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Monday, March 13, 2017

"Is This Live?" - A Book Review

When my family first got hooked up to cable television in the late 1980s, my entire family was excited about it.  Prior to that time, we were stuck with the same basic twelve channels that had watched for years - and at least two of those channels were French language and the local public access station.

With basic cable, our options expanded from twelve channels to almost fifty - and on that note, can you actually recall a time in which having fifty channels was considered a lot?  And certainly everyone in my family had their favourite channels.  I was seven when we first got cable installed, so naturally I gravitated towards YTV.  My parents were into CMT.  A&E was also very popular at my household.  And, I am fairly positive that we all watched the Home Shopping Network to make fun of it.

(You see, back in those days, they used this weird filming technique which would skip every fourth film frame so it looked like the hosts were in consistent stop motion animation.  It was funny as hell, and we were all trying to figure out whether it was intentional or whether they had faulty video equipment.)



Of course, by the time I became a teenager, my viewing focus shifted solely towards MuchMusic - which one would consider to be similar (but not a cookie cutter version) of MTV.  Back in those days, the music video channel (lovingly dubbed "The Nation's Music Station" for several years) played music videos all day long and all night long.  Occasionally the station would take breaks to air episodes of "Pop-Up Video", "Beavis and Butt-Head", and certain music video award shows, but for the most part you could count on being able to see your favourite music videos whenever you wanted.

(And if you couldn't see them, you could request them with Much On Demand - or R.S.V.P. if you're really old enough to remember.)

Of course these days, MuchMusic still plays music videos, but not nearly as much as they used to.  I suppose free video sites such as YouTube, Vimeo, Vevo, and DailyMotion have kind of taken over the way we download and watch media these days.  But oh, how once upon a time it was a network that really had its share of charm and joy - not to mention a little bit of controversy along the way.

That's why when I spotted a book about the early days of MuchMusic at a bookstore in a nearby town, I just had to purchase it.



The book is called "Is This Live?", and while it is a collaborative effort from past personalities of the music channel, the book was mostly put together by former MuchMusic VJ Christopher Ward.  And I'll tell you, if you are a music fan and ever wanted to learn more about the Canadian music scene of the 1980s and 1990s, this is definitely a must read. 

Inside the book is 328 pages (and yes, that does include the index at the back of the book) of personal stories, eyewitness accounts, fun bits of trivia, and never before heard tales of interviews that went wrong (and some that went right).  And, as I mentioned, there are personal accounts from many of the former VJ's that used to work there.  Some I can name right off the top of my head are Erica Ehm, Denise Donlon, Steve Anthony, Michael Williams, Rick Campanelli, Tony "Master T" Young, Laurie Brown, Natalie Richard, Ziggy Lorenc, Ed the Sock (yes, Ed the Sock) and J.D. Roberts, among others.



J.D. Roberts, of course, being John Roberts - currently the chief White House correspondent for FOX News.  And to think it was he and Ward who launched the music video station on August 31, 1984! 

Of course, the book itself isn't just about the VJ's and their stories.  There is a lot of references to popular artists back in the day and some of their favourite MuchMusic moments, behind the scenes interviews about some of the videos that they filmed, and some other hidden secrets.  These artists include but are not limited to Gowan, Platinum Blonde, Sass Jordan, Blue Rodeo, The Spoons, Parachute Club, Glass Tiger, Corey Hart, Bryan Adams, Colin James, The Northern Pikes, Sloan, Barenaked Ladies, and Maestro Fresh Wes.  And, that's merely scratching the surface.  



Of course, all of the artists I listed above are Canadian...but that's not to say that they didn't reveal any secrets about international artists (keeping in mind that I'm Canadian and to me America is international).  There are some interesting tidbits about Duran Duran, Madonna, Robert Palmer, and even some Paul McCartney and George Harrison!  Trust me, the interviews alone are worth reading. 

I think my favourite part of the whole book was finding out how some Much traditions originated.  Now without spoiling too much about the book in general, I'll leave you with some interesting things you can expect to read in this book.

You can read about some of the VJ's favourite interviews of all time.  HINT:  One of them involves The Temptations!

You can also read about some of the VJ's least favourite interviews.  Let's just say that a certain band that wore a lot of face paint didn't make the greatest of impressions.



You'll learn about how long standing MuchMusic traditions kicked off - these include the worst of video countdown called "Fromage" as well as the annual Christmas Tree toss from the roof of the Much building (which I don't even know if they do anymore, it's been a while since I have watched it).



You will also learn more about some Much programming including the "Electric Circus", "Outlaws and Heroes", and "The Power Hour".

Trust me.  If you're Canadian (and even if you're not), and you loved watching MuchMusic (or are just a music fan in general), get this book.  I loved reading every page!

Friday, March 10, 2017

Jem Reviewed: Episode 51 - Out Of The Past

Last week was the fiftieth episode of Jem Reviewed, where we saw the Holograms and Misfits travel to Britain for different reasons.  And with that, there are only fifteen episodes of the series left to go.  Seems surreal, doesn't it?



And without a doubt, this episode is probably one of the most emotional of the whole series.  This is Episode 51: Out Of The Past.

We begin in the attic of Starlight Mansion, where Jerrica is doing a little bit of cleaning.  To me, it's the attic and I would say, why bother?  But Jerrica is NOT me, so she must make sure that everything is spic and span.  I'm guessing that she may be partially related to Danny Tanner from "Full House".  After all, by the time this episode aired in January 1988, the show was a few months on the air.



Jerrica's attention falls upon a black chest in the middle of the room.  Luckily there is no key, so she opens it with ease and to her shock finds some of her father's belongings.  I'm surprised too given that those belongings shouldn't exist as their old house burned down three years ago.  But maybe they had Synergy make some holograms of all their stuff so they could recopy everything.  It could happen.  Weirder things have happened on this show already.



