Editor’s note: Ryan is incorrect, Sound Of Silver actually is perfect.

Imagine going to jail for 13 months and coming out 100% the same.

Songs will sometimes have a personal connection that is not totally logical. In 1980/1981 I thought Christopher Cross had a voice that was thin and reedy, and the songs were overproduced. I wasn’t the audience for his music, and probably would change the radio if he came on. “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” got extra points, if only for the movie it came from and the movie’s star, Dudley Moore.

I can’t say that I am a Dudley Moore superfan, nor have I seen a lot of his movies, but his performance in “Arthur” was memorable. Playing a drunk for humor is potentially troublesome, especially in retrospect. I’d watch it again to see how I feel about his performance through a 2020 filter, but I can’t.

I can’t because years later we learned that Dudley Moore had an extremely rare terminal degenerative brain disorder, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). Some of his early symptoms were like being drunk, including halting gait and slurred speech. Suddenly the tabloid speculation about his drinking mirroring his character in “Arthur” made sense. All my siblings had the same response; “Oh shit, not him too.”

We had been there before. My dad retired in his early 60s, looked like he was in his 50s. Two of his kids were doing their best to give him grandkids to visit. He could finally spend summers on the road for leisure instead of supervising highway engineering and construction. PSP decided differently. At first it was diagnosed as Parkinson’s which is common for PSP. Through the years we saw dad on a rollercoaster as Dr. visits would show slight improvement which was always short lived. With the final diagnosis of PSP, any sense of hope was dashed.

Just before his last Christmas he came down with pneumonia and I got the call to come home. I lived seven hours away but made it back to see him. The strong, athletic 62-year-old who looked like he was 50 was now 69, weighed about 100 pounds and appeared twice his age. He laid there, staring blankly, immobile, unable to talk. I put my hand in his and said, “I love you dad.” Though his muscles had atrophied, my dad responded by squeezing my hand powerfully, almost painfully.

While researching, I found out that Dudley Moore, like my father, died of pneumonia. Dudley’s friend Rena Fruchter held his hand and reported his last words were, “I can hear the music all around me.” I can’t help but think back to my last moments alone with my father.

I won’t click on the video above. But if I were to happen upon “Arthur’s Theme” someday by chance, I might listen, think about Dudley Moore and the dad who held my hand and used every ounce of energy and power he had, to say he loved me too.

“You either roll with it, or you roll your eyes at it. ”

Intersectionality Is A Dangerous Thing For a Woman Like Me to Have….

Damn, I can’t believe Lana Del Rey invented being a sad woman.

“Question for the culture” = automatic red flag that this is going to be stupid

“I’m not not a feminist – but there has to be a place in feminism for women who look and act like me”…coming from a white woman who looks like Lana is literally… chef’s kiss 🙄

Skipped the whole article because of “Eminem must have been trembling.”. Eminem… trembling. The Eminem who is a grown man from one of the worst parts of town in one of the worst cities in America. The dude who has never backed down from anyone in over 20 years of being famous. Eminem. The man arrested for aggravated assault with a weapon. Eminem looking at a white hipster who was unarmed. Eminem who has spent the last 12 years of his sobriety getting fit and learning how to Box. “Eminem must have been trembling”…. GTFO LMAO.

Ok, boomer.

I appreciate LDR pointing out the double standards that exist for white people and POC-and pretend POCs like Grande. There’s an obvious bias in not just what critics choose to single out for criticism but in the works critics like to signal out as genius. It’s pretty obvious at this point there is one set of standards for white people who make art and another softer standard for anyone of a certain identity, ie non white, non straight.

First

idgaf how you are feeling now, charlie. y would i. you write basic ass lyrics. you’re not some deep interesting person.

Got served by Mr. McFeely.