putting down the haterade

it seems as if lately all i have been doing in the blogosphere is spitting awful bile into the face of some of the more vastly overrated portions of popular culture. batman, the coen brothers, coldplay and the colts have all felt recent dossages of my wrath, and even though i'm in a much softer, cuddlier mood today, i still must say that they all still deserve the verbal beatdowns that they have each recieved.

but today, with the onset of cooler weather and the first inklings of autumnal winds, i want to kind of turn over a new leaf, so to speak. for a short time i will attempt to unveil a kinder, gentler troy. one whose celebratory mood will hopefully permeate the atmosphere and hopefully cause my readers to turn a nicer glance on those things that they may normally overlook. after reading ryan's most recent blog in which he espouses the virtues of the hugely under rated and often completely under the radar nicky katt, i decided that i should be doing something differently. instead of spewing hate toward the overhyped, i want to shine the spotlight of my love down on some people and things that normally do not seem to get the credit which they so richly deserve.

with this in mind, i am again going to jump headlong into another(belated) version of the tuesday tops...

and present the top 5 most underrated examples of genius.

1. kevin nealon doesn't get half of the credit he deserves for being not only a great comedian, but also a really skilled actor. often labeled a poor man's chevy chase, i find it inconcievable that this guy gets no love after doing what i consider to be the best stint of anyone who has ever read the news on weekend update. his glib timing is far superior than chase's and his occasional forrays into sarcasm never smack one in the face as so many "drippers" of the craft often do. he is steady, and easy going, often times not even trying to appear funny, but letting the audience figure it out for themselves. check out his pseudo straight man turn in happy gilmore or his acceptance in being the constant butt of jokes in the show weeds and just bask in the soft glow of his hysterical, yet good natured comedy. in a chris rock comedy world where performers feel the need to hit the audience over the head with punch lines, nealon is a true master of subtlety. and he deserves more respect.

2. billy ocean is the only black singer in history to convince all the eighties, wall street coke monkeys that he was white, therefore allowing them to buy his albums in good consience. i used to get him and rick astley confused all the time when i was a kid, which is not a bad thing as rick rules too. but nobody beats billy. the songs loverboy and get out of my dreams are undeniable classics that seem to be forgotten by nostalgia buffs who fawn all over huey fucking lewis. billy ocean is badass, and he can get into my car anytime he wants.

3. paul thomas anderson gets credit, but it is not nearly as much as he deserves. sometimes it seems as if he is perpetually treated as the wunderkind that made boogie nights and that people just think the brilliance of his films arise out of "just another day at the office." as if it were that easy. this is because he often makes it look that easy. but it isn't, otherwise i wouldn't eagerly anticipate and await the next p.t. anderson offering. seriously...just the fact alone that there will be blood did not carry away the oscar proves how underappreciated this guy truly is. the coen brothers should make the first good move in their careers and give it back to him, where it rightfully belongs. he freaking deserves it.

4. dennis bingham is a great, great film professor who has the innate ability to discuss old hollywood films in a way that makes them pop with more relevance today than they had when they were released originally. his absolute love and adoration seeps into each of his lectures, but in a way that still allows him to cast a sharp critical eye towards them. i occasionally go back to the mecca of nu103 so that i can sit in on his lectures and feel refreshed and renewed in my dealings with the cinema. as a matter of fact, i probably need to get back soon as i feel it slipping away again. i highly recommend that everyone do the same. seriously just slip in the back and listen to him for awhile, he won't mind as long as a genuine interest is displayed. and if he asks, tell him that troy sent you to see what all the buzz is about. a true icon, and a completely undervalued educational resource in our city.

5. boz scaggs used to get no love from me in my teenage years because his name reminded me of the vile purveyor of ass-jazz named dave koz. but then i actually listened to what boz was offering me. and it was awesome.


6. evelyn "champagne" king has the most perfect nickname ever as her songs make me feel bubbly drunk like the carbonated concoction for which she is cited. she is by far the greatest of all the disco divas, turning at least 45 revolutions per minute worth of circles around bitches like the vile donna summer. enjoy.


and lastly i want to give a shout out to cover bands. cover acts get no freaking respect as they are relegated to the wedding/dinner party circuit even though if we are honest with ourselves we would admit that we would rather hear a cover of something like the stones or son of a preacher man than some shitty local band's crappy songs that contain no hook whatsoever. i was in columbus ohio last week basking in the warm glow of another ohio state beatdown when i heard this awesome band called the conspiracy band whose arsenal included songs as diverse as the aforementioned preacher man and a truly rocking cover of beyonce's otherwise putrid crazy in love. if you are ever in c-bus, perhaps visiting the wexner center, i highly recommend seeing if these guys are playing near you. check them out and imagine our city being overrun by good cover bands like this as opposed to all the "original" shitty local acts that we have. because singing along to a good earth wind and fire cover makes for a better time anyways, if not a better world.

a better world indeed.