Friday Video Premiere: Jozy Da Savior Edition

*Every* Friday, we're highlighting a specific video (or two, or three) for your end of week enjoyment.



My apologies for making you listen to John Harkes, even for less than two minutes--but it's worth it to see Jozy Altidore's hat trick this past Wednesday in the USMNT's World Cup qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago.

Not sure if he is the savior of American soccer, but he's 19, and probably our most talented player right now. The best news? He's playing in Europe right now. Eat your heart out, LD. Originally signed by Villareal (where he was training with Robert Pires, Nihat, and Joan Capdevilla), he was sent to Second Division team Xerex to get more playing time and ease his aclimation to Spanish culture.

Here's his only goal in La Liga, from back in November:



He's got some time to grow before the World Cup, so here's to a successful run in La Liga next season and more highlights!

Friday Video Premiere

Every Friday, we're highlighting a specific video (or two, or three) for your end of week enjoyment.

Wow. It's been a while since we've done of these. Apologies.

Anyhow, it would be far too predictable to put up a video about Obama, and we're anything but predictable. So here's a couple of videos that reached me earlier this week. They're part of this "movement" called literal art.

Here's Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge" being deconstructed:



And here's A-Ha's "Take On Me":



Funny, right? And also sort of catchy, you have to admit.

This ArtsJournal piece has a couple more videos and a thorough description of the meaning of literal art. I think, truthfully, it need not be seen as some kind of profound phenomenon. Rather, it's a solid idea well carried out. The result: we pay more attention to the kinds of decisions that music video directors make (something we at JJ never get too much of, anyway):

The "literal videomakers," notably DustoMcNeato and KeithFK, narrow the yawning chasm of images-vs.-song lyrics-vs.-celebrity persona by simply inserting their own lyrics, which flatly reiterate or question whatever is happening onscreen...

This approach repeatedly calls attention to (and calls into question) the video's image choices, making them appear laughably random. Or it subverts any greater, intended import they might have by flatly describing the images and thus "grounding" or re-contextualizing them in a more self-consciously 'down-to-earth' manner,while actually presenting a wise-ass commentary on them.

It is sweet that you can buy a pipe wrench t-shirt.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Friday Video Premiere

Every Friday, we're highlighting a specific video (or two, or three) for your end of week enjoyment.

Happy Friday, JJ folk. How do you like the new header up there?

The best news I heard this week came from the UN, where they're working on persecuting the Sudanese leader for genocide. Sadly, most of the other news this week was depressing. Besides the Ronnie White fiasco, I am also saddened by my inability to get super excited for the Tour de France. I'm just tired of all my favorite riders turning out to be dopers. It sucks. Anyhow I'll still be watching when I just so happen to catch it, but no more hardcore commitment from this guy.

And speaking of doping, I was also upset this week to see the kind of negative attention Dara Torres is bringing to USA Swimming. Swimming, at least USA Swimming, is one of the rare endurance sports NOT to be drowning (excuse the pun) in cheating allegations and categorical mistrust. The Supermom, though, is being seriously doubted by the press--for good reason (being 41, etc.)--and stands to do a lot of dream-wrecking if actually found guilty.

Now, to the videos.

I heard about this Colbert Report video a while back. Enjoy.



It took me back to my Sesame Street days, although I was having a hard time recollecting specific characters and episodes. So, thanks to YouTube, I took a little walk down nostalgia avenue.



I find this video a little creepy, to be honest. Was SS always this scary? Snuffy's girly, coquettish eyes (and eyelashes) combine with his (its?) husky voice to really freak me out. Likewise with Big Bird's ambiguous gender.

So I looked for something more of an upper. I found the Elmo song:



What a great song. I've been whistling this for the whole week, no joke.

Anyway, that does it for this Friday. Enjoy the weekend.

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Also, from the shameless self-promotion department, here's a link to my article in the current issue of Moment Magazine.

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UPDATE (11:57 AM): It's national Slurpee Day!! How could I have forgotten!!?!?!