The rest of the Holograms walk upstairs to see what Jerrica has found, and she holds up a black book with the initials EB on it.  I'd say that it would be a journal that Jerrica's dear old dad (I legitimately almost typed DEAD old dad, which wouldn't be wrong, but very insensitive) wrote.

The rest of the girls urge Jerrica to read the diary, and since Emmett's six feet under and unable to object to the invasion of his privacy, Jerrica obliges.  The first entry takes place when Jerrica was ten and it depicts Rio's first meeting with the Benton family.  We hear Emmett's voice narrating each diary entry, and it is here that we have our Jem Trivia for today.  The person doing the voice of Emmett is Wally Burr - who worked as the main voice director for the whole series!



We are also introduced to Emmett's lovely wife Jacqui Benton - who admittedly looks like an extra from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".  Her look is sooooo 1970s!  Jacqui announces that Rio is staying for dinner which makes Jerrica's heart go flitter-flutter and Kimber making fun of her.  I'm surprised she doesn't remark how outrageous the situation is.  But at least the rest of the girls get a chuckle out of it.



The next entry depicts the date when Emmett and Jacqui took Aja in as their first foster child, and two things I need to note.  One, Aja's last name is Leith.  And two...Aja's hair colour is a natural blue.  Again, this is a show where Jem could win the Indy 500.  I believe anything at this rate.  Immediately, Jerrica and Kimber are upset that Aja is moving in and pout about it.  At least until Jacqui sits down with them and explains that as a foster child herself, she didn't want any other children to have to go through what she did, so she made the decision to share their blessings with others.  Wow...so the Starlight House for Foster Girls was Jacqui's brainchild.  Interesting.



Right around this time, Emmett Benton launches Starlight Music - the record company that has almost become a second home to the Benton sisters.

Not long after Aja moves in, the Benton family take in foster child #2 - a lavendar haired girl named Shana Elmsford.  Perhaps you've heard of her?



Unfortunately, Shana's not exactly blending into the Benton family dynamic very well, and she likes to keep to herself.  Jacqui seems to notice Shana's introverted side and believes that Jerrica can help, but Jerrica is too busy complaining about Rio not noticing her to care.  Wow, nice to see that Jerrica was just as snotty back when she was a kid.  Jacqui, however, doesn't take her attitude and smacks her one in the face calms her down by telling her that Shana could use her attention more than Rio.  And, you know, the way that Jacqui handles the situation is perfect because not long after, Jerrica takes Shana a tray of food and initiates conversation. 



In addition to being the Carol Brady of the Benton household, Jacqui had some musical talent (so that's where Jem and Kimber get it from), and one day she performed a sold out concert which was recorded on a set of master tapes courtesy of Rio and Emmett.  Unfortunately, that concert was recorded at least a dozen years ago, and the master tapes have since gone missing.  The plan was for Jacqui to have recorded a debut album, but she died before she could get in the studio - meaning that nobody ever really got a chance to listen to Jacqui in her prime.



Jerrica is disheartened at first, but when Shana suggests that the master tapes could be located somewhere within Starlight Music and that they could release that concert as Jacqui's debut album, Jerrica is thrilled, and decides to put that idea into action.

And in what is really her only appearance as Jem in this episode, the Holograms go on Lindsey Pearce's show to sing a song that Jacqui initially sang at that concert.



Now, having not heard Jacqui's version of "First Love", I certainly hope it was much better than this one.  I suppose that initially being recorded in the 1970s, that style of music fit in with the era very well...but by 1988, that sort of song was very much out of vogue.  But, still...Britta Phillips could sing a phone book page and make it sound decent.  And when Lindsey interviews them, Jem and Kimber bring up the record company's plan to release the concert recordings as an album as soon as they locate the master tapes.



Of course there are five little snags that could unfurl those plans and their names are Jetta, Stormer, Roxy, Pizzazz, and Eric Raymond.  It's especially personal for Eric Raymond in a way since he lost control of Starlight Music to Jem and Kimber three years earlier.  Let's just say that when Eric was kicked out of Starlight Music, he stole a few things from the building.  One of those things are Jacqui's recordings.  This...can't be good.



Back at Starlight Music, Jerrica, Kimber, Aja, Shana, and an extremely out of place Raya are tearing the offices apart looking for the master tapes, and they suggest looking for clues in Emmett's diary.  Jerrica doesn't seem to think it'd hurt and immediately flips open to a page with the date of August 13 - the day that Lela became the third Starlight Girl.



A couple of weeks later on September 5 - Jerrica, Shana, and Aja are inside of a treehouse located outside of the original Starlight House where Jerrica's mother initiates a special toast complete with lemonade all around.  It's a toast of friendship, and not only does it solidify the friendship that all of the Holograms share with each other, but it also shows us that while Emmett and Kimber might have had a special relationship, Jerrica and Jacqui were just as close.



At least until one stormy night at an airport.  Jacqui at this point was going on the talk show and small concert circuit to promote her as yet unreleased album, and as a result of this, she was never really home a lot.  When it comes time for Jacqui's flight to depart, Jerrica won't have it and she refuses to even give her a hug and a kiss. 



Jerrica irrationally tries to guilt trip Jacqui into staying by telling her that if she loved her, she'd stay.  Whether Jerrica could sense that something was about to happen or whether she was being a spoiled brat - well, I tend to think the latter.  But Jacqui has to go, and so she boards Flight 909 thinking that she will be back in a few days and by then Jerrica will have gotten over it.



But Jacqui never comes home again.



