Art DEVO

Doublethink It was a pitiful enough sight when it was just me sitting slack-jawed in front of the TV, drooling as the preening wildlife “inside the Big Brother House” reflected off me glazzies. But things really bottomed out when none other than my and your favorite foul-mouthed cable-TV actor Jeremy Piven “dropped by” the house with a what-the-thud?!? just to hang out and pimp his new film The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard.

I guess it makes sense that a guy who’s playing a car salesman in his upcoming film and who has won three Emmys for playing manipulative Hollywood agent/prick Ari Gold on Entourage would be able to check his heart at the door and sidle up to robot-host Julie Chen. But I swear I saw the crossed-the-line/sold-my-soul/jumped-the-shark/sidled-up-to-the-Chen look in his eyes. Or was it Arts DEVO I was seeing, bouncing off the shrinking catch light in Piven’s dying eyes and reflecting back the truth that we the viewing audience are the actual players in this Truman Show, and putting a Piven in the Big Brother House was just another tiny brick in the wall.

Thoughtcrime spree In light of this digital submission, it’s refreshing to see how passionate/crazy some of you readers are when it comes to getting out of the house and away from the TV. In late May, the CN&R put out its regular summer guide—suggesting to our readers everything from dunking a basketball to visiting Ashland for a play—with the twist this year being the issuance of a challenge: If you could provide proof of finishing some or all of the 20 recommendations by Aug. 1, you could win a free bike. I had my doubts about anyone taking us up on the challenge, but as the this news story attests, you readers will do anything we say! Wait … maybe you’re not such adventurous free thinkers. Maybe you’ll do anything Arts DEVO tells you to do—maybe even follow some of this week’s column’s suggestions. Arts DEVO is watching you.

• “Midget” wrestling: World Pro Wrestling has all bases covered—men, women, clowns, little people—at Colusa Casino this Friday, Aug. 14, 8 p.m.

• Welcome back ex-pats: Husband-and-wife authors Darrin Gee and Mia King travel from Hawaii back to their hometown for a dual book release at Lyon Books Wednesday, Aug. 19, 7 p.m. Gee will present his examination of the mental game of golf, The Seven Personalities of Golf, and King will discuss Table Manners, a follow-up to her 2006 novel Good Things.

• Happy birthday Cindy Brady: Celebrate actress Susan Olsen’s 48th at Studio 46 (2961 Highway 32) with a female-heavy, dance-centric, punk-rock-inspired night of music featuring locals The Shankers and Severance Package, plus Washington, D.C.’s Partyline (with Allison Wolfe of Bratmobile/Hawnay Troof) and Portland, Ore.’s Shebeast. Friday, Aug. 14, at 8 p.m.

• Make art: The call is out for the Butte County Watercolor Society show at Chico Art Center (895-8726); Chico Palio flag designs for Artoberfest kickoff (228-2860); Chico State’s Museum of Anthropology’s American Visions photography exhibition (898-5397); handmade arts- and crafts-makers wanting to sell at Chikoko’s holiday Bizarre Bazaar (chikokoclothing@gmail.com).

• Find the monster: Somewhere along Vallombrosa Avenue lives the yard dragon, rising like rolling hills in the front yard of Flint and Linda Forrister. Has an ancient winged creature bubbled forth from the primordial star thistle of Bidwell Park, or is this a hoax perpetuated in honor of a birthday party for the Forristers’ grandson?