Betty White recently won the Screen Actors Guild’s 46th Annual Life Achievement Award. Hopefully you recall Betty White as Rose from The Golden Girls (NBC, 1985–1992), in which she did a bang-up job playing the naïve farm girl from Saint Olaf living out her golden years in Miami with three roommates. This has to be one of my all-time favorite shows. Thank goodness for re-runs! Depending on what generation you’re from, you may not know that there is a LOT more to Betty White than just her role on this totally awesome show. There’s a darn good reason she won a Life Achievement Award!

Thank goodness for PCU, I was able to find out so much about my favorite Golden Girl! Did you know that she has had key roles in television since 1953? She also had a significant part on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, where she won two Emmys. Mary Tyler Moore is big-time pop culture. My mom said that when she was a young adult, EVERY girl wanted to be Mary Tyler Moore and have their own apartment in the city. Now it seems like no big whoop, but back in the 1970s it was a very different thing. Heck, I learned about Mary Tyler Moore from the Weezer song “Buddy Holly” when I was in junior high…wow, but that’s a different story.

Please take a moment, and check out Betty White’s resume of movies and television appearances. The thing that keeps this lady so fresh and a part of current pop culture is that she never goes away! She’ll pop up on almost anything, and she’s as hilarious as ever. From her appearances on Pettycoat Junction (trust me, it’s great…go look it up), The Carol Burnett Show (another, please Netflix it), and Mama’s Family (spin-off from a skit on The Carol Burnett Show) to the more recent parts on My Name is Earl and Boston Legal—this lady just won’t quit! And I love her for it.

I hope we have many more years of Betty White’s sharp comedy in movies and television. She’s a true pop culture and entertainment gem. Cheers, Betty White! You deserve it!

Update 2/8: Betty White strikes again! Did you catch the most hilarious Super Bowl commercial starring my favorite lady? Check out Betty White trash-talking dudes on the football field in a Snickers ad, which was voted as SuperSunday’s best spot.

With 2009 drawing to a close, the year/decade in pop culture lists and reviews are once again all over the place in various media. We’d like to share some of our favorites with you. Consider it a sort of New Year’s gift from Pop Culture Universe.

Time has a very comprehensive year in review section with many great Pop Culture Top 10 lists, including people such as Captain Sully at the head of the Top 10 Heroes list and an appearance of the Jon and Kate Gosselin on the Top 10 Feuds and Top 10 Breakups lists.

Yahoo also has quite a large grouping of Top 10 year end lists. The H1N1 virus leads the Mad Science section and Michael Jackson and Ted Kennedy among many other big name celebrities had their places in the Farewells section. A later posting includes Tiger Woods as the Most Searched Athlete of 2009, for obvious reasons.

Because Twitter has become so popular this year, another listing that we found interesting is the top trending topics of 2009, which was also broken down into Top 10 lists under several different subject categories including news events, tv shows, and technology, among others.

Yet another fun piece we came across is John Christoffersen’s AP article (this one’s from the Boston Globe) on Yale Librarian, Fred Shapiro’s Top 10 list of quotes from this year. The quotes aren’t always from people who have accurate information (”Imma let you finish…”), but they are very representative of the times.

We also enjoyed the year end piece from Julie Hinds of the Detroit Free Press because she noted the contrast between the serious problems we faced such as the poor economy and the battle over healthcare reform and the distractions that entertained us such as Lady Gaga, balloon boy, and vampires.

Finally, Leslie Gray Streeter’s piece on the decade in the Palm Beach Post really seems to cover the big pop culture movements ranging from the proliferation of digitally downloaded music to the death of some of the longest running soap operas such as Guiding Light and As the World Turns.

Happy New Year and best wishes for a wonderful 2010 from Pop Culture Universe!

With the holidays just around the corner, the stores are really ramping up all of their commercials for the newest and hottest toys for this year. It seems that the crazy “Tickle Me Elmo” is still popular this year for the li’l kiddies, only now it comes in an “EXTREME” version—I’m curious what that is all about. Of course the Nintendo Wii is super hot for the big kids. I must confess, my husband and I bought one for ourselves this Christmas—what can I say? I came from the videogame generation!

Year after year, there are also the gift staples, such as Barbie dolls, action figures, radio-controlled cars, Legos, and bikes; and while all that stuff is super great, there are always those over-the-top, super-duper gifts. You know, those ones that when you opened them up, you thought you were going to totally freak out. I’m not talking about cool stuff when you got older, but those awesome toys that made the holiday so magical because you knew that only Santa would have been able to figure it out and deliver it under your tree (even though his writing is very similar to your dad’s).

For me, the year I got my Easy-Bake Oven was great, the original Nintendo was awesome, and my first mountain bike was most-excellent, but I don’t think anything can beat the shear excitement of when in 1985 I opened up a present to find Teddy Ruxpin inside! For those of you who aren’t familiar, Teddy Ruxpin was basically a tape deck inside of a toy bear. He had special tapes that told stories, his mouth would move (as if he was really telling you the story), and you could follow along in a book. Can you believe such an awesome thing existed? The kid’s toys of today have nothing on Teddy! I remember that my brother and I would have to turn the volume up because the mechanical sounds of his mouth moving would sometimes drown out the sound of the tape. We also discovered that we could put our Michael Jackson Thriller tape inside him, and it would play that too! Very cool. Even though I no longer have Teddy Ruxpin, my memories of that magical Christmas will be with me forever.

What was your special Holiday gift that sent you over the edge? Let’s start a conversation and reminisce about ye old Christmas days of our childhoods!

Later this month, we are publishing a new book, Toys in American Culture, so if you’re a toy-phile, you should probably check it out!

Also check out these related entries from Pop Culture Universe:

• “Christmas” from the Encyclopedia of American Holidays and National Days
• “All I Want for Christmas” from Christmas on Television
• “Barbie” from American Icons
• “Easy-Bake Oven” from Girl Culture

On November 9, 1989 the Berlin Wall fell—uniting East and West Germany. This iconic moment was televised as the nation watched on. Even though I was a mere child when the wall fell, I always relate it to music. Perhaps that’s because I can still hear MTV’s Kurt Loder reporting on the event in his “Week in Rock” segment. (I’m not sure if he really did, in fact I’ve searched the web to see if my memory serves me right, and I’m not sure, but I digress…let’s talk about some music.) Nothing seems to rally up the masses like a good rock song with a solid chorus and gnarly political message. The year that the Berlin Wall fell, there was a certain song that seemed to be constantly playing on the airwaves.

