Christina Aguilera

Christina Update
Longtime readers know that I’m a Christina Aguilera fan, and follow what’s up with this young popstar. This recent interview with Allure Magazine is a nice update. Nice to see her realizing that she got overexposed, and overworked last year. I remember for a while that any time she’d appear on TV she looked so tired. I would note this to Jenny; now, Jenny’s not particularly interested, but she generally agreed. My hope is that Christina will get a rational schedule for the promotion of her new record. The new record, which I’m looking forward to. The inclusion of an Etta James cover can’t help but be a good sign. Hey, Xtina can sing, aiight?

Though I am appalled that she mentioned her 11 piercings (ugh!), it is sort of interesting to ponder where they all might be. chuckle

Music Mutations
These music mutations are genius. I love the Strokes / Christina Aguilera mishmash – A Stroke of Genie-us ^[mp3]. Jenny loves The Strokes, and I love Christina. And this is either the perfect blend or something to displease us both.

Either way, sonic stimulation in spades. [ via metafilter ]

Eat my eclecticism:
My rotating playlist the other day was:

He Loves U Not (Club Mix) by Dream; Crystal by New Order; God’s Child by David Byrne and Selena; Doowutchalyke by Digital Underground; Lady Marmalade (Thunderpuss Radio Mix) by Christina Aguilera, Mya, Pink, Lil’Kim, Missy Eliot; Wonderful Wino|Frank Zappa (from: The Lost Episodes); Bamboozled by Love|Frank Zappa (from: Tinseltown Rebellion).

I got a lot of work done. I think for coding, sometimes a repetitive groove works very well. I remember writing many term papers in RT School while playing They Might Be Giants “Flood” again and again.

Quote of the Day:
I think because I went to a pretty white school, that I really don’t look Latin, I don’t have dark eyes, I never had dark hair, so I don’t think a lot of people put two and two together. But I was always proud of my Latino roots and proud of my Irish roots. I never felt like, ‘Oh, I should be white, or all Latin.’ I am what I am.
– Christina Aguilera, on being Latin

Stray thought: Is racism on the spectrum with pride in one’s race? It occurs to me that I have a certain degree of pride in my Mexican-American heritage, and of my Scot heritage (just to name two parts of my mestizo/mutt background)—but what does it really mean? Is having pride in what is basically the genetic “cards you’re dealt” just the opposite of something we’ve just made up? In both instances we ascribe importance to something which in the end does not relate to the content of our character. Human beings are so good at ascribing order to the way things work, when often there is no overarching theme to things – they just are. Race is something with little merit, appears scientific, and gets attention – rather like horoscopes and movie grosses.

(yes kids, here at ArtLung.com we are free to find the hidden connections between MLK, Christina Aguilera, and pseudoscience!)

My goatee is getting long. I can’t figure out whether this is good or bad, but it makes me think of ZZ Top. This is bad inasmuch as ZZ Top is kind of a joke as a band. Like a musical footnote in the latter 20th Century. They do play some mean guitar though.

What do I know from guitars though. I think my musical taste is atrophying. This is my playlist this morning: The Gourds: Gin and Juice; Dynamite Hack: Boyz N Tha Hood; and Pink / Mya / Lil’Kim / Christina Aguilera: Lady Marmalade.

I used to passionately follow Talking Heads, Joy Division / New Order, They Might Be Giants, Matthew Sweet, Tori Amos, Morrissey. I think I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t take popular music seriously enough. When people recommend bands to me I’m usually unimpressed.

For me I think it’s got to be be either Zappa: vast Antarcticas of history and complexity in a huge body of work … or it’s Christina Aguilera: aesthetically pleasing, with an underlying vocal talent, and evidencing hard work – but ultimately the judgment of history will probably be that her work was overproduced.

Maybe I’ll get into Gilbert and Sullivan. That music has lasted a hundred years already. I did really Like Topsy-Turvy. I could definitely see myself in the depiction of Mr. Gilbert.

I have an irrational affinity for Christina Aguilera.

In part it is irrational because her roots are multiethnic, like me. I have at least Scot, Irish, Mexican, Spanish, French, and Yaqui in me.

Christina can legitimately claim to be Latina, and be on the cover of Latina Magazine. She can also claim Irish heritage, and appear in the Irish Abroad web magazine.

This is a wonderful example of the melting pot. Many of us in the USA are just mutts. Interesting things happen when cultures mix. It also illustrates the fluidity of racial definitions. In the end we all should be judged by the content of our character.