If
one were to go to a movie theatre in May 2016, you really might think that what
was massively popular five years ago has come back to become popular today.
It was just a few days ago that "The Angry Birds Movie" was released
in theatres, and it made me think back five years ago when that mobile game was
blowing up everybody's phones!
Well...everyone's except mine. In 2011,
I didn't have one.
But
it's easy to see how Angry Birds became so popular. It starts off quite simple enough, with you shooting red, black,
white, and yellow birds at a group of evil green piggies who have built their
homes on a variety of different terrains from grassland to outer space! The further you make it into the game, the
harder it becomes. And once you reach
that point, you have to make the choice of continuing on with the game, or
throwing your phone at a bird feeder.
But
it got me thinking...if Angry Birds was a hot app for the year 2011...what
other things were people doing on their phones? Well, aside from texting, calling, and taking selfies for
MySpace.
Or, was MySpace still a thing in 2011?
I'm thinking not.
Anyway,
here's what some of you might have been doing with your mobile devices five
years ago.
WORDS WITH FRIENDS
Basically, there's really nothing all that different about this game. It's essentially the game of
"Scrabble" on social media.
But what made Words With Friends so much fun was the fact that you could
challenge your Facebook friends to a game or two or thirty to a classic game of
words. The best part about this app was
that you no longer needed to have Webster's Dictionary with you at all
times. If you tried to enter in a word
that was slang, offensive, or not a word, the computer would let you know!
I imagine some people still play this game today, though nothing can ever
really simulate the fights that can erupt at the kitchen table because your
perfect word was spoiled by someone else who played their TRIPLE WORD SCORE
word in the very spot you wanted.
FRUIT NINJA
First appearing for the iPhone in April 2010, by 2011, it had grown to be one
of the most downloaded mobile games of the year. And, I'm sure that at some point, everyone has played this game
at least once. I know I tried the game
on a friend's mobile phone, and I liked it - even though I sucked horribly at
it.
But look at Fruit Ninja as being able to achieve a dream. Have you ever wanted to be like one of those
Ninja swordsmen who really wanted to slice a watermelon, grapefruit, or
honeydew melon in half but you weren't allowed to because you'd either make a
mess in the kitchen or accidentally decapitate your grandmother? This app allows you to live out your dream
mess free and without the fear of going to prison for accidental murder!
And, one final positive about this game?
It is used in hospitals and care facilities as an aid to help with the
recovery of stroke patients!
PLANTS VS. ZOMBIES
I have to say that of all the apps listed here, this one is my absolute
favourite. I didn't discover this game
until maybe about a year after it was released. I was actually gifted the Nintendo DS version right around my
30th birthday - which took place in 2011!
There is something to be said about zombies threatening to take over the world,
and your only line of defense are sunflowers, pea shooters, and mushrooms. Especially when those plants are souped up
to survive almost any attack from the undead.
This is the ultimate strategy game where you have to use your brains -
no pun intended - to stop the zombies in their tracks. It's not so much choosing what plants to use
as much as placing them in exactly the right spots. Because as the game gets harder, the zombies come at you more
frequently and quickly, leaving you with little precious time to make
decisions.
This
game is still very popular five years later.
A sequel was released in the summer of 2013.
KINDLE
Remember those days prior to 2011 where the only way to read an electronic book
was with a little tablet like device known as a Kindle? In some cases, the Kindles were no bigger
than the average mobile phone, but if you had one, you could get access to
almost 800,000 book titles. The
Kindle's surge in popularity certainly made it more appealing to read books
online, and it's success more than likely caused some brick and mortar
bookstores to go out of business.
These
days, it's very hard to find a Kindle in an electronics store. I don't even know if people are even still
using them. That's because right around
2011, Android and iPhone users could simply download the Kindle app onto their
smartphones or mobile devices and access the library there.
INSTAGRAM
Who knew that when this simple photo app was introduced in late 2010 that it
would change the way we look at digital imagery in 2011 and years to come?
Before
the advent of Instagram, if you wanted your photos to have a specific look -
vintage, black or white, etc. - you had to go to a photo lab and pay big bucks
to get the desired effects you wanted.
But with the addition of Instagram, users could simply take photos with
their phones, and put them through filters that allowed the photos to be
displayed however the user wanted. And
once you were finished making your photos the best they could possibly look,
you could use the same app to share the photos with anybody your Instagram
account was linked with. It certainly
made photo sharing easier, and as Instagram developed further, it made it
allowable for people to plug their phones into photo kiosks and print their
photos via the Instagram app. Though,
to be fair, you can also do the same with Twitter and Facebook.
I don't know if you can do it with Snapchat.
I never use it.
So,
those are just five apps that changed the way we looked at our phones five
years ago. What apps were on your
phones in 2011?
Welcome
to a very special edition of the Tuesday
Timeline. It's a date that is quite personal to me,
and one that I really want to discuss.
I'm sure that if you have been following along with this blog, you may
know why that is. But before we get to
that, let's see what took place on this date in history.
1607 - One hundred English settlers disembark in
Jamestown - the first English colony to appear in America
1819 - Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (d.
