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Friday, April 13, 2012

America's Next Top Hypocrite?


This is the second part of a two-part blogging exercise that links to yesterday’s Thursday confession.  For those of you who may have missed yesterday’s entry, my confession post yesterday was this.

THURSDAY CONFESSION #15: When it comes to physical beauty in women, I have this to say. Natural beauty, healthy living, and having a positive attitude about aging gracefully are qualities I find incredibly sexy.

As it so happens, today’s blog topic is based on this confession.  Unfortunately, the subject happens to be about a reality show that seems to go against the confession that I have made.  It happens to be a show that has been on the air for nearly a decade now, and is currently in its eighteenth season (or cycle, as the show refers them as).


The show, of course, happens to be “America’s Next Top Model”, hosted by Tyra Banks (who herself was once known as being a top model). 


When the show debuted its first cycle (opening seen above) on May 20, 2003, nobody knew just how huge the show would eventually become.  Seventeen winners have been crowned in the American version so far, and several international versions of the program have aired (or are currently airing) in countries such as Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Holland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, and Poland, just to name a few.

(If you click on each country, you can watch the intro for each version.)


As far as the mechanics of the show go, I’m not necessarily opposed to it.  The only goal for each of the contestants on each of the “Next Top Model” franchises is to become the last one standing.  The person who is chosen as “America’s Next Top Model” often gets a huge assortment of prizes, including modelling contracts, a spread in a national magazine, prize money, and other various goodies on top of that.  And, from my research, I can say that some of the earliest seasons really did give off an accurate portrayal of how brutal the modelling industry really is.  Between countless photo shoots, modelling in rather unusual situations (from underwater modelling to modelling while bouncing on a trampoline), and various other tasks that range from the exhausting to the ridiculous, it really showed just how hard models really did work in the industry. 

I know that I certainly don’t have what it takes to make it big in the modelling world.  Of course, my main goal was never to become a model, so I’m fine with that.  But for those of you who are quite serious about becoming a fashion model, watch some of the early seasons of “America’s Next Top Model” to see what I mean.  It’s not just standing in front of a camera and making sure that you remember to smile.  There’s a lot of work involved, and on that aspect, I have to show some respect to those who are in the industry.

But, that’s about all of the positive comments that I really have to say about the show.

There’s a reason why I have insisted that people watch the earliest seasons of “America’s Next Top Model”.  In my opinion, those seasons give off a more accurate portrayal of what the modelling industry is really like, and the focus was more towards the contestants.

But, now take a look at the cycle 18 opening.  Notice anything different?


If you said that there was a lot more Tyra, and a lot less models, you’d be correct.  In fact, one thing I have noticed about the show’s recent seasons is that Tyra seems to want to be involved in EVERY DETAIL OF THE SHOW! 

Don’t believe me?  Have a look at this.  Last season, the girls were asked to write and perform their own song.  What that exactly has to do with modelling, I have no idea myself, but that’s not the point.  Below is a clip of one of these songs.


The unfortunate thing about it is that the song was good enough without the cut scenes of Tyra and her friend.  And yet, there she was.  Every single one!  It was almost as if Tyra Banks herself was competing for the title of “America’s Next Top Model”, and screw everyone else.

The fact that Tyra has taken over half of the opening credits should be a clear indication that in recent seasons that the show has seemingly become less about the models competing and more about what Tyra wants. 

I mean, heaven forbid that a contestant chooses not to get emotional about being eliminated from the competition, just as a woman named Tiffany from season four did.  For whatever reason, Tiffany had made peace with the fact that she was going home, but somehow, Tyra didn’t quite think that she should be feeling THAT way...


Can you say, brutal?

And, that’s not even the real issue that I have with the show!

The real problem that I have with “America’s Next Top Model” is related to my confession from yesterday.  I find it very difficult to throw my support to a show that basically turns its back on natural beauty.  It almost seems as though the contestants are forced to become someone completely different from who they are in order to even have a shot at winning the top prize, and to me, that isn’t okay.  Even more disgusting to me is the fact that I feel as though some contestants have no chance to win the competition right from the beginning.


I’ll just come right out and say it.  I feel that the show is discriminatory against “plus-sized” models.  And, yes, I did put “plus-size” in quotation marks for a reason.

I looked into how many contestants have competed in “America’s Next Top Model” over the last nine years.  Each season had anywhere from ten to fourteen models competing.  When you add up all the contestants of each cycle, you get a grand total of two hundred and twenty-three contestants. 

Of those 223 “Top Model” hopefuls, do you want to know just how many admitted “plus-size models” have competed in the series?  Let’s see...

We have Robyn Manning, Anna Bradfield, Toccara Jones, Diane Hernandez, Diana Zalewski, Whitney Cunningham, Whitney Thompson, and Kasia Pilewicz.  If my math is correct, that means that of the 223 contestants on America’s Next Top Model, we have only had EIGHT “plus-size” models.  That’s pathetic.

Of the eight “plus-size” models who have competed, how many have won?  Only one.  Whitney Thompson from Cycle 10.  If you’re curious, here’s a photo of the only “plus-size” winner.


