As far as I'm concerned The Office aired its final episode this past Thursday with Steve Carell's finale, "Goodbye, Michael."
While this is not the case, as the show has been renewed and there are a few more episodes left in the season (including guest stars Will Arnett and Ricky Gervais!), this episode felt like what was the end of the series. Michael Scott was the office's (both the place and the show) central figure, and without him it just doesn't make much sense at all.
This episode was by no means perfect; I found all the subplots superfluous and annoying, and I just can't wait for Deangelo to leave. I even took issue with the way Michael handled his departure mostly, but at the end I realized that he did it in exactly the right way -- his own way. And the final scenes with Jim, Dwight, and Pam were so heart-wrenching, emotional without feeling insincere or forced. They were subtle, and they were beautiful, and they were the best things the series has done since season 3, emotionally.
These last few episodes have felt like a fitting tribute, mostly, to the end of an era. I don't expect the show to go on much longer without Michael Scott's powerful and perfect presence; while it's a great ensemble, it was always Michael that held things together, Michael that made the show feel that much more cohesive instead of just a bunch of characters playing off each other. Michael was both hilarious and tragic, something that none of the other characters grasped quite as well as he did. He will be sorely missed.
I give "Goodbye, Michael" 4 removed microphones out of 5.
Watch "Goodbye, Michael." [video TBA]
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Thank You, Sony...
If you haven't already heard, the PlayStation Network (or the PS3's online service for those of you weirdos who somehow don't know that already, because I mean how could you not know that already, you're here, aren't you?) has been hacked.
Yes, Sony, a multi-million-dollar company, was hacked by some still-unknown third party. It's depressing and disturbing that such a thing is even possible. You would think that Sony, with its big bags of money all piled up in a room somewhere in their fortress of media, would have created, y'know, a STRONG SECURITY SYSTEM. But nope, apparently that wasn't a priority, and now a hacker has obtained access to every single PSN user's personal information, including credit card information. (Thankfully, security codes were not compromised. This seems almost ironic but I'm too tired right now to think about that any further to determine whether it really is irony or not. Someone tell me.)
Unfortunately, there's not much we can do. The network is still down so we can't log in and try to change our passwords. If you use the same password for your email/other important accounts as you do for the PSN, it is recommended that you change it. Yes, that would be a smart move. Do that.
I really hope the network comes back up soon, but honestly, this really makes me lose faith in Sony a little bit. I just can't believe that they created a network open enough that a random number generator (or whatever) could hack into it. That's just unacceptable. I'm not going to sell my PS3 or anything drastic like that, and it's not like I can't use it at all or anything -- although not being able to use Netflix on it or have my trophies sync is a major problem for me; I had to download Netflix on my Wii and watch Parks and Recreation in SD as opposed to glorious HD, sad face -- but it's still frustrating when one of the major selling points of the system just shuts down like this.
The service is free, so we can't expect as much as an XBox Live user would from Microsoft. However, I really hope everyone who has had to endure this ordeal can be compensated for their patience in some way. I'm not sure what a viable option would be, but I hope Sony comes up with something. A free game would be stinking awesome, though. Just saying, guys. I've been wanting to play Final Fantasy VII for awhile now. ;)
Yes, Sony, a multi-million-dollar company, was hacked by some still-unknown third party. It's depressing and disturbing that such a thing is even possible. You would think that Sony, with its big bags of money all piled up in a room somewhere in their fortress of media, would have created, y'know, a STRONG SECURITY SYSTEM. But nope, apparently that wasn't a priority, and now a hacker has obtained access to every single PSN user's personal information, including credit card information. (Thankfully, security codes were not compromised. This seems almost ironic but I'm too tired right now to think about that any further to determine whether it really is irony or not. Someone tell me.)
Unfortunately, there's not much we can do. The network is still down so we can't log in and try to change our passwords. If you use the same password for your email/other important accounts as you do for the PSN, it is recommended that you change it. Yes, that would be a smart move. Do that.
I really hope the network comes back up soon, but honestly, this really makes me lose faith in Sony a little bit. I just can't believe that they created a network open enough that a random number generator (or whatever) could hack into it. That's just unacceptable. I'm not going to sell my PS3 or anything drastic like that, and it's not like I can't use it at all or anything -- although not being able to use Netflix on it or have my trophies sync is a major problem for me; I had to download Netflix on my Wii and watch Parks and Recreation in SD as opposed to glorious HD, sad face -- but it's still frustrating when one of the major selling points of the system just shuts down like this.
