Band-Aids don't fix bullet holes.

[rogueslayer452]

++ carlyinrome is hosting a Bruce/Natasha Friending Meme, so if you're a fan of the pairing go and join in!

++ I'm totally digging Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood" music video, along with the song because it's just so catchy as hell. I love how there's homage to things like Tron and The Fifth Element. Although with all the hype surrounding the collaborative group of women featured, I figured that the video should've been longer, or there to have been like a mini-movie from it. Most of the ladies only get like a few seconds of a cameo in the video itself, and I kind of wished there was more. That's my only nitpick, really. Otherwise, this is basically on the same level as "Blank Space" for me, essentially meaning it was awesome. Also, Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj's "Feeling Myself" video (x) dropped on the same day, which was such a wonderful experience as well. Just all the ladies, me likey. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

++ I don't watch reality television, there are at least only a few I've ever watched in my life (including the older The Real World and Road Rules seasons from like way back when) and I find most reality shows these days to be mindless drivel. However, I spent the last several days watching Hell's Kitchen on YouTube. Not full episodes, mind you, just the uncensored highlights of the seasons. I don't know how that happened, I just was just on there looking at stuff and suddenly I'm on a k-hole of watching it. I just couldn't look away, and found myself addicted. It's of course ridiculous (the drama, the excuses, the typical reality show formula setup and staged with a lot of heavy editing in places for the ~dramatic effect) but also satisfying in terms of how justice is served at times. Obviously Gordon Ramsay is known for yelling at the contestants, but after binge-watching it's understandable how irritated he can be with adults who claim to be amazing cooks and chefs and yet are inadequate at the job, never mind their excuses and immaturity when they're supposed to be professionals. It's a reminder to keep your ego in check, because no matter how good you think you are at something, bragging, even a simple humble-brag, won't do you any favors. Similar when Gordon tried to help restaurant owners in Kitchen Nightmares, you see that ego straight away with how defensive they get when he finds something that needs worked on, and when they're called out on their denial they get even further on the highly defensive attitude. It's unbelievable.

There's also a certain respect for Gordon Ramsay because, while yes it can become over-the-top at times with the way things are edited for viewing entertainment, his approach to situations is for the most part quite fair. He is like a cooking drill sergeant, he expects those who claim to be professionals to act like it and calls them out when they're not doing their job, praises them when they do something right, and he listens to others and will apologize when he crosses a line. You can tell he respects the cooking industry and wants to help people realize their talents and prove/improve themselves.

Comments

[place-to-hide.livejournal.com]

I wish the video had moments where the song paused for a moment and there was some kind of interlude or scene in between and then the song starts again. You know what I mean? Make it a 10 min music video. :P

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Exactly! I kind of expected there to be like the beginning, some scenes to play out before the actual music video started again. It would've been super cool for that to happen. It seemed far too short, especially for all the anticipation leading up to it with all those "character" posters that were released.

[ragnarok-08.livejournal.com]

Bad Blood is such a catchy song :DDD

Just all the ladies, me likey. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Me too :3

[lusimeles.livejournal.com]

i wanted to like bad blood so badly, but was a little let down by its simplicity. enjoyed the parade of great girls, though! blank page is still my fave, videos-wise - that one was pure narrative (and comedic) brilliance.

[place-to-hide.livejournal.com]

Exactly. If you're going have so many ppl star in a music video like that then you should definitely make it a little longer. So everyone isn't on screen for a few seconds or something.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I feel like Taylor should've just dropped the video Beyoncé-style, no announcement or anything. All the hype surrounding it beforehand kind of ruined how the video was to be perceived due to all the high anticipation of what the video was going to be like, if that makes sense. Part of me hopes that there's an extended video or a part 2, but alas I don't think there will be one. It's still a great video though, I love the visuals. It just needed to be longer for everyone involved.

"Blank Space" is just utterly brilliant. It's the Gone Girl of her videos, and it's so well executed. :)

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I'm just really loving Taylor's 1989 era so much. ♥

[carlyinrome.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the pimp! So far... no one has signed up. Heh. Once again, I find myself in my own tiny pocket of fandom.

