So as long-rumored, ABC canceled the fantastic Pushing Daisies. What a crock. They take off one of the smartest, wittiest, best written shows on television while they continue to broadcast putrid shit like Supernanny, The Bachelor, Desperate Housewives and Wife Swap. They get rid of a smart, creative, truly unique show while they continue to produce crap that simply attracts the lowest common denominator. What has happened to TV? I'm sure ABC will claim that Pushing Daisies' diminutive ratings simply didn't make up for it's production costs, but how can you expect to even draw an audience when you don't give the show a real chance to blossom? Pushing Daisies was just hitting it's stride, and now the show won't even be given the opportunity to finish it's second season. What the hell is that? Why even bother following and getting emotionally invested in a show if it could be canceled next week? There were few shows on TV as good as Pushing Daisies, and whether you followed the show or not, this is a sad day for television watchers everywhere.
Speaking of shows, I just started watching 30 Rock. I plowed though the first season in maybe a week and am in the middle of the second right now. I have no idea why I never watched this before. It has one of the best casts ever, never ceases to be hilarious, and is written by every guy's secret crush, Tina Fey. With it's quirky humor and numerous pop culture references, 30 Rock's quickly become must-watch TV for me. But throw aside the hilarity and the witty banter for a second. Disregard Tina Fey's fantastic portrayal of insecure head writer Liz Lemon and the horribly underrated Alec Baldwin's cocky but ultimately good hearted Jack Donaghy. The true shining star of 30 Rock can only be one character: Cerie. Played by the super attractive Katrina Bowden, Cerie's sole purpose on the show is to be hot. It is literally all she does. She is paraded around in a variety of skimpy outfits that both entice the imagination and help to skewer the superficial nature of television and Hollywood in general. And the thing is, as a character Cerie breaks the usual mold by being self-aware: she knows she is there simply for sex appeal and revels in the role. Like bacon on a cheeseburger, Cerie takes something that is already awesome and raises it to another level.
On a non-TV related note, we had our first real snowfall of the year in Philly a few days ago. Now normally I love snow. It just seems really pure and has a calming effect on me. I love waking up in the morning to see everything covered in a fresh blanket of snow. Driving in it however? That's a completely different fucking story. I don't get it. You get a little bit of snow and people forget how to drive. They drop their speed to 20 mph and brake seemingly every 50 feet. What the fuck? If this is some place in Texas where you're not gonna get snow...okay, I can understand that. But this is freaking Philadelphia! If you live here, chances are good that you've seen and driven in snow before!! So what gives? And the thing is, if people see rain, which for all intents and purposes would be much more dangerous to drive in, they go as fast as ever. It makes no sense. So a simple plea to not only the residents of Philly, but to everyone around the world: just cause it's snowing doesn't mean you have to forget how to drive. If you have a running car with working tires you'll be fine. So stop crawling around the highways like motherfucking snails. If you can't drive in snow then get off the road, cause snow won't be half as dangerous as me ramming your car off the god damned road if you don't push the pedal down and actually go somewhere close to the speed limit.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Thumbs Down to the IGN Babe Election
When I first saw that IGN was doing a tournament-style bracket to determine, in their words "the ultimate eye-candy," I was quite enthusiastic. I mean, what guy doesn't like ranking girls based on their looks? This would be fun!
IGN had amassed a pretty thorough list of hot girls to rank (though the omissions of Halle Berry, Adrianne Palicki, Anna Paquin and Mila Kunis are a bit disconcerting). For the most part, I can't argue with the results thus far. I wouldn't have had Megan Fox beat Keira Knightley, but it's understandable. I'm really just a sucker for Keira's accent. Scarlett beating Hayden and Petra Nemcova beating Jennifer Garner are close calls, but oh well, I can live with that. There was one result, though, that I simply could not digest.
Now I'm a big fan of the show Chuck. For the last 1+ season it's been a fun, fairly brainless show, an excellent lead-in to the drama filled hour that will be Heroes. Chuck has likable characters that were properly developed, an excellent supporting cast, and the right blend of action, humor, and romance to keep things interesting. That being said, I'd be lying if I said that the best part of the show was anything other than Yvonne Strahovski. I don't know why this girl doesn't get talked about more often; she is absolutely, completely, unequivocally smoking hot. Like ridiculously so. She may be the hottest blonde I have ever seen and I don't think there's a hotter girl on television right now. Yet, most people have never heard of her.
