First, in typical Oscar fashion I want to thank Art and Kim for writing on this blog with me. I think it'll help provide a variety of opinions and Art is a much better blogger than me as well. But on to the show.
I'll have to give the same disclaimer as Art, I haven't seen all of these movies. But that won't stop me from judging the winners and losers. Also, I don't really want to comment on the show other to say that Billy Crystal is a decent host - nothing too flashy and there was seemingly a good, but random movie montage in the first 20 minutes of the show. I'm not really sure what clips of Forrest Gump, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Jaws have to do with this year's Oscars, but whatever. Also, it was great to see Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) from Community win an Oscar for adapted screenplay for The Descendants. He did a nice little Angelina impression.
Also, on a side note it was unfortunate that the NBA All-Star game coincided with the Oscar. It caused a lot of flipping back and forth, but clearly the Oscars had precedence. The All-Star game usually doesn't matter until the end if they players decide to make it a game, which they did this year. I thus missed Will Ferrell and Best Original Song too see LeBron get the East back in the game, only to throw the ball away after a Deron Williams 3 point miss.
Surprises. There were 3 surprises for me. First, was Meryl Strep beating out Viola Davis for Best Actress. After Octavia Spencer won for Best Supporting Actress, I figured it was a foregone conclusion it would be Davis. It almost seemed as though Meryl might have thought so too based on her reaction. It seemed like Viola's year and that too many would see the Iron Lady as just another good Meryl Streep role. I guess not. The second surprise to me was Hugo winning over Rise the Planet of the Apes for Visual Effects. I actually saw Rise of the Planet of the Apes and was surprised that it was a pretty decent movie. (I read one review lamenting that a decent to good Planet of the Apes movie only means that we'll have to sit through decade of bad sequels.) I haven't seen Hugo, but I figured that when you have one of your main characters be completely motion capture and a half the cast also be motion capture you would have a fairly decent shot. The third surprise to me was when Hugo again won for Best Cinematography. I saw The Tree of Life and thought it was visually stunning, The parts that show the beginning of the universe and the live action scenes in Texas were both incredible.
Most Deserving - Original Score: The Artist. I can't claim to have seen the other movies in this category except Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (others were The Adventures of Tintin, Hugo, and War Horse), but right after I saw The Artist I thought that it deserved this award. The score definitely enhanced the movie and was vital to its success. For a silent, or near silent movie to succeed it has to have a decent score to fill what would normally be dialogue and sound effects.
Best Picture. I was fortunate enough to see three of the Best Picture nominees: The Tree of Life, The Descendants, and The Artist so I thought I share my quick impressions of each.
The Tree of Life: The Tree of Life is like an abstract painting. I think your almost supposed to watch it like you look at a painting. You sit there and stare and try and guess the artist's intent. You ask questions and glean answers, but in the end your left with more questions than answers. Its probably a movie that if you see it multiple times you'll see different themes. It is definitely the most thought provoking movie I've seen this year. It literally goes from the beginning to the end of time. I still think the dinosaurs were odd and Sean Penn's role was short and confusing.
The Descendants: This was a movie I enjoyed and reminded me of Sideways, another Alexander Payne film. It reminded me of Sideways, because the story and the characters seem genuine. The movie has a nice blend of humorous and serious moments and feels understated in a good way. I enjoyed it because there are no "good" or "evil" characters. Each of the characters has depth. They all are dealing with their flaws and with what life throws at them.
The Artist: The Best Picture. I think it deserved it. It was probably the movie I most enjoyed in theaters this year. It was fun watching a black and white, silent film. It made me want to go back and see some Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin films. It made me want to watch Singin' in the Rain again, of which it seems loosely based. I thought the acting was great. Jean Dujardin deserved his Oscar. He seemed genuinely like a silent film star and was very effective in the way he used his facial expressions and body language to convey his thoughts instead of words. I thought the limited use of sound was extremely effective and probably the most memorable moments of the film. The silence of the movie definitely enhanced these sound moments and the director took full advantage. The Artist seems like a nostalgic, classic movie about Hollywood with the rise and fall of actors. That being said I have read some criticism of the film which I somewhat agree with. The criticism mostly is that it is a weak Best Picture winner. While I believe it deserved to win I see there point, The Artist doesn't really tackle new ground. It is a nostagic, tribute to that era, which was a theme this year with Hugo and My Week with Marilyn as well. It is pretty light hearted with some serious themes, but it doesn't have (i)the intensity compared to movies like No Country for Old Men or Schindler's List, (ii) the character development in A Beautiful Mind or Silence of the Lambs, or the (iii) scale of Gandhi, Lawrence of Arabia, Ben Hur, or The Return of the King. While I agree, it still is this year's best picture. Furthermore, it is well-made, successful film, which is silent and in black and white, in an era of increasing digital effects and 3D. (And I didn't even mention the dog, who played a great supporting role)
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The Oscars! America's 2nd Favorite Popularity Contest!
