Oh Brother!
Reality TV staple lets you vote on all-star lineup
Anthony Augustine
Big Brother All-stars — www.cbs.com/primetime/bigbrother7/,
www.critical-mass.info
— Though it’s back for a seventh summer, Big Brother
has never caught on in North America to the extent it has in Europe.
While the European versions have had some genuinely interesting
moments, viewers of the CBS version have to settle for clichéd
hot-tub segments and the odd night-vision make-out session. It
doesn’t get much better if you pay for the live web feed,
although you do get the uncensored version of what’s happening
in the makeshift home. You get the feeling the show would be way
more popular if the network offered the web feeds for free and
dropped some of the lame challenges that have become a recurring
part of the increasingly boring North American version. Giving
the houseguests open access to alcohol seems to be the other secret
to creating drama in the otherwise highly controlled environment.
That method can also create problems — as producers found
out two seasons ago when a drunken houseguest held a knife to
the throat of a fellow contestant in a bizarre late-night encounter.
If you’re a fan of reality TV, you’ll likely remember
some of the people who have been selected to ‘run’
for the all-star edition. Six spots on the show will be voted
by the public, while the remaining six slots will be selected
by the producers. Twenty former contestants — including
characters such as Mike Boogie, Cowboy and “Chicken”
George — are back vying for a shot at the money and the
fleeting 15 minutes of fame reality TV offers. The winner will
also have to remember to pay the taxes on any winnings or he or
she may end up in a cell with Richard Hatch from Survivor.
MC Lars — Download this song—
tinyurl.com/juut5
— Although he’s Oxford educated, Andrew Nielsen, aka
MC Lars, is also a student of his surroundings. Equally adept
at throwing out literary references and street slang, Nielsen
is now serving up a single that’s an attack on the record
industry and its inability to keep up with change. Wrapped around
a catchy chorus and slick G4 programming, Download This Song is
not only a product of Nielsen’s diehard DIY ethos but also
his Douglas Copeland-like attitude toward pop culture, technology
and the impact the ongoing digital revolution is having on society.
Pitchfork Music Festival Sampler—
pitchforkmusicfestival.com
— Coachella, Sasquatch and Bonnaroo may be over, but you
can still burn some holiday time this summer at the second annual
Pitchfork Music Festival, in Chicago’s Union Park. Brimming
with hip indie acts such as Minneapolis buzz band Tapes ’n
Tapes, Montreal beat junkie Ghislain Poirier and old-school innovators
such as Mission of Burma, the fest offers some diversity in the
face of the increasingly similar lineups being booked by the major
festivals. If you’re unfamiliar with the acts that are playing,
24 cuts by artists performing at the festival are available to
download for free. Don’t be scared off by the fact the tracks
are hosted on e-music’s site — you don’t
have to register to download the sampler.
Anthony Augustine is a freelance music and pop culture writer
who spends way too much time in front of the computer. He also
hosts a weekly two-hour electronic music program on CKUW 95.9
FM Got a site you think he should see? E-mail him at anthony.alloneword@gmail.com. |
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