Lady in the Red Dress

No, i’m not talking about the Chris De Burgh song, that one is actually Lady in Red(1986).I’m referring to a minor character from a scene from the 99 hit “pop culture affecting, trendsetter”, movie THE MATRIX. (there’s only one Matrix, the others are Fa(ke)trix,Wa(ck)trix)

There is a scene where Morpheous(Lawrence Fishburne) is guiding Neo(Keanu Reeves) through the rush hour streets in matrix.

He talks as he walks , revealing to him(Neo) the world they are in;how it functions, the dangers ahead. Struggling to keep up Neo is suddenly takes his eyes off Morpheous as he’s distracted by a beautiful woman in a red dress, that walks by with a sweet smile. Morpheous , notices and queries

MORPHEOUS:Were you paying
attention,or were looking at the woman in the red dress

NEO:Huh

MORPHEOUS:Look again

Neospins around to find Agent Smith at point blank range with a Glock
22,the room freezes

It turned out to be a training sequence, just a simulation of The Matrix , the agent wasn’t real,but Neo had learned a vital lesson that day,much like Lot’s wife , when you take your eyes off the goal, very bad things are likely to happen to you.

While this is not an endorsement for the movie,one can take a vital lesson from it. Neo got distracted, by what seemingly looked amazing, (which she actually did). He took his eyes off his leader and if it had been a real situation, that would have been “bye bye Neo”.

No, this not a rant against beautiful women that wear red dresses,lol , this analogy applies both to males and females, we all have our points of temptation,disillusion and distraction. Morpheus also said something very striking in that scene

“If you are not one of us,you are one of them”

the “them” refered to those still plugged into the system of “The Matrix” and could be used by agents at any point in time to bring down the resistance. In spiritual terms , that refers to “children of this world” those that live by the constantly changing declining and fickle philosophy, standards and ideals of a God denying and often God hating world.

They are still plugged into the system of what is culturally or socially acceptable,but against the will of God, whether that be pre marital or casual sex, abortion ,drunkenness, lewd behavior and language, hedonism, cultural “christianity”, alternative lifestyles and other lifestyle to that effect as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 6:9 .

Some people actually think they are unplugged,attend the services, speak the slang, wear the t-shirts, but their lives show no evidence that they are free

“by their fruits you shall know them grapes do not grow on thistles”

They intellectually acknowledge God, but their hearts and consequently their lifestyles are far from any acknowledgment him.

Others have no idea of the system they are trapped in and don’t realize what lies ahead if they stay in this system. Unlike the movie, we aren’t in a simulation, we are in the real world, where “we wrestle not against flesh and blood”, if we get distracted the room won’t freeze to give us a chance recompose and change strategy and keep in mind, the enemy does not take prisoners.

We have to keep our eyes on the Cross , which is our GPS(Sat Nav) in our journey through this world. It’s our obligation to unplug as many friends, family ,colleagues from the system of this world just like we were once unplugged; but we also have to remember that anyone not unplugged posses a danger to our spiritual progression if we get distracted by them.

Many of us would already have had an “i should have known” moment ,at least once or even several times in our life already from distractions we have experienced.

This may be a crush,love interest, relationship, career pursuit or passion for anything else that can take us off tangent; it would vary with each person, we all have to search ourselves using the scripture as a compass and find out,what is our “Lady in the red dress” could possibly be,before sashays into our line of sight.

“The prudent see danger and take refuge,but the simple keep going and suffer for it -PROVERBS 27:12

musiculturally pt 1

Anyone that knows me even barely, knows that i have twin passion for music and movies.I love wide range of genres .I scream alongside Chester Bennington ,Croon with old blue eyes, “lose myself” with Marshall and get caught up in rapture that is the auditory and cerebral seduction of Kenny G’s saxophone.

Good music is a form that transcends all ethnic barriers .Despite the stereotypical molds placed on us .”Black people like Hip Hop and R&B, White people like rock”. and pop. The thing is great music shatters all that . As there are more white kids at Dre’s “Up in smoke” tour and there is an increasing Rock fan base in West Africa,the most populous black region of the world.

