Reviews of All Things Media

MUSIC
This week I met Matisyahu and was fortunate enough to hear an acoustic performance of a few songs. Matisyahu burst onto the scene a few years ago with his poppy-reggae "King Without A Crown." Turns out he is a hascidic Jew that raps which makes him stand out just a little. His songs are beautiful, soulful and have a "love everyone" feel. He is tall, long armed and funny. We have so many bands and artists that come through the station, I am always happy when it is someone I know and really like. If you don't know who he is, check him out. His song "One Day" was just selected by NBC to be the official song of the Olympics, so I am sure you will be hearing him soon enough.

BOOKS (Fight Club Book Selections of late)
Siddartha by Hermen Hesse
We chose this as a token "classic" and had the additional support of Erin and Joe who read it in high school and loved it. The book is thin and easy to read but I did not like it at all. I thought Siddartha is a a pompous ass. I won't give it away, but it is about the spiritual journey of Siddarth but even as he grows he does not become a very likable character for me. I am curious how I would have liked this book had I read it in high school when I thought I was better than the world. Would I have related and liked him better? Perhaps it is the old woman in me that thinks "Shut up punk and be nice!" I like studying religions and this is an obvious allegory for Buddism, but I think I would have rather read a direct study of it.

G-Spot by Noire
This was an optional book for us to read. Joe brought it as a recommendation as a genre we have never read: Urban Erotica. Apparently this series is very popular with his students so I decided to read it. At first, it was hysterical. The dialects, phrasing and graphic depictions of sex and masturbation were at the same time startling and humorous. I joked that we were going to discuss nature versus nurture; since Juicy's mom was a "skank ass ho" does that mean Juicy is destined to become on as well? The book was a quick read and I won't spoil the ending for you, but I did really want to discuss it. There was so much accepted violence in the book it really surprised me. We talked about Twilight versus G-Spot. Twilight leaves young girls wishing they could be fall in love wiht a vampire which can't happen. G-Spot leaves young girls wishing they could fall in love with a violent drug dealer, a goal they could acheive. It just seems wrong to me to further a negative stereotype in girls so young. I have to say the highlight of this book was the language. I am now incorporating several different phrases into my everyday speach. Ya feel me?

MOVIES
The Blind Side
Sandra Bullock's accent in this is annoying. Really annoying. Besdides that, the movie is sweet and well acted. It is the true story of a boy from the wrong side of town, who has nohting, who because of hte kindness of strangers,