Danielle Belton Online

Now with more drama for your mama

Thursday, June 30, 2005

WONDERKILLER

Because even though the e-mail totally crashed at The Californian I still have useless info to dispense ...


Lucy! You got some 'splain to do!

ANGRY LITTLE JOURNALISTS: The e-mail system crashed at The Californian yesterday totally messing up "Wonderkiller" in amazing ways. So if you e-mailed dirt to me and I didn't get it, well, blame technology. CURSE YOU TECHNOLOGY! Anyway ... here's yer (abbreviated) info.

THE BAKERSFIELD BOYS: A while back I was on KNZR radio talk show host Ralph Bailey's show as a guest judge on "Talk Show Idol." There I, along with Mack Wimbish and the other judges picked The Bakersfield Boys as one of the finalists in their radio competition of amatuers trying to get their own talk show. Well, KNZR listeners already know that The Bakersfield Boys won the whole shebang and now, according to officials with Buckley Radio (which owns KNZR) the Boys will be hitting the air in July, possibly after Dodgers games. Congrat, guys.

SING-A-LONG BUCK: About 175 folks showed up to sing along with Buck Owens for a CMT special on the 20 greatest city songs. Of course, they sang "The Streets of Bakersfield." Californian reporter homie Stephanie Tavares wrote a story on it. Like to read it? Here it is!

BAG O' CRAP: With JR gone, the folks at Buckley Radio are looking for a new drive time DJ at KLLY "Kelly" 95.3 FM ... Bunky Spurling and his band Okra will play Gumbeaux's on Chester Ave. this Saturday. Bunky is all about the blues. Last year he opened for BB King at the Fox ... Local comic Russ McGaffin is going to play the historic Friar's Club in Los Angeles Friday, July 8th as part of a stand-up comedy show ... More news when I get my stinkin' e-mail back, Bakerinos!

posted by Danielle Belton @ 3:32 PM  

15 Comments:

  • At 9:04 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    metal-pop-rock-didco-rap-folk-country music is dull and rips people off, both consumers and producers

    coltrane or bach, charlie parker or debussy: they wrote the real stuff

    you'd be better off as a butcher as zappa said

     

  • At 7:09 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hey 818, you're bad for the beer sales bidness, pal.

    Miss Belton is a layday, a literary layday at that. A Kurosawa film or 3 I have seen. 7 Samurai, Ran, and that strange one with all the filters and the native out in the forests of Siberia. Way dread.

    Who are some of your favorite writers Miss Belton? Ever imbibed Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison?

     

  • At 8:22 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    "Bunky Spurling and his band Okra will play Gumbeaux's on Chester Ave. this Saturday. Bunky is all about the blues. Last year he opened for BB King at the Fox ..."

    Bunky is one INCREDIBLY talented man, and I promise that if you like blues, you'll love this guy and his band. He's one of the best I have ever seen in town! I heart Okra (the band). It's nice to see them on this blog. Kudos Ms. Belton, KUDOS!

     

  • At 9:56 AM, Blogger Danielle Belton said…

    Actually Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man" is my favorite novel of all time and I have been able to relate to the nameless character often in my life, from feeling exploited, to being misled, to feeling angry and lost in an unjust system and I've more than once been suspicious that someone left me a cache of envelopes that said nothing but "keep that n***r girl running" to hand out to people.

    For me, it's the greatest novel ever written.

    I also love James Weldon Johnson's "Autobiography of An Ex-Coloured Man" and James Agee's "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men." And I tend to favor the works of Harlem Reniassance writers and jazz musicians from that era, as well as artwork and films set, based, made or about the 1920s.

    But I also enjoy pop-rock-rap-folk crap because I'm of the opinion that many types of music have merit. Except emo.

    Emo never had any sort of merit.

    (Although it's OK for people to like it. They just can't make me like it.)

    But I usually don't go into long blog entries about my reading habits, training in classical music or love of films banned in Hong Kong because I'm a pop culture writer. That means rock 'n' roll and celebrity gossip. I write about the frivolous and fun in the world. Tis why this ain't no CSPAN's "Book Notes" up in here. Plus, I enjoy the high brow as much as the low.

    That said, glad to see you've returned to the blog, and slightly better behaved nonetheless! Keep coming back and I'm going to start to think you're a fan ...