So how exactly are we affected by music. Possibly second only to movies & television ,music is the most influential force on the psyche and consequently culture. The musicians behind the songs attain iconic status and dictate through their music and lifestyle, what happens in a generation, more than education, religion or common sense ever has. Just take a look at “The King’s” continuing influence more than 30 years after his passing.

The influence of hip hop on a generation since the late 70′s is immeasurable.Surpassing the shores of the United States where it was born , we now see kids in Hong Kong, Lagos,New Dehli and Beirut dressing,walking and talking like they just stepped out of a Wu Thang video.Each genre Rock ,Pop,Punk ,Techno and hip hop forming their own disciples.

So where would we be now as a society ? As a people, how strong has music’s influence been on us ? Are we juke boxes(or i-pods) that project through our lives the music we listen to ? Are our mindsets and perspectives on issues a result of what we have absorbed ? When we say F the police, do we really mean that or we just projecting NWA. Our views on sex, are they really ours, or are they formed because we were told to see “nothing wrong with a lil bump and grind”. When offended do we go into an F word rant and threaten “now you’re about to feel the wrath of the menace” . What about our aspirations ? When they do not work out is it because we are walking along a “boulevard of broken dreams”? Or simply because “it was all a dream” and “in the end it doesn’t really matter”?

It’s interesting to think about what life would be like , or how different our personalities would be in a world without lyrics. If we lived in a world without lyrics, would our personalities really be that different? What would the world be like, if all we had, were symphonies of the Beethoven and Mozart type,lyric free Jazz tunes, or only techno beats?

(C) 2009 OLU YOMI

DISTRICT 9. SHOULD WE BE LIVID??..HOW CAN WE TURN THE TIDE ON THE -VE

The movie District 9 has gotten a lot of attention in the past few months. First the anticipation of a riveting Sci Fi movie. Then the people that were blown away by how well executed it was, then recently the concern and uprise of the portrayal of Nigerians in the movie.

I must admit, sitting in the cinema, every time “the Nigerians” was hammered in description to the negative characters, it stung a little but i carried on regardless. I wont say i hated the movie, because it was indeed, very well done.

BUT in retrospect i can see why peeps would be enraged. It’s bad enough that Cop shows and Sitcom make us a punch line. But this was something else on a whole new level.

My consolation was that , they were not Nigerian actors, nor did they speak in any Nigerian language, nor did they have Nigerian accents. BUT , most non Nigerians would not detect that fact

Many people would say

“We have more important things to be worried about”

but we have to remember how powerful a medium film is. Both to the intelligent, and those that just absorb and believe EVERYTHING that they see on TV and in the movie, Film leaves a powerful impression on the mind for a very long time.

We all know how Germans have been associated with Nazi ,Neo Nazi History in the movies. The same goes for middle easterners as terrorists. Indians as convenience store clerks and Asians as martial arts masters. These portrayals find their way into the subconscious,and even if it is for a microsecond,affect our perceptions , and with a movie as popular as District 9, it looks like it is going to become a part of popular culture.

The fact is, the consistent reference and Hammering on “The Nigerians” was unnecessary, and “the gangsters” would have been sufficient enough,without specifying a nationality.

I found this quote on a blog , which i find very insightful

“Whatever any film maker may portray, the most important thing really is that Africans need to start telling their own stories more than they have done so far. Africans need to make their own compelling films – both fiction and non-fiction. As an an African proverb says “Until lions are able to tell their own stories, the story of the hunt will always glorify the hunter”
-Supo Orimogunje

The Nigerian entertainment scene is growing in large proportions, TV ,and especially music which is now global.

Isn’t it about time, we loose all the Jazz ,Asawo, 419 stories in our movies? There are sooo many other aspects of Naija life we can write and make films about.

Chimamanda “Purple Hibiscus” Adichie, has become the pioneer of a new generation of Nigerian voices. .A voice that the world has taken seriously because of the QUALITY of the compelling and captivating stories she writes .

Isn’t it about time we do the same in our film making? Compelling stories, that are well made and excellently performed, that would sweep the floor and blow minds all across the world.

