iMedia: Jerry Lee Lewis-Great Balls of Fire

bum bum bum bum - You shake my nerves and you rattle my brains - bum bum bum bum....

Sure, Jerry Lee is a little bit older than when the song came out, but this was the best video to show off his piano skills. His skills don't include throwing the piano bench or lighting the actual piano on fire, but his skill for bringing energy to some simpler piano playing. This song shows off the simple things in one large amazing work of art. Not everything amazing is complex or hard, and this song is the best example to use.

First let me explain. Jerry Lee doesn't exactly play the hardest of piano pieces. I'm not saying I could play what he does, but it isn't exactly a two hand piano piece meant for six. I am saying though, that what he does is probably more recognized than that hard six hand piano piece. I would argue that this is one of the best songs I have ever heard. It has the best ratio of musical interludes to words and just that one little thing that makes me want to get up and dance. Some might not say so, but we'll say yes for this explanation. When I think about it, something with classic blues/jazz beats and pretty classic high chords has my jaw dropped on the floor thinking "Wow, I should have been born in the 50's!" The words are said over and over, the same notes over and over, but I absolutely LOVE this song.

So, what I learned from this song is that I don't have to do everything comletely out there, or only like things that are crazy hard, I have to like the simple things in life too. Without me knowing, I've probably loved the little things more than the big things in my life. I'd say that everytime I see a heart on a desk I sit at, or hear the same "What up?" from the kid in my math class everyday, makes my day something great. Every little thing I see and hear makes one big day. Every little part of that song makes one big song.

Why, though, have we strayed so far from the type of music Great Balls of Fire is? Don't you see the people dance and cheering all through the song? Why is it that we didn't keep this type of music if we know people loved it? I think the answer is that we get more caught up with how many words we can fit in a small span of time (rap) or eventually just making the 2:30 song into a 3:15 song. Don't get me wrong, I love listening to more modern music, but I don't even listen to the words that much. I know that expressing oneself in a song is a great talent, and I try to do the same with my own songs, but can't we take a hint from people like Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Bill Haley, Ritchie Valens, The Teenagers, but you get the point. They wrote and performed so many amazing songs, that I can count the songs from nowadays that have the same effect on me on one hand.

Not to say that music now isn't inspiring, but I'm starting to realize that music can be inspiring and fun to dance to as well...or at least have a full sound. In music from the 50's, you can hear all the instruments, hear the words and have fun. The simpler sounds brought everyone together to make one big song...Goodness Gracious, Great Balls Of Fire!!

Connection: College Football and Shakespeare

I do not like professional football. The only reason I watch the superbowl is to see the clever commercials, but I do watch college football. I've said this to everyone I know, college football has more team spirit than high school and professional. High school loses it in their chessy picturesque way, and professional loses it in the large amount of time used just for tv time outs. College football has the right amount of tv breaks and the student section roaring, not just socializing.

I don't really like classic novels. I'll make the exception with Little Women and Great Expectations. Although Shakespeare didn't write classic novels, I put him back with the old people and I do like his work. His work exerts the same atmosphere that college football does, to me at least.

For starters, you have to know the rules. You wouldn't understand college football if you used professional football rules...you'd think every play deserves a flag. If you use proper english grammar, you would tear Shakespeare apart. They both have a different set of rules, making each of them unique. Shakespeare's play on words gives you the meaning in both a hidden and obvious way. With football, sure the rules may make it easier, but then the players have a better chance of showing off what they have. You don't need extremely hard rules to show your skills. Rules limit creativity and both set some away, to bring out what they have.

They both have their fans. College football, or at least Notre Dame football, is known to have some pretty extreme fans. I know my mom still sits and watches the game screaming at the top of her lungs. Why you ask? Well college had memories for her. Watching her team brings back memories and a comadery, while also gives her a different neighbor to despise just for a day. Chicago doesn't exactly give you memories. It doesn't give you a reason to cheer for their team other than that you live in that city. Shakespeare has the same approach. You don't like Shakespeare because you live in England. You like Shakespeare because there is some emotional attachment to his works and your psyche. Plus with so many different works, there will always be someone to debate with.

This matters to me because college football is so big in my life. That's what Saturdays are for, football. My dad is the only one who watches football on Sundays. Plus my neighbor and I always scream at each other when the Notre Dame/BC game is on. There's the emotional attachement for me, and Shakespeare brings some of the college atmosphere to my life. I don't have to understand everything to get the big picture, and William shows me that. I'll always have my Saturdays, and I'll always have some Shakespeare theatre in the city.

360 degrees: The Proposal

I was sick this whole week and so it just seemed like tradition to watch a movie while eating the only thing I could eat...popsicles. My sister got me the movie, The Proposal, and I watched it twice. I laughed and laughed until I realized what I was watching. I was watching a woman blackmailing a man. In most movies, it's the other way around. The men are usually the person in charge or the person with the power, but this time a woman was. Then I thought to myself, why are you being so stereotypical? I had just told myself that men are usually the ones with the most power. I basically just put myself down. After that I started thinking about our society.

There are many instances in life where it is ok for a man to do things, but not ok for a woman to do so. It seems pretty normal for some guys to be jerks, or for them to just rage because that's just what men do. If a girl goes nuts, she's just known as a crazy person. Men can have the bigger salary and be the worker bee, while women usually have the lower salary and are taking care of the kids. Why is society like this? Why was I so surprised and shocked when I saw a woman taking charge?

I see different ways of looking at this movie. Was it mocking the idea of women taking charge? Was it showing the future, that women will one day rise above the stereotypes? Was it just simply a funny story line? Whichever idea it was, it still made me wonder as to how we got our world to have those questions...maybe not the story line one.

With that, was I taking it too far? It was just a movie, and it probably was made just to make some money. The people writing it most likely did not think...what would make Mary get upset? But the people had to start somewhere, and a woman in charge did give the movie an interesting twist. Then that just leads me back to where I started...why is a woman in charge a twist?I guess I'll never really know the answer, but I can only hope for the best. Plus, while I'm waiting...I'll watch the movie again.