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February 26th 2010 Hey there friends and readers!
But seriously, for the last month Candace and I have been busy building the brand new PCA! The good news is that we’ll be launching the new site in a matter of weeks with new features, new interviews and a new and dynamic look. I am so excited for you folks to see the new site. It really is the beginning of a new dawn. But in the meantime, we have two new features to tell you about. In November 2009 I had the pleasure to interview Alison Arngrim who went into pop culture history for playing Nellie Olsen on Little House on the Prairie. One of pop culture’s most loathed TV villains, Nellie Olsen has gained a cult following in the last decade. In reality, Alison is a very vibrant and funny woman, who talked to me about how she survived growing up with the whole world hating her. Working today as a comedian in the Los Angeles area, Alison recently co-starred in the film festival favourite Make the Yuletide Gay, and has a brand new book, Confession of a Prairie Bitch, hitting bookstores this summer. Alison talks to me about her career, both past and present, as well as the Nellie Oleson phenomena in
BAD SEED: A CONVERSATION WITH ALISON ARNGRIM
Also, PCA pays tribute to actor Pernell Roberts who passed away last month at age 81. Best known for playing the role of Adam Cartwright on the classic Western series Bonanza, Roberts shocked the world when he turned his back on the series in the height of its popularity. Roberts was also fondly remembered in the 1980’s for playing the lead role in the medical drama Trapper John MD. I look at the life of Pernell Roberts at
PERNELL ROBERTS - 1928 - 2010
The death of Andrew Koenig, and now Michael Blosil, has affected me quite profoundly. I don’t make it a habit of getting personal here at PCA, but depression is a reality that my family has dealt with for decades. It is a real illness caused by a chemical deficiency in the brain which alters your ability to reason or think clearly or make decisions. It isn’t just a case of getting “the blahs,” being upset or being unmotivated. It is a serious condition in which people suffering from the illness are not able to see beyond their own confusion, and are put in a constant state of sadness, desperation, anxiety and pain.
Eventually, in 2004, I was on the brink of suffering a nervous breakdown. My days were spent lying on the couch channel surfing through anxiety attacks and tears. My mother recognized the pain I was in and encouraged me to go to the family doctor for help. I did this and was quickly diagnosed with depression. What I didn’t realize was that depression was a hereditary medical condition. I had heard in whispers and innuendos that there was a history of depression in my family, which had lead to institutionalization, agoraphobia and suicide. Of course, nobody ever talked about this. It just wasn’t the kind of thing that you talked about. By accepting my own illness, I began anti-depressant treatment.
In fact, my ability to focus my energy in a positive manner was what lead to the body of work that you read at PCA. Not long after I began taking the proper medication I became motivated enough to research and write the history of pop culture and, within five years, I have seen some of my biggest dreams come true. I look back to days when I asked myself “Where did I go wrong?”, and realize how foolish that thought was. I hadn’t even started living life yet! Anti-depressants changed my life, and have turned me into the healthy and happy person I am today. Unfortunately depression is something that my family still deals with today. However, the things that have helped my family get through it are admitting that there is something wrong, accepting and supporting those suffering with the illness, and not shying away from the reality of depression. People who are suffering from depression are not crazy, and they are not beyond help. There is help out there, and their life can be changed and saved. No matter how bleak life gets, there is always going to be a tomorrow. Nobody’s life is hopeless, and nobody is alone. One thing I have learnt in my life is the moment you think you are alone, all you need to do is calm down and turn around. You’ll find people who care about you that you might not have realized were there before. They might not be the ones that you desired, but they are your true friends and their love will get you through. In his press conference this week Walter Koenig said this himself when he stated, “If you’re one of those people and you feel you can’t handle it anymore, you know, if you can learn anything from this, it’s that there’s people out there who really care.”