Seeing her in IGN's tournament thing, I had her pegged for my Final Four, and possibly winning the whole damn thing. She beat Olga Kurylenko in the first round (you should watch Hitman just to see Olga being ridiculously hot) as she should have, but then, she lost to Keeley Hazell in Round 2! the second round?! To Keeley Hazell??!! To Keeley fucking Hazell???!!! Who the fuck is that?? So a quick google search tells you that she's basically some whore from England that made a sex tape. So Yvonne, that shimmering goddess of all things that are good in this world, lost to a big-titted British version of Paris Hilton. You gotta be fucking kidding me. What a god damend joke. Now humanity as a whole has made some poor choices - we elected Bush to be our president, we like Nickelback, we still resist gay marriage - but this is unconsciable. To pick some whore with big boobs that has done absolutely nothing over an ultra attractive, talented actress on a great show.... well that pretty much speaks for itself. Men (and women) all over the world should be ashamed that this has come to pass. I take this as a personal affront. What has happened to us as a race when we're picking Keeley fucking Hazell over Yvonne Strahovski?? A sad day for humanity. And if I ever see this Keeley fucking hazell chick, I'm gonna push her in front of a bus.... or maybe just have her sign a copy of her DVD.
IGN had amassed a pretty thorough list of hot girls to rank (though the omissions of Halle Berry, Adrianne Palicki, Anna Paquin and Mila Kunis are a bit disconcerting). For the most part, I can't argue with the results thus far. I wouldn't have had Megan Fox beat Keira Knightley, but it's understandable. I'm really just a sucker for Keira's accent. Scarlett beating Hayden and Petra Nemcova beating Jennifer Garner are close calls, but oh well, I can live with that. There was one result, though, that I simply could not digest.
Now I'm a big fan of the show Chuck. For the last 1+ season it's been a fun, fairly brainless show, an excellent lead-in to the drama filled hour that will be Heroes. Chuck has likable characters that were properly developed, an excellent supporting cast, and the right blend of action, humor, and romance to keep things interesting. That being said, I'd be lying if I said that the best part of the show was anything other than Yvonne Strahovski. I don't know why this girl doesn't get talked about more often; she is absolutely, completely, unequivocally smoking hot. Like ridiculously so. She may be the hottest blonde I have ever seen and I don't think there's a hotter girl on television right now. Yet, most people have never heard of her.
Seeing her in IGN's tournament thing, I had her pegged for my Final Four, and possibly winning the whole damn thing. She beat Olga Kurylenko in the first round (you should watch Hitman just to see Olga being ridiculously hot) as she should have, but then, she lost to Keeley Hazell in Round 2! the second round?! To Keeley Hazell??!! To Keeley fucking Hazell???!!! Who the fuck is that?? So a quick google search tells you that she's basically some whore from England that made a sex tape. So Yvonne, that shimmering goddess of all things that are good in this world, lost to a big-titted British version of Paris Hilton. You gotta be fucking kidding me. What a god damend joke. Now humanity as a whole has made some poor choices - we elected Bush to be our president, we like Nickelback, we still resist gay marriage - but this is unconsciable. To pick some whore with big boobs that has done absolutely nothing over an ultra attractive, talented actress on a great show.... well that pretty much speaks for itself. Men (and women) all over the world should be ashamed that this has come to pass. I take this as a personal affront. What has happened to us as a race when we're picking Keeley fucking Hazell over Yvonne Strahovski?? A sad day for humanity. And if I ever see this Keeley fucking hazell chick, I'm gonna push her in front of a bus.... or maybe just have her sign a copy of her DVD.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
A burrito fueled thought...