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| Winning one of these or winning American Idol is a dream come true for millions. |
The Oscars still have cultural relevance: it's one of the few entertainment award ceremonies that still do. Let's be honest, nobody takes the Grammys seriously, which means that nobody takes the American Country Music Awards or the SOURCE Awards seriously.
The Emmys...well, I will say that people are beginning to realize that we live in a Golden Age of television, but because we live in a Golden Age, a well-deserved program, performer, or creator is bound to get snubbed. So, those awards are diluted.
The Oscars still mean something, because casual moviegoers can prognosticate on international film making, give gut reactions on meaningful documentary film making, and wax poetic on the intricacies of technical production all while guessing which favorite actor or actress will take home a statuette. It's the nexus of popular Hollywood and auteur film making (excluding Cannes, Tribeca Film Festival, and Sundance).
On the flipside of that viewpoint, there's been plenty of criticism of the Oscars. I won't rehash it all here, but a taste of what's been said goes into how...
How the Academy is made up of old, white men
How race is portrayed in films (of course, this is a very limited discussion on simply black women, but I digress)
How the Oscars aren't even relevant anymore
For my money, the Oscars still deliver, even though I haven't seen the majority of nominated performances and films. The great thing about good films is that you can watch a good one years after it comes out and it will still be great.
Music, popular music at least, has a shelf life of only a few years. Nobody still listens to the Black Eyed Peas' "Let's Get it Started" unless they're working out or completely out of any other music.
The Oscars is a glamorous advertisement of what movies to watch if you're a bit behind the curve...like me. For instance, I watched Midnight In Paris on Friday night...a mere 48 hours before the Oscars, and that is the ONLY nominated film that I watched. Does this lack of exposure make me qualified to make predictions on who the winners will be in the big categories? Of course!
So, here are my predictions for the 2012 Oscars. I know this is blog is being published only a few hours before the live broadcast of the awards ceremony, but if I get even ONE of these right, I deserve a strong pat on the back. Here we go (predicted winners are in BOLD).
The Artist (Michel Hazanavicius)
The Descendants (Alexander Payne)
Hugo (Martin Scorsese)
Midnight In Paris (Woody Allen)
Tree of Life (Terence Malick)
Snap Judgment Reasoning: Malick's film, while beautiful, confused audiences. Alexander Payne had George Clooney, so he had tons of help. Woody made a good movie, but not as good as his previous winners (Hannah and Her Sisters and Annie Hall), and Hazanavicius can't beat both Woody Allen and Scorsese. Scorsese wins because he made a heart-felt, semi-autobiographical film that did justice to 3-D.
The Descendants (Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash)
Hugo (John Logan)
The Ides of March (George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon)
Moneyball (Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan)
Snap Judgment Reasoning: Everyone loved the quirky insights into how rich people in Hawaii live. A realistic story with entertaining consequences (I guess). I still haven't see the movie yet. This beats a "kid's movie", a political thriller (with a seemingly liberal bent), an adaptation of a book about baseball statistics, and adaptation of a deliberate spy thriller. The deliberate spy thriller is great, but probably (I'm guessing) not better than the book (from what I've heard). Again, haven't seen any of these movies. The Descendants win.
The Artist (Michel Hazanavicius)
Bridesmaids (Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig)
Margin Call (J.C. Chandor)
Midnight In Paris (Woody Allen)
A Separation (Asghar Farhadi)
Snap Judgment Reasoning: I saw Bridesmaids and it was totally funny. Was it funny enough to be nominated for best writing? Probably! I was more satisfied with that ending than I was with the ending to Midnight In Paris (which I also enjoyed). I want to see Margin Call but, as relevant as it is, nobody is talking about that film as much as they are about A Separation- which should hopefully give military leaders pause as they develop attack plans on Iran. Please don't start another war. Anyway, A Separation wins.
