Antoine (see more below)
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Happy Birthday today February 3rd
Baiting The Hook....
To be honest, I have little or no interest in the Manti Te'o story. It is not that it is not juicy, but it is a story still being written. I prefer my stories that have are finished and the 'facts' coming out of this one are all bound to change many times before the final chapter is written.
The reason I was prompted to write about it today was not really directly about Manti Te'o but more my annoyance with Catfishing and Dr. Phil. I saw the documentary CatFish a couple of years ago. It was mildly interesting, but Nev Schulman's overly dramatic presentation, not to mention love of himself, turned me off a little. Catfishing is now EVERYWHERE, every tv new show, talk show and magazine. It is not that I doubt the issue, but it has become the 'topic de jour' with every media outlet jumping on the issue to cash in on the story.
Dr. Phil must have been seething that Manti Te'o had a connection to Katie Couric and ended up on her show. He wasted no time however in finding someone else connected to the story to exploit. Dr. Phil shoved Ronaiah Tuiasosopo into the spotlight, promoting his series of shows with teasers about his being gay, molested as a child, and a couple of voice detector experts lined up as if they were on a game show. It sickens me that Dr. Phil is the most highly rated daytime talk show. I cannot believe people can't see how totally repulsive and exploitative he is. Dr. Phil is an ambulance chaser, running after anyone in trouble, looking to shove a camera in their face to raise his ratings and pad his pocket.
It shocks me he has not lost his licence for the inappropriate way he conducts himself. Any ethical doctor or psychologist would never push someone as emotionally raw as Ronaiah Tuiasosopo in front of a camera to deal with his issues. There is no helping going on, only harm. People in crisis, struggling with mental health issues, need someone they can trust. Putting them out in front of the world has ramifications most are not emotionally ready for. If Dr. Phil truly cared, he would see them in an office, not a tv studio, but then no one would see what he was doing and Dr. Phil rarely does anything that cannot be filmed, edited and most importantly, sold.
Lip Service
First off let me be clear, I love Beyoncé! Beautiful, talented and classy. I have all her music, I have performance on DVD and have seen most of her appearances on Award Shows and specials. When the brou ha ha over whether she was lip syncing at the inauguration arose, I was team Beyoncé all the way. I didn't know why anyone would care and why anyone would think to criticize her if she did. Unlike Britney and even Madonna, whose vocals may not be that strong, Beyoncé has proved over and over she has the power to nail almost any song. Given the importance of the day, if she was lip syncing, why would anyone care?
But then, I watched her press conference...
Like most everyone, I was initially in awe of the 'fuck you' she gave the press and haters with her amazing live singing of the National Anthem. Then however, she spoke. I lost a bit of respect for Beyoncé for a few reasons. First for her excuses, second for implying it is commonplace, and third for making it seem she does not do this pretty much everytime she performs at a function. She had lots of preparation time, enough to record a flawless redintion to sing to. For the record, singing to a back track might be a gentle way of saying it, but singing to track is indeed simply lip syncing. It is also not true everyone does it, many do not. Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor had the same pressures, time constraints, and weather, and both managed to sing live. Clarkson also managed a great rendition at last years Superbowl and Christina Aguilera a flawed but still live version the year before.
Watching Beyoncé perform so many times means you know she almost always 'sings to track'. The inauguration was not an exception, but what she usually does. At Award shows, Saturday Night Live and most other television appearances. Just because you add a 'thank you' or big 'yeah yeah' live at the end of the track does not mean watchers don't know you did not sing live. I will never forget the Kennedy Center Honors when Barbara Streisand was getting her award. Singer after singer came out and sang, some like Idina Menzel did not come off so well, but that is what happens when singing live. Then, Beyoncé rose up from the below the stage, lip syncing a flawless rendition of Memories. I hope Idinia Menzel feels a bit vindicated this week, while Beyoncé got raves, the press were not as kind to her. I just wish Beyoncé didn't play it safe at her press conference, making excuses, and acting like she doesn't sing to track on a regular basis. There is nothing really wrong with it, except although she was sort of honest she really didn't tell the whole truth.
Men & Their Balls
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