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Woohoo

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  1. Woohoo

    Color Palette Challenge 3 (Completed)

    By Woohoo,


    woohoo
    Can you guess the cartoon characters by their color palettes?
    Character 1. Wallace (Wallace & Gromit)
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    Character 2. Bluey Heeler (Bluey)
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    Character 3. Mojo Jojo (The Powerpuff Girls)
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    Character 4. Mabel Pines (Gravity Falls)
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    Character 5. Cindy Vortex (Jimmy Neutron)
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    Character 6. Dory (Finding Nemo and Finding Dory)
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    Character 7. Zim (Invader Zim)
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    Character 8. Eustace Bagge (Courage the Cowardly Dog)
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    Character 9. Amity Blight (The Owl House)
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    Character 10. Squirtle (Pokémon franchise)
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  2. Woohoo
    Can you guess the cartoon characters by their color palettes?
    Character 1. Cyborg (Teen Titans)
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    Character 2. Pipp Petals (My Little Pony G5: Tell Your Tale)
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    Character 3. Principal Seymour Skinner (The Simpsons)
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    Character 4. Rocko (Rocko's Modern Life)
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    Character 5. Dr. Ivo Robotnik (Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog)
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    Character 6. Shrek (Shrek franchise)
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    Character 7. Vegeta (DragonBall franchise)
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    Character 8. Andrea Davenport (The Ghost and Molly McGee)
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    Character 9. Vaggie (Hazbin Hotel)
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    Character 10. Pearl (Steven Universe)
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  3. Woohoo
    Here are some of the pics I took during my trip to Disneyland. I haven't been to the resort in over 15 years so a lot has changed...
    Disneyland Hotel

    Disney California Adventure entrance

    Cars Land

    Paradise Pixar Pier under construction

    Me and my sister in front of the station

    Looking down Main Street

    Big Thunder Mountain

    Disneyland Railroad

    Sleeping Beauty Castle and Matterhorn

    Me posing by the castle

    Small World with the train passing by

    Sleeping Beauty Castle at night

  4. Woohoo
    FEEEEEYEEYEEYEED MY EYYYYYES! Uh, I mean Woohoo here once again continuing my ongoing project of rewatching and reviewing Hey Arnold. It's been a while since I've posted an entry on the show, and I bet a lot of you are wondering, "When are you going to review the movies?" To answer that question: yes, I am going to review the movies, but it could be a while since I plan on rewatching both movies a few more times to get a firm grasp. (Especially the first movie since it's so forgettable.) 
    Anyways, onto the subject of this blog. On the last day of 2021, I posted a pretty rushed final overview of the show that included a pie chart of all 186 episodes' ratings. Speaking of the chart, bring it up!

    As you can see, the show produced an extremely solid amount of Bold and Good episodes and not many Bad and only nine Raspberry episodes. For those who doesn't understand, Raspberry is the name I rate episodes that I deem terrible. It's a reference to Grandpa Phil complaining how raspberries give him digestive problems...

    In this entry, I will be talking about all nine Raspberry episodes and go into detail on why I hate them, ranking them from the "least bad" to the most atrocious. Hell, to prepare myself for this project, I even rewatched all of these episodes just to make sure I still hate them... and thankfully, I still do. However, the hardest part (aside from actual writing) is ranking the episodes, although I already had my top (or bottom) already set. Now that I've got my introductory rambling out of the way, let's dive into the nine Raspberry episodes of Hey Arnold...

    #9. Baby Oskar

    We're starting things off with one of the four Raspberry episodes from Season 4. Originally, I had this episode as #8, but I found more problems in original #9 so I swapped them. Anyways, onto this episode. Oskar and Suzie Kokoshka have to take care of her sister's infant son, also named Oskar, and hijinks ensue.
    *sigh* Most of the problems I have with this episode center around one character: Oskar. He's easily my least favorite adult in the entire show, and for good reasons: he's a pathetic lazy man-child who constantly whines and is always dependent on his wife and/or others for money and other things. Aside from "Oskar Can't Read," which barely got a Good rating, most of the episodes with Oskar as the main focus never got a rating higher than Meh during my review series. In this episode, I think Oskar is at his absolute worst with him being lazy and inconsiderate, constantly whining to Suzie to make him a sandwich, and even trying to bet baby Oskar during a poker game... That's messed up.
    Another problem I have is that it's a babysitting episode. Whether animated or live-action, I have never ever been a fan of babysitting episodes. Most babysitting episodes to me are redundant as they typically involve some "irresponsible" person trying to take care of some baby or child and some shenanigans ensue coupled with some gross-out humor. This episode is no exception, especially with the scene where Oskar ropes Arnold into helping him change baby Oskar's diaper... and he poops right in front Arnold making him faint. That's just gross, even for '90s Nickelodeon standards. 
    The only "enjoyment" I got out of this episode was when Oskar taking baby Oskar to the hospital in a somewhat entertaining chase scene... that is if you disregard the times that he shoved an old lady to the ground, although her whacking Oskar on the head with her cane was pretty cathartic. Also, the scene where Oskar and Suzie say goodbye to baby Oskar was a bit heartwarming... which was swiftly ruined when Oskar goes back to whining for a sandwich. GROW THE HELL UP, MAN!  *sigh* I'm think I've ranted enough about this episode... and I've got eight more to go!
    #8. Love and Cheese

    Another episode from Season 4. The plot of this episode involves Arnold inviting Lila to the annual Cheese Festival, thinking she'll start to "like him-like him" if they have a great time. However, Helga tags along and tries to sabotage their night. Wait a minute, something about this seems familiar...
    That brings up my biggest issue with this episode: it's a goddam rehash! More specifically, a rehash of the Season 1 episode "Operation Ruthless," except it's with Lila instead of Ruth. If there's one practice in entertainment that I hate, it's the rehashing of previously used stories. By its final two seasons, Hey Arnold had already rehashed a few previous episode plots, but this one is the most blatant. This episode hit most of the same notes as "Operation Ruthless," from Helga's sabotage attempts failing, to the kids riding the bumper cars and the Tunnel of Love, and even closing the episode Helga standing alone while the festival lights turn off.  I know coming up with original stories isn't easy, but... c'mon, did we really need another episode about Arnold trying to impress a girl he simps over at the Cheese Festival? I sure as hell didn't. 
    Another huge issue I have with the episode is that it's part of the infamous "Helga-Arnold-Lila Love Triangle Arc," which began in S3's "Arnold and Lila" and concluded in S5's "Timberly Loves Arnold." I hate Love Triangles in general and this one is no exception. It irks me that Arnold keeps simping over Lila despite her often bluntly telling him she doesn't "like him-like him," even though she sometimes leads him on. It double-triple-bossy-deluxe irks me that Helga (albeit inadvertently) was the one who created the love triangle. Talk about shooting yourself in the heart. 
    Speaking of Helga, let's talk about her actions in this episode. While her sabotage attempts in "Operation Ruthless" were mostly childish and harmless; in "Love and Cheese," they feel borderline malicious. First, she constantly rammed Arnold and Lila's bumper car with hers, which could've resulted in whiplash and neck pain. Then, she somehow manipulated the Tilt-a-Hurl operator to crank the ride up to full speed... 
    This results in Lila (and probably some other riders) to get motion sickness and she vomits all over Arnold.  Finally, there's the Tunnel of Love scene where Helga drilled holes in Arnold and Lila's swan boat, which causes it to sink and resulting them nearly drowning...  somehow, in knee deep water... yeah, that was just stupid. Sheesh, Helga, what's wrong with you?! Are you that jealous that you want them both dead?! Just imagine how you'd feel if you killed your true love! *deep breath* Better calm down.
    The only positive I could say about this episode is at least there's a fantastic sibling episode in the form of "Weighing Harold." There are other small problems, but all I can say about this episode is that it's just pointless, redundant, and doesn't really need to exist. The episodes only get worse from here...
    #7. Full Moon

    *sigh* Yet another episode from S4, and a big step up (or down) in horrendousness. In this episode, Principal Wartz gets mooned by Harold, Sid, and Stinky (albeit crudely disguised) and they get away. However, since Arnold witnessed the event, Wartz demands he spill the beans, but Arnold refuses, resulting in Wartz giving him four weeks of detention and possibly blemishing his permanent record.
    Where do I begin with this episode? I know, let's start with whom I consider to be one of the WORST fictional principals ever: Principal Wartz. You thought Seymour Skinner from The Simpsons was bad? Pfft. At least Skinner had several redeeming moments throughout The Simpsons. Wartz on the other hand... he might have had a few, but I can't really remember. Why do I dislike Wartz so much? In this episode (as well as the next episode in the countdown), Wartz is such an irrational, belligerent, authoritarian figure with no filter and quick to jump to conclusions. As I said earlier, he punishes Arnold with a whopping four weeks of detention just because he wouldn't spill the beans on the "mooners." That's just cruel and unusual punishment, and it hurts me to watch Arnold go through so much torment in this episode, even though he didn't deserve any of it. I guess you would call this episode an "Arnold Torture Porn." Also, this quote from Wartz bothered me...
    Um, how does mooning result in eye loss? I guess if you really like butts, your eyes could pop out like the Tex Avery wolf... except none of us are cartoon characters.
    Not only does Wartz unnecessarily torment Arnold, so do Harold, Sid, and Stinky. In the beginning of the episode, they say Arnold had "no guts" for not joining them in the mooning; and throughout the rest of the episode, they (though mostly Harold) threaten him not to rat them out to Wartz. This leaves Arnold in an unwinnable situation. Then on the final day of Arnold's detention, Wartz is just about mark "FAILURE TO COOPERATE" on Arnold's permanent record after Arnold refuses one last chance to tell the truth: suddenly Harold, Sid, and Stinky burst in and tell the truth and Arnold's completely innocent in a big emotional confession scene. Um, is this episode supposed to be taken seriously? What's the message here? Snitches get stitches? Even as a kid, I found this episode nonsensical.
    One very small positive I could say about the episode is that it was pretty daring to show the boys' rear ends (even if only for a second and pretty blurry.) Aside from that, I found this episode extremely stupid, two words I would never say about an episode of Hey Arnold. It's no wonder I included Wartzky on my "Top Ten Worst Hey Arnold Characters" list. Oh, but we're not done with him yet... 
    #6. Principal Simmons

    Another Wartzsky episode, but now we're in Season 5. In this episode, Mr. Simmons notices Principal Wartz giving students some unreasonably harsh punishments for seemingly minor things. He then tells Superintendent Chaplin all about it, and when they confront Wartz on his recent actions, Wartz goes absolutely mental. He announces his resignation over the PA system and storms off. With the principal position vacant, Chaplin offers Mr. Simmons the job, which he accepts. While things start of okay, it then quickly spirals out of control with the students taking advantage of Simmons' weak leadership, which results in Arnold and Simmons convincing Wartz to return.
    Before I get into the major issues with this episode, I'm going to talk about this... major issue that nobody really talks about with this episode. Doesn't this episode seam familiar to you? Didn't we see the plot in a different show before? Oh yeah, it's somewhat of a copy of The Simpsons Season 5 episode "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" in which Skinner was replaced with goody-two-shoes Ned Flanders. Hell, Mr. Simmons even says Flanders' line "put the pal back in the principal." I'm not sure if Craig Bartlett was paying homage to the episode or just ripping it off. I know he's married to Matt Groening's sister Lisa, but does that give him the privilege to copy his brother-in-law's work? Better not venture down that rabbit hole.
    Now onto the episode itself. Just like with the last episode, my main gripe is Wartz himself. Once again, he's an irrationally belligerent authoritarian figure, except much more over-the-top in this episode. During the first act of the episode, Wartz harshly punishes Harold, Rhonda, and Sid for such miniscule infractions. Then, when Mr. Simmons and Mr. Chaplin ask Wartz to tone it down, he goes ballistic by giving a long-winded speech over the PA system stating how the school "may think they don't need him, but they really do," resigns from his position, and leaves in a huff. Man, it was quite embarrassing to see him essentially throw a tantrum because he couldn't take a little criticism. I get that this episode is supposed to be a lesson learning experience for Wartz. However, it's executed poorly with Wartz's unbearable behavior in the first act as well as his half-assed and uncaring apology when Arnold and Mr. Simmons try to convince him to return... although I sort of agree with this quote...
    For those who've seen the episode, you already who the 'wicked minded animal" is. Those who haven't, you'll find out when we get to #3. 
    Not only is Wartz at his worst, so is nearly every student at P.S. 118 (with the exception of you-know-who.) When Simmons becomes principal, he decides to let the students run the school with him. While things run smoothly at first, they quickly unravel with the students wreaking havoc throughout the school and Mr. Simmons is completely helpless to control them. I also find this embarrassing as it's just like watching some kid running amok in the store and the parents do nothing about it. Don't get me wrong, I like Mr. Simmons, I think he's one of the best fictional teachers ever, but he's clearly not qualified for the position of principal. 
    If there is one major positive I have with this episode, it's the karaoke scene with Wartz singing "I Will Prevail," a pretty well-done parody of "I Will Survive." This scene acts as a little reward for the viewers after sitting through so much crap. However, that scene did not save the episode from the Raspberry rating. Now we're heading towards the top (or bottom) five worst episodes. Brace yourselves...
    #5. Longest Monday

    The only Raspberry episode in S2 and the very first episode to receive the rating. It's the first Monday in June and the fourth graders are trying to avoid the school tradition of "Trash Can Day" which involves them being dunked into trash cans by the fifth graders... that's pretty much it. Quite disturbing if you ask me. Alright, enough with the intro, let's rant! 
    Like I said earlier, this episode is downright disturbing. It disturbed me when I was a nine-year-old, and it disturbs me even more as a 30-year-old. Seriously, what kind of unfathomably messed up school would allow such a tradition?! Sure, one could say it's like "Senior Prank Day" or "Hell Week" in High School, but those pranks are mostly harmless. "Trash Can Day" on the hand feels absolutely malicious. Remember how I ranted about Principal Wartz being too authoritarian in the last two episodes? Here, he is NOWHERE to be seen! Where the hell is he? Why does he allow such a disgusting tradition to happen?! Not only do you not see Wartz, but you also don't see any teachers either. (Unless you count the few frames you see Mr. Simmons.) This episode is nonsensical as it is disturbing. Now let's talk about the unfortunate implications. The fifth graders dunk the fourth graders into trash cans without any regard of what's in them. What if the cans have broken glass, or maggot ridden rotten food, or used hypodermic needles, or anything that can cause bodily harm or even death. Seeing nearly every fourth grader get dunked just breaks my heart. (I said nearly since we didn't see Helga nor Phoebe get dunked. Also, Stinky dunked himself.)
    Now let's talk about the juvenile delinquents that are P.S. 118's fifth graders led by their ringleader Wolfgang (who was actually voiced by Arnold's S1 voice actor.) This is their debut episode and they have served as reoccurring antagonists for the main kids throughout the rest of the series. Not going to beat around the bush here, I hate the fifth grades. They're some of the most reprehensible, merciless, and outright irredeemable characters on the show, and I always feel satisfied to see them get defeated by the fourth graders. Also, I never liked their character designs. If they're supposed be fifth graders, why do they look like high schoolers? Have they been held back just like Harold and Torvald? Oh crap, I'm overthinking again. 
    There are very few and little positive things to say about this episode. I do like Park's safehouse... at least until the fifth graders ruined it. I also liked the little bit of Helga being a therapist...
     Aside from that, this episode is just E-to-the-Z-ooh-twiddly-disturbing, and it belongs stuffed in a trash can. *sigh* I've still got four episodes to go. 
    #4. Student Teacher