    ... All screaming about the lack of high culture on a pop culture blog like a Trekkie at a Ren Fair shouting "Computer! Freeze program!"

     

  • At 12:10 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Warning: occasionally non-frivolous rant follows--

    I'm not adverse to all pop entertainment or culture, er, that is if we could define pop culture. The Matrix I and II, like, were cool, at least when Keanu wasn't speaking--and pop satire such as South Park and Samurai Jsck I appreciate. A few Steely Dan songs are alright, and yes, drunken air guitar to old zep albums.

    I would not attend a Lucas flick if you paid me-- well maybe you could bribe me--but am looking forward to A Scanner Darkly: PK Dick being pulp and somewhat deep at same time. Minority Report was not bad, in fact nearly rocked, except for America's favorite dyslexic, Tommy Cruise, Spokesperson for Appliantology.

    I'd much rather listen to Branford Marsalis than to okie chicken pickin' or death rap or nightmare metal type of thangs: may I say that on a Bako blog without fear of recriminations? I tossed my rock records sometime back in the 80s after hearing a decent version of La Mer and may be some Steve Reich music. And yeah, somebody like Coltrane.

    And now for something completely different: Literature. I would tend to agree that Invisible Man is a damn fine piece of fiction, if somewhat disjointed and harsh and unpleasant in sections (especially the riot scenes with Ras at end). The scene of the Battle Royale at the beginning was a great metaphor and I enjoyed his critique of marxism through the character of the leftist zealot Brother Jack. Remember Bledsoe? I have met more than a few academics, of various races, who fit that model of the hypocritical cynic (there are even some Bledsoes to be found at CSUB and BC!)

    I also enjoy cyberpunk type of writing--some PK Dick, William Gibson--but lately I've been reading more non-fictional type of stuff: history, econ., computer geek stuff. Fiction often seems just too weird and unconnected with reality. We will have plenty of time to read fiction when the oil reserves tap out in a few years and citizens have to work from computers or commute by mtn. bike or golf cart; if there hasn't been some humongous oil war by then.


    You are capable of writing some interesting and witty pieces and have a decent control of syntax and vocabulary, but the pop-cafe manga gets a bit tiring.

     

  • At 1:41 PM, Blogger Danielle Belton said…

    "Minority Report" is in my list of films that would be great if it could have ended about 20 minutes early. Stephen Spielberg is no Terry Gilliam. He didn't have the guts to leave Tom in suspended animation forever like Terry was willing to lock Bruce Willis in a revolving door of death and rebirth in "Twelve Monkeys" or try to spin "lobotomy as a happy ending" like Gilliam did at the end of "Brazil." (Which is a film I love.)

    And since we're on my second favorite film genre (Sci-Fi-Facism) I too am looking forward to "A Scanner Darkly" although I'm horrified of Keanu being in it. But love animation and they're going with rotoscope, the same style from "Waking Life." I too liked "The Matrix." The second one I willed myself to like and the third, well ... I don't want to go there but when the squids were breaking through Zion I distinctly saw one pry its way through the screen and into my wallet to abscond away with my $9.

    George Lucas is a hack. As I've said on my blog before I've tried to "will" myself to like "Star Wars" because most of my colleagues are members of that particular sci-fi cult, but as someone who obviously likes her sci-fi with the most f-ed up endings possible, I couldn't get into that cowboy, Kurasawa, hackism, rip-off bonaza.

    I think the idea of Star Wars is solid. The execusion just blows. And "Sith" blew. It blew in places that have never been blown in before.

    My own version of the two-faced "Invisible Man" professor was one who ripped me off in a deal over a painting I made that I agreed to sell to him. I'm sure it made him feel good to bully and short-change a broke 18-year-old co-ed. It so upset me that I've had trouble parting with any of my own artwork through sale again. (My art is the one thing I don't have a heart of stone over.)

    If I do sell my art I go into expecting to get ripped off. And I have several old colleagues from old newspapers I will never use as a reference for fear all their smiles towards me were about dreams of character assassination running through their heads.

    Personally, I don't care what you say on my blog which is why I didn't care about some of your earlier statements. Shit, I thought they were funny as I never took them too seriously. It's the internet and you have to expect that someone is going to think you're crapola from time to time. It comes with the territory. I put my name and face in the paper everyday so I'm basically asking for both the love and the hate, so it doesn't bother me.

