Born This Way

I didn’t really know what the fuss was about when Lady Gaga performed at the Grammy Awards emerging from the “egg”. Almost, a month later when I got to listen to the number “Born This Way”, only then I realised it is better than many of the boring recorded videos for the “It gets better” campaign in the USA amidst a serious teenage and adolescence suicides as a result of homophobia bullying. Further reading of comments people accused Gaga of plagerism and that. At the first glance, the video obviously had various connections or tributes to personalities I could think of. The queen, monster kinda birth and rebirth and beginning reminded me of the Alien series of movies. The Choreography, whether at the video or the Grammy Awards bear distant recollection of the zombie dance of Micheal Jackson’s thriller. Gaga’s long-hair blonde attire and the musical arrangement towards the the ends hinted some “Express yourself” or blond ambition tour of Madonna fame. Various inspirations, perhaps, not outright coping, no, I don’t think so, converge into the final song. At the end of the day, many religiously “insecure” people probably got offended. I could imagine Gaga as the kid couldn’t quite fit in in high school. But then for that matter I imagine her or Avril Lavigne much more appealing than teen idols like Spears or Aguilera…
Gaga was hardly beautiful gal in either the video or the Grammy performance, but if this talented outcast could make it to a big star, she serves very appropriately a role model for the bullied or teased.

福島50人 不是 十個救火的少年

從報章看見關於日本3.11大地震後守在核電廠滅火的員工或本應退休的前員工等等的福島50，相比同樣有廣泛報導咱們國家裏無知的民眾爭相購買和囤積食鹽， 國人跟別國的公民和基本通識教育馬上高低立現。我國在災難發生時也有英勇的救護人員，但發生了爭鹽慌後我不禁馬上想到達明一派廿多年前的歌曲“十個救火的少年”。歌詞描述的故事不正好顯示國人可憐既可悲的羊群心態嗎？
真希望我們快拼除歌裡那十減一得九、九減一得八。。。到最後甚麽都沒有的宿命。

We didn’t start the fire

如果我是教歷史的老師，特別是美國在二次世界大戰以後的政治和時事等題目，Billy Joel 1989年的歌曲是最合適不過了。廿年足夠一周期。1989東歐有一團火，燒到中國，可惜流血收場。這次火從北非燒到中東，甚至中國。看突尼西亞、埃及和利比亞傷亡的人數已比1989年的六、四為多了。成功與否的改革還是不幸地用血一點一滴寫成的。

Les événements continus des pays du Maghreb ou au Proche-Orient me rappellent la chanson de Billy Joel. La parade des personnages et des événements (plutôt américains mais parfois internationaux) nous mène une parataxe amusante sinon educative. On a eu une vague inattendue en Europe de l’Est il y a 22 ans. Cette fois-ci, le feu a commencé en Afrique du Nord, une pleine génération après. Les pertes de vie ont déjà surpassé celles de Tiananmen. Malheureusement, le coût s’accumule de façon sanglante pour apporter des sociétés plus justes!

unofficial, but nicely assembled visual frames!

美國駐華大使+中國憤青？咱們不用太緊張吧。但聽著這錄影的配樂真覺得很誇張！Outgoing US Ambassador to China getting caught in a wrong place at a wrong time, given the no so friendly questions thrown at him. However, that might just play positively for him should he decided to run for the presidency of the US in 2012.

Official video of the song in 1989, from the studio album “Storm front”. Yes if you read too much into the title of the LP, it’s your choice, not mine. (From the prespective of a liberal studies or History teacher) This video is not as interesting as the amateur one above.