From Buzznet: 10 Things Wrong with a 10 Things TV Show

My opinion when ABC Family released info on a pilot they picked up for a television adaptation of the beloved 10 Things I Hate About You. Needless to say, I was unhappy and worried. I like my writing style in this one.

10/9/2008

Anyone else smelling a nostalgia trend in TV this Fall?

90210? Check

Knight Rider? Check

Riding in on the nostalgia trend that has hit television, ABC Family just picked up a pilot episode for a TV series based off the beloved 90's comedy 10 Things I Hate About You starring Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, that girl from Alex Mack, and that dude from 3rd Rock from the Sun.

The movie's director of "10 Things", Gil Junger, will also shoot the pilot, which is written and executive produced by Carter Covington. The series will focus more on sisters Kate and Bianca Stratford in facing their new high school environment. "10 Things" is based on the Heath Ledger romantic comedy film which was also starred by Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The film itself was based on Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew". - [source]

So they got the original director to sign up, big whoop. Gil Junger hasn't done anything cinematically notable since 10 Things I Hate About You. Wasn't that hard to get him anyway since the guy's pretty much contracted with ABC. I suppose putting it in his hands brings the original vision of the movie, and his experience directing TV will help adapt the big screen to the small screen. It all depends on how much you like the other TV shows he's directed. ["The Untitled Jenny McCarthy Project" ? Yeah, total win.]

Writer/Exec Producer Carter Covington is also the writer for the ABC Family show Greek. Which I'll admit, is enjoyable for me to watch (but that's more thanks to Clark Duke). It also proves to me that Covington has the wit to handle the teen humor that was so essential to the movie.

But I swear, if The Plain White T's make even ONE guest appearance on 10 Things, it is going to seriously affect my upchuck reflex. =P

And of course, my number one anxiety is that whoever is cast in the TV show will have a hard act to follow. Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Leavitt, Larisa Oleynik, Gabrielle Union, Larry Miller and obviously the late Heath Ledger all established hilarious, lovable characters who are now staples in pop culture. It'll be hard to fill those shoes and do them justice.

Am I gonna watch? Of course, I'm not a picky TV watcher. If it's about high school, I'm in. But I just pray to God they don't butcher it.

Could 10 Things give Gossip Girl a run for its money?

From Buzznet: Why we love Metro Station, Paramore, We The Kings, All Time Low and Paramore?

This post didn't get featured on the site but I love it like one of my babies. Some internet troll decided to release some blogs on why she hated a lot of popular bands. I retaliated with an opinion via blog. I also dissected the appeal of persona as a factor into band popularity.

Meet Amanda:


Through poorly worded criticism, hollow arguments and disrespectful slander of specific band members (though I will note that she does give ATL the courtesy of insulting the entire band in their underwear), Amanda lets the interweb know just how much she passionately hates the bands that "we" all love. I got tired of all the "you hate them well, I hate you and you don't know what you're talking about you fat ugly bitch!" responses on YouTube and decided to ask myself, why do we love them? I mean really.

Notice I say "we." I'm not writing this because I don't like pop music. I do. Pop music saved my life, after all. All I really listen to myself by choice is Pop, though I do venture into other genres, I'm definitely gonna pick a We the Kings over an Iron Maiden.  I'm the first to raise my hand and profess my love for Metro Station, We The Kings, All Time Low, Paramore, FTSK, Danger Radio, The Academy Is... etc. etc. etc. But I also have a belief that when you strip it all down, it's really just the same music made by different people.

I'm totally okay with that.

Before you shut me down, allow me to explain how it's all the same to me:

• The words may be different, but the subject matter is the same. Relationships, emotions, parties, occasional random songs about random stuff, bitches and ho's bitches and ho's (lulz)
  
• Fundamentally, music is predictable. Especially in the pop/rock genre, (thank you John, Paul, George and Ringo!) same chord progressions, same instruments, same song structures.
  
• Same genre = same sound. There's a reason why genres exist. It's a good chance if you like one pop/rock band, you'll like others. Because being in the same genre means they sound same/similar. Humans enjoy classifying things. Labels, categories, stereotypes, you name it. In the negative connotation, call it pigeon-holing. But really, we're just lazy sons of bitches and like making things easy to find. 
• The chemistry of a band is formulaic. Goes all the way back to the boy band phenomena circa late 90's (Remember 2Ge+her?). Only this time you need instruments and attitude instead of sweet dance moves (though sweet dance moves are greatly appreciated). ie. relatively good looking lead member, crazy/goofy member, quiet/shy/elusive member, etc. etc.
  

