While exploring the Pop Culture Fiend Archives, I came across the New York Times from Jan 1, 2000 -- which I obviously saved because it was the first 21st century edition of one of the largest newspapers in the country. Upon examination, I noticed that overlooked among the banner headline and all the talk about the new millennium was a story about the surprise resignation of Russian President Boris Yeltsin and the installation of one Vladimir Putin.
Yeltsin resigned due to several factors, including instability in his Cabinet, health issues, a bribery scandal, and cratering popularity among the Russian people due to overall ineffectiveness. Under Putin, Russia has reverted toward its former identity on the world stage as an aggressor, enemy of the U.S., and a major threat to world democracy. Indeed, "President" Putin has become a de facto dictator who, in just a few days, will almost certainly be "elected" to his fifth term thanks to his continuous suppression and outright elimination of any true opposition.
Clearly we all had no idea how thuggish and sinister Putin would be back on 1/1/00 but this issue of the New York Times unknowingly announced the start of it all.
Disclaimer: I actually like Logic. I admire his creativity, his passion for his art, his sincerity, and how prolific he is. We also have a shared admiration for Nas, Kill Bill, and a certain blue-eyed crooner from Hoboken. Still, the following has to be said.
I picked up on Logic with 2017's Everybody, then went back and listened to a lot of older stuff (Under Pressure, The Incredible True Story...) I then followed him through YSIV and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, until finally, with the 2021 release of Bobby Tarantino III, I was able to articulate Logic's place on the hip-hop landscape with this statement:
"Logic is the official poster boy for mediocre rappers."
Yeah, occasionally he'll wow you with a "1-800" or a "100 Miles and Running", but generally Logic is that dude who is technically proficient as a rapper but who doesn't quite have enough personality and uniqueness to his flow. Whose rhymes are serviceable, but not memorable. Whose beats are almost interesting... until you listen closer and realize they're actually monotonous. His latest LP, Vinyl Days, is another reminder of all this. It's also a reminder -- or should I say a summation -- of all the things Logic has spent seven albums, five mix tapes, and pretty much his entire career reminding you of. It also speaks to a couple of new developments in his life we seem similarly destined to hear about for the next decade.
He's bi-racial
You're alerted to this fact quite often whenever you listen to his lyrics. Oh yes, you'll learn fast that he was "a biracial baby... born to a black father and a white mother." You'll understand in no time that he's a "BLACKWHITEBOY" from a "half breed family" because, as he explains it, "I'm black again.. fighting for credibility from the lack of blacker skin"... It gets quite tiresome at times.
And hearing him going over this same ground again and again is even more tedious than Eminem complaining about his ex.
He's from a really rough neighborhood.
Yeah, so are Ice-T, Nipsey Hustle, Naughty By Nature, Gucci Mane, Future, 21 Savage, Lil’ Durk, NWA, Biggie, Eminem, Young Thug, and T.I., just to name a dozen. Spitting rhymes about the crime-ridden area he grew up in is yet another way Logic fails to set himself apart from other rappers.
He "grinded" and "worked for SO LONG" until he finally made it...
... even though he started in high school, signed with an independent label at twenty, and got a Def Jam contract at twenty-three.
He retired (but now he's back.)
Check the chronology: No Pressure - Released July 2020 Bobby Tarantino III - Released July 2021 Vinyl Days - Recorded 2021–2022. Released June 2022
So two albums and a mixtape in less than two years... When exactly during that brief time frame did he manage to squeeze in a retirement?
Stupid motherf**ker, oh, yeah, you got a deal But you spent your whole advance on a chain I invested mine in crypto, and now I'm sailin' out to Spain
And also:
Now I think I'm a good father figure 'cause I was sonnin' rappers before I was a father, go figure My cryptocurrency is in the seven figures.
Last month it was widely reported that the overall market capitalization of crypto assets had plummeted from about $3 trillion in November 2021 to now less than $1 trillion.
Hmm... Maybe this is why he needed to come out of retirement?
He's leaving Def Jam.
Mostly on good terms it seems but to hear Logic tell it, the label still owes him a lot of money -- although you wonder why this would bother him since he made so much in crypto.
He's the best rapper alive.
If you don't want to believe Logic himself the numerous times he's staked claim to this title, then perhaps you'll trust Morgan Freeman, who on the intro of Vinyl Days, informs "every other rapper in the game that Logic is the GOAT."