The service is free, so we can't expect as much as an XBox Live user would from Microsoft. However, I really hope everyone who has had to endure this ordeal can be compensated for their patience in some way. I'm not sure what a viable option would be, but I hope Sony comes up with something. A free game would be stinking awesome, though. Just saying, guys. I've been wanting to play Final Fantasy VII for awhile now. ;)
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Thursday Night's All Right
Thursday's comedy block was extremely awesome. I'm a cynic and a hater and I actually really enjoyed every show of the night -- well, except the Paul Reiser Show, but I don't watch that, so.
Community was hilarious, although I kind of resent that all of those awesome little plot lines will never be expanded upon. The Office was sweet, even though it was trying really hard to make me feel that way. It was nostalgic, and I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff. Season 2 will forever have a place in my heart, so I really appreciated this episode. And it made me even more sad to see Michael go.
Parks and Recreation...I can't even describe my feelings for that show in words. I spent the last two days watching all of the episodes of Season 2 that I hadn't seen. It's just a perfect television show; it's reminiscent of season 2/3 The Office, and it's so wonderful. I love EVERY. SINGLE. CHARACTER. Even Tom, even Jerry. (HAHA, Tom and Jerry.) The show works in relationships so subtly; last week April and Andy got married with little fanfare. This week Leslie acknowledges her feelings for Ben and it's not a big deal. The little quiet moments make this show feel realistic, moreso than the Office, and I just enjoy every minute of it.
The hour-long 30 Rock had its great moments, too, with some hilarious one-liners (ALSO THE RETURN OF DANNY, JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE CUZ I LOVE HIM), but overall I think the show should stick to its 30 minute roots. Also the shoehorned clips felt really, really weird. This season has already had two season finale-type episodes and it's not even over yet! The Office also played with nostalgia this week but in a less overt way, and while it was still kind of obnoxious I appreciated it a bit more than 30 Rock's lazy bag of season 1/2/3 clips.
I did, however, love the callback to Jack's classic line: "It's after 6. What am I, a farmer?" Good stuff.
So, yes. I highly recommend you start watching Parks and Recreation if you haven't, and I would suggest you watch all four shows' latest episodes. They were all worth it. Best Thursday in awhile.
Community was hilarious, although I kind of resent that all of those awesome little plot lines will never be expanded upon. The Office was sweet, even though it was trying really hard to make me feel that way. It was nostalgic, and I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff. Season 2 will forever have a place in my heart, so I really appreciated this episode. And it made me even more sad to see Michael go.
Parks and Recreation...I can't even describe my feelings for that show in words. I spent the last two days watching all of the episodes of Season 2 that I hadn't seen. It's just a perfect television show; it's reminiscent of season 2/3 The Office, and it's so wonderful. I love EVERY. SINGLE. CHARACTER. Even Tom, even Jerry. (HAHA, Tom and Jerry.) The show works in relationships so subtly; last week April and Andy got married with little fanfare. This week Leslie acknowledges her feelings for Ben and it's not a big deal. The little quiet moments make this show feel realistic, moreso than the Office, and I just enjoy every minute of it.
The hour-long 30 Rock had its great moments, too, with some hilarious one-liners (ALSO THE RETURN OF DANNY, JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE CUZ I LOVE HIM), but overall I think the show should stick to its 30 minute roots. Also the shoehorned clips felt really, really weird. This season has already had two season finale-type episodes and it's not even over yet! The Office also played with nostalgia this week but in a less overt way, and while it was still kind of obnoxious I appreciated it a bit more than 30 Rock's lazy bag of season 1/2/3 clips.
I did, however, love the callback to Jack's classic line: "It's after 6. What am I, a farmer?" Good stuff.
So, yes. I highly recommend you start watching Parks and Recreation if you haven't, and I would suggest you watch all four shows' latest episodes. They were all worth it. Best Thursday in awhile.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Vacation Posting
I'm on Spring Break right now, so I'm feeling very lazy. Well, really, I've been feeling lazy for awhile now. Sorry.
Today's Thursday and you know what that means - a new 30 Rock (the hour long 100th episode!) and a new Parks & Rec! I woke up this morning feeling excited. It was wonderful.
Last week's Parks and Rec was so good, just a great ensemble episode with character development and heartwarming moments and blah, I'm excited for tonight's. Especially since it's called "Soulmates" and it involves Leslie being matched with someone she already knows on an online dating service. ;) Although if it's who I'm thinking it is, then why would he be on an online dating service anyway? He doesn't strike me as that kind of guy. Well, I guess I'll figure that out in less than 12 hours.
