iPopCulture.NET

This post might offend some people. If it does, just try to hear me out before you get angry and vow to never read my blog again. I have this theory that there are a lot of things that are popular in this culture simply because we think we’re supposed to like those things. For instance, when I was in high school, some friends and I made up a fake band and started raving about them to some of our other friends. Within a short time, some of our oblivious friends were raving about how awesome that band was. They even claimed to have all their albums and songs. Unfortunately, that band was made up. They simply liked them because some of their friends did.

Just because something makes this list does not mean that you’re a poser and only like it because your friends do. In fact, most things in life are “liked” because of a chain reaction. I truly believe that there are genuine fans of these shows, movies, products, etc. The following list (in no particular order) contains things that I think our society has overrated, simply because people think they’re supposed to like those things.

1. Coldplay
And here come the hateful comments. I do think a lot of people like Coldplay for their music. However, I think a lot of people buy into Coldplay because “everyone” thinks Coldplay is “cool” and let’s face it, we all want to be cool.

2. Dane Cook
He’s not funny! But somewhere along the way, someone really popular said he liked Dane Cook. And the snowball effect has taken place.

3. Lost
Too soon? I will admit that I’m a fan of Lost. However, sometimes I think Lost gets overhyped because people think they are supposed to be obsessed with it. It’s a great show…but some go just a little bit overboard with it.

4. The New York Yankees
You either love them or hate them…and a lot of people that love them came to love them by jumping on the bandwagon. They’ve almost become more of a fashion accessory than a baseball team. If you see someone wearing a flat-billed cap turned sideways, chances are it’s a Yankees hat.

5. Avatar
It was in 3D. It featured blue people. But is it really a “great” movie? Is it Golden Globe worthy? Academy Award worthy? I think the media made a lot of us buy into this one.

6. Lady Gaga
People call her a freak, yet her music sells. Someone must be buying it. I guess she could be the very opposite of this last and everyone buying her music is a closet fan afraid to admit it.

7. The North Carolina Tar Heels
This one is tough to put on here because I’d like to think of myself as one of the biggest Tar Heel fans on the planet. (I even came home from the hospital wrapped in a Tar Heel blanket when I was born.) However, much like the Yankees, the Heels have become a bandwagon-ridden team. This is mostly in part to Michael Jordan. Nonetheless, there’s a lot of Heels fans out there who are Heels fans simply because they want to fit in with their peers and culture.

8. Kim Kardashian
I’m pretty sure she’s only popular for being popular. Yet Kim, as well as any other “reality-TV” celeb on the E! channel have become overnight sensations. Their shows and stories are pitiful, materialistic, and vain, yet their popular keeps growing. Do we really like this people, or do we simply like them because our friends like them?

9. Hot Wings
This probably applies to guys more than anyone. Wings are a “guy’s” food. And to be honest, they’re good. But there’s a level of pride in guys that says they have to eat the hottest wings possible to keep their standing as “one of the guys.” Anything mild makes them a wuss. So even though they’re mouth is on fire, they’ll swallow their pride (literally) and pretend like everything is fine.

10. Rap music
A lot of people truly enjoy rap music. But a lot of people only listen to it because their friends are listening to it. You know who I’m talking about too. They’re very easy to spot.

11. Alcohol
If none of your friends drank alcohol, would you? Even more, if all of your friends thought alcohol was disgusting and detestable, would you touch it? Probably not. You’d have no need to.

12. The Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is much more than a game these days. It’s 2 weeks of media coverage, and a 3 hour social gathering for most people. There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s fun for people to get together for the game, even if they care nothing about the game. But since a lot of people show interest in it just to blend in with the crowd, it makes this list.

13. MMA
UFC has a huge following, as well as the rest of MMA. It’s a sport that’s on the rise. But in a sport that’s becoming so popular, you know there has to be a large chunk of the audience that only watch because it’s the “cool” and “manly” thing to do. Also, wearing Tapout and Affliction t-shirts fits in here too.

14. Abercrombie & Fitch
Why do people buy overpriced clothing? Because they’re friends are buying overpriced clothing and because the media says that is what we need to wear to be cool.

15. Dave Matthews Band
See Coldplay

16. American Idol
For many of us, we watch because our friends and co-workers watch. After all, we don’t want to be left without a word during the talk around the water cooler.

