Posting daily at 1pm central about all kinds of things. One day it's dating, the next it's TV commercials. I hope you're entertained. Professional photos on SmugMug – https://benwilder.smugmug.com
Am I the only one who gets very annoyed by these NerdWallet commercials? Below is an example of the campaign NerdWallet has going with ‘future you’ being unhappy about decisions ‘present you’ is making…
I can’t yet put a finger on what it is that irritates me. Maybe it’s the tone of their voices? The melody? Something isn’t sitting right with me so every time these ads come on, I can’t hit the mute button fast enough. It’s another addition to the list of commercials I don’t like, including:
Until these NerdWallet ads get new, and better, singers, I’ll be changing the channel or muting it as quickly as current me can. Future me is already so grateful.
Everyone has gaffes. It’s why blooper reels are usually really fun whether it’s from a movie you just watched or a TV show. I don’t think, however, that the level and frequency of the gaffes coming from a sitting president in Biden’s condition is anything to laugh about. In fact, I feel sorry for him. Many years ago he got so entangled in the web of lust, power, and greed, he probably has no idea how out of touch he is with real Americans. A question we should all ask ourselves is if we would feel good if Joe were the boss where we work. As Elvis sings, “It’s such an easy answer to such an easy question.”
Joe Biden’s latest blunder is NOT a sketch from Saturday Night Live. Or as Joe would say, I’m serious, not a joke.
His speech writers attempted to “organically” start the common chant for presidents looking for reelection. The problem, though? Joe read out loud what he shouldn’t be reading out loud.
I haven’t heard anyone mention what Joe went on to say: “Freedom over democracy.” Ummm, ok. It’s going to be a wild 7 months before the election… an election that features one guy who most people are surprised is still alive (old Joe), another who is in court (Trump), and another who went to Hawaii after wildfires killed over a hundred people and laughed while he said the ground is hot (oh wait, that was old Joe, too). We’re living in some weird times in the United States. I just hope I don’t end up like Joe Biden’s uncle Bosie. I have another sprint triathlon coming up in a week and I do NOT have time to get eaten by cannibals!
Who knew a song about whiskey could actually be a song about Jesus? I was not expecting to be so impressed when I clicked to watch Anne Wilson’s new video for “Songs About Whiskey.” I thought it would just be another country song about drinking, a bar, line dancing, or drinking and line dancing in a bar, but boy was I wrong. Well, sort of wrong. It turns out, it’s *kinda* about drinking, dancing, and a bar… but with a pretty major twist. Take a look then scroll down for more…
Her voice is so full, nothing subtle about it, right? I can’t decide if it’s the vibrato that I like so much or just the confidence and seasoned sound of her voice. The video was directed by TK McKamy who’s responsible for other country music videos like Thomas Rhett “Marry Me,” Mitchell Tenpenny “Anything She Says,” and Maddie & Tae “Girl In A Country Song,” just to name a few.
The song was written by Matthew West, Jeff Pardo, Anne Wilson, and Lauren Hungate. I love the clever lyrics so I thought it would be fun to uncover some of the country songs Anne might be singing about. She belts out, Songs about Jack Daniels, songs about Jim Beam, one night regrets, neon and nicotine.
What might those songs be? How about Little Big Town’s “Wine, Beer, and Whiskey”…
You can’t mention a song about Jack Daniels without including Brad Paisley’s “Alcohol”…
The lyric about one night regrets made me immediately think of Lee Ann Womack’s “I May Hate Myself In The Morning”…
There are a handful of songs about neon-related things but let’s go way back to the 90s with Alan Jackson’s “Chasing That Neon Rainbow”…
Anne’s lyrics mention nicotine which is a little harder to track down specifically mentioned in a country song. Or any song. Let’s go with one of my favorite country artists, Eric Church “Smoke A Little Smoke.” But don’t smoke or vape, that’s bad for you.
I have a feeling I’ll be singing or humming “Songs About Whiskey” for the rest of the week and somehow it might count as worship? I haven’t quite figured that out yet. If you want to become the next fan of Anne Wilson’s, follow her on Instagram @AnneWilsonMusic and Twitter @AnneWilsonMusic.
It’s hard to write that last night’s episode might be the most boring in the show’s entire history but I can’t justify saying it any other way. At the very least, it’s the most forgettable episode of the season except to note that the people pulling the strings *might* be playing up Taylor Swift for a very specific reason. If you watched the show, you probably noticed Taylor’s influence throughout last night’s episode. Innnnnteresting….
