ARTS The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, November 9, 2004 - 9 FOX makes emergency call to Nanny 911' By Amanda McAllister Daily Arts Writer DI 'Paradise' evolves the graphic novel By Bernie Nguyen Daily Arts Writer Over the last few years, the once strictly cult following of the graph- ic novel has blossomed into a more mainstream popularity. Enter Terry What do you do when your children are so out of control that running away from home looks like the only escape? Call a nanny! Although previews make it look like a boot camp for unruly children, "Nanny 911" is actually a harsh critic and reformer of bad parenting. While the advice offered by the nannies is effective, it's also completely common sense, which makes the show Nanny 911 frustrating and boring. The premise of the series is simple: Par- Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ents overwhelmed by their own incompe- FOX tence make a video of their obnoxious children and send it to the nannies. Head nanny Lilian, along with her staff of nannies, views the tape and selects one of her four staffers based on their area of expertise. The chosen nanny then spends a week with the family, helping the parents gain control of the situation and, hopefully, the children. Disappointingly, the nannies are much friendlier than they appear. The premiere introduced nanny Deb, who, although she has the appearance of a prison guard, is perfectly nice. She has no patience with stupidity though, an invaluable asset con- sidering the inaugural parents were as clueless as they come. Throughout the show, the children transform from the cast of "The Omen" to perfectly obedient little darlings based on advice from the nannies like "Don't give in to every tantrum," and "You are the adults in this relationship." Wow. Parents are the adults? Really? It's this aspect of the show that doesn't bode well for its future; it's likely that every family is going to have similar Moore's "Strang- ers in Paradise," a graphic novel series centered around the lives and loves of two women, Katchoo and Francine, and the difficult struggles they go Strangers in Paradise: The Treasury Edition By Terry Moore Perennial Currents Courtesy of FOX You're risking a network's life! problems, and therefore, every week will be the same. While this repetitiveness is somewhat allowable for similar reality shows, like "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," it's sure to get worn out quickly in "Nanny 911," which doesn't have the lux- ury of the silliness and humor that carry "Queer Eye" and the like through the formulaic process of a makeover. In the end, "Nanny 911" is just too boring to watch once, let alone weekly. Watching kids scream for 45 minutes and then stop by the time an hour is up isn't very interesting. Watching their parents fail to understand what a parent is supposedto do is even less entertaining, and extraordinari- ly frustrating. The advice, seemingly taken from Dr. Phil, doesn't help the cause much either. Don't bother calling 911; nothing can save this show. through as they try to find themselves in a dangerous world. The "Treasury Edition" of "SiP" - as it is affectionately known - is a collection of Moore's series up to the present day. It includes scenes from the first 60 issues in chronologi- cal order and a' never-published first edition. Moore also ties everything together with running commentary, including his ideas and aspirations for the series. The "Treasury Edi- tion" shows readers the very begin- ning of "SiP," from Moore's original ideas and how Francine and Katchoo got their start. "SiP" is beautifully drawn, with a compelling storyline and characters that feel so real that emotions virtu- ally leap off the page. The "Treasury Edition" is both a good place to begin for those unfamiliar with "SiP" and a resource for fans to enrich their knowledge of the series. "SiP" is not an average romantic comedy. Its main characters, Katchoo and Francine, are as different as night and day, but are very close. Katchoo makes no secret that she has feelings for Francine, a lovable neurotic who struggles with her weight and dreams of the perfect man. Francine loves Katchoo despite the volatility and rebelliousness of her nature, though she is uncomfortable with the fact that Katchoo is romantically interested in her. The third character in this mess is David, a young man uncomfortably in love with Katchoo. This triangle is complicated even further when it is revealed that Katchoo has a dark past, one that has followed her and endan- gers both her life and Francine's. The "Treasury Edition" does an excellent job of teasing the slight nuances of the comic and turning them into strong ideas. The history behind "SiP" and the perspective of the author make the "Treasury Edi- tion" something that most fans will greatly enjoy, especially since it dis- cusses and explains the origins of the series and addresses its possible future. Moore's created "SiP" after bad