Category Archives: Movies and TV

by | February 1, 2015 · 8:00 pm

Is Blake Shelton the New Face of Country Music?

The Washington Post released an article on January 24, 2015 called, “How Blake Shelton replaced Taylor Swift as the face of country music.” This article was prompted after Blake Shelton hosted “Saturday Night Live.” The article goes on to explain that Blake Shelton “is the first country singer to host the famed late-night sketch show since Taylor Swift, who took the stage in November 2009, way back when she was decidedly still a country star.”

This isn’t Blake’s first television debut and rumors have been confirmed that it won’t be his last. Blake Shelton is one of the main coaches on today’s most popular singing competition, “The Voice,” and the “Rolling Stone” announced on January 27th that Blake Shelton would kick off his acting career in Adam Sandler’s new ‘Ridiculous 6’ movie.

Blake Shelton’s country music career started after he debuted his first hit single “Austin” in 2001 and it remained number on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for five weeks. Since then Blake Shelton has broken the Country Airplay record with 11 consecutive No. 1 singles, and is currently the reigning CMA male vocalist of the year.

I myself attended one Blake’s concerts last year and that is when I became a huge fan. I think that Blake Shelton is an incredibly humble performer and would make a great face for country music. Blake Shelton has made if very clear that he will remain loyal to country music and his own beliefs. He seems to thrive in the spot light and so far has made country music proud. Pop culture named Taylor Swift the face of country music and I do believe that they have now voted on Blake Shelton. Many fans criticize that Taylor Swift was never country, but “CMT All-Time top 40” placed her at No. 16. It is undeniable how many pop fans Taylor Swift has opened up to country music in her career, so I believe that is unfair to write her out of country music all together.

Blake Shelton has over 10.2 million followers on twitter and is married to country superstar Miranda Lambert. I don’t know how todays country artists feel about Blake Shelton being announced “the face of country music,” but I honestly can’t think of a better candidate, who has the opportunity in today’s media to bring in more country fans. I am studying TexasMedia advertising at The University of Texas at Austin and I personally believe he does a brilliant job of connecting with his fans and evolving with technology. I would have to agree that Blake Shelton is the new face of country music whether the country fans like it or not.

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Filed under Live Music, Movies and TV, New Country, Reflection

by | · 12:00 pm

Blake Shelton the Sketch Actor? Hee Naw

Hee- Haw, Farm Hunk, and a Wishing Boot; what do they all have in common? They were all bits on the past episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by country star Blake Shelton. After the deflate gate sketch and opening credits all attention was on the man of the night as Blake, or as he calls himself, “the Justin Bieber of country music, just a trouble-makin’ cutie”.

Blake and the cast start off trying to make light hearted “gotcha” jokes in the style of a comedy show Blake watched when he was younger called Hee Haw. It turns around on Blake turning him into the butt of the gangs’ jokes and he retorts, “This isn’t a roast…come on…nice country jokes”. This was not my favorite bit of the episode, but I can appreciate Blake using something he knows well to entertain his audience and introduce everyone watching to a different kind of comedy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiI-sW94ApY

After his opening monologue, Blake stars in a Bachelor-esque sketch where the women keep wanting to steal him for a conversation. This was probably my least favorite sketch. I found it to be very repetitive, but that wouldn’t be Blake’s fault. He was simply saying the lines that were written for him. If I hear “tell me about yourself” one more time, I might scream (internally). The sketch does capture the essence of The Bachelor in its first few episodes each season with its slightly crazy women trying to say what the bachelor wants them to hear just to last another week. Blake’s character even tries to scare them away from his home town in Iowa but the women just love it. Plus, take a look at Blake’s wig in this sketch; it’s a little unsettling. Although, it wasn’t my favorite sketch of the night it still made me laugh at times.

In my opinion, the show stealer was definitely Wishing Boot. The song first implies maybe a God as “something out there watching over you”. But this is SNL, so instead of a song about a God, we have a song about a magical wishing boot. I’m not sure if it’s the personality this inanimate object has or how people react to it, this song just makes me laugh.