Last week's 30 Rock was good too but I just want them to resolve this TRACY IS MISSING! arc already. I hope tonight is awesome and I'm looking forward to that Condoleeza/Jack tryst being brought up again. That was mentioned in season 1, right? It killed me. Hopefully this will be a satisfying culmination.
I wonder what an hour-long 30 Rock will feel like. It seems like a weird prospect, like an hour-long episode of The Simpsons or something. Well, I guess they did have one of those, and it worked out pretty well in my opinion. So I have high hopes.
Make sure to watch Parks and Rec tonight at 9:30 EST and the 1-hour 30 Rock special at 10 EST. (Also tune in to Community at 8 EST. Don't feel obligated to watch The Office.)
Today's Thursday and you know what that means - a new 30 Rock (the hour long 100th episode!) and a new Parks & Rec! I woke up this morning feeling excited. It was wonderful.
Last week's Parks and Rec was so good, just a great ensemble episode with character development and heartwarming moments and blah, I'm excited for tonight's. Especially since it's called "Soulmates" and it involves Leslie being matched with someone she already knows on an online dating service. ;) Although if it's who I'm thinking it is, then why would he be on an online dating service anyway? He doesn't strike me as that kind of guy. Well, I guess I'll figure that out in less than 12 hours.
Last week's 30 Rock was good too but I just want them to resolve this TRACY IS MISSING! arc already. I hope tonight is awesome and I'm looking forward to that Condoleeza/Jack tryst being brought up again. That was mentioned in season 1, right? It killed me. Hopefully this will be a satisfying culmination.
I wonder what an hour-long 30 Rock will feel like. It seems like a weird prospect, like an hour-long episode of The Simpsons or something. Well, I guess they did have one of those, and it worked out pretty well in my opinion. So I have high hopes.
Make sure to watch Parks and Rec tonight at 9:30 EST and the 1-hour 30 Rock special at 10 EST. (Also tune in to Community at 8 EST. Don't feel obligated to watch The Office.)
Monday, April 18, 2011
Thanks, Youtube
Over the weekend I was able to go to Coachella. Okay, I wasn't there in person, unfortunately, but thanks to the advent of the Internet I was able to experience it live from the comfort of my own home.
Youtube was streaming concerts live all weekend long, and I was able to catch two great ones - Best Coast and, at 2AM Saturday, Arcade Fire. Arcade Fire also streamed one of their shows at Madison Square Garden live last year and I watched that one, too. They are truly an amazing band live and oh, how I wish I was there in person to experience that! They really put on quite a show. I watched them until 3:30, I didn't want to stop, it was just beautiful.
Best Coast was great, too, although their set was much shorter. Just like Arcade Fire, though, they're really good live; I think I'd say that they are even better live than on recording, even! Bethany's banter was awesome and she just had a ton of personality and energy, even more than she does on the album. Also, the band played a new song I'd never heard before and a cover, and both of those were worth the watch!
I don't know to feel about these streams, despite my enjoyable experiences with them. On the one hand, I got to watch Arcade Fire in concert for free! Twice! A lot of people got to see how great these bands were for the first time and are now going to check them out. And I am a thousand times more likely to try to go to an Arcade Fire/Best Coast/etc. concert in the future. On the other hand, as an artist, wouldn't you rather people pay money to see you live? Obviously watching at home isn't quite the same but it was still pretty darn good. I actually got to see them up close; at a concert there'd be a ton of other people around and I might be stuck in the back.
I don't know that people would ever stop wanting to go to concerts but streaming them is definitely making people like me less likely to try to attend something like Coachella because I know I can just watch it at home.
We'll see what happens.
Youtube was streaming concerts live all weekend long, and I was able to catch two great ones - Best Coast and, at 2AM Saturday, Arcade Fire. Arcade Fire also streamed one of their shows at Madison Square Garden live last year and I watched that one, too. They are truly an amazing band live and oh, how I wish I was there in person to experience that! They really put on quite a show. I watched them until 3:30, I didn't want to stop, it was just beautiful.
Best Coast was great, too, although their set was much shorter. Just like Arcade Fire, though, they're really good live; I think I'd say that they are even better live than on recording, even! Bethany's banter was awesome and she just had a ton of personality and energy, even more than she does on the album. Also, the band played a new song I'd never heard before and a cover, and both of those were worth the watch!