A random thought I had as I went to grab a burrito at midnight in the rain:
If there were gunshots, wouldn't you want to run towards them? I mean, what are the odds of gunshots being fired in the same place on the same night? Rather low me thinks
If there were gunshots, wouldn't you want to run towards them? I mean, what are the odds of gunshots being fired in the same place on the same night? Rather low me thinks
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
Stop Bitching About Heroes
I've been a big Heroes fan since the show started. A show that revolves around people with super powers and has a plethora of hot girls as regular cast members? Yeah, I'm in. The first season was also surprisingly good. Decent acting with great storytelling and lots of plot twists made for some good TV. Then came the second season which, for whatever reason, just kinda blew. I don't know if it was rushed, or not well thought out, or just severely affected by the writer's strike, but the season was an absolute struggle. The plot was convoluted at best, the character development was non-existent, and the script was horribly uninspired. Seems like the writers and creators rested on their laurels and kinda just mailed season 2 in. The writer's strike, then, seemingly came at a good time for the writers of Heroes. It allowed them to re-group their thoughts and start fresh with season 3.
I had big expectations for season 3, and I have to admit that they have totally been met. The first season was unpredictable and addictive TV, and season 3 has been the same. You have new characters, some surprises that one would have been hard-pressed to guess, and tons of plot swings and mysteries that make for compelling viewing. I was excited that Heroes was back up and flying again, and I figured that other people shared in my enjoyment of the show. I was semi-shocked to see that the season has not been regarded well. Producers are being fired, rating are down, and reviews in general have been negative. Okay, what the fuck gives? What's with all the hate?
Now I'll be the first to admit that the story has got a bit convoluted at points, and with all the character and time switches happening, if you miss one episode you're pretty much fucked. But that doesn't make it a bad show. Here's what I think's going on.
1) How people view Heroes
I go into Heroes the same way I would go into, say, an X-men comic book. You enter into a fantasy world where people die and come back to life on a fairly normal basis, where characters switch allegiances all the time, and where parallel realities and time travel are not really questioned. I believe that the quality of any movie or show will be determined by the expectations that a viewer has going into the medium, and I truly think that this has a lot to do with one's enjoyment of Heroes. If you watch Heroes with already suspended beliefs regarding physics and the idea that people can have super powers, that is if you watch Heroes placing your mind into a 'super hero universe', you will find the show utterly enjoyable. If you watch Heroes with the same mindset that you watch say Law and Order, you're not gonna enjoy Heroes. With a comic book/sci-fi show like Heroes you simply have to block reality from your mind for an hour or the show will lose all its magic.
2) We have no attention spans anymore
Heroes is one of those shows you have to pay specific attention to. If you miss one scene you could miss something pivotal and be completely lost. We're a fast-paced, multi-tasking society. I don't think anyone will argue that this has, to a certain degree, dumbed down our cognitive abilities to the point where we find it difficult to sit still and focus. I often find myself browsing the web or doing a crossword during the show, then there comes a point where I realize that if I don't start paying close attention I'm not gonna have a fucking clue what's going on. Yeah, I guess you could say it's almost a form of work at that point, but when you've invested that much time and thought into a show isn't it worth it to just sit down and really try to watch the damn thing?
Heroes isn't perfect....but what show is? It has an interesting premise, a decent plot, good actors, and sweet special effects. Not to mention the plethora of hot chicks on the show (yeah, giving Nikki two other sisters was a little too convenient, but I support anything that keeps Ali Larter on my television screen). I mean, what else do you really want from a show? The season only seems to be getting better and if anyone tells me they know where they're going with the storyline I'd call them a fucking liar. And I get that some people don't like what they're doing with the characters themselves, but the way I look at it, the show shouldn't be about the individual characters; the characters should serve to further the plot and the story. The show should be about the entire 'Heroes universe' so to speak. That's how they do it in comics - you kill a character if it helps the overall story - and that's the attitude they need to bring to Heroes. Yeah, I get that a lot of the cast have become big stars now, but you have to kill people sometimes. Clearly there'll be fan backlash, but if they're truly fans of the show they'll understand that it's for the better.
So stop bitching about Heroes. It's still better than the majority of drivel that's on TV right now and all things considered, I think the show is getting better. So how about we give the season a fucking chance instead of dismissing it for a variety of non-critical reasons? It's still fun, it's still exciting, and it's still entertaining as all hell. And besides, even if the show gets to an unwatchable point, at the very least we can stare longingly at the getting-hotter-every-day Hayden Panettiere running around in leather and high heels. Scrumptuous.