In 1989, Neil Young released “Rockin’ in the Free World” in his album, Freedom. The song was basically about how displeased he was with the Republican administration at the time, particularly George H. W. Bush. As with many great sounding rock songs with deep meaning, only the chorus is heard by the general public, and “Rockin’ in the Free World” soon became the “de facto anthem” for the fall of the Berlin Wall that year same year. What’s that, you’re too young to remember the fall of the Berlin Wall? Wait, you don’t know how great Neil Young is? Ok, whippersnapper, you might have heard “Rockin’ in the Free World” covered by Pearl Jam—they often play it at their live shows. It’s on a few of their “bootleg series” live albums out there. If you still don’t know what I’m talking about, check out the music video on YouTube.

Seriously, it’s great, right?

This is something that I just learned, thanks to Pop Culture Universe: did you know that only a few days after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Nirvana played various sold out gigs in Berlin? They were pretty new and unknown back in 1989, so I thought that bit of information was pretty cool.

For those of you that are really too young to have first-hand memories of the fall of the Berlin Wall or would just like more background, ABC-CLIO has put together a collection of free resources to explore this event in the latest installment of History and the Headlines. Click here to access this free resource site—check out essays, audio clips, images, and reference entries to get you on your way to understanding the history that lead up to the wall peacefully coming down in 1989.

What is your most prominent memory of the fall of the Berlin Wall? Did you watch it on TV? Did you hear about it on the radio? Do you have a piece of it on your bookshelf? Leave a comment—let’s start a conversation!

Ray Browne, who died at his home last weekend at age 87, did more than study and teach popular culture, he served as an embodiment of its ideals and a driving force behind its creation. His personal story is one of humble beginnings, overcoming a poor childhood in rural Alabama, and ultimately carving out a piece of the American Dream as an internationally-recognized writer and scholar.

Given that it is virtually impossible to escape popular culture’s reach in today’s world, it’s hard to imagine that Ray had to fight to get the topic accepted in academic circles. Out of this effort, Ray and a close band of like-minded colleagues founded the Popular Culture Association (PCA) and the American Culture Association (ACA), which serve as the intellectual home for untold scholars devoted to exploring popular culture in all its guises. One of the thoughts members of the PCA/ACA most often express is the friendliness and welcoming nature of these organizations. When one joins the PCA/ACA, there is a sense of entering a family. This culture is a direct reflection of Ray’s leadership, and may ultimately serve as his most lasting legacy.

On a personal note, Ray served as a mentor for me and countless others. I still remember my anxiety in meeting him for the first time, since this was “THE Ray Browne.” Yet he could not have been more kind. Unlike many senior scholars in other fields, Ray reached out to younger scholars, offering publishing opportunities and priceless counsel. I owe much of my philosophical thinking and writing to his influence.

One of the last projects I worked with Ray on was when he graciously agreed to write the foreword for the four-volume collection I edited: American Pop: Popular Culture Decade by Decade (2009). In it, Ray presented a lyrical definition of popular culture that I treasure: “Similar to a growing garden, culture is the gatherings of community beliefs and behaviors, which depends on its roots for sustenance. As the plants grow both individually and collectively, they develop and influence the surrounding societies.” It will be difficult for a scholar to more beautifully or succinctly analyze American popular culture in the 21st century.

Editor’s note: Ray Browne was the series editor of the American Pop Culture through History series by Greenwood Press, and the author of the Civil War and Reconstruction book in that series (see cover above). Those of us that take pop culture seriously owe him a debt of gratitude for his pioneering work in the field. R.I.P.

The recent news of the “discovery” of an unpublished short story by Mark Twain has set the literary world abuzz. This news may seem tedious and boring compared with our post-postmodern, high-gloss, high-profile celebrity culture, but all this attention (nearly one hundred years after his death) would please no one more than Mr. Twain himself. After all, he was the first American literary pop culture icon. Unlike most authors, then or now, Twain never hesitated to market himself as a public figure or promote his work. In fact, Life magazine went so far as to depict him as “one of our popular but over-advertised authors” in 1897. Twain, as a man and an author, was well ahead of his time.

As such, there’s a reason why, when someone mentions Mark Twain’s name, Americans (and much of the world) can instantly conjure an image of the author and his books, whether they had read them or not. Very little regarding his persona wasn’t planned or utilized by Twain in some way to market himself or his work. To begin with, when Samuel Clemens took the pen name “Mark Twain,” he had it trademarked and established himself as a corporation. Like Donald Trump, he viewed himself as a franchise; he held several patents, which included ones for games and a scrapbook he designed. Twain was quite possibly one of the first to recognize a market for “scrapbooking.”

Twain’s books and autographs were deemed collectibles in his lifetime. And as a result of Twain’s fervent self-promotion (which was said to be necessary to pay off massive debt), many regarded his likeness fair game to promote their own products or interests. In the days before stringent copyright laws (which he later advocated more in favor of the author, of course), most often this was done without his consent or knowledge. Much like Beyonce today (but without the big payday), Twain’s image was used to sell divergent and tangential goods from tobacco to flour to tourism. Beyond his death, appropriation of the Twain brand name only increased to ever more absurd levels with such merchandise as Hawaiian guitar instruction, cookbooks, and citrus fruit.

Not unlike modern celebrities, much of what Twain ate, wore, or did was sensationalized in newspapers. When arrived in Washington, D.C. to speak before Congress about a new copyright law, his every movement was tracked and commented upon. He shook the fashion sensibilities of his day when, later in life, he began exclusively wearing white suits.

Twain endorsed many causes, such as woman suffrage, which created posters with his quote of support. His popularity also plagued the country with Twain imposters that left bad will and unpaid bills in their wake. There were stalkers and groupies. In his Gilded Age, unlike many of today’s overhyped celebrity authors, his self-branding and promotion was quintessentially anti-establishment and exceedingly gauche. Twain was a literary rock star.

Pop Culture Universe has many sources on Mark Twain, his era, and literature. Among them are:

• “Literature” from The Gilded Age
• “Twain, Mark (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)” from Lives and Legacies—An Encyclopedia of People Who Changed the World: Artists, Writers, and Musicians

Glitz, glamour, and…GEEKS?! Not exactly what anyone watching Dancing with the Stars thought they’d endure beyond one or two shows when Steve “Woz” Wozniak showed up on their television screens a couple weeks ago. After last season’s shenanigans with Cloris Leachman, no doubt the show’s producers wanted to expand their demographic. Now, we’re getting into week three, and the Woz is still dancing. Last week, he tied with Belinda Carlisle in a dance-off where each team received 17 points from the judges; however, the Woz sent the Go-Go gone with enough fan votes to keep him safe another week. And, this past Tuesday night, he did “the worm” and beat out Denise Richards. He scored a 10…out of a possible 30 points.