If this is something that exists in your family, don’t take it lightly, and don’t shun those suffering. They need your support and your help. Please encourage them to get the help that they need in order to live healthy and happy lives. PCA’s thoughts and energies go out to the Koenig and Osmond families, and all families that are dealing with depression. No matter what the media wants you to believe, or what your inner demons may tell you, life IS worth living. If you are questioning the important part that you play in this life, and in the lives of others, please go see a family doctor and get the help you need. If you are unable to find happiness, I can tell you the honest truth that there is still a chance of happier days for you. You are not crazy and life is not hopeless. Before giving up, make sure to talk with someone and get the help that you need. Give life a chance. Stay tuned because there is more to come. Sam Tweedle Confessions of a Pop Culture Addict _________________________________________________________________________
January 25th, 2010 Hey there friends and readers,
Anyways, despite my Farmville addiction I have been fairly busy pushing out new material for PCA and we have three new features here at PCA. The first one has actually been up for a while but hasn’t been officially announced until now. On December 17th, 2009 Academy Award winning actress Jennifer Jones passed away quietly at age 90 with the world barely noticing. One of the most popular leading ladies during the golden age of film, Jones’ life was a story was a Hollywood drama all its own - full of love, luck, lust, betrayal, heartbreak, tragedy, madness and redemption. I hope you’ll take a moment to read PCA’s tribute to one of the forgotten first ladies of the silver screen in
Next up is one of the most personal articles that I’ve written in a while, about one of my favorite subjects, although it baffles nearly everybody I know. For some unknown reason, even to myself, I am a HUGE fan of Michelle Trachtenberg. Despised by Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans for her role of “jump the shark kid” Dawn Summer, and adored by Gossip Girl fans for her role of psychopath Georgina Sparks, watch and collect everything that Michelle Trachtenberg does despite the fact that it normally goes against my personal television and film tastes. In my article I take a look at Michelle’s career from Harriet the Spy to Mercy, and confess my strange devotion to her. BTW – PCA readers may have read my previous and outdated article about Michelle. This article is all new, all updated and, honestly, a far better read. Whether you love her or hate her I hope you’ll dig on my tribute to Michelle Trachtenberg in
DEFENDING DAWN: CONFESSIONS OF A MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG FAN
And while we’re talking about “jump the shark kids,” I am proud to present my interview with the most famous “jump the shark kids” of them all – Robbie Rist, who made his unique mark on pop culture history when he played The Brady Bunch's "harbinger of doom," Cousin Oliver. I grabbed lunch with Robbie last November when I was in Hollywood and we talked about his long show business career, why not all former child stars are screwed up, and, of course, the Cousin Oliver phenomena. Robbie Rist is one of the coolest guys I’ve ever interviewed. Check it out in
"WHEREVER I GO, TERRIBLE THINGS HAPPEN": A CONVERSATION WITH ROBBIE RIST
So, we are already 25 days into 2009 already. Is it too late for a “Best of 2009” column? I have been getting e-mails from readers asking if I’d be tackling the subject. Honestly, it is difficult for me to do “best of/worst of” columns because my listening/viewing habits always are firmly set in the past. For me, 2009 was spent watching the spaghetti westerns of Sergio Corbucci, listening to Johnny Cash, Amy Winehouse, Coven and Buffy Sainte-Marie and discovering Dark Shadows and Desperate Housewives for the first time. However, for the hell of it, I figured I’d let you folks the “Best of 2009” that managed to cross my radar. I mean, if it made me perk up and take notice while my head was implanted firmly in the culture of decades past, you know it has to be special.
Finally, I can’t talk about movies without mentioning Zac Snyder’s ambitious screen adaptation of Alan Moore’s classic comic book series The Watchmen. One of the most important comic books ever written, The Watchmen was believed to be impossible to make into a motion picture, but Zac Snyder managed to pull off the feat when he created a faithful adaptation (for the exception of one major exception) of the comic. The characters were spot on from their mannerisms to their costumes to their dialogue. Snyder even took special care to reproduce the dialogue, the background characters and even the sets. It was the little details that made The Watchmen such a triumph. The Watchmen was easily the most beautifully shot comic book film of all time, raising the bar for the way that comic book movies should be made. Simply put, The Watchmen is pure art, and is the Citizen Kane of comic books films. Does that mean it’s my favorite? Not necessarily. Does that mean it’s the best? Probably not. However, it is the most stunning, most beautifully filmed, best edited and perfectly adapted comic book film ever made. The Watchmen is a true achievement for the comic book genre.
Well friend, this got far longer then I had planned so I’m going to wrap this one up for now. I hope if you haven’t checked out anything on my "Best of 2009" list I hope you will, and if you do let me know what you think by writing me at popcultureaddict@gmail.com. Anyhow, I think my imaginary goats need to be tended too. Stay tuned because there is more to come! Sam Tweedle Pop Culture Addict (and Farmville Addict too!) _______________________________________________________________________________ December 31st, 2009 Happy New Year friends and readers!