    As for the pop-cafe manga. The kids love it, man. There's no denying it. And it keeps me employed. I had two options as a journalism/English major/history buff/art school drop-out — write weighty literature pieces and die poor or write the pop-cafe manga, hang out with pretty people and hold down a steady job.

    As you can tell, I like employment, pretty people and the pop life. But as I said in the "IT SUCKS" portion of my blog you can hate the pop smash up as much as you want, mi amigo. It's not for everyone. But feel free to continue to voice your opinion as rants make good blog reading.

    And oh my God! A compliment! Aw ... You're pretty too ...

    And so now that we've apparently decided to freely enjoy the love and hate and the snark and the shark — question, my fair Skeptic?

    What's up with you and the theater people on "Drama Rama?" I'm smelling the napalm all they way from over here?

     

  • At 3:11 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Ah yes that. Thee-ah-tur. Drah-mah. ot my preferred form of communication or ahht, and made worse when the Kernoids choose to put on Peter Pan or Rocky Ho. Peter Pan seems sinister in some weird sort of way. Is it some subliminal pedophile thing? Could be. I'm not some biblethumpin' moralist but it's just unsavory. Ah also find many if not most theatre people are arrogant prima donnas so that some biotch slappin' is not the worst thing they could endure.

    The sort of pop-broadway stuff is really obnoxious. There are few plays I ve read or seen that I ever grokked with--maybe Brecht's Three Penny Opera (which is massively dissonant and Freudian and horrorific but real), Waiting for Godot (tho sort of empty and pointless with a few cool lines), some Thornton Wilder PLays , Tennesee Williams to some degree (tho--no, no im not---), A Sam Shepard thing I read once. I don't dig the theatre vibe--anywhere really-- or how its done; it's sort of like here all there are so many cool writers--beats or cyberpunks or even journalists or realists like Updike or Saroyan or whoever, and the drama people put on all these strange old things or sappy-ass musicals. Cuckoos Nest is a good story and I respect them for doing that, but thats a rarity. But I am leaving them alone--it was Maudlin who started into me a few weeks ago. BTW ill admit i may know some of those freaks from a class or two out at C-SUBB, and, uh, there's a lot of issues there: like the karate-chopping fool "teaching" Skankspeare at CSU for the last 30 years, a dimwitted midwestern nazi who wouldn't know the real Bard from his Dale Carnegie training manuals; moreover there is one rather corpulent Madame Galowski who, regardless of her bad french skills or how PC and well-intentioned she may, damn near certifiably psychotic--and I think she is the sort of Matron to many of these thezzpians.

    Plus I like to phuck with kernoids in general; im not in Kern and from El Lay originally (and up north as well). So if you're not from there (i dont thinx you are given a vocabulary above like 250 words) you're cool. My own view--sort of like some of Gerald Haslam and other writers--is that Kern is, well, one of the worst f-n hellholes in Cali and indeed the Ewe Ess Aay.

     

  • At 3:13 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    oops kmort--meant skeptic, c'est moi

     

  • At 3:31 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Finally something we can agree on. "Waiting for Godot (tho sort of empty and pointless with a few cool lines)"

    Even though Godot is supposed to be empty and pointless. That's why it's so funny.

     

  • At 3:54 PM, Blogger Danielle Belton said…

    I'm sure BCT isn't going to do the "Michael Jackson Presents" version of "Peter Pan." And I like musicals, as long as they aren't by Andrew Lloyd Webber who is like death with an organ.

    But why pick on the Bako theater people? I at least get a check every two weeks for my troubles. I can cry into my crappily furnished apartment and Scorcese DVD collection when someone tells me I suck. Hug my Johnny Depp poster and listen to my Prince records over and over until I feel pretty again! The Bako theater folks are hustling for free.

    But I'm glad to hear you're going to leave them alone. I know you have your issues with them ... and Kern County ... and theater in general, but they're my little buddies! I don't want you upsetting my little buddies! They have rough days trying to keep theater going in this town. All covered in paint from building sets and always in debt, talkin' bout culture and setting theater free.

    I love them. Don't bitch slap the people I love.

