Pass the Clicker: Awake
March 2, 2012NBC has a new series, Awake, on Thursday nights at 8 CT/ 9 ET that has the potential to fill the void in our blog pop culture discussion left by the departure of Lost. The premise of Awake is that homicide detective, Michael Britten, is in a car crash involving his wife and son. He then faces two realities. In one his son survives and his wife is killed and in the other it is the other way around. He goes to sleep and wakes up in the other reality.
In both realities he sees a therapist who tries to convince him that he is simply dreaming the other reality. Each therapist is very persuasive. But both scenarios feel equally real to Britten. And he’s not entirely sure he wants to give up being able to continue his relationships with his wife and son, even if they occur in alternative and potentially illusory realities.
Besides the engaging premise, the show provides some nice twists to make it all a little more complicated and interesting. Events in one reality help provide clues to solving crimes in the other. And the varying personalities of his therapists seem to reflect what he is lacking in each scenario: a stern and confrontational figure or a compassionate and nurturing one. The varying color themes in the alternative realities add a nice visual touch.
Of course, many promising premieres have fizzled quickly (e.g. Flash Forward or Once Upon A Time), but let’s hope Awake holds up and fills our geeky need for pop culture blog posts.
2 Comments | 
random pop culture | Tagged: awake, Pass the Clicker | 
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Posted by Jay P. Greene
Oh No…There Goes Tokyo…
January 21, 2012
(Guest Post by Matthew Ladner)
So my children have acquired a taste for cheesy pop culture. It’s in their DNA. Last summer my son Benjamin watched the epic battle between Captain Kirk and the Gorn from the original Star Trek series and pronounced it as “Kirk versus the Halloween Costume.”
Last week I allowed them to watch a couple of Godzilla flicks, which led to the reactment on the piano bench you see above.
Go, Go Godzilla!!
2 Comments | random pop culture | Tagged: Captain Kirk, Godzilla | Permalink
Posted by matthewladner
Beatles With Lightsabers — Simply Awesome
January 11, 2012
2 Comments | random pop culture | Tagged: Bealtes, Lightsabers | Permalink
Posted by Jay P. Greene
Crystal Bridges Art Museum Opening in Arkansas
November 9, 2011
The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (pictured above) is opening this week in Bentonville, Arkansas. Much has already been written (see this for example) about the significance of this new museum and I doubt that I could add much to that discussion.
What I can do is highlight an artist, Thomas Hart Benton, whose work I love and is part of the Crystal Bridges collection. Benton’s work, such as Plowing it Under pictured below, was part of the Regionalist art movement in the 1930s. As Hart described the Regionalist movement in his autobiography:
We came in the popular mind to represent a home-grown, grass-roots artistry which damned ‘furrin’ influence and which knew nothing about and cared nothing for the traditions of art as cultivated city snobs, dudes, and aesthetes knew them. Regionalist we became and the victims thereby of a lot of odd and inaccurate definitions which the word suggested…I [became] just an Ozark hillbilly. We accepted our roles.
It is strange that some have criticized Crystal Bridges for drawing great works of art away from big coastal cities (see this for example) to semi-rural Arkansas. More accurately, the big coastal cities often drew great artists away from mid-America.
Thomas Hart Benton was born in Neosho, Missouri — just 40 miles from Crystal Bridges. The city of Bentonville Arkansas was actually named after Thomas Hart Benton’s great uncle. Benton painted and taught in New York and Paris, but eventually settled back in Kansas City. It is entirely fitting that his work should be on display in a beautiful gallery in the heart of America.
In case you are ever in Kansas City, be sure to visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum, where you’ll find Benton’s wonderful take on the story of Persephone (pictured below).
2 Comments | random pop culture | Tagged: Crystal Bridges, Thomas Hart Benton | Permalink
Posted by Jay P. Greene
Save a Pretzel for the Gas Jets
November 1, 2011There’s a hilarious series of videos of “bad lip reading” of presidential candidate’s speeches. Check out these to get you started. And for your information, I am in 100% agreement with Perry that we should “save a pretzel for the gas jets.”
Leave a Comment » | random pop culture | Tagged: bad lip reading | Permalink
Posted by Jay P. Greene
Random Pop Culture Apocalypse: Harry Potter vs. Scooby Doo Mashup
July 17, 2011
(Guest Post by Matthew Ladner)
Shaggy: Zoinks, like I don’t know that it was a good idea to have the mystery machine shipped to England man! The food here is bad enough to keep even Scoob from wanting to eat!
Scooby: No ray! Find Indian food again!
Velma: Look guys we’re here! Hogwarts castle!
Professor Mcgonagall: Welcome to Hogwarts, and thank you for agreeing to help us. We’ve had some very strange things going on. Our tourist revenue is down 60% since the rumors started about Hogwarts being haunted began. Tom will show you to your rooms, and I will meet you in the main dining hall at 7 pm.
Shaggy (walking through Hogwarts): Like this place is really creepy man! Did something in that painting just move?!?
Fred: Isn’t it bad enough that you are a hippie with the constant munchies? Do you have to be afraid of your own shadow as well?
Daphne: FRED!
Fred: I’m sorry, that’s been building up for 40 plus years.
Shaggy: Yeah, well, like whatever man- at least you won’t ever see me wearing a scarf!
Tom: Here are your rooms, I’ll be back at 6:45 to escort you to the dining hall.
Velma: thanks Tom!
Shaggy (in room with Scooby): Like this place gives me the creeps Scoob!
Scooby: Zeah, me too!
< Enter Voldemort through a secret door>
Shaggy: Like it is a super-pale creepy monster without a nose! Let’s get out of here Scoob!
Voldemort: Idiots! I have a nose, it is just really flat! Now feel my wrath!!!!
Shaggy and Scooby: ZOINKS!!!!!!!!!
<Extended chase scene ensues>
<Chase ends in Voldemort’s capture. Just go with it…>
Fred: This Voldemort wanted to drive Hogwarts out of business so he could buy it for a song out of foreclosure! Now let’s find out who Voldemort really is!
TOM RIDDLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shaggy: Like no man, it’s “I would have succeeded if it hadn’t been for those meddling kids and their dog! ” If Scoob hadn’t destroyed your horcruxes while running around the castle, we never would have captured you!
Scooby:
SCOOBY DOOBY DOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2 Comments | random pop culture | Tagged: Harry Potter, Harry Potter Scooby Doo Mashup, Scooby Doo | Permalink
Posted by matthewladner
The Austin Odd Couple and the Birth of a Music Scene
June 27, 2011
(Guest Post by Matthew Ladner)
Interesting article from the Austin American Statesman’s Michael Corcoran on the seemingly odd friendship between University of Texas football legend Darrell Royal and the rambling Willie Nelson, and how it helped to create the Austin music scene.
1 Comment | random pop culture | Tagged: Darrell Royal, Michael Corcoran, Willie Nelson | Permalink
Posted by matthewladner
The Physics of “My Little Pony”
May 27, 2011
1 Comment | random pop culture | Permalink
Posted by Jay P. Greene
Lithgow Performs Gingrich Press Release
May 20, 2011(Guest Post by Matthew Ladner)
W*O*W
1 Comment | random pop culture | Tagged: Colbert Report, John Lithgow, Newt Gingrich | Permalink
Posted by matthewladner
