P o p M u s e

See Dick

While on our very long trip to Florida over the Hellidays me and BlogHungry went to see "Fun With Dick & Jane" and I LOVED it!  True, I was expecting nothing (due to the dumbed down Trailer, Poster and TV Spots) but what I discovered was a lefty liberal experiment in completely commercial filmmaking. 

What better way to explain the disgraceful Enron / Worldcom / Healthsouth Big Business controversies to the confused masses than to put it in the context of a big budget blockbuster Jim Carrey vehicle.  You'd never know it from the promotion but Carrey plays the common man being screwed by the Big Corporation head Alec Baldwin (a la Ken Lay).  It isn't the most revolutionary film but it is surprisingly timely, important and fun to watch.

"Fun With Dick and Jane" is littered with Democratic lobbying; i.e. Gore Lieberman Posters, immigration commentary and plenty of W. and his book-cooking buddies bashing going on), which if nothing else is very refreshing, especially when seen in the hideously Republican State of Florida.  Go see it.

Promise To Post

Still on the road visiting family.  Here's a pic of PopMuse opening a Chrismakkah Gift, (the man behind me is BlogHungry's Father).  And yes, PopMuse has grown a winter beard.

Be patient my faithful readers, PopMuse will return soon!

Band Aid 2

Last year Bob Geldoff re-made the 1983 classic "Do They Know It's Christmas" under the moniker Band Aid 20.  BUT do you remember the original re-make of that song?  Yup, it was remade in '89 with some lesser known euro pop tarts under the name Band Aid 2. 

Aid 2 included Kylie, Bros, Wet Wet Wet, Jimmy Somerville, Lisa Stansfield, Bananarama and more!  This PopMuse Vid Clip is an 80s obscurity sure to shock and satisfy.  It's taken from an '89 John Norris hosted MTV News Brief and features the entire music video clip. 

I'll be traveling for a few days so stay warm and fuzzy until I get back...
Merry Mary!!!
-- PopMuse

WATCH:  BAND AID II "DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS" [mov]

Praise Santa Claus

PopMuse is not a Holiday Cheer kinda brotha, but this episode of "The Boondocks" filled me with Festive Glee.  If you aren't familiar with The Boondocks, it's one of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim Shows.  It centers on the lives of 3 Ghetto Fab kids living in the 'burbs.  Anyway, this episode doesn't hold back at all.

WATCH:  BOONDOCKS CLIP "HO HO HO (MEANS THE HILTON SISTERS)" [mov]

WATCH:  BOONDOCKS CLIP "THE HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS (GAY SEX AND WIFE ABUSE)" [mov]

Tyra Banks: Queen of Cheap

Of course her tits are real, she's too cheap to buy fake ones.  Here is a clip from the disturbingly hypnotic Tyra Banks Show where her mother OUTS her as "The Queen of Cheap".  This is some shocking television!  I mean, there is cheap and there is CHEAP!  Remember as you watch this PopMuse Vid Clip that Tyra Banks has two TV shows and a ton of Supermodel money.  I mean, fake Bling?  Tyra, come ON, you are shaming your whole race!

WATCH: TYRA BANKS "THE QUEEN OF CHEAP" [MOV]

Kevin The Gay Clown

I guess I've stumbled upon a reoccurring PopMuse Column.  "The Gay Clown" is a feature where I post a PopMuse Vid Clip from a film with an actor portraying a gay stereotype, miserably.  For the previous "Carson Kressley Gay Clown Post" read this. 

Today I present to you Kevin Bacon in Queen Latifah's "Beauty Shop."  Kevin is playing a Hair Stylist named "Jorge" who is Latifah's nemesis.  It's completely predictable, awfully written and dreadfully acted.  You can just see the 'soul death' in Bacon's eyes as he lisps his way through this crap dialogue.

This clip features finger snaps, a ridiculous accent and a bad wig (Bacon LOVES him some wigs).  And as a bonus, you get a Southern accented Alicia Silverstone, a slutty Rudy Huxtable (Keshia Knight Pulliam) and Alfre Woodward (what the hell is she doing there)???  Oh yeah, did I mention this film was directed by Black Gay Director Bille Woodruff.  Talk about Soul Death...

WATCH:  Kevin "The Gay Clown" Bacon in "Beauty Shop" [mov]

Depop Muse

I do not know why I am feeding into my friends xtine and DR's current obsession with Depressed Mood (aka Depeche Mode) but as this little gem is coupled with DJ, Remixer, Producer, GOD Jacques Lu Cont (aka Stuart Price), I figured it may not be so bad.  So here ya go kids... Your welcome, PopMuse.

