2 posts tagged “jenny lewis”

I got to see Jenny Lewis in concert Sunday night, and she was simply amazing.

Lewis was one of the best performers I've ever seen, and I couldn't help but wonder why she was playing a smaller venue rather than to a pavillion or an arena (although naturally I prefer the more intimate setting). When the concert was first announced, I was taken aback that it was at a standing-room-only club. I suppose she's still growing in popularity as an artist, but in all seriousness -- why aren't more people in love with her?

Songs like "Carpetbaggers" and "Trying My Best to Love You" are catchy and poppy enough to get radio airplay, but they don't. She just as charismatic and lovely (if not more so) as Gwen Stefani and has a strong female fan base to boot, yet she's still hasn't reached household name status. I find this strange.

Don't get me wrong. I don't necessarily want to be seeing her from nose-bleed seats in section Z, but Jenny definitely needs some more recognition. Liz Phair once said that Madonna is the speedboat, and the rest of us are just the Go-Go's on waterskis. I think that music needs a new speedboat.  

TBS shows reruns of Saved by the Bell in the morning. I've been catching the episodes before I leave for work (or used to -- I was just recently laid off as a result of a combination between the recession and Jenny Lewis' theory that "It's a Bad Man's World").

In one of the episodes I watched, the gang had forgotten Screech's birthday and was trying to hold a party for him in Mr. Belding's office. One of the minor characters in the episode was a robot. . .named Kevin.

According to a Wikipedia page on minor SBTB characters (yes, THIS exists), I discovered that Kevin was only in a couple of eps:

"Kevin the Robot was a creation of Screech’s with artificial intelligence. He lived in Screech’s room and was usually dishing out advice and witty remarks.

His appearances included him as Screech's assistant when Screech was doing a magic show; and as Assistant hall monitor when Screech was nominated for the post by his fellow classmates, to make up for forgetting Screech's birthday.

The robot only appeared during Season 1 and 2.

Kevin was operated and voiced by Mike Lavelle."

Just what happened to Kevin? No one ever mentions his disappearance in future episodes. I know writer Chuck Klosterman addressed Saved by the Bell's inability to recognize past characters and events in one of his essays in the book Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, but he really dropped the ball in this area. Kevin was a key minor character that never appears again. Was he scrap metal in Season 3? Did any of the teachers or Mr. Belding find it pretty remarkable that one of their students created a life-size robot that moves and talks? What the hell.  

Personally, I rather enjoyed Kevin's "witty remarks" because he seemed to slam both Screech and the gang in their vain ridiculousness. He seemed to be the voice of reason when Kelly would say something stupid or Jesse something whiny. Actually, instead of bringing Tori in in the final season, they should have resurrected Kevin!  

While we may never know what happened to Kevin the Robot, might I suggest a theory. I find it peculiar that Zack's cell phone seemed to get bigger and bigger as the years went on, jacked up with more technology, perhaps. I wonder what went into it to make it bigger (Kevin!!! No!!).