    The final and worst episode of S4, and also the sibling episode to "Full Moon." Helga's older sister Olga comes home from college, much to Helga's dismay as always. Wanting to get a lot closer to Helga, she becomes a student teacher in Mr. Simmons' class. However, Olga's time there only seemed to make Helga's life at school even more miserable.
    Like most of the entries on this list, most if not all of the episodes' problems center around a certain character. In this episode's case, it's Olga Pataki. I'm going to go off on a tangent here, I have never, ever, ever liked Olga. In fact, I think she's one of the shows' worst characters. Sure, one could say Bob and Miriam Pataki are probably the worst parents on the show, and I cannot argue with that, but they actually had some redeeming moments with Helga, and they (or mostly Bob) have their moments of comeuppance. Olga on the other hand... yeah, not really. The main reason why I really dislike Olga is her wasted potential. After the S1 episode "Olga Comes Home," one would think she would become a much better sister to Helga, a positive adult figure for Helga to confide in. Well, I guess that was too much to ask for as the writers threw that development out the window, leaving us with an Olga whose attention seeking and blissfully ignorant of Helga's problems. There are other problems I have with Olga, such as her grating voice (sorry Nika,) her constantly referring to Helga as her "baby sister" despite Helga being more mature than her, her lack of any interesting character traits, and her being a crybaby in almost every major appearance in the show. Yes, I know she's equally as, if not more damaged by the Patakis' parenting than Helga, but I think Olga needs therapy a lot more than Helga. This tangent is now over.
    Now that I got that off my chest, let's talk about the episode. After taking a course on developing child psychology in college last semester, Olga felt inspired to become a teacher. Well, since it's been established that Olga is a straight A student, I guess we can assume she knows exactly how children work. Right? To add to that, Olga promised Helga she would not embarrass in class. Hopefully, she can keep her promise. Right? RIGHT?! The very next day in class, Olga tells everyone that Helga was a bedwetter, thinking the story about her overcoming adversity would help motivate the students.
    Let me reiterate: Olga tells a room, filled with fourth-graders, kids typically between the ages of nine and ten (13 if you count Harold,) that Helga used to wet the bed. Yeah, I wonder how that turned out... 
    Do I need really to elaborate anymore on this? It speaks for itself. Olga is a complete jackass with absolutely no idea how children work.  *sigh* Let's move on. During recess, Harold teases Helga, which results in her threatening him to stop. However, Olga witnessed this event and gave Helga detention without hearing Helga's side of the story. Wow, I guess some of Wartz's mannerisms have rubbed off on Olga. In typical Helga fashion, she tries to sabotage Olga's time as student teacher... and of course, they all backfire. Finally, after receiving motivation from Arnold, Helga confronts Olga and tells her that it's not working out... which of course makes her cry. *sigh* Normally, I hate Olga's crying, but after being fed up with her inexcusable actions in the episode, it actually feels somewhat satisfying for me. What a crybaby. 
    This episode (along with S5's "Big Sis") is the reason why I included Olga on my "Top Ten Worst Hey Arnold Characters" list. For those who have siblings, don't tell embarrassing stories about your sibling to their friends (also, don't ruin your sibling's projects either like DW Reed.) *sigh* Three more to go.
    #3. Bag of Money

    *sharp inhale* Oh look, another sibling episode to a previous episode on this list, this time it's the sibling to "Principal Simmons." The plot of this episode involves Arnold, Gerald, and Sid discovering a bag of nearly $4,000 in it. They discuss what to do with it and decide to turn it into the police the next day. However, Arnold loses the bag on the bus to "an old lady with pink hair, a peg leg, and one eyebrow." He tries to explain what happened to Gerald and Sid, but they find his story hard to believe.
    Before I get into the major problems with this episode, I have this issue with the setup: why, and I mean why would anyone just randomly throw away a bag containing thousands of dollars?! Maybe it's a reference to the very first episode "Downtown as Fruits?" I don't know, I'm not going to waste any time speculating how the bag of money got there. Even as a kid, I thought the setup was ridiculous. Let's get into the episode itself.
    Most, if not all of the major problems of this episode center around one character, the wicked minded animal we know as Sid.  Not only is he my least favorite kid character, but I consider him the worst character in the entire show. Why? He's such an irrational, paranoid, and extremely insensitive jerk who frequently jumps to conclusions and is quick to laugh and ridicule his own friends. In this episode (as well as the next episode,) Sid is at his absolute worst! He immediately disbelieves Arnold's explanation, yet he called Arnold "the most honest guy around" earlier in the episode. Hypocritical much? He then spends much of second act desperately scraping the bottom of barrel for reasons that Arnold stole the bag of money. If that isn't pathetic, I don't know what is. But we're not even at the worst yet.
    Another major problem I have is how easily the other kids were convinced by Sid that Arnold stole the money. Yeah, let's forget that these kids have known Arnold since preschool and probably helped every single one of them with some crisis... yeah, forget all that and believe the kid known for being irrational a lot more. Hell, even Gerald slowly starts to question Arnold! Really Gerald? OK, Gerald's very brief "heel-turn" wasn't as infuriating, but still... *sigh*
    Now let's talk about one of the most uncomfortable scenes in the entire show: the brief scene where Sid and the other kids tie Arnold to the tetherball pole. This scene always made me uncomfortable as a kid and even more uncomfortable as an adult. Why even more as an adult? Because I see at an allegory for an angry mob trying to strangle (and possibly kill) someone they see as a crook without any solid evidence. There's a word for that but I don't remember it. Oh, I remember now, LYNCHING! Sid and his mob essentially tried to lynch Arnold! You know, for kids?  Thankfully, the "lynching" was stopped when the police arrived with the old woman with pink hair, peg leg, and one eyebrow clearing everything up and the kids apologize to Arnold. However, Sid's apology to Arnold is equally as half-assed and uncaring as Wartz's apology in "Principal Simmons."
    Dude, you forgot "attempted to lynch," which is now a federal crime as of the making of this blog. I really wish the police would've arrested Sid. However, he did shoot himself in the foot by offering Arnold his share of the money if it's unclaimed, which Arnold smugly accepted. Now that I think about, whatever happened to the money after the episode? Hmm, better not venture down that rabbit hole.
    This episode would have been higher had it not been for the somewhat satisfying ending. Another thing that "saves" this episode is the absence of Helga. I can only imagine how I would've felt if Helga was part of Sid's lynch mob. However, we're not done with the wicked minded animal just yet. Onto number two.
    #2. Arnold Betrays Iggy

    *sharper inhale* The only S3 Raspberry episode, and the episode fans often consider the worst in the entire show... yet it's only second worst for me. That doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on it. In this episode, Arnold delivers Iggy's homework to his apartment and finds out something shocking: Iggy wears bunny pajamas. Iggy begs Arnold not to tell anyone, but eventually Sid and Stinky find out and tell everyone in school about it. This leads to Iggy resenting Arnold, and Arnold desperately trying to get Iggy's forgiveness.
    Once yet again, a small issue before diving into the major issues. The title of this episode is quite misleading. Technically, Arnold didn't betray Iggy, Sid and Stinky betrayed Arnold... or did Sid and Stinky betray Iggy? Not gonna waste any time on this. Let's dive into the major issues of this episode.
    Let's talk about the "star" of this episode: Iggy. Unlike the others on my "Worst Hey Arnold Characters" list who had multiple major appearances throughout the show, this is Iggy's only major appearance... and for good reason. I have two major problems with Iggy in the episode. First off, why the hell does Iggy wear bunny pajamas?  Does the show offer a good explanation? Spoiler alert, NO THEY DONT! This has to be one of the most baffling mysteries in cartoon history. What were the writers thinking?! Sure, they probably left that open for the viewer to speculate themself, but I don't view Hey Arnold as a show that "makes you think," I view it as a "feel good" show. If I wanted to watch a show that makes me think, I'd go watch Gravity Falls. Once again, better not venture down the rabbit hole (no pun intended.) Secondly, throughout most of the episode, Iggy is extremely resentful of Arnold, even though he didn't spill the beans. Every time Arnold tries to explain what really happened or does favors for Iggy, he outright refuses to forgive him. This episode even shows that Iggy resents Arnold for months. Wow, what a stubborn prick. Sure, one could say Arnold is also being stubborn, but he's not an unlikeable prick like Iggy. Finally, Iggy decides to forgive Arnold on one condition... which I'll touch on later.
    Moving on to the other "stars" of this episode: Sid and Stinky... though I'm mostly focused on Sid. Like I said about him earlier, he's a wicked minded animal who always pounces on the opportunity to ridicule his own friends. Yeah, I still wonder Arnold is still friends with him. You see why Sid is the worst for me? I would also talk about Stinky since he's equally as bad in this episode, but he does have some redeeming qualities in other episodes. In the end, neither Sid nor Stinky face any repercussions for their actions. This episode kind of leaves me confused. Are Sid and Stinky the bad guys or is Iggy the bad guy? Ugh, this episode is just... *deep breath* and I'm not even at the worst part yet.
    Now... let's talk about what I consider to be the most uncomfortable scene in the entire show: Arnold's walk of shame in front of a crowd of people and news cameras (for some reason) to gain Iggy's forgiveness. To save time, I'll sum up the scene with this one picture...

    Arnold's face sums up how I feel about that infamous scene... no, scratch that, how I feel about the whole damn episode! If you haven't already guessed, Arnold is completely humiliated in front of everybody in the crowd and possibly all of Hillwood City. Sure, Iggy tried to stop the whole thing once he overheard Sid and Stinky saying they were the ones who spilled the beans, but it's too little too late. As a result, Arnold is justifiably resentful towards Iggy. In the final scene, Iggy tries to have Arnold forgive him, but Arnold obviously refuses. Sure, both boys were evenly humiliated; but Arnold embarrassing Iggy was accidental, Iggy purposely humiliating Arnold on live TV is irredeemable. Also, I found this quote from Grandpa Phil before the walk of shame to be somewhat out-of-character...
    Who are you and what have you done with the real Phil? The real Phil would've probably donned the bunny suit and humiliated himself to spare his own grandson. Also, don't the people in the crowd and the TV cameramen have better things to do? All of those people should be ashamed of themselves. *deep breath* Alright, enough ranting.
    Before I wrap things up, I should probably address a rumor involving this episode. It involves Craig Bartlett supposedly hating the episode so much that he made the writers apologize and have the episode pulled from reruns. After some research, this turned out to be untrue. Now, what episode could possibly be worse than "Arnold Betrays Iggy?" Let's move onto number one...
    #1. Curly's Girl

    *sharpest inhale* Yep, this is episode I consider the absolute worst in the entire show, but only by a lock of hair. This is also the last episode to ever receive the Raspberry rating. Talk about going out with a bang... or more appropriately, a splatter. There's a lot to unpack with this episode so let me try to summarize it with only a few sentences. *deep breath* In this episode, Rhonda ruins a very expensive fur coat that was her mother's birthday gift from her father. However, Curly offers to help Rhonda out since his family owns a dry-cleaners, but on the condition that Rhonda would pretend to be his girlfriend for a week (he even takes pictures just in case he needs to blackmail her,) which she begrudgingly agrees to. When the week is up, Rhonda breaks up with Curly, which unfortunately leads to everyone shunning her and feeling sorry for Curly.
    Before I unpack the major issues, "Curly's Girl" has a very similar issue to "Love and Cheese" as it's attached to a fantastic sibling episode, which would be "The Racing Mule." However, this episode comes after "The Racing Mule," making me feel like I'm getting punished for enjoying myself.  Now onto the episode itself...
    Where do I even begin with the major problems I have with this episode? Oh, I know, how about the star of the episode: Thaddeus "Curly" Gammelthorpe. Unlike most of the episodes on the list that feature a character I hate in a major role; this episode focuses a character I actually like... mostly. Throughout Seasons 1-3, I enjoyed P.S. 118's lovable psycho, especially in episodes like S1's "False Alarm" and S3's "Curly Snaps." However, during the final two seasons, more specifically during the S4 episode "Deconstructing Arnold," the writers "flanderized" Curly into a creepy stalkerish Rhonda-obsessed simp. In this episode, he's at his outright WORST! First, we see Curly trying to flirt with Rhonda during the art show, even though Rhonda clearly and bluntly tells him she will never be interested in him. Then, after Rhonda ruins the coat, Curly immediately seized his chance and offers to clean the coat in exchange for Rhonda pretending to be his girlfriend for a week. When Rhonda initially refuses, Curly then results to taking pictures of her with ruined coat, AKA blackmailing, until she finally agrees to the deal. Throughout the week, we see Rhonda begrudgingly go along as Curly's "girlfriend," doing such things as walking together, using silly pet names and declarations of love, and wearing a shirt that says... "Curly's Girl." All of this fake lovey-doveyness going on just makes me uncomfortable and frustrated, and yet it's only the first act. Finally, on Friday, Rhonda harshly yet justifiably "breaks up" with Curly, as that was part of the deal, believing she'll be free of any more shenanigans. Right? RIGHT?! Nope. 
    That leads me to my next major problem: the treatment of Rhonda in the episode is utterly dreadful. Not only was she harassed and blackmailed by Curly; after the "breakup," everyone else starts shunning Rhonda like she's the bad guy while they sympathize with Curly. Wait, isn't Curly the bad guy in this episode? I'm so confused here. *deep breath* OK, maybe it's because no one else knows about Rhonda's situation... well, that's because nobody even bothers to try to get her side of the story! You would think Arnold would try to talk to Rhonda and get her side of the story, you know since he's always helping people, right? RIGHT?! Once again, nope. Instead, he spends his time comforting Curly, therefore (albeit inadvertently) shunning Rhonda. I can't believe I'm going to say this... but Arnold is useless in the episode. Even Nadine, who is supposed to be Rhonda's best friend, also shuns her. Continuity, what's that?! I'll just say this right now: Rhonda does not deserve any of the torment she got in this episode. Sure, she ruined her mother's coat, but that would only warrant a grounding from her father. Also, this exchange between Helga and Rhonda really got under my skin...
    Hey, who are you to talk, Helga? Considering you torment Arnold every day, punch Brainy on a regular basis, and even used Stinky as a fake boyfriend just make Arnold jealous in the S1 episode "Helga's Boyfriend." Ugh, moving on!
    Finally having enough of the shunning, Rhonda "gets back together" with Curly, which somehow makes everyone like her again. However, this leads to more cringeworthy fake lovey-doveyness that culminates in Curly forcibly kissing Rhonda (the second time this has happened in the show,) which makes her sprint to the girl's bathroom to cry. Wow... just wow. Much like "Full Moon" was an Arnold Torture Porn, "Curly's Girl" is a Rhonda Torture Porn. During this whole episode, we've seen Rhonda get harassed and blackmailed by Curly, ruthlessly shunned by her friends, and finally getting sexually assaulted by Curly. This episode is a goddamn mess and I have absolutely no idea what the writers were thinking! Was this an attempt at dark humor? Is there supposed to be some message for all this? Where's my supersuit? Oh crap, this episode is driving me insane. Better wrap things up... 
    Now let's talk about the ending, which I consider to be the worst ending in any Hey Arnold episode. When Curly overhears Rhonda crying and ranting to herself in the bathroom, he proceeds to harshly "break up" with Rhonda during lunchtime. Wow, that was quite commendable, you insufferable bowl of crap. Later in the evening, Rhonda confronts Curly and asks why he broke up with her. This leads to somewhat of a heartwarming scene...
    You would think after this rare scene of maturity from Curly, he would probably get over his obsession with Rhonda. But just like in "Baby Oskar," this heartwarming scene is about to get swiftly ruined...
    You know what? I have no more words on this episode. I'm done. I guess it's time to follow the advice from another classic '90s cartoon.