17. Political Activism
Whether it’s a fight for social justice or politics, a lot of people take a side they know nothing about and march, protest, complain, etc because that’s what everyone else is doing. This really seems to spring up around election time. If you really want to see it in action, wait until October 2012. Whether people love Obama or hate Obama, they will be out in full force…with absolute ignorance as their guide. Any guesses on how many of those people actually read the newspaper or watch Fox News and/or CNN regularly?

18. President Barack Obama
I’m not bashing or endorsing the president here. However, in many circles, it’s fairly obvious that people make up their opinions about the president based on the opinions of their friends or others in their “social group.” Very few people actually know how to think politically for themselves. Instead, they either hate or love the president based on what they think they are supposed to do to be accepted in certain circles.

19. Twilight
Need I say more?

20. Michael Jackson
It’s sad that Michael Jackson died at an early age. It’s amazing how many people became fans after he died. Some people just couldn’t stand to fall behind a trend.

Thanks for those that contributed. I want to give you credit, but I don’t want to put your name down if you wished to remain anonymous. So, feel free to claim your submission. If there’s anything to add, feel free. If you disagree, I would love to hear about it.

Did that commercial offend you? Many people are answering “Yes.”

DirecTV has started using famous clips from movies to promote their products. Using movies such as Alien, King Kong, and Back to the Future, the ads appear to be an exact scene from the movie, but during the scene one of the characters steps “out of character” and gives a brief promo for the satellite company.

An NBC affiliate in the Dallas-Fort Worth area had this (sarcastic comment) to say: Indeed, Spade could be at home with DirecTV. Instead, he’s with the ghost of his famous friend, who died as a result of a drug problem that almost certainly stemmed from massive insecurities, and making a (bad) fat joke about him. HILARIOUS!

Here’s what The Consumerist had to say: Is anyone else skeeved out over the DirecTV ad?…It’s bizarre that Spade, a close pal of Farley’s went along with this. He and DirecTV must have miscalculated the ad as a tribute to a great movie moment rather than a disturbing, insensitive money grab.

What do you think? Are you offended by the commercial? Is David Spade exploiting Chris Farley? Is this “too soon?” Or is this a fitting tribute to a late actor and comedy from 1995?

Earlier today, I was doing some research on Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy) for an article I’m writing. Without a doubt, MacFarlane has a huge influence over teenagers and young adults. They got me thinking: Who are the most influential celebrities? In other words, what celebrities have the most input/influence over the development and shaping of our culture?

One publication named Zac Efron as the most influential celebrity. I tend to disagree.

Here are some people who I think make that list (in no particular order):

Seth MacFarlane
Beyonce
Lorne Michaels (SNL)
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
Ashton Kutcher
J.J. Abrams
Stephenie Meyer
Barack Obama
Bono
Oprah
Simon Cowell
Jack Dorsey and Biz Stone (Twitter)
Tiger Woods
Miley Cyrus
Michael Jordan
Steve Jobs
Judd Apatow
Kanye West
Michael Jackson

If you think of more, please feel free to comment and add your own list. I’m very curious to see the results. I’m not instituting a “Vote for your Favorite Celebrity.” Instead, I want to see what factors make someone so influential. Is it talent, skill, ability, being in the right place at the right time, being born into wealth, etc?

Kayne West has been called a lot of things in the past 2 days, including a “choice name” by President Barack Obama. The man who was once notorious for writing “Heartless” is now notorious for destroying the acceptance speech of Taylor Swift at the VMAs. And as far as Kanye is concerned…it’s been tremendous!

Have I caught you off guard yet? Maybe. Let me explain what I’m talking about. When Kanye stepped out during the VMAs and grabbed the mic away from Swift, it first probably seemed like a publicist’s nightmare. “He’s drunk!” “He’s gone nuts!” “What is the crazy idiot doing?” Like I said…nightmare, right? Maybe not.

Two days after the incident, EVERYONE is still talking about Kanye West and Taylor Swift. What should be a publicist’s nightmare has turned into a publicist’s dream. EVERYONE is talking about Kanye…even more so than Taylor Swift. While his stupid antic should be something that should bury his career, it won’t! In fact, I believe it might take it to new heights.

Right now, everyone thinks he’s a total idiot. Everyone “hates” Kanye West. But will that be longterm? Doubtful. Back in 2005, NBC aired a telethon to raise money for the Katrina victims. West appeared with Mike Meyers. Going completely offscript, Kayne uttered these words: George Bush doesn’t care about black people! Whether you like George W. Bush or not, those words should have killed Kanye’s career. Instead, all it did was temporarily cause outrage, yet make Kanye’s name even bigger and recognizable.

