We said that Tony Lucca would go all the way… and having fallen just two places short of victory, it turns out he is not the one-dimensional artist Christina Aguilera said he was.  But what did in fact go all the way, was the made-for-TV vendetta between the less than supportive Christina and her former Mickey Mouseketeer teammate, Tony Lucca.

Mocking his latest performance – with paper cup in hand, Aguilera first coolly complimented Lucca, but ended it with, “the lyrical connotation was a little derogatory towards women, but all in all I thought it was fun.” She was referring to Lucca’s neat rendition of Jay-z’s “99 Problems,” where the word “bitch” was avoided in the lyrics.  Moments later after Chris Mann’s performance, she made reference to how Mann was a ‘real man’ with class nonetheless – no need to be derogatory toward women… All this said while sporting what appeared to be some sort of sequence diaper on stage.

Such hypocrisy.  How can a woman comment about something being derogatory toward women and dress as though her voice itself was not enough?  Are there no brassieres that fit?  Were stores empty of apparel that fell below the crotch line?  And why not meet her contestants on stage for that supportive hug without first looking for the perfect camera angle?

In defense of Tony Lucca’s and Adam Levine’s choice in song, Lavine said,

“Just to clarify… the intent behind the song – we talked about this for hours Tony and I… and the ‘*#!** ain’t one,’ is life getting at you; things bringing you down… we’re not referring to women, we’re referring to everything.”

Christina Aguilera has a voice that some would argue is bar-none – Blake Shelton admitted that on the show a number of times.  But she, like all of us, has another voice – made up of not only words, but of actions.  From pretending not to recognize Tony in auditions to referring to him as one-dimensional and then slamming him for being derogatory toward women – in front of his family… there’s no doubt that there’s some sort of unfinished business here.

We’re not sure what went wrong in the former Mickey Mouse Club all those years ago that made Lucca deserving of such a snub.  But perhaps as Lucca’s career progresses, the truth will eventually come out.

Q. Is the rendition of this song derogatory toward women?  You decide… Here’s the Tony Lucca performance that brought such heat from Christina Aguilera just a couple of nights ago…

InRetro has a lot of growth left in it before reaching our entire vision.  Yet since 2008, we’ve made great strides.

This past summer, we learned that InRetro Radio ranked in the top ten online radio stations within three different genre listings for “most listened to” and “best sound quality” originally through the Live365 Radio Network.  Since reaching those accolades, we decided to part ways with LIve365 and with the help and support of thousands of listeners (yes, we have been reading and replying to all of your emails!), we’ve taken the time to re-group on how to take our radio endeavour even further.  This of course is something that takes time and ingenuity, and we hope to have a decision and follow-up plan soon.

We’ve also learned what we need to do to make InRetro Magazine better than it’s ever been – taking to heart the valuable feedback we’ve received to date in an open and honest manner.  And more importantly, we’ve learned more about you, our reader – and our listener… What you like, what you don’t like – and the topics and new ideas you want to know more about.

Our name ‘InRetro‘ is short for everything in retrospect.  But it’s also referring to comparisons in time – in society, politics – with a strong emphasis on culture, fashion and music.

If you’ve read some of our past issues and want to comment on the stories – or if you’d like to get your ideas across, we’d love to hear from you!  I carefully read all incoming mail and love to hear what our audience has to say.

Until we meet again, on-air, on-site, or on your favourite e-reader, I remain,

Yours truly,

Nancy Duffy
Executive Producer/ Publisher / Editor
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Letter to the Editor

Notice on Letter Content and Size

All letters and comments are welcome, although we ask that you keep your submissions under 400 words.  InRetro reserves the right to edit as well as the right to refuse the publishing of questionable and/or offensive material as it sees fit.

Editing will be limited and is meant for the purposes of maintaining readability as well as for the sake of fitting as many letters as possible within limited print space.

You may email your letter to editor at inretro.ca.  Please ensure the entire contents of your letter remains in the body of your email, as we will not open attachments.

Thank you!

_________________________

J.S. Porter, Poet / Author

Poet and essayist, J.S. Porter was born in Belfast in the north of Ireland and educated at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He has had a longtime interest in the arts. Formerly an arts contributor to Grail, in 1999 he received a Catholic Press award for his article on the German-Canadian sculptor Ted Rettig.

He has been a contributor to Poetry Ireland Review, Kentucky Poetry Review, Canadian Literature, The Antigonish Review, Quarry, Brick and the Literary Review of Canada. He has also written for The Globe and Mail, The Ottawa Citizen, The National Post and The Hamilton Spectator.

Currently he writes for the online journals Hamilton Arts & Letters and InRetro Magazine. His most recent books are The Glass Art of Sarah Hall and Lightness and Soul: Musings on Eight Jewish Writers. Acknowledged for his literary achievements in the Canadian Who’s Who, he lives in Hamilton, Ontario with his wife Cheryl and dog Dylan.

Erin Drushel, Contributor, InRetro

I am a proud 30-something Canadian living in America.  I moved to Cleveland, Ohio in 2009 because I married an American who had kids and, frankly, it just worked out better this way.

I’m a bit of a political junkie who enjoys the news.  Being an informed consumer of the news is important to me and I do my best to not take everything at face value.  My rule of thumb is ‘Question Everything.’

Previously, I worked for the Ontario government in various capacities, both political and non-political, specializing in issues and communications management.

