Pictures Blog: reflection on hillbilly media

Earlier this evening I went out with my friend, Joy and a small group of her work friends. We ending up having drinks and food on the patio of some pub type place. While I was scarfing down a cuban sandwich, Joy mentioned to me that she wants to see the Hannah Montana Movie. I felt incredulous before admitting that I sort of want to see it too. I have a long history of sticking up for Miley Cyrus. First of all because my little nieces, who live out in rural Georgia, love her. Secondly, because she's a great player against the media's homogenization of language.

When I was a little kid there were few things on tv that I could relate to. Yes, I watched Hee Haw. Anyone who doesn't love Minnie Pearl must have some sort of problem. I will always love Ms. Dolly Parton, whose great humility is a spectacular contradiction to her brazen style and killer business sense. In 1987 Dolly had her own variety show and I remember watching... with my Dad. But then, alas, there was Foghorn Leghorn, who was probably the "southern" media character who I saw the most of. A funny chicken he may be but what little girl wants to sound like him? In my mind as a tween, me and my whole town, we were just a bunch of Foghorn Leghorns. That's why I started mimicking my favorite cartoon characters, Shaggy (Scooby Doo) and Butt-head (the counterpart of Beavis).

It's late, my battery is dying so I'm going to wrap this up with a youtube journey.

I started out watching this recent interview with Miley Cyrus. She reminds me of Angelina Jolie's sociopathic character in Girl, Interrupted. She's charming and scary at the same time.

Somehow that led me to this video tutorial on how to do the Hodown Thowdown. It brings back freaky flashbacks of trying to learn the Achy Breaky at Governor's, a smoky bar in Rome, GA when I was 10 yrs old, except this is like the Achy Breaky on meth. How does line dancing continue to thrive?

The Hodown Thowdown linked me to Dolly and the Hoedown Showdown.

I couldn't stop with just that. My Mom told me when I was a teenager that sex is like peanuts, you can't have just one... so Dolly is also like sex. Here is a nice guitar picking clip. Around minute three she gets silly.

Here is a video of Dolly presenting an award with the one and only Minnie Pearl. I'm so proud to post this.

Here are a couple of clips from the Dolly variety show. She's working her stuff. I wonder if Casey likes Hamlet so much because he watched this clip with Dudley Moore?