tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63024417924552648062024-03-18T23:24:18.951-07:00Pop Culture FiendFor Highlights, Remembrances and Discussion of American Pop CultureThe Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.comBlogger160125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-36615501431431141072024-03-14T13:56:00.000-07:002024-03-14T23:39:07.673-07:00This World Changing Event Took Place Under Cover of the New Millennium...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jAnwAZ7Bb4XsL-YuO0AUeaAMvdfyQ6zQnGfWxZrHJ8TQ7S8me8X3XlgPVo7KjwA8l32qdpDkhN51Pp5H_6qhIJOLNNYzS4_IYHb-VlWRNhQ1HZy24vtFy6FzibLCPjY4-mQdqGAOZFTiAQnlYp8Hg3D6bTi4l50k88iA9KjfTE8Q2hUmI0qt-GAv0IOt/s3622/NYT%201.1.00.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cover of The New York Times from Jan 1, 2000" border="0" data-original-height="2959" data-original-width="3622" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jAnwAZ7Bb4XsL-YuO0AUeaAMvdfyQ6zQnGfWxZrHJ8TQ7S8me8X3XlgPVo7KjwA8l32qdpDkhN51Pp5H_6qhIJOLNNYzS4_IYHb-VlWRNhQ1HZy24vtFy6FzibLCPjY4-mQdqGAOZFTiAQnlYp8Hg3D6bTi4l50k88iA9KjfTE8Q2hUmI0qt-GAv0IOt/w640-h522/NYT%201.1.00.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>While exploring the <b><i>Pop Culture Fiend Archives</i></b>, I came across the <i>New York Times</i> from Jan 1, 2000 -- which I obviously saved because it was the first 21st century edition of one of the largest newspapers in the country. Upon examination, I noticed that overlooked among the banner headline and all the talk about the new millennium was a story about the surprise resignation of Russian President Boris Yeltsin and the installation of one Vladimir Putin. </p><p>Yeltsin resigned due to several factors, including instability in his Cabinet, health issues, a bribery scandal, and cratering popularity among the Russian people due to overall ineffectiveness. Under Putin, Russia has reverted toward its former identity on the world stage as an aggressor, enemy of the U.S., and a major threat to world democracy. Indeed, "President" Putin has become a de facto dictator who, in just a few days, will almost certainly be "elected" to his fifth term thanks to his continuous suppression and outright elimination of any true opposition. </p><p>For close to a quarter century now, Putin has created havoc across the globe -- allying with <a href="https://www.state.gov/state-sponsors-of-terrorism/" target="_blank">State Sponsor of Terrorism-designated Syria</a>, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/09/china/china-russia-xi-putin-call-ukraine-war-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank">cozying up with communist China</a>, invading and advancing a war against Ukraine, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/16/the-mysterious-violent-and-unsolved-deaths-of-putins-foes-and-critics-alexi-navalny" target="_blank">poisoning and otherwise assassinating multiple political enemies</a>, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN25E2OY/" target="_blank">interfering in the 2016 U.S presidential election</a>, and rigging elections in his own country. </p><p>Clearly we all had no idea how thuggish and sinister Putin would be back on 1/1/00 but this issue of the New York Times unknowingly announced the start of it all.</p>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-8471752227849824502024-02-29T18:54:00.000-08:002024-03-14T23:38:06.014-07:00FX's Capote vs. The Swans & How Iconic 80's Actresses Diane Lane, Molly Ringwald & Demi Moore Make it Great<p></p><p> </p><blockquote><i>One of the most enjoyable things about Murphy's series: seeing the three most iconic actresses of the 1980's sharing the screen for the very first time... we have Diane Lane, Molly Ringwald and Demi Moore who, forty-plus years after their initial fame, crush their roles and once again show us why they became stars. </i></blockquote><p> </p><p></p><p>We are barely halfway through Ryan Murphy's latest offering, <i><a href="https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/feud" target="_blank">Feud: Capote vs. the Swans</a></i> but we've already been treated to a once in a decade type performance by Tom Hollander who positively disappears into his (title) character role. Hollander perfectly captures Capote's dual nature -- amusing and endearing but also pompous and infuriating --- and also replicates his speech and mannerisms so precisely it's practically spooky. (To be honest, they should just skip the ceremony and give him the Emmy right now.)</p><p>That said, the "Swans" referred to in this series are a group of elite socialites (most of them New York-based) who befriended and patronized Capote after he reached fame with his sensationalistic novel <i>In Cold Blood</i>. After years of trusting some of their most guarded secrets to the author, he reveals them in a <i>Esquire </i>article that included excerpts from a new book titled <i>Answered Prayers</i>. The group then proceeded to ostracize Capote, forever banishing him from the high society circle he relished so much. Capote supposedly coined the term "Swans" to describe these women that were, by all appearances, perfectly composed but in reality were carrying tremendous weight and beneath the surface were always paddling furiously to keep themselves afloat. </p><p>Often, elements of this story and the reaction of the Swans to Capote's betrayal are difficult to understand. Why would these women -- wealthy, refined and entrenched in the upper crust of society, care so much about T<span>ruman? Why are they so devasted when he exposes them this way? And why do they second guess themselves for even a minute about cutting them out of their lives?</span></p><p><span>It's because Capote's assessment of them was correct. Beneath their veneers of perfection, these women are struggling mightily. They've lost their identities after marrying bankers, European royalty, and other rich and powerful men and now</span> deep down perhaps they're realizing that most of what they've accomplished was only made possible through their family and social connections. Maybe they're awakening to the thought that although they're the envy of many, their lives are largely empty, short of pruning the perfect garden, earning "best dressed" honors, or planning Truman's famous <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_and_White_Ball" target="_blank">Black and White Ball</a>. <span>Or maybe the betrayal </span>thrust these women into turmoil due to simple embarrassment. For the Swans, appearances (we quickly learn) are paramount. Confronting Truman and making a scene in a swank restaurant they frequent is deemed just as much a sin as the betrayal itself. Likewise, husbands' infidelities are tolerable but the thought of others knowing is not.</p><p>It speaks to why Capote was able to fall in with the Swans in the first place. He ingratiates himself with flattery, preying on their superficiality and appearance consciousness, even going so far as to toy with them (and send them into a competitive tizzy) by suggesting he'll be choosing one of them as guest of honor at his ball. In spite of his not so subtle pandering and social climbing, the Swans adopted Truman, introduced him to power brokers, brought him along on lavish vacations, all while sharing their personal doubts and fears. So yes they are clearly victims but not entirely sympathetic due to their own snobbery and pretentiousness. All of this makes them rich, multi-layered characters that any actress (particularly those of a certain age) would love to play.</p><p>Which brings me to one of the most enjoyable things about Murphy's series: seeing the three most iconic actresses of the 1980's sharing the screen for the very first time. In addition to Naomi Watts as Babe Paley, wife of CBS head William Paley; Calista Flockhart, as Lee Radziwill, younger sister of Jackie Kennedy, and Chloe Sevigny as fashion icon and author C.Z. Guest, we have <b>Diane Lane, Molly Ringwald and Demi Moore</b> who -- forty-plus years after their initial fame -- crush their roles and once again show us why they became stars.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLh34XVNhKLUYaozys34AXrPS08k-RyZkmPuNzsI8iSApld1dxrCwVNUunE2L7BjfXOYnybd7meUFFZJalCySzQFid_AKJ-m737TTuloXR-mf7Zl56A1TJKH4k38AN7_FxvxkkkyvZnis90LpkKsMfrj-tfwEvSaqCQDsU54GSEAk0zGQPRq3IA24Zx7bx/s527/Diane%20Lane%20-%20Time%20magazine.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Diane Lane - Time Magazine cover" border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLh34XVNhKLUYaozys34AXrPS08k-RyZkmPuNzsI8iSApld1dxrCwVNUunE2L7BjfXOYnybd7meUFFZJalCySzQFid_AKJ-m737TTuloXR-mf7Zl56A1TJKH4k38AN7_FxvxkkkyvZnis90LpkKsMfrj-tfwEvSaqCQDsU54GSEAk0zGQPRq3IA24Zx7bx/w304-h400/Diane%20Lane%20-%20Time%20magazine.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><p>Diane Lane first grabbed headlines at age fourteen when she starred opposite Sir Laurence Olivier in the 1979 feature <i>A Little Romance</i>. Olivier called her "the next Grace Kelly" and <i>Time </i>magazine put Lane on the cover, proclaiming her one of Hollywood's "whiz kids." This was at a time when print was still a dominant form of media, so for a respected world news magazine like <i>Time </i>to dedicate a cover story to a Hollywood actress (especially one still in her early teens) was practically unprecedented. </p><p>Lane next made waves in the cult classic <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082639/" target="_blank">Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains</a></i> and the more mainstream family pic <i>Six Pack</i>. At the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outsiders_(film)#Casting" target="_blank">famous casting sessions</a> for Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of <i><a href="https://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2009/06/evolution-of-80s-teen-movie-how-bob.html">The Outsiders</a></i>, she beat out a who's who of other young ingenues for the role of the beautiful and conflicted Cherry Valance. The performance earned Lane a Young Artist Award nomination. Coppola was so taken with Lane that he cast her in his next film, <i>Rumble Fish</i> (also based on an S.E. Hinton novel.) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOPqCCidFZd6o1QCoLsd-e1CbueBGpXw5qVqr5mPZPIQvnsJgS-3RRAcZUutVHLPTVkg4T6fZvknfQFIMAkrJkGwq0GmGrZobopC6VORTubibJsb9tRi6xWeJmftW1e_McdQiMegF_ql4y-L4yHz15qWmBWKYLuOBbXRvoCJhHYURPdS9kwW-orfV9YYV/s6312/Diane%20Lane%20-1984.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Diane Lane - Playboy 1985 (from the Pop Culture Fiend Archives)" border="0" data-original-height="6312" data-original-width="4638" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOPqCCidFZd6o1QCoLsd-e1CbueBGpXw5qVqr5mPZPIQvnsJgS-3RRAcZUutVHLPTVkg4T6fZvknfQFIMAkrJkGwq0GmGrZobopC6VORTubibJsb9tRi6xWeJmftW1e_McdQiMegF_ql4y-L4yHz15qWmBWKYLuOBbXRvoCJhHYURPdS9kwW-orfV9YYV/w470-h640/Diane%20Lane%20-1984.jpg" width="470" /></a></div><p>In 1984, Lane took on the role of <a href="https://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2008/01/shout-out-to-sorels.html">Ellen Aim</a>, a kidnapped rock star in Walter Hill's vastly underrated <i>Streets of Fire</i> and later that year she scored her first "adult" role as singer/gun moll Vera Cicero in Coppola's brilliant <i><a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cotton_club" target="_blank">The Cotton Club</a></i>. Lane was just eighteen during shooting (her co-star Richard Gere was thirty-four) but brought a sultriness to her performance that helped establish her as one of Hollywood's leading screen sirens. (She would go on to star in two other films opposite Gere, the acclaimed <i>Unfaithful -- </i>for which she earned a Best Actress Academy Award nomination -- and<i> Nights of Rodante</i>, adapted from the Nicholas Sparks novel.)</p><p>Diane Lane's other 1980's film roles included stripper/femme fatale Lorry in <i>The Cincinnati Kid</i>-esque <i>The Big Town, </i>and lead in the erotic thriller <i>Lady Beware. </i>She closed out the decade with an Emmy nominated performance in 1989's <i>Lonesome Dove</i> miniseries. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFXFj84u_Tq0pmZs5z2WALzwnJW5Hq7kFSCYFe5KN0y4zDhpuu61wkkuYx1ZQmOT-B0uhGiyYDv1urQTE6NkeWDs9K82ptN06Vfuk76X1dm12NZzClI5wePifjjQrl6vrcUtH8tC9kCzs38eYVxHjgKsoEfHqtYtFbuC8_StvWfDu-GwsDE3-csvhfaD-/s2048/DIANE-LANE_SLIM-KEITH_CAPOTE%20VS%20THE%20SWANS.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Diane Lane as Slim Keith in Feud: Capote vs. The Swans" border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFXFj84u_Tq0pmZs5z2WALzwnJW5Hq7kFSCYFe5KN0y4zDhpuu61wkkuYx1ZQmOT-B0uhGiyYDv1urQTE6NkeWDs9K82ptN06Vfuk76X1dm12NZzClI5wePifjjQrl6vrcUtH8tC9kCzs38eYVxHjgKsoEfHqtYtFbuC8_StvWfDu-GwsDE3-csvhfaD-/w640-h426/DIANE-LANE_SLIM-KEITH_CAPOTE%20VS%20THE%20SWANS.webp" width="640" /></a></div><p>Lane has one of the meatiest roles in <i>Feud</i>, portraying Nancy "Slim" Keith, who wed filmmaker Howard Hawks and Broadway producer Leland Hayward before marrying into British royalty. According to some accounts, Slim helped Capote land high powered agent Swifty Lazar and a million dollar book deal. Lane's Slim is resolute in her disdain and quest for revenge after Capote's backstab and Lane's strong performance portrays her as the icy ringleader of Capote's ostracization. As she did with her character in <i>The Cotton Club</i>, Lane plays Slim as calculating, direct and in charge. When it comes to the Swans, she is "the center of the center" -- as Slim describes herself in episode 3. Lane is also fantastic at replicating the high-born accent and affectations of New York's upper crust.</p><p>Though she's three years Lane's junior, Molly Ringwald's career path was eerily similar -- from starting out as a child actress, to having a cover story crowning her the new face of young Hollywood, to having her career propelled forward by a genius director. She first gained attention for her lead role in the west coast production of the stage play <i>Annie</i>. In 1979, at just eleven years old, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RngrWKWM7B4&ab_channel=TimeBandito" target="_blank">she played Molly</a> in the <i>The Facts of Life</i> but the show was retooled after its first season and the cast drastically reduced. It was a lucky break for Ringwald; she quickly found success in feature films, beginning with 1982's <i>Tempest</i>, for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination. But it would be 1984's <i>Sixteen Candles</i> that would rocket the young actress to fame. Writer-director John Hughes cast Ringwald as the film's protagonist Samantha Baker, a high school sophomore whose sixteenth birthday is forgotten in the chaos surrounding her older sister's wedding. Ringwald was praised for her tender and authentic portrayal and the film helped propel the <a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2009/05/evolution-of-80s-teen-movie-how-bob.html">teen movie genre</a> into its High Renaissance. </p><p>Like Coppola did with Diane Lane, Hughes was inspired by Ringwald and cast her in his next project -- the film that would come to define Gen X, <i>The Breakfast Club</i>. Ringwald would become something of a muse for Hughes and she next took on the lead role in the director's follow up, <i>Pretty in Pink</i>. A few weeks after the film's release, Ringwald was on the cover of <i>Life </i>magazine in a special issue that christened her as "Hollywood's Teen Queen". Two months later, her own <a href="https://entertainment.time.com/2013/02/27/time-cover-celebrity-showbiz/slide/molly-ringwald/" target="_blank"><i>Time </i>magazine</a> cover story cemented this status.</p><p>At this point, Molly was eighteen and ready to take on more mature roles. She turned down Hughes' <i>Some Kind of Wonderful</i> and starred as Cordelia in Jean Luc Godard's avant garde exploration of <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093349/" target="_blank">King Lear</a>; </i>played opposite Robert Downey Jr. in the Warren Beatty-produced <i>The Pick-Up Artist</i>; and finished her 80's run with the comedy <i>For Keeps</i> and the drama <i>Fresh Horses</i>, adapted from the stage play.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OJMQGYRXEDaTw00Tfj5YuFBO6HAYXAZjTMiPQGUeTMQgwqXmtM4__KLBUQZ0xmhV-c72YJD-Yu1WTOCPqjQm2h4GnZedU6oMRBv8dbima3AF1pCwWMXmn1frmUgcjDlBaJ4G-1lMoXTFzgWQqZ9feMdXp6EGlLkHMGh1UJ4MthfR2OuJp5_ak7Ae_Ut_/s630/Mollly%20Ringwald%20career%20progression.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Molly Ringwald - career progression" border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="630" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OJMQGYRXEDaTw00Tfj5YuFBO6HAYXAZjTMiPQGUeTMQgwqXmtM4__KLBUQZ0xmhV-c72YJD-Yu1WTOCPqjQm2h4GnZedU6oMRBv8dbima3AF1pCwWMXmn1frmUgcjDlBaJ4G-1lMoXTFzgWQqZ9feMdXp6EGlLkHMGh1UJ4MthfR2OuJp5_ak7Ae_Ut_/w400-h266/Mollly%20Ringwald%20career%20progression.webp" width="400" /></a></div><p>In <i>Feud</i>, Ringwald plays Joanna Carson, ex-wife of Johnny, who (like the New York Swans) is taken with Capote's charm, wit and intellect. Carson adopts the discarded Capote and brings him into her circle of elite (this time Hollywood) friends. Ringwald's signature red tresses are colored brunette for this role and at fifty-five years old she naturally no longer possesses her waif-like figure, so it's easy to forget who you're watching. As Carson, Ringwald brings the same effusiveness she did with her <i>Pretty in Pink</i> character Andie and her compassion for Truman is on display in several pathos-rich scenes that portray the man at his lowest.</p><p>Demi Moore's road to 1980's stardom was far different than Lane's and Moore's. She wasn't an accomplished child actor and in 1983 -- at the exact same time Lane was shooting scenes with the Academy Award-winning Coppola and Ringwald was about to become the face of the American teenager -- Moore was earning her bones as a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOhiSt9XdCA&ab_channel=TheyStartedOnSoaps" target="_blank">recurring character on <i>General Hospital</i></a>. But in 1984, she starred opposite Michael Caine in the charming but overlooked romantic comedy <i>Blame it On Rio</i>. Though newcomer Michelle Johnson was the breakout star, it was Moore's first major film and she soon began a slow climb to success that would culminate with a run of critical and commercial successes through the 1990's. <i>Ghost, A Few Good Men, Indecemt Proposal, Disclosure </i>and <i>Striptease </i>(the film that made Moore the highest paid actress in Hollywood) were all in her future, along with her own <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/04/demi-moore-cover-story-august-1991" target="_blank">iconic magazine cover</a>, but her rise to fame largely began with the sweet and quirky 1984 teen comedy <i>No Small Affair.</i> The role of Jules in the seminal Gen X coming-of-age drama<i> St. Elmo's Fire</i> followed, as did a relationship with co-star Emilio Estevez and membership in the famous "Brat Pack". Moore then played John Cusack's love interest in <i>One Crazy Summer </i>and re-teamed with her <i>St. Elmo's</i> co-star Rob Lowe in the beloved <i>About Last Night, </i>both released in the summer of 1986. </p><p>Her next film, <i>The Seventh Sign</i> (despite being highly anticipated) was a box office flop. Moore then closed her 80's career with the role of Molly -- a prostitute who befriends two escape convicts (Robert DeNiro and Sean Penn) masquerading as priests -- in the much-hyped Christmastime release <i>We're No Angels.</i></p><p>Interestingly, though her box office hit rate was spotty, Moore's career never stalled during the eighties. She married Bruce Willis, who at the time was starring in the ABC hit <i><a href="https://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2021/10/moonlighting-how-best-show-on.html">Moonlighting </a></i>but with the release of 1988's <i>Die Hard</i> would soon become a full on movie star. He and Moore became Hollywood's "it" couple which helped Demi move solidly onto Hollywood's A-list -- where she basically remained until the 2000's.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0uCef51-RS94zCVeWqJy75GYkoSfC5bRzP4mc7uyDoBeEbK4kxyHC0Q5t5_VNCAaopP1NjO8bMuawWWcAa_r8y8oX7_4da5v1j1hG_pi5rFgCiCJj8x-47P13OiIGKFao2Wicg2kWDZWeF1qabZDsolmbMoTGfyPGHIfQf4aMbGwkAuYZb5p1ZQBf3Tf/s700/Demi%20Moore-Capote-Vs-the-Swans-premiere-in-NYC.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Demi Moore at the Feud: Capote vs. The Swans premiere" border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="700" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0uCef51-RS94zCVeWqJy75GYkoSfC5bRzP4mc7uyDoBeEbK4kxyHC0Q5t5_VNCAaopP1NjO8bMuawWWcAa_r8y8oX7_4da5v1j1hG_pi5rFgCiCJj8x-47P13OiIGKFao2Wicg2kWDZWeF1qabZDsolmbMoTGfyPGHIfQf4aMbGwkAuYZb5p1ZQBf3Tf/w640-h418/Demi%20Moore-Capote-Vs-the-Swans-premiere-in-NYC.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>In <i>Feud</i>, Moore plays Ann Woodward, a former radio star and showgirl who was married to wealthy banker William Woodward Jr. In what would become one of the biggest stories of its day, Ann killed William after mistaking him for a burglar. Speculation that it was murder ignited after Capote's book preview, which included a character based on Ann who was painted as a gold digger and murderess. In real life, Capote seemed to have personal disdain for Ann and publicly accused her of killing her husband.</p><p>Moore gives us a picture of Ann battling depression and straining to maintain her dignity amid the public stares. She displays venomous anger in certain scenes and intense vulnerability in others. At the ball, we see Moore at her best, portraying calm and elegance -- but when Truman calls security to have her ejected we see her shaken, pleading, humiliated. It's a scene where Moore demonstrates swan-like comportment as she calls Truman out for his misdeeds and it's reminiscent of another emotional scene in which Moore displayed similar range -- the break up scene in <i>About Last Night.</i></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XQOLwXFfiOg?si=VPL8goiUhyZwbBmt" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>
<p></p><p>For Lane, Ringwald and Moore, streaming shows and other high end television like Murphy's <i>Feud </i>offer strong, female lead roles that come few and far between in feature films. Past the age where they can star in rom-coms, take on "lethal lady" action roles (e..g., <i>Black Widow, Atomic Blonde</i>) or other parts written for younger actresses, fifty-something actresses are these days too often relegated to lesser fare -- guest shots on network shows or if they're lucky perhaps a starring role in their own series (think Tea Leoni in <i>Madame Secretary </i>or Julia Louis-Dreyfus in <i>Veep.</i>) Thankfully, <i>Capote and the Swans</i> shines a spotlight on three of the most talented and beloved mature actresses who by chance came up at almost the exact same time. You literally could not have chosen three women more representative of young Hollywood during the 1980's than these three. In fact, you almost wish Murphy would have made it an all-80's party and given the Watts, Sevigny and Flockhart roles to Elisabeth Shue, Lea Thompson and Winona Ryder instead.</p><p>Maybe next time : )</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLnsLmgLuYFa_gJZTwxIfa29LiPrLdP_F1Yr2sqiRQPDavTj4ccJzJAldZJaX8y_gAi7UZxDmbGt2KAnMKWkRstSrNsgwMHJ_rA53pevg0xdqIZxDkhpQSYhuOLRzEUAdkKXRT8kzUuzCn-fDAhdJ-uxCBd6_8rcxOSncJUe-UWK7bKSNmqC2EvmWoLMh/s1250/FEUD-CAPOTE-VS-SWANS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Feud: Capote vs. The Swans" border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="1250" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLnsLmgLuYFa_gJZTwxIfa29LiPrLdP_F1Yr2sqiRQPDavTj4ccJzJAldZJaX8y_gAi7UZxDmbGt2KAnMKWkRstSrNsgwMHJ_rA53pevg0xdqIZxDkhpQSYhuOLRzEUAdkKXRT8kzUuzCn-fDAhdJ-uxCBd6_8rcxOSncJUe-UWK7bKSNmqC2EvmWoLMh/w640-h314/FEUD-CAPOTE-VS-SWANS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-35666100686129018242024-02-09T16:46:00.000-08:002024-02-14T19:09:31.517-08:00Streaming Wars: Episode 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In this <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oWvhJFHmMgyOK4qLfoW6DH2kHbbIOFWg/view?usp=drive_link">latest episode</a> of the <i>Streaming Wars</i> audio blog I discuss: </div><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Price increases and regression to ad-supported tiers. <br /><br /></li><li>Max successfully rebrands, cuts costs and wins big at the Emmys. <br /><br /></li><li>Formation of the Streaming Innovative Alliance.<br /><br /></li><li>Is Apple acquiring Disney? </li></ul><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Related Posts:</b></div><div><div><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2021/07/streaming-wars-in-full-effect.html">Streaming Wars in Full Effect!</a> </div><div><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2021/07/streaming-wars-update-part-2.html">Streaming Wars Update: Episode 2</a></div><div><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2021/07/streaming-wars-update-part-3.html">Streaming Wars Update: Episode 3</a></div></div><div><a href="https://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2022/08/return-of-streaming-wars.html">Return of the Streaming Wars (Episode 4)</a></div><p></p>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-26803613080617866692024-01-09T19:26:00.000-08:002024-03-13T22:01:35.135-07:00R.I.P. College Football: How Corporate Interests, Greed and Defiance Killed the Game We Loved -- Part I<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_4ZH72SrDCG0NC2fH8AXwD8n2c0iQNZwUMPmYwPTEmx2Rq4RV9xkseILfnnc1TrkPxZz7Br7HhLO8WOKAt-ZiMeStOgA9i13HO2Iv-f-4s3Rlz6lP5FHZmRUMjPbQh3a0LOcqoFcg259GfX6mVmKizyqcyODDfeLxERQvqpXtKWah43iGomvY-HQYR6r/s1320/Greed%20Ruined%20CFB.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Greed killed college football" border="0" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="1320" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_4ZH72SrDCG0NC2fH8AXwD8n2c0iQNZwUMPmYwPTEmx2Rq4RV9xkseILfnnc1TrkPxZz7Br7HhLO8WOKAt-ZiMeStOgA9i13HO2Iv-f-4s3Rlz6lP5FHZmRUMjPbQh3a0LOcqoFcg259GfX6mVmKizyqcyODDfeLxERQvqpXtKWah43iGomvY-HQYR6r/w640-h426/Greed%20Ruined%20CFB.webp" width="640" /></a></div><br />The Michigan Wolverines just defeated the Washington Huskies to win the college football national championship. The victory put a cap on the 2023 college football season but in many ways it also marks the end of 155 years of the country's second oldest organized sport. The events of the last several years, the choices of university officials, rulings by judges, and other factors have finally brought college football to a tipping point where it seems the sport's most defining rules, guidelines and provisions have been compromised (or altogether eliminated) to the point where college football no longer resembles the sport it once was. NCAA football has become the wild west -- complete with rustlers, guns for hire, and more opportunists and villains than it can handle it seems. Here are all the things that slowly killed the college game.<p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The demise of college football began with the creeping hand of corporate influence and