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs)
Viola Davis (The Help)
Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn)
Snap Judgment Reasoning: Black people are awesome at playing maids! Also awesome at playing corrupt cops (See Mr. Denzel Washington in his award-winning role in Training Day), broken-down, yet highly sexual women (see Ms. Halle Berry in Monster's Ball) and other black people (see Mr. Jaime Foxx in Ray). That being said, when was the last time a person of Asian descent won best actor or best actress? When was the last time a Native American starred in a motion picture that grossed over $50 million? The answer to both is: NEVER. This is the toughest category, in my opinion, and people's (legitimate) complaints about race in film shouldn't discount a legitimately outstanding performance by Viola Davis...from what I've heard- I haven't seen The Help. I'm sure she'll win.
Demian Bichir (A Better Life)
George Clooney (The Descendants)
Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
Snap Judgment Reasoning: I feel like the best actor category this year is perfectly set-up for Mr. Dujardin to take home an award. He starred in the most critically acclaimed major film this year, he's going against two of the biggest Hollywood stars who could cancel out each other's vote (Clooney and Pitt) and he's super handsome. I'd love to be able to pull off the pencil-thin moustache without looking like a creep, but that's why I'm writing on a friend's blog instead of getting my Oscar acceptance speech ready. I guess he was pretty good in The Artist (hearsay) and I'm sure he'll win it.
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse
Snap Judgment Reasoning: I'm not sure I understand the reasoning of expanding the number of nominees for best picture. A few years back, the Academy decided to make trivia contests ten times harder by increasing the number of nominees from just five to between five and ten. What's that about? Hey Academy, if you're gonna expand the category, let's toss a few comedies in the best picture mix. Dramas are great, but comedies can be just as important and just as moving. Of course this year, a silent film is nominated and despite all of the fluffy hubbub over the fact that it is silent and in black-and-white, people are RAVING about this movie. Of all the movies on the list that I haven't seen, The Artist is the one that I want to see the most. And for that reason alone, I predict that it will win the Oscar.
Did I make terrible predictions? Am I a wannabe film critic? Do you hate movies? Sound off in the comments section!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Take 1
Hi! Oh dear here. First, a big thank you to Andy for inviting me into his blog world. I've admired and religiously followed a few blogging ladies for quite some time now, and am delighted to finally share some of my own thoughts, photographs, and fascinations through this blog. Second, a disclaimer - Born and raised in the 708, my suburban allegiance is unwavering but is now split between my native code and the 630. Finally, a photo post. This photograph was taken in April of 2007.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Bulls Midseason Review
Recap Currently, the Bulls are 25-8, with the 3rd best record in the league. Since the regular season is 66 games long, 33 games in seems like an appropriate time to recap the season.
The Bulls started the season on a Western road trip by winning a close one in LA. They finished the trip 3-1. They Bulls continued the good play at home, beating Memphis 104-64. Over the next stretch of games the Bulls showed their defensive prowess as they led the League in opponents scoring (I want to say it was around 84 ppg. at this point) With the exception of bad losses at Atlanta and Memphis, the Bulls seemed to be cruising through January until a big loss against Indiana at home and losses on the road at Miami and Philadelphia. These all happened during the same week. Since then, the Bulls have been feasting on the leagues bottom dwellers and became the first team in NBA history to defeat 4 teams by 20 or more points in consecutive road games. Also, its worth noting that during this stretch, I read the Bulls trailed for only 23 seconds. After a close Boston loss and a good Boston win, the Bulls finished out this last week with a loss at home against the Nets. I didn't see the game, but I don't know if I would have wanted to.
Injuries So far the Bulls, like most other teams around the league, have suffered through missing key players. Here's a recap: Rose (back, turf toe), Watson (dislocated elbow), Hamilton (groin, lower leg), Deng (torn wrist ligament), Gibson (ankle), Noah (ankle). It seems the Bulls most healthy starter, oddly enough, has been Carlos Boozer who has been traditionally known as injury-prone. The injuries to Rose and Deng are the most concerning. With Rose, we'll just have to hope that this isn't a recurring injury once he gets back. For Deng, we hope he can continue to play on a high level with the torn ligament. He's looked fine so far.