Boasting of this type has been part of hip-hop literally since Day 1 -- but with Logic you somehow get the sense that he actually believes this absurd declaration could be true.
It's not of course. He's not the greatest rapper of all time. Not the greatest of his era. Maybe not even the greatest from the state of Maryland, depending on how you feel about Wale.
Perhaps moving forward he'll be able to produce superior material that better demonstrates the abundance of talent and creativity he's been blessed with -- but no, right now Logic is simply a solid, often redundant, and mostly mediocre rapper.
In the first few moments of the MTV's launch 41 years ago today, we were greeted with those words courtesy of The Buggles and their prophetic "Video Killed the Radio Star", the very first video shown on MTV. Then, for the next ten years, we watched as the fledgling channel expertly polished, refined and improved its brand, content and image. Along the way, the 24-hour music channel became the single most significant television experience for Generation X, which at the time comprised the most important segment of America's youth. But by the early 90's MTV faced a difficult decision -- one that would completely redefine its identity and alter its pop culture legacy. Here's the story of how MTV came to that crossroads and the path it ultimately chose.
The truth is that MTV arrived with little fanfare back on that first day of August, 1981. It was a simpler time for Americans in terms of our ability to keep ourselves entertained without benefit of personal computers (coincidentally introduced by IBM just a few days later), Sony Playstations, or even VCRs. Indeed, as hard as it is to believe, this was a time when the majority of Americans were also limited to three network channels, a few local stations and PBS. Cable television changed all that. Originally intended for populations living in mountainous and remote locations, cable TV was, by the early 80’s, quickly spreading to both urban areas and their surrounding suburbs. Most Americans at the time had barely even heard of MTV. The channel was largely considered to be just another basic cable station with novelty programming that could best be described as "pop or rock music songs typically set to creative visuals or the artist's live performance."
It was tough going at first. Operating on a shoestring budget, with only five on-air personalities and a handful of production people and executives, MTV struggled its first two years but somehow still found its audience – high schoolers and college age young adults. What MTV offered back then is very similar to what Napster would provide a little less than two decades later, that is, a fresh new way to source and experience music. The record industry was floundering, coming off of some of their worst sales years ever. The glory days of the 70’s when everyone was eager to run out and buy the latest LPs by Peter Frampton, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Styx and Heart were over. Disco, and to a lesser extend AOR, were dying slow deaths. New musical genres (punk, new wave, rap) were emerging and what’s more, many of these new styles were, in one way or another, actively discouraging record sales. Early rap records, for example, were often recorded on tape and sold out of the trunks of cars in the artists' local neighborhoods. Many of the most popular punk artists were either British and/or their recordings were not as readily available as other artists. The time was just right for MTV to enter, establish some common ground, and offer an exciting new platform of content for a wide range of music listeners. Despite having little more than a hundred videos to begin with, the idea of “seeing the music” was so appealing to viewers that “Hey, did you see so and so’s new video?” soon became a common question on high school and college campuses. Clearly, it had a lot to do with the fact that at the time, outside of a concert venue, there was no opportunity to experience your favorite music artists visually. The ability to view your favorite performer singing their latest hit but also have it presented in a stimulating and creative way was one of the most innovative developments in music since the invention of phonograph.
"Lying awake intent on tuning in on you..."
MTV’s popularity grew rapidly, thanks in part to the fact that the channel came about at virtually the same time as two other innovations in the music/recording industry – the Walkman and the compact disc. Sony debuted its portable personal cassette player in 1979 and by 1982 (MTV’s second year) had perfected its design and was on its way to selling over 100 million units. Just about the same time (1982) the compact disc was introduced and was soon recognized for offering superior sound quality and being the music format of the future. The CD and the Walkman led to tremendous growth in music sales throughout the decade (see chart below) and increased interest in popular music in general.
MTV can also take credit for another music industry trend of the 80’s. The channel can take sole responsibility for breaking a number of iconic British artists here in the states, the result being something akin to a second British Invasion. Out of necessity (rather than some visionary decision making) the first two years of MTV saw a flood of English artists receiving heavy rotation on the channel -- mainly because, initially, Brits were the main ones making music videos. Going back to the mid 70's, when artists like Queen and David Bowie experimented with the music video, English artists had always gravitated towards the medium. As a result, they were the ones ready when MTV came looking for content. Enduring artists like The Police, Eurythmics, Billy Idol and Duran Duran owe their careers to MTV, and one hit wonders and lesser artists like Naked Eyes ("Always Something There to Remind Me"), Spandau Ballet ("True") and Adam Ant ("Goody Two Shoes", "Strip") experienced their brief stints at the top courtesy of the channel.