The literary world in Nigeria is NOWHERE as large as the movie industry,which has been touted as the second largest producer (quantity wise) in the world. But our literary figures are global brands that stand side by side with anyone from the west. Their books are stacked together in the same library and sold in the same book stores. In the case of Adichie promoted and distributed by the same publisher. The same can’t be said about our movie industry……yet. So for the love of all that’s good WHY??!!!

Why don’t we have film makers globally revered the same way Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka are held in high regard.

How come the Nigerian film world does not have ANY voice as respected as Chris Abani is globally? (If there’s one please correct me)

When are we gonna to have a 100%Naija made film(cast&crew) take the world by storm the same way Adichie’s books have done? Gathering critical acclaim and accolades from colleauges all around the world? Giving Keynote speeches at TED Talks Universities and seminars all over the World?

With all the movies made annually where is that movie that would garner a legion of awestruck fans with NO connection to Nigeria like Adichie’s book found?

Maybe the real question is “Why haven’t we done one or such yet?”

This is a challenge for all screenwriters,directors producers,creatives and all those involved in Tv and Film of Naija origin both inside and outside Naija.

We have the potential to tell fascinating Naija stories, those grounded in reality, fairy tale or fantasy, which we have many.

What stops us from adapting stories by Soyinka, Cyprian Ekwensi and others into screenplays. What stops “The return of Ikenga” ,”Things fall Apart” from being a Naija epic. or “Without a Silver spoon” becoming Naija’s answer to “Pursuit of Happyness” We have sooooo much potential, which can stop the recycling of stories.

We don’t even have to adapt books, but can come up with original stories that go beyond what is currrently available.

We’ve all had childhood experiences that would make great “Coming of age” films.

We’ve all heard tales in boarding school.Old wives tales or that story your friend heard, from his neighbor’s cousin’s sister’s daughters boyfriend, that sounds outlandish but you don’t mind because it’s throughly entertaining.

How about fictional stories with a historical backdrop?

How about stories set in a complete world of fantasy?

Biopics on heros. Satire ,Lord knows we have loads of ripe events that need to be told through the magic of Satire.

How about a gritty film that shows the social divide of Nigeria. The Haves vs The Have Nots. The Aje Butter vs The Aje Paki? Their resentment of each other and how they come to a mutual understanding.

The brutal reality of the “Area Boy” virus in society and how it could spiral into a much bigger monster that rampages the city like Godzilla.

I’ve said it a million times “City of God” is a prime example showing the potential a well made film can have to an industry.Shoot on a minimal budget and no big names ,It’s was brazilian film made outside Hollywood, and it took the world by storm. We have that potential too. How are we Naija young generation going to turn the tide, and start stunning the world with amazing globally appealing WELL MADE movies about naija life?

SIT DOWN AND LEARN FROM AN INTELLIGENT BLACK MAN

As a born and breed African kid, many people are surprised when they meet me. They are surprised by my articulation, and my command of the English language ,bewildered that i know more than the words “give us free” and that i don’t talk like the characters from “The God’s must be crazy”. They are marvelled at my exposure ,knowledge of their history and understanding of culture, when they don’t have an inkling on mine. Luckily for me, i have not had the experience that many of my friends have had.When some ignoramuses come up to them and ask if they had pet lions, or lived in trees and wore clothes when they were in Africa, and how they were able to learn English.

Africans, perhaps more than any other race have suffered stereotypes from Hollywood. For many years, movies about Africa have been one dimensional;portraying Africans as limited thinking, quarter illiterate “yes masstah” characters. Heavy caricature ,often imbeciles, with no thoughts of their own. When that is not the case, they are swinging from trees, or running around half naked in loin cloth,in movies like “King Solomon’s Mines”. Stereotypes and profiling, is one of the reasons that society is still where it is today. The blanketing and general statement in a recent article, that “black people do not read” is one from which i beg to differ.

There was a recent article on how “black people don’t read”, Now THAT is as crazy a statement as “all Chinese men know Kung Fu”.

It’s an ignorant , unfounded and unfair generalization . I am in my twenties and for as long as i can remember ,books have been a huge part of my life. I would have to plea guilty as charged if accused of being a book worm. As a child i read book by Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl,Judy Blume and Alan Ahlberg,in my teenage years i moved on to Jeffery Archer and John Grisham as an adult i read both fiction and non fiction ranging from David Balddachi , to Dr Myles Munroe ,Jack Canfield and currently , The Road Less travelled by M Scott Peck.