I can agree with CMT that the Family Feud skit was only “so-so”. Facing The Voice judges against American Idol judges seemed like the easy way out and they overplayed Blake and Adam Levine’s bromance. This was the first half hour of the show with Blake’s performance of Neon Light at around the halfway point. After SNL’s news skit, Blake played a parole board member deciding on a prisoner’s execution. This performance was not worth talking about. It was a time killer and Kenan Thompson stole this scene. Later, Blake plays a local artist who helps an old man write a song for his late wife. It starts off really sweet, but then the truth comes out. The funny, sad truth. This is why Blake hosted, so he could have funny songs in his episode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9M2Q1G9PMk

Then we hear Boys ‘Round Here as Blake’s second song performance of the night. However the show ends with a bang and Blake’s best acting of the night. Blake acts as a heckler at a magic show who interrupts the show wishing for various powers, and guns as different body parts. I feel this is when Blake finally had a part that he really enjoyed.

Blake seemed pretty pleased with himself for doubling as host and musical guest this past weekend. I would say he did a pretty good job considering he isn’t an actor. But Blake, please stick to being that southern boy from Ada.

How do you think Blake did hosting SNL? What was your favorite or least favorite sketch? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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Filed under Movies and TV, USA

by | · 8:00 am

SNL: Blake Shelton Wishes on a Boot

snl blake shelton main 2Country music took the stage on Saturday Night Live on Saturday, January 24, when Blake Shelton acted as host and musical talent. Shelton, 2014 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year award winner and The Voice coach, was his usual charming self and used his witty humor to mock the genre he has mastered. The Washington Post reported that Shelton is the first country artist to host SNL since Taylor Swift in 2009, proving that Shelton is the face of country music and a big part of pop culture.

Shelton’s lack of acting experience was apparent but the writers catered to his strengths by using his country background in the Opening Monologue and reenacting Hee-Haw, a hillbilly classic comedy that Shelton grew up watching. I’ve never seen Hee-Haw, but it was easy to follow the sketch. However, I did not really enjoy it. SNL turned it into slapstick humor with portrayal of “simple” country folks that wasn’t funny. The “Old Coot” referred to taking his sister out for their anniversary.Shelton also appeared in a very entertaining The Bachelor spoof, “Farm Hunk.” Shelton’s musical performances of “Neon Trees” and “Boys Round Here” were easily two of the best parts of the show. Both performances gave the show a burst of energy. Shelton’s vocals were in perfect pitch and his stage presence demonstrated why he is such a big name in the country genre. However, the segment that stole the night was a spoof titled “Wishin’ Boot.”

There is no doubt that “Wishin’ Boot,” a parody of country ballads and music videos, was the nights’ best comedy sketch. In the music video, we see a dingy room and crying girls, which commonly appear in country music videos. Joined by Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant, the premise of “Wishin’ Boot” is that in times of need, a magical cowboy boot will solve all your problems. As the song says, “it’s hope in the form of a little ol’ dirty boot.” What worked about this sketch was Shelton’s ability to shine a light on the stereotypes of country and play with the norms of the genre. The video starts out with McKinnon lamenting poverty stricken life, mocking the norm of hardship. She is then blessed by a “wishin’ boot”, poking fun at the faith that country songs often reference.

Blake Shelton SNLShelton obviously enjoyed himself and effectively used his vocal skills and natural sense of humor. However, based on the Hee-Haw skit, I question whether the writers really appreciate the dominant position the country genre has in the music industry today. Maybe the 15% increase in ratings – likely due to Shelton’s presence – will convince them.

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Filed under Movies and TV, Reviews, USA

by | January 31, 2015 · 12:00 pm

SNL Gets a Taste of Blake Shelton

imgresBlake Shelton’s success continues to sky-rocket from his win on the Voice and his chart topper, “Neon Light”, to his debut as host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live. Saturday Night Live got a jump start after a few sluggish weeks. The pop country star brought a smile to many faces with skits including “Farm Hunk”, a parody of the Bachelor, and “Wishin’ Boot”, a satire of inspirational country ballads. Blake’s humor and wit stole the show!

