MetaFilter posts tagged with popculture

Girl, Interrupted

ocherdraco — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:12:28 -0800

Girl, Interrupted: The Life and Death of Brittany Murphy "Part of the shock surrounding Murphy's death is clearly related to her age, though it may also be attributed to the fact that Murphy has been in the public eye for over 15 years, starting out in Hollywood when she was 14... It's something we've watched progress this entire decade: young women who are held up as the next big thing (Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears) and then brushed aside or openly mocked after they no longer fit an expected mold. It is both a story of self-destruction and mass-destruction, the business of creating and destroying a star; sometimes it's caused by internal forces, and sometimes it's fed by the rest of the world."

TPWRTD (or) Thanks for Ten Years of Toxic Disappointment

philip-random — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:35:05 -0800

The People Who Ruined The Decade The GUARDIAN weighs in: Forget Bush, Brand and Bin Laden, this decade's pop culture produced its own range of baddies from all corners. So who spent the decade buying ugly houses? Who was responsible for a pig being pleasured on TV, and who encouraged us to seek 'thinspiration' from Lindsay Lohan?

I blow up the dharma like what

desjardins — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:06:48 -0800

The Sickest Buddhist - Arj Barker from The Flight of the Conchords does a rap skewering of materialism in Western Buddhism. (via) Brad Warner offers a more serious critique of "satori porn" (sfw) Beliefnet talks about the branding of Buddhism, where it's used to market everything from mp3 players to perfume to bars to ... toilet paper holders?

WE SUPPORT THE CULLEN DIET! ...EAT US!!

ocherdraco — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:29:10 -0800

"YOU CAN HAVE THE FURRY ONE, I WANT THE ONE THAT SPARKLES." Fan posters at the Twilight: New Moon premiere.

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.