Even my favorites (Jack and McKenna) didn’t have performances we’ll be talking about after a few days. In Jack’s rendition of “Blinding Lights,” fans still were able to hear his unique sound but that’s not even close to the genre where his vocals shine. So it was weird to have such a great singer sing a song that does nothing emotionally for the viewer.
McKenna did “Cardigan” by *ahem* Taylor Swift—- and it was fine. Her voice is raspy and pleasant. But the song is so melancholy until the final 10 or 15 seconds, it was hard to feel good about McKenna when the lyrics want us to feel bad. She did a good job of playing the part though; instead of smiling through the whole song, her facial expressions mostly matched the heartbreak or angst of the lyrics.
Another fan favorite, Emmy Russell. She sang “Lose You To Love Me” and her sweetness wasn’t highlighted because the song isn’t sweet. So as much as I enjoy her voice, this song wasn’t fun to listen to. Her voice usually conjures of feelings of peace and security, but this time it just wasn’t there.
The most entertaining performances were only because of how bad they were. Roman (who I predicted would go home a week or so ago) put his spin on Katy Perry’s “Roar” and it was more like something you’d hear at a family reunion from the uncle who used to be a back-up dinner cruise entertainer. That was my Simon Cowell impression. But seriously, it was abysmal. There, that’s my last Simon impression. Roman also didn’t do himself any favors when Katy asked what cologne he was wearing, why he smells so good, and he responded with, “I pray.” Awwwkward. Just tell them what fragrance it is! Not everything has to be tied back to church, faith, or God. It comes across as being too Heavenly-minded to do any earthly good.
Another Ben Stiller as White Goodman performance from Kayko and I can’t figure out how he’s still in this. The best way I can sum up Kayko’s performances is that he’s an actor playing the part of a singer. Such a weird vibe from him and I don’t see him lasting very much longer and there’s absolutely no way he wins it all.
Last year at this time, Iam was clearly in the lead with every performance and it was rather easy to see that. This season, there aren’t any standouts yet. With that said, I can see the winner being Abi, Jack, McKenna, or Emmy. Everyone else ought to go home already.
It’s getting so hard to predict who will be eliminated but last night, I successfully picked the two singers who were sent home. Go me! Excuse me while I jinx myself by patting myself on the back.
The votes were tallied as the episode was airing, which can be a scary thing for the last singer, I imagine. But the last singer was Abi so who’s really worried about her getting eliminated? Answer: No one. She’s very good and seems to be in a battle with Emmy Russell for the top singer at this point in the season. But if there’s a top singer, there must be a bottom, too. After a commercial-breaks worth of deliberating, I picked Jordan and Nya for the following reasons:
Jordan – He was a judge save the previous week which means he was already lacking support. He also doesn’t seem to connect with the audience, although he’s a fine singer. Lastly, as mentioned in a previous post, contestants from other countries don’t usually last in the live voting rounds.
Nya – Also a judge save the previous week. She has a nice voice but doesn’t stand out. I think she and Jayna are/were too stylistically similar so voters were supporting one or the other, although it takes nothing away from either one to vote for both.
I appreciated the catalog of songs the contestants chose from — Rock and Roll Hall of Famers — and two songs connected to Elvis Presley, which were also the best two of the night. These guys ain’t nothing but hound dogs: The young Triston Harper performed “Heartbreak Hotel” and Jack Blocker did “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” (originally by Bob Dylan).
Jack and McKenna are my top 2 now that Jennifer Jeffries is gone, and I’m really hoping Jack wins. McKenna performed one of my favorite songs, Chicago’s “Hard to Say I’m Sorry.” I can hear Randy Jackson saying it wasn’t the best song choice for her but she worked it out. She’ll be safe for another week because of her previous performances and the fact that she had a visit to the hospital during the week of rehearsals and still came out sounding good is impressive. Also, a little tid bit from my high school years… I blasted “Hard To Say I’m Sorry” as I drove around town my senior year. But not Chicago’s version, I went with Az Yet’s take on it. There’s a twist you never saw coming.
As the episode progressed, it came down to three: Jordan, Nya, and Kayko. I thought America’s votes were a good example of getting it right… and it was Kayko surviving another day. His days are numbered, or should I say his hours are numbered? Tonight, elimations are dealt to Kayko and Jayna.
Thank ya, thank ya very much. You’re a wonderful audience.
Out of the Wilderness 