Not to say that English artists were the only ones benefiting in those early days. American artists scrambled to take advantage of the new outlet MTV provided and early videos by Cindy Lauper, The Cars and The Go-Go's, among others were MTV staples. At the time, it was a great example of a symbiotic relationship: artists make videos that get played on MTV; more people watch the channel to see the video, thereby giving the single/album more exposure and increasing sales; and finally, more people watching MTV meant more advertising dollars for the network. Everybody was happy.
Over the years, MTV got its legs, matured and perfected the art of shameless self-promotion. Segments like "MTV News", the “I want my MTV” promos, and the MTV Video Awards(introduced in 1984) combined with the cooperation of the major record labels in providing not only content, but also access to their artists, helped MTV put an indelible stamp on the 80’s. In the process, MTV both capitalized on and helped perpetuate all of the decade’s biggest music trends, including the Michael Jackson and New Kids on the Block phenomenons, the emergence of rap/hip-hop, and the popularity of “pop metal” bands like Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and Poison.
All the while, MTV’s programming became more and more diverse -- yet always stayed true to it’s acronym: Music Television. New shows and specials began to appear: The Top 10 Video Countdown (1984), Club MTV (1987), a series of “rockumentaries”, Yo, MTV Raps (1988), The Grind and the groundbreaking MTV Unplugged (1989) evidenced the fact that it was still all about the music.
MTV hit its peak in the early 90’s – right around the time the original MTV-generation stopped watching regularly. It wasn’t that they were no longer interested, it was just that after college, and as they neared our mid-20's, they were cornered by careers and responsibility, Suddenly, checking out the new Guns N' Roses video wasn’t as important as getting up for work the next day. MTV brass likely took notice of a dip in ratings and tried to formulate a response to what was then, the first decline in viewing since the channel’s inception.
The result was an excessive (and in many ways unwarranted) revamping of MTV’s programming. Back in the 80’s, MTV had begun supplementing its video programming with reruns of The Monkees, animated series like Speed Racer and the old Beatles and Jackson 5 cartoons, spring break coverage from Florida, and their first original regular series, the game show Remote Control. Then suddenly, as the nineties rolled in, more new shows began to appear (among them, House of Style, The State, and additional game shows like Singled Out) -- all of which had nothing to do with music.
MTV further pushed its programming envelope with the animated anthology Liquid Television, which launched Mike Judge's Beavis and Butthead and provided a showcase for other independent animated productions, including the cult classic, Æon Flux. Equally innovative and groundbreaking was MTV's 1992 documentary series The Real World, which doesn't get nearly enough credit for being the first reality show of its type since An American Family aired on PBS in the 70's.
Make no mistake, this was the beginning. Fair warning had been given: MTV was in the process of casting aside Generation X -- the generation that had watched so religiously and made the network a success. MTV would soon belong to Gen Y (and not long after, Millenials.)
This clip from The Simpsons satirizes MTV's marketing approach toward programming.
Many faithful MTV viewers tried their best to roll with the changes, figuring these new shows might provide an acceptable break from MTV's video dominant format, despite being wholly inappropriate for a channel called "Music Television". And while the aforementioned The Real World and a few other shows proved to be popular and lasting, many others, like Dead at 21, were poorly received and short-lived (no pun intended.)
Perhaps it was the distraction offered by home video and the new DVD format. Maybe it was the explosion of the internet and home gaming systems like the Sony Playstation (introduced in 1994.) It might have been the meddling corporate influence of Viacom -- the multi-billion dollar entertainment conglomerate that purchased MTV in 1985 -- or maybe MTV simply went as far as it could with its all-music format. Whatever the reason, as we entered the early 2000's, MTV made its choice to consciously and permanently change its identity. Music videos would need to give way (almost entirely) to alternative programming.