I don't know to feel about these streams, despite my enjoyable experiences with them. On the one hand, I got to watch Arcade Fire in concert for free! Twice! A lot of people got to see how great these bands were for the first time and are now going to check them out. And I am a thousand times more likely to try to go to an Arcade Fire/Best Coast/etc. concert in the future. On the other hand, as an artist, wouldn't you rather people pay money to see you live? Obviously watching at home isn't quite the same but it was still pretty darn good. I actually got to see them up close; at a concert there'd be a ton of other people around and I might be stuck in the back.
I don't know that people would ever stop wanting to go to concerts but streaming them is definitely making people like me less likely to try to attend something like Coachella because I know I can just watch it at home.
We'll see what happens.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Apocalypse Please
Today I visited a college and in a mock class we watched the opening to Apocalypse Now. I hadn't seen the movie in going on a year, and since reading Heart of Darkness I had sort of been wanting to rewatch it. Watching the opening again, I was just instantly reminded that this movie is a true masterpiece, much more entertaining and even insightful than the book. I can't even think of a more perfect opening at this moment. "The End" just works so masterfully, it's like it was written for this movie.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Partyin' Like It's 2008
2008 was a pretty good year for music for me. Vampire Weekend's debut album basically owned it, alongside Tokyo Police Club's debut Elephant Shell; I also discovered Band of Horses that year. It was a good time.
Today I felt a random inclination to jam to "Oxford Comma." I remember not liking it a lot when I first heard it. I mean, I liked it, but I much preferred "A-Punk," "Walcott," "Mansard Roof," "One (Blake's Got a New Face)," and "The Kids Don't Stand a Chance." I would listen to it but throughout its entirety feel antsy to hit the back button and listen to "Mansard Roof" again, or skip forward to "A-Punk."
But then the music video was released and -- see, I have a disorder known as Video Affection Syndrome. Once a song has a video accompaniment, whether it's a video or a commercial, I immediately love it more. That's what happened with "Oxford Comma." I loved the video SO MUCH that immediately my liking for the song grew and grew and grew. It's not like it's some random video, either; I legitimately love the "Oxford Comma" video on its own. Shot in one take, I find it fascinating, cool, and fun.
Check it out and I hope you have a reaction as (positively) strong as I did the first time I saw it, three years ago.
P.S. I just found out that the video was directed by Richard Ayoade, who is the amazing IT Crowd and Garth Marenghi's Darkplace actor and occasional director of such things as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Heads Will Roll" and the latest episode of Community, the great one with the My Dinner with Andre/Pulp Fiction send-ups. Awesome!
Today I felt a random inclination to jam to "Oxford Comma." I remember not liking it a lot when I first heard it. I mean, I liked it, but I much preferred "A-Punk," "Walcott," "Mansard Roof," "One (Blake's Got a New Face)," and "The Kids Don't Stand a Chance." I would listen to it but throughout its entirety feel antsy to hit the back button and listen to "Mansard Roof" again, or skip forward to "A-Punk."
But then the music video was released and -- see, I have a disorder known as Video Affection Syndrome. Once a song has a video accompaniment, whether it's a video or a commercial, I immediately love it more. That's what happened with "Oxford Comma." I loved the video SO MUCH that immediately my liking for the song grew and grew and grew. It's not like it's some random video, either; I legitimately love the "Oxford Comma" video on its own. Shot in one take, I find it fascinating, cool, and fun.
Check it out and I hope you have a reaction as (positively) strong as I did the first time I saw it, three years ago.
P.S. I just found out that the video was directed by Richard Ayoade, who is the amazing IT Crowd and Garth Marenghi's Darkplace actor and occasional director of such things as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Heads Will Roll" and the latest episode of Community, the great one with the My Dinner with Andre/Pulp Fiction send-ups. Awesome!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Operation Kitten Calendar
I miss Acceptable.tv. It was this awesome show created by Dan Harmon where viewers could vote on which sketches/"series" would continue onto each new episode. It was hilarious and inventive and so of course it only lasted 8 episodes.
This was my favorite "series" from the show, "Operation Kitten Calendar." Enjoy.
Operation Kitten Calendar Season 1 by TripleA297
This was my favorite "series" from the show, "Operation Kitten Calendar." Enjoy.
