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!!

[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*

[misspamela.livejournal.com]

Bwah! Only you, Giddy babe. Only you!

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

[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.

[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*

[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*

[giglet.livejournal.com]

Next up, a favorite accordian player?

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

[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*)

[(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...