Judging by the plane wreckage and the fact that Emmett is despondent in this above image, I'm guessing that this is the moment that Jacqui's voice is permanently silenced.  And an extremely guilty Jerrica cries in Rio's arms.  Wow...this episode really sucker punches you in the gut, doesn't it?  And this was a kid's show?  It's more like an episode of "The Young and the Restless" or "Ryan's Hope" or "Loving" or whatever soap operas aired in the 1980s!



Even all these years later, Jerrica is still broken-hearted over how badly she treated her on what would be Jacqui's last day.  I'm starting to understand why the quest to release Jacqui's recordings on an album is so important to Jerrica.  She feels as though it is the only way she can truly apologize to her mother for how she behaved that day.  And just like that, I find myself not being so angry with Jerrica anymore.



The diary picks up on February 8, where it has been a week since the plane crash and Emmett is very depressed about it all.  It's not until Jerrica, Kimber, Shana, and Aja enter his room and tell him that they will pick up some of the responsibilities around the house to help him out.  But perhaps the most touching moment of all is when a normally stoic Aja breaks down in Emmett's arms and begs him not to send any of them away.  Emmett reassures them that they will always have a home as long as he is around and they gather around in a group hug with Emmett reaffirming that Jacqui has been a good influence on his girls.

Does anyone have a tissue?  Seriously?



We also get a chance to see one of the projects that Emmett has been working on.  It's in the infancy stages, but he has managed to use computer technology to create holograms.  Emmett states that his girls have given him the strength to finish a top secret project - but we're going to have to wait to find out what that is for now, as Jerrica has to take a phone call.



Oh, what a surprise.  It's Eric Raymond, and he has a deal that he wants to make with Jerrica now that he has control of Jacqui's recordings.  Of course, the price that Eric has put on the recordings in mighty steep.  His first deal is to sell Jerrica the tapes for one million dollars!  And Jerrica knows full well that since most of the profits from Jem's concerts and records go to the Starlight Girls, she doesn't have a million bucks to randomly give to slimy businessmen.  So, Eric makes a second offer.  If Jerrica gives away controlling interest of Starlight Music to Eric, he'll give her the tapes - which to me seems like a Catch 22 because if Eric gets Starlight Music back, he won't release the album anyway. 

The rest of the Holograms are disgusted but not surprised at Eric's latest plot, and Jerrica suggests reading through the rest of Emmett's diary so that they might come up with a plan to outsmart Eric.  Interestingly enough, the next diary entry is all about Eric!



We all know that Emmett hired Eric personally to be his second in command, and we know that Emmett never really knew how evil Eric would eventually become.  What we may not have known was that Jerrica initially had a massive crush on Eric when she was just seventeen!  Guys, say it with me.  EWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!  Even Raya seemed shocked at this admission, but Jerrica admits that she didn't know what she was thinking at the time.



The next entry talks about how Jerrica came up with the really stupid idea of using Eric to make Rio jealous...but all that does is show Jerrica just how ridiculous Rio's temper is.  But hey, at least he didn't kick a plant this time.

After that entry, Kimber starts to tear up, as she notices that there aren't many pages left.  Sure enough, right around the time that Eric and Rio developed their feud, Emmett starts getting sick with his terminal illness.  And as the last few diary entries are read, we can hear his voice get weaker and weaker as he gets closer to the end of his life.  Wally Burr does a fantastic job doing the voice of Emmett at this time, I should also add.



Of course, while Emmett is battling his sickness, we learn that he was building Synergy.  He notes that for fear of the technology getting in the wrong hands, he has to keep it a secret - and that includes Jerrica and Kimber at that time.  To protect his investment and his invention, he moves his workshop out of Starlight House and into an abandoned drive-in movie theatre - the same place where Jerrica and the others first meet Synergy.



And we also learn that Synergy is much more important to Emmett than we realize - have you noticed that Synergy's face looks almost exactly like Jacqui Benton's?  That was the initial idea...but when Emmett saw Jacqui's face in Synergy's monitor, he deemed the image too painful, so he altered it so that it would look different, but still have that familiarity to it.  So, Synergy is really a loving tribute to his departed wife...which means that having Synergy as Jerrica's mentor would be as if her mother were still by her side.  Mind. Blown.  Emmett also makes a note that he has programmed all of Jacqui's voice recordings into Synergy's memory banks so that Synergy could have a vocabulary that could rival Webster's Dictionary.



In Emmett's final days, he arranges for the musical instruments and Rockin' Roadster to be moved to the abandoned Starlight Drive-in Theatre, and on May 30 - the final entry in the diary - he holds the JemStar earrings in his palm, making arrangements for the earrings to be delivered to Jerrica after he passes.  Now, the date actually holds a lot of significance.  Way back in Episode 32 - the episode where Jem gets gaslighted - she reveals that her birthday is June 1.  Wanna take a guess that Emmett arranged for Synergy to deliver the earrings on Jerrica's birthday?  On the other hand, Jerrica lost her father on or around her birthday.  That would make it simultaneously the best and worst birthday she's ever had.



But Jerrica is too overcome with emotion over the revelation that Synergy seems to be her mother reincarnated.  But before she can say a word, Synergy projects herself into the room and tells Jerrica that she is no more or no less than Synergy - a final gift of love from her departed father.  Synergy also tells Jerrica that she has to make an incredibly difficult choice regarding the master tapes.  But after reading Emmett's diary, Jerrica comes to a final decision and sets off towards Eric's place of residence...however, before you start thinking that Jerrica is going soft, think again.  She flatly tells Eric that she is not giving him money, control of Starlight Enterprises, or a quickie in his bathroom.  Okay, I made that last part up.



