Category: Throwback Thursday

Vogue: The Song

5/25/2017

Madonna had the number one song in the entire world when she released “Vogue” in 1990. Lyrics from the song are air lifted into the description for this blog day and it remains one of her most iconic songs to date. It fell in between the critical success of Like A Prayer and the cultural ostracization of her sexual fantasies with Erotica and the Sex book.

Originally concieved as a B-Side, “Vogue” was instead issued as a stand alone hit, correcting a mistake her record label had made with one of her previous smashes, “Into The Groove”. Included on the I'm Breathless soundtrack it was one of Madonna's most integrated projects in which she portrayed seductress Breathless Mahoney in Dick Tracy.

The I'm Breathless Soundtrack sold over 7,000,000 million copies worldwide with "Vogue" being widely credited for this success

The song popularized vogueing into the mainstream, a style of dance popular in the New York club scene. It also name checked every relevant star of yesteryear, a tactic Lady Gaga made good on with “Dance In The Dark”. A staple of early 90's pop culture, “Vogue” would become one of the defining dance singles ever released.

Buy "Vogue"

Vogue: The Institution

4/27/2017

Vogue is both a song and an institution. The description of this blog day is directly lifted from the Madonna classic. Vogue is commonly defined as “the prevailing fashion of the time.” And at one time the vogueing was en vogue.

Your favorite blogger could dedicate multiple blog posts to the different concepts of “vogue”, but today I mean more specifically the American fashion magazine. Founded in 1892 and with a current circulation of over a million people a month. It was originally a weekly life and style magazine (more pamphlet then magazine), when it was eventually taken under publishing giant Conde Nast's wing that it started to be molded into the magazine we recognize today.

Vogue has for better or worse shaped American fashion. It's inspired feminist criticism, photo shop allegations, and included furs despite the objections of Peta. Current editor, Anna Wintour is best friends with Kanye, inspired The Devil Wears Prada, and would be unrecognizable without her trademark bob and sunglasses.

Andre Leon Talley (left) and Editor In Chief, Anna Wintour (right)

The magazine has found spots in pop culture. Take Vogue's editor at large, Andre Leon Talley who reviews the red carpet and sat on the judge panel of America's Next Top Model. A proponent of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election, the magazine offered hopeful words even with the unprecedented win of our current leader. Vogue plays both the realm of fashion and pop culture purveyor, and if 125 years means anything, it will continue on much longer then that.

Kinder Eggs

4/20/2017

Invented by Italian William Salice in 1974. The chocolate toy is manufactured by Ferrero Rocher. The inventor of this product tragically passed away in 2016 at the age of 83 after suffering from a stroke. His creativeness lent it's hand to other well known Ferrero Rocher products

A common thread that ties all Europeans together is the ability to buy a Kinder egg regardless of what country your in. Italy, Greece, Spain, Belgium, England, France... I've found Kinder eggs in all of them. Most of my readers are from the United States and may not have heard of them. Kinder eggs is a type of chocolate with a toy inside.

Chocolate is wrapped around a plastic egg and inside the plastic egg is a cheap toy. It can be something like a toy car. It's a novelty item, one that can be confiscated when coming through customs in the United States. They've been banned since 1997, but the law behind it dates back to 1938.

Reasons for why the egg is banned comes up easily in a google search. One of the top entries reads, “Americans are too stupid to realize you can eat the chocolate (…) without (…) chocking on the small toy inside the egg.” The choking hazard aimed towards small children is a concern to United States official, however the real reason is that foods are not allowed to contain “non-nutritive products”. So, in the meantime if you want a Kinder egg, you'll have to fly to Europe... or Canada to get one.

The House That Built Me

3/9/2017

2010 was the year that Miranda Lambert released one of her cornerstone singles. “The House That Built Me” alongside “Gunpowder & Lead” are two of her early hits that are hallmarks of her success. Up until the release of “The House That Built Me”, Miranda's hit songs were namely spitfire anthems (softer singles like “Dead Flowers” or "More Like Her" charted poorly). She was the kerosene girl.

