#16- A Bad Singer, A Good Time | Bollywood Reactions to Hidden Gems

0:00 Let's get back into old Blue Eyes, or The Voice, as he was often called. Frank Sinatra. You know, after I thought of him singing those infamous Christmas songs with other classic crooners, as we call them. Songs I always play when I want to pick me up. Yes, I know. Should I admit it? Why not? That's why we are here, right? To share, Be real. Yeah, I start playing Christmas music as soon as is reasonable. Sooner than most, for sure. I probably start playing Christmas music as soon as the leaves start to change colors and fall from the trees.

0:55 Depends. I play by ear, sometimes as early as the first fall days or even Halloween, and sometimes later towards fall time, Thanksgiving. Most people start thinking of Christmas or other winter holidays the day after Thanksgiving. Black Friday, they call it when people start decorating their homes with lights or Christmas trees, sometimes even before. People joke about how early or how late people have Christmas decorations out there. The day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, where people start already planning and shopping for gifts all the way for Christmas, the whole month of December.

1:45 People can sometimes joke about it can seem awash as they call it. Some people can be so distracted by all the holiday planning, plans, events and fun. The many struggled to focus on other things that you need to like work and everything else. It is a running joke at Thanksgiving into the month of December and then into New Year's Eve territory. Running through a good portion of January is such a struggle for us that work really hard and have our minds and hands full with so much work and then so much play.

2:29 I could say it's like how some people joke about needing a vacation from a vacation or a weekend break from a busy eventful weekend. Many people, especially those that are parents, many mothers caught between work or other things and home and events and planning or maybe older parents or other family members and then kids as well, and their holiday school activities on top of regular school pressures, homework obligations and after school commitments. Almost dread the holidays and say so because rest and play and family time and activities and events and fun often come in addition to what's on someone's plate.

3:20 What they always have to do that's hard enough, responsibilities or pressures, but they still have to do everything else that usually overwhelms them anyway in their particular daily life. Nothing comes off of their list, just on to it. In addition, me personally, I'm not there yet. I personally think sometimes we can get so distracted and that is why so many critics have so much negativity to say and critique about holidays. They like to point out how superficial they can be with people competing in a way with each other to outshine each other, out, do each other outspend, out decorate out busy keeping up with the Joneses.

4:17 They call it showing off and doing things for the wrong reason. Like with so many things we talk about here, many people get so carried away in the smallest, silliest parts of some things in life, including holidays. For sure. They missed the entire point. So to those out there then think all holidays out there or maybe just certain holidays, certain places, who knows, are excuses and created by big conspiracies and corporations and you know, consumers themselves to just they're created to make money to focus solely on consumerism or economy or materialism.

5:11 I mean, although there is a partial truth to everything and you can't, as they say, throw the baby out with the bathwater. You missed the point. What could or could not indeed be a fun involuntary additional aspect and add on to any holiday if you so choose. It's still not the point, it's just fun. It's even all still really just a symbol representing something free. Actually, the true point of many holidays is actually the opposite of all that. You know what? Have at it. Take it up a notch. Go crazy.

6:13 What's the harm? Will it all be misinterpreted by others? Oh yeah.

6:23 Does it seem humans in history have to find a way to monetize, confuse, miss the point or ruin most more pure, simple things in time? Yeah, sure. And your point is if after opportunity to understand other possibilities and learn meaning in perspective and intentions of others and how they live their life and why and what it means to them. If after all that you still don't understand, that's a new friend. You're welcome. Someone's determination to be confused or to not understand is their choice if it makes them happy to do so.

7:23 Weird, but have fun with that. Wow I got way off topic. See, see what happens? What were we talking about? Oh yes, Christmas music. What it means to me, The feelings, the many memories and nostalgia, the magic and hope and goodness it can represent to some of us. Like I said, OK, OK, I secretly start listening way too early. I should be embarrassed to admit and keep it to myself because I just like getting into those beautiful vibes and between me and you all right, sometimes. Sometimes if I'm having a hard day or a difficult moment and it's pretty rare, I would say that I do this.

8:34 But I sometimes, I don't know if others do randomly put on Christmas music on a hard day as a pick me up. And I'm talking anytime, any season year round. Not even getting into Christmas in July here now that people do. Oh yeah, you heard me right, Summer. I know, crazy. We can talk about that insanity another time. Why am I here spilling all my guts, my thoughts, my frustrations, opinions, irks, appeals for understanding to those determined most likely. I would hope not. But to misunderstand out there already confessions of weird quirks, silly tricks in my private and darker moments.

9:39 Oh, yes. What were we talking about? Come on, Amy. Frank Sinatra. MMM. Old blue eyes. They call him the voice from Hollywood. The rat Pack we just talked about. I must confess since I don't know what is with me right now, I'm in such a weird place of spilling all my personal thoughts, overflowing my feelings and my confessions. Like I said now for some reason so odd, but I forgot until this year came, you know, way too early for this girl music wise. As I shared about this era of music, I listen to so many different genres.

