The Battalion
LIFESTYLES
Thursday, April 19,1990
Lifestyles Editor Mary-Lynne Rice 845-331
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Photo by Fredrick D. Joe
Ken Manthei paints the north wall of Holick’s owns a sign painting business and draws editorial
Boot Makers on Northgate Wednesday. Manthei cartoons for the Bryan-College Station Eagle.
Crazy ads only amusing parts
of gimmicked 4 Crazy People
By TODD STONE
Of The Battalion Staff
The film “Crazy People” depends
on a clever gimmick — the promo
tion of off-beat and zany advertise
ments of popular products.
The hilarious ads are designed to
hook the public into the theaters.
The previews for the film show a
funny ad such as, “Metamucil — it
helps you go to the toilet.” The
viewer thinks, “Oh, that’s funny. I
think I’ll see the movie.”
That is exactly what real estate
companies do by giving you a free
toaster ... all you have to do is take a
three-hour condominium tour, and
the $7.95 toaster is yours.
But you don’t want to waste your
time on the tour, you just want the
toaster.
I felt the same way watching
“Crazy People.” I just wanted the 15
minutes of funny advertisments, not
a contrived movie that was put to
gether in a half-hearted manner.
Dudley Moore stars as Steve, an
advertising copy writer, who loses
touch with reality because his wife
left him. He is convinced that his job
as an advertiser is to tell lies to the
public.
Since he’s off-balance, he creates
honest ads that are terrible for a
marketer, but funny for a movie au
dience.
At the company’s request, Steve
ends up in a mental institution,
where he is surrounded by ... you
guessed it — “crazy people.”
Daryl Hannah plays a flaky pa
tient, Kathy, who becomes Steve’s
romantic interest.
In an unrealistic series of events,
Steve’s advertisements are used
across the nation and become a hit.
Suddenly, the ad company wants
Steve to write more wacko ads.
But Steve wants to stay at the insti
tution, so he gets the mentally ill pa
tients to write ads with him.
The film’s storyline was frustrat
ing to watch — get a few laughs from
a crazy ad, follow with 20 minutes of
boring story, then wake up the audi
ence with anther funny ad.
Of course the plot has no credibil
ity, and the filmmakers rely on the
ads and the insane characters to
CRAZY PEOPLE
Starring Dudley Moore and Da
Hannah
Directed by Tony Bill
Rated R
make the film entertaining. Welly
ads are funny, but the performa*
are unoriginal and uninspired.
Hannah and Moore are ci
pletely forgettable in their rol
They have no screen diemistry
gether, and since the story is
signed to set up the advertiser
jokes, there is nothing for the
stars to do but be boring.
What a waste. Moore can be
funny comedian, as he wasiml
films “10” and “Arthur.” Hann;
best performances were in two a
medics — “Splash” and “Roxanne,'
If the amusing ads were consol
idated into 15 minutes of
might be worth the price of a noiit
ticket.
But since “Crazy People” is
dribble, the toaster just isn’t won!
the tour through this film.
Reviewer refutes columnists’ rejection of state of modern music
Beyond Top 40: alternative music supersedes 6 soulless’ pop
By JOHN RIGHTER
Of The Battalion Staff
Having been the “music critic” for The
Battalion this year, I’ve endured great crit
icism and confrontation about my musical
opinions and beliefs.
Last Thursday, opinion page columnists
Timm Doolen and Matt McBurnett collabo
rated on a disgustingly trite, cliche-ridden
editorial on the state of modern music.
Now, I consider Timm and Matt to be
two of The Battalion’s finest writers, and a
couple of great guys, but the opportunity to
dish back some of the crap I’ve had dished
on me this year is just too irresistible.
The fact that Timm and Matt love classic
rock is great. Some incredible music came
from the ’60s and ’70s.
The Beatles, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix,
the Velvet Underground and the Clash are
all musical heroes and some of my favorite
performers. And certainly, none can argue
the influence they have had on today’s mu
sic.
The problem is Timm and Matt’s elitist
attitude and musical ignorance. Timm and
Matt write, “...today’s popular ‘music’ is, for
the most part, prepackaged, soulless muzak
for the mind.”
Has “popular” music ever been any dif
ferent? I have this deep suspicion that
Timm and Matt like classic rock so darn
much because they assume, like so many
others, that MTV, 104.7 KKYS and Has
tings Music are fully representative of to
day’s music.
Well, guys, if you reach far enough into a
trash can, you’re probably going to pull out
a handful of trash.
And judging today’s music by big-time
radio stations, MTV and chain record
stores will definitely result in a fistful of ma
nure.
Fortunately, there lies a sea of alterna
tives that any music fan should be frothing
at the mouth to find.
A couple of statements in Timm and
Matt’s editorial tipped me off to their igno
rance.
First, they claim that most of today’s mu
sicians do not write their own music, play
their own instruments, sing their own songs
over Leo Sayer, ABBA, the Bee Gees or
Christopher Cross? Yet all four performers
have recorded several number-one singles.
Second, calling hardcore, rap and indus
trial dance heartless, non-expressive and
“soulless muzak for the mind” is utterly ri
diculous.
