Monday, August 24, 2015

"If I Walk Away"

I've been thinking about why it is that Josh seems to still like some fans who have been very critical of him -- and even acknowledged a twitter thread that included an online post with a reference to the notorious Gaby Dunn.

Dunn has been publicly blasting a former lover who is widely believed to be Josh, see e.g. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/03/f--kboy-definition-take-that-haters_n_7471142.html.

Other women connected with Josh have sometimes said negative things as well. I talked about some of this gossip in a previous blog. I have no knowledge about the truth or falsity of any of the allegations, so I just listed some questions, and did not even mention his name.

Many of us had just been hoping that "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" and maybe it was just "sour grapes" that made these women so bitter -- hoping it would just blow over.

He had been giving the appearance of studiously ignoring the kerfuffle on twitter and Instagram. He tweeted furiously in a rather detached, professional way about tour dates and public appearances.  I suspected he was scared, though.

Then he put out those tweets that seemed to acknowledge, screen shot below.

This was unexpected. I thought he would just continue furiously tweeting -- giving the appearance of ignoring it all. I inferred from what he said that he hoped people would realize that things were probably not so clear as some of these women were implying.

But why acknowledge it -- and why acknowledge one of his most public critics?

Then I remembered his song "If I Walk Away." I and some commentators had originally assumed that this song was written as some kind of love song; but Josh, in at least one interview, said that this was a song he wrote to his family -- and inner circle of friends -- asking them to let him know if he was letting celebrity go to his head.

He had his brother film him -- walking away -- apparently lost in his own thoughts -- apparently detached from the world around him.  The film seemed to show a performer who was turning on the charm to create an act on stage, while staying a normal, lonely man at other times.

The critical posters have been implying otherwise -- that he was using his celebrity status to sexually exploit adoring women.  I wonder if his family even knew about all this, or dared discuss it with him.

I wonder if, in some sense, those critical posters -- though not his family or inner circle, and therefore not the people he really trusts -- were doing exactly what he was asking in the song.  I wonder if he noticed that.  Even if the allegations are distorted, he might appreciate that people are trying to keep him on track.



The acknowledged tweet was citing this article http://www.papermag.com/2015/08/introducing_our_beta_bro_hall.php

Monday, August 17, 2015

Kali's Song for Josh

My friend, Kali, who also goes by @UltraGrobanite on twitter, is autistic.

She wrote a song about Josh.  She posted the lyrics.


I asked her if she were going to make a YouTube video of herself singing this song. She said she couldn't sing.  I made a chirbit of myself singing this song. 


It would be nice if someone would add instrumentals.  I might do that when I get back to a piano.



Addendum: with the assistance of @maf11, Marie Freitas, there is now a YouTube video


Tuesday, August 11, 2015

World Hip Hop Competition -- and the Quixotic Quest

I recently learned of the existence of the World Hip Hop Dance Competition. 

http://hiphopinternational.com/

I read an article about this in today’s Wall Street Journal (8/11/15).  The article said that teams were participating from all over the world.  Asian teams have become increasingly competitive apparently, having learned how to do this art Form by watching YouTube. These teams have done bake sales and borrowed money to go to the contests.

My Quixotic Quest for the World Anthem was inspired by Michael Jackson’s “Cry” video, but in fact MJ thought there were three things that would heal the world: Music, Dance, and Children.

After MJ’s death there was a trend, via YouTube, to share videos of dancing flash mobs, dancing to Michael Jackson music, as a memorial to him.  This was one of the things that inspired me on this quest.  

Flash Mob America is a company that started based on these videos, and also inspired by the flash mobs and  Michael Jackson’s hope that Music, Dance, and Children could save the world.  Flash Mob America also uses YouTube to spread visual messages regarding its project.

The “Cry” video posits a single event where a song would be spread, and that has been my concept; but YouTube offers another concept: the spread of art between individuals in a locally small way, but a globally huge way.  

