I have run out of Rules to use as subject lines so I am now moving onto "Invaluable Inventions of the 20th Century: numbers 49 through 86," which should last me awhile at the rate I update this thing. Welcome to useless information that no one cares about but me.<br /><br />So, I've been watching a lot of MTV and Vh1, as I said in my last post. Besides being addictive, it's pretty interesting on a Sociological level. One of my colleagues is doing a study on misogyny in rap and hip-hop videos and another one has been working on studying the exploitation of "ghetto" or "underclass" culture in the same videos. After watching hours of videos, I think it would be interesting to do a content analysis of all kinds of music videos. One thing that's kind of interesting is the product placements in these videos. I have seen no less than four videos with an I-Pod prominently featured in them. With so many musicians hawking products in commercials or allowing their songs to be used in them, I wonder if it's only a matter of time before the difference between music videos and commercials becomes negligible.  <br /><br />There is one music video that I particularly enjoy at the moment. It's "Hey Ya" by OutKast. First of all, the song is just great. It's really catchy and Andre 3000's voice is just beautiful. The video is fantastic though because it's a really cute riff on the Beatles first appearance on American television. Only Andre plays all of the Beatles plus a couple of extra characters. The flashes between the set, a black and white TV version of the video, and people's reactions to the performance are really nicely done. And while there are some gratuitous T&A shots, they're tastefully done in comparison to most videos out there. I really need to go pick up this album. <br /><br />I also find it fascinating that MTV thanks you for watching their programming. Occasionally, the following message appears at the bottom of the screen: <br /><br /><center><i>You are watching Music Television. Thank You.</i></center><br /><br />What's even more fascinating is that they feel the need to point out what channel you're watching. As if the ever-present little MTV symbol in the corner of the screen didn't clue you in.<br /><br />Let me share my patheticness again. Last night, I called Minette and while we were talking, <i>Driven: Fred Durst</i> came on and I ended up summarizing the program to her over the phone as if either one of us actually cared about Fred Durst. But he was in the Navy, did you know that? And here is an email that I sent to Minette at like two in the morning:<br /><br /><i>scott ian is a closet abba fan and "fernando" makes the hair on his arms stand up. man, oh, man, why am I watching vh1???? this shit is horribly addicting. make it stop!</i><br /><br />To which she responded:<br /><br /><i>You do realize that I'm laughing so hard, I can't even see the screen, right? I hope you shut the TV off and went to bed. I'd hate to think of you passing out to the soft strains of Fred Durst's bio again.</i><br /><br />Hahahaha. Oh, man. I need to shut this shit off and go to school.