Jonathan's Blog From The Source
Posted on: 12/9/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee
Last week I posted a fun little YouTube video to get us in the Christmas spirit… and reader Dan Manns linked another video in his comment that caught my eye.
In this YouTube video, the “Piano Guys” rotate around the piano, playing it in ways I’ve never even fathomed playing a creative rendition of Angels We Have Heard on High. Fun stuff!
Posted in Music | | Leave A Comment
Posted on: 11/27/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee
My Twitter and Facebook followers know that my wife Lori has been itching for Christmas since a little before Halloween, already playing Christmas music in our office mid October.
Here’s a little sum-something trending on YouTube to help you bring in that Christmas spirit– great vocals:
(the group is Pentatonix, an a cappella group who won the third season of NBC’s The Sing Off)
Posted in Music, Personal | | Leave A Comment
Posted on: 11/13/13 11:14 AM | by Jonathan McKee
Katy Perry’s new album Prism has been out for just a couple weeks, and it already landed a number one spot on the Billboard charts. But this doesn’t seem to be the same Katy Perry we once knew. What can we expect from this new album? Or more specifically… what kind of guidance can we offer our kids who want to download it?
Without a doubt, whenever someone purchases my book, Candid Confessions of An Imperfect Parent at one of my parent workshops, I always see them turn straight to Chapter 6: Dad, Can I Download This Song? Parents are looking for ways to help our kids make good media decisions Continue reading “Dad, Can I Download Katy Perry’s New Album?”
Posted in Entertainment Media, Music, Parenting, Youth Culture | | Leave A Comment
Posted on: 10/14/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee
From viral YouTube video to Jimmy Fallon to the top of the charts, and it’s just a bunch of guys dressed as animals performing a song that sounds like something from Sesame Street.
You can’t argue with numbers. Young people are going crazy over the viral hit, What Does the Fox Say? by the Norwegian brothers known as Ylvis. The song, which began as a joke, became a viral YouTube video, and it has exploded in popularity. Ylvis performed on Jimmy Fallon last week and the song currently is No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and in the top 10 on iTunes as well.
My daughters showed it to me about 10 days ago and I used it in my seminar’s pre-show as people were walking in. Sure to get a laugh.
Take a look at the video:
Posted in Entertainment Media, Music, Youth Culture | | Leave A Comment
Posted on: 09/17/13 7:44 AM | by Jonathan McKee
It’s really been sad watching the downward spiral of Miley over the last 5 years. I say that with sincerity, as the father of two girls who used to watch the Hannah Montana show. It’s sad seeing a childhood hero make decisions that hurl a wrecking ball through her life.
Miley gets completely naked in her newest music video Wrecking Ball, in true iTunes “clean” style, never showing the few inches of real estate that would result in an explicit label. She just rides the wrecking ball naked, licking a sledgehammer while singing “all you ever did was wreck me.” The video has Continue reading “Miley’s Wrecking Ball”
Posted in Entertainment Media, Jonathan's Rant, Music, Sexuality, Youth Culture | | Leave A Comment
Posted on: 09/9/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee
Do you ever wonder if teenagers are the same across the globe?
I’ve been in the city of Kampala, Uganda almost a week now hanging with teenagers, parents, and youth workers. I’ve spoken at several youth events, taught a parent workshop, and spent four full days (so far) training and interacting with youth workers (two days of training to go). It’s been a wild ride… literally!
I think you’ll be intrigued by Continue reading “The Infiltration of US Culture”
Posted in Entertainment Media, Internet, Movies, Music, Smartphones/Cell Phones, Speaking/Training, Travel, Youth Culture | | Leave A Comment
Posted on: 08/28/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee
What music videos are most teens watching?
What songs fill your teens’ music library in that device in their pocket?
Which artists are the biggest role models for young people today?
What truths are your teens gleaning from these heroes?
The VMAs answered these questions with a megaphone on Sunday night, and surprisingly… people were actually surprised with the answers. Funny. The event wasn’t surprising in the least. It was typical Lady Gaga, typical Miley Cyrus, typical Justin Timberlake, Typical Bruno Mars… typical MTV.
Sad that “typical” is often confused with “no big deal.”
So what can we take away from cable’s #1 entertainment telecast of 2013 among young people age 12-34? Glad you asked.
Here’s our Youth Culture Window article unveiling what millions of young people gleaned from this eccentric and aberrant pop culture jamboree this year.
CLICK HERE FOR THIS ARTICLE:
THE CULTURE BEHIND THE MUSIC
Posted in Entertainment Media, Music, Parenting, Sexuality, Smartphones/Cell Phones, TV, Youth Culture | | Leave A Comment
Posted on: 08/22/13 10:33 AM | by Jonathan McKee
MTV is rolling out the heavy hitters this year for the 2013 VMAs: Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis… practically everyone teens want to see.
The question is: what will young people take away from Sunday night’s show?
This Sunday night literally millions of young people will be watching the MTV Video Music Awards (the VMAs), an event where the most popular celebs in music, movies and television come together to celebrate the greatest music videos of the year. This event always provides a sobering glimpse Continue reading “What We’ll See at the MTV VMAs Sunday”
Posted in Entertainment Media, Jonathan's Rant, Music, TV, Youth Culture | | Leave A Comment
Posted on: 08/5/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee
I like to keep an eye on the music charts and see what young people are putting in their heads. The next few months, and even weeks, will be interesting, because new music is on its way from Katy Perry (Aug 12), Lady Gaga (Aug 19) and others. But among these, it was the new Jonas Brothers music video that caught my attention.
Unlike so many artists today who become the heroes and role models of kids today, The Jonas Brothers seem to have kept a pretty clean slate. Back in 2008 Continue reading “Responding to The Jonas Brothers’ New Music Video”
Posted in Entertainment Media, Jonathan's Rant, Music, Parenting, Youth Culture | | Leave A Comment
Posted on: 06/25/13 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee
“Yikes. Now she is getting crazy.”
“Miley? Knock knock… U still in there… (broken heart icon)”
“She’s trying way too hard and it’s embarrassing to watch.”
Those are the top three comments on Miley Cyrus’ new We Can’t Stop music video on iTunes today. Even many of her fans seem to have lost hope in her. I read 20 comments and less than half were good.
I can’t say I disagree with her “fans.” Miley is a young woman with enormous potential, but her standing as a role model for young girls is rapidly morphing from Hannah Montana to Lindsey Lohan. It’s been sad watching Miley’s moral decline over the past 5 years (scroll to the bottom of this post where I provide quick-links to Miley’s antics over the past 5 years).
It’s hard to even describe Miley’s new We Can’t Stop music video. USA TODAY’s Patrick Ryan says it well Continue reading “5 Years of Miley”
Posted in Entertainment Media, Jonathan's Rant, Music, Sexuality, Youth Culture | | Leave A Comment
Follow