By all the usual measures of good ballroom dance, Wozniak should have been given the boot by the American public (the judges are already onboard) on the first show. So what motivates the voting public to keep him in the running? Is it just his cheerful outlook and relentless smile? As a cofounder of Apple computer, Woz has some serious Silicon Valley cred, so it’s quite likely his geek base is behind this groundswell of support. The considerable pre-show geek coverage on such sites as CNET, Mac World, and Wired created quite a buzz. Then, after the initial incredulity at Wozniak’s participation wore off, a philosophical shift emerged among the technorati.

Through his media interviews and on his Woz.org site, Wozniak (unwittingly?) engaged his geek base and sounded the clarion call to action, stating: “I’d like to demonstrate, by viewers and voters, that people in the entertainment businesses (including professional sports) are not the only people in this world that count. If you think that you cannot possibly dance or that you are the world’s worst dancer, I’m going to show that it’s not true.”

Soon Woz’ savvy, extremely organized, and extensively wired cult-like following began using their resources (it bears noting these same resources are available, in part, because of Wozniak). His friend and reality TV alum Joe Patane started a “Vote for Woz” Facebook group. Others not related to Wozniak in any way, took up the Woz cause. Fan Chris Harrington started Votewoz.com and a Twitter account to promote Wozniak’s dance career. There’s an online green screen contest where, among other things, you can make Woz dance. T-shirts supporting his dancing dream declaring “Dance with your Mind” or “Team Woz” popped up in online stores. Someone has created a WozTV channel on YouTube to feature his dance moves.

On his site, Wozniak possibly continued to strike a nerve with each post, wanting people like himself (read: geeks) to “become a visible demographic [to] keep me on the show.” However, his message is also for a broader audience, who he thanks for the encouragement and tells them “now it’s your turn to go out and do something that people said you’d never be able to do.”

While it’s debatable whether a geek rallying cry was part of Woz’s strategy, it has galvanized his fans, friends, and Apple fanboys and fangirls. Although it is still early in the season to make predictions, it is clear that Wozniak is “in it to win it” for the world Team Geek. Will he realize his twinkle-toed dream of geek equality? Only time will tell…in the meantime, like the “Dancing Queen,” he’s having the time of his life.

Pop Culture Universe has many sources to learn more about Apple computers, Wozniak, and reality television, including the following:

• “The Personal Computer and Personal-Computer Software, 1975–1990″ from The Computer Industry (2005)
• “Personal Computers: Bringing the Computer into the Home” from Computers: The Life Story of a Technology (2005)
• “Celebrities Sing, Dance, and Claw Their Way into Reality” from Reality Television (2006)

Admit it. Every time you hear “Somali pirates” in the news or during conversation you don’t actually visualize Somali pirates, do you? Your mind probably wanders to one or more of the various and sundry pop culture pirate icons you enjoyed when, well let’s just say when you were younger. Or perhaps every time you see the captured Somali teen pirate on the news, you picture a tricorne hat upon his head, emblazoned with skull and crossbones, rounding out his blue jumpsuit ensemble…and quietly say “arrrgh” to yourself?

It’s not surprising; pirates are an iconic pop culture mainstay since well before pop was culture. The pirate imagery with which we are most familiar originates from the legends and lore of the Golden Age of Piracy, roughly 1690 to 1730. Word-of-mouth tales detailing the exploits of such infamous pirates as Captain Kidd, Blackbeard, and Black Bart bolstered by books like Alexander Exquemelin’s The Buccaneers of America established the archetype to which we still adhere.

In the 18th century, popular literature began telling dead men’s tales in such works as Daniel Dafoe’s Robinson Crusoe and James Fenimore Cooper’s sea novels like Red Rover. Perhaps no fictional pirate captivated the pop imagination more during the early 20th century than Captain Hook of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan and perhaps Howard Pyle’s Book of Pirates published in 1921. Providing even more imagery for young imaginations to model was Col. Prentiss Ingraham’s pirate dime novels. First published in the 1800s, they were reprinted in the 1930s (and now 15 cents) with vibrant full color illustrations.

Since well before the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, over 250 movies have been made about or somehow featuring pirates since the silent era. And, before Johnny Depp reigned as romantic lead Jack Sparrow, Douglas Fairbanks and especially Errol Flynn as Captain Blood had women walking the plank for them across the country.

For comic lovers, Terry and the Pirates began as a strip in 1934 (and later morphed into a failed film and television series). Then there was the short-lived Piracy comic during the 1950s, no doubt prompting much suburban plundering and treasure hunting by Cleaver kids everywhere. Conceived in the 1950s as a wax museum-styled exhibit, Disneyland’s animatronic addition of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in 1967 was emblematic of the era: at once anachronistic and futuristic. It was the last project Walt saw to fruition before his death.

The 1970s were all about pirate radio and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Outside of Keith Richard’s pirate-esque dress, not many pedestrians took to buccaneer wear…that is, until the New Romantics and Adam Ant’s dancing pirate and poofy shirt look became a hit. Punk group The Vandals even paid “homage” to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in their song “Pirate’s Life.” Founded in 1995, every September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day (you thought it was just a recent failed Saturday Night Live skit, didn’t you?).

Pirates and all things piratical have only grown in popularity. Online, pirates have a presence beyond illegal downloading: the official Pirates of the Caribbean game; CBS’ web-only reality series Pirate Master; there’s even a “Somali pirate” on Twitter. In “real life,” formerly a Renaissance Faire sideshow, pirates now have their own gatherings as well as magazines. And if you find the pirate’s life’s for you and want to go the distance, there’s a top ten list of where best to live like a one.

Avast ye scurvy dogs, there be no escapin’ the pirate’s plight and descent from terrifying emblem of chaos, freedom, and rebellion to today’s more nauseatingly cutsie symbol of conformity: Hello Pirate Kitty. Arrrgh!

Pop Culture Universe has many sources to learn more about pirates in pop culture, including the following:

• “Pirates” from The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Volume 2 (2005)
• “Terry and the Pirates” from The Great Depression in America: A Cultural Encyclopedia, Volume 2 (2007)
• “Gaelen Foley” from Romance Today: An A-to-Z Guide to Contemporary American Romance Writers (2007)
• “Steven Spielberg: From Peter Pan To Company Man, 1991–1994″ from Steven Spielberg: A Biography (2007)

There probably isn’t a soul alive that doesn’t know at least something about the Star Trek franchise. And, Trekkie or not, the phrase “live long and prosper” as well as Spock’s Vulcan salute have become part of our everyday vernacular. The concept of “mind-melding” is no longer a curious statement. Although the television series wasn’t popular during its 79 episode run (click here for a side-by-side comparison of the series and new movie), it became an exceedly popular and ubiquitous rerun during the 1970s, spurring generations of budding Captain Kirk and Bones impersonators as well as convention devotees (interestingly, early organizers were largely female).

