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New show “King Of The Nerds” Threatens To Be “Pain In My Ass”
My good friend, Star Wars Fan, favorite barista, and all around social media hound Alyssa alerted me to this link about an upcoming TV show via Facebook:
It’s… get this… a TV show…. ala reality way (from the producers of none other than Survivor and Amazing Race mind you) about… nerds. More specifically… the search for the “King Of The Nerds” if the title of the show has anything to say about it. You know the pitch. A hip group of well put together kids (because you can’t be too old now can you?)most likely with blocky glasses and sweater vests to rival Kanye West will compete for the title by way of various trials and challenges made to test their “nerd” mettle. Whatever that means.
How do you know it’s legit? Why they say “nerd” 16 times in this press release and “geek” 3 times for good measure, so you know they mean business. They tell you that if you are passionate in things like sci fi or gaming, or even things like learning or books, you should probably hurry up and apply. No worries about your image kids, like the pocket protector graphic says in the website “Geek is the new cool”.
Tell me Mr. Big Shot producers… why is it that if I like Star Wars or Star Trek…. If I like D&D or Comic Books…. or even if I’ve been to Burning Man ( You lost me on that one there Richie Rich) tell me why if I like or am passionate about something other than the typical top 40 music listening, get-all my-news- from- TMZ, go- see- a- movie- forget- about- the- book sheep of America I am a nerd and should be classified as different, and then not only be classified, I should hurry up to compete with the other people you exploit for your cash prizes?
Oh wait… I forgot… Your contest promises not to poke fun right? It promises to celebrate the nerd. Why you even have washed up movie stars from the 80s judging the show so I should take your hip credentials even more serious.
Yeah dude… you just don’t get it.
I guess it’s hard to explain. I keep taking you guys back in this blog. Back to when I was a kid. Back to when I was learning about the way things are “supposed to be” and how I was told to just “do what you’re told”. I sometimes look at our moniker and see the words “nerd culture” and sometimes when I talk to publicists and interview subjects and we pitch the cast, the word “nerd culture” pops up alot. I’ve written about it before. It’s confusing because when I was growing up, there was no such thing. It was simply a kid liking what he liked. There was no tumblr or pintrest. No facebook or flickr, or even blogs back then. So liking something different was really a labor of love. Playing a tabletop game like D&D meant no girlfriends could be around. If they saw, you’d likely be dateless for awhile, Star Wars was like practicing religion in a communist state, and comic books were the icing on the cake. Being a “nerd wasn’t cool. You weren’t getting invited to parties. But you liked what you liked, you lived what you loved, and if you were lucky, you made friends.
That was and is a lifestyle for me. Going out and sticking to our guns trying new music, having courage to tell dead celebrity jokes and going against the norm especially when it is tasteless and bad form is what we do. I know it’s hard for some to understand. And maybe that makes me crotchety or not with it. Maybe that’s why people over 30 can’t audition. But let me just say, that this website isn’t fooling this dinosaur. Please don’t act like you are trying to celebrate a genre that is “ascending” and “misunderstood” It doesn’t take a Mensa member to see the numbers of superhero movies and CNN updates from comic con to know what you’re up to. The only thing you want to celebrate is your future pay day off this show, and you don’t care who you step on to get it.
Comic Books Get A Little Punk Rock
Art By Guy Denning, Black Mask Studios
A few weeks ago, I put up a blog about 30 days of Night creator Steve Niles, Halo-8′s Matt Pizzolo, and Bad Religion guitatist Brett Gurewitz banding together and forming their own comic book studio to help out indie comics. As it comes to fruition, it has been in the news more lately.
I applaud the effort. While I love the comic books I grew up with, the grown up in me also loves the way comic books work as an art form. I have written about the power of the written word before. As a kid in high school, angry at the establishment and the fact I would get edited too quickly in my school newspaper, zines spoke to me, and when I started my own zine and began distributing them at shows, that was even better. Here were my words, my thoughts, my rants, and my dangerous young and growing mind on display for anyone at the local punk rock show to pick up and read.
Indie comics are pretty much the same thing. We go to events like Staple! in Austin Texas every year just to meet up and coming indie comic makers. Some of them will never see a print run of more than a few hundred, but the stories they hold are much more than the standard fare. Here are the true story tellers. The one taking chances. The people who will give you a comic that can make you think, laugh and cry. I’ve seen it. I’ve read it.