1901) is born
1830 - Sarah Joshepa Hale's poem "Mary Had a
Little Lamb" is first published
1844 - The first telegraph line is inaugurated by
Samuel Morse who successfully sends the message "What hath God
wrought?"
1883 - After fourteen years of construction, the
Brooklyn Bridge opens to traffic
1895 - Henry Irving becomes the first person from
the world of theatre to be knighted
1915 - Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary
during World War I
1930 - Pilot Amy Johnson lands in Darwin,
Australia - the first female pilot to fly solo from England to Australia
1935 - The first night baseball game is played
Cincinnati, Ohio between the Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies
1945 - Jazz/soul singer Terry Callier (d. 2012)
is born in Chicago, Illinois
1956 - The Eurovision Song Contest is held for
the first time in Lugano, Switzerland
1958 - United Press International is formed via
the merger of United Press and the International News Service
1961 - Freedom Riders are arrested in Jackson,
Mississippi on charges of disturbing the peace after leaving their bus
1962 - Actor/choreographer Gene Anthony Ray (d.
2003) is born in New York City
1967 - Rap artist Dwight "Heavy D"
Myers (d. 2011) is born in Jamaica
1968 - FLQ separatists bomb the American
consulate in Quebec City, Quebec
1976 - The Concorde jet service begins with
flights between London and Washington D.C.
1981 - The president of Ecuador - Jaime Roldos
Aguilera - is killed in a plane crash along with his wife and presidential
committee
1984 - Vince McMahon Sr. - the founder of the WWE
- dies at the age of 69
1994 - Four men linked to the 1993 bombing of New
York's World Trade Center are sentenced to 240 years in prison
2001 - At age sixteen, Temba Tsheri becomes the
youngest person to climb to the top of Mount Everest
2014 - An earthquake measuring 6.4 strikes near
Greece and Turkey injuring 324 people
There's
quite a lot of celebrity birthdays as well to list today. Happy birthday to Michael Lonsdale, Joan Micklin Silver, Tommy Chong, Bob Dylan, Gary Burghoff, Patti LaBelle, Priscilla Presley, Albert Bouchard, Jim Broadbent, Nell Campbell, Alfred Molina, Rosanne Cash, Chip Ganassi, Doug Jones, Kristin Scott Thomas, John C. Reilly, Ricky Craven, Eric Close, Tommy Page, Greg Berlanti, Dermot O'Leary, Will Sasso, Marc Gagnon, Kym Valentine, Jo Joyner, Owen Benjamin, Andy Lee, Mark Ballas, Kimberley Crossman, and Billy
Gilman.
So,
I suppose it shouldn't come as a surprise that the date that I've chosen for
this particular entry is this one.
May 24, 2011.
That
date, of course, is the day that this crazy blogging project began! I can't believe that I've kept this thing
going for five whole years now! I may
have slowed it down a bit, but I still write in this space whenever I feel the
need to. This space is really one of
the few spots where I can be free to be myself and not worry about what I say
or how I say it. Some of you may love
what I write about. Others might
not. But what I can tell you is that as
far as the personality and heart goes in preparing this blog for the last five
years...that is 100% truth.
That's
why I've decided to make this whole month a celebration of what life was like
five years ago. It's because we've all
changed so much over the last half-decade.
I know I certainly have. And I
know this blog certainly has!
Case in point. This was my very first
logo for this blog. It's so cornball
and cheesy, isn't it? I drew this one
myself using a couple of gel pens and I believe a leftover envelope from a
birthday card I had received the week before.
Yep, my blog was low budget back then!
Oh, who am I kidding. My blog is STILL
low-budget. But dammit, it had a lot of
heart. And that first logo inspired the
current look you see today. When I
first began this blog five years ago, the colour scheme was blue and pink -
much like it is now. But it wasn't
always the case.
Such as the purple and yellow phase I went through between 2012 and 2014. I may go back to that when this blog turns
six...I haven't decided yet.
Or, the time when I decided to completely change everything around including
the logo itself. This was certainly one
of the brightest looks I've ever seen this blog go. I can see why I ditched it after a few months.
Sometimes I would decorate the blog for the Christmas holidays. This one turned out quite beautifully.
And until recently, I went with a gold theme - partly in celebration of my
parents' Golden Jubilee anniversary last August.
The
logos changed a lot over the last few years as well. Most of them I was very happy with - at least until I got sick of
them! I'm really liking the one I have
now. I'll probably keep it for a while.
Even
the content of this blog has changed quite a bit. Before it was all about pop culture, but over the years, I've
opened up myself more and more, and now it's almost second nature to bring pop
culture and life together.
But
it's really cool to see how much I've grown as a writer since May 2011 when I
first started this blog off. I go back
to some of my entries that I wrote back when I first started and I cringe
because my opinions have changed so much.
In 2011, I loved "The Biggest Loser", and now I can't even
stand to watch the show any longer. In
2011, I used to really be into video games, and now I've shifted my focus to
music and arts. And most importantly,
this blog has sort of been a venting point for some of the demons that
continued to haunt me, and I feel that this space has given me the courage to
battle those demons and defeat them.
