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Glenn McDonaldAbout Glenn McDonald Glenn McDonald writes about popular culture from his home in lovely Chapel Hill, NC. His humor essays have been described as “grammatically consistent” and “remarkably frequent”. He is editor of the Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me daily news quiz at NPR.org, and a freelance contributor to many quality radio programs, magazines, websites, and forbidden tomes of chthonic lore. He lives virtually at http://www.glenn-mcdonald.com. Features
The World Remade: An Interview with the Creators of Alpha OmegaGlenn McDonald talks to the creators of Alpha Omega about their new table top game, the challenge of game development, and that little Cloverfield mix-up. [26 June 2008] A Flowering of Genres: An Interview with Scott McCloudUpon the debut of PopMatters' new PopComix section, one of the medium's most articulate thinkers talks about the creative potential at the nexus of comics and the Web. [6 June 2006] You Don’t Know What You Think You Know: An Interview with Museum of Hoaxes Curator Alex Boese'The scams that advertisers, politicians, and the media get away with frustrate me enormously, and I often wonder why people allow themselves to be manipulated so easily.' Glenn McDonald talks to author and Hoax Expert, Alex Boese [1 January 1995] Columns
PopShots: The Lighter Side of Swine FluResearchers have largely ignored the pop cultural value of the H1N1 virus: hours on the couch catching up on DVD. [9 November 2009] (more PopShots) Digital Downsizing: CD to MP3 the Hard WayWhen paring down your music collection, is it OK to prune songs off classic albums? An aesthetic (and moral) dilemma... [9 September 2009] (more PopShots) 15 Second Theater Presents…PopShots introduces 15 Second Theater -- radically distilled dramatic readings designed to accommodate the contemporary attention span. [15 July 2009] (more PopShots) The Geeks Have Inherited the Earth -– and They Rule ItGeek humor is rooted in a commanding pop cultural and scientific literacy and deployed with a sense of casual authority which one ... must ... obey. [5 May 2009] (more PopShots) Quote-Unquote: Excerpts from Upcoming Oral HistoriesThe use of unfiltered direct quotes gives a veneer of authenticity, and the writer doesn’t have to do much actual writing. [3 March 2009] (more PopShots) Facebook and the Death of DistanceFacebook is like having a dozen rolling high school reunions simultaneously, plus grade school, and college, and every summer camp you ever attended. [5 January 2009] (more PopShots) You Think You Know Obama?Internet memes meet political postmortems as we uncover more salient facts about America's next president. [24 November 2008] (more PopShots) Discovery: Washington, D.C.!Tred quietly, carefully with your Tour Guide as we catch glimpses of the fierce and the timid political animals of Washington, D.C. [22 October 2008] (more PopShots) The TrueGeek(TM) Qualifying ExamExamMushrooming geek chic trendiness has made it difficult to separate the men from the fanboys. Take this quiz to see how authentic you are. [4 September 2008] (more PopShots) Wii Will Rock YouOn the (Wii) golf course I am a multiracial, broad-shouldered, green-haired punk rock Adonis in a kilt. [25 June 2008] (more PopShots) Zen and the Art of CrammingYou will highlight and underline, memorize and prioritize. And you will not blink. [19 May 2008] (more PopShots) Websurfing, Digital Shorts and Lateral DriftPremium beer + long winter months + national health care = fertile breeding ground for resourceful science. [19 March 2008] (more PopShots) Dear Lost: Lose the GunsThe gunplay in Lost shot past the ken of lessons-not-learned in Screenwriting 101 and blasted into an over-the-top Marx Brothers routine. [27 February 2008] (more PopShots) In Defense of the Popcorn MovieWanna get me off my DVD-lovin' couch and into a movie theater? Then gimme the movies that make me feel like a 14-year-old. [22 January 2008] (more PopShots) Writers – Who Needs ‘em? A Solution to the Writer’s StrikeA bold proposal regarding our massive backlog of pop culture artifacts and the potential recycling thereof, ad infinitum. [19 November 2007] (more PopShots) Last-Minute