Now, I’ll readily admit that Whitney is gorgeous, and given this photo, I can see why she won the competition.  But, is she really considered “plus-size”?  Not according to me.  To me, Whitney looks no different than the average woman you see on the street.  If she is what “America’s Next Top Model” considers to be “plus-sized”, then I give up.

But, hey, at least the show managed to crown ONE “plus-sized” model.  The other seven never even came close. 

If you thought that was shocking, there’s more.


On cycle 12, there was a model named London who competed for the title of “America’s Next Top Model”, and from the beginning, it appeared that she was an early frontrunner.  However, some of the judges noticed that during the competition, London was actually “gaining” weight.  Never mind the fact that the viewing audience couldn’t see it, according to the judges, she was gaining weight, and they told her flat out that the weight gain was the reason behind her eventual elimination from the episode.

Are you kidding me here?


In interviews given by London that I have read online, she readily admits that controlling her weight has always been an issue for her, but as far as she was concerned, she didn’t think that it should have had any impact on her getting cut from the competition.  And, I agree with her.  While I understand the importance of models keeping their weight in check, there was no indication that London’s weight was out of control.  I think looking back on it, the show actually did more harm than good.  Basically, the message that it showed young women was that you can be a model, provided that you NEVER GAIN A SINGLE POUND EVER AGAIN.  Some message.

And, what makes me absolutely angry about this is the fact that Tyra Banks, of all people, should have known better.

Back in the days in which Tyra had her own daytime talk show, she was very hurt by people who commented negatively on a photo of her in a one-piece bathing suit that showed her off in an unflattering light.  She got so upset about it that she felt a need to address it on her talk show approximately five years earlier.  Watch the clip below.


At that moment, I admit that I was completely on her side.  As someone who had been picked on for being fat in high school, I knew and empathized with everything she was saying.  So, for her to turn around, and basically go against the very speech she gave on her talk show to tell a contestant that because she gained weight, she was no longer considered worthy of running for the title of “America’s Next Top Model” is quite hypocritical.  I would have thought that of all people, Tyra would have understood what London was going through.  I mean, in earlier seasons of the show, she actually showed concern and compassion for past contestants who did admit that they suffered from eating disorders!  It just seemed as though she was doing a total 180 between that talk show speech, and London’s elimination.

And, frankly, that makes me feel disgusted.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with London then, and there certainly isn’t anything wrong with London now.  She was, and is a beautiful girl no matter how much she weighed.  I can’t understand why that wasn’t good enough.

I mean, if she was making the same pose every single week, fine.  Get rid of her.  If she had a diva-like attitude where she thought she was better than everyone else, then fine.  Get rid of her.  If she fell asleep while doing a photo shoot, get rid of her.  Getting rid of her because she gained five pounds?  Shameful.  There’s no defending that.

I guess the point that I’m trying to make is that for a show that supposedly decides who will be the next top model, the judging process to me seems incredibly hypocritical, judgmental, and just plain harmful.  And for a host that preaches all about self-esteem in women, it just seems to boggle my mind that some of the decisions she has made seem to go against every word she says about it.

It’s hard to find natural beauty in a show that seems to take the stance that the more natural looking a model is, the less chance they have of succeeding in the industry.  It’s hard to find girls who have positive attitudes when the stress and drama seem to take over.

And, I find it extremely frustrating that a host who knows the pain that can come from being judged unfairly turns around and treats other contestants the exact same way.


I do believe that “America’s Next Top Model” started off with only the best of intentions, but now I feel that the show really doesn’t know what the heck it is doing any more.  I think I can even state that the show no longer promotes healthy attitudes, looking beautiful at any size, or feeling confident about yourself.  Rather it has turned into the Tyra Banks show, where dramatic confrontations, hypocritical eliminations, and piercing verbal attacks are commonplace.

It’s really sad when you stop and think about it.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Size 0 Is So Overrated...


In what could be a first for the blog, this week’s Thursday Confession is going to be split into two parts over two separate days!

It wasn’t intentionally planned this way, but looking at what my intended confession for today was, and looking at the planned topic for Friday is scheduled to be, there are quite a few parallels between the two.  So, stay tuned over the course of the next 48 hours because this week will be a double confession.

To kick off the first part of this two-part event, I’d like each of you to take a look at this picture.




For those of you who have used Facebook or Twitter, you’ve likely seen this image floating around.  People have a whole slew of opinions regarding this picture, and my opinion will be shared in this blog entry.  After all, it ties in to my confession for today.

THURSDAY CONFESSION #15:  When it comes to physical beauty in women, I have this to say.  Natural beauty, healthy living, and having a positive attitude about aging gracefully are qualities I find incredibly sexy.

Women are being bombarded by images of what Hollywood declares to be “perfect”.  You see it all the time in film, television, magazines, and Times Square billboards.  But in recent years, we’re seeing a rather shocking and alarming trend.

Take the image that I posted up above.  I want all of you to study the top row of that photo.  On the top row, you have from left to right, Heidi Montag, Nicole Richie, Keira Knightley, and Kirsten Dunst.  Do you notice something in common with all of them? 


