Country Music Stereotype

Okay, I really haven't listened to a lot of country music as of late (like the last few months) but I have always been a country girl. I love Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Trisha Yearwood, old George Straight (sorry but I can't stand his new stuff) etc, basically anything from the 90s, I love. Now however, in most cases, country music is starting to live up to the stereotypes that have been shoved upon it for decades. Yes, I understand that songs about country living are anthems for country folk and I love the idea, but we've kind of gotten out of hand and have gotten a little hicksville. I love some of the "hick" songs like... okay I can't think of any at this particular moment, but I know I like some. Honestly, I still love Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Taylor Swift (I know, groan, but I still like it) and an up and comer names Jana Kramer (yes, another One Tree Hill alum) and some other artists, but I just feel like, though  I like a lot of his older stuff, artists like Toby Keith are going back to the days of Bocephus and it's just getting a little annoying.
I guess my point is that country artists need to re-evaluate the themes in their music and we need to get back to the songs that really hit you right in the chest and end up making you cry (ie "Holes in the Floor of Heaven" AMAZING SONG). I don't know, this is just really a random rant, but that's kinda what blogs are for right?
Go ahead and comment on how crazy I am, I won't hunt you down and kill you or anything (probably)
    : )

Real Life or Reality TV

Ok, we all know that reality tv isn't real, at all. But if you've ever seen shows like "Parking Wars" or "Flip This House" you know that sometimes, you just can't make this stuff up. Parking Wars is hilarious because, be honest, you would totally want to react like most of the people on the show if you walked out of your apartment and found a meeter-maid putting a boot on your car. I love how the officers react too, because we all know it can be a dangerous job, essentially taking people's cars from them, but they are either super worried, or very nonchalant and sometimes kinda snotty. Flip This House, on the other hand, is full of drama, most of which is staged and over-dramatized, but in reality, anyone who tries to do any type of large-scale construction project, especially on a budget or in a time-crunch, is going to run into many, if not all of the problems that the people on the show do. In all honestly, it's just addictive because we like to watch other people's problems and we keep watching because it's kinda like a train wreck, you just can't look away.
On the other hand, show's like "Cupcake Wars" or "Food Network Challenge" (with are both shows that I enjoy watching, by the way) are really torture devices that make you want to eat food that you will never be able to make, and they captivate you with all the problems that the cooks face and, especially Food Network Challenge", make you choose contestants that you like because of their personality and make you hate the judges for not seeing how hard they work, even when their food is terrible or their chocolate/sugar San Fransisco Bridge completely toppled over halfway to the judging table.
Overall, actual life is never replicated in reality tv (let's face it, it would be pretty boring if it was), but there are shows that show you the real world activities of hardworking people (this does not mean the cast members of "Real World" or "Jersey Shore"), who's jobs are actually interesting. These types of shows are worth wasting you weekend on, but I'd still rather have the scripted drama of regular tv (at least the storylines are thought out and not semi-spontaneous) over the "authenticity" (that's sarcasm btw) of reality tv.

The Facets of Glee

Okay, let's talk about Glee. Yes, I watch Glee almost religiously every Tuesday night on FOX. However, I do NOT, I repeat DO NOT, watch the show for the story lines, I watch it for the musical numbers. The music is why I fell in love with the show in the first place and is why I keep watching it. Lately however I have been disappointed with the quality of the numbers, not because the performers aren't amazing, they definitely are, but because of the lack of good music (I say that with caution because all music is good in my mind) that they have chosen.
Now, before you start writing me off right now, I want to say that I do enjoy all the songs that are chosen to be on the show, however, I just wish that they would chose more popular songs, or at least ones that more people know. I'm sorry but I just don't want to sit there and have no idea where a song came from. And stop with the theme weeks too. Just like American Idol, only doing one artist or era in an episode is ridiculous and, quite frankly, pretty boring. I'd like to see the characters sing songs that reflect their personalities and storylines, not their combined love for Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, or Michael Jackson (even though they are all great artists).
I will say that very recently there has been an upswing in the song choices of the show. I loved the mixture of choices on the episode when Mr. Shue enlists the Glee Club to help him propose to Emma, and the episode that aired tonight, the Valentine's Day episode, was full of fun and "hip" music, with just enough old school to satisfy all of the ranges of love songs. Hell, they even sang "Love Shack" which, let's be honest, was a little weird. By the way, "Stereo Hearts" is one of my new favorite songs, so check the original by Gym Class Heroes and Adam Lavigne.
I will say one random thing about the storylines of Glee (okay, maybe more than one), what the hell is going on with Sue? I don't at all understand this baby thing, and the "I'm marrying myself" thing was really weird too. Overall, I'd really like the writers to go back to about halfway through the first season, when the storylines (1) made sense and (2) were really pretty good. What of the love triangles and real high school issues? Where'd they go?
Anyway, awesome ep tonight, and so glad to see Samuel from The Glee Project finally make an appearance, but we are in dire need of some new storylines and great music for regionals.
Comment with agreements or arguments.

All My Playlists This Week

This first week I want to start by saying that I'm a Netflix junkie and I take in music like a sponge. I'm also going to warn you that I'm a lyrics girl and, although I respect all you music/beat people, for me as long as the lyrics make me think, or laugh, or cry, I'll probably suggest it to ya. But don't be alarmed, if you're a music/beat person I'm sure you'll still enjoy some of the stuff I like.
Another thing, I really like 80s music and 90s tv, mostly dramas. Sooo, if you read something here that sounds like it may be a quote, go ahead and check out shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dawson's Creek, My So Called Life, Wildfire, Veronica Mars, and One Tree Hill. Really you should check all of these out anyway because they're awesome (I told you I like the drama). Oh, and btw, many of the more "out there" music suggestions I have will probably be based off the music Peyton Sawyer listens to in the first three or four seasons of One Tree Hill, she's an awesome girl outright, but her taste in music makes her so much better.
1st suggestions:
Movies: go and see The Vow in theaters... AWESOME, you will cry, Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire, also for those who like a little thrill, House of Wax, the remake with Chad Micheal Murray (yes he's shirtless for a little bit), Eliza Cuthbert, Jared Padalecki and (here's the kicker), Paris Hilton. The movie's pretty good, though Paris Hilton is pretty ridiculous, it's not real scary, but it is suspenseful and a little bit of a mystery, plus it's really funny to see some of my favorite actors get sliced up a bit and immortalized in wax.
Music: I just got started on Foo Fighters (I know, why have I waited so long), and Audioslave (personally I think that might be the coolest band name ever, I mean c'mon, slaves to the audio, slaves to the music, fanastic) and also Jimmy Eat World (Futures album, listen to the lyrics, especially on the title track, I love a little political wit) and Tyler Hilton and Kate Voegele (yes they've both had recurring roles on One Tree Hill, but their music is bona-fide).
TV: right now I'm watching the Charmed series, very interesting to see it from the beginnning, but if you want more recent I'd go with Veronica Mars, it only aired three seasons on UPN and the CW, but it is fantasic and really witty the main character (Veronica) is really sarcastic and funny and she's definitely outspoken and strongwilled. Love it, every season is a mystery (she's a private eye and has to solve her best friends murder in season one) and it may be a show about a high school girl, but it really is entertaining for everyone (and it teaches young women about being careful, especially at parties with their drinks).
Well, that's all for now. Love to hear comments, even if you don't like my suggestions.
Thanks for giving me you precious time, and really, if you're still reading, you have earned my gratitude.