The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Monday, April 4, 2011 - 7A
A Caldecott Medal couple
It's over,
Steve Carell
G etting dumped sucks.
What sucks more is
getting dumped, giv-
ingit another cry, learningto
love once more and then getting
dumped
again. I
would know
- I was just
spurned for
the second
. time by
Steve Carell.
I bet he
doesn't even KAVI
remember SHEKHAR
the first PANDEY
time we
met. It was
the sweltering summer of 2002,
when I stayed up a wee bit late
one night and caught my first
episode of "The Daily Show."
Steve did one of his "Produce
Pete" sketches, something
about pineapples and Hawaii.
I don't recall exactly why, but
the sketch just killed me, and he
was so effortlessly charismatic
and wonderful. My dad lam-
basted me the next morning for
sleeping in so late, but I didn't
care - I had found Steve.
Months later, it was Steve
who helped me get through
the start of the war in Iraq - a
confusing, frustrating time for
a kid in middle school - with
"his spectacular deadpan as the
show's Senior War Correspon-
dent. By then, my parents had
finally accepted Steve, and I
didn't have to sneak around
to see him anymore. Sure, the
likes of fellow correspondents
Stephen Colbert, Rob Corddry
and Ed Helms were strong
temptations, but I only ever had
eyes for Steve.
As 2004 started, Steve
became unexpectedly distant.
His appearances on "The Daily
Show" grew slim, appearing
maybe once a month on the
show. And then, one day, he just
left without any word or warn-
ing. My initial sadness arose
out of youthful bewilderment
- how could Steve have some-
thing better to do than making
me laugh on "The Daily Show?"
Sadness turned into rage
when I discovered he was head-
lining the American adaptation
of "The Office," which was to
begin airing in March 2005. I
had seen the first season of the
original British "Office" the
year before, and had become
infatuated with its sheer bril-
liance. Now these boorish,
"I-think-getting-hit-in-the-
balls-is-funny" American louts
would be remaking the show,
starring Steve "butt soup"
Carell? Despicable.
I did watch the premiere of
the American "Office," mostly
to affirm my belief that it was
going to be a steaming pile of
tutt. I could hardly contain my
maniacal glee when it turned
out I was right - the pilot was
a nearly shot-by-shot remake
of the first episode of the Brit-
ish version, except worse. The
American counterparts were
humorless schmucks, Geico-ad
rejects who were just happy
to quit their day jobs as bur-
rito builders at Chipotle. Steve
Carell, in particular, was exas-
perating, lookinglike Augustus
Gloop in Wonka's Factory as he
"upgraded" from Comedy Cen-
tral correspondent to broadcast
network sitcom star, yet falling
flat on his face in the shadow of
Ricky Gervais. Not only that,
his character was detestable -
a slimy, sexist blockhead who
had no business anchoring a
network show.
I ended up watchingthe
rest of the brief first season
of the American "Office,"
mostly because observing Steve
Carell's ineptitude felt like vin-
dication for him deserting me.
But then came the magnificence
of "The 40 Year Old Virgin," fol-
lowed by the highly improved
second season of "The Office,"
and I remembered why Steve
stole my heart in the first place
- his goofy abandon, blistering
charm and sublime smile.
The theme to
'The Office'
makes me cry.
I decided to give Steve a sec-
ond chance, and our renewed
relationship blossomed over the
next few years. Sure, there were
the subterranean lows (Prison
Mike from season three) but
the highs were soaring (Date
Mike from season six, Agent
Michael Scarn). Steve Carell's
' portrayal of Michael Scott
became infused with human-
ity - behind all the incompe-
tence, he was just a nice guy
who wanted everyone to like
him. Carell also developed a
now-legendary rapport with his
costars, who quickly evolved
from the cardboard-cutout
imitations they were in the first
season. By the end of season six
last May, watching Steve yuk it
up on "The Office" was one of
the highlights of my week.
Then came the Incident: June
2010, Steve Carell announced he
was leaving "The Office" after
its next season, quoted as saying
"I justthought it was time for
my characterto go" (celeb speak
for "I want mo' benjamins").
