MetaFilter posts tagged with popculture

Mad Props

dersins — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:24:41 -0800

There was a typewriter repairman in North Hollywood, California. He couldn’t believe it when all of a sudden someone deposited 24 vintage typewriters on his doorstep and said, “Make them look new.” He probably hadn’t had that much work in the last 25 years. He was probably just about ready to hang up the “Going out of business” sign and cursing the arrival of the laptop computer when all of a sudden here I come with 24 typewriters. The Collectors Weekly interviews Scott Buckwald, propmaster for Mad Men.

"... that dear octopus from whose tentacles we never quite escape"

ollyollyoxenfree — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:18:12 -0800

Vulgar Army: Octoprop to Octopop is "an informal study into the representation of the Octopus in propaganda and political cartoons, and influence on, or co-option of, popular culture." Highlights include: The nation-state as an octopus in cartography. Standard oil in the 1800s represented as an octopus.

Top shelf Lego

bonobothegreat — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:40:39 -0800

CUBEDUDES ...dig into Pixar Animator Angus Maclane's Lego figurine photostream.

More Madness

mattdidthat — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:03:36 -0800

The Footnotes of Mad Men explores and discusses the historic events, themes, and cultural mores of the show.

This Hieronymous Bosch is heavy.

yiftach — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:54:04 -0800

The Seven Deadly Sins by Dan Lydersen (on sale here [scroll down] with details and IDs of all references) is a modern homage to this work by Bosch. Bonus points if you identify the source of this post's title.

For Creative People

netbros — Wed, 20 May 2009 16:37:41 -0800

Lost At E Minor is an online publication of inspiring art, illustration, photography, music, fashion, film — basically contemporary pop culture.

Yum, tofutti!

idiopath — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 21:15:56 -0800

Get your Daily Dose of '80s kitsch.

Thinking Outside the Idiot Box

wendell — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 17:59:48 -0800

Gallery 1988 (previously on MetaFilter) presents Television reconsidered, deconstructed, reconstructed, reimagined and just had too much fun with, the usual subjects and a few surprises and much much more (after a word from our sponsor) in "Idiot Box". (Everything with titles & credits at that last link) (via)

pulpapalooza

madamjujujive — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 03:52:32 -0800

From cops vs. hoods and other toughies to mad science and dramatic ledges and bridgewalkers, a vast and entertaining collection of vintage pulp art categorized into themes.

Here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere!

shoesfullofdust — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 07:27:54 -0800

How Science Fiction Found Religion

where we're going we don't NEED beans

Potomac Avenue — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 09:49:59 -0800

The Science Of Back to The Future A post on the wonderful Overthinking It, a pop culture blog that delightfully does just what it sets out to do. Now that's how winning is done! Previously

If you like modern music, you'll probably like Nardwuar.

christhelongtimelurker — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:40:59 -0800

Nardwuar the Human Serviette is an interesting, abrasive and knowledgeable music journalist. Many of his interviews are on film and posted to youtube. Previously on metafilter. Warning: single link to a youtube user. Brevity is a virtue? I don't know if this is FPP material but I've wasted maybe 4 or 5 hours watching his videos over the past few days so if you are anything like me, you might enjoy them. And worst case situation, you might waste 10 seconds glancing at the post and deciding its dumb. Also, its a single

Lost Memory Exhibition

telstar — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:18:11 -0800

The 40 Greatest Lost Icons In Pop Culture History

It's a ninja. With a tuba.

desjardins — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 17:48:42 -0800

A collection of weird and whimsical pop culture t-shirt designs.

Found on the internet:

puckish — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:48:47 -0800

A Nice Idea Every Day Pretty shiny things. See also: procrastination. See also: Flying objects, DV Coke bottles, Asleep on a Train, Magic Hands

The Archive of American Television

not_on_display — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:32:49 -0800

The Archive of American Television "produces extensive video oral history interviews with television legends of all professions and makes them available online. To date, the Archive has completed over 2000 hours of videotaped conversations with over 570 Actors, Producers, Writers, Newscasters, Executives, Directors, Craftspersons, and more. ... The interviews are conducted by reviewing the subject's life and career chronologically. They discuss their childhood, early influences, how their career began, and thoroughly cover their television careers, ending with their thoughts on the industry and legacy."*

How Much

homunculus — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:55:56 -0800

Quantum of culture. Terminology from quantum theory shows up frequently in art, films, poetry and sculpture. Robert P. Crease gauges the impact of quantum mechanics on popular culture. [Via]

oh gross!

nickyskye — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 15:24:08 -0800

80's sillibiz, parody of the Cabbage Patch Kids. Garbage Pail Kids cards.The checklist. A few of the Garbage Pail Kids' artists: Luiz Diaz l John Pound l Tom Bunk. Garbage Pail Kids around the world. Branded in the 80's site on the Garbage Pail Kids. Wikipedia entry on the GPKs. Wikipedia re the Cabbage Patch Kids. Find your name. Previously.

The Bechdel Test

rmd1023 — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 05:28:52 -0800

Alison Bechdel, creator of the very long-running "Dykes to Watch Out For" as well as the autobiographical graphic novel "Fun Home", may end up best known for her creation/popularization of "The Bechdel Test" (also mentioned on wikipedia). NPR has just done a segment on The Bechdel Test, and their pop culture blog has taken things one step beyond, with suggestions for other rules for "The Deggans Rule", after Eric Deggans, (1. at least two non-white characters 2. in a show that's not about race), and "The Morales Rule", after "Middleman star Natalie Morales, (1. Nobody calls anybody Papi, 2. No dancing to salsa music, 3. No gratuitous Spanish). The Middleman has been mentioned previously, and its stellar passing of the Bechdel test noted

When celebrities and language collide. In Japan!