Various Trekkie outposts appear to be in agreement that J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek, released today, is a spot on origin story that ensures the franchise’s continuation. Leonard Nimoy makes an appearance as the elder Spock and, in one of the more interesting cameo roles, Abrams invited “Last Lecture” professor Randy Pausch who, as a life-long Star Trek fan had always wanted to play Captain Kirk. Plenty has been written over the years and decades about the various versions of Star Trek, as such I’ve nothing new to add to the discussion; however, if you are looking for fodder to fuel one of your heated Trekkie Trivia nights, Pop Culture Universe has you covered!

Pop Culture Universe has many sources on Star Trek as well as science fiction television and film. Among them are:

• “Back to the Future: Science fiction Television in the New Millennium” from Science Fiction Television
• “Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)” from The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Volume 3 (2005)
• “From Doctor Who to Star Trek: Science Fiction Television Comes of Age” from Science Fiction Television
• “Star Trek: Generations (1994)” from The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Volume 3
• “Leon Years to Star Trek: The Next Generation: Science Fiction Television Is Reborn” from Science Fiction Television
• “Set Phasers for Stun: Some Enterprising Star Trek Legends” from Truth and Rumors: The Reality behind TV’s Most Famous Myths
• “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)” from The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Volume 3
• “Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005)” from The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Volume 3
• “Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)” from The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Volume 3
• “Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001)” from The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Volume 3

Over the weekend I learned that I’m a fan of Star Trek. This was news to me. The last time I remember even thinking about Star Trek I was on a train passing through Arkansas (which I’d recently been warned was “the most boring state in the 48″), and I remember thinking: I thought Jean-Luc Picard (or is it Patrick Stewart… which is which?!) was dead.

He is not. I have a friend who even thinks that he (Jean-Luc Picapatrick Stewart) is sexy. It was this same friend who demanded that I come and see the new Star Trek, despite Jean-Luc’s cruel exclusion from the film.

So I was not born a fan, nor made a fan, but now it appears I am one. This is impressive because when it comes to the Star Treks and the Star Wars and the Transformers of the world, I always figured you were either raised with them—and did not laugh at the creation story of the Autobots—or else you played sports and knew about that party on Friday night.

Or anyway, that’s what I used to think.

Before continuing though, let me provide a fuller accounting of my own inter-galactic past: (1) I watched a few episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation on UPN 44 when there was nothing else on TV; (2) I somehow remember watching an episode of the original Star Trek in the home where I was raised—but this might have been simply wishful dreaming after some of my pre-school classmates told me I couldn’t be Captain Kirk because Captain Kirk didn’t wear orange pants; (3) In (earth date) 1990 (at the University of California at San Francisco, where movies were $1.50 at the time) I saw the Star Trek movie which featured whales (dolphins?) and the Golden Gate Bridge; and I saw Star Trek: Insurrection on a train in Arkansas—which film mightily confused me. In-between-times, I did not think about Star Trek—TOS, DS9, the feature film, or otherwise—or muse about it, or dress in imitation of any of the characters at any point at all.

So again, not a fan. And yet last Sunday I found myself not only laughing knowingly at re-hashed lines from the original series (which I may or may not have ever seen), but also clapping for the continuity between the old series and the new movie, and receiving one or two chills on account of the vitality of the new characters and plot. In other words, I found that I actually somehow cared about the integrity of the Star Trek franchise (not in an ironic way), and realized that I was and am in fact a fan, and, by extension, a begrudging member of fandom at large.

Normally I’d simply chalk this up to the impressive hype machine that is the media at large, and that’s fair, but the surprising depth of my Star Trek knowledge (surprising to me) also demonstrates that this wasn’t simply the result of a month-long advertising campaign, but of the (big message!) power of pop culture to inform our lives!

Almost everything that I know about Star Trek I learned via references on programs that had absolutely nothing to do with the series. I read an article recently that went so far as to suppose that “Saturday Night Live” might have actually aired more skits about Star Trek than there were original episodes (since “TOS”—which to me sounds more Star Warsian than Trekkian—only survived from 1966-1969).

The ability to successfully recreate truly iconic characters—and how else can you describe characters which have a cultural life so independent of their original context—is something that is difficult, to say the least. The number of even mediocre television shows which have been compromised by simply replacing one actor with another gives some indication of the cost of failure in this regard. But there’s certainly more than one way to fail here: explicit imitation, for instance, can leave you looking pathetic (cf. Kenneth Branagh’s imitation of Woody Allen in Celebrity), while departing too far from the source material will often leave your core fan base either betrayed (”Fools! Captain Kirk would never wear orange pants!”) or bored (”set phazers to phaze”).

Recent superhero films (discussed in the excellent Praeger book “May Contain Graphic Material” have been fairly successful at reviving the old heroes by sticking to the new scripts that comic books so regularly provide. Batman Begins borrowed heavily from the Frank Miller’s own Dark Knight series, which was very concerned with providing a fuller personal psychology that could map onto the character and story of the original Batman; and the new Iron Man film was similarly adopted from Warren Elis and Adi Granov’s Iron Man: Extremis series. The fact that superheroes generally wear masks certainly helps ease these transitions, but comic updates are also aided by the fact that the original icons have already been subjected to a multitude of shifting representations by various artists and story-tellers, and thus have had their essence split apart (for the fan) or generalized (for the movie-going layman) to the point that a real betrayal is only possible according to the character’s actions, rather than his face.

Star Trek, on the other hand, was originally populated with the very human and very consistent faces of Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner, and thus demands that any new faces bear enough of a resemblance to these originals that they can justifiably be called Kirk and Spock, while also departing far enough so they don’t provide comic imitations. To put it another way: they require a spiritual rather than a literal translation—as does the Star Trek series as a whole.

