I believe in the power of Hump Day & Chill. Click your heels together three times rinse and repeat.
Levity is the order of the day and here is something I found fun! Remember when Bernie Sanders was a meme, photoshopped into every given situation imaginable? Well now my friend Tom Connan is doing the same only much cuter and with less clothing on.
Here's Tom doing his in shorts only yoga pose (the one he uses in all of the memes) in a very high profile public location.
Now I'm not going to reveal what kind of visions this has dancing in my head, but one can only imagine, or perhaps you can't.
Anyway fluff up your pillow and Hump Day & Chill...
Multi-Faceted artist Tom Connan has just released a remix of his song "Chaos" which tackles the subject of drug addiction in a very direct and realistic manner. I just had to know what inspired Tom to "go there" so without further adieu let's Hump Day & Chill with Tom Connan! MS: I love your song Chaos, obviously it resonates with many others as you did a "Black Mix" of it and a whole new video. What made you decide to do a song addressing drug addiction? TC: I wanted to make a song addressing drugs because several friends of mine fell into that trap, went to rehab etc. It's a horrible phenomenon which is also closely linked to everyone's personal history. Nobody takes cocaine or things like that just because it's "fun". I see a lot of people feeling depressed and trying to escape with drugs. To my own point of view, I think our modern society creates a lot of psychological frustration which sometimes become a real pathology. It's not exactly the same as alcohol, even if it's also some kind of drug, after all. But with cocaine, or heroin, people are looking for something new, some brutal effect in order to erase their negative thoughts. Except it doesn't work. However, I have a lot of empathy for drug addicts as life can sometimes be a very sad and tough experience. MS: Requiem For A Dream is one of my favorite films. I am guessing you have seen it based on the video. What are your thoughts on it? TC: I love Requiem For A Dream and I'm very happy that you mention it. I was a child when I first saw it, but then I saw it again a few years ago and I was absolutely fascinated. Not only because it's so realistic, but also because it has this ability to grab you and force you to see what you don't want to see. I think this is precisely where cinema is the best among any other arts. With the combination of music and images, you can't help but looking at it and being focused. Of course normal people feel bad when they see that kind of movie, but sometimes we need to see embarrassing things to increase our awareness about something. I enjoy feeling embarrassed. All the time we watch stupid shows and stupid ads on TV, and it's easy for the mind. With movies like Requiem For A Dream, or Fight Club, or Eyes Wide Shut, we really learn something and become someone new -at some level.
MS: While you show plenty of skin in the re-mix video, you showed a little more in the video for the single. Why did you decide to leave your booty out this time? TC: Lol, I don't want to show that booty too often. More seriously, this new video was something like the "dark" side of the first one. With the original video, I was trying to show the recreational aspect of taking drugs, which is obvious for everyone. With this second one, I wanted to describe how it can evolve. I have the feeling that in any phenomenon, we can find a "positive" and a "negative" side -we all know that-, but also that we can't delete one part for the other. You can't have the positive if you don't want to take the risk associated with it. If you want to have fun, you have to accept that, at some point, you can put your life at risk. It's the same in love affairs. Love can be a fantastic experience, but when it ends -which happens quite often- it can drive you nuts, so nuts that you want to kill yourself. Love is dangerous, drugs are dangerous, life is inherently dangerous. MS: Your look in the video is very reminiscent of David Bowie in The Man Who Fell To Earth. Especially when you are shirtless, am I on to something? TC: Honestly I don't know very much of David Bowie, I was more into singers like Michael Jackson (or even Marilyn Manson). That said, I'm a big fan of transgender and genderfluid pop icons like Bowie, Cher or Prince. Playing with feminine and masculine sides of the human body is so interesting. My own body changed quite a lot the last few years, and I enjoyed all the different levels, if I can say so. We only live once, for me, we need to experience different versions of ourselves. French poet Arthur Rimbaud said something like that in the 19th century.
MS: I love that Tom Connan has gotten freer and more out there creatively.
TC: I think you're totally right about the "freer" person I became. Back a few years ago, I was obsessed with other people's opinion. Now, I just don't give a fuck. My work is not understood by everybody, including in my family, and I think that's good. If you follow what your parents or your brothers want you to do, you'll never achieve your dream. We need to stick to our own model, that nobody can copy. There are tons of singers and artists out there, I don't want to look like them. I want to express my personal, and radical freedom. Otherwise it's absolutely useless.
MS: Spill about your other ventures outside the music world.
TC: The last two years I worked a lot on other ventures outside the music world, I changed the project name many times, and I finally decided to simply choose one name for every division of the brand: Connan. That's simple, that's neutral, that's honest -it's my real last name- and there's no confusion with my full artist name. It's currently a website (connan.io) when you'll soon be able to find different cultural products: music (not only mine), tv, books, fashion and art. I'm currently working with other artists for the music division, as well as authors for the publishing division. It's super exciting as I'm working on several levels at the same time: my next novel will be published by a well-known French publisher called Albin Michel, but I will also publish myself other authors as an entrepreneur. It's great to have this opportunity to work as an author as well as a publisher. The best is yet to come.
