a very nice blog post

[greta]

A new confession

 

Posted January 9, 2008 by Jonathan Miller

 

Rather like Bertie Wooster taking up the ukelele, I have succumbed to an enthusiasm that annoys those close to me. More embarrassing still, it is for the entertainer known as Mika, who pleases me exceptionally. I feel I must defend myself hence am provoked to offer the usual 13 reasons why je suis séduit.

13. How can you dislike someone who makes so many people happy?

12. He has a terrific voice.

11. He is more than a musician but a theatric entertainer, a weird supercharged amalgam of Sinatra, Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury. His concert at the Olympia Paris last year (available on DVD with much else) was historic. I know this sounds like hyperbole but watch it for yourself.

10. Maybe he doesn’t yet and probably never will dance as well as Michael Jackson used to - but he has plenty of energy and I reckon he’s working on his steps.

9. He is the only person in recent memory to have made Croydon amusing, in the bouncing, beautiful, funny, touching video for Big Girl (You Are Beautiful). This film made in the Croydon marketplace and on the high street, and co-starring hundreds of local extras, is a rival for Elton John’s I’m Still Standing, as one of the great, happy, stomping on-location dance videos of all time. (I can feel mes proches groan.)

8. Mika may have had a confused education but he is not stupid. His work is pop but classically referenced pop - from Grace Kelley to Freddie Mercury and the chairman of the board. If it is schlock, it is really high-class schlock.

7. If he’s gay - so what? It is probably more nuanced than that. So what? again.

6. He’s funny because he’s a bit tortured. He says he was bullied at school (Lycée Français CDG in London, as it happens). I can imagine he might have been somewhat precious. Musicians are often weird, hence often bullied. Having failed to kill the artist, this can make him stronger. It’s no good being not odd if you want to make art.

5. Something about his story doesn’t quite add up. His official biography is a bit - difficult. I don’t mind a bit of mystery, though.

4. He has surrounded himself with terrifically creative people and creates great collaborative performances with them. While remaining indisputably the star.

3. He speaks French.

2. He includes a beautiful , funny shot of a Muslim woman in the Croydon video of Big Girl (etc.). I am sure this was highly intentioned.

1. I wish he would make a video in my garden. And he should bring the Big Girls.

 

http://jonathanmiller.wordpress.com/

[CazGirl]

thats a GREAT blog! Thanks so much for posting!

[mariposa]

T4p, Greta!

[Diana]

Aw that's lovely and his 13 reasons are spot on!!

[*Martuff*]

Thanks fOr pOsting Greta!

This blOg pOst is great! I lOve it!

[greta]

I remember some MFCrs made threads asking for help coz their pals were mockin'em for the Mika fan thingy...these 13 points

[Mirtilla]

Thanx Greta, this is really a very nice review!

A new confession

 

Posted January 9, 2008 by Jonathan Miller

 

Rather like Bertie Wooster taking up the ukelele, I have succumbed to an enthusiasm that annoys those close to me. More embarrassing still, it is for the entertainer known as Mika, who pleases me exceptionally. I feel I must defend myself hence am provoked to offer the usual 13 reasons why je suis séduit.

13. How can you dislike someone who makes so many people happy?

12. He has a terrific voice.

11. He is more than a musician but a theatric entertainer, a weird supercharged amalgam of Sinatra, Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury. His concert at the Olympia Paris last year (available on DVD with much else) was historic. I know this sounds like hyperbole but watch it for yourself.

10. Maybe he doesn’t yet and probably never will dance as well as Michael Jackson used to - but he has plenty of energy and I reckon he’s working on his steps.

9. He is the only person in recent memory to have made Croydon amusing, in the bouncing, beautiful, funny, touching video for Big Girl (You Are Beautiful). This film made in the Croydon marketplace and on the high street, and co-starring hundreds of local extras, is a rival for Elton John’s I’m Still Standing, as one of the great, happy, stomping on-location dance videos of all time. (I can feel mes proches groan.)

8. Mika may have had a confused education but he is not stupid. His work is pop but classically referenced pop - from Grace Kelley to Freddie Mercury and the chairman of the board. If it is schlock, it is really high-class schlock.

7. If he’s gay - so what? It is probably more nuanced than that. So what? again.

6. He’s funny because he’s a bit tortured. He says he was bullied at school (Lycée Français CDG in London, as it happens). I can imagine he might have been somewhat precious. Musicians are often weird, hence often bullied. Having failed to kill the artist, this can make him stronger. It’s no good being not odd if you want to make art.

5. Something about his story doesn’t quite add up. His official biography is a bit - difficult. I don’t mind a bit of mystery, though.

4. He has surrounded himself with terrifically creative people and creates great collaborative performances with them. While remaining indisputably the star.

3. He speaks French.

2. He includes a beautiful , funny shot of a Muslim woman in the Croydon video of Big Girl (etc.). I am sure this was highly intentioned.

1. I wish he would make a video in my garden. And he should bring the Big Girls.

 

http://jonathanmiller.wordpress.com/

Amen to that. Guess who's laughing now:naughty:

[Milou]

lol, this is something that I could have written. Amazing:roftl: . Thanks for posting!

[rabdash]

Aww thats incredible!! Thanks for posting!

[violet_sky]

Thanks greta

 

LOL, I would not have chosen THAT picture out of all

 

I feel I must defend myself hence am provoked to offer the usual 13 reasons why je suis séduit.

