Challenge 05: Modern Merch
Posted on: May 16, 2005 10:46 AM
Some of the best content yet with everyone turning in entertaining and enlightening entries. Willow's Ms. Nancy Novak took the grand prize of Immunity, which she was able to share with James. We bid a very fond adieu to our favorite serviceman, who gave a lot to the competition even while traveling through europe on leave and always played the game with honor, and that might have bit him in the butt.
Challenge five is all about discovering something new. We want you to go out and find a new product and experience it. Then write up what you find. We want informative, and as always, we want entertaining! We've long been fans of new products, and we get so excited to see the red starburst of "NEW" on a package. Try to capture that sense of excitement and anticipation, and then the resulting feelings based on the quality of the product after you try it.
As the players are eliminated each new challenge becomes more important as winning immunity is the only way to guarantee you stay in the game. Entries are due on Tuesday night at 11:59 p.m.
Click here to view the challenge (14.3MB - MP4) Click here to download QuickTime
sorry for the delay folks. we were all ready very early in the morning and then got hit in the face with the technical issues truck.
Posted by: Steve Schroeder at May 16, 2005 10:55 AM
Man, I don't know what I'm going to do when the contest is over without my biweekly video fix...could you guys keep doing them? Please?
Posted by: freddy at May 16, 2005 11:21 AM
i dont know if you guys were just really tired or what, but this entry reads a bit like lyova's brilliantly garbled text........."We've long been fans of new products, and we get so excited to the red starburst of "NEW" on a package. """hmmmm
i love
TONY ROBBINS
Posted by: Adam Forkner at May 16, 2005 12:32 PM
success is the the ultimate high!
elevate and tone your mind and body towards true ultimate personal power and success!
these daily self affirming rituals only take 20 minutes a day
20 minutes a day to drastically and permanently change and develop your life to its ultimate potential.
follow the challenge of power, change towards a positive successful future today
Posted by: Adam Forkner at May 16, 2005 1:35 PM
Yeah, orders came in like CRAZY! :)
We do have the prototype, which we may eBay off...
Posted by: Mikey at May 16, 2005 2:50 PM
You should go your dad one better and interview Joe Estevez.
Posted by: Craig at May 16, 2005 3:06 PM
holy crap that was an AMAZING video! i love the tetris house remix (subtle) and jona slamming the bible for being a crappy product. like i told steve the other night, i want tv to be LIKE THIS.
Posted by: matt at May 16, 2005 3:10 PM
Close your eyes, give me your hand, darlin'
Do you feel my heart beating
Do you understand
Do you feel the same
Am I only dreaming
Or is this burning
An eternal flame
Posted by: Craig at May 16, 2005 4:06 PM
Khaela! Oh, I love her so! No, really, truly beyond a shadow of a doubt.
I mean, really.
Posted by: Luke at May 16, 2005 6:25 PM
khaela is drawing a portrait of me on a light post in new york city's east river park
oh the memories...
Posted by: Adam Forkner at May 16, 2005 9:47 PM
Craig...
This Eternal Flame song is bringing back to me many memories of my pubescence, when it was that I pressed my manhood against the budding womanfolks of the Grodno area in our first attempts at "slow dancing". It is very good song, yes? And I am glad that Mickey and Stefan make use of it in this last video production.
Lyova Lyubov
Posted by: Lyova Lyubov at May 17, 2005 6:32 AM
I am glad that Lyova's adolescence in foreign lands bears such a striking resemblance to adolescence right here in the US of A. Slow dancing to "eternal flame" while some boy presses his boner on you...memories.
Posted by: ritchey at May 17, 2005 7:56 AM
My play-at-home post: Zire 72 Handheld. (Guess what it's about.)
Posted by: Kyle Hasselbacher at May 17, 2005 8:28 AM
Ah, memories. Actually, I'm a little young to remember slow-dancing to "Eternal Flame". The song I have the most vivid memory of pressing my manhood against the budding womenfolk of Fairfax, Virginia to is Bryan Adams's "Everything I Do, I Do it For You". To this day I can't hear that song without wanting to put my hands on the waist of the first girl I see and sway awkwardly back and forth without looking her in the eye.
Posted by: Craig at May 17, 2005 8:39 AM
Yes! Bryan Adams. And what about "Can You Take Me High Enough" by the Damn Yankees? Holy shit!
Posted by: ritchey at May 17, 2005 8:57 AM
Ahh...Fairfax, Virginia. Hey, since we're all just bringing up random songs, maybe someone can help me remember the song by Tiffany with the heart beating in the background. I've never slow danced to it, but it's not too late, right?
Posted by: Sonny at May 17, 2005 9:26 AM
How could you not know that? "I Think I'm Alone Now". And I'm not so sure you could slow-dance to that song. But as long as we're talking about horrifyingly bad slow-dance songs, you could try "Hold on to the Nights" by Richard Marx. Mmmmm...crappy.
