Apathy is an addictive depressant. It hooks you in, makes you feel less inclined to progress, makes you content with your place, your condition, your rank. It’s also the most heavily marketed addictive compound in modern society. Everywhere one looks, the status quo remains unchanged, and the masses shamble about, seeking only their own satisfaction. Of course, the most distraught apathy fiends are… dare I say, zombies.

Yes indeed. I have found, upon extensive observation, that most creators of this subgenre of horror/apocalyptic film, aside from those trying to cash in on the success of others (cough*Lucio Fulci*cough), are always saying something more than “DON”T GET BIT!” in their films. The fact that most zombie outbreaks are accompanied by “the end of civilization as we know it” reinforces such a message. I’d like to think the zombies in question are a portrayal of the apathetic masses, which don’t truly live, but yet carry on. As Christians, we can’t afford to get caught up in living in the status quo, apathetic to those around us and anything that doesn’t fall directly into our line of sight. Zombieland is America’s newest foray into the Zombie genre, and the first real competition for Shaun of the Dead in the zombie comedy field. Through a pseudo review of the film, as well as an exploration of the two male leads’ (an excellent pairing of relative newcomer Jesse Eisenberg and veteran Woody Harrelson) approaches to life, as viewed through the lens of Christian counters to apathism (yes, I did just invent that word… deal with it), we’ll hopefully come to a realization of the relevance of this subgenre, and all its insight into our very real dilemmas.

If one looks at the classic comic pairings, such as Aykroyd and Belushi , Abbott and Costello(and, for our generation, ones like Michael Cera and Jonah Hill), the comedy is usually generated from the interplay between the characters. In the case of Zombieland, Harrelson and Eisenberg display very entertaining chemistry, primarily because of how different they are. Harrelson’s Tallahassee is a cowboy type figure with zero tolerance for stupidity. His singular pursuit of Twinkies helps give a human element to the man who generates most of the visceral thrills in the movie. Eisenberg’s character, on the other hand, feels much more relatable to our age group. An awkward college student, Columbus is well versed in World of Warcraft, but terribly inept in the world of women, or any social sphere it seems. He seems out of place when he shows up as the narrator at the film’s outset. How’s a college geek with little to no combat experience one of the last living people in America (which Columbus has dubbed Zombieland in wake of the infection)? As Columbus explains, there exists a list of rules by which he abides, which range from practical safety tips (Rule # 4: Always put on your Seatbelt) to extra measures against the hordes of infected (Rule # 2: Double tap: If you’ve downed a zombie, but aren’t sure it’s dead, put an extra bullet in its head just to be safe). Due to these extremely cautious measures, Columbus has survived longer than most, although one could argue with his lack of life experience, he’s “just surviving”.

If zombies represent the apathetic masses, then Columbus and Tallahassee could be metaphors for the different improper approaches Christians might take to combat the hordes of the uncaring. Eisenberg portrays the “play-it-safe Christian”. You know of what I speak; those who are so cautious about sharing their faith and fitting in that one might not even realize their true beliefs save through direct confrontation. Or those that grew up in a protective, Christian environment, and don’t know how to interact/deal with life on the outside, so thus they barely live at all, casting everything outside their bubble as “evil”. Tallahassee, on the other hand, is demonstrating what I like to dub the “One-trick Christian”. Such individuals focus on a singular aspect of the mission, and seem to focus on nothing else, whilst still keeping up the façade of a committed believer. Such examples might include the missionary who cares more for the idea and funds to support the mission than those who support it, or even worse those seeking aid from the mission. Or it could be the legalist, who treats the faith like a list of do’s and don’ts, and to step even over the line a slight bit is to fall into the black. Such archetypes give Christians a bad name, yet they seem to be the only faces of faith the media ever sees. So, at the beginning and throughout most of the first act of the film, neither of the male characters display any sort of image to be looked up to.

Of course, if this was a male’s only zombie hoedown, ticket sales would suffer. Therefore we are introduced to the two female leads, going by the monikers of Wichita (Emma Stone, of Superbad fame) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), in an intro that both makes you admire and hate the girls. The two female leads help fill out the age spectrum (Breslin’s a 12 year old, Eisenberg and Stone are the college kids, and Harrelson plays the middle aged protector/father figure of the group) and add a sophisticated touch to the very polarized male characters. The female leads act like balancing absolutes to the “faulted Christian archetypes” that are our male leads. Columbus, the “bubble boy” finds something worth fighting for in Wichita, and becomes the hero, breaking out of his “list of rules” (comedic motifs though they are) in order to protect something worthwhile for once, and finally starts living. Tallahassee branches out and starts caring for those around him, which is really the core of Christianity at any rate (the relationship with Christ, and those around you, are the two greatest commandments after all!). And at the end, Eisenberg’s narration concludes a few key ideas; the first of which dictates that who you take the journey with is just as, if not more important, than the journey itself.