I am more than just literate, i can intelligently hold my own in virtually any conversation , i may not be an expert , or be broad on the topic , but at least i can make some form of contribution, and i have MANY friends ,too numerous to mention, with that same capability and more.

-We chew over if Japan would be the economic force it is today if Hiroshima has never happened.

-Postulate on the application on Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” in modern day business.

-Discuss on striking similarities in Greek and Roman mythology .

- Deliberate on the possibilities of time travel based on the “Theory of relativity”.

-Analyze business lessons from Vito and Michael Corleone.

-Debate on if economic growth and prosperity in the USA during the Clinton administration, could really be attributed to him or the dot com revolution that happened during his tenure.

-Deliberate over the pros and cons of Nigeria switching over to a parliamentary system of government.

-The possibility of Nigeria becoming amongst the top ten economies within the next 10 years once we can solve the issue of NEPA and Internal Hostilities.

-Wonder if the USA would have become involved in World War 2 if not for Pearl Harbour, and what would the world be like if Hitler had succeeded in his campaign.

Was the Cold War really about communism, or truly a fight between the USSR and USA, or who was the Alpha male…..(Hey! Who mentioned ROCKY over there.)

to relax, we can switch over to mundane issues

We can equally discuss over Cristiano Ronaldo ,and if he has erased the legendary name from his Brazilian predecessor .

If Muhammad Ali , and Michael Jordan still hold on to the legendary status we hold them up to in their respective sports.

If Bruce Lee would beat Jet Li in a street fight ?

Why Batman though the only human(without powers) in the Justice League is the most feared and respected?

If Robin Hood and King Arthur truly existed ,and if not, how did they become so big and so legendary that we think they actually did exist?

The lessons of tenacity, perseverance and never give up mentality that we learn from Top Cat,Wile E Coyote and Yogi Bear?

Ask our selves based on the evidence if a lazy animal like the Lion is truly the King of the Jungle and not the Tiger.

Why people claim abstinence doesn’t work , because they won’t admit that they like sex too much to give it up.

Between Batman and Blade, who would win in hand to hand combat?

Would Naruto be as cool, if they spoke in English?

Why Tupac is the greatest of all time and why Biggie does not eve n come close to matching him as an Mcee.

When would Samuel L Jackson stop playing the Angry black male card, (think about it, what was the last L Jackson movie you saw that he did not YELL!!!!)

AND

Which movie between “The God Father” and “Citizen Kane” is truly the Greatest movie Of All Time?

We discuss both real issue and mundane things, and i believe that any discussion that comes up, to a very reasonable extent, we can contribute without looking foolish.

It’s unfortunate that in the 21st century, with the wide range of knowledge and exposure to the world available at the stroke of a keyboard(a global village), people still can’t see beyond their little world. Many people still see the continent of Africa as one huge Safari, where the animals run wild right outside your front door.

With National Geographic,The History Channel,Animal Planet, and the many educational channels, many people in the western world, by western world i am referring to Europe and North America, think that Africa is a country. Hence we hear them say “I’m going to Africa”, “we want to help Africa”. Thanks to Oxfarm and Feed the Children, (all good causes on their own), many still walk around thinking that ALL African children are bloated bellied and starving.That perception is like a foreigner thinking he can learn about life in the UK by watching Big Brother .

The generalization that black people don’t read is like thinking Indians randomly burst into song and dance in the middle of the street or that all American’s behave like the guests on Jerry Springer.

We are all individuals and can not classified by the actions of a few. Unlike many people of both races whose idea of classic literature is Katie Price’s or Jade Goody’s biography, i prefer to read something that would actually add some value to my life and future.

A while back,a friend of mine was livid about the launch of MTV Base Africa, which played about 99% Hip Hop/ Rhythm and Blues. What right did they have to restrict our music to only those categories? That is another stereotype that is all around the world. The assumption that black people only like those two genres of music. What about Alternative,Rock ,Pop,Swing, what makes them think we don’t listen to that?

Now i don’t know about anyone else, but i listen to a whole range of music. I croon to Frank Sinatra’s “I got you under my skin”,karaoke to Air Supply’s “All out of love” and Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana”. Back in my University days some of my friends called me a “white boy” just because i loved listening to Nickelback ,Linkin Park ,Limp Bizkit, Blink 182 amongst others. When the truth is i can scream to “Smells of teen spirit” as well as bust the mic on “Ready or Not”. I can serenade to Barry White as well as lay back and appreciate Chopin’s Symphony.

It’s ignorant and unfair to classify people by what we see on television. Yes, there are starving kids in Africa, but there are also homeless, malnourished kids in the UK ,USA and Eastern Europe. Like there are different social classes (lower,middle ,upper, rich , stinking rich) in other parts of the world, the same exists in the nations of Africa.We have sky scrapers , and NO we do not live in mud huts. We have cities and we hail taxi’s , take the bus, drive drop tops, and SUVs’. We hustle by day and play by night, have night-clubs, Pubs and raves. We go on dates, hang out at the mall and catch the latest movie at the cinema.

The Africa that most of the world sees, is either news reports on war , famine and starving kids. The Africans that they portray the dictators and those who even if they had a transplant from Einstein , wouldn’t be able to find their way out of a paper bag.

They fail to mention that it was a Nigerian ,Philip Emeagwali , that wrote the formula which is the back bone on which the Internet runs, he has won numerous awards (computer scientist of the year at least three times)back to back , and has been awarded the science world’s version of a Nobel prize .

Wole Soyinka that won a Nobel Prize in the 80′s is still one of the most respected literary minds in the world and is on the lecture circuit world wide. There are many more achievers too numerous to mention.

American writer W.E Du Bios is known to have said
“Europe has never produced and never will in our day bring forth a single human soul who cannot be matched and over-matched in every line of human endeavor by Asia and Africa”.

Does it matter that i am able to answer 90% of the questions on “The Weakest Link” on auto pilot, or 60% of “Jeopardy” and “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” by reflex. Is it a matter of my race, that i like the music of The Temptations, as much as i like Franki Valli & the Four Seasons ? Or that i have no rhythm whatsoever despite the fact that “ALL black people can dance”. No.

Everything i am ,is because of WHO i am. I have the knowledge i have , because as an individual i take interest in those things. Just like not everyone in the world can roll their tongue, not everyone is interested in the things i am ,or has the eclectic taste that i do. It is my individual choice to listen to Both Marvin Gaye and Dean Martin, George Benson and John Mayer, Tracy Chapman and Alanis Morrisette. The fact that i can answer most questions on quiz shows is because of all the time i spent watching documentaries, reading journals, encyclopaedia’s, news reports and believe it or not sitcoms and Looney Toons cartoons.

My exposure and knowledge does not make me better than anyone else, or smarter ,because most of my life if you wanted to give me a seizure all you had to do was mention MATHS and i would quiver like a leaf and I am quite frankly hopeless at academic writing. And those that, do know maths and came out with a first class degrees, may not be able to engage in some of the discussions that i mentioned earlier.

I still love cartoons as much as i did when i was eight years old. I still get cracked up when i watch Looney Toons,The Mask or The Flintstones .I still think that Top Cat is one of the coolest fictional characters ever created after John McLane, Jason Bourne ,Michael Corleone,Chilli Palmer,Cool Hand Luke, and Captain Jack Sparrow(ok, he falls down quite far,but you get the point)

Does this make me immature or childish, you can think so if you want to ,but the fact is that, most of the classical music i know ,i first heard in Tom&Jerry and Bugs Bunny cartoons. Many of the words in my vocabulary were those i heard in cartoons and checked up in the dictionary, my home boy Daffy Duck taught me the words Stupendous,Obnoxious and Stuffy.

I remember i got into a serious and lively discussion with two other guys, one a medical student and an engineer. This went on for several hours and went into critical analysis mode, the engineers sister came round to listen in, and was flabbergasted when she discovered we had been talking about the evolution of the X-men and why Wolverine is not the leader. She couldn’t believe it, grown ass men! , Graduates! Wasting their time with such irrelevant musing. She then asked us to please be quiet as she plopped down on the couch to catch up with an EASTENDERS omnibus.

