Saturday, April 21, 2007

Sanjaya's Swan Song

For some eccentric reason, I found myself on the verge of tearing up when Seacrest announced Sanjaya's departure from American Idol Wednesday night. Especially with that montage that seemed to have been extracted from this week's SNL. That kid was just... um, special? So special he merited a rare standing ovation from Simon Cowell! I repeat, from Simon Cowell!! I can only count with my five fingers how many contestants got that from him. Seriously. This kid's really something else! I mean, in all of six seasons that I've watched this show, no other popstar wannabe achieved the fame that was amassed by alternating hairstyles. Not discounting the teenage-factor and minority vote. 14-year-olds are crazy about him, proven here, which is somewhat confusing because I've always thought of the kid as a pending closet queen. Not to be sexist or anything, God knows how I LOVE gay people. But you know what I'm saying. Little girls can't be that dumb, worshiping a cute guy (in their eyes, and theirs alone) with exorbitant femininity. But he's gone, and shall never be back. Which caters the golden opportunity for the remaining contestants to play tug-of-war for the fame fondue Sanjaya left over. I mean, seriously. Besides Doolittle, Sanjaya was the only memorable thing from this season. Trust me. Our lives are forever scarred by him, his creepy little grin and that inescapable image of him hula dancing.


Movie Meme

Before I proceed, I just want to explain where the heck my header came from. It's simply a manifestation of my pop culture junkie-ness. A hodgepodge of some of my favorite movies and TV shows, from Santino Rice to Vincent Vega. I really, really wanted to add more but I had to stop myself from transforming it into a 3rd grader art homework. I actually thought I've overdone it, but heck, with all the misfortunes we experience in the world right now, I guess it's only fitting that we see colorful stuff around, including pathetic attempts in photoshop.

Snagged from Alternati. I'm a self-confessed movie buff, so in order to restrain myself by going too hyper about the survey, I'll limit myself to one answer per question. Although that's pain. :( But I won't put you through the spontaneous-blabbing-torture. Here we go...

1. Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times.
Legally Blonde (2001) - This movie is a comedic display of false stereotypes in the society. When you're blonde, you're presumably dumb. Not in the case of Elle Woods, a perennial valley girl, who pursues Harvard Law School to prove something to her ex-boyfriend. Her mantra may have been far off from the general goal of law students, but ultimately, Elle proves that all Cosmo girls are much smarter than what people think of them. Am I right, ladies? ;)

2. Name a movie that you have seen multiple times in the theater.
Bring It On (2000) - A movie about cheerleading, with all its cattiness, isn't necessarily interesting, but I was a sophomore then, and I was with Michelle (my super girly-girl friend), and theatres in the Philippines allowed us to stay there the whole day. I watched it so many times that I've got the lines jampacked in my head. Until now. Seriously. Quiz me.

3. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie.
Leonardo DiCarpio. DUH?

4. Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie.
Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Jessica Simpson. Just stick to junk-exhibitionism, girls.

5. Name a movie that you can and do quote from.
"There's this passage I got memorized. Ezekiel 25:17. 'The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is The Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.' I been sayin' that shit for years. And if you heard it, that meant your ass." - Jules, Pulp Fiction, at the diner during robbery session.

6. Name a movie musical that you know all the lyrics to all of the songs.
I'm not a musical geek. I enjoyed Chicago and Dreamgirls, but that's about how far my interest goes. Does Music & Lyrics count though? "I said I wasn't gonna lose my head, but then POP goes my heart... *higher pitch* POP goes my heart..." There y'go.

7. Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with.
Err, I'll just go with A Walk To Remember. They loved Switchfoot there. Quite awesome.

8. Name a movie that you would recommend everyone to see.
Unlike Alternati, I'm going to try to be nice. Watch Wild Hogs! It's freakin' genius!

9. Name a movie that you own.
I think we're stacked. But I have a special documentary film on VHS tape of the Backstreet Boys' world tour in the late 90s. Um, just thought I'd mention it. Potential eBay best-seller in the future.

10. Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops.
Ok, I'll diminish the one-answer-only rule on this one, because one spot isn't fair enough... First of all, Tina Fey is an expert at her craft but her acting was positively surprising. I really liked her character in -- not to mention, her masterpiece -- Mean Girls, where she played a newly-divorced Algebra professor. It's one of those unpredictable roles in a film that suddenly bursts as an important piece of the denouement. And yes, gotta love the habitual sarcasm. Secondly, Ludacris's acting in Crash was the most surprising. It was very natural, and so believable that I instantly forgot that he was that rapper second-voicing Usher's "Yeah." And lastly, (and I'm echoing Alternati on this one) Jennifer Hudson. She won an Oscar, duh?

