I had a high school marching band drill instructor who would say this to us all the time. I think it sounds better coming out of Bobby Knight, who is probably the only college basketball coach I can name! The chair-throwing coach! What’s not to love?

So, about tonight’s game. We had a “current music” final question. Name two of the three songs released since early October, 2017 with one-word titles that hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Thing is, I have actually been “trying” to add “current music” to my trivia mojo. I WROTE DOWN all of the recent Grammy winners. I got a 2018 Grammy question right on Saturday in a trivia game! I actually visited Billboard’s web site Tuesday, so…at least I was on the right track? See what I did there? Track? A music lingo joke! I’ve actually visited Billboard’s web site quite a few times since the beginning of the year. I recently looked at a list of artists who’ve never hit #1 but have come close (AKA lovable losers).

I knew one of the artists for sure, and I was correct, just couldn’t think of his insipid, insipid song. Even more insipid than that other one that won the Grammy. And I put a rap artist for the second whom I knew had a #1 in 2017 with a very ironic one-word title. Come on…at least I didn’t put “Despacito!” Are there any “real” men in music anymore? Seriously, I listened to Bruno Mars singing about strawberry champagne on ice and I just want to make him do manual labor. ANYTHING to make him into a real man!  I do not want to hear this effeminate pseudo-man brag about how rich he is. But then, he is not speaking to me with his songs, is he? I’m a relatively hardened, jaded Gen-X chick. Not exactly Bruno Mars’ demographic, am I? Not sure there is any modern music speaking to a mid-’40s Gen-X woman. Can you blame me for feeling a little alienated? Can you blame me for having very few tracks on my car’s USB drive that are more recent than 25 years old? Can you blame me for thinking all of today’s music is pretty much auto-tuned garbage?

It’s been a real challenge for me to pretend I care about music that makes me want to Van Gogh both of my ears off if I’m forced to listen to it. And the ear canals, ear drums, hammer, anvil and stirrup – cochlea – everything that has to do with hearing. Auditory nerve? Might as well get rid of it all!  I tried listening to Bruno Mars’ multiple Grammy winning song, “That’s What I Like” today and just wanted to pour acid into my ears.

Hey…I’m trying! Can I at least get a sticker or something? #thethingsidoforloveoftrivia