"Idol" strikes a chord with viewers
By ALLISON MILLS
Staff Reporter
MXA932@PSU.EDU
"American Idol", FOX's hit
reality television show, has yielded
great pop music stars such as
Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks,
Daughtry, and Kelly Clarkson. Now
in its seventh season, judges Paula
Abdul, Simon Cowell, and Randy
Jackson have chosen the Top 24
and turned the competition over to
America.
"Idol" is back again, occupying
as much air time as ever. Until six
guys and six girls are eliminated,
the program is on three days a
week, with the guys performing on
Tuesday, the girls on Wednesday
and the elimination show on
Thursday. When it comes down to
the final 12 contestants, it will air
on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Perhaps the reason viewers
continue to return season after
season is the entertainment factor
derived from the judges. Sharp-
tongued, hypercritical Simon
Cowell rarely gives positive
feedback to the contestants and is
constantly fighting with someone,
most often fellow judge Paula
Abdul or host Ryan Seacrest.
While Cowell's disagreements with
Abdul are generally light-hearted
and amiable (with a few heated
exceptions), Cowell and Seacrest's
dislike for one another is poorly
masked as a humorous relationship
Geek Corn
By MATTHEW MAHONEY
Columnist
MI.MSO39@PSU.EDU
Electronic Arts set for take over
A long time ago (last week) in a
galaxy far, far away (California)
the business mogul of Electronics
Arts poised themselves for a buyout
of rival Take Two. EA already has
a sour impression amongst many of
the hardcore gaming crowd because
of the proprietary rights they hold
on certain Intellectual Properties,
like their deal with the NFL and the
Madden series.
EA has put an offer on the table
to buy out shares of Take Two for
$26 a share, while market value is
currently at $l7. A very lucrative
offer, but Take Two has declined,
waiting to see what impact the
Game critics
By JAMES COUCHE
Columnist
JCTSIOI2PSU.EDU
It seems that for every good
videogame there are ten bad ones
Some games are so notoriously
awful, that just uttering their names
will bring understanding nods from
most garners and cringes from those
unfortunate enough to have played
them. Games like "Superman 64",
"Total Recall" and "E.T." live in
infamy in the gaming community;
the idea of willingly playing these
train wrecks is masochistic. Despite
this, there are people out there who
have made a hobby out of playing
these games and ripping them to
shreds for our enjoyment; in some
cases, doing this has made them
famous
THE ANGRY VIDEO GAME
NERD
The Angry Video Game Nerd is
the creation of New Jersey film
maker James Rolfe who portrays
the character in his internet series.
Rolfe created the character in 2004
as a joke to show to friends but
eventually released his videos to
the internet after seeing the positive
reactions they got. "The Nerd"
is a foul mouthed, beer drinking,
pocket protector wearing gamer
through their biting bantering.
Abdul, a former pop star,
entertains with erratic behavior
that has spurred rumors of drug
and alcohol abuse. She also tends
to swoon over male contestants, a
fact of which viewers may be more
aware since a former "American
Idol" hopeful claimed to have had
a romantic relationship with her,
as reported by ABC's "Primetime
Live". Abdul denied these
allegations.
Judge Randy Jackson provides
a harmonious balance between
upbeat, positive Abdul and
belittling, cynical Cowell.
Jackson responds to contestants'
performances in a straightforward
ro right) , judgr Tidy„...
Paula Abdul. The record-breaking show is well into its seventh season
Take Two merges;
release of upcoming Grand Theft
Auto IV will have on share prices.
EA has made it clear this deal will
last only for now, and not carry
over to a post-GTAIV launch
period.
What this means to geeks and
garners in this hemisphere is EA
will be one of only two major video
game publishers at this point. Some
of the hottest titles over the 2007
fall gaming season came from
developers that fell under the Take
Two flagship, most notably Mass
Effect and Bioshock.