You know, 2009 was one of the greatest years of my life. It was a
year of new experiences, new opportunities, new friends and contacts
and some of the most mind blowing pop culture adventures of my life.
2009 was the year that I realized that my wildest dreams HAVE come
true. A big part of that is due to maintaining this web-site. It
brings me in contact with so many fantastic and interesting people,
and is a source of happiness for me. However, it takes a lot of
wonderful people to keep the pop culture journey alive and I there
were a lot of people that helped make this year so special and successful. I want to spend a word
of heart felt thanks to all of the folk
Which brings me to point out a strange phenomenon that Candace and I tracked over the last year. Want to know what the most popular search that brought new readers to PCA in 2009? Believe it or not, according to our analytic program, 1,941 readers came to PCA when searching for pictures of former Blossom star Jenna Von Oy’s butt. You can never be sure of the logic of the public. I never thought that PCA would be known for being a source for butt shots of Jenna Von Oy…but whatever. So I guess you can say that in 2010 we promise not to be only a source for insightful and dignified pop culture articles, but also your one stop source for all your Jenna Von Oy butt needs. We just want to thank a quick thank you to Jenna Von Oy for her unique contribution to PCA. We wouldn’t be as far ahead as we are without you.
But seriously, Geri Reischl is one of the most delightful and beautiful women that I have met in my pop culture journey and has remained a friend of mine since we spoke in 2006. I want to wish Geri all the best on Fake Jan Day. Thanks for your unique contribution to pop culture history Geri, and all the best to you in 2010. I love you so much. Well friends, I have to get ready now for my own New Year celebrations, but I want to send one more thanks for everything all of you have done for me and for PCA over 2009. This was the year that all my wildest pop culture dreams come true. I look forward to another year of success and adventures. We have tons of stuff on its way, so stay tuned because there is so much more to come. Sam “In days of Auld Lang Syne’ Tweedle Pop Culture Addict ____________________________________________________________________________ December 17th, 2009 Hey there friends and readers!
But, because of the holiday, I have suddenly found myself totally preoccupied with the Christmas festivities and, as a result, I’ll be shutting down things here at PCA for the next two and a half weeks until the New Year. I really had hoped to get more things done before the end of the year but, realistically, it is just not possible. So this will probably be the last new thing here at PCA in 2009. But, because this is the last, let’s make it a good column because, man, I got lots to tell you.
So what have they edited? Well I am happy to have three new interviews currently appearing at PCA. First up is one of our first comic book interviews in a very long time. Last August I was pleased to catch up with DC Comic’s Senior Editor and head honcho Dan DiDio. Dan is no stranger to the net with a weekly presence on a lot of comic book web-sites. However, just what do we know about Dan DiDio? I wanted to do something a bit different with Dan then the other sites, so I spoke to Dan about where he came from, what he loves about comics and what he wants to see in DC’s future. Oh, and do you think I could convince Dan to bring Swing with Scooter back on the DC line-up? Check it out for yourself at
Next is my interview with former Bond girl Lana Wood. I simply adore Lana Wood, and you can tell by the interview I did. Lana and I talk about her life growing up in Hollywood, her encounters with John Wayne and James Dean, making Diamonds Are Forever with Sean Connery and, of course, her relationship with her big sister, Hollywood icon Natalie Wood. Check out a very personal and candid conversation with one of the loveliest women I’ve ever interviewed in
Finally, I present my interview with pop culture oddity George Lazenby who will forever be remembered as playing James Bond in only one film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Unfortunately, due to recorder problems, my interview with George was cut short but I include what I could salvage. I hope you’ll sit in on a very brief conversation with George in
THE GEORGE LAZENBY OF 007s: A CONVERSATION WITH GEORGE LAZENBY
So, have you got all your Christmas shopping done yet? If your looking for a few last minute gifts let me give you a few suggestions to add to the pop culture lover on your list.
Anyhow folks, that’s it for tonight, and for 2009. From myself, and everybody else that puts PCA together, I hope you and your family has a happy and safe holiday and we’ll see you in 2010. Stay tuned
because there is more to come, Pop Culture Addict _____________________________________________________________________________ October 15th, 2009 Hey there friends and readers!