Point Guards (Rose, Watson, Lucas, James) Before about a week ago, I'd say that this has been a solid position for the Bulls, even through Rose's absences. Now, I'm not so sure. Watson has been a better than decent replacement and Lucas has been surprising as well. James has filled in decently during a few games this season including the most recent win against Boston. Early on C.J. looked comfortable starting in Rose's place, but recently the strain has been evident. Other point guards have been putting up high numbers (Rondo, D. Williams) and CJ has struggled with his shot. It almost seems like good point guards are pressing more now, so they can get theirs while Rose is away.
Shooting Guards (Hamilton, Brewer, Korver) It's really hard to tell what the Bulls have at the SG position. Hamilton is the most obvious reason why. Sometimes its hard to remember that he's still on the team. He should be back after the All-Star break but sometimes the Bulls have looked really smooth with him on the court. Brewer came into the season, well, like a bull charging. His defense was strong, he was knocking down his shot, and was taking the ball to the hoop. While his defense still seems solid, he seems to have lost his shooting touch recently. Korver has had trouble consistently hitting his shot throughout this season. It seems like he'll be able to find the range for long stretches and then disappear for a few games, but that's probably the life of a shooter. He's defense has seemed much improved.
Small Forwards (Deng, Butler) Luol been solid all season filling in wherever needed. His defense is no exception. There's really not too much else to say about him except he deserved his All-Star nod. Butler has looked like a rookie out there. While I was hoping he would get more time during blowouts, Thibs may have been proven right when at times Butler looks a little lost on the offense end. Defensively, he has looked solid especially when he was playing against Carmelo and Stoudemire in a New York, pre-Linsanity.
Power Forwards (Boozer, Gibson) Both have had up and down seasons. I felt Gibson outplayed Carlos in the beginning of the season, but Boozer has since shown his offensive skills shooting the ball and on the post. Boozer's defense and his inability to finish with the ball can still be maddening, but he's shown that he's the better offensive option. The reason it makes sense to sometimes finish games with Gibson is defense. Gibson is a better defender and near the end of games its often about getting stops. Gibson was playing well on both sides of the ball early on, but recently it seems as if he's trying to press things on the offense side. His shot isn't falling as consistently has it had been and it seems like he always called with a traveling/offensive foul each game.
Centers (Noah, Asik) I feel the centers have had up and down seasons as well. Noah started out playing poorly, but has since played with more energy and seems to always be in the thick of the action under the hoop. Asik started out playing well, and even started to look to make some more offense moves. Recently, it seems like his defense is still there, but he's struggled to convert put back attempts and dunk attempts in traffic.
Chances I don't think anyone doubts the Bulls will be able to make the playoffs, in fact for most of the season, ESPN's Hollinger Rankings have put their playoff percentage at 100%. The question is what they will do there. To me, its hard to tell. The starting line up has only been together for about 5 games. Until they play together more, it will be hard to get a read on this team. The 2012 Bulls have shown they can beat the teams they should beat, but have struggled against the better teams, Heat, Sixers, Hawks, Celtics, Pacers, and Grizzlies. Right now, it seems that this team might be a better regular season team than playoff team, but anything can happen in the playoffs and the Bulls are still somewhat unknown at full strength.
The Bulls started the season on a Western road trip by winning a close one in LA. They finished the trip 3-1. They Bulls continued the good play at home, beating Memphis 104-64. Over the next stretch of games the Bulls showed their defensive prowess as they led the League in opponents scoring (I want to say it was around 84 ppg. at this point) With the exception of bad losses at Atlanta and Memphis, the Bulls seemed to be cruising through January until a big loss against Indiana at home and losses on the road at Miami and Philadelphia. These all happened during the same week. Since then, the Bulls have been feasting on the leagues bottom dwellers and became the first team in NBA history to defeat 4 teams by 20 or more points in consecutive road games. Also, its worth noting that during this stretch, I read the Bulls trailed for only 23 seconds. After a close Boston loss and a good Boston win, the Bulls finished out this last week with a loss at home against the Nets. I didn't see the game, but I don't know if I would have wanted to.
Injuries So far the Bulls, like most other teams around the league, have suffered through missing key players. Here's a recap: Rose (back, turf toe), Watson (dislocated elbow), Hamilton (groin, lower leg), Deng (torn wrist ligament), Gibson (ankle), Noah (ankle). It seems the Bulls most healthy starter, oddly enough, has been Carlos Boozer who has been traditionally known as injury-prone. The injuries to Rose and Deng are the most concerning. With Rose, we'll just have to hope that this isn't a recurring injury once he gets back. For Deng, we hope he can continue to play on a high level with the torn ligament. He's looked fine so far.
