I was reading Steve Gerber's blog when he noted that singer Robert Goulet has the same disease that he does, only more severe. A couple letter-writers debated Bob's coolness; Steve stayed out of the fray. For the record, I've long stopped worrying about what's cool.
A couple bloggers I know faced ridicule by admitting publicly that they liked the movie Jersey Girl; I'll withhold their names to protect the guilty. I never saw it, so I really can't say if it's as awful as some people think.
I am aware, however, of what others think are uncool. So, my question: what songs, movies, TV shows, books, whatever, do you think others think are uncool, but you like them anyway? No movie or book come to mind, but I do have a vague recollection of actually liking My Mother, The Car. (I was young.)
Music, on the other hand, I have some strong candidates. And they're not songs; they're bits of songs:
The piano intro of Could It Be Magic by Barry Manilow. Hey, he copped it from Chopin.
The strings at the end of I Haven't Got Time For The Pain by Carly Simon.
The tight vocal segment "not quite a year since you went away" from Rosanna by Toto.
The "I've been looking for an answer" part of I've Been Waiting So Long by Chicago.
Almost any pop song with backed by a black church choir -I Want to Know What Love Is by Foreigner; Lay Down (Candles In the Rain) by Melanie; actually the latter IS virtually the whole song.
How uncool are you?
(Image copped from here.)
***
Based on a conversation I had on a bus yesterday, there are a lot of people who think that Daylight Saving Time ends tomorrow. Their calendars even say so. That would be incorrect. It has been moved to NEXT weekend. So don't be an hour late tomorrow; it'd be uncool.
ROG
5 comments:
I am with you Roger and "I Want to Know What Love Is" by Foreigner. Of course, I like all of Foreigner's first five albums, which makes me uncool in some circles, though we usually just call them "guilty pleasures". I also really like The Outfield's first album, "Play Deep". I bought it as a teen when it first came out and still love it to this day. I also have always liked the show "The Nanny", and I can't think of anyone else that likes it.
Musically I am usually of course pretty hip and with it, but I have to admit, I have a weak spot for Phil Collins-era Genesis and his early 80s solo work. Sus-sus-sussudio, dammit!
Jersey Girl isn't AWFUL, but it's not that good, either. I think because it's Kevin Smith, people weren't expecting the schmaltziness of it. But it's not totally crappy. Of course, I've never seen Gigli, so that might earn the hatred.
I have, of course, given up on caring what's cool (if I ever did). I too like Foreigner and Genesis, and you know my love for ABBA. Of course, ABBA was uncool for so long that now they're cool again. So if you just wait for a while, things get cool again! Yay!
Most people would probably consider my love for comics uncool, as well. Screw them all!
I disagree with Greg - Jersey Girl is actually kind of a sweet movie. I think because it's not wall-to-wall toilet humor (he saved the best stuff for CLERKS 2), people are split on it.
See it, Roger. You'll like it. Trust me.
One of the things I like about being over 50 is that I never again have to worry if I'm cool, or even attractive (I figure the best compliment I'll get at this point in my life is "you look good for your age").
It's not what I like that makes me uncool so much as what I don't like or don't care about. I never liked punk, don't care for either the Clash or the Ramones. I pretty much stopped listening to rock/pop after REM so the 90s bands (and the bands of this century) are all an ignorant blur to me. I don't like rap or hip-hop. I don't think it's uncool to listen to jazz, blues, world, and classical, but since that's what I favor, I ignore the rest.
I've never seen Jersey Girl, but I did like Valley Girl.
Post a Comment