Although we can argue on the quality of
musicianship (an argument I’ll win), no one
who has ever taken the time to listen to a
hardcore, rap or industrial dance band, or
better yet, seen them perform live, can hon
estly say these bands are not the most en
I hese are bands committed to their music as a way of life. You
won’t ever hear a Black Flag or Ministry song playing backdrop for
a sneaker commercial. “Revolution” is in their hearts, not on their
feet.
(if no one writes any of their own music, or
sing any of their songs, then how do they
end up being recorded?), take part in their
production or write in a meaningful and
expressive manner.
Timm, Matt, do R.E.M., U2, the Cure,
the Police, Metallica, the Replacements,
Living Colour, Prince, Tracy Chapman or
the Talking Heads mean anything to you?
If you want to judge the ’80s by Paula
Abdul, New Kids On The Block and Milli
Vanilli, then let’s judge the ’60s by Pat
Boone, Johnny Mathis and the Monkees.
Pop music is a fad by its very nature. The
majority of pop artists come along, have
their 15 minutes of fame, and then go off to
appear weekly on “The Gong Show” or tag
along on a revue tour with Herman’s Her
mits and the Beach Boys.
How many of us still get really stoked
ergetic, emotional and self-expressive per
formers ever.
These are bands committed to their mu
sic as a way of life. You won’t ever hear a
Black Flag or Ministry song playing back
drop for a sneaker commercial. “Revolu
tion” is in their hearts, not on their feet.
Further, if Matt and Timm had thought
their argument through, they would have
realized that both the Beatles and the Roll
ing Stones began their careers by recording
blues covers.
In fact, if Timm and Matt could go back
in their little time warp they would realize
in the early ’60s most Americans considered
the Beatles to be some “Euro-fag dance
crap.” At one time the Beatles were a regu
lar chip off the New Kids On The Block.
By listing the Traveling Wilburys and the
release of David Bowie’s CD collection as
the highlights of the ’80s, I realize Timm
and Matt just haven’t had the courage to
pull their heads out of their holes.
Those big stadiums are sure safe and
comfortable, and boy, aren’t those Has
tings’ CD sales great.
I was scared once, too, guys. When I was
nine or 10, I also listened to the local “pop”
station, and if there had been an MTV
then, well, darn, I probably would’ve
watched my fair share of “Downtown” Julie
Brown and Kevin Seal.
It’s time, however, to be a little creative
and to shed our musical ignorance. Saying
nothing good has happened to rock since
the ’60s shows as much common sense as
saying nothing positive has happened to
physics since that darn apple fell on New
ton’s head.
Rock has grown through a natural pro
gression, building on the best of the ’60s
and ’70s, and with this growth it has wid
ened, deepened and improved. It’s gotten
so good that it is impossible to keep up with
everything that is going on.
Do you realize the increase in musical as
sortment, innovation and expertise that has
occured in just the past five years? Ob
viously not.
Timm and Matt miss the real problems
with today’s music —one being the audi
ence. How many of you have honestly ever
listened to Dinosaur Jr, the Meat Puppets,
7Seconds, Hugo Largo, Fugazi or Camper
Van Beethoven?
Open your eyes, be resourceful and don’t
let the opportunity to experience the bi
zarre and wonderful pass by.
The number one thing killing today’s
music isn’t pop, its the money-grubbing,
hyped-for-nuthin’ “dinosaur” tours that
take away from bands who truly and
sionately care about their music and notjii
the money.
The recent albums by Anderson
ford, Wakeman and Howe, the Dookie
Brothers and the Jefferson Airplane rat
disgraceful, unimaginative and incredilli
sloppy. There’s your “soulless,” guys.
If you want to judge the ’80sby
Paula Abdul, New Kids On The
Block and Milli Vanilli, then let’s
judge the ’60s by Pat Boone,
Johnny Mathis and the
Monkees.
—
And McCartney, he’s more concernd
with peddling his tourbooks, full of per
sonal propoganda and idolatory, than will
making a decent solo album.
Why do you think his concert was50per
cent Beatles songs, and the rest
Wings material?
Thank Cod he was smart enoughtoteam
up with Elvis Costello (a modern man, m
less) on his last album.
As a final test, let’s compare the 'f
leases of Timm and Matt’s heroes
mine.
Dirty Work (the Rolling StonesJ
Knocked Out Loaded (Bob Dylan), Fact!
Dances (The Who), Never Let Me Don|
(David Bowie), and Pipes of Peace (
McCartney) versus The Joshua Tree{
Murmur (R.E.M.), Vivid (Living Cok
Tracy Chapman (Tracy Chapman)
Tim (the Replacements).
1 rest my case.
TV special recaptures
spirit of odd variety show
NEW YORK (AP) — Remember
Sunday nights, when people would
gather around the tube and tribalize
with Ed Sullivan and jugglers and
magicians and acrobats and puppets
and beautiful ladies in tights? What
did they call that stuff?
Oh, yeah. Variety.
If you miss those days, CBS and
magician-author Ricky Jay offer a
droll, affectionate and engrossing
hour tonight of ’90s-style vaudeville:
“Learned Pigs and Fireproof Wo
men.” You just don’t see this stuff on
TV nowadays.
