6
ARTS & LIFE •
• DAILY WILDCAT
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER
4, 2011
Beware the ‘Bieberization’ of America blame on our parents. Some of us were raised on Joy Division, Bowie, Guns N’ Roses (Use Your Illusion I and prior, of course), and in the rare and divine case, Nirvana. Some of the change can K.C. Libman be attributed to the advent of DAILY WILDCAT staff writers in songwriting, who craft tunes targeted at a specific audience. The scary truth is, This seems to be common he past three years of the however, that the majority of raw knowledge already, which leads music industry have seen a talent has been glazed over by me to my conclusion: This is dramatic change — record shock value and dance floor tunes. sales have slumped, label giants like America’s fault. I’ve bitten my tongue for a long We are under a spell, cast by Tower Records have gone under, time, brooding in a corner as artist profits and popularity are now the sheer musical ignorance of listeners have become radio-driven measured in digital downloads, and a generation. This is what being zombies, but when Lance Bass’ new raised on Bon Jovi, Nickelback, most importantly, we’ve seen the Kenny G and roughly anything from atrocity Heart2Heart dropped a rise of the Bieber. single labeled “Facebook Official,” I the ‘80s has done to us. I cannot stress how radical snapped — I mean, the boy band’s We have succumbed to the Justin Bieber’s rise has been, as Bieberization of America (and a big frontman goes by the moniker Chad pop has now been given a gigantic Future, for God’s sake. thank you to “Modern Family” for makeover, ushering in an era of Heavily infuenced by Korean pop this pop culture gem). Autotune, image gimmicks and and eyeliner, hooks like “girl I don’t As a whole, we cannot lay tabloid fodder.
T
GAME FREAK
Bottoms up: Enjoying the football game, win or lose positive attitude back to the special teams. So, when Bonano’s kick is good, celebrate with a shot.
Jason Krell DAILY WILDCAT
A
s with everything this week, today’s focus is on Homecoming. There are many games played during this spirited time, but the most important one is the Arizona football game. With so many alumni returning for it and the high volume of students in the ZonaZoo, not everyone can get in. Well, fear not, in lieu of getting to experience the game, there is a way to spice up watching it from home. The method referred to is, of course, a drinking game — because in college, everything is a drinking game, right? This Arizona drinking game is a frequent occurrence during away games among friends, so why not share the joy with everyone? There are the basics, like drinking after every scoring drive, interception or fourth down conversion, but every team needs its special rules. Of course, sadly — for the game, not the team — two of the biggest reasons for Arizona fans to drink are no longer around. Yes, now that Mike Stoops has been replaced with interim head coach Tim Kish, no one can take a shot every time the camera turns to him and he’s angry. So much alcohol will go without being consumed. Then there’s former starting kicker, Alex Zendejas. It used to work that whenever he missed a kick, everyone finished their drink. Now we have John Bonano who makes every PAT and field goal. What a jerk, right? He’s totally killing the buzz.
TIRED OF THE DESERT HEAT? THE DAILY WILDCAT WILL COOL YOU OFF.
Worry not though, fellow Wildcats. There are still plenty of predictable habits which can be used to drink — here they are: Drink every time Kish doesn’t overreact to a penalty call: So this might be confusing, but a bit of an explanation should clear it up. To start, think about what would happen if a penalty was called on Arizona while Stoops was the head coach. Without fail, he would lose his shit and go red in the face. Whether he yelled at the ref or the players, someone received his ire. Kish is more reserved and level headed. He takes the bad calls in stride, and when they’re warranted he just shrugs them off, or so it seems. Regardless, the thing to keep in mind is this: when a penalty is called that would have set Stoops off, but Kish stays cool, take a shot. Use your best judgment, but when in doubt, take one anyway. Couldn’t hurt. Drink every time Bonano makes a kick: For most teams, the kicker making a short range field goal, or even a PAT, is not a momentous occasion. For the Wildcats, however, it’s cause for uproarious celebration. After all, for the past two years, Arizona fans have had to bite their collective nails every time a kick needed to happen. In the past fans adapted and just used the misses as an excuse to drink, but now it’s time to bring that
Drink every time Nick Foles makes an improbable pass: The entire Wildcat fan base should know by now that Foles makes some unbelievable passes. It doesn’t happen every game, but when they do occur, they’re a thing of beauty. So, to treasure the moment, every time Foles makes the play when lesser quarterbacks wouldn’t, drink. For those unsure, this includes events like making a pass while being tackled, throwing the ball with his left hand (he’s a righty) or threading the ball right past multiple defenders. Again, like the Kish rule, use your best judgment. Finish your drink if Arizona wins: Hell, finish two drinks. This one is pretty easy to understand. Arizona’s record is far from stellar, sitting at a measly 2-6. Homecoming games are supposed to be sure things, but the way the team has been playing, don’t be so sure. Utah is a pretty solid team this year, so it could give the Wildcats a run for their money. However, should Arizona pull out the W, go nuts. Not only does it mean further redemption for a team that should be much better than it is, it means the team can still go to a bowl game, which is good. So, in honor of that, shotgun a beer, pound some shots — do whatever feels necessary to make sure this momentous occasion isn’t forgotten. Just be safe, everyone. The team already has enough injuries as it is — it doesn’t need the fans to suffer too. — Jason Krell is a junior studying creative writing and Italian. He can be reached at arts@wildcat.arizona.edu.
