Wednesday, August 4 2010
Feeding an Addiction
Call me a romantic, but after watching so much of that wet and messy business, I crave a less-is-more, simpler, sexier rendition of food porn. Instead, of grotesque, I prefer burlesque and have found that the good stuff isn’t on reality TV.
Friday, July 30 2010
A Shark May Not Teach You Lessons About Goodness Like Santa Clause Does, But It Might Eat Your Head
Christmas in July is a superficial, commercial non-event, so why not celebrate a new Shark Week holiday, a holy season you can really sink your teeth into?
Monday, July 12 2010
How Does One Beat the Heat? Try Descending Into Icy Madness
To cope with the heat wave, advisories suggest visiting 'cooling centers' or public pools. To achieve a truly chilled-out state of mind, however, why not open the door to your mind and let the iceman cometh inside?
Tuesday, July 6 2010
When Flying the Skies, Best to Avert One’s Eyes—Especially in Coach Class
What's the etiquette for your personal movie choice on a long flight when the nearest set of eyes is just a shoulder-width away from your screen?
Thursday, June 24 2010
Vampires vs. Werewolves: An Immortal Pop Rivalry
Pop culture thrives on rivalries, but few are as epic as the one between werewolves and vampires -- a rivalry which predates Twilight by, oh, some 60 years.
Friday, June 11 2010
iPhone 4: Wherein Science Fiction Once Again Becomes Sad Fact
Aside from lightsabers, proton packs, warp drive and teleportation, many of my favorite sci-fi gadgets have become a reality. The latest: iPhone 4.
Thursday, June 3 2010
May This Summer Be Your Best Summer of Bad
Thus begins a few months of eschewing good taste and judgment, and finding some time to behave badly. If you’re so inclined to join me, follow these tips for a successful sunny season…
Thursday, May 20 2010
‘Lost’ and ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ Are Both Pop Culture Belief Systems That Inspire Worship
Lost and The Empire Strikes Back revolve around the nature of light vs. dark, good vs. evil, science vs. faith and ultimately about the redemptive power of love and sacrifice. Ala Douglas Adams, both are about life, the universe and everything.
Thursday, May 6 2010
Does the Suit Make the Iron Man, or Vice-versa?
Tony Stark has a big personality that far outsizes his Iron Man 2 suit of armor, but sometimes our movie men are "made" by their suits.
Tuesday, April 20 2010
Buckling up for KFC’s Double Down
I wanted to feel like a poor man’s Andrew Zimmern, a poorer man’s Anthony Bourdain, bravely about to embark on an edible adventure by eating KFC's bunless Double Down sandwich.
Monday, April 12 2010
Dan Aykroyd: From Ghost Buster to Spirit Drinker
Long before launching a premium vodka based on the crystal skull tales, Aykroyd educated the masses on blues music and the paranormal -- in addition to being a comedy genius behind many of the '80s most quotable movies.
Friday, April 2 2010
I Won’t iPad, You Can’t Make Me
The arrival of Apple's iPad, the Moses tablet to their Jesus iPhone, is being treated with near-religious fervor but this otherwise early adapter tech geek is left wondering, "Is that all?"
Thursday, March 25 2010
Oh Captain, My Captain America
Even though he's no Batman or Spider-Man, the buzz over who will play Captain America reached a fever pitch because he's the embodiment of the American flag and stands for the ideals of the United States.
Friday, March 19 2010
The Naked Truth of a Nude Art Exhibit
I was rather self-conscious while crossing the threshold, despite it being the two women in the doorway who weren’t clothed. I felt I was naked at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Monday, March 15 2010
Chronic ‘Lost’ Sickness
The Lost Syndrome has consumed me for five years running, and I'm growing weaker. It’s like X-Filesioma all over again.
Thursday, February 25 2010
Ghost Hunters: Paranormal Pop Culture for Normal People
Amongst the familiar mythologies in all of reality television, Ghost Hunters ranks in the top 10. Love the show or loathe it, it is popular culture and has earned a spot in the reality TV pantheon.
Thursday, February 18 2010
Pop Gluttony
I am choosy about what I eat, but continue to chow down on an unfettered pop culture diet as the last great excess that won’t kill me.
Thursday, February 11 2010
Why I Dislike ‘Rye’: Not be-Holden to Salinger’s ‘Catcher’
'Catcher in the Rye' is a great novel, but it’s not good. When you're more Ferris Bueller than Holden Caulfield, it's hard to relate to his alienation -- no matter how much teachers want you to.
Thursday, January 28 2010
A Little Human Magic in Recent DVDs
Either by coincidence or because I just happened to watch these all on a cold day when I needed a little warmth, the magic of the human condition emerged as a trend in these new DVD releases.
Tuesday, January 26 2010
Apologies to James Cameron: ‘Avatar’ a Sign of Changing Cinema
'Avatar' is pop culture at its most popular. It captured the world immediately, and I never saw it coming. I predicted all hype but didn't think Cameron could do it. Again.
Thursday, January 14 2010
The Burden of Being Pop Psychic
Based on the shock and awe the media is exhibiting over recent entertainment events, my predictions must involve supernatural psychic powers since I saw it all coming.
Friday, January 8 2010
Privately Exposed: New Facebook Privacy Settings Betrays Users
Without providing a choice to opt-out or pay a membership fee, Facebook switched Darrins and expected us not to notice -- and your private life was opened up for the world to see.
Thursday, December 17 2009
The Best of Slugging Santas and Fightin’ Father Christmases
Sliding down chimneys in the middle of the night is not without its risks, which is why Santa needs to be one tough elf with survival tactics and fighting skills.
Thursday, December 10 2009
Santa Claus: Super Hero Icon and Religious Figure
Kris Kringle has flesh-and-blood status and is a religious secular figure. He is Superman, Peter Parker, Bruce Wayne, Gandalf the White, James Bond, Dr. Who and James T. Kirk all rolled into one.
Thursday, December 3 2009
Tim Burton Exhibit at MoMA: Publicity Ploy or Actual Art?
With over 700 works on display spanning his artistic life, MoMA's Tim Burton career retrospective is more than a commercial appeal, but an example of art for popular culture.
