Republican Debate – The One Where Ramaswamy Never Takes His Foot Off the Gas

Vivek Ramaswamy lit into the Republican Party and national media in his opening statement for the 3rd Republican debate this week. In other words, he started out in 5th gear and never took his foot off the gas. If he didn’t have your attention before last night’s debate, I bet he does now. I particularly like most of his stances on national matters and very much appreciate his forthrightness. Is he probably still a little too young for the presidency? I think so. But he might be the disruption conservatives need to get their head in the freakin’ game.

I think all the folks on stage did fine in the debate last night. Chris Christie has done well to change my opinion of him. I used to not like him a whole lot. Nikki Haley clearly let Vivek rattle her, even saying under her breath, “You’re just scum,” when Vivek brought up TikTok matters. DeSantis was strong, as expected. He won’t be anyone’s vice president. Tim Scott is so genuine and I like him, except for his national abortion ban stance. He’s not going to win over any new voters with a strict government mandate. People are sick of that (see: Covid mask mandates).

The winner of the debate was clearly Ramaswamy and I think he’d make a great VP for Trump because let’s face it, this is just a tryout for vice president. Although, Trump might not pick anyone from these potential candidates, which means these debates are just a huge waste of time. The next one is December 6th in Alabama.

-Out of the Wilderness

Apple Watch Series 9 Commercial – The Music and the Dumb Double Tap

Apple has released the Apple Watch Series 9 and along with it, a commercial or two showing off its features. Hello, I’m Ben. I love my Apple MacBook Pro. Beyond that, anything Apple related is a hard “no” for me.

Apple has definitely gained a reputation of being hip, cool, chic. That’s probably why I resist being part of their universe as much as possible. Their latest commercial for the watch pushes me further away than I even thought possible. Take a look at the ad…

The Music. The song playing throughout this commercial is “Ya Ya Power” by KingupingU. Here’s the full track as released in 2021…

Think Again. If Apple wants me to walk around double tapping my fingers to end phone calls or set alarms, the joke’s on them, I don’t do phone calls. I don’t do alarms, either. OK, fine, the technology is cool (if it works). But I will not be seen pinching my fingers together like an idiot.

I’ll be happily sticking with my Garmin watches, which are much better suited for my lifestyle. I have the VívoActive HR and the Forerunner 245 Music and I love them both. And to be totally honest, I love my MacBook Pro, too. I do so much work on it and can’t imagine trying any other laptop. But if I can steal a line from a great 90s rap song…

We’re not against rap Apple products. We’re not against rappers Apple. But we are against those thugs the entitled Apple fanbase.

-Out of the Wilderness

Jason Aldean “Let Your Boys Be Country” Video – Camouflage, Cameos, and Kindness

In his first video release since “Try That In A Small Town” (a song I sincerely don’t like but not for the reasons you might think, I explain here), Jason Aldean put together a video representing life outside of cities. Take a look and a listen to his latest called “Let Your Boys Be Country”…

The Director. As I watched this video for the first time, I thought, “This feels a lot like a Shaun Silva video.” Lo and behold, it was directed by Shaun Silva! I was very happy to find that out because I’ve been a fan of Shaun’s for awhile now. Ever since I first started working at Country Music Television, Shaun’s style stood out to me. I’m thinking of videos like Kenny Chesney “I Go Back,” Rascal Flatts “Who You’d Be Today,” and especially this timeless gem…

Shaun Silva’s got a style I’ve tried to mimic in my own editing many times. On top of that, he seems like a really nice dude (I try to mimic that, too). Check out his work here and follow him on Instagram: @shaunmfsilva

Diversity Equity Inclusion. If there was a genre of music that embodies everyone’s favorite phrase these days (diversity equity inclusion), is it not country music? Just this year there was not the gayest music video ever “In Your Love” by Tyler Childers and the sensation that was/is Oliver Anthony, who ripped a new hole for rich men north of Richmond.

And then how would you compare Jason Aldean’s “Let Your Boys Be Country” with the 1978 song from Waylon Jennings, “Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys”? I guess it’s possible to let the boys be country but not let them grow up to be cowboys?

The Boys. You may seen some famous faces making cameos in Jason’s video. I picked out two: Luke Bryan (who isn’t racist) and Willie Robertson, who you probably know from Duck Dynasty.

Whether you like the song or hate it, the sentiment is this: raise your kids to work hard, play hard, have respect, and treat other people as valuable. Those lessons can be taught in the city or the country. It’s just that in the country, it’s a lot more fun. 😉

Also check out a behind the scenes video from the music video shoot here.

-Out of the Wilderness

The L.L. Bean Just For You Commercial – The Music and More

So let me get this straight: you jump in an ice cold body of water and it’s NOT for charity? That’s a disorder and yes, I’m talking to you Amazon laser hair remover guy. But he’s not the only one to do some kind of polar plunge. There’s an L.L. Bean commercial going around where two guys that may or may not be gay swim in a cold lake. It’s part of a series of L.L. Bean commercials this season. Take a look then scroll down for more info…

The Music. The soundtrack for this ad and the others in the campaign is a song called “Just For You” performed by Olivia Dean.

Olivia’s is a cover of the 1961 original by Sam Cooke.

But Wait, There’s More. Here are a few of the other ads in this series. This first one features a campfire ukulele player. Shhh, don’t tell Dos Equis.

I guess it’s official, winter and Christmastime is upon us.

-Out of the Wilderness

Nike Only Basketball Commercial – The Music, the Irony, and More!

Nike has been airing a basketball ad featuring a few NBA players and a handful of wannabes (does anyone still use that word or am I really old?). It’s a minute-long commercial with a soundtrack from 1969. Check out the ad then scroll down for more info…

The Music. From the late 1960s, it’s a song called “Let Us All Get Together Right Now” by Billy Preston. Here’s the full track…

The Set Up. I’m a little biased in my disdain for Nike but at the end of the day, it’s a company that needs to make money. That’s why they say things like this on their official YouTube channel:

Nike strives to bring innovation and inspiration to every athlete* in the world. (* If you have a body, you are an athlete.)

Not exactly true* but if they can get you to believe them, you might buy their products. (* It’s not true at all. The dictionary definition of athlete is “a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill.”)

I love playing basketball. It’s the sport I played furthest into high school so I appreciate the commercial for that reason. What “athletes” can do with the ball is simply astounding and my mind immediately goes to Jason Williams. OK, yes I’m old.

Ironic that I saw this commercial first during a football game. “Only basketball” doesn’t quite make sense because Nike is involved in almost every sport but if you love basketball, that’s great. It’s a fun way to get some exercise and prove you’re a better athlete than your friends. 😉

-Out of the Wilderness