The mere suggestion of having to sit down to watch a stranger's home movies used to seem about as appealing as a visit to the dentist's chair—but in the age of YouTube, millions of people are willingly watching millions of home movies online, even if most of those movies consist of little more than some guy losing it at the sight of a double rainbow.
That DIY attitude is so ingrained in our culture that it's made the transition to mass media. Last week, the rock band Radiohead offered a free stream and download of a concert film shot by dozens of fans in the audience with high-def Flip cameras. (The Beastie Boys used a similar approach with their concert film, Awesome: I Fuckin' Shot That! a few years back—but you have to shell out about $15 for the DVD.)
Radiohead is no stranger to giving away things online. A couple of years ago, the band released In Rainbows online, asking for people to pay whatever they felt like, even if it was nothing.
The cynical take would be to assume the band used audience members to make the concert film to save a few bucks on crew members—though I can't imagine a more conventional concert film could feel as personal.
I'm surprised more bands haven't jumped on the self-filmed bandwagon. I know I'd shell out big bucks for an eye-level recording, bootleg or otherwise, of some of the concerts I've attended.
Of course, if you'd like to buy a DVD version of Live in Praha, that concert film, Radiohead will gladly take your $15.
THE WEEK ON THE RANGE
Like the rest of America, we noted that Gov. Jan Brewer melted down during her opening statement in the one-and-only gubernatorial debate against Democrat Terry Goddard—and we covered the fallout, including her rise to YouTube stardom (alongside parody performances). We also noted that she's slowly walking back those claims that headless bodies had been found in the Arizona desert, and pointed out that questions were continuing to mount regarding connections between some of her closest advisers and the private-prison industry.
We also noted that Brewer endorsed Congressional District 8 Republican candidate Jesse Kelly, who is facing Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
Speaking of Kelly: We pointed out that a Republican group released a poll showing him neck-and-neck with Giffords (with the caveat that you should consider the source); shared a new video from the Giffords campaign that showed Kelly flip-flopping on his support for a national sales tax to replace the income tax; and let you know that Kelly and his wife, Aubrey, welcomed a new son to the world on Sept. 1.
Elsewhere on the politics beat, we told you about how the Arizona Democratic Party was complaining that the Republicans were recruiting "sham" Green Party candidates into races to pull votes from Democrats; and filled you in on upcoming legislative debates.
We also shared a video of "Big" Jim Griffith talking about Tucson Meet Yourself; encouraged you to check out Don Pedro's Peruvian Bistro; and noted the 40th anniversary of the death of Latino journalist Rubén Salazar, who was killed when he was struck in the head by a tear-gas canister fired by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy.
COMMENTS OF THE WEEK
"Ah, Arizona politics. 'You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.'"
—Tucson Weekly Facebook fan David Nagore, in response to a video of Gov. Jan Brewer's stumbling debate performance.
"Did she mouth the word 'shit' after her first stumble?"
—Tucson Weekly Facebook fan Jason Allen, also in response to the debate video.
BEST OF WWW
It's TAMMIES time at TucsonWeeklyTV.com! If you missed the Tucson Area Music Awards show on Wednesday, Sept. 8, at the Rialto Theatre, or you just wanted to re-watch some of the performances by the likes of Howe Gelb and Sergio Mendoza y la Orkesta, we'll be posting videos of the event. As always, you'll be able to learn about the night's winners—and peruse lists of all our honorees stretching back to the first TAMMIES in 1993—at TucsonWeekly.com.
Also online this week: Irene Messina writes her column this week about the new Tucson Fire Foundation. Along with that column online, you can find a slideshow of photographs in the new Tucson firefighters exhibit at ART Gallery at 1122 N. Stone Ave.