10:30 I'm sure you weren't surprised by that. And I also go through phases like so many of us, and I sometimes forget, you know my grandma, you already know her as she is often fresh on my mind, as all special souls are. Was always dancing and singing when she wasn't laughing, taking care of others and so much more. She kept busy. God love her. She loved the classic Hollywood films, the outfits, the sets, the dance numbers, the glamour. Sound familiar? Yes, Wow, she looked for any excuse to sing any of these songs and she knew them by Harlem Italia.

11:27 And also let me be clear in saying she was a horrible singer.

11:37 I don't think she cared. No one cared. Who cares? Joy is contagious, even when talent OR skill may be lacking. Fun even more so. She wasn't old enough to invent fun, but if it could be so, I swear she was the mother of it. She always looked for the good and made sure to have a good time doing it. It's often the Irish way, after all. So I went down an alley once again. In my mind. I remembered as I listened to Christmas songs for the millionth time this year anyway. But I got into some Sinatra here for a while.

12:27 Oh yes, from the Hollywood Rat Pack group as we talked about with their songs, Christmas songs, I discussed in particular performers. And let's just say I'm on a kick now. Yeah, I should be busy with Christmas music, and I do my best as usual, but I'm on a Sinatra kick, as they say. Oh yes, ain't that a kick in the head? Is that song sung by Sinatra? No. Dean Martin, his buddy in the Rat Pack saying love is a kick in the head Jeremy, isn't it? No, but honestly, so dreamy. I get it, I get it, I already got it.

13:21 I mean it doesn't take much to understand, but like I said, I fell off and honey, I am back on. Oh I know, I know. In the cool, smart, savvy, critical era that we are in, I know, I know. These days, being a romantic or capable of such or liking such is seen as a character flower, right? Low IQ, right? Simpleton, loser mentality, a target, a sucker, Weak, weak. It's right. These songs make one with such a loser mentality like me, such a low IQ individual as I clearly must be a romantic drawn to romantic ideals, yes someone like me.

14:29 These songs are yes very simple, like people like life like we are made like true romance, simple and and they do make me weak. Guilty as charge, folks. Yes, dreamy, dreamy, dreamy. So romantic. These classic songs, they make me want to sway and dance around by myself. Dreamy like you see people do. They make me also want to cry a little bit, even somehow sometimes get a little a little just a little misty eyed as they can be so romantic and romance is pure emotionality. That's a word, right? Oh yes it is.

15:30 And also just make me wanna. I don't even know what a time it was then when these songs were made, what they say. People saw things so differently or maybe just pretended to sell records. But honestly, it's like a good film now, you know? Does it really matter if it is beautiful and is needed and gives meaning to moments in life? I mean, actors aren't supposed to act, right? They don't have to buy the addictive merchandise they sell. They're lost if you ask me. Not my business, quite frankly. Frank.

16:19 OK, I know it's official. Sound the alarms. I sound like a nut case again. But let me be clear, if I am in fact a nut case, I am a nut case having the best time ever. So sue me. So back to that Frank. No, not Frank Lucas from the American gangster film Denzel Washington I discussed in my online video deep dive series on gangsters and film and Rais. Not that Frank, Frank Sinatra from the Rat Pack we just talked about. For some reason we ended up here from Christmas songs. Yes, you have that right.

17:10 The Hollywood Rat Pack of smooth tuxedoed, rumored criminal adjacent 19 fifties 1960s entertainers. No, not the Hollywood infamously named Brat Packed Pack, the group of hot young actors who defined the 1980s Hollywood teen and young adult movies, some of the most influential pop culture products of that era. Brat suggesting spoiled, arrogant or immature young stars and we can talk about them another time. Not the 1980s in Hollywood, the 1950s and 60s. Well, you had me quoting had me singing Frank Sinatra when we last spoke and when we discussed the gossip, the alleged alleged rumors of his criminal ties along with others in the infamous smooth guy Hollywood entertainer Rat Pack.

18:17 And if you saw, and I hope you also very much enjoyed my online video deep web series on gangsters and film and race, Hollywood, Bollywood, the like. There are too many good films and characters and actors, Indian cinema and beyond, including an epic Hollywood gem The Godfather, which I had not even included or gotten into. OK, see the film. Rais is widely reported to be inspired by the life of a Gujarat based gangster and bootlegger, as you know Abdul Latif, though the makers officially maintain that it is a work of fiction not based on any specific individual.

19:13 And as I'm sure you know, his family did not agree. Unfortunately with this, and as you may know, his family even sought an injunction to stop the release and promotion of Rais. The producers and director have repeatedly issued statements saying that Rais is a fictional crime drama and that any resemblance to real persons, including Abdul Latif, is coincidental. They describe the film as an imagined story of a bootlegger set against the backdrop of Prohibition and Gujarat, rather than a biopic or a biopic or direct dramatization of Latif's life.

20:04 OK, OK, yes, yes. But what does this? Have to do with Frank Sinatra of the Rat Pack or with the film The Godfather. Oh boy, buckle you're a seat belt. We are in for a ride next time. Here, see you then.