Honestly, I think Sunday night is an example of the same thing. The media and fans will be angry at Kanye West for a short time. However, once he produces his next album and big hit, all will be forgiven and his success will be taken to new heights because his name is more recognizable than ever. What he did to Taylor Swift was dirty. However, with all the media attention, appearances, and public apologies, it may actually help his career in the long run.

How can this happen? Simple! We can easily overlook the faults of celebrities as long as they keep giving us albums, movies, championships, etc. that make us happy. Fans in LA love Manny Ramirez despite his 2x (at least) steroid use. Why? He’s a great player. Rock fans overlook their favorite artists’ multiple trips to rehab and multiple relapses simply because they put out great music. When someone does something to please us, their faults don’t seem so big. As long as we are happy, everything else is excusable.

In this twisted world, maybe Kanye was “right” after all.

Very easy question and I need your feedback!

Am I [David] a loser if I go to a movie alone?

That was the Question of the Week last week for The Brink Podcast. Tomorrow we’ll be answering that question with your answers. So let me hear your comments. Feel free to slam me if you wish. The funnier the better!

If you want to catch up, you can listen to The Brink Podcast by visiting www.thebrinkonline.com/podcast

In addition to the Question of the Week, we have an exclusive interview with Jack Mooring from Leeland and discuss online dating.

Yesterday I looked over the nominees for the Teen Choice Awards (August 10). Some thoughts came to my mind that I thought I’d share with you. You can agree or disagree…I’m cool with whatever. But I think from just looking at the nominees, we can learn something about today’s teens:

- When it comes to media/art, teens are more concerned with who’s involved, how this applies to my life, what emotions does this bring, and what’s this based on over quality. In the category for Best Drama, the nominees are: Angels & Demons,
Obsessed,
Slumdog Millionaire,
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Twilight. While Slumdog Millionaire won the Oscar for Best Picture, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was nominated, I predict neither of these films will win. Instead, the nod will go to Twilight, a movie that was ripped by critics. Why? It’s based on a bestselling teen novel, features teen heartthrobs, and proves…

- The world/culture of a teenager is very different from other demographics. Twilight is leading the way with 12 Teen Choice nominations. Second place a tie with High School Musical 3, Miley Cyrus, and Gossip Girl all having 10 nominations. All of these nominations provide examples of fads that are “hot right now” but probably won’t be in 5 years. Vampires are in. The HSM phenomenon is still big. Miley/Hanna Montana still appeals to tweens. Gossip Girl is a recycled teen drama that was popular 10 years ago but probably won’t be popular 5 years from now. 10 years from now…maybe. Teen culture is all about what’s hot right now. These trends fade very fast! Teens catch em for a short time, and then wave goodbye to them as yesterday’s news. The rest of life doesn’t seem to move quite as fast as the world of teens.

- Teens are drawn into things that appear old than they are. In the movie category of Best Bromantic Comedy (yes, that’s a category), the nominees are: I Love You Man, Role Models, Marley & Me, Pineapple Express, and Tropic Thunder. If you look carefully, 4 out of the 5 movies are rated R. Technically, teenagers are supposed to be 17+ to see R-rated movies in the theater. However, 80% of the nominees for the Teen Choice Awards are R-rated. Cute and fun comedies don’t appeal to teens as much as the raunchy stuff that college students are seeing. Let’s face it: the average teenage guy would rather see a movie like The Hangover (featuring nudity, sex, drug references, etc.) than Paul Blart (a cheesy/clean comedy with Kevin James).

- Teens are caught in a match of tug-of-war between being a kid and being an adult. This is definitely seen in the nominees for Best TV Show Comedy (Hannah Montana, How I Met Your Mother, iCarly, The Office, and Ugly Betty) and Best TV Animated Show (Family Guy, American Dad, South Park, The Simpsons, and SpongeBob SquarePants). Take a look at that contrast. When it comes to comedies, Hannah Montana is lined up right next to How I Met Your Mother. Are a Disney show comedy and a CBS comedy anything alike? Not at all. Look at the choices for TV Animated Show. You’ve got SpongeBob Squarepants thrown in with Family Guy and South Park. While these awards obviously deal with teens from 13-18, it still shows the battle teens face between being a kid and being an adult (and possible the differences between a 13 year old and 18 year old). Teens are in a weird stage in life. They don’t quite know where they fit in with school, church, life, relationships, friendships, etc.

If you’ve been reading my blogs, you know I’ve had some recent trouble with Sonic and Taco Bell.

