Saturday, September 7, 2013

Taking Sage Advice from Katy Perry and her Connection with her Spirit Animal in the “Roar” Music Video


We can all learn a little something from this musical shaman. In moments of strife (like surviving a plane crash with a useless pretty boy who gets eaten by a tiger), we can all channel our spirit animals and it will all be better (i.e. paint elephant’s toes and summon toucans whenever we like). Just follow KP’s lead.

Step 1: Encounter your spirit animal

In the face of tarantulas climbing on her shoulders, KP takes a beat to do some good old introspection. She looks in that lagoon like Simba in one of the most beautiful moments in cinematic history, and she sees her spirit animal. What a moment! Even the fireflies make the shape of a tiger for some unknown reason!

Step 2: Be great, but have no clue why

KP finds herself doing some courageous and resourceful things like making spears out of stilettos and showering with elephants. It is not clear why she has this newfound greatness, but it is there. Her spirit animal is in her but she doesn’t quite know it yet.

Step 3: Recognize your spirit animal and be even greater

KP discovers some hominid cave painting that lets her know everything she needs about her spirit animal: it is a badass. So she puts on something sexy and emerges in a palm frond skirt and leopard skin crop top! She does what she wants!

Step 4: Channel it!

When KP roars at the real life tiger, the message is clear to us mortals: channel the spirit animal! Be a champion and roar! Preach!

Thanks, KP. We all learned something today.

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Friday, September 6, 2013

The Subtle Allusion to Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” in "One Direction: This Is Us"



Part of me feels like an uber nerd for making a Jack London reference for this, but then I remember that Morgan Spurlock directed One Direction: This Is Us and I feel OK with it. And, appropriately, from henceforth we will call the 1D movie “the film.” It legitimizes me. For myself.

As I watched the film with my esteemed colleagues sipping boxed Sauvignon Blanc and eating red vines, I was mesmerized by the whimsy of the carefree musical geniuses from the UK (can’t forget about Niall, that Irish fool). From Liam saying he wanted to be a fireman so he could save people to the lads singing “Let Me Be Your Last Kiss-Reggae Version” to Zayn’s Bob Marley board shorts, it was nothing short of amazing. I laughed. I sang along. I heckled. (#sauvignonblanc)

And then the snob cloud shrouded me.

The lads went camping, and Louis coyly stepped out as the other four tried to assemble their tents. (I am certain some poor camera crew member had to step in and assemble the tarp tipis for them in the end.) Then all five attempted to make a fire to warm their manly bristles called facial hair and illuminate their luscious locks in the night. But they were, as it were, unable to build a fire. 

So I leaned over to my fellow film-watcher and whispered, “It’s like Jack London’s ‘To Build A Fire!’” Allow me to explain.  In the short story, we meet “the man” who falls through ice on the Yukon Trail and needs to build a fire to warm himself. In the film, we meet our five international sensations and their perfectly gelled-manes as they decide to rough it in some backyard. In the story, we see “the man" build a fire, only to have it extinguished by the melting snow falling from the branches above. In the film, we see the British gents lean some logs together and assume they will stay up on their own, but alas no. So much mirroring! Until, of course, we get to the part in London’s story when the protagonist dies of hypothermia. Spoiler alert, 1D fans, Liam, Louis, Harry, Niall, and Zayn live through the film.

So, the parallel ends there. But it was fun while it lasted.