Oops, he did it again.
Now, television actors leave
shows all the time - it's the
nature of the medium. Michael
J. Fox left "Spin City" because
of Parkinson's, David Duchovny
left "The X-Files" because of
a contract dispute. But Steve
See PANDEY, Page 8A
'Amos McGee'
brings prestige for
'U' alum and wife
By LUCY PERKINS
Daily Arts Writer
Early last January, 'U' alum
Phil Stead found out he was the
writer of a Caldecott award-win-
ning book, "A Sick Day for Amos
McGee." The Caldecott award is
annually given out by the Ameri-
can Library Association to an
artist for his or her work on a chil-
dren's picture book - in this case
Phil's wife, illustrator Erin Stead.
"It was bizarre," Stead said of
that fateful phone call from the
Association.
Stead first started sending his
ideas for picture books to pub-
lishers when he was at the Uni-
versity. As a full-time student and
an illustrator for Zingerman's,
he toyed with picture books as a
hobby.
A student in the School of Art
& Design, Stead took multiple cre-
ative writingclasses in LSA. But it
was a poetry class, taught by the
director of the creative writing
program, Keith Taylor, that influ-
enced Stead more than any other.
"When I was in college, I
wrote very serious poetry that
was deliberately dense and dif-
ficult to understand," Stead said.
"I thought I was Alan Ginsberg or
something."
Through poetry, Taylor taught
Stead the key to writing concisely
for children.
"While I was (in college), I was
just starting to learn how to craft
language," Stead said. "I didn't see
any connection between writing
poetry and writing for children."
But the two forms share a simi-
larity - in poetry and childrens'
books, the writer must choose
leach word carefully, using the
minimum amount of words pos-
sible to tell a story.
"You have to be a really great
wordsmith to be able to write
for kids, and you have to know
how to write succinctly," Stead
explained. "It's difficult, and
poetry can help you hone that."
After graduation, Stead and his
wife moved to Brooklyn. Stead
was working at a bookstore there
when a friend and colleague of
his had abook published by Roar-
ing Brook Press. His friend knew
Stead was a hopeful children's
book writer, and passed his name
along to his editor. Stead sub-
mitted a story idea that eventu-
ally turned into his first published
children's book, "Creamed Tuna
Fish and Peas on Toast."
After his editor discovered
that Stead's wife was an illustra-
tor, the editor asked to see Erin's
work. Impressed by her illustra-
tions, the Steads' editor requested
that the couple write and sketch
a story. So Stead sat down and
wrote something for his wife to
illustrate - the origin of "A Sick
Day for Amos McGee."
The book tells a story of an
elderly man named Amos, who
visits the zoo every day after
work. But when Amos gets sick,
the animals at the zoo visit him
instead.
"I decided that I'd write a story
based on what I thought (Erin
would) be good at illustrating,"
Stead said. "The first image that
came to me was Amos playing
chess with an elephant. That was
the first buildingblock."
The process involved constant
dialogue between the writer/
illustrator couple, but the final
product resulted in a Caldecott-
worthy creation.
Soon after "Amos" was selected
as a New York Times Best Illus-
trated Book, the couple began to
see the Caldecott as a possibility,
but doubted they would win. To
their surprise, on Jan. 10, they did.
"Erin's the youngest to win,
she's only 28," Stead said. "No
one's ever won for their first book,
it typically goes to someone who
has a lifetime of work behind
COURTESY OF ROARING BROOK
them."
The winner of the Caldecott
was announced publicly at noon
later that day, and in minutes both
Phil and Erin's phones were ring-
ing off the hook.
"Seriously, at 12:01 our phones
started ringing," Stead said. "We
got calls from every major and
minor newspaper. Meanwhile,
our publisher told us to get on a
plane to New York."
In June, the couple will travel
to New Orleans, where Erin will
be honored as the newest edition
to a long line of talented illus-
trators like David Wiesner and
Maurice Sendak. But the couple's
careers as individuals and col-
laborators won't stop here. Both
Steads have books that will be
coming out this summer, and they
have several more in the works.