I'm not quite finished the battle yet, but I'm well on my way. That's all anybody can ask for, right?
But
one thing I don't think I've ever talked about - at least not in this blog
anyway - is why I started this blog in the first place.
Well,
I suppose part of the reason could be for me to actually have something to show
people...at least digitally anyway.
It's hard for someone to make their mark on this planet when there are
so many people on it, and I guess I'm at the age where I feel as though I want
to be remembered for something that I did - not for what other people did for
me or to me. This blog is really the
only place where I can be free to be me without judgment.
(Well, okay...some of the comments in my comment box have been not so nice, but
I can just delete those.)
The point is - this blog is my own personal growth project, and a permanent -
or at least until the servers stay up and running - reminder of who I am and
how far I've grown. And even though
I've had a couple of things published over the years, nothing will take away
from the fact that this is five years of dedication and joy. And, I'm hoping to keep this going for
another five - even if it means shifting the focus of this blog.
This
blog has also helped me realize that I'm not as strange as I thought. So often, I'd come up with topics that I
would think nobody would ever relate to, and to my surprise they garnered huge
responses. Who would have thought that
a blog on a soap opera called "Loving" would be within my Top 10 read
posts? Who would have thought that so
many people would be fascinated by my personal story on paper cranes? Who would have thought that so many people
were trying to figure out the mystery behind Richard Marx's
"Hazard"? I mean, it's awesome
to have opened up these dialogues and interact with other people on these
subjects.
But it also makes me feel good when I write about something deeply personal and
share some stories from my childhood - which as you all know wasn't sunshine
and daisies every day. And to know that
people not only responded, but also gained the courage to share their stories
as well. It's a good feeling!
I honestly don't know what the future of this blog will hold within the next
five years. But all I know is that A
POP CULTURE ADDICT'S GUIDE TO LIFE has been a big part of my life since
2011...and I think I'm a better person because of it.
Thanks for supporting me all of these
years. I love each and every one of
you.
Unless
you've been living underneath a rock, you probably have heard the sad story of
Jack and Jill at one point. Maybe it
was at your nursery school. Maybe it
was at the library. Maybe Ernie and
Bert re-enacted the tale on an episode of "Sesame Street". Wherever you heard the tale, it's a tale of
frurstration, pain, and embarrassment.
You
have a boy named Jack. And you have a
girl named Jill. Now, there's nowhere
in this story that depicts the relationship between Jack and Jill. Jill could be Jack's sister, cousin,
girlfriend, or that prostitute he met on the corner of Hollywood and Vine. But the relationship doesn't really matter
very much. Jack is very thirsty and he
wants some water to drink.
Now,
I'm guessing that this story was probably written before stores started selling
Dasani and Aquafina, because the only way that Jack can grab some water is to
go up a gigantic hill. And Jill, being
extremely co-dependent, decides that she wants to go with him to get some
water.
But
tragedy strikes upon reaching the top of the hill. Jack loses his footing, falls down the entire length of the hill
and breaks his crown. Now, whether that
means an actual crown that he is wearing, or a porcelain crown on his tooth,
I'm not quite sure. All I know is that
Jack had a crown, and it is now broken due to his klutziness. And Jill - whether it be because of the hill
being steep, or because she can't stand being left out - decides to come
tumbling after.
There's no resolution at the end of the rhyme.
For all we know, Jack and Jill could have both ended up dead trying to
get some H2O. We never really do find
out.
Of course, this was back in
the 18th century. I wonder what the
rhyme might have gone like if it were written in...oh...2011, perhaps?
Jack and Jill released a film
Turned out to be very scary
The film, it tanked, it was
so rank
Won lots of Golden Raspberries
Okay,
that poem kind of sucked. But then, so
did the 2011 film "Jack and Jill".
Which has really nothing to do with the nursery rhyme at all - I just
wanted a clever opening.
Seriously, this film was one of the worst films of the year 2011. I mentioned in my little poem that it won
lots of Golden Raspberry Awards - that's the ceremony that's like the Academy
Awards, only instead of celebrating the best in film, they actually celebrate
the worst.
And "Jack and Jill" probably holds a record that no other film wants
to have - it won a record TEN Razzies!
And as far as I know, it is the only film to have won a Razzie in every
single category. Not even "Movie
43" was that bad...and I consider that film even worse than "Jack and
Jill" - though not by much.
Seriously, check out this list of Golden Raspberry Awards that this film
won.
1. WORST ACTOR - Adam Sandler
2. WORST ACTRESS - Adam Sandler
3. WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Al Pacino
4. WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - David
Spade
5. WORST PICTURE
6. WORST DIRECTOR - Dennis Dugan
7. WORST SCREENPLAY
8. WORST SCREEN COUPLE - Adam Sandler
and anyone!
9. WORST ENSEMBLE
10. WORST PREQUEL, REMAKE, RIP-OFF OR
SEQUEL
(NOTE: #10 is because the movie was
loosely based off "Glen or Glenda" - a film released in 1953.)
