#I don’t even like country music…like at all but I LOVE Martina

[superseal76]

Thank you @scullys-mulders for tagging me! I do love music tag games🥰

Rules: Shuffle your Spotify: On Repeat playlist & list the first 10 songs.

1. “Broken & Beautiful” by Kelly Clarkson

2. “Survive” by Lindsey Stirling & Walk Off The Earth

3. “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi

4. “Hold On To Hope” by Jason Gray

5. “Independence Day” by Martina McBride

6. “Because of You” by Kelly Clarkson

7. “Set Fire To The Rain” by Adele

8. “Anyway” by Martina McBride

9. “Runaway Train” by Soul Asylum

10. “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac

Tagging @lord-aldhelm @fictional-at-heart @sassyandclassy94 @lydiiroses98 don’t feel like you have to though. 🤍

[shefanispeculator]

Blake Shelton was worried about the headline.

Following the first 10 songs of his final "Friends & Heroes" tour stop at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee Saturday, Shelton stepped offstage, and country music veteran John Anderson emerged from below it. There was an instant surge of energy from the near-capacity crowd, as Anderson, with Shelton's seven-piece backing band, crooned through a soft "Seminole Wind," followed by a boisterous "Money in the Bank" and the boot-scootin' "Swingin'," all huge country hits in the '80s and '90s.

And Shelton, half-jokingly, was just a touch jealous.

"Why do you all act so different for John Anderson?" Shelton asked. "I've been out here for 40 minutes, and all of a sudden John Anderson comes out here and the whole damn crowd … is line-dancing and (expletive). How do you line-dance in your seats?"

"The last thing I need is to wake up tomorrow morning and read the Wisconsin Post or whatever you have here, and the headline says something like 'John Anderson steals the show,'" Shelton continued.

Here at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, we don't take headline suggestions from people we're writing about. But that wouldn't have been an appropriate headline anyway — because Anderson wasn't the only one to steal the spotlight from Shelton.

And that's the beauty of the concept of Shelton's "Friends & Heroes" tour, which has been around for a few years but stopped in Milwaukee for the first time Saturday.

It gives Shelton a chance to share his sharp band and packed houses with veteran country stars who prove they've still got the goods, and are still beloved.

On Saturday, that included Martina McBride, who with her sparkling voice, brightened the night with the self-assuring gems "My Baby Loves Me" and "This One's for the Girls," before closing out with the shattering, and soaring, "A Broken Wing."

And the show also included Tracy Byrd, who actually got the strongest reaction of the three "Friends & Heroes" Saturday. He took full advantage of the runway, tipping his black cowboy hat and high-fiving any fans he could reach, hyping up the crowd with his magnetic stage presence and '90s and early-aughts party-starters "Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo," "I'm From the Country" and "Watermelon Crawl."

"Over and over again tonight, I have had my ass handed to me by these other singers coming," Shelton said near the show's end.

Shelton was, of course, selling himself short.

While the three guests were indisputable highlights Saturday, they performed for only 10 minutes each. Shelton, on the other hand, was on stage for the show's remaining two hours and 30 minutes, striving to fulfill an early evening promise to play "the longest country concert." (Eric Church routinely does three-hour sets, but this was an impressive marathon nonetheless.)

With the charm and charisma that's made him such a winning personality on NBC's "The Voice" for 21 seasons, Shelton handily slipped into various personas Saturday night, for the raucous "Boys 'Round Here," the moon-eyed duet "Nobody But You" (which he sang facing footage of his new wife Gwen Stefani singing back to him), or the outlaw-flavored "God's Country" and the George Jones classic "Ol' Red."

There were plenty of fun interactions with the crowd, too. Locking eyes with a guy in the front row for the love ballad "Sure Be Cool If You Did," Shelton chuckled mid-song, telling him, "Sing to her, not to me," gesturing to the man's date. And for "Hillbilly Bone," Shelton let himself get upstaged yet again, this time for a fiery duel between guitarist Beau Tackett and fiddle player Jenee Fleenor, the first woman to win the CMA Award for musician of the year.

Shelton was happy to share the spotlight, but after the performance, he feigned a bruised ego, and for the night's greatest moment, invited Anderson, Byrd and McBride to join him for a songwriter's circle session to see which of them had the greatest country song. (He also suggested George Strait, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan and Luke Combs were going to be the judges … although they were going to stay backstage.)

"How many of y'all think if this was the 'Who talks the most (expletive) of the Friends & Heroes' tour competition, we'd already have our winner?" Byrd said, gesturing to Shelton, another case of the headliner being upstaged Saturday, for funniest line of the night.

Shelton did his rendition of "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking" solo on acoustic guitar, suggesting the lines "When you undress, do you leave a path/Then sink to your nose in a bubble bath" were about Anderson.

After the performance, Shelton did a little moonwalk victory dance, then playfully suggested they end the competition. But Byrd wouldn't have it, sparking a big singalong for a beaming "The Keeper of the Stars," followed by Anderson performing "Straight Tequila Night" (both with support from Shelton's band members). But it was clear, from fans and musicians alike, that McBride won this little competition with "Independence Day."

As they all left the stage, Shelton put an end to the jealousy act, saying some kind words about how much those three musicians inspired Shelton as he made his own ascent in the country music world.

"Those are Hall of Famers … you're never going to see something like that ever again," Shelton said. "My heroes, man, your heroes, man. Those are country music icons, all of them."

And Saturday's show suggested there was one headline Shelton will wake up to one day: "Blake Shelton inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame

[daily-coloring]

Best of 2021 - Albums

2021 has been a difficult year for all of us. Not just because the political climate or Miss Corona but in music too. Reflecting on all of this can be beneficial but also, it can be disastrous. Fortunately, some of us wanted to escape all of this and music helped us to feel better. Jump in the playlist and choose which one you prefer. Run away or face the issues and search for solutions. One way or another, hopefully you will feel better.

01. MARINA - Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land

02. Emika + Paul Frick - In Parallel - Perfect to switch off from the real world and get lost in someone else’s mind for a bit and also be open to your emotions.

03. Bo Burnham - Inside

04. Koreless - Agor

05. JMSN - Heals Me -  Christian Berishaj does not disappoint. I don’t think he is even capable of doing that. Recommended songs: Act Like I’m Not Here, What did I get Myself Into, Rolling Stone,

06. Bawrut - In The Middle

07. u-Ziq + Mrs Jynx - Secret Garden

08. DJ Food - Kaleidoscope + Companion

09. Nitin Sawhney - Immigrants

10. Eomac - Cracks

11. u-Ziq - Scurlage

12. Lake Haze - Sun Rising on Concrete Landscapes - Highly recommended deep house from the future. 

12. For Those I Love - For Those I Love

13. Orla Gartland - Woman on the Internet

14. Sean La’Brooy - Out Moving Windows

15. Maxwell Sterling - Turn of Phrase

16. Squire - STOP

17. HTRK - RHINESTONES

18. Dax J - Utopian Surrealism - Sounds like the title. Your expectations better to be high this time, because you are going to get jungle, techno, hard house and drum’b’bass on one record, but this is far from a chaos. My favorite songs are: Anthropic Demise, Opioiding, The Second Renaissance. 

19. Martina Topley-Bird - Forever I Wait

20. Joy Orbison - Still Slipping Vol. 1. 

21. Human Movement - Kinetic

22. Leon Wynehall - Rare, FOREVER

23. Lone - Always Inside Your Head

24. Black Country, New Road - For The First Time

25. When Saints Go Machine - Emotional

26. Anthony Linell - Winter Ashes - Nothing to say here. Anthony delivers the expected brilliance such as Practices of Dying and Blood in Their Eyes.

27. Alan Fitzpatrick - Machine Therapy

28. Hello Cosmos - Golden Dirt

29. Air Jackson - CHEMISTRY

30. Saint Etienne - I’ve Been Trying to Tell You - Almost instrumental, still brill. 

31. Jay-Jay Johanson - Rorschach Test

32. Brodka - Brut

33. UNKLE - Ronin I.

34. Yebba - Boomerang

35. Erika De Casier - Sensational

36. Japanese Breakfast - Jubiliee

37. Sophia Kennedy - Monsters

38. Another Chemical Love Story - Another Chemical Love Story

39. Denis Horvat - The Serve of the Abnormal

40. Fatima Al Qadiri - Medieval Femme

41. Hugo Massien - Metamorphosis

42. Mark Broom - Funfzig

43. Ross From Friends - TREAD

44. Men I Trust - Untourable Album

45. Mr. Mitch - LAZY

46. Magdalena Bay - Mercurial World

47. Hayden Thorpe - Moondust for My Diamond

48. W.H. Lung - Vanities

49. Boys Noize - -/+ - Featuring Jake Shears, Kelsey Lu, ABRA, Ghost Culture. Surely, you sold already. 

50. Royalston - The Midnight Zone

[quentineliot]

Country music. Everybody's favorite. Right? ;P

I grew up in the Southern US. "The South" people from the area would more affectionately call it. I've moved, and done a lot to separate myself from not only the so called culture there, but also it's music.