More new shows appeared that had even less to do with music: Celebrity Death Match, Cribs, Undressed at Eight, The Blame Game, and Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County to name a few. Moreover, in efforts to emulate the success of network TV hits Survivor and Big Brother (which both aired on CBS, another Viacom property) reality TV like Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, The Osbournes and Punk'd would become cornerstones of a new MTV seeking to remake itself as a full-blown network, with original series, specials, game shows, the entire gamut. Music content would be limited and decidedly aimed at a twenty-and-under demographic, which meant an abundance of Britney, Christina, Mandy Moore, Jessica Simpson and boy bands NSYNC and Backstreet Boys. "Mature" artists -- Madonna, Prince, Hall & Oates, Janet Jackson and others -- who had built the network during the 80's were relegated to MTV's sister channels MTV2 and VH1. (Ironically, both of those channels would soon follow the same course as the original MTV, shifting their focus from music to mostly lifestyle and reality programming, reruns of acquired sitcoms, with only daily blocks of videos, typically shown very late night or early morning.) Total Request Live began its remarkable run around this time. One of MTV's few remaining music-oriented shows, TRL spotlighted pop and hip-hop videos (introduced by teenage "woo-girls" screaming shout-outs at the top of their lungs.) Before long the "new MTV" was fully formed and the remainder of its programming came to be dominated by inane "semi-reality" shows like Jackass, Road Rules, Pimp My Ride, Date My Mom, and Lovelines. By 2010, MTV ended the charade and officially dropped the words "music television" from its logo and channel description. "MTV" was now simply a name.
"If I was young it didn't stop you coming through..."
Abandoning music for reality programming... Forsaking older generations in pursuit of younger/teen audiences... Were these smart decisions? Financially speaking, the answer is almost, "Definitely yes." Business-wise, it's always smart to cater to the demographics from which the money is coming. It became clear that this was in fact the case as early as the mid-90's. That's when businesses of all types had begun marketing to kids.
With the passing of the 1980's, young people -- who until that point had been barely tolerated (mostly seen and not heard) -- started to gain more and more influence over their parents, and in turn, those parents' dollars...
How so?... Let's rewind.
Throughout the 90's, the U.S. economy was strong. Indeed, between 1993 and 2000, the United States exhibited the best economic performance of the past three decades. Unemployment was down; the stock market was up; and the personal saving rate was plummeting. In short, people had money, were willing to spend it, and (when it came to parents) their children were often the beneficiaries.
Businesses of all types recognized an opportunity. Restaurants and hotels remade themselves as "kid friendly." The MGM Grand and other Las Vegas hotels spent millions on amusement parks and other family-oriented attractions. Suburban malls (traditionally the gathering place for high schoolers and pre-teens) added youth retailers like Hot Topic and Tilly's. Disney, after the massive success of their new animated features The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, continued to crank out their G-rated fare -- and then merchandised the hell out of it.
So with pleasing the kids now a priority -- not just for their helicopter parents, but for all of society -- Viacom (like Disney) began tweaking the marketing strategies of its entertainment properties. MTV was first on the list and its programming was radically adjusted to appeal to an even younger demo than when the channel first launched. Such a change, execs figured, would attract their sought after youthful audience and the avalanche of advertisers looking to tap into that market.
"In my mind and in my car, we can't rewind, we've gone too far."
And so it was, and so it continues. Each generation (or half generation) of MTV viewers is now aggressively marketed to and indulged before they (and the content they love) get unceremoniously discarded. Right now, it's all about targeting Gen Z, whose constituents (almost poetically) are very often the sons and daughters of those teenagers who made MTV what it was back in 1981.
Difficult as it is to face and sad as it may be, it can be no other way. Though they once were close and had great affection for each other, in time Wendy Darling had to grow up... and Peter Pan remains forever young.
I recently drove from California to New Jersey in three days...
That's right, three days.
Here are the takeaways and some of the high (and low) lights:
Yuma, Arizona is unfathomably hot.
I don't mean really really hot; I mean not suitable for human beings hot. I don't even know how plant and insect life can survive hot. I stopped there to buy a sandwich, got out of the car, made it halfway through the parking lot, and was ready to turn back. Matthew Broderick in Biloxi Blues described it quite well:
There are no bagel shops in Odessa, Texas.
I spent the night there, got up and wanted to have a quick breakfast. So I asked Siri where the closest bagel shop was... She showed me a bunch of donut places...
