pop culture
Modern popular culture topics in the geek sphere.
How dystopian YA shaped Gen Z. Top Story - February 2021.
From roughly 2010-2014, dystopian YA was all the rage. Rising political tensions, war and a recession from the previous decade had curdled into the rise of the dystopian genre: where horrifyingly oppressive governments committed grave atrocities against the people they were supposed to protect, leaving it to teenagers (who were usually cisgender, white and heterosexual) to save the world.
By Vanessa Lewis5 years ago in Geeks
How The Masked Singer Became One of The Biggest Hits of the Third Lockdown
A hoop-skirted Harlequin delivers a powerful cover of “Fast Car”. A burly Viking with a gigantic beard provides a surprisingly soft rendition of the Fleetwood Mac ballad “Songbird”. A mystery female singer performs the Dreamgirls classic “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” disguised as a giant cone of sausage and chips. These are not products of a folk singer’s LSD hallucinations, but are instead scenes from The Masked Singer, the latest Saturday night light entertainment phenomenon on British TV. The format of The Masked Singer is pretty simple – celebrities perform disguised as a variety of unusual characters, and a panel of judges (as well as the audience in the studio, and the millions watching at home) have to guess their identity. The audience and judges vote out one or two of the acts, and they must take off their masks and reveal their true identity. However, things get even stranger when the performers are revealed – Instead of the usual heat magazine mainstays and minor soap actors, the line-up includes a former manager of England’s football team, several chart-topping popstars, and even a knight of the realm (You don’t get that on Dancing On Ice!) Why would these celebrities – many of whom are still active and influential – devote several weeks of their time to such a strange show?
By Rtotalmagic5 years ago in Geeks
The One Where I Fell in Love with Friends
I’m a lover of Television in general and for years I have been nothing but faithful to that little black box. Whether it be a reality program, Soap opera, historical documentary or cooking show, I spent years fighting for the remote control, only to be disappointed when I was left with no choice but to watch the 6 o’clock news. But of all my great loves of television, Sitcoms were my favourite genre and there was none other like my greatest love: FRIENDS. The way I feel about it, it’s like, I finally understand what Lionel Richie has been singing about. I mean, could I be more in love?
By Shahnee Hunter5 years ago in Geeks
Why I Still Binge Spongebob Squarepants as a 22-Year-Old.
Gen Z - my generation - arguably has the best cartoons associated with our formative years. Avatar: The Last Airbender, Adventure Time, Phineas and Ferb, Teen Titans, and Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends are just some of the few gems which graced our television screens after we came home from school. But what was the holy grail of these fantastic cartoons? That nautical nonsense we couldn't get enough of? The television program even our parents knew the theme song to?
By Kathryn Milewski5 years ago in Geeks
5 Surprising Facts About the Sword of Gryffindor
The Sword of Gryffindor is one of the most important objects in the Harry Potter series. The sword was used at various times in the series, especially whenever goodness had to win over evilness. The Sword of Gryffindor made its first appearance in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. There it was used to kill Salazar Slytherin’s Basilisk. Later, it appeared in different locations and situations throughout the book, wherever it was truly needed by anyone belonging to House Gryffindor. The Sword of Gryffindor came into existence over a millennium before the events of the main timeline and belonged to Godric Gryffindor, along with the sorting hat. Let’s check out the top surprising facts about the Sword of Gryffindor, which only true Harry Potter fans would know.
By Emily Wood5 years ago in Geeks
Teletubbies - The Bumbling Bubbly Chubbies
I have given it way too much thought to pen it down. Yes. It is a guilty pleasure show of mine, and it is embarrassing(Well, I'm an adult watching Teletubbies). I don't binge on it at this phase of my life. But I keep coming back to it. Why? Because it makes me feel good. I get all nostalgic watching it time and again. This show is my earliest memory of watching any tv show ever. I used to binge on it back when I was five years old. So here I am, nominating the hell out of it.
By vaisrinivasan5 years ago in Geeks
In Every Generation There Is A Chosen one…
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer (BtVS) is the most adaptable binge-watching show you’ll ever watch. You can see it season by season and connect the extended story arcs and running jokes. Or, you can choose your favourite monster-of-the-week episodes.
By Jasmine Wolfe5 years ago in Geeks
Not Quite Tolkien, but…
A band of travelers pulled together by a mysterious magic casting mystic, that includes two small villages novices, one dwarf, two elves, and two humans of noble descent. They are on a quest to the north to destroy an evil shadow king with a magical talisman. Sound familiar? Almost but not quite right? Terry Brook‘s well-read bestseller, The Sword of Shannara (1977), is unabashedly inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien‘s The Lord of the Rings (1954). Indeed so much so that this author was surprised it was ever published. But then again, perhaps that is precisely why it was published.
By Drew Jaehnig5 years ago in Geeks
How Twilight Inspired My Love for Terrible TV . Top Story - February 2021.
Twilight is a staple of my teenage years. I still remember when I was first introduced to the franchise after seeing the second movie, New Moon, in theatres with two of my childhood best friends when I was ten years old. From then on, I was hooked. My mom bought me all the books that year for Christmas and I went into a repeated cycle of finishing the books and immediately beginning them again. I’ve probably read the series in its entirety 7 times and have watched the movies just as many times. I can still quote lines from the movies word for word.
By Laquesha Bailey5 years ago in Geeks
