TresSugar

Sing for Changes Kids: How Long Did It Take You to Hit Stop?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:05 -0700

This video just made the wildfire rounds of the Internet, and the reviews. . . let's just say "scathing" would be a civil way of putting it. Featuring a group of grade school kids called "Sing for Change," (their YouTube page says, "Light, hope, courage and love shine through these non-voting children who believe that their very best contribution to the Obama campaign is to sing,") the video shows an original ditty sung by the kids.

The DrudgeReport linked to the video with the headline "Obama Kids Sing for Dear Leader" a nod to North Korean propaganda. Wonkette was even less kind, and though Gawker called them "creepy kids" they added this visceral rant:

The thought that an actual Obama supporter would round up a few dozen kids in the name of producing such nauseating vacuous reverse propaganda is too depressing, so let's just assume this is the diabolical work of some NRA-funded 527.

The video brings up a host of questions to be sure: Is it okay to use kids in a political campaign? Is this propaganda? Is the video even watchable? The comments on the YouTube page point to a strong distaste for seeing kids put in this position. Does it make you want to hit "stop"?

The Maverick Mixes It Up, Calls Obama Out on Financial Crisis

CitizenSugar — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:15:20 -0700

Another nugget of fallout from the financial crisis isn't just the prices on Lehman Brothers swag on eBay - it could be Obama's seemingly gleeful reaction to it, according McCain strategists. Steve Schmidt told reporters today that Obama is "cheerleading the crisis," and using it to his own political advantage, while McCain seeks a bipartisan solution to the money woes.

While Obama is "cheerleading" the financial crisis, Sarah Palin did some McCain cheerleading of her own at a joint town hall in Michigan last night. Jumping in to the proceedings, Palin said:

Okay. May I add something, because sometimes my running mate is a bit too humble. We need to remember who it was who pushed for and supported and risked much for the strategy that is working in Iraq, and that is the surge. He is the one who pushed for it.

Plus, I'm learning so much about culture today! McCain raps! Or R&Bs or something. I don't care what you call it, it's hilarity squared. Just watch. I promise it's worth it to read more.

Somehow I'm wishing this speech had actually been delivered like this. I might be sending the campaign a memo right now. . . "To whom it may concern: More dancing. Also, fur coat. Thank you."

Do you think Obama is "cheerleading" the crisis? How are McCain and Palin getting together on the trail? Does she have staying power, despite what Karl Rove says?

Source

Listen Up: Raisin' McCain by John Rich

CitizenSugar — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 09:06:53 -0700

I've been waiting to hear this! After we checked out the candidates' favorite songs last week, some of you commented on Obama putting a song written for him on his top 10 - and McCain has a tribute song of his own!

Country singer John Rich of the Big & Rich Country band and Nashville Star, debuted "Raisin' McCain" live at an event earlier this month. As a "fight" song, it didn't get to me quite the way this one always does, but pretty cool nonetheless.

Check out the whole song - what do you think?

Source

Kid Rock's Amen. Are You Voting the Rock?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:00:00 -0800

Flipping channels after Meet the Press Sunday, I stumbled across Kid Rock's new video for his song, "Amen." I have to say it's a little jarring (and refreshing?) to see a video where the shocking and subversive images aren't girls in tiny bikinis or guys covered with bling, but scenes from the news, from reality. Though I don't know what that says about the world we're living in, I'm glad Kid Rock isn't shying away from showing the truth, even if it is gritty. Here's the video, check it out for yourself.

The lyrics don't hold back either, skewering a whole slate of subjects - to see who, read more.

Habitual offenders, scumbag lawyers with agendas
I'll tell you sometimes people I don't know what's worse
Natural disasters or these wolves in sheep clothes pastors
Now damn it I'm scared to send my children to church
And how can we seek salvation when our nations race relations
Got me feeling guilty of being white
But faith in human nature, our creator and our savior, I'm no saint
But I believe in what is right

Can rock and roll still shock? What does it mean that the truth is now harder to look at than any apocalyptic fantasy we can conjure up? Do you dig the song or is Kid Rock played out?