(Incidentally, I’d like to address this issue of adaptation at some point, as I think a lot of the best movies made in recent years have managed to provide exactly this kind of spiritual adaptation. Donnie Darko, for instance, managed to update Scorsese’s Last Temptation of Christ for contemporary and secular audiences by combining its story of redemption through destruction with science fiction elements, the ’80s, and the plot of Graham Greene’s The Destructors; while Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story negotiated its own brand of consistency with an 18^th-century text (referred to in the film as being “post-modern before post-modernism even existed”) by plunging the film into a black hole of cinematic references, which themselves derived from Laurence Sterne’s comedy. The movie is also funny, but doesn’t rely on the bawdy old jokes—at least not literally. Anyway…)

In case you haven’t heard, the new Star Trek works. It’s very entertaining and operates as an incredibly functional update of the original series and films. I’ve got nothing negative to say about it at all, but I think the most noteworthy piece of praise I can offer is that the old tropes are, of course, included, but that they’re just as important as in the original (at least, that’s what I’d imagine) and still very, very funny. Audiences will often get a passing wink at the old lines (for instance “I am… Batman!”) at which they’re expected to laugh, but how often do they get a scene-long, ironic but still hilarious discussion of such a simple declaration as “Live long and prosper”?

That combination of homage and humor—which is present throughout the movie—was especially impressive to me, and provides strong support for J.J. Abrams’ self-proclaimed status as a fan of the series.

As further evidence of my (previous) alienation from fandom at large, it should also be noted that I haven’t spent much time with any of Abrams’ other projects: I’ve never seen “Felicity” (but I know who Keri Russell is); I’ve only read about “Alias” (but I know that Jennifer Garner is married to Ben Affleck), I saw the premiere of “Lost” (but I’m terrified of former Hobbitses), and I wanted to see Cloverfield, but the only Abrams product that I’d actually seen in its entirety (prior to last week) was Armageddon —which Abrams wrote and which it is still my unfulfilled hope to establish as a major player in the midnight movie circuit.

Now I wouldn’t hesitate to prematurely and enthusiastically proclaim myself a fan of J.J. Abrams. Where this fanaticism will end, no one can say; but I promise to boldly go where many costumed thousands have gone before. (See! It’s hard to use those lines and prosper… [I envy you your lines very much, Dr. Nimoy].)

For more on Star Trek and Star phenomena in general in Pop Culture Universe, check out Alternate Americas (2006) and Science Fiction Television (2004), and look out for our Cult Pop Culture multi-volume set, due to release in 2010 (aka, the future!!).

When Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing premiered at Cannes in May 1989, and well before it hit theaters, many film critics and civic leaders’ hue and cry took dead aim at the movie calling it an “incitement to riot” that placed “dynamite under every [theater] seat.” Roger Ebert, however, maintained such negative commentary revealed more about their authors, and called the film “an honest, unsentimental story…closer to reflecting the current state of race relations in America than any other movie of our time.” No “civil unrest” occurred in response to the film. While there’s no need to list riots and unrest occurring prior to 1989, two years after the film’s release, the Rodney King beating took place. Three years later, the Los Angeles Riots erupted following the acquittal of the L.A.P.D. officers involved in King’s beating. Turned out, Lee’s film was more an accurate social barometer on race relations in the United States than an excuse for violence. At the time, Lee stated he would take responsibility should his film incite unrest, although he would later reveal he ultimately “had faith in [his] people” to, well, do the right thing.

Twenty years after its controversial debut, Do the Right Thing represents a cultural tipping point in U.S. and film history that still resonates, especially when contrasted with the recent election of Barack Obama (who took First Lady Michelle Obama on their first date to see the film, discussing it afterward over ice cream). While race relations in the ensuing 20-year period have evolved enough to elect an African American president, as the recent friendly fire shooting of an off-duty African American N.Y.P.D. officer by a white fellow officer may indicate, complete harmony has yet to be achieved. While Lee and his work, particularly Do the Right Thing, are often referred to as “militant,” the film is also a wondrous time capsule of pop culture trends.

Actually, militancy, or more appropriately Black Nationalism, is a unifying theme throughout the film and thus itself reflective of late-1980s pop culture. DJ Senor Love Daddy declares the day’s color to be black (to better absorb the sun’s heat); Smiley traverses the block selling images of Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X; Mookie wears a Jackie Robinson Dodgers jersey; Buggin’ Out admonishes Mookie to “stay black”; and, specific to the era, fashions had a decidedly African flare: Leather necklaces with maps of Africa or “X” (for Malcolm) brandished in the pan-African colors of black, red, yellow, and green; kufi caps, and stylized Kente cloth embellishments were all pervasive and central to hip hop and street fashion (which was more form fitting then, MC Hammer aside). Having actors Ossie Davis (Da Mayor) and Ruby Dee (Mother Sister), both civil rights activists who were within the inner circles of both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, could also be considered a political statement that bridges generations.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Michael Jordan’s product endorsement phenomenon was ubiquitous. His extremely popular basketball sneakers, Nike Air Jordans, were also very expensive and became an emblem of success among inner-city youth. They were everywhere and everyone had them. Sometimes, they were traded as a commodity. Other times, the pursuit of Air Jordans as well as their maintenance could lead people to violent acts. Kids, sometimes very young kids, were getting killed or mugged for their Jordans. Lee briefly addressed this issue in a scene from Do the Right Thing. New to the block, a white man accidentally mars Buggin’ Out’s brand new Jordans. Buggin’ Out ran after the culprit for his perceived slight and wailed on him, which quickly gathered nearly the entire block to heckle and provoke. No violence ensued, because, as Buggin’ Out explained “he was a righteous black man.”

Nearly one year after Do the Right Thing premiered, New York Post sports columnist Phil Mushnick blamed Lee and Jordan for these crimes claiming, “parents around the country are watching their kids get mugged, or even killed, over the same sneakers Lee and Jordan are promoting…. It’s murder, gentlemen. No rhyme, no reason, just murder. For sneakers. For jackets. Get it, Spike? Murder.” (Spike Lee, playing his character Mars Blackmon from She’s Gotta Have It, appeared alongside Jordan in highly successful Nike commercials.) Lee responded in The National and accused Mushnick of “thinly veiled racism” since he didn’t attack white product endorsers like Larry Bird. He further argued, “The deal is this: Let’s try to effectively deal with the conditions that make a kid put so much importance on a pair of sneakers, a jacket and gold. These kids feel they have no options, no opportunities.” A month after this dust up, Sports Illustrated featured a cover story entitled “Your Sneakers or Your Life.”

Black political consciousness was most evident in the film’s music. Although many artists are featured throughout the soundtrack of Do the Right Thing, including the jazz score by Bill Lee, Spike’s dad, the symbolic dominance of Public Enemy’s anthem “Fight the Power” could be considered the film’s axis. The opening credits begin gently with a saxophone solo of the African American National Anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing” then suddenly jolts the audience with “Fight the Power.” Then, throughout the film Radio Raheem proceeds to prowl the neighborhood, boombox in tow, ever blasting the song over and over. As with the Air Jordans, attachment to material goods and the success they seemingly represent is explored through Radio Raheem’s attachment to his boombox, ultimately leading to the film’s denouement.