Friday Video Premiere

Every Friday, we're highlighting a specific video (or two, or three) for your end of week enjoyment.

Happy Friday JJ folk!! What a week. Here's what made this week great: (1) It was positively beautiful in DC, never topping 90. Each day it rained around four, cooling the air before night. (2) Even though the Celtics won, the conclusion of the NBA season was ridiculous. I can't believe the Lakers got mauled like that. But truthfully, I'm glad it's over. The NBA playoffs are so grueling--for players and fans alike--it's like three months long! (3) Tiger Woods is god. Nuff said. (4) Lastly, we saw some amazing Euro Cup games--more on that in a sec.

The main video today, though, is what I've been whistling all week. It's the song that plays in the stadiums after goals in the Euro Cup. If you listen, after every goal you can hear half the stadium singing along.



HAHAHAHA. Just kidding. I have no idea what the eff that song is. This was the one I was talking about:



I'm glad to say that the games this week lived up to expectations. The Turkey v Czech Republic game on Sunday, for example. It was the best game of the Euro Cup thus far:



This video is hilarious because it's the Turkish broadcast. At the first Czech goal (1:57 on the video above) the announcers go completely silent, except for one who goes, "Uhnn." Compare that to their reaction after their third goal (6:20). Looking back, I still can't believe P. Cech--one of the best goalies in the world--dropped that cross to allow Turkey to tie (5:50). Sports are weird, man. Weird.

You'll often hear people say that 2-0 leads are the most uncomfortable in soccer (or indeed, hockey). It's because at 2-0 the leading team often rests on their laurels, but if the other team grabs one back they're only a goal down--and they have momentum. The leading team often finds it hard to switch off their complacency, and that's why there are a lot of 2-0 games that turn into 3-2 games.

But the Germany Portugal game yesterday had a different turn:



Very interesting game. You know, if Portugal had taken their chances, they would have been right with Germany. We really weren't far from 3-3. But as Tiger Woods taught us, you just have to score when you have the opportunity. You have to. Portugal didn't, and now they're done. And they will be remembered as drastically overrated.

Okay, I think that's enough to get us all through into the weekend. Tomorrow is the first day of summer, let's go!

Friday Video Premiere

Every Friday, we're highlighting a specific video (or two, or three) for your end of week enjoyment.

Welcome to the first Friday vid of June!! There's so much happy stuff going on in the world, you'll have to excuse me for my (probably temporary) optimism. But seriously, the Supreme Court came through big time yesterday and even though they basically threw a wrench into our system of dealing with these detainees, sometimes you have to burn ish down to build ish up, you dig? (Just don't ask Robespierre to do it.)

In sports, the Cubbies are coming through in the clutch, and even though the exceedingly obnoxious Boston sports community might gain yet another championship from the Celtics, there's so much soccer on everyday that my mood is simply imperturbable.

Ok, ok, enough. On to the videos!

There's no choice but to feature the Euro Cup, I'm sorry. Thing is, it's only a week in and there really hasn't been a goal that's made me smile right before I go to sleep (like this one). But there have been good goals.

Let's start with this goal from yesterday:



You'd be narrow minded to write it off just because it's from a corner. Look at how ballsy Sionko is! First of all, the guy's like 5'4". Second of all, he puts his head right where it would most probably be kicked--just to get a look at the ball. And last, he makes great contact to absolutely power it past Ricardo in goal.

I also like this Ibrahimavic goal:



There's two main things I like about it: one, that one-two with Larsson is amazing. Look how easily they slice through the Greece defense with two simple five yard passes. Two, it shows great technique that Ibrahimovic could turn his body to square up to the ball and hit it cleanly.

The goal is not as ridiculous as this one from Euro 2004, but it is one of the best goals so far.



And finally, the best goal from Monday's amazing Holland v Italy game:



Just look at how quickly they break--at how quickly the ball moves from the near side to the far side to the near side and in. It's the epitome of an effective counterattack, and there's a great finish by Sneidjer to boot.