    As for Kern County, I have no beef with the Central Valley as I lived in West Texas for nearly two years with a psychotic, anime-loving, perpetually nekkid, karate thug vegan. Believe me, honey, there are far worse places to reside. Bakersfield is happiness wrapped in fun-fun candy compared to some of the other places I've parked me arse (Collinsville -- Klu Klux Klan capital of Illinois! How I don't miss you!) and it's craved out a little tiny, loving place in my heart.

     

  • At 3:56 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Skeptic, why is it that you cannot mention Peter Pan without talking about Michael Jackson or pedophilia? You freaking sicko.

    I'll bet anyone $10 that you won't reveal your true name because then we'd all find you on the Megan's law websites.

    Oh look, I just found a ten dollar bill under my desk. Is that a sign Stop talking about my kids or I will break your jaw.

     

  • At 4:12 PM, Blogger Danielle Belton said…

    Whoa, boys. No need for the threats. That is pointless and uncalled for. Even the Sepeda/Downtown Joe's people managed to keep their thread threat free and that story involved accusations of gangbanging and a man's death.

    Move on.

     

  • At 5:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I would not care to make any inferences about Kern drama folks from the scribblings of one Aaron Fraudlin, but as his example shows, they are rather prone to paranoia if not psychosis, Mizz Belton, and thin-skined as well.

    Really Im in support of authentic theatre: say something by O'Neill or Shepard. THat doesn't seem to be in their repetoire.

    May we continue our tete-a-tete? Now or later. What other modern writers do you admire.

     

  • At 6:06 PM, Blogger Danielle Belton said…

    Well, if everyone's taking a break from the attempted murder and character assasination for a moment ...

    ... Since moving over to the entertainment field I've spent quite a bit of my time reading the works of current pop culture enthusists and old moldy, poorly written fad books — namely the deliciously bitchy rants of Cintra Wilson (who writes on occasion for Salon.com) and Christina Crawford's poorly-written mash letter to her adoptive mother, actress Joan Crawford "Mommy Dearest." I actually found a 50 cent copy of the grandmother of the juicy, celebrity tell-all in a used book store in town.

    Cintra, a woman after my own heart, I've adored since she ripped apart the Oscars a few years back (the one where Halle Berry won for that horrible movie she whored herself out for). I enjoyed her collection of essays and articles "A Massive Swelling" but her novel left me a little cold. I think she should stick to criticism.

    Comically, "The Underminder" was pretty good. It's not perfect, but I'd love to give it a plot and try to flesh it out as a screenplay.

    Since I've always been one who would read just about anything (that should explain my writing); I've been trying to read this horrible thing called ... God, I can't remember the title. It's an absurdist short novel about a gay, male prostitute. I bought it for a dollar out of the Goodwill.

    Book jackets lie.

    Oh "Sarah." That's the title. Young guy wrote it. Got a lot of praise. The book is tremendously stupid in amazingly stupid ways.

    Gay Talese is a favorite of mine. I read quite a bit of him in college along with Tom Wolfe, Mailer (who can sometimes be so damn annoying), all the so-called "New Journalists." I'm pretty much of the mind that when it comes to novelists, often former journalists make the best writers. Even Joe Esterhaus was quite the literary journalist before he went Hollywood. Hemingway, it's all about him. Couldn't get into it although I liked his short stories. "The Killers" (I think that's the title) was one of my favorites.

    Then there were the books I didn't appreciate until I was an adult — Jane Chopin's "The Awakening" and Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein." I couldn't stand them when I was working on my English minor, but now I can see their merits, especially considering they were written by female authors during a time when the highest aspiration for a woman was to get married and have babies.

    Of the Harlem Reniassance writers I love Audre Locke, Hughes, Wallace Thurman's "The Blacker The Berry."

    Me and Toni Morrison have a mixed history. I like some of her works, but oddly enough the only one I've ever enjoyed thoroughly was "The Bluest Eye." The rest just felt like work. I thought my eyes would roll out of my head as I slugged my way through "Sula."

    That said, I'm going to suggest that everyone enjoy their weekend and take my black ass home.

    Cheers!

     

  • At 6:21 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    http://eekshop.com
    Safeguarding Yourself

     

Post a Comment

<< Home