Cedar: What’s the band what has the lady in it?

Dad: (naturally I know whom he must be referring to) The Pretenders?

Cedar: Yeah!

Dad: Okay, here’s their first record. Go ahead and put it on.

(track 1, Precious starts. Cedar sits on the bed and frowns)

Dad: What’s wrong? I thought you liked this.

Cedar: Louder is better.

(obviously not loud enough)

Dad: Oh, sorry. Let me turn it up.

Cedar: That’s how it’s supposed to be.

(we listen for awhile)

Dad: So what do you think of this song? 

Cedar: Good.

Dad: What do you like about it?

Cedar: I don’t know.

Dad: What do you think of the record cover?

Cedar: I don’t know! It’s kind of plain. (he waves his hand gesturing around the cover art) It’s not punk rock.

Dad: It’s not?

Cedar: It’s not colored right.

Dad: What do you mean it’s not colored right?

Cedar: I don’t know. They could have colored it more, like punk rock, I don’t know. But they didn’t. The Police looks punk rock. The Clash looks punk rock. Mr. T Experience looks punk rock.

Dad: So if they colored it differently, it would look punk rock?

Cedar: Yeah like blue or greenish.

(jumps up and starts painting in the air with his hands)

Cedar: Like black, then bluish, then green with white…then brownish. (smiles and nods)

That would be punk rock…or just blue…like the Mr. T Experience. Can we listen to the Mr. T Experience? 

Dad: (sigh) Yes buddy.