WEBBTIDE 2001-2002 @ SHORELINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Volume 37 No.13 Apr. 12 - Apr. 25, 2002 [ ARCHIVE ] [ FEEDBACK ] [ HELP ]
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A glimpse into current state of pop-culture

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      While thinking about the current state of pop-culture the phrase, "you are what you eat" comes to mind. This clich?also applies to music, movies, and television. In a sense, whatever form of media we take in dictates how we act, how we talk, and how we dress.
      As independent people we would like to think that were in total control of the persona that we have created for ourselves, and in a sense we are. Our power over mass-media is that we are in total control over the filter that decides what music we listen to, what movies we see, and what brand of television we watch. All these forms of entertainment have become fixtures in our everyday lives, and whether we want to admit it or not they make us who we are.
      Music in general seems to be on the verge of an explosion, almost like the one that occurred in the early nineties with grunge and the much publicized Seattle scene. The boy-band and blonde girl phase seems to be coming to an end just like it did in the eighties with the falling of groups like New Kids on the Block and Boys to Men.
      Hard rock also seems to have lost some steam. You can no longer see bands like Korn or Deftones on MTV's Total Request Live (which by the way makes any fans of Korn or Deftones ecstatic), a new more watered down rock has taken over.
      Bands like Puddle of Mudd and Nickelback now rule the airwaves with their brand of chorus friendly rock songs. Rap music as well has experienced a sort of lull lately. Last year's insurgence of beat oriented hip-hop (Jurassic 5, Roots), has been replaced by the more fast-food version of rap music (Ja rule, Cash Money Millionares).
      It seems as if the music scene has somehow lost its luster. There has been nothing exciting out there in the music world for quite some time, nothing to accommodate the more involved listener. What exactly then can we expect to see in music in the months to come?
      All around the country there are music scenes waiting to explode, bands that have been honing their art, just waiting for that one band from their genre to make it big so they too can have their shot at music stardom.
      One look at this year's participants at the South by Southwest music festival might give us an idea of which scene might have its shot at the mainstream next. When "At the Drive In" broke in 2000, major and independent labels began signing as many guitar driven, melodic, thrift store-shopping, seventies retro-rock bands as they could. I am starting to even see kids at Shoreline Community College donning this style; if this scene breaks Value Village will have a load of business sent their way.
      The movie world on the other hand seems to be having a good run. There has been a string of good movies to entertain us on the big screen and at the rental store. Of course Star Wars geeks (don't get offended I am one), Tolkien fans, and Harry Potter readers have all had reason to be excited; they all have had movies directed at them recently and still yet to come. Action fans have also had movies sent their way from such "actors" as Jet Li, Wesley Snipes, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. At this year's academy awards, audience favorites were overlooked for the more character driven films (Monsters Ball, A Beautiful Mind). Since the incidents of September, several war films have been ushered across the big screen. Whether this is an attempt to fill America's need for patriotism, or just greedy businessmen capitalizing off of a tragedy is not known.
      Ever since independent films like "Pulp Fiction" and "Run Lola Run" have had successful runs at the box office, major studios have been buying up Indy's for cheap and then turning quite the profit on the big screen and the rental store. As a result, formerly unknown independent directors like Wes Anderson (Rushmore) and Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich) have been given the opportunity to show their creativity as directors to much larger audiences.
      Another brand of movie that has become a mainstay in the movie going experience is the animated film. With their adult humor, familiar famous voices, and the cute lovable characters, the new animated movies of late have shown to appeal to both adult and child audiences alike (these movies are also great for first dates).
      For a while television was quite frightening. Reality based shows and updated game shows, both with high stakes and real contestants, seemed to rule the airways. Every network was jumping on the bandwagon with their own versions of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and "Survivor".
      Nevertheless, just as these shows started to become more prevalent, the viewing audience started to notice the absurdity of some of the shows tuning out. The ratings got worseas a result, and most of these shows were canceled. I will shamefully admit, I did grow fond of "Survivor Africa", but it was a guilty pleasure and have not watched the new season set in Marquesas.
      Although television, with its ever changing lineup seems hard to sum up, bright spots can still be found. Of course, the college kid's favorite shows are all still there. From the Simpsons to South Park, the warped sense of humor and simplistic animation gives these shows a sort of charm that just doesn't seem to go away. As well, Saturday Night Live still has the power to make light of all the negativity in the media that surrounds our everyday lives.
      There are even a few channels that, no matter what time of the day it is, good television is sure to be found. Comedy Central, Animal Planet, and the Discovery Channel all offer reliable viewing anytime of the day or night (cures any bout of insomnia). Another good dose of television comes from the late night talk shows. Whichever late night host you choose to watch, these shows have the power to make you forget about your stressful everyday lives and let you sleep easy.
      Whether your fix is music, movies, or television, there's probably something out there to accommodate you in each category. Right now might not be the best time to be a music lover, but if you can't find what you like on the radio or MTV then you probably could find what you're looking for in your local music scene. Seattle has one of the best budding local scenes anywhere, and we all should enjoy it.
      If you love movies now is the time to get out there and call yourself a movie buff. From major studios to independents, the new cinema landscape has movies that are not only creative but fresh. Television, by far the lesser of the three (and the only one I won't call art), but if you look hard enough for good, creative television it's out there.

