Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds are getting a divorce!
Archive for the ‘Pop Culture’ Category
Hollywood Stunner
Posted by Brett Kincaid on December 14, 2010
Posted in Pop Culture | Tagged: Canada, Ryan Reynolds, Scarlett Johansson | 5 Comments »
Hog Hoops Does NOT Need to Adopt This
Posted by Brett Kincaid on December 14, 2010
In an attempt to make up for his DaVinci Code-esque “At the BlogHawg Offices” from yesterday, Kris Boyd helps us out today with a pretty cool hoops story. This is one of those things that can only happen at a small, parochial school. It’s a great tradition, and the students really seem to get behind the idea.
Pajama-clad students, faculty and alumni packed Odle Arena on Friday night for Taylor’s home game against Ohio State-Marion. They remained dead silent until guard Casey Coons scored Taylor’s 10th point at the free-throw line and then they erupted in confetti-filled mayhem for five straight minutes, as though the tiny NAIA Indiana school had just captured a national championship.
If this happened at UA, though, I’m afraid it would take an ugly turn. How long would it actually take to get to 10 points? Which sorority would come in the sluttiest pajamas available? (Okay…perhaps that’s a reason for adopting the tradition.) How many zealots would show up to tell everyone they are worshiping a pagan holiday and going to hell for not having a live nativity at Bud Walton Arena?
And it’s hard enough getting a Hog Call coordinated these days. How on earth could they get everyone to sing “Silent Night” in unison?
Posted in Pop Culture, Sports | Tagged: Arkansas Razorbacks, College Basketball, Taylor University | 11 Comments »
How ‘Bout Some Culture, Y’all?
Posted by Brett Kincaid on December 13, 2010
Congratulations to my friend Warwick Sabin and the Oxford American for making a pretty heady list of magazines this year. According to PasteMagazine.com the Oxford American ranks as the #5 magazine of 2010, ranking a slot higher than New Yorker and just below Esquire. That is great company to keep, especially given the magazine’s regional focus.
From the Paste writers:
As we toil away down here in Decatur, Georgia, it’s nice to be reminded that all great magazines don’t come from New York City. Marc Smirnoff’s Oxford American has been through its share of publishing turmoil, but its uniquely Southern voice hasn’t wavered once.
If you are not a regular reader of OA, I highly recommend it. It’s yet another reason to be proud of living in The South.
Posted in Entertainment, Pop Culture | Tagged: Magazines, Oxford American, Periodicals | 4 Comments »
TV and Movie Legend Leslie Nielsen… a Tribute
Posted by Jeff on November 29, 2010
"Nice beaver."
As you’ve likely already heard, actor Leslie Nielsen passed away yesterday at the age of 84. Nielsen started his career in live television and dramatic roles but he became best known to our generation with his breakout comedic turn in 1980 in the disaster movie spoof, Airplane!
Nielsen once had a guest role on M*A*S*H. He played a gung-ho colonel in an episode called The Ringbanger. Some of you may not know that I have seen every episode of M*A*S*H at least twice. This one is one of the best and, filmed in 1973, it shows Nielsen exploring some of the comedic timing that he would soon perfect in Airplane!, the TV Series Police Squad, and the subsequent Naked Gun movies. (Want to see The Ringbanger episode? It will air on TV Land Thursday the 9th at 5:30 a.m. Set your DVR. (Yes, I knew it was coming up. TV Land is rotating into year one of the iconic Korean War dramedy.))
In the spirit of remembrance, it just seems fit to rattle off some great Airplane! and/or Naked Gun quotes. I’ll start with perhaps his most memorable:
Rumack: Can you fly this plane, and land it?
Ted Striker: Surely you can’t be serious.
Rumack: I am serious… and don’t call me Shirley.
Posted in Entertainment, Pop Culture | 5 Comments »
Punk Rock Meets the iPhone on a Subway.
Posted by Adam Butler on November 16, 2010
This was pretty rad, or cool, or chill, or whatever the kids say these days.
Posted in Pop Culture | 1 Comment »
The Idiot Box
Posted by Jeff on October 14, 2010
How Punditry is Taking Over My TV
I hate to say this and please don’t quote me but… Rush Limbaugh was ahead of his time. From 1992 to 1996 Limbaugh had a 30 minute television show that was syndicated across the United States. Ratings were enough to keep him on the air for four years but eventually the individual stations’ ratings forced him off air. His ego would only allow him to say that he preferred radio to TV but the reality is that the show was wearing thin.
Bill O'Reilly
About this same time, Roger Ailes, who had produced Limbaugh’s show hired Bill O’Reilly to do a political commentary show on the new Fox News Channel. And that, my friends is what started it. O’Reilly was certainly not afraid to say what he believed. Or perhaps what he believed would make people watch. O’Reilly was an immediate hit for Fox News and because of it spawned numerous other clones.