“The House That Built Me” changed all of that. It showed casual fans another side to Miranda, a softer, more introspective side, that didn't involve taking a hammer to everything in the place. It's grown to be one of my fonder spots in Miranda's discography, as a young child it was not my favorite, but now it's simple story telling is reflective of why it snatched her a Grammy.

The music video, much like the song is straight forward. You see Miranda playing her guitar, interspersed with home videos. It's simple, it's soft. It's exactly what the song called for. “The House That Built Me” layed the pavement for future hits “Over You” or the introspective acoustic feel of her current album The Weight of These Wings. It showed audiences another side to the singer, a side that's allowed her a continued nuanced success in the country market.

The Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Singing Nuns

3/2/2017

I feel like there are some things we can learn from The Sound of Music in today's social climate. Never pass up the chance to tear a Nazi flag in half, seven children is excessive, and if given the opportunity be Julie Andrews.

The film is one of the cornerstones of Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer's careers as actors. It's their signature film. Christopher Plummer might not appreciate that, but for Julie Andrews it flows with her Mary Poppins / Princess Diaries aesthetic. The Sound of Music was once one of the highest grossing films in history, having made over $280,000,000. The soundtrack was also one of the best selling in the world, it was a particular success in the United Kingdom placing 7th overall in album sales. I happen to have a copy of it on vinyl.

The Sound of Music is a film on par with Grease or Mama Mia. If you watch musicals, if you hate musicals, you've seen these movies, or at the very least know the working concept of their plot. It's the kind of film, you can still see 8 year olds singing in the streets of Barcelona and if that's cross-cultural film I don't know what is.

Mad About You

2/23/2017

Helen Hunt (left) and Paul Reiser (right) portrayed Jamie Buchman and Paul Buchman respectively

There were 3 inescapable New York sitcoms on air during the 90s. 2 have stood as cultural landmarks & the other is memorable to those who lived through the era. NBC had the trifecta Seinfield, Friends, & Mad About You.

Mad About You followed the lives of average couple Paul and Jamie Buchman. They had a dog Murray, a screw up older sister, the Fran Drescheresque best friend, and the player with a receding hairline. We even have the lesbian sister. The show starred Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser as the ever loving couple. They fought and they always made up.

That time Ellen Degeneres stopped by

It was quality television. It's rarely laugh out loud funny, but it offers casual reassurance. Just a normal married couple living in New York City. A documentary filmmaker and a public relations specialist. Mad About You had crossover appeal with both Friends and Seinfield. Kramer appeared in the first season of Mad About You, Ursula predated Phoebe's (you may recall that Phoebe had a recurring evil twin sister named Ursula) rise to fame on Friends, and Jamie and Fran made their way over to Central Perk.

Lisa Kudrow as the incompetent waitress Ursula

Lasting for 7 seasons, Mad About You was a juggernaut of television. The final season saw both Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt pulling in a million an episode. It's not the most called upon pop culture statement of the 90s, but it's still one of the most loveable.

The Mighty Protest Song

2/16/2017

The election of our current president has led to a national fervor of patriotism via protestation. Our president can boast that he managed to turn an entire gender against him less then a day into his place in office. Rebecca Ferguson agreed to sing at his innaguration given she was allowed to perform “Strange Fruit”, a song that delves into the lynching of black men in the United States. An act carried out now through the criminal justice system. Her request was denied.

Music has always reflected the times, faster then film, as music can demonstrate a quicker turn around. Katy Perry slipped in a political statement between the silky beats of “Chained To The Rhythm”. We need to wake up and see what's happening before it's too late! All, while being discreet enough not to offend radio programmers in red states who exemplify the most disillusioned of our country.

