CricketToes

Hulu Exposes Wisconsin's Dirty Political Secret: We're All Bastards. Yippee!

News has come that Hulu—the fancy online I-wanna-watch-it-now video service—has announced its first original scripted series—that means it actually employs writers to write a story as opposed to a "story" à la vomit inducing reality TV—entitled Battleground.

First Question: Why would we care? Well it seems that the unquoted story of this little dramedy takes place in our fair, fair state of Wisconsin. Not only that, the first 13 episodes will reportedly be directed by one of the co-producers of the show, none other than J.D. Walsh, whose birth and early life was also based in Wisco.

Second Question: Why is a show set in the homey Dairyland State called Battleground? We're not warlike and mean. Those who've been paying attention for the past year or so should have figured out the answer to that already. But for the sake of others who've been filling their brainpans with frivolous viral videos, such as an innocent frog easily duped into playing a catch-the-bugs game who then justly delivers payback to his/her owner—This ain't a game! I'm starving, you jackass!—let's give 'em a clue: Politics.

Armed with that information, we can confidently say that the timing of Hulu's Battleground announcement on Sunday, just two days prior to the greatly anticipated and literal truck-load dump in Madison of over 1 million signatures in favor of recalling Governor Scott Walker, was simply a coincidence, right? Haha, Hollyweird wins again!

Anyhoo, the trailer is up. Take a looky:

 

Not bad, to tell ya the truth.

However, not everyone agrees with my mildly enthusiastic assessment. Cue bitter English major now payin' the bills by writing for Business Insider:

"Hulu just unveiled the trailer for an original series about a senatorial candidate's campaign staff. It's called 'Battleground,' and the trailer is cliched, poorly written and melodramatic. In other words, it looks terrible."

Sheesh, dude. Little harsh, don't ya think? The trailer's only 02:31 long and you're gonna hand 'em that? Also, J.D. Walsh was tortured mercilessly as an actor on—I cannot believe you're making me type this—Two and a Half Men for 9 excruciating episodes just to make a buck. Anyone who can come out of an experience like that and still have half of his/her creative sanity, not to mention a will to continue on in an industry that consistently churns out similar putrid drivel, deserves at least a smidgen of human compassion.

So, based on this one knee-jerk review from a reporter I've never heard of until today, I shall watch the Battleground premiere on Hulu on February 14, 2012. Who's with me?

Link (via @artsbeat)

Related:
Critics Agree On The Art Of Reality TV--Sort Of
Reality TV's Latest Teachable Moment: Artists Can Be Stupid Whores Too!

Four Outstanding Milwaukee Artists On The Internets™

As has been noted by many--and, hey, why not say again, huh?--the digital threads of the capitalized Web are so countless and convoluted it's a bona fide wonder our brains don't explode from all the twists and turns we experience each day. Because of these crazy zigs and zags, it's easy to be wholly unaware of the virtual presence of artists whose work we may actually like/love.

As a public service, we've decided to nudge your clicker to the sites of four highly talented artists who live and work in Miltown but may have managed to stay off your radar. Ready? Set? Go!

1. Bill Zuback--who we've blogged up several times 'cause both he and his work couldn't be more worthy--launched a new site and blog focused on his fine art photography nearly a year ago. Yeah, yeah, I know I've been kinda sleepy, but better late than yada yada. And, just like Bill, his site is nothin' but class.

2. Philip Atilano--fine and commercial artist/human being extraordinaire--has a boatload of his work up for your peepers to view and noodle to absorb. Word has it he'll be updating it soon, so get on over there before the shift and then go back to see what's new. (UPDATE: Sorry, kids, it appears Philip's site has been taken down.)

3. George Jirasek--our good bud for many moons and a video/photography artist so at home in the digital realm he may soon physically disappear--has a veritable visual smorgasbord on Vimeo. Only one video is public, so if you haven't yet succumbed to the join-Vimeo-or-stay-a-total-loser peer pressure here's your reason to join. Also, we heartily encourage you to become an avid follower of George on The Twitter so you may get some fun learnin' about cool stuff-n-junk.