I had big expectations for season 3, and I have to admit that they have totally been met. The first season was unpredictable and addictive TV, and season 3 has been the same. You have new characters, some surprises that one would have been hard-pressed to guess, and tons of plot swings and mysteries that make for compelling viewing. I was excited that Heroes was back up and flying again, and I figured that other people shared in my enjoyment of the show. I was semi-shocked to see that the season has not been regarded well. Producers are being fired, rating are down, and reviews in general have been negative. Okay, what the fuck gives? What's with all the hate?
Now I'll be the first to admit that the story has got a bit convoluted at points, and with all the character and time switches happening, if you miss one episode you're pretty much fucked. But that doesn't make it a bad show. Here's what I think's going on.
1) How people view Heroes
I go into Heroes the same way I would go into, say, an X-men comic book. You enter into a fantasy world where people die and come back to life on a fairly normal basis, where characters switch allegiances all the time, and where parallel realities and time travel are not really questioned. I believe that the quality of any movie or show will be determined by the expectations that a viewer has going into the medium, and I truly think that this has a lot to do with one's enjoyment of Heroes. If you watch Heroes with already suspended beliefs regarding physics and the idea that people can have super powers, that is if you watch Heroes placing your mind into a 'super hero universe', you will find the show utterly enjoyable. If you watch Heroes with the same mindset that you watch say Law and Order, you're not gonna enjoy Heroes. With a comic book/sci-fi show like Heroes you simply have to block reality from your mind for an hour or the show will lose all its magic.
2) We have no attention spans anymore
Heroes is one of those shows you have to pay specific attention to. If you miss one scene you could miss something pivotal and be completely lost. We're a fast-paced, multi-tasking society. I don't think anyone will argue that this has, to a certain degree, dumbed down our cognitive abilities to the point where we find it difficult to sit still and focus. I often find myself browsing the web or doing a crossword during the show, then there comes a point where I realize that if I don't start paying close attention I'm not gonna have a fucking clue what's going on. Yeah, I guess you could say it's almost a form of work at that point, but when you've invested that much time and thought into a show isn't it worth it to just sit down and really try to watch the damn thing?
Heroes isn't perfect....but what show is? It has an interesting premise, a decent plot, good actors, and sweet special effects. Not to mention the plethora of hot chicks on the show (yeah, giving Nikki two other sisters was a little too convenient, but I support anything that keeps Ali Larter on my television screen). I mean, what else do you really want from a show? The season only seems to be getting better and if anyone tells me they know where they're going with the storyline I'd call them a fucking liar. And I get that some people don't like what they're doing with the characters themselves, but the way I look at it, the show shouldn't be about the individual characters; the characters should serve to further the plot and the story. The show should be about the entire 'Heroes universe' so to speak. That's how they do it in comics - you kill a character if it helps the overall story - and that's the attitude they need to bring to Heroes. Yeah, I get that a lot of the cast have become big stars now, but you have to kill people sometimes. Clearly there'll be fan backlash, but if they're truly fans of the show they'll understand that it's for the better.
So stop bitching about Heroes. It's still better than the majority of drivel that's on TV right now and all things considered, I think the show is getting better. So how about we give the season a fucking chance instead of dismissing it for a variety of non-critical reasons? It's still fun, it's still exciting, and it's still entertaining as all hell. And besides, even if the show gets to an unwatchable point, at the very least we can stare longingly at the getting-hotter-every-day Hayden Panettiere running around in leather and high heels. Scrumptuous.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Thank God for Election Day
The build-up to the freaking election took fooooooorever. It seriously needed to end. I have a lot of faith that Obama has the ability to lead this country in a new direction, but if his people called or emailed me one more time I was ready to say 'fuck it' and go vote for McCain. I've been jaded by politics, not gonna lie. When I vote I tend to vote for the lesser of two evils. I refuse to believe that there are any completely honest politicians out there, even President Obama. Everyone has an agenda and a paper trail. You can't become president of the United States without scratching a few backs. It's a shame it's gotten to this point for me, and if I had to blame the one thing about politics that completely turns me off it's the constant negative attack ads and the derisive propaganda. Look, instead of telling me how bad your opponent is why don't you tell me your actual fucking policies? Are we, as voters, so stupid now that we no longer respond to what you actually plan to do? Evidently politicians truly believe that the only way they can get to us is by telling us how awful and bad for America their opponents are. And honestly, can we say that they are really wrong in believing this?
