Wow. I always really liked your music because you found words for what I was feeling, but could not find the right words for on my own. This blog is almost as good as the music. Yeah there are times when I might disagree here or there, but... Anyway, thanks for being so great with language, and giving me some words to use when I want to try and explain how I feel about certain things. (I am obviously not good with language, sorry!)

Sent by cyndi | 4:19 PM ET | 12-12-2007

YouTube has given a voice to so many people that I don't really want to hear from. Blogs have done the same thing; present company excluded, of course.
Remember the good old days when you actually had to be talented or a producer's child to get ahead?

Sent by Thomas Naughton | 5:02 PM ET | 12-12-2007

"The most disturbing element of the performance was the juxtaposition between little Anthony singing his heart out in a Christmas sweater and the news headlines telling of hate crimes, stabbings, funerals, and labor strikes that were scrolling beneath him on the screen."

Nice observation- this is almost surreal.
And thanks for mentioning Freaks and Geeks- I would have guessed you like that show!

Sent by Dan G | 5:13 PM ET | 12-12-2007

Eeeuw. I predict drug burnout by the age of 9

Sent by Julia | 5:56 PM ET | 12-12-2007

To me it goes on the broader topic of how much the Internet has changed the world we live in. It makes stars out of people for just being people. Like Tila Tequila, how ridiculous is that? A Myspace star with millions of friends for what though? Now she has a dating show on MTV. The "Crying Britney Spears Guy" is another. I like it because it goes along with the riot grrrl mentality of "anybody can do it", but its opened the door for so much filler. We are a world with filler.

But if you are sick and will still be down for guilt free daytime viewing, I suggest you allow yourself to feel guilt free and watch "Crowned". That just looks fabulous.

P.S. I think Seth Rogen is something sexy myself.

Sent by Luis | 6:10 PM ET | 12-12-2007

Do we have to cover our mouths while poking our heads in here to interact this week? Hey, somebody didn't take advantage of the flu shot this year, or supplemental vitamins either. Orange Juice, Grapefruit Juice, pack that fridge already. Hot tea, honey, camomile, or green?

Cyndi_ No need to apologize to your degree and/or use of verbal language. Surely you have other strengths with which to be aware of, and pleased with all the more. It looks like this year we are all lucky to have words such as "w00t" to expand our vocabulary with.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the year equals, 'Woot.' http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3984898

..Ay, it is sort of hot in here, can somebody crack a window please? If I get sick I'll surly, & emphatically mumble "Brownstein" like Jerry does with "Neuman." Oh, don't forget to set your internal alarm, Jean-Paul has a race tommorrow. Little Anthony, look you're on the news. See, this is why I get fed up with the amount of negative news coverage on the local stations too. Oh no! Delirium has set in, the bug is knawing away at my immune system as I type. Sigh.

"But it's harder to ignore the fact that the perimeters of what constitutes music and entertainment have been stretched so far that they're like baggy sweats with a broken elastic waistline. In other words, the lines are shapeless, useless even." Nice descriptors, perfect visualizations, awesome, especially for breaking 98.6 degrees. Though I've got to say one is comfortable while the other is just plain awkward. Enjoy Terry Gross' Dumpling Soup, it's bound to be more healthier than Campbell's sodium laden Chicken Noodle. Hey does that have celery and carrots in it too? Lucky you.

Sent by |3rian | 6:15 PM ET | 12-12-2007

As long as he's not singing Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses, I can cringe in horror and change the channel. Thats the only holiday song I can handle.

Sent by rockynotbullwinkle | 6:45 PM ET | 12-12-2007

That video scared me. No kid should sound like that. And his winking is more terrifying than Lucille Bluth's.

I've never gotten into watching YouTube to see regular folk--I go there to watch clips of bands I like or clips from old TV shows. Or cute animals. There are too damn many video cameras in the world.

Sent by Laura E. | 9:28 PM ET | 12-12-2007

Why the misplaced outrage? If you want to get your ginch in a twist over something, why not the misogyny in popular radio and videos? Why not get upset over the free for all bashfest that our culture embraces.