And yet… they may never get a chance to distribute their labors of love. For most, it will not matter. One does not create to make money. One creates to put something into the world. It’s inside them. It cannot be fought. So I personally welcome Black Mask Studios. I hope they really make the waves they need to make. I hope it takes off better than Image did in the 90s. I think that it can.
It’s interesting that this is being done with a punk rock DIY ethic, and that it takes these awesome people involved to make headlines when indie comics have been around as long as mainstream. But hey… welcome to the party.
“We share that DIY approach; everything I know about business I learned in the New York hardcore scene,” he explained. “We designed the company to be more creator-friendly than the majors, but less winner-take-all than the indies. We want to build a coalition where everyone can do their own thing but interests are aligned so we’re all in it together.”- Pizzolo in an interview with Wired
5 Things To Do May 4th (Star Wars Day)
Dude… Screw the Avengers movie. It’s the most wonderful day of the year. Yup… Star Wars Day. The day true fans (and tag along hipsters) share in the joy of the holy trilogy and all it’s glorious-add ons. Star Wars is more than a movie. It teaches the universal lessons of good versus evil, it changed the way films are made, and gave us a reason to love America, theater seating and John Williams.
May 4th was adopted by fans the past few years as Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you… get it). I knew I had to address it now before every lame on my social networking site decided to post SW memes, mash ups, and other horrid abominations of the movies that shaped my youth….
So without further ado, here are 5 things you can do on Star Wars Day if you really are a fan.
#1: Watch a Star Wars movie (padawan technique):
This is a no brainer. Seriously. And while my favorite is Empire Strikes Back… it doesn’t matter which one you want. Honestly I would rather see the worst prequel over Hunger Games any day. This is awesome because unlike your stupid friends on FB who are going to jump on the bandwagon of the movies you love and act like they saw Empire in the movies like you did when they aren’t old enough to remember owning cassette tapes… you can do this at home, in the privacy of your abode, not calling attention to yourself and how trendy you are. That isn’t the jedi way.
#2 Watch the trilogy (Council Material):
This is the next step in what I call the “Humble Homage”. Setting aside a night to watch the 3 classics, it’s sort of like your first kiss only that girl left you… Star Wars doesn’t. 6 plus hours of cinema greatness might be too much for some. But not for most. In 2010 I ran a 6 movie marathon and gave out jedi certificates to anyone who could watch them all, only 2 survived the trial.
#3 Talk like Yoda all day (padawan technique):
If you want to be more vocal about your love of the greatest movies of all time, might I suggest talking like the coolest dude of them all. Yoda talk is more difficult than you think. There is a science behind it. Yoda makes words plural the way we normally do and conjugates his verbs the same way. The difference is in the order of the words. Our English structure is subject- verb- object order while Yoda’s seems to like object-subject- verb order. So while you say “The OMBG PODCAST is the coolest around” Wise Yoda would say “Coolest around OMBG podcast is”. And honestly who wants to argue with that? Talking like Yoda all day can be tough, you will often slip out of character, but some young girl from hot topic with a “I love nerds” button may think you’re cute enough to take a twitter pic with her, so you may come out on top… unlike the advanced challenge in number 4.
#4 Talk like Jar Jar Binks (Council Material):
This is obviously more difficult. Jar Jar is Gungan. Gungan dialect is way more difficult for you Offworlders to understand. While the majority of people who choose to just hate on “The Binks” for what he is, many are not paying attention to the care that went into Gungan dialect. Like most things in the SW universe, there is great care and detail. Gungan dialect uses different examples of fundamental language rules as well as phonetic rules mixed in, “The Binks” often changes his speech pattern to fit the situation. For instance, as he assimilates with others his speech changes. He uses “I” 4 times, “my” 5 times, and “meesa” 24 times in a 33 word count. The same word basically means the same thing but he uses “I” and “my” without any rhyme or reason as the movie goes on. ”meesa” being an example of one of the more dominant (and annoying concepts) of the language. Meesa Weesa and Yousa mean “me, we, and you” it can be stand alone or meant to include a verb: “Weesa no like the Naboo” Meaning We don’t like the Naboo” (duh). Of course compounding plays a big role too. Jar Jar for example was exiled due to the “nocomebackie law”… 3 guesses what that means.