I'm guessing that the Golden Raspberry Awards Committee aren't fans of Adam
Sandler. Truth be told, neither am
I. The only Adam Sandler movies I enjoy
feature Drew Barrymore. But he must
have been really terrible if he won for worst actor AND worst actress.
Well, that's because he played fraternal twins in this film. Jack and Jill. And the whole plot of the movie is this. Jack is successful. Jill is not. And whenever Jack and Jill get together, they do more than fall
down a hill trying to get water. I
won't really go into the plot details in this space because I don't think I can
really get through it without either falling asleep at my keyboard or smashing
my computer against the wall. Trust
me. It's that bad.
In
fact, if you go on the website "Rotten Tomatoes", you'll find that it
only has a 3% Fresh rating. That makes
it one of the worst reviewed movies ever featured on that site.
What
really boggles my mind is the fact that this movie attracted some big name
cameos. What the hell was Al Pacino
thinking signing up for this garbage?
I'll never understand it. Same
deal with Katie Holmes. I mean, yeah, I
get that her star power temporarily dimmed when she was married to Tom Cruise,
but she's a very capable actress. Why
would she resort to this?
Though, I suppose this film is a perfect example of what life was like in
2011. After all, Bruce Jenner and Jared
Fogle were both in this movie, and as of 2016, one's a woman, and the other
one's in jail for showing his five dollar footlong to the wrong age group. Funny how five years can change people a
lot, isn't it?
I
don't normally follow the world of country music. Truth be told, there are many times in which I've questioned
whether or not I was adopted because I seem to be the only member of my family
that does not listen to country music on a daily basis.
(Note: I am NOT adopted.)
Don't get me wrong though. Country
artists do sing some very good songs, and there are even some songs and artists
that I really do like. I think Reba
McEntire is fantastic. I think Jennifer
Nettles from Sugarland has a unique voice.
Luke Bryan's got a couple of songs that are quite good, as does Tim
McGraw. And I dare you to listen to
Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" without feeling the urge to dance.
And,
I suppose I'd be fine with it if my parents listened to country music that was
released within the past five years or so.
But they were always more into the retro style of country. This meant a lot of George Jones, Merle
Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Tammy Wynette, George Strait, and Conway Twitty.
Which
I suppose wouldn't be bad if it wasn't for all of the twang and the
"everyone's dead including my dog and truck" lyrics. I'm not denying that they had talent - these
artists are the foundation behind the current crop of country artists out there
now, but they simply just aren't my cup of tea.
But
five years ago, one of these legends received some devastating news that
essentially put an end to his career...and he made the decision to end his
career off with a bang.
When
I say the name Glen Campbell - what are the words that you might associate with
that name? Well...I can think of
exactly two.
ARTIST: Glen Campbell SONG: Rhinestone
Cowboy ALBUM: Rhinestone
Cowboy DATE RELEASED: May 26,
1975 PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS: #1 for 2 weeks
Yep. You're reading that correctly. This was a country music crossover - the
kind that Shania Twain and Taylor Swift are famous for. The song "Rhinestone Cowboy" was
#1 on the charts in September 1975, dethroning - would you believe - K.C. and
the Sunshine Band's "Get Down Tonight"? Of course, this song was overthrown by David Bowie's
"Fame" just two weeks later, but still...having Glen Campbell on the
top of the charts in 1975 alongside a disco band and Ziggy Stardust? That's quite impressive.
Many
people would consider "Rhinestone Cowboy" to be Campbell's signature
hit. But he's had so many more since
his singing career began all the way back in 1958. In fact, at one point in his life, he was a member of the band
known as "The Champs" - you know, the band that brought us "Tequila"? He left that band in 1961, but started up
his own solo career shortly after that.
A
career that launched over 70 studio albums, over 80 single releases, and sales
of over 45 million records! One of his
records even went double platinum! In
addition to "Rhinestone Cowboy", Campbell enjoyed success with other
songs such as "Wichita Lineman", "Southern Nights",
"Galveston", and "Gentle On My Mind".
And
in his later years, he would partake in projects outside of singing. He was the celebrity host of the Los Angeles
Open for thirteen years, he did the voice of Chanticleer in the 1991 animated
film "Rock-a-Doodle", and in 2005, he was inducted into the Country
Music Hall of Fame. It's even stated that
Glen Campbell was instrumental in helping discover new talent - including Keith
Urban and Alan Jackson - whose wife he met on an airplane where she was a
stewardess!
But
over time, Glen Campbell's health began to take a turn for the worse. He was having trouble remembering things, he
felt disoriented, and he was having issues communicating with people. The symptoms started happening right around
the time he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and by 2010, they were
noticeable enough for his family to seek answers.
In
December 2010, it was confirmed that Glen Campbell was suffering from the early
effects of Alzheimer's Disease. And
anybody who has ever known anybody who battled it knows just how cruel a
disease it can be.
But
he chose to wait until June 2011 to make the official announcement because he
wanted to make sure he went out his own way.
