Joanna McMeikan - Thoughts


Hello! Thank you for visiting www.joannamcmeikan.com, I hope you're enjoying surfing around my site... 12/13/04 - Ostriches and Soapboxes Well, here it is. Christmas. Season of unbearable crowds, beautiful fairy lights, far too much cake and mulled wine and, of course, frantic last-minute online gift shopping. If you're short on good ideas, how about a spanking new copy of "Breaking the Habit" for your friends and loved ones? Makes an ideal Christmas gift! :) I'm finally settled in to my new place. My mother flew out from England to inspect it and give her seal of approval; and I had a wonderful time showing her around Los Angeles. It's all too easy to get bored and jaded with things, and it really was inspiring to see L.A. once again through a fresh pair of eyes. With all its faults, pretences and humbug, I do love this town. I was excited to hear I'd been named "Best Adult Contemporary Artist 2004" and that my song "Rainbow" had been named "Best Adult Contemporary Song 2004" in the Muse's Muse Awards. It's a good way to end the year. Speaking of 2004, I'd like to add my ten cents to the whole "Ashlee Simpson was lip synching" thing. Of course, I think the girl was horrible to publicly blame her poor band for her inability to sing live; but let's be honest for a moment here -- do we really WANT her to sing live? From the AOL sessions she did, and a few other times I've heard her, I'd say not. Poor thing, she seems sweet enough, why don't we just leave her to be punky and spunky and fun and to lipsynch and appear on the cover of teen magazine? She's good at that, and none of us is good at everything. Her sister's awfully easy on the eye, but you wouldn't ask Jessica to do the Sunday crossword, now would you? Half of the problem with the music industry these days, IMHO, is that everyone is expected to do everything -- all singing, all dancing, knockout live performing, killer songwriting, stunningly beautiful, made up, decked out, and ready-to-wear. Prepackaged and unreal. And those who value artistry and vocal ability have no respect for performers like Simpson, while those who value performance and showmanship can't understand the appeal of a Suzanne Vega or an Elliot Smith onstage with only their guitar for company. Live and let live, people. It's all good. Happy 2005! Random List: Best TV show: "Sex Talk with Sue Johanson" on Oxygen -- Sue is a wonderful Canadian grandmotherly type who gives frank, funny (and useful!) sex advice. Best mating dance: The ostrich. It's awesome - the female lowers her neck into a sort of "S" shape close to the floor and runs around undulating her wings one at a time like some eighties geek on acid doing the robot dance. The male puffs out his chest, flaps his wings, and wrenches his head as far as it can possibly go to one side and then the other repeatedly. Yeah, baby! Hot stuff. Favorite recent movie: "Sideways". I am listening to: The Best of Joni Mitchell Favorite thing today: Amy Poehler and Tina Fey doing "Weekend Update" on SNL. Least favorite thing today: Not exercising. ****************************************** MORE POINTLESS RAMBLINGS TO COME SOON! **************************************** READ EARLIER RAMBLINGS BY CLICKING BELOW: 4/29/2004 - Birthday Ramblings 6/20/2004 - Princesses in the Post Office 8/02/2004 - The Mythology of the Past 9/23/2004 - Brownie and Mister Whiskers **************************************** E MAIL ME IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS! joanna@joannamcmeikan.com Write to Joanna with your thoughts, questions, opinions, suggestions.**

Hello! Thank you for visiting www.joannamcmeikan.com, I hope you're enjoying surfing around my site...

12/13/04 - Ostriches and Soapboxes

Well, here it is. Christmas. Season of unbearable crowds, beautiful fairy lights, far too much cake and mulled wine and, of course, frantic last-minute online gift shopping. If you're short on good ideas, how about a spanking new copy of "Breaking the Habit" for your friends and loved ones? Makes an ideal Christmas gift! :)

I'm finally settled in to my new place. My mother flew out from England to inspect it and give her seal of approval; and I had a wonderful time showing her around Los Angeles. It's all too easy to get bored and jaded with things, and it really was inspiring to see L.A. once again through a fresh pair of eyes. With all its faults, pretences and humbug, I do love this town.

I was excited to hear I'd been named "Best Adult Contemporary Artist 2004" and that my song "Rainbow" had been named "Best Adult Contemporary Song 2004" in the Muse's Muse Awards. It's a good way to end the year.

Speaking of 2004, I'd like to add my ten cents to the whole "Ashlee Simpson was lip synching" thing. Of course, I think the girl was horrible to publicly blame her poor band for her inability to sing live; but let's be honest for a moment here -- do we really WANT her to sing live? From the AOL sessions she did, and a few other times I've heard her, I'd say not. Poor thing, she seems sweet enough, why don't we just leave her to be punky and spunky and fun and to lipsynch and appear on the cover of teen magazine? She's good at that, and none of us is good at everything. Her sister's awfully easy on the eye, but you wouldn't ask Jessica to do the Sunday crossword, now would you? Half of the problem with the music industry these days, IMHO, is that everyone is expected to do everything -- all singing, all dancing, knockout live performing, killer songwriting, stunningly beautiful, made up, decked out, and ready-to-wear. Prepackaged and unreal. And those who value artistry and vocal ability have no respect for performers like Simpson, while those who value performance and showmanship can't understand the appeal of a Suzanne Vega or an Elliot Smith onstage with only their guitar for company. Live and let live, people. It's all good.

Happy 2005!

Random List:

Best TV show: "Sex Talk with Sue Johanson" on Oxygen -- Sue is a wonderful Canadian grandmotherly type who gives frank, funny (and useful!) sex advice.

Best mating dance: The ostrich. It's awesome - the female lowers her neck into a sort of "S" shape close to the floor and runs around undulating her wings one at a time like some eighties geek on acid doing the robot dance. The male puffs out his chest, flaps his wings, and wrenches his head as far as it can possibly go to one side and then the other repeatedly. Yeah, baby! Hot stuff.

Favorite recent movie: "Sideways".

I am listening to: The Best of Joni Mitchell

Favorite thing today: Amy Poehler and Tina Fey doing "Weekend Update" on SNL.

Least favorite thing today: Not exercising.

********************************************

MORE POINTLESS RAMBLINGS TO COME SOON!

********************************************

READ EARLIER RAMBLINGS BY CLICKING BELOW:

4/29/2004 - Birthday Ramblings

6/20/2004 - Princesses in the Post Office

8/02/2004 - The Mythology of the Past

9/23/2004 - Brownie and Mister Whiskers

********************************************

E MAIL ME IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS!

joanna@joannamcmeikan.com
Write to Joanna with your thoughts, questions, opinions, suggestions.