This is still an issue for debate. According to the city government, NYC was "founded" in 1625. The Dutch sailors came in 1624 but didn't charter "New Amsterdam" until 1653. I think 1653 should be the birthday year since that's when this area was officially declared a city. Seems obvious to me.
Hmmm? I guess cities are the opposite of people: when they lie about their age, they make themselves older.
Obviously Kids is the more authentic 1994 movie since -- shocker -- it was actually made in 1994. But it's not like the mid-1990s was a very authentic era to begin with, nor was there anything interesting about it, culturally speaking, that makes it deserve a nostalgic paper-dollish treatment (like Boogie Nights did for 1970s LA). The Wackness sounds like history replayed as ... eh.
Wha? Huh? Where am I? Oh yeah, this is ... New York, New York City ... right?
At the moment my head is spinning 'round and 'round, and I feel like one big mega-relaxed blob. It's been a while since I've been this serene and calm and re-entering reality is taking some time. All of my tension and stress has dissipated and I ain't eager for it to return.
I've spent the last week swimming, reading, eating, sleeping, swimming, eating, sleeping, reading, swimming, sleeping ... egads it was great! The week was totally media-free and I can't explain how relaxing and pleasant it was. Not that I didn't miss the ol' blog but it's good to get away from the white noise of American society and just ... chill. I mean really chill. And chilled I am.
That said, Zen from Debonair Debacles was inspired by my 1994 nostalgia entry from a couple of weeks ago and wrote a great post about her own memories of that odd yet strangely memorable year. You should definitely read it since she knows so much more about the music of that year than I do.
Like Dick Cheney, I am going into hiding. Fortunately it's not because terrorists are looking for me (at least I hope not), it's just a good old fashioned vacation. I may be able to blog at some point from my place of rest but, otherwise, I will return in top form on July 12. Sadly I will miss the free BonJovi concert in Central Park that night but please go and have fun and tell me all about it. Cheers!
I'm sure most of you are wondering where you can find a nude -- sorry, clothing optional -- beach in the NYC area. Well, you can, in good ol' Joisy. This article from today's Times gives you the low-down (or is that the down-low?) on Gunnison Beach, located in Monmouth County.
You can get there a twice a day by ferry from Manhattan and go sun yourself aunaturale -- or, if you're like most guys, just stare at the unrobed. You are expressly not allowed to take pictures or bring glass containers. And while people may be showing their naughty bits, no naughty "bidness" is allowed.
Yours truly has never been there but those who go seem to love it (no shock there). If you want to learn more, check out Friends of Gunnison Beach.
Re: my post below. Some of you might recall that 1994 was actually a very, very important year in American culture. In fact, it remains one of the most important cultural years ever. Think about it:
It was the year Pulp Fiction came out, revolutionizing independent cinema, unleashing the whole Tarantino phenomenon, and making John Travolta cool again.
It was the year Friends and ER premiered, giving us George Clooney and Jennifer Aniston and a whole lot more big names.
It was the year of the great but tragically short-lived show, the aforementioned My So-Called Life (that gave us Claire Danes).
It was the year REM released Monster, with their big hit "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" Madonna also had a big hit called "I'll Remember" (the video of which you see here), that appeared in a now forgotten movie called "With Honors." The only thing that was interesting about this movie was that it was the last even semi-successful thing Patrick Dempsey did before Grey's Anatomy.
It was the year Kurt Cobain committed suicide and effectively ended the whole grunge movement.
It was the year Richard Nixon died, the first president to do so in more than 20 years.
It was the year Republicans took over the House and Senate, redrawing the political map. George W. Bush was also elected Governor of Texas that year and, well ... we all know what that led to.
And as I also indicated below, it was the year OJ Simpson was accused of murder, starting the whole 24/7 cable news soap-opera format.
I'm not saying everything that happened in American culture 1994 was great but it sure was memorable and it certainly had a lasting impact.
There's a movie opening soon called "The Wackness" (odd title) about New York City teenagers in the summer of 1994. Obviously I find this somewhat intriguing because -- you guessed it -- I was a teenager in New York City in the summer of 1994! Good grief. A time of my life when I was in high school is now viewed as an historical era. Gosh I feel old.
From what I've read about this movie in The New York Times, it's basically all getting high and hooking up. I guess that's what lots of New York City teenagers did in 1994 -- and still do today. I can't really say I can relate because 1) I've never been a stoner (not because I am or was morally opposed to smoking pot but because I didn't have any money and was never cool enough to hang out with drug dealers), and 2) I didn't hook up much (okay, okay at all) because I was and forever shall be a giant honkin' nerd (and not in the way "nerds" are cool today, I'm talking repellent, Napoleon Dynamite/Brian from My So-Called Life level nerdiness here). I can relate to what the director of this movie, on whose life it is based, means when he says, “Girls weren’t into me ... I wasn’t cool, and I was so nervous that I then fulfilled the prophecy and became even more uncool.” Hear hear, ad infinitum.
So what was I doing in NYC in the summer of 1994? I was working at a radio station called WPLJ who's tag line of the day was "No Rap. No Hard Stuff. No Sleepy Elevator Music. Just the Best Songs on the Radio." That basically meant Top 40 and the hit songs of the day were "Mr Jones" by Counting Crows and "Streets of Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen -- and thanks to working at the radio station I heard those songs all the friggin' time.
It was a very hot summer, I remember. Giuliani had just taken office. The Rangers won the Stanley Cup. Baseball went on strike. Forrest Gump and The Lion King were the big hit movies. Everyone, everywhere was talking about the OJ case (remember that?). When I wasn't working during that summer, I spent a lot of time visiting colleges. All in all it was a good summer, but I don't think I would make a movie about it. If I did, however, instead of the "The Wackness" I'd call it the "The Dorkness."