    Wowie-zowie, that was one helluva load off. That was all nine Raspberry episodes from Hey Arnold. It's funny how I predicted there would be less than ten episodes that would earn this rating back in October of last year. Also, as terrible as these episodes were (aside from the top two,) they are nowhere near as bad as some terrible episodes from other shows. Anyways, my brain is really frazzled from this entry. This is Woohoo... sewing my eyes shut.

  5. Woohoo
    Can you guess the cartoon characters by their color palettes?
    Character 1. Arnold Shortman (Hey Arnold!)
     = 
    Character 2. Della Duck (Ducktales 2017)
     = 
    Character 3. Eric Cartman (South Park)
     = 
    Character 4. Rarity (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)
     =
    Character 5. SpongeBob SquarePants (SpongeBob SquarePants)
     =
    Character 6. Mario (Nintendo)
     =
    Character 7. Strong Bad (Homestar Runner)
     =
    Character 8. Ed (Ed, Edd, n' Eddy)
     =
    Character 9. Buzz Lightyear (Toy Story)
     = 
    Character 10. Dale Gribble (King of the Hill)
     =
  6. Woohoo

    Woohoo Watches: Hey Arnold Season 2

    By Woohoo,


    woohoo
    Gunter glieben glauchen globen, Woohoo here once again, not torn into pieces but continuing my project of rewatching and reviewing every episode of Hey Arnold. Last time, I reviewed Season 1 of the show and held up extremely well, perhaps a little too well. That made me worry that the following seasons would be inferior. Now that I've got that out of the way, we have now reached the second season of Hey Arnold, which originally aired from September 29 to October 27, 1997 (although the Season 1 holdovers were aired as late as December.) This season is much shorter, only 14 episodes consisting of 26 11-minute segments and one 22-minute special, as I already reviewed the S1 holdovers. Alright, enough of my rambling...
    As with my last entry, I will be rating the episodes either Bold, Good, Meh, Bad, and Raspberry. Will S2 be just as good as S1? Will it be worth a deuce? Let's dive right in...

    27a. The Big Scoop: Good | 27b. Harold's Kitty: Good
    28a. Arnold Saves Sid: Bad | 28b. Hookey: Meh
    29a. Save the Tree: Bold | 29b. New Teacher: Meh
    30a. Ransom: Good | 30b. Ms. Perfect: Bold
    31a. Monkey Business: Good | 31b. Big Caesar: Good
    32a. The High Life: Good | 32b. Best Friends: Good
    33a. Longest Monday: Raspberry | 33b. Eugene's Pet: Good
    34a. Mudbowl: Bold | 34b. Gerald Moves Out: Good
    35a. Freeze Frame: Bold | 35b. Phoebe Cheats:  Bold
    36a. Helga's Love Potion: Meh | 36b. Gerald's Secret: Bold
    37a. Steely Phil: Bold | 37b. Quantity Time: Bold
    38a. Eating Contest: Bold | 38b. Rhonda's Glasses: Bold
    39a. Eugene Goes Bad: Bold | 39b. What's Opera, Arnold?: Bold
    40s. Arnold's Halloween: Bold
    ...And that was every episode of Hey Arnold Season 2 reviewed. Let's look at the chart.

    After watching Season 1, I was a little worried that Season 2 and every season after would be inferior to S1. Turns out, I was wrong... mostly. S2 retained a lot of the boldness from S1 despite being a much shorter season. One major thing S2 improved upon from S1 is the animation as it's much more consistent and much less rough looking. (S3 would also have the same animation as well.) However, this season has the dishonorable distinction of having the first episode to earn the Raspberry rating. Just a little fair warning, every season after S2 will have at least one Raspberry rated episode. 
    As for this season's rating, I've debated on this for a bit. Even though it's a step down from S1, S2 just barely gets a BOLD Season rating.
    Now for my Top 5 Episodes. Just like S1, it was really hard to fill the slots, even with fewer episodes...
    Arnold's Halloween Steely Phil Eugene Goes Bad Freeze Frame Mudbowl Now for my "Bottom" 5 Episodes. This was a whole lot easier since only five episodes that rated below Good...
    Longest Monday Arnold Saves Sid Hookey New Teacher Helga's Love Potion That concludes my review of Hey Arnold Season 2. At the time of this blog's release, I've already finished Hey Arnold Season 3 and just started watching Season 4.  Until next time, this is Woohoo signing off... or is it out? Will I ever know the difference? Anyways, enjoy your Halloween.

  7. Woohoo

    Woohoo Watches: Hey Arnold Season 1

    By Woohoo,


    woohoo
    Pip pip da doodly doo, Woohoo here with... it's be how long since I've done a blog?! Wow, I've been really uninspired this past year. Thankfully, I've finally gained the inspiration to make a new entry. Now that I'm done rambling, let's begin.
    Years ago, when I used to be a Brony, I used to make review blogs of every season of My Litle Pony: Friendship is Magic. However, I never completed the project as my interest in the show tanked after season 8. Those entries have since been deleted. Fast forward to 2021 and I've been wanting to do another season review series. But with what show? It didn't take long to find one. This year is the 25th anniversary of a show that I fondly remembered as a kid.
    And that show is...

    Yep, Hey Arnold! The slice of life Nicktoon created by Craig Bartlett about a football-headed boy and his daily misadventures in the city. Man, my nostalgia is exploding right now. Anyways, much like my old now deleted MLP: FIM season reviews (for those who actually remembered them), I'm gonna rewatch every episode of this blog's season, rate them, and finish it out with my final thought and a pie chart (much like PieGuyRulz when he used to review SpongeBob's seasons.) Now let me show the ratings I'll be using...
    Bold - An episode that I enjoyed all the way through with little to no issues. It's a reference to Gerald often calling Arnold a "bold kid." Good - An episode that I still enjoyed but I felt had some issues or it wasn't that memorable. Meh - An episode that I didn't find either great or terrible, just mediocre. Bad - An episode that I had major gripes with, but it got a little enjoyment. Raspberry - An episode that I absolutely despise. It's a reference to Grandpa Phil complaining how raspberries give him diarrhea. You might also notice these symbols...
    S - Indicates the episode is a special, whether 22 or 45 minutes. * - Indicates the episode was aired much later than the original season it was produced in. A lot of these episode had this happen. (WTF, Nick?) I'll be starting of Season 1 because that's where the show starts, which originally aired from October 7, 1996, to February 12, 1997. (Though some episodes weren't aired until S2 and even 3.) There are 26 episodes consisting of 48 11-minute segments and 2 22-minute specials. One more thing, the episodes will be listed in the original production order instead of airing order (mostly because of Nick's nonsensical airing.)
    Can the first season of Hey Arnold hold up? Could my own nostalgia blind me? Brace yourselves, we're going in!

    1a. Downtown as Fruits: Bold | 1b. Eugene's Bike: Bold
    2a. The Little Pink Book: Bold | 2b. Field Trip: Bold
    3a. Arnold's Hat: Bold | 3b. Stoop Kid: Bold
    4a. Helga's Makeover: Bold | 4b. The Old Building: Bold
    5a. 6th Grade Girls: Good | 5b. The Baseball: Bold
    6a. Heat: Bold | 6b. Snow: Bold
    7a. Operation Ruthless: Bold | 7b. The Vacant Lot: Bold
    8a. The List: Good | 8b. Haunted Train: Bold
    9a. Mugged: Bold | 9b. Roughin' It: Bold
    10a. Door #16: Meh | 10b. Arnold as Cupid: Meh
    11a. Benchwarmer: Good | 11b. Cool Jerk: Meh
    12a. Das Subway: Bold | 12b. Wheezin' Ed: Good
    13a. Tutoring Torvald: Bold | 13b. Gerald Comes Over: Bold
    14a. Spelling Bee: Bold | 14b. Pigeon Man: Bold
    15a. Olga Comes Home: Good | 15b. Sally's Comet: Bold
    16a. Abner Come Home: Good | 16b. The Sewer King: Meh
    17a. False Alarm: Bold | 17b. World Records: Meh
    18a. Magic Show: Bold | 18b. 24 Hours to Live: Bold
    19a.* Part Time Friends: Bold | 19b.* Runaway Float: Good
    20s. Arnold's Christmas: Bold
    21a.* Helga's Boyfriend: Meh | 21b.* Crush on Teacher: Bad
    22a.* Hall Monitor: Bold | 22b*. Harold's Bar Mitzvah: Bold
    23a.* Coach Wittenberg: Good | 23b.* Four-Eyed Jack: Bold
    24a.* Tour de Pond: Good | 24b.* Teachers Strike: Bold
    25s. Arnold's Valentine: Good
    26a.* Biosquare: Meh | 26b.* Partners: Meh
    ...And that was every episode of Hey Arnold Season 1 reviewed. Now let's look at the chart.

    Wow... just wow. Look at all that blue! To say that the first season has held up well would be a massive understatement. Trust me, I wasn't blinded my nostalgia. Normally with any show's first season, there's a lot of growing pains... I guess not. I do have one "critique" and it's the animation. It's quite rough and inconsistent, especially since the season was produced by two different studios, but I think it does have a charm here. S1 did a stellar job in establishing the setting and the characters. However, this also kind of worries me a little. Since the first season scored so high, I fear the later seasons won't be nearly as good... but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
    For this season's rating, it's quite obvious that Hey Arnold Season 1 is definitely a BOLD Season.
    Now for my Top 5 Episodes. Aside from my number one, it was really hard pick since there were so many great episodes...
    Haunted Train Pigeon Man Arnold's Christmas Tutoring Torvald Operation Ruthless Now for my "Bottom" 5 Episodes. I put "bottom" in quotes because, aside from my number one, the episodes here just meh...
    Crush on Teacher Arnold as Cupid Biosquare Cool Jerk Helga's Boyfriend That concludes my review of Hey Arnold Season 1. At the time of this blog's release, I have already watched all of Hey Arnold Season 2 and I just need to type out the upcoming blog. This is Woohoo signing off... or is it out? What's the difference?!

  8. Woohoo
    Blargen Fladibble No-Hip! Woohoo here with Musical Manslaughter, because you can't spell 'slaughter' without 'laughter' and these songs are jokes.
    Wow, three entries this year already? I'm on a roll. Anyways, here's a entry that I promised earlier this year: my guilty pleasure songs. This may be the first of two or maybe even three entries since I have quite a few guilty pleasures and I don't want this entry to be too long. I think I've introduced this blog enough, let's break it down.
    I'll be starting off with the oldest song on my list. We're going back to the past for the third time this year. In fact, all four of these songs were made before 2000. The first guilty pleasure song comes from the year 1968 by one of, if not the greatest band of all time. If you haven't already guessed, I'm talking about The Beatles.

    Ohai Mark.
    However, even such a beloved band like them have quite a few songs that many detest. One song in particular is really despised by many and it really makes me wonder why. That song I'm talking about is from 1968, and it's "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da" from The White Album.
    I've seen this song on countless "worst songs ever" lists and is hated by not only Beatles fans, but by John Lennon and George Harrison. Hell, Lennon referred to this song as "Paul's granny shit." Why do so many hate this song? Me personally, I cannot hate this song. It's a fun, upbeat, feel-good song that makes me, who mostly listens to metal, smile every time I hear it. Maybe for some people, the song is way too silly and saccharine for them, especially since it's late in The Beatles career, which they made some deep, meaningful, and often groundbreaking songs, especially on The White Album.
    I sort of understand the hate for this song. However, as one of the worst Beatles songs, or even the worst of all time? I don't think so. In my honest opinion, there is only one Beatles song that I consider to be the worst. Which song is that? You'll find out in my upcoming entry, Mini-Slaughters Vol. II.
    The next guilty pleasure of mine is a song I actually used to hate, but up until last year, I now enjoy. Much like the previous song, this song is often seen on "worst songs ever" lists, usually at or near the top tier. This comes from a band with a bit of a complicated history, even changing their name three times. This song I'm talking about is from the year of 1985, it's "We Built This City" by Jefferson Airplane Jefferson Starship Starship. 
    Like I said earlier, I used to hate this song, mostly because everyone else hated it. Also, I thought the lyrics were cheesy, the music was very overly-synthesized, and pretty much epitomized everything wrong with the 80s. Whenever I heard this song, I would sing "this song is shitty, it's cock and bull!" It wasn't until last year that I had the curiosity to actually listen to this song. So I did... and it dawned on me that this song isn't even that bad. In fact, compared to the crap coming out these days, this song is a helluva lot catchier and more enjoyable for me.
    A lot of the hatred for this song is understandable. The lyrics are very cheesy and has that over-processed 80s production that makes it sound very dated. Hell, even former Starship vocalist Grace Slick absolutely loathes that song. Hmm, what if someone walked up to her and said "We built this city."
    Alright, we're halfway there. This next guilty pleasure of mine is probably the song I've listened to the longest. I enjoyed the song as a kid and I still do as an adult. However, it wasn't until later in my life that I found out that a lot of people absolutely despise this song. This song comes from the year 1988 by a legendary group and was their first (and probably their final) really big hit since their heyday back in the 60s. If you made it this far after my rambling, I'm talking about "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys. 
    I can safely say that this is probably the most polarizing song in The Beach Boys catalog. Either you love it or hate it and most Beach Boys fans absolutely hate it. Why do I not hate this song? Like I said earlier, I feel pretty nostalgic listening to it. I also find it very soothing and relaxing with its tropical atmosphere. Plus, I really love Carl Wilson's (the bearded one) vocal delivery during the chorus. Oh, and the Muppets did a pretty good cover of "Kokomo," adding even more nostalgic value.
     
    Now to talk about the hatred for this song as there's a lot of it. I frequently see "Kokomo" on numerous "worst songs ever" lists and most Beach Boys fans typically loathe it, calling it cheesy Mike Love drivel. Some fans don't even consider it a true Beach Boys song since Brian Wilson wasn't involved in the writing or recording of this song. That made me wonder what Brian's opinion was about this song. After some intensive research, I did find an interview with Brian stating that while he was initially surprised that it was a song by his band, he enjoyed the vocal harmonies and relaxing lyrics.

