No, this Nerdvana is not about the NBC sitcom. Rather, it’s another musical number from the 1987 movie Miami Connection, about martial artist Y.K. Kim and his merry band of karate kompanions who sing songs with the kinds of lyrics that one would expect to hear on a Saturday morning kids’ show and fight motorcycle riding ninjas. A legendary must see. This song is an ear worm, but there are much worse songs that you could have stuck in your head. This movie makes me think about how much cooler the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers would have been if the kids’ had also formed a band. Let’s rock!
One of my favorite rock songs is “Beth” by Kiss. If you haven’t heard it, give it a listen:
The lyrics are sentimental. The melody and the strings are beautiful and the story of the song gets me right in the feels. So much so that I don’t have the song on my mp3 player because I don’t want to get choked up while driving.
So you can imagine my surprise when I’m watching TV a couple of nights ago and I hear the song being played on this commercial by Volkswagen:
OK, Volkswagen. I’ve got to ask: What the literal what?
Let’s break this down: First, Mr. Dad with his hip, happening beard is going to all kinds of places, doing all kinds of different things with his kids for the entirety of the day, and Mom can’t go with them because…reasons? If Beth had to work or had some important errand to run or something, I would understand it, but this woman spends the whole commercial just puttering around the house doing literally nothing. This commercial offers no explanation why Mom Beth can’t join her husband and kids on their day of play. Does she have any friends? Any hobbies? A job? Is she an agoraphobiac? Maybe this is one of those deals like in the Lego Father and Son Road Trip commercial where women apparently don’t like to have fun and anything with two ‘x’ chromosomes would just contaminate the car with her cooties.
Second, Beth is going to give Dr. Beardo grief about not getting milk? Lady, your husband has had the kids for the entire day (it’s dark when they’re about to return) and you’ve been inside the house that entire time doing absolutely nothing! Get up off your lazy ass and get your own dang milk!
There’s something darkly ironic about the songs that you once rocked out to are now being played over the PA system of your local Target or being used for cornball commercials like this one. I haven’t been this annoyed since Good Humor used Donovan’s “Mellow Yellow” to sell it’s brand of ice cream bar the Conello. Now I know how France felt when we Americans took one of that countries national treasures the croissant, and turned it into a Crois’sandwich!
Sacre bleu!
All right, Volkswagen. You took one of the most beautiful rock and roll love ballads of all time and you farted in it’s face! This calls for retribution. Stand up and take your medicine.
The following is old news, I realize, but do indulge me.
So undoubtedly many of you have heard or read that Cartoon Network is going to produce a reboot of The Powerpuff Girls…without the series’ creator Craig McCracken.
These new character designs are OK. I’m not feeling the cowlick on Buttercup, but whatever.
Last June, it was announced that the new PPG series is going to have new actresses voicing the title characters. See below:
Hmm..looks more like a casting call for High School Musical or Glee.
Ah, to be young and cute…Oh, I guess I’m supposed to be upset and mad and start ranting and raving up and down about how CN hired new voice actresses as the Powerpuff Girls instead of hiring the original VAs. Let me think about it…
Nope. Still don’t care.
I mean, I don’t really understand why Cartoon Network decided to bring in new voice actresses or why Cathy Cavadini (Blossom), Tara Strong (Bubbles) nor E.G. Daily (Buttercup) weren’t considered or even contacted for the new series, but I’m not mad that they did it. Fans of the original PPG series consider CN’s hiring new and different actresses to voice the Girls for this reboot to be a huge slap in the face to the original VAs, but I just don’t see it that way. I find this action to be curious, sure, but I’m not infuriated by it. I suppose that it’s partially because I don’t much care about the new series being a reboot. I’m admittedly not a nostalgic person and am more interested in seeing new and original shows as opposed to rebooting shows from 20 or 30 years ago. Plus, it’s their show, CN can do whatever they want with it.
What does bother me, however, is how shamefully petty and small the fans of the 90s PPG show reacted to the news that the PPG reboot would have new VAs. Normally one would have to visit a preschool to see such immaturity, selfishness and temper tantrums, but at least preschoolers have an excuse for being immature and believing that the entire world revolves around them.
“You! Big person! I’m bored! Do something about it!!”
Seriously, though, I found how the fans of the 90s PPG series reacted to the news of the VAs to be a truly shameful and disgusting display of disrespect, rudeness and ridiculousness. There were insults hurled at the new VAs and threats of boycotts to the reboot.
“We’ll protest! We’ll boycott the new PPG! We’ll start a whiny petition until Cartoon Network decides to give the original voice actresses the job!”
To which, I imagine that Cartoon Network’s reaction was something along these lines:
Seriously, you guys and gals are no longer part of Cartoon Network’s target demographic. You’ve grown up and they’ve moved on. Who cares what you do? What these 90s brats need to understand is that this PPG reboot wasn’t made for them. Actually no reboot is made for them! They’re meant for a new generation of today’s kids. It’s supposed to attract a new generation of fans. That’s the whole point of a reboot. If you don’t like the new VAs, then fine. Don’t watch the reboot, but don’t hate on the new voice actresses just because they auditioned and got the job. Cathy Cavadini, Tara Strong and E.G. Daily are all still very much active in the voice over business. None of them are hurting for work, so it’s not like CN is taking food out of their kids’ mouths.
Having the original voice actors present alone isn’t a guarantee that a new show will be good. Have we forgotten about this already?
Teen Titans GO! has the same voice actors as Teen Titans: The Animated Series, and that show sucks noodles!
Here’s the thing: Amanda Lighton (Blossom), Natalie Palamides (Buttercup) and Kristen Li (Bubbles) are just like Cathy Cavadini, E.G. Daily and Tara Strong were 30 years ago; a bunch of actresses looking for a break. Don’t ruin their chance to shine just because you yourself can’t let go of the past. That’s your issue, not theirs nor the network’s. They have a job to do, so just let them do it. No one’s forcing you to watch this (or any) reboot. If you prefer the old VAs , then just watch the old episodes. it’s not like the original PPG series disappeared and there are no traces of it left anywhere. The original episodes are still out there for you to enjoy. The entire series is on DVD now. Buy it, binge watch it and shut the frag up! Let their kids have their fun. Instead of protesting and threatening to boycott the PPG reboot, perhaps you should work on moving out of your parents’ basements and getting a life?
Today’s Nerdvana is a blast from the past, the 1960s to be exact (there I go showing my age again!). This is one of my favorite songs, performed by Friend and Lover. This song predates the days of MTV, so there’s no official video for it, but I can imagine the band performing on stage with the Go-Go dancers performing on pillars with the psychadelic lights swirling in the background. It’s all about the “Flower Power”movement of the time. I was rocking out to this track well before I was old enough to know what “rocking out” even meant. Enjoy “Reach Out of the Darkness”.
Twin Images 
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