Sort of reminds you of a classic Arsenal counterattack, don't you think? See for yourself:



Ok, you JJ folk, there you have it. It's weekend time! Sorry for the sparse output of late, but surely you can sympathize: sometimes, and in the cruelest way, summer jobs are more stressful and take up more time than schoolwork. Somehow.

So? Onwards.

Friday Video Premiere

Every Friday, we're highlighting a specific video (or two, or three) for your end of week enjoyment.

As I said yesterday, things are a bit hectic at the Collective this week. For this week's video, therefore, we'll keep it light.

Sorta:



Keith Olbermann, ladies and gentleman. He'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitresses.

Seriously though, every once in a while it is good to see an articulate and measured criticism of the Bush administration. Too often these days we only see cliched phrases like "Bush is stupid," or parting shots like those that any lame duck weathers, and which we see Obama, Clinton, and McCain use just about everyday.

But we at JJ pride ourselves on looking at controversial situations with basic common sense. Not being famous or terribly talented has its worth, you know, and it applies here--we don't have anything to lose by being common-sensical.

For example, although Bush probably could have used his words better, saying that he heard from "people" that Iraq had WMDs is not such a controversial statement. Presidents don't do much investigation themselves. In supervising the executive, they simply have too much to look after. So it's not so outrageous, despite what Olbermann says, that Bush would refer to others' reports. It's what Presidents do on everything.

What is the bigger issue is that the "people" that Bush and his "people" put into power have failed. It is the President's responsibility to avoid people who aren't capable to do their job and serve their country well. So in my opinion, the biggest statement of the ineptitude of the Bush administration is the disgraceful way in which Rumsfeld, Gonzalez and others have served.

It might seem like a minor point, but it's important that when we look at how Bush is criticized we make sure the arguments are real. That Bush gave up Golf is irrelevant. Sort of funny, yes, and also a little pathetic. But irrelevant. That he made critical errors in appointing his inner circle is relevant. It's the sort of thing we need not merely criticize--we must look at ourselves and at the future potential presidents and ask how they would go about appointing people, making decisions, and shaping the world as we know it.

In any case, I hope you enjoy Olbmermann. The guy used to be an ESPN personality...



You can kind of tell that he was heading out to the political television realm. I mean, how could anyone say "Brett Favre" that seriously?

Happy weekend!

Friday Video Premier

Every Friday, we're highlighting a specific video (or two, or three) for your end of week enjoyment.

Happy Friday everybody! Sun's out, semester's winding down, Cubbies are winning, and even though the Democratic party is exploding, Cambodia's botching their genocide trials, and the evil Spurs might go through, we just can't help but enjoy the day.

Check out the video below for the JJ Collective's first "Friday Video." It's "Us Placers," by Kanye, Lupe and Pharrell's group Child Rebel Soldiers. They're on the Glow in the Dark tour right now.



There's a couple things I like about the video, even besides the song. If you listen to the lyrics (especially the verses by Lupe and Kanye) you see that the song is mostly about the often pained life of a star.

Lupe's verse lists a star's accoutrement, but ends it with the loaded phrase, "All the money in the world don't make it painless." Kanye says, "I try to keep that balance/ After MTV that’s a Real World Challenge."

The video (which is not official, by the way, it was done by some YouTube director "Vashtie") is poignant because of the use of kids' innocence. The child actors who play CRS are not completely comfortable in front of the camera--you can see "Kanye" often looking away, like Snoop did in his earlier videos--and so they seem to be eschewing the spotlight, which fits the lyrics perfectly.

Plus, the kids in the video are not stars, they're (presumably) not yet corrupted by fame, and so the video is also a kind of wistful realization of CRS' dreams.

What do you think?

I like the song, too, although its sparseness was at first offsetting. There's nothing besides the piano, Thom's wailing, and that hazy electronic percussion that you can find all over Thom's solo album "The Eraser"--but in the end, I was won over by the piano taken straight from the first song on Eraser, "The Eraser," which is below.



I mean, you can see how much CRS leaned on that song.

By the way, The Eraser has some ridiculous album art. (Thank you, Stanley Donwood.)






Photos from amazon.com.