John Mayer vs Jason Mraz - Part 2

Once upon a time there was a blogpost from Wiwik in which she compared John Mayer to Jason Mraz. It was the read and most commented post on wiwipedia, even after two years readers were still commenting and disagreeing.


It is flattering and somewhat annoying. Flattering, because people still take an interest in my blog, or at least that one post. And annoying because people keep commenting on a post that was valid and true back in 2009, but ever since both John and Jason have moved on in their careers and lives. Because both John and Jason have moved on career wise and life wise, I decided to revisit my original post and do an updated comparison.

Points once again can be earned in the following categories:

 Talents: Playing & Singing (1 point);
 Their Songs (2 points: each sub-category 1 point);
        o Music;
        o Lyrics;
 Personality & Publicity (2 points: each sub-category 1 point);
        o Personality;
        o Publicity.

There’s a total of 5 points to be earned. The one earning the most points out of 5 wins, just like the first time.


Talents

Playing & Singing

A lot described in the first comparison is still true. For John his guitar work is more important than his vocals, while for Jason his vocals are more important than his guitar work. I’m going to reward the point to Jason. This time not, because his guitar work is “bearable” where John’s vocals sometimes really aren’t, but because Jason has evolved his guitar work. He’s more than ever experimenting and learning about guitar playing and it shows. His guitar work still isn’t as good as John’s, but at least he puts in some effort in developing a skill that doesn’t lie at the bottom of his musical talents. John however simply delivers vocals. He got a bit better I feel, but hasn’t developed his vocal skills as much as Jason has his guitar playing skills.

Jason 1 versus John 0.

Music

This is a tough one since I don’t follow as religiously as I used to. I’m going to give it a try anyway. I have heard both their last efforts and to me, I think they both delivered strong albums.

John’s album, to my shame, I have only heard once. What I remember is that it felt like he went back to his roots. With that I mean it comes closer to what he put out when he was making a name, though less bubble gummy. I remember quite liking the songs; it just didn’t attract me enough to give it another listen.

Jason’s album, to my shame, I haven’t even bought. This doesn’t mean I haven’t heard any of it. As a matter of fact, I have heard the songs from his newest album more than I have the songs off of John’s album. Truth is that I feel more attracted to Jason’s songs than I do to John’s. Therefore I reward the point to Jason.

Jason 2 versus John 0.

Lyrics

No idea. No points given since I can’t really judge this for a have no idea what John’s songs were about, nor how they were written.

Personality & Publicity

Publicity

John had a string of flings. Well, not flings, it just sounded nice in that sentence. He had some high profile love relationships that crashed and burned and were all over gossip land. From what I understood he’s also a bit in a pickle in his personal life, but I wouldn’t know anything about that. He seems to have picked up a bit, but I don’t know.

Jason still doesn’t appear in gossip land. The one small tidbit I heard was that he got engaged and then cancelled the wedding, because he didn’t feel man enough within the relationship which I found a really lame excuse. Once again, I really don’t know.

I suppose the point has to go to Jason for better rumour control or maybe even a better lifestyle.

Jason 3 versus John 0.

Personality

Very simply Jason wins this category for being optimistic and positive versus John being not that positive and somewhat depressed. Explanation in the first comparison still stands.

Jason 4 versus John 0. Oh dear, John slipped a little, didn’t he?

So, who wins?

Well, uhm, Jason, obviously. I’m not even sure what happened to John. I feel I should give him another chance, but I’m not sure how. I think where John could get one point is in the lyrics category, the category I failed to grade. I think this since John’s lyrics tend to speak to me more than Jason’s, but I’ve been very happy and even impressed by Jason’s latest lyrics, though in some cases he still manages to annoy me with overloaded love messages.

But honestly, what happened to John?

The first comparison.

Setting the Record Straight

I was rereading my own blog, cause else no-one will ever have read it ever.

Anyway, to put the record straight, I hardly ever am friendly to any strangers, only when I'm putting myself to it, which is really not very often.

I'd be worse than Jake and actually curse my damn fans. Way to go, don't you think. Maybe a good reason why I never made it as a writer, though I fail to understand what my friendliness has to do with writing. Except that...

Yesterday I had a total brain melt after watching some creepy video in which Jake was interviewed by kids. I have not yet recovered.

