Constructor: Brad Wiegmann
Relative difficulty: Easy (very) (7:42 ... if that's not my record Sunday time, it's close)
![]()
THEME:"Mother's Day Concert" — songs clued as if they had to do with giving birth. Looks like they are in some kind of order, ending with birth (?):
Theme answers:
![]()
Let me preface my initial remarks by saying that I am sure that they are at least a little unfair. But it's a gut-level feeling that I had solving this thing, right from the first themer that I got ("HURTS SO GOOD"), and that is: I found it all a little creepy. There's just something about a man making a puzzle and turning these very ... physical, embodied, often painful experiences into haha music jokes. I think it was the aggressive focus on the actual fact of giving birth that weirded me out. I mean, giving birth, fantastic, no issues with all kinds of specifics related to the act. It's the weird cutesiness of it all. I really do think that having "HURTS SO GOOD" being the first themer I encountered really just ruined the whole experience. The idea of contractions being a kind of sadomasochistic experience... it just made my skin crawl a little. The rest of the themers aren't nearly as off-putting to me. And I am 100% certain that if the constructor had been a woman, I wouldn't have been *as* put off as I was. But I probably still would've been. A little. When I think of Mother's Day, I don't really think of the actual act of giving birth. I mean, it's clearly important, but it's hardly at the heart of what makes a mother a mother. Anyway, I absolutely admit that my aversion to this whole theme is very possibly highly idiosyncratic and personal. Some of these themers are kind of cute, I guess. But you know what mom really wants for Mother's Day? A woman constructor.
Relative difficulty: Easy (very) (7:42 ... if that's not my record Sunday time, it's close)
Theme answers:
- "I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU" (24A: Mom's comment to her child during prenatal bonding? [Frank Sinatra, 1954])
- "CARRY THAT WEIGHT" (30A: What Mom is obligated to do as her due date approaches? [The Beatles, 1969])
- "HURTS SO GOOD" (49A: Mom's reaction to her first mild contractions? [John Cougar, 1982])
- "PUSH IT" (54A: Midwife's advice to Mom in the delivery room? [Salt-N-Pepa, 1987])
- "SCREAM" (83A: Mom's reaction as delivery draws closer? [Usher, 2012])
- "I'M COMING OUT" (85A: Child's response to Mom's actions? [Diana Ross, 1980])
- "BABY ONE MORE TIME" (103A: Nurse's remark after Mom delivers the first twin? [Britney Spears, 1998])
- "THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT" (112A: Doctor's comment after Mom delivers the second twin? [The Who, 1965])
Lorraine "Lori" McKenna (née Giroux; born December 22, 1968) is an American folk, Americana, and country music singer, songwriter, and performer. In 2016, she was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and won Best Country Song for co-writing the hit single "Girl Crush" performed by Little Big Town. In 2017, she again won Best Country Song at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards for writing "Humble and Kind" performed by Tim McGraw. McKenna along with Lady Gaga, Natalie Hemby and Hillary Lindsey wrote the second single off the soundtrack to the 2018 film A Star Is Born called "Always Remember Us This Way.” McKenna performed backing vocals along with Lindsey and Hemby, and the song received a nomination for Song of the Year at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. (wikipedia)
• • •
One other thing is that the songs are all very old. The most recent song is 23 years old. I mean, right in my wheelhouse, thank you very much, but if I'm under 40 (and seriously, lots and lots of solvers are), this is gonna feel a little musty. I'm happy for the puzzle to go old, but maybe widen the range a little. Oh, whoops, I didn't even see that 2012 Usher song there ("SCREAM"). I have no idea what song that is. I know the Michael / Janet Jackson song "SCREAM," but not the Usher one. I guess Usher makes things a little more contemporary. But only just.
I really thought I was sputtering my way through this, so was completely shocked to see my extremely fast (for me) time at the end. There were So Many "?" clues that I actually yelled at the puzzle mid-solve. "Stop!" or "Uggggh!" or something like that is probably what I yelled. But my reaction on looking at what seemed like the 5th "?" clue in a row was visceral. Excluding themers (which have "?" clues by design, so no foul there), I count thirteen (!?) "?" clues. Maybe there are more—I just did a quick scan and sometimes my eyes fail me. But that seems like a lot. And there are a lot in a short space. 60- 66- 70- 72- 79- and 84-Down are *all* "?" clues. And sure enough, the only two places I got discernibly stuck today had "?" clues right in the middle of them. First, PUPAE, oof (56A: Wanna-bees, e.g.?). Because ... they wanna be ... bees? Do they, though? Wannabes are decidedly Not the thing they are pretending / aspiring to be(e). Whereas PUPAE do, in fact, become bees, so ... I dunno about the wordplay there. And that answer crossed TOETAPS, which just wasn't registering as a thing in my brain (43D: Keeps the beat with one's foot). The other rough spot involved 66D: Site of offshore banks? (ISLETS). What shore are they "off" of? The mainland? Because "banks" *are* shores. Also, "banks" are used for rivers and lakes usually, not seas or oceans. The "?" is doing a Lot of work in this clue. So ISLETS, next to PARA (72D: Olympic athlete category) (isn't that a shortening? why doesn't the clue indicate shortening?) crossing the execrable AT A TROT really bogged me down. But, again, apparently didn't bog me down too much, because I really flew through this one. I liked the long Downs in the NW and SE corners. Those are solid. And I liked how fast I went. Everything else was OK. Your taste may vary (considerably).
Not much needs explaining today, does it? 5D: Beginning that leads to sum? (COGITO) refers to the phrase "COGITO ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am"). ERS are [Places to take breaks, for short?] because you take breaks (i.e. broken body parts) there. The other "?" clues all seem pretty transparent.
Happy Mothers Day to all who mother.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld