The Seven of What?

During a rather relaxing weekend in NYC, I had the pleasure of checking out a new show that is opening in a couple of weeks called "The Seven". For those of you who remember your Greek tragedies if I told you that "The Seven" is a hip-hop, soul, funk adaptation of "The Seven Against Thebes" by Aeschylus you'd know the storyline.

For those who don't roll in the classic Greek tragedy hood, it's a story about this trill ass thug pimp Oedipus, who bitch slaps his two sons with a curse that says these brothas gonna be pointin' techs and frontin' eachother like straight up gangstas reppin' their hood and fighting for respect as HNIC of Thebes.

Needless to say, it was off the hook. Aside from the well written music and interesting but fun choreography, the dialogue was great. Think classic Greek verse timing and rhyme, throw in current slang from and references to contemporary hip-hop culture and you've got a wonderful piece of work that really puts a spin on classic Greek tragedy that is likely to reach all types and ages of people and reaffirm our society's passion for the Golden Age of Greece.

So, if anyone happens to be in New York or going there and you've got an open evening, check this thing out. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Given the right crowd, that show could kick off like an episode of Def Comedy Jam.

More info HERE.

Parental Responsibility...Extinct.

A recent article published online at adage.com touts a lawsuit being filed against the Nickelodeon and Kellogg companies for "engaging in unfair and deceptive "marketing and sale of food of poor nutritional quality" to children under 8 years old."

Full article here

While I realize it seems a little deceptive to target children for certain products, including, but not limited to, alcohol, tobacco, adult fetish toys and certain movies and video games, last I checked there are not many kids 8 and under who have the disposable income to spend on frivolous and unhealthy foods.

Can we really blame companies for targeting a market that is considered within their product demographic. Most people want to blame the ad agencies and marketing companies who work with and for these larger corporations, but aren't they just really doing what they were hired to do. I mean whether or not a child sees a commercial for sugar-coated, double chocolate, fudge bombs on TV should have no bearing on how that child's parent chooses to feed that child.

If your 8 year-old child has that much of an influence on what you choose to buy and feed him/her, I would greatly question ones ability to properly raise a child.

Is it at all possible for parents to take back a little responsibility in raising their children and to stop blaming everyone else for "ruining" their kids?

Battle of the Brands

I recall very clearly when I was in elementary school, and was first introduced to brand wars. My father and mother dressed both my brother and I conservatively: khakis or jeans, three button polos or button down broadcloths, etc... I guess it would be described as your basic preppy look, even though I constantly refused to pop my collar.

I remember that all my short-sleeve three button shirts had a little alligator crest on the left chest, and for this I was constantly ridiculed for not wearing Polo brand shirts. After spending most of one evening crying in my father's arms about how the other kids would tell me that their Polo horse and rider could kick the crap out of my wimpy alligator, he assured me that I indeed was wearing a polo. In fact, in fashion, the definition of a polo shirt is a three button, collared, short sleeve shirt. He told me that Ralph Lauren bogarted the term polo and applied it to a line of his own clothing. I was also wearing a polo shirt, but it was a Lacoste brand, which he told me was even better than Polo because it was European and not marketed into the ground the way Polo was...it was an under the radar brand that only the elites knew about.

Armed with this information I was quite sure the next day at school would go much different. So sure of myself and what I thought would be my ability to boggle these simpletons with my new found wisdom and cunning wit, I wore my Lacoste proudly with my chest shoved out in a vain attempt to make that little alligator bigger. I will say that my recess that day was different than all my prior recesses throughout my elementary school years.

When my father came home later that night and saw his son with an ice pack over his eye, he realized how dire the situation had gotten. We went out to a store in town and bought a bunch of new shirts emblazoned with the Brooks Brother's golden fleece. B-squared (as we call it) was known to be the elite of the elite of the preppy brands, and with a little brand name dropping I was able to avoid any further punishment, verbal and physical, from the Legions of Lauren (LOL for short...anyone else see the irony?)

Now, when I go shopping for polo shirts I'm bombarded with all kinds of logos: Horses, fleeces, ducks, corporate names and yes...yes, that little alligator. Who would have known that this little creature that was the cause of torment and pain in my childhood would resurface on shirts, belts, shoes, hats and every other conceivable piece of clothing and accessory one can think of, as one of the hottest chic/trend brands going today?

With all that in mind, I think I'll start my own line of clothing. DoDo couture (that's Doe-doe...after the bird). And guess what the symbol is going to be? It might not be big now, but when the early 2000's become retro...I'll be laughing all the way to the bank.

10-Year Old Counselor

This past weekend I watched a movie with the girl I've been seeing. It happens to be one of her favorite movies, "of all time." I'm not sure how I got talked into it because I really had no desire to see it, but in an effort to be open-minded and to try some of the things she likes instead of just continuing to live in my own judgemental little world, I grabbed two pints of Ben and Jerry's and settled in to watch the acclaimed antics of one Napolean Dynamite.

Now, many of you are going to hate me for this, but I truly found this movie completely uninspiring and rather boring. I mean, nothing happened: no real story, no character development, no moral. Just some geek in high school spewing out unintelligable nonsense and monosyllabic phrases. I did take note that the movie was playing toward the dark comedy genius of Wes Anderson (director of Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums) but I felt that it fell way short.

Regardless, my current partner in crime (we'll call her Leigh) was a little upset that I did not find one of her favorite movies funny...and started questioning whether things could possibly work between us. So much did she worry about this that she posited the question of whether our relationship could continue to a young boy for whom she babysits occassionally.

In the infinite wisdom bestowed upon this young man at the tender age of 10, he said quite simply, "Leigh, it's just a movie." Ah, from the mouths of babes. So, let me take this opportunity to publicly thank this young man for saving a relationship teetering on the brink of destruction.

In fact, we have decided to go to him on a bi-monthly basis for couple's counseling. I have good feelings about how things are going to turn out with a 10-year old providing guidance through our relationship.

Inner Struggles Over Blog Templates

It's amazing what kind of thought provoking activity it is to pick a template for a blog spot.

For a moment I was baffled by all the possibilities. While my initial thought was, "hmmm, Sand Dollar is really nice," it's amazing how that can shift when you all of a sudden realize that this is sort of a mirror to your soul. The template should affect the nature of the blogger. It should be a visual statement of your personality. An artful manifestation of what lays deep within your being.

Funny how it can be narrowed down to 12 possibilities. Yet, somehow, I still feel that the possibilities are infinite.