{"id":4117,"date":"2018-09-11T11:00:23","date_gmt":"2018-09-11T15:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/?p=4117"},"modified":"2018-09-05T10:12:16","modified_gmt":"2018-09-05T14:12:16","slug":"tyler-legitimize-your-ideas-aly-aj","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/2018\/09\/11\/tyler-legitimize-your-ideas-aly-aj\/","title":{"rendered":"Tyler: Legitimize your Ideas: Aly &amp; AJ"},"content":{"rendered":"<p dir=\"ltr\"><span>\u201cYou need to know how to defend your ideas with confidence, even if that means digging yourself into a hole.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">It was the first day of class senior year when the Media Money Trail course instructor, Professor Jodi Luber, established this objective for the semester. She encourages debate, even if you\u2019re aware that you are wrong, for the sake of knowing how to argue. It\u2019s an important skill for any professional in a creative field: how do you legitimize your ideas? If you\u2019re pitching an idea and there is an unexpected question or criticism comes, you must know how to address it.<\/p>\n<p>When you think about it, this is a pretty good skill for everyday life. When you have an opinion or theory, what can you do to defend it? Let\u2019s take this example that is my personal favorite. Are you ready?<\/p>\n<p>Ex-Disney Channel stars-turned-pop duo Aly &amp; AJ are vampires.<\/p>\n<p>What?<\/p>\n<p><span>Yep. Believe it or not, I think that they are vampires. And I\u2019m going to <\/span><span>defend my opinion <\/span><span>to you, readers.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span>Alyson and Amanda \u201cAJ\u201d Michalka were practically A-List celebrities in the mid-2000s. Think: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0489007\/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_30\" target=\"_blank\"><span>Cow Belles<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0340281\/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_28\" target=\"_blank\"><span>Phil of the Future<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><span>some recurring roles on daytime shows like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0671457\/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_45\" target=\"_blank\"><span>Passions <\/span><\/a><span>and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0586498\/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_42\" target=\"_blank\"><span>General Hospital<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><span>NOT EVEN to mention their ultimate stardom with their <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Insomniatic-Aly-AJ\/dp\/B000Q9OD5S\" target=\"_blank\"><span>Insomniatic<\/span><\/a><span> <\/span><span>and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Into-Rush-CD-DVD-Aly\/dp\/B000GFRJ2G\" target=\"_blank\"><span>Into the Rush<\/span><\/a><span> <\/span><span>albums. But, where did they go post-<\/span><span>Insomniatic? <\/span><span>Simple: the grave. Their retreat from the spotlight lasted years. As a ruse, they sometimes popped up in throwaway projects like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt1596356\/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_18\" target=\"_blank\"><span>Hellcats<\/span><\/a><span> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt3388032\/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_13\" target=\"_blank\"><span>Silicon Valley<\/span><\/a><span>, but who really cares about that? They just wanted you to think that they weren\u2019t dead. Truly, there is a stark contrast between who they were and who they became. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/comblog\/files\/2018\/09\/alyandajinsomiatic-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"alyandajinsomiatic\" width=\"460\" height=\"460\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4155\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/files\/2018\/09\/alyandajinsomiatic-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/files\/2018\/09\/alyandajinsomiatic-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/files\/2018\/09\/alyandajinsomiatic.jpg 631w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px\" \/>What a dreary album cover for what was probably the last time they were seen alive<\/p>\n<p><span>2. In 2015, Aly returned to the small screen via the CW series <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt3501584\/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_2\" target=\"_blank\"><span>iZombie<\/span><\/a><span>. <\/span><span>The series centers around newly-minted zombie, Olivia, who uses her eating habits to absorb the memories of murder victims and solve their deaths. Creepy? A bit. Aly plays Peyton, Olivia\u2019s (living) best friend. The connection is just uncanny. She\u2019s in a show about dead people, but she isn\u2019t dead? Seems like a diversion where she can point fingers elsewhere.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/comblog\/files\/2018\/09\/alyizombie-300x169.png\" alt=\"alyizombie\" width=\"401\" height=\"226\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-4156\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/files\/2018\/09\/alyizombie-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/files\/2018\/09\/alyizombie.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px\" \/>Taken from <a href=\"http:\/\/tv.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">tv.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><span>3. Recently, Aly &amp; AJ have emerged from their slumber together. Their EP <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Ten-Years-Aly-AJ\/dp\/B076DMCQ8Y\" target=\"_blank\"><span>Ten Years<\/span><\/a><span> <\/span><span>reintroduces them to the music world with a rejuvenated sound. Yeah, I bop to it. It sounds nice, and I can definitely say, \u201cWe stan!\u201d But think harder. What does \u201cten years\u201d even mean? Ten years since what? Their deaths? Probably. Things get even spookier when you listen to their hit, \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UqmxHwLI9yg\" target=\"_blank\"><span>Take Me<\/span><\/a><span>.\u201d Check out these lines:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>I know that you would want it<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>If I could sink my teeth into you<\/em><\/p>\n<p>They are literally talking about biting somebody. Their music video also confirms the suspicion. Check out those sharpened teeth:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/comblog\/files\/2018\/09\/Alyfangs-300x202.png\" alt=\"Alyfangs\" width=\"402\" height=\"271\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-4157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/files\/2018\/09\/Alyfangs-300x202.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/files\/2018\/09\/Alyfangs-768x517.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/files\/2018\/09\/Alyfangs-1024x689.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/files\/2018\/09\/Alyfangs.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 402px) 100vw, 402px\" \/>Taken from Vevo music video of &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UqmxHwLI9yg\">Take Me<\/a>&#8220;.<\/p>\n<p><span>4. This summer, my friend Jess and I had the pleasure (or doomed misfortune) of seeing Aly &amp; AJ live at the Paradise Rock Club. It was a transformative experience. Great banter, great tunes, and lots of dancing. At one point, Aly commented on their tumultuous careers: <\/span><span>\u201cI feel like AJ and I have lived nine lives!\u201d Honestly, Aly, maybe that\u2019s because you have.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/comblog\/files\/2018\/09\/jJEb7ziXSkWPSHTXDjD47w-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"jJEb7ziXSkWPSHTXDjD47w\" width=\"403\" height=\"302\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-4158\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/files\/2018\/09\/jJEb7ziXSkWPSHTXDjD47w-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/files\/2018\/09\/jJEb7ziXSkWPSHTXDjD47w-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/files\/2018\/09\/jJEb7ziXSkWPSHTXDjD47w-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 403px) 100vw, 403px\" \/>A poor quality photo of a high quality evening.<\/p>\n<p>I feel as though I have some irrefutable evidence here. Try to come at me! Perhaps I have dug myself into a hole in the process of this post\u2026 but what kind of hole? Notice my obsession over Aly &amp; AJ aligns closely with that of a vampire\u2019s minion. I was within close proximity of these two goddesses. Maybe there is a small chance\u2026 just a tiny one\u2026 that they have turned me, too, and the hole in which I lie exists in your local cemetery. Watch out when you\u2019re traversing Commonwealth Ave late at night, all alone\u2026<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cYou need to know how to defend your ideas with confidence, even if that means digging yourself into a hole.\u201d It was the first day of class senior year when the Media Money Trail course instructor, Professor Jodi Luber, established this objective for the semester. She encourages debate, even if you\u2019re aware that you are &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/2018\/09\/11\/tyler-legitimize-your-ideas-aly-aj\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Tyler: Legitimize your Ideas: Aly &amp; AJ<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2018,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[44421],"tags":[44495,44516],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4117"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4117"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4117\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4159,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4117\/revisions\/4159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}