Nerdy Awesome

One of the many reasons that Daniel Radcliffe makes the list of stuff I go crazy over:  he does shit like this on talk shows.  Frequently, actually.

Vasquez will fuck you up.

I'm already enjoying this blog - because if for an instant I'm like, "what should I write about?" I just go look at that list of all the shit I like and have it confirm that "yes, what I was thinking about IS appropriate for the subject of a blog post."

And what I'm currently contemplating is what a BADASS Vasquez is. Seriously. Hurrrggggh. Yeah, by "contemplating" what I mean is, I just sit around and think about how awesome she is. I wish I were really butch sometimes, but it's just not in the cards for me as far as temperament and genetics are concerned. So I just get to admire the awesome butch ladies mainstream media actually puts forth, and Vasquez is at the very top of that list.

Vasquez 2.0* ain't bad, either, but she's not quite as crazy-awesome as the original.

(Michelle Rodriguez as Trudy Chancon in Avatar)

Also of interest to note: The original Vasquez, Jenette Goldstien, is a James Cameron (JC**) repeat offender, and he likes to put her in all kinds of roles.

(as John Connor's foster mom / T-1000 in Terminator 2)

(as the third-class Irish mom in Titanic)

*Speaking of Vasquez 2.0 - Michelle Rodriguez, she is a badass in lots of films. But I still think her first movie is her best, and I recommend it to everyone: GIRLFIGHT.

** I like to think of James Cameron as "JC" because then I can compare him to Jesus Christ, or imagine that when I hear uber-religious types talking about the JC, that they're talking about Mr. Cameron instead, which really resonates more with me.

My K-Pop introduction

In September of 2010, I flew down south to attend my cousins wedding. During that time, I bonded most with my other cousin, her younger sister, who was 16. We mostly hung out in the kitchen doing prep work for the reception and showing each other various crap we liked online.

She attends a high school with a significant Korean population. Her brother is friends with a lot of teenage Korean boys, to the extent that I'm pretty sure he curses in Korean now. I'm not sure if it was from him first, or from someone else that she knew, but her brother ended up learning ALL the hand gestures to this song:

It is pretty hysterical to watch a 14-year-old conservatively-raised Christian boy act that out. And it gives me hope that perhaps she and her brother don't have the negative associations towards homosexuals that I assume her parents do (but I'm too afraid to ask, as it would kind of crush me if their response was negative or derogatory... I feel I need to be ready to educate before I inquire).

Anyway. My cousin, in typical internet surfing fashion, then stumbled onto this in the sidebar:

"They just have this crazy thing for big groups of guys doing synchronized dances!"

We watched that video dozens of times over the 5 days I was there, gushing over their awesome dance, how ridiculously good-looking and feminine-looking the were, and their ridiculous lyrics ("He's no shupa-man, he must be mama-boy"). She eventually downloaded the song. I was hesitant, as it was not in English and I wasn't sure how into it I could get if I couldn't sing along. Anyway, I left for home not thinking anything much of it.

Upon my return, I decided I should show my friend the video (as we are both rabid ABDC fans), and so looked it up on my own to see if I could send her the link.

Then I, in typical internet surfing fashion, stumbled onto this in the sidebar:

Hooooooooly Shit. Did you just see that? Watch it. Seriously. The way its choreographed SO WELL to the music blows my mind.

Also, in retrospect, its obvious to me why I wasn't instantly hooked at my cousin's house - Super Girl is by Super Junior - M (their China touring group, kinda), which is lacking most of my favorite members. I've come to love them all, but really Eunhyuk and Leeteuk are probably the most responsible for this obsession. Eunhyuk is the dancing king - I have a hard time watching It's You and not having my eyes inadvertently drawn to him. (He's usually in the front row, and he's movements are fucking PERFECT - like Gene Kelly perfect. He's also the one with the little dancing solo and the crazy chest pops.) Leeteuk is just perfect in every way, but I'll expand on that at a later date.

And that's how it began. Then I kept clicking the sidebar recommendations until Kpop completely consumed my life. ^_^

Physical Proof

So, I was totally Zefron-centric for the majority of 2009.

(Some of) the more obvious effects of this obsession are:

- I own all three High School Musical* movies and their soundtracks

- I can sing every line of all three of those soundtracks

- I saw 17 Again eleven times in theaters (yeah, eleven)

- I have a cardboard cutout of Zac in my living room**

- A good portion (read: all) of my free time in 2009 was spent reading Hairspray fanfiction

- I wrote Hairspray fanfiction

- I learned how to dance the mashed-potato and the Madison***

- I own High School Musical and Hairspray memorabilia. I won't go into specifics.

I am not in the throes of a current Zefron obsession (thanks for that, Leeteuk & GD). However. A group I'm in is having a retreat, complete with a "Talent/No Talent" show. I didn't participate last year, but I figured this year I better do it, because I'm never going to find a better outlet to show off this skill I've cultivated. And that skill is.... "dancing" to Bet On It. Like a drag king? I know every move and gesture and facial expression. So, why not embarrass myself thoroughly by demonstrating that in front of a large crowd of people?

Yeah. I've got 2 weeks to practice up, as it's been a while since I was doing this on a regular basis.

Wish me luck.

* Seriously, though - those films are horrific. Well, let me elaborate: The first High School Musical is quite possible the worst thing I have ever seen. The writing is horrible, the acting is horrible, the production is horrible, it just ..... god it's bad. High School Musical 2 takes this theme and RUNS with it. So, it's kind of just as bad, but it seems to know that and embrace it, and thusly becomes highly amusing and, in effect, my favorite of the three. High School Musical 3 was made for the big screen (the first two were made-for-TV movies), and they pumped a lot of money into it, and it shows. If I were a reviewer, I would probably give it a solid "3 Stars" (out of 5) for being generally entertaining and well-produced.

** In my defense, I did not buy him. He was a birthday gift. Which I then vehemently defended like an angry mama bear when people started joking about drawing penises on his face with markers. Seriously. Don't Touch Zac.

*** Slightly tangential. They dance the mashed potato in Hairspray. They dance The Madison (it's kind of like a line dance thing) in the original John Waters' Hairspray. They do do the basic step at the final dance number of the new one, though. Yes, I dance along.

I need an outlet.

I am frequently obsessed with stuff that no one else I know gives a fuck about.

But, I would still like to talk/spout-random-dribbles about that stuff.

Hurrah for the internets!

And, if you haven't noticed from the sidebar, it's a pretty random collection of ridiculous things, for the most part. These are the things that I am crazy in LOVE with, and I highly doubt that that will change. Ever. My attentions may wain as new things are added, but I first saw Ferngully when I was six, and it has never dropped in my esteem or adoration.

So.... let the nerd-out commence.