Why Brent Smith Rocks Harder (and hotter) Than Johnny Depp

 

 

 

 

       I know I’m really putting myself on the chopping block here by stating a rather unpopular, unheard-of opinion about the much-loved, much-drooled-over celebrity that is Johnny Depp. But before you start sending me hate mail or I-wish-you-would-die messages, please keep in mind, Depp-heads, that this is only my opinion.

        Now I’m very aware that I’m one of the few who fail to see what’s so great about Mr. Depp. I’m pretty sure I’ve been of this two percentile for quite some time but was never able to put my finger on why.

        Until now.

        Please refer to the photos above.

On the left, we have a black-and-white image of Brent Smith, the lead singer to Shinedown. In the photo on the right, we have an image of aforementioned actor, Johnny Depp.

        By now I think you can guess which one I would pick to have a beer with.

        All hail…

        Brent Smith.

Before you start lobbing your shoes at me, allow me to explain…that is, if you’re still reading this post instead of closing it in disgust, muttering, “Girl’s flat-out, out of her mind,” I would like to draw your attention to three categories in which comparisons can be made between these two gentlemen. Now I realize, one’s a singer and one’s an actor. They both travel in different circles, they’re involved in different things but I just want to emphasize the point that there are truly more awesome, humble people out there than Johnny. So let’s begin, shall we?

First category: looks.

There is no contest here. Brent is H-O-T even with the nose ring. Perhaps it’s the strong jawline covered in stubble, the tattoos (yes, there are quite a few them) or the deep, hooded eyes that are, if you’re curious, a mix of gray and blue. Simply put—he has that careless way of putting himself together without even trying. I get the feeling Depp on the other hand (hang on a minute while I get my shoe-blocking shield) tries way too hard. Did you see him on Letterman the other week? I was so busy counting the scarves that were hanging off him that I couldn't pay attention to what he was actually saying. It was just layers and layers of stuff---shirts, jewelry, and those damn scarves. And let’s not forget the hat. You could easily walk by him on the street and mistake him for a homeless person. I mean, how much money does this guy make? Is he really telling the world that he doesn’t care? Or that he’s too lazy to care? Or that he just takes himself waaaaay too seriously? You be the judge because I have a feeling that not many of you are enjoying my judgment right now.

        Second category: Professions.

Okay, yeah, they’re both in different professions. But Depp has been known to get on stage and “rock out” with the likes of The Black Keys and Aerosmith. A pretty stiff rock-out but a rock-out all the same. Hell, if it wasn’t for the hat, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between him and Steven Tyler. It’s pretty obvious that music is not his first passion. Acting is, so he might need to stick to what he knows best. Brent knows exactly where he belongs---on-stage, belting out relentless, hard-driving music that’s both powerful and haunting. I can only hope that he doesn’t get bitten by the acting bug. I find it extremely aggravating when musicians try to be actors and actors try to be musicians. I mean, really, have you ever seen Mariah Carey in Glitter?

        I thought so. I rest my case.

        Third and last category: interviews.

From the word go, Brent knows how to say something real. He knows where he’s at, what he’s doing and you feel like he actually gives a s***. Maybe it’s from his years of being addicted to drugs and alcohol. Maybe it’s from the hard work it takes to stay clean. Or maybe he simply appreciates what he’s been given. It’s a long road and you need to make the best of it. From Depp, I get the feeling that he works hard at not giving a s***. He looks for the right, smart-sounding words in his interviews that will make him sound, well, smart. He’s the ultimate artist, isn’t he? Looking like he doesn’t care about his appearance, sounding like he doesn’t care about his success and how he got there. He even lives like he doesn’t care, out in France, away from the “Hollywood-ness” of it all. But he doesn’t mind taking the Hollywood money, does he?

        I think the point of this post is that Depp simply annoys me. He’s given such opportunity, such choices and he just doesn’t seem to care about any of it. Brent Smith and the boys of Shinedown seem to be the exact opposite, giving their fans their all at every concert, every appearance and there’s Johnny Depp, slouching around in the background, smoking clove cigarettes, draped in scarves, trying to be Mr. Anti-Hollywood and complaining that having his picture taken is “like being raped.”

        Ugh.

Spare me the over-sensitive actor, please. I prefer someone a little bit more appreciative for what he has.

 

Cheers!

 

       



 

Late to the party as usual but I am armed with a book review!!!

A book review of Manipulating the List

            Wow, am I ever late with this review! People, I can only apologize for my tardiness. Life has been on the warpath, keeping me in its crosshairs with no hope of coming up for air.

            Until now!

            So, we have K.B. Lever’s novel, Manipulating the List. It was given to me in exchange for an honest review and away we go…

            Let me start off by saying that even if I hadn’t been given this book to review, I would’ve picked it up anyway by the cover alone. There’s something haunting about those blue eyes, something that prompts you to turn the pages, to find out what list, who’s manipulating who or what and why. Unfortunately, however, beyond that, I didn’t find much to keep me anchored to the story.

            It’s not that I didn’t like it—it’s a unique one---a young woman named Katherine Sheppard befriending Death as a child, not really understanding it until she’s older, kind of like having a mobster for a parent. But the writing didn’t seem consistent. There were a lot of repetitive sentences. The jump in age for our female protagonist was so abrupt that I felt like I’d missed something and I couldn’t really develop a feel for her. In fact, as the story went on, I found myself not liking her more and more. Even when she finds out who Death is and how he works, she doesn’t seem to take it very seriously. It becomes a game that she plays rather selfishly.

            There’s a lot more focus on the characters Death is collecting rather than the story itself and its heroine—if that’s what you can even call her. I actually found myself liking those people more than Katherine. They had more dimension, more depth to them. They were likeable and you felt bad for them for reasons I won’t say in case any of you want to read it.

            Overall, I give this book two and a half stars out of five. In most cases, Lever’s writing flows nicely and it’s so obvious that she has talent. But the book needs some editing to deal with those repetitive phrases and also to flesh out the main character. Secondary characters should never be more interesting than the main one.