Okay, so maybe uncategorizable is not the right word (or a word in general), but when I began compiling lists, I couldn't avoid talking about these things. However, where do they fit in relation to the rest of the Listmania series? This is a random collection of things that made 2012 memorable that would otherwise not make a list of any sorts. There's a lot of positive/negative/what the hell? here. It isn't the best of the best, but when I think of 2012, I cannot think of the year without it.
Goodbye Radio Days:
The End of 95.5 KLOS' Mark and Brian Radio Show
I have said this many times and many ways, but when I was a child, I used to listen to morning radio with a certain reverence. As I grew into my 20's and suddenly found my tastes differing into realms such as podcasts, the morning radio escaped my interest for the most part, except for Mark and Brian. This show has been with me since I was a child being driven to school and the final day was bittersweet as I listened to Mark Thompson go over the 6-10 AM time schedule and instead say 45 minutes of heartfelt goodbyes. It will be known as the last time that I felt emotional attachment to the radio. Unfortunately, majority of the archives were removed from podcasts, so there is very little chance to revisit it the easy way. However, both Thompson and co-host Brian Phelps have moved onto the podcast scene with the Brian and Jill Show and the Mark and Lynda Podcast. Both different, but both a welcoming sign that veterans of spoken media realize that podcasts are the future. To me, that is ultimately the most welcoming sign when people you admired openly realize that there is a new way to consume media.
One F*cked Up Year:
Spin Magazine Halts All Future Publications
As I wrote last week, Spin Magazine is a very integral part of my life and how it shaped me as a journalist. I had dreams of working for them and thought that it was the best publication ever. However, 2012 wasn't kind to them and it went from this monthly glimmer of wonderment in my eyes to an ugly, bulky package that was bought by Buzzmedia. I never recovered my love once the buyout happened, and while I held out hope that Spin Magazine could find new footing, they just never did, and that hurt a bit. With the news last week, a certain part of my childhood has died and now will live on in boxes under my bed of years of inspiration for all time. No magazine even comes close.
Greatest Event, Worst Coverage:
The 2012 London Olympics
In an odd turn of events, the man in me that doesn't like sports openly watched the Olympics with a certain passion. From the extravagant opening ceremony by Danny Boyle to the great American gymnastics team, there is a certain mix of spectacle that came along with watching the event every night. However, the one thing that ruined everything was the packaged quality that was lead by Bob Costas. What an embarrassment that was to hear Costas derail the opening ceremonies by discussing the downfall of certain countries. It was ultimately an embarrassment that could have been solved with a mute button. This was made worse by program coverage that only focused on the same five sports for the entire two week run. It was a great year that unfortunately saw me have to find equestrian on during the graveyard shift and question why Costas still had a job.
Least Favorite Living Person:
James Holmes
I try to avoid talking about my hatred of James Holmes nowadays just to be an optimistic person, but also just to not remind people. I know that tragedy happens every day, even with recent school shootings. What makes Holmes stand out to me to the point that I have been wanting this jerk dead? This summer was supposed to be a great time when fans gathered together and discussed the Dark Knight Rises as an achievement in film. Then critics began getting death threats for bad reviews. Annoying, but Eric D. Snider's notorious fake review made it that easier to accept. Then the ultimate surprise came when I got home from the screening, hopped up on love and desire to discuss the film. A shooting happened in Aurora, Colardo that is considered to be one of the biggest fatalities in American history: 12 dead and 59 injured. No lie, Holmes made me scared to go to the movies during a time that I planned to see the Dark Knight Rises a lot. I revolted by actually going, and the fear disappeared in time. However, by then, my obsession kicked in and I have wanted this man dead ever since. Every simmer of evidence that has come out keeps making him look guiltier.
