20070620

Is There a Future for Pop Culture On Television?

Tonight I'm going to rant a little about reality shows: What effect will they have on future Pop Culture icons? Is network television giving less for more?? Does Chef Ramsey of Hell's Kitchen always have risotto on the menu???

So, how do reality shows relate to American Pop Culture? I don't know! You see, I don't know because reality shows don't have any imagery, characters, music, phrases or anything that could make it's way into our pop culture. There's no substance to burn itself into our memories, no charm to win our hearts and minds, no beat, no sound bytes, nada, zip, nothing that I believe will be memorable 10, 20, or 50 years down the road.

How we Americans pick our pop culture icons is still something of a mystery to me. Whether it's a person, a phrase, a song, an image, a jingle, a classic car, a style of dress or whatever, a pop culture icon embeds itself in the American psyche of the time. I believe it does so by touching the heart and the soul, unconsciously tapping into the mindset of the time, having the advantage of frequency, and just plain serendipity. One cannot plan to create or become a pop culture icon, most of these attempts just end up a flash in the pan. Why? Because engineered attempts lack the charm and innocence that is the hallmark of the truly iconic. And the quality of "quirkiness" is often a large part of the equation - remember the hula hoop, the Oscar Mayer song? What the magic combination is no one knows, there is no formula. And thank God for that because Then it would be called marketing and all the fun would go out of it.

And make no mistake about it, Pop Culture is innocent fun, fun is its chief ingredient! I guess that's why I've discovered reality shows have absolutely no relation to American Pop Culture. Because, entertaining as the reality shows can be, there is no innocence or charm in them. They do not create anything that speaks to the heart, they simply hold a mirror up to the darker side of the American mind set. And those are not the things we will want to remember 20, 30 or 50 years from now.

And so my fellow Americans, You're Fired, You're Cast Adrift, You've Been Voted Off The Island, Your Chefs Coat Has Been Set Ablaze and Big Brother is not watching you! But I'll bet you wish you were an Oscar Mayer Wiener, because Everyone Would Be In Love With You and you would be the next Apprentice. Now, Go Ahead, Make My Day, vote Simon off of American Idol, tell Donald Trump he can't fire you, You Quit, and go watch some reruns of I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, Star Trek or The Brady Bunch and see some real icons in action.

20070614

I'm a Technorati now? ! ?

Technorati Profile
I have joined the Technorati community! I'm not too sure exactly what that means but I'm going to find out! Okay, back to searching for pop culture on television (which is another way of saying I'm pooped and I'm going to boob tube myself to sleep!)

Where's My Martini????

Well, last night I enjoyed a few Orange Truffle martinis while surfing the net, tonight I was so tired from doing the product pages for popartdiva.com that I was to lazy to shake a martini up so it's raspberry/peach tea. Besides it's hot here today - 103 at last reading - and I needed something cool.

I am still hunting for pop culture in America - but I've had my head buried in creating the pop culture site so much that the only culture I've encountered is something growing where I don't want it to, lol! Kidding, I actually do wash my dishes and clean my house even when I'm this busy!

By the way, I will post recipes for all my "designer" martinis on my website and Martinis & Munchies logs as soon as possible so check them out and bookmark them!

I'm off to watch for pop culture on TV - and at this time of year I'll find it in old reruns. And, by the by, sad to see the Sopranos is ending. But, yahoo, Hell's Kitchen is back again!!!

Pop Art Diva

20070613

THE DIVA IS BACK

After a long hiatus I am finally back in the digital world blogging, webbing and posting my latest, greatest martini recipes.

PopArtDiva.com is almost done (after long legal mumbo jumbo) and will be uploaded in the next month. You can look forward to great Pop Culture Art, great martini recipes (I'm having an Orange Truffle Martini as I type this - my new laptop, Digital Diva's favorite!), great free wallpapers, and free e-cards. You can listen to great retro sounds, visit the Diva Bistro where all the best Divas go to play and just thoroughly enjoy yourself whilst buying some really great art (if I do say so myself, lol).

I have been immersed in pop culture and you will find most of my "finds" on the website when it's published. For my TV stuff you can visit my TV blog at www.popartdivatv.wordpress.com, for the latest martinis & munchies go to www.popculturefood.wordpress.com. And you'll see links to all my other stuff on those blogs and my website.

In the meantime, I have just uploaded a Bush countdown clock for my Firefox. My girlfriend had sent me a keychain countdown clock some time ago. I guess these will be great pop culture someday. The scary thing for me was getting the real world clock/keychain and seeing over 900 days left. The next time I checked - I swear to God - the days were 666! Is that prophetic or just nightmarish?????

Okay, have to go - the Orange Truffle Martinis are getting to me. . . . . .