How many people voted based on the candidates actual policies? I'm sure tons of people voted for Obama or McCain simply based on their race. Others voted based simply on party affiliation. How many people actually know the differences between the issues presented by Obama and McCain? Neither one has given us anything concrete to contemplate. Both will 'fix the economy.' Each will 'end the war.' Um...is it too much for you to tell us how exactly?
Ultimately the choice of Palin back-fired on McCain. It was a risk, though, that he had to take. He knew he was behind Obama and he needed to make a radical push to get disillusioned women voters, ultra-conservatives that saw him as too liberal, and the un-decided voters. At first Palin created a hell of a buzz. A female vice-president?! Then....she opened her mouth. I don't know if it's possible to calculate how much damage the Katie Couric interview did to the Republican party. I'm fine with people being religious, but I take issue with anyone who takes the Bible that literally. If our vice-president truly believed that dinosaurs and humans walked at the same time - well I'm just not okay with that. It's preposterous, and Palin lost the confidence of any reasonable person. Throw in her ridiculous views on abortion (sorry you got raped - enjoy the baby!) and her complete lack of foreign experience (when did she get a passport? like 2 months ago?) and it was clear that she was barely qualified to cook me a hot dog let alone be in a high political position. Also, a presidential term takes a toll on the president. Look at Clinton and Bush before and after their terms ended. They look like they aged 25 years. McCain's already in his 70s. The odds of him surviving the daily stresses of his entire term were decidedly not good. And if he died in office that means Palin would've taken over. I don't fucking think so. If she took over as the leader of this country I would've moved to Europe.
Honestly, I really like John McCain as a person. If it was him against Hillary or him against Kerry, McCain probably would've gotten my support. What repuled me was when McCain basically sold his soul to the Christian right. I mean, he had to, but what about your ideals man? Politics is all about compromise but that's a bit much to me. Would you behave the same way in office? In exchange for Iran not bombing Israel we let them kill student protesters. I'm not cool with that. Members of the Christian right are no different than fundamental Muslims in my opinion, and I can't trust anyone that seems to be-friend them in exchange for favors. These are the same people that support blowing up abortion clinics and killing hundreds of innocent people in order to save lives. They're fucking hypocrites. We NEED to keep religion out of politics, and I'm not confident either McCain or Palin would've done so. That being said, McCain needs to be congratulated on his concession speech. It was beautifully delivered and heartfelt - the very thing that made McCain so popular in the first place, but a key facet of his personality that he seemed to lose as the race went on. McCain is an idealist and ultimately he was just not genuinely slimy enough to do what needed to be done to win the Republicans the presidency. It's hard not to respect McCain for all he's done. His campaign may have been a bit mis-guided but I don't think that's a true representation of him as a person. Obama has talked about unifying the red and blue states; well, giving McCain a post somewhere within your regime would be a great way to start.
With The Phillies winning the World Series a mere seven days ago, and Obama winning the presidency only 6 days later, I think it's safe to say I have a new found faith in the world. I never thought the I'd see the day Philly won a championship and I never figured America would be able to suppress their racist, fearful nature long enough to elect an African-American president. But they both succeeded. So good job Phillies, good job Obama, and good job America. I may tend to be cynical towards the American public - we're fat, spoiled, de-value education, take freedoms for granted, have some sort of bizarre fascination with violence - but they showed me yesterday. They did what I truly believe was best for this country. Racism is not dead but this is a huge step forward. As the older generations were dying off it was time for my generation to step forward and claim their rightful place on the throne of American politics, and we did not disappoint. Apathy be damned. This is our country now and fuck you if we're not having our say. This is a true paradigm shift, one which America sorely needed. So we embark on a new phase of American and world history, one that will place Barack Obama, an African-American, in the forefront. As evidenced by the late night gatherings in cities across the country, he means a lot to a ton of people, and I do not think he will disappoint us. The economy may be failing us, the polar ice caps may be melting, we may be engaged in who knows how many wars, but there's hope that we will survive all of that. For the first time in who knows how long, it's truly exciting to be an American.
How many people voted based on the candidates actual policies? I'm sure tons of people voted for Obama or McCain simply based on their race. Others voted based simply on party affiliation. How many people actually know the differences between the issues presented by Obama and McCain? Neither one has given us anything concrete to contemplate. Both will 'fix the economy.' Each will 'end the war.' Um...is it too much for you to tell us how exactly?
