Comic for Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Posted: 6:35 am, Wednesday, March 11th

I'd like to offer a big "ha-ha" to the State University of New Jersey for losing to the Irish last night. Just to bother Coach, although I'm sure it doesn't actually bother him.

I just noticed a screw-up in the strip that I don't have time to fix. In panel four, Ron's legs are supposed to be dangling through the side of the fire escape - so the bottom black bar should be behind his legs, not in front of it. I'll fix that tonight or tomorrow night, depending on my busybusy schedule. I hope this does not damage anyone's enjoyment.

Oh, the big reader news that I wasn't sure about announcing the other day was the happy engagement of two of my dearest friends and readers. One said it's cool to go forward announcin', so, E, congrats. E, thankfully, lives within car/rail distance, so I can continue to eat.

The Houston Zoo is about to get a red panda, which is a horrible thing to do to a red panda. The Prospect Park Zoo, of course, has had one of the li'l guys for years now.

Two of my kids were alking me if I had heard the song "I Love College" and were telling me how awesome it was. I have now heard the song "I Love College," and as with most things, I have to questions my kids' taste. It is brutal slow white-boy rap at its worst. It has sparked a very lively debate in the AV Club about what exactly is the stupidest part of the song, though, so there's that. While the bit about not having sex with a girl if she's too drunk (i.e., don't date rape her) is obviously horrible, I find the very strange "fresh-men! fresh-men!" interlude to be probably the nadir of the song.

Cleanse your palette with a tour of Cash's American Recordings. Also, free Oasis! It is still goddamn 1995, and you can do nothing to make me believe otherwise.

bullfrog

Miyaa -- Wednesday, March 11 2009, 06:48 am

Is there such a thing as non-slow brutal white-boy rap? And did this song had anything to do with Vanilla Ice?

I guess it depends on your definition of "rap." Most of the radio in the late-90s was that shit rap-rock, and most of those artists were white. I remember Uncle Cracker being pretty brutal upbeat white-boy rap.

Everlast from the House of Pain was pretty talented.

The Beastie Boys cold go pretty fast (Shadrach) and compensated for their limited individual talents by doing an excellent job of working together. However, if you want to point the finger of blame at slow white guy rapping, you need only listen to "Rhyming and Stealing" and "No Sleep 'til Brooklyn".

I'm not filing the Beasties under "brutal white-boy rap".

Comparing "I love college" to "Rhyming and Stealing" and "No sleep 'til Brooklyn"????? Blasphemy! Seriously...

Bullfrog - As well you shouldn't.

Let me clarify - Not all copies of that style pioneered by the Beastie Boys (and hell, before them Run-DMC!) of shouting lyrics over big guitars and drums has been good.

DFFD - Those are great songs, as are "Rock Box" and "King of Rock". They were all clever and showed what a great combination rapping and rocking could be. Not all copies of that style have been as good.

Yes, I do not really care, but if the outcome was different. This page would have been filled with RU Basketball talk... Oh well... it would have been fun.

Whoa-whoa-whoa. First of all, Rhymin' and Stealin' and No Sleep 'Till Brooklyn are examples of very early Beastie Boys, and when compared to rap from their black counterpart of that era (Sugarhill Gang, Run DMC, Slick Rick, etc.) they are perfectly in keeping with the style and tempo of the day. This is not to say that I think those early track are inferior, only different and indicative of an earlier moment. Sadly, I would take License to Ill over To the Five Boroughs any day of the week (...sigh).

If you want to point fingers, point them at Puff Daddy (or whatever he calls himself these days).

I'm in a good mood from reading the last few comics, so Ron's final question here really gave me a laugh. Hey, Peppermint Park is open late! Maybe they can get a large ice cream soda and two straws!

Previous comic: A really sweet touch was how their arms keep moving through the first three panels, and then freeze into the fourth as Pete distracts them. You feel it even if you don't consciously notice it. (Sorry if I run away with this stuff. I like comics.)

What are the Beastie Boys doing these days?

Joe B., don't worry about it. It's nice to know someone's holding me to the same standards I hold other comics I read.

Miyaa, I think they're considering their once-every-six-years trip to the studio, but I may've made that up. They released an instrumental album last year called the In Sound From Way Out. (I think it was last year - may've been '07.)

In case you comics geeks haven't seen this: Frank Miller's Charlie Brown:

http://www.cinematical.com/photos/frank-millers-charlie-brown/1419750/

(via Andrew Sullivan)

That is awesome, CK. And a truly disturbing rendition of Sally Brown, I'll add.

Also, I was reading a recent back issue of Entertainment Weekly last night, and it said that the Beasties are indeed in the studio, with the idea of releasing their next album this summer or fall.

And -- my six degrees of celebrity for the day -- at alumni events for my college, I've met a man named David Diamond, who is Mike D's older brother. And I believe they are also related to Dustin Diamond, aka "Screech" from "Saved by the Bell."

In honor of white kid rap I feel obligated to post How I beat Shaq by Aaron (Erin?) Carter - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oITCug7v7Q

All I could think while watching that was how embarrassed I was for all the extras in the video. Wow.