Idea Man. Blogger. Podcaster. Professional Digital Marketer. Amateur Musician. Been there done that. Still hungry. Prefer the road less traveled. Will you come with me?
Heard a new song on my usual exploration stints online.
Found this one on YouTube (goes a long way in establishing that the internet offers such green pastures for the new artists)
This one is by new artists called Iktara. A bit Jack Johnson-ish.
Good package- melody, guitar playing and voice. Very cool- except that the lyrics could be a little more ‘mature’ IMHO. Never mind the lyrics Nazi that I can be sometime- I think the lyrics pull the song down.
I guess this is timely for the post I have been meaning to write since his death.
Jackson has been derided and ridiculed for his ‘over the top’ eccentricities- which even super ceded his musical/showmanship genius. Jackson had a whacky nose (pun intended) for being in news for all the odd reasons- But many a times one thinks- if those things were just- ahead of their times?
Not that I approve of all the things, but it makes for an interesting case study in the study of society and the things that it accepts.
The Nose:
Take the case of the most common accusation of them all- the famous nose job. Or rather face altering plastic surgery.
Though his might be classic case in a nose job plastic surgery gone horribly wrong, this was a huge media story in the 80s. Though Jackson did overdo it over the years (the claims were though that he got it done only twice), in those times, it was a bizarre thing and someone really had to be crazy to put their nose under the knife.
Though we have seen other examples of cosmetic surgery gone wrong. Actually there are numerous in every country by now.
Forward to 2009. Nose jobs and plastic surgeries to enhance physical features (nose job, boob job, lip job, jaw jobs and what not) are getting as common as getting a tattoo done. And wonders of wonders- it is not the US or UK we are talking about. Not even the other modern countries like Japan or Korea. Guess where the highest nose jobs are done? It is Iran.
Yes Middle eastern countries- considered rather conservative- and where people are rather good looking either which ways. To think about it, many women wear a viel or a burqah. Yes they need plastic surgery too.
Do a simple check- search for nose job on your search engine. How many ads from local practioners do you see?
Even in smaller countries- like Singapore and Hong Kong – kids barely 14 are getting nose jobs done. Times- they are a changin’?
Altering skin color:
Jackson changed his skin color, allegedly due to a skin condition. But there is no denying the fact that skin grafting, altering skin color will be a common place thing- maybe in a decade or two.
People even accuse Jackson of wanting to turn from a black man to a white woman. While most of that seems to be the fantasy rumors surrounding the man- me thinks this might not be uncommon in a decade or two. Good or bad, this is coming.
Oxygen Chamber:
Another rumor mill spread about the odd fact that Jackson used to sleep in Oxygen chambers for a long life. Jackson denied that charge.
Whatever the case might be- forwarding to 2009- again- hands up- how many of you have heard of Oxygen bars? What? they are passe? Already?
Since oxygen bars were introduced in the United States in the late 1990s, the trend has caught on, and customers are bellying up to bars around the country to sniff oxygen through a plastic hose (cannula) inserted into their nostrils. And many patrons opt for the “flavored” oxygen produced by pumping oxygen through an aroma en route to the nose.
The oxygen experience in a bar can last from a few minutes to about 20 minutes, depending on customers’ preferences and the size of their wallets. The price of about a dollar a minute could leave you gasping for air, but frequent inhalers may get a discount.
Crotch hugging:
In my mind the most unnecessary of all the moves he made famous. But in the minds of all the performers from the hip hop or rap genre- maybe not so. This move is sickeningly common since the past few years and everyone from Eminem to 50 cents seems to be overdoing it. For the new generation of performers this move probably symbolizes- attitude, style and rebelliousness all in one thrust. God save us from now on.
To me, the moonwalk (Billie Jean), the “patented shoe” vertical tilt (smooth criminal), the “top spinning” and the rather simple but phenomenal ‘Jesus arm stretch’, ‘Ballet tip stand’ and the ‘One Hand on the hat other stretched by the side” moves- are unbelievably imaginative – all the more so coming from a single man.
itching for more examples- but right now- only these come to mind. Jackson sure was an enigmatic personality to say the least. But the case study proves in a lifetime that – What is bizarre and absurd is only time bound. Give it enough time and it will be accepted.
Below-
A video from the seventies with Jackson 5 as cartoon characters. Later Jackson also had video games released around him. Another thing that artists will only discover over the next few years- as the battle to market themselves in he free internet economy becomes fiercer.
Well, I know- I already have blogs that I am having a tough time maintaining. Though, like ol’ McDonald, “I’m lovin it”.
Constructive Rebellion
My blog and podcast on Ideas, Business, Marketing and Digital Media- ChasingTheStorm has been around for a year and is very satisfying publishing that blog and podcast. Get Lots of love (both linkwise and otherwise) and have loads of content. However, I always felt that is only one (though very important) side of my life.
Creative Rebellion
Apart from business, entrepreneurship and marketing as professional interests, I also have other interests that I’d love to share with everyone. And I hope to cover all those ‘other’ interests by means of this blog. So this blog will cover Lifestyle, Music, Movies, critique, arts, pop culture, et al.
Both of others and my own compositions.
As a matter of fact, I earlier published (on the blogger platform)- at another URL . However, it is a pain to import from Blogger to Wordpress and even on another blogger account (!). Worse- that blog access has been acting dodgy and I can’t publish there anymore. Hence a shiny new blog on a shiny new platform.
Thus- in comes the trusted wordpress- and my preoccupation with finding the right (and free) theme. Experimenting with this one right here- for its lifestreaming virtues.
Lets hope this goes well- and everyone is well informed- and well entertained.
