I don’t listen to much top 40 anymore. Too old, too much autotune, blah blah blah. I was feeling out of touch so I spent the last couple week listening to Sirius/XM Hits 1 when in the car, and here are my thoughts.
“Like a G6” - Far East Movement
Other than being totally repetitive to the point of being, perhaps, some sort of subliminal call to arms, I don’t get this at all.
“Just a Dream” - Nelly
This song is strangely depressing and Nelly makes me feel old.
“Raise Your Glass” - P!nk
I will always love her. Always. It’s been a good ten years since “There You Go” and still cranking out rocky pop that’s fun. This song I would actually choose to listen to separate from this experiment.
“Dynamite” - Taio Cruz
I like to imagine he is saying “Galileo” at key points and that it is an ode to scientific discovery. Otherwise, this song has no purpose outside of wedding receptions and bar mitzvahs.
“Mine” - Taylor Swift
I am uncomfortable with how catchy this is.
“Stuck Like Glue” - Sugarland
One time I heard this and it was lodged in my head for days. A poppy little crossover number. Jennifer Nettles can definitely sing, but I feel like this song isn’t necessarily the best showcase for her voice. It’s cute, but irritating. Like a needy puppy.
“Teenage Dream” - Katy Perry / “Teenage Dream” - Darren Criss et al
I’m not a fan of her. I’m totally over Glee. That said, the Glee version of this song is pop perfection.
“I Like It” - Enrique Iglesias
Wait, what? He’s still making music? What the hell. This song is autotuned beyond any recognition. I do appreciate the sample. This is not a good song, though. Yikes.
This concludes this edition of “Dorky English Teacher Reviews Pop Music”
An Open Letter to Bill Simmons (aka “The Sports Guy”) and National Public Radio (NPR):
Let me start with my thesis: You two kids need to get together.
NPR, you are a national treasure. Seriously. I’m not just buttering you up here. Your news coverage is reliable and comprehensive. I know that many folks in my demographic (liberalish, educated, under 40) are devoted to you. That said, NPR, your sports coverage is outmoded and off-putting. Feinstein is great on “Morning Edition,” but Frank DeFord is stepping closer to Andy Rooney every week. “It’s Only a Game” has its moments, but more often than not it is about polo, or humans competing with horses, or whatever. The tagline of “It’s Only a Game” web site is “Sports…NPR style.” I’m not sure this is a selling point. Why not acknowledge mainstream sports in a more authoritative way, rather than only nodding to it when a championship is won?
NPR, your core listeners are getting older. You are doing things now that are aimed at folks in my (18-49) demographic. Your pop culture blog (Monkey See) is great, and the reporting on “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered,” while still featuring far too many profiles of aging jazz musicians, is hipper than it used to be and much more “in the now” culturally speaking. Nonetheless, when it comes to sports and pop culture, there’s still a heavy boomer aesthetic.
Bill Simmons, I’m a big fan. You’re not for everybody, but the fact that I regularly read your columns and listen to your podcasts (and follow you on Twitter) means that you, as a Boston sports fan, are putting content out there that this Steelers fan and Patriots hater can digest. I’ve read your book, and even though it was about the Red Sox, it was entertaining and informative. I’ve particularly come to enjoy your podcasts. You seem at ease as an interviewer, and I appreciate the range of guests you bring in to speak with you (even Jack-O).
Simmons, we all know you are periodically frustrated with your employer (ESPN, for those not in the know). As you expand the ways you deliver content, and the range of content you offer, it seems like some diversification is in order. Your podcasts have shown that you can talk about things other than sports. In fact, your recent discussion with Chuck Klosterman about the chicken and egg nature of Twitter was as intellectual (and postmodern) as anything I’ve heard on NPR as of late. Your discussion with Seth Meyers of Saturday Night Live about the SNL audition process was fascinating.
NPR is trying to deepen their West Coast presence. They have studios in LA, an easy match for LA resident Simmons. Imagine an hour long show — Simmons interviews an athlete or sports personality (someone like Cris Collinsworth for example) and a pop culture personality (I’m reminded of the Jon Hamm podcast here). The “regular guy” persona of Simmons seems to bring something out in entertainment folk. Often, the topics can take on an almost “Fresh Air”-esque level of gravitas, providing there aren’t too many “Teen Wolf” references.
It sometimes seems as though NPR thinks that its clientele isn’t interested in sports or mainstream pop culture. There seems to be a shift in recent years to acknowledging both more on NPR, and who better to host a specialty show featuring both? I could easily see the hour of programming I’ve described as part of a weekend NPR day that also features “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me” and “This American Life.”
I’ve been using google chrome here on the work computer for 2 hours this morning, and I have to say, I’m impressed. It’s minimalist, attractive, and intuitive.