Greatest Loss (Human):
Adam "MCA" Yauch
Talk about an entrepreneur who revolutionized hip hop music and then later independent cinema. Adam "MCA" Yauch was one of the pioneers of 80's hip hop with the Beastie Boys, who produced classic albums, notably "Paul's Boutique." They made music videos that launched Spike Jonze's career and became innovations unto themselves with new ways of thinking. His art couldn't be controlled and by the time that their concert movie Awesome, I F**king Shot That! became an apex of film making genius, MCA was already a legend. His lasting legacy will be present in his film company Oscilloscope Laboratories, which continues to produce films like Shut Up and Play the Hits and We Need to Talk About Kevin. MCA found ways to make art lively and tangible without losing the creative freedom. At very least, it kills my dream of one day ever seeing the Beastie Boys play live and seeing what makes them great.
Kevin Clash Retires From Sesame Street
Whether or not you watch Sesame Street anymore, there is little doubt that you haven't in some way been affected by Elmo, the lovable red puppet whose world-inducing happiness culminated in the amazing 2011 documentary Being Elmo. As a fan of the creative arts, I have grown to admire Kevin Clash's puppeteering skills and I admired him for being so purely optimistic. He just wanted to bring joy into your life, and his lack of dark issues made it so endearing. That is until numerous allegations accused him of inappropriate relationships with minors that essentially tanked his career. Instead of risking his public image, Clash took this opportunity to step down from his gig in order to maintain the company's family friendly image. Even if someone replaces Clash as the voice of Elmo, it will not be the same. I won't take a side on the issue, but this may be the most heartbreaking forced retirement of the year.
Greatest Loss (Media):
Extra Hot Great Podcast Calls It Quits
I have had a complicated relationship with Extra Hot Great that essentially ended up being one of conflicted love. Their clip-heavy, catty conversations were unlike anything else being released, and it was fun to listen to. The format was top notch and the game segment at the end was always worthy of a listen. Their show unfortunately came to an end and therefore leaving me desperately looking for a new show with the live energy that this show bestowed. At very least, I have heard Joe Reid a few times on the Film Experience (along with Katey Rich), and it has been a relief to hear them stiff plowing away at stuff, but until Previously TV finally gets going, there is little chance of ever finding a gem as endearing as Extra Hot Great.
Mediocre Event, Overblown Coverage:
The 2012 Presidential Election and Debates
In an odd turn of events, I had to Google who the loser of the 2012 National Elections were when writing up this piece. Did anyone care enough that Mitt Romney could beat Barrack Obama? Everything leading up to that moment has been skewered to death and I'm kind of glad that I only caught the tail end of it. The excessive promotion and scandalous reveals all were meant to infuriate voters into realizing that Obama is the sane one in a sea of loonies. I voted and I stand by my choices, but it still is a bigger sigh of relief when the media stops doing a Bob Costas and lets reality play out in a dignified fashion. I mean, seriously, did anyone think Romney was actually going to win with his views on everything reflecting a Pol Pot-ian dystopia?
The 2013 Ultimate Time Suck:
Bored to Death Gets Rumored for a Movie
I stand by my belief that Bored to Death was one of the best shows of the modern era. While this was the first year that saw me not get my fix of Jonathan Ames' frivolities, I did get an equally annoying predicament. In 2012, Bored to Death joined the wagon of shows that are now rumored for a movie revival to wrap up loose ends. Even Ted Dansen has added to the rumor mill, and I am almost sure that whatever news comes out, I will be there to piece everything together and pray that it either comes to a halt quickly, or people care enough to make it. I have become what I hate (think: Arrested Development fans for the past five years) and there is no way around me supporting one of the best shows ever. If 2013 proves to provide even an iota of news, it will suck up way too much of my time and I will become the "make it happen!" guy that essentially kills the fun on the internet.