We should not allow our perceptions and limited exposure to allow us to classify people or pigeon hole them into a category. We should take every person we meet as an individual and not a summary of the movie characters we have watched.Not all Chinese men are the next Bruce Lee, nor are Indians shop keepers. Not all Africans are starving nor do we run after animals chucking spears and clicking or tongues as we talk. Hollywood is not the place to learn about people’s culture, due to the fact that they are of a country that has no culture of it’s own, and a people whose names don’t mean s***.

When you assume, you make an ass out of u and me, and we all know what assumption is the mother of.

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CONFESSIONS OF A MEDIA BRAT

Some people talk about being an Army Brat,a term used to refer to being raised on different military bases all around the world ,but i on the other hand, am a media brat. In my twenty some art years i consumed a dosage of NTA, video tape recordings of Fun Factory ,The Discovery,History and National Geographic channels, Channel O,TNT(before becoming TCM),Cartoon Network. Insomnia ridden nights were occupied by reading the Britannica. I started reading Sidney Sheldon and Jefferey Archer novels at as young as 14, a long way off from my Roahld Dahl,Judy Blume and Enid Blyton days If this was an interstellar journey, you can call me Jean Luc

In recent times I find that in the excitement of conversation the other party gets lost in translation as I unleash a constant barrage of pop culture references. If they ask me “what are you doing tomorrow night” and I reply in a devious tone “same thing I do every night ……” when something works out I say “I love it when a plan comes together” . If on a journey and i am asked the correct road, a smug “Roads! Where we’re going , we don’t need ,roads” is the reply.

When a friend is being elusive I talk about going Woodward &Bernstein on them. If they flaunt their skills of deductive skills I may give a “Well done Sherlock” or “Way to go Nancy Drew” naturally, dependent on plumbing. A reference to a good friend may land a “Kimosabi”,and bewilderment can conjure a “whatcha talking bout Willis”. When a female storms out incited by an action or statement of mine a grinning “she wants me” in the best Elvis voice one could muster(not that it happens).

Naturally, the very best is , in the prediction of conflict produces “going to the mattresses”, and negotiation brings on “make him an offer he can’t refuse” A person that manages to display real genius is Dexter or better yet Einstein.

When confounded I want to exclaim, ” Great Scots” or ” Billions of Blistering barnacles”, but that one rarely, if ever ,comes out. Houdini, for those that manage to untangle themselves from the most awkward of situations or you might remind a mouthy individual about the curious case Jimmy Hoffa, don’t know who he is !, EXACTLY.

If you are lost right now,and you have no idea what I am on about,you are probably an alien to the immersion and invasion of dialog, by the almighty frequency that is, pop culture . Either that or pop culture is a third language that you grasp little snippets of before having to sift through the onslaught and halt the slugger for a slower pitch. As a child of the 80′s that ‘teened’ in the 90′s, where sitcoms crafted the shuffling contradiction of cognitive dissonance known as my mind, it was a GREAT time to be young, being raised by the neighbors on Sesame Street, playing with the odd kids that lived at Fraggle Rock, as Mr Rogers tried to tell you a story, childhood was blissful.

Certain times, in the middle of nowhere, I can crack up or chuckle at a random thought that spins by,like a game of Russian roulette in my mind. It might be a scene from the Fred Quimby Tom&Jerry which I had a preference to, over the less aesthetic Chuck Jones animation . Or I switch into the voice of Peter Lorre’s bug eyed scientist, whose inquiry of “where’s the bunny rabbit” disturbing maniacal laugh I find amusing. A popular one I have used in recent times is “i’m coming down with Bamboo Fever”,a little throwback remix to the early work of Spike Lee, i had to proceed to explain the part of the world where Bamboo comes from and it’s replacement of the original word.