This seems to be a common trend with the media.  Over the last twenty years, it seems as though actresses and models are a lot slimmer than normal.  When I was growing up, I think that the main supermodels were Christie Brinkley, Cindy Crawford, and Christy Turlington.  Certainly all three in their prime were quite stunning (and for that matter, still are as of 2012).  But, when you compare those models to the likes of Nicole Richie and Keira Knightley, they almost appear like they are plus-size models in comparison.

And, that’s not a good thing, as far as I’m concerned.

Now, granted, I realize that people do come in all shapes and sizes, and have differing metabolisms.  It’s entirely possible that the people up on the top row are just naturally slim.  I knew someone who had the same build that ate constantly, and just couldn’t gain weight.  That’s not exactly what I’m concerned about.

My concern lies with the fact that the world of fashion and cosmetics seem to have the idea that this is the “norm”.  According to Hollywood, it’s perfectly “normal” to wear a size zero and weigh less than ninety-seven pounds.  Or, at least that is the impression that I seem to get by watching television in recent years, anyway. 

But this way of thinking isn’t normal at all.  It’s not normal for the vast majority of women out there in the world.


The quest for perfection in Hollywood is in my opinion an impossible dream.  There’s no way to achieve perfection, and those who even try to achieve it usually end up getting hurt.  There have been so many cases of people developing eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia, and some have even died from these diseases (such as Karen Carpenter pictured above).  The abuse of over-the-counter diet pills can also be stemmed from the impossibly high standards of the entertainment industry.

The end result for some of these women is frankly, quite disappointing.  Sure, they’ve managed to squeeze into a tiny dress, but in many photos I’ve seen, it’s not very flattering.  In some cases, they have gone way overboard, and look as if they are dead on the inside.  And to me, I don’t find anything beautiful about women killing themselves to attain a standard of beauty that at the most, only 1% of the global population can realistically achieve.  Frankly, I am more disturbed than turned on.

Now compare the images on the top row of the picture to the images on the bottom row.  In case you’re wondering, the women on the bottom row are Bettie Page, Shirley Jones, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marilyn Monroe.  Granted, I realize that this is just my own personal preference, but I find the images on the bottom to be much sexier than the images up top.  The reason why I feel this way?  Well, I admit that it’s more of a personal opinion than fact, but I’m going to come out with it.  The women on the bottom row look much healthier, and their natural curviness makes them look absolutely gorgeous. 

Yes, everyone has their own idea of what true beauty is, and I’m sure that some men would look at any of these women and find them absolutely sexy.  I just happen to like women who have curves, and don’t mind showing them off.  I’d rather see a woman shrug off the fact that she has a few extra pounds on her frame than to see her end up killing herself trying to achieve a body image that is near impossible to get.


On that note, this brings me to my next argument.  Many women (and even a few men) have gone under the knife to have cosmetic surgery in order to look anywhere from four to forty years younger than they really are. 

As far as my attitude towards plastic surgery goes, I admit that I have mixed feelings about it.  I do admit that there are some cases in which I support plastic surgery.  If you’re badly burned, have a tattoo that you want removed, or elect to get reconstructive surgery following a mastectomy, I’d consider those to be great reasons to go under the knife.  I’d even support someone going in for plastic surgery if they had a positive attitude about it, and if they were getting the work done for themselves and not for anybody else.  I also respect people like Jeanne Cooper from “The Young and the Restless” for showing viewers the realism behind the surgery.  In 1984, when Cooper announced that she was getting a face lift done, it was decided that her character, Katherine Chancellor, would get one too, and the show actually showed the procedure on air!  


So, I admit that there are some understandable reasons why people have consulted with plastic surgeons.  But for the most part, I don’t believe that most women NEED to have it done at all.


Maybe I’m in the minority, but whatever happened to aging gracefully?  To me, what I find beautiful about people of an older demographic are those people who are proud of every line, wrinkle, and age spot they have developed through the years.  Sure, they might try to conceal them with age defying creams and cosmetics, but at the end of the day when the make-up comes off and the lines and wrinkles remain, they tell the story of a life well-lived. 

I find that beautiful.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love and appreciate a beautiful woman as much as any guy here...but I also have a soft spot for real natural beauty.  Actually, I want to change that.  I get incredibly turned on by natural beauty.


It really saddens me that some women feel a need to enhance their already beautiful selves with plastic surgery.  If you want a perfect example of what I mean by this, look at Heidi Montag.  I’ll admit that I never watched “The Hills”, so I never knew who she was until a couple of years ago.  Two years ago, Montag’s name was plastered all over entertainment magazines and news shows detailing the near dozen procedures she had done...at TWENTY-THREE years old!  Twenty-three!  I’m of the mind that most 53-year-old women look fine without surgery, let alone twenty-three!  The really tragic thing about Heidi Montag was that before she had the work done, she was absolutely stunning.  Now, I feel that the natural beauty she once had is now lost and replaced with a manufactured, plastic look.  To many men, I imagine that she is still gorgeous, but unfortunately, I liked her old look.