Listen/Download: Depeche Mode "A Pain I'm Used To" (Jacques Lu Cont Remix) [mp3]

The One and Only Mary J. Blige

Got an early copy of Mary's new CD this morning. [thanks PB]  It's classic Mary front to back.  Surprisingly though, the stand-out was Mary's duet with U2 on their track "One".  I think it was recorded at one of those charity shows with no audience, just candles and celebs on phones.  Take a listen below... At first you might get nervous 'cause it takes MJB till the bridge to get her arms around the track, but once she hits that bridge she f*ckin soars. 

I'd guess this is how Bono hears this song in his head when he sings it (lord knows he's always wanted to be black.)  Anyway, Mary turns this shit on it's head, slaps it's face, huggs it, slaps it again, and then walks out da house, lights a match and burns the damn thing down to the ground!

Listen: Mary J. Blige covers U2's "One" [mp3]

And here's a PopMuse Vid Clip of my fav MJB TV moment.  It's from VH1 Diva's Live 1999.  Mary takes on (a super skinny) Whitney and the two do some church style vocal sparing over an Aretha classic.  For years me and my crew would say Mary's name the way Whitney does at the top of this clip, she literally spits it out her mouth.  But that's only the start.  And don't even get me started on Mary's hair! 

Watch: Whitney & Mary on Diva's '99 [mov]

 

What your mail says about you.

What the hell is this trying to say?  I got it amongst the plethora of junk mail that fills my mailbox everyday and I can't stop staring at it.  Exactly what is going on here?  Is this a 'My Two Dads and Surrogate Mom' situation?  Is this kid coming out (barefoot)?  Is this Grandpa, Dad and Mom telling teen son that he is the love child of Grandpa and Mom?  Why are the dad and son smiling?  Why are they in my apartment?  "Nurses and Counselors on call."  I'm so confused.  Maybe PopMuse Readers can make heads or tails of this?   Click Here to see a Larger Pic.

Whatever it means, it is far more provocative than this was.

Gap Gone Wild

Have you seen Spike Jonze's Commercial for The Gap?  It features Gap employees and patrons trashing a Gap Store.  It's supposed to be a shop in NYC, but was clearly shot at The Grove in LA. 

Mainly I love it because Spike brought to life my personal Helliday Shopping fantasies.  Oh yeah, and I love me some physical comedy!

WATCH:  SPIKE JONZE'S GAP AD

[thanks djmonstermo]

Carson The Clown

This weekend I saw "Brokeback Mountain".  And unlike EVERY OTHER BLOGGER, I have chosen not to give you my review.  Most likely if you're reading PopMuse, you're going to see it anyway, and although I do have lots to say on the subject, it would be impossible to do so without spoiling it for those of you who haven't seen it yet.  Instead I present to you a PopMuse Vid Clip from another gay-ish film I saw this weekend, "The Perfect Man".

The annual Bad Movie Night is a night where PopMuse, Nilblog, and Nilblogette get together to eat Bloghungry's fab cooking while trashing a terrible movie.  Saturday we watched Hillary Duff, Heather Locklear, Mr. Big and CARSON KRESSLEY in the messy film "The Perfect Man".

Mr. Queer Eye Carson plays that oh-so-familiar role of the zany gay clown (this time in the form of a Bartender) and he does it so horribly I felt the need to share a few scenes with you.  In the clip below you'll experience Kressley along side a soaking wet slo-mo Duff, a botox face frozen Locklear, a drunken Noth and a taste of Caroline Rhea just for fun!

WATCH:  SCENES OF CARSON K. ACTING IN "THE PERFECT MAN" [mov]

 

"Daytona is a suburb of hell..."

Today was WORLD AIDS DAY and all we have to show for it is a lame Bush soundbite where he preached the importance of abstinence and mispronounced "condom" as "ConDAMN" damn straight GW, DAMN straight.  Well there was a time when AIDS was the number one topic on the news every week... Even MTV News.

I looked into the PopMuse Video Archives and found this clip from MTV's "The Week in Rock Spring Break Edition 1988".  VJ Kevin Seal (remember him?) braves Daytona Beach for some riveting interviews with late 80s Spring Breakers.  It's a montage of crunchy Aqua Net hair-do's, fluorescent bathing suits, and AIDS! 

Yup, Mr. Seal quizzes the kids in America on their AIDS awareness, and it's quite disturbing.  At least these co-eds had the excuse of zero AIDS Education (it was 1988 remember), but I doubt spring breakers today would have much different answers and today they have NO excuse.

Oh yeah, there's a bonus soundbite from David Coverdale of Whitesnake... why not!

WATCH:
MTV NEWS 1988 'SPRING BREAKERS & AIDS'  [mov]