Adventure #6: Keepin' It Real

Last Saturday, I had a callback for a play and had some auditions for some student films, so, naturally, I was pretty stressed that day, which can be exhausting, especially since I was already tired from lack of rest. In the evening, I walked to a car with two other boys and a girl in a parking garage underneath some apartments. I was the driver, so I headed to my designated location while the boy who was going to sit behind me asked, "What time is the movie?"

The boy on the other side of the car replied, "Seven-thirty."

The girl opened her door to the passenger seat and asked me a question regarding a friend. I fittingly replied and got in the car, placing the key into the ignition.

Before I could fasten my seat belt, our attentions were called out of the car, so we all exited. When the matter was settled, we headed back to loading the car. These kinds of distractions were expected, but my exhaustion had been creeping up on me. As we headed to the car, the boy behind me asked, again, "What time is the movie?"

I waited for someone to respond but grew impatient and turned to speak directly to him, answering, "Seven-thirty," maintaining composure, though in my mind, I irritatedly thought, "You just asked that, you idiot!"

The girl opened her door and asked me her same question regarding our friend. I expected this from her and just answered as I had before. I sat in my seat, but before I could insert the keys into the ignition, I heard a voice outside the car shout, "Cut!" It was then I remembered I was in a film......

I had forgotten and wasn't focused, hence my agitation at the repetition of the actually unscripted question regarding the movie. Consequently, I forgot to speak up so the boom could catch my reply, and I also directed my answer directly to the asker, who was in a different direction than the boom.

So, here's to keepin' it real and failing to keep a balance between reality and imagination.

The Corrs' Borrowed Heaven review

Last semester, my last assignment for my Advanced Writing course was to write an Art Review, so I wrote a review on one of my favorite music albums, Borrowed Heaven by The Corrs, my favorite group. I've been asked to post it by several people, mostly fellow fans:

Nearly four years after the release of their last studio album, the very poppy In Blue (whose quality was recognized with Grammy nominations in 2001 for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for “Breathless” and Best Pop Instrumental Performance for “Rebel Heart”), Irish sibling group The Corrs, known for striking good looks and incredible talent to match, returned to their original Celtic folk sound with the release of their fourth studio effort Borrowed Heaven in May 2004.  The album showcases The Corrs in what they do best—catchy mainstream pop that is top notch—and as a concept album, it sticks to the experience of loss and coping—realizing life is a borrowed heaven.

With ex-Eurythmics drummer Olle Romo at the production helm, the album maintains a consensual pop appeal through its near electronica, over-produced tracks in the most airy fashion ever to come from Corr-land.  Lead singer Andrea has been known for her sultry, light vocals, but this collection of tunes, despite being their most intimate projection, presents the feel of something you would listen to while drying off in the Sun, after you had just run through the sprinkler as you listened to their other works, save Talk on Corners (being a wine-and-dine ambient).  Borrowed Heaven’s sound still works splendidly for The Corrs, although it completely avoids any punk or hip hop influences rampaging U.K. radio of the time, as seen from artists like Avril Lavigne and Destiny’s Child.  However, the album is nothing to shy away from.

Borrowed Heaven takes you on a journey through the feel of its sound and lyrically explores handling loss.  It begins with the bright and upbeat lead single “Summer Sunshine” (ironically bonded to dark lyrics) and the celebratory second single “Angel.”  The mood shifts with the more sober “Hideaway” and continues its sullen mood until picked back up with the funky “Humdrum.”  It continues its ascension till the instrumental closer “Silver Strand” travels to a point of transcendence.

Likely, this journey is reflective of their own experience with their late mother’s passing during the production of In Blue.  In fact, two of the tracks overtly address the issue, picking up where they left off with In Blue’s “No More Cry,” which they wrote to help their father cope.  “Angel” is a conversation of the afterlife with the late Jean Corr, confessing, “I hope they love you like we do/ Forever angel/ I’ll be proud to be like you.”  The song is touching and would seemingly become a new regular at funerals were it not so fast-paced and cheerful.  It is a celebration of life, a celebration of a person, an angel.  The other song is “Goodbye,” whose lyrics, written by oldest sister and violinist Sharon, are a direct response to a loved one’s passing.  Borrowed Heaven and In Blue are dedicated to Jean Corr.

Besides their covers, The Corrs typically write their songs together, but for this release Sharon lends her songwriting abilities to two other songs, the inspirational “Hideaway” and the agonizing break-up and third single “Long Night.”  The group also covers the Golden Globe nominated song “Time Enough for Tears,” written by Bono, Gavin Friday, and Maurice Seezer and featured in the 2002 film In America with Andrea’s vocals.  Borrowed Heaven’s version offers a bluesy feel, while the soundtrack arrangement shares an orchestral sound.