But, what do you expect from a world where shows like “Entertainment Tonight” do entire exposes on celebrities who have cellulite?  Who cares?  Cellulite is not contagious, nor should it be treated like it is a form of leprosy!  Everyone has it.  Hell, I’ll bet I have it!

(Not that I’m going to post photographic evidence of that fact, as I don’t want to scare any followers of this blog away.)


Believe it or not, as a man, I have also experienced the pressure to look a certain way.  It’s not just women who get bombarded by images of “perfection”.  We men get it as well.  If we don’t have hairless bodies, 6-pack abs, or look good in a tiny black Speedo, then we best kill ourselves right now.  Doesn’t that sound absolutely ridiculous to you?  I know it does to me!

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that I do believe that society puts too much pressure on us to look a certain way.  I realize that we all have our own ideas about what a “good-looking” person is, and that they all differ.  But, that’s what’s beautiful about it.  In the end, we all have something inside ourselves that can be called beautiful. 

I have the utmost respect for anyone who can take any flaws they may have, and embrace them to their fullest.  And really, if they see their snaggletoothed smile as beautiful, does that really make it flawed?  I don’t see it as such.

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that I find people who can look at themselves in the mirror and love themselves for who they are no matter what size they are, or how many scars they have, or how much (or how little) hair they have to be absolutely amazing.  I believe that the true beauty in all of us comes from within.  If we can find a way to love ourselves for who we are, then I find that incredibly beautiful.


That’s the conclusion of Part One.  Part Two begins tomorrow, where we examine a popular reality show that I’m not really a fan of, mostly because it seems to go against the opinions of true beauty that I have shared with all of you today.  But for now, it is...



Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Survey Says...Funny Family Feud Answers!


I might have said this before on the blog, but one of the things on my bucket list is to be a contestant on a quiz or game show.  I don’t even necessarily have to win all of the fabulous cash and prizes that are up for grabs.  I’d even take home my corn popper and board game as a consolation prize.  I think that the experience alone would be something worth talking about.  Alas, Canada isn’t the biggest producer of game shows, so I fear that I may have to wait a while yet.

It’s easy to watch a game show from the comfort of your own living room.  But when you’re underneath those hot studio lights as a contestant, there is always the threat of losing a turn, losing all your hard-earned cash and prizes, or making a complete fool out of yourself in front of a live studio audience.  It’s easy for me to say that I would do quite well on a game show as a contestant, but until I’m actually on that stage, I can only speculate.  For all I know, I could get up on that soundstage and give off some of the dumbest answers that anybody has ever heard, and end up having my blunders being featured on one of those blooper shows.

(Although, I have to admit that I get easily entertained by ridiculous game show answers.)

I certainly hope that all of you are entertained by game show bloopers as well, because today’s blog subject happens to be about a game show that has had hundreds of them.  Let’s take a look at an example from the 1970s to see what I mean.


Well...I imagine SOME pregnant women start showing in September.


Today we’re going to look back on the classic television game show “Family Feud”.  It’s a show that has aired on and off over the last thirty-six years, and has been presented by six different hosts.  Just who are/were the hosts of Family Feud?  Survey says...







If you click on each of the names, you can see the hosts in action during their run on the show.  I’ve seen all six hosts in action, and I have my personal favourites.  Dawson is probably the host that is the most recognizable of all the hosts, and is probably most people’s favourite host.  I grew up watching Combs version myself, and I found him to be a great host too.  I also liked O’Hurley’s stint as host.  Steve Harvey I’m kind of indifferent to.  Karn was better on “Home Improvement”, and Louie Anderson...well, I like that he tried his best, and that he brought the show back after a four year hiatus...but he’s not my favourite host.


TRIVIA:  When Louie Anderson was picked to host “Family Feud” in the 1999 revival, the other candidate up for the job was reportedly country singer Dolly Parton!  Could you imagine Dolly Parton hosting “Family Feud”?  I think she would’ve been a hoot!

Many of the hosts found personal success with hosting the program.  Richard Dawson ended up marrying a former contestant who appeared on “Family Feud” in 1981, while Richard Karn and John O’Hurley have moved onto other television projects.  Other hosts hit a downward spiral, and in the case of Ray Combs, his downward spiral was irreversible.  He ended up committing suicide in 1996 following a severe car accident two years earlier and reported marital problems.

Now, even though the show seemed to go through a revolving door of hosts and producers, the rules of the game stayed the same.  Two competing families (or two teams of celebrities raising money for charity) would face off against each other in a battle of wits.  Each team would have five players (four in the 1994/95 season) on it.  Each team would send a player to the podium for the face-off round.  There would be a board with a list of hidden answers corresponding with a survey question asked to one hundred random people.  The job was to try and get the most popular answer, as the higher your answer was, the more points you scored.  Whoever won the face-off would decide whether their team would continue playing that round, or pass to the other team.


From there, the family would then try to get all of the answers revealed off the board.  If they ended up revealing an answer, they would add points to their total.  If they missed an answer, well, they would get one of these.


And just like the game of baseball, three strikes, and you were out.  From there, the other family could attempt to steal all of the other team’s hard-earned points that they had earned by successfully guessing an answer they couldn’t.  If they were right, they won the round.  If they missed, the other team kept their points.