Operation Kitten Calendar Season 1 by TripleA297
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
An Explanation, A Rant, A Fuss
Yesterday I received an Anonymous comment on my last Liz Lee-related rant. Usually I address these often condescending, "I'm so superior and worthy because I'm posting anonymously on a random Internet blog"-sounding comments directly, but I want to talk about this one with the whole class.
Hey Anonymous! Thanks for your comment! Let me point out why I find it so hilarious, because I find it so hilarious!:
1. The quotation.
I suppose this explanation is long overdue, although I honestly feel like I gave it at some point. Even if I did, though, why is it necessary? Isn't it obvious that that's a joke?! Do you think a Floridian model would be spending her Saturday afternoons blogging about Bebe Zeva, her weeknights about Cartoon Network shows?! Really!?
If you're really that naive then I'll just be honest with you: my about me is a joke. Seriously. It's not even something I came up with on my own, it comes from the opening lines of this biography of America's Next Top Model Cycle 4 contestant Tiffany Richardson:
See? Yeah. I thought that was ridiculously stupid and funny so I just made it my About Me. I guess a joke isn't really a joke if you have to explain it but I didn't really think that I had to!
2. The implication.
So because you believe(d) that I am a model -- which is so humorous to me that I had to get up and go laugh hysterically for a good twenty minutes before I was able to function properly and continue writing -- you decided that a. my opinion was invalid b. my opinion was inaccurate c. my opinion was biased because all models are born with a distaste for inauthentic, obnoxious hipsters who masquerade as "nerds" for the money and/or LULZ?
I don't have the scientific evidence to back me up on option C but I can say with much confidence that all three options are sad and wrong-headed (except for the part about Liz being an inauthentic and obnoxious hipster who masquerades as a "nerd" for the money and/or LULZ. Y'know, just in case you didn't pick up on that, either). I think it's pretty great that you thought that because I was a model my opinion about Liz Lee was worthless and stupid and wrong. Well, listen, I'm not a model, so what's your excuse now?
Or maybe you just have an irrational hatred of Miami? That could be it. After all, what other reason would you have for quoting the "Florida" part too? I can't say that I've ever been to Florida, but Miami seems like a decent enough place. Obviously if Foals thought it was worthy enough to write a seriously awesome song about, then it must not be so bad. Why the hate, Anon? Why the hate?
Whether it was because you thought I was a model, a Floridian, or both, overall you seem to think there is a link between that and "stupidity," which, in your crazy foreign language that doesn't use the Roman alphabet and thus is utterly unintelligible to me and my ethno-centric ways, means that I don't like Liz Lee. Hate to break it you, sir or madam, but a LOT of people don't like Liz Lee. Not everyone falls for her heavily scripted, label-tastic antics they way you do! Crazy, isn't it?
Man, now all of my angry feelings of hatred towards Liz are bubbling up again. Curse you Anonymous! ...and thanks for commenting.
P.S. I'll admit that some of my hatred for her is rather irrational, but then, you should also admit that some of your appreciation of her is irrational, too. From an objective standpoint.
Regularly scheduled blogging to start up again tomorrow.
- "Allegra is an American fashion model from Miami, Florida" Case closed.
Hey Anonymous! Thanks for your comment! Let me point out why I find it so hilarious, because I find it so hilarious!:
1. The quotation.
I suppose this explanation is long overdue, although I honestly feel like I gave it at some point. Even if I did, though, why is it necessary? Isn't it obvious that that's a joke?! Do you think a Floridian model would be spending her Saturday afternoons blogging about Bebe Zeva, her weeknights about Cartoon Network shows?! Really!?
If you're really that naive then I'll just be honest with you: my about me is a joke. Seriously. It's not even something I came up with on my own, it comes from the opening lines of this biography of America's Next Top Model Cycle 4 contestant Tiffany Richardson:
Tiffany Richardson is an American fashion model from Miami, Florida. She enjoys eating Popeye's spicy wings.
 |
| Look at Tiffany. She gets it, even if you didn't, Anonymous! |
2. The implication.
So because you believe(d) that I am a model -- which is so humorous to me that I had to get up and go laugh hysterically for a good twenty minutes before I was able to function properly and continue writing -- you decided that a. my opinion was invalid b. my opinion was inaccurate c. my opinion was biased because all models are born with a distaste for inauthentic, obnoxious hipsters who masquerade as "nerds" for the money and/or LULZ?