the money grabbing that ensued. Beginning
in the early 1990's, the sports world was seduced by the
lure of the big dollars of Fortune 500 and other large companies. The 80's had seen Nike, Adidas, Gatorade and other brands strike deals with college and pro-level teams to provide shoes, apparel and more. These, plus endorsement deals with the decade's individual superstars, including <a href="https://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2009/06/who-was-greatest-athlete-of-80s.html">Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky and Bo Jackson</a>, had proved tremendously lucrative. As
the US economy began roaring under the Clinton administration, and the birth of the internet led to the rise of wealthy tech
companies like AOL, Yahoo and Cisco, these
companies began looking for ways to elevate their brands and increase public
awareness. The tens of millions of viewers watching sporting
events each week provided the huge audiences they were
looking to reach. </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">From
the earliest days of baseball -- America's oldest professional sport -- billboards for beer and cigarette brands were a regular site at ballparks and stadiums. Soon after, play-by-play announcers for baseball, football,
basketball and boxing began interrupting their calls to offer a word
from the sponsor, whether it was a breakfast cereal, shaving cream,
or clothing brand. Later, with the advent of television, games were
brought to you by local and national companies in industries including hardware, automobiles, hair care and insurance. But this advertising was always in the
background -- fairly innocuous and far from anything one would consider obnoxious. But as time changed, businesses
of the new economy wanted a bigger bang for the their buck than
billboards or live reads could offer. No longer would companies be satisfied with signage inside the stadium. Instead they sought a much higher profile by acquiring naming rights for the stadiums and arenas where teams played. So it was that by the mid-90's corporate sponsorship in sports reached new heights as American sports stadiums and ballparks quickly sold out (no pun intended.) In 1995, Candlestick Park became 3 Com Park, after the manufacturer of networking equipment. In 1996, the newly opening Pac Bell Park would debut. The following year, Jack Murphy Stadium, home of the NFL's San Diego Chargers became Qualcomm Stadium. We also got Coors Field, Invesco Stadium and several others. From coast to coast, our most famous sports venues were unceremoniously rebranded as big corps shelled out millions to have their names attached to sports franchises.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>The Death of the Bowl Games</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Around the same time this was taking place, there was also a major disruption in the college bowl system. Bowl games had been played since since 1902 and more were gradually added each decade beginning in the 1930's. By the eighties, the corporate giants (with their footprint now clearly established in the NFL) turned to the college game. Thanks to its new, deep pocketed sponsor, the Sugar Bowl became known officially as the "USF&G Sugar Bowl" in 1988. The next year, the Orange Bowl became the "Fedex Orange Bowl." All of the other bowls followed suit and this soon led to an unwieldy increase in the number of bowl games. To this point, bowl games were events rich in tradition and history. (The Sugar Bowl, for example, has been played since 1935 and came about because Louisiana was once the nation's leading producer of sugar. The game's solid silver trophy was made in London in 1830 during the reign of King George IV and was gifted to the bowl's organizers for the inaugural game.) After corporate sponsorship creeped in, history and tradition were swept aside and bowl names were shamelessly bastardized to afford the sponsor top billing in all press materials and during the TV broadcast.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The final step in this grand sell out was to create all new bowl games -- because after all, more bowls meant more money for everyone. It didn't take long for things to get completely out of hand in this regard evidenced by the fact that several of the newer bowl games have no other name other than that of the sponsor itself. Thus we've seen the likes of the Meineke Car Care Bowl, Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl, GoDaddy.com Bowl, and (God help us) the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ6HoJdHslI&ab_channel=BleacherReport" target="_blank">Pop Tarts Bowl</a>, just to name a few.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Compensation and NIL Concerns</b></p><p></p><div>While big businesses were scrambling to stake claim of sports venues, and Nike was profiting and building its brand through partnerships with the professional athletes, new opinions began to form regarding compensation for college athletes. For instance, while practically every other nation on the globe sent players from their professional leagues to compete in the Olympics in sports like basketball, and volleyball, the U.S. had long maintained that only amateur athletes should be eligible for the Olympic Games. This was in spite of the fact that track, cycling and other American sports clubs had long been subsidizing its athletes training costs and even paying them stipends -- something that for all intents and purposes amounted to professionalism. But during the late 80's, the International and United States Olympic Committees began relaxing its rules and by 1992 professionals (including the famous "Dream Team") were ruled eligible in practically every Olympic sport. The line between professionals and amateurs became further blurred. </div><div><br /></div><div>For decades, the goal for top high school football players was to gain a scholarship to a top university, excel there, graduate, get drafted and then make all your money in the NFL. Sure, there were unscrupulous backroom deals being made. Various NCAA investigations would reveal that money, cars and other enticements were offered to recruits to sign with a certain school and boosters or "friends of the program" provided cash payments and bonuses for outstanding play. Still, the fundamental tenet remained intact -- paying college players was illegal. Yet there was a growing sentiment that athletes were somehow being exploited. Many reasoned that the hundreds of millions the NCAA's member schools were making from TV rights were gained off of the backs of poor student-athletes. Others pointed to the fat multi-year contracts top coaches were signing. And while it was true that most top players <u>were </u>being paid in the form of full scholarships (a single year's tuition, room and board at major universities like Stanford, Michigan or Duke costs around $60,000 for example) such arguments held little sway. Figures like these seemed a mere pittance compared to the millions the schools were making, Thus, the opinion that college athletes should be paid continued into the 2000's.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Then in 2009, former basketball star Ed O'Bannon, who had led the UCLA Bruins to a national title in 1995, filed a class action against the NCAA to challenge its rules regarding the use of players' likenesses. Among other things, the O'Bannon case argued that the restrictions on compensation for the use of athletes' names, images and likenesses (NIL) for video games, live game telecasts, and other purposes violated antitrust laws. O'Bannon brought the suit after learning that his (and scores of other former players') likenesses were being used in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_Basketball_(series)" target="_blank">EA Sports NCAA Basketball</a> video games without the players' consent. EA Sports had established a licensing agreement with the NCAA but the individuals players were all left out, making the hypocrisy clear -- others could profit off of the performance and fame of college athletes but not the the athletes themselves. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ek1O9R57yghBY89WBY3OSYRG65GLC5Sq1gJZPkJtnUEEf1l_qZB36PMRkogVsnvMC4DceYJsfxCZwf_59AV5gFzpx4yKreObZRm_ZDTm28idiN6npHedhd89sA-QKDV1tk4z4o8ODAoIGtl8xKUdwYJiDqJ1gxg8fML6mAIQAq3vQSLznW-TTMe1CGsp/s756/Screenshot%202024-03-04%20190757.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ed O'Bannon and his EA Sports likeness" border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="756" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ek1O9R57yghBY89WBY3OSYRG65GLC5Sq1gJZPkJtnUEEf1l_qZB36PMRkogVsnvMC4DceYJsfxCZwf_59AV5gFzpx4yKreObZRm_ZDTm28idiN6npHedhd89sA-QKDV1tk4z4o8ODAoIGtl8xKUdwYJiDqJ1gxg8fML6mAIQAq3vQSLznW-TTMe1CGsp/w640-h482/Screenshot%202024-03-04%20190757.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>O'Bannon eventually won the case and EA soon abandoned both its NCAA football and basketball games. Similar lawsuits followed and the courts continued to side against the NCAA. Now, not only was public sentiment seemingly in favor of rewriting compensation rules for college players but so was the legal system. The NCAA was clearly losing its grip as judges (who previously considered college athletics completely subject to NCAA regulations) now felt compelled to step in and overrule longstanding policies.</div><div><br /></div><div>So the NCAA read the writing on the wall and finally began to seriously consider ways in which players might be compensated. Unfortunately, paying players is a lot easier said than done. Initially, ideas revolved around only paying athletes in the "revenue generating sports" ((baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, football and men’s ice hockey.) It's easy to see how this idea might have quickly been dismissed. First there was the matter of equity. Should the third string safety be paid the same as a Heisman candidate running back?... You can also imagine it wouldn't have been long before someone brought a lawsuit claiming only paying the revenue generating sports teams was discriminatory. And then of course there was <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html" target="_blank">Title 9</a>. If you're paying the men's teams and not the women's it was a super safe bet there'd be all kinds of additional lawsuits quickly filed. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's possible though that the NCAA never even seriously considered all this because the decision was more or less taken out of the their hands. In 2019, California passed the <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2019/09/30/governor-newsom-signs-sb-206-taking-on-long-standing-power-imbalance-in-college-sports/" target="_blank">“Fair Pay to Play Act”</a> -- which was the first state NIL law enacted. The legislation basically set the bar for how college athletes could be compensated moving forward. Players could now to be paid based on their value as an individual. More simply, any player could accept any endorsement deal, appearance fee or other payment available to them in the free market (provided it didn't create a conflict of interest with a deal already signed by the player's school.) The NCAA called the legislation harmful and "an existential threat to college sports" and even toyed with the idea of declaring all NCAA players in states who allowed payments ineligible. But threats don't get much emptier than that. It didn't take long for the association to capitulate to the new paradigm.</div></div><div> </div><div><b>Conference realignment</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Further disruption came to the NCAA's status quo with regard to its member conferences. Since their inception, conference affiliations had been both voluntary and fluid. Technically, institutions were free to switch conferences whenever they wished, so long as they gave notice and paid any agreed upon exit or entrance fees. Despite this, more often than not, a sense of logic prevailed and teams by and large remained in conferences that corresponded with their location on the map. That all changed in the nineties when football powerhouses Penn State and Florida State joined the Big 10 and ACC respectively. Meanwhile, the Big East looked to replicate its success as a basketball conference by adding five football schools. Notre Dame, which had always been staunchly independent, began flirting with the idea of joining the Big 10 and the Southwest Conference disintegrated altogether, its member teams joining the WAC, Conference USA and the Big 8 (which subsequently became the Big 12.) Tradition was once again pushed aside and nonsensical realignments (like Miami joining the Big East) proved that what mattered most now were the financials and what a conference could offer its member schools in terms of TV revenue.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>To be continued...</b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-54963773591918471492024-01-04T19:17:00.000-08:002024-01-04T19:22:06.326-08:00The Art of Cinematography: Farrah Fawcett and the Halo Effect<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQq2RCct_KcHE5NHC4GnUf6Qpe8CyFdWHaqpcy_x4Ti_Jm1BYAnpFmCfXl_zGYOUwD9qv8eQ6-1kLPzNadkYGfBhrmTkvyp3mR7U6hUujO4PDvHLkbfVlaIHQ8GKT0gAc1KIr0VpVJyd8UWVoj3OI5wn0eIqM7muagk2GFNaO4c2PXb3cEKT9-LBYsHhM/s1178/Screenshot%202023-12-19%20195031.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Farrah Fawcett in Cannonball Run" border="0" data-original-height="863" data-original-width="1178" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQq2RCct_KcHE5NHC4GnUf6Qpe8CyFdWHaqpcy_x4Ti_Jm1BYAnpFmCfXl_zGYOUwD9qv8eQ6-1kLPzNadkYGfBhrmTkvyp3mR7U6hUujO4PDvHLkbfVlaIHQ8GKT0gAc1KIr0VpVJyd8UWVoj3OI5wn0eIqM7muagk2GFNaO4c2PXb3cEKT9-LBYsHhM/w640-h468/Screenshot%202023-12-19%20195031.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><i>The Cannonball Run</i> is a zany comedy about a group of auto racers competing in a cross country trek from Connecticut to Los Angeles. In addition to Burt Reynolds (who stars as J.J. McClure), Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett and Dom DeLuise, it features an all-star cast of wacky characters played by the likes of Adrienne Barbeau, Bert Convy, Jamie Farr, Jackie Chan, Mel Tillis, Terry Bradshaw and others. The film is directed by former stuntman Hal Needham, who was known for testosterone-fueled action-comedies like <i>Smokey and the Bandit</i> and was by no means a master of film photography. Nevertheless, as unlikely as it seems and in spite of the genre and subject matter, in <i>Cannonball Run</i>, Needham and cinematographer Michael C. Butler teamed to shoot a handful of gorgeously lit rom/com-like scenes that made the already stunning Farrah Fawcett look positively ethereal. </div><div><br /></div><div><div>One of the methods employed was halo lighting, which uses bright, focused backlighting. This technique makes the subject stand out from the background and creates a glowing, halo effect around it. In <i>Cannonball Run</i>, early scenes introducing Farrah's character Pamela Glover use halo lighting to help establish her as the exquisite, almost otherworldly object of J.J.'s desire. Notice how the backlighting helps carve Pamela from the background and draws you in -- much like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJiYb65tCnU&ab_channel=JamesAnderson" target="_blank">J.J. is drawn in</a> when he first spots her in a crowded bar.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODO8hSlSIG1NRoMArYR1NGOAmH_hNaKgjhvahHq1yglnHYJzWmFHKEoT7MN3m9QK9-McmvoZJI4sPZ0DaiBwiFRR09Yoi8mZgpzqjrweaSOcG8urDeb-nCwWKqkpVm0QSjDFQpCaS3rTX5TGTcWOg9AQ_gLMFqUgNuoceemMOTIP6lNWevr3jHKgTTNWk/s1920/Farrah%20-%20Cannonball-Run-1981.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Farrah Fawcett & Burt Reynolds in Cannonball Run" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODO8hSlSIG1NRoMArYR1NGOAmH_hNaKgjhvahHq1yglnHYJzWmFHKEoT7MN3m9QK9-McmvoZJI4sPZ0DaiBwiFRR09Yoi8mZgpzqjrweaSOcG8urDeb-nCwWKqkpVm0QSjDFQpCaS3rTX5TGTcWOg9AQ_gLMFqUgNuoceemMOTIP6lNWevr3jHKgTTNWk/w640-h360/Farrah%20-%20Cannonball-Run-1981.webp" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCEWuXFWudh56gT45Fo15FD_rTbx6LiYW2D3V0kxHru0VWYef6k6gcX7BaVL32WukRMjvQS_NsnHzg0iRLnzBhtLvLm1Un5eD2e2MzjmBtOlJB4k1xmSgc-lXWk4228WeTg8Mdfk-HCDZVMYFLTuH9RB0v3E57ylWygBFsELHrAJivKCitTm-PIv4ZI_-r/s1766/Screenshot%202023-12-19%20194837.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Farrah Fawcett & Burt Reynolds in Cannonball Run" border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="1766" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCEWuXFWudh56gT45Fo15FD_rTbx6LiYW2D3V0kxHru0VWYef6k6gcX7BaVL32WukRMjvQS_NsnHzg0iRLnzBhtLvLm1Un5eD2e2MzjmBtOlJB4k1xmSgc-lXWk4228WeTg8Mdfk-HCDZVMYFLTuH9RB0v3E57ylWygBFsELHrAJivKCitTm-PIv4ZI_-r/w640-h320/Screenshot%202023-12-19%20194837.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Later in the film, J.J. and Pamela share a quiet moment in the back of an ambulance and the two become closer. Needham and Butler employ the same sort of halo lighting to create a romantic glow around Farrah. The technique is especially effective with Farrah because it further accentuates one of her best features -- that golden mane of hair for which she's well known.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIf_2GdiMTC3LxeHIQm3IFnnoDhe6pohyphenhyphenKnKfVzvQMz-erTugcAkqE3um2HTXQC0JHNKmOYPRC0l8HtLi0GkrlbrOBWPdsd4ePYodGUsG0AyHHKoNDlFKS4czqu8xojkp7mpXb5N6zViE66DrsdnBCw3gblSwAbpY08OKoVa1fTj5-Wt75HcdZ0je8K1CB/s945/Screenshot%202023-12-27%20200319.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Farrah Fawcett in Cannonball Run - Ambulance scene" border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="945" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIf_2GdiMTC3LxeHIQm3IFnnoDhe6pohyphenhyphenKnKfVzvQMz-erTugcAkqE3um2HTXQC0JHNKmOYPRC0l8HtLi0GkrlbrOBWPdsd4ePYodGUsG0AyHHKoNDlFKS4czqu8xojkp7mpXb5N6zViE66DrsdnBCw3gblSwAbpY08OKoVa1fTj5-Wt75HcdZ0je8K1CB/w640-h414/Screenshot%202023-12-27%20200319.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgct6eNpNjJXQmU1OMnTKbWhSumLjMCFElv9SzHAlvjDc6uJR9pCXGdyZIy4rAQ5Kx8o4gUmO6DdGcOb4SUzbrHdQ1t3BVv59g5MmKw6ZM0QBApy02his3Sb0a8uoGaKyZPV-MWI2q_kbJAUfN1uicYOQHx0gp8v3QVJV7EWGJ1bLWLwFhaZCKd88DkjrAb/s1284/Screenshot%202023-12-19%20201710.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Farrah Fawcett in Cannonball Run - Ambulance scene" border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="1284" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgct6eNpNjJXQmU1OMnTKbWhSumLjMCFElv9SzHAlvjDc6uJR9pCXGdyZIy4rAQ5Kx8o4gUmO6DdGcOb4SUzbrHdQ1t3BVv59g5MmKw6ZM0QBApy02his3Sb0a8uoGaKyZPV-MWI2q_kbJAUfN1uicYOQHx0gp8v3QVJV7EWGJ1bLWLwFhaZCKd88DkjrAb/w640-h428/Screenshot%202023-12-19%20201710.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><div><br /></div><div>The soft, warm light creates a form of halation and gives her character an almost angelic quality. A similar result can be seen in the below shot from 1984's <i>The Natural</i>, where halo lighting is used to both set Glenn Close's character apart in the crowded stands of a baseball stadium and also symbolize the sense of goodness and purity her character possesses.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrTx0BmaDl-uSEAsvHUVq6-woZP7CtI1bA9aqzv-fUDHkjLK1ZOzHPLVcQbgsoE-oDaOXwzsJEi_VENAS4QYbJ8fFIHze1CXCfm-JOSWp4HAU8wMVHS5RDNgCR8eN-IPy9S386jJ4EcZ-P8jK079fVo8x7tYyjAb-Wb2CmPrXhbyenpLi6Hw4mbSVx-xk/s600/Glenn%20Close%20-%20The%20Natural.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Glenn close in The Natural" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNrTx0BmaDl-uSEAsvHUVq6-woZP7CtI1bA9aqzv-fUDHkjLK1ZOzHPLVcQbgsoE-oDaOXwzsJEi_VENAS4QYbJ8fFIHze1CXCfm-JOSWp4HAU8wMVHS5RDNgCR8eN-IPy9S386jJ4EcZ-P8jK079fVo8x7tYyjAb-Wb2CmPrXhbyenpLi6Hw4mbSVx-xk/w400-h266/Glenn%20Close%20-%20The%20Natural.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div></div><div><b>Related Posts:</b></div><div><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2022/06/has-anyone-ever-looked-better-than.html">The Art of Cinematography: Megan Fox in Transformers</a></div><div><br /></div>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-855048448263859542023-12-31T10:29:00.000-08:002023-12-31T11:41:19.572-08:00Happy New Year (from Belinda Carlisle!) <div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From the <b><i>Pop Culture Fiend Archives</i></b>, here are a couple of rare photos from a 1980's shoot with Belinda Carlisle. Happy 1989 everyone!<br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfUHpvgH3b_wIMY_Fm8Y5luz1LIxXXXMbM4vYLtRzGMfyDds8KtVTLc3h_15W5xP3hYPHfaGlPGf1Jj5O0W8AMAyp5v2w8QGE5tCfMQFSvRTLCV9VM5Yy_1XM2_yocAb6w6zObAPoXZpUvUXXd_vl-F7VDTVYrWjZCoTKeKxXn2EH-hYhyy4rZcaRBm_b/s2756/Belinda%20-%201989.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Belinda Carlisle - New Year's 1989" border="0" data-original-height="2756" data-original-width="2304" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfUHpvgH3b_wIMY_Fm8Y5luz1LIxXXXMbM4vYLtRzGMfyDds8KtVTLc3h_15W5xP3hYPHfaGlPGf1Jj5O0W8AMAyp5v2w8QGE5tCfMQFSvRTLCV9VM5Yy_1XM2_yocAb6w6zObAPoXZpUvUXXd_vl-F7VDTVYrWjZCoTKeKxXn2EH-hYhyy4rZcaRBm_b/w536-h640/Belinda%20-%201989.jpg" width="536" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwvX3HmXfqAiAZgRYW82Tn2mcAf-2OmLN_IB7y14tCSWmGdEZSgZGAK-AdNHwYr3_FA74JbIaJ6ZBEWQU2KooyxaP0vLo_wdQmfyvNIITaNiMDmB92AmaavzA6HXicEG4l0MXq1tTrOaTqfBWXu4-o0VA5rkqpSRDdn_Vs0ZDEGPWCizr6OdkoECp_2Mv/s3106/Belinda%20-%201989%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Belinda Carlisle - New Year's 1989" border="0" data-original-height="3106" data-original-width="2302" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwvX3HmXfqAiAZgRYW82Tn2mcAf-2OmLN_IB7y14tCSWmGdEZSgZGAK-AdNHwYr3_FA74JbIaJ6ZBEWQU2KooyxaP0vLo_wdQmfyvNIITaNiMDmB92AmaavzA6HXicEG4l0MXq1tTrOaTqfBWXu4-o0VA5rkqpSRDdn_Vs0ZDEGPWCizr6OdkoECp_2Mv/w474-h640/Belinda%20-%201989%20(2).jpg" width="474" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Related Posts:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2021/07/beauty-and-beat-turns-40-yikes.html"><i>Beauty and the Beat </i>Turns 40</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2009/04/go-gos-rock-sunset-strip.html">Go-Go's Rock the Sunset Strip</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2009/03/bye-bye-belinda.html">Belinda Carlisle on <i>Arsenio Hall</i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2009/03/more-belinda.html">More Belinda</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2019/10/great-album-covers-score-head-games.html">Great Album Covers: <i>The Score</i>, <i>Head Games</i> & <i>Vacation</i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2021/10/go-gos-inducted-into-rock-and-roll-hall.html">Go-Go's Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (About F**king Time!)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-29242970485576671152023-12-27T17:29:00.000-08:002024-03-14T18:15:38.561-07:00Great Album Covers: Breakfast in America, Big Lizard in My Backyard and She's So Unusual<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTWPZWxz3N4WMp1WHXc-VjcVtou7OHEF99lZAEo4alR_PP1OIwml8PAc3eN2h9YLZl0hQd2TRGtSLNh5paO8JNq1q7ul6ao90phyphenhyphen1oZK92E6zuXLDIGRAnZKtWLliJWS3OjNIV2gDFCPcWahGu87502PVx2gj9UOi1478PO3gkjYFvjUEQSx4RJhb9DK4/s300/Supertramp%20-%20Breakfast_in_America.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Supertramp's Breakfast in America album cover" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTWPZWxz3N4WMp1WHXc-VjcVtou7OHEF99lZAEo4alR_PP1OIwml8PAc3eN2h9YLZl0hQd2TRGtSLNh5paO8JNq1q7ul6ao90phyphenhyphen1oZK92E6zuXLDIGRAnZKtWLliJWS3OjNIV2gDFCPcWahGu87502PVx2gj9UOi1478PO3gkjYFvjUEQSx4RJhb9DK4/w400-h400/Supertramp%20-%20Breakfast_in_America.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The cover for Supertramp's 1979 smash <i><b>Breakfast in America</b></i> is nothing short of a masterpiece of composition. It features the view from an airplane window of a wonderfully inventive interpretation of New York City. In the foreground, a smiling waitress poses like the Statue of Liberty. In her right hand she holds a tray with a glass of orange juice substituting for a torch. In her other hand, instead of a tablet, is a menu featuring the album's title. Behind her is a model cityscape of Manhattan -- an assortment of high rise buildings and skyscrapers represented perfectly by plain but cleverly arranged salt and pepper shakers, condiment bottles, coffee cups, egg cartons and other breakfast-related items. A year following its release, this album deservingly won a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKktN6VcVBQX2HY6ePiqpvY2GIU6zes-MlnjAQ8On3tWABiNXonKnlJgx-kRgFK1sEIiAZYJyESeMPYMEA5GyrMgpScKAtTJY_LgV8teutUZRkDYxMdRB-yoag_J7M2DKd-dlq6DWRAMnIDaLn9rnbEJeRsGGj9ttTAumL-yP99wb_4X3N77q6wetPzxL/s1494/DeadMilkmenBigLizard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Dead Milkmen's Big Lizard in My Backyard album cover" border="0" data-original-height="1494" data-original-width="1494" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKktN6VcVBQX2HY6ePiqpvY2GIU6zes-MlnjAQ8On3tWABiNXonKnlJgx-kRgFK1sEIiAZYJyESeMPYMEA5GyrMgpScKAtTJY_LgV8teutUZRkDYxMdRB-yoag_J7M2DKd-dlq6DWRAMnIDaLn9rnbEJeRsGGj9ttTAumL-yP99wb_4X3N77q6wetPzxL/w400-h400/DeadMilkmenBigLizard.