Comments for songs about buildings and food http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com "i like poetry...dragons flying around towers and stuff" - bret michaels Wed, 14 May 2008 14:18:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU Comment on the hills: off the record by songsaboutbuildingsandfood http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/the-hills-off-the-record/#comment-463 songsaboutbuildingsandfood Mon, 12 May 2008 03:09:26 +0000 http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/?p=192#comment-463 yeah, i'm very interested in the contracts as well, for the reasons you listed and also having to do with salary. who makes more money and how much more do they make? i.e. what are the differences between what lauren and heidi and what lo and audrina makes and are they aware of these differences and do these differences create more tension between them? (heidi notes that during the first season she was paid a pittance to be on the show and that she had to pay rent but lauren didn't.) do day players get anything, does that woman who's getting scapegoated at people's revolution get anything because she's been named in a chyron and been a featured character (the way extras in movies get more money if they get a line, etc.) my feeling whether is that lauren does have more control, not only over what is shown of her life but what is shown of others (for example, the whole kristin cavallari - "i hate that bitch and i'm not having her on my show" thing) i agree that the guerrilla documentary thing is over the top (the scenes of the crew mobilizing remind me of the storm chasers in "twister"), although what do we really expect from an mtv produced featurette about the show? of course they're going to reinforce this notion of the "reality" of the show as much as they can. i don't really see the girls as being portrayed as being "resistant to filming." yeah, there's the part with lauren in the cab, but that was very early in the first season where she was still getting used to things and also we see how quickly she acquiesces to having the camera in the front seat. and then the thing with her running from the cameras to cry in the bathroom at le deux seemed like a genuine emotional moment, but it seems to me that she was fleeing the scene of the "drama" as much as the cameras and on either side of that she was being filmed. that lunch thing was hilarious. i loved how incensed jen bunny was. yeah, i’m very interested in the contracts as well, for the reasons you listed and also having to do with salary. who makes more money and how much more do they make? i.e. what are the differences between what lauren and heidi and what lo and audrina makes and are they aware of these differences and do these differences create more tension between them? (heidi notes that during the first season she was paid a pittance to be on the show and that she had to pay rent but lauren didn’t.) do day players get anything, does that woman who’s getting scapegoated at people’s revolution get anything because she’s been named in a chyron and been a featured character (the way extras in movies get more money if they get a line, etc.) my feeling whether is that lauren does have more control, not only over what is shown of her life but what is shown of others (for example, the whole kristin cavallari - “i hate that bitch and i’m not having her on my show” thing)

i agree that the guerrilla documentary thing is over the top (the scenes of the crew mobilizing remind me of the storm chasers in “twister”), although what do we really expect from an mtv produced featurette about the show? of course they’re going to reinforce this notion of the “reality” of the show as much as they can.

i don’t really see the girls as being portrayed as being “resistant to filming.” yeah, there’s the part with lauren in the cab, but that was very early in the first season where she was still getting used to things and also we see how quickly she acquiesces to having the camera in the front seat. and then the thing with her running from the cameras to cry in the bathroom at le deux seemed like a genuine emotional moment, but it seems to me that she was fleeing the scene of the “drama” as much as the cameras and on either side of that she was being filmed.

that lunch thing was hilarious. i loved how incensed jen bunny was.

]]> Comment on the hills season 3, episode 27, “no place like home” by songsaboutbuildingsandfood http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/2008/05/10/the-hills-season-3-episode-27-no-place-like-home/#comment-462 songsaboutbuildingsandfood Mon, 12 May 2008 02:14:59 +0000 http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/?p=190#comment-462 ah, ok, i understand. very interesting. ah, ok, i understand. very interesting.

]]> Comment on the hills season 3, episode 27, “no place like home” by Elana Levine http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/2008/05/10/the-hills-season-3-episode-27-no-place-like-home/#comment-461 Elana Levine Mon, 12 May 2008 01:18:50 +0000 http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/?p=190#comment-461 I'm with you that my take on Lo's meanness stems from my upset with the shift--it's totally about the fact that I like Lo and so want to see what I take to be negative characteristics as constructed, "cast," created and not the real her. And yet I also want to see the new, improved Justinbobby as the real him, probably because I so despised the old him. Perhaps any kind of critical distance is even more impossible with this show than with any other cultural text because of these real/construction slippages. And yet . . . I think one could also take my analysis as an analysis of the meanings offered up by the show, meanings that include Lo is bitchy, justinbobby is pretty darn cute and sweet. Whether these meanings are a product of either person's real self or one made up by Hills producers (of course they are not simply one or the other)is irrelevant. These are the meanings the text offers us, invites us to make and so are the focus of my criticism. In the case of Lo, I don't like this "Lo is bitch" meaning being presented to me--real or not, that's not the story I want told about this character. I’m with you that my take on Lo’s meanness stems from my upset with the shift–it’s totally about the fact that I like Lo and so want to see what I take to be negative characteristics as constructed, “cast,” created and not the real her. And yet I also want to see the new, improved Justinbobby as the real him, probably because I so despised the old him. Perhaps any kind of critical distance is even more impossible with this show than with any other cultural text because of these real/construction slippages.

And yet . . . I think one could also take my analysis as an analysis of the meanings offered up by the show, meanings that include Lo is bitchy, justinbobby is pretty darn cute and sweet. Whether these meanings are a product of either person’s real self or one made up by Hills producers (of course they are not simply one or the other)is irrelevant. These are the meanings the text offers us, invites us to make and so are the focus of my criticism. In the case of Lo, I don’t like this “Lo is bitch” meaning being presented to me–real or not, that’s not the story I want told about this character.