So I'm thinking that the music is somewhat secondary when we decide which bands to love above the rest. I mean really, I like songs by Coldplay, but that doesn't make me put on a Coldplay t-shirt in the morning and save my babysitting money to buy a ticket to their concert. There must be something else causing us to buy their merch, listen to their songs, and generally, give a crap about them and what they do.

So what is it? Here's what I think. And I'll let my response to Amanda's lovely video do the talking:

kissth3cheek (22 hours ago)
kudos on being opinionated. but i really wish your reason for hating wasnt 99% based on their looks and the fact that everyone loves them. so the music isn't your taste but consider that a huge part of why they are widely loved is because these bands take time to let their fans get to know them. blogs, videos, etc. and 95% of a love for these bands has to do with their live shows and meet and greets. there's nothing like it, especially when you get up close and personal in the small venues.

It's persona.

persona (n.) - a person's perceived or evident personality, as that of a well-known official, actor, or celebrity; personal image; public role (- dictionary.com)

The personality that these bands present through youtube videos, blogging, performing on stage, meeting them and having real conversation with them, and even a twitter or a buzznet profile are all reasons why our love for these bands grow. It may not be the case, but they present themselves as accessible humans that we honestly all just wanna be best friends with, and through these avenues (and their music) we sometimes feel like we are. It seems like the only thing really separating us from them is that they're the ones on the stage and we're the ones watching.

My number one example of this idea of accessibility is Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy. (For the record, I have a tremendous respect for him. That is slowly growing to a like/admiration.) The internet is his weapon and he can access tons of fans with the click of a mouse or a send of a text message. As a result many people have taken interest in what the dude has to say. They buy his clothes, listen to his music, listen to the music he promotes, they show up at his bar, hell they show up wherever the hell he tells them to, and even are influenced by his political views. But nonetheless, he's just a dude. A dude in a band. The internet is what helped him turn it in to more.

...Oh, that and the infamous p33n shot. (Pfsh, no link there! Just google it you sickos!)



Persona, Pop music, Pete's p33n? Y/N? Thoughts?

From Buzznet: WTF?! WTK on Radio Disney?

Since I decided to save The Big Story, I figured I might as well take the rest of my significant Buzznet blogs and move them in here. I think this is better for easier access if I need to get writing samples or something.

This is the first piece I ever got featured in the Buzznet community published on 8/25/08. It was an opinion/commentary piece on the injustices of the music scene inspired by an appearance by We the Kings on Radio Disney and fan reactions to the event.

Hey everyone, Hunter and I are in Los Angeles right now getting ready to take over Radio Disney for a few hours. Turn on your radio's and find out which station Radio Disney airs in your area and listen to us... The show will be on at 3pm Pacific Time...which means (4pm mountain time)(5pm Central Time)and (6pm Eastern Standard Time).Hope you guys tune in, we love you and we'll see you very soon!!!


<3 Travis
WE THE KINGS

Check Yes Juliet (Acoustic) on Radio Disney

Even though it's AM radio, they still sound beautifulll. I'm kinda sad that I didn't tune in, or call in. I coulda had a full on conversation with them. I know a lot of the Radio Disney kids would have been like WTK? WTF? I bet the guys were hilarious. <3 But this is what I'm really here to talk about. Travis edited the post the next day:

hey everyone this is Travis, I just wanted to clear things up with everybody...ever since i was a kid i've watched Nickelodeon, Disney TV, and have seen every Disney movie that has come out...(also we live in Bradenton Florida about 1 1/2 hours away from Orlando and Disney World)  I thought it would be a really cool opportunity to do this radio takeover so people could hear us talk and people could call in... No, we are not turning into the Jonas Brothers or Miley Cyrus haha they're way more famous then we will ever be ;) If we didn't do this radio takeover show we would have been driving home spending our time in the bus playing video games (which means no one would have heard from us yesterday) this way we got to hang out with some of you through the radio airwaves!!  I hope no one is truly offended by what we did, but it was truly our choice to do this.  Hunter and I had an amazing time and we met some really great people.  I'm sure in the future we'll be able to host shows that you may think are much cooler but for us we look up to Radio Disney :)  we love you all and we care very much about our fans, those of you who have met us should know exactly what i'm talking about.  Thank you for all the support, and we can't wait to see you this fall, you mean the world to us! love, Travis