A few days ago I came across a story about a company that seems to be doing everything right these days. If you’ve ever seen a Pixar movie, you know they strive for the highest level of excellence in everything they do. To date, they have not put out a movie that has flopped in the eyes of critics or viewers, and the lowest rating one of their movies has received on Rotten Tomatoes is 75%.

However, this story goes much deeper than animation or a movie screen. The article I read really touched my heart. If you have time, please read the entire article from the OC Register. You can view the article on their website by clicking HERE, or you can read the story below:

HUNTINGTON BEACH – Colby Curtin, a 10-year-old with a rare form of cancer, was staying alive for one thing – a movie.

From the minute Colby saw the previews to the Disney-Pixar movie Up, she was desperate to see it. Colby had been diagnosed with vascular cancer about three years ago, said her mother, Lisa Curtin, and at the beginning of this month it became apparent that she would die soon and was too ill to be moved to a theater to see the film.

After a family friend made frantic calls to Pixar to help grant Colby her dying wish, Pixar came to the rescue.

The company flew an employee with a DVD of Up, which is only in theaters, to the Curtins’ Huntington Beach home on June 10 for a private viewing of the movie.

The animated movie begins with scenes showing the evolution of a relationship between a husband and wife. After losing his wife in old age, the now grumpy man deals with his loss by attaching thousands of balloons to his house, flying into the sky, and going on an adventure with a little boy.

Colby died about seven hours after seeing the film.

With her daughter’s vigil planned for Friday, Lisa Curtin reflected about how grateful she is that Pixar – and “Up” – were a part of her only child’s last day.

“When I watched it, I had really no idea about the content of the theme of the movie,” said Curtin, 46. “I just know that word ‘Up’ and all of the balloons and I swear to you, for me it meant that (Colby) was going to go up. Up to heaven.”

Pixar officials declined to comment on the story or name the employees involved.

THE PREVIEWS

Colby was diagnosed with vascular cancer on Dec. 23, 2005 after doctors found a tumor in her liver. At the time of her death, her stomach was about 94 inches around, swollen with fluids the cancer wouldn’t let her body properly digest. The rest of her body probably weighed about 45 pounds, family friend Carole Lynch said.

Colby had gone to Newport Elementary School and was known for making others laugh, family friend Terrell Orum-Moore said. Colby loved to dance, sing, swim and seemed to have a more mature understanding of the world than other children her age, Orum-Moore said.

On April 28, Colby went to see the Dream Works 3-D movie “Monsters Vs. Aliens” but was impressed by the previews to “Up.”

“It was from then on, she said, ‘I have to see that movie. It is so cool,’” Lynch said.

Colby was a movie fan, Lisa Curtin said, and she latched onto Pixar’s movies because she loved animals.

Two days later Colby’s health began to worsen. On June 4 her mother asked a hospice company to bring a wheelchair for Colby so she could visit a theater to see “Up.” However, the weekend went by and the wheelchair was not delivered, Lisa Curtin said.

By June 9, Colby could no longer be transported to a theater and her family feared she would die without having seen the movie.

At that point, Orum-Moore, who desperately wanted Colby to get her last wish, began to cold-call Pixar and Disney to see if someone could help.

Pixar has an automated telephone answering system, Orum-Moore said, and unless she had a name of a specific person she wanted to speak to, she could not get through. Orum-Moore guessed a name and the computer system transferred her to someone who could help, she said.

Pixar officials listened to Colby’s story and agreed to send someone to Colby’s house the next day with a DVD of “Up,” Orum-Moore recalled.

She immediately called Lisa Curtin, who told Colby.

“Do you think you can hang on?” Colby’s mother said.

“I’m ready (to die), but I’m going to wait for the movie,” the girl replied.

THE MOVIE

At about 12:30 p.m. the Pixar employee came to the Curtins’ home with the DVD.

He had a bag of stuffed animals of characters in the movie and a movie poster. He shared some quirky background details of the movie and the group settled in to watch Up.

Colby couldn’t see the screen because the pain kept her eyes closed so her mother gave her a play-by-play of the film.

At the end of the film, the mother asked if her daughter enjoyed the movie and Colby nodded yes, Lisa Curtin said.

The employee left after the movie, taking the DVD with him, Lynch said.

“He couldn’t have been nicer,” said Lynch who watched the movie with the family. “His eyes were just welled up.”

After the movie, Colby’s dad, Michael Curtin, who is divorced from Lisa Curtin, came to visit.

Colby died with her mom and dad nearby at 9:20 p.m.

