Thursday, October 27, 2011

The Playboy question

It was confirmed yesterday that Amy Winehouse death can be attributed to "misadventure."  Rampant booze and pill over-use got the best of her tiny frame.  Also this week we learned Lindsay Lohan has been in talks to pose for Playboy Magazine.  Why does Winehouse untimely death make one ponder Lohan's career path?

Because the script tells us it is inevitable.

Lohan began her career in the "A" list.  Her star turn in "Mean Girls" should have paved the way for something better than this.  Did we really need Dakota Fanning channeling The Runaways?  Is Kristen Stewart a true Bella?? 

Kirsten Dunst, ScarJo, Kate Winslet are not getting any younger.  The 20 something actress mantle was hers for the taking.  She was cute and precocious but short skirt and vodka/tonic away from going all bad ass on you.  Hollywood was hers for the taking.

Then it all went horribly wrong.

And we can all blame her psychotic parents.  A psychologist is not required to determine their culpaility in all this. 

Surely Lohan has to take some responsibilty as well.  But what of the rest of society?  And what of the Hollywood community in particular?

Enablers the lot of them!  Drugs, sexuality confusion, arrests and booze inflicted lunacy have played out publicly for more years than the brief film successes she achieved.

Now Playboy.  Again she is getting the wrong advice.  When has this move brought someone back to relevance.  Is America clamoring for the next Jenny McCarthy or Pamela Anderson?  Those ladies probably can't stand themselves.  It is 2011 Lindsay.  The move is this: visibility and success, drug filled party stage, panty-less picture exiting a car, rehab, purposely leaked sex tape, guest appearance on CW show, failed film remake, Dancing With the Stars and finally NBC sit-com and/or talk show with other female co-hosts- see:  The Chat, The Chew, The View...

Playboy?  Not quite.  And didn't she do this much better in New York Magazine a few years back?(http://www.google.com/images?q=lindsay+lohan+new+york+magazine&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-US&ie=utf8&oe=utf8&oi=image_result_group&sa=X

Playboy is unable to match Bert Stern's re-imagining of Marilyn Monroe. 

So what then is the end game?  Where are her people?  Her handlers?  It is all very tragic.  A once promising career once again derailed before it ever left the station.  When will her obituary be written?  Or is it already complete when men start looking for the Playboy bunny in your hair.

But like all good train wrecks we fail to look away. 

Plenty of good and imaginative videos from varied music arists these days.

Here are a few that stand out:

Duck Sauce:  "Big Bad Wolf"  http://www.rollingstone.com/videos/new-and-hot/duck-sauce-big-bad-wolf-20111024  Disturbing is an understatement.  But it is original which is nice.

Skillrex "First of the Year" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cXDgFwE13g  Plenty of ways to interpret this...  namely, "Take that pedophile!!!"  Two things: One,  it rips off the far betterAphex Twin's "Come to Daddy" and two, it is creepy and well done nonetheless.  Call 911 indeed.

LMFAO: "Sexy and I Know It"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyx6JDQCslE&ob=av3e&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fresults%3Fsearch_query%3Dsexy%2Band%2BI%2Bknow%2Bit%26aq%3Df  Of the 3 videos listed this is the one that gets an 18 or over warning.  Odd in that they are all equally disturbing.  These guys are very much tongue in cheek but following the super successful "Party Rock Anthem" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ6zr6kCPj8) could not have been easy.  This ain't bad at all.

Finally, take a look at these videos for both visual, but more importantly the songs themselves.  Some old, some new, but all winners.


Surfer Blood:  "Swim" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLirPtagSoM&ob=av2n  Opening this evening at Wellmont in Montclair for The Pixies.  http://www.surferblood.com/

Awolnation:  "Not Your Fault"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjZVxgDQ2Vo  Playing 11.21 @ Webster Hall/NYC and plenty of other spots too...  http://awolnationmusic.com/fallharvest/

Florence and The Machine:  "What the Water Gave Me" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am6rArVPip8&ob=av2e  Good, good stuff from a lovely voice.  Somewhere between Enya and all of her mystical stylings and Tori Amos lies Florence Welch.  She has the voice to lead men into war and put babies to sleep.  No gigs forthcoming but their latest album arrives on Halloween.  Treat for sure.    http://florenceandthemachine.net/

Dum Dum Girls:  "Coming Down"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7lQFdvDDZA  Take some Julianne Hatfield, add some Mazzy Star and waa laa.  California girl power with a nifty touch of 60s retro.  They just left NYC and are off to Europe.  Put them on your radar or at least make out to their songs with someone special.  http://wearedumdumgirls.com/#

The Head and the Heart: "Lost in My Mind" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7lQFdvDDZA  They sold out for a nice commercial spot but who cares.  The new folk movement is very much alive and kicking.  This might be its new anthem.  Opportunites to see them are coming up.  Take a look:  http://www.theheadandtheheart.com/#


Still waiting for folks to send in their email address for Spotify invites.  There are plenty of invites available.

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2 comments:

  1. Hank, did you see that Dawes are doing a couple shows in NJ? http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2011/10/dawes_played_we.html

    And hey, I'll take one of those spotify invites! Email me over at audramayphotography@gmail.com

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for Dawes heads up!!! Sent you invite and Facebook request. Be well and thanks for reading!!!

    ReplyDelete