All in all, Zombieland was a thoroughly enjoyable ride of a film. Much of this is attributed to Tallahassee’s nearly endless supply of one liners and Columbus’ delightfully quirky narration. The movie also boasts an extremely exciting finale, in which a theme park becomes the battle ground for our survivors, allowing Harrelson to kick plenty of ass, and also sets up Eisenberg to become the hero. Well cast, very funny (this makes a fine American counterpart to Shaun of the Dead), and above all, it has characters that we can believe in, root for, and relate to.

Redemption comes through caring for others and caring for something bigger than one’s own headspace. Christianity is about living for a purpose higher than one’s own, but that doesn’t mean you’re anything greater than human. So, in light of that, always strive to be a better you, and as Rule # 32 dictates: Enjoy the little things!

The White Rabbit

We can tell by the way tickets are selling (read: really fast) that you all are as excited about Janelle Monae performing live at the Homecoming Dance as we are. Or maybe you are just going because it is a dance, and don’t know anything about Janelle Monae. Well then…

We’ve been excited for Janelle Monae for weeks now for several reasons: her excellent stage presence, sweet dance moves, killer vocals. Because we look for artists that both communicate truth and are artistically excellent, SAB invited Janelle Monae because we believe she has skillfully incorporated thought provoking lyrics and concepts into her first major label debut, Metropolis. She challenges convention by introducing a socially conscious body of work disguised as a dancy cybertronic concept album. The idea of a concept album is lost on so many recent artists, and it is refreshing to see a new artist pull it off so well, especially with such a positive message.

Monday night at Popanonymous, we listened to Metropolis (26 minutes) in its entirety. This was a great exercise for those of us present. We recommend to anyone who hasn’t yet done this: listen to the songs with the words in front of you. Listen to them with your roommate.

Here’s a sample, from Sincerely, Jane:

“Teacher, teacher please reach those girls in them videos
The little girls just broken Queen, confusing bling for soul
Danger, there’s danger when you take off your clothes, all your dreams go down the drain girl

Are we really living or just walking dead now?
Or dreaming of a hope riding the wings of angels
The way we live
The way we die
What a tragedy, I’m so terrified
Day dreamers please wake up, we can’t sleep no more”

Be sure to check out Janelle Monae’s short film “Many Moons” playing now on Messiah Channel 13 (sorry about the sound issues). Bonus points to anyone who can name the reference from the beginning of the song (the “Boo-do-do doo-do…” part). Let us know in the comments section if you can name that where that comes from.

For those that don’t know, Popanonymous is a weekly gathering of people who discuss all things pop culture. We meet every Monday night at 9pm at the Loft. This semester we’ll be talking about Mad Men, country music and politics, Stephen Colbert and Inglorious Basterds. Next week we’re talking about the band Passion Pit. Hope to see you at the Loft, Monday at 9pm.

The Blueprint 3 opens with one of the best mainstream beats I’ve heard in a while, wonderful huge rushing synths like blood pumping to veins. But Jay-Z falls into a minor trap right off the bat. While he begins with a lament on street life, he quickly asserts he’s “running the map” and thug life is “just the way the game goes”. In between, though, he’s got a neat subtle rhyme on modern hip-hop and its perception:

I’m talkin’ bout music I ain’t talkin’ bout rap
You talkin’ bout who’s hot I ain’t talkin’ bout that
The conversation is changed

I agree that the real hip-hop today sees itself not as rap, but as music. While mainstream rap is too often all gimmick and braggadocio, the less-famous movement beyond radio is changing the conversation. Underground hip-hop artists like Madlib are leading the charge and receiving critical acclaim. Check him out for examples of creativity and artistry in hip-hop production and beat-making.