Fox News, in trying to maintain its trademark, “Fair and Balanced” image added Hannity & Colmes in 1996. I have long been a fan of Alan Colmes. His radio show used to air on the same station as Limbaugh’s here in NWA back in the early 90’s. But on this show, Colmes tended to lean further to the right than the liberal viewers expected from him and after 13 years of fending off Sean Hannity’s lopsided conservatism, Colmes left the show.
Glenn Beck
Seeing the ratings success that Fox News was earning with these right-wing pundits, CNN Headline News (now HLN) tried adding its own by bringing Glenn Beck aboard in 2006. After only two years, Beck left for the safer studios of Fox News where he now has an enormously free reign over his own content. Beck has quickly turned unabashed punditry into a combination of Sunday morning televangelism and Saturday at midnight UHF conspiracy mongering. The show is vastly unwatchable. Someone is watching but even the most conservative people I know can’t tolerate more than one segment of his show.
Keith Olbermann
Not to be outdone, MSNBC decided to give Keith Olbermann a try at news commentary. Countdown with Keith Olbermann premiered on March 31, 2003. Olbermann quickly found an audience for his left-leaning show that made a lot of hay attacking Bill O’Reilly for his views and for what Olbermann felt were disingenuous or hypocritical comments. Their feud was legendary and lasted for over half of a decade until Beck came around and gave Olbermann someone a little more “out-there” to lambaste and to label the Worst Person in the World.
Others have come along… Greta Van Susteren, Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz, Lawrence O’Donnell. But where did the news go?
I miss the old Headline News. Remember the old format? Every half hour, the same news wheel: News at :00 and :30. Dollars and Sense at :15 & :45. Sports at :20 & :50 (Jerome Jurenovich, anyone?) and lifestyles (entertainment news) at :25 & :55. It was great. You always knew exactly when the news would be on or the sports or whatever. Don Harrison, Chuck Roberts, Lynne Russell. Van Earl Wright! They came on, they read the news, they moved on. I miss that.
But just presenting the news doesn’t sell ads anymore. If it did we wouldn’t have to put up with Nancy Grace droning on about all the bad people in America every night. For whatever reason, people prefer to hear the talking head’s opinion on the news as well. And sadly, the more divisive (O’Reilly on the right, Olbermann on the left) the better. I guess I will just DVR Brian Williams and call it good. The cable news channels just won’t tell the news straight. It doesn’t sell. And yes, I blame Limbaugh.
My TV says I should vote for Sarah Palin
Posted in Entertainment, Pop Culture | 6 Comments »
Speaking of Reality Television…
Posted by Jeff on September 28, 2010
So last night, my wife and I were enjoying the mindlessness of Dancing With The Stars. I had never watched this show before last week. I am still uncertain what drew me to it this week. But then last night happened and I figured it out.
You don't boo Baby! You boo the Half Governor.
After her routine, actress Jennifer Grey (Dirty Dancing) received her scores and on the LIVE broadcast was a smattering of boos. Grey specifically asked “Why are they booing?” Her scores were not that bad. Cut to a live interview with Tom Bergeron and… Sarah Palin.
I immediately assumed that there were a few liberals in the live audience that did not like the fact that the former governor of Alaska was there at all. In case you hadn’t heard, her daughter, Bristol is participating in the competition. How she is a “star” I do not know.
I guess I am not the only one who assumed the worst in people.
Posted in Entertainment, Politics, Pop Culture | Tagged: DWTS, Jennifer Grey, Sarah Palin | 4 Comments »
The Ten Commandments … or Is it Eleven?
Posted by Brett Kincaid on September 28, 2010
What's wrong with this picture?
A new survey released by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life – a non-partisan think tank – tells us what many already knew: Americans are pretty dumb about religion. What is counterintuitive to most readers, though, is that agnostics & atheists are the “smartest” self-identified affiliation. Second? That’d be Jewish folk. Third you ask? Those magic underwear sporting Mormons. The Sarah Palin Squad – white protestant evangelicals – show up fourth in this ranking.
On average, people who took the survey answered half the questions incorrectly, and many flubbed even questions about their own faith.
The ranking are based on answers to a series of religious questions about all world religions. What should not be surprising, though, is that the WASPs know the most about the Bible. They do not, though, seem to have much understanding of other world religions. Which explains President Bush’s foreign policy positions.
Posted in News, Pop Culture | Tagged: Atheists, Bible, Christianity, Judaism, Pew Survey | 6 Comments »
Not That Anyone Cares, But…
Posted by Brett Kincaid on September 22, 2010
Someone named “J. Lo” and the corpse of Steven Tyler have joined the “American Idol” cast for 2010-2011. Randy Jackson remains on the program, blissfully ignorant of the fact that no one understands what he’s done in the music industry. He don’t care, though, dawg.