Shooting Guards (Hamilton, Brewer, Korver) It's really hard to tell what the Bulls have at the SG position. Hamilton is the most obvious reason why. Sometimes its hard to remember that he's still on the team. He should be back after the All-Star break but sometimes the Bulls have looked really smooth with him on the court. Brewer came into the season, well, like a bull charging. His defense was strong, he was knocking down his shot, and was taking the ball to the hoop. While his defense still seems solid, he seems to have lost his shooting touch recently. Korver has had trouble consistently hitting his shot throughout this season. It seems like he'll be able to find the range for long stretches and then disappear for a few games, but that's probably the life of a shooter. He's defense has seemed much improved.
Small Forwards (Deng, Butler) Luol been solid all season filling in wherever needed. His defense is no exception. There's really not too much else to say about him except he deserved his All-Star nod. Butler has looked like a rookie out there. While I was hoping he would get more time during blowouts, Thibs may have been proven right when at times Butler looks a little lost on the offense end. Defensively, he has looked solid especially when he was playing against Carmelo and Stoudemire in a New York, pre-Linsanity.
Power Forwards (Boozer, Gibson) Both have had up and down seasons. I felt Gibson outplayed Carlos in the beginning of the season, but Boozer has since shown his offensive skills shooting the ball and on the post. Boozer's defense and his inability to finish with the ball can still be maddening, but he's shown that he's the better offensive option. The reason it makes sense to sometimes finish games with Gibson is defense. Gibson is a better defender and near the end of games its often about getting stops. Gibson was playing well on both sides of the ball early on, but recently it seems as if he's trying to press things on the offense side. His shot isn't falling as consistently has it had been and it seems like he always called with a traveling/offensive foul each game.
Centers (Noah, Asik) I feel the centers have had up and down seasons as well. Noah started out playing poorly, but has since played with more energy and seems to always be in the thick of the action under the hoop. Asik started out playing well, and even started to look to make some more offense moves. Recently, it seems like his defense is still there, but he's struggled to convert put back attempts and dunk attempts in traffic.
Chances I don't think anyone doubts the Bulls will be able to make the playoffs, in fact for most of the season, ESPN's Hollinger Rankings have put their playoff percentage at 100%. The question is what they will do there. To me, its hard to tell. The starting line up has only been together for about 5 games. Until they play together more, it will be hard to get a read on this team. The 2012 Bulls have shown they can beat the teams they should beat, but have struggled against the better teams, Heat, Sixers, Hawks, Celtics, Pacers, and Grizzlies. Right now, it seems that this team might be a better regular season team than playoff team, but anything can happen in the playoffs and the Bulls are still somewhat unknown at full strength.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
How Art Became a Cubs Fan
First of all, I'd like to say that I'm excited to be contributing to Andy's blog. Not that I have anything noteworthy, interesting, funny, or readable to show you, but it fulfills a deep-seated need to bare my soul to a ton of strangers. So, I thank him for that.
Anyway, onto the thing.
Fair warning: this entry will address baseball. If you don't care about baseball, you can just skip to the end- I've left out the baseball stuff, bolded the text and ENLARGED it, so you can go there to get the gist of this entry.
Baseball Season is Almost Here! And if you're a Chicago Cubs fan, you're counting down the days until you can say, "Oh well, there's always next year."
I've been a Chicago Cubs fan for as long as I can remember. Of course, back when I started caring about baseball, I was also a Chicago White Sox fan.
Which is okay!
I think people in the "sports fan community" want you to pledge allegiance to only ONE sports team per league. (Exceptions being, if the sports league has multiple conferences, you're allowed to have one favorite from each conference but a premier favorite team of whose basket you will place all of your eggs in.)
For years I would watch both Cubs baseball games and White Sox baseball games. It wasn't until my freshman year of high school when some very unpleasant sophomores were proudly displaying their White Sox garb did I make my decision.
I still remember the day I chose to be ONLY a Cubs fan: it was a bright and sunny April afternoon. I was sitting near the back of the school bus, because I thought that's where the cool kids sat (when in actuality, they sat near the middle of the bus...I never understood that but, my lack of understanding of coolness is a succinct enough explanation of why I was not one of the cool kids).
One had a White Sox hat on with long, stringy hair flowing from underneath it. He exuded the type of personality that hinted he couldn't let go of the grunge or post-grunge era of the 1990s (Granted, it was 1997, so I suppose I should cut him some slack in retrospect...but I won't).
