“You know what bothers me sometimes, just randomly, Damon?”
“What?”
“How come I can’t win American Idol?”
“American Idol is about more than just singing. It’s about the whole package. You have to—”
“I’m talking about just singing.”
“You said ‘win.’”
“Never mind ‘win.’ How come I can’t audition? Like, get up on a stage and sing. Like, belt out a song. I can’t do that.”
“You can’t have everything. You do know that, right?"
“And also, how come you can't audition?”
This created a pause. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good performance,” D said finally. “Neither you nor I work at it.”
“You were in a boy band.”
“I was.”
I didn’t like the way this conversation was going. I can’t have everything.
“I’m going to try out," I said, feeling oh-so me suddenly.
“Go ahead. We live right here.”
That's the thing. We do live right here. I don’t watch any television, yet I’ve seen this show in person twice (well, the second time was actually The Next Great American Band, which wasn’t aired live so took four hours)—just because my friend is friends with the (a?) producer and keeps offering me tickets. The line for American Idol tapings goes past my door every week. The audience members take my parking spot!
I’m going to try out.
r
P.S.
I’ve been thinking about the show more lately, because Lee’s been posting about it [here, here, and here] at his awesome, totally thoughtful blog. Check it out!
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By: Rita,
on 4/3/2008
Blog: rhcrayon: The Blog! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: exciting projects and visions, responses to friends' blogs, sometimes i think about, television as oral tradition, Add a tag
By: Rita,
on 1/18/2008
Blog: rhcrayon: The Blog! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: public service announcements, public service announcements, television as oral tradition, links you need, buffy, television as oral tradition, Add a tag
Short post this week. This is cool:
Why We Write: A Series of Essays
http://whywewriteseries.wordpress.com/
Prominent writers from TV shows and movies you love have undertaken, during the Writers' Strike, to post a series of essays on why they write. Little pieces by a different writer every day!
By some seriously cool writers, like Jane Espenson (Buffy! Gilmore Girls!) and Danny Rubin (Groundhog Day!!).
Check it out.
:)
r
With thanks to Jill for the link!
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By: Rita,
on 1/7/2008
Blog: rhcrayon: The Blog! (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: stunning gift ideas, television as oral tradition, obsession is questionable, makes you dance, television as oral tradition, stunning gift ideas, obsession is questionable, Add a tag
I spent fifteen minutes today learning the end dance moves to High School Musical. I've got the gist now. I'll probably try it again tonight. big cheesy grin Who's in for a pyramid dance formation? (Irvin? Karen?! I need backup!)
This movie is kinda terrible; but also kinda wonderful. We just watched it two nights ago. (We saw High School Musical 2 a few months ago—at Calvin's place, haha.) The song "Stick With the Status Quo" is by far the best thing in this one—in terms of melody, lyrics, message, choreography; everything. Oh, man, it's so good! I get giddy. I've watched this track seven times already. I think I have to buy this movie, just so I can watch this track always.
This song takes the tired old premise I usually hate—about high school cliques being so rigid and everyone being so locked into their roles—and translates it into mass hysteria, with one guy's mini-rebellion creating a huge ripple effect of mini-rebellions in every circle. Anarchy; I love it! It makes me buy into this world, just so I can have the fun of seeing its rules get broken.
(Also: that turn of everyone wanting to hear your secret but then turning on you the second they do; I love that, too!)
I have to say that while 2's story was weaker (and the dialogue was horrible), the song-and-dance numbers in that sequel were fairly consistent*—with just the one travesty. ;) Whereas, in the first one, there's really only two shining song-and-dance numbers—"Stick With the Status Quo" and 
Ryan and Sharpay's callback number, which cracks me up. The others . . . have their moments.
But the end group sing [oh, that makes three; I can't count] is made for kids to want to dance along. It begs you to stand up and learn the moves, and they're really sellin' it in that beaming Disney way that calls to my inner upstanding youth. I could feel the urge—and the embarrassment—of wanting to get up and sing. I'm not one to let embarrassment get me down.
"We're all/ in this/ to-gether! Dah dah dat! Dah dah dat! Dah dah dat! Dah dah da-ahhh!"
The best character in this series is Zeke by far, the jock who confesses he loves to bake. Oh, man. 
And my second favorite is Ryan (who grew up to look the way Macaulay Culkin should have). I'm not a fan of the main guy, but those two?? *love*
Why don't they use Zeke more? Even his singing (if that is his singing) is better than all the others'. And that's sayin' somethin! He doesn't deliver a bad line or facial expression ever, in the few bits they give him. He rocks!!
And that is my rave about High School Musical.
I told you I don't let embarrassment get me down. :D
r
P.S.
Sharpay is a lot better and more fun in this storyline, too. Hilarious, actually. You know what? They made her and her brother too powerful at the Country Club, in High School Musical 2. In the high school setting, you feel for them. (You know? Their world was perfect before these people came along.)
Plus, being that little bit younger makes their ridiculousness that much cuter. :)
P.P.S.
Oh! Look what I can do! I can post a YouTube link to the big group sing I'm talking about!
Quality isn't great, but you get the idea. The first time they do the chorus routine is one minute in, and the best is two minutes in, when they show the whole sequence clearly. (Damon's been egging me on, by the way. He's home sick with a fever, but is also full of advice about which foot to turn on. Contrary to what you'd think, embarrassing stuff is actually easier when someone's watching.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7zzbB17Fvo
("We're All In This Together")
And here, for good measure, is Ryan and Sharpay's callback audition:
"Bop to the Top"(They're the brother-sister act that rules the school's drama scene—until the new girl and this jock mess up their perfect world.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAM-rh6B5DU
Oh, and you need this link, too:
"Stick to the Status Quo!!"The setup for this is that the whole school has just found out the school's star basketball player has landed a callback audition for the musical; which means he auditioned in secret. Haha. The first guy to sing here is my favorite, Zeke!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymNVMSBhFHc&feature=related
:D Cheers!
r
Pictures in this post were lifted off the Web. I don't remember the sites, but they're the same promo pictures circulating everywhere. I wish I could find one of Zeke!
Calvin, I know you're secretly practicing.
Emmie, you better be watching!!
* I really don't remember how good the numbers in High School Musical 2 were. I guess we'll be renting that next!
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By: ian sands,
on 4/29/2007
Blog: Ian Sands (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Children's Literature, good things, Add a tag
Good Things, Bad Things
What a roller coaster week it’s been.
My hockey team, the Jackals, won the FAHL C Division Championship: Good thing
I lost the Hot Men of Children's Literature according to Fuse #8: Bad thing
I helped a snapping turtle cross the road: Good thing
One of my pond turtles died: Sad thing
I received a letter of rejection on a manuscript I thought for sure was a winner: Sad thing
It was a very positive and personal rejection letter: Good thing
I have some wonderful, supportive people in my life: Priceless