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
It’s not delivery, it’s DiGiorno! Oh wait, no it IS delivery and it’s Uber Eats (and yes, they delivery pizza). Uber’s food delivery service is ranked one of the highest in the U.S. and for their latest commercial they called on some high-ranking entertainers. They’re all related to football in some way– current NFL, former NFL, and a diehard Texas Longhorn fan. Take a look then scroll down for more…
I hope Matthew McConaughey doesn’t get into politics because with the climate the way it is now, he’ll lose half of his fans… of which I am one. He’s one of my favorite actors and this commercial is a great example of why. His delivery, timing, tone, all of it is fantastic. Plus he seems like a nice guy whether he’s starring in a music video or starring in a movie.
The supporting cast- Christian McCaffrey and Jerry Rice– did awesome, too. Just enough to set up McConaughey for his funny lines. Someone over at the Uber Eats creative department deserves a kudos for this one (or maybe a Zaxby’s delivery courtesy of his or her bosses?) because the wordplay took some research.
I like the ad, it makes me laugh every time I see it, and they’re not wrong either. A wise executive producer once told me that TV shows are just vehicles for advertisements. Football is no different… except that football is for food, too.
I’ve had a love hate relationship with country music for a long time and I’m sure I’m not alone. In the 90s and early 2000s it was mostly on a wholesale level. For months, I loved all of country music. Then the pendulum would swing back to the complete other side. Back and forth my tastes would go. I’ve never thought through the cause of such bipolar musical preferences but since then and for the last decade for sure, the love hate I feel for the genre is mostly on a per song basis. Maybe that’s because there’s such a wide range of music under the “country” umbrella and I still tend to gravitate to the more traditional sounding stuff versus the country that has pop music qualities.
Over the years I’ve tried to pepper in some country music with my nieces and nephews (who are part of the TikTok generation). Needless to say, in their early teen years they weren’t having it. For them, it was rap, hip hop, or nothing. Thankfully, as they’ve grown up there are country songs they want to listen to, even if it’s only from being exposed to songs from Morgan Wallen (and a few others) on TikTok.
What’s that verse in the Bible about being lukewarm? It’s better to be hot or cold and the longer I live, the more I realize how true that is in so many areas of life. Can that apply to country music, too? I think so. It’s why artists like Benjamin Tod are so dang refreshing! From the music I’ve heard of his so far, he isn’t playing the pop country game. He’s fully on the side of traditional country music, so much that I’m liable to call his upcoming album a “Country & Western record”. Check out the pleasant harmonies that sound like they were plucked right out of a mid-1980s jukebox in the corner of a smoky bar. Here’s Benjamin Tod and Sierra Ferrell’s duet “One Last Time.”
This is just my second post about Benjamin Tod (have you seen his trashy video for “I Ain’t The Man”?) but the folky harmony between him and Sierra Ferrell is a great example of what I love about country music.
Co-starring with gospel singer-songwriter Jon Reddick on the extra sweet version, TobyMac recently released a video for the song “Nothin’ Sweeter.” Wandering around Franklin, Tennessee and sitting alongside Jon at the piano, check out the video then scroll down for a few of my experiences with Mr. Toby McKeehan.
Heavenbound. Observant fans have already pointed out Toby’s shirt– the 1999 Supernatural Tour shirt, a nod to his longtime band DC Talk and this is where I want to dive in a bit further. If you remember, the “Supernatural” album was the follow-up to “Jesus Freak,” an album that might be THE MOST iconic Christian album of the last 50 years. It’s certainly the top album in my personal discography. At the time of the “Jesus Freak” release, I was in my third year of high school but my experience with the band started when I was in elementary school. We lived in Virginia not to far from Washington, D.C. My brother and sisters were at some sort of music festival and this is where we heard DC Talk for the first time. It was 1989 (or maybe 1990?). From then on, my siblings and I were hooked. We had their first album on repeat every day and by “repeat” I mean we listened to it, rewinded the cassette tape and listened again. This went on for an undisclosed amount of time.