Jerrica seems to have the idea that if she talks to Eric about how important the tapes are, he'll find it in his heart to give her the tapes no questions asked.  It's a nice thought.  A stupid thought, but a nice thought.  And Jerrica realizes just how wrong she was about Eric when he callously takes the tapes and tosses them into the fireplace. 



And with that, Jerrica smacks Eric across the face.  Hard.  The only thing that would have been better would have been if she had brass knuckles on.  I'd also consider it to be an even blow from the time where Eric cuffed her one during Episode 5.

But while hitting Eric Raymond might have felt great for a little while, by the time Jerrica arrives back home she is in full-on meltdown mode.  She tearfully explains to Kimber, Aja, Raya, and Shana what happened, and Shana and Raya immediately comfort her and tell her that it wasn't her fault.  But Kimber and Aja are off to themselves, and they seem to be more hopeful.



Remember the part in the diary where Emmett talked about programming Jacqui's voice into Synergy's memory banks?  Aja and Kimber came up with the hypothesis that Emmett may have programmed a copy of the concert into Synergy's memory banks and that the program might be so deep in the banks that not even Synergy could bring it up without a little help.  This is good news, but Aja warns Jerrica that it could be disasterous.  While Aja is just as much of an electronic genius as Techrat, the technology that Emmett used is such that it proves a challenge for even her.  Aja even warns Jerrica that if she screws up, she could completely kill off Synergy for good.  But Jerrica seems to feel that any risk is worth it - even if it means no more Jem.  And with Jerrica's blessing, they get to work disassembling Synergy.



Apparently the process to hack into Synergy's memory banks is a lengthy process.  Aja works through the whole night while the rest of the Holograms fall asleep on the ground.  But as Jerrica and company wake up to a new day, Aja goes A-HA!  Before long, a series of phrases pop up on a computer screen.



Hmmm...one of them is First Love - the song that the Holograms performed earlier in this episode.  There's also a song called Starlight, one called My Heart, and one called "Oh, Jo".  Wow, she wrote a song about Nancy McKeon and she died before "The Facts of Life" went on the air!



But the titles also seem to link to mp3 files long before mp3 files existed!  Sure enough, Aja's theory was true.  Jacqui's songs were definitely programmed into Synergy, and Jerrica couldn't be happier.  To celebrate, Aja clicks on the one marked Starlight, and we hear Jacqui singing the song that had the same title as her home, her foster girls, and her husband's record company.



"Starlight" is definitely a stand out song.  I have no idea who performed the vocals for Jacqui Benton (one theory I had was that it was Samantha Newark that sang it, but I don't think that is true).  Whatever the case, it's a beautiful song, and one that definitely brings a lot of emotion to the rest of the Holograms.  Even Raya sheds a tear even though she never met the woman in her life!  I'm thinking this probably should have been a Season 1 episode because Raya really has nothing to do in this episode. 



Whatever the case, the songs have been found, and a tearful Jerrica tells Jacqui that she loves her.  Okay, seriously, this episode is like a Barbara Walters interview.  I am NOT going to let this show make me cry!



Within a few weeks, the recordings are transferred from Synergy to another master tape, that tape is recorded onto records, cassettes, and CD's, and just like that, Jacqui Benton's album becomes a huge success.



We end off at the album release party where Jerrica formally apologizes for how she used Eric to make him jealous, and Rio doesn't seem to mind.  The two kiss passionately as the other Holograms (including Raya) hold up glasses of lemonade in front of a poster of Jacqui Benton - making a toast to friendship similar to the one that they made all those years earlier.



Okay, I'm calling it right now.  This episode is probably going to be my favourite episode of the whole series.  They blended past elements with a decent story to come up with one of the most emotionally satisfying episodes ever.  I absolutely love this one, and it really should have been the season finale.  That's how great it was.



It probably would have made a better one than the next two episodes, which will be featured over the next two Fridays.  Coming up, Jem goes Hollywood!  And Kimber is in yet ANOTHER love triangle.  Oi.

Thursday, March 09, 2017

March 9, 1985

Last week's Throwback Thursday post was fun.  Let's do it again this week...and the next week...and the next week after that even!

Now for today's entry, I can reveal to you that it is music themed.  But by now you all know the drill.  It was the same as it was on Tuesday Timelines and Wayback Wednesdays.  We're taking a look at the other significant events that took place on this date in history first.

So, what happened on the 9th of March?  Have a gander.

1796 - Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine de Beauharnais marry

1841 - The U.S. Supreme Court rules in the "United States vs. The Amistad" case that the captive Africans who seized control of the ship that was carrying them were taken into slavery illegally

1842 - The first documented discovery of gold in California is made in Rancho San Francisco

1910 - The Westmoreland County Coal Strike begins

1933 - Franklin D. Roosevelt submits the Emergency Banking Act to Congress

1940 - Actor Raul Julia (d. 1994) is born in San Juan, Puerto Rico

1943 - Chess champion Bobby Fischer (d. 2008) is born in Chicago, Illinois

1944 - Tallinn, Estonia is attacked by Soviet planes during World War II

1946 - Thirty-three people are crushed to death during a football game inside Burnden Park Stadium in Bolton, England

1957 - A devastating earthquake strikes the Aleutian Islands and causes a subsequent tsunami that strikes Hawaii

1959 - Barbie makes her debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York City

1961 - Sputnik 9 successfully launches

1976 - The Cavalese Cable Car Disaster of 1976 occurs, killing 42 people

1977 - The Hanafi Siege takes place in Washington D.C. - 149 are taken hostage, and two are killed

1982 - A group of people who call themselves "Krononauts" host an event in Baltimore, Maryland where they discuss the possibility of time travel

