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Pop Culture Dish, Presented By Malcolm
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This blog features my opinions on various topics in the pop culture universe. In addition to current happenings, I'll also discuss movies, TV shows, music, etc. from the past. You can also check out the playlists for my weekly radio show as well.
Recent Posts Tagged With 'TV'
Remembering the Celebs We Lost In 2009
Along with preparing to say hello to a new decade, it's also time to pay tribute to those we lost in the world of entertainment this year. Below is a tribute assembled by TCM of film industry people who we said goodbye to in 2009. The montage is set ...
Happy Birthday To Mike Nesmith and Davy Jones of The Monkees
Wednesday Dec. 30th marks the birthdays of both Mike Nesmith and Davy Jones of the Monkees (they turn 67 and 64, respectively). As some of you may know, the Monkees' 4th album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, & Jones, Ltd. got its name from the a...
Please Take A Moment To Vote In the Current Annoying Celeb of 2009 Poll... Thank You.
If you are a fan of The Twilight Zone, you are no doubt familiar with the episode titled "It's A Good Life". In it, a six-year old boy named Anthony Fremont held a town in terror with his godlike mental powers. One of his powers was the ability to...
Actress Brittany Murphy Dead At 32
This story literally made me jump in my chair from shock. Actress Brittany Murphy was pronounced dead this morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after going into full cardiac arrest. Perhaps best known as Tai Frasier in the 1995 movie Clueless, Mu...
The WIRE: Week In REview, #2
Andy Keaton: A Fugitive No MoreOn December 11, Brian Bonsall, best known for his role as Andy Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties was charged in Colorado with second-degree assault after police say he repeatedly hit a friend in the head with a broken wo...
The WIRE: Week In REview, #1
Because the world of pop culture won't slow down to accommodate my hectic schedule, I haven't been able to blog about many of the stories that have unfolded recently. As a result, I decided that doing weekly summaries would give me a chance to touch...
Thursday Thirteen #77: TV Twosomes
As the rap classic by Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock exclaimed, "It takes two to make a thing go right... it takes two to make it outta sight!" Although they weren't rapping/singing/scratching about TV characters, the lines do apply to small screen duos. ...
Final Results of the Chris Farley
Here are the final results of the poll in which I asked if the new Direct TV Ad with Chris Farley and David Spade is in poor taste:Yes- 41%I'm sitting on the fence- 32%No- 25%I wonder if the controversy will cause Direct TV to be reluctant to take th...
Jack and the Jerk To Host the 82nd Academy Awards!
My disappointment over Hugh Jackman not returning has just subsided... it's been announced that Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin will be co-hosting the 82nd annual Academy Awards ceremony! Although Alec is a first-timer, this will be Steve's 3rd time p...
Moolah For Hulu?
It's been reported that Hulu, the awesome (and FREE) online streaming service, may start charging a subscription fee for video content sometime in 2010. Since it's introduction in 2007, Hulu has been a haven for millions of viewers interested in ch...
Mount Rushmore: TV Cars
For this installment of my periodic series in which I select who/what I think are the 4 ultimate in a given category, I'm focusing on automobiles of the small screen. 1. The Batmobile (Batman, 1966-1968)2. The General Lee (The Dukes of Hazzard, 1979-...
TV Theme Songwriter Vic Mizzy Dies At 93
Mizzy (above center) with Green Acres stars Eddie Albert and Eva GaborVic Mizzy, the songwriter who earned a spot in the Pop Culture Hall of Fame by penning two of the more memorable theme songs in TV history (The Addams Family and Green Acres), die...
The Sesame Street Gang Is Political... Who Knew?!
Earlier this week, First Lady Michelle Obama made an appearance on Sesame Street. She showed up to extol the virtues of gardening and healthy eating when out of nowhere, Big Bird comes on the scene and asks her some pointed questions about President...
Final Results of the Recent TV Show On DVD Poll
Proving that nostalgia trumps courtroom intrigue, The Wonder Years narrowly edged out L.A. Law in the recent poll in which I asked you which TV show would you most like to see get a proper DVD release. Because The Wonder Years relied heavily on the ...