Unfortunately, Jay-Z continues to critique his mainstream peers while failing to bring any quality music on his own part. The third track, “DOA (Death of Auto-Tune)” is rife with hypocritical commentary in this vein. While Jay-Z rails against raps with melodies, ring-tones, etc., he completely misses the opportunity to go nuts over a wonderfully fuzzy jazzy bounce beat. A more sensible rapper would touch on a few dozen subjects in a 4-minute song with such a solid beat, but Jay-Z stubbornly sticks to the topic without supplying any insights more intriguing or less clumsy than:

“I know we facin’ a recession
But the music y’all makin’ gonna make it the great depression”

Still, one of his opening lines, “This is Sinatra at the opera, bring a blonde”, perfectly hits the spot, as the lyric gives Jay-Z an aura of unreachable class and irresistible entertainment. Plus, what modern rapper wouldn’t mind having Sinatra’s subtle mob connections in their own mythology? I think that’s the part of the problem with The Blueprint 3: Jay-Z can hit a home run on one line out of a hundred (which is better than you could say about a lot of his contemporaries), but he still strikes out on half his verses by way of clunky rhythms, rotten lines, and terrible flow.

“Thank You” comes with a strong triumphant beat, but it’s an inconsistent track. Jay-Z stumbles in places when trying to pull off the classy, urban flow demanded by the music, instead delivering lazy clunkers like “we are really high tonight” that reveal this song as a lame attempt at the laid-back, cigar-smokin’ feeling of elites like Notorious B.I.G. and the lesser-known DOOM . Other moments, he seems to be going for a futuristic aloofness, but Del tha Funkee Homosapien has already done it better.

We also get all the obligatory guest star tracks, featuring Alicia Keys, Rhianna, Kanye West, and Young Jeezy. The best of these is also the top song on the album, “Empire State of Mind”, which features Ms. Keys. The name has to be a play on the famous 1994 Nas song, “N.Y. State of Mind”, although Jay-Z looks at the classy bright lights side of the Big Apple rather than the gritty street side his rival was revealing. Thanks to a relaxed piano beat and Keys’ soaring vocals in the chorus, this song actually is only slightly inferior to Nas’ classic track. Jay-Z puts aside criticism of other rappers and gives a quality performance, including another Sinatra self-comparison.

The other guest-featured tracks aren’t very noteworthy, with one exception. “On To The Next One- feat. Swizz Beatz” is ridiculously annoying, and I’d probably rather eat a cactus than subject myself to its repetitive beat again. This is way worse than anything I’ve heard on the radio. I understand that rap albums are known for filler, but this obnoxious song is an atrocity against humanity. And hearing this after Jay-Z’s earlier ranting on the pitfalls of mainstream hip-hop just adds insult to injury.

There’s no excuse for so many subpar songs, especially when you’ve had 2 years since the last album, and Jay-Z should be at a point in his career where he doesn’t have to sacrifice musical aspirations for financial necessity . Why bother releasing an album if you’ve only got 5-6 decent tracks? Rappers have done this for years, but that doesn’t make it excusable. Also, the second half of this album is filled with the same gimmicks and tricks found in on radio hip-hop- like using a old and relatively famous song like “Forever Young” as a crutch to hold some low-effort beats and dopey posturing. If you’re gonna call yourself “the greatest”, at least make an effort to avoid the same pitfalls your lesser contemporaries have fallen into.

There are a few bright spots in The Blueprint 3. Many of beats on the first half are outstanding, and I’m hoping this is due to the increased influence of underground producers on mainstream hip-hop artists, and not just an aberration.

For the most part, while Jay-Z brings out the glitz and glamour of New York City, he leaves the substance at home. Half of the time, he sounds like he’s mimicking other famous rappers. Even when he’s himself, Jay-Z brings weak lyrics and is unable to stretch beyond the topic directly in front of him. At this point in his career, he’s really gotta turn in his self-proclaimed title of “greatest rapper”.

Just like you can’t be Elvis without shakin’ your hips once in a while, you can’t be considered a hip-hop god without busting consistent gold lyrics and separating yourself from the masses. The Blueprint 3 fails on both counts. Jay-Z’s not Elvis, and he’s not Sinatra. How about some Neil Diamond comparisons on the next album?

Metal as a genre of music has always been cast aside as garbage, an excuse for violent kids to let their anger out by screaming words no one can understand. Why then did B-sides book local metal band-gone-signed Texas in July to play this Wednesday? Is SAB trying to trick people into coming only to watch them writhe in pain at the show? Not at all. The goal of B-sides is to showcase bands that bring artistic ability, cultural significance, truth, and a sense of appropriateness to our campus. TIJ will not only live up to these goals but embody them perfectly.

Listen to any good metal band, and the technical achievement of their music will immediately become apparent. Many musicians in the genre can play their instruments with mind-blowing speed and in complex rhythms that most performers wouldn’t think possible. Guitarists dance their fingers across the strings of their guitars with ninja-like speed, while drummers use their great endurance to keep up constant bass hits with not one, but two pedals. It is truly a sight to behold live.