However, my trip to LA would not been nearly as memorable without the wonderful people who made it so special. A heartfelt thanks goes out to Christine Cowden, Paul Dini and Misty Lee, Kelly Ann Ford from 20th Century Fox, Aron Kincaid, Deirdre V. Lyons and Stephen Butchco, Bruce McCollough and the staff at Westside Rentals Hollywood Hotel, Robbie Rist, Alisha Seaton, Carol Summers, Howard Schoenfeld and Veronica O. Torres from The Towers Company. Each one of you, for one reason or another, made my trip to Los Angeles wonderful enough to ensure that I will come back. But I need to
reserve a special thanks to Erin Feeney and Matthew Schoenfeld who
kindly allowed me to spend half of my trip camped out in their living
room. I have featured Erin Feeney a number of times over the last
year here at PCA for her brilliant pop culture articles at
http://www.21pimlico.com. Erin and I met, as many friendships do,
in a most peculiar way. When I was in Los Angeles in July 2009 I met
Erin i
Paul revealed a bit more about the series then that to me, but for the sake of our friendship, and the fact that I am not sure what Paul wants revealed and what is supposed to be kept under my hat, I won’t say much more. What I can say is that Tower Prep could be one of the next cult series on TV. Paul Dini has proven year after year that he is a gifted writer who brings a third dimension to every character he writes, and whose stories can be both whimsical and dark at the same time. Tower Prep is sure to have the magical Dini stamp all over it. By the way, for all those reading Gotham City Sirens, Paul’s new book featuring Catwoman, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, Paul gave me the run down on the next issue and it is a real treat, especially for old school Joker fans. If you’re not reading it, make sure to pick up the next issue which gaps continuity of Bob Kane’s era and the modern Batman beautifully.
My interviews with Tyler, Robbie and Alison will be here at PCA soon, but as many regular readers know, this fall has been a busy time for me and the interviews are beginning to pile up. We have a small very team here at PCA and, as a result, it takes time to get the interviews transcribed, edited and formatted. But, I am committed to get our latest interviews up between now and the end of January. To recap who is coming to PCA in the weeks to come, along with Tyler Mane, Robbie Rist and Alison Arngrim I have interview with DC Comics head honcho Dan Didio, Married with Children’s David Faustino and James Bond alumnists George Lazenby, Lana Wood and Maud Adams in the can. I also left Los Angeles with the foundations of five additional interviews being arranged so there is lots to come in 2010. Anyhow friends, it is great to be home and there is work to be done. Stay tuned because there is more to come. Sam “There’s No Place Like Home” Tweedle Pop Culture Addict ________________________________________________________________________________ ANNOUNCEMENTS ARCHIVE
WINTER 2009
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Now
I know I’m in the minority but I am completely sick of the Olympics.
Am I the only one out there? Perhaps it’s just been the fact that
living in Canada our media has been oversaturated with Olympic
coverage since before Christmas. I have found the Olympics to be
overwhelming. So, in order to try to ignore the Olympics I have spent
the last few weeks trying to pay attention to other things. I’ve
adopted a strange fascination with
Any
of you folks out there play Farmville? Well, you may not realize it
but Farmville is probably PCA’s greatest enemy? Wanna know why?
Because I’m freakin’ addicted to it. Seriously? The time that I
spend each day plowing imaginary crops and milking imaginary cows and
collecting from imaginary chickens for imaginary coin seriously
threatens my time. In fact, all day I’ve been meaning to write this
week’s column, but I keep going back to my imaginary farm to see if my
imaginary tomatoes are ready to harvest. It’s totally insane. I
don’t know how I got so addicted to this stupid game, but I’m glad I’m
not alone. Apparently there are over 1.1 million people across the
world playing this stupid little game. Well, don’t worry folks. The
animals have been fed and the crops have been planted and I can get
back to PCA business….at least until the imaginary corn is ready to be
reaped.
Now
I don’t think that I really saw any truly extraordinary films this
year, but what was possibly the best film that I saw was Jim
Sheridan’s Brothers staring Toby McGuire, Natalie Portman and
Jake Gyllenhaal. A remake of the 2004 Danish film, 
I
also really was enamored by Spike Jonez’s Where The Wild Things Are.
Despite the fact that the original children’s book by Maurice Sendaks
was only eleven sentences long, Spike Jonez and Dave Eggers
successfully fleshed the story out for a feature length film.