Of course I don’t mean this would be tough for the language. Jar Jar has gotten such a heated response from fan boys looking to be angry at something (other than the fact they aren’t 10 anymore) that you may be assaulted after 5 minutes of this speech pattern. I say if you’re gonna be dumb you gotta be tough. I love Star Wars, and if I feel like talking Gungan, well you’re gonna have to deal. I haven’t forgotten that Star Wars belongs to the kids just as much as me. If Jar Jar lets them feel an ounce of the love for those films I felt as a kid. The damn Gungan is all right with me.
#5 Star Wars Cosplay…. at The Avengers Screening:
This is the holy grail. I don’t cosplay. I’m too old and I don’t see the point. My looks are ogreish enough its amazing I can get girls to talk to me, I don’t want to skew those numbers with dressing up in cosplay and proving to the world I am slightly more weird than they think I already am. That being said… Cosplay done right is effin awesome. I appreciate the time and money gone into them, and I don’t mind posting pics on our blogs of dedicated cosplay fans. But here is your challenge Cosplay dudes… go to the Avengers screening in your 501st gear. Deathmarch your way past the line, buy some popcorn and then set anyone with a DC tshirt on fire with a flamethrower.
High School was only cool if the Ramones were in a movie about it
I went to a social gathering this weekend.
It was a nice little hullabaloo.
While I was there, I ran across this one dude, he was my age, I think he may have gone to high school with me, I’m not really sure. The topic of high school came up and our ages in our quick convo and we both remarked at how our 2o year reunion was coming up. The thing he said to me was “I think the 20 year one is one I would actually go to, because I think we have all matured enough to not be jerks anymore.” I assured him I was not that optimistic and also pretty much still a jerk, we both laughed and that was the end of it.
The conversation left me with a lingering taste though. It tasted “not good”.
I didn’t like high school. At All. It’s a part of my life I try not to remember much. The social awkwardness, the unhearable cliquish- ness of everything around me. The dictatorship of the powers that be, and being an adult now, and having friends that are teachers, I can only confirm what I thought back then. The administrators didn’t know jack shit.
No… I did not like high school at all.
It was a piece of paper I needed. It was a piece of paper I got. I didn’t care for the mascot, the god awful marching band, the athletic teams, any of it. I was content to find the music I wanted, and be left alone, but there was no way of that happening.
I remember being put into in school suspension for trivial reasons, and constantly being patted down and searched by drug dogs. I remember teachers who didn’t care to teach, only about standardized testing. I remember being forced to go to mandatory pep rallys because our football team had to look good for the local paper and tv station.
I remember my hatred of “the man” and not having a good reason told to me why I had to take my piercings out, or couldnt have a wild color hair cut, or why I couldn’t wear a pocket watch to school. I just remember things didn’t make sense. I remember being shut out journalistically so I had to make my own zine. I remember I hated not having anything to do, so we started our own band. It was that place and my contempt for it that never made me want to be passive again.
When I walked that stage, I got that piece of paper and vowed never to return to those walls for any reason. I have stayed true to that. To this day the school colors make me turn into a bile throat launcher and the school song medley makes me think of doing horrible things as they raise their arms locked in solidarity. I am glad my Alma Mater no longer exists, that it has become the pawn of local politics. I would have rather it burned to the ground but at least I no longer have to see it’s stupid mascot on tshirts all muscle bound like something out of a 90s “extreme” corn chips ad.
I didn’t go to any of the reunions. My poor friend Megan works hard to try to get me to go too. She actually helps organize them. She even went so far as to try to book my band to play so I could be forced to go, but luckily for me, the band was on tour.
And that’s the point. I DID NOT peak in high school. My best years are ahead of me. Look at me. I am not a wage slave. I am a free man. I do what and when I want. I am punk rock, indie rock, and rock rock all in one. I do more in a month that some do all year, and I have never been better for it. So the answer (or question) is, why would I go to a reunion of people who mutually didn’t like me in the first place?
Maybe just to rub in how good looking I still am.
