Gone are Country Classics those dark days when the term was

Gone are expresses 100 country classics those dark country music legends conclude days when the term was parsimoniously reserved for the scant few whose IQs or truly exceptional creative or intellectual abilities warranted such a label. Today, "genius" is an equal-opportunity exaltation. How did we end up in a world in which Albert Einstein falls into the same category as spray-on tans? A phone call to linguist Geoffrey Nunberg (possibly a genius, but it's hard to tell without getting a look at his shoes) shed light on a couple of points, namely that the original meaning of "genius" referred to the prevailing nature of a person or an idea. (It's a cousin of the word "genus," which has to do with taxonomic rankings within species. )"In Roman mythology, everybody had a god assigned to him at birth," Nunberg said "So your tutelary god was your genius. It had to do with the true character or nature of something and, even though it wasn't inherently complimentary, it was a way of naming an extraordinary gift. Later, in the German Romantic period, people loved to talk about Goethe and Schiller and Milton and Shakespeare as if they were another race or something. "Nunberg said that in the 19th century, no one was considered famous until he was dead. The debasement of fame, like the debasement of the term "legend," has likely fed into the sudden ubiquity of geniuses. But even if we accept that the definition of genius has expanded to roughly the size of the West Siberian Plain, how do we decide who is a genius? And is it possible to become one through sheer force of will?"I think there's always some mental component," Nunberg said.

"To say that Shakespeare is a genius is pretty much lodged in the language, but now baseball managers are geniuses, though that does not strike me as problematic 100 tracks country classics . But someone whose achievements are chiefly physical, where there's no mental agility involved, is perhaps not a genius country music songs . More likely a quarterback than an offensive tackle -- though I'm not sure I should be saying that since they're very big. "Ironically, even though the MacArthur Foundation has been saddled with the "genius" nickname since the awards began, it's never endorsed it because, as has been frequently reported, it sees the term as "too limiting. ""Limiting?" Has no one at this ostensibly esteemed organization watched HGTV's "Design on a Dime"? Have they not experienced the virtuosity of Ludacris' "Pimpin' All Over the World"? If they think certain spider-silk biologists and medieval historians are geniuses, they should see what a zebra-print ottoman can do for a room greatest hits country . If next year's winners don't include at least one foot stool, someone's going to have some explaining to do. --mdaum latimescolumnists mel tillis . WHAT happened to the pastel hues, the Armani suits, the sockless shoes? What about the propulsive, tropical theme music of Jan Hammer, and even the alligator?Michael Mann's "Miami Vice," which opens today, borrows its title and buddy-cops-in-Miami premise from one of the most universally recognized TV shows yet leaves out many of the elements that helped make the 1980s TV series a hit. Which poses the question: If you take the "Miami Vice" out of "Miami Vice," will the masses want to see it?Tracking polls -- that sometimes inexact Hollywood science in which likely moviegoers are surveyed -- are mixed on the new crime thriller. One recent poll found that only 25% of moviegoers expressed a "definite interest" in seeing the film, while a scant 4% described it as their "first choice. " But another poll found 17% of moviegoers listing it as their "first choice" and a much higher percentage of moviegoers in their 20s expressing "definite interest" -- 50% of males and 35% of females. The next few days may determine whether writer-director Michael Mann and executives at Universal Pictures guessed right when they decided to dispense with the show's signature stylings, and even its humor. Hammer, for one, says the decision to turn "Miami Vice" into a brooding, gritty drama -- not unlike the director's previous film, "Collateral" -- may have missed the boat. The composer is still chafing that Mann didn't find room in the movie for the TV show's popular theme, which hit No 1 on the charts in 1985. The director, instead, turned to rapper Jay-Z for the soundtrack. There's plenty to suggest that there's a nostalgic audience looking to revisit the '80s, says Hammer.

His new album, "The Best of Miami Vice," has already climbed into the Top 40 adult contemporary charts. "By all means, get anybody you want [to score the film]. But I was shocked that there was no attempt made [to include] the most iconic part of the music," Hammer said He also added: "Michael is a great, great auteur . . country music stations . The one thing Michael never wants to be is cheesy More power to him bobby bare . He's great, but the film maybe should have been called 'Collateral. Country Classic tickets ' "Hammer pointed out that the show and the music are so intertwined that when Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell appear on a talk show to promote their film, they are greeted with the TV theme music. "It's so preposterous, the whole situation," Hammer said of the decision to take the movie in a completely different direction. "It's a pity. "Turning TV hits into movies has been a bit of a gamble. Some, such as "Mission: Impossible," can turn into blockbusters. Others, such as last year's "Bewitched," can fall short. But one thing is certain: Universal has plenty at stake on this movie Country Classics - countryclassiccars . With a production budget soaring to $135 million (rumors persist that the actual figure is much higher), and $40 million earmarked for prints and advertising, industry insiders estimate that "Miami Vice" will have to open with at least $30 million domestically if it is ever to reach the $100-million mark that defines a blockbuster Country Classics Country Classics - countryclassiccars . Universal is cautiously optimistic.