1996 - Actor/comedian George Burns dies at the age of 100

1997 - Rapper Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace is gunned down in a drive-by-shooting in Los Angeles - Wallace was just 24 years of age

2011 - After thirty-nine flights, Space Shuttle Discovery makes its final landing

And I hope you love celebrity birthdays because there are a lot of them today!  Happy birthday to Taina Elg, Walter Mercado, Keely Smith, Mel Lastman, Lloyd Price, Joyce Van Patten, Mickey Gilley, Mark Lindsay, Charles Gibson, Robin Trower, Jeffrey Osborne, Chris Thompson, Trevor Burton, Linda Fiorentino, Martin Fry, Lonny Price, Finn Carter, Juliette Binoche, Steve Wilkos, Brian Bosworth, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Emmanuel Lewis, Jean Louisa Kelly, Travis Lane Stork, Oscar Isaac, Matthew Gray Gubler, Julia Mancuso, Brittany Snow, Shad "Bow Wow" Moss, YG, and Domo Genesis.

See, I told you March 9th was a busy day in the maternity ward!

So, what date will we be visiting this week?



Well, it's only 32 years ago.  March 9, 1985.  And I can tell you that this was a date that particular song reached the top of the Billboard charts.

Unfortunately, it was released by a band that admittedly I'm not much of a fan of.  And the song that reached #1 thirty-two years ago is one that I believe has been played over and over and over again.

(And no, the song wasn't performed by the Dave Clark Five.  I actually like those guys.  Plus, their heyday was twenty years before the mid-1980s.)

However, the song did stay at the top of the charts for three weeks.  It was performed at the Live-Aid Benefit Concert that took place in the summer of 1985.  And it was a song that was featured prominently in the 2008 film "Horton Hears a Who!".



ARTIST:  REO Speedwagon
SONG:  Can't Fight This Feeling
ALBUM:  Wheels Are Turnin'
DATE RELEASED:  December 31, 1984*
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #1 for 3 weeks.


NOTE:  The star indicates that this was the release date within the United Kingdom.  In North America, it wasn't officially released as a single until January 23, 1985.

Now, when one thinks of REO Speedwagon, you probably don't think of the group being hard core rockers.  If anything, you might think them as the very definition of rock that is so soft you could squeeze it like a ball of Play-Doh.  I know I certainly thought that when I first listened to them.

And again, I'll admit it.  This song is not exactly one of my favourites.  If I had to pick a song by the band (made up of Kevin Cronin, Gary Richraft, Bruce Hall, Neil Doughty, and Alan Gratzer), I tend to like their 1981 hit "Keep on Loving You" much better.  I think a part of that could be the way that it was overplayed on most radio stations.  I often wondered if this song was the only song that they owned by the band.  That's how often it was played.

The fact that the song is also used in a comedic sense for parody films in serious scenes also kind of turned me off of it.

However, I do appreciate the fact that the song exists - and not just because it gives me something to talk about in this blog.  No, I think that as time passes by, I start to understand why the song became such a hit in the first place.  It's a song that most everyone in the world can relate to because we all have had feelings for someone who started out as a friend or an acquaintance, and no matter how hard you try to keep those feelings inside, sometimes you just can't hold them in and you have to let them know.  I think it's a situation that most of us have experienced at one time or another.  And maybe that's the reason why this song was such a hit thirty-two years ago.

Tuesday, March 07, 2017

It Pays To Enrich Your Word Power

This is going to probably make me known as the biggest dweeb in all the world, but one of the things that I used to love to do when I was a little kid was read the dictionary from cover to cover.

To some of you reading this, this might be the most boring activity one can imagine.  To me, it was fun.  I've always loved the English language, and I have always been fascinated by words and their meanings.



I think my very first experience with a dictionary was when I was a kid and I owned the Charlie Brown Dictionary.  It was a book that I loved and read so much that it fell apart and I had to get another one (and that copy was lost in a move and I have wanted another one since).

Anyway, the Charlie Brown Dictionary began my quest to enrich my word power.  When I was a kid, Archie Comics would reprint alphabet gag pages that showed the Archie characters acting out words that began with that particular letter.  It was how I learned the meaning of the word antidisestablismentarianism.

That 28-letter-word means being against those against the establishment.  So, if a group of people were protesting Denny's, and I decided to protest against those people, then I would be partaking in antidisestablishmentarianism.



And, of course, you had Reader's Digest which as far back as I could remember had a section inside of it called "It Pays To Enrich Your Word Power".  I think that was probably my favourite section in that whole periodical (aside from the fascinating Drama In Real Life stories that would appear in each issue).  I remember always trying to guess at each word and its meaning from the four choices that I was given.  When I was a kid, I was lucky to get a score of more than three out of twenty.  As an adult, I tend to now score anywhere between fourteen and eighteen.

Some might consider that to be a great score, and others might not.  But I'm quite fine with it.  I believe that we are never too old or too young to increase our word power.  And let's face it.  English can be one of the most complex languages to learn without the added pressure of spelling them correctly or making the sentences make sense grammatically.

(Though admittedly I have become amused by funny misspellings and atrocious grammar.  Maybe a little bit too amused.)

Of course, these days we now have Google at our disposal to look up any and all words that exist.  But when I was younger, the only way I knew the word "googol" was the number one that was followed by an insane amount of zeroes.  And I learned that by looking it up in the dictionary.

And Square One Television.  But that's a moot point.

So, I thought that I would play a little game with all of you.  I'm going to write my very own version of "It Pays to Enrich Your Word Power" right here in this blog.  I've taken ten different words and phrases, and it's your job to guess what the words mean.  It's definitely a lot harder to write these quizzes out than it is to answer one, believe me.

And NO GOOGLE.  That's cheating. 

