Saturday, June 18, 2011

Things little league(oy any youth sports) recuriters will not tell you.

1. You will pay far out the rear for this.

Especially if it is hockey or competitive cheerleading. Penn and Teller. did an eye opening season 9 ep of Bullshit on cheerleading. They had a divorced couple who were paying 10-15k a year for their 3 daughters. Hockey is expensive, you you kid as a interest in sports PRAY that it is B-ball, all that requires is a ball and a pair of shoes. You are not paying for skating lessons, ice time, pricey equipment that they will grow out of every year, entrance fees, fees for tournaments etc. Be weary of any league or martial arts school that is not upfront about what you will pay.

2. 80% will quit before 12 (much of this has to do with 1.)

Kids are fickle, they lose interest in things quickly. It is actually a natural part of the growing process. Adults have also done a great job doing things that will help it along with psychoitic behavior. Much also has to do with the costs. In this economy,  it is not cheaper to fun a kid's world of warcraft addiction and the medical costs in becomes a obese junkfood shut-in than participate in some of these organized sports. That is FUBAR.

High costs are defeating the point of this, Cheap way to have fun with friends.

This is why you have to do this on the cheap, that money is better off being put into bonds or an investment account to pay for school if and when they never get that scholarship or NBA contract. There are 40 million kids in sports and only about 250,000 scholarships. Most of them are at schools you never heard of with sports no one really gives a crap about.

3. There is no law federal, state or otherwise saying we have to do criminal background checks on volunteers.

We always hear some news story about a molester coach or one who is abusive. Molesters will take on jobs that not only get them access to kids but automatically make parents unquestionably trust them. A sports coach is one of those jobs.

If a kid is totally interested in something for 3 years than starts to hate it, RED FLAG.
If a coach or instructor has a problem with you watching practices, RED FLAG.

Thia is juat some simple advice from a single adult with no kids.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Demi Lovato, arm chair career advice.

Here is some open advice I have for Demi Lovato after leaving her TV show to concentrate on her personal health.

Movies - Go Indie do not ask for much.
She is going to deal with producers who hear about her issues and will think she is a liability and another Lindsay Lohan. In some ways she is starting over since leaving her show. So she needs to prove to execs that she can do the job, will be there sober, sane and on time. Don't ask for too much, Demi Miley and Selena being popular as they are, THEY ARE NOT SUPER MOVIE STARS, yet. Ramona and Beezus had a respectable BO but was not a blockbuster. Demi was pretty good in her Grey's Anatomy guest role. So do not ask some producer you want 50 mil up front. Not gonna happen. SHE NEEDS TO PROVE that she can still do the job.

For 2 years Demi was struggling with these eating disorders, teen issues and cutting. Was still able to do 3 tv movies, 2 albums, a tour and TV show. She did not totally meltdown like Charlie Sheen, Lohan. Or Mischa Barton who was not even capable of making her own instant coffee in the last TV show she worked for.

Do indies, some lower budget drama, could even deal with themes she is stuggling with. Indie does not mean something dark and depressing it could be an inspiring and positive film to send a message to teens who are struggling with the same issues. Maybe she can do a movie based on the Cupcake Brown book she mentioned on her Seventeen Blog or something similar. A film that is a lower budget, that is not glossed over with SFX will also show the industry her TALENTS.

Music - Going on Tour

Her meltdown that led to her seeking treatment happened on tour. Concert Tours are a lot like my unit going on deployment. (Except for the people trying to kill you thing, which is not far from the truth with some past music acts.) You are far from home, on a very stressful and hectic schedule that causes you to get little rest, sleep let alone proper nutrition.

You are on the road in a tour bus, up at 5 am to go to 3 radio stations, an two tv morning shows to promote your tour. Rehearsals until the evening show, encore than a after party, get on the bus take a nap and start over in the next city.  Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

Recently promoting Monte Carlo led to Selena Gomez getting hospitalized for malnutrition. A millionaire star was not eating enough because things got hectic, with Demi and her eating disorders, she needs family with her to make sure she is properly fueling her body with proper food. In many ways not much different with us soldiers over seas. To properly accomplish our missions we need to make sure we are eating 3 meals a day and DRINK WATER.

Demi mentioned that she feels uneasy being in front of a TV camera, here is another career path. VOICE OVER WORK. She has a real distinctive voice for a Disney Cartoon, this is something like Ashley Tisdale with Phineas and Ferb, that she can do in the same studio she records her music in.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Do we even want or NEED our MTV anymore?

 I wrote this as a response to this post....
http://dknowsall.blogspot.com/2011/06/hollywood-babble-on-on-743-mtv-no.html

I don't know if it is because I have gotten older but I do not even FIND MTV even watchable or even having a purpose on TV anymore.

I am 35 and  find there is better TV on NICK and DISNEY.


MTV's edgy show SKINS got cancelled, you see MTV is pretty much trying to be edgy to teens while gasping for air in a much thinner cultural atmosphere.

Here are some bullet points, about MTV's current problems.

Bullet Point 1. It's not about teens anymore it about TWEENS. Disney has hit this nerve with High School Musical, Hannah Montana and the Jo Bros. We say this a few years ago when Russel Brand was going on about purity rings when he was hosting a show about music awards on Music Television where all the big music acts came from DISNEY. MTV's parent company Viacom also owns Nickelodeon so they do have a share of this market, while the parent company does. MTV as a whole does not they are just a cog in a larger media strategy.

Bullet Point 2. Teens do not need MTV anymore when it comes to music videos.  I remember when MTV was young in the 80's. If you wanted to see a new video you had to wait for the WORLD PREMIER on MTV. Now the hot acts of our decade premier their videos on YOUTUBE, Myspace, VEVO or whatever. Then you can watch it over and over until your eyes bleed. Not wait for hours for MTV to decide to play your fav video.

MTV is basically entered an era where they are both irrelevant and useless. Probably why they are getting Mike Judge to bring back Beavis and Butthead and took music your of their logo. Disney captured lghtng n a bottle with Miley, Selena, Demi and the Jonas Bros. All what MTV has is the Situtation and Snooki. A network that once set trends is now following them with their new TEEN WOLF series.