The boombox itself is, of course, pop culture candy. Listening to music then, unlike now, was (mostly) social, and the boombox to which Radio Raheem fused himself was one of the more expensive models (some like his ran upward of $700.00 and beyond–in the 1980s–roughly $1,300 in today’s dollars). It required 20 “D” batteries, a small fortune in and of itself. Some former boombox owners might be surprised these “portable” workhorses are now very much collectors items, so much so that, a couple years ago, one of the more cherished boombox brands, Lasonic, introduced an iPod ready, Radio Raheem approved version. In actuality, Radio Raheem was at the end of the Ghettoblaster wave, as 1989 also marks the beginning of its disappearance from the streets. Municipal codes against loud music as well as the availability of other portables like Walkmans and then CD players sent the boombox packing.

As the helter swelter of summer approaches, it’s a perfect time to revisit this now classic film, not only for its astute cultural observations but also its sly wit. Do the Right Thing is a seminal film that stands squarely alongside watershed events of 1989: Tiananmen Square massacre, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of Apartheid. It’s for this reason it was named one of AFI’s top 100 films of all time (and not Driving Miss Daisy, released the same year). Twenty years after its release, with an African American president in the White House, can we say the “long hot days of summer” Malcolm X spoke of are finally over? Maybe we’ll find out in another 20 years when one of Lee’s films taps into the zeitgeist once again.

Pop Culture Universe has many resources on Spike Lee and his films as well as African American films and filmmakers. Among them are:

• “Race and Ethnicity: Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing” from
  Controversial Cinema: The Films that Outraged America (2008)
• “Political Objectives through Cinematic Storytelling: Do the Right Thing” from Becoming Film Literate: The Art and Craft of Motion Pictures (2005)
• “Do the Right Thing” from Guide to American Cinema, 1965-1995 (1998)
• “African American Films” from Multicultural Films: A Reference Guide (2005)

As the stunning news of Michael Jackson’s sudden death made its twittering way through the intertubes like lightning, I thought of how much the kid from Gary, Indiana was a part of my life. Throughout my childhood, Jackson 5 music was as ever present as Otter Pops in summer. I watched the weekly Saturday morning cartoon series and variety show religiously and, when Post Super Sugar Crisp put one of their records for free on the back of the cereal box, I cut it out with meticulous care (probably with the “illegal” Big Girl scissors) and played the wavy cardboard and plastic disc on my cheesy avo-gold record player. The stuffed animals were gathered as stand-ins for the other Jacksons as I “sang lead” and “danced,” presumably as Michael. I watched in stunned amazement when he and his brothers introduced popping, locking, and the robot into the mainstream. I coveted his little sister Janet’s pom-pom ponytails and was inconsolable when, to my elementary school horror, I couldn’t duplicate the look because I didn’t have the right hair type. Occasionally, if I reflect upon this gross injustice long enough, I still am…but I digress.

When I was able to attend the Jackson’s Victory Tour at Dodger Stadium in December 1984 with floor seats (first base sounded great, until I arrived and realized the Jacksons were in the outfield with a sea of people in between), one of the biggest concerts to that date with 60,000 or more in attendance, to say I was thrilled would be an understatement. Not too long after, I was fortunate to be a production assistant on Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” featurette. I remember it was some time before Jackson arrived on the Culver Studio lot. I was a sound assistant for the dancers during rehearsals as we waited to find out the music. Finally, stripped-down tracks arrived. Then, without warning or our notice, Jackson quietly arrived, walking the perimeter of the cavernous sound stage while checking everything and everybody out. He wore his then ubiquitous surgical mask and loafers with white socks.

As we realized his presence, a hush came over everyone, and just that quickly–he was gone. After this and a few other appearances, unless you were an actor, dancer, or choreographer, no one saw Jackson or his creative process until shooting began. Even then, it was a tightly closed set, whether you worked on the on the production or not. Sadly, until the wrap party, much of the rest my time was spent in the production office. Jackson was a perfectionist, and there were many, many late nights. A couple month gig turned into several. I never officially met Michael, hardly anyone did; however, I did get to meet Sean Lennon, hold Michael’s chimpanzee Bubbles for two seconds, and I received a swell picture of the entire production crew, talent, and money men on the set. Somewhere, behind the dancers, you can see my head peak out.

Endlessly afterward, and especially today, when I think of him, my brain is wired to hear the synclavier opening and refrain “Annie are you okay, are you okay Annie?” from “Smooth Criminal.” I recall the choreographer beginning warm-ups, daily without fail, with “The Payback” by James Brown, and the dancers working through seemingly odd choreography sequences. And the entourage. Oh, and the smell of various colognes and perfume in his trailer. Michael Jackson forever altered the recording industry and touched the universe with his music and performance. Now is the time to remember all the joy he spread with his talent, not the unsavory tabloid headlines of pop’s lost boy. The love you save may be your own.

Want to reminisce or learn more about the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking work?

Share your memories in the comments below or read the following entries on Pop Culture Universe:

• “The Modern Dance, 1977–1985″ from 100 Albums that Changed the World (2007)
• “Early Video Stars” from The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Rock History, Volume 5: The Video Generation, 1981-1990 (2006)
• “Concerts for Humanitarian Causes” from The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Rock History, Volume 5: The Video Generation, 1981-1990 (2006)
• “The Jackson 5″ from The Unofficial Encyclopedia of the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame (1998)
• “MTV and Reaganomics” from The Story Behind the Song: 150 Songs that Chronicle the 20th Century (2004)
• “The 1980s: Music” The 1980s (2007)
• “Motown Recording Company” Historical Dictionary of the 1960s (1999)
• “The Jackson Five” from Historical Dictionary of the 1970s (1999)

While at the American Library Association (ALA) Conference in Chicago, I had the opportunity to attend the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) Awards Ceremony. In this ceremony various awards are presented professional achievement and outstanding fiction and reference works. I was very impressed by the awards, what they were for, and to whom they were given. ABC-CLIO and Greenwood Publishing sponsored two of the awards, but the most exciting moment was when we won the Dartmouth Medal for Pop Culture Universe.

The ceremony, held at one of the ballrooms in the Chicago Hyatt, began with drinks, socializing, and a build-your-own cupcake bar. Mingling ensued, and there was a lot of anticipation and excitement in the room as the award presentation drew nearer.

