Art vs. Artist

So for starters let me just go ahead and say that I'm sure some of you are going to make fun of me once I tell you where my latest blog entry came from. Despite how you might feel about the show, I really think that they brought up a good point on the last episode and if you disagree then feel free to skip this entry. Onward to my post:

  Today I spent time getting some of the shows on my DVR watched so my box would stop reminding me that it was slowly running out of room for new shows. (I hate falling behind on shows but at least I have things to watch!) As I was watching an episode of glee I found myself very intrigued when many of the characters flipped out on a guy who was planning to sing a Chris Brown song for the week. (For those who don't watch, usually each week they have a theme for the songs they are going to sing at practice like guilty pleasures or diva songs.) Most of the group is telling this one guy that he can't sing a Chris Brown song because he had an abusive relationship with Rhianna and if he sings Chris Brown it makes the statement that he thinks it's ok. This character decides that the group is right and decides to sing a Brown song, but instead of singing a Chris song...he sings a Bobby Brown song instead. Of course the group is still upset and informs this character that Bobby Brown was no better than Chris.

This is after he sang My Prerogative (I think)

All this got me thinking, when it comes to music or any form of art can we forget the terrible things he/she/they do in private if the art is wonderful? Are some bad choices easier to overlook than others? Does a person's private life affect how his/her art is perceived? Think of a song that you absolutely love, a song that you know all the words to, something you can't help but feel happy when it comes on. Now imagine that the person who sings this amazing song is a puppy killer.

Look at how adorable!

Are you going to stop listening to that song? If you bought the cd, are you going to throw it away? Odds are, you won't buy any more concert tickets or posters of this artist. Now if the artist is a tax evader or heavy on drugs, does that chance your stance? Michael Jackson was accused of messing with little boys...but you never hear people say anything negative about his music. Whitney Houston was on drugs and people talk about how horrible a loss it is for the music industry now that she's passed on. Am I trying to hint that I think either of the Browns are better than MJ or Whitney? No, of course not. My ears work fine but my point is that while they both had faults that were often the headline for the tabloid section at your local grocery store, it seems that the general public can overlook these bad choices and focus on musical talents and catchy songs.

If we turn from music to movies you can see that it's close to the same deal. Most of us have heard about Mel Gibson's slurs. If you haven't noticed...the offers don't seem to be pouring in for him anymore. Do we stop watching the good movies though? Braveheart may be one of his best know movies. AMC plays it very often. Do we stop watching it? Has anyone actually seen Gibson's latest movie that went straight to dvd? (Unless it's a movie for kids...this is usually a bad sign) How about David Hasselhoff who lost custody of his daughters when that video of him on the floor with the cheeseburger surfaced? Do we stop letting kids watch the Spongebob movie?

This is a real scene from the movie

So here's my opinion on the matter. If it's a simple mistake and they make great music...it's easy for us to forget and move on but some of the heavier things (like hitting women or having an addiction) are harder to overlook and while we won't talk badly about previous work...it will stop us from liking anything new. In my opinion, I don't really care for the music of Chris or Bobby Brown so I haven't ever supported either of them. Honestly,  I'd much rather be listening to Blink 182 any given day!

Blink 182

Ok readers, I want to know what you think! Is there a line you hope your favorite artist never crosses so you don't have to burn all that merch you bought at the last show? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think about MJ, Whitney, Mel, ect... Feel free to tell me what you think about Blink (just know that I might have a comeback already lined up...hehehe)! Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Shows You Should Be Watching: Once Upon A Time

I plan to make this a monthly post simply titled "Shows You Should Be Watching" where like the title suggests, I'm going to write about a TV show that you need to check out. Now I know that everyone has different tastes, but I promise to offer you more than "It's a good show and you should watch it now". 

