EricMontreal22

Bad Romance has been my fave of her singles, and it was one of the few videos that worked (I liked Paparazzi too). While I like that she still does over the top videos when few others do, I do kinda get the criticsm ever since Alejandro--and now--that the video concepts seem to have next to nothing to do with the song. Although that's always been part of Gaga's shtick (and to be fair it's worked brilliantly for her commercially)--"outrageous" image, with pretty conventional catchy pop/dance. I agree that the opening, as repellent as parts of it are is the best part of the video--it seems to set up something, that isn't fulfilled with the rest (though I like the skeleton bit for some reason--I'm pretty tired of Gaga's always the same choreography though which is just kinda a mess). Oddly I was just rewatching for the first time in years, the Tales of the City miniseries with a friend which opens with the Vertigo theme as well... I do lik e the song--cliche as it is--and I guess I would have been annoyed with a video that was set at a gay pride parade or something more expected, but... This may sound defensive, but I don't think Gaga *is* trying to be sexy--I know in Vanity Fair (though maybe *she* was being defensive) she has said she's never trying to sell herself as a sex object, even when she wears next to nothing. I actually kinda appreciate that in a world where nearly every female popstar(and male, for that matter)'s main goal is to look as sexy as possible. *That* is one area where she does differ from Madonna.

I've long been interested in this... I found a few interesting New York Times articles on it, that I can try to post but thats it... (Of course they didn't like it much...) Wish something from it was online

The video starts off interestingly--even if using Herrmann's Vertigo has been done before--and then kinda goes nowhere fast. She also needs a new choreographer. I don't mind long videos though--they will ofen just play the edit anyway... I do agree with Adam though--with the sorry state of videos right now, when even Madonna could care less, I like that she at least tries... Oh and Little Boots:

Shrug. I see that as exactly why it's all an act. She sees herself (pretentiously I admit) as a creation, like Bowie saw himself in the 70s, etc. I've never heard her actually say it's a direct reflection of who she is, but rather of who her influences have been and what she thinks the world (again pretentious) "needs". I enjoy her because nothing is genuine about her. I guess that doesn't make me one of her monsters, but I don't see any of the messages she rants on about as BAD, so it doesn't bug me. I see a lot of people get really worked up (people who dislike her) by all this though, which is exactly what she wants. She does sing the important part on Ellen, but I agree actually. I'm sick of people covering pop songs on youtube and being heralded as the Next Great Thing, particularly when they're not so cute little kids that Ellen loves. But I guess that makes me evil and grumpy

I'm mixed on it. I dunno though the Gaga is fake argument/criticism makes me laugh cuz IMHo that's her whole shtick--it's ALL show, an act, and that's what appeal she has for me. Pop music should be like that IMHO--a show.

HURTS' new video/single. I've liked them from the start, but I admit the film geek in me loves that this video is a take on Cocteau's Orphee. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbRPFDG4Ais

I've heard one radio episode--it's interesting in many ways it seemed like Irna actually created the show to take over the relitious element from Guiding Light as that had been phased out. It also seemed like it could have been, like GL the rare radio soap that would have a long life on TV--until they sold the show.

Loving really got a poor deal I think--we've said this before, but... Back when I started watching cuz of the AMC cross overs, I think I found out from a TINY piece in SOD. As it was SOD next to never said much at all about Loving it seems (except for the brief synopsis section). Here in Canada it was the ONLY soap at the time that wasn't simulcast or carried at a different time on a Canadian station, and I remember even talking at one point to a friend of my mom's who was soap opera obsessed--she had watched the P&G soaps and AMC and Y&R since the 70s, and was aware of all the others, and she had simply never ever heard of it. Even with the brief push given to The City it never really felt like ABC had their hearts in it (wehich brings us back to them canceling the City after only 18 months--well 13 or 14 months really before it was decided--why go through all this trouble to try somethign genuinely new, and then give it such a brief chance, especially knowing that soaps take usually a year to find their footing even in a traditional model?) I honestly remember a TON of a lot more promotion for PC--but wouldn't The City, with its new 'look" and Morgan Fairchild have deserved even more a primetime opener?

