Survivor: Rewarding Mediocrity Again Again Again Again Again Again...

I assume that I am but one in a sea of outraged Survivor viewers that are groggily awakening from what we all hope was a bad dream. Wiping our eyes and hoping beyond all hope that last night was just a nightmare...like the sugar filled dreams that would haunt you after a night of binging on Halloween chocolates. Alas, you will all discover, as I have, that this is not the case...what we all witnessed last night DID happen...the contestant most deserving to win, went home empty handed, AGAIN!

I have watched Survivor for many years now, and was, up until the last two seasons, fed up with the rather boring and predictable format of this reality based game show. I would watch as creative players would make cunning and calculated moves...reach the final tribal council only to be bested by the contestant that did nothing more then tow the line. 

• From Sugar's loss to Bob, because the sympathetic teacher played the nice guy...while Sugar managed to systematically dismantle the competition, even though she spent the majoity of the game segragated from her tribe on exile island.

• Steven's season of masterful blind sides...carrying JT the entire way, only to have his gamesmenship rewarded with a loss. We watched this lovable, thick cowboy walk away with an undeserving million.

• Even Colby...the imunity challenge juggernaught...dominating his competetion...owning immunity, only to have to nobly shake the hand of the winner as he watched his million passed to the less deserving Tina.

Enter Russell Hantz.

This crafty, cunning, Survivor mastermind has single handedly has changed the way this game will be played from this point forward. From his seemingly psychic ability to find hidden immunity idols, to his strategic genius of having entire tribes eat themselves alive as a direct result of his manipulation...he has been the spark that has resurrected this dying show. 

Let's take a quick look at his credentials before entering this current season.

SAMOA

• While on his original tribe, he was directly responsible for the demise of any and all contestants that may have shown themselves to be threats. From his destruction of camp essentials, to his subtle pushes of all his tribe mates, planting "Russell-Seeds" of doubt, Hantz managed to secure himself as the focal point of the remaining tribe members of Foa Foa post merge.

• The ease he showed in finding hidden immunity idols has forced the producers to change the approach to the entire concept. It wasn't as if they made it easy for the contestants to find the idols...it was that Hantz made it look easy...again using logic and cunning, rather than luck.

• His tribe down to only four members, and facing the powerhouse Galu tribe...dominante not only in strength but in numbers...going into the merge, his manipulation proved the difference maker. We all watched...mezmerized while one by one...Galu fell...and standing in the centre of that carnage...Russell Hantz.

...but...we know all this.

Now we have Heroes vs. Villians...the "best of the best" of all 20 seasons of Survivor. These are the contestants that have played this game...this should be the best game in Survivor history...the game for the game's sake...right?

WRONG!

As we all witnessed last night, this was not the case. Instead of the contestants seeing the game for what it is, we find ourselves back in the same spot that we always have...a bitter jury hanging the winner because they all hated that they lost to him. I am not going to rehash the entire season, or even pin point the highlights of any of the individual contestant's game, including Hantz's...I don't think it will make a lick of difference. Instead I am going to leave you with the following questions:

• What ever happened to Surviving? The Mantra of this show is "Outwit, Outplay, Outlast"! Nowhere in that mantra to the words...Out-popular. This is not only because the word does not exist, but because it would be absurd. Would we all tune in week after week to watch a popularity contest? Even Big Brother rewards its game players...then again that show does not have a misleading mantra.

• What has changed so much from the first Survivor, when Richard Hatch was crowned the Sole Survivor on the back of a sneeky, nasty, manipulative masterpiece of a game? 

• When will the producers stop pointing to an element of Survivor that does not exist...at least it doesn't exist if you want to dominate this game. The abstract "social game". The "social game"...or "jury management"...whatever terms you want to use. The truth is that any player in the history of Survivor, excluding Richard Hatch who I believe was only saved from this fate because he was involved in the first season of Survivor, who has dominated the game, when they lose the excuse is that they did not play a strong enough social game. REALITY dominators are killed because they dominate plain and simple! Which is why the least deserving survivor is now a two time winner and the most deserving survivor is a back to back fan favorite.

• When will the producers learn that the format must be changed to reflect the reality of this game, rather then allowing the current format to continue?

Last question...where does Survivor go without Russell Hantz? Will Survivor ever recapture its former glory...showcasing players, rather than "coat tail riders" that simply tow the line instead of taking risks that make the show worth watching?

If the social game is what caused Sandra to win...then can you imagine whole seasons of "Sandra Like" players...whole tribes consisting of spineless strategic morons that win because they do the least amount of well...anything? That would be awesome...

Thank you Survivor for yet again rewarding mediocrity!