3 Things We Would Rather See Than Hologram Tupac
Dear Coachella,
Ok, we get it. You had a fancy hologram of Tupac come out and dazzle the crowd opening night. I’m not surprised, actually I didn’t even click on the link when I first saw it yesterday. It’s the sort of thing I expect from multi million dollar concerts like yours. You should wow somebody. I am pretty ok with that, I am even ok with the fact that the “modern” world is going apeshit over this little stunt.
They should. I mean it cost enough. But let’s be honest, it’s not a true hologram. It’s actually a projected 2d image created by the Digital Domain Media Group that also uses a visual trick called Pepper’s Ghost. “This is not found footage. This is not archival footage,” Digital Domain’s chief creative officer Ed Ulbrich told the Wall Street Journal. “This is an illusion.”
That’s why I can’t figure out what the big fuss is about. There is so much of it, after 5 minutes of dancing around and rapping, there is talk of a full scale tour. And for the life of me, a music tour, is about… well performance. It’s not about a pre recorded optical illusion right? I mean that’s what I thought. But America doesn’t mind paying for boy bands and pop acts that lip sync, I guess paying top dollar for an act that isn’t real isn’t a big deal. Me on the other hand, I like the shock and awe of what may or may not happen at a live show.
But since we are on the subject, I think the powers that be chose poorly. If we are going to spend 6 figures for a five minute performance, let’s see something that would be really cool. So without further ado… here are three things I think we would have been better off seeing.
#1 Run DMC (Jam Master Jay)
Picture this… You got today’s rap in the mainstream that is pretty much samples and autotune, and no lyrics just a hook over and over and you got all these guys talking about stuff I don’t have… They talk about Escalades, sitting around in hot tubs with big booty chicks, too much money, their mansions, traveling to Europe to shop for suits they have to wear on court day (but they’ll never get caught) etc… It ain’t me. I can’t identify with mainstream rap. I like underground hip hop. Stuff that I can relate to. On another note, I love eighties hip hop because it was just fun. And what better rap act to bring back than RUN DMC? This is one of the most influential acts in history, the first to make a solid connection about the MC and DJ relationship, and speaking of DJ… Imagine Jam Master Jay in hologram form. That’s epic.
#2 SKINNY Danzig
Yeah… we know Danzig ain’t dead. But he kind of is. If you had seen last year’s horrible effort at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 in Austin you would know that according to festival organizers a fatter balding man who claimed to be Danzig showed up, made impossible demands, wanted french onion soup, wind screens, a stage heater, better lighting and refused to go on until he was 45 minutes late, THEN when the park was shutting down at 10pm and they told him he had 5 more minutes, he proceeded to tell the crowd how he just wanted to play for you guys and how oppressed the show was stalling for more time. This ain’t the Danzig we wanted to see. The Danzig we remember from the old days. A better in shape and dark soul has been replaced by less hair, a prima donna attitude, and the only muscle that got bigger was the table muscle. So imagine Danzig Legacy touring with a hologram young Danzig. Word. Holograms can’t complain about the lighting… they are light.
Check out this footage of Danzig now and you tell me.
#3 THE TRONS
I don’t want to see these guys as a hologram, but if you are going to have non humans on stage. Make them Robots. I fell in love with The Trons a few years ago, and interviewed their creator about them. This band is a total garage robot band, built by their manager who is also a musician, they play their own instruments, have developed voice and “personality” and have even gone on tour. It’s not 6 figures… it’s real life garage rock. You could do way worse…
Ben Kingsley in talks for villain role in Iron Man 3. Who Cares? We want Mandarin
Iron Man 3 is slated for a May 2013 release, and it’s missing something… a villain. Never fear Ben Kingsley (Sexy Beast) is in talks to play the next villain, reportedly yet another corporate bad guy with a hankering for new technology (yawn). But that’s pretty much on par. One of Iron Man’s original comic themes was the implications of the Cold War, and the struggle of the American Inventor to hold on to his own technology in the modern world of government acquisitions and teams ruled by companies where all intellectual properties belong to business not people.
Which is what made Iron Man’s main super villain so cool. Alas we may never see Mandarin, the martial arts magic ring welding, alien technology using criminal mastermind. Even though Original Iron Man director Jon Favreau did hint before we may see Mandarin in part 3, new director and all around buzzkill Shane Black (and honestly Marvel this better not be the guy who had ties to “Last Action Hero” are you guys hurting for money? This guy hasn’t done anything since the turn of the 90′s right?) dismissed Mandarin as a racist caricature at Long Beach Comic-Con last fall. Apparently with China Box Office numbers racial sensitivities matter, and I guess if you have the guy who wrote box office bomb “The Long Kiss Goodnight” you’re going to need all the help you can get, even if it is Iron Man.
