Reggie Bush Is Not Milli Vanilli

Giving awards back/having awards taken away is never easy. Just as 80s/90s “pop group” Milli Vanilli who had to give back their 1990 Best New Artist Grammy Award when it was embarrassingly revealed on live television that Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus were lip syncing. Not only was their secret out but they became the biggest joke in the music business. In addition to their Grammy Award being taken away, Arista Records dropped the act from its roster and deleted their album and its masters from their catalog, taking their hit single, “Girl You Know It's True,” out of print. Don’t mess with Clive Davis. After these details emerged, at least 26 different lawsuits were filed under various U.S. consumer fraud protection laws against Pilatus, Morvan and Arista Records.

Apparently this kind of scandal doesn’t just happen in the music business – it happens in sports too. Yesterday, former USC All-American and current member of the New Orleans Saints Reggie Bush gave back his Heisman Trophy which was awarded to him in 2005. Since there was already talk of the NCAA taking the trophy away from him he saved himself some dignity and returned it on his own. All the controversy stems from the NCAA’s determination that Bush committed multiple violations during his 2005 Heisman-winning season at USC, including accepting cash, gifts and other benefits.

The fact that they are taking this trophy away from him is ridiculous. If anyone thinks that Bush is the only collegiate athlete that has gotten special treatment they are outside of their minds. He was just a big time college football player who put up big numbers, got a lot of attention and got caught. It seems to me that the NCAA was looking to make an example out of someone and unfortunately Bush was the one who took the fall. What’s even worse is that taking away this trophy will now be the first thing that comes to peoples' minds when they hear the name Reggie Bush. He has officially pulled an O.J. Simpson in that people now associate Simpson’s name with murder and it’s as if all his athletic accomplishments are erased. Clearly what Bush did is not even close to being in the same vicinity as murder but being the first Heisman Trophy winner in history to give back his award is still something that he will never live down. And that’s a shame.

Season Finales And Premieres

Finales and premieres can say a lot about our favorite television shows. As summer comes to and end so do some of the shows I enjoy the most such as the Mark Wahlberg produced Entourage which went out with a bang in anticipation of its final season that will air next summer.

This season I saw my favorite male HBO foursome grow up while the movie star who got them where they are started to crash and burn. After so many seasons of watching Vincent Chase coast through life without any issues or consequences it’s actually nice to see him hit a few speed bumps. It makes him more human. He finally found a girl that he wants to be with but she’s a porn star who parties hard and is one of the first people in awhile who doesn’t need him. As a result he picked up a drug problem along with a serious attitude problem, neither of which he thinks he has. He also delivered one of the most honest lines of the series: “I know you all need me but I’ll call you if I need any of you.” Finally the truth comes out.

Just as Entourage ended Gossip Girl began and that also means that the fall shows are back. My favorite Upper East Side kings and queens are sure to bring the drama and make us jealous of their lives. As much as some of these characters make me want to reconsider NYC as part of America there are others who make me believe that television shows about rich kids can still be entertaining. High school turns to college and college turns into life. We’ll see where it all leads.

A Few Notes On An Explosive Finale:

Entourage

-Johnny Drama finally becomes a character we can relate to
-Vince Chase embraces the cliché celebrity we have been waiting for
-Eric has to deal with a wicked father-in-law who brings out his fangs
-Turtle’s lame tequila story line is still boring but as a character he is less annoying
-As shocking as it is, Billy Walsh is still the voice of reason
-Eminem was the guest star and gets called out by Vince for being too mainstream to fight his own fights
-Ari’s wife leaves him after years of arguing and frustration


A Few Notes On The Premiere We’ve Been Waiting For:

Gossip Girl

-Featuring a play by play of Paris the City Of Light has never had better P.R.
-Melrose Place’s former bad girl Katie Cassidy is a welcomed new addition
-Chuck is still alive – which is equivalent to saving the series
-Blair is finally honest with Serena but I’m honestly over their frienemy bullshit
-Nate is whoring it up but isn’t afraid to admit it
-Dan Humphrey is a father and the mother might just be one of the most evil antagonists on television…we’ll see how long she stays around
-So glad that Jenny is gone for good – I was so over the scheming, along with her bleach blonde Rapunzel hair and raccoon eye makeup

Getting Lost In Long Lists

While it is no secret that I love lists I think sometimes magazines and music channels get a little carried away. The most effective lists are the ones that are a little shorter – top ten, 20, 25 and maybe 50. But even 50 is pushing it. Once the powers that be get into doing lists of the top 100 or 500 of anything I start to wonder what the difference is between number 76 on the list and number 134 on the list.

The most recent of these long lists is VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time which highlighted the best of the best in music over the course of the last four nights. The special was very well done as they compiled amazing footage of these artists performing some of their biggest hits. The show also featured an eclectic group of commentators such as Sheryl Crow, Cypress Hill, Ozzy Osbourne and Bret Michaels, among others, who were there to give anecdotes and talk about their fabulous peers.