How about the fact that the writer cites gawker as a source for anything.

The kid is not at fault here. For adults to systematically call the kid names and to trash him in the first place is something to be outraged about. Since when are children fair game?

I don't know the kid, I'm not even a parent but I see that there is something really wrong with American culture when hating and mocking decent citizens is considered an acceptable popular sport.

Sent by Dan | 10:32 PM ET | 12-12-2007

It's like Tay Zonday with that "Chocolate Rain" monstrosity. They're just a couple of William Hung's (thank you American Idol ::gag::). They're nothing but a sideshow, and the average man is ignorant enough to gobble it up like popcorn.

Sent by Nick L. | 10:46 PM ET | 12-12-2007

Wow, that kid is the word "diva" personified.

Sent by RZ | 11:10 PM ET | 12-12-2007

"Tuuuuuuba girl? You're in love with tuuuuuba girl?"

sweet MOSES do I love Freaks and Geeks.

Sent by Meg | 2:27 AM ET | 12-13-2007

Anthony doesn't seem that far removed from Baby Rose Marie.

Sent by dorothy | 5:49 AM ET | 12-13-2007

fevers and bad tv do not mix. i once had a horrendous flu and then my remote fell of the bed which caused the channel to move up one notch to telemundo... if i had any strength at all, i would of used it to suffocate myself.

p.s. that anthony g has billy gillman written all over him and we all know what happened to billy gillman- wait, no we don't. i find it hilarious that his voice at age whatever is still lower than justin timberlake's.

p.p.s. i haven't been able to forgive seth rogen for telling katherine heigl they were having a girl.

Sent by Lauren | 6:15 AM ET | 12-13-2007

I really enjoyed the slightly demonic giggle when Anne Curry offered to take his jacket. Priceless. Thankfully through the power of Gawker I was able to control how much holiday cheer I was exposed to and stopped after the hand-through-the-hair moment.

Sent by Saz | 6:59 AM ET | 12-13-2007

Am I the only one who is struck down in speechless, abject terror when I see one of these child stars? They're terrifying, almost as much as the contestants in junior beauty pageants. And if you haven't seen junior beauty pageants, I envy you.

Sent by Zej | 9:33 AM ET | 12-13-2007

I had a day off b/c of ice and caught that Anthony G. spot too. Lucille Bluth -- heh.

No the kid is not at fault, Dan, and I don't think anyone was blaming him. He's just a kid who was doing what he thought entertainers should do. But if you saw the segment, you'd understand why we're kind of freaked out by it. I don't think it's about "making fun" of him; it's the type of behavior that kids are modeling nowadays (unsurprisingly, he said American Idol made him want to be a singer). It's more sad than funny, really.

Sent by Joel | 10:36 AM ET | 12-13-2007

While I'm not sure this kid counts exactly as a child prodigy, the response and fact that he's on the Today show kind of puts him in that category. Child prodigies terrify me. They seem to me to be a glaring example of what's wrong.

I don't think it's so much the skills themselves that frighten me when I see a two-year old hammer down Chopin's Polonaises in G minor (which Chopin himself wrote while practically still in the womb). What bothers me is The Today Show's (or insert alternate venue) adoring crowd. Skill is skill, right? I close my eyes and it's the same music, same voice, take the child away and it's the same painting, photograph, math problem solved, etc.

Really I think it's the crowd itself. The attention lavished, the focus, fetish. Somehow any spotlight on a child--and I don't mean a dance recital filled with parents and camcorders--I mean this kid or the pre-pubescent opera singer on Ellen, etc. Any spotlight like this on a child seems precious and pornographic. We the spectator are attracted to the small child performing an adult act.

It just makes me uncomfortable. I wish they'd stop booking these kids.

Sent by Elizabeth | 10:56 AM ET | 12-13-2007

Carrie, this is unrelated to Anthony G. Do you have any thoughts Eddie Vedder getting some Golden Globe love? I think he's great, but in the music-blog world, he seems not to have much credibility. Shame. Thoughts, anyone?