And
this included one final album, and one final tour. And he didn't have much time to make it happen, as he didn't know
how long he would have before the Alzheimer's made it impossible for him to
continue.
The
final album, "See You There" was released in August 2013, released
digitally, and on vinyl and CD. It was
sort of similar to a greatest hits album, as all of the songs on it were
classic hits. But they were re-recorded
by the then 70-something Campbell. In
many ways, this was him saying goodbye and thank you to all of the fans who
supported him, and it really did become a full circle moment for him.
As for his tour, it began in late 2011, and concluded on November 30,
2012. For the most part, the tour went
very well, although signs of the disease certainly became evident. Once able to remember his lyrics without any
problem at all, he was forced to rely on teleprompters to finish songs. Much of his newer material was scrapped, as
Campbell couldn't remember the chords needed to play the songs. And sometimes Campbell was so into the
concerts that he completely forgot he had Alzheimer's to begin with, and had to
be constantly reminded. It was a
bittersweet tour, but I'm sure that anyone who saw him in concert in 2012 knew
that just seeing him perform one last time was well worth it.
He made his final televised appearance at the
Grammy Awards on February 12, 2012. And
his final single release was nominated for an Academy Award just last year!
It's sad to say that since Campbell hung up his microphone in late 2012, his
disease has gotten worse. He currently
lives in a Nashville facility where he has lost the ability to communicate with
his loved ones, and is not even aware when people are speaking to him. And, to me that just seems so unfair. As I mentioned before, Alzheimer's is one of
the cruelest diseases out there. It completely
destroys a person's mind to the point where only their body seems to
remain. I can't even imagine what his
family must be going through. It must
be very difficult.
But you can't argue that since going public with his diagnosis five years ago
that Glen Campbell wanted his last few years on Earth to be done his way. And regarding his career, I'd say mission
accomplished.
I'm
taking a short recess from the "everything five years old is new
again" theme to talk about something quite sad.
Now,
I know that some of you can probably relate to this one, but you'd probably
have different reasons why. Take
anybody who ever became a television journalist, for instance. You might have been affected more by the
death of longtime "60 Minutes" correspondent Morley Safer this past
Thursday than the average population.
But that's not to discount what Morley Safer did...he was a fine journalist. One of the best.
I'll
admit to taking the deaths of both Prince and David Bowie hard because both of
them were so influential in the music paths of so many entertainers, and I
totally grew up listening to their music.
It's been a tough year for musicians already in 2016, but both of them
passing within three months of each other seemed too much to bear.
And
now, another legend has passed on...and this is one that really saddened me
because he was an even bigger part of my childhood than any of the ones that
I've listed in this post.
It
all dates back to the early 1980s, when I first watched the holiday special
"Mickey's Christmas Carol".
Of course, everyone knows that Mickey and Minnie Mouse are the official
ambassadors of the Walt Disney company, and nobody could ever take their
place. However, the character of
Scrooge McDuck certainly did his best to...shall we say...upstage them? It wasn't Mickey and Minnie I was paying
attention to - it was Scrooge! It
wasn't the first time that Scrooge McDuck had appeared in a Disney cartoon -
some sources say that his first appearance was all the way back in 1947!
But it wasn't until Alan Young started voicing Scrooge that his character
really started to take off. I think his
appearance in "Mickey's Christmas Carol" was outstanding, and again,
that was to the credit of Alan Young, who really gave him a lot of personality.
In
fact, I think he breathed new life into the character, as Scrooge emerged a
favourite Disney character for anyone who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s. After all, I think it was that success that
created this show in the late 1980s, as well as a motion picture in 1990.
All
Disney theme songs were fantastic - but I have a soft spot for
"DuckTales". It was my
favourite of all the Disney Afternoon cartoons, and again, it had to do with
Scrooge being the star.
I
guess when I was a kid, I took Uncle Scrooge for granted. I just always assumed he'd be there
forever. But as we learned on May 19,
2016, there's no such thing as forever.
Alan
Young, the guy who voiced Scrooge, died that day at the age of 96 of natural
causes. And although he died at an age
that most of us probably hope we could, it still makes it hard to swallow.
And
that was just my own experiences with him.
Sure, I remember him best as Scrooge McDuck, as well as many other
cartoons he did voices for - I'm thinking mostly of "The Smurfs",
where he did the voice of Farmer Smurf.
But
some people who are much older than I am - like say, my parents' age - probably
remember him best as Wilbur Post, the clumsy man who had a horse that could
talk.
To
this day, I have not seen one episode of "Mister Ed". And honestly I have no idea why that is the
case. I guess it's because no cable
channel in Canada felt it was a good idea to rebroadcast the show in their
kids' block of programming (yet felt it was a better idea to show endless
reruns of "Size Small" with that grandmother whose lisp was so severe
that every S sound made her whistle - it was fine for a while, but it grew annoying
very quickly...)
I'm rambling. Where was I again? Oh yes, Mister Ed.
So, I never watched Mister Ed, but I've heard it
was a fantastic show. And although the
series finale of that show was fifty years ago, it's still a beloved memory for
people who grew up or were around in the 1960s. And I imagine that they are grieving the loss just as hard as
people in my generation are too.