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cover art doesn't get much more on the nose than what you see on this, the Dead Milkmen's first album. But the cartoonish illustration (designed by the band's drummer) is also whimsical and consistent with the band's style of injecting humor into its hardcore punk.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXAeJshUvgCaeIH0SVaxvWso_2xrF_dPSYThAkvjXVyrhrFiMbL2-k8j5IsZ0cyVAfsn16wNrIV0-lF3Bb9bmb5vV9uAiKggvc_Lbe6XrdA-0tH0kebZSypMlAr6wcc5VIK9OF1MUmQo4X9yM7RdKZRhshckmq9xQYBtPDS34w2aPo2vcDwscIyasU6Hv/s662/Shes-So-Unusual.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Cyndi Lauper's She's So Unusual album cover" border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="662" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXAeJshUvgCaeIH0SVaxvWso_2xrF_dPSYThAkvjXVyrhrFiMbL2-k8j5IsZ0cyVAfsn16wNrIV0-lF3Bb9bmb5vV9uAiKggvc_Lbe6XrdA-0tH0kebZSypMlAr6wcc5VIK9OF1MUmQo4X9yM7RdKZRhshckmq9xQYBtPDS34w2aPo2vcDwscIyasU6Hv/w400-h398/Shes-So-Unusual.webp" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Photographed by the legendary Annie Leibovitz, the cover of Cyndi Lauper's 1983 debut LP <b><i>She's So Unusual</i></b> helped establish her zany persona. The shot captures Lauper in the middle of some jerky, uninhibited barefoot dancing in front of a wax museum in Coney Island, a Brooklyn, NY neighborhood close to where Lauper grew up. The photo's kinetic energy and the cover's bright splashy colors convey the playful, care-free spirit of both the artist and American zeitgeist in the early 1980's. Interestingly, several decades after the album's release, several additional photos from this cover shoot surfaced (see below.)</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPOO3LPJGQbHkAOF__xyyfmi2Qi_E5nBSpkiiuICUYQSRplqb_ixZAd0HWFCSvdRMa416c1_JcZ6m1R0jyEjsPcwWisKd-vrhttIp4wmzsH2rM0vg2Z5ypk7KNMXjqo2lMAATIQFUnxMjXZGtOChLrHaTciEGlMOG0WX2Op2LfN7zvoUAKJxoZJ0Prb3A/s650/She's%20So%20Unusual%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPOO3LPJGQbHkAOF__xyyfmi2Qi_E5nBSpkiiuICUYQSRplqb_ixZAd0HWFCSvdRMa416c1_JcZ6m1R0jyEjsPcwWisKd-vrhttIp4wmzsH2rM0vg2Z5ypk7KNMXjqo2lMAATIQFUnxMjXZGtOChLrHaTciEGlMOG0WX2Op2LfN7zvoUAKJxoZJ0Prb3A/s320/She's%20So%20Unusual%201.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglCqPulrxjFu5sGGtr-kcqMWaX9l5tptRzyc4VQlXjd21dE8AF_Q3Nt2Ah7iIrAAK2-TUgQJZIkbfCxZw71mNdlzBg8l4HsHvr9kUmdqZ9gE7JDoTRU5OjJjgfYS6VSHmWb0Ipu0fP6xs5UFwM3DEoeBIPJeY3kH56APIo_zvgACxvt3L5rhyphenhyphen3AGRfCVB7/s650/She's%20So%20Unusual%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglCqPulrxjFu5sGGtr-kcqMWaX9l5tptRzyc4VQlXjd21dE8AF_Q3Nt2Ah7iIrAAK2-TUgQJZIkbfCxZw71mNdlzBg8l4HsHvr9kUmdqZ9gE7JDoTRU5OjJjgfYS6VSHmWb0Ipu0fP6xs5UFwM3DEoeBIPJeY3kH56APIo_zvgACxvt3L5rhyphenhyphen3AGRfCVB7/s320/She's%20So%20Unusual%202.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5R0uuwGbEIq9UeniOran1csZlik1nM0YMlbseOgqAW-xWdgxa1y-YXJftT1i0KRPeyd_t5b1kDu4G1tOBcGPmyCqBdTif6tjE6zGvQmYNMEJXlCPEqJivCNcte7uAYhsGbh768xC0u8qJ5gjXVb7EGyQThlAGOy7Oav3pKS_PLgo12iDOdi59qRrfX8Kl/s714/She's%20So%20Unusual%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5R0uuwGbEIq9UeniOran1csZlik1nM0YMlbseOgqAW-xWdgxa1y-YXJftT1i0KRPeyd_t5b1kDu4G1tOBcGPmyCqBdTif6tjE6zGvQmYNMEJXlCPEqJivCNcte7uAYhsGbh768xC0u8qJ5gjXVb7EGyQThlAGOy7Oav3pKS_PLgo12iDOdi59qRrfX8Kl/s320/She's%20So%20Unusual%203.jpg" width="291" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dcPuj_qf4TTTcnSWdEq72Eqho-N-8j_kQxHbVyceOTjfjEdSp6qnT2pSirafpfZbcHggcdztXruDnkfXPpE91ebSNWU7KaTcyiIbvBes4cgmBAnzXqXJL3ca9h0HeXxqRetUnNXQVCAo795cBpXJpcQCWeawR7ommIKMZVS1R-nu07KTbTBEEcTDGNbG/s650/She's%20So%20Unusual%204.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="650" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dcPuj_qf4TTTcnSWdEq72Eqho-N-8j_kQxHbVyceOTjfjEdSp6qnT2pSirafpfZbcHggcdztXruDnkfXPpE91ebSNWU7KaTcyiIbvBes4cgmBAnzXqXJL3ca9h0HeXxqRetUnNXQVCAo795cBpXJpcQCWeawR7ommIKMZVS1R-nu07KTbTBEEcTDGNbG/s320/She's%20So%20Unusual%204.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Related Posts:</span></b></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2019/10/great-album-covers-score-head-games.html">Great Album Covers: <i>The Score, Head Games</i> & <i>Vacation</i></a></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2019/10/great-albums-covers-country-life.html">Great Album Covers: <i>Honey, 1984</i> & <i>Parallel Lines</i></a><br /></span><p><br /></p></div>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-67965660422107743952023-11-28T18:57:00.000-08:002023-11-28T19:05:22.378-08:00How Today's Teenagers Are Embracing Nirvana and Other 90's Pop Culture <div>There are no less than three high schools within four miles of where I live. As a result, the neighborhoods I travel are always crawling with teenagers. In the last several months I've noticed a very curious fashion trend among this set, in that they're often sporting hoodies, sweatshirts and t-shirts featuring 90's bands. Hardly a day goes by in fact when I don't see a pimply-faced sophomore in Nirvana gear. I've also seen Metallica quite a bit, Snoop Dogg, Death Row Records, Foo Fighters and Slipknot. Now I need to stress that this is more than anecdotal (I'm not a big fan of any of these acts so I have no subconscious tendency to notice anyone repping them.) <b>This is something that's both very real and being perpetuated with intention. Apparel makers are cranking out 90's-related clothing and retailers are aggressively promoting it in the teen market. </b></div><div><br /></div><div>Just the other day I saw a large poster in Tilly's window featuring a kid wearing a Nirvana shirt. It made me wonder -- why are merchandisers reaching back to pop culture from thirty years ago to appeal to today's teens? Are they just giving these kids what they've newly discovered and are now embracing? </div><div><br /></div><div>Beginning points for cultural trends are often difficult to pinpoint but at the same time, retro style is nothing new. Fashions, music and pop culture figures are often resurrected as they experience periods of nostalgia, usually about twenty years after they first emerged. The 1970's looked back at the 50's with <i>Sha Na Na, American Graffiti, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley</i> and <i>Grease</i>. The 80's saw comebacks for big hair, stirrup pants, miniskirts, paisley ties and penny loafers -- all popular in the 1960's. The 90's saw revisits to the 70's in <i>The Brady Bunch</i> films, <i>That 70's Show</i>, and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changes_in_Star_Wars_re-releases" target="_blank">re-release of the original <i>Star Wars</i> trilogy</a>. But currently, for unknown reasons, it seems the first decade of the 2000's is being overlooked in favor of what was popular in the 1990's. </div><div><br /></div><div>I ventured into the aforementioned Tilly's to see if I could discover more and realized that my observations were one hundred percent accurate. The store was loaded with apparel celebrating 90's pop culture, including Mike Tyson, the Chicago Bulls (who won six NBA titles in that decade) and Ice Cube. During a subsequent perusal of Tilly's website I found even more 90's apparel -- <i>Friends</i>, <i>The Simpson</i>, Aaliyah, Tupac, and tons and tons of... you guessed it... Nirvana. What is it about that particular band that elevates them so much among today's youth?... Is it their music?... Almost certainly not. This 90's craze that's taking place wasn't triggered by teens going through their parents CD collection and discovering grunge classics like <a href="https://ourculturemag.com/2020/06/07/a-deep-dive-into-nirvanas-all-apologies/" target="_blank">"All Apologies"</a> and "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Could it be the imagery and typography?... After all, the "Nirvana" lettering is pretty cool and the album covers for <i>Nevermind </i>and <i>In Utero</i>, as well as the <a href="https://www.radiox.co.uk/artists/nirvana/what-does-the-nirvana-smiley-face-logo-mean/" target="_blank">"zonked out smiley face"</a> logo are all pretty iconic. Yes, the aesthetics of graphic designs for the band are certainly a factor -- but the main reason Nirvana apparel is so ubiquitous today is largely due to the 90's nostalgia I've described and the fact that, while grunge didn't age well or sustain its popularity in subsequent decades, Nirvana is almost unquestionably the seminal band of that era. The same way the Sex Pistols and The Clash still carry the mantle and are revered in punk rock (the most significant rock sub-genre of the 70's) that's the esteem that Nirvana is held in when it comes to grunge (the most significant rock sub-genre of the 90's.) </div><div><br /></div><div>And so it was that I came to realize that the reason I'm seeing so many Nirvana shirts is less about the band and their music and more about the position they hold in connection with 90's. When you think about it, it could just as easily have been Pearl Jam except Curt Kobain's premature death by suicide has led to a certain romanticization of the artist's life, thereby creating greater recognition and appreciation for his work. </div><div><br /></div><div>In any case, if there's one thing I can't abide it's posers. If they truly like Nirvana's music that's one thing, but these teenagers running around in the band's tees just because all the other kids at the mall are are just plain annoying. And hey, as long as we're paying tribute to 90's alt-rock, I say we get retailers cranking out apparel featuring Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth, Blind Melon, 4 Non Blondes, the Pixies, Liz Phair and of course <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPcyTyilmYY&ab_channel=AlanisMorissette" target="_blank">Alanis Morissette</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiStsnxIRUTxBKEWDDyvzas2DyJ3zE_LLEzO5ZzD628jmCt1iDem4K3spAk83gpmXS6ZbceX7JTU_DnIlXGL8rdx9bRjCVRZ3ySZOO7l4CD9znwQzQ2S_sLSAuOG9JQSn4LO2Lr30bJ-4NlmGm913lMW0vQh3-77QY8CoY2cp3jCFj9Ku33EcU5zkW4o1os/s2016/Nirvana%20t-shirt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Nirvana t-shirt" border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiStsnxIRUTxBKEWDDyvzas2DyJ3zE_LLEzO5ZzD628jmCt1iDem4K3spAk83gpmXS6ZbceX7JTU_DnIlXGL8rdx9bRjCVRZ3ySZOO7l4CD9znwQzQ2S_sLSAuOG9JQSn4LO2Lr30bJ-4NlmGm913lMW0vQh3-77QY8CoY2cp3jCFj9Ku33EcU5zkW4o1os/w480-h640/Nirvana%20t-shirt.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRwHm_cWdO0sNJjaflcGh_edshLE-6iW46lYhIsuTtyAzG3AYdGWvMHWthchRtUZ24DA5LosOUAzX26RAkD3dX7u57-buOWUOzg4jnRXZxQ29VYD6x4L4K3VUktodEb-n8JpZh9if6YRPHocmHSgUYSOl-N5__TfEJDyDMjeK_P3CqNUmZc3YZbtcnxgGd/s2016/Pulp%20Fiction%20shirt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pulp Fiction t-shirt" border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRwHm_cWdO0sNJjaflcGh_edshLE-6iW46lYhIsuTtyAzG3AYdGWvMHWthchRtUZ24DA5LosOUAzX26RAkD3dX7u57-buOWUOzg4jnRXZxQ29VYD6x4L4K3VUktodEb-n8JpZh9if6YRPHocmHSgUYSOl-N5__TfEJDyDMjeK_P3CqNUmZc3YZbtcnxgGd/w300-h400/Pulp%20Fiction%20shirt.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeseRSxudvhYkjUJsigNJa7vsNAhBc3Zl6DqZXJyL1Lf3-iyRsTrdWKNn-u4MAnS6EDjBESQYa3TPmb2RFY2Ja1FFlBuPwHIDnRFaDW2c8x490JALmMkdo3qHm0SohZta3EBQ-2jmlH7RchMQ5VJnYqwEF1vzDoyoXA-v1197iTFZm-k_ed52Q3ydcMHLC/s1646/Tilly's%20t-shirts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tilly's t-shirts" border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1646" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeseRSxudvhYkjUJsigNJa7vsNAhBc3Zl6DqZXJyL1Lf3-iyRsTrdWKNn-u4MAnS6EDjBESQYa3TPmb2RFY2Ja1FFlBuPwHIDnRFaDW2c8x490JALmMkdo3qHm0SohZta3EBQ-2jmlH7RchMQ5VJnYqwEF1vzDoyoXA-v1197iTFZm-k_ed52Q3ydcMHLC/w400-h203/Tilly's%20t-shirts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzZ2qykUz0TXHpIppekcLc-HzdwHhYueQMtGjdEdZKuemtk0kBzUA04t5iORCb7PWJsumNUfF9nIdBTv_h6RYVrxmkhNBm7Uz3Kmzv3lyLlHIM0QOY778xsd_hLRt-DbSbcmK8C60QosydjjhpBI-Tjz1_23JOmh9u6apIIk4VIJTr837ei3RUXFzH9zh/s1762/Rodman%20shirts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rodman t-shirts" border="0" data-original-height="1762" data-original-width="1253" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzZ2qykUz0TXHpIppekcLc-HzdwHhYueQMtGjdEdZKuemtk0kBzUA04t5iORCb7PWJsumNUfF9nIdBTv_h6RYVrxmkhNBm7Uz3Kmzv3lyLlHIM0QOY778xsd_hLRt-DbSbcmK8C60QosydjjhpBI-Tjz1_23JOmh9u6apIIk4VIJTr837ei3RUXFzH9zh/w456-h640/Rodman%20shirts.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtr1tRhlZK4OQ6WpIRd3rBizGj6Cu5dghCVwtc0H5N03D8bXsQ6TYxyEj38Qth1G3ggyNRO2Gx1EzvrNGU3ZnyE66Qvdn_MCuBcMcfJclcXoeMfcEEpBQdYhu06N_ooLnyDv5KtyCOYDe4YZYOeMMOV7xt8TblbppFcuXlbhyphenhyphenaFLlN2_bt-aDNno-eqW0Z/s2016/Sublime%20t-shirt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sublime t-shirt" border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtr1tRhlZK4OQ6WpIRd3rBizGj6Cu5dghCVwtc0H5N03D8bXsQ6TYxyEj38Qth1G3ggyNRO2Gx1EzvrNGU3ZnyE66Qvdn_MCuBcMcfJclcXoeMfcEEpBQdYhu06N_ooLnyDv5KtyCOYDe4YZYOeMMOV7xt8TblbppFcuXlbhyphenhyphenaFLlN2_bt-aDNno-eqW0Z/w480-h640/Sublime%20t-shirt.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCY9TpMEDzg94C3zEnKFl4AHNVkcY9b4ssfBgCLUbimggGCZJrE-XxBtwt_4mu797slZlTKMWZvXDfxMmfUReiL1W5g5oow9kdKcamX7k6sMfwq4lBlW9vu59o6c45YUYWNQgaztWp6Yb5Fi5dvdDrpZbY_rnjgfGgxnEdFi2DeFrhMi9k-zQmrooqi8O/s2016/Nirvana%20In%20Utero%20t-shirt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Nirvana In Utero t-shirt" border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCY9TpMEDzg94C3zEnKFl4AHNVkcY9b4ssfBgCLUbimggGCZJrE-XxBtwt_4mu797slZlTKMWZvXDfxMmfUReiL1W5g5oow9kdKcamX7k6sMfwq4lBlW9vu59o6c45YUYWNQgaztWp6Yb5Fi5dvdDrpZbY_rnjgfGgxnEdFi2DeFrhMi9k-zQmrooqi8O/w300-h400/Nirvana%20In%20Utero%20t-shirt.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-59974201090980142572023-11-18T14:43:00.000-08:002023-11-18T14:43:33.600-08:00Matthew Perry was Beloved by All -- but his Untimely Death Hits Gen X-ers the Hardest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MLckZVm9Mpc-0ToJ7zD8w0S68QVx1ZPES1MeUVkdV66y7-4nUKV-a16qz02WTS6Vy6mgU0w3ySWKDZqWHPy9SoJ8Fuqb_WzjH6cur1A-bcuOBFSQZsB9f0wKLaXCSV8u53ReAN9OYJdKOYdpM6VThit7O24UWVRhGrOcULPOiT5h410rzApcP2-ofDkF/s1135/Friends-Chandler-ATM%20vestibule.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Matthew Perry - ATM vestibule" border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="1135" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MLckZVm9Mpc-0ToJ7zD8w0S68QVx1ZPES1MeUVkdV66y7-4nUKV-a16qz02WTS6Vy6mgU0w3ySWKDZqWHPy9SoJ8Fuqb_WzjH6cur1A-bcuOBFSQZsB9f0wKLaXCSV8u53ReAN9OYJdKOYdpM6VThit7O24UWVRhGrOcULPOiT5h410rzApcP2-ofDkF/w640-h432/Friends-Chandler-ATM%20vestibule.webp" width="640" /></a></div><p>Matthew Perry's recent, sudden death sparked an <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/matthew-perry-dead-hollywood-tributes-1235631004/" target="_blank">outpouring of grief and fond remembrances</a> within the Hollywood community. It also brought a great deal of sadness to fans of the actor and just about anyone who's ever watched and loved him on television. Perry's talent extended far beyond a single TV show (I first noticed him in a guest shot he did on <i>Just the Ten of Us</i> in 1989 and also thoroughly enjoyed him opposite Salma Hayek in 1997's <i>Fools Rush In.</i>) Still, the actor will always be most remembered most as hilarious smart-aleck Chandler Bing on <i>Friends</i>. And therein lies the reason why Perry's death is especially painful for those of us in Generation X. It's because <i>Friends </i>is undeniably a Gen X show. </p><p>In <i>Friends </i>first season (1994) we learn that Monica (and her high school classmate Rachel) are twenty-six years old. The rest of the gang is also right around this same age, with Ross (and possibly Phoebe) only slightly older. So when you do the math, Monica was born in 1968, placing her and the rest of the Friends squarely in Generation X. Numerous storylines and references throughout the series back this up. From <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZMijtkRdXE" target="_blank">Ross's fixation on Princess Leia</a> in <i>Return of the Jedi</i>, to Chandler's Flock of Seagulls haircut and admission of <a href="https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/43a9cfbb-3bf5-41a8-b918-f6346bb827bf/gif" target="_blank">rushing the stage at a Wham concert</a>, clearly these characters grew up in the 80's and thus are unquestionably part of Generation X. That clarified, it's no wonder that Perry's death hits us the hardest. We've lost one of our own. </p><p>My high school class recently had a well-attended reunion and though I wasn't able to make it, I took time to pour over the gallery of photos that were posted online in the days after. While clicking through, I smiled and laughed seeing faces from my past for the first time in literally decades. The funny thing was I wasn't even friends with most of these people. I made all of my lifelong friendships during college and to this day remain in touch with only a single high school pal. Nevertheless it warmed my heart to see people I spent four of my most formative years with and know, despite the abundance of receding hairlines and expanding waistlines, they were alive and doing well. Somehow, we all tend to have very strong sentiments towards our peers and those with whom we've shared a common, significant experience. But the flipside of that feel-good sentiment is the gut-punch and sense of loss we suffer when we learn that one of our comrades is now gone.</p><p>That's what many of us are feeling with Matthew Perry's death. <i>Friends </i>was the ongoing story of six Gen X-ers trying to make it in the world as they laughed with, leaned on and loved each other. As we did with the abundance of <a href="https://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2009/05/evolution-of-80s-teen-movie-how-bob.html">teen movies in the 1980's</a> (e.g., <i>The Breakfast Club, Fast Times, <a href="https://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2023/07/40-years-ago-risky-business-legitimized.html">Risky Business</a></i>) Gen X-ers saw authentic versions of themselves and their lives in the <i>Friends </i>characters -- whether it Ross (smart and sensitive and carrying unrequited love) or Phoebe (so unapologetically authentic and in her flakiness) or Chandler, with his rapier wit and brandishing sarcasm to hide underlying insecurities.</p><p>Many will say that <i>Friends </i>is a show that belongs to far more that just a single generation and that it appeals to Millennials and Zoomers as much as any other age group. This is certainly true. Enough time has gone by now that we can safely say that <i>Friends</i>, and many of it's themes, storylines and characters are classic. Nevertheless, the show provided a different experience for us Gen X-ers who tuned in during its original run. We were watching ourselves -- young adults in their mid-20's, living post-college life in the 90's, going through the same things we were <u>at that same moment in time</u>. For example, when <i>Friends </i>debuted, many Gen-X women (my girlfriend included) had just moved out of their parents' house, started their first real job and were realizing independence for the very first time -- just like Rachel in the pilot episode. Like Joey, many of us were pursuing a career in acting or the arts and working odd jobs to pay rent while we pursued our dream. And while young people watching the show for the first time even today can definitely relate to universal themes like this, at the time it originally aired <i>Friends </i>meant the most to Gen-Xers who got to come home, click on the TV and see Ross, Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey and Chandler living their same lives -- or perhaps the lives they wished we had. These were our peers... our contemporaries... our cohorts. And losing one of those is often the hardest blow to take... </p><p>R.I.P. Matthew. </p>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-86962234192689820772023-10-26T11:26:00.009-07:002023-12-27T18:57:01.705-08:00Board Games of the 1970's Highlighted Americans' Angst<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg808QGqp0Zexwp5KiXgQru5WXOS7b6Hvo3jmOe3sqVqwEp-16_MMOWt-EfmgtrKIb5CG-h3pOAQwg-2_Fn9RheSgVWZEqtsDMhUsexC3YGuJJXwQNLsw9BMMdUb6nGDBVXJH3vPJe7rXaN6QKTaP9sqSRg76t5X89cCLdb3UHoH06t2XC7rtXVCD8sAnDG/s1192/Trouble%20(3).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Trouble board game" border="0" data-original-height="1192" data-original-width="1188" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg808QGqp0Zexwp5KiXgQru5WXOS7b6Hvo3jmOe3sqVqwEp-16_MMOWt-EfmgtrKIb5CG-h3pOAQwg-2_Fn9RheSgVWZEqtsDMhUsexC3YGuJJXwQNLsw9BMMdUb6nGDBVXJH3vPJe7rXaN6QKTaP9sqSRg76t5X89cCLdb3UHoH06t2XC7rtXVCD8sAnDG/w399-h400/Trouble%20(3).jpg" width="399" /></a></div></div></div><br /><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i><b>*AUTHOR'S NOTE:</b> Board games are commonly defined as "any game of strategy in which pieces are moved on a board." For the purposes of this article, I'm using the slightly broader definition of "any competitive or strategic game played with pieces or paraphernalia on a tabletop."</i></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To be sure things were tense in the 1970's both domestically and abroad. In the previous decade, high profile assassinations, race riots from coast to coast, the Manson murders, <a href="https://time.com/5377386/1968-democratic-national-convention-protesters/" target="_blank">chaos at the 1968 Democratic Convention</a>, and southern backlash against the Civil Rights Movement highlighted a decade in which social unrest was more overt than any other time in our nation's history. But as the 70s rolled in, upheaval, threats and alarmism abounded in a much more subversive way — one that created a palpable tension among the American populace. While we distracted ourselves with innocuous AM radio hits like <i><a href="https://music.apple.com/us/song/me-and-you-and-a-dog-named-boo/40454639" target="_blank">Me and You and a Dog Named Boo</a>, <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/one-bad-apple/1444035930?i=1444036197" target="_blank">One Bad Apple</a> </i>and <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/kung-fu-fighting/1144155170?i=1144155182" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Kung Fu Fighting</a>, in our gut we were terrified by the stress-inducing events that were happening all around us. We lamented the Kent State shootings, fretted about gas shortages, shook our head in disbelief at the corruption of <a href="https://www.epa.gov/archive/epa/aboutepa/love-canal-tragedy.html" target="_blank">Love Canal</a>, worried that Three Mile Island or some other nuclear disaster would cause our doom, and secretly feared murderous wackos like Ted Bundy, Son of Sam and Jim Jones.</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>So could it be that all of the fear, pressure and angst built up during the 1970's manifested itself in, of all things, the decade’s most popular board games?</b> Consider some of the ones that were best selling and most played at the time and the gameplay each involved:</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn909DdDOwkOsIavLS4BLgePqdU-9Dg6VnZCfrrXdnb6ie6-1KZm1Tu5NsvZmOiPWsb-vC3gS4AjY2g3_JPZk3LaPYvCMth89XJ7Eoe9r6lM6bYn2KjRAQZT76Z7UjQzWF_Kbxsm4zJy3givulOc1b_kykyjcG9SDg6pq2i06PySzHpfBzKhYGR5FJYGXL/s903/Operation.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="903" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn909DdDOwkOsIavLS4BLgePqdU-9Dg6VnZCfrrXdnb6ie6-1KZm1Tu5NsvZmOiPWsb-vC3gS4AjY2g3_JPZk3LaPYvCMth89XJ7Eoe9r6lM6bYn2KjRAQZT76Z7UjQzWF_Kbxsm4zJy3givulOc1b_kykyjcG9SDg6pq2i06PySzHpfBzKhYGR5FJYGXL/w400-h238/Operation.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Operation put our nerves to the test as we tried to steel ourselves and "take out his spare rib for $100." Touch the sides with those tweezers and you’d trigger a loud buzzer indicating you’d botched the surgery and killed the patient. (Talk about stress!) Meanwhile </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Perfection, which debuted in 1973, had us racing against time to place cut out shapes in their corresponding holes before the timer ran out and the whole thing went kaplooey in our faces. This unforgiving game demanded just what its name specified -- perfection. Getting some or most of the shapes in place meant bupkis so the game's all or nothing, tension-building premise had us all sweating from start to finish.</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f5FtquCJr84?si=OtQKYd6lKSL7uCta" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Perhaps the most ominous-sounding popular games of the 70s — <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headache_(game)" target="_blank">Headache</a>, Trouble, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorry!_(game)" target="_blank">Sorry</a> — all had us maneuvering our pieces across the board in an effort to either outrace or sabotage our opponents. In its way, it was the perfect metaphor for the rampant consumerism and "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality that drove the US economy in the 70's before inflation took hold during the Ford administration. </span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Think this is all a bit of a stretch?... Well clearly something was going on in the 70's as we Americans, for whatever reason, played out the abundance of stress the decade had to offer with our dice, game tokens and <span style="font-family: inherit;">pop-o-matics. An</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> assortment of other forebodingly named games gained popularity during the time: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KerPlunk_(game)" target="_blank">Kerplunk</a>, Down the Drain, Don’t Tip the Waiter, Ants in the Pants, and of course, Don’t Break the Ice, which can be considered a not so subtle metaphor for the spectre of the US-Soviet Cold War. Similarly, Risk provided a much more literal representation of what might occur if the USSR (or some other communist regime) conquered the globe.</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Stay Alive, introduced in 1971 and advertised as being "quite deadly", had the stated objective of simply surviving. The game was wildly popular throughout the decade, possibly because it embodied our fears for our soldiers fighting in Vietnam, as well as for Patti Hearst during her kidnapping and the hostages held in Iran.</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="211" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lP7T8ZcLess?si=T-dgdQ3Dowl2FcCB" title="YouTube video player" width="375"></iframe></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, the defining political event of the 1970's was most certainly Watergate and its surrounding mysteries of who committed the actual break in, “what did the president know and when”, as well as who Deep Throat could be. Parker Brothers seized upon these same mystery and crime solving themes with its detective game <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj6izHRLHOI&ab_channel=TheMuseumofClassicChicagoTelevision%28www.FuzzyMemories.TV%29" target="_blank">Clue</a>, released in the U.S. in 1972 within weeks of the actual Watergate break in. And just like Watergate, Clue featured investigation, cover ups, accusations, and efforts to either guess or prove which of several characters committed the crime. </span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Whatever you choose to believe about our choice of board games during 1970's, thankfully, the 80's were a lot more relaxed and carefree. (Fyi, that's the decade when less emotionally taxing fare like Trivial Pursuit and Scattergories were best sellers, and just before the popularity of board games in general began to slump, thanks to the rise of home video consoles like Nintendo and Sega Genesis.)</span></div><div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-74083352588892529572023-10-16T20:32:00.012-07:002023-10-18T20:05:31.690-07:00And the Most Beloved (but Embarrassing) Artist of the 80's is...<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GPComwjqBKl3pZE3DAyNYrXXwvw09cCdfqJEyIbDwsRXvI8q0Wey46Sq21ppJs-USaOlx5pphgFOxkQVVN7zolSeRY5i-KDy6YuMi6KvRzpkQKdZbqZVydbTW6g5B-bla3aK8VRV4IZGfdhjpozxP5PjspY6SgvtE1hZpQJxhwLG67VOS9heu7hJaoEw/s1245/Embarrassing80'sActs.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="984" data-original-width="1245" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GPComwjqBKl3pZE3DAyNYrXXwvw09cCdfqJEyIbDwsRXvI8q0Wey46Sq21ppJs-USaOlx5pphgFOxkQVVN7zolSeRY5i-KDy6YuMi6KvRzpkQKdZbqZVydbTW6g5B-bla3aK8VRV4IZGfdhjpozxP5PjspY6SgvtE1hZpQJxhwLG67VOS9heu7hJaoEw/w640-h506/Embarrassing80'sActs.png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Started an open-ended </span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/80s/comments/175uayz/which_80s_bandartist_did_you_love_or_still_love/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">discussion on Reddit</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> recently asking which 80's band or artist do/did you love BUT are kind of ashamed to admit. The many responses ranged from the obvious (Tiffany, Kenny G, New Kids on the Block) to the obscure (Sigue Sigue Sputnik.) The conversation sparked remembrances of long forgotten acts like Cameo, Winger and El Debarge, shout outs to the criminally underrated ABC and Human League, and confessions by unabashed metal heads of their secret love for Madonna and Debbie Gibson. But surprisingly, the number one artist (measured by mentions in comments and subsequent upvotes) was British new waver Adam Ant... </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">No, I'm not kidding; Adam Ant won in a landslide... </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What's funny is I thought of him when I put together the above collage image intended to spark this discussion -- but I never imagined he was so beloved by others.</span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o41A91X5pns?si=QEw9B_aC8MFIJvtf" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>Cyndi Lauper, Huey Lewis and the News, Genesis, Pet Shop Boys and Warrant all fared well but the top five are listed below.</p><p>Adam Ant - 101</p><p>Air Supply - 67</p><p>Wham/George Michael - 57</p><p>Ratt - 57</p><p>Go-Go's - 33</p><p>The Cure - 26</p><p><br /></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Related Posts:<br /></b><a href="https://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2009/04/10-songs-that-defined-80s.html" target="_blank">10 Songs That Defined The 80's</a></p><p><br /></p>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-55158174041349093552023-10-04T23:07:00.008-07:002023-10-04T23:20:18.445-07:00Family Guy's Funniest Pop Culture References, Vol. 2The Pink Panther experiences the downside of corporate shilling.<div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ocki26GYAdM?si=CSDnCn7GyHAQKHEa" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> </div><div><br /></div>
<div>Peter meets the "Dons" of pop culture.</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="202" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DN0WfyjjqH0?si=fj-t1d_AVWgcJtdK" title="YouTube video player" width="358"></iframe> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">
The <i>Game of Thrones</i> walk of shame (Aretha Franklin style!)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="202" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JUkVV2-oP-4?si=4hqN4SzV-gCCcdVY" title="YouTube video player" width="358"></iframe></div><br />
Peter gets a little lost was traveling on the Great Space Coaster.</div><div><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="202" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Icao9qtCbVA?si=5vdGGetiU_-_MAQr" title="YouTube video player" width="358"></iframe></div><br />
Now we know what happened to the other three <i>Friends</i> cast members.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jw0nixwc_b0?si=RRRb93DqFcd1HHNf" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><br />
It's true -- you never realized how disturbing the <i>Lost in Space</i> plots actually were.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6YsMkTmfoNI?si=CBHoNpQvXW6I6gUp" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><br />Popeye is having health problems.</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="202" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NToDMpoViv0?si=-XXe5mwYdj1DoiKt" title="YouTube video player" width="358"></iframe></div><br />
Peter falls in love with Kathy Ireland (sort of) and croons a Billy Ocean tune.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rTnlEYaXwrU?si=HW4l4EeydpoAZsQu" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Related Posts:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2009/07/family-guys-funniest-pop-culture.html">Family Guy's Funniest Pop Culture References</a></div>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-35839378152163929692023-09-25T23:19:00.019-07:002023-10-05T14:16:26.404-07:00The Pop Culture Fiend Photo Gallery is Finally Here!<p>The <i><a href="https://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/search/label/Pop%20Culture%20Fiend%20Archives">Pop Culture Fiend Archives</a></i> includes an extensive collection of popular (and obscure) periodicals dating back as far as the early 1980's. My closets house crates and bins with literally hundreds of magazines (from a wide variety of genres) including <i>Time, </i><i>Newsweek, People, Us, Ebony, Sports Illustrated, Flex, Ironman, Muscle and Fitness, Runners World, Tennis, Men's Health, GQ, Vanity Fare, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Vogue, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Photo</i> and <i>Rolling Stone</i>. The collection also includes defunct titles like <i><a href="https://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2009/04/what-hell-happened-to-maxim.html">Maxim</a>, Stuff, Spin, Spy, Entertainment Weekly, InStyle, Life, U.S. News & World Report, Sport, Parade</i>, <i>Premiere, Movieline</i> and <i>Playboy</i>; along with several short-lived and/or long forgotten ones like <i>Details, Detour, Model, Mouth to Mouth, Code, Bikini, Razor, Inside Sports</i>, and <i>Mirabella</i>.</p><p>Now in addition to these full issues that take up far too much of my closet space, there were also scores of other issues that I chose to get rid of... but not before I clipped and saved a ton of their best and coolest articles and photos. These photos now occupy yet another plastic storage container in my humble dwelling and now, after many, MANY years, I've finally gotten around to scanning/digitizing them so they can be preserved and shared. You can scroll to see some of my first batch and I'll also be posting a lot of these to relevant communities on Reddit, including subs like r/OldSchoolCelebs, r/80s, r/90s, r/ClassicScreenBeauties and r/GenX.</p><p>Finally, know that many of these photos are extremely rare. I Google image searched a bunch of them and in many instances didn't find them anywhere else on the internet. So I guess props to me for being the conscientious custodian and curator of this content. After all, there aren't many of us who possess such a volume of 30-40 year old magazines and photos, or who would take the time to scan, digitally enhance, upload and publish them online.</p><p>I guess that's just what makes me the Pop Culture Fiend.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFLr5vseDnB5iCpTujuYGaJuhLgmKLkV2Orsh3CSetTMaZkKXEugwdydUtLov8FMepXWhbqyovm7AoFR7-tp5TiaBxObcf-THSCL7Jctt0sWr2QrvEN5GgnO9EWtAyDHfs_8ehgMzIk9zsVI7svJeihiHkjSRZgFt-2LpQsCrGuclXDi5r1E76QN9wCUv/s6358/Richard%20Gere%20-%20The%20Cotton%20Club%20-%201984.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6358" data-original-width="4719" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFLr5vseDnB5iCpTujuYGaJuhLgmKLkV2Orsh3CSetTMaZkKXEugwdydUtLov8FMepXWhbqyovm7AoFR7-tp5TiaBxObcf-THSCL7Jctt0sWr2QrvEN5GgnO9EWtAyDHfs_8ehgMzIk9zsVI7svJeihiHkjSRZgFt-2LpQsCrGuclXDi5r1E76QN9wCUv/w476-h640/Richard%20Gere%20-%20The%20Cotton%20Club%20-%201984.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard Gere in costume for <i>The Cotton Club - </i>1984</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7N-C6tbEG9Ld0tJlZMcOFGhwN480l6tDBf2BjqaGbpxjVNqejKBY3Nid0LeX0X44C2ZYi5VNWms2ibgIg5SVX8vZ7nLAfRDAD1LbyxpSFTngQ0gA0ljJEinXwVym6E5UNMuS2M5ORZkvwdH1vJIZZ-4x6pVy55uueffGkPlreIlHqw22l4a3J0d1G_cj/s3106/Belinda%20-%201989%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3106" data-original-width="2302" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7N-C6tbEG9Ld0tJlZMcOFGhwN480l6tDBf2BjqaGbpxjVNqejKBY3Nid0LeX0X44C2ZYi5VNWms2ibgIg5SVX8vZ7nLAfRDAD1LbyxpSFTngQ0gA0ljJEinXwVym6E5UNMuS2M5ORZkvwdH1vJIZZ-4x6pVy55uueffGkPlreIlHqw22l4a3J0d1G_cj/w474-h640/Belinda%20-%201989%20(2).jpg" width="474" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belinda Carlisle - 1988</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidzJgvw3277ArtwBROiF9DEG4kgkfPwGFkgCFZmLERbQ0d1XdiIbpWKMuuFA3gtvBHb1xdotRb3bZjUz5wl-ZhUrTKqwkw7dubgheSPSia8nyzIU0qIAqPEaYddDh_pXi_EAtYYWk5-q2MiUZ-nUAUcsXAdylu0ugauh6kPuatm-Ak6sn3VpCspqTdTJx/s5079/Farrah%20-%20B&W%20(2a).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5079" data-original-width="4708" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidzJgvw3277ArtwBROiF9DEG4kgkfPwGFkgCFZmLERbQ0d1XdiIbpWKMuuFA3gtvBHb1xdotRb3bZjUz5wl-ZhUrTKqwkw7dubgheSPSia8nyzIU0qIAqPEaYddDh_pXi_EAtYYWk5-q2MiUZ-nUAUcsXAdylu0ugauh6kPuatm-Ak6sn3VpCspqTdTJx/w594-h640/Farrah%20-%20B&W%20(2a).jpg" width="594" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farrah Fawcett - 1990's</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlv1cvllL-oFMdmAqJNiIeGvtvJJPiNjC_4PTyig-kqYzTahOgqYkZkmMT_n4jjc8sYh4x3lbo9ZYW2duXoTx0hP6BW91VvOv1owtD1z1t_isIjpwnGiTgSr09yeaMoF-p-rJki0cHHV7orWLOXt0iR5Cij7Ph3kSQ4gaVgjAtOvoDSE3fJggywfT-QwqI/s1314/Bruce%20Willis%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1314" data-original-width="636" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlv1cvllL-oFMdmAqJNiIeGvtvJJPiNjC_4PTyig-kqYzTahOgqYkZkmMT_n4jjc8sYh4x3lbo9ZYW2duXoTx0hP6BW91VvOv1owtD1z1t_isIjpwnGiTgSr09yeaMoF-p-rJki0cHHV7orWLOXt0iR5Cij7Ph3kSQ4gaVgjAtOvoDSE3fJggywfT-QwqI/w310-h640/Bruce%20Willis%20(2).jpg" width="310" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bruce Willis</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKMzexKjt5Eo1ZJQDHyuhZceWPbCnFyLJmCUTO2hMszBufK4nU9zsHRAm6fN-HKi2RBiqapouqe7g8q8s0eqVMj50it3z92GyBbdBVawoCHuASpGpOb_FmlCo-QTWM9mznliroP2XyCnpTERHyST72KxOmRGedOUCLajJMZVEIBijs4stSxCR3W4FvMd8/s3151/Cybill%20Shepherd.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3151" data-original-width="2371" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKMzexKjt5Eo1ZJQDHyuhZceWPbCnFyLJmCUTO2hMszBufK4nU9zsHRAm6fN-HKi2RBiqapouqe7g8q8s0eqVMj50it3z92GyBbdBVawoCHuASpGpOb_FmlCo-QTWM9mznliroP2XyCnpTERHyST72KxOmRGedOUCLajJMZVEIBijs4stSxCR3W4FvMd8/w482-h640/Cybill%20Shepherd.jpg" width="482" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cybill Shepherd</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchnujBx71APTXSYKrT_KfLg283fyrUS2rcucnEA6P_0DgZHuYoYNou3A8TOXEWhOgJ64_sx65fkNOmBYfMKFL9pQDPMFQRxqgJrs-GiId5gVUXy0fB3eL1xsxbmU9A6ITP_p7mdD3XitvCdE4kDdc1LaWZPOl7YlNKtqKqbZtCyerfd1Tiz6CifxRTLvJ/s1552/Salma%20Hayek%20-%2090's%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1552" data-original-width="1174" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchnujBx71APTXSYKrT_KfLg283fyrUS2rcucnEA6P_0DgZHuYoYNou3A8TOXEWhOgJ64_sx65fkNOmBYfMKFL9pQDPMFQRxqgJrs-GiId5gVUXy0fB3eL1xsxbmU9A6ITP_p7mdD3XitvCdE4kDdc1LaWZPOl7YlNKtqKqbZtCyerfd1Tiz6CifxRTLvJ/w484-h640/Salma%20Hayek%20-%2090's%20(2).jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salma Hayek</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6s48vG1v5e2O-4S6h7iqJJxS2vKbl8hQSsKKM1pOrmrZDy3HELsox5DXjLdHPWniYHseZkJqot2hpaksoLykOjwXWP9Kob3M4Up75uomlw3tasVw02zSzYkx01zBLsu2vXTg-s3E1Zsj6073ixIYz0wS_6WlJC5tlxqH1iOwFxVzynMr6jHcfdWBkDjMJ/s1368/Patti%20Smyth%20-%20Spin%20(3).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="993" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6s48vG1v5e2O-4S6h7iqJJxS2vKbl8hQSsKKM1pOrmrZDy3HELsox5DXjLdHPWniYHseZkJqot2hpaksoLykOjwXWP9Kob3M4Up75uomlw3tasVw02zSzYkx01zBLsu2vXTg-s3E1Zsj6073ixIYz0wS_6WlJC5tlxqH1iOwFxVzynMr6jHcfdWBkDjMJ/w464-h640/Patti%20Smyth%20-%20Spin%20(3).jpg" width="464" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patti Smyth (former lead singer of Scandal) - 1988</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisAP7qiq9mD5p_eCqhJaXGpBsGSKKEG60I0Ir-BrhR20QyinEFsQtCVoU7CAR2GElF5_X-7EjQtIidc-YvL_5hw8CbaIs_MQE-XiKAgkhlqmV6JvYD2nSeEiBdwV2p9c1PKQW8g2XgZMk2Md0KAiTDf0qw33GwawzVx3qrg5ebvh8LHURZAhCIZtIl9aO6/s2043/Demi%20Moore,%20Emilio%20Estevez,%20Melissa%20Gilbert%20&%20Rob%20Lowe.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1501" data-original-width="2043" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisAP7qiq9mD5p_eCqhJaXGpBsGSKKEG60I0Ir-BrhR20QyinEFsQtCVoU7CAR2GElF5_X-7EjQtIidc-YvL_5hw8CbaIs_MQE-XiKAgkhlqmV6JvYD2nSeEiBdwV2p9c1PKQW8g2XgZMk2Md0KAiTDf0qw33GwawzVx3qrg5ebvh8LHURZAhCIZtIl9aO6/w640-h470/Demi%20Moore,%20Emilio%20Estevez,%20Melissa%20Gilbert%20&%20Rob%20Lowe.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">80's stars Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez, Melissa Gilbert & Rob Lowe at an anti-nuke event<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwtAFPgAbX22zRrb7ZWBtu2uxlWTYoCGeNdxc4SVPbsgWncd8zo7JA5xRC51sQLRPxjxn174ACzgXqBmrlDSEKN16hEV_4bD3oQ3vk3OPl0xMoqLFacAZfHtQs3KR8200_NbQeYM-Zd5OdYklPMcbcqPyXzUkthDGz-A9OGHnI6qF1HOdibG57I1wZt6L/s651/Billy%20Joel%20&%20Christie%20Brinkley%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="651" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwtAFPgAbX22zRrb7ZWBtu2uxlWTYoCGeNdxc4SVPbsgWncd8zo7JA5xRC51sQLRPxjxn174ACzgXqBmrlDSEKN16hEV_4bD3oQ3vk3OPl0xMoqLFacAZfHtQs3KR8200_NbQeYM-Zd5OdYklPMcbcqPyXzUkthDGz-A9OGHnI6qF1HOdibG57I1wZt6L/s320/Billy%20Joel%20&%20Christie%20Brinkley%20(2).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Billy Joel & Christie Brinkley<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNPobLaYbWEgh5SS6tcQgkvajt98MP_6FQ5Ic2RMG6V3puYOPF7DMpjGCQrLeIA5LzFCKqKmtUSB5BYdpSJbuWwxUY_daE9TOOuSCen0Fpr-vJBm7TvQnDDCFVfaKT_eEUNmT_52McNrDnN-6qhMVcGZcqlYv4AAzZCGYYBc06J-jI8E2vnyHU8xwvLdK/s6358/Natasha%20Henstridge%20(1a).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6358" data-original-width="4747" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNPobLaYbWEgh5SS6tcQgkvajt98MP_6FQ5Ic2RMG6V3puYOPF7DMpjGCQrLeIA5LzFCKqKmtUSB5BYdpSJbuWwxUY_daE9TOOuSCen0Fpr-vJBm7TvQnDDCFVfaKT_eEUNmT_52McNrDnN-6qhMVcGZcqlYv4AAzZCGYYBc06J-jI8E2vnyHU8xwvLdK/w478-h640/Natasha%20Henstridge%20(1a).jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Natasha Henstridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-47431327981778357132023-07-24T13:12:00.005-07:002023-11-19T22:15:31.876-08:0040 Years Ago, Risky Business Legitimized Teen Comedy<p>With due respect to the John Hughes'
classic <i>The Breakfast Club</i>, the most important teen movie of
the 1980's may very well be <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl-SwgxkNZs&ab_channel=RottenTomatoesClassicTrailers" target="_blank">Risky Business</a></i>. Released 40 years
ago, Paul Brickman's <i>Risky Business</i> legitimized
teen comedy like no film before it and set the stage for the “High
Renaissance” of that subgenre that took place in the middle of the
decade.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BYeAgVZcLxvjuDiWLNjQFTVtfsuy_cq5aasSFzG7HPtP7TgRErK6-13zOa-FAWFIXmRC09rRIYdal9IFlPRMzge4ndUa-Hm6pfMfkL4YuM3kiDSwoH5vqSlDGL9xfxzmuENUEKifh_L3lHMMDpbbTX5_StTohFklwMcFj37SfZPRg6FiEuWf61HllnaQ/s408/Risky%20Business.bmp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="408" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BYeAgVZcLxvjuDiWLNjQFTVtfsuy_cq5aasSFzG7HPtP7TgRErK6-13zOa-FAWFIXmRC09rRIYdal9IFlPRMzge4ndUa-Hm6pfMfkL4YuM3kiDSwoH5vqSlDGL9xfxzmuENUEKifh_L3lHMMDpbbTX5_StTohFklwMcFj37SfZPRg6FiEuWf61HllnaQ/w640-h454/Risky%20Business.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The early 1980's was an era filled with
“high school boys looking to get laid” comedies (e.g., <i>Porky's,
Losin' it, My Tutor</i>) that were thin on story and heavy on goofy,
sometimes inane, humor. But then <i>Risky Business </i>comes along,
featuring that same teenage boy out for sex... except now we get to
see WHY he's experiencing that sexual frustration (as well as a ton of other anxiety.) We witness the pressure he feels (some applied by his
parents, some self-imposed) to raise his SAT score, join school clubs
he has little interest in, and get accepted into the college not he,
but his parents want. <b>Tom
Cruise's Joel Goodson was the first Gen X hero</b> – bored,
disillusioned, forced down paths he's not sure he wants to tread and
enduring a suburban hell complete with a pristine home/prison,
successful parents he can never please or measure up to, and a voice
in his head warning he'll “never have a future.” As Joel courageously tries to live up to his surname, his
attempts to relieve his growing angst by defiantly maxing the volume
on the family stereo and joyriding in his dad's Porsche prove insufficient. Though the apprehension he feels about where he's headed
in life is apparent, relief seems unattainable. That is until he's pointed to call girl named Lana with
the promise, “It's what you want... it's what every white boy off
the lake wants.” It's this exploration of the unknown – the dark,
not so pristine world of sex, prostitutes, and life or death run-ins
with “killer pimps” – that drives the story of this restless,
uneasy Gen-X teenager.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It wouldn't be until the middle of the
decade – with Hughes' <i>Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Some Kind
of Wonderful </i>trilogy – that teen comedies would so earnestly
acknowledge and portray the contemporary fears and anxieties of those of us
who came of age in the 80's. Joel's experience in <i>Risky Business</i>
underscored a generation's gnawing need to subvert societal
conventions and oblivious parents who failed to recognize how much
emotional turmoil we were in as we struggled to figure out who we
were and what should come next. In the process, we also had to
navigate our way through expectations of continuing the American familial tradition that existed since the Great Depression, whereby
each succeeding generation acquired more wealth and success than
their parents. In these ways, <i>Risky Business</i> actually defined
Gen X, crystallized its world view and authored its motto with the
ironic and oft quoted line, <span style="text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQXKOxGhMuA&ab_channel=horaciomtz" target="_blank">“Sometimes
you gotta say, 'what the fuck.'”</a></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><br /></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyNZonbhOmqPA1RkgDtad-ZPTCg9VYG4Mh4IIoIgzMcD8k56q1YtFCHPnIC09_0tPmExeI-V5RDTcqkiNOT1dCbSyKkBoEBB_s9HwGc1kBHE3iQVZsSF8f31HQYGpHCJFGhcmP6qD8IMHUMtgihj9xD9Ga1j3UjaQTCDy7pExca0Oq-mG-NM-yjpTI5JX/s735/Risky%20Business.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="475" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyNZonbhOmqPA1RkgDtad-ZPTCg9VYG4Mh4IIoIgzMcD8k56q1YtFCHPnIC09_0tPmExeI-V5RDTcqkiNOT1dCbSyKkBoEBB_s9HwGc1kBHE3iQVZsSF8f31HQYGpHCJFGhcmP6qD8IMHUMtgihj9xD9Ga1j3UjaQTCDy7pExca0Oq-mG-NM-yjpTI5JX/w414-h640/Risky%20Business.png" width="414" /></a></div><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>Risky Business</i> would proceed to
enter the zeitgeist in several ways. The scene where Joel slides
across the hardwood floor in his socks became instantly iconic and
has been parodied in everything from <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M8rt5Sfk2E&ab_channel=ilikeonlinevids" target="_blank">The Simpsons</a></i> to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xptTBRji64c&ab_channel=MattHandel" target="_blank"><span>video
game </span>commercials</a>. Cruise's wardrobe in the film -- Docksiders,
button down dress shirts, Izod polos – became the standard for
preppies everywhere and after he sported 60's style Ray Bans in
multiple scenes, the brand saw a resurgence that continues to this
day. <i>Risky Business</i> proved particularly popular among college
students, so much so that within six months, it was screening on
university campuses and the film's one-sheet was pretty much the
coolest thing you could have hanging in your dorm room. By the
following fall, the film was a mainstay on HBO and its many memorable
lines -- including “Get off the babysitter!”, “Porsche, there
is no substitute.” and “Looks like University of Illinois!” --
were being quoted ad nauseum.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>Risky Business </i><span style="font-style: normal;">further</span>
set itself apart with its <span style="font-style: normal;">artful
cinematography</span> (Lana’s first appearance; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D90YGaEU0G4&t=18s&ab_channel=zee%D1%83%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%81" target="_blank">the train sequence</a>) and an ethereal original score by Tangerine Dream
that proved a huge departure from the typical teen movie soundtrack
full of contemporary pop and new wave hits.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The end result saw audiences
immediately embracing the film and its stars. <i>Risky Business</i>
grossed $63 million on a $6 million budget and, boosted by positive word of mouth and a
strong second run, would finish as the eighth highest grossing film of the year and the #2 comedy behind only <i>Trading Places</i>. An unknown Rebecca De Mornay (who won the role of Lana after Michelle Pfeiffer passed) was catapulted to
Hollywood's A-list and, though she worked sparingly, graduated to
starring roles in <i>The Trip to Bountiful, The Slugger's Wife</i>,
and the <i>And God Created Woman</i> remake. Over her career, she's delivered a string of stellar but overlooked performances in films
like <i>Runaway Train</i>, <i>The Three Musketeers</i> and <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjtfG8r14Uk&ab_channel=Knightley" target="_blank">The Hand That Rocks the Cradle</a></i>. Oh, and that Cruise guy did okay too
– starring in films that grossed a combined $10 billion at the
box office, earning multiple Oscar nominations and becoming what many
consider to be “the last Hollywood movie star.”</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Now, forty years later we can look back
at <i>Risky Business</i> and it's cleverly written script as the teen
comedy that broke the mold and forged an alternative paradigm for the
sub-genre. With its more serious take on the teen experience – in
this case, through its <i>The Graduate</i>-like themes of eschewing
the supposed American dream of an Ivy League education, landing a
high paying job, and moving to the suburbs – <i>Risky Business</i>
paved the way for John Hughes' films, <i>Say Anything,</i>
<i>Adventureland</i>, and virtually every other smart, thoughtful
