List o’ Loathing

I realized just now, while I was complaining about something elsewhere on the Internet, that I have a lot of hatred inside me.  So, what better way to release that hatred than to complain about it on my blog, so I won’t irritate everyone on my Facebook (even though I know that I’ll continue to blah blah blah about my little peeves in every outlet I’m allowed, and that includes the FB)?  Yes, a blog entry.  Perhaps it will become a new feature here.  As long as it’s a day that ends in “y,” I’m probably going to find something new to hate.

1.  American Idol (or perhaps Americans who vote for American Idol)

Okay, just a few minutes ago it was announced that Lee DeWyze is the new American Idol.  Good job, America.  For the third time in a row, all those hormonal pre-teens who vote for American Idol have chosen a white, heterosexual, twentysomething male who plays guitar.  Of these three dudes, Lee is most certainly the dullest.  He seems to have little (or no?) personality, he’s terribly awkward on stage (especially without his guitar – he moves his hands around like a malfunctioning robot), and a person could go to any bar in America and hear at least two guys who sound just like Lee singing there every night.  I don’t understand what’s so special about him.  I think that Crystal would have been a much better choice, both musically and financially.  Right now, female solo artists are having a heyday.  Lillith Fair is back, Lady Gaga is huge, Christina Aguilera has a new album out soon, as does M.I.A., Taylor Swift swept the Grammys, and as I type this, Katy Perry has the #1 single on iTunes (La Roux, Ke$ha, Lady Gaga, and Miley Cyrus also appear in the top 10).  While Crystal is hardly a Lady Gaga or Ke$ha, it’s clear that the world is ready to welcome unique female artists with open arms right now.  Plus, she harkens back to the radio of the 90s – Alanis Morissette, Melissa Etheridge, Sarah MacLachlan, Sheryl Crow – and I think that’s a time that we’re all nostalgic for.  I’m probably looking too deep into this, but I really do think that she would’ve done well in the music industry right now.  Or at least she would be more interesting than Lee Tweedle Dee.

2.  Summer Movies

There are absolutely no good films out now, nor will there really be any at all this summer.  Too many sequels, adaptations, remakes, and 3D cheesefests.  Sure, I’ll give Toy Story 3 a pass because it’s Pixar and the first two films were great.  Inception might be good.  Get Him to the Greek has a good cast (minus Jonah Hill, who I also hate), as do Dinner for Schmucks and Scott Pilgrim.  But then we have Prince of Persia, a video game adaptation; The Last Airbender, an adaptation of a cartoon TV show; Marmaduke, an adaptation of an ancient comic strip (which also looks like it could be the worst film ever made); Sex and the City 2, a sequel AND a film based on a TV show.  There’s Iron Man 2, The Karate Kid, Twilight:  Eclipse, Cats and Dogs:  The Revenge of Kitty Galore (god help us all), etc. etc. etc.  Even the “original” films are bland, the typical mix of copycat rom-coms and copy and paste horror films.  The most disappointing aspect is that I’m sure there are at least a few legitimately good films coming out this summer (Jeunet’s Micmacs is one I’d love to see), but if you live in the middle of nowhere as I do, you won’t get to see those until they get a DVD release (and still, that’s if you’re lucky).  This points at a more consistent problem that Hollywood is having, though, and that is a loss of originality.  It’s no surprise that they’re obsessed with money, to the point where art is almost completely forgotten.  But never has it been as obvious or sickening as it is this summer.  AND I HATE IT.

3.  Arizona

Seriously, how are they still going through with this legislation?  How is it that supposedly around 68% of Americans agree with this whole idea?  I’m glad to see people and cities boycotting Arizona, because they deserve it, but what is the major disfunction with folks that they could think it’s a good idea?  Here’s the thing, people, let me explain it in easy terms:  The idea is that police officers have the right to pull over “suspicious” looking people to check and see whether or not they are “allowed” to be here.  Like a Nazi who spies a person with dark curly hair on the streets of Warsaw, they’re going to ask to see their papers.  And how are we to interpret “suspicious looking people?”  I’ll tell you how:  skin color.  If you aren’t as white as Dracula’s pasty thighs, you best watch out, and keep your papers on you at all times.  This legislation basically assumes that every brown person living in Arizona is a non-citizen, and as a result, they will be harassed as if they are.  News flash, folks:  there are people living in Arizona who aren’t white but are still – GASP! – citizens of the United States of America.  I know, I know.  That’s a crazy idea; dark skinned people can’t be from Amurrka!  So, do we see the issue?  About how if you’re not “white,” you’re going to have a hell of a time dealing with this insanity?  I personally would be incredibly angry if I were a darker complected U.S. citizen living in Arizona, and if I were constantly being pulled over, if I always had to have my “papers” on me, and if I were consistently treated like a fugitive by the countless white, entitled cops crawling all over my state.  I’d have to leave 15 minutes early for everything I did because I’d have to anticipate getting pulled over and put through the ringer.  I’d have to live in constant fear that I’d leave my ID and citizenship papers and whatnot at home.  What the Arizona government is doing is creating an environment of fear and inherent racism.  Which, in 2010, is completely hideous.  To the people who dare to say that we live in a post-racial America, and that racism is something we don’t have to worry about anymore, you should shut your mouths.

And if you still don’t get it, have this handy picture that explains it all (and with crayons, yay!).