My very first SYSBW is one of my favorites, Once Upon A Time. Now if you haven't checked it out yet, trust me when I say that it so much more than fairy tales. The show comes from the creators of LOST (which I still haven't gotten around to finishing myself) and they are known for very in depth stories with a lot of turns and confusion. The show is currently in the middle of its second season but if you have Netflix you can easily see the first season and the last time I checked ABC.com offered streaming of season two. Once Upon A Time airs on Sunday nights at 8 pm eastern on ABC. (It won't be on tonight cause of the Oscars though)

 OUAT takes place in the fictional town of Storybrook, Maine. Where story book characters have been cursed to live as we do, in a land without magic. Now the show flows seamlessly from what's going on in Storybrook to flashbacks of things that have already happened back in their kingdom. The main focus of the show revolves around Emma Swan, (Spoiler alert!) daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming who is said to be the savior and the only one who can break the curse that keeps the storybook characters from remembering who they really are. The curse as not only sent them to our universe, they have no idea who they really are or anything that happened to them before living in Storybrook. They've been stuck in time for 28 years with these false identities and away from the people they love. The beauty of the curse is that they are confined to the town. Whenever one of them decides that they want to leave, something bad happens to them and of course are forced to stay. An example of this is shown when a character tries to leave town but has car trouble at the town marker.

While you will see several of the prince and princesses that Disney had helped to make famous, you will see some other famous names that you might not have expected. So if you really thought this was just a bunch of princesses waiting around to be saved, you have the wrong show!

I'm really trying my best not to give anything away anything so you can be as surprised as I was the first time I watched the show. I convinced my husband to give this show a chance, and he's really come to enjoy it. There is so much action in the flashback scenes! Knights and princes slaying dragons and fighting "the dark one". I was a bit shocked when my husband actually told me that its one of the shows that he's really come to look forward to. He really enjoys the "fairy tale" side as he likes to call it. Without giving too much away, once you get into season two you'll meet Frankenstein! Which caused a bit of a commotion on the fan side, but as the creators have mentioned several times...this show is about storybook characters, not just fairy tales. Which makes me very hopeful for future episodes...it leaves the door wide open for so many new characters!

There is so much more that I could say about this show but like I said before I really don't want to give too much away or ruin any episodes for you so it's time that you stop reading and get to watching! OUAT was listed as the best new fall show for 2011 and has had a steady increase of viewership since it's start last year and its been up against some big competition like ball games and award shows! (LIke tonight...*sigh*) I mean really what more do you need dearies? Get out there and start watching!

http://www.netflix.com (Season 1)
http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/once-upon-a-time (Season 2)
http://hulu.com
Season 1 is also available on DVD and Bluray

Here's something you can post to let people know that you are currently unavailable!

Before I go, I just want to mention the fan site Once Upon A Time Fans. They stay up to date on the newest cast members and upcoming episodes! (If you're into spoilers) They have to be the best fan site for the show. (Which also proves how great a show this really is!)

Getting Started...

   It's always so exciting when you begin something new. A new job, or let's say starting a new project (like maybe a blog), your mind begins racing with ideas and things that you want to accomplish. For most people, these amazing ideas pop up at the most inopportune times like taking a shower or while buying groceries. It's very hard to stop what you're doing a grab a pen and jot down an idea. Even now as I have decided to start my blog, my mind is racing trying to remember all of the ideas and topics that I already had mostly written in my mind. I know that for most people, we tend to look at the start of a new year as a time for new beginnings and to change things about ourselves.This is something that I've been bouncing around in my head for a while now!

So this is actually my second attempt at starting my own blog. I actually went back and deleted everything I had already posted simply because I didn't like the direction that I went. I feel that this time around I'm wiser and prepared to do something helpful...even if I only get on here and make a joke or post a few funny pictures. I think I just put so much pressure on myself the first time. "What if you don't really have any thoughts that are really worth sharing"? Or "Do you really think people will care to even read your opinions"? While it would be a bit of a downer to find out that no one is really interested in what I have to say, I've decided that I will take pride in the fact that I went for it. I took that step and did something that I wanted for myself!

To give you a taste of what I already have planned...I will give you a few of my ideas for upcoming entries. For starters, I plan to open my blog up to anyone who would like to seek advice about anything in life. Like a Dear Abby I suppose...and keep from using any one's real names. I also plan to tell you about the shows that you've been missing out on, as well as movies, books, and bands. I've also become addicted to a site called Pintrest and I plan to do some of the crafts and meals I have pinned and let you know how they turn out. I promise to include pictures...maybe even video (if I can convince the hubby to hold the camera). I also hope to post about random things that puzzle me (without getting too personal or soap boxy).

For now, please bear with me as I get this ball rolling and I think it will be worth it! I will end this entry with a picture that I know geeks will enjoy...