Among the Up memorabilia the employee gave Colby was an “adventure book” – a scrap book the main character’s wife used to chronicle her journeys.

“I’ll have to fill those adventures in for her,” Lisa Curtin said.

Congratulations to Kris Allen for winning American Idol last night in a upset of gigantic proportions! In a competition filled with egos, prima-donnas, and karaoke singers, the 23-year-old worship leader from Conway, Arkansas emerged as a humble, down-to-earth underdog who won the hearts of America. Whether you love American Idol or hate it, I hope everyone can appreciate the talent and heart of Kris Allen. 

Watch the video above to hear Kris’ performance (and beautiful arrangement) of “Ain’t No Sunshine” which helped pave the way to victory.

I found this video on USAToday.com this morning. The guy on the video plays 100 theme songs from TV shows and movies in 10 minutes (well…9:15). He’s also giving away a prize to the first person who can name all 100 songs in order. Check it out and give it a shot:

Several weeks ago, I finally purchased Alan Moore’s graphic novel, Watchmen, after putting it on the back-burner for several months. The novel, credited by Time Magazine as one of the Top 100 novels of all time, has received much attention lately with the new Watchmen movie debuting this Friday, March 6, 2009. Within a couple hours of reading, I knew why. I started reading the novel on Friday night, and by Sunday afternoon I was halfway through the 400+ page comic book.

The novel, which takes place in the mid 1980s, is seemingly outdated. It talks of conflict with Afghanistan and Russia, problems with Nixon, the assassination of Kennedy, and other issues that were way before my time. However, Moore’s captivating writing is undeniable. After diving headfirst into the book, I was extremely excited about the movie. I even happened to have 2 sneak preview passes to see it early.

Things started to change for me as early reviews rolled in. I expected the movie to stir up a great amount of publicity, and it did and has, but not exactly for the reasons I was hoping. 

Here’s what some critics and reviewers have been saying about the movie:

Anthony Lane, New Yorker: Nobody over twenty-five could take any joy from the savagery that is fleshed out onscreen, just as nobody under eighteen should be allowed to witness it. You want to see Rorschach swing a meat cleaver repeatedly into the skull of a pedophile, and two dogs wrestle over the leg bone of his young victim? Go ahead. You want to see the attempted rape of a superwoman, her bright latex costume cast aside and her head banged against the baize of a pool table?  

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: Snyder fills the screen with eye candy. [There's]  brutal murders, dismemberments, attempted rape. The sex is graphic, the violence more so. 

Tom Huddleston, Time Out: Snyder’s biggest impact is felt in the action sequences, which are also the film’s weakest scenes: overstylised, repetitive and pornographically violent. 
Snyder rides roughshod over such subtleties: ‘Watchmen’ may be the nastiest blockbuster ever devised. It luxuriates in snapping bones and literal explosions of gore. It’s here that the gulf between comic and movie becomes most clear: Gibbons’s drawings were often shocking, but they served a purpose. Snyder employs violence for the rush, and while this approach is sometimes brutally effective, it’s also deeply crass.

Joe Lozito, Big Picture Big Sound: To keep his audience interested, Mr. Snyder has made the film alternatively cheesy (the 80s dialogue, a gratuitous sex scene) and brutally violent (the opening fight, in particular, goes on far too long).

I could list many more reviews that say similar things, but I think you get the point. The movie inevitably uses extreme violence and extreme sex/nudity to bring in its audience. While some may argue the movie is only staying true to the book, those who have read the book know this isn’t quite the case. Zack Snyder took many liberties to make the movie as gory and sexual as possible.

Some might not see this as an issue, but there is a huge issue at hand. I had a recent discussion with my boss, Jonathan Yandell, about movies that use extreme violence and sex. He mentioned that movies used to only use one of the two elements, not a combination of both. However, as times have changed, people seek both elements when they go to movies. The scary thing is, a mindset that craves and enjoys graphic sex and graphic violence is the same mindset that is found in serial killers. The craving starts out small, but the desire keeps increasing and increasing until it reaches a level of absolute sex and violence.

No one would dare argue Watchmen is a wholesome movie, but how many people are actually thinking about how the movie affects them? How many people realize how the mind reacts to seeing extreme violence, sex, and nudity on screen?

For those who would say “It doesn’t affect me” I would say 1 of 2 things to you: 1) You’re lying or; 2) You’ve become so numb and desensitized by violence and sex that it doesn’t bother you anymore. That is a scary thing!

So who watches the Watchmen? Not this guy!