I don't have the scientific evidence to back me up on option C but I can say with much confidence that all three options are sad and wrong-headed (except for the part about Liz being an inauthentic and obnoxious hipster who masquerades as a "nerd" for the money and/or LULZ. Y'know, just in case you didn't pick up on that, either). I think it's pretty great that you thought that because I was a model my opinion about Liz Lee was worthless and stupid and wrong. Well, listen, I'm not a model, so what's your excuse now?
Or maybe you just have an irrational hatred of Miami? That could be it. After all, what other reason would you have for quoting the "Florida" part too? I can't say that I've ever been to Florida, but Miami seems like a decent enough place. Obviously if Foals thought it was worthy enough to write a seriously awesome song about, then it must not be so bad. Why the hate, Anon? Why the hate?
Whether it was because you thought I was a model, a Floridian, or both, overall you seem to think there is a link between that and "stupidity," which, in your crazy foreign language that doesn't use the Roman alphabet and thus is utterly unintelligible to me and my ethno-centric ways, means that I don't like Liz Lee. Hate to break it you, sir or madam, but a LOT of people don't like Liz Lee. Not everyone falls for her heavily scripted, label-tastic antics they way you do! Crazy, isn't it?
Man, now all of my angry feelings of hatred towards Liz are bubbling up again. Curse you Anonymous! ...and thanks for commenting.
P.S. I'll admit that some of my hatred for her is rather irrational, but then, you should also admit that some of your appreciation of her is irrational, too. From an objective standpoint.
Regularly scheduled blogging to start up again tomorrow.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
I Don't Know What I Know But I Know I Don't Like It
So I'm writing a research paper about Tao Lin and the influence of impersonal technology on his writing (namely his poetry). I've learned a lot about him through my research; for instance I've learned that while I really, really like his poetry, I don't really care for anything else he has done. I've paged through Richard Yates before and was not a fan of the minimalist, not-sure-if-ironic style; somehow this same style is far more appealing to me in his first-person poems. I appreciate their stream-of-consciousness style and it feels a lot more sincere and is thus a lot more endearing when it comes from the horse's mouth. Tao's fictional characters are not as easy to feel for; the writing is so flat there's no emotion.
Anyway. Other things I've learned about today, thanks to Tao: Bebe Zeva. It's weird but at one point in my life, a year or so ago, I was very into reading teenage fashion blogs, especially the excellent Style Rookie by my main girl Tavi. Tavi is going on 15 and is extremely tiny and has a cool voice and likes Freaks and Geeks and I just want her to be friends with me. Sadly the likelihood of that is impossibly low. Like, negative infinity. This is not all completely irrelevant, don't worry, although honestly irrelevance is what you should come to expect from me by now, 151 posts in. Bebe Zeva, if you clicked the link I so politely left for you, is also a fashion blogger; what's different about her and Tavi, though, is that while Style Rookie is focused on more than just fashion (read Tavi's recent, very introspective and overall great post about this here), Bebe is kind of all about marketing herself. She just posts pictures of herself and talks about them. Tavi doesn't always post outfit photos, and while Bebe doesn't solely talk about herself she does always somehow bring the topic back to her. I mean, it's her blog, so whatever, they're self-absorbed on principle. But it's markedly different than the style of the maturing Tavi. (Bebe and I, by the way, are the same age. Crazy.)
How is any of this related to Tao? Tao and his wifey Megan Boyle made a documentary about Bebe, just following her around with a computer. Bebe has a very girlish voice and seems way more like a teenager on tape. Tavi also seems young but again, it's different. I could see Bebe being a high schooler. Tavi? Eh.
BEBE ZEVA (TRAILER 1) from MDMAfilms on Vimeo.
So why is Bebe so special that she gets a movie about her? Personally I would love a documentary about Tavi but whatever, maybe I actually wouldn't, maybe they both would be equally as dull. Because this movie, sorry Tao, looks rather uninteresting. I don't know, I guess I find Bebe fascinating if I'm still writing about her, but maybe I'm just more fascinated by Tao's interest in her. Because it stretches beyond this.
Another thing I came upon during my research that I only just connected after reading extensively about Bebe is that Tao is very close with some guy known only as Carles, who is the main blogger on some extremely obnoxious and even slightly offensive to my precious little eyeballs blog called Hipster Runoff. I only came across Tao and Carles' connection while skimming Google headlines; I didn't pursue the matter. But then I found this extensive, slightly disturbing, and overall kind of pointless article about Carles, written by Bebe.
