Et tu, Andrew Bird?

What is the deal with music in commercials these days? It's pretty common practice for advertisers to invoke some old standard, or some song that you kinda remember but never thought about how easily it could be tailored to a message of commercialism. That's the thing, though, the music was "pre-used," let's say. Whatever the song, it had its day, however long or brief, it retired to obscurity (or not) then got to make its ignoble comeback in a 30-second spot about blenders. Or more likely cars.

I'm not writing this with the assumption that it will be a revelation to anyone. More I'm just hoping for an ... open dialogue? Something to alleviate my confusion? I don't know. Something.

More and more, I am hearing music on commercials that I've never heard before. WHAT'S MORE, it's music that I would not be averse to hearing again.

Seriously, what is the deal with this? Is it really the case that advertisement has suddenly become a venue for musical discovery? I don't even listen to the radio. If I discover new music, it's because I found it through the internet, or a tiny publication, or on a friend's recommendation, or because I saw them in person. I'm not trying to puff myself up like this is cool or anything, but ... oh, come on guys, it totally is. If this isn't cool then there's no such thing. This is the way the snobs get their music, isn't it?

Meanwhile, television commercials are the epitome of all that I, as a young, self-aware, socially-conscious, filthy pinko must despise, aren't they?

It's okay, calm down. I actually don't care at all in the way I'm pretending to. All I really care about is that I found some music that I like. Whatever I may claim from time to time, I'll listen to music if I like it. It doesn't have to meet any standard; it doesn't even have to be good. I mean, within this very year, I have listened to Debbie Gibson's Out Of The Blue, and I am completely comfortable with telling you that.

But I would be lying if I claimed that this weren't fucking with my Weltanschauung just a bit. It's ... it's freaking my establishment, people.

There are levels to this. It is multi-tiered. There's that terrible song by Vanessa Carlton with the treacly piano that's everywhere, and that's okay, I don't care about that. That song was out for a while prior, and she's in the dominion of pop anyway. Then, and this is true, I was in the waiting room at a doctor's office when I heard from the background television noise what I'm pretty sure was "Banking On A Myth." True story. I actually looked up and muttered, "Seriously?" before I could stop myself. (When I'm in public I usually try to pretend that I don't have any emotions.) Then, of course, there's my central problem: the songs that I've never heard before. The ones that make me look up and say, "Hey, this song's not bad. I have no idea what it is, but it's not bad." Are these people sell-outs? And ... don't I have to know who you are before you can sell out? I mean, really. There must be a before-career before there can be an after-career. But wait. Does that mean that I am a mass-market consumer?? HOLY SHIT!

This entry was spurred by the fact that this evening I made a playlist on my iPod entitled "Music I Heard On Commercials." I've acquired enough that I felt I needed to make a statement about it. A pitfall of many successful gimmicks, though, even though I latched onto the songs pretty well, I can't for the life of me remember what they were advertising. Although, of course, if I said "iPods," I'd probably be right at least half the time. Oh well, it's another thing I can blame Steve Jobs for, I guess.

Some samples from that list:
"Dance With Me" by The Sounds
"1234" by Feist
"Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop" by Landon Pigg (he basically sounds just like Rufus Wainwright - I don't know if that makes me like him less, or more)
"All That I Want" by The Weepies

Turns out it was not the sweet potatoes.

Nor the stuffing!

Turns out it was the virus.

Not fun! Although, in related news, hooray for my delectable feast of crackers.

This was the perfect time for my health insurance provider to let me know that my coverage is going up again this year. By 250 more dollars.

Oy.

Oy.

Why did you hate me, Thanksgiving???

It's about 3:30 now, so I've decided that I should try eating something again. It is dry cereal.

Thanksgiving did not agree with me. Do not misunderstand: the food was sublime. We cut down on the dishes this year, so we actually only had the ones that everyone likes and eats. I had so much sweet potato. It was excellent!

However, somewhere in-between the soup and the nuts*, my body realized that it really only likes cereal right now. My stomach is actually sore, as if I had done many sit-ups. It's horrible.

*the cheese and the pie

42.

Today is my sister Karen's birthday. She would have been forty-two.



This is one of my favorite pictures of her. I'm sorry I couldn't get it any clearer. Please note the shirt.

THIS JUST IN: New Jersey has plants and animals!

So, you may or may not recall (because I may or may not have mentioned) that I claimed to have taken pictures around my house this summer. I finally got around to getting them online! They include some incidental pictures of my garden. In the Garden State. I swear to you I am not making any of this up.

Also, in September I went to Colorado, so I put up some pictures of that too.

Annoyingly, I cannot sort and structure and regulate the pictures as my obsessive-compulsiveness dictates that I must. This is because my free premium account has expired. Blast! I'll have to give them money or something! I'm sorry Christine. I mean, unless someone can recommend me a good alternative.

OK! Computer!

I actually don't like Radiohead, but the title still must be used sometimes.

Folks, I have an announcement. For the first time in nearly a decade, I have a new computer. Okay, there was that time when I went to college and I had my own computer, but then I stopped using it and switched back to the ol' junk bucket. That's not important right now.

What's important is that it's so sexy I want to cry.

Vista? It's not that bad. The wom-wom window effect might eventually give me a headache, but ... dear God. SO PRETTY.

When I was setting things up, I found myself, um, unconsciously stroking the console. It's just so smooth!!