Needless to say, some of the answers that were given during these first few rounds were rather...unusual.

In some cases, the contestants get a little too eager to win the face-off round that they buzz in a little too soon.


Sometimes, the contestants completely misunderstand the question. 



And, sometimes the answers given make one want to bash their head repeatedly into a wall.



But that was part of the fun of “Family Feud”.  You never knew what people were going to say!

In the earliest incarnations of the game, the family that reached 300 points first would win the chance to go onto the bonus round, but the rule has since changed in that the team with the highest total after four rounds wins the chance to go to the bonus.

The bonus round was given the affectionate name of “Fast Money”.


And, when they say “Fast Money”, they mean fast.  Each winning team would choose two people to play the bonus round for the chance at a huge cash prize.  The first team member would get five questions asked to 100 random people, and their job was to get as many of the top answers as possible in fifteen seconds (it was changed to twenty in the 1994/95 season).  The total points they received were added up, and from there, the second teammate (who was in seclusion) would try to get additional points.  Because teammates were not allowed to repeat answers, they were given an additional five seconds to come up with alternate answers for the game.  If both players accumulated a total of 200 points or more, they would win “Fast Money”.

The “Fast Money” bonus round was always my favourite part of the show.  People really had to think quickly on their feet to come up with appropriate answers at lightning speed if they stood a chance.  And, the suspense that came from the round was quite thrilling.

But the real reason why I enjoyed “Fast Money” so much was because the majority of dumb answers could be witnessed during this round.  You already saw an example of this in action with Richard Dawson and the “September” lady, but I have so many more examples to show to all of you, just for you to see what I mean.

I mean, just watching this family in action, is it any wonder why they ended up losing the game?



Yikes.  That was awful. 

Then there are those answers that make absolute sense, but the humour surrounding the answer can make people lose all their composure, such as this moment from the Steve Harvey version.


Have you ever had the moment where you’re watching “Family Feud” and you hear an answer that you think is absolutely ridiculous, and yet the answer still scores some points?  Watch this clip from the John O’Hurley version, and you’ll see what I mean in the first part.


It’s not just the American version that bloopers occur.  Did you know that the show “Family Feud” is also quite popular in the United Kingdom?  The only difference is that the game there is referred to as “Family Fortunes”, but the rules are more or less exactly the same.

And one thing that I have learned from watching the international version is that British people can give rather odd answers as well.  The last three clips in this package is proof of that, and I’ve already cued this LINK to start at the “Family Fortunes” moments.

One of the most memorable contestants of the UK version involves a very nice gentleman who sadly had a one track mind.


And to conclude this look back on “Funny Family Feud Answers”, one more post from the UK version involving a new type of bean...



Tuesday, April 10, 2012

April 10, 1958


Hi! And, welcome to the 101st day of 2012!

On most other years, April 10th would be the 100th day of the year, but since it's a leap year this year, it's not. I know, it's weird, isn't it? :D

All that aside, it's time for another trip back through time, as we take a look back on an event that took place on April 10th.

But, before we launch into that, we will, as always, talk about some other happenings that occurred on this date throughout history.

We'll start with April 10th happenings through the years, beginning with...

837 – Halley's Comet and Earth experienced their closest approach to one another, their distance being 3.2 million miles apart

1815 – Mount Tambora begins a three-month long eruption. 71,000 people are estimated to have lost their lives, and the resulting disaster affects global climate for the next two years

1816 – The U.S. Government approves creation of the Second Bank of the United States

1856 – Theta Chi fraternity is founded at Norwich University

1858 – After the original “Big Ben” had cracked during testing, a new bell was recast by Whitechapel Bell Foundry

1874 – The first Arbor Day is celebrated in the state of Nebraska

1887 – Pope Leo XIII authorizes the establishment of The Catholic University of America

1912 – The Titanic leaves port in Southampton, England, would sink just five days later

1916 – The PGA (Professional Golf Association of America) is created in New York City

1925 – F. Scott Fitzgerald's “The Great Gatsby” was first published

1953 – The movie “House of Wax” debuts, making it the first 3D film made from a major American studio (Warner Brothers)

1970 – Paul McCartney announces his departure from the Beatles citing personal and professional reasons

1972 – For the first time since 1967, American troops bomb North Vietnam during Vietnam War

2010 – Polish Air Force Tu-154M crashes in Russia, killing Polish president Lech Kaczynski

We also said goodbye to a few celebrities on April 10. These include actor Larry Linville (2000), singer Little Eva (2003), football player Al Lucas (2005), and actress Dixie Carter (2010).



For today's look back through time, we're going to feature a celebrity birthday. A celebrity who happens to have the birthdate of April 10, 1958.

It isn't these people, but a very happy birthday to Max von Sydow, Ken Griffey Sr., Steven Seagal, Peter MacNicol, Steven Gustafson (10,000 Maniacs), Brian Setzer, Orlando Jones, Billy Jayne (previously Jacoby), Kenny Lattimore, Q-Tip, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Kasey Kahne, Laura Bell Bundy, Liz McClarnon (Atomic Kitten), Chyler Leigh, Ryan Merriman, Mandy Moore, Haley Joel Osment, Alex Pettyfer, and A.J. Michalka.