Starring newcomer Max Records as Max, a hyper active little boy who
sails to an island and becomes king of the monsters, Where the Wild
Things Are is really a film about raw emotion pumped up to the
highest extreme By closing the filters on these emotions, in an
attempt to replicate the filterless emotions often displayed by
children, Where the Wild Things Are is an emotional
rollercoaster ride for the audience, and manages to reach into the
viewer’s soul and tug on their own personal pain as they reflect on
their own battles with loneliness, alienation, sadness, jealousy, anger, joy and love.. But, of course the real
stars of the films are the monsters of the island. Voiced by a
talented and eclectic cast including James Gandolfini, Catherine
O’Hara, Paul Dano, Forrest Whittiker, Lauren Ambrose and Chris Cooper,
Jonez made no attempt to make the monsters look realistic via CGI and,
instead, opted for Hensonesque suits for the creatures. The result is
a unique and beautiful feel to the film. Adding to the surrealness is
the bizarre dialogue for the monsters, which is primarily mundane
banter, which gives the film a strange and wonderful rhythm. Where
The Wild Things Are went truly underappreciated this year and
hopefully will gain more attention w
So
what about television? Well no doubt the best new show of 2009 is
Glee. If you haven’t heard of this show then you are living in a
cave. Glee is a phenomena all its own, capturing the hearts
and minds of a wide demographic of fans across North America.
Featuring the on-going dramas of a high school Glee club of misfits
looked over by Spanish teacher Mr. Shu, played by Matthew Morrison,
Glee has brought together a dynamic ensemble cast of young actors
including Lea Michele as awkward club star Rachel, Cory Monteith as
lead boy Finn, Diana Agron as pregnant cheerleader Quinn, Chris Colfer
as gay student Kurt, Mark Salling as the mohawked "bad boy with a
heart" Puck and Kevin McHale as wheel chair bound Artie. The beauty
of Glee is the fact that the show comes off being cheesy and
quirky for most of the hour, but when you think that it can’t get
anymore delightfully over the top, suddenly a very realistic dramatic
moment hits you square in the gut making you wheeze for breath – such
as when Kurt’s father, played by My Name is Earle’s Mike
O’Malley, deals with his son's sexuality, and when Mr. Shu discovers
the truth behind the lies that his scheming wife tells. And you can't
talk about Glee without bringing up the music. Comprised of
mainly choral versions of 70s and 80s power pop songs ranging from
Don’t Stop Believing to Don’t Stand So Close to Me, the
first soundtrack went to the top of the charts last fall, and the
second soundtrack album premiered at #3 in the US. Personally the
musical highlights for me was Artie's rendition of Dancing With
Myself and Rachel's show stopping rendition of Streisand's
Don’t Rain on My Parade in the mid-season finale. Glee
also contains one of the most attractive casts on TV today. I'd be a
liar if I didn’t say I have a crush on pretty much every female
character on the show (except for Sue. I totally am repulsed by
Sue). Unfortunately, due to the Olympics and the train wreck we call
American Idol, Glee is on hiatus for the next four months. But
you know what I want more of when Glee returns? More of dense
cheerleader Brittany, played by the delightful (not to mention
delicious) Heather Morris. Thus far only a bit part, Morris is sexy
and funny, and has quickly become one of my favorite characters on the
series. Hopefully they’ll flesh Brittany out in future episodes when
Glee makes its much anticipated return.
I
was also pleasantly surprised by ABC's reworking of the 80s sci-fi
series V. Despite successful reworkings of Battlestar
Galactica and Doctor Who becoming huge cult hits, breathing
new life in long suffering franchises, as a fan of the original V
series I had little faith they could do the same for V.
especially when I found out they were throwing out the original story
and characters (no Diana, Willie or even a star child? No way!) .
However, with a talented cast of cult series favorites, including
Lost’s Elizabeth Mitchell, Smallville’s Laura Vandervoot
and The 4400's Joel Gretsh, V has found a whole new
audience that don’t even remember the original series. Yet the true
star of the show is drop dead gorgeous Visitor leader Anna, played by
Morena Baccarin, who showed up on the pop culture radar out of
nowhere. Her cold and calculating performances send shivers up the
spine in ways that original Visitor leader Jane Badler could never
accomplish, mainly do to the fact that Baccarin is a far better
actress. I just can’t wait to see Baccarin chomp down on a rodent!