MS: If you could be any famous person fictional or not, who would you be?
TC: I'd love to be Tyler Durden, that Fight Club character played by Brad Pitt. He's gorgeous, he's radical, he's clever, he wants to revolt against society. That's a role model for me. No joke.
Tom Connan is an artist whose work embodies all aspects of the human condition. His latest song and video "Charlie" is inspired by the Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris. For the uninitiated here is the 411 on it: "Two gunmen armed with automatic rifles stormed the office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, a target for Islamist terrorists since it printed cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in 2006 and 2011, and killed cartoonists and satirists whose names were called out as they were shot dead in turn."
It goes without saying that I had to hit Tom up to "Take 5" for all of you, as in five questions addressing his latest project. You've got this Tom...
MS: Why do you have an affinity with Charlie Hebdo?
TC: I don’t have any direct affinity with Charlie Hebdo, however when the terrorist attack against them happened in 2015, the world was deeply shocked. I was, too. On 9/11, I was a child so I wasn’t able to really understand what it meant. In 2015, I couldn’t believe haters had killed innocent journalists and caricaturists. I was still sleeping when my mum woke me up and yelled at me: ”they killed Charlie Hebdo!”. It is a symbol, as this is the first attack of many that happened since: Orlando, Barcelona, Manchester, Paris… Basically I had written the track “Charlie” a few days after the attack but I didn’t want to release it. But recently, I thought I had to.
Charlie (sick mix)
MS: Give me your take on the current state of democracy
TC: I have the impression some people under-estimate the crisis of democracy. Anti-Semitism is terribly strong, as well as homophobia and sexism. Sometimes I feel my mum grew up in a more peaceful time. I may be wrong. But I’m not that sure.
MS: You use skin in the video. You once told me how you love nudity, extrapolate
TC: For a long time I hated my body. Really. I was almost hiding myself with large clothes, as if I wanted to disappear. I feel better now, and when you feel better about who you are, you want to show it. Completely. It’s my own therapy.
MS: When you give a Rebel Yell, do you want more, more, more?
TC: I’m not sure I understand what you mean, but as far as “Charlie” is a rebel yell, yes, I believe it can reach the unconscious mind, which is my hidden goal. You can do much more with the unconscious than you can with the conscious. Don’t you think?
MS: Name your favorite song, other than yours at this moment
TC: was re-watching the old movie “Stepmom” starring Julia Roberts, and I heard that fabulous track “Ain’t no mountain high enough” from Marvin Gaye. Do you know any better song with the same kind of joy and energy? I don’t. It is brilliant. This is music. Other than that, I’m still listening to Jaden Smith’s Idol. Fucking good rap track. Keep it real with Tom on the WWW at: www.instagram.com/tomconnan www.twitter.com/tomconnan tomconnan.com/
Christmas has come and gone and now we are moving on up to 2018, ponder that. Thus this weeks column may be a tad repetitive, considering all the things that have led up to it.
Or perhaps it won't. Whatever, I'm rebel just for kicks now, might've had your fill, but I feel it still...
Wanna be on my level today? Climb!
Ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight? Asking for a friend.
Current Mood? Fuschia
My Mom visited moi for Christmas, best present ever!
Oh, we went and saw I, Tonya - loved it! Yes, that's a recommendation.
I gained a mere 3 lbs over Christmas, child's play, off in no time
Yoga put a ring on it yesterday
Sex Cells Me & Traci Lords
In case you didn't know I went to Sex Cells this past Friday to hang with the awesome Traci Lords
Where in the world is...(you know someone whose name should be here)
Speaking of Charlie's isn't A Charlie Brown Christmas one of the best Holiday specials ever?
Who the F#ck is styling Lisa Rinna & Erika Jayne during their confessionals this season on RHOBH? Ladies, just say "No"
Speaking of "No" that is what I say every year when my Dr. tries to convince me to get a flu shot. Guess what? I never get the flu and people I know who receive the shot get sick, Hmmmmmmm...
On that note, follow me and party like it will be 2018 the next time we connect. Why? Because it will be!
Entertain Me favorite and friend Tom Connan is back with a decidedly different tone. He has done a dance mix of his cool as ice song "You Didn't Give Them A Chance." Turning it on it's head and making it into a terrific political anthem. I could extrapolate on this, but wouldn't you rather hear it from Tom?! I thought so, moving on...
MS: What made you decide to do the dance mix with a political bent? TC: I live in France and, as you know, several terror attacks happened here the last few years. And over time, this is spreading all over the world. I'm creating music but I can't get this shit out of my head. When we decided to make a new video, I wanted to do something special, something more personal. Then I thought about those great moving videos Michael Jackson made quite a long time ago, especially They Don't Care About Us. I said to myself: "that's exactly what I need to do now".
MS: I like the use of Anonymous. How did you land on him as a central figure?