Ultimately the choice of Palin back-fired on McCain. It was a risk, though, that he had to take. He knew he was behind Obama and he needed to make a radical push to get disillusioned women voters, ultra-conservatives that saw him as too liberal, and the un-decided voters. At first Palin created a hell of a buzz. A female vice-president?! Then....she opened her mouth. I don't know if it's possible to calculate how much damage the Katie Couric interview did to the Republican party. I'm fine with people being religious, but I take issue with anyone who takes the Bible that literally. If our vice-president truly believed that dinosaurs and humans walked at the same time - well I'm just not okay with that. It's preposterous, and Palin lost the confidence of any reasonable person. Throw in her ridiculous views on abortion (sorry you got raped - enjoy the baby!) and her complete lack of foreign experience (when did she get a passport? like 2 months ago?) and it was clear that she was barely qualified to cook me a hot dog let alone be in a high political position. Also, a presidential term takes a toll on the president. Look at Clinton and Bush before and after their terms ended. They look like they aged 25 years. McCain's already in his 70s. The odds of him surviving the daily stresses of his entire term were decidedly not good. And if he died in office that means Palin would've taken over. I don't fucking think so. If she took over as the leader of this country I would've moved to Europe.
Honestly, I really like John McCain as a person. If it was him against Hillary or him against Kerry, McCain probably would've gotten my support. What repuled me was when McCain basically sold his soul to the Christian right. I mean, he had to, but what about your ideals man? Politics is all about compromise but that's a bit much to me. Would you behave the same way in office? In exchange for Iran not bombing Israel we let them kill student protesters. I'm not cool with that. Members of the Christian right are no different than fundamental Muslims in my opinion, and I can't trust anyone that seems to be-friend them in exchange for favors. These are the same people that support blowing up abortion clinics and killing hundreds of innocent people in order to save lives. They're fucking hypocrites. We NEED to keep religion out of politics, and I'm not confident either McCain or Palin would've done so. That being said, McCain needs to be congratulated on his concession speech. It was beautifully delivered and heartfelt - the very thing that made McCain so popular in the first place, but a key facet of his personality that he seemed to lose as the race went on. McCain is an idealist and ultimately he was just not genuinely slimy enough to do what needed to be done to win the Republicans the presidency. It's hard not to respect McCain for all he's done. His campaign may have been a bit mis-guided but I don't think that's a true representation of him as a person. Obama has talked about unifying the red and blue states; well, giving McCain a post somewhere within your regime would be a great way to start.
With The Phillies winning the World Series a mere seven days ago, and Obama winning the presidency only 6 days later, I think it's safe to say I have a new found faith in the world. I never thought the I'd see the day Philly won a championship and I never figured America would be able to suppress their racist, fearful nature long enough to elect an African-American president. But they both succeeded. So good job Phillies, good job Obama, and good job America. I may tend to be cynical towards the American public - we're fat, spoiled, de-value education, take freedoms for granted, have some sort of bizarre fascination with violence - but they showed me yesterday. They did what I truly believe was best for this country. Racism is not dead but this is a huge step forward. As the older generations were dying off it was time for my generation to step forward and claim their rightful place on the throne of American politics, and we did not disappoint. Apathy be damned. This is our country now and fuck you if we're not having our say. This is a true paradigm shift, one which America sorely needed. So we embark on a new phase of American and world history, one that will place Barack Obama, an African-American, in the forefront. As evidenced by the late night gatherings in cities across the country, he means a lot to a ton of people, and I do not think he will disappoint us. The economy may be failing us, the polar ice caps may be melting, we may be engaged in who knows how many wars, but there's hope that we will survive all of that. For the first time in who knows how long, it's truly exciting to be an American.
Monday, November 3, 2008
This Changes Everything
Holy fucking shit. The Phillies did it. They actually did it. They won the god-damned World Series. 25 years of Philly sports futility gone. Just like that. Yeah, this post is about a week late, but I think I've finally calmed down enough to talk rationally about what happened. This wasn't just a normal sports championship. This was a championship for Philly. This, without any hyperbole, changes everything.