This could lead to problems with
ingenuity in software development,
but that's only speculation. No
official word has been made on
whether or not EA would take
away any studios' ability to operate
autonomous. No word ever looks
to appear either since Take Two is
who bitterly plays the worst games
he can find only to rip them apart
in an obscenity filled rage. Rolfe
rags on games from many different
consoles in his videos but his
personal favorite is the Nintendo
Entertainment System. Most of
the games he attacks are based on
movie and television licenses as
they are usually the worst games on
the market.
What sets Rolfe apart from most
other internet ranters is the fact that
he is not just some bitter internet
troll who has nothing better to do
than complain; he is an entertainer.
He always sets up his videos to
have as much dry humor as possible
and goes to great lengths to create
a quality product; the lighting,
camerawork, and sound are always a
step above the rest. Despite the over
the top profanity in each episode,
Rolfe is very well spoken and
insightful in his rants. He always
appears to know what he's talking
about and never simply attacks a
game; he dissects it for maximum
comedic value.
In some cases, the episodes of
Angry Video Game Nerd are given
a story in between the vulgarity.
The Nerd has struggled with the
Powerglove, survived Freddy
Krueger, and beaten up Bugs Bunny
all while playing the awful games
manner; he either liked it or he
didn't, "dawg". While being honest,
Jackson also demonstrates much
more tact and finesse than Cowell.
The judges are only half the
show, however. The talent is the
entire base of "American Idol".
All contestants prove incredibly
ambitious in their quest to become
a pop star. Many have unbelievable
background stories and all have
incredible talent (once the show is
past the initial auditions. Remember
William Hung?).
"American Idol" holds open
auditions in approximately seven
cities across the United States
each year. Initially, the auditions
are entertaining and hilarious.
insisting that nothing will happen
until after the release of GTAIV.
Skynet is on the verge of takeover
All right, readers, I've told you
once before and now I'll tell you
again: Beware the Robot invasion!
At the Game Developers
Conference, Emotiv has developed
a product called the Epoc that
will allow you to saw logs, push
toys around and otherwise play
very simple games... with your
mind! No movement of the hands
required, this device reads your
brainwaves and plays those actions
out on a PC.
This device has huge possibilities
in the medical field. Amputees and
other disabled persons could now
use a computer just as well, if not
better, than any other person.
While the full potential is years,
maybe a decade away, the start is
find online fanbase
igry
opinion, some of the worst games of all time on his internet video series
based on them. Rolfe recently
stopped including these segments
in the episodes at the request of
his fans. Despite that, he still takes
advantage of every opportunity to
add humor to an episode such as
duct taping a virtual boy to his head
because he can't find a comfortable
place to play it.
The character of The Nerd has
transformed Rolfe into an interne
celebrity. He has been invited
to large trade shows such as the
Electronic Entertainment Expo and
has been able to profit well from
the sale of DVDs, shirts and other
merchandise through his website.
They quickly lose their humor as
squeaky, high-pitched voices and
screaming contestants earn the few
minutes of fame they are clearly
seeking. It is then that the talented
singers appeal to the audience who
has a desperate need for true talent
and Tylenol.
If the hopefuls are talented enough
to please at least two of the judges,
they are granted a "golden ticket"
which admits them to Hollywood
Week. During Hollywood Week,
contestants perform multiple times
for judges. Until this current season,
they performed with a group. This
season, contestants were permitted
to perform with their instruments,
which opened an entirely new
field of criticism from the judges.
Eliminations were held throughout
the week, sending many hopefuls
home in an efficient manner.
At the conclusion of Hollywood
Week, 24 contestants, 12 guys and
12 girls are chosen by the judges
to move onto the finals. They then
perform live every week, choosing
songs to fit themes meant to show
contestants' versatility, like '6os,
'7os, country, Motown and disco •
music. They often have a guest
judge or mentor who works with
the contestants all week, and
the week's theme is sometimes
based on the guest. Past guests
include Jennifer Lopez, Olivia
Newton-John, Gwen Stefani, Barry
Manilow, and Elton John.
