news-record.com

LIFE

Advertisement | Advertise with Us

Culture Shock

Peeling back the layers of pop culture to get to the soft, gooey flesh of things.

December 24, 2008

MTV, now more real than ever?

Variety reports that MTV will launch 16 new reality TV shows -- this time a little more cuddly than what we might be used to.

"Our new shows will feature themes of affirmation and accomplishment," says Brian Graden, prez of entertainment at MTV Networks music channels and president of Logo. "Our shows are going to focus less on loud and silly hooks and more on young people proving themselves. These are themes that are consistent with the Obama generation."

I'll be interested to see what comes of this new direction. MTV pioneered reality television with The Real World a generation ago. But the earnest exploration of people trying to understand each other's world view has mostly been replaced by binge-drinking, boob-flashing partiers. I can only watch so many fist fights and fake interventions. That's so 1999, Real World: Hawaii-style.

Graden may be on to something with this new affirmation approach. I prefer shows like MADE, which helps a teenager transform into whatever they want to be. They've turned sissies into BMXers, geeks into beauty queens, fatties into models. It's a nice and seemingly -- for reality TV anyway -- genuine take on the makeover show.

Now let's see if shows like that can really draw an audience.

December 23, 2008

Classic Holiday TV - for free!

If you're anything like me then TV Christmas specials are one of the highlights of your holiday season. Not just seasonal favorites like How The Grinch Stole Christmas but the holiday episodes of your favorite shows.

WFMU's website has posted a list of classic TV Christmas specials and where you can see them online for free.

The list is terrific and has everything from I Love Lucy's 1956 Christmas special to The Jeffersons Christmas specials from 1976-1978. In between: Andy Griffith, The Brady Bunch, The Beverly Hillbillies, Bob Newhart, Mary Tyler Moore, The Twilight Zone, Taxi, Sesame Street and even The Price is Right.

One of my personal favorites: the 1978 Taxi Christmas special.


December 15, 2008

Bizarre trailer for Wolverine movie

So in the trailer for the new Wolverine movie the X-Men's most badass (and most overly exposed) mutant meets Gambit, gets punched by a morbidly obese boxer (The Blob?) and fights Liev Shreiber as Sabretooth?

December 12, 2008

Bettie Page dead at 85

Page.jpg

From the L.A. Times obit:

A religious woman in her later life, Page was mystified by her influence on modern popular culture. "I have no idea why I'm the only model who has had so much fame so long after quitting work," she said in an interview with The Times in 2006.

She had one request for that interview: that her face not be photographed.

"I want to be remembered," she said, "as I was when I was young and in my golden times. . . . I want to be remembered as the woman who changed people's perspectives concerning nudity in its natural form."

Page%202.jpg

December 9, 2008

A breathalizer for your iPod! No, really!

So, it's come to this.

iBreath.jpg

From the ad copy:

"Here's This Season's "Must-Have" iPod Accessory That All The Celebrities in Hollywood Are Clamoring For.

Introducing the iBreath Alcohol Breathalyzer. It's the ultimate iPod accessory that lets you take your own alcohol breath test so you can get home safely.

Hollywood's A-listers have been among the first to purchase the newly available gadget to insure that their mug shot is not the next one to grace the tabloids and news reports.

Not only can this cool gizmo save you from career-ending embarrassment, it can potentially save you thousands of dollars in legal fees and jail time. And if keeping you safe and out of the jail isn't enough, this clever & innovative breathalyzer doubles as an iPod FM transmitter that transmits your iPod tunes to any FM tuner.

Just fold out the blow wand and exhale into it for at least 5 seconds. 2 seconds later, this amazing tool let's you know if you're within the legal limit to drive. It even houses a timer that can be set from 1 minute up to 8 hours in order to remind you when it's time for the next test."

I'm from the "If you're wondering if you can pass a breathalizer test, don't drive" school myself -- but if potential drunk drivers will listen to their iPods and realize it's a bad idea to get behind the wheel, I guess it's progress.

December 4, 2008

What is a "good" Western?
John%20Wayne.jpg A friend whose family recently got a huge flat screen HDTV tells me his father-in-law would like to watch a good Western on it. My first thought..."What's a 'good' Western?" Maybe more than most genres, the Western invites argument about what is "good" simply because there are so many awful, garbage Westerns. I shot my friend this list of what I think are the only 10 Westerns you need. I'd be willing to believe there are as many as a dozen, but off the top of my head I think you're safe with these... Read More

November 28, 2008

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade gets Rickrolled

You're sitting there, watching the float for Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, when, all of a sudden, the music stops ... and the audience at home gets one of the biggest Rickrollings ever.


The fact that my grandma now knows about Rickrolling means it is officially so five minutes ago.

November 20, 2008

Best places to get naked

Sometimes, you just can't bear the rules of the normal world and you gotta rip off your clothes and run, literally, buck wild.

Goofing around of Facebook today (it's work, really) we ran across this ad from a travel Web site listing the top 10 places to get naked (kinda NSFW).

But if you're looking to stay more local, there's always the Bar-S-Ranch. Though you might want to wait for some balmier weather.

Remember: "Naked" is simply not wearing any clothes. "Nekkid" is when you're not wearing clothes and you're up to no good.

November 16, 2008

Rapid Review: Batman - The Brave and the Bold

batman_group.jpg

The Cartoon Network's new Batman: The Brave and The Bold cartoon premiered on Friday -- and it's well worth checking out.


(Theme music owes a bit to The Tick, I think, but it's not that tongue-in-cheek.)

As discussed in this Wired interview, it's the first time in decades that we've seen a lighter Batman -- not the driven, disturbed and haunted vigilante of the breakthrough Batman: The Animated Series or the "Dark Knight" of the new batch of Batman films.

The show will team a solo Batman with a different DC comics character each episode -- and it looks like they're going to the back-benches with some of the people who will be showing up. The first episode "Rise of the Blue Beetle!" is light enough for kids, but it's not junk-food. Adult comic fans, sci-fi geeks and kids-at-heart of all ages will also enjoy the show's wit and imagination.

Reminds me a bit of what they did with Superman Adventures some years ago - taking essential elements of the property and telling really great pop stories with them.

Rapid Review: Quantum of Solace
QuantumOfSolace-723689.jpg The new Bond movie came out this week and, of course, I was there to see it on opening night. Haven't missed one in the theater since Goldeneye. On the whole I liked it, but there's good news and there's bad news... Read More

About the Authors

eMail Updates

Advertisement | Advertise with Us

Featured Ads

Search

Advertisement | Advertise with Us
Advertisement | Advertise with Us
Advertisement | Advertise with Us

News & Record Network Sites

Triad Weather

  • Current Condition: CLOUDY
  • Current Temperature: 49°
  • UV Idx: 0
  • Forecast High/Low: H: 0° L: 46°

User Tools

  • Social Networking
  • RSS
  • Share
  • Sign in to MyNR

Search