This young man was yukking it up with his fellow jabronies, being obnoxious, but in a "I-wish-I-was-as-cool-as-those-guys" kind of way...from my point of view. Well, there was something about the way they acted that compelled me to make my choice.
One of the major differences between middle school and high school (at least for me) is that school ended 35 minutes earlier. Even though the bus ride from middle school took 15 minutes and the bus ride from high school took 45, it meant that I could listen to Cubs Radio on WGN. To listen to Ron Santo and Pat Hughes- even at the tail end of the game- would provide some valuable information- most notably how large the margin of loss was. (I never listened to the Sox on the radio, but I did appreciate Ken Harrelson and Tom Pacioreck in the television announcing.)
ANYWAY
I made the mistake of thinking that these jokers were also Chicago sports fans (even though we were in Bartlett) and made an even greater error in assuming that they would divulge any positive information about the Cubs game (even though they were wearing Sox garb). Boy was I dumb.
13-year old Art: Hey guys, do you know the Cubs score?
Sophomore Jerk: The what?!
13-year old Art: The Cubs score. Series opener against the Dodgers.
Sophomore Jerk: Okay, dude, do you see this hat? <points at his hat>
13-year old Art: Yeah.
Sophomore Jerk: What does it say on it?
13-year old Art: It says "Sox".
Sophomore Jerk: So what does that tell you?
13-year old Art: That you're a Sox fan.
Sophomore Jerk: And what do you think that means?
13-year old Art: That you're a Sox fan?
Sophomore Jerk: Not only that, but that we HATE the STUPID CUBS!
13-year old Art: Why?
Sophomore Jerks: <ignores my question> South Side for LIFE!
13-year old Art: I like the Sox too.
Sophomore Jerk: Oh really?
13-year old Art: Yeah. I like Magglio Ordonez, Mike Cameron, and Ray Durham*
Sophomore Jerk: Well, nobody cares about the Cubs.
13-year old Art: I do.
Sophomore Jerk: Well, where are you from?
13-year old Art: Chicago. Where you from?
Sophomore Jerk: Bartlett.
13-year old Art: Yeah. Cool.**
Sophomore Jerk: No dude, not cool.
13-year old Art: Why?
Sophomore Jerk: The Cubs are a bunch of @#$%^&!. They have %!$ uniforms and their park is full of drunks who don't know #@$! about baseball.
13-year old Art: Oh
Sophomore Jerk: Yeah, kid. Learn somethin'.
13-year old Art: Does that mean I have to pick a team?
Sophomore Jerk: Real men make choices.
13-year old Art: Okay. I need to think about it.
Sophomore Jerk: Don't think too long- your #$%! will shrink.
I never did learn the Cubs score from him. I also never talked to those guys on the bus again. I never met the super cute girl that they hung out with that passed around near-nude Polaroids of herelf. I never wore any Cubs or Sox gear to high school.
Then again, the Cubs lost that day (11-3). I never saw those guys in an honor roll assembly in the auditorium (it was a big auditorium). I probably would've gotten in big trouble if I met that super cute girl who was desperate for male attention (as much confusing fun I would've had). And besides, I hung out with a bunch of nerds in high school who chastised each other more for misquoting the Simpsons rather than for rooting for the wrong baseball team.
That day I decided, fairly or unfairly, those Chicago White Sox ambassadors were hostile to their fellow fans. The one thing that I didn't understand is why this guy did not want to connect with me on my interest and genuine enjoyment of White Sox baseball. The White Sox team was cool. The uniforms were cool. I grew up watching Harold Baines and the Hawk. Old Comiskey had just as much history as Wrigley does now, and I know that was just as much consternation as excitement for New Comiskey (or whatever it's called now). I learned that White Sox fans connected through anger and resentment before connecting through the love of the game.
So I became a Cubs fan.
I am not naive about fandom.
I know that there have been more riots in the 20th and early 21st century over soccer (football) than over civil rights and freedom (probably). I know that marriages between couples where one attended Ohio State and the other Michigan end in either divorce or murder/suicide (probably). Being a sports fan is a good substitute for religion and in some parts of the country, it's the other way around. And of course, Chicago is a wonderful (segregated) city with a dynamic (tumultuous) history and a proud (borderline embarrassing) baseball tradition. These lines are stark. But do they have to be? Would the world be worse if they were blurred a bit? Would the world be a bit nicer if Cubs fans rooted for the Sox (when they did not play each other) and vice versa? I submit that the world would be a little bit calmer and the tradition in the city might shine a little brighter.