Sent by C.F.N. | 11:53 AM ET | 12-13-2007

I have to say that I'm a little surprised by your fondness for Seth Rogen. He kind of makes me want to put my head in a garbage disposal.

Sent by knitknit | 12:30 PM ET | 12-13-2007

I almost cried when the lethargic, baby black leopard started losing his fur. Thank goodness for that puppy formula.

And that child on The Today Show; he really needs to work on those high notes. Poor kid.

Sent by megan | 1:00 PM ET | 12-13-2007

he has a blog...actually, someone has a blog for him:
http://www.singeranthonyg.com/singeranthonygargiula/

American Idol is the downfall of western culture and society. We really can't blame this kid, he is simply a product of the cheap artificial "talent" that passes for entertainment these days.
And his video from the today show, what is up with the syllable "OHHH"? gag.

Sent by furball | 1:08 PM ET | 12-13-2007

Were we ever winning? Really? I don't think so. Especially not when it comes to mass media. Television and radio shows are simply a means to keep us watching in between commercials. This is not a rant. It is the truth. (I guess it's a rant too.) We think they create all of this entertainment for our benefit (including the 'news'), but it is simply a means to sell advertisement and line pockets... and not ours. Youtube is just another mine to find the next big thing for the next 15 minutes... at our expense. The expense of our culture, our valuable time, and not to forget the expense of the "entertainers" like little what's his name singing his heart out. So I'd say "we" started as underdogs, and never really got in front or won anything.
p.s. I still watch t.v., but I bitch about in my head.

Sent by betty | 1:17 PM ET | 12-13-2007

Is this Anthony G. kid any different than the type of acts Letterman might have on his show? This just gets multiplied by thousands. Prior to the Internet, you stay up late, watch a stupid pet trick, find it amusing, and you might mention it the next day. Now, if you found it particularly funny, you can show all your friends, who will turn around and show it to all their friends. Boom! You have a hit. These "acts" fall more in the category of "i can't believe they spent the time on that" or "this is sooo crazy" than anything noteworthy. The circus doesn't have to come to town anymore for you to see the freaks, they come through your tv, and when they are truly freaky you can pass it on to friends. Since Anthony G. isn't too freaky, you can pass it on to your 70 year old dad, who has just figured out how to use the Internet. He's sure to get a chuckle, call mom into the guest room, you know the one that used to be yours, and then he'll forward it to his buddy in Iowa.

Sent by mikeyj | 1:22 PM ET | 12-13-2007

The only sad truth is that some kids really are more talented then others: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFqTd-CEjHM.

Really Seth Rogen? Didn't they already write that book about men who hate women and the women who love them? Are you reading it right now?

Sent by Miki | 1:23 PM ET | 12-13-2007

Hasn't there always been stuff like Anthony G? You know, frightening kid performers? I don't see this as anything new. Old ladies love that stuff.

Sent by Gary Drechsel | 7:40 PM ET | 12-13-2007

I think it all has to do with the distraction and sensationalism that the media continues to regurgitate. We love th gossip, we love the celebrity scandal, oh Lindsay Lohan is driving drunk? I must know more, I must see pictures and video, etc. It's mindless and empty and the masses eat it up and don't think about things such as illegal wars. Because our culture has begun to revel in this crap, modes of communication and interaction (such as youtube, myspace, blogs) are used for the same purposes. Such devices could be (and sometimes are) highly beneficial for free-speech and other such things but the majority has no interest in that. We just want to see a seven-year-old boy sing like a forty-year-old woman.

Sent by Jaime | 9:42 PM ET | 12-13-2007

Oh, and the last time I was bed-ridden with the flu I just watched the entire first season of Arrested Development. I recommend it.

Sent by Jaime | 9:43 PM ET | 12-13-2007

I can see your issues with the whole stage parents writ large element of little Anthony's rising star, but I sort of think there's some weird undercurrent of unease with little Anthony's gender identity in this whole phenomenon. Is what Anthony doing that much different than a little girl at Rock Camp doing her best, uh, Joey Ramone? So what if Liza Minnelli is his inspiration? Whole facets of gay male culture rest on the Minnelli/Garland axis. And most got the Minnelli/Garland implant at Anthony's age or younger. There's a lot of implication online that Anthony is product of his parent's coaching. What if Anthony is a product of...Anthony? And if so, shouldn't that be celebrated?