I asked again and the same thing happened. Upon further investigation, I learned that most of west Texas was devoid of bagels and I would need to go about 90 miles to get one. If Kramer from Seinfeld was with me he would loudly be declaring the following:
After leaving Texas I wound up in something called "Texarkana".
As near as I could tell, this is some odd, hybrid region of the country that combines the oppressive heat of Texas with the mind-numbing hick-dom of Arkansas. Needless to say, I kept the windows rolled up and sped through it as quickly as possible, lest I encounter any of the the local yokels.
Also while n Arkansas, I stopped at a convenience store and picked up a couple of bags of Rap Snacks.
What are Rap Snacks you ask? Well they're just plain old potato chips and other salty snacks offered in packaging with pictures of Migos, Notorious B.I.G., and even Cardi B. What's interesting is that Rap Snacks seem to be more popular and widely marketed throughout the south. It's a sobering reminder of the subtly racist tropes and stereotypes that still exist and continue to be perpetuated in this country and across every strata of our society... apparently even our consumer products packaging.
While driving through the south I was careful not to run afoul of sheriffs like Buford T. Justice and J.W. Pepper.
By far, the most tedious part of the drive was through Virginia.
Governor Youngkin, please prioritize making your highways less boring because while driving through your snoozefest of a state, this almost happened to me twice:
Those QPCs are quite odiferous.
There are SO many rest stops in Pennsylvania and every single one of them has a McDonald's. The result is, you can smell quarter pounders up and down the highway for miles.
The Donnas are the best driving music band of all time.
The all-girl band's distinct mix of hard-charging rock and simple but fun punk-pop (e,g, "Pass It Around", "Are You Gonna Move It For Me", "Fall Behind Me") is infinitely listenable and kept my foot on the accelerator for hours at a time.
Astronomers estimate there are about 100 thousand million stars in our galaxy...
That's only about a dozen or so less than the number of bugs that splattered on my windshield over the course of my 2800+ mile journey. When it's that many bugs, combined with the 70-80 mph speed, the bugs (or what's left of them) get practically permanently embedded in the car's windshield and hood. And then you throw in the heat -- at some points upwards of 100 degrees -- and the mess all gets baked in and actually becomes part of your vehicle. Seriously, by the time I arrived in NJ the front half of my car looked like this Jackson Pollock...
This started out as just fun reminiscing between me and my son, but it quickly evolved into a half hour long exercise. It's important to know that in the course of compiling this list, neither of us searched YouTube, checked any Reddit threads, or Googled things like “Greatest sports moments”. It wasn’t intentional; it's just that neither of us thought to do it. And that's a good thing because in retrospect, if you have to use the internet to find more moments, then by definition those moments weren’t actually all that memorable... Makes sense, right?... Oh, and if you're wondering why the list only includes football and basketball... well I guess it's just more proof that those are in fact the two greatest sports God ever invented : )
Kawhi's buzzer beater - 2019
Like something out of the cheesiest sports movie ever, the 2019 NBA Eastern Conference semifinals ended at the horn with the ball bouncing around the rim (seemingly in slow motion) while everyone in the arena and watching at home held their breath.
Boise State's trick plays stun Oklahoma - 2007
Trailing powerhouse Oklahoma by seven with :18 left and faced with a 4th and 18, heavy underdog Boise State used a backyard football favorite -- the hook and lateral -- to score and take the the game to overtime. Moments later, the Broncos gambled big again and called on another gadget play (the "Statue of Liberty") to complete a 2-pt conversion and end the game. The cherry on the sundae was watching running back Ian Johnson (after scoring) race over to celebrate with the Boise State fans and then propose to his cheerleader girlfriend.
Ray Allen's clutch three - 2013
In Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs were on the precipice of sending the Miami Heat superteam home, when unsung hero Chris Bosh rebounded a LeBron miss and got the ball to the corner for this series saving three-pointer by the always unflappable Ray Allen.
Lebron's chase down - 2016
Speaking of King James, this was perhaps the greatest play of his career, executed at the biggest moment because this layup by Golden State's Andre Iguodala would have likely clinched them the championship.
