Bill's PurpleCrayon Blog

A MUST-SEE POLITICAL CARTOON

If you haven't heard about the enormously funny "This Land Cartoon" written, directed and animated by Gregg and Evan Spiridellis and available on their Website JibJab.com, you must not be watching TV or listening to the radio.

On Tuesday of this week, Gregg and Evan were interviewed on The Today Show. This morning Evan was interviewed on the syndicated radio program The Bob and Tom Show, on which Bob proclaimed the cartoon short "absolutely brilliant." On their Web site, the morning talk show hosts (hilarious in their own right) proclaim Gregg and Evan as "the geniuses behind www.jibjab.com." Plus, they had this to say about the JibJab duo:


Overnight Sensation Gregg and Evan Spiridellis are two brothers who run a design studio known as JibJab by day and make hilarious computer Flash animations for the masses in their spare time. Their latest animated movies is the political cartoon - This Land - and it has taken the country by storm. Their hysterical parody of Woody Guthrie’s classic patriotic tune has turned into a cult phenomenon and is without a doubt the most remarkable aspect of a rather boring 2004 presidential election campaign. Their satirical animation has been featured on every national and local news outlet in the country as well as right here on the front page of bobandtom.com. According to Gregg and Evan, "The economics of JibJab are simple. Simply insane, that is. We do an advertising job, squirrel away the money, and then take time off to produce something like “This Land” which, in most cases, won’t make us a dime. Some have called it a fiscally reckless lifestyle (actually, I think I said that), but gosh darn it, we’ve got big dreams, and dreams die hard."

 
On Wednesday, The Today Show followed up their feature on Gregg and Evan (and showing of their cartoon in its entireity) by reporting that the JibJab site received 2,000,000 to 3,000,000 hits in a single day (thanks, in part, to the broadcast Tuesday) and was nearly overloaded. Indeed, when I tried to log on I was greeted with the notice that their servers were swamped and I should try back later. I did.

This animated political cartoon is one of the funniest you'll ever see. Please visit www.jibjab.com and see it for yourself. This is Artistry of the highest order.

Keep Purple!

 
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EVERYONE'S A SOLOIST

We were driving home from the Lansing area Sunday, listening to CDs I'd brought with us, when something occured to me.

Where have all the background vocals gone?

I realized as we listened to The Beatles' "Nowhere Man" that groups just don't record those good old "La-la-la" background vocals any more. No "Ooh, la, la's," either. Nary an "Ooh," let alone a "La."

Why is that?

Try these possibilities on for size:

1. In today's American Idol culture, no one wants to play second fiddle. People want to be stars. Soloists. Or nothing at all.

2. Musical craftsmanship is dead. Bill Bruford, legendary drummer for Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, UK and other virtuoso bands, once told me that one of the reasons why he quit Yes in the early '70s to join King Crimson is because he got tired of sitting around arguing with bassist Chris Squire over whether or not a note should be "C" or "C#". I venture to guess that doesn't happen much any more.

Hey, maybe I'm wrong. But when was the last time you heard a song that featured background vocals just as catchy as the lead? Hmmm?

For that matter, when was the last time you stepped away from the plate to assist, rather than take charge?

Keep Purple!


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