In it she details at extreme length her burgeoning relationship with Carles. It's interesting because it totally paints her as annoying and a little pathetic; Bebe is very self-deprecating. She's also hard to get. Maybe because I had never read about her before but on her original blog, a Wordpress, she has a long, rambling post about a "family" trip with her sister, her "brother," and her "dad," Travis. Apparently Travis is actually her friend? And I'm still not quite sure if her "little brother" is actually related to her. I feel kind of stupid about not knowing any of this for sure but that's not totally my fault. Ugh, anyway. Bebe is kind of sympathetic if you look at the FAQ on her tumblr as she writes about her mom's health problems but this article is just...ugh.
The creepy part about this is that it's been speculated that Tao Lin is actually Carles. I found this out after recognizing the name and googling its connection, again, with Tao. While there is a lot of evidence against this theory I'm still not totally sure. After all, in the article, Bebe receives a package with a return address of "Tao Lin," a package that was supposed to be sent by Carles. It's all kind of a vague mystery and I'm really, really confused by it all.
Before I read that article, or maybe concurrently, who remembers events sequentially anymore, I read that Bebe had won a chat with Tao. Yeah, I think I read them at the same time. If Tao sent Bebe a package before talking to her then he must have known something about her? Surely if he saw her occasionally creepily sexualized photos on his "friend's" website he would know of her? And then she happens to win this chat with him. And there's still the possibility that he IS Carles, and that really they'd talked for a long time, and he always asks her about her mother, and oh God just read the chat, I don't know what to think about any of this, ugh.
Some think that Richard Yates is based off of the relationship between Bebe and Carles, which is strange and upset stomach-making if you know what the book is about. It's even more nauseating if Carles really is Tao! And I don't even know, I need more of a reason for Tao making this movie about her. They had talked a couple of times, the first time I guess being in that chat, but then he just found her interesting enough to make a movie about her? And he's in the movie himself. Watch that trailer. I like Tao's voice. ...uh. Yeah. I sort of don't even know where I'm going with this anymore but I guess the bottom line is that I don't get Bebe Zeva. I don't understand her at all. And now I want to analyze how now she has a blogspot instead of a Wordpress because she and Tao talk about that fact in their chat and man, man, man, I really need to write my paper. I've written more about Bebe Zeva than I have about Tao, than I have my entire paper, and I find this kind of inspiring but also kind of depressing and I should do my work. So. Puzzle this out for me.
EDIT: God, it just doesn't end. This extremely biased article from Vice makes me once again almost-symapthize for Bebe. She's just a normal person, really, who's trying way, way, way too hard to make herself known on the Internet. We could psychoanalyze her all night but it's not worth it. She's no different than any of the Urban Outfitters obsessives at my school, her pretensions and obvious minor web fame aside. She just really, really wants to be noticed. I wonder if Tao is exploiting her, and I wonder if he's doing it knowingly. I wonder when Bebe will realize it.
I find Tao fascinating but I don't care much for him outside of his poetry. "i am unemployed" is just a great poem, but I don't know, I wonder if he's a fluke, I wonder if you are a little bit happier than i am was his only collection ever written from a place of humorous sincerity. The rest of his work is just so gimmicky; he's now trying so, so hard for attention and putting less emphasis on the actual writing. It's really too bad, because he is a talented poet. I wonder what the future holds for him. I wonder a lot.
Anyway. Other things I've learned about today, thanks to Tao: Bebe Zeva. It's weird but at one point in my life, a year or so ago, I was very into reading teenage fashion blogs, especially the excellent Style Rookie by my main girl Tavi. Tavi is going on 15 and is extremely tiny and has a cool voice and likes Freaks and Geeks and I just want her to be friends with me. Sadly the likelihood of that is impossibly low. Like, negative infinity. This is not all completely irrelevant, don't worry, although honestly irrelevance is what you should come to expect from me by now, 151 posts in. Bebe Zeva, if you clicked the link I so politely left for you, is also a fashion blogger; what's different about her and Tavi, though, is that while Style Rookie is focused on more than just fashion (read Tavi's recent, very introspective and overall great post about this here), Bebe is kind of all about marketing herself. She just posts pictures of herself and talks about them. Tavi doesn't always post outfit photos, and while Bebe doesn't solely talk about herself she does always somehow bring the topic back to her. I mean, it's her blog, so whatever, they're self-absorbed on principle. But it's markedly different than the style of the maturing Tavi. (Bebe and I, by the way, are the same age. Crazy.)