This year’s SNL cast has definitely not been as strong as years past, but Blake’s wonderful comedic and musical performances gave the show just what it needed. Shelton’s humble roots shown through in his Hee Haw-themed opening monologue. While sitting on a bale of hay, Blake did a “little pickin’ and grinnin’” as he tried to draw out laughter with good old country jokes. Blake killed it with country self-parody throughout the episode.

imgres-1Although using stereotypes of the south and country music, you’ve got to love a man that can laugh at himself! The highlight of the night was “Wishin’ Boot”, a song that satirized typical inspirational country ballads. Blake was accompanied in this pre-recorded skit by the hilarious Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant. This terribly catchy (and I mean terrible), country song had the crowd laughing hysterically, and I was no exception. Although obviously a bad country song, “Wishin’ Boot” was undeniably funny!

imgres-2The episode’s rendition of the Bachelor, “Farm Hunk”, was hilarious as the female contestants tried to “steal him [Shelton] away for a sec”. This skit gave the audience some good laughs even though the majority of the comedic lines came from the strong female cast. Still, even with a strong cast by your side the typically hilarious “Family Feud” skit was not as funny as expected from this reoccurring skit. “Family Feud” contestants were comprised of the coaches from the Voice and the judges from American Idol. Once again, Kate McKinnon stole the spotlight with an impersonation of Keith Urban. Blake, playing himself, had a few good lines mentioning his beautiful and talented wife, Miranda Lambert.

Blake Shelton’s comedic versatility was refreshing and just what SNL needed; not to mention his phenomenal musical performances with songs like “Boys ‘Round Here” and “Neon Light”. In the words of Blake Shelton, he is “kind of like the Justin Bieber of country music — just a trouble-makin’ cutie.” Blake was welcomed with open arms to the SNL family, and hopefully, we will see him host again in the future.

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Filed under Live Music, Movies and TV, Reviews, Song Analysis

by | November 27, 2014 · 8:00 am

Country Music in Video Games

Before I took this class, most of the country music I had encountered had been at rodeos or the radio.   These mediums traditionally play a specific type of country music, so I never really considered myself a fan based off of what I heard. This changed, however, once I was introduced to Hank Williams’ music. His music was simple, somewhat folk-sounding, and placed a lot of importance on story telling. His music was completely refreshing for me and I was instantly hooked on country music. Ironically, I was introduced to Hank Williams through a video game, something that did not even exist during Hank Williams’ time.

TheLastOfUsThe aforementioned game was my brother’s (seriously) copy of The Last of Us, a 2013 game about the zombie apocalypse. It is a beautiful, cinematic game that follows two characters, a hardened survivor and a little girl, as they struggle to survive the end of society. It definitely picked up on the zombie trend of the last couple years and appeals to a younger gamer audience. In fact, The Last of Us has sold over 7 million copies since its release a year ago.

I have included a video of one of the scenes that features Hank Williams. In this scene, protagonists Ellie and Joel playfully banter during one of their few peaceful moments. After a few moments they pop a Hank Williams tape into the cassette player and Hank Williams’ song “I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive” begins to play. Joel comments that the tape is a “good one” and Ellie hopelessly remarks that it is better than nothing. Joel (the older survivor) appreciates the tape, while Ellie says that it is better than nothing.

Note:  this video has some colorful language and themes, only watch if you can handle such material.

To me, this was a very telling moment for both characters, as well as Hank Williams’ music. His music is instantly recognizable to the older survivor, while sounding obnoxious and revolting to the younger girl. I believe the same goes for real life, as mature audiences will appreciate the timelessness of old country music while younger audiences will instantly dismiss the music as sounding hillbilly. In a heart-warming change of taste, however, Ellie declares that “this isn’t that bad”.

I feel like Ellie and Joel’s exchange has some relevance to country music. Younger audiences (like Ellie) usually haven’t been exposed to very much country music, at least not classics like Hank Williams. After listening to the tape for just a few moments, she has already developed a taste for country music. I feel like this is true for most people: they say that they don’t like country music, but once you show them the “right” artist or song, their taste dramatically changes. The Last of Us did this to me by simply including Hank Williams’ music in the game. Although I didn’t know of him beforehand, I liked his music once I heard it and it opened me up to more country music.

In a world dominated by technology, there are nearly an infinite number artists and songs available to listen to. Many younger audiences tend to gravitate towards music that they are familiar with, such as hip-hop or pop or even electronic. The Last of Us managed to alter my own musical preferences simply by showing me some old Hank Williams songs and letting me know of their existence. It is sort of like a gifted basketball player who has never picked up a basketball; the second he does, it will just feel right to him. Similarly, when I first heard Hank Williams I knew that I had to learn more about this type of music. In a world dominated by technology, I can at least appreciate that some forms of modern media still pay homage to old country music legends.

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Filed under Honky Tonk, Movies and TV, Reflection