Well, now that Ozzie's gone, I'm sure that will be a bit easier. Okay, that was a cheap shot. That was unnecessary.
I'm sure 20 years from now, I'll have a similar soliloquy on Cubs and Cardinals fans....but...yeah. I dunno. That's a tough one.
Go Cubs! (There's an story from even earlier in my life about how I initially encountered the Cubs, but it doesn't involve social alienation, gross profanity, and misdirected teenage sexual urges...so I left it out.)
For those who skipped the baseball part: We can learn a lot about each other if we are willing to listen. Also, those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Oh, and the Mirror of Erised will show your deepest and most desperate desire. Okay, I didn't write about that. Or did I? If you go back and read this whole thing, you'll know for sure! (Oh, and CTRL-F might not work, because I may only refer to it tangentially instead of directly.)
Thanks again Andy for letting me write for your blog!
______
*The White Sox had NO pitching during this era. It was strange.
**At this point, I thought I was making a friend.
Anyway, onto the thing.
Fair warning: this entry will address baseball. If you don't care about baseball, you can just skip to the end- I've left out the baseball stuff, bolded the text and ENLARGED it, so you can go there to get the gist of this entry.
Baseball Season is Almost Here! And if you're a Chicago Cubs fan, you're counting down the days until you can say, "Oh well, there's always next year."
I've been a Chicago Cubs fan for as long as I can remember. Of course, back when I started caring about baseball, I was also a Chicago White Sox fan.
Which is okay!
I think people in the "sports fan community" want you to pledge allegiance to only ONE sports team per league. (Exceptions being, if the sports league has multiple conferences, you're allowed to have one favorite from each conference but a premier favorite team of whose basket you will place all of your eggs in.)
For years I would watch both Cubs baseball games and White Sox baseball games. It wasn't until my freshman year of high school when some very unpleasant sophomores were proudly displaying their White Sox garb did I make my decision.
I still remember the day I chose to be ONLY a Cubs fan: it was a bright and sunny April afternoon. I was sitting near the back of the school bus, because I thought that's where the cool kids sat (when in actuality, they sat near the middle of the bus...I never understood that but, my lack of understanding of coolness is a succinct enough explanation of why I was not one of the cool kids).
One had a White Sox hat on with long, stringy hair flowing from underneath it. He exuded the type of personality that hinted he couldn't let go of the grunge or post-grunge era of the 1990s (Granted, it was 1997, so I suppose I should cut him some slack in retrospect...but I won't).
This young man was yukking it up with his fellow jabronies, being obnoxious, but in a "I-wish-I-was-as-cool-as-those-guys" kind of way...from my point of view. Well, there was something about the way they acted that compelled me to make my choice.
One of the major differences between middle school and high school (at least for me) is that school ended 35 minutes earlier. Even though the bus ride from middle school took 15 minutes and the bus ride from high school took 45, it meant that I could listen to Cubs Radio on WGN. To listen to Ron Santo and Pat Hughes- even at the tail end of the game- would provide some valuable information- most notably how large the margin of loss was. (I never listened to the Sox on the radio, but I did appreciate Ken Harrelson and Tom Pacioreck in the television announcing.)
ANYWAY
I made the mistake of thinking that these jokers were also Chicago sports fans (even though we were in Bartlett) and made an even greater error in assuming that they would divulge any positive information about the Cubs game (even though they were wearing Sox garb). Boy was I dumb.
13-year old Art: Hey guys, do you know the Cubs score?
Sophomore Jerk: The what?!
13-year old Art: The Cubs score. Series opener against the Dodgers.
Sophomore Jerk: Okay, dude, do you see this hat? <points at his hat>
13-year old Art: Yeah.
Sophomore Jerk: What does it say on it?
13-year old Art: It says "Sox".
Sophomore Jerk: So what does that tell you?
13-year old Art: That you're a Sox fan.
Sophomore Jerk: And what do you think that means?
13-year old Art: That you're a Sox fan?
Sophomore Jerk: Not only that, but that we HATE the STUPID CUBS!
13-year old Art: Why?
Sophomore Jerks: <ignores my question> South Side for LIFE!
13-year old Art: I like the Sox too.
Sophomore Jerk: Oh really?
