February 18, 2023

Title: GEE, I...

Constructor: Nate Cardin

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

GIF LIBRARY (18A: Searchable collection of animated images)

GIL SCOTT-HERON (37A: "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" poet)

GIG ECONOMY (57A: Labor market in which many workers have side hustles)

Theme synopsis: Each theme answer begins with the letters G-I... (or GEE, I...).

Things I learned:

• GIL SCOTT-HERON (37A: "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" poet) GIL SCOTT-HERON (1949-2011) was a jazz poet known for his spoken-word performances. "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" is a poem recorded first in 1970, and again in 1971, the latter released as the B-side to the single, "Home Is Where the Hatred Is." "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" takes its name from slogans of 1960s Black Power movements. The song contains a myriad of cultural references, as in this excerpt: "Green Acres, Beverly Hillbillies, and Hooterville Junction will no longer be so damned relevant / and women will not care if Dick finally got down with Jane on Search for Tomorrow / because black people will be in the streets looking for A Brighter Day. / The revolution will not be televised." GIL SCOTT-HERON's work is often cited for its influence on hip-hop. He referred to himself as a "bluesologist." 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• GIF LIBRARY (18A: Searchable collection of animated images) When you want a picture to paint a thousand words, you can search a GIF LIBRARY. I often wonder who makes all of these images. What to do when you wonder about something? Ask Dr. Google, of course. (She knows everything!) I found this article highlighting 21 GIF artists. 
• MARIAH (30A: "Dreamlover" singer Carey) "Dreamlover" is a 1993 hit song by MARIAH Carey. 
• BAY (43A: Tampa ___ Rays) The Tampa BAY Rays are a Major League Baseball team that plays their home games at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The team was established as the Tampa BAY Devil Rays in 1998. In 2007, the team became the Tampa BAY Rays. Their uniforms feature a manta ray logo on the sleeves and a sunburst on the front.
• GIG ECONOMY (57A: Labor market in which many workers have side hustles) A GIG ECONOMY is characterized by temporary or freelance jobs. Although these GIGs can provide benefits such as flexibility, there are also challenges, including job security. This article gives an overview of the GIG ECONOMY, if you'd like to learn more. 
• EDITH (64A: Costume designer Head) I wrote about EDITH Head when we saw her full name as a theme answer last May.
• SAM (39D: "Dancing with a Stranger" singer) "Dancing with a Stranger" is a 2019 song by SAM Smith and Normani. 
• LIONEL (46D: "Dancing on the Ceiling" singer Richie) "Dancing on the Ceiling" is a 1986 song by LIONEL Richie. It was the title song for LIONEL Richie's third studio album. It amuses me to note that if you combine this clue with the 39-Down clue, you could find yourself "Dancing with a Stranger on the Ceiling..."

Geography review:

• CONGO (25D: Central African nation) CONGO is a country in Central Africa. This statement could refer to two neighboring countries, both of which took their name from the CONGO River. The Democratic Republic of the CONGO, is the larger of the two countries. Its capital is Kinshasa. To the northwest of the Democratic Republic of the CONGO is the Republic of the CONGO. Its capital is Brazzaville. The two countries are sometimes referred to as CONGO-Kinshasa and CONGO-Brazzaville to avoid confusion.
• ORE (62D: Portland's st.) Portland is the largest city in the state of Oregon (ORE). I've looked at the Wikipedia page for Portland before, as ORE is a crossword frequent flier, and we've seen this clue before (as recently as last month). Today I noticed Portland's flag, which has a fairly simple graphic design that I quite like. 

GEE, I ... am a fan of this puzzle. I liked the extra detail that each theme answer started with the letters G-I in a three-letter word. The theme would still work with G-I words of different lengths; I just enjoyed that consistency. Other great answers today include CASTLES, ECLAIR, LEGIT, and INSIGHT. Thank you, Nate, for this puzzle that was a stellar way to start my Saturday.