Overall, Borrowed Heaven steers from predominately addressing ideas of love and romance and focuses on intimate reflection, except for heartbreaks “Summer Sunshine” and “Long Night,” mundane-everyday-life praising “Humdrum,” and frothy-sweet “Even If.”  The title track, featuring Ladysmith Black Mambazo as backing vocalists, explores the lack of possession in life and how everything passes and is therefore borrowed.  “Confidence for Quiet” acknowledges one’s own responsibility for validation, while “Baby Be Brave” uses a D minor key to emphasize the dire feelings of addressing a loved one losing themself to self-doubt.

The only complaint about the album is a dropped note performed by Andrea on her tin whistle during “Silver Strand.”  This happens at the end of both verses and sounds like she is simply failing to give full breath support to the end of the note’s required measure.  Besides this flub, the track is gorgeous and a heavenly listen.

Borrowed Heaven is a golden find for anyone who loves their pop pure and unadulterated.  It molds its concept well and is a great presentation of sympathy and healing for those suffering loss, even loss of self.

*My original version included this inserted as the seventh paragraph (third to last), but because its inclusion made the paper exceed the maximum word count by A LOT, I had to cut it down to a phrase in the final version:

The last vocal track of the album, “Baby Be Brave,” is a gem with its superb electronic production of beeps and riffs guaranteed to satisfyingly melt in the ear of anyone craving an electronica savor. The electronic effects aid the song’s D minor key in its effort to sound dire and almost demonic, driven by hard-pressed, determined beats. The empathetic lyrics address someone who throws series of pity parties in a witty, understanding, and caring manner (“Yeah everyone knows but we don’t believe it/ The pain of a pop star you’re breaking my heart/ […] I know what you’re doing ‘cause/ […] I’ve been tempted, you are/ Drowning the special to/ Immortalize the rise/ And what’s the point of it all/ Baby be brave […]/ (Confide in me, tell your story)/ […] (It’s your fear that makes you worthy)”).

Aphrodite's Birth in Kylie Minogue's "All the Lovers" Music Video

So, for my Mythology class, I had to write a paper on how a Greek myth is reflected in modern (after 1300 AD) art, so I chose Aphrodite's Birth in Kylie Minogue's "All the Lovers" music video. Actually, it was the day before the paper was due, and I had no idea what to do, and since I'd already written extensively on the music video and its song (which, that paper can be seen here), I was fairly familiar with it. AND as I wrote this paper, I giggled.A.LOT!

So, here's the myth of Aphrodite's birth: Cronus cut off the genitals of Uranus and threw them in the sea, which created foam in the water, and Aphrodite arose from the foam. My professor went haywire with my selection, declaring to our class that he only got through half of his grading during his grading time, because when he came to my paper, he had to watch the video and then look up other stuff. He wanted to show the vid to his classes but felt it was too "naughty." He really liked my paper but said he disagreed on some of the symbolism regarding Uranus's genitals, which is fine with me, because I'm not so sure I agreed with myself. I was mostly grasping at something to say, and what I did say sounded so silly it made me giggle. My professor said he saw symbols of opposites rather than the symbolism I mention. I agree. Opposites would be needed for fertilization. Someone from another section he teaches told me he even brought up my topic in their class. Last Friday, he was late to class, because he was writing a response letter to my paper. He gave me the letter and then spent ten minutes of that class day to discuss his and my ideas on the topic. He was very respectful through the whole thing, and I found it really cool he was so into my topic. Friday afternoon, he emailed me with more of his analysis. COOL!

Here is my paper:

Kylie Minogue’s music video for her single “All the Lovers”[1] symbolically depicts the birth of Aphrodite from the castration of Uranus to her rise from the foam in the sea.[2]  The event is suggested by the symbolic use of objects, environment, and people and helps promote Kylie to a new status in pop music with the release of her fittingly named latest album Aphrodite.[3]

            The genitals of Uranus are depicted in four clips at the beginning of the video.  The four clips include separately falling objects—a coffee cup, a milk bottle, marshmallows, and papers—spilling onto a city street.  The spilling cup full of coffee shows that just as one would get burned from hot coffee falling on them, the spilling coffee expresses the burning sensation of Uranus’s castration.  The white milk spilling from the bottle as it drops represents Uranus’s sperm as it flows across the surface of the pavement to fertilize the ground, while the dropping marshmallows represent his testicles.  This is suggested by their round shape and the sweetness that comes from their use.  Since there are several dropping marshmallows, it is depicting the power and fruitfulness of his loins as a god.  The papers fall from a freely opening briefcase someone is holding.  The briefcase falls open without its owner’s consent, signifying Uranus’s castration was not consensual.  Paper is commonly used to write and share ideas in a communication.  Their significance here is that just as they contain communicational code, their genetic code is spilling on the ground, like the fertilizing milk, to pass that code along.