And while I make fun of this, because I am sure Marvel will certainly shut me up as they have before by putting out a decent movie, let me go on record as saying I have never heard anyone in my circle call Mandarin a stereotype. You can always shave off his fu manchu. You can’t do much about the accent because well, the character is Asian and he’s also called Mandarin, you definitely want to keep him as a martial arts master, I don’t know man, I just see a badass, I never really thought of myself as a racist because I like the way Mandarin looks, acts, and kicks ass. Maybe you guys are just filled with personal guilt. I mean, I’m a Mexican, but I love Mexican wrestlers who play their stereotype well, I love the bad guys in Three Amigos, I never leave in a huff about it, I love Mexican spoof bands like Manic Hispanic. And if someone wanted to make a villain, dress him up in Dia De Los Muertos facepaint or a sombrero (or both) and call him “El Bandito” I’d be so down for that. Just saying.
You’ve Got To Love Sensationalism…
The shooting death of Trayvon Martin is a mess.
What started as a shooting has blown up into allegations, investigations, gun control debates, law debates on self defense and now… hoodies. Yes kids, hoodies. I’m sure the hardcore kids are shaking now. Hoodies seem to have taken the stage after Geraldo Rivera’s weigh in of the situation and it has even reached the floor of Congress as Congressman Bobby Rush was escorted away from the session floor for making a speech and donning his hoodie.
Passionate indeed, and now the controversy over hoodies and dress codes can continue for a few days, everyone can take a side and participate.
Wow… I wish Congress would pay half as much attention to other things as they did this. I wish my lawmakers gave half a damn on the things I care about rather than a style of dress that has been in the American Community longer than I care to think about.
Seems to be the norm around here… Finding a story which gets almost no attention for 10 days except by local news, then all of a sudden is deemed “worthy” (i.e. slow news day) to be sensationalized, and then we get to analyze and pick apart every little thing and blame every detail of the case on other things to the point where we now get to argue over a damn sweatshirt.
Will “Bully” do any good?
“People get bullied all the time” – Casey Heynes
You remember Casey Heynes right? The kid who sometime back became an internet sensation for finally standing up to his school bully on tape. He became a hero overnight, the video became viral, taken down and reposted over and over again. I think about him a lot and that particular incident as I write this blog for the movie “Bully”
“Bully” is a documentary that follows about 5 kids around the country who are bullied. It also deals with 2 families that have lost children due to bullying, opening on a sad note that tells the story of one child who took his own life. The movie opens on the 30th… and currently there is a bit of a scandal due to the “R” rating and letting kids see the documentary, critics are touting this as the movie every teenager and parent should see.
I, however, am not.
I am sure the film is a wonderfully documented, poetic, sad movie with an uplifting message in the end, I mean that’s what the trailer portrays anyway. And I may be seen as the bad guy for posting this, but I have to once again, go on my soapbox to remind you how wrong everyone is, and how right I am.
The fact is people, you can’t change a person. They are who they are, and let’s be honest, there will always be bullies. They aren’t just kids. They are bosses, neighbors, cops, and even a time or two, it might have been ourselves from time to time. There is a dark part in someone’s soul that puts a person there. You may not even realize it. You may go watch this movie, get all teary eyed, sad and uplifted, then go back to work tomorrow, talk about the great movie you saw, then talk shit about the fat guy who smells like old cheese in the cubicle down the hall.
I am tired of seeing “stop bullying” facebook pages and discussions about how this movie is going to change things, yet I have noticed that despite the huge followings these pages get, or how excited people are and mad about the R rating of this movie (when a movie about kids killing each other called “Hunger Games” is only PG-13) yet the problem hasn’t gone away.
Indeed going to see a movie may be the new slacktivist thing to do. Why address kids and the perils of growing up when we can just shuffle them to a movie? Why not join a facebook page that says “stop bullying” and feel our guilt being eased knowing you did your part? Because nothing got done. And nothing will get done.