Here's your quiz.  Good luck!

1.      LOQUACIOUS

a)   a lounge that has a lot of extra space
b)   a person who is very chatty
c)   a sandwich spread
d)   feeling incredibly tired

2.      HAKUNA MATATA

a)   No worries
b)   A character on the soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful"
c)   All is not well
d)   An African nation located between Niger and Nigeria

3.      SARSPARILLA

a)   one of the side effects of SARS
b)   a medicine used to treat measles
c)   a Crayola crayon colour
d)   a soft drink

4.      MNEMONIC

a)   a memory trick
b)   a rock band
c)       possessed by the devil
d)   the process of turning a rock into a diamond

5.       STALAGMITE

a)   a mound of rock that is found at the top of a cave
b)   a mound of rock that comes out the bottom of a cave
c)   a mound of rock that comes out of the wall of a cave
d)   a cave

6.       YAHRZEIT

a)   a dice game
b)   a Chinese delicacy
c)   a memorial for the first anniversary of a person's death
d)   a bluish-purple flower grown in Germany

7.       QUETZAL

a)   a gold and green bird
b)   a unit of measurement
c)   a type of British cookie
d)   a Japanese sportscar

8.       QUINCEANERA

a)   a girl's fifteenth birthday celebration
b)   a woman's fiftieth birthday celebration
c)   a fifteenth wedding anniversary
d)   a fiftieth wedding anniversary

9.       MAMMOTHREPT

a)   a prehistoric creature
b)   a spoiled child
c)   a doctor that specializes in breasts
d)   a type of thermometer

10.       XIPHOPAGUS

a)   a tomb found in ancient Egypt
b)   a person who is against organized religion
c)   a set of conjoined twins
d)   an island off the coast of Greece

Friday, March 03, 2017

Jem Reviewed: Episode 50 - Britrock


The only thing I can say about last week's Jem Reviewed was that it was more enjoyable than I thought even though the plot made no sense.

This week's episode is such that it introduces us to a TON of new characters...as well as one old one.  And it is the third episode so far to take place in Jolly Old England!



I suppose that's why this is Episode 50: Britrock.  I know.  I've done fifty of these reviews.  Where has the time gone?

Now, you might think that because the title is superimposed over a Jem poster that we'll be starting with her.  Instead, we're starting with the Misfits, who happen to be using the poster as a dartboard.  And while the Misfits are playing darts, Jetta goes on and on about how she taught the Queen Mum how to play the game, and how she was hanging out with Charles and Diana, and Fergie (the Duchess of York, not the Black Eyed Pea).  It's to set up the fact that once again, Jetta claims to know the royal family.  And Pizzazz and Stormer seem to be hanging onto every word.



But not so much street smart Roxy.  Since the day they met, Roxy has been very suspicious of Jetta's claims that she really is of noble blood, and calls her out at every opportunity.  Jetta insists that she is, and that if they were in England right now, they would be treated like royalty.  This prompts Stormer to comment that her brother, Craig (who we met in Episode 27 along with Jetta) was performing with his new band in London and how she would love to visit with him again.

Pizzazz comes up with the idea to take Jetta up on her offer.  They have no upcoming concerts and plenty of free time, so they agree to spend the weekend in England.  Jetta is at first taken aback, but she goes into another room to place a call into the town of Kingston upon Hull, England.  Interestingly enough, I did some research on this town, and in the time that this episode was filmed, that town was experiencing major decline - particularly in the subjects of education and crime reduction.  I wonder if this will reveal anything about Jetta's background.



Ah, what a surprise.  Jetta's parents, Bertie and Flo are con artists living in a dumpy old flat.  We can see how Jetta turned out the way she did.  I'm actually more amused by the fact that Jetta's mom looks like Hyacinth Bucket from the British sitcom "Keeping Up Appearances".  She even kind of sounds like Mrs. "Bouquet".  Looks as if Jetta has taken after her dear old parents.  She plots a scheme with them to pretend that they are aristocrats to appease the Misfits and make them believe Jetta's tall tales.  She even suggests to her parents that they could use the opportunity to scam Pizzazz out of some cash.  Wow.  Just wow.  Jetta has officially surpassed Pizzazz in being a totally unlikable cow.  Well done, Jetta.  And yes, I say this sarcastically.



But there could still be a chance that Jetta's plans could be thwarted.  At the Rock Hard Cafe (yeah, I see what you did there, Christy Marx), Jem is meeting with a man who calls himself Sir Hugh Ridley (an obvious knockoff of Richard Branson, as far as I'm concerned).  Reporter Cindy Tucker is meeting with them to discuss the fact that Sir Hugh is opening up a new club in London and that he has invited Jem and the Holograms to perform there along with another up and coming band from Britain to take part in a benefit concert.  But Hugh ends the interview before we discover what the benefit is about.



Back in Wissex, England, we see Flo and Bertie enjoying a horse race - where they are happy that their horse has won the race (showering them with pound notes galore). 



The man up above in the skybox is looking less than happy.  We soon find out via a conversation between Jetta's parents and a random guy affiliated with them that the man is Lord Trevor Hawthorne of Wissex, and he is a regular fixture at the race tracks.  Unfortunately, his luck is terrible and he has lost nearly all of the fortune associated with the family estate in Wissex.  Add to the fact that creditors are knocking on his door every minute, and Flo and Bertie's wheels crank in their heads.

They approach Lord Trevor with their plan and how they can scam Pizzazz to pay off his debts, and Trevor is immediately in on the plan.  That seemed...too easy.  But for now, it seems as though Jetta's secret is safe.