.

by Brian Kerin

[Home] [Cover] [A & E] [Opinion] [Features] [Sport]

wEbbtide Webmaster: Henry Lai

A glimpse into current state of pop-culture
.	While thinking about the current state of pop-culture the phrase, "you are what you eat" comes to mind. This clich?also applies to music, movies, and television. In a sense, whatever form of media we take in dictates how we act, how we talk, and how we dress. As independent people we would like to think that were in total control of the persona that we have created for ourselves, and in a sense we are. Our power over mass-media is that we are in total control over the filter that decides what music we listen to, what movies we see, and what brand of television we watch. All these forms of entertainment have become fixtures in our everyday lives, and whether we want to admit it or not they make us who we are. Music in general seems to be on the verge of an explosion, almost like the one that occurred in the early nineties with grunge and the much publicized Seattle scene. The boy-band and blonde girl phase seems to be coming to an end just like it did in the eighties with the falling of groups like New Kids on the Block and Boys to Men. Hard rock also seems to have lost some steam. You can no longer see bands like Korn or Deftones on MTV's Total Request Live (which by the way makes any fans of Korn or Deftones ecstatic), a new more watered down rock has taken over. Bands like Puddle of Mudd and Nickelback now rule the airwaves with their brand of chorus friendly rock songs. Rap music as well has experienced a sort of lull lately. Last year's insurgence of beat oriented hip-hop (Jurassic 5, Roots), has been replaced by the more fast-food version of rap music (Ja rule, Cash Money Millionares). It seems as if the music scene has somehow lost its luster. There has been nothing exciting out there in the music world for quite some time, nothing to accommodate the more involved listener. What exactly then can we expect to see in music in the months to come? All around the country there are music scenes waiting to explode, bands that have been honing their art, just waiting for that one band from their genre to make it big so they too can have their shot at music stardom. One look at this year's participants at the South by Southwest music festival might give us an idea of which scene might have its shot at the mainstream next. When "At the Drive In" broke in 2000, major and independent labels began signing as many guitar driven, melodic, thrift store-shopping, seventies retro-rock bands as they could. I am starting to even see kids at Shoreline Community College donning this style; if this scene breaks Value Village will have a load of business sent their way. The movie world on the other hand seems to be having a good run. There has been a string of good movies to entertain us on the big screen and at the rental store. Of course Star Wars geeks (don't get offended I am one), Tolkien fans, and Harry Potter readers have all had reason to be excited; they all have had movies directed at them recently and still yet to come. Action fans have also had movies sent their way from such "actors" as Jet Li, Wesley Snipes, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. At this year's academy awards, audience favorites were overlooked for the more character driven films (Monsters Ball, A Beautiful Mind). Since the incidents of September, several war films have been ushered across the big screen. Whether this is an attempt to fill America's need for patriotism, or just greedy businessmen capitalizing off of a tragedy is not known. Ever since independent films like "Pulp Fiction" and "Run Lola Run" have had successful runs at the box office, major studios have been buying up Indy's for cheap and then turning quite the profit on the big screen and the rental store. As a result, formerly unknown independent directors like Wes Anderson (Rushmore) and Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich) have been given the opportunity to show their creativity as directors to much larger audiences. Another brand of movie that has become a mainstay in the movie going experience is the animated film. With their adult humor, familiar famous voices, and the cute lovable characters, the new animated movies of late have shown to appeal to both adult and child audiences alike (these movies are also great for first dates). For a while television was quite frightening. Reality based shows and updated game shows, both with high stakes and real contestants, seemed to rule the airways. Every network was jumping on the bandwagon with their own versions of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and "Survivor". Nevertheless, just as these shows started to become more prevalent, the viewing audience started to notice the absurdity of some of the shows tuning out. The ratings got worseas a result, and most of these shows were canceled. I will shamefully admit, I did grow fond of "Survivor Africa", but it was a guilty pleasure and have not watched the new season set in Marquesas. Although television, with its ever changing lineup seems hard to sum up, bright spots can still be found. Of course, the college kid's favorite shows are all still there. From the Simpsons to South Park, the warped sense of humor and simplistic animation gives these shows a sort of charm that just doesn't seem to go away. As well, Saturday Night Live still has the power to make light of all the negativity in the media that surrounds our everyday lives. There are even a few channels that, no matter what time of the day it is, good television is sure to be found. Comedy Central, Animal Planet, and the Discovery Channel all offer reliable viewing anytime of the day or night (cures any bout of insomnia). Another good dose of television comes from the late night talk shows. Whichever late night host you choose to watch, these shows have the power to make you forget about your stressful everyday lives and let you sleep easy. Whether your fix is music, movies, or television, there's probably something out there to accommodate you in each category. Right now might not be the best time to be a music lover, but if you can't find what you like on the radio or MTV then you probably could find what you're looking for in your local music scene. Seattle has one of the best budding local scenes anywhere, and we all should enjoy it. If you love movies now is the time to get out there and call yourself a movie buff. From major studios to independents, the new cinema landscape has movies that are not only creative but fresh. Television, by far the lesser of the three (and the only one I won't call art), but if you look hard enough for good, creative television it's out there.	.
by Brian Kerin