OMG, that "Bad Blood" video is the shiznitz. I agree with you, though; there should be more of it. Maybe there will be an extended director's cut or something? We can dream...

[rhoda-rants.livejournal.com]

I looooove the "Bad Blood" video. Not so much loving the song, simply because I prefer the version on the actual album. I still don't know why artists do that--release one version of a song on the album and then remix it for the single/radio release. This one's not terrible, but it nixes my favorite line: "Time can heal but this won't / So if you're coming my way, just don't." I don't know why I love that so much, but I was annoyed not to have that in the remix.

But the video is pretty sweet. I love the costumes, the color schemes, the zillions of characters that I suddenly want to write fanfic about--it's fun.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

The one thing I don't particularly care for with specific radio/video remixes is adding random rap artists be a part of it who don't really mesh or flow with the song, you know what I mean? Unless it's a really good collaboration, nobody wants that. This one I don't mind too much, but it would've been better had it just been Taylor and the ladies. Or if, say, Nicki Minaj or Beyoncé had been a part of it. :3

I love the concept of the video, but it just makes me want more of this futuristic scifi all-woman assassin story. Already the fanfic and fanartists are creating things as we speak... ;)

[lusimeles.livejournal.com]

that is a very good point! i definitely hope she has a surprise sequel in store as well. it just felt like a lot of build-up.

blank space won me over completely, ngl. i'd always vaguely liked her before, but i think that was the one that made me into a fan.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Awww. Well, hopefully someone will, and if not, I'm sure you'll find other Bruce/Natasha fans out there amongst the vastness of the MCU fandom.

Whether there is or isn't, I betcha there will be fanfiction and fanart created from it all over Tumblr. ;)

[captandor.livejournal.com]

I LOVE HELL'S KITCHEN AND GORDAN RAMSAY.

(and everything else in this post - TSWIFT - but mostly that and it makes me so happy to see a fellow non-reality tv fan get into HK ♥)

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I DIDN'T EXPECT TO BE! I knew of it and seen clips here and there, but I didn't intend to actually get as deep as I did. Apparently cooking shows have a lot of entertainment value, mostly when Gordon Ramsay is involved.

And I swear, you can create a drinking game with how much he declares something being "RAW!" or him cursing out a storm, lol.

[omgpeyton.livejournal.com]

I loved the Feeling Myself video! Forces to be reckoned with, those two. I watched the Taylor Swift video for the cameos and I was sad as well that their appearances were only a few seconds. But I guess that happens with like.. 10+ guest stars.

Ramsay really is a drill sergeant of cooking. He just does it to the extremes in a lot of ways because people aren't listening. At least, that's what he does in Kitchen Nightmares.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I love their friendship so much. Basically anytime these two are together collabing it is the best. ♥

And yeah IA, though I figured that if you're going to include that many people in your video than perhaps the video should be made just a little bit longer in order to show more than a few seconds worth of their faces. Idk. I think with all the promotion surrounding the video it led to certain expectations that weren't met when it finally premiered. It's still a cool music video nonetheless.

He really does go to some extremes to a certain extent, and I know that a lot of times it's for the camera (and the editing to make it even more dramatic), but when you see some of these people that he deals with like, you understand his frustration.

[woodycakes.livejournal.com]

i love taylor like crazy but the hype for this video was nuts. i do wish it were longer since everyone got like 2 seconds each haha. it totally reminded me of toxic by britney haha. still love her though.

blank space is still by far my fave video from this album.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

The ending, I think, was paying homage to "Toxic" in a way, with the outfit and the red hair in front of an explosion. The video was jam packed with plenty of things that I had to watch it several times to see what I missed.

[sictransits.livejournal.com]

I agree, I wish the Bad Blood video was a bit longer. All the cameos were so short.

[dhampyresa.livejournal.com]

Seeing how much Ramsay cares about cooking and the people he's helping is a good deal of what draws me to his shows.

[fly-meaway.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with what you said about the "Bad Blood" music video. It was just so short and like you point out- most of the ladies only got like a few seconds of a cameo in it. It was great, but I did expect a lot more and I wish they had done more with it as well. But yes, totally digging it too!