The 'reasons' do not all sound very reason-like as in a cause-and-effect context.

 

13. How can you dislike someone who makes so many people happy?

 

Yes, very true in my book. Very, very true.

 

12. He has a terrific voice.

 

Well, yes. LOL, who would have thought?

 

11. His concert at the Olympia Paris last year (available on DVD with much else) was historic.

 

Disagree. As stated in another place recently, I really don't think the Olympia gig was all that terrific. I found he was acting a tad too unnaturally there. I have seen him do much better quite a couple of times in other venues, so I don't really believe in the Olympia magic.

For a fact, it took place in France and things are just a bit more insane there when it comes to Mika. I think that's where the whole enthusiasm about that particular gig comes from.

I may be wrong and it might just be the different point of view you get if you watch things through somebody else's eyes (Matt Askem?) or maybe the camera work was not as good as it could have been, or maybe I would say differently if I had been there in person. Still, on the recording of that gig he comes across oddly artificial - at least to me.

 

10. Maybe he doesn’t yet and probably never will dance as well as Michael Jackson used to - but he has plenty of energy and I reckon he’s working on his steps.

 

I don't have to meditate and ponder a lot to be quite sure I don't really want to see Mika dance like Michael Jackson. It would be scary.

 

9. He is the only person in recent memory to have made Croydon amusing, in the bouncing, beautiful, funny, touching video for Big Girl (You Are Beautiful). This film made in the Croydon marketplace and on the high street, and co-starring hundreds of local extras, is a rival for Elton John’s I’m Still Standing, as one of the great, happy, stomping on-location dance videos of all time. (I can feel mes proches groan.)

 

Some will say differently (especially those who were part of the video) but on my personal ladder of Mika videos the BG one is ranking right on the bottom while all the others are heading for the sky. I'm sure the whole concept was well-meant and the people involved had fun, but to me personally the result looks just as cheap as the shoot probably was and, unlike GK or the artsy HE video, this one doesn't do any justice to the artist.

 

8. Mika may have had a confused education but he is not stupid. His work is pop but classically referenced pop - from Grace Kelley to Freddie Mercury and the chairman of the board. If it is schlock, it is really high-class schlock.

 

Why would one consider him stupid?

 

7. If he’s gay - so what? It is probably more nuanced than that. So what? again.

 

What 'reason' is that? I can't follow the train of thoughts here

 

6. He’s funny because he’s a bit tortured. He says he was bullied at school (Lycée Français CDG in London, as it happens). I can imagine he might have been somewhat precious. Musicians are often weird, hence often bullied. Having failed to kill the artist, this can make him stronger. It’s no good being not odd if you want to make art.

 

While it is true that a lot of artists are a bit odd and it might be a fruitful basis for success, I never considered Mika all that odd. In fact, I think he's much more normal than people try to make him seem.

 

3. He speaks French.

 

A lot of people do.

 

2. He includes a beautiful , funny shot of a Muslim woman in the Croydon video of Big Girl (etc.). I am sure this was highly intentioned.

 

Yeah, because Mika is known to be very anxious to put as much political content into his music as possible.

[greta]

thanx V_S for having expressed my thoughts too:thumb_yello:

u know, I'm allergic to multiquoting

[dilek]

thanks greta it is lovely.

 

if you really know mika it's hard to dislike him.

 

mika ROCKS:)

[rabdash]

 

if you really know mika it's hard to dislike him.

 

mika ROCKS:)

 

exactly!!

[*daring*to*be*different*]

Good blog.

[Cassiopée]

Thanks for posting! This guy is now Mikaddicted

[chinkalicious1]

this is amazing... i love everything about this blog post, from his choice of topic to his word choice.

[hotdlp]

I think I have to agree with all 13 of those reasons

 

thanks for posting!

[vanessa]

Thanks Greta !Great blog !!

[Sarah_Lollipop]

I agree with all of those reasons. Thanks for posting.

[Marianne84]

Thank you for posting that wonderful blog Greta!!!

 

 

My favorite part applies to me too even though I'm not a musician.

 

 

"6. He’s funny because he’s a bit tortured. He says he was bullied at school (Lycée Français CDG in London, as it happens). I can imagine he might have been somewhat precious. Musicians are often weird, hence often bullied. Having failed to kill the artist, this can make him stronger. It’s no good being not odd if you want to make art."

[Marilyn Mastin]

Great! T4P I've left a really appreciative comment on the site. The only thing I did point out is that I'm tired of the Mercury comparison because Mika has proved he is unique, but I love the piece very much.

[Marianne84]

While it is true that a lot of artists are a bit odd and it might be a fruitful basis for success, I never considered Mika all that odd. In fact, I think he's much more normal than people try to make him seem.

 

 

 

That's true. Mika is one of the most normal and down to earth persons I have ever met. But the fact that he was bullied at school makes him seem a bit odder than other people. You don't get bullied at school unless you're different and being different is often regarded as being odd. Trust me I know. I think that a person can be both normal and different at the same time.

[pica_mica]

This is amazing..

Gosh..I am just SO happy for Mika right now..

[lilacmandie]

thanks for the post Greta:thumb_yello: another good read really enjoyed it

[marlau_20zr]

thanks for posting!!

is a great blog! love it!