No, today we're going to be taking a look back at a man who started off in the industry very young, and who ended up wearing many hats during his career. Singer, songwriter, performer, record label founder, record producer, film producer...he even has a stretch of highway named after him!

Seriously, that last part is the truth! If you're ever driving down Interstate 65 which passes through the city of Indianapolis, you'll likely see some signs in the area indicating that a particular part of the highway was named after someone named Kenneth Edmonds. But, you may recognize him by his professional name better. Oh, look, here's one of his songs down below.



This is for the cool in you, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. That's right. This blog post is all about you today!

Born on April 10, 1958 in Indianapolis, Indiana, Kenneth Edmonds knew that he wanted to have a career in music as long as he could remember. He was one of six brothers (two of which also had musical success, as Melvin and Kevon Edmonds formed the band After 7 in the late 1980s), and growing up, Kenneth was incredibly shy. He often didn't share his emotions with people publicly. Instead, he got his feelings out through song lyrics. Beginning in his early teen years, Kenneth was writing dozens of songs. It was the way that he coped with his shyness in the public world. I can understand where he was coming from, believe me. Although I never wrote song lyrics, I did do a lot of writing in my teen years myself to cope with feelings of loneliness. I suppose in some ways, I still do this.



But, this blog entry isn't about me. It's about Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. Moving on.

When Kenneth was just in the eighth grade, his father died of lung cancer, leaving his mother to raise six boys as a single parent. It was right around this time that Kenneth had decided that he wanted to take his songwriting skills and put them to the test by becoming a recording artist.

When he was just out of high school, Kenneth started performing and playing. It was one performance that he ended up doing with funk performer Bootsy Collins that Edmonds ended up getting the nickname of “Babyface”. It was coined by Collins, who gave him the moniker upon realizing that he had a young looking face compared to the other performers. The name caught on, and Edmonds soon began using the name professionally.

Babyface would also play with groups such as Manchild, and later joined the band, The Deele (which he would meet Antonio “L.A.” Reid for the first time) as the band's keyboardist. During the period he was with the band, Babyface recorded his debut solo album, “Lovers” in 1986, and achieved his first commercial songwriting credit three years before that when he wrote the tune “Slow-Jam” for the band Midnight Star. But, “Slow-Jam” wasn't a commercial success, and his debut album, while a modest success, only sold a little more than 200,000 copies.



It wasn't until 1988 that Babyface's rise to super-stardom would take place. That was the year that both he and L.A. Reid left The Deele. The following year would be an incredibly busy one for the 31-year-old Edmonds, but it was to be the most life-changing year of his life.



Let's take a look back at Babyface's 1989, shall we? 1989 was the year that Babyface recorded his sophomore album entitled “Tender Lover”, and its success on the charts was much better than his debut. The album's first two singles, “It's No Crime” and “Tender Lover” did very well on the Billboard charts, and both songs topped the R&B charts for several weeks. The album itself went triple platinum, making Babyface a force to be reckoned with on the R&B charts.

And that was just singing. Babyface had even bigger success as a songwriter and music producer, essentially becoming one of the faces behind the creation of the genre of music known as “new jack swing” (which admittedly was a style of music that was a large part of my childhood). Together with L.A. Reid, the duo founded the record label known as LaFace Records in 1989, though it would be a few years yet before that record label would become hugely successful. For now, Babyface and Reid were content on achieving success by writing and producing for other artists. During late 1988 and early 1989, the duo produced songs for Pebbles, Sheena Easton, Bobby Brown, Karyn White, and Paula Abdul, amongst others. And, in 1990, Babyface would end up achieving his first #1 Top 40 hit...although someone else was singing it.



That was Whitney Houston's “I'm Your Baby Tonight”, a #1 hit for her in December 1990, written and produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface.

Other huge hits that could be credited to Babyface were two singles by Boyz II Men (“End of the Road” and “I'll Make Love To You”), Madonna's “Take A Bow”, and “Change The World” by Eric Clapton.

As Babyface became a successful songwriter for other artists, he found his own solo projects getting better as a result. By the time his fourth album “For The Cool In You” was released, Babyface had managed to sell millions of copies of his solo work, and he ended up performing singles from the album on an episode of “Beverly Hills 90210”. This was one of the songs he performed on the show's fourth season finale, and it also happens to be one of my favourite Babyface singles of all time.



ARTIST: Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds
SONG: When Can I See You
ALBUM: For The Cool In You
DATE RELEASED: June 28, 1994
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS: #4

With Edmonds establishing himself as a successful singer and songwriter, it was time for him to build up his resume by developing LaFace Records. In order for the record label to be successful, both Babyface and L.A. Reid needed fresh talent.

Who could have known that three of the first artists signed to LaFace Records would end up becoming huge success stories in themselves?



