Last year about this time I made this blog post about the national on-line fascination with Kimbo Slice. At that time he was just beginning to be known a bit for his videotaped bare-fisted back alley fights, and the fact that fellow internet sensation Bas Rutten was supposedly beginning to train him in actual martial arts techniques. One year later he’s fighting on national television on CBS. That’s amazing, frankly. I can’t even tell you who the heavyweight boxing champion is these days (not since Mike Tyson reigned could I tell you this.) What does this mean? Well, first off, it definitely doesn’t mean that we’ve lost interest in the rawness of hand to hand, man to man combat. All that is there and always will be. It does mean that the culture of the “fight” has changed with the need for extremes. Boxing has become too tame for the mainstream. UFC used to be so violent that it was subcultural, but no longer, not with the celebration of Kimbo Slice on CBS. Kimbo’s fight against the British brute James Thompson was quite the spectacle, and it ended up being a serious slugfest like the people wanted. However, many people felt it was fixed and that there was no way the network could have allowed for Kimbo to lose. Might be true.
Silkblog
Category Archives: Wildculture
Stereo Total - Baby Revolution
I came across this song by Stereo Total while listening to Pandora the other day. It struck me immediately so I went to youtube and looked for videos and found this little 3rd party video which I think is pretty great. I like how the author wrote out the words as he draws, rolls, and lights his cigarette. Playfulness with a powerful message. The song just sounds sweet and is written, played and sung so well. Enjoy.
Orba Squara “Gravel”
This is an inspiring and beautiful video directed by Lorcan Finnegan and produced group of talented cohorts. So well conceived and executed. It’s simple but complex, pretty but a little scary, and has a great build to the finish. I want to know what 3d tracking software was used to make this, and how the animation was done. It also rides that fantastic line between the real and the virtual. Oh, and Apple used it for their iphone ads, making it yet another piece of high art in the mainstream engine.
Another Sample
a hi-def video sample
Red Truck in HD
Did some more camera play today. Here is a bit of luscious new red truck footage shot in HDV on a Canon XH A1 and compressed into a 6.8 MB 640 x 360 flv file. Not bad.
RZA - You Can’t Stop Me Now
Slick new video and song from RZA as Bobby Digital.
Gold Sequin Under Gray Sky
I bought this dress at a neighbor’s estate sale earlier this year for $10. It’s a gorgeous hand made garment from long ago that was apparently only worn once or twice. Looks gorgeous (dare I say Excaliburian?!?) here on Caroline in the waning day at earthquake lake.
Silkblog-your daily dose of wildlife AND wildculture (furealz!)-is Back!
I’m sure a lot of people have maybe already seen this, but I’m re-kicking off Silkblog this summer 2008 with a celebration of Weezer’s new video “Pork and Beans.” This is a great song and an AMAZING video, and the two together are a KNOCKOUT. It’s not that no one’s ever had the brilliant idea of collaging together so many viral vid clips and youtube stars in one piece before, but no one has done it like this. This vid makes a statement, cleverly mixing independent youtube up and comers like Chris Crocker and the spelling bee kid with big budget Weezer. We expect these “cameo” appearances to be somehow reappropriated (from their original clips) into the new video, so I love the surprise when we realize that these “youtube” stars are actually in the new piece. And the mantra of “Ima do the things that I wanna do” (a defense of the brilliant absurdities that fuel today’s “viralness,” and not a grating declaration of common teen angst) is refreshing in the name of art. This is just plain wonderful, apropos as can be, and you can get lost in it.
New Animalism
I recently saw both of these videos and they’re just marvelous. If humans really are ”animals” who refuse to believe they’re ”animals.” (And I subscribe to this belief), then it’s actually comforting to see animals behaving with such civility and tenderness. Always we reduce the animal to danger and savagery, to walking around on all fours with noses in their own shit, scrapping to survive and not be killed (not dissimilar from much human behavior, eh?). But ”animals” are so much more complex. From these two clips it would appear that whatever wavelengths they’re on include