The problem with “getting stuff done” is that you have to actually do something. We need to get out of this YMCA “everyone gets a ribbon” world and start teaching kids that everyone is different. This is something that starts with parenting. And I’m going to let you in on a secret, kids don’t tell you everything. Your so called “little angel” could be the most evil kid on the playground, and your confident little artist may be the most submissive punching bag in a 10 block radius.
Maybe the problem is there is no answer. That this is going to be part of some kid’s life forever. This is not just possible, but is actually the reality. The only way to solve this is to switch the tables.
I can say this, because at one time I was bullied. Relentlessly. In my elementary years, I was sent to a rural school in the country where the kids proceeded to do every cruel thing they could think of four four years to the new kid. It wasn’t until we moved while I was in junior high, that I was able to start over again, discover punk rock and become empowered to change from a sheep to a lion. God soon blessed me with my monster frame, and with my defiant attitude, I became my own champion of what is right, wrong, and have never backed down from my views. This sometimes paints me as an ass, but when I think of where I started, I would rather be a defiant ass then having my own kicked every day. You want to know what happens to kids who were bullied who finally take a stand? They become podcast DJ’s who write scathing blogs about anything they want.
When I discovered punk rock, the world really opened up for me. Things made sense. I was no longer alone. There was others out there who were tired, but instead of turning the other cheek, they were defying there oppressors whatever they may be. Punk was loud, dangerous, and empowering. It didn’t take long for me to stand up for myself. Suicide was never an option, punk rock taught me if something gets you down and you find yourself losing, you pick yourself up, make yourself a thorn in your adversary’s side and go down swinging.I still find myself out there, standing up for myself, telling you what I think and making passionate arguments about it, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Even as more and more music becomes stale and cookie cutter, I find the ideals that built me staying more and more true.
And maybe that’s the only way out. If we know that human kind is a cruel race, if we know that bullies exist in every facet of life, instead of trying to join facebook pages to make it easier on our kids (which really people isn’t going to do anything) maybe we need to empower those who are bullied to build on whatever strength they have. The problem is that parents are willing to let their kids do whatever they want except be themselves.
So I look at Casey Heynes. I think about how when he stood up for himself the world cheered him on. I look at other news reports and found a story about the kid who was bullying him and how he had started being threatened all over the world after the incident. Funny how we don’t realize that standing up for the bullied kids, we had become bullies ourselves.
The problem isn’t going to go away. But is it a problem or a part of growing up? Am I saying it’s right or fair? No of course not. But is it a part of life? You bet your sweet facebook group hippie ass it is. We can’t live in a world where Harry Potter’s dad was a jerk and he is seen as a hero in children’s books, then expect our kids to adhere to some golden rule. This movie will unfortunately only preach to the already beaten choir. I invite you to save your money and time for self defense lessons or finding a way to get your kid inspired enough to find an outlet so they can become great at something. Life lessons teach us what we can be good at, and they give us a well of energy to tap into whether it be good or bad.
Instead of showing you the trailer for Bully, I would much rather show you Casey’s stand again. Remember how you felt when Casey stood up for himself. I bet no one is picking on him anymore.
Now get off my lawn.
Victoria TX Independent Film Festival- Caleb Moraida
I met Caleb Moraida Friday night outside of Tasty’s Tacos picking up some street food for Brea and I. He was handing out handbills for the taco truck and asked me if I was enjoying the festival. We started a conversation and he mentioned that he had also made a film. He said it was being shown the next night at midnight, and I knew we had to go check it out.
Saturday night, he took time out to talk to me for a quick minute about his film. I am glad he did.
Caleb is one of the great untold stories about this whole festival
The festival’s mission is to bring underground film and inspire film makers to make more films, it gives the area and chance to see something they normally wouldn’t see, and an artist it’s ability to have a crowd.
Caleb’s film is the textbook story of how many great artists get their start. He did it all himself, he doesn’t really have much to say about it other than, “I made it” and “check it out”. Honestly… he doesn’t have to. Because when they screened this short film, it brought down the house. The applause for the movie was great, and it made my night. I was happy to see a local hometown kid get a better response than some of the films shown that night. I think all the movies I caught were great, but this is a kid in our HOMETOWN who did something for the sake of doing something, and it worked.
Fallbrawl dropped from Firestorm Fest for “controversial” music video
So… bare with me as I get my thoughts around this….
