pop cult
awww shit\/\/orwell just got pwned
When I read 1984 for the first time I remember thinking that the notion of newspeak was supposed to be terrifying. The ultimate capitalization of language: say the same thing faster and with less space. But now that newspeak exists (it’s ttly all about txtng nd sending msgs tht dnt tk up too much... »
this week on the avant guardian \/\/ tighten up
Archie Bell and the Drells’ 1968 hit “Tighten Up” is one of a long line of American popular songs built around a dance. There are few lyrics beyond Bell’s cajoling the band and the dancers (you!). He does claim at the beginning of the song that “we dance just about as good as we... »
popop\/\/i shall be released
This is going to seem like too great a stretch, but there is a very real connection between the New Orleans Saints, the Stoics of Ancient Greece, and Nina Simone. What brings them together? Compassion. Nina Simone’s short hymnal “Compassion” is actually Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem “Compensation” set to music. Dunbar also wrote a vaudeville song... »
popop\/\/building nothing out of something
where do you move, where ya movin’ from? It’s yourself/It’s yourself Modest Mouse, “Never-Ending Math Equation” Previously we touched upon the visual nature of propaganda; what has happened? People have learned to fight over images, the discussion of identity politics has become a common motif in mainstream media. This happened around the same... »
commodity fetishism gone right \/\/ alexander mcqueen, meatpacking district
February 11, 2010: Beneath the flurries of the worst blizzard to hit the northeastern United States in over a decade, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week kicks off in New York City. The crowds flock to the tents of Bryant Park to witness some of the most prominent designers in the world unveil their Fall-Winter... »
popop\/\/mortal kombat
This week’s theme, “the pink sheep of the family” is an homage to the recent passing of Alexander McQueen, he described himself once as such. High profile deaths provide the viewing public a chance to join in identity-building: suddenly the average U.S.er is concerned and aware that Haiti is the poorest country in the... »
monstrous monsters \/\/ dear hollywood
The Wolfman stars Benicio del Toro as a man who returns home to his father (Anthony Hopkins) and their vast English estate. Unfortunately, the curse of the wolf runs in his family. In Legion, Paul Bettany’s fallen angel tries to save a group of people from the coming apocalypse of angry angels and possessed... »
commodity fetishism gone right \/\/ consumerism in the age of cyber mud-slinging
“I don’t know the percentage of the internet that’s valid, do you? Jesus, it’s scary.” — Hunter S. Thompson It’s difficult to pin down the spirit of the times when there’s simply so much information and stimulation at our fingertips. The cultural movements that once defined generations have managed to fragment into a dizzying array... »
popop\/\/talkin loud and sayin nothin
Like a dull knife: just ain’t cuttin Just talkin’ loud and sayin’ nothin’ James Brown Never mind what’s been selling It’s what you’re buying Fugazi “Blueprint“ Aw Anonymous. Anonymous, Anonymous, Anonymous For the uninitiated (that blessed populace), 4chan’s /b/ is, at a minimum, two things: the source of most of the memes that have dominated social media sites over the previous several... »
bad-mouthing women \/\/ a short poetic history
The Saints victory in the La Supair Bowle this past week gave everyone ample opportunity to talk about Kim Kardashian’s big ass. Why, you may wonder? So many questions torture my already fevered brain… If they lost, would her presence on the field have blamed like Jessica Simpson was for Tony Romo’s flameout awhile... »
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