MJ would have been very excited about these Hip Hop contests.  I had a link here to one of his dances, but the link is now broken -- will have to look

So, it’s not exactly the world anthem or the day when the whole world sings it together, but it’s a kind of progress in that direction — and surely having these people participate in dance contests is a peaceful diversion of the kind of energy that might otherwise result in violence


Sunday, August 9, 2015

Review: Hedwig and the Angry Inch 8/8/15

I went to see this show this weekend, because I hoped to see Darren Criss. Darren recently appeared with Josh Groban on a bootleg YouTube video of a free Josh concert. After I saw that video, I looked around for other videos on YouTube and found one with Darren being interviewed by Kelly Ripa (don't remember if Michael was there or not).  During this interview, I found out that Darren was doing Hedwig. Darren was also in Glee, which I watched a few episodes of, after learning that Josh and Charice had appeared there. Darren talked about being a straight actor playing a gay man, which made me curious.

Normally, I think it isn't P.C. any more for a white actor to play a person of color. Is it o.k. for a straight actor to play a gay man? In any case, I wanted to see it.

Criss also played a gay man/boy in Glee.

It turned out that Darren had already left, so I got the new guy, Taye Diggs. I'm not sure if he's the first African American playing this role. He certainly made a lot of comments/jokes about being black.

It was also interesting that the person playing the jealous sidekick/husband was a woman playing a man. I actually liked her singing better than his.

Hewig is a hugely demanding role. They have to keep changing actor playing the lead, because people's voices keep wearing out.

This was not the show I expected in other ways.

It said on the poster that it was a comedy. Actually, it's mostly sad, with some sad/bitter jokes, though it ends with an inspirational song.

Also, I found the show quite hard to follow, which was frustrating. I went with a friend who had seen it off Broadway, years ago. He said it was much easier to understand before, because it was less glitzy and overdone.

Another thing I had expected was that this character would have a high voice and be effeminate. Wrong. He was very masculine and had a low, baritone voice, maybe even bass baritone, certainly no falsetto.  It was a bit difficult to buy him as a gay character, because he was so masculine.

The keyboard artist did have a fine falsetto, tho.

Another thing I expected was a high energy, angsty show. In fact, a lot of it was low energy and melancholy.

It was frequently loud, which wasn't entirely surprising, but it was often quiet, so I was constantly putting the ear plugs in and pulling them out, which was also frustrating.

I expected exquisite belting. The guy had a nice voice, but not spectacular.

This particular performer had some strong points. He was great when doing accents and voices. He gave a very good performance of the angry inch song itself. Also, I liked the part where he was stuck in Kansas, watching the world on a TV screen. I thought he did that very well.

However, I felt that a lot of the time he wasn't really in it, i.e. his acting sometimes lacked authenticity. He seemed to get into it more as the show went on.  He seemed to warm up.

There were some intriguing special effects near the beginning where they put down what looked like a net screen.  They projected cartoons/drawings on the screen, which I hadn't seen before.  In other words, the screen was transparent and in front of Hedwig.  You could see Hedwig singing through it, while the cartoons were projected around him.

As I said, this was an intriguing special effect, allowing addition of CG to a stage performance, but I'm not sure it really fit in this show. It seemed more like the kind of thing you'd want to put in a children's show.

They tried to create drama in several places by having the guitar play a really loud chord to start a song. I happen not to like the sound of strummed guitars, especially not loudly strummed guitars, so this did not work for me.

The theater was very cold. I was wearing a sort sleeved, mid calf length tee shirt dress and a light windbreaker, it being August. This wasn't enough.

They also had that mist stuff in the air that they do for Josh Groban's concerts. That stuff makes me nervous. I think it's just water, but I'm not sure.  I dont think it really adds anything.  I wonder why they use it.

There were some places where they flashed the lights on and off a lot.  This also bothered my friend, and was one of the reasons he walked out.  I sat there wondering if I would find out if I were the sort of person who gets seizures from flashing lights -- at least not this time, it turned out.

They announced at the beginning that the show had adult content, but there were kids in there. I would say that the content was adult, not only because it was sexual, but because it was complex, melancholy, and intellectual -- also sometimes bitter and disturbing. There were long monologues without much else happening. Even if there were no sexual content, I don't think most children would like it.

My friend walked out early because of the noise. He encountered at least one family that left because of the content. I think they should alert parents with small children on the way in, and offer them a refund if they bought the tickets online.


On the whole, I didn't care for the show. Nevertheless, it got a standing ovation. This is the sort of thing that makes me feel like a space alien. I often find this with music, that I have trouble with stuff that other people like.

warning; do not sit front row center at this show or you may get spat upon