Tuesday January 28, 2003 michigandaily.com/arts mae@michigandaily.com A-ml R-M Daug ARTS 5 SIMON SAYS, 'You SUCK' BY ADAM ROTTENBERG DAILY ARTS WRITER FOX's monster reality hit, "American Idol," returned for its second season debut in a surpris- ingly entertaining style. The reality show wave has run rampant across television airwaves for the past few years. However, "American Idol" changed the basic formula of the talent show contest by having the judges tell it like it is. It took a relatively benign subject matter and infused it with appealing cruelty other shows in the genre lacked. The first few episodes are where "American Idol" really thrives because of the American popu- lace's complete lack of talent. The idiocy found in these so-called "competitors"' decisions to embar- rass themselves on national television leads to comes across as mildly amusing as opposed to downright dreadful. The episodes focusing on the talent search in different cities showed how popular "American Idol" has become. It's interesting to see how the preliminary rounds offer a different look at talent than what the rest of the show will provide. As with last season, the talent pool will get better each week while America votes on who will stay. However, Simon's insults and the humor found within the show decreases as the talent increases. The focal point changes towards the quality of singing and performance and the completely inept singers will no longer be there to be berat- ed by the judges. While the argument can be made about Jeff Daniels' new film filled with local flavor By Jaya Soni Daily Arts Writer great television. Simon Cowell, the nasty British record executive, has zero toler- ance for bad music. He callously berates a competitor following an awful rendition of a song, often causing the competitor to break down in tears. This year, Simon is no longer alone in not holding back any punches; Randy Jackson, an American record exec, has joined to voice his intolerance. Paula Abdul, a washed up former Laker girl and pop-idol, still is overly sweet and manages to annoy America with her comments. AMERICAN IDOL 2 Tues. at 8 p.m. and Wed. at 8:30 p.m. FOX Simon's brashness as cruelty, he always speaks the truth. Without Simon Cowell, all "American Idol" would be is a glossed up karaoke contest. With him, it becomes something far more entertaining. This is FOX's only foray into reali- ty programming without going to the lowest common denominator (see "Joe Millionaire," "Man vs. Beast," and my personal favorite "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire"). With the return of "American Written and directed by Jeff Daniels, and the sophomore film production of his Purple Rose Films, "Super Sucker" sunstantiates the diverse talent of mid- western actors. Arising from Chelsea, Daniels created the showcasing com- pany after immediate success from the production of "Escanaba en da Moon- light" and other theatrical endeavors. Custom to Daniels' unique style of comedic farce, "Super Sucker" por- trays the persistent personalities of Midwestern "Super Sucker" salesman Harvey Barlow and his eccentric crew. Be careful not to mistake a "Super Sucker" for the average suction device typically called a vacuum. Fred Barlow and wife Bunny Barlow (Michelle Mountain, "Escanaba en da Moon- light"), attribute their quaint "happi- ness" and success to the Suckerton regime of family cleaning devices. However, Barlow's once legendary career as the Johnson City, Mich., Courtesy orrurple Roserictures Daniels and father fixing thelawnmower. the vacuum cleaner and his wife in their bedroom. As Barlow approaches the door, moans and screams of pleasure increase. Inside the room, he witnesses her using the antique drapery cleaning attachment known as the "Homemak- er's Little Helper" to pleasure "those hard to reach places." The film's humor lies within the absurdity of marketing vacuum clean- er attachments for non-traditional uses. Barlow's already misfit crew is further accentuated by their outlandish tactics to sell appliances to needy Simon and The true highlight of the premiere was a con- testant named Edgar, dressed and attempting to sing like Enrique Iglesias, who, after destroying the judge's eardrums, kept lying to everyone and attempting to fight his way back into the contest. New this year is the dumping of one 6f the two annoying hosts - only Ryan Seacrest remains. This truly is an example of addition by subtraction. In the premiere episodes, Seacrest focused on the backgrounds and feelings of the contestants. Without his former partner, it Idol," America has already shown that it welcomes the show back with open arms with the monster ratings its debut has received. The true indication of the entertainment of the series as a whole, however, will remain to be seen until the final ten contestants are chosen. These ten will determine whether or not the show can be successful. As much as the judges do entertain, the majority of the people tuned in last summer to root for their favorite contestant. But for now, enjoy the idiocy displayed with peo- ple who for some odd reason believe they are tal- ented, and Simon's desire to tell them that they most certainly are not. Courtesy of FOX You are absolutely dreadful. Never sing again. The Slackers bring ska back to the Pig Super Sucker