    Brian likes Kokomo. Your argument is invalid.
    Besides, as much as you or anyone dislikes "Kokomo," it's not the worst thing made by The Beach Boys. No, I'm not going to shred anything off of Summer in Paradise since ToddintheShadows already made a video on it earlier this year. 
    Now for my final guilty pleasure and the most modern song on my list. I was really conflicted about including this particular song as it doesn't get that much hate compared the previous three songs. However, I do believe this song gets some hate for a certain... trend that most artists used and abused in the years to come. From the year of 1998, it's "Believe" by the one and only Cher.
    What can I say... it's fucking Cher! Anything this woman does, I love... Ok, almost anything. Anyways, who do people hate this song? This song is one of the first, if not the first song to implement the soon-to-be infamous audio effect known as Auto-Tune.

    Back in 2018, I ranted about Auto-Tune in my "10 Things I Hate About Music" entry, criticizing its misuse/abuse and overly processed sound. In this song, Cher uses Auto-Tune as a special effect, making her voice pretty futuristic, and I think greatly enhances the song in my opinion.   Some of the hate for this song is understandable, but there are also people who even blame Cher for the rise (and misuses) of Auto-Tune. Seriously? Just because she was the first to use it doesn't mean it's her fault. Do these people also blame the Wright Brothers for 9/11? Fuckin' people... 
    And those are my guilty pleasure songs. Some shocking, some not so much. What are you guilty pleasures? Also, should I make another guilty pleasures entry? Comment below. This is Woohoo signing off. 

  9. Woohoo

    Alaska Trip Pics

    By Woohoo,

    For all of last week, I was on a cruise with my family to Alaska. Here are some pics from my trip.
    Enjoying the view with a cold drink

    View from the top deck looking north

    Imperial Bar in Juneau where I had some delicious fish n' chips 


    Looking over Skagway

    Downtown Skagway

    White Pass & Yukon Railway

    Selfie with the Majorie Glacier in Glacier Bay

    My sister and mom posing in Ketchikan

    My ship, the Ruby Princess

    Poutine from the Pink Bicycle in Victoria, BC 

    Victoria Parliament Building

     
  10. Woohoo
    What's up, everypony? Woohoo here and welcome back to Musical Manslaughter, because you can't spell slaughter without laughter and these songs are jokes.
    This entry will be a little different from the last ones. With the previous entries, I tore apart songs from artists that I either dislike or don't care about. For this entry, I'm tearing into a song from an artist I actually like. Normally I talk about the artist after I present the song I'm reviewing, but like I said earlier, this entry will be different. If you can't tell by the font I used in the logo, the artist I'm talking about is Metallica.

    These guys need no introduction. They're arguably the most successful heavy metal band of all time and also one of the best selling music artists ever. I, myself, am a pretty big fan of the band for about a few years now. However, just because I'm a big fan doesn't mean I support everything the band does, and frankly, Metallica has done a few... questionable things from the mid 1990s to the early 2000s that have disillusioned most of their fans, such as releasing albums with bodily fluids as the front artwork, cutting their hair and dressing up as Cuban pimps, and their infamous lawsuit against Napster. For this entry, I'm talking about one particular song they made in 2003, which is the title track of their infamous eighth album... St. Anger...
    Oh boy, this will be fun. I've been wanting to rip apart this song for a long time... Before I tear this song apart, I just want to tell you that I actually wanted this song to be the first entry of Musical Manslaughter, that is until I heard "Shake it Off" on the radio... Alright, enough of my shuckin' and jivin'... Let's break it down...
    Believe or not, my first problem with this song is the title. "St. Anger?" Last time I checked, Anger is one of the deadly sins. Putting Saint and Anger together makes it sound like an Oxymoron. How the hell did they come up this? Did they draw random words from out of a hat or did they have help from some Manatees... Great, I'm already losing it and I haven't even started the damn song... Anyways, onto the song.
    Like with most Metallica songs, this song starts off with a riff. It's not one of their best but it's somewhat tolerable... so long as James doesn't say "this sick riff." So far, it doesn't seem too bad... that is until you hear this...
    * PONG, PONG, PONG, PONG! *
    What in the name of Heaven, Hell and everything in between was that?!
    * PONG, PONG! ** PONG, PONG! * * PONG, PONG! *
    Seriously, what was that sonic shitfest of a sound that had the displeasure of assaulting my eardrums?! Is that the sound of all encompassing negativity pounding through the fabric of space and time?! Maybe... you wanna know what that sound really is? It's the sound of the snare drum!

    Now you're probably wondering 'why does the snare sound so bad?' It's because during the recording of this album, Lars Ulrich turned the snare off of his snare drum, giving it a much louder ring. Apparently, Lars liked the sound of it so much, he decided to use it on the album. Uh, Lars, I have a quick question for you...

    Why would you do this, Lars?! Your snare is so loud and jarring that it distracts from the vocals and other instruments! It almost sounds like you're drumming on a cooking pot! This is just so... what's the word I'm looking for? I know, unprofessional! So after 30-something seconds of incessant instrumentation, we finally reach the lyrics...
    Saint Anger 'round my neck, Saint Anger 'round my neck,
    He never gets respect, Saint Anger 'round my neck...
    Uh, James, who is this St. Anger? Why is he around your neck? Is he choking you because you disrespected him? Can anybody explain what's going on here?! I have a feeling this song will score really high on 'nonsensicality.'
    (You flush it out, flush it out) Saaaaint Anger 'round my neck, 
    (You flush it out, flush it out) Heeee never gets respect,
    (You flush it out, flush it out) Saaaaint Anger 'round my neck, 
    (You flush it out, flush it out) Heeee never gets respect...
    So... to get rid of St. Anger, you have to flush it out? Like a turd? I still don't get it! Why are these lyrics so damn cryptic?! Also, James, why are you trying to sound like Chester Bennington? Why not sing "Craaaawling in my skiiiiin," while you're at it. Ugh, this song is making my head spin... like Peridot stuck in a toilet.

    Fuck it all and no regrets, I hit the lights on these dark sets
    I need a voice to let myself, to let myself go free
    Fuck it all and fuckin' no regrets, I hit the lights an these dark sets
    Medallion noose, I'll hang myself, St. Anger 'round my neck...
    Believe it or not, I consider this moment to be the "highlight" of the whole song... and I use the word "highlight" very loosely. Mainly because it references the lyrics of two classic Metallica songs, "Damage Inc." from Master of Puppets and "Hit the Lights" from Kill 'em All. However, those references will not save this song.
    I feel my world shake, like an earthquake
    Hard to see clear, is it me? Is it fear?
    I'm madly in anger with you, I'm madly in anger with you
    I'm madly in anger with you, I'm madly in anger with you 
    Wow... just wow... I can't believe how much the band has fallen lyrically. This is almost "Shake it Off" level nonsensicality. And to think this song came from the same band who wrote classic songs like "Master of Puppets," "One," "Fade to Black," "Enter Sandman," etc. Maybe the next verse might be better...
    Saint Anger 'round my neck--
    Wait, didn't we already hear this verse?! You mean to tell me that you couldn't think of another verse so you decided the first verse all over again?! It just makes me wonder what was going on at Metallica HQ during that time. As it turned out, 2001-2003 was a very tumultuous time for the band, to the point where they almost broke up. Many factors, including the departure of longtime bassist Jason Newsted, James Hetfield going to rehab as well as rebuilding his relationship with his family, and their lack of any pre-written material set the stage for this monstrosity. James Hetfield later said the album's sessions were so open-minded that they became unfocused and they pretty much embraced every dumb idea so no one's feelings would get hurt. I guess that explains the ridiculous songwriting here. This whole period was documented in the 2004 documentary Some Kind of Monster.

    Now let's get back to the song. Like I said earlier, we get another repeat of the first verse and chorus... actually, no, it's just one big chorus. Usually after the second chorus of any Metallica song, there would be a guitar solo from Kirk Hammett, right? Right? Nope. Turns out, there are no guitar solos anywhere on this song or on the entire album. Not a single tap of the Wah-Wah pedal or a twitch of the Whammy bar from Kirk, none. A lot of people were upset over the lack of solos when this album came out. As for me, I'm not that upset but a solo would've been nice to break up the monotony.
    That's another thing wrong with this song, it's long. Granted, it's not as long and boring as "American Pie" but "St. Anger" is even more irritating. It's seven and a half minutes of Lars playing a pot, incessantly repetitive riffing, and cryptically ridiculous lyrics.
    And I want my anger to be healthy
    And I want my anger just for me
    And I need my anger not to control me
    And I want my anger to be me

    And I need to set my anger free
    And I need to set my anger free
    And I need to set my anger free
    And I need to set my anger free
    Set it free!
    Now I get it. This song is about setting your anger free in a healthy way. Kinda like how I'm setting my anger free through this blog. One thing, why you gotta be so repetitive? I think now's the time to wrap things up.
    That was "St. Anger" by Metallica. Do I hate this song? As James would say in the old days, Abso-fuckin-lutely! Here's why...
    The lyrics, music, structure, and production are just... *sigh* They take horrendousness up to 11, not just by Metallica standards, but music standards in general. I mean, turning off the snare? What was Lars thinking?! In terms of repetition, it's pretty high. Hearing the same long verse twice in a row is such a chore to sit through. Meanwhile, the title of the song was used 13 times while the word 'anger' by itself was used 37 times. Granted, it's merely half as repetitive as "Shake it Off" but that's quite repetitive for Metallica. While this song has had no negative effects on me (aside from the annoying pong-pong), it had some on the band. When the album came out in 2003, despite debuting at number one on the Billboard and winning a Grammy, it garnered a lot of harsh criticism from critics and fans alike, calling it one of the worst albums ever made.
    However, on a more positive note, Metallica emerged a healthier and stronger band afterwards. James Hetfield described the St. Anger album as a purge, getting all the negativity out of him and a catalyst for the next chapter of the band. Thankfully, they've made great albums again with Death Magnetic and Hardwired to Self Destruct... well at least in my opinion.  
    Now for the final score. Some categories went up to 11, they're that bad.

     
    And that concludes this entry of Musical Manslaughter. For my next entry... I don't know what I'm gonna do but I'll think of something... maybe...
  11. Woohoo
    Hi everyone, this is Woohoo here with another edition of Musical Manslaughter, where you can't spell 'slaughter' without 'laughter' and these songs are jokes.
    Well, here I go again on my own, posting on the only blog I've ever known. Anyways, in my last entry of MMS, I promised to be much more active here... and so far, I've been doing a pretty crappy job at it.  Alright, enough of my rambling. For this edition of MMS, guess where we are going? If you guessed "the past," then have yourselves a cookie. 

    Yep, we're going back to the past to shred a shitty song that sucks ass. Since I started this blog, I feel I have the obligation that for every "modern" song I shredded, I would shred a "classic" song as well. I'm not one of those people who believes all music in the past is perfect and everything modern sucks. In my opinion, every generation had bad music. For this specific song, we're going back to the palindrome year of 1991, a year of desert storms, silent lambs, crumbling empires, and most importantly, the birth of a legend, ME!
    *sniff sniff* Do you smell something? That smell, a kind of smelly smell, a smelly smell that smells... smelly. No, it's not anchovies, or the salmon in the logo. It's the song I'm shredding today, and the song is... "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana.
    Oh boy, I can already here the keyboards typing: "how cud u haet dis song!? dis song n nirvna maed rawk gret agin! go bak to the 80s u rtard! >:(" Wow, I've really outdone my self with that comment. Anyways, yes, I officially hate this song now. I used to dig it when I was younger, but the older I got and more times I've listened to it, the less I liked it. Now, I can't stand listening it anymore. Why do I hate the song that supposedly put Seattle on the map as well as saved rock from the 80s? Let's break it down.
    My first problem with this song is really just a nitpick: the title. Probably the second time in this blog's history that I complained about a song's title, with the first time being my "St. Anger" review. "Smells like Teen Spirit," what kind of title is that? Did they come up that title all by themselves or did they help from manatees. I just don't get it. Unlike "St. Anger," I don't think any of the lyrics in this song correlate to the title at all. Maybe this sets the tone for the rest of the review. Now let's get into the actual song...
    So the song begins with its recognizable riff, starting off clean but then crescendoing with drums and bass. When I was younger, I kinda liked this riff. It wasn't the greatest riff, but wasn't terrible either. (I'd probably rate it 3.6 out of 5 roentgen.) However, as I got older and my musical taste grew more refined, the less I liked the riff. Often times when I heard this song, I would think, "That sounds pretty familiar..." Until finally, I came to the realization that this is one of the most unoriginal and overused guitar riffs I've ever heard. I mean, where have I not heard this riff before?! Every time I hear this riff, I find myself singing "Louie Louie" or "Wild Thing" or the chorus to "More Than A Feeling." (All of which are better songs IMO.) Granted, all those songs don't use the exact notes and chords, but they're structured very similarly. I know I've rambled on about this riff for an entire paragraph, and frankly I wouldn't have problem with it, if it weren't for all these people claiming this is one of the greatest guitar riffs of all time. Wow, only 15 seconds into this damn song and I'm already angry. *sigh* Better calm down...

    So after the "Louie-Wild-Feeling" riff-off, we finally reach the lyrics...
    Load up on guns, bring your friends
    It's fun to lose and to pretend
    She's over-bored and self assured
    Oh no, I know a dirty word

    Did someone leave the Orb of Confusion on? Because I have absolutely no idea what's going on here! Should I even think about attempting to decipher what's happening here? Can anyone explain what's happening here?! Why am I still asking questions?! WHERE IS MY SUPERSUIT?!  *deep breath* Sorry about that. I just hate when song lyrics make absolutely no sense. I have a feeling this song will score really high on "nonsensicality," and not in a good way. Let's move on...
    Hello, hello, hello, how low 
    Hello, hello, hello, how low
    Hello, hello, hello, how low
    Hello, hello, hello

    *sigh* I never thought I would say this again but... why you gotta be so repetitive?  I'm not gonna waste too much time or anger here, mostly because the damn chorus is next!
    With the lights out, it's less dangerous
    Here we are now, entertain us
    I feel stupid, and contagious
    Here we are now, entertain us
    A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido
    Yeah... hey... yay...