Seacrest out
Posted in Pop Culture | Tagged: American Idol, J Lo, Steven Tyler | 9 Comments »
Snooki Fined For Being Drunk & Obnoxious
Posted by Jeff on September 9, 2010
BlogHawg Interactive Game! Which is Snooki? This one (A)...
MTV’s Jersey Shore cast member, Snooki was chewed out by a judge, given a $500 fine and ordered to do community service for a drunken display last month. The reality TV… *gulp* …star swore that it was not scripted and apologized to the police and anyone she offended. The best part was when the judge called the Human Road Cone out for trying to be a Lindsay Lohan wannabe.
...or this one (B)?
Posted in Entertainment, Pop Culture | 15 Comments »
Dad Life.
Posted by Adam Butler on August 27, 2010
I know this has been making the rounds for awhile, but it’s awesome, so I am posting it. The dude on the Zero Turn Radius Mower slays me.
Posted in Entertainment, Pop Culture | 10 Comments »
Worst. Video. Ever.
Posted by Brett Kincaid on August 4, 2010
If anyone can actually sit through this entire video, they have far more patience than I possess.
Posted in Pop Culture, Sports | 15 Comments »
When Animal Breeders Drink on the Job
Posted by Jeff on July 29, 2010
Don't laugh at me! I just want to be loved for who I am.
Enjoy.
Posted in Pop Culture | 3 Comments »
Seriously. What’s the deal with Snooki and Jersey Shore?
Posted by Jeff on July 28, 2010
Someone please explain my popularity to the over 40 crowd.
I admit. I stopped watching MTV about 12 years ago. Maybe longer than that. And yes, I’m officially in my 40′s. I also admit that my entire understanding of Jersey Shore and specifically Snooki comes from Saturday Night Live.
SNL is still funny, people. Seriously.
So… can someone explain it to me? Even the governor of New Jersey could do without them.
What am I missing?
Posted in Entertainment, Pop Culture | Tagged: Jersey Shore, Snooki | 4 Comments »
Lindsay Lohan is Remanded
Posted by Jeff on July 20, 2010
In my defense I was waiting for my new wireless router to boot up when I turned to HLN and saw that they were showing the court appearance live. LiLo, as they call her, showed up about ten minutes late to be sent to jail for probation violations. Her sentence is 90 days but the HLN “experts” think she’ll only serve 2 – 3 weeks. The really confusing part of this day was the lawyer shuffle… or lack thereof. Robert Shapiro (of OJ fame) had allegedly signed off to represent Lohan now. In fact she had spent a week in his sober living facility. But this morning her old lawyer attended the hearing.
Now I can’t possibly imagine that reporters (especially entertainment reporters) would exaggerate a story to get people to watch but the judge said that the paperwork was never even filed. Shapiro (who’s not afraid of cameras) never spoke publically about the case. The rumor was that he’d only represent her if she complied with the judge’s orders. Who knows? Who cares?
This brings me to this thought. I spent 30 minutes watching a 10 minute court hearing and another 30 minutes posting this. There goes an hour of my life. I’m so ashamed…
Posted in Pop Culture | 2 Comments »
A Sports Movie Icon Passes Away
Posted by Jeff on July 19, 2010
"You may run like Hayes but you hit like $%&#."
James Gammom, best known as Lou Brown, the manager of the hapless Cleveland Indians in Major League, passed away at the age of 70. Favorite Major League quote?
Posted in Entertainment, Pop Culture, Sports | 6 Comments »
Douglas’ Ex Affirms: Greed is Good
Posted by Jeff on June 29, 2010
"...greed, for lack of a better word, is good."
Michael Douglas’ ex-wife, Diedra is suing him for a portion of the money he makes from his new movie, “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.” Apparently she had it in their divorce that she gets part of anything he makes from “spin-offs” from movies made while they were married. His argument is that a sequel is not a “spin-off.”
Gordon Gekko’s ex: Greedy or Damn Fine Lawyerin’?
Posted in Entertainment, Pop Culture | 1 Comment »
You, Too, Can Win the Lottery.
Posted by Adam Butler on June 29, 2010
Megan Fox Must Have Snakes in Her Head.
Just ask David Silver, errr Brian Austin Green.
(SEE BELOW) I keep waiting for the Chief of Staff on Grey’s Anatomy (not that I watch it)/the guy that “Tat” (Samuel L. Jackson) shot for asking him when he was going to pay him his money in “Menace to Society” to turn to Ian Ziering and ask him, “Who the — you think you is? —–Ron O’neill?”