salesman has faded from an "up, up, up" moral of opti- mism. Barlow's career is on the brink of failure after battling and losing SUPER to the competing Super At Shov Sucker distribution com- Mac pany run by the corrupt purle R Winslow Shnaebelt (Harve Presnell, "Patch Adams"). Third generation Suckerton president Cye Suckerton allows for Barlow and Shnaebelt to compete in one final sales contest in which the dis- tributor with the most signed contracts in thirty days has sole privileges to the Johnson City market. Initially Barlow's team seems incom- petent compared to Schnaebelt's force of brightly-uniformed salesman and mass commercial tactics. With the help of new salesman Howard Butterworth (Matt Letscher, "The Mask of Zorro") the group regenerates with the notion of selling happiness. Shnaebelt's approach seems to be selling happiness; however, Barlow accelerates down the course of failure. Leaving work early in disarray, Barlow arrives at home to hear music, SUCKER wcase and dstone ose Pictures women and men across the city. Barlow's ironic endeavors are soon reported to the national association "Against the Abuses of Home Appli- ances" and the "Home- maker's Little Helper" soon becomes a national controversy. The law prohibits such "unethi- of equipment and Barlow's cal" uses By Thomas Burke For the Daily Ska is dead, right? Well, the Slackers are coming to prove you wrong. This seven-piece band has been soulfully tooting its horns since 1991, with an impressive array of accomplishments including a killer cover of Bon Jovi's "Dead or Alive." Their eclectic mix of reggae, ska and jazz has earned them a spot on the Vans Warped Tour and the Montreal Jazz Festival. The Slackers first came together during the third-wave ska craze of the early '90s when Reel Big Fish and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones were blaring on MTV. Their THE SL unique sound fuses AtThe] Caribbean reggae with rock and jazz to produce Tomorro the Slackers' distinctive $7 A "Brooklyn Soul" sound. The Slackers' mellow sound is closely linked with the Jamaican-Al Green combinations of Q-Maxx, Vic LA B w 11 Ruggiero and Glen Pine. The pulse of Ruggiero's organ and a firm upbeat can get your feet moving, and Mar- cus Gerard's bouncing CKERS bass rhythms will keep lind Pig you going. The Slackers joined at 7 p.m. Rancid's Hellcat Ages Records in 1997, releasing Redlight, fol- lowed by an appearance on Hellcat's Give 'Em the Boot compilation. As their popularity increased, the Slack- ers earned the honor of playing with Joe Strummer and the Mescalleros. On their current tour, the Slackers have played at the Melkweg in Ams- terdam, the Troubadour in Los Ange- les and, after tomorrow night's show at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, they will be at the notorious Fireside Bowl in Chicago. Since their appearances are mostly in East Coast areas and they tend to shy away from any activity at the major venues in Detroit, their appearance in Ann Arbor should prove. to be a delight for Michigan. crew participates in a hilarious and unorthodox cat and mouse charade. Matt Letscher portrays his charac- ter's naivete and persistence with great balance. His character still lives at home with his mother and yearns for the opportunity for respect as a Super Sucker salesman. Fr( 1 and Bunny Barlow's relationship prcgress- es from a superficial happiness and addresses the true concerns of pleas- ure within a marriage. With such a bizarre plot these themes are conveyed with subtlety and the film serves as comedic escapism. Jeff Daniels' versatile acting and writing landmarks the Purple Rose Films as a success among midwestern talent. UNCOMMON COURSES THE P I EPONT COMMONS WN NTER 2 0 0 3 YOGA FOR BEGINNERS SUNDAYS 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. East Room 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 3/9, 3/16, 3/23 no class 2/23 or 3/2 Instructor: DAVID ROSENBERG BARTENOING TRAINING ~o. SECTION 1: MONDAYS 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Boulevard Room 2/3, 2/10, 2/17,3/3, 3/10,3/17 no class 2/24 SECTION 2: THURSDAYS 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Boulevard Room 2/6, 2/13, 2/20, 3/6, 3/13, 3/20 no class 2/27 Instructor: JIM KNAPP ..... ...- ..... - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - ---- - ..-- - - - BALSA FOR BEGINNERS 00 TUESDAYS 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. East Room 2/4, 2/11, 2/18, 3/4, 3/11, 3/18 no class 2/25 Instructor: JOEL RODRIGUEZ THURSDAY JANUARY 30 THE STATE THEATER MIDNIGHT BRPO[GHT TO YOU BY THE MICHIGAN SNOWBOAPI CLUB A $E 1 yI P&i j I---------------------------------------------------------------------..I a TAE KWON DO SECTION 1: TUESDAYS 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Boulevard Room 2/4, 2/11, 2/18, 3/4, 3/11, 3/18 no class 2/25 SECTION 2: THURDAYS 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Valley Room 2/6, 2/13, 2/20, 3/6, 3/13, 3/20 no class 2/27 Instructors: TOM HART & RON PROCTOR BASIC GUITAR WEDNESDAYS 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Valley Room 2/5, 2/12, 2/19, 3/5, 3/12, 3/19 no class 2/26 Instructor: LUKE GYURE ALL CLASSES $55 Classes run 6 weeks and are held at The Pierpont Commons on North Campus. *classes are not held during the week of Spring Break (2/22 - 3/2)