She Likes to Watch

“Everybody cut, everybody cut footloose!”

Ever wonder what inspired that Kenny Loggins tune, “Footloose”?

Turns out it had something to do with Jimmy Buffett, machetes and Malibu rum. At least, that’s what “Yacht Rock,“ the winning Web series about soft rock stars in the 1970s and ’80s, would have us believe.

Created by J. D. Ryznar and Hunter D. Stair, “Yacht Rock” imagines the stories behind some of the era’s biggest hits, featuring fictionalized versions of mega-acts Hall & Oates, Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers and Michael McDonald.

Episodes are hosted by “Hollywood” Steve Huey, a music critic for the online All Music Guide.

It’s fun and a little freaky, with intentionally poor production values and a deranged cast. If you remember this music — either with nostalgia or puking disdain — you’ll enjoy “Yacht Rock.”

Channel 101 canceled “Yacht Rock” after 10 episodes, but the show came back earlier this year for a sweet special episode about — you guessed it — “Footloose.”

Ryznar and Stair star as McDonald and Loggins alongside Jason Lee of “My Name is Earl” (playing a shaggy-haired Kevin Bacon) in the goofiest explanation for a hit single ever.

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A note to viewers: Salty language makes the show decidedly not safe-for-work, so wear headphones or check out “Yacht Rock” on your free time.

On Election Day, words of inspiration from John F. Kennedy

“My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”

‘Nuff said.

A presidential election is a rare treat, an event that — like the summer Olympics — comes once every four years. It’s a time of squabbling and in-fighting, of insults and razor-edged entertainment.

Now, with election day just around the corner, it’s time to milk presidential politics for all they’re worth.

First, I present the adorable students of the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta. As they assure us in the above video, “You can vote however you like.”

Science fiction haven io9.com offers its own alternatives to the Obama-McCain presidential race — ranging from the plausible (terrorism-fighting industrialist Tony Stark) to the slightly more ridiculous (mixed party ticket Conan the Barbarian and Swamp Thing).

Some of these picks have appeared previously on “She Likes to Watch”, but hey, can you resist visiting General Zod’s hilarious campaign site one more time? No, you cannot.

While you’ve waiting in line at your polling place, check out a few of the many movies dedicated to politics’ cinematic side.

NPR’s political team lists its favorite election-season movies, including “All the President’s Men,” “The Manchurian Candidate” and, of course, “Election.”

According to Bob Mondello, election movies can broken down into three categories: films about manipulating the media (”Bob Roberts,” “Wag the Dog”), manipulating the candidate (”Primary Colors”), and manipulating the process (”All the President’s Men”). If this is what makes it to the silver screen, one shudders to think what actually happens in real life.

Box Office Mojo reports that the 2004 remake of “The Manchurian Candidate” is the highest grossing campaign-election movie of all time. The political thriller, which starred Denzel Washington and Liev Schreiber, has grossed nearly $66 million dollars — a cool $2.7 mil more than 1993’s amiable “Dave.”

I also recommend this Philadephia Inquirer story about Hollywood’s treatment of our commanders-in-chief.

How ’bout it, readers? What’s your favorite election movie?

Step aside, Dr. Horrible: Evil League of Evil seeks applicants 

Back in July , a singing supervillain captured my heart.

“Buffy” creator Joss Whedon struck Internet gold with “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” an online series starring Neil Patrick Harris as a mad scientist with only two ambitions: to win over the girl of his dreams and join the Evil League of Evil led by Bad Horse, “the thoroughbred of sin.”

“Dr. Horrible” was such a hit that Whedon and company took the next, inevitable step and invited ordinary criminals to join the Evil League of Evil.

Most of these applications tend to be awkward, embarrassing or just plain painful. However, there are a few gems — such as the tiny tyrant depicted in the above video.

As her mom explains, the Pint-Size Pirate has been terrorizing the neighborhood “almost as soon as she could walk.” Her crimes include accosting strangers in the streets, robbing banks and kidnapping the governor in order to make him her cabin boy. She’s even lured her own sister into a life of crime. Despicable.

Sneak Attack launched a campaign against all cute Australian critters after her husband was “spurred to death” by vicious platypuses (platypi?).

She seems to be trying the same tactic as the Cutinator (pronounced “Cute-i-nator”), a charming puppy with a lovely singing voice.

This bizarre application from the brain-sucking Skull Spider — complete with accordion music! — gets my “Best Use of A Puppet” award.

Law Ninja combines one of my favorite things, ninjas, with one of my least favorite things, lawyers. And the demon Pickle Jar has some pretty impressive credentials; he’s responsible for “the knife, bathroom graffiti (and) the concept of heating a liquid to a dangerously high temperature and then throwing it on someone.”

However, the award for “Best Effort” has to go to the Canadian fellow who crafted not one, not two, but six application videos for the Evil League tryouts. His personas include Custodius Rex (King of the Janitors), The Allergen and crusty pirate cook Captain Shrovewreaker.

Oh Custodius Rex, you’re an inspiration to us all!

You never known what you’re going to find on YouTube.

A dorky kid swinging a homemade light saber? Yup. A distraught teenager defending Britney Spears? You betcha. Chad Vader? Tron Guy? “Chocolate Rain”? Check, check and check.

As music and movie buffs have discovered, however, the Web site has also become an amazing resource for concert footage, music videos, trailers and film clips.

Britain’s “The Observer” has hunted down 50 of the best arts videos currently available on YouTube. They range from Jimi Hendrix and The Who smashing their equipment to Jack Kerouac reading from “On the Road.”

Some of these clips are a bit erudite for the average viewer, but here are some of my favorites:

Nirvana, circa 1988: The band, minus drummer Dave Grohl, rehearses “Love Buzz,” “Scoff” and “About A Girl” in a dingy Aberdeen, Wash., garage. Witness a raw but inspiring performance by Kurt Cobain and Company, three years before they hit it big with “Nevermind and launched a grunge revolution.

Kurt Russell and Carrie Fisher try out for “Star Wars“: A surprisingly baby-faced Kurt Russell puts a genial cowboy spin on the character of Han Solo. And Carrie Fisher turns on the husky sensuality for her Leia tryout, opposite Harrison Ford.

James Brown and Luciano Pavarotti sing “This is A Man’s World”: Sounds like an odd pairing, but turns out the Godfather of Soul and the legendary opera tenor make a good team.

The Beatles’ final concert: The Fab Four unite one last time on a New York rooftop in 1969. Awesome music. Incredible historic significance.

Vladimir Nabokov talks “Lolita”: One of the world’s greatest writers discusses his greatest novel in this two-part video. Nabokov’s Russian accent is pretty thick, but his comments on his “shocking” novel are enlightening. (Hint: He’s the chubby guy wearing glasses.)