4. Jamie Bilgo--a very fine painter/printmaker whose youth only means we have many decades before us to enjoy her work--has got herself a site that is both graceful and well-designed, matching the temperament and tone of her work perfectly.

Okay, so there they are, peeps. Now get clickin'!

Related:
Local Photog Makes Good, Image & Word Nerds Cheer!
An Avenue Of Faces On Gallery Night
The Hair/Color Revolution

A Grand Folk Art Tour

How many people do ya know who are both smart and cool enough to buck the commercially driven, pukedelically saccharine idea of what a wedding/commitment celebration should be and just do exactly what they wanna do, hmm? Well, we're fortunate enough to know a bunch, but current kudos go to our pals Dan and Jennifer Schierl, who spent two whole days last month touring a plethora of stunning folk art sites in Wisconsin and Iowa in honor of their 5th Anniversary--Whoot and Right On!

For our collective benefit, Jen--superstar teacher, knitter and photog--has uploaded a whopping pictorial collection documenting their road trip and it is truly astounding, and I mean as-tound-ing.

Now, to be honest, folk art can be something of an acquired taste and plenty of folks--hehe, get it?--have trouble with the sometimes far-out and/or hyper-spiritual messages, not to mention the often wacky execution. But all of these sites represent intense artistic expression that simply could not be hidden, silenced or quashed, which means they are deserving of respect and serious contemplation. Also, astonished chuckles of "Wow, what in the hell was he/she on?" is not an unusual response, so just go ahead and let it all out, 'kay?

Click on over for the full tour!

(Thanks, Jen!)

Review Of Local Arts On TeeVee

So, did ya happen to catch the new Milwaukee Public Television (MPTV) produced offering Arts Digest? It premiered on May 17 and, yes, they did very generously if briefly advertise that fact on this here blog--that's what's called "full disclosure" in the fancy media biz. Well we did watch it, and after scouring The Mighty Internets™ and finding no evidence that anybody else has seen fit to pen a review--save for this cheerleadery post by artisan Gary John Gresl on MARN--we've decided to grab it by the scruff and run, Cricky, run!

Hosted by Jon Anne Willow and Tom Strini, both of ThirdCoast Digest, Arts Digest is a monthly, half-hour TV magazine highlighting the creative goings on in the Milwaukee area. Joining the team is MPTV fav John McGivern, humorist and one-man show, who's billed as "a contributing personality" on the series' website. This is indeed an interesting choice of phraseology since Willow and Strini seemed to have a bit o' trouble bringing their own personalities to the opening performance. Loosen up, people! It's art, not economics. Sheesh.

Now, to be fair, McGivern has had, what? Like a few thousand opportunities to hone his act, both live and prerecorded, so time and practice may be just the oil these co-hosts need to shake out the stiffness and liven it up. A dash of vinegar wouldn't hurt either as we all know the best dishes are served with an infusion of complex flavor.

The show itself demonstrated good production values, veering completely and mercifully away from the overused, ultra-hip, earthquake-simulating shaky camera shots so in vogue these days. May this program continue to resist the shallow-breathed siren call of that nauseating trend.

The premier covered a range of mediums, from visual art and animation to music to spoken word to dance, including Danceworks awesome Mad Hot Ballroom and Tap Program for youngins--Whoot! However the pacing felt rushed, no doubt the result of cramming too much into the time allotted. I would suggest the producers either scale back their ambition, focusing on three main subjects per program, or think about begging for the resources to turn it into a full hour. I mean, if it's only gonna run once a month, there's more than enough worthy projects, programs and active artists 'round these parts to fill a 60 minute time slot for years to come.

Interspersed throughout the show were short spoken word pieces featuring performers from Theatre Gigante. Each artist was shot against a black backdrop, looking out at the audience but acting as if he/she was gazing in a mirror, while reacting to a recording of themselves reflecting on their physical appearance and how it has changed over time. The choice to stagger the pieces was extremely effective and I encourage Arts Digest to maintain this kind of formatting so that very short films/videos--such as MATC student Keith Kamikawa's lovely animation clip which was also featured--and other works can be included.