One of the first bands to sign with LaFace Records was TLC, who ended up recording two incredibly successful albums with LaFace. Both 1992's “Ooooooohhh...On The TLC Tip” and 1994's “CrazySexyCool”, helped TLC become one of the best-selling female musical groups of all-time, the “CrazySexyCool” album spawning several hit singles between 1994 and 1996.



Toni Braxton also recorded her debut album with LaFace Records in 1993. With such hits as “Breathe Again”, “Another Sad Love Song”, and “You Mean The World To Me”, Braxton's album sold eight million copies.



Another artist to benefit from joining the LaFace family was Usher Raymond, whose 1994 debut set the stage for his incredibly successful solo career, which as of 2012 is still going on strong, with Usher set to release his seventh studio album later this year.

So, to say that Babyface was a force in the recording industry would be a bit of an understatement, wouldn't you say? He not only carved out a nice little solo career for himself, but he helped produce songs for other successful artists, and even helped kick off the careers of other musical stars.

In later years, Babyface moved into producing soundtracks for motion pictures (most notably the soundtrack for the 1995 film “Waiting To Exhale”), and he would eventually start up Edmonds Entertainment Group, responsible for the production of the successful 1997 film “Soul Food”, and the less-than-successful 2001 film “Josie and the Pussycats”.



It's hard to ignore the incredible contributions to music that Babyface has made. He helped create a new style of music, and started up a successful record company. He has been rewarded with several high charting singles and albums, dozens of awards, and yes, even that stretch of highway in Indianapolis.

And to think that it all began the day he was born...April 10, 1958.

Monday, April 09, 2012

The Three Dimensions Of Titanic

This week marks the anniversary of a rather tragic event in history. 


It has been almost one hundred years since the Titanic collided with an iceberg the night of April 14, 1912.  Just three hours later, around 2:20am on April 15, the boat broke in two and sank into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.

A total of 1,514 people lost their lives in what was one of the biggest peacetime maritime disasters in the twentieth century.  The wreckage still sits on the bottom of the ocean as a reminder of what happened.  There were only 710 survivors of the disaster.  The last living survivor of the disaster passed away on May 31, 2009 at the age of 97 (she was a newborn at the time).

Over the last century, the sinking of the Titanic has been well documented and studied by millions of people all over the world.  From conspiracy theories to actual investigation of the wreckage in recent years, the Titanic is still widely researched.  It has been the subject of countless magazine articles, documentaries, and feature films.

Since today is the Monday Matinee portion of the week, I think you know where this entry is going.



Yes, we’re going to be looking at the movie “Titanic”, which was released in December 1997.  The movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Gloria Stuart, and Billy Zane, was a box office phenomenon.  Directed by James Cameron, the movie was nominated for fourteen Academy Awards (winning eleven), and was the first film ever to reach a total gross of one BILLION dollars.  In fact, the movie was listed as the highest grossing film ever between 1998 and 2010, the record being broken by another James Cameron film, “Avatar”.  Although the film was a fictional depiction of the sinking, Cameron made sure that there were just as many historical accuracies mixed in with the very fictional love story between the main characters.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, movie theatres have re-released the film entirely in 3D, and it’s only fitting that this entry will be in 3D as well.


Oh, but don’t worry.  You won’t need to wear those funny looking glasses for this entry.  The title of this blog is “The Three Dimensions of Titanic” for a reason.  The more I watch the film, the more I realize that there are three main components within the film that make it work.  When you take these three dimensions apart, they appear to have absolutely nothing in common.  But, link them together, and you have one fantastic, if not doomed, love story that captivated audiences all over the world.

These three dimensions are Jack Dawson (DiCaprio), Rose DeWitt Bukater (Winslet), and the Titanic itself.

Taking the two human characters into the discussion, let’s look at Jack first.  Although his talent as an artist was evident, he didn’t really apply himself very much, and ended up drifting as a career choice.  Rose, on the other hand, was a seventeen-year-old socialite, living a life of privilege.  By hearing those descriptions, Rose and Jack appear to have nothing in common, and had they passed by each other on a city sidewalk, I imagine that neither one would give the other a second glance.

But, here’s where the third dimension comes in to tie Jack and Rose together. 

The Titanic’s maiden voyage.


Rose is a first class passenger on the ship along with her mother Ruth, and her fiancé, Caledon Hockley (Zane).  However, the audience learns right from the get-go that the only reason that Rose is with Cal is for his money.

Now, before you go and accuse Rose of being nothing more than a gold-digger, consider this.  Although Rose’s family gave off the illusion that they were wealthy, in all actuality, they were having huge financial difficulties.  And, Cal was a man who came from a wealthy background.  Therefore, the solution was simple, according to Ruth.  Rose marries Cal, and Cal ends up eradicating any trace of financial troubles within the DeWitt Bukater family.

Cal was looking forward to becoming Rose’s husband.  Rose, on the other hand, would have rather flung herself over the side of the boat.

No, seriously, that’s what she was planning on doing to get out of the engagement to a man she did not love. 

And she probably would have gotten away with it, if it wasn’t for that meddling drifter.