Now I'll admit that when I first heard about the takeover, I was personally disappointed because I love The Jonas Brothers just as much as the 9 year olds do, and I love Trav and Hunt, so naturally my first instinct is that the same 9 year olds who love JB will fall in love with We the Kings as well (as I have). I figure if I like them both, what's stopping them from liking both as well, besides the fact that I know about WTK and they don't? I was simply planning on crossing my fingers and hoping that they weren't attracted to redheads. Rofl. I just can't believe that people bitched about it to the point that Travis had to provide an explanation for it. He shouldn't have had to do that. The fans should love them regardless of what they do. =/ I think I can understand, I first heard about We the Kings when they toured with Metro Station last year for PureVolume. (Though I didn't get hardcore into them since they did the East Coast leg, whilst I met the dance party sounds of FTSK on the PureVolume tour. It's funny to me how all those bands are now suddenly blowing up. So is Danger Radio next? I think yes.) I know that we're all just afraid that they will get too big and then we'll have to share with the masses. Then we won't be able to get those prized sweaty hugs and easy photo ops. I know that I love that easily accessible face time, the fact that they are just people and not celebrities is what I like about going to a show and hanging out at the merch booth. Isn't that what the scene is all about? It seems as if that's why we go to the small shows and support the starving artists in the broken down vans. We bet on that one in a million chance that they'll make it, gain celebrity, and the venues will get larger and start selling out. Once that happens we want that feeling of self-righteousness, to get the opportunity to be able to say that we knew about them first. We want to snob the "teenies" and criticize the band we once "loved" until they "sold out". What we should do is love them, support them and hope that they remember the early fans and can figure out some way to pay them back one day, instead of jumping ship once it gets a little overcrowded. I provide this lip service knowing full well that I'm a hypocrit. I love the feeling of being on that barricade and making eye contact with that lead singer just as much as you do. Like I've said, I feel this way about Metro Station and I'm working on adjusting. On the other hand, I feel as if I'm in a sort of limbo. While I wasn't there for Metro's coffee shop shows circa 2006, I take some pride in the fact that I got to them before MTV did. So, I get criticized by the early early fans and I get annoyed at the MTV kids. I'm okay with that. I've realized that if a band is really good you can't expect them to stay a secret for very long, you know? And not everyone can find out about them in the beginning. (Don't we call that overnight success? Isn't there a social stigma for that too?)

What makes us think that we deserve to listen to them and love them more than the next person?

Let's all just enjoy the music, yeah? So now it's your turn, I wanna know what you think. Discuss.

The Big Story: Time Stands Still

This is an article I wrote for Buzznet's old monthly feature "The Big Story" when they featured The All-American Rejects (favorite band!) and their new release When the World Comes Down in December 2008. I copied and pasted it here to save it in case Buzznet decides to do a server wipe. I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up citing this as a crowning jewel in my early writing career. It's long, so I put in a cut.

AAR on Buzznet: The Big Story - TIME STANDS STILL
Take a trip down AAR memory lane as Buzznet user Rosalie Cabison (xxrccola) gives you the history of the band including some of the most memorable and special moments in their career to date!

12/1/08

TIME STANDS STILL

Do you remember The All-American Rejects? These kids first graced the airwaves almost a decade ago with their footloose and fancy free classic rock-inspired sound. They make a bad habit out of creating infectious sing-along friendly tunes, but they also make a bad habit of disappearing off the face of the earth for frustratingly prolonged periods of time!!! (I'm not bitter or anything.) However, every time they release a new album they never fail to return bigger and better than before. I'm guessing these pop chart underdogs must love a good comeback story.

Just in case you forgot over their last lengthy little break, here's a chronicle of just a few of the most momentous occasions in the history of The All-American Rejects.—Rosalie Cabison, xxrccola

1999/2000

At a party in Stillwater, Oklahoma, high-school classmates Tyson Ritter and Nick Wheeler meet for the first time. Ritter, in search of a band to play with, lies to Wheeler about his abilityâor lack there ofâto play bass. Nick lets Ty join his band and the pair eventually form a hetero lifemate bond so strong that they break away and form their own duo.

2001

The duo self release the Same Girl, New Songs EP using programmed drum loops to support their cheeky and cutesy high school-esque lyrics. Nick and Ty hit the road as a two-piece and embark on their first-ever tour and circulate all over the Midwest. 