    *seething* Wow... just fucking wow... Where do I even begin with this chorus!? 
    First off, what the hell is going on here?! Broken lights and... diseases and bugs and... WHY?! These are some of the most random and non-correlating lyrics I've ever heard... and this is coming from someone who likes weird songs like "I Am The Walrus" and "Rock Lobster."  I've had this problem when I reviewed "Shape of You" over a year ago, the chorus is too damn long! The chorus by itself is 32 seconds long, but combined with the "Hello, How Low" pre-chorus, it's 47 seconds! This makes the song an absolute slog to sit and listen through.  I was going to address this earlier when I was discussing the first verse, but I'll say this right now. Kurt Cobain is, or was, an absolutely terrible singer! Seriously, how does someone with a voice that horrendous become popular?! Most of the time, he's screaming like he's walking barefoot on hot Legos. However my biggest issue is his enunciation, or in this case, his lack thereof. I can't even understand like 80% of the words he's singing. This song is essentially one big mondegreen. (Misheard lyric.)  Often times when I hear this song, I sing my own words like "Here we are now, in containers" or "Won the lotto, hell if I know." I swear, he sounds like he's drunk or sick or has marbles in his mouth. It's no wonder Weird Al made a parody poking fun at the fact that many people had a hard time understanding Cobain. Holy shit on a cracker is this song making me angry. I haven't been this level of anger at a song since my "Shake It Off" review, and that's saying something. It drives me bonkers to hear people say how this song as well as the whole Grunge movement supposedly saved rock music from the alleged horror that was "Hair Metal." (Boy do I hate that term, but I still use it anyways.) Say what you want about how overly ridiculous that era of music was, and frankly I have my own gripes with that era, but I think Hair Metal had a lot substance and a helluva lot more style than Grunge. Change my mind! 
    Anyways, back to the regularly scheduled review...
    I'm worse at what I do best
    And for this gift I feel blessed
    Our little group has always been
    And always will until the end
    This is probably the part of the song that actually makes any sort of sense. I believe this is Kurt admitting that despite being a professional musician, he was pretty terrible at it. He also stated how loyal his bandmates were to him, seeing how they disbanded immediately after his death. Sadly, this is only "highlight" of this song.
    After another repeat of that fucking slog of a chorus, we reach the guitar solo... except I don't really call it a guitar solo. It's just the vocal melody mimicked on the guitar, and frankly, I hate those kind of "solos." Not only was Kurt a terrible vocalist, he was a lackluster guitarist too. Seriously, why do I keep seeing him ranked in most "top guitarists" lists?! I've seen ten year olds play eons better than him! *sigh* I'm losing my mind right now... but I can't quit now, I'm almost to the end. 
    And I forget just why I taste
    Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile--
    Y'know what? Fuck it! I don't think I can take this anymore. I'm just going to skip right to the end. After the third slog of the chorus, we get this for an outro!
    A denial, a denial,
    A denial, a denial,
    A denial, a denial,
    A denial, a denial,
    A denial...
    …La-dee-da-da, ba-da-dee-da, and Obama, and Osama, and a llama, and lasagna... Wait, the song is already over? The outro was getting so monotonous that I was adding my own words to it. I swear, this song feels like the "Shake It Off" of 1991. Alright, let's wrap this up.

    And that was "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. Do I hate this song? Well, if you asked me years ago, I would've said "nah." Nowadays, hell the fuck yes! Let me break it down for ya.
    First off, I am not denying the impact that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" made in the history of music. If you like this song, more power to you. Now that I got out of the way, back to my rant. It absolutely astounds me that song like... this has become so popular and iconic and, worst of all, overplayed as fuck for over 28 years. Why? I just don't get it. The lyrics are nonsensical, Kurt's vocals are practically incomprehensible, the music is amateurish at best (although I kinda like Dave Grohl's drumming), I just don't get it. This song makes feel like having an anal evacuation.  I bet most of you are thinking that I am just an old man yelling at a cloud. That's bullshit. I'm a 28 year old man yelling at a terrible song. 
    Now for the final score. I haven't seen a score this high in a while.

    And that concludes this entry of Musical Manslaughter. Once again, if you like this song, that's fine. Frankly, a little part of me wants to enjoy this song again. As for next entry, all I can say is... it's coming out in April. This is Woohoo signing out. Enjoy your Leap Day.

  12. Woohoo
    Wow, it's been a while since I've posted a blog. At least here I have something interesting to talk about. Anyways, onto the topic of this blog. Last weekend, I accomplished something I thought I'd never do... go to a concert. For the longest time, I've avoided going to concerts, mostly because of the loud noise and my hatred of being in crowds (mostly due to Asperger's). This year, I decided to give in and try since Rush, my favorite band of all time, announced in late January they were touring this year and were going to play in Seattle on Sunday, July 19th. What also drove to me to see Rush live is the possibility this might be their last "major" tour.


    After six agonizing months of waiting and the day finally came, me, my mom, and my friend Chad drove down to the KeyArena and took our seats. Was it worth the wait?? Short answer: yes. Long answer: keep reading.


    The Show

    The show began with a short animated video showing how the band members evolved since the 1970s, which includes a scene of them walking past a sign of the city they're currently playing (see image above). When the video ended, the screen lifted up, the band emerged, opening with “The Anarchist” from their 2012 album, Clockwork Angels. Instead of a setlist that ricochets from decade to decade like their other tours, this tour starts with the most recent album, 2012's Clockwork Angels, and travels back to the band’s beginnings with their 1974 self-titled debut.


    During the first part of their set, stagehands in red jumpsuits added and removed props, subtly transforming the stage from their time machine props from the Clockwork Angels tour to Geddy Lee's washing machines and Alex Lifeson's amplifiers of their previous tours. Also during this set, Neil uses his 360o drumkit like previous tours.

    Now let's talk about the songs. The trio opened the show with Clockwork Angels' "The Anarchist," which is pretty much my favorite song off that album and was an amazing way to start the show. Pretty much everyone in the arena stood and cheered. After that, they dove into "The Wreckers" and Headlong Flight," the latter song featured a short but dynamic drum solo by Neil Peart. Moving onto 2007's Snakes and Arrows, they played "Far Cry," an obvious choice, and the instrumental "The Main Monkey Business." Next, they played "How It Is" from 2002's Vapor Trails. I was hoping for "One Little Victory" but I applaud Rush for choosing a more deeper cut.

    Skipping back nine years (and Test for Echo, which I think isn't as bad as most fans think) to 1993's Counterparts, Rush played another obvious choice, "Animate." During that song, I noticed a lot of the people around were air-drumming (I even air-drummed too. Rush is best air-drumming band). Moving onto to 1991's "Roll the Bones," a song that's not really liked by most Rush fans, mostly because of the rapping interlude, but I dig this song. When the rap interlude came, a video of various celebrity rappers lip-syncing to it, which I thought was pretty cool. In my opinion, Rush doing rap sounds a lot better than KISS doing disco.

    More years and albums skipped, we reach the 1980s. They played another deep cut, "Between the Wheels" from Grace Under Pressure. I actually was not expecting them to play this one. It's quickly growing on me as one my favorite Rush songs. Finally, the first part of the set closes with the Signals' classic "Subdivisions," a song that is very relatable to a lot of people, including myself. When I was attending school, I've always felt like a social outcast because of having Asperger's Syndrome, mostly because I'm incredibly shy and not a very good communicator (I am a lot better now). After "Subdivisions," Geddy announces to the audience they need to take a break and will be back shortly.

    After the intermission, the second part began with another video. This time, a mishmash of videos from previous tours and outtakes, ending with the South Park boys as "Lil' Rush." Eric Cartman counted them off and the band launched into the Moving Pictures staple, "Tom Sawyer." Nothing more needs to be said about that song, other than 'it fucking rocks' so... moving on. The next song was "The Camera Eye," a not-as-famous track from the same album. You’re hardcore if you love this one, and inside the arena that night, it seemed like everyone did. During the second set, the stage props have changed. Geddy and Alex are using traditional amplifiers (with the guys in red jumpsuits slowly subtracting them as they progress back in time) and Neil using a replica of his old double-bass kit, complete with tubular bells with Starman drumheads.


    Onto 1980's Permanent Waves, "The Spirit of Radio" was yet another obvious choice. Following that song was "Jacob's Ladder," a song that hasn't seen the concert stage since 1980 (at least before the R40 tour began), which was quite a treat for the hardcore fans.

    Finally, we reach the 1970s with an epic medley of Hemispheres "Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres Part I: Prelude" and A Farewell to Kings "Cygnus X-1," the latter featured another drum solo by Neil. Next was "Closer to the Heart," which is my mother's favorite Rush song and pretty much the main reason why she came along. Immediately after that was my favorite Rush song, "Xanadu," which Geddy and Alex dusted off their double-necks for this number. The fun has been doubled!


    Now we come to the beast that is 1976's "2112," an epic song that was pretty much a giant middle finger to their record label. Like the previous tours, it's abbreviated (mostly because it's 20 minutes long and will take up song space). However on this tour, they played four chapters; I Overture, II Temples of Syrinx, IV Presentation, and VII Grand Finale. Usually they would just play Overture and Temples of Syrinx (and occasionally Grand Finale) but I guess they wanted this version to be a little more fulfilling.


    After a video of Eugene Levy rambling about the band, the encore begins with Caress of Steel's "Lakeside Park," followed by the Ayn Rand inspired "Anthem" from Fly By Night. It was nice that songs from these two relatively obscure albums saw the light of the concert stage again. The encore closes with "What You're Doing" and "Working Man," both from their 1974 debut. The show ends with a funny video of the band walking backstage towards their dressing room, however a puppet bars from entering due to "not being on the list," as a party is going on inside featuring the characters from their album covers. How dare he snub the band!

    Complete Setlist
    Set 1
    1. The Anarchist
    2. The Wreckers
    3. Headlong Flight w/ drum solo
    4. Far Cry
    5. The Main Monkey Business
    6. How It Is
    7. Animate
    8. Roll the Bones
    9. Between The Wheels
    10. Subdivisions
    Set 2
    11. Tom Sawyer
    12. The Camera Eye
    13. The Spirit of Radio
    14. Jacob's Ladder
    15. Cygnus X-1 Book II Hemispheres Part I: Prelude*
    16. Cygnus X-1 w/ drum solo*
    17. Closer to the Heart
    18. Xanadu
    19. 2112 Part I: Overture
    20. 2112 Part II: Temples of Syrinx
    21. 2112 Part IV: Presentation
    22. 2112 Part VII: Grande Finale
    Encore
    23. Lakeside Park*
    24. Anthem*
    25. What You're Doing
    26. Working Man
    * indicates the song is abbreviated or part of a medley

    Closing Thoughts

    I shoulda done this like a million years ago. I can honestly say that I'm glad I made Rush my very first concert. The band was is top form despite Alex and Neil's recent health issues. The setlist had a great mix of classics, newer songs, and hidden gems. So overall, it was a great experience and I'm already excited for my next concert this year, AC/DC at the BC Place in Vancouver.

    As for my thoughts on the "last tour" rumors? All I can say is: They'll be back... I hope...

    Wow, I took a whole week to write this? I suck at writing
  13. Woohoo

    What's Wrong With Me?

    By Woohoo,

    I couldn't really think of a good title -_- *sigh* There's no easy way of saying this, but lately, I have not been feeling myself. I've been contemplating on talking about this for a while, but after being inspired by Jeric's recent blog, I feel it is time for me to really open up and tell you what is wrong with me.
    First off, and I'm going to be pretty frank here, but behind my upbeat sounding username and cheerful avatars and signatures lies a somewhat ugly truth: I am not happy. I haven't felt truly happy for a long time.  Now you're probably wondering 'Why are you unhappy?' Well, a lot of things, but I'm only going to focus on the three biggest.
    Loneliness

    Loneliness is a bitch... and I think that's an understatement. Most of my life, I've struggled with loneliness. Even though I enjoy the occasional "alone time," it's growing less enjoyable and more unbearable. I want to have more friends and possibly even a girlfriend. One of my resolutions this year is to be more social... and I'm failing miserably at it. Every time I try to be social, loneliness keeps me chained up. Whenever I'm with friends, family, or anyone I know, I just lock up mentally with a bored expression on my face... just like Maud Pie.

    I think my inability to be social stems from the fact that I have Asperger's Syndrome (or whatever it's called now), which is a "mild" form of Autism. I also have a difficult with eye-contact and maintaining a conversation because of ASD. Most of the time, I just stay silent, fearing I might put my foot in my mouth. No matter how hard I try to be social, loneliness always has me by the throat.
    Disappointment

    This is something I've been bottling up for a while now but I can't handle disappointment as well as I thought. Disappointment for me is like a nuke going off and everyone I'm near gets caught in the blast and fallout. There are countless times where I've been disappointed with myself and others. Usually I'm disappointed with myself. It's probably because I'm a 26 year old single adult who still lives with his mother and still works a minimum wage job. It just feels like I can't accomplish anything in my life... at least not without help. There are also times I've been disappointed with others, even when it was no big deal. For example, the Season 5 finale "The Cutie Remark" disappointed me so much that killed my interest in MLP for an entire year! Eventually I gained the interest back, but I still fear I'll get that one episode or moment that'll disappoint me beyond repair. It's no wonder I still haven't seen the movie.
    I try my best to keep expectations as low as possible, but even then, I still find a way to get disappointed. I don't know why I feel this way. It feels like I'm still a kid...
    Stagnation

    A couple months ago, I turned 26. Then something dawned on me: my life is in a rut. In fact, 2017 was probably my most stagnant year in a while. It feels like all I do is wake up, eat, drink, shower, work, sit on the Internet, gym, and sleep every day and year. Occasionally, there's some exciting event like a vacation or a concert, but those are very few and fond. I think the reason for my life stagnating is my lack of ambition and having no goals. Thinking about the future always overwhelms me. Hell, when I was in third grade, my teacher asked me what's my goal in life and I said "my goal is to not have goals." Looks like that statement has bit me in the butt. Also, whenever I try to pursue a hobby or any interest of mine, thinking that maybe this might be my career, I always burn out on it. Looks like I'll be a busboy for the next 40 some years. However, if there's one thing I want to accomplish, it's a relationship... which, of course, I'm also failing miserably at. Maybe I should just embrace my loneliness... no, I can't give in loneliness!
    I actually did start a new hobby last year in the form of Musical Manslaughter, in which I rant on music. However, I don't think that'll last long as my other hobbies...  

    There are a lot of other things wrong with me, but I don't feel like explaining every single one. These include:
    Bad communicating Bad (or selective) memory Laziness Sensory issues (don't tickle me) Addicted to the Internet (especially here at MLPForums) Difficulty feeling empathetic/sympathetic Easily frustrated and overwhelmed Low Self-esteem So that's wrong with me. This is something I've wanted to get off my chest for a while now and I'm glad I did. I can breathe again. This is not the lowest I've been in my life, that was 2010-2014. Now before you ask, no, I don't need your help. It's not like you can come to my house and hug me (though that would be nice.) These are things I should deal with on my own. Sorry for my incessant rambling but I felt like I needed get this out of the way. Woohoo out. 
  14. Woohoo
    Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Pass it on. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think!
     