The setting of the music video is a street surrounded by skyscrapers.  The placement of people in this environment helps the image that they are mere mortals, tiny, insignificant, and influenced by a higher power.  When these symbols of Uranus’s genitals are poured across the ground, their influence is felt by the mortals around.

The mortals strip to their undergarments and passionately kiss.  They are projected as the foam that rises from Uranus’s genitals.  The mortals, as foam, multiply in number and gather to form a mob that raises Kylie—accompanied by doves, an animal sacred to Aphrodite[4]—from within them and, therefore, demonstrating Aphrodite’s creation from the foam.

Later in the video, a white convertible releases white balloons from its opening top, depicting that Aphrodite (Kylie) has arrived and is releasing love into the world.  So many of the mortals gather to the mob by the end of the video that their group grows to be nearly as tall as the skyscrapers.  The people hear her song and flock to her, worshipping her as their goddess and deliverer.

Kylie’s appearance as Aphrodite helps promote her to the status of Goddess of Love in pop music.  From her first single “I Should Be So Lucky,”[5] Kylie explored the theme of love and the vulnerability that accompanies it, as she sang of dreaming that her hidden feelings for her love interest would be returned.  Over years she continued to explore the themes of love and vulnerability, but her peak of the themes came with the release of Aphrodite, a collection of songs solely dedicated to concepts of love, beauty, and the celestial, as they are associations of the Goddess.

Aphrodite helps promote Kylie to a new status among the pop music community, and that status is iconically symbolized as her appearance as Aphrodite in the “All the Lovers” music video, as it demonstrates the birth of Aphrodite and alludes Kylie as a representation of the Goddess. 

---

[1] All the Lovers. Dir. Joseph Kahn. Perf. Kylie Minogue. EMI, 2010. Film.  Lead single from Aphrodite.

[2] See Hesiod, Theogony 188-195.

[3] Minogue, Kylie. Aphrodite. Parlophone, 2010. CD.

[4] Berens, E. M. A Hand-Book of Mythology. New York: Maynard, Merrill, & Co., 1894. Print.

[5] Minogue, Kylie. “I Should Be So Lucky.” Kylie. PWL, 1988. CD.

Here is the vid. It is INCREDIBLY SENSUAL, so be warned:

Adventure #5: Check It!

So, funny story!

Once upon a day last month, I wrote a check for a large amount of money but told the receiver of the check to wait a week to take it to the bank, because I didn't know how much money was in my checking account and promised I would be sure there was enough money in it. They complied.

I was SOOOO EXCITED!!! I had written my first check! even though I've had a checking account for about a year....or something. I felt like a grown up! HOT HOT HOT! And plus, now I had the chance to go talk to the fun bank tellers! They're always so nice.

However, my sister told me I could transfer funds from my savings to my checking online, so I tried that but couldn't find my checking account.

OFF TO THE BANK!!!!!!

I explained to the teller (a chill, Hispanic young woman with a sweet, sassy attitude I could befriend) that I wanted to transfer funds into my checking account.  She looked it up but only found my savings.

"Are you sure you have a checking?" she asked.

"Um, yeah," I sassed. "I opened one a long time ago. I've already written a check, so I better have one."

"Nuh-uh, really?" she said.

"Yeah, I have a checkbook."

"Are the checks in your name?"

"Yeppers. It's in my car. Do you want me to go get it?"

"Yeah, let's take a look."

I flopped away and brought in the book full of checks with my name and address on them. She searched again and still couldn't find a checking account.

"So, I've been wandering around with checks in my name but with no account?" I confirmed.

"It looks like it," she replied.

"Nice!"

Finally, the problem was solved when one of the bank managers helped me open a checking....again! Apparently, whoever I originally talked to ordered the checks but forgot to set up the account.

So, the moral of the story today, children, is that you don't need a checking account to write and own checks in your name.

Adventure #4: The Little Prince Personality

I have, what some may call, a Prince Personality. It seems to be genetic as the same characteristics can be found in two of my nieces (both are from different siblings of mine; one from a brother and the other from my sister) and a female cousin, though I have found it existent in some of my friends. A particular friend, a recurring companion of mine at my university, exhibits this personality to such a degree that at nineteen years old she reminds people of Giselle from Disney's Enchanted, which is helped by her strawberry blond hair.

Such personalities are more common among girls, but some boys do possess similar qualities. It is most easily seen in children, and some aspects of life perspective slough away with maturity, due to established social systems or other pursued interests, but most often the core of the personality stays with the person.