Since moving to the “Land of Cleve” I taught myself to crochet and became a fan of NFL football.  I also enjoy Science Fiction, Doctor Who and my favourite author is Terry Pratchett.  And, because it must be mentioned, I love my cat.

On the quirky side: since moving to the States I’ve not had a cell phone.  I suppose you could say I’m quasi “off-the-grid”.  I do not have cable or satellite and I don’t use Netflix.  The reason being – I don’t need it and don’t want it… for the most part, anyway.

“They don’t own me. If I’m going to die, I want to still be me.”

Tonight our eyes were witness to The Hunger Games for the first time, and yet, it was as if we had been here before.  A parody of present day, this movie was like looking into a mirror of the world – and seeing ‘ugly’ in its true form.  And yet on the other side of that mirror, was hope and the compassionate will to keep what little good that existed – alive.

Set in a futuristic North America – in a landscape littered with the ruins of a rebellious war brought to an end with the rise of “The Capitol,” The Hunger Games eerily resembles many of today’s reality TV shows (though to a greater extreme), as well as the polarizing disparity between countries and those who have – and those who have not.  The remaining insurgents in the outlying regions of this new version of North America are divided into twelve camps – each with the purpose of serving The Capitol.  The Capitol has everything – food and riches in abundance, while the camps fight over food portions.  To give them food and freedom is to give them strength – and to keep the chance of a future revolt at bay, each district must send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games – a televised event where only one will survive.

We loved the addition of a new heroine for 2012 with Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence.  She brings to the screen a tough, but big hearted character – serving as a smart contrast to the many Hollywood women-roles, who if tough, are often also portrayed as less than caring.

Weigh In…

We’re also reading the trilogy.  Once you’ve watched the movie or read the books, feel free to tell us your opinion.  Do you see the same ‘ugly’ we spotted – resemblances to present day – and if so, what are your thoughts?  Conversely, do you also see the hope and goodness and reason for continued compassion?  Leave your comments below – or message us on Facebook or Twitter.

Playing for change is looking to raise enough votes for its foundation to further its cause of uniting people through music – and we would like to enlist your help on their behalf.

We believe in everything this group is doing and urge our readers and listeners to place their votes to help the Playing For Change Foundation win a $50,000 grant from Cultivate Wines by voting for them daily between now and March 31st!  The rewards of winning are great.  These funds will help “provide micro-credit loans for villagers in Mali to receive training and materials to build musical instruments and earn vital income; drumming instruction and teaching opportunities to former street children in Rwanda; music and dance classes to a group of orphaned girls who have been rescued from or at risk of sex trafficking in Thailand; and music workshops to children in under-served communities in Los Angeles.”

Music as a Form of Global Outreach

What we love about Playing for Change (and it truly has become more of a global initiative as opposed to ‘a single band’), is their use of technology, music and people to connect us like never before.  On InRetro Radio, we tell people that we have a magazine as well as a radio station because, “Music is Universal and Words Still Matter.”  Lyrics and melody have a way of telling stories that don’t stop at a country’s point of entry.  This project exists today because enough people believe that “music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people.”  This belief is no more apparent than shown in the video below, Stand by Me – a production credited for transforming Playing For Change from a small band to “a movement of love and peace through music.”

Place your votes everyone – and support this initiative as much as you can!

There’s a reason we start each show with “Life, Music, Talk – All Grown Up” … because in between the good music, we love to talk.

Join us in conversation on InRetro Radio with Nancy Duffy. You can participate in our show by either calling in, emailing us, posting on our blog or on our facebook fan page. Can’t wait to hear from you!

We’re placing our forecast here!  Our prediction? Tony Lucca will make it to the final cut on The Voice!

We interviewed him long before he debuted his amazing talent on the 2012 season of The Voice (Dec 14th, 2010 to be exact), where it took a while for past Mickey Mouse Club co-star, Christina Aguilera, to recognize him from their pre-teen glory days.  Let’s face it – a lot has changed since then!

His voice and original songwriting abilities are impressive to say the least, and the road has seasoned him for a time such as this. It is our belief that Lucca is destined for greatness, regardless of what happens at the end of the season.

Click here to “hear” what we heard from Tony in December – two years ago.

She is renown for turning “At Last” into a timeless classic that will forever adorn the dance floors of North America – however big or small.

It was the same song that was controversially sung by Beyoncé Knowles, as opposed to Ms. James, for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball in 2009.  Nevertheless, this iconic music figure will be missed greatly for her contribution to so many memories accompanied by her ageless sound.

Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, the music career of Etta James included six Grammy awards as well as the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. James announced her retirement just prior to the release of her final album, “The Dreamer,” in November 2011.  She died at the age of 73 on Friday, January 20^th from a host of ongoing health ailments, including kidney failure, leukemia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Click here to listen in as InRetro pays tribute to this special ‘woman of song‘ in the next InRetro LIVE show which airs Saturday, January 21st at 3 PM Eastern.

Rest in peace Etta James.  Long live your music, and may it continue to inspire the memories dreams are made of for years to come.

It’s Just Temporary: InRetro Radio is currently undergoing a transformation to better bring you the station sound and music you’ve grown to love.  Please be patient with us as we complete changes to our studio operations.

In the interim, our radio show, InRetro Live, is available on our website inretro.ca under the podcasts link is as well as through iTunes.

Thank you for staying with us. We look forward to bringing you the best of life/music/talk through our weekly show. Subscribe to our feed to be automatically be emailed changes to our site – including notification of new magazine issues, blog posts and show updates. We’ll be seeing you – right here at InRetro.ca!