OK so metal/ bro-core/ “whatever”-core band Fallbrawl gets booked for this festival in Stockholm Sweden called “Firestorm Fest” then release a music video called “Can You Dig It” which features the band going for a night out in a strip club. After the release of the video, the band gets dropped from the fest.
In case you want to see the video… obviously not safe for work, cause hey… surprise it’s a night out in a strip club, here is a link to the video.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xpjw3o_fallbrawl-can-you-dig-it-official-hq-video_music
Upon dropping them from the fest, the promoters release this statement from their tumblr:
So here’s what I think (and let’s be honest that’s the reason you read this blog) Do I think that Fallbrawl could have shot a better video? Yes, of course I do. I think it’s a little to “bro” and “fratboyish” for me… but that’s my personal opinion. When I was your age sceney-beanies, hardcore was bands like Black Flag, Gang Green, Verbal Abuse, Minor Threat, Jerry’s Kids, Bad Brains, etc. You see what I did there? I mixed in a bunch of bands with different backgrounds and belief systems. Stay with me kids, because that’s the point.
So to answer one question, do I think that Fallbrawl made a great video? Nope not really. It looks well shot and all like it cost some bucks to make, but if I was going to make a music video, I would put a little more depth into my video about not giving a flying fuck to better use. But I also wouldn’t write a song like “Can You dig It” because it’s not my musical bag, I mean, the hardcore I grew up with is different. Nowadays… it’s just called “old punk”. I don’t really get off to it, it’s my opinion, and makes no point in what I am going to say next.
I agree 100% with Fallbrawl. This isn’t about Feminism or Women’s Rights here, it’s about a band’s self expression and the right to make the video they want to make. I love the idea of getting away from “scene rules”. The punk rock genre (and by default hardcore) was started with a DIY ethic that this podcast adheres to. Everything we do here is made with our hands, or from our contributors, as a result, we let them have banners on our site and blogs to push their thoughts and what they think is important. See what we did here is build a community. Dean, who doesn’t like punk rock at all, comes every weekend to record with us because he likes the experience of the podcast, drinking some drinks and lively debate. M-dawg is strongly focused on video games and pop culture, so he focuses on that, Brea works on tech stuff pushing local and DIY art, and I just rant on how things are better when I’m right.
Scene rules are for kids who are playing adult. If you don’t like something, then move on to something you do like. But I will say this Stockholm SxE , obviously there is a reason you liked this band to begin with or you would not have booked them. In our podcast we play with bands and interview artists who have opinions and viewpoints different from us. It’s not unccomon for us to play a total liberal left wing punk band then follow it up with an outlaw cowpunk song. We’ve interviewed a Christian Metalcore band then a few weeks later interviewed a film maker who made a movie about killing his cheating girlfriend with a gun-dildo (yes really) mid coitus and surprise… the two entities are shooting a music video together… You see kids… We’re all about bridging the gap here.
Underground music is supposed to remind us of what rock and roll used to be like. It’s supposed to be dangerous, it’s supposed to be raw and real. It can’t be “tough but not too tough to offend someone” You have to let that run it’s course. It doesn’t matter what you do, someone is not going to be pleased.
I hate to be the one to break it to the world. But the world is not fair. There are bigger things to worry about than accusing a band for not having the same views as you. (I’m pretty sure you have booked bands that drink, just saying). And I will also let you in on a secret. I know some strippers here in Texas. They are good people. And I also know that not one of them does it because they are forced by society to do it. I know that some of them dance on weekends when they want extra money. These girls have told me secrets on how they spot a person who would be easily convinced to spend lots of money on them, and they have these great stories about their roommate skipping on the lease and how they are “all alone with no bills to pay”. I’m just saying there is a sucker born every minute and based on the people I know, I think these girls have the ultimate form of empowerment. So unless it’s different in Sweden like a trafficking business, I’m going to go out on a limb and say I don’t think the women in Fallbrawl’s video minded being in a video at all.
I for one, would love to interview Fallbrawl. Maybe I can make that happen.