"The Bush Push" - 2005
Another epic match-up between Notre Dame and USC ended with the defending national champion Trojans (who came into the game on a 27 game winning streak) trailing but sitting at the ND goal line with fifteen seconds left. In a crazy sequence, quarterback Matt Leinart tried an end run but was crushed by the Irish defense and driven out of bounds as the ball was knocked loose. The clock continued to run down to 00:00 but the refs (correctly) put time back on for one more play. Leinart then tried a QB sneak and was initially stuffed, only to have teammate Reggie Bush plow him into the end zone for the win. After this game, the NCAA outlawed this type of runner assistance, but then later reversed that rule so these "push the pile" plays are actually legal once again.
Chiefs vs. Rams on Monday night - 2018
Two 9-1 teams, both with super-charged offenses, collided on Monday Night Football and slugged it out touchdown-for-touchdown for sixty minutes. Highlights included four lead changes in the fourth quarter, 50+ points scored by each team, and the highest cumulative score in the history of MNF.
The "Beast Mode" run - 2010
This one might have made the list even if it wasn't a playoff game. Never has there been a more fitting nickname for a professional sports highlight.
Syracuse vs. UConn, 6 overtimes - 2009
Over the years, the Big East Tournament has been a showcase for tons of great players -- Pearl Washington, Patrick Ewing, Carmelo Anthony and Kemba Walker, just to name a few. But what this game lacked in star power, it more than made up for in edge-of-your-seat excitement. Remarkably, this was only a quarterfinal game and the winning team (Syracuse) had to play again the very next night.
Odell's impossible grab - 2014
With all eyes watching in a Sunday night game against "America's team" the Dallas Cowboys, Odell Beckham Jr.'s jaw-dropping catch was a cultural shift that naturally broke the internet.
Chris Davis' "Kick Six" - 2013
A great call by the Auburn announcers ("There goes Davis!... Auburn's gonna win the football game!") only added another layer of memorability to this frenzy of a finish in the 2013 Iron Bowl.
The helmet catch - 2008
There's no bigger stage than one minute to go and trailing in the 4th quarter of the Super Bowl. David Tyree's name would be forgotten today except for this amazingly clutch catch in what was at the time, the most-watched Super Bowl ever.
As far as the rumored All-Star Michael Jackson Tribute Concert is concerned, right now I'm still trying to separate fact from fiction. I'll stay on it but in the meantime, if there is a show, here's a few things it must include:
Sheryl Crow performing "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", the song she and Michael dueted on when she sang backup with him on the Bad tour.
Mariah Carey crooning "You Are Not Alone".
Usher recreating the Motown 25 "Billie Jean" performance.
Madonna doing anything (because she can.)
A tender performance of "Gone Too Soon" by John Legend.
The Jonas Brothers trading verses on the "I Want You Back/ABC/The Love You Save" medley.
Bono doing "Man in the Mirror".
Seal covering "The Lady in My Life".
A bluesy John Mayer version of "Who's Loving You".
Black Eyed Peas taking on "Wanna Be Starting Something".
Prince, Slash and Eddie Van Halen ripping it up on "Beat It" and "Black or White".
Alicia Keys playing and singing "She's Out of My Life".
Lady Gaga doing "Smooth Criminal".
Diana Ross holding back tears on "I'll Be There".
Stevie Wonder and Lionel Richie closing the show and leading everyone on "We Are the World".
This one is for Reebok -- "Terry Tate - Office Linebacker" -- from the 2003 Super Bowl. The acting in this is great, especially the guy wimpering behind the recycling bin, and also the guy who plays Terry, Lester Rasta Speight, who I remember was also very funny when he appeared as a semi-regular on My Wife and Kids.
Was really taken with J.J. Abrams' new Star Trek movie. Sure, the whole time travel plot device has been done to death (in Star Trek: The Voyage Home and Star Trek: First Contact, and dozens of other sci-fi movies) and Winona Ryder's part was way too small. But Zachary Quinto was terrific as Spock; the other supporting characters were well cast; the special effects were stunning; and the action tense and exciting. All in all, a fine reboot that pays homage to both the original TV series and the previous films. Here's hoping they keep this cast together to carry on the Star Trek legacy. So with that in mind, courtesy of the Pop Culture Fiend Archives, here's the TV commercial for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the last of the films featuring the original Star Trek cast:
Don't know if it's her bubbly personality, the red hair, her Lisa Loeb "geek-chic" look, or the fact that I use a PC too (sorry all you condescending Mac lovers), but I am seriously crushing on Lauren.