teen comedy that followed.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Related Posts:</b><br /><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2009/05/evolution-of-80s-teen-movie-how-bob.html">The Evolution of the 80s Teen Movie - How Bob Clark, Gen X, and Home Video Changed the Landscape of American Cinema</a><br /><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2009/06/evolution-of-80s-teen-movie-how-bob.html">The Evolution of the 80s Teen Movie - How Bob Clark, Gen X, and Home Video Changed the Landscape of American Cinema - Part II</a><br /><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2008/11/welcome-to-pop-culture-fiend.html">Welcome to Pop Culture Fiend</a></p>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-76151554306306225822023-07-17T11:30:00.004-07:002023-08-06T16:14:46.009-07:00Explaining to an Alien How Humans Brush Their Teeth<div style="text-align: left;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDgjpDjTia7HYozKxl1RLvDdTqcGeldE5Gz1o9jkZ81SXmPKmIFVfWK9ck3aFdQzcpZ8u6Sqn-l-I7pv-0wsHY7rpSq24xOvCBgsIKnRwi4vCchKVlc7VJzYlrMAb-lF_jTQcyEGHOAGD5awnS8fQtWrjx__CWuiWWXbAsTeJUaOlFTa1PUP99Sj9_xbk/s634/Alien%20Brushing%20Teeth.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="521" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDgjpDjTia7HYozKxl1RLvDdTqcGeldE5Gz1o9jkZ81SXmPKmIFVfWK9ck3aFdQzcpZ8u6Sqn-l-I7pv-0wsHY7rpSq24xOvCBgsIKnRwi4vCchKVlc7VJzYlrMAb-lF_jTQcyEGHOAGD5awnS8fQtWrjx__CWuiWWXbAsTeJUaOlFTa1PUP99Sj9_xbk/w526-h640/Alien%20Brushing%20Teeth.png" width="526" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>… So long story short, a prospective employer asked me to take a writing assessment. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's for a gig as a freelance marketing writer for an “undisclosed” company. Now this assessment was pretty involved and required me to complete several exercises with both short and long form responses. It was also clear that I would have to conduct research and do some serious strategizing before formulating my answers. Here's an example of what I'm talking about:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>A local hair salon wants to run Facebook ads for the Christmas holiday season. They're offering 10% off gift cards that can be used at the salon. Their goal is to retarget potential customers who have visited their website. Their target audience is women ages 18-65 years old. </i><i>What is your recommended ad copy for their remarketing campaign?</i></div><div><br /></div><div>See what I mean?... Serious stuff.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I get all the way through the assessment to the final exercise and I get this weird curve ball thrown at me that I'm not even sure is for real – maybe it's just a joke or maybe they're trying to see how I would handle an assignment for something way out-of-the-box?... Anyway, this was it:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>We're aliens from another planet who have just landed on earth. We understand the English language, but many human activities and normal routines are foreign to us. We also consume food the way butterflies do, so we don't have teeth. To the best of your ability, please help us understand the average human's routine for brushing one's teeth.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>I was both annoyed and amused that they asked for this – so much so that I absolutely could not resist having some fun and giving it back to this company in spades. So check it out below -- my response to how I would explain to an alien how humans brush their teeth:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Greetings aliens. How ya doing? Thanks for coming all the way across the galaxy for this. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Today I'm going to explain to you how to brush your teeth. Teeth, by the way, are these things we humans have in our mouths that cut, mash and pulverize the food we consume before we ingest it. It's important to remember that if we don't brush our teeth, they will decay, rot and fall out -- and then we'd have no way to eat corn on the cob, Tootsie Rolls or Wendy's Baconators -- so you can see why this is so critical. Okay, here we go!</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>First, we move to an area of the home we call the "bathroom sink." We then turn a handle to start a flow of running water. Hey, did I mention that before we enter the bathroom we should really knock first because someone else could be in there giving themselves a bikini wax or a coffee enema or God knows what.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>So to brush our teeth, we begin by squirting this gel-like substance (called "toothpaste") out of this tube onto this short stick with bristles on the end that we call a "toothbrush." We apply enough gel to cover the bristles and then rub the brush back and forth, and up and down on our teeth. (We're told by our experts here on earth to use a circular motion when we do this but trust me, it makes absolutely no difference whatsoever.)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Now periodically, as we are brushing, liquid will build up in our mouths until it's full. When that happens we go ahead and spit out the liquid/toothpaste build up. We try to make sure that it goes in the sink and down the drain because if it doesn't and the mess just lies there, our wives will yell at us.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Next, we add more toothpaste and repeat the brushing process. The experts here on earth (a sadistic group of men and women we call "dentists") say you should brush for about two minutes. That's really just kind of a loose rule though because sometimes you're running late for work or you just want to brush really quickly because you had Italian for dinner and you want to get that garlic taste out of your mouth so you make out with your girlfriend.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Okay, almost done. After we've completed the brushing (and spitting) it's time to "rinse." So what we do is we take our hand and we cup it so we can catch some of the running water in it. By the way, I forgot to mention that the water should ALWAYS be running. Sure, we could turn the faucet handle and only run the water when we need to -- but we're just stupid, lazy humans and destroying our planet by wasting all that water is a lot easier.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>We then slurp the cupped handful of water into our mouths and swish it around for a few seconds. Now we spit the liquid out. (Yes, more spitting. Aren't we humans disgusting?) Then we look in the mirror and admire the great job we did by smiling at ourselves. (Maybe even give ourselves a sexy wink because dammit, we deserve it!) </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Lastly, we always leave the toothbrush on the sink and NOT in the toothbrush holder because moving it that extra 12 inches is just way too much work. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>And that's how humans brush their teeth! Tomorrow will be your next lesson... </i><i>"How to take a dump."</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>No bullshit, this is what I replied with and sent back.</div><div><br /></div><div>As I read it back now, it reminds me of this scene in <i>Sleeper</i>, where Miles Monroe (Woody Allen) comes out of a cryogenic freeze in the year 2173 and is asked by scientists to identify the people in a series of photographs from the 20th century. Miles' deadpan explanations are hilarious as he gives his take on everyone from Joseph Stalin to Bela Lugosi. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/59sN0iNeON4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-26543061729199072662023-07-08T10:28:00.009-07:002023-07-20T19:47:30.491-07:00A Deep Dive into Barry Allen's Speed: Exactly How Fast is The Flash?<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdUW2FWYDKSwt_G1iNoPGq_D5ddTwxj2wmb2Fqze81Ig52wv0UA-vfz4PfWZEHfzWNjLFO4kGXcG_P82yiJOHAYUr4gA0N-QAyl2tv5NHnzxKwhLwnpS6S0xrN1spNRrmnDS8xfU2whDx26WwtJ7AMO52apkl2IoH_O-9vuZacebBgkW9zvsr2QGUvmOD/s1280/The%20Flash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdUW2FWYDKSwt_G1iNoPGq_D5ddTwxj2wmb2Fqze81Ig52wv0UA-vfz4PfWZEHfzWNjLFO4kGXcG_P82yiJOHAYUr4gA0N-QAyl2tv5NHnzxKwhLwnpS6S0xrN1spNRrmnDS8xfU2whDx26WwtJ7AMO52apkl2IoH_O-9vuZacebBgkW9zvsr2QGUvmOD/w640-h360/The%20Flash.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With the recent release of the new movie <span style="font-style: italic;">The Flash,</span> I've found myself pondering the iconic character, his bio, as well as his powers and abilities -- in particular, how fast he's portrayed to be. When it comes to comic book heroes and their superpowers, this sort of speculation is common and makes for great geek debate. But it's worth noting that the Flash character has undergone a good deal of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retroactive_continuity" target="_blank">retconning</a> over the years. In addition, the recently concluded WB “Arrowverse” TV series <span style="font-style: italic;">The Flash </span>has greatly added to and confused Flash's mythology, sometimes even venturing into storytelling that deviates from canon. So for this article, I chose to go back and look at the <u>DC Comics Flash</u> and bring to light references to the speed of this earlier version of the character. To help with this I dug into the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><i>Pop Culture Fiend Archives</i></span> and my stash of DC comics from my youth. </span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To begin, it's important to remember that 1956-1970 was the "Silver Age of Comics" and 1970-1985 (a timeframe that encompasses my aforementioned collection) the so-called “Bronze Age". The Flash from these two eras is none other than Barry Allen, a Central City police scientist who gained his super speed via an accident in which he's accidentally doused with a mix of chemicals after a lightning strike in his lab (more on this later.) This iteration of the Flash is widely considered to be the definitive version of the character – moreso than Jay Garrick, the original Flash created by Gardner Fox in the 1940's, and also more than Wally West, who began as Kid Flash before later succeeding Barry. The Barry Allen version is also the Flash appearing and/or referenced in the new Flash movie, the aforementioned Arrowverse series, 2017's <span style="font-style: italic;">Justice League</span> and other “Snyderverse” DC pics, as well as several recent video games based on the DC Universe like <i>Justice League Heroes</i> and the <i>Injustice </i>series. So there's no question that when looking to determine how fast "The Flash" is, it's best to begin with Barry Allen, as this is the version who appears the most across all of pop culture.</span></div><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XUjNuGvtyz8?start=9" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></span></div>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 34px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So with Barry as the focus, when you examine his history and look for references in the comics about his speed, you discover a lot of inconsistency. Early Silver Age issues make a big deal about Barry running on water (something by the way, that <a href="https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/how-fast-would-someone-have-to-go-to-run-on-water/" target="_blank">would be scientifically possible for a human running even as "slow" as 50 mph</a>) as well as overcoming gravity by running up the sides of buildings. On the higher end of the scale, we see Silver Age Flash breaking the sound barrier. Comic book writers magnifying each of these specific exploits made a lot of sense at the time. In the 50's and 60's, rocket technology, jet engines, Chuck Yeager going Mach 1, etc., represented the outer reaches of what humans could achieve -- so an “ordinary man" gaining powers to match these types of things was superhuman enough for the comics. (It's very similar to the way Superman, around the same time, was heralded for being <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2l4bz1FT8U&ab_channel=MissingPieces4U" target="_blank">"more powerful than a locomotive."</a>) But as we moved into the 1970's and travel faster than sound became so routine that even <a href="https://www.britishairways.com/en-us/information/about-ba/history-and-heritage/celebrating-concorde" target="_blank">commercial airlines offered it</a>, the limits of Flash's speed predictably creeped up and his exploits (as we'll see) became more fantastical. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwCnwzIe4vI6M5k6gzBvQgg_y0oF8Y6zcapmY8n2nk75xVFtMwWIM-JbLzFJKj6yfzIVYyEPaBe98kYhnY00cV5ADefhC7FFiC2wHw7Aa6KOS_lFA2B0tg07C0UGAfEsHIKyCHSwl_NI3HhfZNtOR2G7uvN6mkBpAO9pl80W_JGQPJonJmEQ3Nds2W844/s898/Flash%20-%20sound%20barrier.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="898" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwCnwzIe4vI6M5k6gzBvQgg_y0oF8Y6zcapmY8n2nk75xVFtMwWIM-JbLzFJKj6yfzIVYyEPaBe98kYhnY00cV5ADefhC7FFiC2wHw7Aa6KOS_lFA2B0tg07C0UGAfEsHIKyCHSwl_NI3HhfZNtOR2G7uvN6mkBpAO9pl80W_JGQPJonJmEQ3Nds2W844/w640-h312/Flash%20-%20sound%20barrier.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 34px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As Barry carried on through the Silver and Bronze Ages, his extraordinary speed resulted in cool new powers, like the ability to generate mini tornadoes and even time travel. (In the comics, this sometimes -- but not always -- occurs through a combination of Flash's otherworldly speed and a device known as the "cosmic treadmill", which was first introduced in 1961's <i>The Flash #125</i>.) Now follow me here: the speed of light has been calculated since at least the 17th century and in 1905 Albert Einstein theorized time dilation -- the idea that time passes more slowly for objects moving at high speeds and that this effect becomes more pronounced as the object approaches the speed of light. Further theorizing maintains that if a person could actually reach the speed of light, <a href="https://einstein.stanford.edu/content/relativity/q2566.html" target="_blank">time would in fact stop</a> relative to that individual. So if Silver Age Flash writers like Fox and John Broome knew all this, than by having Barry run so fast that he travels <u>back </u>in time, were they implying that Barry could move <u>faster </u>than the speed of light?... It's entirely feasible, likely even, that the creative talents at DC were keenly aware of Einstein and his theories. He was, in fact, quite well known and heralded at the time of his death, which was only a year before the Barry Allen character was created.<b> Is it crazy to think that the creators of a fictional character possessing super speed would use Einstein's thoughts on light speed as background and inspirational material for stories about the "fastest man alive?"</b> It's worth noting that the concept of time dilation (i.e., <a href="https://youtu.be/NLlIKIBfN5Q?t=80" target="_blank">time slowing down</a> and potentially stopping as you approach the speed of light) has been incorporated into Flash comics<b> </b>and TV portrayals over the years, so it seems that at least some Flash writers familiarized themselves with the scientific implications of superspeed and used them to make the Flash and his flirtations with light speed more credible and "realistic." Silver Age Flash comics were also the first to recount incidents of Barry vibrating his molecules so quickly he's able to pass through walls and solid objects. Mastery of his body down to this molecular level is what enables what is arguably Barry’s most notable superpower --- traveling to other universes. This occurs in numerous Flash tales beginning with #123<span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Flash of Two Worlds</span>.</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2O4-Kg-UpI-_lLAcuQHTN3zSgZ-VnJsLyn5H8xG5CNwsTIOTBGiYKE916ed1UMr79gT-NRqol7WM45NH_I_YlOBnWljx-rfQfYhjyPFs7h4ls4n8zyQjLBcS3XwCUSY0aUZeS1k9YtRHVpK_5WcRGnJ9UuzOEWad_3BKz_uaopz7nBdemcL2ZNZqIHRtT/s516/Supes%20v%20Flash.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="347" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2O4-Kg-UpI-_lLAcuQHTN3zSgZ-VnJsLyn5H8xG5CNwsTIOTBGiYKE916ed1UMr79gT-NRqol7WM45NH_I_YlOBnWljx-rfQfYhjyPFs7h4ls4n8zyQjLBcS3XwCUSY0aUZeS1k9YtRHVpK_5WcRGnJ9UuzOEWad_3BKz_uaopz7nBdemcL2ZNZqIHRtT/w430-h640/Supes%20v%20Flash.png" width="430" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 34px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Flash's speed has even been defined via comparisons to Superman and in the pages of various DC titles <a href="https://www.cbr.com/superman-flash-races-winners/#the-first-race-between-the-two-in-superman-199-ended-in-a-tie" target="_blank">the two have actually raced several times</a>. Many of these head-to-heads were interrupted by emergencies of some sort but the record shows that Barry has bested Kal-El in the vast majority of their matchups. I bring this up because as I painstakingly poured through the history of Barry Allen’s Flash for references to precisely how fast he can run, I happened across a discussion of Superman vs. Flash that actually quantified the latter’s speed quite conclusively. Specifically, within my<span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Justice League of America</span> issues</span>, I recalled an item in the "JLA Mailbag" (a monthly Q&A with DC's editorial staff that appeared at the back of many issues during the late 70's) where a reader asks how fast the Flash can run around the earth. The rather definitive answer given is that while fellow JLA member Superman can <u>fly</u> around the entire earth in about one second, <b>the Flash can run around the earth in 1/10 (.10) of a second. With the circumference of the earth being approximately 25,000 miles, this means the Flash can travel 250,000 miles per second – about 33% FASTER than the speed of light. Extrapolating further, we get a measurement of Flash's speed of 15,000,000 miles per minute and a whopping 90,000,000 miles per hour!</b> This 90,000,000 mph figure represents the highest quantification of Barry's speed during the Silver or Bronze Ages. It is not, however, faster than Modern Age Barry Allen. I'll explain...</span></div><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For DC, the Bronze Age ended with 1985's <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_on_Infinite_Earths" target="_blank">Crisis on Infinite Earths</a></i> in which DC's <a href="https://nerdist.com/article/crisis-on-infinite-earths-history-legacy/" target="_blank">"multiverse"</a> was eliminated in favor of a single Earth and the entire DC universe was neatly consolidated. The fallout from this was particularly impactful for the Flash because in <i>Crisis on Infinite Earths #8</i> Barry Allen dies as a result of running so fast and with such intensity that he literally disintegrates. At the same time, to maintain consistency, <i>The Flash</i> comic was canceled. When it was brought back shorty after, Wally West became the new Flash until Barry's return in 2009's <i>Flash: Rebirth</i>. When Barry returns, he is notably faster than he was during his original run through DC's Silver and Bronze Age comics. This is significant because the explanation provided in <i>Rebirth </i>for Barry's absence for more than 20 years is that he wasn't actually dead but rather that he became one with (and/or was trapped in) the Speed Force. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So now we have to take another step back...</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The <a href="https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/04/11/the-speed-force-explained" target="_blank">Speed Force</a> is an energized plane of existence from which DC's "speedsters" draw power. Modern issues of <i>The Flash</i>, the WB series, the new movie, and every other modern take on the Flash include the Speed Force as part of the character's lore. It was introduced, in part, to address and/or resolve questions regarding the anatomical damage a human body would most certainly suffer by running at such incomprehensible speeds. The Speed Force puts a powerful aura around whoever is tapping into it, thereby protecting them from speed-related friction, G-forces, etc. In other words, the Speed Force explains why Flash's costume (and skin) don't tear off... how he's able to see and hear while he runs... and why he doesn't constantly cause sonic booms. </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But the Speed Force is much more than just a protective barrier. It’s also a cosmic realm speedsters can use to travel anywhere in space and time. Those deft or experienced with the Speed Force can enter it and exit anywhere they like. Those not so skilled can get trapped and lost in the Speed Force indefinitely.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But here's the thing... The Speed Force was never a part of the Flash's original lore... Not even close. The first reference to it occurs in 1994 in <i>The Flash #91</i> written by Mark Waid. He and other Flash writers, including Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns, through their stories, <b>established the Speed Force as an integral part of the Flash's mythology moving forward and also retroactively applied it to Barry Allen's history, along with Jay Garrick's, and well, all other speedsters (good and evil) who ever existed in the DC universe.</b> </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This means that Barry's speed and all of his speed-related past deeds, including time travel, are now explained as being made possible by the existence of the Speed Force. Johns, in <i>Flash: Rebirth</i> even took things a step further by explaining that Barry actually <u>created</u> the Speed Force himself when the lightning bolt struck him in his lab. Once that happened, the Speed Force began expanding in time and space to empower all speedsters before and after Barry. (This origin, however, has been contradicted multiple times and it's now generally accepted that the Speed Force has always existed.) Still, as confusing as its origin may be, the main thing to know about the Speed Force is that it essentially removed all limits to how fast the Flash can travel, up to and including light speed and even beyond.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7JPL_JvFzvMFa9fyA5WN5jj-w8gTDFuYmYYQU97Jdnzy9luXQTtuztJxdLPMO8V46kYruS5GnqkHruw6Ta3_sr-MTBlkZCmk-hB0yG69oHoTc4rPqR3uaxnm-XFfZFkZD_-Dw3OqZFbXiYK_0mcoI3ZyD99WbNeCFLFrlzvR_R71gI8r2OXB08WpIYCm/s1700/the-flash-nuclear-blast.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1700" data-original-width="1090" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7JPL_JvFzvMFa9fyA5WN5jj-w8gTDFuYmYYQU97Jdnzy9luXQTtuztJxdLPMO8V46kYruS5GnqkHruw6Ta3_sr-MTBlkZCmk-hB0yG69oHoTc4rPqR3uaxnm-XFfZFkZD_-Dw3OqZFbXiYK_0mcoI3ZyD99WbNeCFLFrlzvR_R71gI8r2OXB08WpIYCm/w410-h640/the-flash-nuclear-blast.jpg" width="410" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Modern Age DC comics back this up.<span> <span style="font-style: italic;">JLA Vol 1. #89</span> </span>begins with Wally West outrunning a nuclear explosion to save a city of 532,000 people by carrying each inhabitant (1-2 at a time the comic tells us) 35 miles away to safety until every single person is evacuated. Wally does this in .00001 microseconds. I was told there'd be no math but I'm told this equates to a speed of roughly 13 trillion times the speed of light. (But again, that was Wally West and this article is about how fast the definitive Flash, Barry Allen, is.)</span></div><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Upon Barry's "rebirth" he too demonstrates enhanced speed and performs feats infinitely more impressive than he ever had previously, including <a href="https://www.dc.com/comics/the-flash-2011/the-flash-26" target="_blank">running in the sky</a>. It seems the "new" Barry is more dialed into and able to draw more power from the Speed Force than most other speedsters apart from Wally West. This results in a vast increase in Barry's top speed during the Modern Age. And it's precisely <b>because the existence of the Speed Force has been retconned into Barry's history, there are presumably no limits to how fast he potentially could have been during the Silver and Bronze Ages either. </b>Looking at it this way neatly reconciles and gives more credibility to the 90,000,000 mph attestation by the DC editorial staff I identified earlier.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpifdbCsxQlTa7A6JaDrlOph6-vQcovjmquRru2PKl3PlmBiC7seqidSuVP0kXgSSqZktpH-lxCOAnzUlOiMkWqgKzFyiBzmXWZRNEGlvUgiD70OmtF3WyvJ8cnt94cT3SQF9Bq1J44GvEF4oIuAEMG7pjZ9JN2JmISMLLsjIU5dvIPUU_VMsGb1-lFGHL/s1113/The%20Flash%20-%20Attosecond.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1113" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpifdbCsxQlTa7A6JaDrlOph6-vQcovjmquRru2PKl3PlmBiC7seqidSuVP0kXgSSqZktpH-lxCOAnzUlOiMkWqgKzFyiBzmXWZRNEGlvUgiD70OmtF3WyvJ8cnt94cT3SQF9Bq1J44GvEF4oIuAEMG7pjZ9JN2JmISMLLsjIU5dvIPUU_VMsGb1-lFGHL/w640-h230/The%20Flash%20-%20Attosecond.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the end, we know this is the world of comics, which is rife with inconsistencies, contradictions and countermanding in matters relating to both character bios and storylines. Arguably, it's Wally who has proved most adept at marshalling the Speed Force and usurping its power to reach new limits but Barry too has used the Speed Force to reach incomprehensible speeds. Depending on how much he's able to tap into it, he has unlimited speed -- faster than light, faster than thought, faster than death, faster than time... He's even fast enough to live an all-encompassing, entirely instantaneous existence... </span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So yeah, he's pretty freaking fast.</span></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p></div>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-66532722417460476662023-07-06T16:13:00.001-07:002023-07-10T11:48:18.032-07:00Dick, Jason, Tim or Damian... Which Robin is Batman's Best Partner?<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbn6XpykMOy0l4skIb2tZ_N6dFm9CpsqSKCZ5zjzTRviNvCrUD3OH-FqNIwoH2HGoJ4wkPsE2zBVOFLcFWfD1YGr5T-D0VNpdfsk42Iyc_l6QygCGxmDH2qCjTJ4zHsmt_eKgZRnkwMAYr9IGzDpcDi6mh4CtQXOsm4B2A4rJvGnlnnVLMNcdO3Eql-5Eb/s602/Batman%20&%20Robins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="602" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbn6XpykMOy0l4skIb2tZ_N6dFm9CpsqSKCZ5zjzTRviNvCrUD3OH-FqNIwoH2HGoJ4wkPsE2zBVOFLcFWfD1YGr5T-D0VNpdfsk42Iyc_l6QygCGxmDH2qCjTJ4zHsmt_eKgZRnkwMAYr9IGzDpcDi6mh4CtQXOsm4B2A4rJvGnlnnVLMNcdO3Eql-5Eb/w640-h314/Batman%20&%20Robins.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Throughout his close to ninety year run