wanna play Farmville, I just wanna play for real” shouldn’t be OK. Maybe band members are wisely playing the viral marketing card á la Rebecca Black, or on a more frightening note, they’re being serious. Heart2Heart and its media buzz wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for mass-produced pop hits being churned out by more notable influences. Granted, it takes initial talent to get noticed, but it makes me cringe to think of what brought these guys into Lance Bass’ office, as it sure wasn’t a 12-year-old’s Youtube videos. We need a change. We need to recognize talent by a songwriter’s ability, by their ability to make an arena feel like a club and to make a club feel like a party. We need to keep our thumbs on the pulses of independent labels and back
WILKENING
FROM PAGE 5
According to Wilkening, the show will preview trends three to six months before magazines report on the trend. The discounted events are the perfect way to get ahead of the trends while supporting a proud UA graduate, and Wilkening said prices will be half of what they normally are in order to get students excited. Wilkening will feature her
their artists. I’m not going to scream about vinyl, or about recycled paper covers with local artwork, but I’ll say that there needs to be a shift of mindset toward the raw talent in teeth-cutting artistry and away from artists who rely on 30-some songwriters and excessive Pro Tools doctoring to create an album. Content should rein king, and image should serve as image appeal instead of a foundation. Now please excuse my unwashed Modest Mouse shirt, while I sip my soy latte and listen to Miniature Tigers, because let’s be honest, you’ve probably never heard of them. — K.C. Libman is senior studying ecology and evolutionary biology. He can be reached at arts@wildcat.arizona.edu.
jewelry at the McClelland Park building on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to raise money for the Future Retail Leaders Scholarship Fund. She will also be on campus with discounted jewelry on Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Wildcat Threads store in the Campus Recreation Center and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the bookstore. Both of these events will benefit the Office of Student Affairs scholarship. For more information, visit www.blingbywilkening.com.
Q&A
always been important to me, and it’s about thinking through and making sense of them and voicing what I bigger magazines. They publish think about an issue. essays and I saw the contest, since the I think we, as humans, know each first award I’ve won from them. other through stories, but if you and They’ll have different themes and I are to meet, we’re going to tell each this is an essay that I had written other stories about who we are and while I was in the M.F.A. program, what we’ve done and whether they working with Allison Demming. are fiction or nonfiction are the ways Immediately, when I saw the that we connect. contest theme, I knew that this essay I also have written short stories but fit the bill. I think the nonfiction genre is what I’ve been most drawn to. How did you win your first prize with the magazine? How do you balance being a I first learned of Creative scientist and being a writer? Nonfiction while I was in the One thing I’d like to say loud and M.F.A. program and when I joined clear, I got a B.S. in environmental Association of Writers and Writing science and a B.A. in creative writing, Professionals. They have a huge I got an M.F.A. in creative nonfiction conference that brings people and now I’m getting a science Ph.D. together. Two years ago, I was at an all at the UA. You don’t have to AWP conference in Denver and saw choose. It’s not a binary where you that they had an animals-themed can do science and engineering contest and I got the editor’s prize for or you can do something in the a different essay. Since then, I kept humanities. track, I have a subscription and saw I refused to choose between the second contest in the magazine. the two and I don’t ever intend to quit doing either. My writing What serves at the inspiration skills have helped me as a scientist for your essays? Are essays your tremendously, so of course there main focus? are choices we have to make, no It’s the story of my life before I one can do everything — but if you came back to school at the University have more than one side to yourself, of Arizona. I lived out in the San don’t limit it, don’t charge into your Pedro Valley and did ranch work and career if you have more than one a homesteading life for about five and thing that pulls at you. a half years and then came back and now I’m a Ph.D. student in arid land The essay will appear in the resource sciences. December 2011 issue of the Creative But writing and literature have Nonfiction quarterly. FROM PAGE 5
(520) 795-1981
3015 East Speedway & Country Club
As Traditional to Tucson as the UofA
$2 Off ANY Haircut
Honored by ALL Barbers
ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT
See: Elcontinentalbarbers.com
WILDCAT CLASSIFIEDS WORK FOR YOU! 621-3425