    Pick your Artist:
    Rush
     
    Are you a male or female:
    Digital Man
     
    Describe yourself:
    Finding My Way
     
    How do you feel:
    In The Mood
     
    Describe where you currently live:
    Lakeside Park
     
    If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
    The Fountain of Lamneth
     
    What is your occupation:
    Working Man
     
    Your favorite form of transportation:
    Red Barchetta
     
    Your best friend is:
    By-Tor and the Snow Dog
     
    You and your best friends are:
    Subdivisions
     
    What's the weather like:
    Natural Science
     
    Favorite time of day:
    Between Sun and Moon
     
    If your life was a TV show, what would it be called:
    Cygnus X-1
     
    What is life to you:
    Freewill
     
    Your relationship:
    La Villa Strangiato
     
    Your fear:
    Red Sector A
     
    How I would like to die:
    The Weapon
     
    My motto:
    Closer to the Heart
  15. Woohoo

    Woohoo Watches: Hey Arnold Season 3

    By Woohoo,


    woohoo
    Heeeeeeere's... Woohoo! I'm back once again with my continuing project of rewatching and reviewing every episode of Hey Arnold. Welp, we're halfway there... or three-fifths there. While I was rewatching Season 2, I was worried that any subsequent season after the first would be inferior. Turns out I was mostly wrong. Not long after rewatching Season 2, I started rewatching Season 3, which originally aired from September 1998 to March 1999 (although the season finale didn't air until Season 5. Again, WTF Nick?) This season consists of 20 episodes of 34 11-minute segments and 3 22-minute specials.
    As with my last entries, I will be rating the episodes either Bold, Good, Meh, Bad, and Raspberry. Will S3 be bold like S1 and S2? Let's dive right in...

    41a. The Aptitude Test: Good | 41b. Oskar Gets a Job: Meh
    42a. Curly Snaps: Bold | 42b. Pre-Teen Scream: Good
    43a. Stinky Goes Hollywood: Bold | 43b. Olga Gets Engaged: Meh
    44a. Crabby Author: Good | 44b. Rich Kid: Good
    45a. Helga Blabs It All: Bold | 45b. Harold the Butcher: Good
    46a. Arnold Betrays Iggy: Raspberry | 46b. Helga and the Nanny: Meh
    47a. Dangerous Lumber: Bold | 47b. Mr. Hyunh Goes Country: Bold
    48a. Arnold's Room: Meh | 48b. Helga vs Big Patty: Good
    49a. Career Day: Good | 49b. Hey Harold!:  Bold
    50a. Casa Paradiso: Meh | 50b. Gerald's Tonsils: Good
    51a. Phoebe Takes the Fall: Bold | 51b. The Pig War: Bold
    52a. Best Man: Good | 52b. Cool Party: Bold
    53a. Sid's Revenge: Bad | 53b. Roller Coaster: Good
    54a. Grandpa's Birthday: Good | 54b. Road Trip: Good
    55a. Arnold and Lila: Bad | 55b. Grand Prix: Good
    56s. Arnold's Thanksgiving: Bold
    57a. Girl Trouble: Bad | 57b. School Dance: Meh
    58a. Helga's Show: Bad | 58b. The Flood: Bold
    59s. School Play: Bold
    60s.* Parents Day: Bold
    ...And that was every episode of Hey Arnold Season 3 reviewed. Let's take a gander at the chart.

    *sigh* Looks like Season 3 wasn't as bold as I thought it would be, not saying S3 was terrible though as it had many fantastic episodes. I also noticed the chart looks like a crooked peace symbol with the Bold and Good making up the "top parts." Much like S2, S3 only had one Raspberry episode (and probably the most infamous in the whole show.) However, the Meh and Bad episodes have increased from S2. It kinda makes me fear for Seasons 4 and 5. Alright, I've rambled enough. Time to give this season a rating.
    What would I rate Hey Arnold Season 3? Even though it lost some boldness, it's still a very GOOD season.
    Now onto my Top 5 episodes of this season. Once again, it's hard to choose.
     Parents Day  Helga Blabs It All  Dangerous Lumber  Curly Snaps  Hey Harold!   Now for my Bottom 5, which is much easier since they episodes here ranked Bad or lower.
     Arnold Betrays Iggy  Girl Trouble  Sid's Revenge  Helga's Show  Arnold & Lila That brings us to the end of my review of Hey Arnold Season 3. Wow, I can't believe how fast I'm going through this. At the time of this blog's release, I've already finished watching Season 4 and I'm trying really hard to savor Season 5. This is Woohoo signing off or signing out. I still don't know the difference. -_-

  17. Woohoo
    Hello everyone. Woohoo here with another entry of Musical Manslaughter, because you can't spell 'slaughter' without 'laughter' and these songs are jokes.
    Now with my previous entries, I tore apart individual songs. For this entry, I'm doing something different... I mean way different.  I'm going to list the ten things in music that I hate. I may love music but there are some things in music that make my face go full on Yellow Diamond. Trying to find only ten things was a bit difficult. Also, these things I hate are in no particular order so you won't see a "ten, nine, eight," etc.
    Alright, enough of my shuckin' and jivin', here are the 10 things I hate about music...
    Auto-Tune

    This one is pretty obvious as almost everyone has torn Auto-Tune a new one. What I hate the most about Auto-Tune is its use... or should I say its misuse. When Auto-Tune first came out in the late 90s, it was mainly used a special effect. Its first notable use was in Cher's 1998 #1 hit "Believe."

    Nowadays, for the most part, it's used a crutch for "singers" who can't even carry a tune. Another thing I hate is the sound. It sounds so mechanical and unnatural, almost like a robot is singing. Where's the heart? While Auto-Tune might be useful for covering up the occasional vocal mistake, sometimes it makes the mistakes even more noticeable. A big example is Emma Watson's singing in the live action Beauty and the Beast remake. Why are artists and producers so obsessed with everything being pitch-perfect? Do they think the listener would be bothered by a few flat/sharp notes?! I'm not bothered by flats and sharps, but jarring pitch shifts and stuttering do.
    I don't mind Auto-Tune as an effect, but as a crutch... STOP! Just stop! By the way, if you're looking for someone to blame for Auto-Tune, don't blame Cher. That's like blaming the Wright Brothers for 9/11. 
    Fade-Outs

    This one is pretty nitpicky but fade-outs are something that's always gotten under my skin. To me, fade-outs are a cop out. They're bland, uncreative, lazy, and they make the songs sound incomplete. It just feels like artists didn't feel like writing a proper outro so they just kept playing while their producer slowly turns down the volume. Another thing I hate is that fade-outs tend to drag on for way too long, which just makes me want to hit the "next song" button on my player. The worst is when a fade-out is used over an amazing guitar solo. Why would you fade out your own work?!
    These were extremely rampant from the 50s through 2000s. Nowadays, fade-outs have largely... faded away.

    Songs That Start With The Chorus

    I couldn't really find a good picture for this one. Another nitpicky one but I hate it when songs start with the chorus. To me, they feel like a quick and sleazy way to get the listener hooked. Personally, I prefer being warmed up with an intro and verse before getting to the chorus. I view the chorus of a song as the cream filling of an Oreo or the Tootsie center of a Tootsie-Pop. Starting the song with the chorus just spoils the song for me. It also makes the chorus much more repetitive (I'll get to that later.)
    There are only a handful of songs I like that start with the chorus, such as Guns N' Roses' "Paradise City," Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time," Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls," and a few others. Meanwhile, some of my least favorite songs do this, including Charlie Puth's "Marvin Gaye," Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood, "Wham's "Last Christmas," and the list goes on. Again, this one is very nitpicky. 
    Songs That Run Too Long

    Before I tear into this one, let me say that I love long songs, but only if they're done right and most of the time, they are. However, there are some songs that are seven, eight, or well over ten minutes long when only half the time is needed. The biggest offenders in my eyes, or should I say ears, are "Hey Jude" by The Beatles, "American Pie" by Don McLean, and "St. Anger" by Metallica. "Hey Jude" starts of promising for the first three minutes, but the last four minutes of relentless "Na-na-na-nas" utterly ruin the song for me. "American Pie" is nothing but verse-chorus-verse-chorus and a slight tempo change for a whopping eight and a half minutes. Boring! With "St. Anger," who knows what Metallica were thinking, especially since they've made some amazing long songs like "And Justice for All" and "The Outlaw Torn." These songs really should be only three, four, or at most five minutes long.
    In my opinion, the best long songs are the ones they don't feel long and you hope would never end. Some great examples include Rush's "2112," Pink Floyd's "Echoes," Iron Maiden's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and many more. If you're going to make a long song, at least make it interesting. Don't be afraid to be creative.
    Bad Audio Mixing

    Have you ever listened to a song and it's so loud that it feels like your eardrums might explode? So you turn it down to a comfortable level only for the next song/part of the song to be so quiet you can barely hear it? How about when the music drowns out the vocals and vice-versa? That's bad mixing and I hate it, especially the ongoing "Loudness War." An infamous example of the Loudness War's effect was Metallica's 2008 album Death Magnetic. A pretty good album but the mix is so loud that it's difficult to hear at a comfortable level. I would have to change volume constantly.
    Why can't these big time artists and producers mix their goddamn audio right?! Are they that oblivious?! Why am I you asking these questions?! *sigh* Time to move on...
    Songs With "Featured" Artists

    I don't really mind having another singer or musician in your song, but lately it's getting on my nerves. Some recent examples of this include "Baby" by Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris, "Bad Blood" by Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar, "Right Round" by Flo Rida featuring Ke$ha, and "Dark Horse" by Katy Perry featuring Juicy J. What bothers me the most about this is it just feels like a commercial for the featured artist. They're usually there for less than a minute, sometimes a bit more, and they're done. It almost feels like they're featured just for a paycheck... wait. Another thing is they're not given a whole lot of time to shine. Why have them in your song if you're not going to fully utilize their talent? They really should be called "sponsored" instead of "featured."
    Once again, I don't mind this. It has been done right before, such as "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie. At least Bowie wasn't treated like a background singer and shared roughly the same amount of lead vocals as Freddie Mercury. But these recent examples just make me shake my head... and not in a good way.
    Annoying Vocalizations

    This thing I hate is pretty layered so let me break it down for you...
    1. Non-lexical vocables: If you don't know what these are, they are nonsense syllables like "la-las," "na-nas," "doot-dos," "whoa-ohs," "hey-heys," "yeah-yeahs," etc. Except for very few instances, I've always hated these; they're so ridiculous and stupid. I always cringe if they're used as legitimate lyrics, such as "Hey Jude" and "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye." Blech! How about using some actual words!
    2. Elongating Words: Whatever you call this. This one's nitpicky but I hate when a single word is stretched out to fill a measure. One big example of this that pisses me off is... say it with me now...
    "AND IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOOOOOOOOOOU." -Whitney Houston
    ...And I will always loathe that song because of that. There's nothing impressive about elongating the letter I. You're just destroying your vocal chords. I also hate when singers "stutter" words to fill a measure, such as Katy Perry's "E.T." and Rihanna's "This Is What You Came For." It just makes my vocal cords crawl.
    3. Poor Enunciation: This pisses me off the most. I absolutely hate not being able to understand the words of a song. I've heard enunciations so poor that they sound like a different language. Some of the worst 'enunciators' in my opinion are Ariana Grande, Sia, Vince Neil, and Kurt Cobain. Why be a singer if we can't even understand what the fuck you're singing?!
    Other vocalizations that annoy me include too much vibrato, over and under-singing, and overly nasally voices.
    Love Songs

    Aside from a very, VERY, VERY select few, I... really... hate... love songs! I can say, without a doubt, that love is the most oversung topic in the history of music. Most love songs to me are just "I love you, you love me," mixed in with some pathetically cheesy lines, overused rhymes like girl/world and fire/desire, all laid on top of some slow and sappy melody and beat. I also feel the same way with sex songs and breakup songs. Why the hell can't you sing about something else?! There's a whole lot more to life than love! 
    Then again, maybe I just hate love songs because I'm forever alone. Every time I hear a love song, I feel ridiculed for being single...

    Incessant Overplaying Of Popular Songs

    Do you ever get annoyed with hearing the same old songs everyday? I sure as hell am! In the spoiler below is a short list of what I consider to be the most overplayed songs ever...
    OK, it's not really a short list but you get the idea. I don't hate all of these songs but some I've heard so many times that hearing even the slightest note makes my face contort with annoyance.
    Why do radio stations insist on constantly playing the same old songs? Because they're popular? It's like they think they're the only songs ever made! Have they ever heard of variety?! There's a whole lot more to these artists than just their hits. It's not just on radio, but in TV shows, commercials, movies, video games, and other media. Like I said earlier, I don't hate all the songs I listed, but there is one song in particular that I absolutely loathe because of its incessant overplaying. If you haven't already guessed, it's Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off." When that song was released, I could not escape it. Everywhere I went, I heard that abomination of a song. Hell, I remember one day in November 2014 where I heard it playing on five different stations at almost the exact same time!

    For the love of all that everything in this universe, play something else! I don't care if it's #1 on the charts, PLAY... SOMETHING... ELSE!! That's... just... what's the word I'm thinking of? Oh yeah...

    Rampant Repetition

    Out of all the things I hate in music, this one angers me the most. I'm fully aware music is built on repetition, but there are some songs, especially recently, that are so goddamn repetitive! Some recent examples include Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off," Justin Bieber's "Baby," and Carly Rae Jepsen's "I Really Like You." These three songs have one thing in common, they repeat a single word in their title over 50 FUCKIN' TIMES! Many artists are guilty of this, not just today's, but music legends have done this as well. You wanna know how many "na-na-nas" are in "Hey Jude?" 162! What were they thinking?! Sometimes it's not just single words or vocables that are overly repeated, but entire verses and chorus, too. I especially hate it when the chorus is overly repeated at the end of the song. Do I really need to give an example of this? It's almost as worse as a fade-out. 
    It just makes me wonder, do they really think that the more they repeat something, the catchier it'll be? I guess we may never know. In my opinion, there is a very fine line between "catchy" and "annoying" and most songs either just cross it or obliterate it. I would rant more about repetition, but then I'd be just repeating myself.

    And those are the 10 things I hate about music. This is a blog I've wanted to make for a while but didn't have the inspiration... which I finally got when I watched TJ Kirk's "21 Things I Hate About Movies" video. What are things in music that you hate? Leave a comment down below. This is Woohoo, signing off. 
  19. Woohoo
    The night I've been waiting for all year. The night I finally see Metallica live! 

    This is me. My hair's already messy from Avenged Sevenfold

    The band performing the song "Atlas Rise!" from their latest album, Hardwired to Self Destruct. The stage is massive with a giant stylized M and A at each end.

    "The Memory Remains", this concert will be a great memory.

    Before performing "Moth into Flame," James Hetfield has to make sure his microphone is working, referring to what happened with Lady Gaga at the Grammys. 

    Light show during "Wherever I May Roam"

    Rob Trujillo performing "Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)" while footage of the late Cliff Burton play in the background.

    Spectacular laser lights during "One."

    Pyro during "Battery" illuminating the stadium.

    James showing his #MetinSeattle guitar pick just before the last song.

    Fireworks going off during "Enter Sandman."
    Thank you, Metallica! 
  20. Woohoo
    What's up, everypony? Woohoo here with my atrocious intro writing abilities. Anyways, welcome to the first entry of Musical Manslaughter, because you can't spell 'slaughter' without 'laughter' and these songs are jokes.
    While I was planning MMS, I was thinking, "how should I kick off the series?" or "what song should I do first?" It didn't take me long to choose one. There is a song... a certain song... A certain song that infuriates me to unspeakable levels. It makes my blood pressure skyrocket to Pluto whenever I hear even the slightest note on the radio. It rustles my jimmies to Oblivion and back. This song causes me nothing but agony and misery... and pain... and ridicule and anger and pain... and suffering... and pain...

