Monday, January 23, 2006

And again, I say, WTF????

In my "hard partying" days (oh, age 20-29, really...) the ex- and I used to rent a really cool house in Va Beach. We used to have parties..oh boy. Sometimes more than 200 people would show at these things! Anyway, most of you probably know the famous "last thing you remember" which usually precedes, or is followed by the tequila shots? I was having one of those moments (but it was shortly after doing a "flaming Dr. Pepper") and if I recall correctly, this was in 1992, and late at night, and the original Howard Stern show came on. I was laying on the couch in a daze watching it, while all the drunk people around me were hooting it up, and I sincerely thought that I must have been hallucinating what was happening on this show! I think they were doing the Butt Bongo Fiesta, or whatever. Anyway, it turns out that I hadn't hallucinated it, this was just a weird show. Since I don't drink anymore, this is a rather distant memory, but one that sticks with me...that sense of "unreality"...that what you are seeing can't possibly be happening...Sort of how I felt when reading Blogography today and reading this post.

To sum up, for those who feel they couldn't possibly surf away from this page, The original host of "Blue's Clues," Steve Burns, quit the show back some years ago and almost dropped off of the face of the earth. There were rumours circulating that he had died of a heroin overdose (not true) But, the truth was even stranger. Steve actually is in a band with some of the members of "The Flaming Lips" and had left to devote more time to his musical career. This Webpage has some pictures, some of his music and some videos. Frankly, Steve's post BC transformation is startling, to say the least. He has the combo short haircut/scruffy face that they give to characters in movies or tv that they want to imply are gay without actually coming out and SAYING that they are gay (not that there is anything wrong with that!) I was disturbed. I loved cleancut BC Steve! So, I was navigating around the site and came upon his music and music videos...not bad! Not bad at all...maybe I like gay-haircut-weird-Steve! He just wants to be someone different! He doesn't want to be typecast forever as the cute, cuddly kidshow host, and I can understand that, right? Yeh...except that following this is a bunch of videos in which Steve stares earnestly at the camera and makes positive touchy-feely statements...sort of like he did in BC...And then there is a weird music video that shows him shopping at the store while messages pop up that say how Steve is just a normal guy who does normal things, but that he used to be the host of the "most popular kids show ever" but is now making a record with the flaming lips...isn't that exciting??? yeh. The whole freak show is capped off with a trip to Steve's webpage to read his FAQ. And it was all going so well before all the weirdness hit. As I said before, I really understand and almost ADMIRE his decision to leave such a lucrative goldmine as that show was for the uncertainty of an unestablished music career...but why throw in all of the references to the show, then? Like I said, hallucinations.

However, I'd still bear his cute, doe-eyed, blue and green striped puppies in a heartbeat.

3 comments:

Christine said...

Trippy, dude!

I don't drink at all anymore b/c of my meds -- I also enjoy staying sober and laughing at all the drunk people. :)

carmilevy said...

Joe just isn't the same. We want Steve - even quasi-closeted-Steve - back with the psychotic crew on Blue's Clues.

Thanks for the update on the Steve-inator. I was wondering what ever happened to him. Nice to see him following his dream.

Bkbuds said...

I found Steve's website a while back after Googling his name and thought it must be a joke. It almost sounded like he was having second thoughts about leaving the show.

I'm sure legions of little fans (and some big ones) would welcome him back.