The show’s title comes from Jay’s
book, a history of such esoteric acts
as pigs who could do arithmetic and
women who could endure steak-
broiling temperatures.
The entertainments are inter
spersed with backstage business, his
toric footage and photos illustrating
the extent to which jugglers, magi
cians and daredevils would go to
thrill an audience.
Jay opens the show in Los An
geles’ Warner Grand Theater with
his own amazing ability to throw
playing cards farther, faster and
harder than anyone in history. “Un
fortunately, this theater is too small,”
he allows.
Then he demonstrates WHY the
theater is too small, defending him
self against various fruits up to and
including a belligerent watermelon.
For further instruction, see his book
“Cards as Weapons.”
“That dates back to my childhood
in Brooklyn, when I started throw
ing baseball cards,” Jay said. “I dis
covered I could hit things.”
The pace is wonderful. If Shakun-
tala Devi, the lady who calculates
cube roots at a glance doesn’t thrill
you, there’s another act right behind
it.
Like Michael Moschen, a man
who juggles himself, who delight
fully animates a crystal ball. Or Mea-
gan Riesel, a 100-pound strongwo-
man for the ’90s, who shows off her
mastery of the “odic force,” a skill
that lets her resist being lifted or dis
placed by much stronger, heavier
people.
Jamey Turner, a virtuoso on glass
harp, plays Beethoven’s “Ode to
Joy” on 60 water-filled brandy snift
ers, and quick-change artist Michael
McGiveney plays all the parts in a
scene from the stage play “Oliver
Twist.’ ”
John Gaughan, the leading de
signer of magical illusions, shows off
his restoration of an automaton ac
robat, a fascinating mechanical de
vice built by the great magician Rob
ert Houdin in 1847.
And Steve Martin, the comedian,
brings in “lost footage” of his vaude-
villian grandfather, The Great Fly-
dini, one of the greatest magicians of
all time, who produces all manner of
innocent objects from a startling
place.
“These are people that I am par
ticularly fascinated by,” Jay said.
“This is my world. These people are
all, to some extent, my friends and
some are also my very close friends.”
All these delightful acts are inter
spersed with amusing backstage
business: A woman in Bo Peep outfit
leads an enormous hog and a very
small bike offstage. “How’d it go?”
Jay asks.
“Not so good,” says Bo, looking
tired. “He wouldn’t do the wheelie.”
Tune in.
In Advance
Aggie Players to present opening
of comedy ‘Steel Magnolias’ tonight
The Aggie Players will present
their debut performance of Rob
ert Harling’s “Steel Magnolias”
tonight at 8 in Rudder Forum.
The play, set in a Louisiana
beauty shop, chronicles the life of
six women over a two-year pe
riod.
Starring in “Steel Magnolias”
are Lanell Pena as Truvy, Lisa
Wood as Annelle, Desiree Dun-
man as Clairee, Genifer Green as
Shelby, Ren Powell as M’Lynn
and Mary Ellen Brennan as
Ouiser.
Robert Wenck will direct.
The play continues Friday, Sat-
urday ad April 25-28. Tickets are
on sale at Rudder Box Office.
Prices are $5 for the general pub
lic and $4 for students and senior
citizens.
For reservations and informa
tion, call 845-1234.
Bobby Mack and Night Train
Battalion file photo to record live album at local club
Country singer Lionel Cartwright will perform Saturday at 10:30
at the Texas Hall of Fame, on FM 2818 in Bryan. Tickets are $8
in advance and $10 at the door.
New country artist Cartwright
to perform at Texas Hall of Fame
The rhythm and blues band-
Bobby Mack and Night Train will
record a live album Friday at the
Front Porch Cafe from 9:30
p.m.-l:30 a.m.
The album will be Mack’s third
release and his first live project
with the band.
Mack, who was musical direc
tor of the Texas/USSR Music Re
vue, was awarded the title of
“Musical Ambassador to the
World” by the Texas Senate.
Call 846-LIVE for more infor
mation.
Annual day-long JazzFest returns
to College Station’s Central Park
Country singer Lionel Cartw
right will perform at the Texas
Hall of Fame Saturday at 10:30
p.m.
Cartwright, who was nomi
nated for the Best New Male Vo
calist award by the Academy of
Country Music, released me sin
gles “Like Father Like Son,”
“Give Me His Last Chance” and
“In My Eyes” from his 1989 de
but album.
Tickets are on sale at the Hall
of Fame. For more information,
call 822-2222.
The College Station Parks and
Recreation Department will host
JazzFest ’90 on April 21 from
noon to midnight at Central Park,
1000 Krenek Tap Road in Col
lege Station.
Entertainment will include:
Don Pope and Friends (noon),
Mady Kaye Quintet featuring
Tony Compise (2 p.m.), 1 he Wise
Guys (4 p.m.), North Texas One
O’Clock Lab Band (6 p.m),
Trella Hart (8 p.m.) and The
TAMU Jazz Band (10 p.m.).
Other attractions include game
booths and a learning circus for
children. Refreshments will be
available. Admission is free.