Page 7
The Compass
March 2 , 2004
LIFESTYLE
MUSIC REVIEW
&
Rocking old school
Toby Tate
tobynlaura@inteliport.net
Staff Writer
The other night I was'flipping through the channels when I stopped at a guy screaming “Are you gonna be
my girl.” At first, I thought I was watching retro TV or something. They were rocking old school, like the Who, the
Stones, the Kinks, the Beatles, and a little AC/DC thrown in for good measure. They looked the part: long, shaggy
hair, black, pointy boots, leather jackets and lots of attitude. Did I say Ramones? I might as well throw them in the
mix, as well.
Later, I was looking through the CD bins at Wal-Mart, and once again, there they were. The band is called
Jet, and according to the Web site, the name comes from the Paul McCartney song of the same name. I decided
to give the CD, “Get Born,” a spin. It's been a while since I’ve heard a real rock and roll band.
The four lads from Melbourne, Australia-Brothers Nic Cester and Chris Cester, Cam Muncey and Mark
Wilson--are attempting to take the reins and bring the roll back to the rock. The influence of all the bands I named
above can be heard throughout the CD. In fact, the Web site names every one of them as influences. They
impressed Keith Richards so much, he invited them to play on the Australian leg of the Stones' world tour.
Judging by the album art, one of their favorite albums had to be the Beatles’ “Revolver,” because it looks
just like it. The song “Look What You’ve Done,” which has received radio play, definitely has Beatle influence with
a McCartney-ish piano accompaniment and Ringo Starr drumbeat.
Sickened by the “grunge” fad (which he calls “slit your wrist music”), and the way rock was heading, Nic
Cester wanted to be true to what he had grown up listening to-- bands like the Faces, the Easybeats and the Who.
Produced and mixed by Dave Sardy (Marilyn Manson, Dandy Warhols), the CD runs from Cold Play mellowness
to Kinks blistering guitar rock, maintaining cohesiveness throughout. The last track, “Timothy,” even brought a
tear to my eye.
These guys are unpretentious. They don’t try to sound like anybody and aren’t likely to be your next fad
60’s throwback band. The lyrics aren’t full of teen angst, nor is it the Brady Bunch singing “It's a Sunshine Day.”
They're for real and will probably have some staying power. If you’re tired of corporate rock and the Pearl Jam
wannabe’s, give Jet's “Get Born” a listen.
The bands Web site, “jettheband.com,” provided information for this article.
Timberland:
A boot
phenomenon
Jennifer Pride
F0XYG1 N@aol.com
Staff Writer
What is America's fascination with and desire for Timberland boots?
Almost everyone can say that they have at least one pair of Timber-
lands, or Tims as they are known, in their closet, and if not, they know
someone who does.
The $1.1 billion footwear, apparel and accessories company
has been a phenomenon in our culture since the early 1980’s, but the
question everyone wants to know is, why has the Timberland boot re
mained so popular, when so many other styles have come and gone?
“Kids are our main customers; when they pick a style they like,
it is an instant fad,” said Lenora Allen, manager of Sound Feet Shoes
here in Elizabeth City.
At Sound Feet Shoes, the boot’s popularity is evident in the
massive display areas in the men’s, women’s, and children’s depart
ments that are dedicated to Timberland boots.
In January alone, Allen’s store sold over 160 pair of Timberland
boots, of the more than 50 styles available there. Elizabeth City, being
a college town has a great demand for these boots, which are mar
keted to people between the ages of 16 and 35.
Timberland is owned by Sidney Swartz, who inherited the com
pany from his grandfather Nathan Swartz, who in 1918 bought out an
other shoe company to become one of the leading boot manufactur
ers. However, it wasn’t until the 1960’s, when the company helped change
shoe technology by introducing injection-molding technology to the foot
wear industry, that Timberland had made a permanent impression on
the boot industry.
During the 1980’s, Timberland made the transformation from
merely an industrial work shoe product to a largely popular, interna
tional lifestyle brand. Timberland’s clientele includes everyone from
the average construction worker to urban hip-hop youth to active grand
parents. Timberland is definitely an untouchable company that com
petitors have yet to budge.
Timberlands are sold in over 25 different colors and over 120
different styles adding to their popularity. The wheat, leather field boot
is Timberland’s most popular product, but the company also has
women’s, men’s, and children’s collections that include, shoes, clogs,
mules, sandals, and clothing.
Fashion and comfort are reasons junior, Cornelius Jones, says
are worth purchasing Timberland boots.
“Timberlands are hot, but only in America do you have to pay
more to rock boots then you do dress shoes,” agreed senior, Shannan
Clarke.
At Sound Feet, you can purchase a pair of Timberlands for
approximately $84, for men and women, and ^$64 for kids. In some
places, prices are higher. Nevertheless, it is obvious that price does
not hinder sales in any way.
Timberland is often imitated, but no other company has yet to
capture the look, style and comfort that Timberland customers look for
when purchasing their product.
Nelly video offends some DC area students
ByTaryn Burn
Black College Wire
February 18, 2004
Nelly's music video “Tip Drill” de-
juted on Black Entertainment Television’s
Uncut” show in December, displaying half-
naked women with only their privates
slurred, lesbian antics in a hot tub, and a lot
of thongs. Christina Payne, a Howard Uni-
i/ersity senior, was offended.