An overtly curious female might be April O Neil, or the more popular Lois Lane(the old movies). Two good friends(guys) Tango &Cash or Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid(Billy). Aldrich Ames who is considered the Judas of American Intelligence , can be the water mouth dude that runs his mouth on his boys, just to get the ladies in a frenzy, might end up like Tessio, and no “for old times sake” would get him out of that one. I may sign off a conversation with “here’s looking at you kid” ,comment on an exciting new acquaintance by “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” or fantasize about dramatically storming off, exiting with the classic “frankly my dear I don’t give a damn”. A random, “have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moon light? ” might freak out the receiver, which precisely illustrates “what we have here,is failure, to communicate”. In recent times,it has been as welcome, as suggesting “Mien Kampf” as a Barmitzpha gift that coincides with Yom Kippur. Just like the time I was chatting online and went , “What’s new pussy cat?” I could almost feel the “shoryuken” come through the IM, before explaining it being the title of a classic song,which i used as an inquiry of her state of well being . Luckily it was not the case of a Bunny Boiler.

As a media brat, you notice the allusions paid to your favorite cinematic pieces . Like the TV series Prison Break, and it’s numerous allusions to The Shawshank Redemption, or noticing how similar JJ Abrahams’ ALIAS, is ,to earlier 90′s series ,La Femme Nikita, with Peta Wilson. The recent movie Wolverine, for a regular person, it’s awesome,However, for comic fans, what was done to the characters ,it felt like dropping the soap at..well Shawshank Regarding the upcoming Tarantino flick, INGLORIOUS BASTARDS it’s throwback to the classic days of Dirty Dozen/Where Eagles Dare, two great films.

Being a media brat has it’s odd points, like being the only one to get an inside joke or retort heard on a tv show or movie, that no one else in the room gets, and as you roar in laughter, your friends give you the silent “i hope you are ok ” stare. Or making a reference regarding a particular situation, as i did recently on, “pulling a Ferris Bueller”, and almost getting one of those, blinking clueless stares you see and hear so dramatically in cartoons. The most basic one , which the vast majority are familiar with, is the CSI mode to something fishy with the term “something is rotten in the state of denmark”, if they are still puzzled, That is an indicator for plain reference and allusion free english being the modus operandi.

So, now in thought process,I shift gears into Defcon 1, when not speaking to a Book worm+film geek+babysat by telly =Media Brat I have to scream “book em danno” at the mental SWAT, who make a pre emptive strike,so i don’t deliver a pre mature “Fatality” to conversations, through thoughts that try to pull a Houdini/Lee Harvey Oswald

So whether it’s breaking down in the courtyard screaming FREEEEEEEEDOMMMMM after overcoming something. Screaming “Are you not entertained” to the seething mob after defeating the school bully. Hissing back “you can’t handle the truth” at those odd questions women like to ask, but really don’t want (or like) the real answer eg Is that woman prettier than me? Do i look fat in this?

I am and for the foreseeable future , will be, a media brat. Ok, Doctor,im done, Analyse That.

lyrically speaking….there was a girl i used to know she was……

There’s just “something about you” that seemed like you just stepped off a cloud from mount Olympus cos, you are my cocoa butter amazon princess some may say, it’s a “bitter sweet symphony” or even “virtual insanity” that i consider you my “sweetest taboo”.

Sometimes i ask myself “are you that somebody’” and as much as i try to deny it I’ve got you “under my skin” , your presence makes me feel like i can “fly like an eagle” further denial causes me “trouble sleeping” cause im “so into you”

Your aura alone “knocks me off my feet” and if it were FaceBook, our status would be called “half crazy” but i have to give my “confession” “every little thing” i do, you’re on my mind yet you say i’m “just a friend” My attempt at “breakin the habit” has failed “each time”, and “it’s alright”, even though sometimes it feels like you “pushin me away” “i aint mad atcha” cos, you inspire my “ascension” to higher heights, and in my mind there’s “no doubt” that “if i ever” fall she’d be “someone like you”

Life lessons from classic cartoon characters

Most of us grew up watching cartoons as children. Tom and Jerry, beyond a doubt, has to be one of the most popular and generation bridging cartoons ever. The rivalry between the two has spanned over 50 years.

Most episodes would begin with Tom scheming about how he could eat Jerry. But no matter how hard he tried, Jerry always found some way to escape, even after Tom had succeeded in swallowing him. In the Looney Toons cartoons, there have also been many similar rivalries.