Sent by Caryn | 12:23 PM ET | 12-14-2007

Our culture hasn't just begun to "revel in this crap," it has always done so. Celebrity scandal isn't new. Scandal isn't new. It seems rather disparaging to say that if you are interested in celebrities that you aren't interested in politics. They can co-exist. The more interesting question is why are we entranced by them and their mishaps. Their stories serve a purpose. I like to see it as modern folklore. I don't know if we can say it is meaningless. I don't buy it. There is meaning there. I don't know if the meaning is always on the surface or that we always understand it, but it is there. It is tiresome to hear how this type of information is the opiate of the masses, and that it is what keeps them subdued. It is so paternalistic. The world is hard for everyone, and I think we can forgive people some opiates.

Sent by mikeyj | 1:49 PM ET | 12-14-2007

I've never been comfortable with parents pushing their children into the public eye. One of the reasons I've always loved Rock Camp is the refreshing focus on listening to kids instead of listening to what parents think their kids should be doing.

Yes, we need more music.

Have you been keeping up with what's going on with the OLCC? There is a such a beautiful community of young musicians in Portland and they are running out of places to go.

Sometimes I think the powers that be want everyone staring at screens oblivious to world falling down around them.

Sent by Michellene | 4:24 PM ET | 12-14-2007

I believe one can be interested in celebrities and politics, what I'm worried about are the people who are solely interested in celebrities (which likely constitutes a large number of young persons who should be worrying much more about political processes than Paris' new dye job). I know some very intelligent people who read all the celebrity gossip magazines and love it. I think it's fine as long as you're aware of what you're doing. Any meaning that is present is completely obliterated by its voyeuristic obsession. That's all it is. It's our fascination with people's fucked up lives but now we don't hear it from next-door neighbor Sally we just have to get on ohnotheydidn't. I agree that we all need some R&R and shouldn't overrun our brains, but maybe we can do it a little differently like say take a walk, read a book, talk to a fried, etc. And opiates should not be administered via CNN.

Sorry to hijack the comments section, Carrie.

Sent by Jaime | 6:31 PM ET | 12-15-2007

Jaime, I'm glad you responded. I like how the initial post by Carrie can generate discussion that may be tangential to the original post. Also, sorry if my initial tone was a little snotty. Poor form. I agree that an obsession with celebrity culture is problematic, though I don't agree that all it is is voyeuristic obsession. The women and men at my work often discuss the fate of various young women in the "news" and the conversation is much more than ohnotheydidn't. We simply can't discuss politics at work. When they are talking about the celebrities, the discussion often is nuanced and they talk about questions of right and wrong. It allows for conversations about how they feel people should live and treat each others without it ever turning personal. I learn a lot about my co-workers without having to hear them gossip about someone else they work with. I doubt any of them take the information seriously, but that take the issues seriously. Given my experience, I believe that how we interact with culture, even so-called low-culture, can be complicated and meaningful. I'm as guilty as the next person of privledging certain media. I check out books daily that cause me to roll my eyes. I always have to remind myself that romance novel readers are getting something from the experience, if even I don't understand it. I don't want to say that everything is good if someone likes it, I'm not that relativistic. It can still be crap in my eyes, and be meaningful to someone else. The trick is trying to understand that meaning.

Sent by mikeyj | 9:57 PM ET | 12-15-2007

Maybe it's just me, but I just took it as some kid singing on tune with some inane performance coaching from his mother. He reminded me of Sam from Different Strokes, of all things. I think the Internet has far more disturbing things to offer. Carrie, I do enjoy your blog. Keep up the good work and stay away from the flu!

Sent by Tara | 1:54 PM ET | 12-16-2007

You are absolutely dadgum right. That is all.

Sent by Brian | 11:05 AM ET | 12-21-2007

that kid's gonna be a drag queen superstar when he grows up.

Sent by Anna | 8:02 PM ET | 12-29-2007