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A Selection of Celebrities Who Just Couldn’t Take a Joke

By Julia Pugachevsky on

By now, even those of us who tend to ignore petty celebrity gossip have read a headline that goes something like, “Taylor Swift: to hell with Tina Fey, Amy Poehler?’” And then we had to see what could possibly have prompted this response to a pair of beloved comedians whose recent stint hosting the Golden Globes earned them seemingly universal praise. Both expressed shock, and even a little regret, that Swift had taken their lighthearted jab her love life to heart — and, in the end, they looked nothing but courteous and witty, while the singer came of as whiny. But at least the debacle was fairly amusing, as it tends to be when famous people insist on taking themselves too seriously. After the jump, we’ve rounded up a few more entertaining exchanges that ensued when celebrities just couldn’t take a joke. … Read More

Pop Culture

Hilarious Vintage Self-Help Record Covers

By Tom Hawking on

Our friends at Animal recently drew our attention to the hilarious Rdio Obscurities Tumblr, which devotes itself to collating the weird and wonderful records that lurk in the depths of Rdio’s catalog. It’s notable that some of the funniest stuff on display is pseudo-self help material — like the already immortal Tell Your Cat You’re Pregnant — but for all that they’re hilarious, we still don’t reckon they can compare to those from the golden age of self-help weirdness: the ’70s and ’80s. In this spirit, we’ve gathered some of the best vintage self-help records to be seen on the internet, often changing hands for not very much money at all on eBay. … Read More

Pop Culture

Geeky Ways to Propose: 15 Creative Pop Culture-Themed Rings and Boxes

By Julia Pugachevsky on

By now, photos of a Dungeons and Dragons-themed engagement ring (as well as a video of the actual proposal) have gone viral and drawn many admirers of the 20-sided die reference (the woman behind the magic says she “[feels] like [she] rolled a natural 20 when [she] started dating her.”) In fact, there are plenty of pop culture-themed wedding rings and boxes out there, with many betrothed couples sealing their betrothal with keepsakes of the fandom that brought them together in the first place. Whether bonding over a shared love of Ocarina of Time or finishing each other’s Star Wars-quoting sentences, there is something below for everyone (or, at least, every nerd). … Read More

Pop Culture

A Peek Inside the Little Black Books of Pop Culture Icons

By Alison Nastasi on

The words “little black book” conjure all kinds of salacious ideas about jet-setting playboys and Hollywood madams. The earliest black book may be Harris’ List of Covent Garden Ladies — a directory of 18th-century prostitutes working in London that sold thousands of copies annually. Since then, the little black book has evolved into more of a straightforward address book. Depending on your style, it can be a free-form collage of facts and memories about those you meet, or a rigid, alphabetized list of names and numbers. We recently spotted Marlon Brando’s little black book on Tumblr, which we feature after the jump. Fascinated by the handwriting, worn pages, and contents, we went searching for other black books kept by pop culture icons. See what fascinating observations, secrets, and contacts we found hiding between pages, below. … Read More

Pop Culture

10 Stars From Your Childhood Who Got (Too Much) Religion

By Jason Bailey on

“Nobody finds God on prom night,” Dennis Miller once joked — an insightful gag about the tendency of celebrities and other public figures to turn religious once their lives and careers are in a freefall, rendered doubly poignant by Miller’s subsequent turn from an equal-opportunity offender to a right-wing water carrier when the gigs dried up during the Bush years, but I digress. Point is, we’re big on ‘80s and ‘90s nostalgia around here, but as we look into the current whereabouts of celebs we remember from those years, we’re often surprised to find how many went and found God when the phone stopped ringing (or just before, which may or may not be a coincidence). After the jump, a brief selection of folks we remember from before they hit the Bible. … Read More

Pop Culture

Delightful and Hilarious Vintage Library Videos

By Alison Nastasi on

We haven’t stopped giggling over the hilarious 1987 workout video for librarians that we told you about earlier this week. Seeing Betty Glover and her team of aerobicizing bookworms do the “horizontal drawer pull” and “Coke machine kick” to Van Halen and Paul Lekakis’ “Boom Boom (Let’s Go Back to My Room)” inspired us to seek out other vintage library clips. Find out what happens when pop culture and books join forces for literary raps, a Stevie Nicks reading, Captain Kirk confessions, and more. … Read More

Pop Culture

10 Oscar Party Ideas We Won’t Be Trying This Year

By Emily Temple on

If you’re in the midst of planning your Academy Awards-watching party, never fear. The Internet abounds with crafty ideas, film-themed food recipes, and places to buy gold confetti. But be warned: not all Oscar party ideas are created equal. In fact, there are a few that we think you should probably stay away from. After the jump, ten Oscars-themed party ideas — from decor to food to attire — that we’ll be avoiding this year. We suggest you do the same, but hey — to each his own. … Read More

Pop Culture

Extremely Silly Photos of Famous People Playing Air Guitar

By Tom Hawking on

There are certain photos guaranteed to make us giggle no matter how shitty we’re feeling, and one such image is the picture of Marcel Proust playing air guitar that resurfaced on the Atlantic this morning. Clearly, the appeal of air guitar is universal, and even those of us who aren’t famous musicians (or, y’know, famous air guitarists), can appreciate the appeal of soloing like crazy on a tennis racket, broomstick or nothing at all. In the spirit of such inclusiveness, then, here’s a light-hearted round-up of other famous people who’ve joined Proust in succumbing to the lure of the air guitar – starting with the great French writer himself. … Read More

Pop Culture

’90s TV Shows That Would Make Great Theme Parties

By Jennifer Lewis on

We’ve already brought you books, albums, movies, and songs that would make great theme parties, and now we’re getting decade-specific, with ’90s TV shows that are just begging to inspire a soirée of their own. Click through for our tips for parties inspired by everything from Twin Peaks to Kenan &… Read More

Pop Culture

Camille Paglia’s Most Culturally Tone-Deaf Moments

By Chloe Pantazi on

Author, critic, self-avowed dissident feminist, and veteran professor of liberal studies at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Camille Paglia is in many respects a shrewd woman. And yet somehow Paglia has become just as well known for her frankly insipid and often unsound pronouncements about pop culture. Most recently, she wrote an article for The Sunday Times misleadingly comparing Rihanna to Princess Diana. The pop star, who apparently returned home sloshed to find her face melding beautifully into Lady Di’s on the cover of the paper, was thrilled with herself, posting the picture on Instagram, hashtagged with the made-up word: “extraordinaRIHbehavior.” To hold you over until she sees fit to compare Miley Cyrus and Kate Middleton, we’ve rounded up her most culturally tone-deaf moments. … Read More