Blog Spotlight on Amit and Dan of Celluloid and Vinyl

The blogosphere has become the last bastion of uncensored criticism and cynicism about politics, history, and popular culture. While some blogs are crass in their attempts to break down the celebrities that they help bring about, others like the popular blog Celluloid and Vinyl (http://www.celluloidandvinyl.com) have honed the sophomoric dissection of celebrity in America to a science. The founders of Celluloid and Vinyl, Amit and Dan, have made their small blog into a player in the blogosphere by being brutally honest about celebrities and popular culture in America. A quick read of Celluloid and Vinyl yields interviews with musicians, a contest for the upcoming DVD collection of That's My Bush, and a review of Norm MacDonald's new comedy CD. I spoke with Amit and Dan via email about blogging, their popular culture influences, and faking the death of a certain precocious child actress.

Nick Katers: What was your motivating force for beginning your own blog?

Dan: Something to put on college applications.
Amit: I wanted an online venue to make fun of celebrities through the power of Photoshop and college freshman-level humor.

NK: Your blog seems to have an eclectic interest in music, movies and television. Who are your musical heros or influences in music?

D: Led Zeppelin. Jeff Buckley.
A: Led Zeppelin, Wilco

NK: What television shows did you watch growing up?
D: Family Matters, Knight Rider, Full House, Macgyver
A: Duck tales, Rescue Rangers, Smurfs, 60 minutes

NK: What are your favorite movies?
D: Casablanca, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Band of Outsiders
A: Good Will Hunting, American Beauty, Finding Nemo

NK: How were you able to blend these influences with a fresh take on popular culture, as there are many blogs and web sites that take on popular culture and music?

D: Just being honest. being who we are.
A: I found humor, or the lack thereof, a big selling point in earning readership. Case in point, www.one.org.

NK: I was reading recently about an interview C & V did with former member of The Police Stewart Copeland. How have you been able to gain access to celebrities and those well connected within the music industry?

D: I live/work in Hollywood. Some interviews, such as John Densmore and Stewart Copeland, were gained through my work. Other interviews, such as John Popper and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, were gained through partnerships we have with promoters.

NK: What is your dream interview (music, movies, or television)?
D: Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards.
A: Sacha Baron Cohen

NK: It seems that in the blogosphere there is often an issue of what line can be crossed in criticizing an individual, famous or not. This is similar to the debate among comedians about what lines can be crossed to get a laugh. Do you personally have a line over which you won't cross to get attention to your web site? If you do, how do you define that? Does blogging and writing on the web offer freedom for new ideas and thoughts, cover for cowards who would be roundly rejected by mainstream society, both, or some other option?

D: I don't think we have a line. We faked Dakota Fanning's death. (http://www.celluloidandvinyl.com/2006/04/10/goof-or-cover-up/)

NK: This is the part of the interview that I like to do some word association. What do you think of when you hear the word:

NK: Bob Dylan
D: Legend
A: Mumbles
NK: Project Runway
D: Is that a tv show?
A: The real image of women.
NK: Jude Law
D: What ever happened to that guy
A: The next Steven Guttenberg
NK: "South Park"
D: Genius
A: Comedic gold
NK: Jack Nicholson
D: Shining
A: I'm not going to hurt ya Wendy, I'm just going to bash your brains in.
NK: Panic at the Disco
D: Sounds like a jam band
A: The next Captian and Tennille

NK: Shows about Saturday Night Live style sketch comedy
D: They make shows about shows?
A: Are TV writers really out of premises?

NK: The word "indie" in music and movies
D: Usually not worth the hype.
A: Rarely good

NK: What do you think the most rewarding quality of blogging is? The most frustrating?
D: The most rewarding quality is gaining readership. The most frustrating quality of blogging is having a million other things to do.
A: Having someone come up to you and say that so-and-so article was hilarious or how they want their shirtless, beer-pong playing picture removed from our site. The most frustrating thing is when our hosting service during high traffic days

NK: What are your future plans for Celluloid and Vinyl? Is there a larger plan for the blog or are you just going with the flow?
D: To conquer the world.
A: Do whatever we can to increase readership. If we have to blog in Braille to gain 10 more readers, we will.

NK: Who are some of your favorite bloggers or websites?
D: You mean there are other sites besides C&V?