Nikko-ville
My advisors have warned me not to write about this topic-- but I love American Idol! Unlike my previous program endorsement ("The Simple Life,") I do not consider it to be a guilty pleasure. The wretched, unintentionally(?) bad performances of the early weeks are not my taste or worth my time, but these musical performers in the finals are not at all the hacks I always assumed they were, (and I know "talent" from "karaoke," because I am both.) Randy Jackson comes through ev-ree night, dude. Paula Abdul should top any list of the greatest "moms" in television history, and Simon Cowell is one of the mesmorizing TV personalities of the decade. Like every other viewer, I find myself waiting, shamelessly, on his assessments.I never watched "Idol" -- I call it "Idol" -- until Ozzie Smith Jr., a.k.a. Nikko Smith, arrived on the scene. Tonight, Nikko dropped another phat performance on North America with a tripped out version of Sisqo's chart-topper "Incomplete" from 2000. (I never heard of it, either.) Nikko's mother, Denise, was front row center once again, cheering loudly. His father, the Cardinals' Hall of Famer and baseball's all-time greatest shortstop, has wisely kept his distance from the competition since his blinding fame and popularity would undoubtedly overshadow his son's efforts during this zygotic stage of Nikko's musical career.
I'm just so proud of the boy. I feel like he's my son, having known him so intimately (on television and video) since he was five years old. In another way, it's like his father is back on the playing field. Nikko doesn't wear a glove like the one his father wore- the one where seeing-eye groundballs went to die for 19 years. He doesn't pull fastballs past the first and third base bags into the outfield corners in clutch situations, and he doesn't bring 40,000 people to their feet with his daring baserunning. But he's got that same air of performance, the same sense of style, the same flair for knowing when and how to give the eyewitnesses that little extra. I think it's even more satisfying to watch him attack the musical world, rather than the baseball world, since he's applying the same brush strokes to a different canvas.
Nikko bares a striking physical resemblance to his Pop-- the same eyes, mouth, and nose, the same build. He's the youthful and exuberant "San Diego Ozzie" with the Herzog-era twinkle of the eye, the Torre-era swagger and star-posture, and the LaRussa-era defiance. As Washington Post sportswriter Thomas Boswell once described his father-- "Little shoulder. Big chip."
Nikko conducts himself in interviews just like the old man. The gift of gab didn't come naturally. He chooses his words prudently, and it's never not apparent that he's having to work hard to make the eloquence of his verbal expression match the eloquence of his craft. Like the first great Ozzie Smith, the polish during the performance conceals the diligence and the work ethic beneath.
There's a new "Wizard of Oz" in the culture, people, and that's a fitting moniker since those who hope to usurp his power lack brains, heart, and courage.
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I flipped past Larry King tonight after "Idol" -- I call it "Idol." Larry had on Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life." The heading at the bottom of the screen said, "Rick Warren-- first live primetime interview since hostage read his book to alleged courthouse killer." Bet you're sorry you missed it.
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The Pope and Bill Clinton are dead. (How's that for an opening?) The Pope winds up in hell, and Clinton goes to heaven. The Pope goes to the devil and says, "Satan, I think there's been a big mistake. I should be up in heaven, and Bill Clinton should be down here."
Satan says he'll check on it.
The next day Satan goes back to the Pope and says, "You're right. There was a snafu with the paperwork. We'll be sending you up to heaven later today, and bringing Clinton down here."
The two men pass on the elevator en route to their eternal rewards, and the Pope says to Clinton, "I can't wait to meet the Virgin Mary."
Clinton says, "You're a day late."
More ribald fun tomorrow. Moeller, out.
posted by CM @ 9:50 PM
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