Random amusement

[giddygeek]

So I have this competence thing, and I really enjoy watching people be good at things, whatever those things happen to be.

A while back I ran across Fatboy Slim's video for That Old Pair of Jeans which features interpretive juggling by a guy named Chris Bliss. It made me smile and smile, so I went and found Chris Bliss juggling to The Beatles' Golden Slumber.

Seriously. Happy making. I LOVE these two videos.

And THEN I found out that Chris Bliss has this rival, a guy named Jason Garfield, and all the Jason Garfield fans leave critical and sometimes nasty comments on the Chris Bliss videos because Jason can do what Chris does but with FIVE BALLS and the Chris fans say well, HE'S AN ARTIST, and etc.

The fact that there are juggling fandom flame wars makes me laugh so much, I can't even tell you. As does the fact that, um, I have a favorite juggler. A favorite JUGGLER.

Yeah, I don't know either. Next up, a favorite accordian player? But all three of the videos are still totally cool, and the comments are a riot.

Comments

[estrella30.livejournal.com]

oh, giddy. HOW ARE YOU SO AWESOME!!

[giddygeek.livejournal.com]

Heee, it's not me, it's the INTERNET. The internet is for porn and juggling, apparently, and there's no wrong in that.

And if there is I don't want to know about it because OMG, apparently I LOVE porn and juggling. *grins*

[kiffle.livejournal.com]

If you find the video of porn and juggling COMBINED, will we lose you forever?

And ahaha, can you IMAGINE?

[giddygeek.livejournal.com]

The sad part is that I was imagining, and it took me DAYS to recover. DAYS. ;-)

(To myself: how WOULD they keep all those balls in the air? Myself: snicker snicker snicker, bwahaha).

[twincy.livejournal.com]

I don't know you (yay friendsfriends!) and I don't know Chris Bliss -- but oh my god that's awesome. *beams like an idiot*

[giddygeek.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad the videos made you beam--me too, seriously. SO CUTE. It's just, they have to practice a lot and have good hand/eye coordination and rhythm and there's good music and they're both adorable, and honestly, I don't even want to know the people who aren't impressed with all of that. ;-)

[misspamela.livejournal.com]

Bwah! Only you, Giddy babe. Only you!

You just know there's Chris Blss/Jason Garfield slash. In your head.

[giddygeek.livejournal.com]

OMG Shut up RIGHT NOW, how did you get in my head?!?

I'm so sad. But seriously, did you see how hot that Jason Garfield guy is? And how adorable Chris Bliss is? Plus they both play with balls for like, fun and money. COME ON.

[brooklinegirl.livejournal.com]

dude. this is just - the best thing EVER. I am MESMERIZED. adn there is a FEUD. that makes the whole thing THAT MUCH BETTER.

I adore you.

[giddygeek.livejournal.com]

Heeee. *hugs*

The feud does just make it perfect, doesn't it? Oh, FANS.

I find myself mesmerized too. I can't tell you how many times I've watched these videos, and they don't seem to get old for me. I probably shouldn't admit that, but whatever! ;-)

[dsudis.livejournal.com]

I, um, read a weather blog at my favorite weather site (http://www.weatherunderground.com), and, wow, the comment threads are ... filled with rabid weather fans and really kind of terrifying and fascinating simultaneously. I occasionally wonder if this is what fandom looks like to other people. *g*

[giddygeek.livejournal.com]

Yes. This is what fandom looks like to other people, only we have a lot more half-naked icons.

...Rabid WEATHER FANS. Heeeeeeeee!

[elynross.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you for the Fatboy slim vid link! I posted about the Golden Slumber vid a while back, and I love watching him!

The thing the Garfield moron (and fans) don't seem to get is that 1) if you don't juggle, what Bliss does is still pretty amazing; 2) Bliss looks like he's having SO MUCH FUN; and 3) It's entertaining, it's not ABOUT how "really" hard it is. Idiot. Missing the point entirely. *g*

[elynross.livejournal.com]

and... it may be my imagination, or the fact I think he's kind of an idiot, but I don't think Garfield does as good a job as Bliss at what Bliss is doing. He has fancier throws, more balls (ha), big spins -- but he doesn't actually illustrate the music like Bliss does, which is what makes Bliss's Golden Slumbers juggling so much fun to me.

[giddygeek.livejournal.com]

I love watching Chris Bliss too. I like watching both, because Garfield makes my jaw drop, but I just enjoy watching Bliss much more. He looks like he's having so much fun, and so does the audience.

And I agree re: Garfield not going as good a job. I'm fascinated by what he's doing, but um, I fall in the 'Bliss is an artist' camp. Bliss has got rhythm and style and expression in spades as well as some pretty fancy tricks. Jason Garfield just has the tricks, and I don't care how challenging what you're doing is, if you're not feeling it, neither am I.

Oh god, now I'm all opinionated about it. Must. Step away. From internet.

...After I watch 1 more time. ;-)

[elynross.livejournal.com]

HEEEE! No, absolutely, Garfield's a hell of a juggler. But Bliss, to me, isn't just about the juggling, but the rhythm and the showmanship -- and Garfield is missing the point when he says, "He's just not that amazing at the actual juggling."
r

[giglet.livejournal.com]

Next up, a favorite accordian player?

What's so odd about having a favorite accordian player? (Keyboard or button?)

[giddygeek.livejournal.com]

If I was going to fall down the slippery slope of having a favorite EVERYTHING, accordian players would totally be next on the list! ;-)

(and button, of course. shh, don't tell anyone I said that!)

[giglet.livejournal.com]

There's a lovely bit with a concertina in POTC:Dead Man's Chest...

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

Every time I see something like this happening among juggling fans, or infertility bloggers, or greyhound owners, the first thing that I think is: "Oh, thank god. It's not just fandom." Is that wrong?

(Also, Best Beloved and I watched all three videos, and I have to agree: Bliss is better at what he does. He looks like he's dancing with the balls (*hee*!) more than anything - a lot of the time, they seem to be moving of their own volition, and he's better at the interpretation of it. Garfield is a good juggler - the better juggler on sheer technical skill - and he's definitely got the "wow" factor going, but he probably shouldn't be trying to beat Bliss at his own game.

Plus, I was suspicious of the edits; Garfield's video seemed to me like two different performances spliced together, and that could be to make it look more professional, or it could be to edit out errors.

OMG. Did I just - form an opinion about juggling wank? I don't even have an opinion about fandom wank most of the time!

*shamed*)

[giddygeek.livejournal.com]

It's not wrong! I think we all must do it. Who wants to believe that no, their friends are really the craziest?

You did just form an opinion! Since it is entirely an opinion I agree with, I will not mock. If you'd been all 'Well, clearly Chris Bliss is a hack and Garfield is the only juggler who matters' I'd have had to bring the wank into my own journal, and the combo of fandom AND juggling would've probably brought on the apocolypse.

Or not, but I'm glad we don't have to find out! ;-)

[(Anonymous)]

If you like the Chris Bliss one, check out this one with Vova Galchenko:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=aEb3YknGUks&search=vova%20fatboy%20slim

I don't know what it is about this song, but it seems to be good to juggle to...