Somehow, Jack Dawson happens upon the scene and convinces Rose not to throw her life away.  In the commotion, Cal happens upon the scene, and starts to jump to the wrong conclusion, but cleverly, Rose covers for Jack.  Telling Cal that she accidentally slipped and that Jack saved her, Cal seems to believe the story.  At Rose’s insistence, Cal invites Jack to join them for dinner inside the first class dining room.  Although Jack accepts the offer, and starts up a friendship with Rose in the process, Cal does not seem to trust Jack at all.  Even Rose’s mother looks down on Jack, thinking that he could never measure up to the man that Cal was.

Still, Rose finds herself strangely attracted to Jack.  She even followed Jack down into the third-class cabins where a party was going on.  But once Cal and Ruth got wind about what was happening, they intervened.  There was no way that Rose was ever going to see Jack again.  No way at all.

Of course, a seventeen year old’s logic differs from the logic of an adult.  When you’re seventeen, and someone forbids you to do something, doesn’t it make you want to do it MORE?  I know that when I was seventeen, I thought in a similar manner.

The more that everyone told Rose to stay away from Jack, the more Rose wanted to be with Jack.  And, that persistence would lead up to one of the most memorable scenes in the whole film.


Thus began the courtship of Rose and Jack.

And, in regards to that courtship, Rose wasted no time in telling Jack how she felt.  When Jack and Rose arrived back at Rose’s stateroom, she asked Jack to sketch her in the nude.  The only thing she would wear was a necklace which was called “The Heart of the Ocean”, an engagement present from Cal.  That moment lead to a session of passionate love making between Jack and Rose, and Rose had come to a decision.  She would break off the engagement with a man she did not love, and would run off with the man who captured her heart.

If only that damn iceberg didn’t get in the way.



The ship crashed, and the situation is dire.  Rose and Jack witness the collision, and Rose immediately gets worried about her mother and Cal.  Unfortunately, at that moment, Cal discovers the sketch that Jack made of Rose along with the necklace in his personal safe, and is immediately disgusted and furious.  He attempts to frame Jack for stealing “The Heart of the Ocean” by having someone stuff it inside Jack’s coat, and Jack is arrested.  When Rose finds out, she frees Jack herself.  Somehow, Jack and Rose make it onto the deck where the lifeboats are being deployed, and Cal encourages Rose to get on a lifeboat with the promise that he has made arrangements for both himself and Jack to get off the boat safely. 

It turns out that promise was worth less than a penny, as Cal revealed to Jack that he had no intention of helping him get off the boat at all.  He was content with leaving Jack to die alone on the boat while he sailed off to safety with Rose in a lifeboat.

And then THIS happens...


Yes.  Jack was right.  Rose was quite stupid at that moment.  As if anyone would willingly come back onto a boat that was doomed from the moment it struck that iceberg.  Yet, Rose decided at that moment that she did not want to leave Jack’s side.  Whether they got off the boat alive or went down with the ship, Rose wanted Jack by her side, no matter what.

Now, that’s real, undying love.  It didn’t matter that they had only known each other for three days or however long it was.  Their love for each other was one hundred per cent real.  And, the incredibly insecure Cal wasn’t going to stand for it.  Somehow, he got his hands on a pistol, and chases Rose and Jack through the first-class section of the boat.  Luckily for Jack and Rose, Cal is a lousy shot, and he dejectedly gives up the chase.

Jack and Rose are left on the boat as it splits in two, and as passengers plunge into the ice cold ocean below, Jack and Rose stare death directly in the face, with a future as unstable as a gelatin dessert.

And, I think I’ll leave off there.  Most of you have seen the movie before, so you know how it ends, but here are a few cryptic clues.


You may have noticed that I have mentioned Gloria Stuart in the cast of the movie.  I’ll reveal that she plays the role of the elderly Rose, so you know that one of the main characters survived.  But, what happened to Jack?  What happened to Cal?  What happened to “The Heart of the Ocean”?  I’m sure you know all the answers to these questions already, but for the select few who have never seen this movie, fear not...all of these questions will be answered in the movie’s last few minutes.

So, what can we learn from Jack and Rose’s romance on the doomed ship Titanic?  I guess the main one is to follow your heart.  It can be argued that this lesson ultimately lead to them being on the boat as it sank into the depths of the ocean, but at that moment, both Jack and Rose had clarity about what they really wanted for the first time in their whole lives.  Rose, in particular, had a real eye-opening experience.  Instead of dooming herself to a life of misery and unhappiness with someone she didn’t love, she followed her heart to be with someone who loved her for who she was.  She became more open, more carefree, and ended up taking more risks.  Jack inspired her to be a better person, and I’d like to think that the reverse was true as well.

Fate had brought them together.  Jack and Rose would have never met had it not been for the Titanic. 

I’ll admit that when I first watched this movie, I often joked about the ending, in particular with the fate of one of the main characters...but watching the movie years later, I think I’ve developed a whole new appreciation for the love story of Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater.

To conclude this entry, I thought that it would be best to end it off with the song that defined this movie.  One of 1998’s biggest hits, here’s “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion.  And, my apologies to the non-Dion fans out there.  At least I waited until the end!