Posted by: Craig at May 17, 2005 9:58 AM
um, are you talking about the amazing "I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW?" because if you are, then I commend you, because that is an AWESOME song. I saw her do it live when we first moved to Santa Cruz. It was pretty depressing. But also rad.
Posted by: ritchey at May 17, 2005 9:58 AM
Were you in a mall at the time? Because if not, I have to say that officially, you didn't see Tiffany. I mean, you may have seen her, and she may have been singing some words, but it doesn't really count.
Actually, it seems that you and Sonny could definitely bond over karaoke. He sings crappy songs at karaoke, you also seem to sing crappy songs at karaoke. And while we're on the subject of crappy slow-dance songs, I forgot another ubiquitous favorite from my youth - UB40's version of "Can't Help Falling in Love".
Posted by: Craig at May 17, 2005 10:03 AM
What are you talking about crappy songs? Oh, did I mention that I stopped by a karaoke place my second night in Paris and did Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond. Oh, did it feel good.
Oh, and one more sappy love song to add to the list....Lady in Red by Chris De Burgh.
Posted by: Sonny at May 17, 2005 10:28 AM
Lady in Red! Oh that song stalked me all through my time in Morocco, it was horrible. Even at the airport, leaving, they had a muzak version of it.
and now it makes me sweet with nostalgia, this song that I loathe.
Posted by: hason at May 17, 2005 10:40 AM
I'd like to thank our weekend intern Khaela for all of her help and support throughout the Challenge #5 production process. THANKS KHAELA!
Steve, Eternal Flame was a brilliant choice. You are good at getting the music together for this stuff.
TOOT! TOOT!
Posted by: Jona at May 17, 2005 11:14 AM
These is all things that we also took enjoyment feor in Bzyelorisuua!!!! LAduy In Red and Also Eveything I do from Bryn Adams!!! All total greatness....
We must make total slow-dance party togethre with the blogmans!!!
Lyova Leydgbosv
I love you all!
Posted by: Lyova Lyubov at May 17, 2005 11:17 AM
Oh Lyova, you have reminded me of old times!
I remember fondly my time in Minsk as a teenager.. drinking and flirting in Liberty Square, the parties every night, the vodka and that thick, thick beer (with a lion on the label?), slow-dancing in dimly lit living rooms as 'Eternal Flame' and 'It Must Have Been Love' played over and over and over...
I will always remember Belarussian youth as having a particular love of slow-dancing and intense pop ballads.
Posted by: Sarah at May 17, 2005 11:35 AM
Of course, you were totally not drinking, I'm sure. Don't make me tell mom and dad on you....
Posted by: freddy at May 17, 2005 11:49 AM
Sarah??,
You know Minsk???
This is total AWESOME!
What did you do there? Why did you go there? Minsk is not awesome place, no? WHY????
Lyova
Posted by: Lyova Lyubov at May 17, 2005 12:18 PM
Man, open up the nostalgia vault and it's like the scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark where all the ghosts come flying out of the ark and melt everyone's faces.
This is a little before my time although it would still play at weddings and other things where older people were involved, but "True" by Spandau Ballet is the sort of song where you could tell that girl about the crush you had on her and have at least a 50% chance she wouldn't recoil in horror and turn all future moments with her into painfully uncomfortable social torture.
Posted by: Craig at May 17, 2005 12:19 PM
lyova, did you see that czech movie featuring bryan adams (the actual bryan adams!), singing on a train, a couple years ago? (maybe just a year ago?)
Posted by: george at May 17, 2005 12:26 PM
ohh! it wasn't czech it was chechnyan, it took place during the conflict... i can't remember what it was called though.
Posted by: george at May 17, 2005 12:53 PM
According to imdb it's called Dom durakov or House of Fools.
Posted by: Craig at May 17, 2005 1:20 PM
I remember being so pumped when Jeff Randall* asked me to dance and then the song was "Stairway to Heaven," because when that song played you knew you were going to get like 17 minutes of hot manhood action.
*not his real name
Posted by: ritchey at May 17, 2005 1:22 PM
Dammit, Craig. How can IMDB be faster than Google?! I am so ashamed.
Posted by: enjanerd at May 17, 2005 1:25 PM
a) I Think We're Alone Now was played at my friend's wedding this weekend. And I danced to it.
b) I remember dancing to Stairway to Heaven with my first ever boyfriend at the school dance.
c) I LOVE hot slow dance boner action
Posted by: karina at May 17, 2005 1:34 PM
Because IMDB makes Google cry like little girl.
I can't remember the song, but I'm pretty sure it was a slow dance which set the chain of events in motion which ended in me telling Allison Bott* that Sonny had a crush on her in 7th grade.
*actually her real name. See, I'm still doing it. God, what a dick.
Posted by: Craig at May 17, 2005 1:38 PM
It blew my mind when I found out that girls could totally tell that dudes had boners while 12 and slow dancing.