Elmer Fudd has hunted Bugs for many years without much success, but he keeps coming back to get that “scwewy” wabbit. The constant hunt for the road runner by Wild E Coyote also has to be one of the most determined series of plots in cartoon history. He usually has a perfect plan, which should work by all logical means, but someway or somehow, the road runner always manages to get away. Sylvester is another popular character that has a similarly determined mindset for turning Tweety into his lunch, or sometimes he’s just minding his own business, but he somehow always manages to get into trouble.

What is the point of all this cartoon referencing? What do all these rivalries have to do with anything in life? Is there something that Elmer, Sylvester, Tom and Wild E Coyote all have in common? The answer is tenacity, and they all have it. Each one has a goal that they want to achieve, usually lunch. No matter how many times they get outsmarted, bashed, slammed into the side of mountains or squashed by falling anvils they keep striving after their goal, simply because they can see it in their mind’s eye. They always know what they want, and they are not going to let a few obstacles – whether it be the IQ of their opponent, the height of what they are striving for or the fact that what they are after is moving at a faster speed than what they can keep up with. They just find a way to do it

Consider The Road Runner, Jerry, Tweety, and Bugs Bunny to be the ultimate survivors. No matter what their hunters use to come against them, they always find a way to survive. No matter how many times they get trapped, they constantly find a relevant means of escape. Think about it, have you ever watched a Looney Toons cartoon, in which Wild E Coyote succeeded in completely capturing the road runner or that Bugs didn’t escape Elmer’s capture? No matter what the situation, they both exhibit their true nature. Bugs Bunny has the nature to survive at all costs and Elmer Fudd has relentless tenacity, no matter how many times he has previously failed.

Another group of cartoon characters I greatly admire are Top Cat (TC) and Yogi Bear. These guys are what I’d like to call, “The Original Kings of Hustle”. Top Cat is an entrepreneur, someone who brims with confidence and never allows anything to get him down. When he faces an obstacle he simply finds a way to overcome it. Whether it be a lack of money, assets or staff or occasional human obstacles in the form of officer Dibble, his brain always begins to work and he succeeds in overcoming the interference in some manner. Despite the fact that all of his ventures end up collapsing, he always keeps on trying, and the spirit within him never die.

The same goes for one famous Jellystone Park resident who is “smarter than the average bear”. He is the mammal that had exquisite taste long before Remy rat. Unlike the other bears that are satisfied with fruits nuts and berries, he longs for more, picnic baskets in particular. Despite all of the obstacles facing him, usually in the form of Ranger Smith who represents authority figures, or by his fellow bears who are satisfied with what they can rummage around, he wants something better. Usually there are things that people will tell him are not meant for bears, saying that they are out of his league and convincing him that he should stick to what he knows. Yogi never lets any of that veer his determination, and due to his extreme perseverance, more often than not he succeeds.

Life is not very much different. Like the little kids playing or the cartoon character that falls down or is losing, we do not want to just give up and quit. There are always going to obstacles in our way. Even as babies when we gradually learned to walk, gravity was constantly an obstacle. We plainly fell down several (hundred) times, but that didn’t stop us from trying. Today we walk without even giving it a second thought, or remembering how difficult it was for us to learn.

Children usually fall down many times and get back up without even a second thought when playing “cops and robbers” or “tag”. Many of us have also played some form of sports and loved it. There is no doubt at some point in time that we lost a game or missed a shot, but we learned not to quit because of that.

Like those cartoon characters that kept going despite several knock downs or defeats, if we have a strong enough vision, we should not allow any failure to make us quit. Most of the successful people in history and in the world today have had so many failures that it’s a wonder that they kept on going at all. Col Sanders the founder of KFC had about 1009 rejections for his recipe, Abraham Lincoln failed in getting elected for many different offices, JK Rowling received many rejection slips, Steven King threw away the manuscript for “Carrie”, because of so many rejections. Bing Crosby was written off by a casting director. Are you seeing a pattern here?

It’s not going to be easy, but no matter how many falling cartoon anvils get dropped on us, and no matter how many mountain sides we smash into – if our dreams are truly worth it, we should learn from our favorite cartoon characters, and never give up.

TC the King of hustlers