JOIN THE FIGHT...CROWN RUSSELL HANTZ THE GREATEST SURVIVOR OF ALL TIME.

CLICK THE LINK...SIGN THE TWITITION...DO THE RIGHT THING!

http://twitition.com/3a8iv

Hip Hop Heads in Need of REAL Hip Hop

If you are anything like me the current state of hip hop has left you empty...and in need of serious satisfaction.

Gone are the days of the hypnotic beats and rapid fire prose of RZA and his clan of prophetic poets...machine gun blasts of lyrical mysticism wrapped in an unmatched ability to grind the street knowledge into the kung fu stylings of the ancient clan.

The East Coast, West Coast feud that fueled the up rise to such heavy weights as Tupac, and Biggie Smalls have seeming been relegated to the remix shelves...fodder for so many up and coming You-Tubers trying to splice bits of the past together to recapture the glory days of old.

Now we have the Hip POP industry...money making super machine...void of creativity...building "tunes" that are easily consumed, for a download generation who have been taught to do nothing more then chew on that which they are told is "best". Sure we have faces from the past still in the mix...Jay Z, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and up until recently Gang Starr (RIP Guru)...but are they the same...the pathfinders moving the style into new and exciting places never imagined until THEY brought it! Terraformers, clear cutting the old to make room for the every expansive future.

Well, the future has arrived and boy is it disappointing!

Enter...

Jedi Mind Tricks!

In the hay day of the surreal crews JMT slides in matching and surpassing not only the power but the lyrical prowess of any top draw of the time. Since 1996 Vinnie Paz and DJ Stoup the enemy of mankind have ground out a gritty style matched by no other artists in hip hop history. They're use of classical movements in a mutated deep base back beat put DJ Stoup on the same level as RZA when it comes to creative production. While Vinnie Paz's harsh and guttural delivery put him in a class that has not existed in hip hop's past present, and I dare say future.

Beginning with  The Psycho-Social (1997), and culminating in the recent release of A History of Violence (2008), this masterful group has perfected the most unique and refreshing style that this writer has ever heard.

Lyrically, musically, stylistically...this crew IS what hip hop is all about. WAR rap lives strong with JMT. It is my humble opinion that without creative risk takers like JMT the Hip Hop industry would be devoid of any sort of creativity.

If you are in need of REAL Hip Hop...look no further then Jedi Mind Tricks!

www.jmthiphop.com

   

WHAT THE F__K IS WRONG WITH WORLD?

THIS GUY

Would someone please take the time to explain how it is possible that a nimrod like this is able to be heard let alone be seen?

REASONS THAT ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE:

1. Everyone on the planet is stupid...and they enjoy reveling in what makes them comfortable.

2. The media made me do it!

3. I don't know...I just watch the show, I don't control what goes into making it!

4. WTF do you want stupid is entertaining!

Alright. I realize that this list could be much larger but the truth is you all know why a nut bag like Spencer Pratt is still drawing "celebrity" breath. It's because of us.

WE WATCH!

As we all know we live in a time of Capitalism...where the demand for consumption is that which determines what is created. However,  it is more then simple "Supply and Demand", it is more like the manufacturing of trends...creating abstract needs that are non-existent. 

Heavy stuff right. 

Sure, it is easy to rent a Michael Moore movie and feel enlightened. But it seems more often then not, the Michael Moore movie acts as a modern day confessional. The absolution of sin by viewing the ills of the world, and acknowledging, in private, that the world is indeed fucked up! Once you have finished you simply return to the norm...to ignorance. 

Spencer Pratt is a symptom of a greater disease that has infected the North American identity. The idea that we are not responsible for our actions. He is the poster boy for this attitude.

He trots along...spouting hate, and stupidity...sensationalizing the elements of humanity that we are all taught to avoid, and still he is shown on television. There is nothing that he serves other then to debase his wife and himself. He is not a person, he is a whore...clowning around like a spastic court jester, who feels that he is losing his appeal with his King and in desperation will do anything to keep the Courts favor. Meanwhile, we, the public, shake our fists and scream at the heavens begging for relief...and all the while it is us who have created this Frankenstein. 

When we hide in the corners of internet cafes and secretly review the latest exploits of Spencer the angry husband, it is us who give him life.

I say, ENOUGH.

Every time I hear about this moron, and how he has butchered his wife...making her into 45 year old twenty-something, I feel disgusted.

His idiotic blabbing about who is fucking who, and how they are half the "star" he is, I want to carve off my own leg, if for no other reason but to stop the mental pain.

The best part about this walking bag of useless skin is that he claims to be a Christian. Now, I may not be a card carrying "Born Again", but I thought...and maybe I am wrong...that in order to make it to the Jesus training camp, you need to abide at least the basic tenets of Christianity. Clearly I have been misinformed. Evidently you can claim to be a Christian, and break every FUCKING rule in Jesus' book...as long as you say you are a Christian...you are good to go.

