Newspapers / University of North Carolina … / Feb. 12, 1998, edition 1 / Page 4
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Page 4 The Banner February 12,1998 Features 'Singled Ouf beats campus dating blues By Amelia Morrison staff Writer On Feb. 9, students arrived at the Highsmith Center lounge to watch contestants try to win a date on “Singled Out,” a dating game sched uled for UNCA’s Homecoming ’98. I he event started 45 minutes late because of scheduling problems. “Whoever scheduled it probably- thought the basketball game would be done by 9 p.m., ” said Chad Jor dan, a junior biology major. At 9 p.m., some of the game show participants were still at the basket ball game instead of the dating game. I'he lapsed time did not seem to dampen the enthusiasm of the par ticipants. “I need a date like a mad dog,” said Ryan Southern, freshman. “I am kind oflookingforashort term Valentine’s Day commitment.” Not all students were really looking for a date. “I’m just here to have a good time,” said Willie Watkins, the freshman male who won a date. Sigma Nu Fraternity and Gamma Phi Peta Sorority arranged the game show as well as a date for the winning couples. “We get things donated to us. We got free movie tickets and meals from restaurants,” said Al Donaldson, a junior literature majorand the repre sentative from Sigma Nu that helped arrange the event. This year the winning couples re ceived free dinners at Lone Star res taurant or Boston Pizza, and free movie tickets. Though the dinner and movie tickets are free, winning students do not have to really go on a date. “Once they leave, we are not going to supervise them and make them go,” said Claudia Perez-Hurtado, a junior biology major, and the repre- Hitt’S PHOTO BY TRAVIS BARKER UNCA alumna and Gamma Phi Beta member Meredith Brown hosted the “Singled Out” dating game as part of Homecoming ‘98 festivities on Feb. 9 held in the Highsmith Center Lounge. sentative from Gamma Phi Beta that helped to coordinate the game show. “Singled Out” was a part of home coming again this year because of its success last year. “It started last year during homecoming, and there was a really big turn out,” said Jordan. “It is basically just like the MTV version. People are .selected by process ofeli m i- nation.” ' That process included performing tasks like eating mini whipped cream pies in a creative fashion, or shaking one’s rear end i n a way that brings the applause and approval of the audi ence, just to name a couple of this year’s tasks. Before the game show began, the organizers selected one female and one male participant from the people that signed up for each sex. Approxi mately 40 females and 40 malessigned the list. “We just drew names randomly,” said Jordan. The winning couples were likely to be two on-campus students because there were not as many commuter students at the event. “It is because the si^n-up sheet was in the cafeteria, and commuter stu dents do not eat there,” said Katie Duffy, freshman education major. Donaldson said that it is inconve nient forcommuterstudents to comt back to campus in the evening, unlik( on campus students who are a shon walk away from Highsmith. Jerry Springer: Not hot enough Review By Erin King Managing Editor Jerry Springer, the talk show host who has built his career on giving daytime TV a bad name, has graced those who cannot satiate their appe tite for theabsurd with “Jerry Springer Show Too Hot for 'rV!” The video, which lasts approximately 43 minutes, has enough gratuitous violence, profanity, and nudity to live up to its title. It shows Springer preying on the dys- ftmctional while en joying a striptease ev ery now and then. His guests are not encour aged to resolve their' problems or compro mise, but rather to beat the crap out of each other while the audi ence cheers them on. Unlike some of his other talk show com petitors, who bring in doctors and psychia trists as mediators for feuding guests. Springer’s bouncers, lovingly referred to as “Jerry’s Kids," provide the only sort of profes sional help any of his guests will ever need. In many instances, it appears that Springer instigates these fights; other times, they appear to be planned. On one clip from “I Won t Let You Get Married,” a 17-year-old girl and her ,30-year-old boyfriend confront her parents about their relationship. When Springer introduces one of her male relatives, he rushes out, tackles the boyfriend, and beats him tmtil Jerry’s Kids break them up. Most of the clips follow the same formula for violence, with such sti rnu- laiing topics as “My Sister Slept With My Three Husbands” and “1 Have Many Lovers.” All this unnecessary violence, which is the main reason Springer is rated second in fxjpular daytime talkshows, brings back memories of junior high, when two people would fight and everyone would crowd around them, egging them on. Yet violence is not the only thing Springer has to offer. There is also the ever-popular show topic of nudity. I hese shows prove that Springer is sympathetic to the plight ofthe cloth ing challenged, and will grant the wishes of any wanna-be stripper, like in the show “My Dream is to Pose Nude.” Not all of the show topics are with out redeeming social value. “I’m Proud to be a Racist,” which brings COURTESY OF REAL ENTERTAINMENT Jerry Springer’s video “Too Hot For TV” contains adult language and mature subject matter. members of the African American communitytogetherwith KKKmem- bers to discuss their differences. Un fortunately, this turns out to be like every other show, with much scream ing and fist-throwing. About halfvvay through the video, the guests and audience alike become more and more childish. At first. Springer’s continual ex ploitation of these people is sicken ing. Here are people who haven’t the ability to deal with their problems, and look to talk shows as a way to maybe solve them, only to have Springer capitalize on their misery. Not all guests can use this excuse, however. Being on the show appears to be a bigjoke to them, and they play their roles with zest, while laughing the whole time. It becomes