How is any of this related to Tao? Tao and his wifey Megan Boyle made a documentary about Bebe, just following her around with a computer. Bebe has a very girlish voice and seems way more like a teenager on tape. Tavi also seems young but again, it's different. I could see Bebe being a high schooler. Tavi? Eh.
BEBE ZEVA (TRAILER 1) from MDMAfilms on Vimeo.
So why is Bebe so special that she gets a movie about her? Personally I would love a documentary about Tavi but whatever, maybe I actually wouldn't, maybe they both would be equally as dull. Because this movie, sorry Tao, looks rather uninteresting. I don't know, I guess I find Bebe fascinating if I'm still writing about her, but maybe I'm just more fascinated by Tao's interest in her. Because it stretches beyond this.
Another thing I came upon during my research that I only just connected after reading extensively about Bebe is that Tao is very close with some guy known only as Carles, who is the main blogger on some extremely obnoxious and even slightly offensive to my precious little eyeballs blog called Hipster Runoff. I only came across Tao and Carles' connection while skimming Google headlines; I didn't pursue the matter. But then I found this extensive, slightly disturbing, and overall kind of pointless article about Carles, written by Bebe.
In it she details at extreme length her burgeoning relationship with Carles. It's interesting because it totally paints her as annoying and a little pathetic; Bebe is very self-deprecating. She's also hard to get. Maybe because I had never read about her before but on her original blog, a Wordpress, she has a long, rambling post about a "family" trip with her sister, her "brother," and her "dad," Travis. Apparently Travis is actually her friend? And I'm still not quite sure if her "little brother" is actually related to her. I feel kind of stupid about not knowing any of this for sure but that's not totally my fault. Ugh, anyway. Bebe is kind of sympathetic if you look at the FAQ on her tumblr as she writes about her mom's health problems but this article is just...ugh.
The creepy part about this is that it's been speculated that Tao Lin is actually Carles. I found this out after recognizing the name and googling its connection, again, with Tao. While there is a lot of evidence against this theory I'm still not totally sure. After all, in the article, Bebe receives a package with a return address of "Tao Lin," a package that was supposed to be sent by Carles. It's all kind of a vague mystery and I'm really, really confused by it all.
Before I read that article, or maybe concurrently, who remembers events sequentially anymore, I read that Bebe had won a chat with Tao. Yeah, I think I read them at the same time. If Tao sent Bebe a package before talking to her then he must have known something about her? Surely if he saw her occasionally creepily sexualized photos on his "friend's" website he would know of her? And then she happens to win this chat with him. And there's still the possibility that he IS Carles, and that really they'd talked for a long time, and he always asks her about her mother, and oh God just read the chat, I don't know what to think about any of this, ugh.
Some think that Richard Yates is based off of the relationship between Bebe and Carles, which is strange and upset stomach-making if you know what the book is about. It's even more nauseating if Carles really is Tao! And I don't even know, I need more of a reason for Tao making this movie about her. They had talked a couple of times, the first time I guess being in that chat, but then he just found her interesting enough to make a movie about her? And he's in the movie himself. Watch that trailer. I like Tao's voice. ...uh. Yeah. I sort of don't even know where I'm going with this anymore but I guess the bottom line is that I don't get Bebe Zeva. I don't understand her at all. And now I want to analyze how now she has a blogspot instead of a Wordpress because she and Tao talk about that fact in their chat and man, man, man, I really need to write my paper. I've written more about Bebe Zeva than I have about Tao, than I have my entire paper, and I find this kind of inspiring but also kind of depressing and I should do my work. So. Puzzle this out for me.
EDIT: God, it just doesn't end. This extremely biased article from Vice makes me once again almost-symapthize for Bebe. She's just a normal person, really, who's trying way, way, way too hard to make herself known on the Internet. We could psychoanalyze her all night but it's not worth it. She's no different than any of the Urban Outfitters obsessives at my school, her pretensions and obvious minor web fame aside. She just really, really wants to be noticed. I wonder if Tao is exploiting her, and I wonder if he's doing it knowingly. I wonder when Bebe will realize it.
I find Tao fascinating but I don't care much for him outside of his poetry. "i am unemployed" is just a great poem, but I don't know, I wonder if he's a fluke, I wonder if you are a little bit happier than i am was his only collection ever written from a place of humorous sincerity. The rest of his work is just so gimmicky; he's now trying so, so hard for attention and putting less emphasis on the actual writing. It's really too bad, because he is a talented poet. I wonder what the future holds for him. I wonder a lot.
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