I would like to share a portrait of this personality, of which I will reference as a Prince, though a similar sketch can go for a Princess, as well. Much of what will be mentioned can be seen in other personalities to a degree but demonstrated will be the core values of this particular kind of personality. I mostly speak from my own experience.

Princes are most distinguishable by their soft- and tender-hearts. They are the most gentle and loving of beings. It is true that critical words can be damaging and hurtful to anyone. However, a harsh tone or cruel rejection can destroy a Prince. His sense of self and enthusiastic spirit for life die. He holds everything close to his heart and can eventually heal but slowly. It is common for him to connect with the vulnerable but leading character of a story, such as Winnie-the-Pooh or Cinderella. A Prince is easily reduced to tears, from fearful experiences but also from sympathy, gratitude, and love. He rarely allows others to see this, though, as he worries it would burden them.

A Prince will quietly maintain an air or impression of class and is naturally attracted to elegance. Often, he is seen as prim, especially in his desire to demonstrate immaculate presentation of self, quarters, and possessions. This sense will lead him to connect with classy figures, such as Audrey Hepburn or Prince William (son of Princess Diana and Prince Charles). Many general people are also attracted to these figures for their sense of class or from the general people's fascination with fame and royalty, but the Prince naturally views them as potential cohorts.

Obviously, the Prince is a dreamer personality. He is always in a dream, living in his own world. He is incredibly imaginitive. His dream, however, is not of selfishness. He does not live in his world for the sake of self-conceit. His dreams are filled with positive interactions with and from those he admires and loves. Some of his dreams are so close to his heart he would never dare share them with anyone. Most often these dreams are of his love interest.

When given opportunity to play companion to a love interest in the real world, he holds them at a high degree of importance and consideration, as also demonstrated in his long dreams dedicated to them. He feels for his love deeply and with complete commitment. Indeed, the mere presence of his love can be reward enough to please him. As a vulnerable/passive being, the Prince is not natural at forwardly establishing a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. However, if a commital agreement is not made, even by word of mouth, then the Prince may allow time and attention to other interests or callers, even if he has already spent time with one that particularly catches his interest. Rarely will he brave to be the one to dictate such a distinction, even if he desires it. For all he knows, such a relationship pronouncement may be seen as inconvenient in his love interest's view. He has a much easier time with the marriage proposal and wedding, as those are follow-up to what is already initiated.

When color coded, a Prince is a White personality, or peace-maker. He values positive, safe social interaction above all else. Never does he say or do something to purposely harm. At times, there is a slip of tongue or mistake of action, and when these are realized as a mistake, the Prince has not only offended the communicative receiver but also himself. Rudeness cannot be tolerated. To receive outside punishment at this time is torturous and emotionally dangerous for a Prince, due to his paining realization of his dreadful folly. He knows no enemy and is friend to all. To be made an enemy by returned harsh words, silent treatment, or other punishments is emotionally unbearable, as he will become disappointed in himself for the strong offense against his intense values.

This is not to say that the Prince does not speak or act boldly. When he feels something is to be said or done, he will do it but for the cause he holds as right. Likely, he is scared out of his pants to make a statement but still takes an uncomfortable courageous risk. He desires to teach or share and will not excuse himself, though he hopes his communicative recipient is open and truly receptive of his view, for to act in bold manner is only done out of greatest love for his recipient. A bold act is to open the Prince to a state of vulnerability, for if the recipient retaliates, he faces strong emotional disappointment, as previously discussed (especially since he holds everything he does and stands for close to his heart). He would not take such a risk were it not for the sake of love.

There is a point of contradiction for the Prince (as there is contradiction in every personality). Though he maintains a prim, classy, and mild countenance, his friendliness leads him to be a boisterous player of fun, which can become immensely silly. The Prince loves this side of himself but only allows it if he feels emotionally safe. That is not to say that if he does not show it to you he does not like you. He is incredibly intuitive and simply does not feel like such behavior may be right or proper for the situation or setting. He just may not be in the mood, though the Prince holds this part of himself in high importance. For some, this is the most common side of the Prince they see. Most of his antics are harmless poking of fun. He does allow room for some light "rudeness," or sarcasm, in his display of comedy, but he never means what he says (or else he would not say it, as it would offend him). It is intended without the slightest trickle of vehemence. He simply has an eye for wit, irony, and the naturally ridiculous. His intuition allows others to express the same sense of sarcasm, but he will become offended if he senses true rudeness and disrespect.

Another contradiction is that his occasional boldness can sometimes play with his humor when he views something as ridiculous, giving him a sassy quality, at times.

The Prince holds his values in high regard and places them close to his heart. Simply, he is a natural lover and wants to share that love.

Of course, there is much more to the personality, but these are some basic aspects of it.

Suggested reading:

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupéry
which also can be found here:
http://www.angelfire.com/hi/littleprince/frames.html