Most Anticipated 2013 New TV Show:
Marc Maron Gets a Sitcom Deal on IFC
As you should know by now, Marc Maron is one of my heroes who has emotionally saved my life twice a week for close to two years now. When it was announced that he was in talks with IFC for a new TV show, I flipped a lid. I was excited, especially since Portlandia and Comedy Bang Bang reflect a channel willing to make alternative comedy to alternative comedy. It may not be as brilliant as what FX is putting out, but at least Maron has a home and now I just have to wait until next year for it. To make things better, his father was played by Ed Asner (can you hear the people sing?), but due to conflicts was changed to Judd Hirsch (Taxi!). Any way things go, I will remain a passionate believer that this show will be one of the best things ever, especially since Maron's turn on Louie proved to be somewhat compelling to say the least.
Tig Notaro has Cancer
Thanks to last year's revolutionary Louis C.K. special "Live at the Beacon Theater," I have been stuck on his mailing list, and when C.K. began talking up Tig Notaro's set that would become famous on press circuits as the album "Live," I just had to hear it for myself. Notaro's previous album "Good One" is a solid debut, but it will not prepare you for the brutally honest, candid look into how tragedy can be coped with through a half hour stand-up set that is equal parts story as it is jokes. You do not have to be a Notaro fan to admire the skill that went into this raw performance that remains one of the most engaging performances of the year. I also believe that in the years to come, it will join the pantheon of pop culture's analysis of 20-somethings with cancer, and it may be impossible for Notaro to ever top it, though I hope that she gets better. If you don't wish to shill out $5 for the best stand up of the year that is also some of the most uplifting content, feel free to come over and we'll play it together.
The "Shut Up About Anne Marsen!" Category:
Anne Marsen
By now, this is probably the fourth entry in my series to reference Girl Walk // All Day. I love the film, and more so I love Anne Marsen. If you don't understand why, I must state that it all has to do with the way she presents herself. She is already a very skilled dancer, but add in her ability to blend numerous styles and turn it into something original just makes her more amazing. Because of this film, I have also watched her back catalog, and it only makes her more amazing. Most of all, it is in the face. I rarely have heard her speak, but I feel like I understand her because she is very emotive and mix that with dance and you have a performer who manages to be amazing even when she is silent. Anne Marsen is probably one of my favorite people because she takes dancing to a new place and has the physicality that I believe will take her far.
Hurricane Sandy Fake Pictures
I will admit that somehow I have fallen in love with the idea of visiting New York, and when Hurricane Sandy hit, I almost gained too much interest in the story. It was insane and I worried that New York would be wiped off of the globe. However, nothing was more asinine than the fake photos that began appearing over the internet, including a still from the Day After Tomorrow that many took to be real. There were even pictures of sharks in various locations, like the mall. This is all ridiculous and didn't happen, even to the point where there was a Tumblr started detailing the Twitter accounts that posted fake pictures. It was an insane time and I don't know how everything is recovering, but it definitely makes you wonder just how prepared you are for an emergency and how Photoshop is kind of a dumb invention when given to anyone who owns a Twitter account.
Proof That I Knew Pop Music Existed in 2012:
Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe"
I will admit that I have lost interest in music and therefore have almost ignored every song that came out this year. This is especially the case in reference to pop music. However, this whole year, the only song that crossed these ears that could possibly qualify as pop music was the sadly catchy, life ruining "Call Me Maybe," which saw me finally find an excuse to bridge the gap between hoaky Tiffany records and the only two good Britney Spears records (the first two). It made me dance, crank up the radio, and by August, I knew all of the words. I tried to avoid it as best as I could, but thanks to Operation Kino, it became an ear worm that never left my head, which is saying something in a year where I have no idea what kids listen to these days. I love living under a rock.