After the performances, and after
the judges weigh in, viewers may
ies set for "take two"
Mov
finally here. For $3OO in December,
you too can plug your brain into a
world of digital playtime. And then
calmly wait as each device slowly
becomes self-aware and turn your
brain into a massive pile of goo.
Nostalgia sells, as do sequels
Who can forget the summer movie
season of sequels: "Spiderman 3,"
"Bourne Ultimatum," "Shrek 3,"
"Pirates of the Caribbean 3" and
"Rush Hour 3." How drab! How
boring! Yet how successful they
were at the box office! We can't
help but go see them in all of their
Jazz tap dancing glory.
What's next in the line up? Well,
of course we all know of "The Dark
Knight." (But this one I do believe
warrants a definite theater visit. Let
alone it's guaranteed a good movie,
but it is the late Heath Ledger's
final performance.) Also in the
The truest sign of fame, though, is
imitators and Rolfe has several; a
youtube search will reveal quite a
few of them. Sadly, none of them
have the likeability or quality that
the Angry Video Game Nerd has.
BROKEN PIXELS
Broken Pixels is a show hosted
on gamevideos.com and stars
three editors of Electronic Gaming
Monthly; Crispin Boyer, Shane
Bettenhausen and Seanbaby. Each
episode is made up of the three
of them playing the worst games
they can find and mocking them
relentlessly; the show has a very
fraternity guy feel to it. Broken
THE CAPITAL TIMES
call in or text to vote for their
favorites. The voting results are
then revealed on a results show the
next night, which FOX frequently
drags out for an entire hour. During
the results show, Ryan Seacrest
recaps the night before, the idols
perform together, and often the
guest judge or mentor will sing as
well. During the last two minutes
of the results show, Seacrest sends
one contestant home each week,
an event which often proves highly
emotional
The show's season finale occurs
live at the Kodak Theater in Los
Angeles, where there will only be
two contestants. While the winner
is determined by America's votes,
those who have lost have oftentimes
become just as famous as or even
more successful than the "Idol"
winner.
"American Idol" has changed
the music industry. Many popular
artists heard on today's radio have
"American Idol" to thank for their
big break. Perhaps these artists are
so successful because their listeners
feel as though they have played
a part in their success, either by
voting or just observing their talent
on the show.
For all of "American Idol's"
faults (including lengthy episodes,
its heightened melodrama and
predictability) it is a popular and
successful reality television series
that has inspired many copy-cats,
movies, and spoofs. Like it or not,
"Idol" is here to stay.
works are "Terminator 4," another
Bourne movie, "Transporter 3" and
a "Sin City" sequel.
I like these properties, I really do,
but it gets to a point where these
things need to start getting really
good if they want to take my $2O
for a night out with the wife. Of
course, this could be a throw back
to the old days when serial films
at the theater were a mainstay,
right alongside newsreels instead
of previews. It could actually be
a good thing, but in my opinion it
would require a lower ticket price
or an amazingly awesome project.
What do you think readers?
Sequels get the yea or nay? I think
it depends on when the storyteller
truly feels the story is told and
done, but studios go under the
impression of when the money runs
dry.
Pixels is an extension of Seanbaby's
own magazine column The Rest of
the Crap where he plays the most
obviously bad games that come out
every month; if it has "That's So
Raven" anywhere in the title he has
played it. The games they mock
range from well known train wrecks
like "Superman 64" to obscure
games and imports such as "Queen
of Queens", a Japanese female
wrestling game in which only two
of the nine contestants look like
actual women. The trio is relentless
and wastes no opportunity to make
jokes at the game's expense; where
the Angry Video Game Nerd is
insightful, the Broken Pixels crew is
merciless.