Because there was no time frame on this list (i.e. this wasn’t a list of the best artists of the 90s) and it wasn’t narrowed down at all (i.e. greatest guitar songs of all time) VH1 compiled their results by asking over 200 artists to vote and send in their ballots. Big names such as Carrie Underwood, Alicia Keys and the members of bands such as Aerosmith and The Police were among those who were polled.

But here is my question: How do you go about putting a list like that together? First of all, you have to come up who your favorite artists are which is a task in and of itself. Then you have to put them in order. How the hell do you do that? What do you take into consideration? Maybe you ask yourself: How many songs do I like? How often do I listen to this band? How many times have I seen them live? Have their songs gotten me through tough times? Have they helped me celebrate happy times? I could go on and on…

Another aspect of this whole thing that’s interesting is that this isn’t the first time VH1 has compiled a list like this. In 1998 VH1 released a list called 100 Greatest Artists Of Rock And Roll which was very similar except hip hop and rap artists were left off the list. Either way I was very interested to see how the lists compared to each other so I looked at the top 20 artists from 1998 and 2010 and what I found was fascinating.

Here’s what did not surprise me:

-The Beatles were ranked number one on both lists. Do I agree? Not so much but I wasn’t shocked at all.
-Prince jumped from number 18 in 1998 to a more suitable spot at number seven in 2010.
-Led Zeppelin clocked in at number four on both lists. Hell yeah.
-Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Elvis Presley occupied positions in the top 10 on both lists. I should hope so.
-The Who, Stevie Wonder and The Beach Boys barely shifted spots between 1998 and 2010.

Here is what did surprise me:

-Michael Jackson was ranked number three this year but didn’t even make the top 20 in 1998. Was he so high on the list this year because of his death in 2009? I hope not considering there has never been and will never be an artist quite like MJ.
-Nirvana was not listed in the top 20 in 1998 which was only four years after his death. Have we seen another Kurt Cobain since? Not even close.
-David Bowie was number 12 on the list this year and he was number seven in 1998. Seriously?
-Ray Charles, Eric Clapton and Elton John made the top 20 in 1998 but not in 2010. Those are three of music’s most important pioneers for crying out loud.
-AC/DC didn’t appear in the top 20 on either list. I wasn’t aware you could get more rock and roll than AC/DC.

Twelve years separated the two lists and they were very different. I wonder what VH1 will come up with in 2022…

Sons Of Anarchy Is Back!

After waiting entirely too long for season three, the FX series Sons Of Anarchy returns tomorrow for what will most likely be its most intense season yet. Centered around an outlaw motorcycle club that resides in Charming, California (I know I don’t have to go into the irony of a name like that) Sons features a bunch of dudes on big bikes who make their money selling guns while using a car repair shop as their front. Does this sound like the Sopranos on motorcycles? It should because even with all the leather, snarling conversation, booze, endless parade of women and gun fights, at the end of the day this show is really about doing whatever it takes you protect your family. The way in which this motorcycle club takes care of their own is Mafioso in every sense of the word even if it means killing people, severely injuring them or running them out of town. Maybe Tony Soprano should have gone into the Harley business.

Generally speaking, residents of Charming no better than to mess with these guys or anyone who has any ties to them but others don’t take the same caution. As a result of their outlaw status, SAMCRO (the nickname of the club that roughly stands for “Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original”) has dealt with run-ins with ATF, threats from drug dealers, corporate developers and overzealous law officers. Through the years members of SAMCRO have also served lengthy jail sentences and the club has been hit with the death of family members and friends.

Vice president of the club and our protagonist, Jackson “Jax” Teller (Charlie Hunnam), is the complicated core of this club and the family. His father died in a tragic accident we’ve heard very little about, he has an infant son whose junkie mother is no longer in the picture and is currently dating a doctor named Tara who he used to date many years ago. Jax’s mother, Gemma Teller Morrow (Katey Sagal), is a force to be reckoned with and might be the most Mafioso of anyone in the club. Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman) is Jax's stepfather and the aging president of SAMCRO. As time has passed, hints have been revealed about the dark secrets of this family’s past and the relationship between mother, son and stepfather have been severely strained. I’m assuming that this season we will learn why Gemma and Clay have gone to such great lengths to protect their sins.

Season two ended with Jax’s son Abel being kidnapped and Jax and Clay finally finding out about Gemma being raped so tomorrow’s premiere should be quite the kickoff to what is expected to be an explosive season. It’s a mistake to think this is a testosterone-fueled, gear head show that has no substance because the emotion that comes through behind all the bikes, guns and tough talk makes for great television. Although they are an outlaw motorcycle club, I find myself rooting for those who are part of SAMCRO because regardless of the avenues they take, there is nothing they wouldn’t do for their family or each other.