Goodwill and Entitlement

I think I’m in a bad mood today, I’m not quite sure yet. Thing is, Becky is now annoying me a bit. I’m reading her blog, not her book, but the blog, not the one she writes about in the book, but the one that promotes the book. I’m reading a live blog and leave the explanation of what a Live blog is to Becky, though I’m not sure it’s on the blog; the one that promotes the book. Maybe it’s in the book. I’m sure I read her explanation somewhere.

Anyway, she was once live blogging about Jake’s appearance on the Conan show. I’ve seen that interview as well. And Conan at some point says that Jake has always been “friendly” to him and then quickly “amends” (amends between quotes, because I never use that word, but Becky does) “as celebrities go.” Then Becky “amends from her living room, friendly “to other celebrities as celebrities go””. My gawd, that is a lot of quotations.

So which one is the crazed stalker and which one the passionate fan?

Now, I’m coming back to some earlier posts of mine of expectations of fans about their idols. I was ranting (and foaming at the mouth) about how fans always seem to be expecting more than they paid for. In some way I do understand; it is nice of celebrities to come out to sign some stuff and take some photographs. However, it’s not obligatory. Yes, lots of people will claim that it comes with fame, but quite honestly, I don’t really believe that anymore. I don’t think any of the celebrities are really missing out on anything if they don’t always come out to sign stuff and don’t always look you in the eye when they’re signing your goddamn stuff. They can be friendly; there’s never a good reason not to be friendly. But that goes for non-celebrities too. And some celebrities don’t come out to sign stuff and aren’t very friendly to their fans. Yet, the bastards keep making much more money than I do.

To go back to Becky’s blog and that specific part: I try to put myself, imaginary, in Jake’s armSHOES!! Shoes, not arms. Or should that be “socks”? And I try to imagine how I would react and I think I would do the same as Jake; be friendly for a few seconds to the weird screaming lady, then run away and chat friendly to a fellow famous person. Some days I will even go as far as trying to avoid the weird screaming lady, because I’ll have a lunch with one of my fellow famous persons. I mean come on! What do you expect from Jake? Jake can way better relate to Conan than to all the weird screaming ladies. Also, I’m guessing Jake knows where his bread is buttered, but not necessarily which of the weird screaming ladies is a crazed stalker and which one is just a passionate fan. I mean, can you tell the difference in the 5 seconds they both scream your eardrums out of your skull?

Or maybe I’m just taking this too serious. It’s a pet annoyance, I can’t help it.

Vote the Bunny!

So we made it through 2012 without the end of the world. Hardly surprising, but worth some celebration anyway.




I now seriously started reading Becky Heineke’s book ‘I’m Stalking Jake!’. It reminds me of my own fandom Internet adventures. Most are reported and archived, but I feel I should now implement a theme. I vote for the bunny! That’s the one. First I was only going for ‘the Bunny’, but now it’s definitely going to be ‘Vote for the Bunny’....and buy this book...

Stalking Jake on Amazon - or Becky Heineke wrote a book so I don't have to

Also, be here and here.

Before we sail off into bunny territory, here's a reason to read the book and in the proces I'm taking up Becky's challenge to sum up the book: This book is a great insight in fandom online, especially active fandom online and all the excitement, effort and pitfalls that come with it. Half of what Becky describes I've done and half of the situations she describes I've been in. You might find some proof of that in this very blog. I challenge you to find it. I think this book describes more of "What does she do" than the previous post did, strangely.



Anywa, so here’s a Bunny related theme for you all.

In the summer of some year, too long ago to remember what year, I met the Bunny. He was tall, pink and extremely nice. He was always hanging around Rocco DeLuca concerts. That might sound like a stalkerish act, and I’m sure it was. The Bunny and I became friendly shortly after. No, not in that way, even though Bunny related actions may suggest differently.

The Bunny with one eye

The Bunny and I were, and are in fact still, MySpace buddies. For some years, too long ago to remember which years, he wished me a hoppy birthday and other Bunny themed celebration days. I also like to point out, that against popular believe, the Bunny was not drunk.

Then there is that other Bunny who calls himself Frank. Frank is tall and brownish and can look into the future. He used to hang around some kid called Donnie Darko. Sounds stalkerish, and certainly was. I’m sure Frank was one of those sodding Bunnies who predicted the world was going to end somewhere last year in December. My best guess is that some poor kid had to let his life to save us all. Frank’s done it again!

Frank with something in his eye

Since this is the second day of a new year, I wish you all a very hoppy 2013.

Vote the Bunny, no matter how many hoppy celebrations or end of the world predictions!