10 - Friday, November 21, 2008

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

A comic's Christmas

COLBERT
From Page 5
one that goes far beyond that. There
is nothing even remotely ironic
about a gun-toting Toby Keith
lashing out in song at "the enemies
of Christmas" ("Separate Church
and State, that's what some liberal
said / I say it's time we separated
him from his head"). Sentiment like

that is just not funny from a person nuclear explosions to be disturbed.
who probably believes every word The special has little substance
and only a few well-executed seg-
ments, but Colbert's off-the-wall
Carolingy - enthusiasm and showmanship
t7inkeeps it all entertaining. He has
C olbert style. proven himself as perhaps the
s l foremost among the many figures
wryly chronicling the socio-polit-
ical absurdity unique to our time,
of it; you don't even need the ample and this ho-hum special will do
imagery of fire-bombed houses and nothing to tarnish his standing.

Vigilante justice on stage

COURTESY OFCOLUMBIA

PARADE
From Page 5
when watching the story of Ameri-
cans turning against one another,
but there is only beauty in the
performance by the students in
"Parade." MUSKET, a student-run
production company, is responsi-
ble for putting on the show, and the
cast of this season has been work-
ing hard with Moskal and Turner
to recreate a time and place.
The music in "Parade" "enhanc-
es the gravity of the situation" in
each scene, said Moskal. Whether

it's Leo and Lucille realizing a little
too late how muchthey meanto one
another, Leo on trial or the commu-
nity disparaging the couple - who
they see as strange outsiders who
have breached their trust - the
stakes are high, and it's obvious.
Moskal, who is personally inter-
ested in realism, thinks modern
audiences will connect with the
story of Leo Frank. The local mob
that rallies against Leo demon-
strates what can happen when "we
self-segregate and unite under one
cause ... anything from smear cam-
paigns to violent hate crimes," as
Moskal explained.

"Parade isnotyourtypicalshow,"
McDowell said. Run by students
and backed by a stunning score,
"Parade" depicts a story where the
scope goes beyond the love story of
A musical of
profound depth.
Lucille and Leo to take on U.S. his-
tory at one of its most telling and
shameful moments.

Beyonce unleashes
her 'Fierce' alter ego

Doul
Beyo
living b
ladies."
happen:
the
claimed
ber on
marries
mogul J
The
lies in
track of
Am ... S
a Boy,"
has gen
wastes
issue of
spective
the flaw
tion of
fresh o
subject,
concern
sober m
Altho
tent wit
Beyonc
concept
in a dou
disc's si

ble album falters as reflections from the personal
side of a celebrity rarely revealed
n second disc to the public. In contrast, the sec-
ond disc features five club tracks
By DAVID RIVA performed by aptly named alter
Daily Arts Writer ego and stage personality, Sasha
Fierce.
nc6 Knowles has made a The I Am disc is laden with
by singing songs for "the intricate piano arrangements,
So what stripped-down acoustic guitar
s when **0 and sweeping strings, which pro-
self-pro- vide a compelling backdrop for
"num- BeyonC4 the main event: Beyonc's voice.
e diva" She displays her vocal prow-
.hip-hop ess with unwavering convic-
7ay-Z? Sasha Fierce tion. "Broken Hearted Girl," "Ave
answer Columbia Maria" and "Satellites" pour out
the first in rapid succession, each a pow-
her latest studio album I erful and emotionally stirring
asha Fierce. On "If I Were ballad with universal resonance;
the newlywed obviously they signal progression and matu-
der roles on her mind. She rity for Beyonc6 the songwriter.
no time confronting the "Broken-Hearted Girl" illustrates
f sexism, taking the per- the omnipresent possibility for
e of a man and bemoaning separation in a relationship; "Ave
's in the social construc- Maria" connects everyday life to
gender. The song takes a a spiritual experience; and "Satel-
utlook on a well-trodden lites," the disc's strongest track,
and Beyonc6 shows her ventures into aland of lyrical com-
for "the ladies" in a more plexity ("If we don't communicate
anner than usual. /We'll exist in our own space /We
ugh thematically consis- have all the love we need / While
h her previous two efforts, we're apart I cannot breathe")
6's third solo album differs seldom tread by the conventional
ually as it's structured pop star.
able-disc format. The first Sadly, all good things must
ix introspective tunes act come to an end. Beyonc's stage

persona awakens and boldly inter-
rupts the beautiful orchestral
performance with the onset of
the second disc, Sasha Fierce -
essentially a crash course on how
make a quick club hit. As "Sasha"
instructs "all (her) single ladies"
to "throw (their) hands in the air"
on "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on
It)," the motivation for the rapid
transition from calm and sensitive
to blatant and rambunctious is a
bit suspicious. As disc two wears
on with beat-heavy jams, it feels
like the record label needed to add
these tracks just for commercial
viability. "Radio" is almost ador-
able, but altogether embarrass-
ingly juvenile. "Diva," a certified
dance track beggingto be remixed
and spun at a dance club near you,
rips a page out of her beau Jay-Z's
songbook, while "Video Phone"
stoops to an unbearable low as she
implores hustlers to "tape (her) on
(their)-video phone."
Basically, I Am ... Sasha Fierce
overemphasizes structural dual-
ity. Beyonca's overt attempt to
define herself on Sasha Fierce
feels forced and overshadows her
remarkable voice and respectable
musical achievement showcased
on I Am. The overaggressive
nature of her Sasha Fierce persona
is exhausting and begs for more of
the real Beyonc.


Do you consider the word "motivated"
an understatement?

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