in the comics, Batman has managed to best nearly every adversary he's
ever faced. When he has <a href="https://www.dc.com/blog/2022/09/22/knight-has-fallen-batmans-six-greatest-defeats" target="_blank">suffered defeat</a> (at the hands of Bane, Lady
Shiva and a handful of others) it's often because he went it
alone without the help of his faithful companion Robin. With Robin by
his side, Batman is a far more formidable and exponentially greater
crime fighting force -- but this begs the question, <u>which Robin</u>
is the best partner for the Dark Knight? Some might choose the
ingenious Tim Drake; others might say Damian Wayne with his superior
fighting prowess, or even the ruthless, whatever-it-takes-to-win
Jason Todd. Arguments can be made for all but the most well-rounded
and suitable sidekick for Batman has proven to be the one and only
Boy Wonder, Dick Grayson.<br /><br />Dick is the epitome of everything Robin
is supposed to be and from the very beginning, Bruce Wayne connects
with Dick in ways he never did with any other Robin. This began with
Bruce taking Dick in and making him his ward after his parents were
murdered. Bruce's parents were similarly killed by criminals,
resulting in a tragic but unique bond the two share over the course
of their lives. More significantly, as Dick's guardian and mentor,
what is it that Bruce wants most for his young charge?... The same
thing any father (or in this case, surrogate father) would want –
for him to grow, thrive, succeed, and eventually stand on his own two
feet. Through his long term evolution as Robin, his leadership role
in the <a href="https://www.dc.com/characters/titans" target="_blank">Teen Titans</a> and his subsequent new identity as <a href="https://www.dc.com/characters/nightwing" target="_blank">Nightwing</a>. Dick
accomplishes this quite profoundly, all the while mirroring Batman's
greatest virtues – shrewd crime solving, unquestioned bravery,
mastery of martial arts, and an unrelenting need to bring criminals
to justice. In contrast, during his run as Robin, the rebellious
Jason is the proverbial “problem child” who demonstrates Bruce's
worst qualities – violence, anger, and a sometimes disturbing
brutality when dealing with his foes. Eventually, Jason becomes Red
Hood, an antihero who acts with a type of callousness and vigilantism
that Bruce struggles his whole career to keep suppressed.<br /><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Damian Wayne's Robin has similar character flaws.
Cocky, spoiled, entitled, and (like Jason) violent to the point of
murder, he was genetically engineered, grown in an artificial womb
and trained to be a killing machine by the League of Assassins. Bruce
had no influence on him during his crucial formative years and in
fact, doesn't even learn of Damian's existence (his birth was kept
hidden by his mother) until he's ten years old. By then it's too late, as Damian's self-importance, hostility, and borderline sociopathy
preclude him from bonding with Bruce in ways similar to Dick.<br /><br />Dick is also the one who keeps Bruce
connected to his humanity. Apart from Alfred, Dick represents the
closest thing to family that Bruce has. Yes, technically Damian is
Bruce's biological son, but he was bio-engineered and raised and
trained by others. Tim Drake also came to Bruce nearly fully-formed,
having rigorously trained himself in physical combat, detective work,
scholastics, etc. Dick, on the other hand, came to Bruce as a piece
of clay – ready and willing to be molded into the ideal protege and
crime-fighting partner. Along the way, he becomes a stabilizing force
in Bruce's life, drawing him back from the brooding, darkest sides of
himself and preventing him from becoming a heartless,
criminal-bashing brute.<br /><br />Finally, it's worth noting that Tim
Drake himself, in <i>Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying</i>, astutely
and succinctly declares, “Batman needs a Robin.” What makes
this even more profound is that Tim says this to none other than Dick
Grayson, as he's beseeching him to rejoin a Bruce who is wrestling
with demons after Jason Todd's death. This shows that even Tim
himself understands that Dick is fundamentally the truest Robin... and the best partner
Batman ever had.
</span></div>
The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-11733372758394005502023-06-18T18:29:00.008-07:002023-07-10T14:54:03.366-07:00Hollywood Writers' Stance on AI is Short Sighted, Reveals Disingenuousness and Fear of Technology<p>When considering the Hollywood writer’s strike and what the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writers_Guild_of_America" target="_blank">WGA </a>is asking for in its negotiations with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_of_Motion_Picture_and_Television_Producers" target="_blank">Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP)</a>, one issue resonates above all others -- the writers’ motivations and questionable stance regarding artificial intelligence and the role it could come to play in TV and film writing. Artificial intelligence (AI) and language models have arguably been the single hottest topic in the world of technology since ChatGPT was introduced by research laboratory OpenAI last November. This new iteration of ChatGPT is far more advanced, sophisticated and human-like than any AI or chatbot ever deployed to this point. <i>Wired </i>magazine, for its part, can’t seem to cover this topic enough and for the past 2-3 months it's seemed like <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=chatgpt+site%3Awired.com&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS906US906&oq=chatgpt+site%3Awired.com&aqs=chrome..69i57.11870j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8" target="_blank">every other article the tech pub spits out is about ChatGPT</a>. But as far as the Hollywood writers go, it seems they're showing concern that AI is becoming so sophisticated and powerful that it could theoretically replace and do part (or perhaps one day soon, <u>all</u>) of the job of a guild writer. The WGA is thus calling for studios to “regulate” or otherwise severely limit the use of AI in the writing process, as well as abstain from asking writers to edit or rewrite material written by AI.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigChJz9e0UYQhMqkH5CHAnu-nlajegHmKYoQTv2FC_GVQTsfZ3mCz8QelGoIAvs2bz-rZSQcRw08ZrSEe4xVozfV1g9MF7JHjzJyciS3DHTFxqdVMoP0T6KCcYFcNK7iy5b3zhB8HDGHHp3Sf_MxTidedLuW_ZGkrLCSq1OgYInXtp6D2oino7VblzyQ/s910/Writers-WGA-Strike-3.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="910" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigChJz9e0UYQhMqkH5CHAnu-nlajegHmKYoQTv2FC_GVQTsfZ3mCz8QelGoIAvs2bz-rZSQcRw08ZrSEe4xVozfV1g9MF7JHjzJyciS3DHTFxqdVMoP0T6KCcYFcNK7iy5b3zhB8HDGHHp3Sf_MxTidedLuW_ZGkrLCSq1OgYInXtp6D2oino7VblzyQ/w640-h360/Writers-WGA-Strike-3.webp" width="640" /></a></div><p>Part of the rationale behind the writers' hard stance is their belief that AI-generated work could never approach the prowess and richness that a human writer brings. Currently, this seems largely true. As of this writing, artificial intelligence can compose everything from haikus, to term papers, to sketches, and even more -- but the general belief is that the results lack “spark”, “humanity” and “flair” and, though serviceable, are not remarkable enough to move forward without considerable rewriting... At least that’s as of now.</p><div dir="ltr">
<div>One of the most valuable traits of AI and ChatGPT in particular, is that it’s constantly learning and improving, as it culls from innumerable sources to hone it’s responses and better fulfill the conversational, research, authorship or other task it's been assigned. ChatGPT is also great at mimicking. So, for instance, you can ask it to write song lyrics in a distinctive style — say, that of Prince… or The Ramones… or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morrissey" target="_blank">Morrissey</a> —- and it could do so. Similarly, when it comes to TV and film writing, ChatGPT could potentially be asked to imitate an Aaron Sorkin or a young Woody Allen. The quality of the result, as of now, may be questionable but as soon as six months, a year, two years from now, imagine how much better they'll be. Indeed, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/i-gave-chatgpt-an-iq-test-heres-what-i-discovered/" target="_blank">ChatGPT has already been estimated to have a verbal IQ of 155</a> and has passed both medical boards and the bar exam, so just think what it could be accomplishing in the near future. </div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>This is where the WGA has shown the most concern. Similar to how it negotiated during the 2007-08 writer’s strike to install guardrails protecting against diminished perceived value of the writer as a result of industry changes brought about by the internet and streaming, so too are the writers now looking to negotiate to keep their value strong as AI makes its way into the writing industry. However, on this specific issue, despite its stated intentions, there’s a good deal of false nobility and short-sightedness operating within the WGA. </div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>The guild justifies the strike in general (and the demand for negotiation regarding AI specifically) by claiming that it's seeking to secure fair consideration and compensation for current industry writers, while also ensuring opportunity for the next generation… It’s a half truth. In reality, what the writers are really worried about is their own jobs. <b>The entirety of the pushback against AI is not for the benefit of the next generation of writers, but for the financial security of the current one.</b> They’re worried about a day when a production exec fires up their laptop, starts a conversation with ChatGPT, throws out a premise, a few character descriptions and plot points and then lets AI go to work cranking out a complete pilot. In the WGA's eyes that’s a worst-case scenario. There’s also one where AI does all the heavy lifting (e.g., developing the plot, the characters, and perhaps an initial <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_treatment" target="_blank">treatment</a>) and then a human writer is brought in to work with the result by developing, punching up, and polishing it into something more usable. Revisions like this earn fees much lower than commissioned first drafts or even spec scripts. The writers are worried that if AI proves up to it, we could be looking at a world where (for instance) an entire season of an hour long drama could be outlined in an afternoon — and at a cost of zero dollars. That possibility scares the pants off every single writer in the WGA, as evidenced by the words of C. Robert Cargill (writer of <i>Dr. Strange, Sinister, </i>and <i>The Black Phone</i>) who weeks ago tweeted, "The immediate fear of AI isn’t that us writers will have our work replaced by artificially generated content. It’s that we will be underpaid to rewrite that trash into something we could have done better from the start."</div><div><br /></div><div>There are two things wrong with this way of thinking. First, it pre-supposes that anything AI produces is in fact vastly inferior (i.e., "trash".) How does Cargill (or anyone else) know that AI won't soon be entirely capable of cranking out a perfectly acceptable first draft?... It's emblematic of the type of arrogance that exists among paid, high-level Hollywood writers. Is it crazy to think that any intelligence capable of scoring <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/list-here-are-the-exams-chatgpt-has-passed-so-far-2023-1" target="_blank">710/800 on SAT verbal</a>, has enough mastery of the English language to handle a creative writing assignment?... The rub would be how much imagination, creativity, and personal style would be applied. But this is true of work created by humans as well. After all, it's already been posited that when it comes to storytelling, there are only <a href="https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/script-classics-conflict-core-four-types-conflict#:~:text=The%20opposing%20force%20created%2C%20the,is%20often%20the%20most%20powerful." target="_blank">4 types of conflict</a> and <a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/TheSevenBasicPlots" target="_blank">7 basic plots</a> -- everything else is just variations on a formula. Cargill makes it sound like he and his guild brethren alone are capable of gold standard work. On the contrary, the WGA is full of mediocre and pedestrian writers and the creative output of these and every other writer is, and always will be, judged with a good deal of subjectivity. For example, one decision-maker may deem a script a funny, imaginative take on a standard theme, while the next might dismiss it as too derivative and only mildly amusing. So it's the same with AI as it is with human writers. Whether it's a line of dialogue, premise, story arc, full screenplay, etc., the final result is always subject to criticism and being dismissed as "trash".</div><div><br /></div><div>Also consider that not every Hollywood writer is working on <i>Succession</i>, <i>Breaking Bad</i>, <i>Everything Everywhere All at Once, </i>or other<i> </i>top-notch entertainment<i>. </i>Less ambitious productions -- children's shows like <i>Paw Patrol </i>and <i>Blues Clues </i>have writers<i>. </i>So does Syfy channel schlock like the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharktopus" target="_blank">Sharktopus</a> movies and dopey theatrical features like <i>Cocaine Bear</i>. Game and quiz shows like <i>Jeopardy </i>and <i>The Wall</i> employ writers to create the contestant questions, and tons of entertainment and other segmented shows have writers penning "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstitial_television_show#:~:text=In%20television%20programming%2C%20an%20interstitial,after%20movies%20on%20premium%20channels." target="_blank">wraparounds</a>" and RPG video game makers need storylines for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaign_(role-playing_games)" target="_blank">campaigns</a> of their games. Is the WGA so haughty it thinks AI can't handle writing things of this far less demanding ilk?... </div><div><br /></div><div>Also at the root of the WGA's objection to AI is a fear of competition. <b>When the guild loudly protests against AI and declares it's protecting the futures of up and coming writers, it’s just posturing and PR. The WGA is in fact a select (fewer than 13,000 members) elitist group that has always sought to keep its numbers small — if for no other reason than to ensure more opportunity (i.e., writing gigs) for their own.</b> Think about it, if the WGA is so concerned about paving the way and ensuring opportunity for new writers, why does it direct its members never to accept or read unsolicited material from aspiring writers who might be seeking advice or mentorship? (Hint: it's not solely to guard against potential claims of stolen IP...) Why does it restrict membership only to writers who have been paid or sold something?… Why doesn't it offer meaningful mentorship or internship programs to unknowns?… It's because the WGA is designed to keep wannabes out, not help them break in. They don’t want expansion of their club; they want it exclusive, with power consolidated and jobs and paychecks reserved for them, the few. Though the political leanings of their individual members may lean left, when it comes to the nuts and bolts of how the guild operates, it’s decidedly under the worst type of conservative principles — protect what you’ve worked for; no assistance for outsiders. <b>Knowing their reluctance to include, aid or even compete with other human writers makes it even easier to see why the guild is so threatened by machine intelligence. This type of defensive, resistant stance arises every time a disrupting technology comes along. The WGA are candlemakers cursing Edison's invention. Streetcar makers railing against Henry Ford's Model T. </b></div><div><br /></div><div>Other technologies feared as job/business-killers when they were first introduced include radio, computers, robotics and television, which many claimed would ruin the movie industry. The VCR was accused of being a copyright-infringing invention and Sony (developers of Betamax video tape recording) was sued by the movie industry, resulting in the landmark <a href="https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/summaries/sonycorp-universal-1984.pdf" target="_blank">Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc.</a> decision that ultimately allowed home video recording to proceed and proliferate. Ironically, the movie industry benefited because by the very next year, home video sales were about the same as box office revenue -- and by 1995 more than half of Hollywood's American revenue came from home video, compared to less than a quarter from movie theaters. </div><div><br /></div><div>In nearly every instance, "offending" technologies simply cannot be held back and doom-predictors are forced to watch as the world simply adapts. For example, during the 1980's robotics (as many feared) did replace a large volume of factory workers. But this was offset to some degree by new jobs that were created for people to build, program and maintain robotic systems and equipment. But the larger point is that technological advancement always moves forward. Today, every major factory and manufacturing facility in the world uses robotics simply because it's a faster, more efficient, and more affordable way to do things</div><div><br /></div><div><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Here's perhaps the best example of fear of technology and the futility of it. When the MP3 was introduced back in 1990’s (and soon after peer-to-peer file sharing via the internet) what was the response of the music industry?… Panic, resistance, and litigation. Music companies took both purveyors of peer-to-peer technology to court. At the same time, they bullied (via injunctions, subpoenas and other court orders) ISPs into turning over the names of people who had downloaded copyrighted music, cherry picked handfuls and sued them. In some instances, it was unknowing parents of offending teenagers who were slapped with lawsuits. Meanwhile, heavy metal group <a href="https://metalinjection.net/news/kirk-hammett-says-metallica-warned-everyone-about-streaming-when-they-sued-napster" target="_blank">Metallica also sued</a> and then loudly raged against its own fans, labeling them criminals for "stealing music." Facing months, if not years, of costly litigation, Napster, which at the time stood at the forefront of peer-to-peer file sharing technology, was forced to shutter its operations. </p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">But once again attempts to suppress technology through lawsuits and other means failed. When Napster shut down, dozens of similar peer-to peer-companies and apps sprung up to take its place, including Grokster, Bearshare, LimeWire and Kazaa. At the same time, Demonoid, Pirate Bay and other torrent sites saw heavy user increase. Most of these companies were similarly targeted, sued and shut down — but not before ducking and dodging the music companies’ cease and desist orders long enough to contribute to the massive proliferation of music sharing worldwide. Looking back, a whirlwind of wrath, acrimony and confusion was born of the simple fact that music companies believed a new technology lessened their power and threatened their livelihood. And yes, it was true; thanks to peer-to-peer, music lovers suddenly had the power to listen before they bought -- or circumvent buying altogether and download a song (or an entire an album) in just a few seconds. Instead of sharing an album by burning CDs for their friends, they could (in seconds) instantly send a copy of that same album to literally anyone in the world. It was the power the new technology provided. It now existed -- and there was no going back.</p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 34px;"><br /><b>Now what the Hollywood writers need to understand is that the impasse between the music industry and peer-to-peer tech didn't begin to get resolved until music companies focused less on protesting, resisting and hiring lawyers, and instead got down to the hard work of establishing new business models that figured out ways to exist <u>alongside</u> peer-to-peer</b> and provide alternatives that gave consumers some of the same benefits the technology provided -- while still protecting artists, their copyrights and intellectual property. In other words, things were resolved only when the establishment, instead of working to limit the use of technology, acknowledged and built new strategies to remain relevant, necessary and preferable in the face of it. The result was iTunes, which gave music companies a distribution service that consumers could use to legally purchase music so artists and labels could be properly compensated. Did this solve the issue entirely?… Of course not. “Pirating” music remains a problem even to this day -- but iTunes (which evolved into Apple Music) and the rapid development of music streaming services like Spotify and Pandora only cane about with the acceptance, support and investment of the music industry. </p><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 34px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMGiDyQ4rk7S-yPWLh0oShJ01ExHIC0bPikCUVNrI6OBVZEUhUZyEr0h8jEwZcZTWFZHeBacJo3qPpfqEC04qTfKCIf1uyKdbfJT6s7KL6U3vziNbdb5uHK0XIZYJnu79MY3EWht41urO_Fl87UwS9-RzOe3cZjAUC3zH7TjXD9QyfRHiiwbWlS6XmA/s724/WGA%20Position%20on%20AI.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="98" data-original-width="724" height="86" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMGiDyQ4rk7S-yPWLh0oShJ01ExHIC0bPikCUVNrI6OBVZEUhUZyEr0h8jEwZcZTWFZHeBacJo3qPpfqEC04qTfKCIf1uyKdbfJT6s7KL6U3vziNbdb5uHK0XIZYJnu79MY3EWht41urO_Fl87UwS9-RzOe3cZjAUC3zH7TjXD9QyfRHiiwbWlS6XmA/w640-h86/WGA%20Position%20on%20AI.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 34px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span>The same thing needs to happen with AI and the WGA. <b>Instead of asking for promises that have zero chance of being kept -- </b></span></span><span><b>like AI-produced work never being used as source material (how could anyone ever be sure if something was written by AI or not?) --</b></span><span><b> the guild should accept AI and look to leverage it in ways that enhance but in no way replace the human writer.</b> Is anyone at this point entirely sure what those ways are?... No. AI applied to writing and the creative world is still much too new. But once fear is put aside things tend to get figured out. </span></span></p></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>The Hollywood writers have to understand that AI is a lot like Cliff Notes. When it comes to literature, Cliff Notes are in no way the equal of reading the book itself but, as millions of high school and college students can attest, they are still extremely helpful as a guide or aid. Similarly, AI is not the equal of a human writer -- but it can research, brainstorm, spark ideas, and augment. In this way, AI can today perform many of tasks of a "writer's assistant." A good example is a way I myself used AI recently. I have a screenplay that includes a character named Marcus Washington who longs to be a hip-hop artist. He's a supporting character and his musical aspirations are really only relevant in one scene. Still, I needed a stage name for him. Instead of wracking my brain and slowing down my process of creating the plot points, action and dialogue that actually drives the story forward, I had ChatGPT spitball some rap names. The results ("MC Dubz", "Wash Money", etc.) were perfectly usable placeholders. So even though at the time </span><span>I chose to press forward onto more important things, </span><span>whenever I do come back and decide on Marcus's stage name, the AI suggestions have </span><span>helped by getting my brain going.</span><span> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>AI though has far more writing capability than simply tossing out prospective character names. It can create storylines, inciting incidents, dialogue, parentheticals, and more -- all within the parameters set forth by a detailed, well thought out, well articulated prompt. </span><span>And this may be where the Hollywood writers' biggest fears lie. Not that AI will be used to perform research or (as with my example above) to brainstorm things of minimal consequence. Rather, that in the very near future, it will be executing at such a level that its work will be indistinguishable from that of human writer. But just as teachers and professors can't stop students from taking short cuts by using Cliff Notes, there's essentially nothing that can be done to ensure the elimination of AI in the writing process. Like with Cliff Notes and peer-to-peer, the light bulb, Model T, and practically every other technological innovation, there's simply too much convenience and time and cost savings to be had. Putting limits on the use of AI would be like asking someone to research a paper without using the internet.. catch a bus instead of driving... or stitch by hand instead of using a sewing machine.