Monday
January 10, 2005
arts.michigandaily. com
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ART s
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'Not That Into You'
gives dating advice
By Bernie Nguyen
Daily Arts Writer
Why is my boyfriend ignoring me/
forgetting to call/afraid of commitment?
Does he like me/love me/hate me? For
women affected
with chronic rela-
tionship uncertain-
ty, Greg Behrendt
and Liz Tuccillo
have created a work
that clearly explains
guy behavior in
relationships. The
title, "He's Just Not
That Into You,"
explains the book
exactly: It's a com-
pendium of advice
and instructions
He's Just
Not That
Into You: The
No-Excuses
Truth to
Understand-
ing Guys
By Greg Behrendt
and Liz Tuccillo
Simon Spotlight
Entertainment
"She says she wants some Marvin Gaye, some Luther Vandross ... but not me." Courtesy of Columbia
LE GEND IN THE MAKING
R&B NEWCOMER COMBINES HIP-HOP STYLINGS WITH SWEET SOUL
By Khepra Akanke
Daily Arts Writer
John Legend is the first artist to release under
Kanye West's Getting Out Our Dreams imprint;
all new labels should wish for such good luck. Leg-
end combines the classic R&B
sounds of Motown and the easy
hio-hop sound of Jay-Z.
Get Lifted is a finely crafted
narrative that explores the many
stages people visit on the journey
to love. "Alright" and "She Don't
John Legend
Get Lifted
G.O.O.D./Columbia
end's musings on the love and happiness he has found.
On "Refuge (When It's Cold Outside)" he praises his
woman for providing a sanctuary during hard times.
Legend learned to play the piano at age five, and
music has been his passion ever since. Although Get
Lifted is his first solo studio album as John Legend, he
has worked steadily over the years and released a self-
titled demo album under his real name, John Stephens.
His journey to the forefront of neo-soul includes a stint
as a pianist for Lauryn Hill's "Everything is Every-
thing" in 1998, working on Alicia Keys's "You Don't
Know My Name," contributing to Jay-Z's The Black
Album and touring last year with Kanye West.
There's a reason that so many of the hip-hop world's
premier stars have tapped Legend to work on some of
theirmost successful projects. With his gritty, untamed
voice, Legend commands listeners' attention, making
every lyric on Get Lifted resonate emotionally. He is
able to stir up the same type of heart-wrenching emo-
tions as Mary J. Blige did in her My Life days. Legend
opens up his mouth and his soul leaps out; it's impos-
sible to ignore the passion expressed in every word
he sings.
The songs on Get Lifted explore a reality that few
artists dare to sing about these days. Focusing on feel-
ings, Legend sings about truly romantic experiences,
about love instead of sex. On "Ordinary People," he
says, "And though love sometimes hurts / I still put
you first / And we'll make this thing work / But I
think we should take it slow." Each song has a kind of
enchanting, graceful honesty.
Despite the sensitivity of some of Get Lifted's
tracks, Legend also features the flip side of true love.
On first hearing his odes to infidelity, the songs are a
little disconcerting, and some may be turned off by
his willingness to highlight cheating. But the ability to
successfully discuss these uncomfortable topics takes
talent, and Legend pulls it off skillfully. GetLifted is a
mix of new and old school R&B and hip hop, creating
songs to rock, cry and love to.
based around one immutable fact - that
if a guy's actions don't match his words or
he treats his girlfriend poorly, he probably
just doesn't like her that much.
"Sex and the City" consultant Beh-
rendt and writer Tuccillo combine forces
to show readers why they "shouldn't be
wasting time ... figuring out why a guy
isn't calling." According to Behrendt,
"Men are not complicated, although
we'd like you to think we are ... sadly
(and most embarrassingly) we would
rather lose an arm out a city bus win-
dow than tell you simply, 'You're not
the one.' " For every woman who has
ever dated, the advice is startling - and
explains mysterious male behavior.
The book is divided into chapters,
each dealing with a common relation-
ship problem. The authors point out why
your guy's behavior - he doesn't want
to meet your friends, he won't return
your calls, he's too busy to see you
- shows that, well, he's just not that
into you. Each chapter includes an intro-
duction, then letters from real women
answered by Behrendt. He instantly cuts
through the tangled web of emotions
and uncertainty to explain how the root
of the problem is lack of interest. Each
chapter includes a short commentary by
Tuccillo, entitled "Here's Why This One
Is Hard," which allays any skepticism or
resentment that readers may feel after
being advised to ditch their lukewarm
boyfriends. The two authors maintain a
good balance by displaying viewpoints
from both genders, and the contrasting
perspectives produce a self-help book
that is more effective and more accurate
than other relationship guides.