]]> Comment on the hills: off the record by Jared http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/the-hills-off-the-record/#comment-458 Jared Sun, 11 May 2008 16:59:50 +0000 http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/?p=192#comment-458 Not sure how I feel about this. Are we supposed to come away thinking of The Hills as some kind of guerrilla documentary show? It's just not. There's no way the girls are as resistant to being filmed as they are portrayed here. This is such a small segment of the production process, and it overemphasizes the rare scenes where the producers had to scramble to get access to something dramatic. What I want to know now is: what do the girls' contracts look like? Are they required to give access to producers at all times? Can they prevent certain things from getting into the show? Are their contracts the same, or does Lauren have more control than the other girls? Also, the scene with the "crazy" lady at lunch was amazing. Lady just wants to have a nice lunch, and some TV crew comes up and asks her to leave. They fuck with her, she fucks with them--and then they turn around and call her crazy on national TV? I'm on her side on this one. Not sure how I feel about this. Are we supposed to come away thinking of The Hills as some kind of guerrilla documentary show? It’s just not. There’s no way the girls are as resistant to being filmed as they are portrayed here. This is such a small segment of the production process, and it overemphasizes the rare scenes where the producers had to scramble to get access to something dramatic.

What I want to know now is: what do the girls’ contracts look like? Are they required to give access to producers at all times? Can they prevent certain things from getting into the show? Are their contracts the same, or does Lauren have more control than the other girls?

Also, the scene with the “crazy” lady at lunch was amazing. Lady just wants to have a nice lunch, and some TV crew comes up and asks her to leave. They fuck with her, she fucks with them–and then they turn around and call her crazy on national TV? I’m on her side on this one.

]]> Comment on the hills season 3, episode 26, “a date with the past” by Anaheed http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/2008/05/06/the-hills-season-3-episode-26-a-date-with-the-past/#comment-448 Anaheed Fri, 09 May 2008 04:37:55 +0000 http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/?p=188#comment-448 If you're sick of doing this blog, you should stop, but that will make me sad, because it's smart and good and I love it. If you’re sick of doing this blog, you should stop, but that will make me sad, because it’s smart and good and I love it.

]]> Comment on best “hills” parody ever by Sienna http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/2008/05/07/best-hills-parody-ever/#comment-447 Sienna Fri, 09 May 2008 03:50:52 +0000 http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/?p=189#comment-447 The Hills may not be all real, who cares it is still fun especially when Lo really see Audrina as vapid The Hills may not be all real, who cares it is still fun especially when Lo really see Audrina as vapid

]]> Comment on the hills season 3, episode 26, “a date with the past” by peace http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/2008/05/06/the-hills-season-3-episode-26-a-date-with-the-past/#comment-446 peace Thu, 08 May 2008 17:56:05 +0000 http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/?p=188#comment-446 speaking of GG, have you seen this blog? it's kind of like your obsession, but all about one episode: ggs1e16.tumblr.com speaking of GG, have you seen this blog? it’s kind of like your obsession, but all about one episode:
ggs1e16.tumblr.com

]]> Comment on best “hills” parody ever by Elana Levine http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/2008/05/07/best-hills-parody-ever/#comment-445 Elana Levine Thu, 08 May 2008 16:06:59 +0000 http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/?p=189#comment-445 I LOVE this! Thanks so much for posting it. Lo really is the brainiest Hills-er ever. I LOVE this! Thanks so much for posting it. Lo really is the brainiest Hills-er ever.

]]> Comment on the hills season 3, episode 26, “a date with the past” by Jared http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/2008/05/06/the-hills-season-3-episode-26-a-date-with-the-past/#comment-444 Jared Wed, 07 May 2008 16:05:32 +0000 http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/?p=188#comment-444 That's a good post; I've read a little zigzagger but hadn't been that far back in his archives. That’s a good post; I’ve read a little zigzagger but hadn’t been that far back in his archives.

]]> Comment on the hills season 3, episode 26, “a date with the past” by songsaboutbuildingsandfood http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/2008/05/06/the-hills-season-3-episode-26-a-date-with-the-past/#comment-441 songsaboutbuildingsandfood Wed, 07 May 2008 04:02:54 +0000 http://songsaboutbuildingsandfood.wordpress.com/?p=188#comment-441 i think you are mostly right when you call him a douche, sienna. the reason he would come back and have a romantic dinner with her instead of just a casual off camera coffee is because he knows that he can get on TV by doing that and that it will get his name in the news for five minutes. also, removing cameras from the equation, maybe he just wanted to fuck with her because, well, he can. thanks jared. keep fighting the good fight yourself. you might also want to check out zigzigger, who is linked to on the right. he's on a break now but i think you might enjoy his stuff. he's done a few posts about this season of "the hills," one of which is here: http://zigzigger.blogspot.com/2007/10/hills-is-real-too.html. i think you are mostly right when you call him a douche, sienna. the reason he would come back and have a romantic dinner with her instead of just a casual off camera coffee is because he knows that he can get on TV by doing that and that it will get his name in the news for five minutes. also, removing cameras from the equation, maybe he just wanted to fuck with her because, well, he can.

thanks jared. keep fighting the good fight yourself. you might also want to check out zigzigger, who is linked to on the right. he’s on a break now but i think you might enjoy his stuff. he’s done a few posts about this season of “the hills,” one of which is here: http://zigzigger.blogspot.com/2007/10/hills-is-real-too.html.

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