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yet these kinds of limitations are exactly what the WGA is insisting upon. Their worry about artificial intelligence in their profession is so great in fact, that they are making demands that their work never to be used to train AI. In other words, </span>if the WGA gets their way, <span style="font-family: inherit;">Open AI, as well as all other AI developers, would not be able to use the writers' screenplays, teleplays, transcripts and the like for AI to subsume in order to improve its performance. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>The idea of the WGA asking for this is laughable on so many levels.</span><span> First, because there's no actual way to prevent it from happening. Let's face it, the writers' work is out there and (though it remains copyrighted) available for public consumption to such a large degree that it cannot be realistically withheld from AI -- or any other person, machine, webcrawler, etc. The final shooting script (or at the very least a transcription) of practically every popular film from the last several decades is available and relatively easy to find online. Many other screenplays have been officially published in book form. (<i>Bugsy </i>and <i>Pulp Fiction</i> are just two that are sitting on my bookshelf right now.) </span><span>Plus, as of today no one outside of Open AI is even sure of how exactly ChatGPT is trained anyway, nor all of the sources it draws from for learning, which essentially eliminates any possibility of removing WGA-created content from the training mix.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>But the other reason withholding WGA work from AI is ludicrous is because it simply defies the nature of human creativity, learning and improvement. </span><span>It would be like Maya Angelou insisting that other poets not be allowed to read or study her work. Or Paul McCartney attempting to prevent other musicians from studying the chord progressions of his Beatles' songs. Or Rembrandt prohibiting other artists from viewing his paintings up close for fear of them replicating his brushstrokes. It simply sounds dumb right of the gate. With little effort, anyone at all </span><span>can find (and study) all of the examples cited above (Maya Angelou's words, Lennon/McCartney's chord progressions, Rembrandt's paintings) via hundreds of websites, YouTube videos, the public library, and countless other sources. More importantly, creative artists would never attempt to exclude a <u>human</u> <u>being </u>from accessing, analyzing and studying what they've published/produced -- so clearly the WGA's objection to their output being used to train AI stems from the possibility that Chat GPT's ever-growing intelligence could emulate and rival the writers' work to the point where it becomes preferable to studios and production execs.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Fears abound of where AI is headed and how quickly it will advance. We've all seen <i>The Matrix</i> and <i>Terminator </i>movies that imagine dystopian futures where </span><span>machines or </span><span>computer systems grow so intelligent they become sentient and ultimately replace, enslave or eradicate their human creators. It could be that it's not just science fiction. Experts in the field, including Open AI CEO Sam Altman, are already warning that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/30/technology/ai-threat-warning.html" target="_blank">AI could pose an existential threat to humanity</a>. Leading AI expert and ethicist Professor Simon Goldstein even went so far as to say that "</span></span>AI researchers don't understand the machines they've created very well, so there is a chance we will not be able to completely control their goals. If their goals conflict with our own and they are more intelligent than us, then it is possible that over time they will ultimately replace us as the dominant form of life on this planet.</div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The risk of this type of future (one straight out of science fiction) may be unavoidable. But human history repeatedly shows us that technology always moves forward and progress can’t be stopped. The much more likely scenario is that the sky is NOT falling and AI technology will have far less of a disastrous impact on both human existence and the entertainment writing industry than many may think. In the future, if we all embrace and learn the right ways to leverage it, </span>ultimately <span style="font-family: inherit;">AI will simply do what technology does -- fulfill its fundamental purpose of making humans and our society more efficient and more productive... The sooner the WGA realizes all this, the better.</span></div>
</div><div dir="ltr" id="m_-7162110878327119908AppleMailSignature"><br /></div>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-23155597920306593472023-05-14T13:59:00.018-07:002024-03-15T17:38:32.459-07:00In Redefining the Erotic Thriller Basic Instinct Also Changed the Face of Home Video<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WY562p4EWOSQQfEsE40E4Bln3sfKc-hwAHa0BtAs7b1urifUPOEnhW7O5X1uR8LRPf-FUoPj9W9-irRI5ed7kLSlcmO1oIIcX7-m-M__2_R__3vc7eyhYMXl2XF0rDyw9R9cw0KUNxck-_Otkb3YMA5-v5tFQtAWRvZP2w0t3lXdztG4rDh8FidusQ/s650/sharon-stone-basic-instinct-650x400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="650" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WY562p4EWOSQQfEsE40E4Bln3sfKc-hwAHa0BtAs7b1urifUPOEnhW7O5X1uR8LRPf-FUoPj9W9-irRI5ed7kLSlcmO1oIIcX7-m-M__2_R__3vc7eyhYMXl2XF0rDyw9R9cw0KUNxck-_Otkb3YMA5-v5tFQtAWRvZP2w0t3lXdztG4rDh8FidusQ/w640-h394/sharon-stone-basic-instinct-650x400.jpg" width="640" /></a></i></div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></i><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_Instinct" target="_blank">Basic Instinct</a></i>, which hit theaters in March of 1992, was one of the most noteworthy and influential film releases of the decade. For starters the screenplay, written by Joe Eszterhas, touched off a Hollywood bidding war before finally being sold for an eye-popping $3 million. The early 90's was a unique time in the filmmaking industry when writers like Shane Black (<i>The Last Boy Scout, The Long Kiss Goodnight</i>), Tom Schulman (<i>Medicine Man</i>), and Eszterhas (<i>Jade</i>) were inexplicably paid exorbitant amounts of money by studios for scripts that were far more run-of-the-mill than they were novel, unique or high concept. Nevertheless, the <i>Basic Instinct</i> sale broke records and the film's success sparked yet another career resurgence for star Michael Douglas. Topping that, co-lead Sharon Stone owes her entire career to <i>Basic Instinct</i>. The actress had been languishing around Hollywood for close to a decade, unable to make a mark beyond starring in feeble offerings like <i>King Solomon's Mines, Police Academy 4</i> and <i>Blood and Sand</i>. But Stone found a champion in <i>Basic Instinct</i> director Paul Verhoeven, who had previously worked with her in the 1990 big budget sci-fi effort <i>Total Recall</i>. As femme fatale Lori, wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger's character, Stone crushed in what was her first meaty Hollywood role. Additionally, <i>Total Recall</i> and <i>Basic Instinct</i> had the same production company (Carolco) and distributor (Tri-Star Pictures) so those relationships and Stone's previous work with Verhoeven almost certainly helped her land the part of Catherine Tramell in <i>Basic Instinct</i>. Afterwards, Stone's career took off. Her next two roles were another erotic thriller, <i>Sliver </i>(for which she received top billing and a hefty paycheck) and the Sly Stallone vehicle <i>The Specialist</i>, where she appears in steamy (no pun intended) shower and love scenes. By mid-decade Stone was wearing the crown as the sexiest actress in Hollywood and had earned a Golden Globe Award and Oscar nomination for <i>Casino </i>-- all resulting from the springboard <i>Basic Instinct</i> provided.<p></p><p>But of course what <i>Basic Instinct</i> is best known for is its highly sexualized plot and subject matter. Catherine Tramell, we discover, is bisexual and though the film took criticism at the time from the gay community for portraying her as a heartless killer, <i>Basic Instinct </i>deserves praise for having the guts to include a powerful and unashamedly LGB antagonist. </p><p>Beyond Tramell's sexual preferences, <i>Basic Instinct's </i>focus on sexuality, violence and general sordidness went to levels reminiscent of <a href="https://www.filmsite.org/filmnoir.html" target="_blank">film noir</a> -- a particular style of American filmmaking (generally considered to have originated in the 1940's) that features a cinematic focus on cynicism, crime, moral corruption and other "dark", unseemly sides of society. <i> </i>Basic Instinct's story is rife with drug use, stalking, deceit, manipulation, murder and psychological torture, And of course no punches are pulled when it comes to sexual content. In addition to sex scenes as graphic as anything found to that point in an A-list Hollywood feature, there's bondage, sexual assault, and of course Stone's infamous leg-crossing, vagina-revealing <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbCYUefb0qg&ab_channel=TheMoment" target="_blank">interrogation scene</a>.</p><p>Moviegoers loved every bit of it and <i>Basic Instinct </i>became a rare spring hit and the fourth highest grossing film of the year. Producers, writers and studio execs noted the film's success and (in the typical fashion of what we know is a copycat industry) began cranking out <i>Basic Instinct </i>clones. In no time at all, Hollywood had fully embraced this new iteration of the movie sub-genre known as "erotic thrillers." <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_of_Evidence_(1993_film)" target="_blank">Body of Evidence</a>, Consenting Adults, Whispers in the Dark, Sliver</i> and <i>Malice </i>were all released within the year and a half following <i>Basic Instinct </i>but these films certainly can't be considered the first in the genre. <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083178/" target="_blank">Tattoo</a>, Dressed to Kill, Body Heat, Sea of Love, Body Double</i> and <i>Jagged Edge</i> (also written by Eszterhas) from the 1980's, as well as <i>Love Crimes, Under Suspicion</i> and <i>Final Analysis</i> (all released just prior to <i>Basic Instinct</i>) all certainly qualify as erotic thrillers. But what <i>Basic Instinct </i>achieved was to take the core elements of the genre -- danger, suspense, morally ambiguous or outright sociopathic characters, storylines full of plot twists, shadowy cinematography -- and inject it with ultra-heightened levels of sensuality and sexual content. In this way, <i>Basic Instinct </i>raised the bar for the erotic thriller and filmmakers working in the genre began engaging in battles of "can you top this?" as they scripted and shot their films. S&M, group sex, voyeurism and other areas of sexual exploration where Hollywood films had previously only treaded lightly, were now on full display in major productions. From <i>Body of Evidence's</i> infamous Madonna/Willem Dafoe candle wax scene, to <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115736/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_bound" target="_blank">Bound</a></i>, with its focus on the lesbian relationship between the two protagonists, the envelope of explicit sexual content found in erotic thrillers was being pushed further and further.</p><p>But of course there's only so far theatrical releases can go in terms of graphic nudity, sex scenes and the like, and only so much A-list talent will agree to. Studios and distributors still had MPAA ratings to consider (<i>Basic Instinct</i>, in fact, had barely dodged the dreaded NC-17.) These factors and the ever-increasing prurient appeal of erotic thrillers led to an explosion of titles made by smaller production companies and then released by independent distributors (or subdivisions of major ones) directly into the home video markets. VHS rentals, cable channels in need of content and (later) the brand new DVD format (first introduced in 1996) gave film distributors viable alternatives for any erotic thrillers that pushed the envelope too far or otherwise weren't suitable for theaters. What's more, erotic thrillers quickly proved to be among the most-watched and most-rented titles. For example, <i>Color of Night</i> (with Bruce Willis and Jane March) flopped upon its release in 1995 but was one of the most rented movies of the year thanks to word of mouth about its explicit sex scenes. Soon a new paradigm was established: script and produce an erotic thriller on the cheap using B- and C-list talent; make it as sexually explicit as you can; combine a titillating adjective (“Indecent”, “Animal”, “Carnal”) with a provocative noun (“Sins”, “Desire”, “Instinct”) for the film's title, then skip theaters entirely and find distribution on late night cable and/or go straight to DVD.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgdkvVBOaA8JvfWPflk8pIkS9YVoSSrrLPciihuRYTQs9uB1n4vmE3b3mJchuw6sOc1aM-ECMZwiNzzOPTRzBBjcvNtgoXsmzn6PW0c2x5F-w4mCl1TRqBY-Rj5F3IvdDdJysRJqPztIWSfYAITeJe-k05olLSpXpId-svpSCMsK-Ds9nm9yKIz7PaLA/s2507/Scorned.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1410" data-original-width="2507" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgdkvVBOaA8JvfWPflk8pIkS9YVoSSrrLPciihuRYTQs9uB1n4vmE3b3mJchuw6sOc1aM-ECMZwiNzzOPTRzBBjcvNtgoXsmzn6PW0c2x5F-w4mCl1TRqBY-Rj5F3IvdDdJysRJqPztIWSfYAITeJe-k05olLSpXpId-svpSCMsK-Ds9nm9yKIz7PaLA/w400-h225/Scorned.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Indeed, this strategy worked so well that for the entirety of the 1990's, home video and cable were glutted with racy films like </span><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108142/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_sins%2520of%2520dei" target="_blank">Sins of Desire</a>, Animal Instincts, Scorned, Night Eyes, Illicit Dreams</i><span style="text-align: left;"> and </span><i style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107210/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_7_nm_0_q_indecent%2520beha" target="_blank">Indecent Behavior</a></i><span style="text-align: left;">. These and dozens of other low budget erotic thrillers heavy on sexual intrigue and nudity would soon become go-to after-10PM programming on Showtime, Cinemax (or “Skin-e-max”, as it came to be known) and other cable channels. Truth be told, f</span><span style="text-align: left;">eatures like these kept a lot of folks in the movie industry employed for close to a decade and what's more, many of the <a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-greatest-softcore-actresses-of-home.html">actresses who starred in these films</a> gained measures of fame for their sexy portrayals and softcore sex scenes. Even today, close to thirty years later, Shannon Tweed, Tane McClure, Maria Ford, Joan Severance and others are recognized and celebrated for their contributions to the erotic thriller sub-genre.</span><p>Early 2000's releases like <i>Original Sin, In the Cut</i> and the well-reviewed <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulholland_Drive_(film)" target="_blank">Mulholland Drive</a></i> and <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unfaithful_(2002_film)" target="_blank">Unfaithful</a></i> were some of Hollywood's final entries as the golden age of the erotic thriller wound down. Nevertheless, today you can still find scores of erotic thrillers on the various streaming platforms. Most still adhere to the rules of old paradigm (low budget, B-list talent, no theatrical release, etc.) and only occasionally do you see movies' biggest names revisiting the genre. Still, it's important to remember that in the 1990's many of the decade's most successful actors, actresses and directors (Demi Moore, Kim Basinger, Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, Julianne Moore, Gwyneth Paltrow, Wolfgang Peterson, Phillip Noyce, Barry Levinson and many more) all took swings at the plate with erotic thrillers – and all were looking to duplicate the grand slam home run that was <i>Basic Instinct</i>.</p><p><b>Related Posts:</b><br /><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-greatest-softcore-actresses-of-home.html">The Greatest Softcore Actresses of the Home Video Era</a></p>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-61101933862957024712023-02-24T12:11:00.048-08:002023-07-10T12:41:12.576-07:00Super Bowl Ads Lean Heavily into Pop Culture... Here's the Reason Why.<p>If there is any skepticism regarding
either the importance or financial impact of leveraging prevailing
pop culture to influence consumerism then look no further than this
year's <a href="https://www.cnet.com/culture/sports/super-bowl-commercials-2023-watch-all-the-big-ads-from-sundays-big-game/">Super
Bowl commercials</a> which incorporated a parade of pop culture nods,
references, and recollections. These included:</p>
<ul>
<li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Parodies of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_yGq_4xCKQ&t=60s&ab_channel=Rakuten" target="_blank"><i>Clueless</i></a>
and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDGwwVki13Q&ab_channel=MichelobULTRA" target="_blank"><i>Caddyshack</i></a>
promoting Rakuten and Michelob respectively</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">John Travolta teaming with the
stars of <i>Scrubs</i> (Zach Braff and Donald Faison) for a
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSO-Whn2sCQ&ab_channel=T-Mobile" target="_blank">Verizon-hawking homage to “Summer Nights”</a> from <i>Grease</i>
</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Comedian Wil Ferrell, in a
<a href="https://youtu.be/5jymEz9xkPQ" target="_blank">co-branded spot for GM and Netflix</a>, cruising in one of the automaker's EVs through the
worlds of <i>Stranger Things, Squid Game</i> and other Netflix hits</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Another co-branded spot featuring
<a href="https://youtu.be/miA1puOViJg" target="_blank">Marvel's Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) enjoying a Heineken</a>.</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Mega producer Diddy bringing
one-hit wonders like Haddaway (“What is Love”) and Kelis
(“Milkshake”) into a recording studio to <a href="https://youtu.be/mnySyKAoLpI" target="_blank">shil for Uber Eats</a></p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Ben Affleck (as himself) working
the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBIX9FG6kZ0&ab_channel=Dunkin'" target="_blank">drive-thru at Dunkin'</a></p></li></ul>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iDGwwVki13Q" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So why did these and so many other
advertisers (some of the biggest brands in the world) continue the
trend of leaning so heavily into pop culture, both past and present,
and use it as the foundation of TV ads that cost an average of $7
million to produce and air?... The answer can be found at the
intersection of psychology and one of the fundamental tenets of sales
and marketing.</div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Salespeople in any industry will tell
you that the following axiom is true:</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">“<i>A customer may not remember
everything you said during your pitch but they will definitely
remember the way you made them feel.”</i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">As a result, good salespeople go to
great lengths in their interactions to make customers feel “heard”…
“respected”… “satisfied”… and “understood.” Positive
feelings like this lead to positive results, e.g. orders, referrals,
recommendations and glowing Yelp reviews. And equally important,
positive feelings create and perpetuate a <u>positive brand identity.</u></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That, in essence, is how and why
pop-culture was leveraged on Super Bowl Sunday. Michelob's <i>Caddyshack</i>
spot tapped into our shared experience of laughing at Bill Murray and
company and enjoying one of the funniest comedies ever made. The
makers of that commercial recognized that <i>Caddyshack</i> brings
back fond memories, makes viewers look up from checking their phone,
and pauses their planned trip to the bathroom during the commercial
break. But more than that, it makes them <u>feel</u> something –
amused, nostalgic, giggly. Psychologically, those individual
sentiments coalesce into a general overall positive feeling that is
then tied to the brand being advertised. It’s something that's
working on both a conscious and subconscious level. <u>Referencing
pop culture (a popular movie, song, TV show, celebrity, etc.) offers
one of the most effective ways to tap into something (a shared
experience) that has (or had) mass appeal in order to generate
recognition and stir up those positive feelings.</u> In this way, pop
culture is the gateway into the hearts and minds of, in this
instance, <span style="text-decoration: none;">113 million Super Bowl
viewers/consumers. </span>You see and hear Travolta doing the number
from <i>Grease</i>; you recall and feel something positive, and that
positivity is now associated with the brand) And no, most people are
not going to see the spot and run right out and switch from their
current carrier to T-Mobile. But it is a way to boost the company's <a href="https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/what-are-q-scores-how-are-they-calculated.html/" target="_blank">Q rating</a>, which serves as a measurement of the familiarity and appeal
of a brand, company, movie, etc. Studies show a clear parallel
between high Q ratings and bigger market shares, so the formula is
simple:<br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>A pleasing pop culture reference in
the commercial creates positive feelings. Positive feelings lead to a
higher Q rating, which translates into increased consumer demand.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">With regard to this year’s Super Bowl
ads, the formula proved quite valid. Behavioral research company
<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/groundbreaking-ad-study-reveals-super-bowl-commercials-do-drive-consumer-demand-301753142.html" target="_blank">Veylinx analyzed the behavior of U.S. consumers pre- and post-Super Bowl LVII</a>
and measured the change in demand for the products of several large
Super Bowl advertisers. The data revealed that the aforementioned
Michelob <i>Caddyshack </i>spot helped the brand realize the single highest
in demand increase post-Super Bowl at 19%. Frito-Lay also scored high
with a commercial that included <i>Breaking Bad's</i> Walter White
(Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) cooking up
PopCorners. That spot saw a 12% demand growth, while Heineken
realized 11% growth after its Ant-Man ad.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">In terms of strongly influencing
purchasing decisions, “online buzz” – measured by statistics
like impressions, likes, comments and shares – is also a good
indicator. According to social listening and data analytics expert
Engagement Labs, <a href="https://blog.engagementlabs.com/top-super-bowl-2023-advertisers-that-dominated-the-buzz" target="_blank">brands that were highly successful at driving online buzz</a> through their
Super Bowl ads included the aforementioned T-Mobile, Clueless/Rakuten
and Dunkin', as well as Crown Royal with its commercial featuring
Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters. <a href="https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2689843/DerivingValueFromConversationsAboutYourBrand_MIT.pdf" target="_blank">Engagement Labs</a> also posits that greater online buzz about a brand can
result in more offline conversations which (though they are far
trickier to measure) also greatly impact purchasing.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">To be sure, pop culture was not the one
and only path to creating a great Super Bowl ad, creating buzz, or
spurring customer engagement. <a href="https://youtu.be/X8aV2tbCMUM" target="_blank">E-Trade</a>,
as well as pet food company <a href="https://www.today.com/pets/the-farmers-dog-super-bowl-commercial-rcna69924" target="_blank">The Farmer's Dog</a>, delivered memorable spots that created conversation
and raised brand awareness. But the overall winner in the latter
department had to be Tubi. The AVOD streaming service debuted in 2014
but has since gotten lost in the wash of both premier streamers like
HBO Max, Hulu and Netflix, as well as other AVODs like Crackle and
Pluto TV. What Tubi needed first and foremost was to make people
aware of its existence. Once again the strategy for the ad leaned
into pop culture, in this case not so much a specific property, but a
shared experience growing out of current pop culture. Don't we all
from time to time, in the middle of enjoying a show, accidentally hit
the wrong button on the remote and bring up the streaming service's
homescreen? Tubi cleverly gave us their own take on this common
mishap by producing a <a href="https://youtu.be/73p4lL1iq7w" target="_blank">commercial that looked like the Fox broadcast</a>, complete with commentators
Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen welcoming viewers back to the game.
