I Want My MTV Back

There have been millions of articles written about how MTV and VH1 have given up on playing music videos, which isn’t entirely true. If you wake up at the crack of dawn like I did this morning to go to the gym, they show a good chunk of videos for three hours and not all of them are new.  Before I had to leave, they even played Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)!! I was so excited I smiled as I ran up that 8.0 incline (and then promptly suffered a mild case of asthma).

My enthusiasm for this video got me thinking though–not for the memories of the 90s, but rather for the memories of these videos.  I love everything about the videos cranked out by ‘NSYNC, Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears back in the day.  They were just so ridiculous and fun!  There was a formula to it.  There was a story, usually love was involved in some way with someone, and then they’d dance it out.

And boy, was there dancing.  I would watch these videos just for the choreographed parts and I would get chills each time.  As someone with little to no rhythm, it always boggles my mind how you can get 20 plus people to perform the same complicated moves at the same time to the same beat.  I loved it, and clearly, people still love it.  Some of these videos have over 10 million views on youtube and they aired on TV over 10 years ago.  They had to have done something right.

So, music producers/directors.  Please bring back music videos with choreographed dance numbers.  No, not gyrating hussies on shiny cars–those don’t count.  I want something like Britney in “Drive Me Crazy” or ‘NSYNC in “Bye Bye Bye”.

Reason #127: Why Mindy Kaling and I are Meant to be Besties

Me too, Mindy.  Me, too.

Oh, Really?

Wired has a review of these new running shoes, Vibram FiveFingers (which, by the way sounds like a really fun sex toy, if you ask me…), a minimalist running shoe, that shuns the padding, thick soles, and gawdy “shock absorbing technology” like air bubbles/springs etc… of more traditional shoes; instead, the FiveFingers shoes looks kind of like a pair of gloves for your feet.  Kind of like a cross between those individual toe socks my friends and I were obsessed with in 5th grade, and Aqua Socks (aka the most fun water shoes ever).

According to Wired, so-called minimalist running footware is gaining in popularity due to “a growing body of research [that] suggests that minimal or no footwear will result in fewer running injuries.”

Scientific research aside, I kind of like these shoes. They’re kind of cool looking, in their own ugly way. And yet, I don’t know that I can get behind them; see, for me, that individual toe sock phase didn’t last very long, as I always found it uncomfortable to have my toes individually separated.  [Ed note: recently, I came up with this theory that I have an acute case of webbed feet — no seriously, I do! But that’s really an issue for another post…] So, I’m forced to conclude, that I’d love to try out running around in these babies, but also? I don’t get them.

Other things I don’t get?

• Why anyone gives a fuck what the Obama children are wearing. Oh, and see here as well… — oh, really, The Washington Post?
• How it took a Twitter update from Lindsay Lohan to convince Jessica Biel to break up with Justin Timberlake…orrr why my mom emailed me this story…
• The fact that people still wear jorts, as though this is okay.
• Daughtry
• How the cartoons in The New Yorker are funny.
• The fact that I still don’t know how to skateboard.
• Why One Tree Hill still comes on tv.  Seriously, Arrested Development gets cancelled after three seasons, and yet One Tree Hill‘s been on for like ten years?
• Tourists.
• People who say “hecka” instead of “hella”.  This sounds ridiculous.  Just stop.
• Why it took me so long to get into 808’s & Heartbreak.
• Why Mel doesn’t live on the West Coast.

Vibram FiveFingers KSO and Classic Running Shoes [Wired]

Conservative Free Republic Blog in Free Speech Flap After Racial Slurs Directed at Obama Children [The Vancouver Sun] via [Gawker]

Who Are They Wearing? It’s A Matter of Public Record [The Washington Post]

Jessica Biel Calls it Quits [Wooden Spears] via My Mom

To Crush or Not to Crush on Zac Efron

Those eyes, that highlighted hair, that knowing smile. Swooooon.

So, for some inexplicable reason I love Zac Efron. Is it the smile? The greasy, yet sexy hair in his face? The piercing blue eyes? I really have no idea. What’s odd is that I am in no way attracted to him and yet the sight of him makes me go all giggly and smiley, which, quite frankly, really freaks me out. (I mean, he’s skinny, has a kind of high voice and is kind of feminine.)

My sister-in-law believes I’m having a “gay man” moment. Meredith seems to think that he’s “who the 15 year old mel wanted to date”, which is possible, I mean, I was all about Justin Timberlake back in the day AND JT used to have some pretty wack hair, so…maybe there’s a trend? Oh, and also, JT has been on SNL many times and killed it (but he needs to take a break because he’s almost overstaying his welcome but I’m kind of ok with it because he’s cute, seems to have a sense of humor, and, well, is JT). Anway, Zefron was on this weekend and was actually pretty funny, which means he’ll probably be on a few more times in the future. Oh, what wonders The Disney Channel creates. Anyway, I’m willing to put aside all contradictory feelings in honor of Zefron’s upcoming movie, 17 Again.

True or false: When I’m in a bad or sad mood, I watch this preview and my mood is instantly lifted. TRUE. Sure, the premise is kind of dated and predictable, but how FUN does this movie look? I imagine laughing a lot–aaand probably hiding in my sweatshirt from the second hand embarassment of Zefron trying to have “fatherly” moments with Georgina. But I mean, come on. The scene where Zefron gets out of the car, throws on a leather coat over a white t-shirt and jeans, and then casually locks the door over his shoulder? OH MA GOSH. Yes, I realize I’m acting like a lunatic tween, which is one of the reasons why I’m so perplexed over this crush, but I’ll get over it for a few days since I will be seeing 17 Again this weekend and I will be one of many girls squealing as soon as Zefron comes on screen. Sigh.

If my rather long post hasn’t convinced you of Zefron’s awesomeness, please see my completely unbiased and well thought out lists of my thoughts on 17 Again.

Reasons why 17 Again may be a flop:

1. The really lame and awkward “Oh my gosh I love my family and I regret who I used to be” moments that have to happen
2. Matthew Perry looks old, which makes me sad
3. The lack of make-out scenes

Reasons why 17 Again is going to be AWESOME:

1. Zefron in an ironic trucker hat
2. The dude from Reno 911 is in it and he’s freaking hilarious
3. I have a major girl crush on Leslie Mann and she makes everything funny
4. I saw a glimmer of a song and dance number a la High School Musical 1-3
5. Zefron shirtless
6. All the funny parts in the trailer will STILL BE FUNNY if not FUNNIER in the actual movie