11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what?
I would love to, but I don't think they still have those stuff in the metropolitan.

12. Ever made out inside a theater?

13. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven't gotten around to it.
For now, there's just one... Blades of Glory. Please come out on DVD already!! :P

14. Ever walked out of a movie?
Yeah. It was that one with Jennifer Lopez. No, not Gigli. The less apalling one. Um, yeah, I think it was Angel Eyes. I believe I walked out forcibly because my friend's boyfriend was already pooping in boredom on the pool table. But that doesn't mean I wanted to stay put either.

15. Name a movie that made you cry in a theater.
The Notebook? Err, so given. Um, United 93? Same thing. How about "Labs Kita, Ok Lang?" Dare tell me you don't know this. Gee, that movie was such a tear-jerker! I can still remember Royce's abrupt clutch to my arm when Jolina's character, Bugoy, was already confessing her feelings for Marvin's Ned on a cold Baguio night. Haaay. Sixth grade memories.

16. What's the last movie you saw in the theater.
Music and Lyrics. Man, I haven't seen a new movie in two months! This is war!

17. What's your favorite/preferred genre of movies.
Comedy, I guess. I dig serious stuff too, as long as they have wit all over them.

18. What's the first movie you remember seeing in the theater.
I was around 6-8 and it was in a movie theater in Cubao. I have vague memories of what exactly the movie was but I'm sure it had Ogie Alcasid and Michael V. in it. :))

19. What movie do you wish you had never seen.
American Dreamz and Wild Hogs.

20. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed.
Lost In Translation (2003) - Watch this. It's so weird and hilarious, it's almost unforgettable.

21. What is the scariest movie you've seen?
The Eye, bar none. And The Descent was pretty good too.

22. What is the funniest movie you've seen?
I'm not the most sophisticated movie goer, so I'm definitely giving this to the satirical smarts of Borat.

DONE. Relaying this to anyone who have plans of bumming out over the weekend. Enjoy! :-D

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

You really find the Descent scary? I dont know since I was laughing while watching the movie. It was sooo lame.

I want comedy films to be downright dirty like Borat.

By the way, lovely new look!

KAI said...

Chase
Hell yeah! Those women-eating humanoids freaked the fuck out of me! But to each his own. At least we agreed on Borat ;)

Anonymous said...

hey kai. i love your new blog design. so pop culture! i loved the regina george photo from mean girls. about the meme, i just might snag it but it won't be an entertaining read as yours. quite frankly i'm having a hard time being creative these days. i love bring it on, lost in translation, the notebook, and a walk to remember, and the eye gave me the creeps! and about sanjaya, he sure made this AI season memorable. it's gonna be boring without him.

Anonymous said...

despite the harsh comments on sanjaya, i don't dislike him at all. it didn't bother me that he has gone that far in the competition. i think he has the voice but just needs to develop how he renders the song. it is a bit unfair for his critics to use him as a mockery. and yet he took all of it with courage, patience and a smile. sanjaya will go far. it may not be his voice that will take him far; his attitude will. for his age, i say, he did well.

bone said...

when was the last time i visited your site? geez..

ya, ive been wanting sanjaya to leave Ai but when he finally did, it was kind of uhm.. sad.

hugh grant's pop.. i like. and i myself am surprised.

blades of glory is still showing here in corona.. ive been wanting to watch it too. "old school" guys rock! and napoleon dynamite too.. so i wonder what happens when theyre combined in 1 movie.. ahh truly glorious huh?

KAI said...

Tani
Oh yeah! I really reserved a space for Regina George up there, hehe. Go ahead and answer! I'd love to read yours. :)

Evi
Surprisingly, I actually liked him the first time I heard him, and during H'wood rounds. He wasn't pitchy but I won't patronize him. In my opinion, he just didn't belong to that show's vocal caliber, especially that other 17-yr-olds in the past and present (Jordin Sparks, Diana DeGarmo, and Jasmine Trias) have proven that there could be serious talent in them. Sanjaya wasn't really bad, I'll tell you that much. But I don't think he was ever taken seriously, given his transcending hairstyles.

Bone
Are you back in Cali? Have you seen Blades? Can't wait for the DVD to come out! I'm so busy with school, I haven't caught time yet to watch it. And yes!! I LOVED Music and Lyrics. I have POP! as my ringtone, hahaha!

[vayie] said...

You know I don't watch American Idol but know Sanjaya. I've heard that he's merely an interesting contestant (maybe because of his radical hairstyles that changes on every show) but with zero talent that AI fans threatened that they will go on hunger strike if he isn't voted off. I wouldn't really know, since, like I've said, I haven't watch a single episode of the show.

