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
When I shop at Publix, there are definitely moments when I smile. Finding the vanilla almond milk, snatching up a BOGO deal, or seeing the cashiers at the front of the checkout asking if I’m ready. But 83.7% of the time I’m not smiling because I’m I’m busy searching for the things on my grocery list. It’s not that I’m unhappy or angry. It’s just that excessive amounts of smiling is generally relegated to horror movies, dentist commercials, and awkward first dates.
Check out one of Publix’s recent ads and let me know what you notice about the people in it…
I love Publix, but they really need to tone it down with the smiling, right? It’s creepy. I think it was Socrates who said…
Never trust anyone who: 1. adds cereal to their milk 2. can’t drive a stick shift 3. smiles all the time
Pubix, if you’re reading this… I love you. Your vegan sub sandwiches always make me happy. But I don’t smile between every bite. That’s not normal. Another example, I had the best day of triathlon training yesterday. In the morning I went for a long bike ride. The afternoon was spent doing an open water swim. One of the most satisfying and happiest experiences as a new triathlete. Ask me how many times I smiled.
I could also call this post “Who I Want in the Top 20” but I’ll try hard to not just put all my favorites through to the next round. As discussed in previous posts (like this one), there have been great performances this season already. In spite of the judges making the goofy decision to keep Alyssa Raghu instead of her “friend” Julia Davo, who could have been a perfectly quirky addition to the top 24, Alyssa is already gone and along with her a few others who definitely should’ve have had a chance to sing for America’s vote. But alas, the judges do what they want and I’m sure they have their reasons. The top 24 performed last weekend and this weekend (Sunday and Monday night) we’ll all find out together who got enough votes to stick around. Here are the current contestants:
Abi Carter Triston Harper Odell Bunton Jr. Hailey Mia Jennifer Jeffries Jordan Anthony Nya Blake Proehl KB Jack Blocker Roman Collins Mia Matthews McKenna Breinholt Emmy Russell Will Moseley Ajii Kayko Kennedy Reid Elleigh Marie KBlocks Jayna Elise Julia Gagnon Mackenzie Sol Quintavious Johnson
BUT WHO GETS ELIMINATED?
A solid list of entertainers there, don’t you think? But 4 will be sent home in the next two episodes. If I get these right you owe me a 7-11 slushy! Besides one who is clearly out of his or her league, it’s already a difficult thing to send any of these performers home. But rules are rules. Here are my guesses for elimination…
Blake – Seems like a really great guy but there’s too much for him to be taught (last episode he didn’t know how to raise the mic stand) and he’s already severely outmatched vocally.
KBlocks – Quirky, yes. But her fashion does her no favors and her singing voice is not pleasant enough for a large scale career.
Elleigh Marie – Who?
Roman – This will be the biggest surprise elimination. He’s got a soulful voice and he’s an entertainer, but his goofball fans didn’t vote enough!
Finally, a country song that sounds country! OK, OK, I know the song for today’s post was written in the late 1900s (hurts when I say in like that, huh?? It was recorded in 1981.) but maybe… just maybe…. traditional-sounding country music is making a full comeback in the 2020s. There’s a reason artists like Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers, and Lainey Wilson are popular. And the reason isn’t that they write lyrics about trucks and tan women in bikinis.
The country song is not quite as traditional with its lyrics, though. There are no dying dogs, cheating boyfriends, or beer cans cracking open in these here lyrics. Listen up cowboy! We’re talking about gay stuff, ya hear?
I can’t believe I’m saying this but it’s oddly refreshing when someone is just gay. Like, a guy likes a guy or a woman likes a woman. Times were much simpler back when it was just the LGB crowd, huh? Now there are so many letters in the movement, I’ve heard the Ls, Gs, and Bs want out of the club. Country song titles like “Man, I Feel Like A Woman” just don’t pack the punch they once did because we’re told it’s OK for a man to think the best thing about bein’ a woman is the prerogative to have a little fun… fun, fun!
So for a little bit of humor, there’s this song which was meant to be funny. Willie Nelson recorded a version of it in the mid-2000s and now it’s back again. Watch Willie and Orville Peck’s take on “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond Of Each Other.”
I’m not a cowboy but I watch “Yellowstone” which obviously makes me an expert. Cowboys sure do spend a lot of time with each other. Maybe one or two of them start to wonder what the boots and saddles are for. Also, I have no idea what boots and saddles are for for gay people. But the traditional instrumentation and melody are very welcome in the current country music scene that includes humdrum stuff like this from Tim McGraw and this from Chris Young.
Even in its attempt at light-hearted levity, the song does have a hurdle to jump, though. It’s the way I measure most songs. When and in what scenario is the song getting played? You’ve got your road trip playlist, workout songs, breakup songs when you need a good cry, motivational songs, worship music, rock and metal for your rage moods, summer beach tracks, chill music, radio friendly songs, and party anthems. In which category does this song go? Are you listening on a road trip? Certainly not during a gym workout or a long treadmill run. I doubt we’ll ever hear it on the radio, either.
Contrary to how it comes across, it’s not a parody from The Lonely Island, it’s a real song and it’s still (barely) easier to listen to than one of the earliest gay-type songs I remember, even if this new one is gayer… I leave you with the pig-squealing song, “Dueling Banjos” from Deliverance. Gay country music has come a long way.
Target is embracing a silly sketch from many years ago. It’s the Target Lady, who first appeared on Saturday Night Live nearly 20 years ago. If you haven’t seen those goofy clips, you’re in for a treat. Here’s the real Target ad (not a sketch) then scroll down for more info…
The Actress. The talented actress is Kristen Wiig. She was great on SNL and since then has been in quite a few movies from Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and Ice Age to Bridesmaids and Wonder Woman 1984. Here’s a montage of a few of her iconic SNL characters, including Target Lady.
This is a fun idea from Target. Why not show a little levity when society and culture could use some laughter?
Plus, their image isn’t exactly spotless. It was just a few months ago when Target stores made a point to display LGBTQ+ (emphasis on the ‘T’) apparel for children. Backlash was almost immediate and although it didn’t rise to Bud Light levels of boycotting, a big chunk of consumers were not happy. This ad will do wonders in regards to not pissing people off.
I drove by a new GMC Hummer EV the other day and thought it looked alright. Aesthetically, it’s certainly an improvement from other models of the Hummer (yes, I’m talking about you H3 Hummer). Then I came across a recent GMC commercial and something dawned on me. Here’s the ad, the scroll down for the disappointment that washed over me…
I know there’s such thing as making a profit and on top of that, trying to increase profits. Making cars for the masses means making more money. It’s the American way. But how has the iconic Humvee gone from this…
It’s a national embarrassment! I’m so disappointed about the Humvees assimilation into the uninspiring, conveyer belt of mass-produced vehicles. It’s the same way I feel about Land Rover, actually. Incredible safari-exploring 4x4s with windows everywhere, no other SUV like them and now the most unique model (the Discovery) looks like a Ford soccer moms drive. Thank the Lord they decided to produce the Defender again… the new Defender design has an ounce of character. But besides that one, Land Rover caved to the suburban road-driving, hum drum of work commutes.
The Hummer is not far behind that trajectory. From the useless, hardly ever applicable ‘crab walk’ function to hands-free driving (what kind of real man is taking his hands off the wheel!? What kind of crazy woman is taking her hands off the wheel!?), I can hardly see the beasty reputation of the boxy, tough Humvee. Don’t even get me started on a truck being hands-free, I get all flustered. I wrote about it here, actually. And the crab walk? Give me a break. I don’t care if LeBron likes it!
The Music. The song in the Hummer commercial is called “Galvanize” by The Chemical Brothers. Here’s the full track.
Out of the Wilderness 