But one of the best things about metal is the lack of constraints in the genre. A band could, for example, interlace jazz or orchestral strings into a song. Bands like Between the Buried and Me and Protest the Hero do this constantly. In many musical genres that would be unheard of, perhaps it would even go as far as shifting the bands musical niche. In metal, you can do anything. In a culture that has begun to melt and fuse different elements of nationalities, races, and religions together, doesn’t this “no barriers” rule of metal have some relevance?

As far as truth being communicated through lyrics, metal is no different than any other area of music. Good bands will always deliver truth and meaning, where as the not so good will write songs as hollow as their heads. Heavy music, however, does have the addition of screaming for vocalists, an element that conveys a sense of emotion powerful enough to make listeners believe or ponder what they heard. Maybe one will have to read the lyrics in order to understand them, but maybe we should all be doing that for every band we listen to.

That said, I believe it is up to students to decide if these properties make heavy music appropriate for campus. If students say “Yes”, I guarantee there will be significant art on stage. Truth, or at least a quest for it, will become a friendly and common sight as vocalists scream out towards an eager, attentive crowd. And maybe we won’t be able to understand them at times, but is that any different from a Brazilian drum band or a thirty piece punk marching band? Come out this Wednesday, participate in a cultural exchange, learn something, and hopefully leave with an experience you won’t soon forget.

By: Max Fritsche

Paste Magazine’s cover story on Iron and Wine from their October 2007 issue is worth checking out as we prepare to have Sam Beam’s gentle voice lift our souls on Saturday in Brubaker Auditorium. Reading an interview with an artist like Beam helps us hear their music better, giving us some context about who the artist is and what motivates them. So go ahead and read it.

For those not taking the time to read it, or who need a little taste before deciding:

It turns out that religion is not merely a cultural shorthand or creative prop for Beam but, like Johnny Cash before him, it constitutes one of the only three topics he’s genuinely interested in as a writer. “You have your three big things that you can talk about, basically, if you’re going to write something that actually means something to you as a human being, which is Love, God and Death. That’s basically the thing. Love, which occupies a lot of our time, because we don’t like being lonely. God, because everyone wants to know that there’s a reason behind what they’re doing and what the hell is going on. And death is just the reality of your finite time here.

Here is Sam Beam performing “Upward over the Mountain” at Messiah a few years ago. Check it out for a glimpse of what Saturday is going to be like.

And finally, don’t wait to buy your tickets. There are less than 400 tickets left, and we are selling at a pace of more than 100 tickets a day. This show will sell out. Don’t miss it because you were waiting to buy a ticket on the day of the show.

When Paramount Pictures wanted to reboot the Star Trek franchise with a younger cast and a new history, they turned to director J. J. Abrams, creator of both Alias and Lost, and director of Cloverfield. After grossing over 256 million dollars at the North American box office, which is well more than twice the previous best in the Star Trek franchise, Paramount must be very happy with their decision.

Star Trek has plenty to praise. It is very well written, providing a storyline that effectively reboots the franchise without ignoring what has already happened in the Star Trek history (through a clear to understand time-travel-“oh-now-that-he’s-dead-all-of-history-will-be-different” plot device that gives Kirk an understandably new personality). The acting is good, particularly by Zachary Quinto as the emotion-suppressing Spock.

But Abrams deserves a lot of credit. He’s the one who has become the master of creating mystery, as many know from watching Lost. Or think about how the film Cloverfield was marketed. Abrams talked about his use of mystery in a recent TED Talk (more on TED later). He talked about a box of magic tricks he bought (but never opened) when he was a kid, and how that box is somehow more magical because he doesn’t know what is inside. That idea of not knowing what is “inside”, and the potential and hope and infinite possibility that that holds, is the idea behind a lot of what Abrams loves about filmmaking. “Mystery is more important than knowledge,” he says as he expands on the mystery box metaphor, demonstrating his points by showing clips from several films. It is definitely worth checking out.

A little more about TED. TED is a non-profit group committed to spreading ideas that are worth spreading. Their online talks (“riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world”) are very intelligent, and run the gamut from Technology to Entertainment to Design (the original T.E.D.) and beyond. These talks have found an audience in the millions. They are always interesting and usually range between five and twenty minutes. Want to know ten ways the world could end? How schools are killing creativity? How to mod a Wii remote into an interactive white board? Whether violence is increasing or declining in the world? How we could make cheap liquid-filled eyeglasses to help a billion people see better? Check out this site and I guarantee you’ll find something interesting and inspiring.