 

Then, an intern at Doghouse Records fishes their demo out of the trash and falls in love with the up-and-coming band's infectious pop songs and killer hooks. She then shoves the demo in front of label boss Dirk Hemsath, who eventually falls in love with the band, as well. Weeks later—before the boys are even done touring—Doghouse Records signs the unknown band from Oklahoma and goes on to release their self-titled debut in October 2002.

2002

Shortly after The All-American Rejects is released, the band recruits Dr. Pepper enthusiast Mike Kennerty (guitar, vocals) along with tattoo fetishist Chris Gaylor (drums) to play in the band's live shows. Gaylor and Kennerty eventually officially join AAR full-time and complete the Rejects lineup.

2003

On February 3, AAR their first appearance on the TRL charts with the debut of their first single "Swing Swing." The song debuts at #10 andong will continue for 4 days and peak at #8. The next day, their self-titled debut album 'The All-American Rejects' re-releases off Dreamworks and is certified Gold within a few months.

2004

The Rejects go MIA to write and record a new album. In the meanwhile, Mike and Chris pay some attention to their side project, These Enzymes, formed out of boredom in the back of the tour bus circa 2003 on a UK tour. They enlist with friends Neil Rubenstein and Andrew Palmer to create their unique, progressive, un-AAR-like sound.

2005

The band springs up again out of nowhere and reminds the masses about them with their sophomore album 'Move Along' released off Interscope Records. This album solidifies the boys as pop chart staples and introduces the world to their notorious hits, Dirty Little Secret, It Ends Tonight and of course, Move Along.

2006

It's a big tour year for The AAR. Coincidentally, they keep getting paired up with another little band called Fall Out Boy. Starting with an epic New Year's performance, the band moves on to support FOB for The Black Clouds and Underdogs Tour in the Spring. The BCUD Tour makes history, being the first concert livecast directly to cell phones (via the now-defunct phone company Amp'd Mobile). AAR and FOB then hit The Warped Tour in the Summer.

The video for Move Along becomes the first AAR music video to reach #1 on TRL and then goes on to the MTV Video Music Awards nominated for Best Editing and Best Group Video. In an unexpected win, the boys take home the moon man for Best Group Video!

Move Along - The All American Rejects

The All-American Rejects get to meet and pay tribute to one of their main influences, Def Leppard, the band that spawned Hysteria, whose album art is depicted in tattoo on the right of Nick Wheeler's back.  They perform 'Photograph' on VH1 Rock Honors.

2007

Tyson and Nick perform on MTV's Unplugged with Bon Jovi (which satisfies the Bon Jovi tattoo Nick sports on the left side of his back that keeps the Def Leppard tattoo company). Nick sounds like a teenaged fangirl talking about their opportunity in a blog on the band's website:


"Holy crap! As if the Rock Honors wasn't enough...we get to play alongside Bon Jovi on their MTV Unplugged!!! Speechless...freakin' out, man!!! I'll let y'all know if I black out or not..."


-Nickolas Don Wheeler

In between sporadic special appearances, concerts, and working on a new record, the guys occupy their time dabbling in other things.




Mike and Chris (along with Alkaline Trio bassist Dan Andriano) work with punk rock icon Ben Weasel on his solo effort.

Tyson utilizes this break time to dabble as a dilettante, venturing into other industries. He returns to the runway, starts up Butter The Clothes, designs a shoe for Nike, and kickstarts an acting career (making a guest appearance on an episode of House, M.D. and spending a few months to shoot on the set of The House Bunny).

Nick, on the other hand, mysteriously retreats from the limelight. Probably to spend some quality time with Kermit and the gang.

(Ok, so I made up that last part and photoshopped Nick's head onto Jim Henson's body, but everyone else had side projects, and hanging with The Muppets is comparatively more interesting to write than 'did an interview with Gibson'.)

2008

The All-American Rejects get inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame on August 7th. They are presented with the Rising Star Award, recognizing individuals or groups for attaining significant national notice for their musical talent.

Right when people begin to wonder about where they went and whether they are coming back, The Rejects return! They announce the release of 'When The World Comes Down' due out on December 16th! When AP Magazine asked them what took so long, reasons cited include an eternal tour schedule in promotion of Move Along and a slow and steady process to pump out the perfect record. The product sounds worth the wait! Check out the released singles Gives You Hell and Mona Lisa.

Mona Lisa (When The World Comes Down) - The All-American Rejects

Gives You Hell - The All-American Rejects

What will 2009 have in store for these beloved comeback kids?
Only time will tell... (*sings* Time is standing still!!)