The 411 Week In Review 07.10.05: July 3, 2005 – July 9, 2005
Posted by Tim Johnson on 07.10.2005
Back to normal
July 3rd – July 9th, 2005
Like a lot of you, I got a chance to check out some stuff from the “Live 8” broadcast.
The first, and probably last cool thing AOL has ever done, is make the entire show available for free online. Uncensored even.
I just got done watching the Pink Floyd set for the third time. Since they’ll probably never do a reunion tour, I was happy as hell to see it.
One thing I’m not happy with is the news source on imdb.com, WENN.
Over the months, I’ve used a lot of their headlines to comment on right here in the Week in Review.
Then they posted some bogus story about how Paul McCartney has never played “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band” live before because he didn’t feel right about doing it without his former band mates. So of course, it was a monumental occasion for him and Bono to open “Live 8 London” with it.
McCartney’s played that song live thousands of times. Hell, he even recorded it for his 1990 live album, “Tripping the Live Fantastic.”
I can understand a news company goofing up a story, but don’t fabricate one for the sake of sensationalism.
I wrote them a nasty-gram about their error, but am still awaiting a response.
Hey WENN, I hear Dan Rather is looking for work.
On to more important things……
MOVIES/TV
1) Fantastic Four anything but
According to pretty much everyone, the new comic book movie, “Fantastic Four” is a total piece of crap.
I haven’t seen it yet, but if Ebert gives it one star, it’s gotta be pretty bad.
Then again, Ebert gave “The Hulk” a favorable review and that was the worst movie since “Leonard Part 6,” but I digress.
This goes to show you can’t just put Jessica Alba in a scuba suit and end up with a good film.
It’s amazing how many Hollywood producers don’t grasp that concept.
Take Spiderman and the newest Batman. Those movies were great because they focused on the guy behind the mask. They showed both sides of superhero life, and did it with a well written script and quality acting.
So, basically the exact opposite of dressing Halle Berry in S&M gear and having her say “meow” every 10 seconds.
I just hope this comic movie craze hits the wall before we’re subjected to Cameron Diaz as “Wonder Woman.”
RATING: 3.5
MUSIC
1) Britney Spears wants new album
According to the previously discredited gossip news company WENN, Britney Spears is desperate to make a new album. She is reportedly struggling to make ends meet now that she and her deadbeat husband are not working.
Well, I actually buy this.
But one thing I and the majority of the rest of the world won’t buy is a new Britney Spears album.
For the longest time, Brit was poisoning the airways with her terrible songs. And she was bitching about it constantly.
She was always too tired from her hectic work schedule. She couldn’t take the pressure of shooting videos and touring all the time. She just wanted to be a normal person.
Be careful what you wish for there B. Spears.
The difference between then and now is that she used to be hot and all kinds of losers thought they had a chance with her.
Now she’s married, knocked up, and is reportedly desperate for cash.
To top it off, the people that wrote her terrible songs are now busy writing terrible songs for hot girls that losers still think they have a chance with.
Fortunately, the TV show “Hit Me Baby One More Time” will likely be off the air before she has a chance to ruin a classic Billy Joel song.
RATING: 7
WRESTLING
1) WWE Roster Cuts a Plenty
In a somewhat non-surprising move, WWE released several wrestlers this week.
Cuts included, but were not limited to, Billy Kidman, Maven, Spike Dudley, Dawn Marie, Jackie Gayda, Marty Jannetty, and Shannon Moore.
I can understand most of those. Especially the “Tough Enough” people. Jackie Gayda was terrible in all aspects, and her only notable accomplishment in two years was an unintentional nipple slip.
Maven developed his in-ring work, but his mic skills made RVD look like a promo God.
The last time I remember seeing Kidman, Dawn Marie, or Shannon Moore do something noteworthy, ALF was still on primetime.
But it’s sad they cut Marty Jannetty.
When he came back for the Rockers Reunion, he was great. So great, they offered him a contract. I thought the WWE was going to do something right for once and revive the pathetic tag team division.
Now, just a few months later, Marty is gone without another TV match and the Hair Loss Kid is feuding with Hulk Hogan.
Once again, the WWE managed to screw up something that was idiot proof.
Can anyone even tell me who the tag champs are?
Can anyone else honestly tell me they want to see Shawn Michaels attempt to carry The Orange Corpse in a main event?
I’m sure HLK had something to do with this. After all, why would he want to share the spotlight when he can be featured at the top of the card during the month or so that HHH is gone?
Now, along with all the roster cuts, Brock Lesner is reportedly in negotiations for a return.
If this keeps up, the “Wrestling” section of the Week in Review might go the way of “Politics/World News.”
RATING: 4
2) Marty Jannetty in jail
In other news, Marty Jannetty is currently in jail serving time for a DUI conviction.
Yea, but still………
RATING: 4
SPORTS
1) Rafael Betancourt suspended for drug violation
Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Rafael Betancourt has been suspended for 10 days for taking performance-enhancing drugs.
This has been a huge topic in the sporting world for quite sometime, but this is my first look at it. My take on this may require a calculator……Ok, here goes.
A) People like to watch baseball players hit home runs.
B) Major League Baseball charges lots of money for people to come to the stadium and watch baseball players hit home runs.
C) Baseball players become rich from hitting home runs.
D) Many baseball players wouldn’t be able to hit home runs without performance enhancing drugs.
E) Performance enhancing drugs can cause long term health problems. But athletes don’t care because without the drugs……
F) People won’t pay money to watch skinny guys hit ground balls and…..
G) Skinny guys that hit ground balls are usually in the stands paying money to watch big beefy guys hit home runs.
Do I condone professional athletes taking steroids? No, but I understand why they do.
And for all the people that talk about how it takes away from the purity of the sport, there hasn’t been purity in sports for years.
Jim Brown never held out of training camp because he signed a 100 million dollar contract and suddenly decided he wanted 101 million. And I’m pretty sure Babe Ruth never did a line of coke off some porn star’s fake cans.
What I really want to know is if Rafael Betancourt is related to 80’s rocker Nuno Betancourt……
RATING: 8
That’s it for the WiR. Due to my position in my other job (you know, the one that pays me more than getting unsolicited “Ulver” CD’s in the mail) I got to hang out with the band “.38 Special.”
They’re well past their height of popularity, but they still sound great live. And to top it off, they’re a hell of a bunch of nice guys. Check them out if you get a chance.
On a serious note, my thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims in the London bombings, as well as our armed forces who are out there defending us against the cowards responsible for it.
Until next time…..
Don’t know where we’re going; just know where we’ve been.