    Alright, I'm done with my long winded overly-exaggerated rambling. If you didn't catch the little reference in the logo (which I combined with the popular meme "extra thicc"), that song is... "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift
    Taylor, you perv! VEVO couldn't have picked a worse thumbnail 
    Oh boy, this is going to be a doozy... Before I rip apart this song, I want to talk a little bit about the artist behind the song: Taylor Swift. She really needs no introduction. In less than a decade, she transformed herself from a sweet curly-haired country princess into arguably the biggest female pop star in the world. Everyone has their opinion on Tay-Tay, whether you love, hate, or probably not care at all about her. With all of the success she’s had, it’s not really surprising that she'd be polarizing. As for my opinion? Up until 2014, I was never a fan of Taylor. I simply saw her as just another popular singer who made one-dimensional yet sometimes catchy music.  I never really cared about her relationships, breakups, or feuds, though I did find a bit annoying but that's just me.
    But then, everything changed in the summer of 2014 when the Fire Nation attacked she made "Shake it Off," a song addressing how she's shaking off all the haters. Since then, I absolutely can't fucking stand her anymore! Just the mention of her name makes my face go full on Yellow Diamond.

    Damn, I'm rambling again... So how did this one song forever tarnish my perception on Taylor Swift... let's break it down.
    So the song begins with a very basic beat. Nothing good, nothing bad, it's just somewhat tolerable (for now...) But then the lyrics come in...
    I stay out too late, got nothing in my brain,
    That's what people say, mmhmm, that's what people say, mmhmm
    Wow, only 15 seconds in and we already have a red flag. First off, who the hell is complaining about you staying out too late? I mean, you have concerts to perform and those go on pretty late. The only person who should be concerned about staying out too late is yourself. To say people complain about you staying out too late is a crock of shit. As for "got nothing in my brain," maybe it's because people think you have the mentality of a 15 year old, which goes into the next lines...
    I go on too many dates (chuckles), but I can't make 'em stay,
    At least that's what people say, mmhmm, that's what people say, mmhmm
    Ugh, that chuckle was so unnecessary... Honestly, I don't really care about who you date. You can date whoever you want. Hell, you can date a rock and I still wouldn't care. Although I think Maud Pie would have a problem with that.

    As for the people who do complain about you "going on too many dates but can't make them stay," it's probably because of two things.
    They're sick and tired of you writing songs about your breakups. They think know you make them want to break up with you so you can write yet another song about bad they were, which usually becomes a hit on the charts and makes you more money. Maybe one day, you will realize that maybe, just maybe, you are the problem... Moving on! But I keep cruising, can’t stop, won’t stop moving
    It's like I got this music in my mind, saying "It's gonna be alright"
    It's not gonna be alright... because I have to hear the goddamn chorus right now!
    ‘Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play
    And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate
    Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
    I shake it off, I shake it off
    Heart-breakers gonna break, break, break, break, break
    And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake
    Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
    I shake it off, I shake it off
    Ho... ly... shit, this is horrible! One of the worst choruses I ever heard! Where do I even begin with this?!...
    "Players gonna play?" "Haters gonna hate?" Why are you stating the obvious?! Are you also gonna tell me the sky is blue or night is black?This has got to be some of her laziest songwriting ever. No effort whatsoever. It's even lazier than Rebecca Black's "Friday" and that's saying something. Do you really need to repeat last word of each line five times? Why so much repetition?! Do you really think that's catchy?! Do you realize repeating the same things over and over is annoying to many people? There is a very fine line between catchy and annoying. This song not only crosses the line, it fucking obliterates it. Nothing says "I don't care about what the haters say" than putting weeks/months worth of effort into writing a song to tell them that. Frankly, the more you keep hammering that into their brains, the more likely they'll think that you actually do care about what they say. Wow, that was a mouthful. Seriously, if you can't handle criticism, constructive or otherwise, then you are probably in the wrong profession.  Then again, I should've expected this from the same artist who wrote the song "Mean," verbally attacking a critic for, of all horrible things, doing his job.
    America's Sweetheart, everybody...
    Ugh, not even a halfway there and I'm already losing my sanity, but I can't stop now... Onto the next verse.
    I never miss a beat, I'm lightning on my feet
    That's what they don't see, mmhmm, that's what they don't see, mmhmm
    I'm dancing on my own, I make the moves up as I go
    That's what they don't know, mmhmm, that's what they don't know, mmhmm

    What the hell does dancing have to do with shaking off the haters?! I'm not gonna waste too much time on this verse, probably because it's so confusing, so I'm just gonna comment on just this one line. Lightning on your feet, you say? Sorry Taylor, but you ain't got shit on Sanic the HegeHoge.
     
    He's the fastest meme aliiiiiiive!
    Like any other song, we get another repeat of the chorus, except more "Shake it Offs" are added in! WHYYYY?! Do you realize repeating the same things over and over is annoying to many people?! Great, now I'm repeating myself! So now we get to... the bridge...
    Hey, hey, hey, just think while you’ve been getting down and out about the liars and the dirty, dirty cheats of the world...
    Yes I am down and out, because you're one of them.  
    You could've been getting down to this... sick.. beat...
    Remember earlier when I said the beat of this song was tolerable? Well, after this one line, it becomes intolerable! Sick beat... seriously, Taylor?! You call that beat sick?! It sounds like it was made in Pro-Tools using the "Make a Random Beat" button! Then again, I guess that beat is sick... sickeningly obnoxious! You want to hear a real sick beat? Hit it, professor!
    My ex-man brought his new girlfriend, she’s like “Oh, my god!” but I’m just gonna shake
    And to the fella over there with the hella good hair, won’t you come on over, baby? We can shake, shake, shake
    Because it wouldn't be a Taylor Swift hit song without mentioning one of her exes. Also, stop trying to rap. You're making yourself look like a bigger fool than you already are.
    Alright, time to wrap this up. We get one more repeat of the damn chorus... except with even more "Shake it offs" added in! Once again, WHYYYYYY?! Enough is ENOUGH!

    Why do you keep repeating yourself?! Did you not have any ideas how to end your song or did you just not feel like it? That's so lazy! Every time I hear you say "shake it off," I feel like I lose 10 IQ points each time! Just when I'm about to completely lose my sanity, the song finally ends.

    And that was "Shake it Off" by Taylor Swift. Do I still hate this song? Hell yeah! Is it any better than when I first heard it in 2014? Hell no! You know why? Let me break it down for ya.
    The lyrics are so lazy, poorly structured, and most of all, overly repetitious. Her vocals sound so processed and grating, far from her sweet sounding voice from her early days, and the beat is sickeningly obnoxious (thanks to a certain line.) The overall repetition in this song... oh boy, of the 585 words (yeah I counted) used in this song, the titular line was used 36 times and the word "shake" by itself was used a whopping 78 TIMES! That's more times than Justin Bieber says "Baby" in his signature song. In fact, at least 60% of this song is spent repeating itself, and I find that unacceptable! I know that music is built on repetition, but this song went way too far.
    Alright, enough about the repetition let's talk about overplayed-ness. When this song first came out, it hit number one on the charts and I could not get away. I think I heard this song like at least 5 times a day almost everywhere I went during late 2014-early 2015, constantly getting stuck in my head and giving me migraines! There was one day where I heard this song being played on five different radio station at the exact same time! While I'll admit the song has a decent message of being yourself and not taking shit from anyone, that gets completely lost within the surrounding nonsense. I find it very nonsensical that she wasted so much effort to write a song to tell the haters that she's going to shake 'em off. If she really wanted to shake 'em off, she shouldn't have made this song. If anything, this song probably reinforced their hatred of her as well as spawning more haters, including myself. As for negative effects on me, there were a lot, but let me list a few...
    Lost what little resect I had for Taylor Swift... also Max Martin, who went from producing my favorite jams like "I Want It That Way" and "It's My Life" to this train-wreck! This song got stuck in my head constantly to the point of agony. Lost faith in humanity at one point. I would have Taylor related nightmares almost every night for over a year, not even Luna could save me. Friends and co-workers teased me and claimed I secretly loved Taylor. Aren't they a little old to be teasing?! My dad and I got stuck in her traffic when she came to Seattle in August 2015 and we missed my ferry to Bainbridge Island. Now for the final score. Pretty abysmal, isn't it?

    Yeah I consider this the worst song I ever heard, but this is just my opinion. If you like this song, that's alright, I won't hate you. And that concludes the first entry of Musical Manslaughter. Join me next time when I rip apart a song that claims to be a tribute to one of the greatest singers of the last century when the song is actually a ridiculously corny sex song...
    Now I wait for the Swifties to come and eviscerate me... 
  21. Woohoo

    Woohoo Watches: Hey Arnold Season 4

    By Woohoo,


    woohoo
    And his name is John-- I mean Woohoo here continuing my project of rewatching and reviewing every episode of Hey Arnold. We're getting close to the end, folks. After finishing Season 3 did I start Season 4, which originally aired from March 1999 to June 2000 (mostly due to a few holdouts airing in S5.) Much like Season 3, S4 has 20 episodes but broken down to 32 11-minute segments and 4 22-minute specials. Also during this season and the next one, the animation was changed to being digitally painted (much like a lot of shows during the late '90s-early '00s.)
    As with my last entries, I will be rating the episodes either... Wait, you should know the rating system by now! Sheesh! For many fans, S4 is viewed as the "worst" season of the show so I myself have some low expectations. Will S4 be as bad as most people make it out to be? Let's jump right in...

    61a. Eugene's Birthday: Meh | 61b. Stinky's Pumpkin: Good
    62a. Dinner for Four: Meh | 62b. Phoebe Skips: Bad
    63a. Full Moon: Raspberry | 63b. Student Teacher: Raspberry
    64a. Big Gino: Bad | 64b. Jamie O in Love: Meh
    65a. The Beeper Queen: Bold | 65b. Oskar Can't Read?: Good
    66a. Headless Cabbie: Bold | 66b. Friday the 13th: Meh
    67a. Helga's Parrot: Good | 67b. Chocolate Turtles: Bad
    68a. Love and Cheese: Raspberry | 68b. Weighing Harold: Bold
    69a. It Girl: Good | 69b. Deconstructing Arnold:  Bad
    70a. Grudge Match: Bold | 70b. Polishing Rhonda: Bold
    71s. Veterans Day: Bold
    72a. Back to School: Meh | 72b. Egg Story: Bad
    73a. Weird Cousin: Bad | 73b. Baby Oskar: Raspberry
    74a. Helga Sleepwalks: Good | 74b. Fighting Families: Good
    75a.* Monkeyman!: Meh | 75b.* Buses, Bikes, and Subways: Bold
    76a. Grandpa's Sister: Good | 76b. Synchronized Swimming: Good 
    77a.* Helga's Masquerade: Meh | 77b.* Mr. Green Runs: Bold
    78s. Helga on the Couch: Bold
    79s. Dino Checks Out: Bold
    80s.* Summer Love: Bold
    ...And that was every episode of Hey Arnold Season 4. Bring up the chart!

    *sigh... again* Oh have the mighty have fallen... maybe that's a stretch. Season 4 is definitely a very... mixed season. While half of the season was made up of Bold and Good episodes, over a quarter of the season made of Bad and a whopping FOUR Raspberry episodes, more than S2 and S3 combined! Also, during this season is when the show's formula starts getting a little stale. Hell, a few episodes were just rehashes of ones in previous seasons, a practice that some shows do that I absolute hate (though it's not as bad here as in MLP's later seasons.) Now with the negative stuff aside, Season 4 produced quite a few fantastic episodes, including four stellar specials. 
    Now for S4's rating. I've pondered about this for a bit and, even though the Bold and Good just barely outnumber the rest, the four Raspberry episodes unfortunately give Season 4 a rating of a MEH season.
    Onto my Top 5 for this season. I really didn't want to have all the specials take up nearly every slow so I tried really hard to diversify...
     Helga on the Couch  Veterans Day  Headless Cabbie  Buses, Bikes, and Subways  Grudge Match Now for the Bottom 5, which was much easier as nearly every entry was a Raspberry episode...
     Student Teacher  Full Moon  Love and Cheese  Baby Oskar  Egg Story That pretty much wraps up my review of Hey Arnold Season 4. I can't believe I'm almost to the end. If you're wondering about my rewatch progress, I am almost finished with Season 5 and already watched the 2002 theatrical film. This is Woohoo... doing something involving exiting. Enjoy your Thanksgiving.

  22. Woohoo

    Woohoo Watches: Hey Arnold Season 5

    By Woohoo,


    woohoo
    It's the final countdown... I mean Woohoo here continuing my project of rewatching and reviewing every episode of Hey Arnold. Welp, we've reached the last season, guys. I started S5 not long after finishing S4, albeit very slowly to savor it. The final season originally aired from March 2000 to June 2004... wait, 2004? Unfortunately, quite a few of the episodes aired years later after being produced and out of order (WTF, Nick? You seriously have a holdover problem.) Much like Season 3 and 4, S5 has 20 episodes but broken down to 32 11-minute segments, 2 22-minute specials, and 1 45-minute special. This season also has the same animation quality as S4 (though the last two specials have higher quality animation.)
    You all know my rating system by now. Since Season 4 was somewhat of a letdown, will S5 be an improvement? Let's jump right in...

    81a. Sid the Vampire Slayer: Meh | 81b. Big Sis: Bad
    82a.* Gerald's Game: Meh | 82b.* Fishing Trip: Bold
    83a. Bag of Money: Raspberry | 83b. Principal Simmons: Raspberry
    84a. New Bully on the Block: Bad | 84b. Phoebe Breaks a Leg: Good
    85a. Stuck in a Tree: Bold | 85b. Rhonda goes Broke: Good
    86a. Helga's Locket: Good | 86b. Sid and Germs: Meh
    87a. Beaned: Good | 87b. Old Iron Man: Meh
    88a.* Ghost Bride: Bold | 88b.* Gerald vs Jamie O: Meh
    89a. Suspended: Meh | 89b. Ernie in Love: Good
    90a. Arnold visits Arnie: Meh | 90b. Chocolate Boy: Bold
    91a. Harold vs Patty: Good | 91b. Rich Guy: Good
    92a.* The Racing Mule: Bold | 92b.* Curly's Girl: Raspberry
    93a.* On the Lam: Bold | 93b.* Family Man: Good
    94a.* Phoebe's Little Problem: Bad | 94b.* Grandpa's Packard: Good
    95a.* A Day in the Life of a Classroom: Bold | 95b.* Big Bob's Crisis: Bold
    96s. Married: Meh  
    97a.* Timberly Loves Arnold: Meh | 97b.* Eugene, Eugene!: Bold
    98s. April Fools Day: Good
    99s & 100s. The Journal Part I & II: Bold x 2
    ...And that was every episode of Hey Arnold Season 5. Let's see that chart.

