.I.A., I found too many songs on the first album really grating. This song I feel like literally the second I heard it, I was like "this is a great song." It may well be one of my favorite dance songs ever, but we all know I love those kinds of Walter Murphy disco strings. Then, unfortunately, I heard it in the preview for an Adam Sandler movie. I have never felt the same way about him since reading his name on a list of people attending a freakin' Rudy Giuliani presidential fundraiser.

The Carpenters, "Superstar"
I know, I can't stop listening to this song lately. My fourth grade teacher really loved the Carpenters, and used to play their records for us and like, ask us if we had any memories about the Carpenters and stuff (it was 1989, so mostly... no). Anyway, I wish the chorus of this went with the verses better, because I think the verses are lovely.

Rare Earth, "I Just Want to Celebrate"
Hoo boy, this month's list is getting ugly! I know I usually try to have like, real obscure funk in here ... and this is ... well, neither. But I don't know, it's really upbeat? And lord knows they love it on American Idol (another bad sign, I know).

The Bar-Kays, "Sang and Dance"
Okay, after that one, I had to comb through my list for some real funk. This is where the "nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah" in "Gettin' Jiggy With It" comes from (the bass is "He's the Greatest Dancer"). (On a side note: What ever happened to Hype Williams?) No link because I couldn't find it anywhere -- you can preview it here, that's the best I can do.

BumbleBee Unlimited, "Lady Bug (I Just Wanna Be Your)"
If you've ever wondered what a realllllllllly long disco song about a ladybug hooking up with a bumblebee would sound like, now you know. This sounds like an improbably dirty skit from The Muppet Show. (Click on that last link, trust me, you'll love it.)

Death from Above 1979, "Black History Month" (Alan Braxe and Fred Falke remix)
I'm going to skip my whole rant about how today's bands have the stupidest names, and how much I hate sentence names, and blablabla. This song sounds -- third O.C. reference of the post coming up -- like a song they'd use to begin an episode of The O.C.. I can totally picture it -- where they do like a pan over Newport, a pan over the pier at Redondo Beach, close-ups of girls laughing by a food stand, medium shot of surfers running toward the ocean.... As it happens, these last two songs are both included on Annie's DJ-Kicks collection, which I got recently.

[I was re-reading this book yesterday. I owned it as an undergrad, and in a fit of idiocy sold it -- along with a bunch of other books I similarly regret selling -- right before I left NY. Sigh. Anyway, I never thought I'd say this, but I wish this book had more theory! Though I will say, his examples -- from the choreography of Paula Abdul (not kidding!) to nineteenth century 'passing' novels -- are all really interesting to read about, even if sometimes you have to kind of make the connections yourself.]

Currently Reading: Are We Not Men? Masculine Anxiety and the Problem of African-American Identity (Phillip Brian Harper)