TC: I'm not sure I'll keep using the Anonymous mask, but this was clearly inspiring. It represents some kind of progressive hidden resistance, which is really important nowadays -social media are awesome but this is also the place where you can find a lot of hateful comments, a lot of anti-Semitic or homophobic people for instance. It can be really tough. Therefore you must have some kind of online counter power. A journalist recently said in the Huffington Post that I was trying to "bring entertainment and politics together". I think she understood exactly my intention.
MS: There are so many images of people who were dictators and failed, I think I am sensing the overall message, correct?
TC: I tried to analyze coldly the phenomenon of barbarism. Some people, including some close friends of mine, were afraid to see the face of Hitler in the video, especially because he's laughing. Obviously I can understand that. And believe me, we thought long and hard about it. But we decided to keep the footage, because we don't have the right to forget it. A lot of Jews are still being murdered simply because they are Jews, that's why it's still a hot topic. Our world is bleeding, and history is sometimes repeating itself. We must be aware of that. We must be united as citizens to protect the free world. It's more fragile than we think.
!
Look, He's Naked!
Tom Connan
MS: What are you wearing right now?
TC: I have to admit I'm only wearing my own clothes from now on -we launched a clothing brand this summer (www.tomconnan.com/store). This is Karl Lagerfeld's fault: as you know he's always wearing the same outfit... I do the same! More seriously, I'd say I feel more comfortable with my own clothes. Fashion is a new world for me but this is so exciting, especially when you live in Paris.
MS: Leave us the foremost thing on your mind regarding this project.
TC: This new single and music video is closing what I would call the first chapter of my musical career. We released four singles and four music videos in ten months, it required a tremendous amount of work. A lot of things happened, I met some incredible people in the industry and new stuff will be coming soon. What is really exciting is that you never know what will be next. Six months ago I never thought I would create some clothes, or make such a "political" music video. I chose to be an artist and I always try to do my best. But I don't want to forget the main reason why I chose this path: to be free.
Be Free with Tom, check out You Didn't Give Them A Chance after the jump!
Hello Minions, we exchange energy once again! Here is the latest from the world of Entertain Me... My buddy Tom Connan recently released his latest single Beautiful Day. I thought to myself, I bet readers would like me to pry a little and get some insight into Tom's personal life by revealing what five things would constitute a Beautiful Day for him. Yep, the giver in me is present and accounted for, I did just that. Let me tell you Tom is quite the randy one, here is his idea of a perfect Beautiful Day! 1) Make love, 2) Drink a glass of Malbec, 3) Write a melody, 4) Have a walk alone at night, 5) Come back home and make love again So juicy! Check out the video for Beautiful Day after the leap!
We meet again my faithful minions. Yesterday was International Women's Day and it was also my Mom's 78th Birthday. Coincidence? Probably, but from where I sit it was kismet. So, it's that time again to see things from my unique POV and take the good and take the bad and there you have my facts of life. Be brave little buckaroos...! Even though I gave my Mom well wishes on her Birthday yesterday another shout out to her today since she got the extra momentum from it landing on International Women's Day. She's my Mom hear her roar! I have so many amazing women who have influenced my life that I can't name them all in one column.But I am sure they are aware of who they are, because I let them know. I said it before and I'll say it again, I'm a giver. Why is it that the current administration is hellbent on taking away Women's Rights? If it wasn't for a woman carrying your sorry ass for nine months you the fuck wouldn't be here!
A shout out to my buddy Tom Connan regarding his current single Beautiful Day. Check it, don't wreck it. Real men wear plaid, ask any lumberjack you happen to see... Trivia: The upcoming Sharknado movie bears the title: Sharknado 5, People 0. Did you know after Jaws 2 they were going to originally going to do a parody flick titled: Jaws 3, People 0 starring Bo Derek? The more you know. Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers once signed an autograph to a woman I know "wake up and smell your pussy burning" You're weird, I like you I had the pleasure of taking spin this past Tuesday sandwiched between two of my favorite women, Shani Bayne & Maresa Wickham, holler! Everything I wear is Bitch Face. The colors are styling and the style is popping. Finally I saw a few episodes of Girls. The show made me realize how truly annoying millennials are. Thanks Lena Dunham. Aren't you glad tomorrow is Friday? Join me on the Dark Side of the Moon at: https://www.instagram.com/michaelshinafelt/?hl=en https://twitter.com/MShinafelt
Hello Everyone, we all know what today is don't we? Why it's Christmas Eve and the first day of Hanukkah. Yes, that's right peeps this year they both fall on the same day, which is pretty cool actually. Which brings me to an E-mail I received the other day from my buddy Tom Connan, it goes something like this...
Hi Michael,
Hope you're well! As you may have noticed, I just released my new single 'You Didn't Give Them A Chance' and the music video is doing great on YouTube already.
I'd be more than happy to have a post about this on your blog.
I'm looking forward to hearing from you.
Cheers,
Tom Connan
But of course I will and just have. Thanks Tom for alerting me to your hot new song, oh and the look, that look you've got going on, very, um, edgy, not to mention sexy.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm a giver! Let's kick off the Holidays with Tom's latest single "You Didn't Give Them A Chance."