experiences developing comic strips. His title was adapted from the Tony Bennett song "Stranger in Paradise." Moore writes of the title, "It's not your typical comic book title, but it fit the theme of my story: people stumbling through relationships like awkward guests in a pretty place." His commentary throughout the "Treasury Edition" is intimate and comfortable, allowing the reader to see both into his mind and into his series. This book is a strong addi- tion to his already popular series - a glimpse into the creative psyche of Moore as not only an artist and a writer, but as a person. Exhibit looks back on African culture By Emily Maletic For the Daily Funk troupe Colour unearth 'CBGB' FINE Aus PREVIEW In 200 years, what items will future generations look back on from our lives today? Will it be our tele- vision sets, furniture or . our large By Garrick Kobylarz Daily Arts Writer During a time of heightening awareness for rap and hip-hop, Living Colour's 1988 debut of Vivid, laden with a furious com- bination of rock, funk, blues and social consciousness, completely shattered the time's stereotypical expectation of four black men from New York City. Vivid would rise to No. 6 on the charts, backed by Living Colour Live from CBGB Sony BMG years prior refining their style. Despite a lackluster recording qual- ity, Live at CBGB showcases the intense energy with which Living Colour per- formed their songs, both good and bad. The musical ability of Corey Glover (lead vocals), Vernon Reid (guitars, vocals), Muzz Skillings (bass, vocals) and Wil- liam Calhoun (percussion, vocals) is immensely clear, but tunes such as the uninspiring "Someone Like You" and punk influenced "Sailin' On" ache for Glover and Reid's respective abilities to be put to better use. Throughout the recording, Skillings and Calhoun create a relentless musical force that drives every song and lays a solid foundation for the guitar and vocals. Calhoun's exhibition of drumming apti- tude is exceptional, squeezing so much into the smallest spaces that it feels like he may not make it to the next beat, but somehow manages to at the very last sec- ond. A song such as "Information Over- load" really affords the bass and drums an opportunity to open up and play around with the rampant, fiery syncopation they consistently give to each tune. The bombastic guitar talent of Reid - reminiscent of Eddie Van Halen or even Jimi Hendrix - is most prominently displayed in his solos. Sometimes how- ever, in songs like "Fight the Fight" or "Soldier's Blues," it takes far too long to get to the fat, meaty sections of the tracks. Other times, Glover's heavily chromatic vocal lines seem to overshadow Reid's, as well as the rest of the band's playing. When the band is running on all cyl- inders, they are capable of a potent range of intriguing, diversified jams that would guarantee them as classics. Live at CBGB offers a fine palate of Living Colour's musical styling, but the studio albums such as Vivid, or even the more recent Collideoscope, are more refined. cell phones? The new art exhibit at the Univer- sity of Michigan Museum of Art gives visitors the chance to look at a collective peo- ple's artifacts and draw conclusions about its culture and traditions. The exhibit, The Art of the The Art of the Lega: Meaning and Metaphor in Central Africa Now through January 16, 2005 Free At the University of Michigan Museum of Art rights and were arranged in order of importance. Most of the objects are small enough to hold in one hand. These wereused for teaching, or they were carried around and used for either protection or identification. By the end of the exhibit, the viewer has the knowledge to interpret the artifacts on their own, and before the end, the viewer is given this oppor- tunity. The last room contains vari- ous artifacts without explanations, allowing the visitor to draw their own conclusions using the newly obtained knowledge of the Lega people. But worry not, the exhibit will not leave you unprepared for mak- ing these interpretations. Carole McNamara, the assistant director for Collections and Exhibitions at the museum of, said, "It would be easy to get the feeling of the objects being cherry-picked without seeing how they were used, but with this exhibit you not only see how they were used, but also see how they were experi- enced in initiation rights." Just as one day someone will look back at a plasma-screen television in the Grammy-award winning, Top 20 hit "Cult of Personality," and secure Living Colour a place in rock 'n' roll history. On Dec. 19, 1989, the band brought its powerful sound back to NYC's famous CBGB nightclub, where they had spent Lega: Meaning and Metaphor in Cen-I tral Africa, begins with photographs and history about the Lega and pro-1 ceeds to artifacts, including sculp- tures, masks and small ivory pieces. The artifacts were used in initiation1 Wood. a museum somewhere, the art of the Lega lets visitors look back on a cul- ture and its traditions. m