#NoFilter. It is a trend that has been upon us for some time; a pushback against the photoshopped-perfect culture and Instagram-filtered memories that inundate the media – social and otherwise. And while I am a self-professed accidental “trend-killer,” my appreciation for the intention behind this movement has led me to risk bringing it to a screeching halt in order to take part and apply it to this holiday season.
It started with “My Van Is Stacked.” Then the egos inflated a bit more with “(I’m Not Your) Live-In Maid.”And now it seems my children feel their stars burn too brightly for their mama’s musical productions. Either that, or they just got too impatient waiting for me to come up with a new music video idea. Right now, I got nothin’, folks.
The innocent faces of those plotting to turn a trio into a duo…
Grace and Michael joined forces with my friend Natalie to create their own video for a song called “Tiger Swami” by Circe Link. I was introduced to the music of Circe by way of The Monkees (because they are my Kevin Bacon). Circe’s partner in music and life is none other than Christian Nesmith, son of the Grand Poobah of sideburns, Mike Nesmith. (See? Just two short little degrees.) Direct linkage to Monkee royalty aside, I would have come to love Circe’s music and her whimsically melodious voice anyway. And when I brought home the California Kid album from MonkeeCon last year, my kids were hooked immediately. Very quickly, “Tiger Swami” became a favorite of theirs, and it is still THE most requested song in our minivan.
Meeting Circe and Christian at MonkeeCon 2013
Knowing this, my friend Natalie thought it would be fun to have the kids make their own video for the song when she came to visit a few weeks ago. And they didn’t need to be asked twice. Without one concern for their exclusive performing contract with their own mother, Grace and Michael were hamming it up for Natalie’s camera before she even yelled action.
But the question remains: will their solo effort follow the trajectory of Justin Timberlake post-N*Sync…or any given member of the Spice Girls post-90’s Girl Power?
I give you “Tiger Swami,” a la Grace and Michael…and Scout:
Bravo, Natalie…you didn’t quite know what you were getting yourself into with these two. Your wise editing touches sure did wrangle in the crazy.
It has been a long time coming, but the deed is done. I told my husband to just look at it like ripping off a band-aid. He still wants to throw up a little in his mouth every time he sees it, but I am not going to pretend I feel anything but that a destiny in my life has been fulfilled.
For some reason, society likes to brand this parental milestone as the epitome of being un-hip, or that it is the final nail in the coffin containing a person’s sense of individual self. But I think that is just plain ridiculous. What WOULD be ridiculous is trying to deny the fact that I AM a parent who needs to take my children into consideration with every single decision I make, including what car I drive. Not that I am saying a minivan is necessarily always the best choice, but it was for our family. I like having the extra room to cart around toys, groceries, Girl Scout supplies, projects, and every other random thing that might need to be transported. I like that we will be more comfortable on road trips, and the kids can sit in separate rows if they start getting on each other’s nerves. I like that I now have enough seating to carpool or let my kids spontaneously bring a friend home to play after school without it involving a scheduling chart to see who can drop off and pick up when. And I like that I now drive a big, sturdy car that gives me a snowball’s chance in hell should I mingle steel with some birdbrain who is texting behind the wheel of an SUV.
I am also not the kind of person who determines how cool she is by the kind of car she drives. But I am the kind of person who has probably never really been cool anyway. So with that said, I will say loud and proud: I LOVE MY MINIVAN!
In fact, I love my minivan so much that a regular old blog post didn’t seem enough to announce its advent into my life. As I searched for inspiration, the same line kept popping into my head…I like minivans and I can not lie…
So without further ado, I give you the very first “Are You Finished Yet?” Music Video!
A big thank you goes out to my husband and kids for spending pretty much an entire Saturday shooting the video and dealing with this first-time actor/director. Now I know how Tom Hanks feels. Thanks also to Sir Mix-a-Lot for introducing a song into our cultural fabric that is always ripe for a good “Weird Al-esque” parody. And thanks to Weird Al for just being Weird Al.
Are You Finished Yet? 