That is fantastic! it's the kind of thing I've seen countless times for AMC, or OLTL or other shows I watch, but never for Loving. Thanks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUmAOYStblM

Much more watchable is a 1996 episode. In hindsight it sure looks dated--and this is hardly a brilliant episode--, but I think it's interesting that the handheld camera work, etc, is still better than GL's often was. The last year it aired here (from the Seattle ABC) at 12:35 midnight, and I admit I think it worked best as a late night soap for some reason--well I really loved its last year. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6qiZC-RLEI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZGXCcAMf_M

And someone just posted the last episode of The City a few weeks back but it's near impossible to watch... Still here's part one. (I really should digitize and upload my video tapes...) Not sure if it's worth linking the other two parts but you can find them from there. (Better quality is the ending montage to the Beatles they did which at the time I really liked... Although this clip ends before the actual The End when they show crew members, etc)

ANd a split second in the promo for Tracy's first ep

There's some brief stuff if you look... The show was still finding itself when she was on and didn't come into its own (at least IMHO ) till Tracy replaced her. It was probably a mistake to do a murder mystery so soon after Loving's--even with, like Loving's, it's own special opening. edit I see Carl posted mostr of these way back LOL her BRIEF first appearance at the end of this

I've missed this thread for a while-- I didn't watch Loving until right after Babbin left (was fired?) but I wonder why her run was so very short, then again Loving was filled with musical chairs. And I loved Celeste Holm as Isabelle--but I admit part of the appeal as a young teen musical theatre fag, was to have an original cast member from Oklahoma (Ado Annie!) be on a soap I watched... I rememebr the Oz fantasy too--it was prob around the time as other wacky bits with Ava and Jeremy like the Universal Studios/King Kong bit... And I admit I quite liked Laura Sisk on Loving (and The City even if her love triangle with Tony/Danny was a bit endless) and having never seen more than a minute or so of her on any other soap never quite got the hate. not that she was an all time fave or anything, but...

LOL why was Liberace even there? He seems to be the only non soap star... [!@#$%^&*] I wish we had a clip fo this. It looks like it could rival the Brady Bunch Variety Hour in my affections.

That's what surprised me too--of all their other soaps to promote, I thought by then they would pretend it didn't exist (I guess it had a new timeslot...) It is generic, love the other ads. Love old school soap print ads.

Aww the beginning of the end (well I suppose that really started earlier, but...) for Secret Storm.

I wish the Loving Pilot movie hadn't been removed from youtube before I had a chance to watch more than a few moments It does seem that the era of these great theatrical actors having a soap stint late in their career is gone--of course Lois Smith spent a month or two on OLTL 6 or years back, and we only lost Herlie from AMC recently, (not to mention Mitchell) but...

Lois is a huge fave of mine--and I love that televised version of Talk to me Like The Rain.You can get it on DVD as Dragon Country where it's paired with an at the time new Williams piece, I can't Imagien Tomorrow (with Kim Stanley!)

Can't wait! I thought it wasn't set till Summer 2011, but the sooner, the better.

Her and her husband Dan, who is in the band and writes most of the songs, are really really nice people--I've talked to both every time I've seen them (embarassingly to the point where they recognize me and have even bought me shots). They've had trouble finding their niche--at first the UK was all over them and they went for a slightly more Kylie vibe (they did write a very good song on Cyndi Lauper's dance album a few years back) but they flopped... But I'd recommend downloading both their albums, particularly the first, Galore. It's a great mix of indie and dance/pop. I always thought you disliked RedOne (yes I know making assumptions with you is dangerous )--I wonder if Kat ever is angry that she basically was his first project?

My fave indie/dance Canadian act (cuz there are so many...) Dragonette are keeping up between albums with collaborations with various European DJs--here's the latest. Pretty good, though I''m anxious for more of their own stuff http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWXNNttEvdA

They've just started playing this a LOT here in Canada (I didn't realize Duck Sauce was half Armand Van Helden). I can't decide if I hate it or love it--I usually despise such repititive dance music, though the song it samples, Gotta Go Home is one of the few Boney M songs I like. I did think it was ridiculous when Simon Cowell picked the song for that horrible gay duo group that sang it on X Factor (and was kicked off ) this season...

This was meant to be Burke's single last Spring, but then they went with that Start Without You nonsense in the Summer (granted it gave her a number one, and this will prob make a better UK holiday release when they LOVE their ballads). Anyway, definitely the best slow song RedOne ever produced (might not be saying much) and them adding live strings and harp to the single mix is great--I hope this does well for the re-release.