Some of the most talented people I know are also the laziest. Convinced of their natural superiority, they not only lack stick-to-it-ive-ness, they can be intellectually lazy. If one is gifted, one is also superior, and if one is superior, what else do you need?

When brains and effort go hand in hand, you get a successful person. Without work, you have the classic underachiever.

Intelligence is like any other kind of talent: an innate ability. Innate intellectual ability, like any advantage, comes with drawbacks.

This interesting article shows that children who are routinely praised for being smart perform more poorly than children who are praised for working hard.

Children who are told they are smart believe it (whether it is true or not), and conclude that being smart means being freed from pesky things like effort. Smart kids conclude that things should come naturally to them. If they have to work at something, they must not be good at it. A difficult task can be taken as proof that they are not smart. Not wanting to be seen as less than brainy, the smart kids give up, while the hard working kids excel.

The kids who are labeled smart are also more likely to cheat and lie because it is more important for them to be seen as smart than to actually be able to accomplish the tasks they have been assigned. The label becomes a status symbol to be protected at any cost.

This holds true for adults as well. It’s not The Man keeping some immensely talented creators down – or the unfairness of the world – it’s when some encounter difficulty they decide that their talent should sail them through the troubles of life. Only lesser mortals should have to work.

Expending effort becomes stigmatized—it’s public proof that you can’t cut it on your natural gifts.

Repeating her experiments, Dweck found this effect of praise on performance held true for students of every socioeconomic class. It hit both boys and girls—the very brightest girls especially (they collapsed the most following failure). Even preschoolers weren’t immune to the inverse power of praise.

It’s interesting that psychologist Nathaniel Branden is cited in the article, as Branden had once been a follower of Ayn Rand. He wrote many books on positive thinking – which is nothing if it isn’t backed up with the reality of right action.

While I don’t agree that hard work makes you a genius at anything, I agree that hard work enhances natural abilities.

An individual can create works of quality by enhancing natural abilities with effort, and with so many naturally gifted people not capitalizing on their gifts, they just make it easier on those who are willing to work to excel.

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Everything is big, and bling and Gucci circa 1987, especially the handbags. I knew if I hung around long enough the fashions in A Distant Soil would eventually come back.

Over here it’s a thriller, baby, as Marvel comic covers pay homage to all things 20 years ago.

Elektra does a Flashdance

Winona Ryder announces that she’ll be a part of the Heathers remake, which will also star Christian Slater. OK, I wonder how they’re going to pull that off. I think he exploded at the end of that flick.

And OMG!!! This was one of my favorite 1980′s songs. I wanted to be Bonnie Tyler when I grew up. Either her or Pat Benatar. Every time I had to sing a Bonnie Tyler song with my piece o’ crap band, I would scream into a pillow to roughen up my voice so I could get that gravelly tone. Now that I know Welsh born Tyler got that voice as the result of botched vocal cord surgery, I guess I shouldn’t have been so anxious to copy her.

Anyway, if you remember Total Eclipse of the Heart and the weird video that accompanied it, you can skip this link which will take you directly to YouTube where you can see the original. This is required viewing before the laffalots you’re going to get when you see this LiteralVideo version below.

When I was a kid, I did not understand the Total Eclipse of the Heart video at all. It was full of weird goth imagery, flowing guaze, and a boy’s school. With boys. I didn’t really think any explanation was required. It looked cool to me. (Which pretty much explains the appeal of videos in the 1980′s.)

As an adult, I realize Total Eclipse of the Heart is a video of a middle aged woman having sexual fantasies about her teenaged students.

Now I am creeped out.

That said, it’s got JIM STEINMAN MUSIC, which is all the meat your loaf needs. I know this stuff is over-the-top rock opera. I realize it is wacko.

Of course I love it.

This Total Eclipse of the Heart spoof is the funniest thing I have seen in ages. It had me laughing so hard I stuffed a towel in my mouth to avoid disturbing the rest of the household. My mascara ran down my face in great trails. Just like in the 1980′s, it appears I have yet to figure out where to get a decent tube of waterproof mascara.

Hat tips to Ellen Kushner and Carla Speed McNeil and Brickmuppet.

And because I love Bonnie, here’s something I never saw before. Her version of Making Love Out of Nothing at All, which was an Air Supply hit (composed by Jim Steinman, natch). It has a lot more oompf when sung by a woman who sounds like a man instead of a man who sounds like a woman. Which you already know, if you’ve heard Air Supply.

And holy cow, Rieken was mugged by a bunch of guys from Sweden and they stole his wardrobe! It’s hair band glamour! Take a look at Snake of Eden, a group of good-looking triplets. I’m assuming they can sing and play musical instruments. I haven’t gotten that far, yet.

Lady Gaga used them in her latest video. That wench is so stealing my design sense.

I just made you want to mousse your hair and wear five belts around your hips, leather pants, and something in gold lame.

My job here is done.

c