Though I'm not privy to the content of future episodes, I do hope that the series will take on the challenge of presenting a broader scope than what is traditionally defined as The Arts. There are a ton of super talented writers, experimental musicians, sound and multimedia artists working hard in this burg and they deserve some attention, too.

By their very nature, premiers are the awkward, nerdish adolescents that the older, wiser, cooler shows would most like to wipe from their archives. For informational, time sensitive productions such as Arts Digest this is particularly true. But the process of work includes the process of learning. It is always admirable when folks are brave enough to give it go and that must be respected.

Given that, it is this arts writer/teevee viewers' opinion that Arts Digest has created a solid foundation on which to build. To all involved, I say, "Onward and upward!" Oh, and when you've got a moment, can ya upload the show in its entirety for those of us who would like to watch it straight through? I knew you would.

For peeps who get MPTV on their old-fashioned boob tubes and wanna witness the program's first effort that way, two more rebroadcasts are scheduled to air on May 28, one at 9:30PM on Channel 36.1 and the other at 10PM on Channel 10HD.

Link

Videos Prove Local Music Lives

In case you missed it, Fan-Belt--the Miltown music site hosted by Thirdcoast Digest--posted a great article by DJ Hostettler last week about High Frequency Media, a two-man video production company determined to shoot live band performances come hell, high water or power surge.

There are a number of strong videos included in the post, but I'm gonna go ahead and give a grand Cricky shout-out for Juniper Tar's acoustic version of "Black Pain Tea"--Whoozzah!

Ah, that golden visual tone really highlights the solemnity of the song, don't it? Also, the fact that it was shot in a basement just makes it that much more beautifully miserable. Job well done to all you fellers!

By the way, did y'all know that Juniper Tar is slated to play at Milwaukee's newest music festival for skinny jean wearin' hipsters Verge and with The Mother Hips at Schubas in Chicago on June 5? That's two gigs in two cities in one day, people! Looks like we won't have these boys all to ourselves for too much longer and goody for them!

Apparently, Fan-Belt and High Frequency Media have made a pact to capture all the live tune-noodling they can handle and then share the fruits of their labor with the peeps, so I recommend ya click on over to Fan-Belt and/or HFM's YouTube channel on a regular basis to get your fill of local music videos with a pulse.

Link

Related:
New Music Fest Helps Keep Summerfest Safe From Diversity

The Internets™ Proudly Presents One More Colossal Time Waster!

Geeks, nerds and other way-smarter-than-you peeps have been honing and refining complex software algorithms for decades, all in the hopes of forwarding humanity's progress into the officially capitalized Future. More often than not, however, R&D cranks out kooky little games so you can waste your time at a level of sophistication that even Jules Verne couldn't have imagined.

The latest of these is Codeorgan. Just input any url and it will turn the content into a tune you can hum. It's not science, it's magic!

(via The Observer's Very Short List)

Related:
Virtual Choir Makes Actual Music
iPhone App Answers Art's Most Pointless Question

Reality TV's Latest Teachable Moment: Artists Can Be Stupid Whores Too!

Haha, yeah, so the Artforum International newsletter landed in our in-box this morning and what was the first article to catch our eye? Why it was Michael Wilson's piece detailing his experience at the media preview of Bravo's new reality series Work of Art: The Next Great Artist set to premier in June. I know, I know, I thought it was April Fool's Day again, too.

As one of the last untapped demographics, we artists can now take heart in the knowledge that, yes, TV does see us as a valuable group of pathetic tools and pawns just like everybody else. We finally made it, kids!

The official website states, "Work of Art: The Next Great Artist will bring together fourteen aspiring artists to compete for a solo show at a nationally recognized museum and a generous cash prize." Okay, that sounds just like a traditional art competition.

This video clip, however, gives us a taste of what the show's really all about, which is--surprise!--bitchin' and moanin' and backstabbin'. Nothin' says classy artist like willingly signing up for televised cat fights and epic diva breakdowns.