    In a way, Hey Arnold Season 5 was a decent improvement over S4; with a few less Bad, one less Raspberry, and a couple more Good episodes. However, there were a few more Meh episodes this season, including probably the only time that a special episode got a rating lower than Good. I don't know what was going on with the writing during the last two seasons, but it feels like something from the previous three seasons was missing. I guess this reinforces my belief that the show's formula was going stale. This also makes me feel very relieved that the show didn't get renewed for more seasons; much like Rugrats back in the day or SpongeBob and The Loud House in the present day, with those shows dragging on and on with no end in sight. Now that I've gotten the critical stuff out of the way, S5 still produced a fair number of Bold episodes; in fact, the same number as S4... weird, huh? Ugh, I'm rambling. Better wrap this up...
    As for this season's rating; while the series didn't end on a perfect high note, it did end on a pretty good one. Season 5 is a pretty GOOD season.
    Onto my Top 5 for this season, blah-blah-blah had a hard time filling the slots...
     The Journal Part I & II  Ghost Bride  Eugene, Eugene!  Chocolate Boy  The Racing Mule Now for the Bottom 5, yadda-yadda-yadda had an easy time filling the slots...
     Curly's Girl  Bag of Money  Principal Simmons  New Bully on the Block  Phoebe's Little Problem  That concludes this entry, as well as my whole saga into rewatching and reviewing every season of Hey Arnold. I hope you enjoyed coming along for this ride down memory lane. Man, I still can't believe this is over... Wait, it's not over. There's one more Hey Arnold thing I still need to review. Yep, I'm talking about The Jungle Movie... which I still haven't seen yet. I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to review it as well as the 2002 theatrical film. Until then, this is Woohoo... well since I already mentioned "The Final Countdown," I'm blasting off!

  23. Woohoo
    What's up, everypony? Woohoo here and welcome back to Musical Manslaughter, because you can't spell 'slaughter' without 'laughter' and these songs are jokes.
    Hope you all enjoyed your Fourth of July, because there's no better way to celebrate our independence than gorging ourselves with hot dogs, guzzling down beer, and blowing up fireworks.  Anyway, on to the blog. So with the previous entries, I tore apart a couple of popular songs from the current decade. Now there are plenty of songs from this decade I wanna tear into, but if I continue in this direction, I'll eventually get a comment like this...
    OK, extremely over exaggerated but you get the idea. I am not one of those people on YouTube who post comments like "I was born in the wrong generation," "Music was soooo much better back then," or even "[Number of Dislikes] are Bieber Fans," etc. Despite all the crazy shit going on now, I actually prefer living in this generation.
    For this entry of MMS, we're doing something a little different. I'm going to take you back to the past... to shred a shitty song that sucks ass. A song from a magical time called the 1970s, where the only ways to access music were the radio or buying the album at a record store. Now this particular song has irritated me for a long time. A song that I have loathed for most of my life, as early as nine years old... and that song is "American Pie" by Don McLean.
    Now I bet you're wondering, "How can you hate this song?! You're a traitorous socialist fascist commie terrorist if you hate this song!" OK, how am I all of those things for hating a song?! Wait, why am I responding to my exaggerated hater comment?! Let's get back on topic... so why do I hate this iconic song? Let's break it down.
    Unlike the last two songs I reviewed, which started off with either a sickeningly obnoxious beat or the worst chorus in music history, "American Pie" actually starts of quite nicely with a soft piano melody and its first verse...
    A long, long, time ago, I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
    And I knew if I had my chance, that I could make those people dance and, maybe, they'd be happy for a while...
    Kinda like how I used to somewhat enjoy this song. However, after these couple lines, things start going downhill.
    But February made me shiver with every paper I delivered
    Bad news on the doorstep, I couldn't take one more step
    I can't remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride
    But something touched me deep inside, the day the music died...
    Now we've reached my first major problem with this song, the line "the day the music died." Does this song even explain what it is? Nope. Alright, since Donny's not going to explain what it is, I guess I'll have to. Gather around, it's time for a little history lesson with Woohoo...

    No one sings like them anymore
    On February 3rd, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson (aka The Big Bopper) boarded a plane in Mason City, IA en-route to Fargo, ND. Tragically, not long after takeoff, the plane lost control during a winter storm and crashed into a nearby cornfield, killing all three musicians and the pilot. To many people, this was a significant loss for the music industry as all three were prominent figures in the early days of Rock n' Roll. Do you want to know where did the name "The Day the Music Died" actually came from... the song I'm ranting on now! Thanks to "American Pie," which came out over a decade after the tragedy, this event is now known as the "The Day the Music Died." Now I usually save "Unfortunate Effects" until the end, but... WHY!? That's so ridiculous! I know their loss was tragic, but with a name like "The Day the Music Died," it just implies that all music died with them. Music can never die, it may have been wounded on that day, but it will never die... only the people who create it can. And why stop at "The Day?" Let's call last year "The YEAR the Music Died" due to how many famous musicians died then!
    Great, I'm already losing my sanity and I haven't reached the chorus yet. Speaking of which, the chorus is up next...
    So bye, bye, Miss American Pie
    Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
    And them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
    Singin' "This'll be the day that I die"
    This'll be the day that I die

    I mean, seriously... what the hell does all that stuff have to do with this musical tragedy?! This chorus is absolutely nonsensical! I... I don't think I can comment any further... except maybe there's some deep psychological meaning hidden there, but I'm not going to waste my damn time trying to find out what it is...
    Speaking of time wasted, that goes into my next major problem, and probably the biggest problem with this song. It's... so... fucking... loooong! This song is a whopping eight minutes and thirty seven seconds long, the longest song ever to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and it's nothing but verse-chorus-verse-chorus and so on. There are no bridges, no solos, no time changes, and not a single instrumental section longer than a few seconds to break up the monotony, it's just lyrics. Sure, the tempo changes slightly after the first chorus, but that doesn't change either! It's definitely one of those songs that tricks your brain to thinking it might be over, but nope, it keeps going on and on and on... There's a certain word to describe this song. Take it away, Pinkie!

    Now you're probably thinking "Oh, you just hate long songs! You must have ADD or have an attention span of a squirrel!" That's not true. I love long songs when they're done right. "American Pie" is an example of a long song done wrong. There are many long song I enjoy eons more than "American Pie," some are even longer than longer than this festering pile of boredom. Here are a few examples that I like:
    Rush - "2112" 20:32 Pink Floyd - "Echoes" 23:30 Iron Maiden -  "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" 13:34 Guns N' Roses - "Coma" 10:17 Bon Jovi - "Dry County" 9:52 Metallica - "...And Justice For All" 9:46 Led Zeppelin - "Achilles Last Stand" 10:26 ...And many more. As for the rest of the song, the lyrics just sound like rambling. While some lyrics relate to the subject, which I think is rock 'n roll, but then you get lyrics that are completely nonsensical, like this verse...
    But, that's not how it used to be
    When the jester sang for the king and queen
    In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
    And a voice that came from you and me
    Oh and while the king was looking down
    The jester stole his thorny crown
    The courtroom was adjourned
    No verdict was returned

    You know what? I'm just gonna wrap things up before I lose anymore of my surviving brain cells.
    And that was "American Pie." Do I still hate this song? Absolutely! In fact, I hate this song even more as an adult than when I was a kid. Here's why...
    The lyrics, for the most part, are confusing, nonsensical, and have as much correlation as New Kids on the Block and Chinese food. While the vocals and music of this song are way better than the last two songs, because it's dragged on for over eight minutes, it makes the song irritating to me. Why they made this song so damn long, I'll never know. As I stated early, I've hated this song since I was nine, mostly due to hearing this song on the bus home almost every week during fourth grade. It doesn't help that fourth grade wasn't a very good year for me so this song does trigger some bad memories. I found this song nonsensical as a kid and I still find it nonsensical now. Maybe I'll get it better when I'm 40. I still don't get why this song is so popular... maybe it's because 'Murica.
    Now for the final score.

     
    That concludes this entry of Musical Manslaughter. This one was a lot more detailed than the previous entry since I had more history with this song. If you like this song, that's fine, I won't hate you. For my next song, we're going back into the past again, but not too far, to shred a terrible song by an artist I actually like.. and going to see them live really soon.
  24. Woohoo
    Hello everypony. Woohoo here with another edition of Musical Manslaughter. because you can't spell 'slaughter' without 'laughter' and these songs are jokes.
    When I made the first entry of the MMS last year, I declared that "Shake it Off" by Taylor Swift was the worst song ever. Well, I take that back. Turns out, there is a song far worse than "Shake It Off" or any of the songs I ripped apart the past few months. This is a song that's even more irritating to my ears than "St. Anger," more insulting to my intelligence than "Marvin Gaye," more boring and excessively elongated than "American Pie," and even more overplayed than "Shake it Off." This is a song I've been... No, scratch that... everyone's been listening to since the day we were born. It's been around since the dawn of the time and will continue to exist long after all life and all time ceases to exist...
    Holy shit, that was longwinded! Alright, enough jucking and chiving. I'm going to reveal the name of the worst song ever... and it's name is...
    Silence.
    ...
    Really, what can I say about "Silence"? It's... just... nothing. The lyrics? Nothing! The music? Nothing! Artistry? Nothing! Emotion? Nothing! That's all "Silence" is, Abso-Fuckin-Lutely NOTHING! *sigh* Why people keep saying "Silence is Golden?" What's so golden about it?! It's nothing! Who came up with that phrase?! Whoever came up with that phrase, I've got a few words for ya...

    Now for the final score. For the first time, we get a perfect score!

    And that concludes this entry of Musical Manslaughter. Happy Easter Fools Day everyone!

  25. Woohoo
    Ohai Mark, this is Woohoo here with another edition of Musical Manslaughter, because you can't spell 'slaughter' without 'laughter' and these songs are jokes.
    In my last entry, I promised you all something in April. Welp, here it is, ya ungrateful pricks... Anyways, guess where we're going again? Yep, the past, to shred another shitty song that sucks ass. Much like the last entry, I'm shredding a song I used to dig but now can't stand anymore. How far are we going back? Just a year earlier than last time, 1990. Can you believe 1990 is now 30 years ago? Seems like only 10 years ago that 1990 was only 20 years ago. Damn it, I'm rambling again.
    What song am I shredding? Much like last time, it's a song, as well as the band that made it, I used to dig a lot. However, as I got older, the worse it became. If you can't tell by the clues in the logo (which none of you do), that song is... "Thunderstruck" by this old-ass band called AC/DC... how do you pronounce their name?
    How did I lose interest in this song faster than I lost interest in MLP? Let's break it down!
    Before I tear the song a new one, I first need to talk about... the band. First off, how the hell do you pronounce their name? Is it supposed to be pronounced "A-C-Slash-D-C" or is it supposed to be "Ack-Slash-Deek"? Is the slash supposed to be silent? I don't know, man. Australians are weird, almost as weird as Canadians. Secondly, just look at them!

    They look ridiculous, especially the 40-something guy in the schoolboy outfit! Sheesh, I guess Australia has a worse educational system than here in good ol' 'Murica. Also, why is Mr. Clean in this band? And who is that guy on the far right? He looks like a muscular French poodle man. Ugh, I haven't even started song yet and I'm already flustered. Better save my anger. Now let's break it down for real this time.
    So this song starts off with its iconic guitar riff... and good god is it annoying. Seriously, it's nothing but "middly middly middly middly, meedly meedly meedly meedly," and goes on and on and on. While this going on, there's also some annoying voices going "Ah-ah-ah-ahh-ah-ah-ahh-ah." Why?! Someone please sing some actual words!
    Thunder... Ah-ah-ah-ahh-ah-ah-ahh-ah
    Thunder... Ah-ah-ah-ahh-ah-ah-ahh-ah
    Thunder... Ah-ah-ah-ahh-ah-ah-ahh-ah
    Thunder... Ah-ah-ah-ahh-ah-ah-ahh-ah
    Aw shit, here we go again. Why you gotta be so repetitive?! Ugh, I'm not even finished with the intro and I'm already close to blowing a gasket. Why is the intro so long anyways? Are they trying to bore the listeners? So after this minute long intro, which is like 1/5 of the song, we finally reach the lyrics...
    I was caught in the middle of a railroad track (thunder)
    I looked 'round and I knew there was no turnin' back (thunder) 
    My mind raced, and I thought what could I do (thunder)
    And I knew there was no help, no help from year (thunder)

    I'm going to go off on a tangent here... What the hell was wrong with rock music in the 90s?! Seriously, all these weird songs like "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "Black Hole Sun," "Man in the Box," and whole lot of others, all of which have nonsensical and non-correlating lyrics. I mean, what was going on then? Were all these songs co-written by manatees? Were these songs trying to be weird like the 60s and 70s? I can forgive weird 60s-70s songs because nearly all the bands used some sorta of hallucinogenic drugs.  *sigh* I'll never understand why people in my generation like to glorify the 90s so much. 
    Ok, tangent over, back to the song. I really don't know what to say here... except for this. If you're on a railroad track, get the hell off! Do you have any idea what a train can do to you?!

    F40PH
    Sound of the drums beating in my heart
    The thunder of guns tore me apart
    Now I finally have an excuse to use this gif...

    You've been... Thunderstruck
    That... actually sums up how I feel. I'm thunderstruck by the sheer ridiculousness of this damn song. Why does song even exist? What purpose does it serve?! Why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways?! *sigh* Gotta calm down. You wanna know the worst part is? We're not even at the chorus yet! Not only is the intro too long, this verse, or possibly multiple verses are too long as well. Sheesh, has anyone ever heard the phrase "Don't bore us, get to the chorus"? I guess not. Y'know what? I'm just gonna skip this next verse about their road trip to Texas and their good time with ladies. Too much information, guys! Where's Tipper when you need her?!

    Now we finally get to the chorus... right after this part.
    I was shaking at the knees
    Could I come again please
    Yeah the ladies were too kind
    You've been...
    This is it. After over two and half minutes of nonsensical boredom, here's the chorus!
    Thunderstruck
    Thunderstruck
    Yeah, yeah, yeah, thunderstruck
    Thunderstruck

    That's it? That's the chorus? I waited over two and a half minutes just to hear a couple words repeated a few times?! What a rip off! That's like if you bought an Oreo with only a small amount of cream in the middle! Ugh, much like "Smells Like Teen Spirit," I can't believe I used to like this song! What was wrong with me? *sigh* Wow, I'm going off on a lot of tangents here. Better get focused again. As for the rest of this song, aside from a short guitar solo, it's nothing but choruses until the end. I'll never understand why artists do this at the end of songs. We get it, we've been thunderstruck! Just shut up already! 
    Alright, time to wrap this up.
    And that was "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC... however you say their name. Do I hate this? Well, let me break it down for you in two words.
     
     
    APRIL FOOLS! 
    You all bought it! Hook, line, and sinker! Did you really think I would shred an AC/DC song? I mean, they have some lackluster songs, but none of those songs would be worth of an MMS entry.  But seriously, did any of you fall for this? Probably not because of the date I posted this and how overly exaggerated I made myself in this blog. Anyways, that concludes this entry of Musical Manslaughter. Tune in next time when I discuss my guilty pleasure songs. This is Woohoo signing off... or is it out? Can anyone tell the difference?! 

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