As much as I love Philly, I'll be the first to admit that we have an inferiority complex. We're jealous of all the attention that New york, Boston and DC get. Besides that, we hadn't won anything in a long time. A loooong time. Philly fans are decidedly NOT hopeful fans. We are cynical. We expect the worst...always. Something will go wrong. We know it. And in 25 years none of our teams have proven us wrong. And I hate to say it, but this lack of faith has extended to our personal lives. Whenever shit goes wrong for me I rationalize it with something like 'well of course that would happen.... I am a Philly fan.' Our bitterness had managed to purvey every aspect of our lives, casting a veritable gloom over this fine city. We had no hope. We were a city of losers. This was our destiny and we had accepted it. Did we enjoy always losing? Fuck no. But we were resigned to it. In Philly, losing wasn't just an option.... it was a way of life.
That all changed last Wednesday. The Phillies put an end to the drought, pushing away the pall the was suffocating the city. The joyous exuberance I beheld last Wednesday was nothing I have ever witnessed before. It was just truly fucking awesome. High-fiving everybody in site. Random strangers picking me up while I yelled like a fool. Everyone hooting and hollering. People running into the streets to high-five cabbies. Cars honking with their passengers hanging out of every window and sun roof and screaming like they were on a roller coaster. Grown men hugging each other. People literally dancing in the streets; jumping around like the rabid balls of emotion that they were. Then the whole crowd ran towards City Hall and congregated on Broad Street. It was revelry beyond explanation. A giant mass of people yelling their asses off, jumping up and down, and chanting "let's go Phillies!!" The amount of good vibes in the air was unfathomable. I'll never see my city more united. People with little in common all joined together by a singular happiness. Even as we left Broad Street and walked back to West Philly, the amount of people on the streets and the number of cars that would honk once they saw our Philies red was really fucking cool. Is there a better feeling then yelling in unison with people in a moving car as they go speeding by you?
If you're not from Philly it's hard to explain what this means to the city, what it means to the fans. I've been waiting for this moment for all of my life, and it's a feeling that I will have forever. For the record, I didn't cry, but everytime I hear Harry Kalas' final call I definitely get a bit misty-eyed. The true enormity of the Phils accomplishment didn't really hit me until yesterday. I turned on the flyers game and they were down 5-3 heading into the third. They ended up losing to the Oilers 5-4. But after the game, rather than yelling and cursing at the TV while I questioned the talent and sexuality of the team, I simply sat back on my couch, clapped my hands a couple times, and uttered 'it's alright...you'll get em next time.' That is most definitely not what you would expect from a Philly fan. The Phillies did more than give us a world title. In a city that expects the worst, in a time when shit seems to be going worse and worse, the Phillies did what no one else could.... they gave us hope.
So a thought on the celebrating that took place after we won:
While we were down at Borad Street everybody was cool for the most part. Yeah, you had some people on top of traffic signals and others jumping up and down on an awning, and a few people were tearing branches off trees and shit, but all things considered it was nothing too bad. Nothing compared to what was expected. When I got back home, however, I turned on the news and they were talking about the fires and destruction that had taken place pretty much exactly where I had been at. People broke into a luggage store and flipped cars. It's a shame that though the majority of people were well-behaved a few dumb asses will once again give Phily fans a bad name. And really, a luggage store? Not jewelery, or electronics, but....luggage? Only in Philly can we not even pillage a store correctly. Honestly though, the whole 'we won so let's destroy our city!' phenomenon has never made sense to me. I love this fucking city. If you didn't love it, why would you be rooting for the Phils in the first place? So after they win it, we're gonna tear our city down? Huh? How exactly does that make sense? If we wanna destroy Tampa, or Boston or New York, I can understand that. 'We won so suck it'. But why are we destroying our own city? Winning a championship should give you some pride in your city. It makes you wanna walk up to random people and go 'my city is better than yours motherfucker!!,' it shouldn't make you wanna tear your city down. So people, stop this bullshit. Think before you act. I'm all for celebrating til I collapse from exhaustion, but there's no need to burn, loot, and otherwise harm this great city.