And I LOVE music. Sang in the car to every song that came on the radio from the age I could make sound, to 21. My mom always tells this story about how I would cry as a baby unless Vince Gill was playing on cassette.

It's been around 7 years since I've turned on a country radio station. But because I grew up on the music (and classic rock like zztop) occasionally a country ear worm will stop by. And being a fully realized transman, it makes sense looking back at the lyrics of many of these songs, why I didn't notice sooner. And why telling my parents was incredibly terrifying.

Not EVERY song uses the "sweet girl with an overprotective dad that just a good ol boy wants to marry and raise a family with" formula. But it's a Lot of them. And if it's not a song about a guy just wanted to settle down with a pretty girl who can cook a good meal, it's about jealousy. And how (typically) women act in these songs is sung at the top of your lungs, about how she'll fuck up his car, steal his dog, or murder him and his mistress.

Miranda Lambert has a song about burning everything down and lighting it on fire. Which, is honestly a mood. But having been In The South, people don't think it's hyperbolic. There are a LOT of people that, if they were willing to bring Dixie Chicks back into their hearts, would be doing some Goodbye Earl's of their own. (Though, this song is a better example of justice taken, and of all the references so far, I think I'm most comfortable with this one.)

Take a look at these lyrics from Shania Twain's "Any Man of Mine"

"Any man of mine better be proud of me

Even when I'm ugly, he still better love me

And I can be late for a date that's fine

But he better be on time"

Okay so I'm with you on the first two lines. Great start. But you're saying you don't want your man to be late but You* can be late. Double standard and not okay. This was music I absorbed as like, idk, a 6 years old? I'd need math and Google and I don't feel like it. Moving on.

"Any man of mine'll say it fits just right

When last year's dress is just a little too tight

And anything I do or say better be okay

When I have a bad hair day"

First two lines, personal preference I suppose. I'd rather be told if I don't look good and change my clothes. Not everyone is me, a lot of people would much rather get "yes baby you look amazing!" always. Top two lines, good.

But ANYTHING YOU DO OR SAY BETTER BE OKAY WHEN YOU HAVE A BAD HAIR DAY?!!! Excuse me???!!! Absolutely not.

-------

I mentioned Carrie Underwood's Before He Cheats earlier. All you really need is the chorus. I don't need Google for this one.

And I dug my key in to the side of his pretty little suped up four wheel drive

Carved my name into his leather seats

I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights

Slashed a hole in all four tires

Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats

TLDR: he cheated on me so I destroyed his car. And while this song was a fucking Anthem when it came out, any woman who exhibited even slightly agressive behavior was Shut the fuck Down. Make it make sense. The song is about criminal activity so, clearly, anyone who does this should be charged. So why wouldn't people let women and girls show anger in a productive way?

Trisha Yearwoods "She's in Love with the Boy"

Is literally just romanticizing getting married at 16 or 18 or to your first love.

Faith Hill's "This Kiss" gets a pass but only because of "Cinderella said to Snow White, how does love get so off course?" And I thought they were in love with each other 😂

I can't even begin to unpack Fancy by Reba McEntire. And Reba is legendary, she's been making music since before I was born and I love her. It's just, that song.. Eugh. Yikes.

I've been trying to find other songs that absolutely put "go find a nice boy and have babies" into my brain at an early age, and I stumbled on George Strait and I know a few of his songs by heart. Oceanfront Property. All my exes live in Texas. Check yes or no. Amarillo by morning. I can't find anything wrong with any of his music. So it CAN be done.

I'm just salty about the amount of redneck inspiration porn I was made to sing as a child. (my mother made me sing at parties. I preferred singing alone) No other genre of music does this. Rock music isn't over here all "look pretty, shut up, and find a good husband" 🤨

I feel I should mention that there have been recent songs that defy this formula. ",This ain't my momma's broken heart" by Miranda Lambert. Taylor Swift has a unique writing style so I'm sure she's written SOMEthing that's not just trucks beer women muddin or whatever else today country is about? There's a couple about whiskey I think. It's always whiskey or beer..

Country music is like all about family, or something sad and mourning that loss. Heaven, angels, wings, gods watching over you, memaw is watching over you, you're not alone I'm there with you even tho I'm on a truck 100 miles away, think of me when you hear the wind blow kiddo🙃

Finally, to be clear, I don't hate any of the songs Ive referenced or pulled lyrics from. They were my entire childhood. Lonestar was my shit, I choreographed a dance to Shania Twain's "Man I feel like a woman" and did it in front of an auditorium of people, I still know every word of Suds in the bucket by Sara Evans and anything Martina McBride I've sung hundreds of times. It's beautiful music. But dang does country music and the south know how to brainwash people. It's scary.

[whatiwillsay]

it’s tswiftmyspace on here that archived all of her blog posts, kellie had a boyfriend at some point in the tour. also read what she says about kellie in the november 9th 2007 post (i think that’s the correct date not sure, you’ll know when you see it) even if her and kellie weren’t together you’ll see what i mean by she shifts her focus after emily is gone to her

Just Like The Movies..

Nov 9, 2007

Current mood: ecstatic

On November 7, I woke up around 9:00, and was completely relaxed as I put on my make up. I put my hair up in a ponytail, and thought to myself “Why am I not nervous? Shouldn’t I be nervous?” Because award shows are the most nerve-racking things to prepare for, usually. I mean, there’s nothing like getting up to sing in front of your idols and a live audience of thousands, on national television. It’s not the easiest thing to do. But that day, I didn’t really feel the nerves. It felt like it was just another day.

I arrived at the arena and talked to Kellie Pickler as we both got ready in the dressing room we were sharing. She was bubbly and beautiful as usual. Seeing Kellie always brightens my day, because she’s always got something funny to say. She’s my fried, not just an acquaintance. I’d do anything for her. One of the producers of the show came to get me, and we walked to the stage for the rehearsal. My band was there, and we were all stoked to get to play. They lowered me down into the floor on a lift, and one of the producers came up to me and said “Alright, thirteen seconds and you’re on!” It’s always good to hear someone say that number when I’m needing luck. The song started, and I began to rise out of the floor on this elevator, in the center of a giant flower. I loved it,  not gonna lie. As I played, I could see all the artists sitting in the crowd after their rehearsals, just hanging out. I waved to Miranda, who was sitting in one of the first few rows.

After the rehearsals for Brad’s performance and mine, we headed over to my record label to do some media interviews. The interviewers would say: “So, you’re nominated for the Horizon Award tonight.. What do you think your chances are of taking it home?” And I would always reply with, “I have a one in five chance. I have to be practical about it. I mean, look at the other nominees! I don’t think I’m gonna win it, I’m just happy to be in the category.”

After the interviews, it was time to get hair and make up started. After an hour of make up and hair and removing the blue nail polish from my toes, I got a call from my manager. “Hey, they had an extra seat on the floor for me. I’ll be down there with you guys in Row M.” I was happy about it, and told him I’d see him later. After I hung up, I realized that “M” is the 13th letter.

The red carpet was a beautiful blur of interviews and people looking gorgeous. Martina walked the carpet behind me, and she looked stunning. After all the camera flashes and interviews were over, I was escorted backstage. I had a quick change into my performance dress. It was black, and I was wearing long black gloves with it. The performance was a blast, and right afterward I was rushed back to another quick change into the dress I’d be wearing for Brad’s performance. Kellie and I danced out in our dresses and had a blast dancing with some of the kids from the marching band.

I changed back into my gold dress from the red carpet to go back out into the audience and watch the show. It was so much fun getting to see Sugarland win their award. I popped out of my seat as soon as I heard their name called. Those two are the most innovative performers in country music. They’re going to take over the planet.

When Carrie came out to announce the Horizon category, I looked over at Rodney, who was sitting in the row directly across from me. After all the nominees had been announced, I grabbed his hand across the aisle. Rodney and I have been on tour together, and he’s always looking out for me like I’m his little sister. And then the silence came. It lasted about five seconds in reality, but I could’ve sworn that silence lasted for ten minutes. The waiting.. Carrie looks down and says “And the award goes to….”

She looks up and says “Taylor Swift!”.

I remember it all in slow motion.. I’m running up the stairs in a ball gown and heels. My mom and dad are crying. Everyone at my record label is screaming. My family and everyone I love is watching from their living rooms. I’m crying on national television, and thinking about you.

Thank you for making this year the best one of my life. Thank you for crossing your fingers for me, and being my friends.

And thank you for convincing me that fairytale endings.. Well, they happen sometimes.

Lovelovelove

-T-

👀👀👀

emphasis mine

[midnight-star-world]

55th Academy Of Country Music Awards (ACMs 2020)

So today on the MSR (Midnight Star Review), I will be talking about the 55th Academ of Country Music Awards (ACMs 2020).  This show was hosted by fan favorite Keith Urban and the original air date was Wednesday September 16th, 2020 at 8pm EST (Eastern Standard Time) on CBS (Channel 12 where I am at).  So let's see what happened on the show.