Halloween Costume IdeasTime again for everyone's favorite corporately co-opted Judeo-Christian pagan demon holiday! A public service for procrastinating party-goers. [26 October 2007] (more PopShots) A Chronicle of Higher EducationA felonious alumnus provides words of wisdom to the graduating class and sepia-drenched remembrances on the way things were at Higbert Community College. [5 October 2007] (more PopShots) Archeological Discovery!The cause of the Cataclysm revealed? Experts discover new tell-tale artifacts, recalibrate their analysis of American celebrity from the Year 2449. [21 August 2007] (more PopShots) Pop Culture in 17 SyllablesIn our brave new world of news bytes, instant messaging and dwindling attention spans, the haiku is making a comeback. [3 August 2007] (more PopShots) Summer Must-ReadsLet authors Michael Bloomberg, Paris Hilton, John Travolta, and Bob Barker help you through the long dog days of summer with these new, engaging titles. [6 July 2007] (more PopShots) American Family VacationRoller coasters are fun, vacations are fun, and parks are fun. So why are vacations at roller coaster parks no longer any fun? [25 May 2007] (more PopShots) An Ugly Trend in FilmmakersStrapped for cash, aching to free their creative impulse from the grind of the same old story, over and over and over, our best modern film directors turn their talents toward the vastly untapped world of TV commercial-making. [1 May 2007] (more PopShots) Nobody Likes a QuitterGiving up cigarettes – an odyssey of shame, debasement and despair. [4 April 2007] (more PopShots) Send/Receive: The Instantly Regretted E-MailYou know that sick feeling you get when fire off a toxic reply, hit the “send” button, and find yourself peering into the Dark Side of instant global electronic communication? [4 March 2007] (more PopShots) Gadgets Gone WildThe introduction of Apple’s new iPhone prompts a review of that enduring cultural artifact known as The Gizmo. [30 January 2007] (more PopShots) If You Can’t Say Something Nice…Our resident wit offers up the excerpts and highlights from the best celebrity roasts in 2006. [4 January 2007] (more PopShots) The Situational EthicistIn which our resident ethical expert contends: Ethics may complicate, but absolute ethics complicate absolutely. [28 November 2006] (more PopShots) Kids’ TV: A Vast Stygian WastelandKinder, gentler, and thoroughly creepy, today’s children’s television is no match for the classics. [30 October 2006] (more PopShots) When Harry Googled SallyA terrifying glimpse of what can happen when modern technology meets Happily Ever After. [3 October 2006] (more PopShots) Discovery: Internet!Join our guide on a tour of the Internet, where stealthy sexual predators, docile digerati, pathetic loners, and vast, roaming herds of the dangerously overinformed roam freely in their habitat. [5 September 2006] (more PopShots) The Lighter Side of Artificial IntelligenceThe scary-smart 20Q AI project asks: Animal, vegetable, mineral or legendary '70s rock star? [10 August 2006] (more PopShots) Snakes, Planes and the Triumph of Ironic AppreciationDoes the Snakes on a Plane phenomenon signal the End of Days in Hollywood? [27 June 2006] (more PopShots) The Trouble with (Net)Time TravelIt's the ultimate in entertainment options when Netflix and the time-space continuum collide. [7 June 2006] (more PopShots) You Almost Saw It TVA behind-the-scenes peek at television pilot programs the networks almost wanted you to see -- until someone got wise. [3 May 2006] (more PopShots) Love the Sport, Not the Sports StarQ: How many professional athletes does it take to screw over a lifelong fan? A: Several thousand, evidently. Thanks, pinheads! [28 March 2006] (more PopShots) The Movie Blurb GameThe ultimate in elegant time wasting for the obsessive film fan. [8 March 2006] (more PopShots) The (P)Art of the PrankA desperate inquiry into the madness and methods of practical joking from a frightened young man who really should know better, by now. [9 February 2006] (more PopShots) SupraDeluxe Interactive Reader EditionOur intrepid correspondent answers his fan mail. That which is publishable, anyway. [19 January 2006] (more PopShots) All I Want for Christmas…'Tis the season! Several