Suddenly, the screen changed to the Tubi menu with someone apparently
browsing programming selections. The gag fooled practically everyone
and had viewers <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Com8hEZgIEC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again" target="_blank">screaming and accusing</a> each other of sitting on the remote. But more than
that, it brought Tubi into the consciousness of millions of Americans
who previously had no idea what Tubi even is. The ad gained the
streamer tons of <a href="http://usatoday.com/story/tech/2023/02/13/tubi-super-bowl-2023-commercial/11248410002/">“earned
media”</a> and fresh downloads of the Tubi app. Those downloads
translate into new viewers for the streamer to report, which
ultimately allows Tubi to charge more for advertising on its
platform.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the end, the Super Bowl advertising reaffirms that <a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2012/01/why-pop-culture.html">popular
culture has moved beyond trendiness</a> and beyond the realm of the
short-lived, and is something far more than just simply entertaining.
It provides cohesion for us as Americans as we’re able to find
common ground in our shared appreciation of a popular TV show, song,
movie scene, celebrity, etc. Indeed, popular culture has ingrained
itself in our society and now influences the way we communicate, how
we act, and with regard to advertising specifically, what we value
and choose to purchase. </span>
</p>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-74787849906911931132023-01-19T14:04:00.000-08:002023-12-19T19:38:25.535-08:00Commercial We Loved: Carl's Jr. Flat Buns<p>Carl's Jr. was once known for its provocative TV ads featuring scantily clad Paris Hilton, Nina Agdal, Kate Upton and other female models and celebs. It's hard to imagine in today's "Me Too" culture that commercials like these were ever even approved to produce -- much less air and become the identity of the brand. But in bygone days we were treated to not only those aforementioned spots but also the 2007 entry below -- an homage to this <a href="https://youtu.be/6M4_Ommfvv0?si=qnmni6G0hxZF_DTy&t=162" target="_blank">sequence</a> from Van Halen's 1984 "Hot for Teacher" music video. In contrast to big butt loving <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X53ZSxkQ3Ho&ab_channel=SirMixALotVEVO" target="_blank">Sir Mix-a-Lot</a>, two high schoolers deliver a clever "whiteboy rap" about their affinity for smaller, "flat buns" -- offered by both the restaurant and their teacher. </p><p>The titillating teacher in this commercial is purported to be actress Natassia Malthe, famous for her lead role in the <i>BloodRayne </i>sequels but the resemblance is questionable and there doesn't seem to be any definitive proof of this online. Whatever your opinion about this commercial, with lines like, "Got no heinie, I call you 'your highness', in anatomy class, you got a butt minus", you can't help but laugh.</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0n7dn1jrTXY?si=e1atIyW9bWOwpq6x" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b>Related Posts:</b></span><br />
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif">
<a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2009/09/commercials-we-love-you-will.html">Commercials We Loved - "You Will"</a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2009/06/commercials-we-love-terry-tate-office.html">Commercials We Loved - "Terry Tate: Office Linebacker"</a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2009/04/commercials-we-love.html">Commercials We Loved - "Laptop Hunters"</a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2009/03/commercials-we-loved.html">Commercials We Loved - "Be Like Mike"</a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2009/02/commercials-we-loved.html">Commercials We Loved - Super Mario Land 2</a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2009/01/commercials-we-loved.html">Commercials We Loved - Cindy Crawford & Little Richard for Charlie</a></span>
<div><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2009/11/commercials-we-love-fruit-of-loom-and.html">Commercials We Loved - "Fruit of the Loom & Big Fig"</a></div>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-1479878222111443292022-08-15T18:32:00.019-07:002023-07-10T14:52:13.836-07:00Return of the Streaming Wars!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMvDJPmiKsBDiaB-HPkbNXtH1U4LFoMy_z38fExVslQJOPNxjHHcKsehwhjJYugPVWfWp-S-0rcxXE-_vq8ldy5kIJBa0Atb1KRnWfm_eW44VPvNb-WBUhZfzYb3Jkc2JjblWsA7J56sEJwkRy4ZgVK9MOktcpAo8X7SecU7LEkudBF89b6JxMWsE7MA/s948/Streaming-Wars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="948" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMvDJPmiKsBDiaB-HPkbNXtH1U4LFoMy_z38fExVslQJOPNxjHHcKsehwhjJYugPVWfWp-S-0rcxXE-_vq8ldy5kIJBa0Atb1KRnWfm_eW44VPvNb-WBUhZfzYb3Jkc2JjblWsA7J56sEJwkRy4ZgVK9MOktcpAo8X7SecU7LEkudBF89b6JxMWsE7MA/w640-h432/Streaming-Wars.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here is the 4th entry in my ongoing series of audio blogs tracking the streaming industry. I cover all the important news, financials, business deals (and content) for all the major players -- Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, Paramount + and more! In this episode I discuss:</div><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Whether theater moviegoing is back and how this might affect the streaming industry<br /><br /></li><li>The controversial redefining of what exactly constitutes a "stream"<br /><br /></li><li>How Nielsen is failing in its efforts to accurately track and report viewership<br /><br /></li><li>Why Apple TV+ badly needs more content<br /><br /></li><li>Netflix's crackdown on account sharing<br /><br /></li><li>Disney+'s $887 million operating loss in Q1</li></ul><b><div><b><br /></b></div>Streaming Wars Update Vol. 2, Part I</b><br /><br />
<iframe allow="autoplay" height="50" src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/11X57VSgMCCU4hXSC4i7lczm8Y-82A50v/preview" width="322"></iframe>
<div><br /></div><div><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHYuSasPIZI&ab_channel=thepopculturefiend" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alternate Link<br /></a></b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Related Posts:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2021/07/streaming-wars-in-full-effect.html">Streaming Wars in Full Effect!</a></div><div><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2021/07/streaming-wars-update-part-2.html">Streaming Wars Update: Part 2</a></div><div><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2021/07/streaming-wars-update-part-3.html">Streaming Wars Update: Part 3</a></div></div>
</div>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-78132832543172671992022-08-09T11:32:00.039-07:002022-09-15T15:16:45.330-07:00Farewell Olivia<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This one is a gut punch. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'll start with this: Olivia Newton-John was... IS... one of the best of all time. The sweet-voiced Australian crooner with the majestic name who became a global pop superstar. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>In 1978 (when I was an extremely young Pop Culture Fiend) my mom and I visited my aunt in Philadelphia for two weeks during the summer. I had just seen the movie <i>Grease </i>a week or so earlier and the film had a huge impact on me. Not only was it one of the most entertaining films I'd seen in my then young life, but the music was great and (like so many other pre-pubescent boys my age) I was crushing hard on Olivia Newton-John.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>My aunt was fairly well-to-do and had a lot of nice things, including a fancy turntable and eclectic record collection. Her latest addition to that collection was the <i>Grease </i>soundtrack -- which I proceeded to play non-stop for the entirety of my two week stay. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">When it was finally time to go home, my aunt said to me, "You like that record so much; you can have it." </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That was the first album I ever owned.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33l_2rWIRqjQ3Urf6M1gE-gUds3Mkrx6d2dusOj4LZgPAq1ruZA2LyegF_Qf5Wnm2NTIthsfSFkFO-8jMolYnetYm_IeVWkFo6CI_Q57vaMFuK47sUPon9tZ4PGpLJ3ubIwhP4wvjj6FbjBVMEvMy5_jpCIfE2K5BTfjQ5GEnDM0FP8qtr1e4cP-lng/s1162/ONJ.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="967" data-original-width="1162" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33l_2rWIRqjQ3Urf6M1gE-gUds3Mkrx6d2dusOj4LZgPAq1ruZA2LyegF_Qf5Wnm2NTIthsfSFkFO-8jMolYnetYm_IeVWkFo6CI_Q57vaMFuK47sUPon9tZ4PGpLJ3ubIwhP4wvjj6FbjBVMEvMy5_jpCIfE2K5BTfjQ5GEnDM0FP8qtr1e4cP-lng/w640-h532/ONJ.png" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Olivia Newton-John was one who <u>broke</u> a lot of trends, beginning her recording career with an entire album of covers, before ultimately evolving her own brand of country-pop, and scoring multiple hits on both of those charts (as well as the easy listening/adult contemporary.) She also <u>set</u> a lot of trends -- being one of the first major artists to release music videos. Her 1982 <i>Physical </i>video album and TV special would set a bar for the medium for years to come -- and the short haircut (with optional head band) she debuted for that album was emulated by women across the nation and became one of the most popular looks of the decade. <span style="font-family: inherit;">That </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Physical </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">video collection would go on to win a Grammy award and "Physical" the single was a chart topper for 10 weeks (a record that stood for ten years) making it the biggest hit of the 1980's. Olivia's aerobics themed video for the song was one that helped launch MTV (which debuted just weeks before "Physical's" release) and that same video was also clearly an inspiration for the current Apple+ series <i><a href="http://thepopculturefiend.blogspot.com/2021/09/what-happened-in-physical-writers-room.html">Physical</a></i>, whose creators even "borrowed" the album's art design and font style.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">And of course years before all of this, Olivia had become America's sweetheart when she made her Hollywood movie debut in a role customized just for her -- Australian exchange student, Sandy Olsson in the aforementioned <i>Grease</i>. The film broke box office records, becoming the highest grossing musical of all-time and establishing Olivia as a bona fide movie star. "You're the One That I Want", from the film's soundtrack, reached #1 and "Hopelessly Devoted to You" peaked at #3.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">That same year, at the age of only 30, Olivia released her tenth studio album, <i>Totally Hot</i>. It reached #7 on the charts and the lead single "A Little More Love" spent three weeks at #2. <i>Grease </i>was the #1 film of the year, its soundtrack was the #2 album of the year, and <i>Totally Hot</i> went platinum. This was Olivia at the peak of her powers... she was the biggest female star in the world. Wholesome, alluring, a genre-crossing hit-maker in both music and film; she also had a squeaky clean image -- so everyone in entertainment jockeyed to work with her and advertisers in every industry wanted her endorsing their products.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">This kind of success seemed almost inevitable for the talented and prolific artist. She had gained attention in Australia and Europe with her first two albums before breaking through internationally with her third LP, <i>Let Me There</i>, which went to #1 on the U.S. Country chart and earned Olivia a Grammy nomination for Best Country Female. The following year (1974) she continued to skyrocket. She represented the UK at 1974's Eurovision Song Contest (won by ABBA, who would later appear on one of Olivia's TV specials.) Later that year, she released <i>If You Love Me Let Me Know</i>, which topped both the country and pop charts. She then repeated this feat with her next effort, 1975's <i>Have You Never Been Mellow</i>. In doing so, she helped blaze a trail for crossover success that would later be traveled by other female singers like Crystal Gayle, Faith Hill, Shania Twain and Taylor Swift. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Meanwhile, "I Honestly Love You" (off <i>If You Love Me Let Me Know</i>) soared to #1 in the U.S. (and several other countries) before winning Record of the Year at the 1975 Grammys. More cross-chart success and #1's (a lot more) followed, including:</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">"Please Mr. Please" (from <i>Have You Never Been Mellow</i>) - #5 Country, #3 Pop, #1 Easy Listening/Adult Contemporary</span></li><li><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">"Come On Over" (from the 1976 album of the same name) - #1 EL/AC</span></li><li><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">"Don't Stop Believin'" (the title track from her 1976 album) - #1 EL/AC</span></li></ul></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">All tolled, Olivia had 40 entries in Billboard's Hot 100. She racked up six consecutive gold albums from 1973's <i>Let Me Be There</i> through <i>Don't Stop Believin'</i> before releasing a greatest hits album and then taking on <i>Grease</i>, That film's success led to more movies roles, including the beloved cult classic, <i>Xanadu</i>, which spawned a title track that went top ten, as well as the #1 hit, "Magic" (about as perfect a pop song as was ever recorded.) Over her career, this perfection wasn't only modeled in Olivia's signature songs, but in her covers and deep cuts as well -- particularly the ethereal "Falling", "Carried Away" and "Silvery Rain" off of <i>Physical</i>.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Finally, as we reached the mid-80's and entered the 90's, Olivia's superstar status began to give way. There were still concerts, occasional film and TV roles (including <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086494/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2" target="_blank">Two of a Kind</a></i>, which reunited her with former <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBKiSy-2l0g&ab_channel=EntertainmentTonight" target="_blank">co-star and friend John Travolta</a>), <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzYxy9jAjm8&ab_channel=steps2it2" target="_blank"><i>Grease </i>reunions</a>, and albums that blipped on the charts... and there was a lot of time spent battling the cancer she was first diagnosed with in 1992. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">By the 90's, amidst the rise of hip-hop/urban music, it was no longer cool to like Olivia Newton-John. She was considered too square, too white bread... a relic from the 70's.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">I didn't care. Whenever the subjects came up in conversation, I continue to proudly re-state facts:</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">First album I ever owned: <i>Grease </i>soundtrack</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">First single I ever owned: "Hopelessly Devoted to You"</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">First album I ever bought with my own money: <i>Physical</i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">I still have all three of these (the first two on vinyl, the latter on cassette) plus <i>ONJ's Greatest Hits Vol. 2</i> and <i>Soul Kiss</i>, both of which I bought when they were still on the charts. Years later I would add more from her catalog, including the anthology, <i>Olivia Newton-John: Gold</i>... </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">And in memory of this talented, beautiful lady; this icon and seminal artist, I think I'm gonna charge up my AirPods, dig into my collection, and play every single one of her songs. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">R.I.P. ONJ.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="autoplay" height="216" src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/19vy_WGH75q5hslWaBJpGv77_UZNEsUjg/preview" width="288"></iframe></div>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-75697737400326587892022-08-07T10:21:00.023-07:002023-01-16T15:50:45.357-08:00What was the Best Movie Party of the 80's?<p><b>Here are your nominees:</b></p><p><b><i>Back to School</i></b></p><p>The setup:</p><p>Wealthy businessman Thornton Mellon -- in an effort to inspire and keep his son from dropping out -- enrolls and joins him at college. Father, son (and the son's best friend) have adjacent dorm rooms, until Thornton has the walls knocked out to create a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfOeRMncOD4&ab_channel=ClassHook" target="_blank">luxury suite</a> and then throws a post mid-terms bash to blow off some steam.</p>The highlights:<p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Seminal 80's band Oingo Boingo plays the gig and rocks out on "Dead Man's Party."</li><li>Police sent to break things up bring cases of beer instead.</li><li>Thornton frolics in the hot tub with four bikini-clad coeds.</li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VCZy-U0_1X8" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p></p><p></p><p><b><i>Bachelor Party</i></b></p><p>The setup:</p><p>The title says it all. Tom Hanks is groom-to-be Rick, and his brother and five degenerate best friends throw him a bachelor party "with chicks, and guns, and fire trucks, and hookers, and drugs, and booze..."</p><p>The highlights:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> Rick's rival Cole <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNrK3vWdK-w&ab_channel=Lun%C3%A6rosStudios" target="_blank">offers him a Porsche</a> to call off the wedding.</li><li>"Drugs to the right, hookers to the left!"</li><li>An Indian pimp, suicide attempts, an exotic dancer, and a donkey that OD's.</li></ul><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DZKJHk-vpzY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p><b><i>Sixteen Candles</i></b></p><p>High school hunk Jake Ryan has everyone over to his house for a rager.</p><p></p><ul><li>Long Duk Dong finds his Amazonian soulmate.</li><li>Jake's girlfriend <a href="https://youtu.be/VUC6V4r9idY?t=346" target="_blank">Carolyn gets her hair hacked</a>.</li><li>Barbells crash through the floor and destroy the wine cellar</li><li>The aftermath: Pizzas on the turntable, suds coming out of the air vents, and Ted the geek leaves with Carolyn in a Rolls Royce.</li></ul><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VUC6V4r9idY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p><b><i>Weird Science</i></b></p><p>The setup:</p><p>Teenagers Gary and Wyatt go mad scientist and create their dream woman -- who goes on to throw a <a href="https://youtu.be/qZcXtwNqvEg?t=50" target="_blank">"nasty little soiree"</a> at Wyatt's house</p><p>The highlights:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"A missile... A missile in my house Gary!" </li><li><a href="https://youtu.be/eY0MF2u8D5Y" target="_blank">Wyatt's grandparents placed in suspended animation (and the kitchen is blue for some reason.)</a></li><li>Supernatural whirlwinds that strip girls of their clothes and send the piano crashing into a gazebo in the backyard.</li><li>Killer mutants crash their motorcycles through the front windows.</li><li>Aforementioned mutants dispatched by Gary and his .44 handgun</li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TXCQuK6gXDE" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p></p><p><b><i>Risky Business</i></b></p><p>The setup</p><p></p>"Future enterpriser" Joel Goodson just wants to graduate and go on to major in business at Princeton. But when he gets mixed up with sexy call girl Lana (Rebecca DeMornay), Joel's house party becomes a high-priced brothel and his high school friends the customers.<br /><p></p><p>The highlights:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Party tunes that include Talking Heads' "Swamp" and Prince's "D.M.S.R." </li><li>Amidst the debauchery, Princeton admissions officer Bill Rutherford arrives to interview Joel.</li><li>Joel and Lana duck out to make love on a real train.</li><li>Rutherford makes a couple of new friends.</li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vIthjwAJJuk" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Revenge of the Nerds</b></div><div><i><b><br /></b></i></div><div>The setup:</div><div><br /></div><div>College dorks trying to form a fraternity throw a dud of a party -- until "wonder joints" and the girls of Omega Mu kick things into high gear.</div><div><br /></div><div>The highlights:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://youtu.be/XEAWZf96Hc0?t=107" target="_blank">"Are You Ready For the Sex Girls?"</a> (Possibly the best party song ever!)</li><li>Booger, Poindexter, and Louis all find hook ups.</li><li>"You Mu's sure can party!"</li></ul></div><p></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zWVqr5NRCHk?start=49" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6302441792455264806.post-9819251038185849662022-08-02T14:50:00.004-07:002022-08-14T13:47:05.578-07:00Logic's List of Things He REALLY Wants You to Know About Himself<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GKTtgD4PpZkYDRyx_S-Hnc65BEWuZmse4htRDMYztG-WVGv0dqi4PP4XetbfnxdiWpui3E1skZ0JlzZNfF-rSNCY2wo-XbgqTGtpHdYkhg2xrIT1WldrUZNq54g4yoJmovYG17mCo3o-2CDSqhr0GBtFou8MK4EM3xbqXMM-lzTsOhOATVlPlVW3BQ/s700/Logic-br.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="700" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GKTtgD4PpZkYDRyx_S-Hnc65BEWuZmse4htRDMYztG-WVGv0dqi4PP4XetbfnxdiWpui3E1skZ0JlzZNfF-rSNCY2wo-XbgqTGtpHdYkhg2xrIT1WldrUZNq54g4yoJmovYG17mCo3o-2CDSqhr0GBtFou8MK4EM3xbqXMM-lzTsOhOATVlPlVW3BQ/w640-h426/Logic-br.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div><b><u><br /></u></b><p></p><p><b><u>Disclaimer:</u><br />I actually like Logic. I admire his creativity, his passion for his art, his sincerity, and how prolific he is. We also have a shared admiration for Nas, <i>Kill Bill</i>, and a certain blue-eyed crooner from Hoboken. Still, the following has to be said.</b></p><p>I picked up on Logic with 2017's <i>Everybody</i>, then went back and listened to a lot of older stuff (<i>Under Pressure, The Incredible True Story...</i>) I then followed him through <i>YSIV</i> and <i>Confessions of a Dangerous Mind</i>, until finally, with the 2021 release of <i>Bobby Tarantino III</i>, I was able to articulate Logic's place on the hip-hop landscape with this statement:<br /><br />"Logic is the official poster boy for mediocre rappers."<br /><br />Yeah, occasionally he'll wow you with a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ju6Q8Azcmg&ab_channel=LogicVEVO" target="_blank">"1-800"</a> or a "100 Miles and Running", but generally Logic is that dude who is technically proficient as a rapper but who doesn't quite have enough personality and uniqueness to his flow. Whose rhymes are serviceable, but not memorable. Whose beats are <u>almost</u> interesting... until you listen closer and realize they're actually monotonous. His latest LP, <i>Vinyl Days,</i> is another reminder of all this. It's also a reminder -- or should I say a <u>summation</u> -- of all the things Logic has spent seven albums, five mix tapes, and pretty much his entire career reminding you of. It also speaks to a couple of new developments in his life we seem similarly destined to hear about for the next decade.</p><p><b>He's bi-racial</b></p><p>You're alerted to this fact quite often whenever you listen to his lyrics. Oh yes, you'll learn fast that he was "a biracial baby... born to a black father and a white mother." You'll understand in no time that he's a "BLACKWHITEBOY" from a "half breed family" because, as he explains it, "I'm black again.. fighting for credibility from the lack of blacker skin"... <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Logic_301/comments/9i9kn0/list_of_songs_where_logic_talks_about_being/" target="_blank">It gets quite tiresome at times.</a></p><p>And hearing him <a href="https://genius.com/a/logic-addresses-criticism-of-lyrics-about-his-biracial-identity" target="_blank">going over this same ground</a> again and again is even more tedious than Eminem complaining about his ex.</p><p><b>He's from a really rough neighborhood.</b></p><p>Yeah, so are Ice-T, Nipsey Hustle, Naughty By Nature, Gucci Mane, Future, 21 Savage, Lil’ Durk, NWA, Biggie, Eminem, Young Thug, and T.I., just to name a dozen. Spitting rhymes about the crime-ridden area he grew up in is yet another way Logic fails to set himself apart from other rappers.</p><p><b>He "grinded" and "worked for SO LONG" until he finally made it...</b></p><p>... even though he started in high school, signed with an independent label at twenty, and got a Def Jam contract at twenty-three.</p><p><b>He retired (but now he's back.)</b></p><p>Check the chronology:<br /><i>No Pressure</i> - Released July 2020<br /><i>Bobby Tarantino III</i> - Released July 2021<br /><i>Vinyl Days</i> - Recorded 2021–2022. Released June 2022</p><p>So two albums and a mixtape in less than two years... When exactly during that brief time frame did he manage to squeeze in a retirement? </p><p><b>He made a lot of money in crypto.</b></p><p>In the fall of 2020 Logic posted on Instagram that <a href="https://news.bitcoin.com/grammy-nominated-hip-hop-star-logic-dropped-6-million-into-bitcoin-last-month/" target="_blank">he invested $6 million in cryptocurrency</a>. On <i>Vinyl Days</i>, he brags:</p><p><i>Stupid motherf**ker, oh, yeah, you got a deal<br />But you spent your whole advance on a chain<br />I invested mine in crypto, and now I'm sailin' out to Spain</i></p><p>And also:</p><p><i>Now I think I'm a good father figure 'cause I was sonnin' rappers before I was a father, go figure<br /></i><i>My cryptocurrency is in the seven figures.</i></p><p>Last month it was widely reported that the overall market capitalization of crypto assets had plummeted from about $3 trillion in November 2021 to now less than $1 trillion.</p><p>Hmm... Maybe this is why he needed to come out of retirement?</p><p><b>He's leaving Def Jam.</b></p><p>Mostly on good terms it seems but to hear Logic tell it, the label still owes him a lot of money -- although you wonder why this would bother him since he made so much in crypto.</p><p><b>He's the best rapper alive.</b></p><p>If you don't want to believe Logic himself the numerous times he's staked claim to this title, then perhaps you'll trust Morgan Freeman, who on the intro of <i>Vinyl Days</i>, informs "every other rapper in the game that Logic is the GOAT." </p><p>Boasting of this type has been part of hip-hop literally since Day 1 -- but with Logic you somehow get the sense that he actually believes this absurd declaration could be true. </p><p>It's not of course. He's not the greatest rapper of all time. Not the greatest of his era. Maybe not even the greatest from the state of Maryland, depending on how you feel about Wale. </p><p>Perhaps moving forward he'll be able to produce superior material that better demonstrates the abundance of talent and creativity he's been blessed with -- but no, right now Logic is simply a solid, often redundant, and mostly mediocre rapper.</p>The Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444081313859676471noreply@blogger.com0