The Misfits arrive at the airport, and sure enough there is a Rolls Royce waiting to take them all to the place where they will be staying.  But not all of the Misfits will be going.  Stormer takes off on her own to London because she'd rather spend time with her brother that loves her instead of three women who belittle her at every opportunity.  Sounds reasonable.  Jetta's disappointed (mainly because I get the feeling that Stormer would be the only one to forgive her if her secret got out).



The rest of the Misfits arrive at the estate where Jetta's parents rush out of the manor dressed in their finest clothes and calling her Sheila.  Wow, Sheila Burns.  How...common.  Oh, and Lord Trevor is playing along as the faithful butler of the manor.



But it seems as though Lord Trevor isn't who he claims to be either when he excuses himself to the servant's quarters and meets up with two men named Stoke and Fenton.  Seems as though there's something happening after 8:00pm tomorrow night and whatever this event is, it threatens to expose the real Earl of Wissex.  Stoke and Fenton are called to dispatch the supposed real Earl so that Trevor can keep his title.  Ah, so while Bertie and Flo are conning him, Trevor is conning them right back.  I feel I need a scorecard to keep up.

While all this is going on, Jem and the Holograms arrive in London with Sir Hugh, and Raya comments about how they're finally in England.  I guess she forgot about the fact that they were just there THREE EPISODES AGO!  Oh, well.  They haven't been to London yet.  



They arrive outside of Sir Hugh's club, the Unicorn Club.  No offense, Hugh, but I can think of many better names for a rock club than the Unicorn Club.  But hey, it's not my club.  What do I know?  And since Jon Taffer is unavailable, we can't ask his opinion either.

Inside, we're going to meet the second band that will be performing at the benefit concert, the
Bluebloods!  Interesting name for a band.



The band is made up of four men.  Mason Hawthorne is the soon to be 21-year-old lead singer of the band who seems to be a nice guy who has a mysterious aura to him.  James and Alan are secondary members of the band who seem to only be there as filler characters.  They do seem charming enough.



And the token American of the group?  Welcome back, Craig Phillips!  Aja wastes no time getting reconnected with her long-distance love affair and it's good to see that Craig has found success with a new band after he gallantly walked away from the Battle of the Bands contest to allow Raya to join.



While the Holograms are getting reacquainted with Craig, over at Lord Trevor's place, Jetta's family is still keeping up appearances, so to speak and nobody is any wiser about their scheme.  Jetta's parents waste no time in selling practically everything within the manor to Pizzazz at ten times the price, including stainless steel dinnerware and candelabras.  Of course, to Pizzazz, these trinkets are nothing new, and she proceeds to throw one of the plates through a window.



The behaviour of Pizzazz and Roxy at dinner is too much for Lord Trevor, and he pulls Jetta aside and once again pressures her to make sure that if she sells any more things that she should do it before the clock strikes eight the next evening.  Jetta asks what the big deal is, but Trevor doesn't really reveal much about it.



But we do know that Trevor and his cohorts are up to no good.  In London (inside one of those awesome red phone booths that are simply iconic Britain landmarks), they reveal to Trevor that they have found the location of the real Earl of Wissex, and they plan on taking care of him permanently.  I don't know what that's about, but I've a feeling that whoever the Earl is, he must be with Jem and the Holograms, as they mention that he's out with a group of "American birds".  So, THAT'S where the Bluebloods name came from.  Question is, which one is it?  It'd be hilarious if it turned out to be Craig.



Well, for now, it's time for a good old-fashioned fox hunt with the Misfits.  It's also the first time we hear a song!  Wow, thirteen minutes before a song.  That must be a record.



Fortunately, it's a brand new Misfits song!  Seems like forever since we've heard one, huh?  While the song "I'm Gonna Hunt You Down" is probably not their best song, I admire the fact that the video is visually one of the better ones.  Though, I'm sure that Lord Trevor doesn't take kindly to the fact that they go on their fox hunt INSIDE the manor!

Night passes and a new day falls over London.  The Holograms are waiting to set up their equipment inside the Unicorn Club, and both bands are waiting to get started with the rehearsal. 



Unfortunately, what the Holograms and the Bluebloods don't realize is that Trevor's henchmen have decided to put on an explosive performance of their own.  They rig a bomb to go off in Craig's drum set in five minutes!  And with both bands about to enter the club, this isn't good news for either of them.



Most of the band members head on inside the club, but Craig keeps Aja back because he has a confession to make.  He's really in love with Shana.  No, that's not it.  It's something else.



Of course while Craig is keeping Aja in suspense, the rest of the Holograms are stunned to see Stormer inside.  Oh right, I forgot that they had no idea that Craig and Stormer were brother and sister.  At any rate, Kimber hasn't forgotten her friendship with Stormer, and is actually civil with her.  Jem is wondering if the other Misfits are with her, but Stormer says that it's just her.  I guess when it's just Stormer around, the Holograms can drop their guard.  And, heck, they'd probably do the same for Roxy too.  Not so much the other two though.



Now, Craig is actually intending to tell Aja that Stormer is his sister (which in his mind would be a big deal as the Holograms and Misfits can't stand each other most days).  But the way he introduces Aja to Stormer is so cringe-worthy.  For one, Craig uses Stormer's real name (Mary Phillips).  And since he introduces her to Aja as Mary, it gives anyone the allusion that Craig and Stormer are husband and wife!  But cool as a cucumber Aja would never respond to a rumour like...



...oooh snap!  She did.  I think this might be the first time that a Hologram has ever slapped someone!  Pizzazz and Eric Raymond slapped practically everyone in the first five episodes, but this is definitely a first!



As a broken-hearted Aja runs out of the club bawling, most of the other Holograms follow her outside.  Kimber stays behind to give Craig and Stormer a piece of her mind, but Kimber's forced to swallow humble pie when the Phillips siblings explain their real relationship to each other.  The remainder of the Bluebloods follow Kimber outside to help explain.