Little House On the Prairie Turns 35
On this day back in 1974, one of TV's most enduring dramas (Little House On the Prairie) premiered on NBC. During its primetime run, I foolishly dismissed Little House On the Prairie as a bunch of pioneer B.S. I used to say to myself...
Please Take A Moment To Vote In the Current TV Show On DVD Poll... Thank You
Note: Although 5 episodes of The Wonder Years are available on DVD (via two "Best of" collections), I included it in the poll because there has never been a complete season release of the series as of yet....
Mount Rushmore: Sitcoms
For the 4th installment of my periodic series in which I select who/what I think are the 4 ultimate in a given category, I'm focusing on sitcoms. Because there are so many shows I feel are worthy of being up on this Mount Rushmore, it was hard ...
Mount Rushmore: Fictional Villains
For the 3rd installment of my periodic series in which I select who/what I think are the 4 ultimate in a given category, I'm focusing on fictional villains. To me, the four characters below represent the vertex of villainy.Darth VaderHannibal LecterJ...
Director of "Banned Sprite Ad" Sets the Record Straight
Film maker Max Isaacson is making a name for himself with a fake Sprite ad that he wrote, directed and produced. The fake spot connects the pleasures of oral sex with the thirst quenching taste of Sprite. A lot of people thought the banned "commerci...
Conan's Humorous "Exposé" of The Fox News Channel
During his Wednesday night monologue on The Tonight Show, Conan O'Brien took a jab at the Fox News Channel's well-deserved reputation as a right-wing station. He showed a clip of President Barack Obama's ceremonial first pitch at Tuesday's MLB All-S...
Thursday Thirteen #74: Shows That Never Jumped the Shark
In November of 2007, I wrote a Thursday Thirteen in which I listed TV shows that "jumped the shark". As you may know, the term "jump the shark" refers to the point in a series' run when it begins its slide into mediocrity or worse. For this week's T1...
R.I.P. Gale Storm and Karl Malden
The Grim Reaper continues to take its toll on the entertainment world. On Saturday, actress and singer Gale Storm died at the age of 87. In the "out of sight, out of mind" world of pop culture, Storm is somewhat obscure today. However, in the 195...
DVD Picks: Do the Right Thing Turns 20 and Parker Lewis Goes Digital
Coming to DVD on Tuesday June 30th are a couple of releases that couldn't be more dissimilar: the 20th anniversary edition of Do the Right Thing and Parker Lewis Can't Lose: The Complete First Season. Arguably his best film, Spike Lee's 1989 tale dep...
Final Results of the Recent "Friends" Poll
In a final tally that I found telling, 1/4 of voters said they couldn't stand any of the main characters from the sitcom Friends. As a reformed Friends hater, I think I can relate to those who have no use for the Central Perk Crew. The thing that u...
Farrah Fawcett 1947-2009
I just learned that Farrah Fawcett lost her long battle with cancer at the age of 62. When it became clear that her chances of surviving were grim at best, I was a bit surprised at how it affected me. I think it was because she represented youthful...
Please Take A Moment To Vote In the Current "Friends" Poll... Thank You
Ed McMahon, 1923-2009
Yet another pop culture icon is gone. Even though Ed McMahon was closely associated with a variety of TV ventures (commercials for "Cash For Gold" and American Family Publishers, host of Star Search, TV Bloopers & Practical Jokes, etc.), he wil...
CTFD: Protesters Call For David Letterman's Head
For various reasons, I originally wasn't going to post anything about the Letterman vs. Palin dustup. That is until I saw a clip of the "massive" protest rally outside the building where "The Late Show with David Letterman" is taped. I'll borrow tw...
David Carradine, 1936-2009
Earlier today one of my childhood idols, David Carradine, was found dead in Bangkok at the age of 72. Although Carradine played numerous roles in his 45-plus year career, I will always remember him as Kwai Chang Caine on the original 1970s series K...
Retro Commercials: The Monkees Pimp For Kellogg's
For awhile now, I have been meaning to bring back a feature that I used to do regularly on my blog... the retro commercial. Since I haven't done this feature since last fall, I thought I'd return with a vengeance and bring you not one commercial, bu...