Rhaomi — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:25:37 -0800

Puzzled by sugary J-Pop bands and their eccentric (and failed) TV shows? Frustrated and confused by the complexity of Japanese and want to see what your inchoate blustering looks like from the other side? Then join "perennially unpopular" gaijin celebrity Thane Camus (grand-nephew of Albert Camus), as he walks a class of fellow pop star clichés through an endearingly awkward English conversation class.

the night is young, the mood is mellow...

grounded — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:00:09 -0800

Vaughn Toulouse was not born Toulouse. He was born Vaughn Cotillard on the island of Jersey on this day in 1959. In the summer of ’78, he left home to tag along on tour with the Clash, which he chronicled in an early issue of The Face. Thus inspired, Toulouse formed a series of bands of his own including Guns For Hire and Department S, which scored a big hit with Is Vic There? (TOTP, Cheggers) and a lesser one with I Want. Toulouse was a fixture on the 80s London club/music scene, writing for The Face, promoting clubs, performing as a DJ and in his own Main T Posse, posing for Wolfgang Tillmans and serving as cover boy for the Jam’s final record. Vaughn Toulouse died in 1991 of AIDS-related illness.

Vanhacking

Miko — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:14:16 -0800

In a time before the Prius, the custom conversion van ruled the roadways. Pushing the boundaries of the airbrush form, testing the limits of mobile interior design, featuring the latest in automatic pink leather bed, compact toaster, 8-track, and love machine technology, the 70s van was celebrated in song and cinema. You started with a factory model, new or used, and ended at a place limited onlyby your creativity, your budget, and your old lady's patience (NSFW). Ford could make you a man.If push came to shove, you could even live in your van. It was fantasy on wheels: van-tastic, man. More from the 1977 movie Supervan. Even more from that movie. A van show clip from The Van. George Barris rehabbed the Supervan for its 1977 movie appearance. The Guild of Automotive Restorers returned it to its former glory in 2003 - step by step photos here. My closest personal connection to the world of conversion vans was through the Little Van Goes Design Kit, which let you use relief templates to customize your own fantasy van.

Totally outrageous!!!

1f2frfbf — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 07:55:36 -0800

Branded in the 80's: Peel Here From the obvious to the obscure to the downright frightening, Peel Here documents the collectible stickers of the 80's and related ephemera.

# The thunder of his own guns filled him with stupid wonder.

kbanas — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:56:40 -0800

Stephen King has described The Dark Tower as his "Jupiter." The epic series, inspired in part by Robert Browning's poem, "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came", has spanned 22 years, 7 books and nearly 4000 pages. The first book in the series, The Gunslinger, begins with a simple, memorable declaration, "The Man in Black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed." The Dark Tower tells the story of Roland Deschain, the last Gunslinger in a world that has "moved on", and his ka-tet as they quest to find the Dark Tower - a tower of obsidian in a field of red roses - where all space and time is bound together by a powerful energy. This is a world where the forces of the Red battle the forces of the White across the plains of existence, where there are countless worlds beyond our own, and where things don't look so great for the good guys. On April 15th, StephenKing.com launched a newly redesigned Dark Tower website, with all sorts of goodies. When King calls the series "his life's work", he is not exaggerating. The Dark Tower, ka and ka-tet, gunslingers and Gilead - these things, and Roland's struggle to set things right - provide the overarching backdrop to dozens of King's other stories. And, like any great fantasy book, it's steeped in its own set of words and terminology. The series also features some great illustration by artists like Dave McKean, Michael Whelan, Darrel Anderson and Phil Hale (my personal favorite). Although the last book of the series, The Dark Tower, was published in 2004, that has not marked the end of Roland's saga. Recently, The Dark Tower has found new life. Robin Furth was a PhD student in English at the University of Maine in 2000 when she heard from her advisor, Burt Hatlen, that Stephen King was looking for someone to do some part-time work. That part-time work turned into something more when King asked Furth to create a concordance for the first four books of the Dark Tower. After all, a series which had spanned, at that point, 18 years and 4 books, could prove hard to keep straight for even the most seasoned writer. "Never ask a frustrated folklorist to map out your imaginary world," Furth said of the thick tome that was the result of her effort. That effort (and another for the last 3 books) eventually turned into Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance, one of two major books that have been published about the Dark Tower (the other being Bev Vincent's The Road to the Dark Tower). Stephen King and Marvel Comics have also recently come together to publish a 5 arc, 31 issue series of comic books set in The Dark Tower universe, plotted and written by now-Dark-Tower-guru Robin Furth and comic legend Peter David, and illustrated by Jae Lee. The first story arc, The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born, was released last year. The second arc, The Dark Tower: The Long Road Home, launched last month. And if that weren't enough, Stephen King recently sold the move rights to the Dark Tower saga to the creative team of J. J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof for the bargain price of $19. King and Abrams have long confessed mutual-admiration for one another. Those who have read the series (or much recent King at all), will recognize the number 19 as having an unusual power in the universe The Dark Tower. And no wonder.

The Re Generation

adamrice — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 07:54:49 -0800

Riffing on the 1970s as the "Me Generation," Esquire Magazine once referred to the 1980s as the "Re Generation," making the case that all of our popular music, fashion, etc was being recycled from previous decades. They had no idea. Since then, the flood of entertainment has deposited many more sedimentary layers of pop culture. Today, musicians and music videos mine these condensed strata of modern media as raw materials, producing works of hyper-compressed cultural references. Case in point: The Scissor Sisters' "Comfortably Numb", Justice's "DVNO", and The Darkness' "I Believe in a Thing Called Love." In "Comfortably Numb," the music is really where all the references appear; in "DVNO," it's in the video (and the Wikipedia article attempts to catalog them). "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" stuffs a bewildering number of winks and references into both the music and visuals.