Saturday, November 20, 2010

Worst Comedian Ever

A Critic From The South: The "World's Worst Comedian" Is Apparently From Bo...

A Critic From The South: The "World's Worst Comedian" Is Apparently From Bo...: "I was looking at Bowling Green, Ky., on Wikipedia the other day and I scrolled down to where it says, 'Notable Persons From Bowling Green.'..."

The "World's Worst Comedian" Is Apparently From Bowling Green, Ky.


I was looking at Bowling Green, Ky., on Wikipedia the other day and I scrolled down to where it says, "Notable Persons From Bowling Green." And I came across the fellow by the name of "Darrell Bluett." I thought to myself, "Hmmm, I know of a Darrell Bluett and there's only one Darrell Bluett in Bowling Green that I know of and I actually know him." So when I clicked on his name and it showed that his name had been taken off as a link on Wikipedia. However, he is on a site called "Uncylopedia" http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Darrell_BluettNow, my curiosity was peaked. Then I went to Google and typed his name and there it was-"Darrell Bluett, 'The World's Worst Comedian,'" on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qg6AkhIYVs When I typed his name into Youtube and played the video, "The World's Worst Comedian," I thought that Darrell was actually pretty funny and not that bad.

And can you believe it? This guy has had over a half million hits on Youtube! Although, Darrell Bluett maybe dubbed as the "World's Worst Comedian," he's getting a lot attention from people from all the world. Someone on the comments section claims that Darrell spent $10,000 to have the video made of himself doing his comedy skit. I don't know if that's true or not. However, I would like to know the story behind the video. Who made it and did he actually pay $10,000 to have the video made? Also, I would like to know who put it on Youtube and titled it the "World's Worst Comedian"? Did he or someone else do it?. There's a big story behind that scenario somewhere. If Darrell did pay $10,000 to have that video made, I don't think he got his money's worth because it's not really that good of quality. Also, Darrell is not the most articulate comedian when it comes to delivery of his comedy skit when it talks about a really fat woman at the Greenwood Mall in Bowling Green, women on a diet or the new birth control pill invented for men by the Japanese.

But nevertheless, I think Darrell gets his points across in the short video and I think he is kind of funny regardless. He seems kind of quirky. Perhaps, people think he's the "World's Worst Comedian" because of his style of delivery or because he sounds "Southern" or maybe they think he looks stupid or something. But what can you can say? He's got over a half million hits on Youtube and that must mean something! Yes, I think he should have a link on Bowling Green's Wikipedia page because he is notable person now and he's has brought us some more attention to our small, college town of 65,000 citizens in Southcentral Kentucky. Don't count this guy out, because we just might see more of this comedian in future. Regardless if he's the "World's Worst Comedian" or not, Darrell is still a notable person from Bowling Green.
Postscript: Later on in the day after I wrote this blog about Darrell, I found something else about him on internet that was on a Bowling Green publication called "The Amplifier's" web-site.http://www.bgdailynews.com/articles/2010/08/13/the_amplifier/stage_and_screen/doc4c65a085486e5888394475.txt
It's a real short piece where it talks about Darrell appearing on the "Comedy Central Channel." It seems that he was flown out to Hollywood, Calif., and they taped a brief segment where he gets advice from some comedians and does a short skit with Arsenio Hall.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

HBO Documentary Films: Wartorn 1861 - 2010 Trailer (HBO)

Finding Understanding In HBO's "Wartorn: 1861-2010"


Life is strange and unusual sometimes. Or perhaps-right on time.

Again this year, I was sitting in my work vehicle in the Sonic Drive-In in Tompkinsville, Ky., on Veterans Day listening to the radio and eating my lunch. And again, I flipped channels several times and I came upon this radio show where the segment was about war and war veterans which is not "unusual" for Veterans Day, I suppose. But the radio show was something that I could really relate to. The interviewer was asking the producer of a new HBO documentary, "Wartorn: 1861-2010,"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvIrpyzpcR4&feature=player_embedded#! questions about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other questions about his recently released documentary. The producer's name is James Gandolfini, who is better known as "Tony" from the HBO's hit series, "The Sopranos." I watched the documentary on cable television's "Demand" this past Saturday afternoon.

Through out the whole documentary, I couldn't stop thinking about my late father, Ret. Army Major Vester Brooks Smith (World War II and Korean War veteran) of Memphis, Tenn., and North Mississippi, who also suffered from "PTSD," but wouldn't have ever admitted it. The film shows cases where soldiers who had returned from war committed suicide, became alcoholics and began to suffered from mental illness-anxiety, panic attacks and paranoia. The film also shows that a lot of recent returning war veterans have even ended caught up in America's legal and prisons systems because of their disorder.

Although, I am not a war veteran myself nor have I ever served in the military, I feel that, I, along with my late mother and siblings who are still living were also affected by father's "PTSD." My mother always said, when my father came home to Memphis from the Korean War after being in combat for a year, that he was not the same person when he left. I once called into the "Gordon Liddy" radio talk show after the Iraq War had begun back in 2003 and I warned his listeners and the American people of the effects of "PTSD" and how it not only affects the war veterans themselves but their families also. Mr. Liddy said that he did not agree with me or nor believe in "PTSD." Although, I disagreed with Mr. Liddy, it is now proven that this disorder is very real and not only does it affect the individual themselves and their families but society as a whole also.

