Selebrity Sircus
Mood:  quizzical
Topic: Trends

So for those of you who didn't catch it, tonight in America we saw the world premiere of "Celebrity Circus", a new show on NBC with ringmaster Joey Fatone and a host of B and C list celebrities doing circus stunts with help from professionals.

First of all, let me remind all jugglers that none of the celebrities learned to be an amazing juggler in 8 weeks.  's just not possible, haha, and we proved it again, albeit in abcence only.

That being said, there was really no juggling on the show besides a short little three torch cascade and these aquarmarine twins doing ring ultimates with each other while leaning towards each other.  Is non-dangerous juggling only interesting if it's fast?  Man, I guess that's a topic for another time...

Anyway, I definitely have some reservations about the show and will be curious to see if it ever gets to a second season.  Honestly, I could live a happy life without tuning in to see who gets kicked off next week.  I'm rooting for Peter Brady, Wee Man, and/or the Clueless actress because they seemed to be the most genuine of everyone.  But at the end of the day, it's just another American Idol, but less exciting because these semi-celebrities have nothing to lose.  So what if they get "kicked off"?  They're still richer than all of us combined.

Anyway, the last thing I want to point out is a music issue.  As dull as the show was at points, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that three of the music choices for circus acts were off the top 40 pop list.  Maybe not the current one, but definitely within the last year - most notable were Britney Spears (Gimme More), Rihanna (Shut up and Drive), and Timbaland with One Republic (Apologize.)  This excited me because I've always wanted to see circus acts set to modern hip-hop music.  I've done it but honestly, most jugglers stay away from what's current on the charts.  This made me excited for what someday may catch on - the hip-hop circus generation if you will.  What better way to get young people excited in circus arts than by using the music they already know and love?  

Well, it's always been a pipe dream of mine to have or see a circus which choreographs kick-ass acts to pop music.  I'm sure most circus afficionados would frown upon this but I think it's an experiment worth trying, and I'm glad NBC gave it a whirl instead of trying to stick to what they think people might expect to hear in a "circus" setting.

Any thoughts about the show? 

The Bubbles
Mood:  loud
Topic: Trends

On the first day, Mr. Babache created rings and they were very mediumy.

Then on the second day, Mr. Babache created other new rings and they were both smallish and biggier than the rings he created on the first day.

Then on the third day, Oskar bought one of each from Mr. Babache and thought to himself, let me make something fun and spunky using these smallish, mediumy, and biggier rings.

On the fourth day, Jay met Oskar and liked very much the fun and spunkiness emitting from this new technique.  He thought that America would like this spunkiness and imported it into our culture, adding his own flair and tips of the hat.  Many liked this new technique and Jay was happy.  Many called him an angel when the smallish ring was on his head and Jay was angry. 

On the fifth day, Sean Blue and Jay Gilligan discovered that they could throw smallish and biggier rings together, creating a six ring layered cascade that looked very incrediblam and yet was ease-tastic.  The mediumy rings became sad and confused. 

On the sixth day, all the other animals saw this incrediblam pattern and thought it was good.  They all flocked to In the Spin Juggling to buy their own sets of biggier and smallish rings so they too could be cool like Jay and Sean.  Few in America knew of Oskar or his invention.  Oskar didn't care.  He only likes Trilobite anyway.

On the seventh day, Francis Julien was in Montreal doing the six smallish/biggier ring pattern and dropping a lot.  He liked the pattern and wanted to perfect its superbaru qualities.  Michael Karas showed him that it was actually ease-tastic with his own set of Mr. Babache equipment.  Francis Julien called the pattern "bubbles" and Michael thought this was the perfect name.  He didn't care if Oskar or Sean or Jay called the trick "the bubbles" because Francis did and he thought it the perfect name for this incrediblam trick. 

So on the seventh day Michael Karas wrote a blog so that everyone would know and love that this cascade of three smallish and three biggier rings is called "the bubbles" and it was good.  Mr. Babache rested because his business was booming.

The Bubbles are here now, like it or not.  Accept the bubbles.  Buy the bubbles.  Learn the bubbles. 

Then get over the bubbles and go and make something new.

Creative stuff happens.  Hit yourself for not making it up first, then learn it, and get back to work.

*UPDATE* I was informed that Denis Paumier was the first person to use the three different sized rings.  Whether this was for manipulation or for bubbles, I'm not sure.  Thanks Jay! *End Update*