clear, though, that these people are not on this show to solve their problems. They are only looking for their 15 minutes of fame, even if it means making aii ice cream sundae on their breasts. At the end of the video. Springer presents the staple of his show, his “Final Thought.” Supposedly, this ending monologue will show viewers a new perspective on what they have just witnessed, and Springer can sleep at night knowing he has served the common good. “Ifwe permit only those views which the majority of us hold, then you and 1 are freeonly so long as we agree with the majority,” Springer says. So the truth comes out: all this clawing and hair-pulling and gratu itous nudity is there because Springer challenges those who wish to take our First Ammendment freedoms away. Nice try, but not quite. If Springer encouraged calm, verbal communi cation between his guests instead of allowing them to behave like they are in daycare again, he may be able to claim he is theguardian offree speech. By allowing adults to behave as chil dren so he can get ratings, however, makes him just another money-hun gry talk show host. Springer explains that while he and anyone related to the show do not condonesuch behavior, hechallenges the audience to think about “how boring life would be if there was no outrageousness.” How boring, indeed, yet how much safer also. A trip to 'Spice World' By Kim Lofgren Contributing Writer Determined to squeeze as much money out of their fans as they pos sibly can, The Spice Girls are back with their own feature film, cleverly titled “Spice World.” “So tell me whatchawant/ whatcha really really want.” The answer to these lyrics (sampled from the Beastie Boys) from their first release pro pelled the Spice Girls to stardom over a year and a half ago i n the U. K., and soon after in the U.S. Airtime and requests flooded the radio stations and MTV, with sales topping 10 million albums. Now Posh, Baby, Scary, Ginger, and Sporty, the five kitschy mem bers of the group, have followed up their amazing success in pop music with a venture into Hollywood. A marketing phenomenon, their cartoon feminism belittles and trivializes the diligent and hard work of genuine artists such as Sarah McLachlan. The Spice Girls have sparked debate over their brand of feminism, which they call “Girl Power. ’ The question has been raised many times: “Are the Spice Gids what feminism has come to in the ’90s?” All fans of Margaret Thatcher, are the Spice Girls really board room con servatism in platform sneakers? The Spice Girl dolls certainly appear to be the politically correct version of Barbie. While their appeal ranges from the bubblegum preteens to their middle- age fathers, there seems to be a gap in the spread. But who knows? Some body is buying their albums. “Spice World” follows the Spice Girls through avery lame adventure. Ambiguous though the plot is, there is a lot of busy action as the five Brits are getting ready for a concert at Albert Hall, coming to terms with their fame, all the while being pur sued by evil paparazzi determined to break up the singing group. Throughout the film, the girls are traveling in their Spice tour bus, a double-decker bus decorated with a gargantuan Union Jack (can you say “potential I.R.A. target”?). Although obviously not expecting the pinnacle of cinematic achieve ment, I was at least hoping for a somewhat flinny campy film. However, “Spice World” did not deliver. It is not sure if it wants to be a campy adult comedy, or geared for preteens. “Spice World” is trying to mimic the documentary-style random com edy of “A Hard Day’s Night.” The main differenceis,ofcourse, “A Hard Day’s Night” was about The Beatles—and the Airheads are no the Mopheads. Leading the supporting cast, Alai Cumming (“Emma”) is endearing with his trademark quizzical expres sion on his face, as a documentai] filmmaker following the group Stephen Fry (BBC’s “Blackaddei famous for his caustic wit, makes brief appearance as a surreal judgf relegating the Spice Girls to has-been status. Roger Moore is absurdly funny a the girls’ shaken-not-stirred Bond esque boss (possibly charcterizinj Richard Branson?). George Wendt is mildly comic as movie executive. Meatloaf is wonder fill as the Spice bus driver. There are also great cameos by EIvi Costello, Bob Geldof, Elton John and Bob Hoskins. And there are countless appearances by Britcom actors not easily recognized by an American audience. By the way, can anyone find Hugh Laurie (also of “Blackadder”) in thi film? Listed in the credits as “thi pilot,” none ofour party of four couk remember where he appeared. This movie is definitely worth miss, unless you are in the mood play “Mystery Science Theater,” ' one of those millions who are secret buying their albums. Anyone fo “Blues Brothers 2000?-an America classic in the making. From Burlington, VT Slrangefolh This four-piece creates a folky, spacey sound that makes for a very graOfyirtg show-going experience. StrangefoBc's tight rhythmic songs are inteifaced with powerful harmonies and free-roaming Jams... its audiences iieep com ing badt for more. -ReilK August '97 BE HERE NOW in Asheville (704)254-4248 THURSDAY, FEB. 19th at 9 pm 18+/$5 admission Look for our CD, "Weightless in Water" at Karma Sonics Stran^efolk Hotline: S02-63S-6453 Webpage: www.Strangefolk.com 30th Anniversary Tour The National Theatre of the Deaf PEER A Life Lost and Found in Two Acts “You'll see and hear every wnrd" of this Henrik Ibsen play— actors using American Sign Language and spoken words, Pilobolus Dancers, larger-tli in>litc puppets, and music that you >. «» see and hear. February 24-25 • 8 p.m. Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place Tickets available at the UNCA HighsmidiCesnE»£ $5 UNCA students, $13 UNCA faculty* staff, College members and alumni. • Monday-Friday, 10^um-*4 p.m* For information and to charge i ickets by phone, call 704/251'6584’ WCQS Sponsor Presented hy UNCA Cultural Special bvenii
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Feb. 12, 1998, edition 1
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