As for the promoters, They are known as an entity called “Stockholm Straight Edge”. I don’t have a problem with Straight Edge kids at all. I have a lot of friends who were straight edge, and even one or two that stayed true to it when they hit their thirties. The thing I think about my older straight edge friends is that they can all agree that the movement they believed in has changed. There is nothing wrong with committing yourself to a drug free lifestyle, more for me I say, I just think people need to lighten up about everything. There are a lot of “ism’s” in the world for people to rally around or rally against, (“racism” “feminism” “class ism” etc.) People accuse people of all sorts of things when they see something they don’t like or that they don’t understand. It’s very easy to join the bandwagon and stay on the safe side of the street the moment someone accuses someone else of being “insensitive”. Hell, I’m sure we are seen in that light because we have never been politically correct or shy about our stances with slacktivists, sheep, or anything else for that matter. And that’s our right. And Stockholm Straight Edge, if you don’t want a band at your show, well… that’s your right too. I don’t question your actions, I question if you forgot to take the hanger off before you put your hoodie on because you’re so stiff maybe you need to loosen up.
MUSIC IS AN ART, censorship is worse than any video this band could have done because when you start denying a band or chastising an artist for their contribution to the free world, you hinder and dilute the message of what it is whether you agree with it or not.
You know, there is a condition called “Stockholm Syndrome” (seriously look it up) that actually got it’s name from Stockholm Sweden. It’s where victims end up emotionally attached to their captors. The original case came from a bank robbery in that area where the captors actually defended the bank robbers on trial after they were freed from a six day ordeal. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a hostage situation, but I think maybe you’re being held hostage by your own scene, it’s just a thought and a funny similarity to me.
Then I see your picture on your tumblr page and it makes sense… Look how cute you are! You’re a bunch of fresh faced kids. You really have no idea of the things I’ve told you because you have not lived them, you have only read about them on things like the internet. You’re more obsessed with wearing your hoodie and bright colors and hipster glasses, the concept of the seedy rock and roll lifestyle that I grew up with is lost. I’m sure you all can’t wait until you get those really cool tattoos to show the world you mean business. I guess people like me are dying out and people like you really are taking over. That makes my podcast more important than ever.
Stockholm Straight Edge pictured below (from their tumblr page)
No one was offended in the shooting of this picture. Hardy har har
“Dear Tumblr, We have decided to cancel FALLBRAWL from the FIRESTORM FEST 2012lineup. The music video for their song “Can you dig it” explicitly show that they have an opposite view on feminism and women’s rights than us. We don’t want to support such behavior in our scene and therefor we had to take action. We understand that some of you wanted to see FALLBRAWL, therefor we are truly sorry for the inconvenience. Please reblog this and spread the awareness that issues like this still exist in the hardcore community and that you should not be silent (but this does not mean that you should use violence). Talk with the bands, put pressure on the promotor, gather your friends, whatever small thing you can do. If you have any questions/issue with our decision, please write us an e-mail on sthlmsxe@gmail.com or talk with us during a show. Kind regards, Stockholm Straight Edge”The band responded with a post on their Facebook:
“Everybody should know that you cannot get any conclusion of how we treat women and how we think about their rights cause of our video. We had a really good time at the shooting and the girls ,too. We wanted to do something new in this scene without giving a fuck about any SCENERULES and the outcome is musicvideo with sexy girls. Not more not less. In the Year 2012 everybody should know that women and men are equal. But it shows how intollerant some people are. Everybody loves to see beautiful people of the other gender ( or the same) cause its in our nature. We even think that this behaviour makes it even more hard for women who outlive what they like to fit in society. Everybody should do what she/he feels like and if you would rate this video it would be FSk 16 or even below cause you cannot see anything there. TREAT YOUR GIRLS GOOD GUYS CAUSE THEY ARE THE BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL WE HAVE ON EARTH! We even ask ourselves if the promoters are in the right position to offend us cause they have a burning church on their flyer where we got kicked from. This puts down a whole religion and reminds of warscenarios. Is this how to treat people who are not the same? We dont want to point with the finger on someone but we didn’t started it. Fuck intollerance!!! Peace”This is the flyer the band was talking about, in the season of fairness before I weigh in on the situation, it turns out to be the city’s city hall, and apparently the reason why everything is burning is the night of the fest is something called “Walpurgis Night” in which it is a tradition to light bonfires. (Personally they would’ve sounded tougher if they didn’t apologize for a burning city hall but whatever)
Flyer For Firestorm Fest 2012
They know what your scene needs....