Regular readers of this here bloggity blog are well aware that we're all for making the art world less uppity and doing more to connect with the larger society, and everybody knows that just because you're an artist doesn't mean that you're any less susceptible to the tug of the moronic trashy gene. But if you're gonna bother to aim for artistic recognition, shouldn't it be a tad higher than being tagged as the next flavor of the month? Just askin'.

Link

iPhone App Answers Art's Most Pointless Question

As all fancy iPhone users know, there's a multitude of apps they can download to their gadgets should they desire to have the experience of time being relentlessly sucked through their fingers at light speed. In fact, everyday scores of teenagers get so engrossed in the virtual Game Of Life that by the time they look up they have no real life of their own.

Thankfully Deeplocal and The Mattress Factory of Pittsburgh, PA have come to the rescue with an app that's so monumentally important we just had to bring it to your attention: Is This Art?

That's right, people, no longer will you have to twist your noodle this way and that, striking cerebral poses normally achieved only by the world's most nimble gurus, in an effort to discern whether what your lookin' at is art or not. Just ask your iPhone and the mystery shall be solved. Spooky, yes? You're darn tootin' it is.

Actually, it's supposed to be a humorous little interactive thing whereby peeps take photos, submit 'em and--viola!--get back clever answers to the most subjective and pointless question ever. For example, "This work manipulates reality in a realistic but non-manipulative way, therefore THIS IS ART." Haha! Now we understand why complex algorithms were invented.

Go here to see photos submitted and answers given. Feel free to submit comments of your own to the site, which no doubt will soon be inundated with überserious art debaters who wouldn't know a joke if it physically shook their funny bone, shouting, "Laugh, damn it, laugh!" Here's hoping!

(via @The_Mint_Museum)

Drawing In Harmony

It's been many, many moons since I gave myself over to line and shadow, doodling to my noodle's content. I hadn't fully realized how much I missed it until I ran across an online drawing tool called Harmony this morning and gave it a go.

Created by designer/developer Mr.doob--a.k.a. Ricardo Cabello--Harmony allows you draw with your cursor, utilizing different brush styles to create your masterpiece.

I made a modest abstract example for your eyes only, entitled Sleeping Chicken:

Hehe, that was tons o' happy fun!

Now it's your turn, kids, so head on over to Harmony and doodle away!

(via Drawn!)

Theatre Editor Turns Prophet Of The Coming Apocalypse

David Cote, theatre editor for Time Out New York and well known critic, posted a nearly hysterical item at the Guardian yesterday, bemoaning the slash-n-burn techniques US publishers are employing to hand out pink slips to longtime, established critics. And when I say hysterical, I mean both in his delivery and in my own response of uncontrollable laughter.

Citing Variety's decision to cut loose chief film critic Todd McCarthy and chief theatre critic David Rooney on Monday--which is indeed sad--Cote's piece quickly spirals out of the realm of logic and into a diatribe of civilization-ending consequences should this trend continue.

He actually compares it with Alan Weisman's book The World without Us, stating, "You've seen the books speculating on what our cities would look like if humans vanished and nature were allowed to spread unchecked. Let's imagine a world without critics (please indulge my paranoid prognostication)." Well, yes, by all means, let's indulge him, shall we? Ha!

Combine that with his own less than stellar use of the English language--example: "... a parade of jobbing freelancers with little experience and even littler clout." Littler? Are you serious? Yes, it's a word, but that doesn't mean you have to use it. Sheesh!--and his analogy that "critics, reviewers, consumer reporters – call us what you will – are the dung beetles of culture. We consume excrement, enriching the soil and protecting livestock from bacterial infection in the process," and you've got the makings for a very public display of the crazies.

Now, don't get me wrong, kids, I do believe that critics play an important, if sometimes irritating, role in the health of the artistic community, but let's have a bit of perspective here. And for Pete's sake, whatever it is you're ingesting that makes you think it's an awesome idea to call the work that artists do "excrement"--the sole reason you have a job, btw--I suggest you put it down and phone a medical professional immediately. Be sure to ask for a lollipop on your way out.

Link (via Thomas Cott's "You've Cott Mail")