There is a silver lining to this though.
Alan Young's career spanned almost eight decades. That means that there's nearly 80 years of
work that he has done over the years.
And while his work on the radio may forever be just a memory, there are
lots of videos, DVD's, television shows, movies, and even video games of his
voice in existence.
(I'm not kidding about the video games either - he voiced Scrooge in the
"Kingdom Hearts" franchise.)
Previously onJem Reviewed, the Holograms overtook the Misfits in the movie
wars, and Ba Nee got her eyesight restored.
And this week, we get a chance to see Jem and the Holograms try to make
a difference by raising awareness for famine.
It's
also the first episode that does NOT have a second part to it!
Time
for Episode 9:
The World Hunger Shindig.
A
little background before we begin. This
episode originally aired in 1986 - right around the time of the concert benefit
era to eradicate world hunger. It was
the time in which we had Farm-Aid, Live-Aid, Band-Aid, USA for Africa, Northern
Lights, etc, etc. So, the timing of
this episode is appropriate.
The
setting of the episode is Houston, Texas, and The World Hunger Shindig is
taking part in Houston's Astrodome.
Great, a cartoon that establishes real world landmarks in real world
cities. A touch of realism is always
appreciated.
The
World Hunger Shindig is being presented by none other than Miss Sally Brand and Miss Ellen Sue Tanner, who have a little bit of a
bet going on between them. Ellen Sue
gives Miss Sally a challenge to raise eight million dollars for the hunger
relief fundraiser - which might seem like pocket change given that Jerry Lewis raised nearly nine times that amount for his kids during the telethons he
used to host for muscular dystrophy.
Nevertheless, Miss Sally accepts the bet and pulls her trump card out.
You
know, I've said that the more I watch this show, the more mature that Jem and
the Holograms' songs are. This is a
case where this is true. "We Can
Make A Difference" is a wonderful song with a wonderful message. Consider this their own version of "We
Are The World", if you will. And
at this point, I think I like the idea of Jem doing more ballads.
After
the song is over, Rio and Jem meet up with Miss Sally and an oil investor named
C.B. Dodd who is looking to invest in a record company. Miss Sally is pleased to meet them, but she
is wondering where Jerrica is. This
prompts Jem to summon a taxi cab hologram of Jerrica to arrive at Miss Sally's
manor, which switches places with Jem.
So now Jem is the hologram leaving in the hologram cab, and Jerrica is
the flesh and blood person. Got all
that?
I should also mention that since this is a benefit concert, Jem and the
Holograms aren't the only ones performing.
One of the headliners happens to be budding teen idol from Britain, Sean Harrison! And right off the bat, Kimber
is smitten over the dulcet tones of Sean's obviously exaggerated British
accent.
I
say this because in this installment of Jem Trivia, Sean Harrison is voiced by
actor Dan Gilvezan - an American.
I
think it's sweet that Kimber's found love so soon after Jeff Wright...I mean,
that whole period between episodes 8 and 9 must have been so horrible for our
flame haired love goddess. And yes,
that's sarcasm.
Of
course, no episode of Jem would be complete without the Misfits barging in on
the action. This time however, Eric has
a legitimate reason for being there.
Somehow, he's managed to convince Miss Sally to hire him as the official
promoter of The World Hunger Shindig, and that's the only reason he's there -
or so he tells Miss Sally. The Misfits
just happen to be there because they want to perform in the concert as
well. Problem is, Miss Sally already
has the line-up prepared for the live album to be released later, and they can
only be on the album if another rock band drops out.
You
can smell where this is going a mile away, can't you?
Oh, and it turns out that Pizzazz has a little bit of a history with Sean
Harrison. Back when Pizzazz was in
London, it's alleged that they used to date - and maybe then some. It's also alleged that Sean was just as
crazy as the Misfits back in those carefree days of being nineteen some two
months ago, or however old Sean's supposed to be. Sean flat out rejects Pizzazz, saying that he's grown up and she
should run along. If I wasn't so
distracted by Sean's fake accent, I'd cheer him on!
Jem warns Miss Sally that Eric Raymond is nothing but trouble, but Miss Sally
doesn't pay attention, simply telling Jem that she's worked with people like
Eric before and she can handle him just fine.
My question is...can we swap out Howard Sands for Miss Sally? She's awesome!
So,
Eric and the Misfits are staying inside Miss Sally's guest house, which only
has three bedrooms. I say only because
Eric and the Misfits are sharing the same living space, and the Misfits
naturally take all the rooms. But
Pizzazz basically issues a threat to Eric that he had better make sure that he
gets them on the live record. You know,
I used to think that Eric got off too easily with his crimes against Jem and
the Holograms, but having to be saddled with the Misfits - well, Pizzazz and
Roxy anyway - makes a swell punishment.
Of
course, Eric can't do this alone, so he calls in reinforcements. Welcome back to the now brunette
Zipper! I'm not even going to ask how
Eric got Zipper out of jail for nearly killing the Holograms on four separate
occasions...I'm still trying to comprehend how ERIC got out of jail! But one thing is for sure...Zipper is on the
loose, and nobody is safe.