Freaks. We didn’t know it then, or at least I didn’t, that DC Talk was making Christian music relevant and was on a path that would bring the faith to a generation that generally wasn’t embracing the Christian music of their parents. Hymns were certainly not cool, and talented artists like Sandy Patti weren’t releasing music teens were playing at parties, in their rooms, or on their Walkmans.
I think all of DC Talk’s success was building up to the “Jesus Freak” moment. It was an album that embraced the idea that Christianity wasn’t something to be embarrassed about. The album did the exact opposite for so many Christians: Shouting from the rooftop that yes, we were freaks. Gotta problem with it?
“Supernatural” was just as amazing of an album, musically for sure. I listened to that one over and over, this time on a CD. So in this new music video from TobyMac, of course I love seeing the throwback to his time with DC Talk. I’m always so happy when I hear of more success for Toby, Michael, and Kevin because of how they positively affected my most influential years.
Awhile back I put together a top 10 list of my favorite DC Talk songs, not an easy task at all! If you want to go down that rabbit hole, here you go:
Instagram. Be sure to follow TobyMac (@TobyMac) and Jon Reddick (@JonReddick) and if you have any TobyMac or DC Talk memories, chime in with a comment below…
This song is a great reminder of why Carrie Underwood won American Idol nearly 20 years ago. Her voice is incredible, especially when she’s singing gospel and this love song duet with Cody Johnson is borderline spiritual. The pleasant blend of voices between these two is something we needed, isn’t it?
I have this thing about a songs, a few of which I’ve heard lately. Sometimes an artist releases a song and it’s presented as the best thing since round wheels but when I listen to it, I wonder: Where and when is anyone going to play this song? A great example of this is Midland’s “Vegas.” It’s a song. It has lyrics and music. But when is anyone playing this song in real life? Not at a party. Not at home alone. It’s not good for a road trip and to put it lightly, it generally serves no purpose whatsoever for the advancement of mankind. OK, that was heavy. Sorry Midland. Fortunately for Cody and Carrie, “I’m Gonna Love You” is not wasting anyone’s time. This spirited duet is one of the better love songs to come along in a long time.
Adding an equestrian theme with the new music video will upset nobody because if you’ve ever watched a horse run or gallop or if you’ve hugged a horse, you know there’s something divine about them.
The imagery in this video is beautiful, stunning, and I can’t get enough of those horses. The director, Dustin Haney, did a wonderful job putting it all together. After it was all said and done, here’s what he had to say about it via his Instagram (@DustinHaney):
This song fits on a few different playlists and will undoubtedly be played at weddings or anniversaries or an unnecessarily dramatic high school hoco invitation. Couple that with a great video and this is an all around hit.
What do you think about the song and the video? Comment below, let’s chat about it!
Mikey is back in a new take on the iconic Life cereal phrase “He likes it!” This time, the ad includes an original song performed by Mikey himself. This tradition has been passed on to a new actor named Hudson Uebelhardt. Take a look then scroll down for more…
As a reminder, here’s the original from the 1970s.
The series of ads has been revisited over the years, here’s another one featuring the original Mikey, a little older but still loving Life in the 1980s.
Recreated in early 2000s to show that Life cereal is not just for kids. Take a look at adults partaking in the breakfast bowl…
In 2019 the storyline swapped over to the female gender, a little girl somehow still named Mikey? I’ve not known this to be the short version of Mikenzie, Michaela, Mikenna, or other Mikey-type names but I guess Quaker Oats/ Pepsi thought it was time to cut in the ladies. Hey, there’s enough cereal to go around, folks!
What do you think about the 2024-version of this ongoing franchise catchphrase? Should Mikey continue to be a grumpy pants or is the modern version where Mikey has a better attitude a better fit for the current culture?
Out of the Wilderness 