“BET is supposed to represent us,
and if other people were to turn to this show,
t would affirm the stereotypes [about blacks]
and it would seem as though degrading and
5xploiting black women is OK. If a line is not
Jrawn now,there is no telling what we will
see next," Payne said.
So on Dec. 15, Payne and about
10 other students from the University of Mary-
and at College Park and Howard University,
and members of the social fratnernity Alpha
Mu Omega stood in front of the BET building
n Northeast Washington. They held posters
and chanted, “T & A, diamonds and cash! Is
his what we fought for in the past?"
She is working on another demon
stration there in April.
The racy late-night music-video show
eaves some viewers offended and others
staying up late just to catch it. Airing at 3
a.m., “Uncut" features videos that are not
seen in prime time, including some that are
adult-oriented.
“I usually watch music video pro
grams and I’ve seen ‘Uncut’ a couple of
imes, but because of some of the videos
:hey show, I wouldn’t watch it all the time,’’
said Gavin Fields, a Georgetown University
ophomore.
The demonstrators said they felt
:he protest was a positive start. One partici
pant, junior Justin Davis from the University
3f Maryland, said, “The protest back in De-
!»mber was a good catalyst for more things
n the future. We received a positive reac-
ion from residents driving past; some
stopped to learn more about what we were
joing and people were even willing to help
with expenditures in the future."
BET's vice president of corporate
communications, Michael Lewellen, said he
knew nothing about the protest.
“We respect the students’ opinion,”
he said, “but you would never see a show like
this during prime time, when the audience is
younger, which is why it is clearly identified to
target a more adult audience."
Most networks assume that children are
not watching TV then, so they provide a time
slot for more adult-oriented shows.
“It is a show designed to show music
videos that have an edge, and the law allows
networks to air these types of shows at these
times. Several networks do the same thing,"
Llewelen said.
According to Payne, the protest is not
focused only on “Uncut," but aims to get BET to
provide better programming, with higher stan
dards, educational programs and shows that
help the black audience better itself.
“Since BET is the biggest network for
black TV, they should realize their responsibility
to us and enhance their programming," Payne
said.
“Uncut" is not all about videos with an
edge; there are also videos that air during prime
time. But the videos with the shock value are
receiving the criticism.
Still, some have no problem with the
programming. “I personally don’t see anything
wrong with ‘Uncut,’ said James Rice, a junior at
the University of the District of Columbia.
“Shows on BET are for entertainment
purposes, and that is exactly what these vid
eos do, they entertain,” he said. “It may be true
that some videos exploit black women in a way
that is not positive for the black community, but
people should not look at it as an example of
how to behave, but merely for its purpose of
entertainment."
Others say the show could be seen as a
reflection of African American society.
“I do feel that this program is problem
atic because it is a reflection of how black men
feel this is how they should act toward black
women. But, I also feel that it is the viewer’s
choice whether they want to watch the show
or not,” said Christopher Smith, an University of
Maryland alumnus.
Taryn Burns can be reached at
District_Chronicles @hotmail.com.
MOVIE REVIEW
Title: The Butterfly Effect
Director: Eric Bress
Danielle Harrigan
d_vinecreation@hotmail.com
Staff Writer
*
The movie “The Butterfly Effect” has a title that springs from the chaos-theory that if a butterfly is
flapping its wings on one part of the globe it might trigger a hurricane on another. “The Butterfly Effect”
applies this theory to the lives of four children whose early lives are marred by tragedy. When one of them
finds that he can go back in time and make changes, he tries to improve the present by altering the past.
The characters in this film are Ashton Kutcher, who plays Evan, a young college psychology
major; Amy Smart .and William Lee Scott, who play Kayleigh and Tommy, a brother and sister with a
pedophile father; and Elden Heson, who plays Lenny, their friend.
Kutcher’s, Evan Treborn, has many missing gaps in his past, he experiences blackouts from an
early age where he is unable to recall traumatic events. While brain scans show no abnormalities, his
mother (Melora Walters) worries desperately because his father, who was in a mental hospital years ago,
experienced similar mental black holes.
A psychologist (Nathaniel Deveaux) suggests that Evan keep a diary detailing his daily life. In
college years later, he happens to find his old notebooks and reads a passage. Suddenly, Evan is thrust
back in time, reliving an event his mind refused to record. Back in the present and with a nosebleed to
show for his time travel, Evan realizes that these blackouts are a kind of bookmark to which he can travel
back whenever he reads a passage leading up to an unremembered event.
However, Evan’s young life has been so messed up (by murder, pedophilia, pet slaughter and
more) that his efforts to go back in time and alter the past usually end up causing more terrible
consequences. Chicago Sun -Times movie reviewer, Roger Ebert, gave this movie a C+: “1 enjoyed “The
Butterfly Effect,” up to a point. That point was reached too long before the end of the movie. There’s so
rriuch flashing forward and backward, so many spins of fate, so many chapters in the journals, that after
a while I felt that 1, as well as time, was being jerked around, he said.”
The overall theme that this movie is trying to get across is that no matter how much one tries to
make decisions and plan things, one never knows how things are going to turn out.
If you’re a sci-fi junkie, this movie is not for you. With all its plot-holes and gaps, it would probably
leave all of you sci-fi fans with a bad taste in your mouth. However, for everyone else, especially you
Ashton Kutcher fans, you will probably leave the theatre feeling slightly entertained.
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