Morning
comes, and Jerrica and Kimber run into Miss Sally once more, who is all suited
up in her finest business clothing. And
after Jerrica makes up an excuse that Jem caught a cold and will be resting in
her room, Miss Sally encourages the girls to explore the ranch with C.B. and
Sean. She does warn them to say away
from the rivers, as flash floods can happen at any time. Sounds like a rather random thing, but whatever.
It's
also a perfect opportunity for Kimber and Sean to get to know each other, since
she seems to have forgotten about the guy who saved her life last episode. What was his name again? Jeff?
Jack? Jebediah? Who cares?
Kimber's got a new man now!
See? Look how they are having fun riding horses,
and swimming in the lake, and doing all the things that lovers do. It's like a Eurythmics video come to life
with these two!
What
else is interesting is the fact that while everyone is on a picnic, Sean gets a
call on a cellular phone! And back in
1986, the only cell phones that existed were Zack Morris brick phones! Oh, 1980s, technology, how I've missed you!
Needless
to say, Sean and C.B. have to be called away for a bit, but Sean promises to
see Kimber and the others at a hayride that is scheduled for later that
night. Sounds like a really romantic
time.
Of
course, what isn't romantic is Zipper and his thugs approaching the Holograms
armed with guns, ordering them to follow them.
Now, we all know that the Holograms are not allowed to die, so this is a
fairly empty threat. That being said,
it scares the girls enough to do what they say. Oh, and since Zipper and the others are wearing masks, they don't
know who they are.
They're
brought to a deserted canyon area that looks like it used to be a river before
it dried up. Not a great place to
be. And Jerrica and the others are
really concerned that they will never be found.
Surprisingly
enough, it's Kimber that comes up with a clever escape plan. Remembering what Miss Sally said about flash
floods, she fakes getting injured to distract Jerrica long enough to concoct
one of the most elaborate Synergy holograms that she's done so far.
I
mean, seriously...Synergy creates a gigantic thunderstorm and a tsunami like
wave to sweep over Zipper and the others, making them fear for their
lives! Of course, we all know that the
wave is harmless, but seeing how Synergy can create something like that? It makes me wonder if they bothered using
some of those special effects in their Starbright film. Bravo, Synergy! Whatever the case, it worked, and Jerrica and the others are free
to make the hayride.
It's
just a shame that Sean hasn't arrived yet.
Thanks to him being "abducted" by the Misfits who take him to
a dive bar on the outskirts of Houston, Sean misses the whole thing, and
Pizzazz wants it that way. I can't help
but feel that this is where the Pizzazz/Sean/Kimber love triangle begins.
And
to just summarize how legitimate Pizzazz's interests are towards the World
Hunger Shindig, she and the Misfits perform a song called "Gimme Gimme
Gimme"! How...inappropriate!
I
do have to say..."Gimme Gimme Gimme" isn't a bad song - at least
stylistically. I just wish the video
were better. But again, seeing as how
this is an episode about a charity event, it's extremely out of place. Though one can argue that the Misfits being
there is out of place as well!
At
any rate, Sean's had all he can take of Pizzazz's selfishness, and he sets out
to try and find Kimber. He forces the
Misfits to drive him to the place where the hayride was set to leave from,
which Pizzazz reluctantly agrees to do.
Of course, while they're in the car, Pizzazz and Sean get into an
argument about Kimber, and neither one of them are watching where they are
going. Stormer notices the hay wagon
coming in the opposite direction and screams loud enough for Pizzazz to
narrowly avoid hitting it, but the hay wagon derails and collapses on the side
of the road.
Of
course it comes as no surprise that the hay wagon happens to be the same one
that Jerrica and the others are on, and because the wagon wheel is busted,
they'll have to walk back to the ranch.
Meanwhile Kimber declares that she is never speaking to Sean Harrison
again. Sure hope she kept Justin's
number on her. Or is that Jeremy? Oh, who cares...it's time for the World
Hunger Shindig to begin!
Ah,
but before we do that, we have to get the prerequisite shot of Eric getting a
call from Zipper saying that he screwed up again! So, with Jem and the Holograms still making their way to the
Astrodome, Eric now has to come up with another plan to get them out of the
way.
Oh,
and while he's at it, why not appoint Zipper as a ticket seller so that he can
pocket the ticket sales for his own greedy needs? This sadly doesn't shock me, as Eric embezzled money from
Starlight Music for months before Jerrica caught on. But you'd have thought he'd have learned his lesson.
Oh,
wait. This is Eric Raymond. Never mind.
It
seems as though Jem and the Holograms were expected as some bald guard arrives
on what looks like a golf cart to escort the girls to their dressing room. But just as Kimber is about to board, Sean
arrives on a cart of his own, desperate to explain why he was with Pizzazz the
night of the hayride. Jem convinces
Kimber to hear him out, so Kimber hops on Sean's cart to listen to his
explanation while the other three arrive at their dressing room.