I found out like, last year.
Posted by: DCS at May 17, 2005 1:48 PM
Nope, it was more of a junior high thing. I still feel pretty bad about telling her, but obviously not bad enough to refrain from telling a bunch of strangers on the internet.
When I was 12, 13 I figured I was the only guy in the history of the universe who got a stiffy when I was dancing with a girl, so that the girl wouldn't even know what it was since she'd never felt that before from a guy who was just slow dancing with her.
Posted by: Craig at May 17, 2005 1:56 PM
Ritchey, look, your prediction came true: it IS Ultimate Boner� now!
Posted by: freddy at May 17, 2005 2:09 PM
I am 24.
But wouldn't that be awesome?
A 14 year old kid talking about his naive days?
"I HAD NO IDEA!! SO EMBARRASSING!! G2G! NINJA TURTLES v. POKEMON IS ON!!"
Posted by: DCS at May 17, 2005 2:12 PM
ha ha LOL TTFN SWAK! Mega totes! Freddy, everything becomes Ultimate Boner if you just wish hard enough. And DCS, if it makes you feel better, I did not actually realize that there were boners at that age. When I said "hot boner action" or whatever I said about Stairway to Heaven, I was describing it from an adult perspective. I remember when my boyfriend in college told me that the reason boys in 8th grade danced with their hips pressed so far away from you was because they had boners and they didn't want you to know. I WAS SHOCKED. So there.
Posted by: ritchey at May 17, 2005 2:38 PM
It is not cause of embarassement to make high use of one's large manhoods I think... Maybe you have these inhibitions, but it is detrimental to good amusement and stimulation,
Posted by: Lyova Lyubov at May 17, 2005 2:53 PM
Lyova, darling, we are talking about TWELVE YEAR OLDS. Nobody loves a nice manhood more than me, but I am a wizened old woman! At twelve I did not long for the boners of my classmates. No sir. no sirree BOB.
Posted by: ritchey at May 17, 2005 2:58 PM
Girls always got so mad when you danced like that. "Why are you so far away?" Uh, have you looked down recently? Yeah. And for me, at least, most of my slow-dancing memories involve Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, which means dress clothes, which means incredibly unforgiving pants which would allow anyone in the general vicinity to approximately estimate my size. Slow-dancing was nice but good God it was torture when there were adults around.
"Wonderful Tonight". Cliche of cliches for slow-dancing. Always made the girls cry.
Posted by: Craig at May 17, 2005 2:59 PM
I forgot about "wonderful tonight." oh man, and did anyone else have slow dances to "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman? Hot hot HOT. And lyrically not hot at all! p.s. I was not "hot" in the traditional sense for any of my 12 year old classmates. Back then it was all about wanting him to love you while you held hands in a field with the unicorns running by, to quote my brilliant friend Bill.
Posted by: ritchey at May 17, 2005 3:02 PM
I was at a 50th birthday party this weekend at a Shriner hall in Wilsonville. They played the song that goes "once, twice, three times a lady," and there was lots of middle-aged slowdance boner action going on.
Posted by: willow at May 17, 2005 3:39 PM
I guess when you get older you stop being ashamed of your boner and start being proud that you can still get it up without the assistance of chemicals. I have...not reached that stage yet.
Posted by: Craig at May 17, 2005 5:15 PM
does anyone have video of the time i did karioke of "i believe i can fly" in a chinese bas i new york?
jona?
rob?
anyone?
Posted by: Adam Forkner at May 17, 2005 5:24 PM
ritchey, i never slow danced to 'fast car', but for some reason i get miserable and weepy every time i hear it... im sure it had some great emotional significance for me when i was younger. its odd it will still make me do that, even though i've long forgotten why...
Posted by: james at May 18, 2005 1:34 AM
I don't know if this thread is dead yet, but I had to thank Craig for sharing my schoolboy crush with the world yet again. I probably google "Allison Bott" once every few months.
But hey, I wanted to ask one more question. How do you pronounce UHUBUGGG? I can see it being "yoo hoo bug," but I tend to find myself saying "uggh bug" more often. My apologies if this question has been addressed already.
Posted by: Sonny at May 18, 2005 3:39 AM
I was saying it more like "uh huh bugGA" kind of like the noise a chicken might make.
Posted by: enjanerd at May 18, 2005 8:00 AM
You're very welcome. Old Allison Bott, how old were we, 12, 13? Man, you could definitely score some sympathy points with the ladies if you told them that story and played up how traumatic it was. Squeeze out a couple of tears and you're in like Flynn. Hmmm...unless that made the woman think you were a giant fairy. Then I don't know what to tell you.
Posted by: Craig at May 18, 2005 8:17 AM
THESE VIDEOS ARE GETTING BETTER AND BETTER!!!
Posted by: DCS at May 16, 2005 10:46 AM