Source

Grab Bag: Sci-Fi Guys To Boldly Go With

TresSugar — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:06:51 -0700

Check out some do-able sci-fi guys. - Lemondrop
Carl's Jr. looking for hot chicks eating burgers. Natch. - Feministing
Reasons Sarah Palin is bad - and good - for women in politics. - Jezebel
100 breakup songs of all time. - Em & Lo
Men talk about their worst sexual performances. - The Frisky
Lucky women who have orgasms in their sleep. - Smitten
The best 2-girls-1-cup parodies. Eeep! - Urlesque

Week in Weird News: Indian Party Buys Slumdog Song

CitizenSugar — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 11:42:07 -0800

Political Party in India Buys Rights to Slumdog Song - India's ruling party in congress has bought the rights to the Oscar-winning song "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire.
Happy 108th (or 111th) Birthday to Woman in Michigan! - Centenarian Mattie Caldweel celebrated her birthday last week, but she can't remember what year she was born, and there are no legal records since she was born at home!
Iowa's Department of the Elderly Ditches "DOA" Renaming - Lawmakers didn't realize that renaming the Deportment of Elder Affairs to the Department on Aging would give it the same acronym as "dead on arrival."
Boobs Not Bombs - About 100 women in Paraguay protested nukes by going nude this week.
Man Charged After Sitting Through Six Green Lights - A chorus of honking horns led police to a man asleep at the wheel in the middle of an intersection. The driver was later charged with a DUI.

Source

Scotty Iseri and the Big Rock Show Runs For President

CitizenSugar — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:03:40 -0800

If you think the 2008 campaign has stretched on too long already, get a load of this - Scotty Iseri's already gearing up for a run in 2020. That is, if you consider the front man of the world's smallest stadium rock show a contender. I sat down with this political-pop comedian who defines his style, "like NPR seriousness with my imagining of the Daily Show's house band." We talked about his new album, Scotty For President, which is "the Rock and Roll equivalent of an exploratory committee. I’m running in 2020. And if the album does well, I will have no choice but to run - after all, nothing says competence in our culture like celebrity."

Why pop music as a political platform?

Most pop music doesn’t deal with world issues, I'm grabbing and using it as a way to talk about serious issues in a lighter way, that helps people interact with politics differently. You can talk about things that are ridiculous and make you really angry - but have fun with them, rather than taking a Fox News approach – which let’s face it - isn’t fun."

It's this sense of fun that helps him tackle issues like religion in politics and corporate scandals. To get the scoop on his campaign, read more.

His campaign anthem, Scotty Iseri, You Can Do Anything, "is really more of a dare than a song. Let's face it: America (and Canada) are asking me to run." Well when faced with a potential candidate who calls himself, "a half-Japanese Barack Obama with a synthesizer and pyrotechnics," you have to admit that would add diversity to the ticket. And his sound? "Think the Violent Femmes and Biz Markee doing Randy Newman covers, for the truly politically peeved."

Intrigued and in the Portland area? Scotty's Big Rock Show is playing live Feb. 14-24. Here's a little sample of his sound: Now his music is hilarious - but a little blue, and I don't mean Democrat - there's adult language, just a warning. I'm a fan of I'm Sorry Mr. President.

One last reason to listen? "Let's put it this way: If you’ve ever wanted to see a half-naked man with a lightening bolt on his chest standing on the steps of Congress, this album is for you."

Exclusive! Will.i.am on the Possibility of First Black President

LibertySugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:15:00 -0700

It's no secret that Black Eyed Peas member Will.i.am and Barack Obama are fans of each other. Will.i.am, and his famous friends, covered an Obama speech in his powerful video "Yes We Can," and Barack added the song to his top 10 favorites of all time. Last night I ran into Will.i.am and got to hear what he thinks about the possibility of the first black president.

Will.i.am said that he doesn't feel the the urgency for Obama to be elected because of his race, but rather because Americans of any color need an advocate in the White House to help them realize better job opportunities, healthcare, and education. He explained:

It's important that we build communities, as American communities, to the standards that every single person has equal opportunities. It has nothing to do with race. And if we harp on that, shame on us.

I think Will.i.am's words could be applied to many divisions manifested in American society - let's build better American communities regardless of political ideology, religion, gender, class, or sexual orientation. Watch the video, and tell me what you think!

Feel Good to Be Bad? You Need Obama on Your Shoulder!

CitizenSugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:42 -0700

Though will.i.am's video just picked up an Emmy, I venture there's something to be said for a little folk-music (and whistling!) in your political parody.

Mary Katharine Ham, recently of Townhall, made this deftly edited, quirkily catchy video about the choices you might make if you had your own, private Obama on your shoulder, devil/angel style.

With the little tiny voice saying "Obama!" and the fact that too many good songs can't fit in the word xenophobe, I can't decide if the concept of Obama following your every move is hilarious, creepy, or hilariously creepy. And the altar to Obama - too much needling, or just right?

My favorite joke is in the credits. . . see if you can spot it.

Flashback: Charles in Charge

GiggleSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Before Scott Baio was 45 . . and Single, he was "Charles," a college student who lived in a basement and babysat the kids of the house to earn his keep. The plot sounds normal until you hear the show's theme song: "Charles in charge of our days and our nights. Charles in charge of our wrongs and our rights . . . I want Charles in charge of me." What the hell kind of underground cult was this dude running with his ugly '80s clothes and authoritarian politics? That is the question.