modest proposals for Mr. S. Claus regarding studio execs, rock chicks, worldwide revolution, and other gift ideas. [13 December 2005] (more PopShots) Jung and the RestlessFun with media supersaturation as the realms of celebrity and the collective unconscious collide! [22 November 2005] (more PopShots) The Underrated/Overrated ListBringing you the best in arbitrary, uninformed and mean-spirited opinions since 1986! [2 November 2005] (more PopShots) Friendless, Hostile, and Afraid of Soil ErosionIn the alien(ating) world of addictive, online communiqués, can anyone hear you scream? [11 October 2005] (more PopShots) The Last Action HeroIndiana Jones is 63 years old, and we're in trouble. [21 September 2005] (more PopShots) We Came! We Game! Get Used to It!30,000 gamers descend on middle America to dress up, get down, and spook the squares. [8 September 2005] (more PopShots) Grand Theft AutoeroticThe notoriously violent video game sneaked in some sex scenes. Now that's naughty! [9 August 2005] (more PopShots) I Don’t Feel TardyWhat goes around to the hip, comes around to us all... eventually. [21 July 2005] (more PopShots) Impending Drastic InevitablesAt PopMatters, we've seen the future. So . . . want some investment advice? [24 June 2005] (more PopShots) Discovery: Hollywood!A guided tour of one of America's most protected habitats for endangering species. [20 May 2005] (more PopShots) Orthodontia: A Generation LamentsThere's a planet full of kind and decent people who, as children, were terribly abused. We were the lab rats and guinea pigs for a nascent industry called orthodontia. [20 April 2005] (more PopShots) Reviews
Watchmen: The Complete Motion ComicWatchmen: The Complete Motion Comic appears to be aimed at the casual fan who wants to experience the graphic novel without the hassle of, you know, reading it. [20 March 2009] 
Mario Super SluggersWith the baseball postseason in full swing, Mario Super Sluggers steps up to the plate with a typically psychedelic take on America's pastime -- and hits an RBI triple. [1 October 2008] 
Wonder World Amusement ParkCarnival games on the Wii is a great idea whose time has come -- and apparently gone -- without any developer truly realizing the potential of the concept. [17 September 2008] 
Space ChimpsAs a movie, Space Chimps tanked pretty hard. As a videogame, though, it's got a lot going for it. [3 September 2008] 
Al Franken - God Spoke (2005)Franken is a smart and engaging companion, pleasant enough to be around for an hour-and-a-half. [24 April 2007] 
Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven: First Annual Camp Out LiveAdequately filmed, badly edited, and indifferently packaged, this DVD is still a goldmine for hardcore fans [22 February 2007] 
Penn & Teller: Off the Deep EndWith Penn & Teller: Off the Deep End, the duo once again showcase their ability to update and reframe old-school magic with lateral thinking and hipster showmanship. [15 August 2006] 
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)Historians and pulp comic fans knew their story, but most didn't. The enduring image of the affable outlaws was born in this classic 1969 film. That the story is fairly true to life is even more remarkable. [25 July 2006] 
San Francisco Noir by Peter MaravelisOut there on the foggy edge on the continent, with its outlaw history, mad riot of architecture and strangely cold sun, San Francisco casts some long, weird shadows. [6 December 2005] 
Master BlastersExploding rockets is good, clean, American fun, but it's a fundamentally goofy thing to do with your spare time. [4 August 2005] 
MirrorMask: The Illustrated Film Script of the Motion Picture from The Jim Henson Company by Neil GaAnd so we have the strange situation in which we can peruse at length the full script and storyboards well before we have any chance of seeing the movie itself. It's the ultimate spoiler. [2 August 2005] 
LostThis is a story about human beings who were, in some way, lost well before they boarded their flight. [14 June 2005] BlogsMoving Pixels: GenCon, Day 2: The Continuum and the Importance of Writers [17 August 2008]Moving Pixels: GenCon, Day 1: Wits, Wagers, and Ranks [16 August 2008] |
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