That’s Entertainment
The serious origins of your favorite characters from the funny pages. BLONDIE At its outset in 1930, Blondie was just one of many comics about flappers, those ladies of the Jazz Age who danced all night in bold, calf-exposing dresses. Chic Young’s strip centered on Blondie Boopadoop (cribbing heavily from the catchphrase of fellow fictional […]
Unscripted, or calculated? You be the judge. Real Housewives Reality Show: Cameras follow the exploits of cliques of well-to-do women from various American cities. Episodes feature fights, betrayal, drinking, and sexual situations. REAL Show: The gossip website RadarOnline posted photos of the cast and crew of Real Housewives of New York City filming a “spontaneous” […]
Spider-Man is one of comicdom’s most popular, famous, and adaptable superheroes — the eighth big-budget movie about the teen web-slinger made since 2000 hits theaters this summer. Spider-Man: Far from Home features Mysterio, one of the more well-known villains from the comics. These others will probably never make it to the big screen. The Spot […]
The Dick Tracy movie hit theaters last week in 1990, reviving the 1930s comic strip franchise for a new generation. To demonstrate just now “ugly” the crimes committed by the bad guys in this law and order comic strip could be, creator Chester Gould made the villains physically grotesque. P.S. Tone The P.S. stands for […]
The Sound Most of the King’s biographers attribute his singing style to black gospel and country music. But Elvis wanted to reach a wider audience, so he based his early vocal stylings on pop crooner Dean Martin. (For evidence, listen to Elvis’s first recording of “Love Me Tender.”) The Hit Elvis Presley’s biggest hit (and […]
Lots of musicians have given acting a try, like Cher and Eminem. A few have taken an even larger jump—from singing and writing songs…to directing movies. It hasn’t always gone very well. MADONNA After more than two decades of lacing her songs and videos with provocative themes and adults-only imagery, respectively, Madonna took the reins […]
What do an obscure ‘90s grunge tune and a repetitive song for toddlers have in common? They were both major pop hits…in 2019. Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back in the Water Most record buyers (and downloaders) are adults, and adults generally don’t listen to children’s music. That’s part of why […]
As one of the world’s most popular musicians right now, everything Drake touches turns to gold. Musically, that is. In the world of sports, an endorsement from the “Started From the Bottom” rapper-singer can seemingly doom an athlete. Anthony Joshua Cursed! On June 1, 2019, boxer Anthony Joshua fought Andy Ruiz, Jr. in a defense […]
Usually, Saturday Night Live produces sketches that comment on current events — you know, stuff that’s already happened. But over its more than 40 seasons, its writers and performers have proved to be such savvy cultural critics that a few times they’ve managed to predict events before they happened. Here are the times when SNL […]
Ooooooooh…who’s celebrating 20 straight years on TV? SpongeBob SquarePants! The incredibly silly Nickelodeon cartoon starring the iconic porous fry cook debuted in May 1999, and hasn’t left TV since. Here are some little known facts about the yellow guy. Squidward name origins The name of SpongeBob’s long-suffering neighbor and co-worker, Squidward Tentacles, is a really […]
If you’ve got any of these sitting in a box in your basement (or in your parents’ basement), you’re going to want to dig them out, and figure out what to do with all the money you’re going to get when you sell then. Nintendo PowerFest 94 In the early 1990s, Nintendo held an annual, […]
Celebrities are constantly on the road and making appearances. Of course, they want to do this in style and comfort. Here are some request that may go too far. Beyoncé It’s been reported that the only thing Beyoncé will drink from while on tour are titanium straws that cost $900 each. Kylie Jenner Kylie Jenner […]
The story of how Charlie Chaplin’s Little Tramp was born. On a Hollywood back lot in 1914, a 25-year-old English actor named Charlie Chaplin was working on a short film when a studio boss blurted out, “We need some gags here! Put on a comedy makeup. Anything will do.” Chaplin ran to the costume room […]
After an extremely popular 12-year run that made it the longest-running laugh track sitcom in TV history, The Big Bang Theory comes to an end this week. Here’s a look into the world of those nerdy Caltech scientists and their sci-fi-memorabilia filled apartments. Bazinga! Any sitcom worth its meddle generates a catchphrase, and for The […]
It’s almost summer, so that means summer movies, which means lots more superhero and comic book movies. You probably won’t see the good guys fighting these bad guys, however. Blue Snowman This occasional Wonder Woman villain is the alter ego of evil scientist Bryna Brilyant. She uses a creation called “blue snow,” which can freeze […]
May 4th is Star Wars Day. Why? Because “may the fourth be with you” sounds a lot like “may the force be with you,” a famous line from the franchise. While the many Star Wars movie have delighted millions and earned billions, there are a few that never got made at all. The Star Wars […]
Every town in America offers more or less the same radio stations: pop, country, classic rock, and talk. Some stations like to offer something a little bit (or a whole lot) different, and so do broadcasters who pipe out music from the wild west of the internet. THE FIX IS IN Broadcasting in London, Fix […]
Musicians record and release albums because they need to share with the world the music they wrote from their heart and soul. Or, they make records because they’ve been forced to do so by powerful entities. Contract Breaking Sessions Legendary singer-songwriter Van Morrison signed a deal with Bang Records in 1967, and it’s through that […]