Performances Luke Bryan - Rain is a good thing. Eric Church - Drink in my hand. Luke Combs - When it rains it pours. Thomas Rhett - It goes like this. Carrie Underwood - Before he cheats. Jimmie Allen - Make me want to. Old Dominion - Melody of their hits (Including One man band/Written in the sand/Snapback/Break up with him/Song for another time/Hotel key/No such thing as a broken heart/Make it sweet). Luke Bryan - One margarita. Kelsea Ballerini - Hole in the bottle (Special version). Miranda Lambert - Bluebird. Morgan Wallen - Whiskey glasses. Thomas Rhett & Jon Pardi - Beer can't fix. Blake Shelton featuring Gwen Stefani - Happy anywhere. Carrie Underwood tribute - (Patsy Cline cover "Crazy"/Loretta Lynn cover "Woman enough to take my man"/Barbara Mandrell cover "Country when Country wasn't cool"/ Dolly Parton cover "Why you come in here lookin' like that"/Reba McEntire cover "The night the lights went out in Georgia"/Martina McBride cover "Broken wing"). Luke Combs - Even though I'm leaving -> Better together. Tenille Townes - Somebody's daughter. Gabby Barrett - I hope. Dan + Shay - I should probably go to bed. Riley Green - I wish grandpas never died. Kane Brown - Worldwide beautiful. Maren Morris - To Hell & back. Taylor Swift - betty. Eric Church combined Johnny Cash's "Ragged old flag" with Stick that in your Country song. Tim McGraw - I called Mama. Mickey Guyton with Keith Urban on piano - What are you gonna tell her? Keith Urban & P!nk - One too many. Trisha Yearwood - I'll carry you home. Florida Georgia Line (FGL) - I love my Country. Show closes with Willie Nelson with all the new artists of the year nominees - On the road again.

Award winners (Who won and who should have won according to the MSR "Midnight Star Report").

Musical event of the year goes to Miranda Lambert featuring Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes, Caylee Hammack, & Elle King - Fooled around and fell in love.  This one could have gone to Brantley Gilbert & Lindsay Ell or Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber. Songwriter of the year goes to Hillary Lindsey. Music Video of the year goes to Thomas Rhett - Remember you young.  I don't really see an issue with this one but it could have gone to Old Dominion.  Those 2 videos stayed around forever to be honest. New female artist of the year goes to Tenille Townes.  This one I haven't seen her at the top yet.  Lindsay Ell, Gabby Barrett, & Ingrid Andress all had success on the charts.  I would say Lindsay Ell would be my pick. New male artist of the year goes to Riley Green.  Riley Green did get chart success with "There was this girl" but with the powerhouses of Jordan Davis, Russell Dickerson, & Morgan Wallen.  In my opinion I would give this to Jordan Davis. Duo of the year goes to Dan + Shay.  Dan + Shay should have won this and they did for the likes of their big hit "All to myself", & "10,000 hours". Song of the year goes to Old Dominion - One man band.  Out of the nominees this was the only song that stayed the longest on chart but I would have loved to see Eric Church win this. Group of the year goes to Old Dominion.  Their biggest competition would have been Lady A but they didn't do enough to deserve the win. Single of the year goes to Blake Shelton - God's Country.  This one I can disagree with.  Lee Brice with Rumor was a huge hit and ended up in the top 10 for my year-end list.  Higher than any other song nominated. Album of the year goes to Luke Combs - What you see is what you get.  I owned 3 out of the 5 nominees.  I am not too big on female albums sorry but I can't complain about this pick. Male artist of the year goes to Luke Combs.  Looking at the nominees, I would say Thomas Rhett could have won this as well.  But Luke is a good choice. Female artist of the year goes to Maren Morris.  I know I see the changing of the guard with this.  Miranda and Carrie aren't winning as much as they used to.  And Maren is the best choice to win this. Entertainer of the year goes to Thomas Rhett & Carrie Underwood.  First time it ends in a tie.  I have been saying for years and one of my predictions has come true with Thomas Rhett winning the Entertainer of the year.  So I can't complain about that and I won't but Carrie Underwood shouldn't have won this.  She had 1 song this year crack the top 10.  If anyone should have tied Thomas Rhett or maybe even beat him.  It should have been Luke Combs.

And that's a wrap for the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMs 2020) that took place in Nashville, Tennessee.  And also at 3 legendary locations which were Grand Ole Orpy House, The Ryman Auditorium, & The Bluebird Cafe.  And on the MSR (Midnight Star Review), I would give this show 3.75 out of 5 stars.  It was a good show but there are still some winners in my opinion that didn't deserve their wins.  Thanks for taking the time to read this review.  See ya all next time.  Oh and before I go I would say the performances of the night would go to Kane Brown's "Worldwide beautiful" & even Mickey Guyton's "What are you gonna tell her?"

[bsbear]

Blake Shelton Jokes That His Romance with Gwen Stefani Is More ‘Shocking’ Than Sexiest Man Alive (People exclusive, preview of his interview with Martina McBride)

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are couple goals — even if Shelton is still surprised they got together in the first place!

Chatting with Martina McBride on her Vocal Point podcast (previewed exclusively with PEOPLE), the 43-year-old opened up about his “shocking” love story with his fellow Voice coach, even contrasting it to being crowned Sexiest Man Alive in 2017.

“If you thought the People magazine cover was shocking, mine and Gwen’s relationship is probably the biggest head-scratcher,” he joked to McBride.

During his cover story interview with PEOPLE two years ago, the ever self-deprecating Shelton joked “that y’all must be running out of people,” and said it was actually Stefani who encouraged him to accept the nod.

On the podcast, the country star explained that during Stefani’s first season on The Voice, the two weren’t able to create a meaningful bond.

“I’ll even say that she was, of all the coaches, the least that I had gotten to know the first season she was on the show because she had just had a baby, and I mean just had a baby,” he said. “And so any time there was downtime, she was busy. She was gone, she was on her trailers, she was taking care of the baby, you know, and there was never those moments that usually happen on this show, where at the end of the day we’re sitting around out here at the couches and having a drink, talking, laughing.”

But everything changed on her second season in 2015 after “a lot of life had happened and we’d been through a lot, and we bonded actually over that,” he adds, alluding to their mutual divorces that year.

In August 2015, Stefani filed for divorce from her ex-husband Gavin Rossdale citing “irreconcilable differences.” The month before, Shelton announced his separation from Miranda Lambert. “This is not the future we envisioned,” Shelton and Lambert said in a statement then.

But now looking back, the “Sangria” singer is sure that everything happens for a reason.

“And it’s one of those things that, who knows?” he told McBride. “It had to have been meant to be.”

Shelton also gushed about his “most normal, unassuming, just Catholic girl from Anaheim,” saying that down-to-earth woman is the “Gwen that I know.”

Four years in, the country singer said he still gets starstruck when he watches his girlfriend perform at her Las Vegas residency.

“I’ll go watch her show in Vegas because you got to remember I’m playing catch-up on Gwen Stefani,” he says. “I knew who No Doubt was, and Gwen Stefani, but only the big hits, and then you go see her show in Las Vegas and you start going, ‘Oh my God, that one too, that song. Oh that’s you.’ You know? And it’s just a crazy… It gives me goosebumps talking about it because of the impact she had, especially as a female rock, ska, whatever you classify it, as just to have the impact that she has is pretty crazy.”

While “The Sweet Escape” singer has made her mark in the rock world, Shelton says Stefani has gone nearly fully country — even if she isn’t always familiar with the singers.

“If she was sitting here, she would tell you she’s never going to be good with names. She can’t remember anybody’s name,” he says. “She knows so many songs now. And in fact, I would say that Gwen, I don’t know how she’d feel about me saying this, but I’m going to say it. I bet she listens to probably 75 percent country music now.”

“Just that’s what in her car, that’s the station that stays on, when we’re together she has playlists. That’s what she puts her kids to bed at night to is country music playlists,” he adds.

Along with being a star on stage, Shelton confesses she also shakes things up in the kitchen.

“She cooks a lot. She loves parties, like family-type parties where she can … [have] like festive foods and things like that,” he says. “We do a thing every year. Every Christmas, this will be the fifth one coming up, I guess, fifth or fourth. I can’t remember anymore, but we look up some kind of a unique dish that we try, and we always do a practice run and then we do the real one for Christmas.”

https://people.com/country/blake-shelton-gwen-stefani-dating-shocking-sexiest-man-alive/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=peoplemagazine&utm_source=twitter.com&xid=socialflow_twitter_peoplemag

[borisbubbles]

Eurovision 2010s: 85 - 81

85. Norma John - “Blackbird” Finland 2017

[2017 Review here]

What a beautiful gothic swansong. ❤ Man, I don’t even need to tell you how robbed “Blackbird” really was. The song is (Edgar Allan) Poetry come to life. Leena delivers a gorgeous, haunting, ethereal voice that sends leaves me stunned in silence. It’s not my type of Eurovision song, at all, but it’s one of the best in its genre.