Santana Brings Out The Big Guns

On September 21, Santana will release his latest album which is comprised entirely of cover songs. The disc, entitled Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time, features an impressive list of guest vocalists and may just be the greatest covers mix ever created:

“Whole Lotta Love” featuring Chris Cornell (Led Zeppelin)

“Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’” featuring Scott Weiland (The Rolling Stones)

“Sunshine Of Your Love” featuring Rob Thomas (Cream)

“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” featuring india.arie and Yo-Yo Ma (The Beatles)

“Dance the Night Away” featuring Pat Monahan (Van Halen)

“Back In Black” featuring Nas and Janelle Monáe (AC/DC)

“Riders On the Storm” featuring Chester Bennington and Ray Manzarek (The Doors)

“Smoke On the Water” featuring Jacoby Shaddix (Deep Purple)

“Photograph” featuring Chris Daughtry (Def Leppard)

“Bang A Gong” featuring Gavin Rossdale (T. Rex)

“Little Wing” featuring Joe Cocker (Jimi Hendrix)

“I Ain’t Superstitious” featuring Jonny Lang (Howlin’ Wolf, Jeff Beck Group)

I don’t know about you, but I’m chomping at the bit for this one! Twenty days and counting…

My Alma Mater Wants To Shut Down Journalism

The University of Colorado at Boulder announced two days ago that they are looking into shutting down the existing journalism school so they can create a new program that will address “the realities of modern media communication.” Apparently, they have asked the Academic Review and Planning Advisory Committee (ARPAC) to look into it starting September 1. The ARPAC must then present a report within 60 days and a recommendation to the chancellor will be given 30 days later. So in less than three months CU’s entire School of Journalism and Mass Communication could be history because the powers that be think that the digital age has shaken journalism so hard that we can’t possibly continue the way we have been or just make a few tweaks? You know what? I think that’s bullshit.

No matter what happens with print media we still need people who know how to write and communicate properly and shutting down or “reconfiguring” (or budget cutting) isn’t the answer. People have been saying that newspapers and magazines will be the equivalent of ancient artifacts for years now and as we all know, that’s not the case. While there is no question that technology, the Internet and even blogging have forced us to rethink what it means to be a journalist, some people still want to read the written word on something tangible. Last time I checked, bookstores and newsstands still carried Rolling Stone, TIME, Newsweek, People, The Wall Street Journal, etc. And you know why? Because people spend enough time looking at their computer screens that when they want to read something for pleasure they want to hold it in their hand while sitting on their patio, on an airplane or even on their couch. Not everyone is interested in reading 5,000 word articles on a computer screen.

I find it interesting that all of this is going down at CU while the journalism school is going through the reaccreditation process. Apparently the school’s record over the past six years is subject to review and that accreditation teams are interested in whether schools are considering new ways to teach media. While the chancellor did announce that regardless of the outcome, all undergraduate and graduate schools who are currently admitted to the School of Journalism and Mass Communication will be able to finish their degrees what does that mean for alums who graduated several years ago? I have many friends who have degrees from CU’s journalism school so what does that mean for them? Will their degrees have less value if the very school they earned their degree from no longer exists? And will this end with journalism or will the English department be next?

I hope CU knows what its doing because no matter what happens in the writing world in the future we will need talented writers. Of course I am very aware of the changes that are happening and will continue to happen but there has to be another way. Schools all over the country are “reconfiguring” in order to “respond to the modern dilemmas of journalism.” What dilemmas are we talking about? If schools continue to shut down journalism and writing programs then our biggest dilemma will be how to deal with college graduates who don’t know how to string sentences together or convey a message or an argument. What will we do then?

Everyone Loves Fall

Over the past few weeks it has come to my attention that everyone in Colorado (and possibly the world) loves the fall season. I have had so many people tell me that they can’t wait for fall and that they are ready for summer to be over. When I remind them that fall is just a layover into snow town they say they don’t care and that fall is a beautiful in-between season that they wait for all year.

Don’t get me wrong, I love fall too but I’ve also enjoyed the warmth of summer after the coldest winter I’ve been through since moving to Colorado eight years ago. So since everyone is excited for fall I decided to put together a list of reasons why I’m excited for the next season.

So here we go…in no particular order…

-Watching the leaves change in Colorado should be the eighth wonder of the world.
-Football starts but baseball is still going on.
-The weather is beautiful – not too hot and not too cold.
-People stop looking at me like I’m crazy when I order whiskey.
-New episodes of my favorite shows begin.
-I can wear long sleeve shirts with sandals.
-New albums hit stores/iTunes and they aren’t just “summer songs” with three words and a catchy beat.
-Going to the mountains and taking photos becomes the best weekend activity. (The photo accompanying this post was taken in Minturn, CO in fall 2008).
-Oktoberfest happens in literally every single town in Colorado – it’s like Tour de Oktoberfest!
-Halloween!
-The Pumpkin Ale at Bull & Bush makes Rodney very happy.
-It’s a great time of year to travel.
-Hiking with Sedona lasts a lot longer because it’s not 100 degrees.
-September is my birthday month.
-Although the thought of snow right now makes me cringe, snowboarding season is coming soon.