Posted in Pop Culture | 4 Comments »
The A-Team v. Karate Kid… Wax Off, Mr. Miagi
Posted by Jeff on June 11, 2010
We love it when a plan to destroy Will Smith's kid's movie comes together.
In 1972 a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire: THE A-TEAM.
When I posted about this earlier, I did not know the two 80′s revisits would hit on the same day. Sorry Jaden Smith. I’ll be watching the A-Team.
Posted in Entertainment, Pop Culture | 3 Comments »
The Real Jersey Shore
Posted by Brett Kincaid on September 22, 2010
After one episode, it is impossible to say “Boardwalk Empire” will ultimately be revered like its predecessors. But after watching the pilot this week, I would certainly agree that there is reason for optimism.
Terrence Winter
If the overall themes of the pilot remind you of “The Sopranos” you are not alone. You can thank Terence Winter for that. Winter is the Emmy award winning screenwriter from “The Sopranos”, widely regarded as David Chase’s right-hand man. Probably the most striking similarity is the locale – New Jersey. This time we are transported from present day north Jersey to Prohibition Era south Jersey. There are other key similarities that I’m sure many noticed. Our lead character, Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi), manages a small criminal syndicate in New Jersey that has just enough sway to get some attention from larger crime families in New York and Chicago. Thompson is not an alpha male in the mold of Tony Soprano, but he has a smoldering internal fire that we see burn white hot in the case of Mr. and Mrs. Schroeder. My hunch is that we will see some truly medieval acts from Nucky over the course of the next twelve episodes.
As we wind further into the pilot episode, we learn that Nucky has the duplicity of a true politician. To the public Nucky is a temperance approving man of the people. He speaks to the Women’s Temperance Society by day and organizes his bootlegging ring by night. He helps a young women trying to hold onto her family, then arranges for massive shipments of illegal hooch.
There are more characters, of course, than Mr. Nucky Thompson. Chief among them is Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt). Jimmy has recently returned from action in World War I, and is “not the same kid that left” three years prior to the day we join the crew in Atlantic City in 1920. As we learn later in the episode, Jimmy aint kidding.
Nucky Thompson
Darmody has a wife and young boy at home, and he has clearly found reentry a difficult task. We learn that he spent years in Nucky’s crew, following the boss around for quite some time trying to pay his dues. Nucky does not view Jimmy’s service as patriotic or wise; he sees it as disrespectful to Thompson’s growth as a gangster in A.C. in the late 1910s. In a tense seen midway through the episode, Jimmy declares that he’s not looking for a handout but an opportunity. It is here that we see a huge opening for a permanent change in Jimmy’s character. In response to Jimmy saying he’s looking for an opportunity, Nucky says “This is America aint it? Who the fuck’s stoppin’ ya!”
One of the most pleasing facets to the show is the appearances of actual historic figures. Arnold Rothstein (Michael Stuhlbarg) – famous for rigging the 1919 World Series, creating the Chicago “Black Sox” – arrives in Atlantic City along with legendary New York gangster Charlie “Lucky” Luciano (Vincent Piazza). Another fun moment – Jimmy and Mr. Rothstein’s driver are sitting outside while the bosses discuss business. As Jimmy finds out, he’s talking to a young Al Capone.
The action picks up significantly in the final 20 minutes of the show with Jimmy’s character really showing a glimpse of how truly ruthless he could become. Unbeknownst to Nucky, the stage is set for a war between himself and the Chicago and New York families. As young Jimmy put it to him, “Look, you can’t be half a gangster, Nucky. Not anymore,” before handing the boss his share of a heist Nucky never authorized.
All in all this was a very enjoyable first effort, thanks in large part to Mr. Martin Scorsese. The main man of mafia movies directed the first episode, and boy could you tell. Sweeping outdoor shots, lots of color and contrasts, and enough blood to make the normal human being a tad bit squeamish – especially a particularly cold execution towards the end. Marty is clearly in his element here, and I certainly hope he makes another few directorial appearances. The small screen looks big when Mr. Scorsese is calling the shots.
The big opening aside, let’s reserve our Emmy nominations for now. I have heard that the first several episodes are truly great with a heavy uptick in momentum. I am particularly excited about the introduction of Chalky White, who is portrayed by Michael K. Williams – known largely for his role as Omar in “The Wire”. More largely, though, I am curious about how Winter sees the overall narrative unfolding. Will he revert back to his “The Sopranos” days and insert some non sequitur episodes into the 13-part story arc? Or will Winter shake free of his mentor David Chase and let the story develop without distractions?
For the first time in a long time, I am eager to tune into HBO (or at least set my DVR) on Sunday nights so I can find out the answers to those and many, many more questions.
Posted in Commentary, Pop Culture | Tagged: Boardwalk Empire, HBO, Martin Scorsese, Steve Buscemi | 2 Comments »