The main strength of "He's Just Not
That Into You" is that the authors never
blame problems on either sex. There is
no finger-pointing or subtle undertones
of accusation. Behrendt and Tuccillo
constantly reinforce the fact that women
should stay optimistic. In the introduc-
tion, Behrendt supports his readers, tell-
ing them to get out of bad relationships
because "You're worth it."
"He's Just Not That Into You" is
written with a humorous voice that
creates intimacy and friendliness that
many readers value in a book about
relationship advice. Its portrayal
of male behavior is also accurate:
"When a guy is into you, he let's (sic)
you know it. He calls, he shows up, he
wants to meet your friends, he can't
keep his eyes or hands off of you, and
when it's time to have sex, he's more
than overjoyed to oblige." The female
reader may wonder if guys really are
this clear-cut. Surprisingly enough,
a number of men have confirmed
that yes, they really are this easy to
understand. If so, one can only won-
der why a book like this hasn't come
along already.
Have to Know" both feature infidelity with finesse
and originality while making cheating sound enticing.
Legend opens his heart and guarantees that he wants to
and can commit on "I Can Change," featuring Snoop
Dogg. The second half of the album showcases Leg-
Loaded
DVD does
'24' series
justice
By Jason Roberts
Daily Arts Editor
Dea Ror J. Doln anth
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Lerone Bennett, Jr.
Writer, Social Historian
and Executive Editor, Ebony Magazine
Addicted to heroin after going under-
cover with a group of Mexican drug deal-
ers, Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) is back
at the Los Angeles Counter Terrorism
Unit (CTU). He's faced with a big prob-
lem: Terrorists have
acquired a deadly
manufactured virus
and are threatening Season Three
to release it into the 20th Century Fox
general population.
A simple storyline
on paper, the writers of "24" were once
again able to create a thrilling 24-episode
epic that rarely misses a beat.
Season three of the critically acclaimed
Fox drama, like its first two installments,
takes place over the course of 24 hours.
The real-time aspect - each hour-long
episode spans one hour of Jack Bauer's
chaotic day - is the show's greatest asset,
but also its greatest weakness. With a mul-
tifaceted plotline that must stay cohesive
and continuous throughout the season,
possibilities for lapses in logic within the
storyline are far more pronounced and
show up too often.
However, the positive aspects of this
device overpower its faults. After two
seasons, the writers have a firm grasp on
the constraints of the time-based device
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This is the city: Los Angeles, California. I work here. I carry a badge.
and are able to use it to their advantage,
keeping the suspense more palatable and
real for the audience. Most episodes end
in a genuine cliffhanger, making each disc
easily consumable in one sitting.
Also, because the show is written in
four or five episode chunks, the writers
are given the freedom to create dramatic
plot twists that completely alter the direc-
tion of the season.
In the past, "24" wasn't afraid to push
the boundaries of network television, and
season three is no different. Whether it's a
prison riot that turns into a deadly game
of Russian roulette or an epic F-18 missile
strike on an escaping enemy helicopter,
the intensity of the screenplay is matched
only by the intensity of the actors.
Even though the entire cast is strong,
Kiefer Sutherland easily stands out. Time
and time again, Sutherland puts in a chill-
ingly convincing performance as an agent
pushed to the edge, willing to do anything
to put an end to the terrorist threat. It's a
role he's tailored to play.
A show of this caliber is worthy of a
DVD package of the same quality, and,
much as it did with the second season,
Fox delivers in spades. In addition to
the standard commentary tracks, the
DVD has over 40 extended or alternate
scenes. These scenes can be seamlessly
integrated into each episode at the touch
of a button, expanding and exploring the
existing storyline. It's rare to find this
kind of supplemental material on a the-
atrical DVD release, let alone that of a
television show. In addition, a trailer and
an exclusive prequel to the fourth season
are also included, providing a satisfying,
appetite-whetting experience.
Picture and sound quality are also
excellent, supplying rich color defini-
tion and contrast in widescreen format
as well as 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound.
In fact, the transfer shows slight signs of
graininess only in overly bright locales.
Encompassing seven discs, the third
season of "24" doesn't disappoint its
fans, raising the bar for its highly antici-
pated fourth season.
U
Show: ****I
Picture/Sound: ****I
Features: *****
Monday, January 17, 2005
130 PM.
Thrash band breaks new ground
By Lloyd Cargo
Daily Arts Writer
vas .
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tions, it is McPheeters's divergence from
the woe-is-me tone and shallow political
lyrics that dominate the current thrash
scene that distinguishes this album from
the rest. Zulu's highlights include "Forty
Five Dollars," the hardcore genre's first
Hale Auditorium
Located within Assembly Hall
CornerofHill&Tappan
It seems as if every hardcore band these
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