GMU Pop Culture Journalism

Spiderman and Jedi-Knights Save the Day!

Written on September 18, 2010 – 9:22 pm | by Aisha Jamil

We see Spiderman and Jedi-knights in movies and comic books saving the world from the bad guys. Now, it’s happening in real life.

A man dressed in a Spiderman costume at an Australian comic book store decides to save the world from a robbery by confronting the thief. As the thief tried to leave, he was stopped by two men dressed in  Jedi-knight costumes.

Read the full story at http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2010/05/03/Spider-Man-stops-comic-book-theft/UPI-99211272911881/ and laugh at the completely ludicrousness of the whole situation!

 

Tags: books, comic book, spiderman, theft

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Comedian watch: Anothony Jeselnik

Written on September 17, 2010 – 1:09 pm | by mwhitfie

If you haven’t seen him, or at least heard of him, you should.  Though Anthony Jeselnik is no rookie in the comedy circuit, only recently has he started to make a name for himself.  How is he making such a name for himself?  By being one of the most hilarious assholes on the modern comedy scene.

His jokes have controversial subject matter, ranging from suicide to abortion, and can be seen/heard as cruel and downright appalling.  In a 2008 interview, Jeselnik, in his own defense, says his raunchy approach to comedy is purposeful and smart.

Check out a preview of his premiere album “Shakespeare,” which is set to be released on Tuesday, September 21, and is sure to be utterly offensive and brilliant.

Tags: "Shakespeare", Comedy, controversial, stand-up comedy

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Springsteen Documentary Slated for November Release

Written on September 15, 2010 – 7:09 pm | by emilysharrer

They’ve taken what is, in my opinion, the best Bruce Springsteen album, thrown together nitty-gritty footage shot during the 1970s recording sessions and given me a new reason to look forward to the month of November.

The documentary, called The Promise: The Making of Darkness On The Edge of Town, has everything you could want out of a rockumentary: shirtless Springsteen rehearsals, concert footage and 21 song outtakes from the recording sessions.

What’s on Darkness on The Edge of Town you may ask? Check out the tasty title track:

Darkness on The Edge of Town

And be sure to pick up a copy of The Boss’ film Nov. 16!

Click here for the full story.

Tags: Bruce Springsteen, Darkness on The Edge of Town, documentary, shirtless

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments »

“A Different Spin” Premieres Tomorrow Night!

Written on September 15, 2010 – 6:34 pm | by katierobertson

The wait is over! Mark Hoppus, Blink-182’s fun-loving bass player, is co-hosting a new show on Fuse with comedian Amy Schumer.  His first guest is rumored to be John Mayer. Hilarity is sure to ensue. The show premieres Thursday at 7pm on Fuse. Don’t miss it!

Check out a video promo for the show: A Different Spin Preview.

Tags: Music, television

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Bieber Almost Gets Arrested…Are Teen Stars Taking It Too Far?

Written on September 15, 2010 – 5:57 pm | by arose5

Teen sensation Justin Bieber goes too far at a concert in Maryland. JSYK.com is reporting that Bieber threw a water ballon at a police officer’s lower area and he wasn’t too happy about it!

 I thought this was an interesting post and it made me wonder if teen stars are going too far? What do you think?

Tags: Justin Bieber

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments »

“Teen Mom” Madness

Written on September 15, 2010 – 3:33 pm | by msathmar

What is society’s obsession with pregnant teens on television? From a Lifetime movie about the Massachusetts pregnancy pact, to the MTV hit show “Teen Mom”, networks everywhere are cashing in on the immense popularity of these shows. Interestingly enough, teen pregnancy is currently at it’s peak – the highest its been since 1990.

Some media critics speculate that despite negative connotations of teen pregnancy in shows like “16 and Pregnant”, the fact that the shows even exist glamorizes the experience for naive and impressionable teen viewers. Liz Goodwin, a blogger for The Daily Beast, explores this somewhat disturbing phenomenon.

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Katy Perry . . . at Starbucks?

Written on September 15, 2010 – 1:39 pm | by Courtney Arzu

For as long as the modern coffee shop has existed there has been music in coffee shops. Often, the best part of walking into the shop to purchase a delicious, warm beverage is hearing the smooth tunes of a hardly known indie band. Today, as I stood in line I was slightly appalled to see that Starbucks was selling the latest offering by Katy Perry, Teenage Dream. While, I love the upbeat, dancibility of Perry’s music I would hardly associate it with coffee, or the early morning hours. Leaves me to wonder what is next for Starbucks. Will I walk in next week to find a DJ spinning at 7:30 am? I certainly hope not.

Tags: Coffee, Katy Perry, Pop Music, Starbucks, Teenage Dream

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Sean Moeller’s Creative Edge

Written on September 15, 2010 – 12:36 pm | by britnipetersen

When I’m looking for reviews on new and up-and-coming music, I head straight to Daytrotter, an online music publication that focuses on Indie artists and bands. One Daytrotter critic, Sean Moeller, truly knows how to keep an audience entertained. With unusual and witty remarks, Moeller’s critique’s are anything but boring. Whether one is interested in the artist or band being reviewed or not, one will certainly be amused.

Moeller’s differs from many other music critics because he knows how to charmingly paint a picture of how the music should make the listener feel. While reviewing Portugal The Man, Moeller says, “It’s music that lets the sun break into the proceedings and you feel as if you’ve assumed a seat in a levitation machine that’s pumping pure oxygen into your lungs, giving you some kind of a buzz that you don’t usually get.”

Moeller’s creativity is apparent. I like how his descriptions show readers a different perspective on an artist or band, and it’s nice to see how he treats every artist and band he reviews with respect and admiration. But, the main reason why I enjoy Moeller’s reviews is because he is an excellent storyteller. I mean, who doesn’t like a good story?

So check out Moeller’s reviews here!

Tags: Bands, Critic, Daytrotter, Indie, Music

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

The Reality Behind Reality

Written on September 15, 2010 – 12:25 pm | by Gabriella

Let’s face it, reality shows are as real as Pamela Anderson’s boobs. However MTV has released World of Jenks, a reality show turned television documentary. Follow 24-year-old film maker, Andrew Jenks, as he immerses himself into other peoples lives to discover the true reality of humanity.

Watch World Of Jenks: Episode 1: Heaven and Hell  and follow Jenks into rapper Maino’s life.

Tags: Andrew Jenks, documentary, MTV, reality, television, video

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Divas!

Written on September 15, 2010 – 12:23 pm | by dkois

In light of our Celine Dion-oriented reading this week, I wanted to point you towards this entertaining piece from The Awl, in which a writer tries to scientifically prove which diva is the diva-iest. It’s pretty long, but well worth it, as author Jay Caspian Kang chooses between Aretha, Barbra, Beyonce, Celine, Diana, Etta, Gladys, Mariah, Mary J, Whitney and Jordin Sparks.

The combination of archness and sincerity here is very funny, and the YouTube videos are pretty astonishing to watch. I take umbrage with Mary J’s low ranking in the “upstaging” category, though.

Who Is the Greatest Diva of the Last 25 Years? We Offer Scientific Proof! [The Awl]

Tags: divas, kois, Music

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