I believe that Spencer Pratt is a kind of idiotic war criminal...happy to cook a race in an oven...in order to gain noteriety.

I have a suggestion...take him...Paris Hilton...the entire cast of Jersey Shore...all of the Real World casts...and send them to War. They are all Americans, and lord knows that country loves to send its people to die...and if, and I mean IF they survive, then they can be showcased.

I beg all of you...stop the bleeding before it is too late!

Just my Opinion: Death Machines...makes you wonder about our future.

Let me level with you...I am not a tree-hugger. I recycle. I do my best to conserve water, and limit my household waste...I even do what I can to avoid products that use too much packaging, and I stay informed enough to know who to avoid and what not to purchase.

In other words, I do what I can...without having to rebuild my life style, or retro fit all of my pre-existing fixtures in my rental apartment.

I also have to admit, as much as I yell and scream when I encounter the occasional article about clear cutting forests, or evil corporations gutting the earth for profit, I don't get off my ass, pick up a sign and protest...I really go no further then ranting and raving.

I don't think I am in a minority.

We all hate to see the rape of the planet...yet we still drive our oil fueled cars to the park, and go for a walk.

Such indignation spouts from our collective conscience when we think of what Global Warming means for the future of our species...yet the majority of the planet has yet to demonstrate the fortitude to make the necessary sacrifices to ensure the safety of the planet for our future generations.

I realize that I sound like every other slightly informed dissident, however, this most recent assault on the planet, you know the one pumping mass amounts of crude oil into our oceans, has really got me thinking. I find myself wondering if anyone else feels that we are falling into a deeper hole then ever...not in a 2012 mystical prophetic "block buster movie way", in a real...if this problem continues without extreme intervention the most important resource on our planet, our life blood, will be irreparably damaged...way!

If the human body can not survive without water for more than three days...how long can our planet survive without clean water?

I am not going to pretend to understand currents and water flow points, or how the Earth's water circumnavigates the globe, but I don't think I need the expensive degree to see what is obvious. We are killing the Earth!

The question that now remains is why?

Why are we blissfully killing the Earth?

Why are we seemingly committed to the death of life?

Why do we care more about what we consume, how we appear and what labels are on the insides of our clothing, but we seemingly have no issue with how all of these things are manufactured and attained.

I realize I will not answer this question here, but I hope you all have some insight.

Let me hear your thoughts...

Happy Town...why is this happening to you?

Alright...here's the deal, it seems the brain trusts from down south plan to eliminate another intelligent, well written television show before it even has the chance to gain momentum. The most common complaint about the show..."it's too confusing"..."it's too hard to follow"...etc.

Lets start with the obvious...it has only been 3 episodes...3 episodes and you are already lost, how the hell do you make it to the washroom, or even to your jobs, besides, did you expect that the writers were going to give you everything in one shot? These are the same viewers that have watched 5 and half seasons of LOST without a complaint, and I know that that show has been purposely confusing...but there seems to have been no issues with that show (unless you review the comments about the latest episode).

OK...so if it isn't the content is it the style...maybe the quality of the show?

If we are using LOST as the comparison...they are both ABC shows. Quality can't be that far off, can it?

So here is the big question...is the only reason Happy Town is having these issues because of the timing of its release. I mean in the midst of LOST fever can any show that has an undertone of mystery and intrigue survive? When the shiny big budget eye candy fest that is LOST is sluggishly coming to an anti-climactic conclusion can the other show that share a degree of commonality withstand the backlash that has seemingly struck the comparable shows that share this genre?

Here's my theory...NO. I mean...it is possible, but the biggest issue is the audience, and far too often the audience that determines the life span of a show happens to be short sighted...lacking in creativity, and in need of instant gratification. For shows like Happy Town, Flash Forward, Journey Man, Jericho, and the like to continue to breathe they need to beat out the action shows, that have very little substance, and a TON of eye candy, which, as we have seen in film, as well as in most popular arts is extremely difficult. Adding insult to injury is the most popular and arguably the most confusing modern television show of modern history is slowly turning into the biggest let down in TV history.

Here's what need to be done...we all need to look past the knee jerk reaction to the lame series close to LOST, and fall into the new environment that is being offered by this fresh and exciting offering that is Happy Town. We need to give it the opportunity to fail...not because we are ticked that 5 seasons have culminated in a douche fest...but because it is, or it isn't a good show.

