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Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Culture Corner

The Arts Desk’s weekly picks for music, movies and more

 

By CHARLIE MCBRIAN — arts@theaggie.org

 

TV Show: “Hacks” (2021 to present)

 

“Hacks” revolves around the relationship between aging comedy legend Deborah Vance and her younger new writer Ava Daniels. Their clashing statuses and personalities allow the show to explore the power dynamics inherent to comedy. “Hacks” asks: How much of yourself and others around you are you willing to sacrifice for success? Who’s laughing and who’s being laughed at? “Hacks” doesn’t answer these questions, with Ava and Deborah having moments of admirability and detestability, often simultaneously. While constraining her, Deborah weaponizes the expectations and assumptions toward female comedians to stay afloat and maybe even get ahead. Ava works with someone she sees as a “hack” in order to rehabilitate her image after her self-centeredness causes her to lose her life in Los Angeles. In its bluntness, it goes places a lot of shows don’t yet attempt to and preserves its heart and humor.

Song: “Fingertips Suite” (1997) by They Might Be Giants

Consisting of 21 songlets ranging in length from four to 61 seconds, “Fingertips” is a highlight off of They Might Be Giants’ 1997 LP “Apollo 18.” They Might Be Giants can make high-concept pop from a do it yourself approach. “Fingertips” sees this project at its creative peak featuring wit, humor, genre-play and, above all, hooks — as there’s not much room for anything else. Pieces vary from ballads (“Mysterious Whisper”) to power pop (“Hey now Everybody”) to country (“All Alone”). Songs cut off midway through and make way for a fresh idea. The pieces are strong enough to not get disoriented or exhausted, making for an exhilarating listen. I dare anyone to listen through the LP without getting a song segment stuck in their head.

Movie: “The Queen” (1968) dir. Frank Simon

 

A little over two decades before “Paris Is Burning” came its spiritual predecessor — “The Queen,” documenting a 1967 drag pageant. Shot as a fly on the wall, it allows the story and characters to speak for themselves, covering topics like gay individuals in the military, gender-affirming surgery and marriage — all topics that would later reach the forefront of queer rights discourse. Clearly defined characters like narrator/emcee Flawless Sabrina, Pepper Labeija and the pageant’s favorite Rachel Harlow push forward the narrative toward the end. Although her appearance is brief, Crystal Labeija (mother of Ballroom’s legendary House of Labeija) pulls focus and hijacks the narrative to expose the inequality and artifice of pageant culture. Overall a great snapshot of a period of time through an, at the time, more hidden culture, this film is a must watch for fans of drag, queer history and the 1960s.

 

Album: “From a Basement on the Hill” (2004) by Elliott Smith

 

After simmering for his previous six albums, Elliott Smith’s sublimated bitterness comes to the surface. Years of “burning every bridge that [he] crossed” makes the album throb like an exposed nerve. Released roughly a year after Smith’s untimely death, sometimes it reads like a suicide note — ”Fond Farewell,” “Kings Crossing” and “The Last Hour.” But also on other tracks, like the explosive “Shooting Star” and “Coast to Coast,” it felt like Smith had a lot more to give. It’s a messy and difficult but ultimately beautiful album that stands apart from the rest of his discography and music in general. I recommend this to people who like The Beatles (“White Album”) and other all-over-the-place raw albums.

Written by: Charlie McBrian — arts@theaggie.org

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