The format of the show is simple;
the image of the three hosts is
superimposed over the game screen
to look like a reflection. Watching
their physical reactions is just as
funny as hearing their jabs at the
game and is quite similar to the style
of "Mystery Science Theatre 3000".
The games that they "review" come
from every generation of gaming,
from the Atari 2600 up to the newest
generation of consoles. The amount
of profanity is significantly less than
James Rolfe's creation but the jokes
are much dirtier and oftentimes the
camera crew can be heard laughing
in the background.
March 3, 2008
4 111 •
aik
.
By Wm Ow**
mcssl NimEDu
Allison and Catherine Pierce, the
Alabama born-and-bred sisters
who make up the folk-pop duo
The Pierces, were finally awarded
complete artistic control on their
latest album, "Thirteen Tales of Love
and Revenge," and the result is both
interesting and startling. The sisters
blend sounds taken from pop, folk,
country and hip-hop to create music
which is delightfully macabre and
refreshingly original; The Pierces
would scare the crap out of Aly and
AJ..
The unofficial title track of the disc
would have to be the very opening
of the album, "Secret," a song which
plays with the anxieties of trust in
relationships. The duo adopt a more
traditional sound on a handful of
tracks, which seem as if they could
be played on a top 40 radio station;
this is not to say, however, that they
are prone to selling out. The lyrics
of "Sticks and Stones" a polished,
addictive pop anthem about sexual
attraction show that the Pierces are
as crazy and creepy as ever, despite
the traditional background music:
"Sticks and stones will break your
bones/ And leave them lying in the
mud/ But you'll be scared when
we're alone/ Like I might suck your
blood/ And I could tell you a witch's
spell/ But it just might blow your
top/ And you start to run just as I'm
having fun/ It's awfully hard to stop."
Equally strange (but fun) is "Lights
on," a provocative reversal of gender
roles. The chorus is especially
interesting: "Make love with the
lights on baby/ Tell me what you see/
Clear the bed to lie on darlin'/ Make
a mess of me/ Here's my dress to try
on baby/ Let me be your man/ I will
call you pretty' darlin'/ Tell me what
I am".
The second selection for this
issue is "The world's biggest
selling album of all time," Michael
Jackson's "Thriller." Before all of the
controversy and before "pop music"
was considered a branded insult, The
King of Pop had millions all over
the world dancing to his records, and
for good reason "Thriller" is just
as frenetic and fun as it was over a
quarter-century ago
All of the hits are back, including
the famous late night anthem, "Beat
it"; any who are unsure about this
CD will have their trepidation
instantly quelled when the first verse
explodes on the track: "They told
him don't you ever come around
here/ Don't wanna see your face,
you/ better disappear/ The fire's in
their eyes and their words are really/
clear/ So beat it, just beat it".
The 25' anniversary collection
is almost worth its price for the
title track alone. It is truly a shame
that the closest young people have
come to this legendary song is in
poorly-conceived Super Bowl ads;
many have no idea of the scope of
"Thriller." Thankfully, in addition
to a reproduction of the original
album, there is a DVD that contains
the original short film of "Thriller"
(along with the short films to "Beat
it" and "Billie Jean"), which was
a precursor to music video super-
culture
In addition to the DVD and original
album there is also a collection of
remixes featuring will.i.am, Alton,
Fergie and Kanye West. Overall,
these tracks show what made
Michael Jackson so great. When
hearing Fergie hold on for dear life
on her collaboration with M.J. on
"Beat it 2008," one comes to the sad
realization that there has nJt been
an artist since who performed with
even half of the attitude and flair as
the King of Pop once did. "Artists"
from the "American Idol" generation
of music Justin Timberlake, Fergie,
Rhianna and Chris Brown, among
others could learn a thing or two
from Michael Jackson; it seems
that every artist out now cranks out
as many songs that sound like last
week's hit just to make a few bucks.
Let the throne stay cold no one will
ever compete with the frayed-at-the
edges, fiery attitude of "Thriller."