Here's a few pictures from all the post-victory craziness:
Fans Celebrate in Front of City Hall
Guy on Top of a Traffic Light
On an Awning at Broad Street
As much as I love Philly, I'll be the first to admit that we have an inferiority complex. We're jealous of all the attention that New york, Boston and DC get. Besides that, we hadn't won anything in a long time. A loooong time. Philly fans are decidedly NOT hopeful fans. We are cynical. We expect the worst...always. Something will go wrong. We know it. And in 25 years none of our teams have proven us wrong. And I hate to say it, but this lack of faith has extended to our personal lives. Whenever shit goes wrong for me I rationalize it with something like 'well of course that would happen.... I am a Philly fan.' Our bitterness had managed to purvey every aspect of our lives, casting a veritable gloom over this fine city. We had no hope. We were a city of losers. This was our destiny and we had accepted it. Did we enjoy always losing? Fuck no. But we were resigned to it. In Philly, losing wasn't just an option.... it was a way of life.
That all changed last Wednesday. The Phillies put an end to the drought, pushing away the pall the was suffocating the city. The joyous exuberance I beheld last Wednesday was nothing I have ever witnessed before. It was just truly fucking awesome. High-fiving everybody in site. Random strangers picking me up while I yelled like a fool. Everyone hooting and hollering. People running into the streets to high-five cabbies. Cars honking with their passengers hanging out of every window and sun roof and screaming like they were on a roller coaster. Grown men hugging each other. People literally dancing in the streets; jumping around like the rabid balls of emotion that they were. Then the whole crowd ran towards City Hall and congregated on Broad Street. It was revelry beyond explanation. A giant mass of people yelling their asses off, jumping up and down, and chanting "let's go Phillies!!" The amount of good vibes in the air was unfathomable. I'll never see my city more united. People with little in common all joined together by a singular happiness. Even as we left Broad Street and walked back to West Philly, the amount of people on the streets and the number of cars that would honk once they saw our Philies red was really fucking cool. Is there a better feeling then yelling in unison with people in a moving car as they go speeding by you?
If you're not from Philly it's hard to explain what this means to the city, what it means to the fans. I've been waiting for this moment for all of my life, and it's a feeling that I will have forever. For the record, I didn't cry, but everytime I hear Harry Kalas' final call I definitely get a bit misty-eyed. The true enormity of the Phils accomplishment didn't really hit me until yesterday. I turned on the flyers game and they were down 5-3 heading into the third. They ended up losing to the Oilers 5-4. But after the game, rather than yelling and cursing at the TV while I questioned the talent and sexuality of the team, I simply sat back on my couch, clapped my hands a couple times, and uttered 'it's alright...you'll get em next time.' That is most definitely not what you would expect from a Philly fan. The Phillies did more than give us a world title. In a city that expects the worst, in a time when shit seems to be going worse and worse, the Phillies did what no one else could.... they gave us hope.
So a thought on the celebrating that took place after we won:
While we were down at Borad Street everybody was cool for the most part. Yeah, you had some people on top of traffic signals and others jumping up and down on an awning, and a few people were tearing branches off trees and shit, but all things considered it was nothing too bad. Nothing compared to what was expected. When I got back home, however, I turned on the news and they were talking about the fires and destruction that had taken place pretty much exactly where I had been at. People broke into a luggage store and flipped cars. It's a shame that though the majority of people were well-behaved a few dumb asses will once again give Phily fans a bad name. And really, a luggage store? Not jewelery, or electronics, but....luggage? Only in Philly can we not even pillage a store correctly. Honestly though, the whole 'we won so let's destroy our city!' phenomenon has never made sense to me. I love this fucking city. If you didn't love it, why would you be rooting for the Phils in the first place? So after they win it, we're gonna tear our city down? Huh? How exactly does that make sense? If we wanna destroy Tampa, or Boston or New York, I can understand that. 'We won so suck it'. But why are we destroying our own city? Winning a championship should give you some pride in your city. It makes you wanna walk up to random people and go 'my city is better than yours motherfucker!!,' it shouldn't make you wanna tear your city down. So people, stop this bullshit. Think before you act. I'm all for celebrating til I collapse from exhaustion, but there's no need to burn, loot, and otherwise harm this great city.
Here's a few pictures from all the post-victory craziness:
Masses of People on Broad Street
Fans Celebrate in Front of City Hall
Guy on Top of a Traffic Light
On an Awning at Broad Street
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)