I’m torn. The first time I heard Fresno Yosemite International airport’s latest radio commercial, with a jingle that rips off Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” I shook my head in disgust. As you can hear below, the jingle changed the Jackson classic — one of my favorite of his, btw — to “Come on, Fly Fresno, won’t stop ’til we get you there” and other airplane talk.
I heard the commercial over and over, sometimes more than once a day. I told people about it. Even sang it to them. Then something happened. I started tapping my foot and singing it to myself. Out of nowhere. Without thinking about it. And not the original lyrics. The “Fly Fresno” lyrics. In the interest of fairness, I’ve also been known to randomly blurt out Fresh Beat Band songs, so this could very well be a me-problem.
Or it could mean the jingle is doing its job. It’s getting stuck in my head.
So now, Beehive readers of sound mind and taste, I turn this over to you. Is the “Fly Fresno” jingle a big ol’ bag of WTF or does it FTW so much it deserves a trophy?
Voting Key:
WTF = What. The. Fudgesicle. Who thought THAT was a good idea?!?
FTW = For the win. That is a victory for all mankind.
I mean, I should hate it on principle, but I can’t lie — Raekwon’s and Kanye’s verses were cool. And I’m never gonna hate that beat. If you can get past Justin Bieber’s vocals (no, that’s a not little girl), I guess it’s not that bad. What do you think?
Voting Key: WTF = What the [Fudgesicle], a.k.a. “What are you thinking?” FTW = For the Win, a.k.a. “That idea is a victory for people everywhere.”
Last week I had four people tell me they were disappointed in the new Macy’s at River Park. I thought it was strange. Most of us have been to Macy’s and we know what to expect. How could it be disappointing?
So, on Friday, I had the day off and decided to check out the new store. I now get it. The store kind of feels like another department store masquerading as Macy’s. It has new signs and that infamous star, but something feels off.
It might be — as a few of my friends pointed out — that the merchandise is placed in the exact same places (men’s and home good upstairs, ladies downstairs) as it was in the old Gottschalks. But, I noticed a couple other things too:
Last week we gave you a Fresno-ized version of a popular song and you guys totally WTF’d it. Now we have another Fresno-centric take off that needs your verdict.
This time it’s taking Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind” (as heard before Game 2 of the World Series) — and giving it a Fresno spin. The song is the work of Rich Nix and Koncrete Rose, and features a lot of hometown reference and shout outs. The Tower District line is probably my favorite.
Personally, if I’m picking, I prefer Planet Asia’s “Fresno State of Mind” (circa 2002). But WTF of FTW isn’t about my opinion. You guys need to decide whether this is a certified win or a Fresno Fail.
Voting Key: WTF = What the [Fudgesicle], a.k.a. “What are you thinking?” FTW = For the Win, a.k.a. “That idea is a victory for people everywhere.”
Oy vey! Anybody heard the Y101-produced, Fresno State-centric version of the Black Eyed Peas abomination hit song “I Gotta Feeling.”
I think it’s definitely worth a new installment of WTF or FTW.
I can see why people would like it — it plays to hometown pride and does a fair job of being a top 40 fight song. But I’m sorry, I hate this song so much they could make it about tacos and I’d still want to rip my ears off my head.
My opinion doesn’t matter here, though. WTF or FTW is where you, our wise readers, get to decide between awesomeness and lameness. So check out the song and chime in.
Word of a new sports bar opening in Northwest Fresno has piqued my interest. It’s called The Press Box and is supposed to open Oct. 17 with the usual sports bar amenities — flat screens, sports memorabilia, lots of beer on tap.
The most intriguing part of The Press Box, if you ask me, is a feature that I’ve never seen at a bar before: A built-in breathalyzer.
According to the press release:
This will also be the only sports bar and restaurant in valley history to feature a public self serve breathalyzer to measure ones blood alcohol content level to aid in the assistance of responsible drinking and driving on those big game days.
Lots of questions: Does it really work? Is it sanitary? At the same time: How many people will go there for the gimmick of it? And it is pretty responsible, right?
So I’m not sure about this one. It’s either hella awesome (FTW) or a testimonial about what a bunch of drunkards we are (WTF). Let’s hear from you.
Voting Key: WTF = What the [Fudgesicle], a.k.a. “What are you thinking?” FTW = For the Win, a.k.a. “That idea is a victory for people everywhere.”
The Madera Fair starts today and runs through Sunday. This year, the fair’s slogan is “Getting Figgy With It,” an allusion to both this annoying Will Smith song and the bountiful figs from our area.
We love a good pun. Except for when we hate it. And with this one, we’re not totally sure. It’s memorable, so I guess that’s good. But it’s also pretty groan-worthy.
So we’ll let you, the fig-eating, fair-going public, decide this one. Weigh in on whether the slogan is awesome (FTW!) or super lame (WTF!). As you vote, keep in mind that the Madera Fair has a history of mixing songs and fruit — last year it was Grape Balls of Fire.
Voting Key: WTF = What the [Fudgesicle], a.k.a. “What are you thinking?” FTW = For the Win, a.k.a. “That idea is a victory for people everywhere.”
Tower District residents and business owners have begun gathering this week to discuss a new streetscape plan for the beloved Fresno neighborhood. The first meeting was held on Saturday and is critiqued nicely at ArcHop. A second meeting was held on Tuesday night.
While I wasn’t there (I don’t live in Tower), I was following some of the reactions via Twitter. And one idea seemed to be getting a lot of attention — roundabouts. You’re familiar with roundabouts, right? The do-I-go, don’t-I-go traffic circles that make me want to shoot myself when I go to River Park. Planners are floating the idea of putting two roundabouts on Olive Avenue to better develop a pedestrian corridor.
This brings us a new segment we’re calling “WTF or FTW.” It’s where you, the Beehive-reading public, decides whether an idea is crazy (WTF) or awesome (FTW). I think we know where I stand (remember: me shooting self), but let’s hear from you.
Voting Key: WTF = What the [Fudgesicle], a.k.a. “What are you thinking?” FTW = For the Win, a.k.a. “That idea is a victory for people everywhere.”
LISTEN:
