Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Rock Stars In My Resistance? It's More Likely Than You Think

Rock stars and Resistants - all that different? Duran Duran (the band so nice they named it twice) and James Murphey's shortlisted essay for the 2005 Ben Pimlott Prize don't think so.

I've been reminded of the similar celebrity of covertly fighting Nazis and rocking an arena on two occasions of late. The first came last June when I came to work more nicely attired than usual only to discover that was the day for celebrating the birthdays of famous people you don't know: While I was dressed up for Jean Moulin's birthday two of my co-workers were dressed up to celebrate the birthday of Duran Duran's John Taylor. They beat my modest geekiness by even making cupcakes for the occasion. We spent the afternoon wishing each other 'Happy Jean/John Day!' in the halls.

(FYI: We work in music. You'd have to get up a lot earlier in the morning than that to be considered odd by our building's standards. Although I do get a few raised eyebrows when people learn the name for the office's pet squirrel comes from Pierre Brossolette.)

Another day, one of these two very cool ladies sent out a video link to explain the origins of the Duran Duran symbol tattooed on her arm. Can you spot the Resistance references in this music video?


Take your time. The fashions can't get any older.

The connections between the spirit of Resistance and modern rock music don't stop there. Say what you will about the political climate in America for the last six or seven years (and I could say plenty) but it sure hasn't hurt my cd collection. After Black Holes and Revelations I think Muse may even constitute their own FFI sleeper cell. Ideally, I'd play a song that speaks to a resistant spirit at the start of every episode, and end each 'cast with Invincible, but I work in royalties so I know all the many ways that'd be illegal. (Sigh.)

Work on the new 'cast has to wait until I do more with my other project, the one I cheat on with you (or on you with). This post is part of my plan for world domination making this blog useful between episodes. I hope it'll one day be a nice place for people interested in the Resistance to come for a few minutes of well-designed mayhem. I may add some rants & raves - reviews of the various places one can bump into Resistance in the greater cultural world and on this our dear interwebs. Until then remember the words of Leonard Cohen, "In every generation there is a Resistance, and in every generation it's the only place to be."

Vive la Resistance.

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