Did I mention that the bomb timer is still counting down while all of this is happening



Inside, Craig is furious that Aja would jump to conclusions about him being unfaithful to her, and surprisingly it is Stormer who acts as the voice of reason.  Stormer sees just how much Craig and Aja care for each other and urges Craig to find Aja and make things right.  See, when Stormer is away from the Misfits, she's a delightful woman!  And an intelligent one too.  Meanwhile, Kimber explains to Aja that Craig is NOT dating Stormer as it would be considered incestuous (which is something that can never be portrayed in this cartoon).  Aja realizes that she overreacted (you think) and rushes towards the club to make love...ahem, peace with Craig.



But that pesky bomb that was left behind has other plans, and just as Aja arrives at the front door, the bomb goes off, and apparently the blast is so huge that it sends Aja about a hundred feet into the air!  Miraculously, she survives.

But when Aja comes to and sees the Unicorn Club in complete shambles due to the fire and collapsing structure, she realizes that Craig and Stormer were still inside when the bomb went off!  The rest of the Bluebloods and Aja run inside the burning building to try and save them.



Stormer's more or less all right.  She just has a bum ankle.  But Craig is trapped underneath a fallen ceiling beam, and he can't move.  With help from Aja, James, Alan, and Sir Hugh, the group manages to carry Stormer and Craig out to safety.  But the club is a total loss, and Sir Hugh can only look on in sadness as his beloved Unicorn Club turns into a pile of ashes.



It's at this point that Mason becomes incredibly angry and he makes the stunning admission that the bombing of the Unicorn Club was his fault.  Jem presses Mason for more information and Mason reveals that at eight o'clock tonight, he will officially turn 21, and that he has an uncle who would not be happy to see him reach that milestone - and it's not because his uncle advocates a teetotaler lifestyle either.  Before Jem can ask what is going on, Mason reveals that if they want to find the reason, they need to follow him to Wissex. 

Ladies and gentlemen...I do believe we have our rightful Earl of Wissex.  And Kimber and Raya are accompanying Jem on the trip while Aja and Shana stay behind to look after Stormer and Craig.



Oh, and Craig and Aja get back together.  I guess getting blown up in a club naturally would bring two people closer together.



As Mason, Jem, Kimber, Raya, and Sir Hugh head off to Wissex, Trevor is getting incredibly antsy.  It's just fifteen minutes to eight o'clock, and he has just gotten word that the plan to kill the Earl backfired, so now he's panicking, desperate to come up with a solution.  After all, it's not as if he can sell any more stuff to Pizzazz.



But when he fills Jetta and her parents in on the problem, Jetta comes up with a solution.  Sell Pizzazz the entire estate before the clock strikes eight, and that way, there's nothing that can be done to stop it.  And if Pizzazz questions it, Jetta tells Trevor to make the claim that if she buys the estate, she gets the title of Lady of Wissex to go along with it.  That's...actually not a bad idea, I have to admit.  After all, Pizzazz's ego is the size of Alaska.  But still, Jetta also shows just how little she cares about friendship.  She'd better tread lightly or else she might find herself crawling back to the Tinkerbillies.

Of course, Pizzazz doesn't hesitate to take the deal, and Pizzazz is about to sign the contract that transfers the land ownership to Pizzazz...



...when Mason, Jem, Kimber, and Raya appear at the door - with Mason carrying the same fox that Pizzazz tried to kill during the fox hunt.  Mason proclaims that it is now eight o'clock, he's now twenty-one years old, and he is now the rightful heir to the Hawthorne Estate!  Of course, Lord Trevor protests, but Mason is in no mood to fight.  He orders his fox to snatch the contract away, leaving Jetta's parents to flee and Pizzazz and Roxy ready to turn Jetta into a serving of haggis.

Oh, wait.  Haggis is Scottish, not English.  My bad.



Naturally, Trevor and his henchmen try to get away as well, but Mason and Sir Hugh tackle them after Jem summons a hologram of a pack of angry dogs to scare them. 



Soon after, the police arrive and find Jetta's parents hiding in the stables, and there comes a funny moment in which everyone accuses everyone for the damage done to the estate, with Jetta's own father throwing her under the bus!  I'm sorry, but that moment was funny.

But for poor Mason, it seems as though he's in a lot of trouble now.  He's the rightful heir of Hawthorne Manor, but because of the spending and gambling that Trevor did, there's no money left to pay off the creditors.  The benefit concert that was meant to be held at the Unicorn Club was designed to raise money for that purpose so that when Mason became Earl, he wouldn't have to worry about losing the place.

Jem tells the new Earl to turn that frown upside down because they're still going to have the benefit concert - at the Manor itself.  As for the punishment for three-quarters of the Misfits, she's got something else in mind.



Before we see that punishment, we have one final song, and this one is called "Between Me and You", which I have to admit is not bad at all.  Oh, and Jem is thrilled to learn that the concert has raised enough money to rebuild the Unicorn Club, and to pay off the outstanding bills.



As for Pizzazz, Roxy, and Jetta, the three of them are on dish duty.  And despite the fact that Jetta's lies got them into this mess in the first place, she still brags about her fabulous life, which cause Pizzazz and Roxy to shove a knight mask over her head.  You know, I could grow to like Pizzazz and Roxy.  And just for the fact that Jetta got embarrassed, this is officially a great show!



Next week, a very emotional episode of the series...and one that features Jerrica, not Jem. 

Finally, some
Jem Trivia.  Jem was originally to be called "M", but because the toy company couldn't trademark a letter, they went with Jem.