My father didn't talk about the wars that he fought in very often not unless he was drinking. Then, he'd open up. And it wasn't always pretty either. However, "Wartorn," is a fascinating documentary that gives a dark account of the damage that "PTSD" causes in American veterans returning from war. This documentary does a excellent job of educating viewers as that "PTSD" is real and that our solders are authentically affected by it whether people want to believe or not. In the past until recently, there has been a prevailing notion that "PTSD" in previous wars prior to Vietnam that it didn't exist-"Shell Shock" as it was known in War War I and "Battle Fatigue," as it was known in World War II and the Korean War. General George Patton during World War II was said to have slapped a young solider who suffering from battle fatigue and sent him back to the front line. These suffering soldiers were said to have a "lack of gut fortitude," and this was placed on their military records as a stigma.

From the beginning of the documentary where it starts with the Civil War in 1861 all the way to the Iraq War of recent times, I think "Wartorn" is a well produced film and it will have a positive impact on our government, military personnel and military officers and prompt them to continue to pay closer attention to the signs "PTSD." And hopefully, military medical communities such as the VA (Veterans Administration) will continue to look for new treatments for the disorder. I think we owe this to our returning solders, their families and to the American society.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

A Critic From The South: Tea Party Baby Boomers Hip To New Social Media Tec...

A Critic From The South: Tea Party Baby Boomers Hip To New Social Media Tec...: "As I waited for newly elect U.S. Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul to appear with his family, I was standing right under the podium on ..."

Tea Party Baby Boomers Hip To New Social Media Technology During 2010 Mid-Term Election


As I waited for newly elect U.S. Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul to appear with his family, I was standing right under the podium on the floor in front of the stage. I was among some of the most skilled journalists and photographers from some of the greatest publications and media outlets from all over the world-Time Magazine, the New York Times, the Wall-Street Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, the Bowling Green Daily News and Western Kentucky University's College Heights Herald, just to name a few. Behind me, on another stage, was some of the greatest broadcast media outlets in the world,-ABC News, Fox News, CNN News, NBC News, CBS News and Bowling Green's WBKO News, among many others. I was in the epic center of "All The World's A Stage," for one moment for one day in one month in one year for one moment in history.

Here I was, a former journalist, a former newspaper reporter and a former journalism student, standing there just as confident and comfortable with my surrounding as the others who heaved large cameras on their shoulders while shooting photo after photo with one in their hand. Although, I have journalism skills, however, I had no note pad or pen with me. And I did not have a microphone either. I was not there to do an interview. I was only there to see my friend, Dr. Rand Paul accept his victory over Democrat Jack Conway and I was there to record history with my little Kodak Digital camera, making a couple of short video clips to broadcast on my Youtube channel. (To view the victory speech of Rand Paul, click here.) http://youtube.com/galenasmithsr1 That, I did indeed do. I suppose you could call me an amateur journalist, a Youtuber and a blogger, (this site) while I work a regular full-time job. Too me, it's easy and it's not intrusive. This type of journalistic endeavors does not require an appointment, credentials or even much knowledge about your subject. Of course, there's no pay involved either.

I think the biggest difference in the election of 2010 compared to the election of 2008 of President Obama's victory, is that us "Baby Boomers" were not in tune with the new technology of social media, social networking and other mega-popular sites such as Facebook and Youtube, back then. Most of us were not on Facebook yet and most of us did not have the high tech cell phones, iphones, Blackberries or a G4-phone where you can get your e-mail, texting, streaming video, movies, television or a video phone with "applications (apps-as it's commonly known) on on one unit. Because Baby Boomers and most Americans have low concentration skills this day and age because we are bombarded with television, radio, print publications, cell phones, internet and etc., it's hard to grab our attention. Each form of media is now desperately competing for our attention. However, the most popular social networking site, Facebook (millions and millions of users) among Baby Boomers took off in December of 2008, and we have been going full-swing ever since. And with this election, we were able to post videos, blogs and articles on Facebook and blogs on blogging sites that pertained to a particular candidate that we supported along with comments and messages that we were stating to our friends and readers on these site. Perhaps, some of our friends or readers did not agree with our postings but I found very few hostile rebuttals on the sites. I would say most exchanges of information or ideas were civil among friends and readers in my opinion. I would also say, most who did not agree with me, probably just ignored my postings or blogs.

All I can say after this "Tea Party Tidal Wave,"-the biggest win for Conservative Republicans in our American government (Congress, State Governors, State Legislators and etc.) since the 1930's is that the playing field is now even. No longer does the younger generation and the liberal, left-wing Democrats have the cutting edge on us. Now, Conservative Republicans and Tea Party, Baby Boomers are on the bandwagon with social media, social networking and high tech communication technology.

The New "Bob Marley: One Love" Movie Is Jamming While Bringing Back Good Memories For His Fans

 Nowadays there's so much to watch on TV. Actually, there's really too much to watch in my opinion.  We got internet streaming flat ...