However, the pacing to V has been a little questionable. The
new series hasn’t even revealed why the Visitors are up to, yet
original fans have known for years. Hell, anybody who have seen the
classic Twilight Zone episode To Serve Man knows what is
going on. If you don’t know, a simple Google search will provide the
answers. Premiering the first four episodes last fall as almost a
"teaser" to TV audiences, but V returns to ABC on March 30th,
2010
Now
as to what music I was listening to in 2009, I gotta admit that I am
completely biased. The only two albums in 2009 that I listened to
repeatedly, over and over, to a near obsession were both by artists
who have been interviewed for PCA. My favorite album of 2009 was,
hands down, Modernism by Toronto’s Kelly and the Kellygirls.
Combining a mixture of jazz, ska, swing and pop, The Kellygirls, lead
by Toronto art scene fixture R. Kelly Clipperton, is probably the best
band that I saw in concert last year. With a four piece all female
brass section joining a standard guitar/bass/drum ensemble, the
flamboyant and high energy Clipperton is a dynamic performer whose
combination of camp and vamp makes him one of music’s best kept
secrets. From the Latin flavored Tarantino, to the gay anthem
C’mon Boys, heart puling dance tunes such as Two Hundred
Degrees Fahrenheit, Erotic City, City on Fire and
Big Heart/Big Tears and the beautifully depressing Better Times,
Modernism is possibly one of the best albums I have ever
owned. Do yourself a favor and take a chance on this CD. It’s
available for sale at an incredibly low price at
The
other album that I became enamored with was The Listening,
Light's follow up album from her successful 2008 EP. Of course, most
everybody I know know that I have a bit of a crush on Lights. This
girl is what pop culture dreams are made of! She plays keytar, has a
pet tarantula named Lance, reads comic books and is addicted to World
of Warcraft. That, and she's “out of this world” gorgeous. 2009 was
a huge year for Lights, where she toured the US, Europe and Canada
extensively, was featured in an issue of Rolling Stone and won
Canada’s Juno Award for Best New Artist. The Listening built
on the success of her 2008 break out hit Drive My Soul, which
is featured on the album, and contains all of the favorites from the
EP including February Air, The Last Thing On Your Mind
and, my personal favorite, Ice. However Lights proved that she
had other songs up her sleeve including Saviour, the first
single from the new album, and Pretend, Lights' beautiful
lament to lost childhood and growing up. You can check out my 2008
interview with Lights that I did only weeks after Drive My Soul
topped the charts
Honorable
mention goes to Scottish phenomena Susan Boyle who sent a rude
awakening to the world last year when she stunned meanie Simon Cowell
during her appearance on Britain’s Got Talent singing
I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserbales. Despite looking
like Shrek, Boyle sang like an angel and quickly became a YouTube
phenomena. I mean, this woman has a voice
that makes Celene Dion green with envy. However, although I probably
would have never purchased it for myself due to the fact that I wrote
Susan Boyle off as a "one trick pony," I
received her debut CD, I Dreamed a Dream, for Christmas and was
blown away by the beauty of it. Her rendition of the Rolling Stones’
ballad Wild Horses is a strange selection for an opener but
lets the listener know that there is more to Susan Boyle then we could
ever imagine, surprising me as much as the first time I heard her.
Susan Boyle is a true inspiration for performers and artists
everywhere, who proved that dreams do come true, and you don’t need to
look like Britney Spears to become a successful singer. Fame does
come to normal people of all shapes and sizes. 
I just came in
from downtown and there is something in the air. People scurrying
around before all the businesses shut down so that the entire world
can celebrate the coming of a new year…and a new decade! Tonight will
be a night of celebration across the whole world. So, while I have a
few minutes of quite I want to wish you all a Happy New Year.
s that made 
Of course I owe a
giant thanks to my partner at PCA, Candace Shaw. Although I spent
much of the year independently writing and maintaining PCA, Candace
Shaw will always be the brains behind this operation as well as the
backer that keeps PCA on the internet. In many ways Candace Shaw is
PCA’s boss. 2009 was a very different year for Candace and me. The
two of us seemed to go on our separate ways a bit as we worked
independently on our own projects. Candace has been busy not
only working as part of the team at
But the biggest
thanks goes out to you readers who have linked, wrote and continue to
visit PCA over 2009. This year we welcomed over 160,000 visitors to
our site. Your support and involvement is not only what keeps PCA
alive, but it also continues the pop culture journey. As we all grow
older, and as a younger generation who seems to not give a damn about
the rich history of the past take over, recording the history of pop
culture becomes more and more important. Together we need to make
sure that the history of pop culture is recorded and maintained, and
its through your letters, memories and information that we are able to
do that. Thank you for all of your support, your e-mails and your
input over the year dear friends and readers. Knowing that you are
out there reading is what keeps us going. That is why in 2010 I
promise you to continue t
o present to you intelligent, insightful and
well researched material. PCA is about celebrating the world of pop
culture, not crushing it by tainting our icons or by littering the pop
culture journey with filler “non headlines.” I personally promise you
another year of fun and informative articles and interviews, and to
help keep the dignity of the pop culture industry alive.