Of course, what bloats Norma John’s ranking even further is that they are also ROBBED NQ ANGELS. I have already liberally spoken about the baffling decisions made by the 2017 SF1 juries, but Jesus-fucking-Christ on a bike:  Tamara = musical torture + a *FAILED* a cape throw: 62 points!!! Martina = endless jazz tedium + hideous yellow & purple lights: 81 points!!! Norma John = a time-transcending loss ballad + perfect vocal delivery: ...41 points??? . . . The ubiquitous bullying of Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest DISGUSTS ME and I’ll continue opposing it by giving their entries the spotlight they DESERVE! 🤗

________________________________________________________________

84. Molly Sterling - “Playing with numbers” Ireland 2015

Yet another robbed NQ angel. 😭 The one time I love an Irish entry and it gets christerigged out of the finales. LeSigh. “Playing with numbers” holds a special place in my heart because it’s the 1 ~great~ Irish entry we’re getting every decade. Seriously, I... should totally keep my anti-Ireland rants for the addendum since this update is Ireland’s funeral, but honestly, is “THEY FUCKING SUCK!!!” really that much of a spoiler? Seven victories my ass. 🙄 

Anyway, back to Molly. It’s a similar deal to Joan Franka and Norma John to me: “Playing with numbers” feels like a genuine song by an earnest singer, telling a real story, and I’m INVESTED in their life, happiness and success.

However, two more things set “Playing with numbers” apart for me. One, Molly is an INTROVERTED INDIE GIRL 😍, which is one of my favourite Eurovision tropes (e.g.: Ieva, Blanche, Michela, Tinkara, Francesca, all of whom are still alive in this ranking). Two, Molly takes the pleasant-sounding but otherwise insipid sentimentality often found in Irish entries and turns it into a fresh, root-worthy experience. Which is impressive considering how generally indifferent I am to the Irish sound. And now for the seamless transition into this:

Was this Ireland’s worst decade? I am not sure, actually. Ireland is one of my least favourite eurovision countries in general, but the worst Irish decade between the 2000s and this one. The 2000s had a higher high (”ET CETERA”  😍), but also three of the worst entries of ALL TIME (Millennium of Love, Dervish and D*st*n th* T*rk*y), so they were probably worse. Regardless, with 80% of the entries being bad or boring, Ireland is EASILY my least favourite country in this decade (though in my ranking they mathematically outrank Croatia, proving once and for all that maths is a total waste of time [in rankings]). With their tendency to qualify in mostly weak years (2013 excepted), Europe tends to agree. Hopefully they can capitalize on the KEiiNO craze by sending an ethnobanger in 2020, but watch them try to flimsily copy “Proud” and flop. 🙄

________________________________________________________________

83. Luca Hänni - “She got me” Switzerland 2019

After Eleni had set the world ~en fuego~ last year, the least one could expect was a slew of trashy reggaetons that paid tribute at her altar to slayage. Of the many pretenders, Luca was by far the most faithful adaptation. “She got me” is literally (literally literally) genderswapped “Fuego”. 😍

However, because there already was a precendent for me to like here, I found it generally easier to get into Luca than Eleni. Fortunately, I also managed to appreciate Luca for Luca. I expected him to be a meatheaded oaf and was ready to roll my eyes at his fukboi’esque stupidity. Thank fuck I was wrong, because, a of all the dumb jock of the year was in fact Chingiz (again, this man celebrates via flexing) and b of all Luca proved himself a hyperactive bromosexual spazz with NO attention span whatsoever. 😍 OBSERVE his hilariously clunky ~DiRtYdAnCinN~

Luca also provided the #1 Interview Moment of 2019 (not featuring Godper Santl), which was this hilariously awkward exchange with an Icelandic reporter on Hatari’s payroll who asks him whether his song is about the oppression of women (0:76), after which Luca SUDDENLY has to “go to the toilet” (aka ask permission)

Later, the same reporter then calls his song a Hegelian dialectic (02:24) and Luca’s  reaction can only be described as ‘experiencing a human bluescreen of death’, after which he’s swiftly whisked away by a handler. 😍 

and the Swiss HoD has to step in (Actual quote: “It’s the accent, he cannot understand you right” 😍) and take over and it turns into deepest discussion about feminism. 😍 while Luca obliviously spazzes out in the background as his memory chip is updated <3

All of this was more than enough to endear me to Luca AND pull “She got me” into the Love zone, exactly like Eleni did a year ago. However, when you have to rate a great entry that borrows everything from another great entry...

________________________________________________________________

82. Eleni Foureira - “Fuego” Cyprus 2018

[2018 Review here]

...it is important to remember that the original is always better. And yes, Eleni and Luca are just two sides of the same genderflipped coin and you won’t convince me otherwise:

Both are infectuous reggaetons with a playfully flirtatious undertone, Both are trashfests with hilarious lyrics (”When she go low / She go solo” is the new “You got my pelican fly-fly-flying”)  Both feature even more hilarious attempts at “singing” Both were the poulains of Sacha Jean-Baptiste, carried into top five because they’re ~worth it~ [/l’oréal] Both convinced jurors of their worth, despite being (g)utter trash.😍🤭

However, I prefer Eleni for several reasons. Firstly, yes she is the original ~mediterrenean trashpop diva~ entry and none of the copycats improved on her formula (well, Michela did but “Chameleon” has outgrown its “Fuego Clone” label, more on that when I get to her in a few updates). 

Secondly, um, Eleni is a f’cking goddess?

What a hair-flippingly gracious force of FIERCE. 😍 I’m glad she got to return this year for the epic Song Switch interval act: Spamming gifs here since I am currently out of embedding credit: 

What a star. I am BALD and STRAIGHT!! Her rank is limited by the fact that I still am not ~Fully In Love~ with her song, but more than anything Eleni proved herself as an indisputed performance queen and I cannot wait to see her cameos in the future editions yet to come.

_______________________________________________________________

81. The Common Linnets - “Calm after the storm” The Netherlands 2014

Lmao I forgot it took like 46 seconds to get to the song because of Basim’s giant banner <3

Anyway, Common Linnets, Common Linnets :snaps fingers: 🤔 what is there to write that hasn’t been said or written many times, by people more passionate about them than I am? Well, I love that Ilse and Waylon rolled with an authentic country song instead of the baseborn country pop the Netherlands is famous for. (Check this Walzing Matilda sound-a-like out, courtesy of ms. DeLange). The Linnets have stellar chemistry, especially for two people who can’t stand each other irl:

The act is a cinematic masterpiece, framed beautifully by Hans Pancake’s critically acclaimed motion-picture-like style. It transforms “Calm after the storm” into an oasis of tranquility, which still holds up to this very day. 

So, overall, I would say “Calm after the storm” is a pretty great entry. It’s a well-composed song, lacking in campness, avoiding incompetence, not requiring mind-blowing artistry or loud-as-fuck circus gimmicks to reach it’s full potential. It is competent and well-produced. The perfect entry for anyone who watches Eurovision for the music. 

However, um... I am not one those people. I love trashy pseudo-ethnic schlager bangers.I love underappreciated indie darling. I love the staging circus of Eurovision. I love personality quirks and unprofessionalism. I LOVE shit like Gasper Santl calling out bad journalism in front of the assembled press or Al Bano walking on the 76 stage and INSTANTLY forgetting his lyrics. Eurovision is made perfect by its imperfections.

So for ~me personally~ "Calm after the storm” doesn’t offer me enough, and we’re close to entering the endgame of this ranking. You need to step up your game, because at this point, having a great song will no longer be good enough to avoid the cut.

[sand-rose]

Thank you so much for the tag @toomuchawesomenessforyou!! :)

1. Nickname: Chels (family and friends), Sweetness/Sweetie/Angel (Alex), Peanut (sister)

2. Zodiac: Scorpio

3. Height: 5′ 4″

4. Hogwarts House: I took three tests (personality quizzes are fun!) and all of them said Ravenclaw. Guess I can now officially buy merch representing my house! lol

5. Last Thing I Googled: The sorting quizzes. lol

6. Favorite Musicians: Ellie Goulding, Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco

7. Song Stuck In My Head: That dang “Fun Tonight” karaoke song from the Sims. It’s just so catchy and I love it. It was playing in my head at work, then when I played and the Egos gang went to a karaoke bar I heard it a few more times. I can’t escape it!

8. Followers: 435

9. Following: 339

10. Do You Get Asks?: Every once in a blue moon

11. Amount of Sleep: Depends on my work schedule and my days off... Anywhere from 5.5 to 10 hours.

12. Lucky Number: 4

13: What Are You Wearing?: My pajamas. A blue tank top with a cute little owl that says ‘I love the nightlife’ and my blue froggy pajama shorts.

14: Dream Job: I don’t know anymore... At this point, something that’s not too stressful, pays a decent amount, and I’m not socially drained from interacting with customers. Ideally, a job where I can be my own boss and do something I love, like writing or drawing.