13-year old Art: Yeah. I like Magglio Ordonez, Mike Cameron, and Ray Durham*
Sophomore Jerk: Well, nobody cares about the Cubs.
13-year old Art: I do.
Sophomore Jerk: Well, where are you from?
13-year old Art: Chicago. Where you from?
Sophomore Jerk: Bartlett.
13-year old Art: Yeah. Cool.**
Sophomore Jerk: No dude, not cool.
13-year old Art: Why?
Sophomore Jerk: The Cubs are a bunch of @#$%^&!. They have %!$ uniforms and their park is full of drunks who don't know #@$! about baseball.
13-year old Art: Oh
Sophomore Jerk: Yeah, kid. Learn somethin'.
13-year old Art: Does that mean I have to pick a team?
Sophomore Jerk: Real men make choices.
13-year old Art: Okay. I need to think about it.
Sophomore Jerk: Don't think too long- your #$%! will shrink.
I never did learn the Cubs score from him. I also never talked to those guys on the bus again. I never met the super cute girl that they hung out with that passed around near-nude Polaroids of herelf. I never wore any Cubs or Sox gear to high school.
Then again, the Cubs lost that day (11-3). I never saw those guys in an honor roll assembly in the auditorium (it was a big auditorium). I probably would've gotten in big trouble if I met that super cute girl who was desperate for male attention (as much confusing fun I would've had). And besides, I hung out with a bunch of nerds in high school who chastised each other more for misquoting the Simpsons rather than for rooting for the wrong baseball team.
That day I decided, fairly or unfairly, those Chicago White Sox ambassadors were hostile to their fellow fans. The one thing that I didn't understand is why this guy did not want to connect with me on my interest and genuine enjoyment of White Sox baseball. The White Sox team was cool. The uniforms were cool. I grew up watching Harold Baines and the Hawk. Old Comiskey had just as much history as Wrigley does now, and I know that was just as much consternation as excitement for New Comiskey (or whatever it's called now). I learned that White Sox fans connected through anger and resentment before connecting through the love of the game.
So I became a Cubs fan.
I am not naive about fandom.
I know that there have been more riots in the 20th and early 21st century over soccer (football) than over civil rights and freedom (probably). I know that marriages between couples where one attended Ohio State and the other Michigan end in either divorce or murder/suicide (probably). Being a sports fan is a good substitute for religion and in some parts of the country, it's the other way around. And of course, Chicago is a wonderful (segregated) city with a dynamic (tumultuous) history and a proud (borderline embarrassing) baseball tradition. These lines are stark. But do they have to be? Would the world be worse if they were blurred a bit? Would the world be a bit nicer if Cubs fans rooted for the Sox (when they did not play each other) and vice versa? I submit that the world would be a little bit calmer and the tradition in the city might shine a little brighter.
Well, now that Ozzie's gone, I'm sure that will be a bit easier. Okay, that was a cheap shot. That was unnecessary.
I'm sure 20 years from now, I'll have a similar soliloquy on Cubs and Cardinals fans....but...yeah. I dunno. That's a tough one.
Go Cubs! (There's an story from even earlier in my life about how I initially encountered the Cubs, but it doesn't involve social alienation, gross profanity, and misdirected teenage sexual urges...so I left it out.)
For those who skipped the baseball part: We can learn a lot about each other if we are willing to listen. Also, those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Oh, and the Mirror of Erised will show your deepest and most desperate desire. Okay, I didn't write about that. Or did I? If you go back and read this whole thing, you'll know for sure! (Oh, and CTRL-F might not work, because I may only refer to it tangentially instead of directly.)
Thanks again Andy for letting me write for your blog!
______
*The White Sox had NO pitching during this era. It was strange.
**At this point, I thought I was making a friend.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Welcome!
Welcome to my latest attempt at a blog! Last time I tried this, my posts kind of fizzled out, but this time I brought some friends. I’m going to try the same basic format, but have more diverse posts. I’ll still write about sports, movies, and TV, but I have friends who will be posting pictures and taking on different topics. I’m also hoping to have a post every week, along with a picture of the week. I’m going with the 847 theme, by posting at 8:47 am each Monday. So please follow us and comment. I’m sure there will be other changes, so stay tuned.
I’m already planning posts on the Bulls, the Tebow sensation, The Artist, Dexter (which I’m currently) watching, and (I know it’s been a while) but the season ending of my favorite show on TV right now Breaking Bad.
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