The Kony 2012 Campaign
There is no doubt that you were forced to watch the video that said "let's make Kony famous!" The video, wrapped around too much pathos and not enough ethos, tried to convince people to post flyers around their cities on April 20. 4-20. I will humor you readers for being goody two shoes, but 4-20 is National Smoke Day and therefore is when stoners get high and smoke some marijuana. 4-20 has no other connotation besides Adolph Hitler's birthday. Whatever the creator of Kony 2012 was thinking ended up becoming a renowned viral hit followed by a lack of participation and overall a joke. True, it made Kony a running joke and therefore made him famous, but not in the way that you'd think. When people make fun of Kony, it was more to make fun of the Kony 2012 Campaign that failed so hard to capture interests. I guess getting high was a better choice that day.
Uggie Gets a Book Deal
One of the privileges of January is catching up on movies you missed from last year. The Artist was one of them, and I fell in love with everything about it. I still play the Ludovic Bource score to this day to cheer me up. There was little doubt that the little dog that could, Uggie, would be one of my favorites. Well, apparently his story is worth sharing, and with my love for this dog, I went out and bought it. Uggie is a great dog and I don't regret buying that book.
Most Contrived, Overblown, Joked About Event of the Year:
The Mayan 2012 Apocalypse
I love this trailer because it doesn't tell you to look for the 2012 movie website, just for the year. I never saw the film, but this past month has been nothing but Mayan Apocalypse talk because of this dumb movie. People lost their jobs because they wanted to live in bomb shelters, and nobody took it seriously enough to avoid posting snide remarks on Facebook that weren't even serious. The jokes were many, if few actually good. However, in a year that saw Bob Costas ruin the Olympics and Mitt Romney actually attach his name to a ballot, this somehow took the cake for dumbest thing to get paranoid over. But I guess we can still Google 2012 and hope that everything's okay. Thanks, viral marketing.
The Five-Year Engagement
It was the best of years for Jason Segel (Jeff, Who Lives at Home), it was the worst of years. Wasted talent, especially with the adorable Alison Brie/Chris Pratt combo that was only not funny because it took a charming 80 minute movie and bloated it to almost two hours. Basically, it was a precursor to every movie released in December, but it is the winner of most accurate title for not lying to the audience on how long this movie was.
Green Day's Numbers Trilogy
If nothing seemed more gratuitous and ridiculous in pop music this year, it was Green Day's 37 songs released over the span of three albums. With each album going from annoying to tolerable, the beloved band's return after a few years off was an interesting experiment in just how far they wished to push their fans and how badly Billie Joe Armstong needed rehab, full of chick-rapping songs and the very punk line "Hey, I like your BMW." It is "Sandinista!" for a new generation, though while not capturing nearly the same political vitriol of the Clash's iconic album, it does capture the midlife crisis in embarrassing ways that Judd Apatow only wishes that he could. There is probably one good album to be made from all of these, but like the Clash before them, it is up to the fans to take this excessive nonsense and figure that out on their own.
Pants Optional Debuts
Shameless promotion for one of my favorite blogs of the year. My main man Alex Watts finally takes to the web with an inspiring premise. He's on a quest to find employment while chronicling it one day at a time. The results range from politically charged, passionate rants to what he does in his free time. The results all lead to some of the best writing on the internet that isn't just another guy complaining. He's here to make a difference, and in 2013, he may just do that. Join now to see what happens next.
Ryan Gosling
Let's face it, your year was incomplete without Ryan Gosling, the sexiest man alive as well as one of the most smooth actors of this generation. He can win you over with a half-trying closed eye, nod combination. With no movie to win your heart over, you were left with a year that could be described as the Miserable. Of course, things will change quickly in January when the delayed (thanks to James Holmes) film Gangster Squad hits the screen and we get another jam-packed year of Gosling to butter our hearts and remind us why life is worth living. Of course, he has always technically been with us, living on the internet in shirtless gifs and "Hey Girl" posts as well as set photos with the Lizard Man. No lie. But when you cannot see his sexy body on a big screen, there is almost a void in your life that can never be filled. 2012 missed you, Gosling, please make 2013 the best that you can. If fellow 2011 actor Michael Fassbender can sneak into Prometheus, then you can try to sneak into stuff, too.
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