ABUM RkE V I EwW
Barker up the wrong tree on LP
By DAVID RIVA his main focus on Give the Drum-
Daily Arts Writer mer Some, as there is considerably
more attention paid to producing
Most ordinary drummers are an ear-catching hook than hap-
content to sit at their post near the hazardly throwing in unnecessary
back of the stage, hardly getting drum fills. The restraint and atten-
noticed behind tion to cleanliness are commend-
the showman- able - Barker oftentimes looks
ship of singers and sounds like an untamed mad-
and guitarists. Travis Barker man on the drums. However, the
But Travis Bark- album's main downfall is its inabil-
er is not your Give the ity to create a memorable beat that
ordinary drum- Drummer Some sticks out from the rest. Instead,
mer, and mak- Barker plays to the strengths of
ing sure the man Interscope guest artists and recycles their
behind the kit already-established sounds, creat-
gets his due is a task he's undertak- ing average imitations rather than
en throughout his 18-year career breaking new ground.
as a professional musician. Play- For example, "Carry It" features
ing suspended upside down, 20 a guitar riff from Rage Against
feet above the stage, is a common the Machine's Tom Morello and
undertaking of his - and that's the rest of the song follows the
not even mentioning his second- hardcore-funky feeling of a typi-
to-none stick speed, which has cal Rage song. Record scratching
the ability to steal the show with a is sprinkled between the plentiful
single drum solo. distortion and a speedy, frenetic
Continuing with this mental- guitar solo finishes off the track.
ity that drummers deserve more Similarly affected by Barker's
credit than they normally receive, focus on his featured artists,
Barker decided to record his first- "Knockin' " combines a sleepy
ever solo album, aptly titled Give chorus performed by E-40 with
the Drummer Some. The result is Snoop Dogg and Ludacris doing
a collection of songs, each featur- what they do best - that is, per-
ing different artists and styles forming verses on pop songs that
of music with one commonal-
ity: Barker lays down beats on his
drum set, serving as the backbone
throughout the album.
Additionally, Barker has co-
producer credits on every track
except one. This new role is clearly
pander to a mainstream crowd. To sive, sporting an eclectic mix of
its credit, the tune does contain a rappers, rockers and Top 40 cogs,
compelling effort on the drums as almost all of whom are certified
Barker sinks into the downtempo "Big Deal" status. But Barker's
and disjointed surprisingly well. look-at-all-these-famous-people-
"Let's Go" is perhaps the best that-I-know mentality comes back
example of this rip-off syndrome, to haunt him with weak offerings
as Lil' Jon "hey"s his way through from Kid Cudi, Lil Wayne and
the heavy club-thumping. And Slash.
with Busta Rhymes and Twista Much like the rest of Cudi's
hit-or-miss catalog, "Cool Head"
falls squarely in the latter-catego-
Don't give the ry. Repressive synthesizers cre-
ate a dark and depressing mood
drum mer any. that's almost impossible to enjoy.
On "Can A Drummer Get Some,"
Weezy decides to pay homage to
his favorite athletes, but a line
spitting rhymes quicker than a like "Pull out my dick and just pee
sports car, the song has two obvi- on flames" makes the song more
ous goals: Go fast and go hard. notable for an unhealthy obsession
Despite this caricature of South- with urination. Once great guitar-
ern rap that has relentlessly ist of Guns N' Roses, Slash, sounds
repeated itself the past several more like Santana on "Saturday
years, the song also proves to be Night" as an obnoxiously smooth
one of the most fun efforts on the guitar has the liberty to randomly
album. Barker's drumming, how- litter an otherwise bearable song.
ever, is almost non-existent until Travis Barker's desire to adapt
the very end of the track as a drum each songto the artist he's collabo-
machine is employed for the cho- rating with doesn't discredit him
rus, which leaves very little space as a drummer. But Give the Drum-
for Barker to air out. mer Some ultimately doesn't estab-
The guest list for Give the Drum- lish him as a powerhouse producer
mer Some is undeniably impres- either.
PLAYTSMART
F F PSL A
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I t
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
3.30p.DLi
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