The music doesn't fit the story

As I've noticed this recently in two examples from two different TV. shows, I figure it's worth a mention. Also, am tired and am not thinking of any super cool thoughts otherwise. Clearly, I'm enough of a music person that it bothers me when songs I like are put into TV. shows, movies or commercials and there's a moment of what the hell. Like the music doesn't fit the story or has a tint that they're not implying. What bothers me most is that it's not that hard to check and it doesn't take too long to check either.

Example number one: during Dawson's Creek, there was a romantic interlude between Joey (Katie Holmes) and Charlie (that Chad Michael Murray who's on every blessed WB show) where Charlie serenades her with Cheap Trick's "I want you to want me." (Poor Cheap Trick, they didn't deserve that). They begin talking and on the soundtrack comes Alanis Morrissette's "Hands Clean." First of all, my memory of the song is based on the video and my memory is that the song alludes to a dysfunctional relationship between her and her manager. It has Chris Sarandon in it, who almost always plays arrogant mentors and reminds me of one of my profs. in college. (The prof. in question is loads nicer). Admittedly, Joey and Charlie's relationship doesn't last the season, but I don't think that they were trying for that level of dysfunction just yet.

Example number two: during Queer as Folk when there's this huge celebration on Liberty Avenue, (read: Toronto masking as Pittsburgh) where they are all celebrating the defeat of the homophobic mayoral candidate. There's joy and dancing in the streets. What song do they play? New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle?" Okay, what? Nothing against "Bizarre Love Triangle" as I love that song and put it on almost all the mixes I made in college. However, it's not a song I would pick to celebrate a moment of queer unity and freedom. If they were going to go for New Order, why not use "True Faith?" I don't know the lyrics cold but even from my vague memory of them, they probably fit better. Okay, I did think that "Bizarre Love Triangle" was used appropriately in Threesome, which is a sentence I never thought I'd write. It worked because well it fit the situation. It was bizarre. (Am not saying Threesome was a great movie, because it wasn't, but it had some parts that worked).

I do like when there's a disconnect with the song if someone's been sloppy and doesn't realize the connotations. Like for example, during the 1984 or 1988 Republican National Convention, the bandleader played "The Best of Times" from La Cage aux Folles. Considering Reagan's and the Republicans' avoidance of the discussion of AIDS and homosexuality, I thought the irony was quite fetching. I clipped a cutting about it in case you're wondering how I can remember that that clearly.

Clearly, tv and music were a big part of my life, as are movies and music because I still remember when certain songs were used on certain shows and films. (Not all, my memory's not that good, but some). I told a friend of mine that we were listening to Depeche Mode's "Never Let me Down Again" at the coffee shop and that it was used effectively in a 21 Jump Street episode. The reason I remember this is because I remember that I really liked the song. and there was probably a guy I was thinking about in reference to the song. I even sort of remember the plot. It had something to do with Johnny Depp's old girlfriends who had gone on to date the clubowner they were investigating. (Okay, in retrospect, that may not narrow the plot-lines all that much, as Depp's old girlfriends appeared on a semi-regular basis). This is probably why I have a lot of film soundtracks. Well, also, it was the 80s and they often used any excuse to have "videos" in their shows.

Have been watching VH-1 classic and am loving/amused/scared by some of the old videos. Like Gene Loves Jezebel, Echo and the Bunnyman, John Parr, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, John Fogerty, etc. I like the Alternative hour muchly. Speaking of, one of my fav. Love and Rockets' songs, "No New Tell to Tale" is on my I-tunes. I still really like it. And was also looking through old journals and found song lists that a) reminded me of my objects of obsessions and b) I oddly liked. Some of them were pretty random and some of them were all too familiar. Depeche Mode and the like.

More tea.