One of the first awards to be presented was the Zora Neale Hurston Award. It was very exciting as Zora Neale Hurston’s niece, Lucy Anne Hurston, presented the award to Miriam Rodriguez for her demonstration of leadership in promoting African American literature. Being a fan of Zora Neale Hurston’s work, this was one of the many high points of this evening for me.

The award that should win an award for best name was the MARS Award, aka: My Favorite Martian Award. MARS stands for “Machine-Assisted Reference Section,” and it was awarded to Carole Pilkinton for her dedication to the MARS ideal of service on emerging technologies. Please note that no little green men were harmed during the presentation of this award.

ABC-CLIO’s Publicity Manager, Laura Mullen, presented the two awards that were sponsored by ABC-CLIO and Greenwood. The ABC-CLIO Online History Award was awarded to Ken Middleton for developing the database, “Discovering American Women’s History Online.” The Louis Shores/Greenwood Publishing Award went to “Blogging for a Good Book,” managed by the Williamsburg (VA) Regional Library.

The icing on the cake (or should I say cupcake?) was when ABC-CLIO was awarded the Dartmouth Medal for Pop Culture Universe. Becky Snyder, President of ABC-CLIO, graciously accepted the award on behalf of the company. In her acceptance speech, she said “this is one of the few sources that combines Richard Nixon, King Kong, and Elvis Presley together in scholarship,” which of course got a hearty laugh and applause from the crowd. Then she had the ABC-CLIO employees who attended the event stand up, and told us, “Congratulations, you should be very proud.” When she got back to the table, we all got to hold the Dartmouth Medal. That bad-boy is heavy! I’m thinking of suggesting that we put it on a thick necklace chain and take turns wearing it, Mr. T-style. Our new slogan can be “I pity the fool who doesn’t use Pop Culture Universe in their institution!” (I know what you’re thinking…”how does she do it?” These ideas just come to me, it’s a gift, must be why I’m in marketing.)

In all seriousness, it was very interesting to see ABC-CLIO on both the giving and receiving end of such prestigious awards. Needless to say, this was a very exciting evening, and I am honored to have been a part of it. Congratulations to everyone involved in this exciting and fascinating awards ceremony!

Here’s a list of the nominees from MSN.com. If Michael Emerson doesn’t win Best Supporting Actor for his Benjamin Linus on “Lost,” there’s no justice in this world.

The Decades Pages on Pop Culture Universe contain complete lists of past Emmy winners, as well as the other major award winners through the decades!

I recently discovered an awesome new initiative to start library-themed Ben and Jerry’s ice cream flavors. Don’t shrug it off just yet. I mean, really, Ben and Jerry have already had a presidential flavored ice-cream “Yes, Pecan,” comedian Stephen Colbert was honored with his flavor, “Americone Dream,” and please let’s not leave out “Neapolitan Dynamite”—because it’s pretty much the best ice cream ever, gosh!

After going through that brief list, library-themed ice cream doesn’t sound so odd now, does it? According to the Facebook group, “People for a library-themed Ben & Jerry’s flavor,” there are several reasons why this is a good idea. Their logic is as follows:

1) Libraries are awesome
2) Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream is tasty
Therefore:
3) A library-themed Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream would be tasty awesome

Now really—how can you argue with that? What kind of names and flavors are they suggesting, you ask? Well, let’s see. Here are just a few of their many exciting ideas:

• Gooey Decimal System: Dark fudge alphabet letters with caramel swirls in hazelnut ice cream
• Sh-sh-sh-Sherbet!: Key Lime or a Chocolate/Vanilla combination
• Li-Berry Pie: Lime sherbet mixed with raspberry sauce and pie crust crumbles (cinnamon sugar, butter, piecrust)
• Rocky Read: Vanilla with choc covered nuts choc chunks and raisins
• Reference Ripple: Anything with PB.

If you’re wondering how you can be involved in this revolutionary librarian movement, you can join this group on Facebook and even suggest your own ideas for librarian-related ice cream. Read all about it here.

These guys are determined; it will be a great day when the library industry can be immortalized as an ice cream flavor in pop culture history forever! I really hope they succeed, because I’m so on-board for “Gooey Decimal System” to be available at my local grocery store. Yum!

The film world and those of us that grew up in the 1980s are sure missing John Hughes. The director, producer, and writer of many films passed away of a heart attack on August 6th. Although his film career extends up to the 2000s, he is probably best known for his 1980s Teen movies such as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Sixteen Candles, and The Breakfast Club.

Growing up in the 1980s, I don’t believe I knew a better teen hero than Ferris Bueller. That movie had it all: ditching school, lying to parents and teachers, an annoying sibling, a cool girlfriend/boyfriend, and Cameron, the best buddy anyone could have. Who didn’t mimic Ben Stein’s roll call of “Bueller…Bueller…Bueller…” in their homeroom class? It never got old.

Looking back at Hughes’ films again, many seem cheesy and over the top, but I think that’s what made them so great. The 1980s were a time of excess, and his films embodied that. His characters’ lives didn’t mirror that of the average American teenager, and that’s okay: they could still identify with at least a part of each character he created.

Sometimes movies are about escape and fun for the sake of fun. The John Hughes films are just fun, campy times. They aren’t films that you want to deconstruct with analysis on stereotypes, class warfare, or the aspect of reality. (Though many have tried.) You just have to take them for what they are and enjoy. The boy always gets the girl (whoops, almost always—sorry, Duckie), everyone gets away with their crazy shenanigans, and your hair is always perfect looking with your giant sunglasses. Life isn’t at all like that, but it’s fun to pretend.

John Hughes, you greatly contributed to pop culture, and will be dearly missed. So much of my young life was spent trying to be Molly Ringwald, find a cool boyfriend like Ferris Bueller, and dance around an empty library during Saturday detention. I actually ended up spending a lot of time in detention in high school, and trust me, it was nothing like The Breakfast Club…it was gross, and in the cafeteria rather than the library—ick!

To learn more, check out our John Hughes content in Pop Culture Universe—there are many resources to bring you up to speed on Hughes, and his contribution to film and culture in the 1980s and beyond.