15: Dream Trip: I’ve wanted to go to Japan since second grade, when we did a unit on the country. I want to see the cherry blossoms, tour Shibuya and find the landmarks referenced in The World Ends With You (and maybe take some cosplay pics)... I want to go to Akihabara and buy too much merch from my favorite anime at a thrift store... I want to go to some of the places Simon and Martina (from youtube) have made videos about. There’s so much I want to do there and probably can’t do it all in one trip, but even just a day in Japan would be amazing to experience... >///<

16: Instruments: I wish I could play an instrument but I didn’t have the money for music lessons when I was in school and now I don’t have the time. But if I did, it would have been cool to learn electric guitar or the piano.

17: Languages: English. I took 3 years of Spanish in school but I’m a bit rusty. I also started learning Japanese a few years ago (after years of just learning random words) and really want to get back into it again.

18: Favorite Song: “I Need Your Love” by Ellie Goulding. This was the song that really got me interested in her music, and to be completely honest it’s because I had just started shipping PruHun and that song hit all the feels. For the longest time whenever I would draw PruHun I had to have that song on repeat. lol

19. Random Fact: Uh... I can never think of random facts when I need to. lol So after a quick google search for one... “Between 1912 and 1948, the Olympic Games awarded medals in sculpture, music, painting, and architecture. After the Olympics were skipped during the war years, it returned in 1948, but after a debate, the competitions were scrapped.” Thought that was interesting and a little sad. I’d like to see an Olympics for the arts!

20. Aesthetic: Wearing my white sun dress with blue flowers on it (that I have yet to wear again since graduation) and my white lace jacket, sitting on a decorative bench in a garden and admiring the bushes of blue roses around me (it’s my aesthetic, they can be blue, lol). There are no bugs, there is no wind, the weather is perfect, and the scenery looks like something from a painting I know I don’t have the skills to paint. Night comes, and I change into my leather jacket with knee length leather boots, and Alex and I have a night out browsing the mall, having dinner at a restaurant, or catching a movie. We just have fun together, laughing and talking about anything that comes to mind. As we walk through the parking lots, the moon and stars are out and every time we get out of the car I can’t help but look up at the night sky and point out to him how pretty it is.  

Thanks again for tagging me, these are always fun! I tag @supersxnico, @basilof221b, @embersofstardust, @lila-cherryblossomtree, @chicken-nuggets10, @reinxshademix and anyone else who would like to do this!

[thewidowstanton]

The Widow’s Best of 2018

In what has been another miserable year in many respects, the arts have been more important than ever in keeping spirits high. Here are some of the things we’ve liked. They lean a little, but – suffering as we are from ‘circus fatigue’ – certainly not all the way, towards that art form. But first we have something to say. Last year when we posted our ‘Best of’ round-up, one of our favourite cabaret acts had a fit of pique and unfollowed us and blocked us because she hadn’t made the cut. So this time, before offending anyone else of a similarly delicate disposition, we’d like to point out that to be considered for our list, we have to have seen your show – even if it’s an old one – during the year. So, now that’s clear, let’s proceed. All shows are in London unless otherwise stated.

BEST SHOW: Knot by the hand-to-hand duo of Nikki and JD – American Nikki Rummer and Frenchman Jean-Daniel Broussé – seen (again) at The Place. This show has it all: skill, emotion, humour, dance, music. We simply loved it! Don’t miss it on tour again in 2019.

MALE CIRCUS ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Laci Simet, whose 40-year career has encompassed appearances on high wire, Wheel of Death, motorbike on the wire, skywalks and more recently The Semaphore – a recreation of the Koch Sisters revolving act – during which he balances on a knife edge that is constantly falling away from him. His was also the MOST READ WIDOW INTERVIEW.

FEMALE CIRCUS ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Rhiannon Cave-Walker from Fauna, not just for her stunning skills but because she’s such lovely person. Fauna ran at Flora Herberich’s Battersea Circus Garden during Wandsworth Arts Fringe.

BEST ACT: The flying Russian cradle in Cirque du Soleil’s OVO at the Royal Albert Hall, Barcode’s Russian bar with flyer Alexandra Royer and bases Eric Bates and Tristan Nielsen, seen at Cirque de Demain in Paris, and anything Lewie West did in Gravity & Other Myth’s Backbone, which ran at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

BEST SURPRISE APPEARANCE: The stupendous Rowan Heydon-White, who popped up unannounced in Circa’s Peepshow during the Underbelly Festival.

MOST INNOVATIVE CIRCUS SHOW: The holograms used in Circus Roncalli.

BEST THEATRE SHOW: Mother by Peeping Tom Dance at the Barbican during the London International Mime Festival.

MOST WELCOME RETURN FROM INJURY: Lydia Harper, who returned to Cirque du Soleil’s TORUK after four months off following hip surgery. And Andrew Adams of The Silhouette. Having fallen 30ft from the Wallendas’ high wire and being badly hurt, he recovered and appeared with Sasha Harrington at Cirque de Demain.

BEST CIRCUS 250 SHOW: Chris Barltrop’s self-penned one-man show, Audacious Mr Astley – seen at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe – tops the year celebrating the birth of circus in the UK. Chris also gets BEST COSTUME for Astley’s beautiful and authentic red coat.

BEST MC: The inimitable Calixte de Nigremont, whom we met at last at Cirque de Demain.

BEST MAGIC TRICK: Yann Frisch appearing a pack of cards from nowhere during Le Paradoxe de Georges in his spectacular movable theatre Le Camion-Chapiteau – which gets BEST VENUE – in Paris, and Eric Chien’s Ribbon act to become 2018 FISM close-up champion.

MOST ARRESTING IMAGES: Phia Menard’s show about suicide, Les Os Noirs, at the Montfort Theatre in Paris.

BEST ONGOING NIGHT: Rose Thorne and Benjamin Louche’s Double R Club at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club.

MOMENT OF WONDER: Cai Guo-Qiang’s exquisite daytime powder fireworks. Plus Lewie West skidding on this hands in Backbone, and Daniel Cave-Walker balancing on his head in Fauna. Look, no hands!

BEST CIRCUS CABARET: Black Cat Bohemia at the Underbelly Festival at Southbank Centre. A simply wonderful show! It transcended the format, which can often look tired, and its line-up included our interviewees Lj Marles, Katharine Arnold and Nicolas Jelmoni, as well as others knock-out acts such as the lovely Jo Moss.

MOST UNIQUE SHOW: Crème de la Dregs by Dina Martina at Soho Theatre.

BEST ‘IN CONVERSATION’: Performance artist Rose English and Stine Hebert during Crying Out Loud’s Circus Sampler at Somerset House.

BEST DANCE: B-boy Elihu Vazquez in Barely Methodical Troupe’s SHIFT, seen at the Norfolk & Norwich Festival, and German Cornejo and Gisela Galeassi’s thrilling duets in Tango After Dark at the Peacock Theatre. 

BEST DANCE CIRCUS: Motionhouse’s Charge also at the Peacock. BEST CIRCUS FILM: Psycho-Circus with Christopher Lee from 1966, in which a circus becomes the location for stolen loot and murder!

MOST FABULOUS: Régis Marvin Merveille N'Kissi Moggzi in the joyous French teen movie/documentary Swagger, which is set in one of the country’s most under-privileged neighbourhoods.

BEST INTERVIEW: Gaylord Fields speaking to the tireless Petula Clark on WFMU. Hoping for some UK concerts in 2019.

BEST MUSIC IN A CIRCUS SHOW: Elliot Zoerner and Shenton Gregory’s soundtrack for Backbone, played live onstage.

MOST SHOWBIZ: Mr Murray Hill. Nobody cared when his show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe drifted off course and never came back. It was enough to be in the New York icon’s presence. 

BEST SHOWBIZ BOOK: Spun Into Gold: The Secret Life of a Female Magician by Romany, Diva of Magic.

BEST BURLESQUE: Dita Von Teese, naturally, plus the stunning Zelia Rose, but certainly not the rest of the cast in The Art of the Teese at the Carré in Amsterdam.

BEST TV CHARACTER: Ciro di Marzio from Gomorra and Joséphine ‘Maître’ Karlsson from Engrenages/Spiral.

MOST IMPRESSIVE MEMORY FEAT: Laura Linney in I Am Lucy Barton at the Bridge Theatre, who was word perfect in this 90-minute monologue.

BEST GIG: Winter Kills (Piano Magic) at Antenna Studios, Barry Adamson at Union Chapel, and Sevdaliza at The Barbican.

BEST SOLO SHOW: Songs for Nobodies, Bernadette Robinson’s astonishing portrayal of five divas: Garland, Cline, Piaf, Holiday and Callas, at Wilton’s Music Hall.

MOST UPSETTING: The news that the spectacular French variety show Le Plus Grand Cabaret du Monde, hosted by Patrick Sébastien, is ending in June 2019. Sob!

MOST CHARISMATIC: Isabella Rossellini in her theatrical lecture, Link Link Circus, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall; a sort of follow-up to her wonderful Green Porno.

ONE TO WATCH: Mieke Lizotte, currently with Gravity & Other Myths.