Here is my challenge to you all...keep Happy Town around...if for no other reason but to allow it the chance that you all gave to fizzle fests such as 24 (which should have only been 48), Prison Break (which should have only broke out once), and just for shits and giggles, all of those bad versions of St. Elsewhere (Chi Town Hope, ER (post Clooney), Grey's Waste of Time, etc.).

Listen people...wake up and smell the story lines...if we continue to give up on quality shows, then we will be left with garbage lacking in substance.

Remember...what we consume determines what we are fed...stop eating shit!

http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/happy-town-petition/

REVIEW of The Boon Dock Saints II: All Saints Day

It is a rare moment when sequels meet the mark. This one does. I wanted the original movie...with a new spin...couple of new characters, and an over abundance of death and killing. 

Guns with cool silencers 

• Drunk Irish Dudes 
• Billy Connolly
• more guns 

= A FUCK FEST OF AMAZING. 

This is a dirty blood bath of fun...the creators of this franchise have tapped the right vein, and we all love that shit. Nice ties to the first film...great ass kickin’ scenes...and that slow motion, jagged kill sequencing really put the cherry on top. I love idiot bad guys being dismantled by drunk Irish religious vigilantes...sue me! 

Performances...what do you want...its the Boondock Saints, not the boys of Saint Vincent's. They picked up where they left off. My only issue was with Sean Patrick Flanery’s face...what the fuck is wrong with you. I mean, I have seen burger before...Mickey Rourke looks like darkman mid transition...and Ray Liotta looks like he and Seal have been face fucking and he caught something...Sean...you need to kick the crap out of your plastic surgeon for playing drunk doctor on your head.

I really think that is all I got for you...I mean who wants to find fault when fun is the end result...not this guy!

The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day...great for those who like people gettin’ shot and shit...bad for assholes who are too good for killin’”.

...oh and if there is no third part to this franchise...I take it all back...this movie is shit...I hate everyone. 

REVIEW of Precious

Alright. Let me start by saying that there is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the most powerful, poignant, important films of our time. It points to the truth of the “new” human condition, the monstrous nature of humanity, when humanity is dehumanized to such an extent that it views itself of worthy of pain.

I know, deep stuff...but frankly, if you watch this film, and you don’t start looking...not only inside, but around you, and ask yourself, “why”, then you have not experienced pain. 

I found that this film made me look inward, and provided me with a full range of emotions that I wanted to experience when I chose to watch this movie.

Ok...all that good shit aside, lets talk movie. 

As a movie goes, it was telegraphed. From the opening sequence, to the anticlimactic “american history X” non-hollywood ending. You watch as this, lovable, and obviously pained woman navigates this extremely hostile environment. For a really good amount of this film, I felt like I was watching a solder tip toe through a live mine field...and that is what i am suppose to feel. The non stop beating that we watch this poor girl endure becomes almost too much, and the under dog complex almost over takes the power of the story. I found I wanted a bubble gum moment, to cut through the agony. 

Understand this; I am not a fan of manufactured, Hollywood, foil wrapped, moments. I like gritty, raw, piss and vinegar film moments...the curbing scene in American History X...the horrific rape sequence in the remake of “the last house on the left”...even the mind fucking father son scene in “Happiness”....I jerk off instead...ewwwwwwww c-r-e-e-p-y. This movie has this effect in spades...but, and excuse my french...it was a bit too much. All the circumstances that are created in this film lead to this girl living an absolute shit life...give’er a break...not just a mutually sympathetic rag tag class room of “hookers with hearts of gold”. Or the social worker who cares too much, or the teacher, that sees all the potential, and magically is independently wealthy, open minded, and has an over abundance of time...in order to focus on the “less fortunate inner city youths”. This is the problem with Precious as a film...it is a pain fest.

The reason for this film...PERFORMANCES! Fuck the story...the acting was mind blowing. Let me move past the lead, and focus on the support. Mo’Nique...I never thought I could hate a character as much as I hated Nurse Ratched (One flew over the cuckoos nest), but I hadn’t met Mary Jones. She was vicious, and destructive. Evil and monstrous. There is nothing that you can say that would ever over take the horrific nature of this character. A testament to a truly gifted performance...and frankly...if Robin Williams wins for Good Will Hunting...the fuck’em...Mo’Nique wins for Precious.

And too Gabourey Sibide...fucking eh right. There is nothing to say...this was a part that was clearly written for this girl. She is Claireece Precious Jones...and if i had read the book (which...after watching this film...I will) I think that this would be the girl I saw. Everything this girl did in this film was magic. 

In closing...see it for the performances...but get your pain helmet on, cause your brain is going to hurt...and if it doesn’t...you are a fucking robot...sick and twisted robot...go home Nicohol Kidman.

Precious...great for humans...bad for robots and Nicohol Kidman.