And speaking of
women of pop culture, I want to send one final shout out to possibly
one of my favourite women that I have met during my pop culture
adventures. I know that the holiday season has been full of landmark
days. In the last few weeks we’ve celebrated Christmas, Hanukah,
Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, Life Day and New Years but are you ready for
one more holiday before life gets back to normal? Well don’t forget
that January 2nd is 
So
it’s Christmas, and while its cutting edge to bash this holiday I just
can’t do it. I LOVE Christmas! I’m a big kid at heart I guess but
this is, and always has, been my favourite time of the year. I love
the shopping, the specials, the movies, the lights, the decorations,
the giving, the get togethers…all that stuff. What I do hate about
Christmas is the Scrooges and Grinches who carry on about how much
they hate all of that. Those people can bite me. Anyways, over at my
home the tree is up, the presents are bought and wrapped, the mail has
all gone out, I’ve been listening to nothing but Christmas music for
two weeks now and I’ve watched It’s a Wonderful Life,
Holiday Inn, Scrooge and Die Hard already this
season. When I finish this up I’m planning on watching Love
Actually. Christmas totally rules. If you don’t like Christmas
then what you need to do is go out and do something fun and
Christmassy with somebody important to you (or many many people
important to you) and be merry dammit. If you don’t have anybody
important to do something Christmassy with then you really ought to
get out more, or get some therapy or something. Seriously.
First,
things have been uber busy behind the scenes here at PCA. Candace is
busy with something huge that is going to change the face of PCA
forever in the new year. I am not going to say much about it now, but
lets just say it’s the biggest thing that has happened to the site
since we first launched four years ago. Also, Candace and I are
pleased to announce that we have a new team of editors! Look. Its no
secret that some of the articles at PCA in the past has have been a
bit wonky because when I edit my own work I miss every grammar,
spelling and structure mistake. I can come out with the words and
ideas but be damned if I can always make them come out right. This
column is proof of that every month. Anyhow, a number of my oldest
friends, Cynthia Hill, Breanna Macleod and Aaron Alford, stepped up
to plate to take the time out of their lives to volunteer to edit our
articles and make me look literate. I am so thankful to have these
people on our team because they make us look better. I really do
appreciate the work they are doing for us. Thanks guys.
Now
as you all know, there are a lot more features I’ve promised on the
way including interviews with David Faustino, Maud Adams, Tyler Mane,
Robbie Rist and Alison Arngrim. They will appear throughout January
and February of 2010. However, I have done one more interview in 2009
which I’m proud to announce. A few weeks back I had the great
pleasure to talk to legendary Hollywood character actor William
Schallert. Best known for playing TV father Martin Lane on The
Patty Duke Show, everybody has seen something with William
Schallert in it. With a resume that stacks up 38 pages high (trust
me, I counted), Mr. Schallert was Dobie Gillis’ teacher Mr. Pomfritt
on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Carson Drew in the 1970’s
Nancy Drew Mysteries series, Nilz Barris in the classic Star
Trek episode The Trouble with Tribbles, the racist mayor in the
groundbreaking film In the Heat of the Night with Rod Steiger
and Sidney Poitier, the senile Admiral on Get Smart and made
appearances in literally hundreds of classic television series
throughout the last 60+ years. Now, at age 77, Mr. Schallert’s most
recent screen credits include episodes of True Blood,
Desperate Housewives and How I Met Your Mother. Talking to
Mr. Schallert is like listening to the history of pop culture and
during our visit I got over two hours of tape. Of course I can’t
include it all, but I can’t wait to share Mr. Schallert’s memories of
his life in Hollywood. Look for it in 2010.