MOST ANTICIPATED IN 2019: Aurélia Thiérée’s Bells and Spells at the Theatre Royal during the Norfolk & Norwich Festival, and Isabelle Huppert in the film Greta!

MOST MISSED: Circus artist/actor Raphael Cruz, who died at just 32, and our lovely friend Merian Ganjou of the fabulous Dior Dancers, who died aged 79. Keep on flying, Merian!

Look out for the first of our interviews in the new year, which will be with one (or more) of the artists from Cirque Eloize show Hotel, which is coming to the Peacock Theatre in February.

Pic credits: Fabio Affuso; Nicholas Brittain

Follow @TheWidowStanton on Twitter

[blessyourheartdharps]

Get To Know :: Dani Harper

How were you like as a baby? As a child?

Troublesome? I think that's the word I want. Honestly, I was a rowdy, somewhat violent kid and become even rowdier and violent as I aged. Really opinionated. Not the kind of kid you'd expect out of two mild mannered, "good Christian" parents. Or maybe exactly what you'd expect, I don't know.

Did you grow up rich or poor?

Neither? I mean, we didn't go without but we didn't necessarily have a ton of extra? Like, had enough for extra curricular stuff, cause I did roller derby but there wasn't necessarily a big family vacation every year, or anything.

Did you have a happy childhood?

Uh... sort of? I guess... Look, I didn't have a shit one, if that's what you're askin. Was it the best? Nah, but it wasn't the worst either. I wasn't a happy child, so that kind of adds to the whole not-so-happy childhood thing.

Were you well educated as a child?

To quote a song, "Blame my lack of knowing better on public education" so... between that and Christian parents I didn't learn a lot til I left Houston.

What were the most important things that happened to you as a child?

Realizing I was gay, see answer about first kiss for more. Starting roller derby. Uh, not a lot of others I can think of.

Did you break any bone as a child?

Quite a few, honestly. I was really rambunctious and had a habit of gettin into fights with people much bigger than me. Then you add in roller derby as a teen and the injuries just kinda add up.

Did any major world conflict or change in the world affect your life?

In a sense, Hurricane Katrina had an impact on my life. Not significantly, but it's one of the few things I really remember as a child and I definitely have had a love-hate relationship with big storms like that ever since.

What is your greatest achievement?

This is gonna sound really morbid, but not killing myself when I left Houston.

What was your first kiss like?

Weird. It was at church camp, so keep that in mind. There was this older girl, we all knew she wasn't straight and that she was only there cause of her parents. Well, her and I got to talkin late one night, bout stuff you shouldn't talk about at church camp. I was just startin to come into understanding feelings and shit and what that meant. Well, I asked what kissin was like, cause she was older and I knew she'd kissed people. She wasn't shy in admitting it. She told me it's hard to describe, but she could show me, if I wanted. Well, I did and ever since... Gay.

What were your ambitions as a child?

Roughly the same as they are now. Make a life doing what a love. My music, my way.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Listen to more poetry, realize you aren't alone, and when you think a razor blade is the only way to cope, put it down. Go for a walk. Tell mom and dad. Tell Maya. Do anything but that. You are worth so much more than that. We are worth so much more than that. I am worth so much more than that.

What smells remind you of your childhood?

Overall? Probably fried chicken and collard greens. The smell of strawberries and fresh flowers reminds me of my childhood best friend. Rain in the air, burning rubber, and car exhaust reminds me of the day I left.

What is your best childhood memory?

My first roller derby bout. It was exhilarating. I busted three lips, got ten bruises, and had the time of my life.

What is your worst childhood memory?

The first time I remember hearing a sermon about how homosexuality is a sin after I realized I was gay. I confronted my parents about it, I didn't understand how that was possible. How a loving God could hate people like that. They told me things I can't un-hear, it was when I realized I'd never be able to come out to them. It was the day I locked myself in the toxic closet.

What past actions are you most ashamed of?

Self-harm.

Has anyone ever saved your life?

Yes.

Strongest childhood memory?

The day we went to school after a big storm and lost power right after we got there so we had to deal with no power for most of the school day. I don’t know why that’s the strongest, it just is.

How old were you when you got your first broken heart?

Admittedly, my first heartbreak was Santana. Prior to her, I always broke it off and it didn't really hurt. They didn't feel serious. I know I probably broke a heart at 18, but mine didn't really break until I was in my early 20s.

Is tradition/spirituality/religion an important part of your life?

Yes. I'm Christian, raised Southern Baptist. Currently staying away from organized religion as a whole. I believe what I believe and that's that.

Did you do well at school?

For the most part? I tried hard, did my best. I was a troublemaker so that had some impact on how well I did, but overall I like to think so. I wasn't top of my class or anything but I was above average.

Who was your hero/idol as a child?

Any female musician, ever... But mostly, Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, Martina McBride, Reba, and other women in the country music industry.

[freenewstoday]

New Post has been published on https://freenews.today/2021/03/03/childrens-film-festival-pushes-boundaries-mixing-somber-and-sweet/

Children’s Film Festival Pushes Boundaries, Mixing Somber and Sweet

The New York International Children’s Film Festival faced unusual challenges in developing a cinematic celebration during a pandemic. Now the festival, which will present its first all-streaming version from Friday through March 14, is offering its audience some unusual challenges, too.

In addition to unblinking views of young people grappling with fractured families, bullying and puberty, the festival is showing what may be its most serious and mature feature yet: “Beans,” a fictionalized autobiography by the Canadian filmmaker Tracey Deer. The action unfolds during what is now known as the Oka crisis, a conflict in 1990 between the Mohawk people and the Canadian authorities over land rights.

The central character, a 12-year-old Mohawk girl nicknamed Beans, played by Kiawentiio Tarbell, begins a personal rebellion that parallels her community’s uprising. Recommended for viewers 14 and older, the film includes obscene language, violence and a harrowing scene in which an older boy tries to pressure Beans into performing oral sex. It’s hardly what you expect at a children’s festival, but the organizers, who this year are delivering 14 features, seven programs of short films and more than a dozen livestreamed events — all available for the first time to families across the country — found the movie too accomplished and relevant to put aside.

“It was a way to have great Indigenous storytelling, great female-led filmmaking and an extraordinary young lead actress — it was like, how can we not do this?” said Maria-Christina Villaseñor, the festival’s programming director. “It’s our responsibility to be mindful and not afraid.”

Villaseñor said she felt particularly obligated after a year dominated by a public-health crisis and a racial reckoning. The initial inclination was “let’s just make it as lighthearted as possible,” she said of the festival. “But I don’t think that fully does justice to kids. Kids need time to process grief and think about loss in ways that are developmentally appropriate.”

One of the most affecting evocations of a child’s experience with death is among the festival’s short films, which compete to receive prizes from an adult jury that includes the filmmakers Sofia Coppola and Peter Ramsey. Martina Lee’s “Black Boy Joy,” part of the new shorts program Celebrating Black Stories, focuses on a bereaved fictional family — a grandfather, a father and a 10-year-old autistic son — whose struggles are an affirmation of love as much as an exploration of mourning.

The 24-year-old festival, however, also offers comedy, fantasy and another new shorts program, about young people who are reinterpreting their gender identity, as well as titles for audiences as young as 3. Its opening livestreamed event, on Friday evening, is a behind-the-scenes look at the new Netflix animated television series “City of Ghosts,” in which a diverse club of enterprising elementary school students investigate Los Angeles’s supernatural side. The ghosts, all friendly, are not Casper types so much as spirits that illuminate immigrant history.

“My hope is that people who are looking for something more calming and intellectually stimulating will enjoy this show,” said Elizabeth Ito, the series’s creator, who will take part in Friday’s event. She said she was aiming for a tone like that of “old ‘Mister Rogers’” episodes.

The films, which will mostly be available to stream on demand throughout the festival, also include the cheerful New York City-centered documentary “Curtain Up!” Its directors, Hui Tong and Kelly Ng, visited Public School 124 in Chinatown to chronicle its production of “Frozen KIDS,” a half-hour adaptation of the Disney musical “Frozen,” for the 2019 Junior Theater Festival. The filmmakers and two of the students will take part in a discussion on March 13. Disney fans can also look forward to a special screening of Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada’s animated “Raya and the Last Dragon,” accompanied by a Q. and A., on March 12.

Even the festival’s more somber films have moments of joy and triumph. Kenza (Tiara Richards), the 11-year-old protagonist of Eché Janga’s “Buladó,” a feature from the Netherlands and Curaçao, may be adrift without a mother, but she is also a car mechanic, a dead aim with a slingshot and unafraid to embrace the spiritual traditions of her enslaved ancestors. She draws on an inner strength that the heroine of “Beans” discovers as well.

“Just because we’re young, it doesn’t mean that we’re powerless,” said Deer, who will discuss “Beans” online with festivalgoers on March 13. “I hope that message gets to them. And that they matter, they have a voice, and the importance of standing up for what they believe in.”

