How horrible were the Oscars this year? Whether it be the corn-ball jokes of Billy Crystal, the non-stop feedback emanating from the microphone throughout every speech, or the shoddy production value within the montages – it all added up to what resembled a poorly managed dress rehearsal. And what was the point of all the interview clips with actors and actresses telling us why they like movies? With a show that went 40-minutes over time, these seemed unnecessary and a bit demeaning (do we really need to be told why we like movies?).
Steve Albini is the Greg Popovich of music (or vice versa). This comparison goes beyond the obvious fact that they are both curmudgeons whose impenitent honesty has been known to ruffle feathers over the years. While both have been hugely successful, they both enjoy downplaying their impact. Albini has been known to insult the bands involved with some of his best work as a producer. He said the only reason he worked with Nirvana on “In Utero” was for the money, and he once called his work on “Surfer Rosa” with The Pixies “a patchwork pinch loaf from a band who at their top dollar best are blandly entertaining college rock”). Popovich isn’t one to mince words either, victimizing the people who have helped seal his place in basketball history: the media, the league, and his players (he’s quoted as once saying of his best player “Tim Duncan doesn’t have to say much. I haven’t liked him for a long time”).
Bob Dylan Wrote Propaganda Songs 