Music history is rife with songs against injustice. Lesley Gore's “You Don't Own Me” spurred on a second wave of feminism, John Lennon's “Imagine” was a plug for world peace as was Bette Midler's “From A Distance”, Sia dedicated “The Greatest” to the LGBT+ community after the Pulse shooting in 2016. Music has always been a great place for discourse and with a country led by a racist reality TV star, it's time for Kim Kardashian to return backed by a Kanye produced beat.

The Madonna Superbowl

2/9/2017

After Lady Gaga's jaw dropping performance this weekend at the Superbowl, I thought it only fair to reminisce on past performances. I know Bruno Mars has performed, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers took off their shirts, and certainly Queen Bey having all the Destiny's Childs members pop out together was a spectacle, but my heart will always be tied to Madonna.

Madonna performed at the halftime show for Superbowl XLVI. She came out on a throne, had everyone from Cee Lo Green to LMFAO light up the spectacle. She brought her show stopping stadium skills to a worldwide platform.

When Madonna performed at the Super Bowl she set a record audience of 114 million viewers,-higher then the games 113.3 million. The record is now held by Katy Perry

Through one show Madonna showed her prowess for a next stadium tour (The MDNA Tour would become one of the highest grossing in history), launched a top ten single with the cheerleader chant of “Give Me All Your Luvin'” and raked up just a little bit of controversy when M.I.A flashed America the middle finger. The show had it all.

It catapulted MDNA into selling over 500,000 copies in the United States without a radio hit, and Gaga must also be hoping it will do the same for Joanne. However, her album has been selling at a steady (and surprisingly) solid place despite neither of it's singles becoming radio staples. Gaga has certainly convinced America to bring out their cowboy hat and buy a ticket for her new show.

I Will Always Love You

1/19/2017

The Whitney Houston classic is the hallmark of The Bodyguard soundtrack. It sold over 45 million copies worldwide. I own a copy and even though I would not say it's a great soundtrack, “I Will Always Love You” makes up for any shortcomings.

The song was originally penned by Dolly Parton was a hit on country radio in it's original format, but it wouldn't become an iconic torch song until Whitney Houston covered it. The song stands alongside “My Heart Will Go On” as one of the cornerstone ballads of the 90s (sorry Mariah!).

Dolly Parton

Spending 14 weeks at number one in the United States, “I Will Always Love You” dominated the country for over three months. Becoming a multi platinum smash it solidified not only the success of her onscreen role in The Bodyguard, but also her continued musical longevity. It became her second to last number one and one of her more publicly lauded commercial successes.

Buy "I Will Always Love You"

Notably, the song was used in The Gilmore Girls by matriarch Lorelai Gilmore in a karaoke bar when she sang it to diner owner Luke Danes as a way of letting him know she still loved him.

What ARe You Doing New Year's Eve?

12/29/2016

Saturday night will usher in 2017. A year that in order to be successful must simply avoid nuclear fallout. The New Year is the night everyone is expected to find a partner to kiss at midnight. It's the concept behind one of the enduring songs in the Christmas catalogue.

“What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?” is a holiday song that expouses the sentiment of asking the one they love if they'll be their date on New Year's Eve. It's a song that need not relegate itself to December, take the line “maybe it's much too early in the game”. Is the first of January too early to ask for someone's lips on New Year's Eve? I say there's nothing wrong with preperation. Prepare ahead for failure.

Like all great Christmas songs, there's a touch of melancholy to the song. The narrator wants love, but they realize how unlikely it is. The song was written in 1947 and follows the grand tradition of bitter sadness that “I'll Be Home For Christmas” and “Blue Christmas” settle on.

The song (like all) great Christmas music has been covered by numerous versions. You have the classic covers. The Orioles, Nancy Wilson, etc. Along with modern interpretations from Idina Menzel, Kacey Musgraves, Zooey Deschanel all run the gamut of tradition. My personal favorite is the version eschewed by Bette Midler on her 2006 album Cool Yule.

Buy "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?"