Films like these reveal a continuing theme of children connecting to their cultural roots. Sometimes that bond is mystical, as in Germán Acuña’s animated “Nahuel and the Magic Book,” a feature from Brazil and Chile, which will be screened in a special event on Saturday. At other times it involves unearthing forgotten history, as when a teenage Canadian hockey player in Sandi Rankaduwa’s short documentary “Ice Breakers” learns about the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes.

Knowing how much young moviegoers have missed being in theaters, the festival’s organizers have tried to make the experience feel authentic. Cinephiles will still vote for their favorite titles, but with digital ballots, and while the festival participants won’t meet filmmakers face to face, they will have increased opportunities for live discussions online. (Those events will be recorded for later viewing on the festival’s Facebook page.)

“Every year we talk about the opportunity to explore the world, to explore ideas, to explore identity through the festival,” said Nina Guralnick, its executive director. Right now, she added, “that feels particularly poignant.”

The New York International Children’s Film Festival

Through March 14; 212-349-0330, nyicff.org.

Source

[heiligenscheiss]

[Intro]

- And don't forget: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas

- Ahhh! Hahaha

- Apart from herpes, you have that shit forever!

[Part]

Ahhh!

Viva Las Vegas!

Tequila in a blood frenzy

Suit and cigar, my face, I look good

Black Jack - gamer heart in hardcore mode

Women love that arrogance, asshole bonus!

When I was around 16, jail was my greatest fear

But when I turned 18, evil came through me!

Who do you want to fuck One blow and your blood drips onto the street, wet and warm, like a cunt fart

Rap music is not for you, go play with your barbie

I like gambling, beautiful women - Charlie Sheen

And although I don't like dolphins or horses

I have to admit, I like women with huge asses

Rien ne va plus boy, time to play your game

Killer look, poker face, Las Vegas - my playground!

This is the alpha animal speaking, right, I don't know fear

Get down on your knees (Come on!) Salute my tail

Instead of asking me why I am wearing a butterfly

And chase you and your friends through Wallachia

First of all, tell me why does your girlfriend's clit look like a parrot's bill?

When I was younger, I still believed in my rights

Today I only believe in God and in my right fist

Now I'm in my mid-twenties, unshaven and in a bad mood

F.Nazizi, Tyrannosaurus Rex, I'll eat you up!

Paranoia meets adrenaline

Junkies don't believe in God, but they tremble before the dentist's appointment

German rapeseed dictator in the starting blocks

Your rap is like a vibrator, only pussies and assholes feel you

So don't talk crap, I'll finish you off, show the whole nation

What a donkey you are

This Persian is sick, why don't you fight back?

Come here, I want to see how dangerous you are

Fuck Milli Vanilli, I kill like Billy the Kid

German rap is a hooker and I fuck the bitch!

Write bars, dirtier than anal sex

And give you orders as if I were your father

I'm the whistle king, come on I'll kill you

You'd rather call your mom when evil speaks

But because there is no solution to your problems

Would you rather run home before the lion eats you?

I'm a killer and I kill, I know no mercy

I'll walk over corpses as long as I keep going

And I don't give a fuck no matter how hard you are

You'd better shut your mouth before your nose breaks

AHH!

I give a shit about your friends and chase them across the country

I don't need a game of poker, I have the road in my hand

You play hard, but go to piss on the Weiberkloh!

You bit a pussy, your word has no weight - H²O!

Now it's getting critical, critical, F-Nazizi, fuck you right!

Fuck your Schicki-Micki, Vegas, baby! Ficki, ficki!

La Martina, Argentiña, expensive stuff, suits me

Underground Rapking, F.A.R.D. - Alpha animal!

Whether in Germany, in Vegas, even on Facebook

Everyone knows the label with the boy and the baseball bat!

Rap is war, today it and tomorrow you are dead

Put me on trial, I swear I'll hold tight like a submarine

When we were kids, everyone wanted to screw up

And I learned besides my shadow, I can't trust anyone!

I feel like a gunslinger now

In Vegas, at Black Jack and your pockets full of money!

Ahh!

You're a dog, when I whistle you sit down and take a seat

You little cunt, I'll make a Şiş kebab out of you

Come alone like a man, forget your troop

And Paul gets fucked more disrespectfully than a hooker!

AHHH! Salamu Aleykum!

[sportsfunfacts]

Am about to share you some facts and quotes that I have gained from this popular player called Ronaldo. 

          Ronaldo profile and his achievement

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro GOIH ComM is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Juventus and captains the Portugal national team. Wikipedia

Born: 5 February 1985 (age 35 years), Hospital Dr. Nélio Mendonça, Funchal, Portugal

Children: Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., Alana Martina dos Santos Aveiro, Eva Maria Dos Santos and more

Current teams: Juventus F.C. (#7 / Forward) and Portugal national football team (#7 / Forward)

Awards: European Golden Shoe, FIFA World Player of the Year, The Best FIFA Men's Player and more

Books: Moments, Cristiano Ronaldo: The Way i Feel, Soccer Superstars 2013 and more

He is one of the few recorded players to have made over 1,000 professional career appearances and has scored over 700 senior career goals for club and country.Country: Portugal

Age: 35 years

Weight: 83 kg

Date of birth: 05 February 1985

 Ronaldo has won five balloons d or award 

      What I gained from Ronaldo

1. We all known that Ronaldo is a hardworking player,cos he his the first one the training pitch and the last one on the training pitch He tell us to be hardworking and pratice hard for what is about to happen that we don't know about 

2.Ronaldo is the best player in this country there is no one like him and he his the best player the country ever had He tell us that you don't need to come from a great place before you become so great 

3.Ronaldo has played in the three best leagues in Europe and setting record in each leagues He tell us that don't be bother about the new challenges cos it can be overcome 

5.Ronaldo has scored so many outside goal than all others player,cos before he gets into the box he always scores his Goal He tells us don't wait for anything before you crack your chance 

6.Ronaldo has use both his legs and his head to score so many goals he even use his chest sometimes He tells us that since all your body is still active you can use all you got to achieve your aim 

            Documented quotes about Ronaldo

1. Your love makes me strong. Your hate makes me unstoppable.

Never listen to the haters around you. Instead, take their hate as motivation and prove them wrong. The same fire which burns one can become the fuel for another.

2. I’m living a dream I never want to wake up from.

You have the ability to live your dreams. But you have to call the shots. Make a plan and take massive action. The future favors the relentless. This is one of the best Cristiano Ronaldo quotes on our list.

3. We don’t want to tell our dreams. We want to show them.

Don’t just talk about what you want to do. Go out and do it. People love the sound of their dreams and keep talking about them. But only those who work hard ever taste greatness.

cristiano ronaldo quoutes

4. I’ve never tried to hide the fact that it is my intention to become the best.

You don’t become the best overnight. You need to set powerful intentions every day, every month, every year, to go beyond your own reach and to grow to the next level.

5. If we can’t help our family, who are going to help?

It’s good to desire success. But it’s equally important to care for your family. Without them, you won’t be where you are today.

6.  We should make the most of life, enjoy it because that’s the way it is.

Life is short. So don’t spend it focusing on negativity. Make the most of it by focusing on pleasure. Listen to music. Take long walks. Sing like a madman. Go crazy. What good is life without a hint of madness?

7. But I don’t want to be compared to anyone – I’d like to impose my own style of play and do the best for myself and for the club here.

Your craft and your talent come from within you. They’re not dependent on what others are doing. Take inspiration but never get jealous. This one stands out among all Cristiano Ronaldo quotes.

8. Today there are opportunities that no one knows if they will come round again in the future.

If you want to succeed, you need to believe in opportunities. When you can see it and your mind can conceive it, you will achieve it.

cristiano ronaldo quotes

9. Scoring goals is a great feeling, but the most important thing to me is that the team is successful – it doesn’t matter who scores the goals as long as we’re winning.

There must be a greater purpose to what you’re chasing. Don’t just chase money or fame. When your goals arouse terrifying longing, you’ll conquer all obstacles that come your way.

10. I would be very proud if, one day, I’m held in the same esteem as George Best or Beckham. It’s what I’m working hard towards.

You should have role models to inspire you. There will always be people who have accomplished more than you with fewer resources than you have now. Take strength from it.

11. I want to consistently play well and win titles. I’m only at the beginning.

Weak goals bring weak results. Always set ambitious goals which make you excited and put a fire in your belly. The only limit is the one which exists in your mind. Out of all Cristiano Ronaldo quotes, this one stands out as it makes you dream bigger.

12. There is no harm in dreaming of becoming the world’s best player. It is all about trying to be the best. I will keep working hard to achieve it but it is within my capabilities.

You must believe in your ability to become great. We are made up of the same matter and if we train ourselves every day, every minute to work hard, learn and evolve, nobody can stop us from becoming great.

Cristiano Ronaldo Motivational Video “Unstoppable”

13. When you lose a person you love so much, surviving the loss is difficult.

The hard truth in life is that you will lose everyone you will love. So are you going to make it count while it lasts? Give them your love, time and attention, because every good thing comes to an end.

14. After I joined, the manager asked me what number I’d like. I said 28. But Ferguson said ‘No, you’re going to have No. 7’ and the famous shirt was an extra source of motivation. I was forced to live up to such an honor.