I was just wondering what could be the charisma this 17-year old possess since JLo, Tony Benett and Howard Stern (well, he has his reasons) expressed their support.

Interesting survey. Will snag that when I don't have something blog-worthy to write about. =)

Alternati said...

LOL... I just find it hilariously ironic that Sanjaya's shirt says just that. And the 14 year old girl crying, I thought, was some elaborate Sanjaya scheme to harness votes. :P

Coolness!!! I started loving Leo when he started working with Scorsese... Although I did like a couple of his films pre-Titanic (Basketball Diaries, What's Eating Gilbert Grape)

I love love love Ezekiel 25:17, Samuel Jackson became etched in my brain because of that.

I totally agree with you on Tina Fey and Ludacris. (I lurrved Mean Girls!)

LMAO at Jolina and Marvin!!!

That Lost in Translation clip was great. One of my fave movies... Bill Murray was refreshing in that role. (Do you remember that scene of his with the japanese hooker? LOL) And I guess directing runs in the family... Sophia Copola made this movie really interesting.

Borat Borat. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Have you seen Sasha Baron Cohen as a normal person not in the Borat mood? He's surprisingly hot!

Whew! Long comment!

Alternati said...

BTW, Sanjaya hula dancing? LMAO!

Anonymous said...

Hi Kai... How's it going? Uh... Sanjaya's out already? Sorry, can't keep pace with AI news anymore.

Tina Fey in Mean Girls? *bows down* I love her on that movie! So different from what I saw of her back on her SNL stint.

and hey, love the blog header too.

What happened to Andrei? *tries to imitate Santino's Tim Gunns-esque voice* LOL

Miss you... :D

Anonymous said...

favorite ko ang switchfoot, kumpleto ako ng mga album nila.

KAI said...

Vayie
If that wasn't much, Simon Cowell put his judging stint on the line if Sanjaya made it to the Top 5! :))

Alternati
1. Eeek, I knowww! Did you know that almost everyone now knows Sanjaya? Vayie's a perfect example. But he's so popular, he's already become a regular subject in late-night monologues. Even Quentin Tarantino mentions him in his guest appearances (he said Sanjaya resembles his ex, WTF, hahaha). It was insane, but fun, nonetheless. And yes, he hula-dances. Added the link in the post. ;)

2. LOVE LEO! <3 He'll be working with Kate again! Ugh, Titanic cookie here. Of course, I was squee-ing to death! :))

3. Remember that "China man" reference by Luda? Definitely sounds racist but it was incredibly hilarious! "There's a fuckin' China man under this car" something like that, hahaha.

4. I won't even comment back about Marvin and Jolina. :-l

5. Yesss, so agreed! And she made it surprisingly funny! And about Borat, he is indeed hot. He was on Talladega Nights too! Watch his Golden Globe speech here, you'll laugh your ass out. :D

KAI said...

Jen
I miss Project Runway, when the heck will it be back?!! But definitely, it wasn't as fun as season 2. Miss Santino and Andrei. :(

Iskoo
I like them. But where are they now?

April said...

hi kai!
thanks for the birthday greeting! :) and thanks for dropping by my site too.

yours is one of the coolest blog ever. i'd put up a link to your blog in my site, if you don't mind. :)

and yes, Sanjaya is special. I think he's the most-talked-about American Idol finalist. He even got Howard Stern's attention and he caused alot of idiots to put up a starvation crusade. hahahaha!

Anonymous said...

Ahh, finally! One blogger who talks about Sanjaya getting his ass kicked in AI and is sad about it! Haha!

I almost always forget the titles of the movies I watch. Hah, Legally Blonde and Bring It On are loooovvvesss!!!

Anonymous said...

Nice new layuot.

I love the "Stop looking at my va-jay-jay" quote :))

Talamasca said...

It's about friggin’ time!!!

I guess the phone votes of all those tech support workers in India weren’t huge enough to save his retarded ass. Hahaha. :-)

Truth be told, I'm sooo gonna miss Sanjie... not!!! ;-p

I loved Reese on Legally Blonde. Versatile and all. But Election is still her best for me.

Samuel L. Jackson pulled off the Jules character so cool that he was able to make a low-rent hitman for hire who spouts biblical quotes before taking care of the hit look so fucking awesome.

Hahaha. Eternal Marvin-Jolina fan, I see! LOL.

Scarlet Johansson's voice in Lost in Translation is just ah... bliss!!!

[vayie] said...

Kai. Help me naman with my template. How can I contact you? Pretty please! =(

Anonymous said...

oh coolie. we have the same name. ^_^