Bthe b-side
In October, Nadya Tolokonnikova and Masha Alyokhina, two
members of Pussy Riot, the punk rock protest group from Russia,
took the stage of the Michigan Theater. The women did not don
their neon balaclavas or break out in their provocative, political per-
formance art during their Thursday evening Penny Stamps lecture
(though videos of their discordant demonstrations preceded the talk
giving context to the issues and methods of resistance). The lecture
took the form of an interview aided by a translator and touched upon
the topics of freedom of speech, LGBTQ rights, Vladimir Putin, pris-
on reform and the role of art in the political realm. Nadya and Ma-
sha’s visit to Ann Arbor set the conversation on police brutality that
colored the end of 2014. The two Pussy Riot members also met with
the University’s Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) to learn about
the penal system in the US and share their experiences of arrest and
imprisonment in Russia. Students and community members lined up
to ask questions, enthralled by the way in which Nadya and Masha
have used their punk rock aesthetic and Guerilla Theater to broad-
cast their messages and capture the world stage.
What will we talk about when we talk about “Birdman?” We will
talk about Michael Keaton in the performance of a lifetime, balancing
insanity and reality, confidence and reservation. We will talk about di-
rector Alejandro González Iñárritu and his masterful story, his sharp
eye for detail, his carefully but brilliantly executed manipulation of
setting, character and camerawork. We will talk about the gimmick:
that the film appears as one, continuous tracking shot. And we will
talk about the supporting cast, each role integral to the story, each
character possessing a trait that illuminates a theme, a moral, a ques-
tion.
Because “Birdman” isn’t just about a washed-up actor giving it one
more go; it’s about sanity, relevance, criticism, critics, theater, Hol-
lywood, fame, insecurity, method, staging, fatherhood, growing up,
dreams, failure, comedy, tragedy, art itself. When we talk about “Bird-
man,” we will talk about what it is: pure, unadulterated creativity, the
best, most rewarding motion picture in years.
“Are you ready? Because I want you to pay attention. This is the be-
ginning of something.” -Freddy Rumsen
And a superb beginning it was. The first half of “Mad Men” ’s final
season took unprecedented risks, exposing the fear and uncertainty of
the late 1960s and using it to color seven episodes of character study.
The ad execs we came to love over the past seven seasons began to
lose their sway; the voices of old, rich white dudes faded to obsoles-
cence in the wake of changing racial and technological tides. With all
the cultural turmoil, it’s no wonder the men of SC&P started to go
a little mad. Some took LSD, some got a California tan; some cut off
their nipples, put them in a box and gave them to a friend.
“Mad Men” is never predictable, but surely these seven episodes
indicated the “beginning of something” – a gorgeous and compelling
fall to the finale.
Taylor Swift killed it in 2014. She moved from Nashville to New
York, performed at the VMAs, openly embraced her feminist label and
hosted an A-list birthday party. Somehow between all of that she man-
aged to drop the best-selling album of the year: her pop debut, 1989.
Taylor’s takeover of 2014 began with “Shake It Off,” a Swiftified-
back-off-haters pop anthem. Backed by saxophone, it had everyone
(haters included) getting down to that sick beat for about two months
straight. It held the charts over just long enough for the rest of 1989 to
take them over. Each track runs on a different level, leaving listeners
with a well-rounded, and completely satisfying pop experience. “Wel-
come to New York” demands to be played in Times Square at least
once daily. The groove behind “Style” has a Bee Gee-esque beat and
an unbelievably catchy chorus. “I Know Places” throws the hunter/
hunted metaphor through a loop producing one of the album’s most
unique tracks. Lastly, there is not enough praise for “Blank Space”
that speaks to its tongue-in-cheek awesomeness. Every track has a
new angle; every track delivers.
What is more astonishing than the tracks themselves is the over-
all style of the album. It is masterful pop music without any of the
bullshit that floods mainstream music. There’s no profanity, no molly
references and it doesn’t make a spectacle out of itself by striving for
shock or controversy. Even without shock, it still leaves listeners in
awe.
1989 is groundbreaking by being regressive instead of progres-
sive. It is pop music at its core. It is about life and love and the battles
people face within themselves every day. It is timeless. 1989 would’ve
rocked it back in its title year, it is rocking it today and it will be rock-
ing it in 30 years.
Gillian Jakab
Christian Kennedy
Chloe Gilke
Jamie Bircoll
B E S T F I L M
COMMUNITY EVENT
B E S T
B E S T A L B U M
B E S T T V S H O W
B E S T O F 2 0 1 4
Design by Shreya Razak, Shane Achenbach & Levi Kipke
The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | Thursday, January 8, 2014