Little Nuggets 11/5/09

How the hell are you? I've been working on this site like a fiend the past few days, and it reminds me of the joy I had when I had my previous website before the whole blog thing took off. They sure made it a lot easier nowadays to write a blog and make it look sharp. As I get set for Survivor and The Office tonight, I figured I'd jot down a few more thoughts about Pop Culture that have been on my mind lately.

--I've never understood the term "guilty pleasure", probably because I have no shame whatsoever admitting I like things that are pretty much not accepted by the masses. I got no qualms admitting I love hair metal, The Brady Bunch, ABBA, and Free To Be.. You And Me. But then all of a sudden a show like Glee comes along which is super cheesy, and I'm catching myself from admitting it's on my list of shows that I'm sure to be home for. Even though the show is pure fluff, I enjoy it. And any time my wife can sit for an hour and watch TV with me, that's a bonus. The main reason why I love the show besides the music performances is Lea Michele. She not only is super-talented, but has that unique look that makes her stand out. She's an absolute cutie, and you heard it here first that she is going to be a big star in the upcoming years. Expect the awards committees to be kind to her in the not too distant future.

--Flash Forward is starting to pick up, but the actual term and how it's used on the show makes me laugh. Everybody always asks what did you see in your flash forward, or explain what they saw in my flash forward? Is there not one person who can call it something else? Like a vision, or when I was out cold for that time period? They have to keep reminding us what the title of the show is. It's not going to kill the show, and most people probably don't even notice it. It just always hits a small nerve when it happens each and every week on the show.

--Dexter has been okay this season, but seriously, Rita Bennett has to go. Julie Benz might be a prize on the eyes, but her acting skills are limited. She annoys me like a fork going across a plate. If Michael C. Hall were really like his character, he would even break his code and put a knife through her heart. All she does is nag Dexter and wants to talk about every little thing. Cut the guy a break. By the way, the Angel/Laguerta love story appears to be finally over. Thank God, because these two actors have zero chemistry between them.

--I got my latest bunch of new songs from my brother, and one song in particular intrigued me. The song is Tik Tok by Ke$ha. It seems that musicians are now getting really lazy, and sampling retro video game themes. If you have the chance to listen to the song, you can't tell me that the background music doesn't sound like you are in an arcade. Not sure if this is going to be the new trend, or just another lack of creativity in the music world?

--When will Vince McMahon realize his product is garbage and oversaturated? Boy how I miss those good old days when you had to be home for WWF RAW every Monday night? Maybe with Hulk Hogan coming aboard to TNA, it will light a spark under Vince's ass. Although we seem to forget that if Hulk does get full control of booking, we' might get treated to crap that might even be worse than the nWo mess that Hogan and Bischoff were responsible for in WCW.

--Trivia question for you! Who is the first and only actor to ever be raped by Freddy Kreuger? If you don't know the answer and can save yourself from going on IMDB, I'll advise in a future column.

--Well, it's official. The new Kiss album was a bomb. Gene Simmons thought that he could go duplicate what AC/DC did and have similiar or even more success. Wal-Mart appears ready to move on and replace the KISS assortments in their stores. Sonic Boom didn't crack #1 on the Top 200 Albums Chart, and it's falling rapidly down the charts over the past three weeks. AC/DC not only went to #1, but stayed there for another week. In fact, it was one of the top 20 selling albums of 2009. The first single, Modern Day Delilah wasn't able to hit #1 or even the top ten on the mainstream rock charts. AC/DC was able to pull it off with Rock & Roll Train. I was curious to see who would come out on top but it wasn't even close. AC/DC matters more than KISS now. If KISS has put out a new album with the original members actually playing on the record, would it have changed things? I don't think so.

--Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa Poker Face!!! I don't listen to the radio as much as I used to, so don't be shocked when I say that I enjoy Lady Gaga's Poker Face even if it's on the radio every ten minutes. What a great tune!

--After having a conversation with a few people what the best TV shows are, I'm coming to the conclusion that The Wire might be the greatest show of all time. Seriously, if you haven't watched this show, it's about time to sign up for Netflix and start watching.

--I saw a movie poster for a new movie called Brothers coming out in December and the lead actors are Tobey MaGuire and Jake Gylenhaal. Could you ask for a better casting decision? I always thought they were the same person!

--After slipping out of my consciousness over the past few years, I'm proud to say Here I Go Again by Whitesnake is back on my list of favorite tunes. I think the rendition performed in the musical Rock Of Ages might have something to do with this. It might be the first time ever that I appreciate a classic song that was so outplayed that I wanted to start fights with the DJ at the bar a few years ago.

-I had a great conversation with a good friend who has his masters degree in history with a focus on the Holocaust last week about Holocaust movies. We both agree that Schindler's List was a great movie in terms of cinematography, acting, and costumes. Yet, the fact that Oscar Schindler was not the real hero that the movie portrayed him to be sure makes me doubt if it still is the best movie about the Holocaust in my opinion. Once I get the podcasts rolling, expect a more in-depth analysis of this topic and other Holocaust movies with my pal Nick to be on the way.