Ronaldo had to wear the No. 7 jersey previously worn by the likes of George Best, Eric Cantona, and David Beckham. The lesson? Treat responsibilities with respect. They push you beyond your comfort zone and skyrocket you on the path to success.

15. It gives me the happiest feeling in the world. I just love scoring. It doesn’t matter if it’s a simple goal from close range, a long shot or a dribble around several players, I just love to score all goals.

It’s bad to have addictions. But it’s good to get addicted to progress. Get addicted to improvement and you’ll become unstoppable. This is one of the best Cristiano Ronaldo quotes because it shows progress is the drug great people are always high on.

16. I don’t have to show anything to anyone. There is nothing to prove.

Your only competition is the person you were yesterday. Challenge yourself, not others.

17. I see football as an art and all players are artists.If you are a top artist, the last thing you would do is paint a picture somebody else has already painted.

Treat your work like a craft. Don’t steal from others. Give it your vision, creativity, and dedication, and you’ll be able to build something unique.

18. I am not a perfectionist, but I like to feel that things are done well. More important than that, I feel an endless need to learn, to improve, to evolve.

It is innate in human nature to realize our greatest potential. So never stop learning and evolving.

19. When I win awards, I think of my father.

When you taste success, don’t feel entitled. There are people who work with you and push you in ways you have no idea about. Always be grateful for the people who support you.

cristiano ronaldo quotes talent

20. Talent without working hard is nothing.

The world is full of talented people who turned into failures. Talent matters less. What really matters is how devoted you are to your craft. Being disciplined is one thing, but being devoted is a different game.

Click to read full details

[toongrrl-blog]

Karen Wheeler Playlist Part Five

“Teenage Daughters” Martina McBride

I ain't complainin' But I'm tired, so I'm just sayin' What I think And if we're being honest Then honestly I think I need a drink

My baby's growin' up She thinks she's fallin' all in love And that I hate her At seventeen, she's just like me when I was seventeen So I don't blame her

Definitely a song for Karen’s relationship with Nancy (maybe slightly Mike?), her kids are both teenagers now and they are: falling in love, detaching from their parents, driving their mom to drink (okay Ted’s fault), and share some similarities with their Mom. I also picked this song because I think there is a fandom of country music in Hawkins and would not be surprised that Karen would listen to it (Tammy Thompson wants to be a country music star herself). I even loved the music video where Martina and her family played different roles throughout the 1950s, 1970s, and 1980s (also the then-current decade of the 2000s). 

Also if I ever get around to a Joyce Byers playlist, I would definitely pick “Independence Day” for her.

“A Fine Romance” Ella Fitzgerald

One of the many fine covers of this song that was originated by Ginger Rogers (and covered by real life besties Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe separate times). The song is clearly a sarcastic take on a lukewarm romance where there is very little sex or kissing, a Karen/Ted song for sure. While I have fell in love with Marilyn’s cover (especially where she adds “You’re the reason I’m so sarcastic), I found that Ella’s is spectacular and that Marilyn herself would have preferred it to make this list. 

“Younger Men” K.T. Oslin

K.T. Oslin was a country music star who was especially big in the 1980s and early 1990s, singing songs that spoke to women, especially middle-aged women then. I can imagine Karen lip synching to this song during her chores after meeting Billy, feeling something releasing in feeling re-awakened sexually at a point where society declared women to be over the hill or less appealing. 

“Do You Think It’s All Right?” The Who

I first heard this song while watching the movie Tommy where Ann-Margret plays a very flawed, enchanting, and clueless mother who manages to win a “Most Beautiful Legs” contest and emotionally scar her kid. The song had Ann’s character talking to her husband about whether it’d be alright to leave their deaf, blind, and mute boy Tommy with their many crazy relatives. I loved Ann’s absent-minded tone when singing and found this song perfect for the obliviousness the Wheeler parents both have. Do you think it’s all right, to not know the kids whereabouts even though it’s the summer?

“To Daddy” Dolly Parton

Another country music classic from a classic queen of country; Dolly Parton sings about a passive, long-suffering, neglected, underappreciated housewife who one day has seen her kids grow old enough to be independent and leaves her family to for better things (like affection). One hopes that Karen will do something to make herself happy or for Ted to improve before she does anything drastic.

[borisbubbles]

Eurovision 2018 Preshow: #40 & #39

40. BELARUS

I feel like I’m missing something here, because Alekseev is adored both on youtube and tumblr and I don’t understand why? Well, I *kind of* do (he’s SO fucking emo lol <3) but I never went through an emo phase so I can’t exactly relate to him.

What I do know however, is that Forever is kind of lame to me. It’s not a *bad* song in itself, but I prefer my schlager to be happy, trashy and preferably sung by an ageing glamazon (Linda Bengtzing <3). Alekseev fails on all three accounts, although I mildly appreciate his attempts to Hamlet-out the videoclip. Literally cutting his hands with a fountain pen <3

Now, I would forgive this minor mishap if he could sing, but alas:

With that frontal assault on the English language, he clearly cements a position in my personal bottom four. He also beat Shuma and Gunesh who were clearly superior. Worst winning final performance ever </3

Now, there was a bit of controversy around Alekseev’s selection. The argument used was “plagiarism” and “rigging”, but it’s Belarus, vote fraud is standard fare and I doubt it really bothered people that much. No, I think it has more to do with Alekseev being UKRANIAN *gasp*. The controversy became so great the Belarusian president had to personally endorse Alekseev on twitter to ensure the protests died down <3

Finally, this notion of Alekseev being “cute”: I don’t quite see it. Notice how he almost SWALLOWS the mic in the banner above. Massive gaping mouths terrify the hell out of me. It’s just #NotForMe, I suppose :(

Qualification Odds: Low

Let’s not beat around the bush here: Belarus absolutely may NOT qualify for the finale. They’re in the first semifinal and they cannot take up a slot under any circumstance which should go to any of my random faves. (although it would be hilar if they kicked Armenia or Azerbaijan out of the finale. Screwing over your own allies <3)

I don’t think they’re quite dead though. “Forever” is a throwback to late naughts Eurovision (albeit a generic one). Belarus also has two allies in Azerbaijan and Armenia. If the balkan countries are feeling generous, Belarus could pull of a very narrow qualification in 10th or 9th place. More seems unlikely.

Jury or Televote entry? Televote. Juries HATE Belarus. If they qualify (they won’t), it won’t be off the back of jury votes.

Projected placement: 11th-13th place in the semifinal. 

39. IRELAND

Oh look, another bathroom break song from Ireland. How cute :)

Is nobody going to address the issue of a “cute gay couple dancing through the streets of Dublin” being juxtaposed to a break-up song? I know the videoclip has the insidious intention of profiling Ireland as a Gay-Friendly Haven to draw in the Eurofan vote, but in reality:

Um... thanks? o_O

What is there even to say about Ireland what hasn’t been said already? Every year they promise us to improve and every year they pick a bland, boring entry in a Cheap&Nasty (--Johnny Logan) selection. There’s no point in wasting any words here. They will never, ever learn. 

To be honest, I expected WORSE from Ryan O’Shaughnessy, who claimed  to directly drawn inspiration from Salvador’s self-serving “MUSIC IS EMOTION” speech. Thank goodness this is Ireland though, who have no clue how to do Eurovision or this would’ve ended badly. :)

“Together” is still Blandhead Revisisted though.

Qualification Odds: Dead.

And certainly NOT “Maybe he’ll advance” like the people (morons) at ESCNation claim (context: two out of FIVE of their “journalists” think Belgium will NQ because “more than five qualifications from the first half never happened before”. They rate Ireland at the SAME level because “well it’s Ireland, ANYTHING can happen”. Like, dude... nothing will happen, it’s fucking Ireland. :eyeroll)

... anyway.

Ireland are dead for several reasons: 

1) “Forever” is one of the most forgettable songs in its semifinal. 2) Who would vote for it other than the UK? Lithuania provides a superior, more genuine love ballad (and has a more stable vote base). Sure, Ireland are in the second half... but they’re getting slot #10 and you know it.  3) It’s in the first semifinal: CzechRep, Belgium, Bulgaria, Israel, Estonia, Finland and Austria are all locks. Greece and Armenia will qualify based on diasporia’s. The final slot could technically go to anyone, but in reality only four nations have a chance: Belarus, Azerbaijan, Lithuania and Cyprus. Ireland isn’t going to beat one, let alone ALL FOUR of them, are you kidding me.

Televote or Jury: Jury. “Together” will be in bottom 3 with the televoters. It could -theoretrically- become a Martina Barta and randomly get a crapton of Jury points, but I personally doubt this would happen. Why would Juries vote for Ireland when Belgium, Bulgaria and Czech Rep (and to a lesser extend: Israel and Finland) exist? Then again, why did juries vote for Martina in the first place? Mysteries of the universe, y’all.

Projected placement: 17th in the semifinal (above Iceland and whoever finishes in last place)

Ranking so far: