Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, and Corrina from Boy Meets World

Taylor Swift is in the news for who she *might* currently be dating. Rumors are swirling, but nothing confirmed yet, that she’s linked up with NFL tight end Travis Kelce. I don’t know him personally so my assessment might be way off but with the public persona he’s created for himself, he just doesn’t come across as someone I’d want any woman I know to date. I don’t know Taylor either but the pair just doesn’t jive with what I know of her. No offense (about to say something offensive) but I’m a little confused why Taylor Swift would date someone who comes across as one of the more dull tools in the shed. She must be out of songwriting material or something.

Taylor has often reminded me of a character from “Boy Meets World.” Yes, I’m going there. On the best show of the 90s, there was a girl named Corrina who dated Eric Matthews. She was a musician and after they broke up, she wrote dark, revengeful songs about “Shallow Boy” Eric. She gained a lot of fans and radio play but once Eric figured out her songwriting methods, he flipped the script and complimented her when he saw her next. His kindness softened her anger and her music reflected it. No more break-up songs.

Is Travis Kelce “ready for it”… to be part of a future Taylor Swift break-up song? This is the question he faces if the rumors are true. Or will their alleged relationship turn into an old-fashioned “Love Story.”

-Out of the Wilderness

Tom MacDonald “Race War” – Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Rodney King once asked “Can we all get along?” It was a question meant to bring people together peacefully after a horrible incident in the early 90s where King was treated very unfairly by Los Angeles cops. The police were basically all acquitted and that’s when the riots started. But King wanted a peaceful end to the destruction. The sentiment of racial harmony (or lack thereof) is echoed in Tom MacDonald’s Tom MacDonald’s new video for “Race War.” He joined forces once again with Adam Calhoun. Take a look then scroll down for more thoughts…

Treat Every Man As My Brother. This phrase in the lyrics is what it’s all about. I remember growing up, actually I should say it this way… I DON’T remember growing up thinking about anyone’s race at all. It wasn’t until adulthood that Washington politicians started reminding me and my generation that race matters. Of course, they don’t say it plainly but they’re always around to keep people divided. It’s sick.

Pro-American. One thing that Tom does very consistently is hold up the banner of being an American. Part of Adam’s lyrics in this one go like this, “I ain’t pro-black, I ain’t pro-white, I’m pro-American.” We’re on the same team but the mainstream news doesn’t really want us in harmony. There are ratings to think about. There’s money to be made in division.

Whites and Blacks Are All The Same. For as much as I love most of the lyrics in these songs from Tom, this phrase is not one I totally agree with, although I think we probably see eye to eye on what he’s saying from a zoomed out perspective. But I love the diversity of races. There are qualities of the black race that you can’t find anywhere else. Same with white people, Hispanic people, Asian people. As DCTalk once put it, “There’s joy in diversity.” When I lived in Nashville, I was on the side of town with lots of diversity. Income, race, gender, age. I loved my side of town because I got to see different cultures as close as a few houses down or a few streets over. To say I, as a white man, was just like my neighbors who were Mexican would be a missed opportunity to celebrate the great parts of each of our cultures.

You Against Me. Something’s going on in America, and it’s not good. Our foundation is being shaken and if we don’t come together with calm minds and peace as the goal, the evil powers-that-be are going to tear it all to pieces. They want us to keep fighting against each other, to stay divided. We absolutely cannot let that happen. We’re at the point where we must ask ourselves, “If not now, when?” The time is now to let go of our rigid stone-cold stances on things. To open our eyes to ugly people who only want power. Reject them and come together as Americans. It’s time to get along.

-Out of the Wilderness

Will the Golden Bachelor be a gigantic failure?

For the sake of the contestants, and the guy, I hope it’s a success but I have major doubts. I already believe failure is looming, not because the idea is bad. Lots of people enjoy watching love stories unfold. But when the contestants are 60, 70 years old? The alleged success of The Bachelor franchise, in recent years at least, is because viewers like train wrecks. We want to see guys fight and cry. We want to see women fight and cry. It serves one purpose. To make us feel better about ourselves because the contestants are goofballs, and not in the good way.

Put a bunch of golden oldies in the same room and they’re highly likely to get along, brag about their grandkids, and genuinely show concern for each other’s health. It’s a recipe for disaster thoughtful, but boring television. With the time these people have left on this earth, we don’t have time for courtesies, people!

I just don’t see it working. My guess is that they’ll have one or two seasons, enough to parade around a Golden Bachelorette but then it’ll fizzle out because viewership crashes, money dries up, or it gets awkward with multiple hospital visits not dangerous stunts, just from routine age-related check-ups. They’ve opened the can, and what came out can’t be stuffed back in (meaning, things can’t go back to what seemed like a genuine attempt at true love with season 1, episode 1 of The Bachelor).

What are your thoughts?

-Out of the Wilderness

All I Want For Christmas Is You – NOT the Official Christmas Anthem?

Earlier this month, one of the most well-known (modern) Christmas songs was streamed on Spotify over 300,000 times.

IN ONE DAY.

So this is my attempt to ride its coattails by getting this post viewed over 300,000 times.

IN ONE DAY.

OK, not really. I mean, I wouldn’t hate if that happened but it raises a question I’ve asked this before in a previous post, who is the real Queen of Christmas? A lot of people would say it’s Mariah Carey because of her song.

It’s fascinated me for years how a modern song can become a classic. I guess it’s how every Christmas song became a classic. It had to be new at some point. We’re living in a time where new holiday songs are being written and recorded and only time will tell if they become part of Christmas traditions. Like, 50 years from now we’ll look back and remember when whichever song first came out, or maybe we won’t remember it all. It will seem as if it’s always been around.

Is there a song written in the last decade or so that you’re sure will become a Christmas classic? I’d feel safe making a bet that a few of these might make the list…

Kelly Clarkson “Underneath the Tree” (2013)

Leona Lewis “One More Sleep” (2013)

Michael Bublé “Cold December Night” (2011)

Sia “Snowman” (2017)

And I’ll end with one of my favorites. It’s from 1992 and I originally thought the lyrics had a nod to Mariah Carey’s song (lyrics include… “People window shoppin’ on Fifth Avenue/ All I want for Christmas is you…”) but that’s impossible since Mariah’s song didn’t come out until 2 years later. This favorite of mine must be referencing a Christmas song that came out 3 years before it, in 1989 “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Vince Vance… which is also a classic. Here’s Darlene Love with a great song, “All Alone On Christmas.”

-Out of the Wilderness

The Jeep Commercial That Might Make You Cry

Hello fellow commercial watchers! Jeep must be the reason you’re here and I’m glad you stopped in. I post every day at 1pm central about all kinds of things, but a lot are about TV commercials. If you’ve seen an ad and wonder about it, chances are it’s on my Popular TV Ads page. I’ve written about Jeep a few times and now they’ve done it again! Another commercial I can’t help but watch over and over. It’s a touching ad showing that the connection we have to our cars is more than just a way to get from point A to point B. Take a look then scroll down for more info…

The Music. The moving soundtrack of this commercial is a song called “Little Moments” by John Coggins. It was released in 2017 on an album called Dreamer.

Others. The song is also used in a commercial for outdoor decking. Check out the Trex commercial, but beware, it’s another ad that will stop you in your Trex. 😉

America. I always like to include one of my favorite Jeep commercial moments when I have the chance. This commercial is from a few years back and features OneRepublic. I don’t think it was a Super Bowl commercial but maybe it aired during the playoffs? Either way, it’s one of the best I’ve ever seen. I still get chills.

-Out of the Wilderness