Editor’s Note: As yet another child of the ’80s, I find it sad that not one of the many tributes I’ve seen have even made mention of two of my favorites, the brilliant family farce Mr. Mom (1983) and fantastic Weird Science (1985). Seriously, how can this Newsweek Blog post on 10 actors who owe their careers to Hughes fail to mention Michael Keaton (as the hilarious protagonist of Mr. Mom ) and Bill Paxton (as militant brother Chet in Weird Science)? R.I.P., John Hughes. The Eighties has lost one of its most important muses. –Scott Wich

Forty years ago, on a dairy farm in Bethel in upstate New York, a rock concert brought together some 400,000 people for what was promoted as “three days of peace and music.” The unanticipated size of the crowd, the shortages of food and water, insufficient sanitary and medical facilities, torrential thunderstorms, and the rampant use of marijuana and LSD during that weekend caught the attention of the media, and the event has been written about, analyzed, and discussed ever since. The 40th anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, which took place August 15–18, 1969, is predictably being noted by the promotion of several commemorative and commercial projects. Some of the items recently available are pictorial books featuring remembrances of the event; a new, longer version of the 1970 documentary Woodstock (available on home video); and a six-CD set featuring musical performances from the festival. One recent publication—Back to the Garden by Pete Fornatale—highlights the event’s musical performances, and another, The Road to Woodstock by Michael Lang (one of the concert’s promoters) offers a behind-the-scenes look at the how the festival came about. Another look at the origins of the festival is examined in Ang Lee’s film Taking Woodstock.

Woodstock is remembered by many people (not all of whom actually attended) as the pinnacle of the 1960s counterculture. To less enthusiastic observers, it was three days of self-indulgence by spoiled baby boomers. Given the logistics involved in putting on such a massive event, that it got off the ground at all is somewhat surprising. The promoters of the festival had initially sold some 186,000 tickets and expected perhaps as many as 200,000 people in attendance over the weekend. While thousands of young people flocked to the site days before the official opening, the organizers worked frantically to complete the construction of the stage, install water and power lines, and erect a fence surrounding the site. By 10:00 on Friday morning (the time the festival was to start), it was estimated that as many as 400,000 people were either in the crowd waiting for the music to begin or were en route to the concert.

For more content on Woodstock, check out Woodstock: An Encyclopedia of
the Music and Art Fair (2005) in Pop Culture Universe (subscription required).

Additionally, our sister site, ABC-Clio’s American History database, has a special section (perfect for classroom use!) that helps students analyze the key question, “To what extent did Woodstock reflect the American culture of 1969?” You need a subscription to access it online, but click the links below for FREE viewable, printable (PDF) versions of the key sections of this new “Analyze” section:

• Key Question and Need to Know
• Background Essay—A New Generation
• Dilemma, Perspectives, and Closing
• Follow-Up Resources

Not everything on MTV is calculated to nth degree or a well choreographed punking. By now, the lost tribes in New Guinea have heard about the wild ride at the MTV Awards Sunday night. In case you’re just coming out of a sequestered jury stint, here’s what happened: Kanye West, in what appeared to be a cognac-infused lapse of judgment, jumped the stage during country ingénue Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech, grabbed her mic, and essentially proclaimed Beyonce’s video to be the best of the year. This, of course, wasn’t Kanye’s first outburst at the VMAs or elsewhere; he’s had multiple backstage meltdowns after losing awards not to mention his proclamation that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” during a live Hurricane Katrina charity event. So, let’s just say this wasn’t his first rodeo. Fortunately for Jay Leno, Kanye West was already booked alongside Jay-Z for the premiere of his new show the following day, where West took the opportunity to apologize and explain his outburst. Sort of.

Not to be outdone, rapper Lil Mama also caused a stir during Jay-Z and Alicia Keyes’ VMA performance by jumping on stage and joining the last moments of the song long enough to strike her best b-girl pose alongside the duo and have Jay-Z tell her “You T-Painin’ me right now” (in reference to T-Pain’s jumping on stage with him this past summer). Couple these with Serena William’s U.S. Open diatribe and Rep. Joe Wilson’s outburst during President Barack Obama’s speech (which has already resulted in a few Kanye/Wilson/Obama mashups), it’s been quite a week or so for inappropriate behavior by public figures. Ah, that’s celebutainment!

We have two related titles that are now available in print or e-book, and coming soon in Pop Culture Universe’s Fall Enhancement:

• Beyonce Knowles: A Biography (2009)
• Kanye West: A Biography (2009)

If you’d like to learn more about some of these celebrities more savory accomplishments, Pop Culture Universe has the following to pique your interest:

• Icons of Hip-Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement (2007)
• Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip Hop Culture (2006)
• African American Icons of Sport: Triumph, Courage, and Excellence (2008)

October 2nd, Ruben Fleischer’s Zombieland premiers in theatres around the country. I can’t tell you how excited I am for a new zombie flick, and it’s right in time for Halloween! Zombieland is being described as an American post-apocalyptic, zombie comedy—bring it on! I wouldn’t say that I’m obsessed with zombies, but I pretty much think that they’re the bee’s knees. For starters, they are dead-alive, they come in all shapes, sizes, and forms, they eat brains, and they will stop at nothing while moving at a crawling pace. For me, the best part of a Zombie movie is when people take clubs and other blunt instruments to the zombie’s heads. After all, to stop a zombie, you must destroy its brain—which means lots of splattering innards and cool crunchy/mushy noises. I love being part of the theatre experience the audience loudly reacts to such scenes. Oh happy day!

I remember my first zombie movie—my dad rented the original Night of the Living Dead for me and my brother to watch. We were beyond intrigued—we were hooked. We would go around the house calling “Barbara…” in our most spooky voices, always being on the look-out for real zombies. From then on, my brother and I have been watching every zombie movie we can get our grubby hands on. From classic like Dawn of the Dead to spoofs such as Sean of the Dead, and yes, even to the low-production made-for-TV movies (usually on the SciFi Network)—we have to watch them all.

The most recent one I rented was Zombies Anonymous; it takes a different take on my slow-moving brain-eating friends. In this film, when somebody dies, they automatically become a zombie, but not in the traditional fashion. Rather, they still function in society—they speak, think, have jobs, and relationships. Although, they still crave human flesh, and that’s where in the movie, society has a hard time with them. There is a gang of renegade zombie-killers that roam the streets trying to rid the world of zombies because they are different, even though the zombies are trying to just go about their dead-life as they did pre-death. The Zombies Anonymous support group in the movies refers to themselves as “mortally challenged”…you probably see the stretch of a social commentary the director of this film is trying to make. Long story short—the plot was pretty lame, I wasn’t into the idea of zombies thinking and being victimized, but the splattery-mushy parts were awesome. Even though it wasn’t my favorite zombie flick, I give kudos to the director for a new take on zombie-plots, and I look forward to my next zombie-venture—ZOMBIELAND!

If you’re a zombie-junkie like me, or just love horror films and Halloween in general, PCU had tons to offer! Get in the magical spirit of Halloween and check out articles on zombies, vampires, and ghosts! The film studies reference content alone is enough to keep you up all night—check out the articles on splatter films, the urban horror film, and the concept of midnight movies.