I
don't know though...something doesn't seem right. Maybe it's the fact that the guy is smirking through the whole
thing. Maybe it's because their
dressing room has a peephole in the door.
Maybe it's because HOLOGRAMS is spelled incorrectly and appears to be
drawn on the door with sidewalk chalk.
Yeah, that's standard for the Astrodome.
I
knew it. It was all a trap. Baldy happens to be one of Eric and Zipper's
henchmen, and they purposely locked Jem, Aja, and Shana in the room long enough
for them to miss their performance so that the Misfits can take over. Sounds just like Eric. It's just a shame that their plan has one
tiny blip.
You
see, Kimber was too busy fawning over Sean to avoid the trap, and when she
arrives at the stage and sees only Rio there, she wonders what's up. Rio is upset too because he can't find Jem
or Jerrica, and the rest of the band has gone missing. But before Rio has a chance to yell
"J'ACCUSE" at some random roadie for trying to woo away his
women...woman...whatever, Kimber puts two and two together, and realizes that
something must have happened. Rio and
Kimber go off to try and find their missing friends before the Misfits try to
sing a rousing chorus of "Gimme Gimme Gimme" at a hunger fundraiser.
The
henchman goes to check on his prisoners, and Jem, Shana, and Aja are sitting
there quietly. Maybe a little too
quietly.
I
knew it. Jem projected holograms of the
three of them while they make their escape through the air ducts of the
Astrodome. I'm not so sure this is a
great plan given how huge the stadium is, but I do give them credit for trying
to find their own way out instead of relying on Rio to help them.
And
it is here where Jem and the others discover the sinister plan that is taking
place thanks to Zipper. He stashes the
money he stole from the ticket booth in the air ducts while revealing the plan
to Jem indirectly. You don't think that
Jem will take that lying down, do you?
She
uses Synergy's help to project an image of a deadly rattlesnake to appear in
front of the suitcase of money - which does make sense as the Southern United
States are filled with rattlesnakes.
Zipper naturally gets freaked out and runs away screeching like a little
girl, and Jem grabs onto the suitcase filled with money. That's one problem solved, but how do they
get onto the stage to sing at the Shindig?
I
sure hope they find a way soon. Kimber
and Rio have found Miss Sally and they try to convince her to put the concert
on hold for a few minutes until they find Jem, but Miss Sally has to play by
the rules. Of course, Miss Sally isn't
aware of the fact that Eric's been playing dirty pool, so I'll give her a pass
for this unlike the man with no cojones Howard Sands. Of course Eric is standing in the background taking it all in,
knowing that the Misfits will be going on stage, and that there's nothing that
can be done about it...
...at
least until a voice that sounds a lot like Synergy announces that Jem and the
Holograms are here!
Somehow,
Jem, Aja, and Shana traced the path of the air ducts to the pledge board above
the stage and somehow use one of those nets that are used for balloon drops on
New Years' Eve to slide down to the stage safely. Now, if this weren't a cartoon, Jem, Aja, and Shana would be
dead, and Kimber would have to carry the band all on her own. But physics are not allowed on cartoons, so
we just have to pretend that balloon nets have as much durability as a
parachute.
Once
Kimber joins the rest of the Holograms, they break out into their song. Interestingly enough, the Misfits get a
couple of lines in this song, though they aren't credited for it.
I
guess "Share A Little Bit Of Yourself" is meant to be the theme song
for the World Hunger Shindig, and I suppose it's an okay song...but I like
"We Can Make A Difference" much better.
There
is some bad news though. Even after
Zipper's scheme to steal the money from the benefit comes to light and Jem
gives the suitcase back to Miss Sally, Miss Sally is still fifty thousand
dollars short of the eight million dollar goal. It seems like a sad ending that the Holograms managed to perform
and Miss Sally put in all that work only to come up short.
Oh,
but this where I really LOVE Miss Sally.
See, Miss Sally long suspected that Eric would cause trouble at the
event, and with Zipper caught in the act, Miss Sally knows where to hit him
where it hurts. Seems Eric was paid
fifty thousand dollars up front to help with the promotion of the World Hunger
Shindig - and now that Eric's been exposed, Miss Sally forces Eric to sign over
his fee to HER to donate to the Shindig!
Eric, knowing that he's over a barrel, has no choice, and as the Misfits
chuckle in his misfortune, the tally board reaches the eight million dollars
and the Shindig is a success!
Seriously,
can Miss Sally appear in EVERY episode?
I love this woman!
So
that was our first standalone episode, and I have to say, I didn't mind
it. It was nice to see the Holograms
doing a charity concert, and I even have to say that despite Pizzazz's
obsession with Sean being a bit annoying, the Misfits actually weren't too
obnoxious here. Maybe they too have a
soft spot when it comes to charity events, even though they really wanted to be
there to get more attention. If
anything Zipper was the one who did the most damage of all, and I have to
wonder why Eric continues to deal with this loser.
Oh,
and the Kimber/Sean thing? I'm not sold
on it yet...though I hear this isn't Sean's first appearance in the show, so
time will tell.
Next week, the girls go to China...and Jem loses
something very important.