Not
long ago I received a copy of horror actor Robert “Freddy Krueger”
Englund’s brand new autobiography Hollywood Monster. We all
know Robert Englund from the classic Nightmare on Elm Street
series, as well as his popular role as Willie the kind hearted
“Visitor” in 80’s cult sci-fi series V. However, Englund’s
story goes far deeper then that. Robert Englund takes readers from
his days of drama school to his career as a stage actor, his struggles
as a young actor in Hollywood and through the surreal world of the
Nightmare films…and all the sequels. But just how good is Robert
Englund’s book? Well, as a lot of readers that have visited PCA’s
popular 
And
for something COMPLETELY different, I also received a copy of crooner
Andy William’s new autobiography 
Finally,
what would Christmas be without a holiday movies? You know, they make
dozens of holiday films every year but last night I watched something
just a bit different. Earlier this year independent filmmaker Rob
Williams released Make the Yuletide Gay, possibly the first
family friendly gay Christmas movie ever. Just released on DVD in
time for the holidays, Make the Yuletide Gay was a crowd
pleasing award winning film this summer at a number of film
festivals. The film centers around college student Olaf Gunnunderson,
played by Keith Jordan, who goes home to Wisconsin over the Christmas
break to visit his jolly homemaker mother and stoner father who he
hasn’t revealed his true sexuality too. However, before he can come
out of the closet to his parents he is surprised when his boyfriend
Nathan, played by Degrassi: The Next Generations’ Adamo
Ruggerio, shows up on his doorstep after his
parents, who have never accepted his sexuality, abandon him on the holidays. Now Olaf and Nathan must hide their relationship while Olaf struggles with
telling his parents that he is gay. Now I’m going to be honest.
Make the Yuletide Gay is a charming film, but it is uneven at
times. Sometimes the humor just doesn’t work. Various innuendos are
poorly delivered and, with some better pacing, might have been far
more clever. Furthermore, some of the comedy was just lost on me,
especially concerning the stoner father and various “tit” jokes made
by Hallee Hirsh in the role of Olaf’s ex-girlfriend/neighbour Abby
Mancuso who, despite a spunky screen presence, was given some of the
worst dialogue of the film. Yet, Make the Yuletide Gay is
saved by some great dramatic moments. Jordan and Ruggerio both
break away from the awkward innuendo jokes and give some heart felt
performances as Ruggerio struggles with his parent’s lack of attention
and acceptance, and Jordan fears what will happen when he tells his
parents the truth. I also enjoyed Jordan’s relationship with his
giggly mother, played by Katy Keaton, who seem to not understand her
son. Furthermore, Make the Yuletide Gay has fantastic cameos by Little House on the Prairie’s Alison
Arngrim, as Natha
n’s
mother’s rival, Heather Mancuso and Star Trek the Next Generation’s
Gates McFadden and Twin Peaks’ Ian Buchanan as Nathan’s cold
hearted parents. The only thing regrettable is that Alison Arngrim,
Gates McFadden and Ian Buchanan didn’t have far more screen time in
this film. The sub-plot between Nathan and his parents is easily the
most compelling story line in the film, and Alison Arngrim steals each
and every scene that she is in with pure comic timing and while
playing
the type of character that she does best – a total bitch. Make the
Yuletide Gay is a light watch and a truly heartfelt and sweet
movie and, with only mild sexual innuendo as its only stipulation, is
fairly family friendly. Make the Yuletide Gay is certainly a
different type of Christmas movie and, while it may not be for
everybody, it is sure to be a crowd pleaser over the holidays. You
can order your own copy of Make the Yuletide Gay
So
I’ve returned from my pilgrimage to the Bethlehem of Pop Culture, Los
Angeles USA! What can I say about it? Well, there is truly too much
to fit into this space. I spent ten amazing days in the sun, the
surf, the streets of Hollywood and with some of the most beautiful and
wonderful people I’ve ever met. LA was a real eye opening experience
this time, and I left the city with some possible new directions as
well as a whole lot of inspiration. LA really is where pop culture
dreams come true!
n
line at an autograph signing featurimg British comedians Simon Pegg
and Jessica Hynes who were releasing their cult British comedy,
Spaced, on DVD. For an hour and a half Erin and I bonded over our
love for Doctor Who and our common struggle as writers trying
to make it in the entertainment industry. We exchanged e-mails, I
bought 
I
was also pleased to spend a wonderful evening with two of my very
favorite people in the world, Emmy award winning writer, and probably
the world’s best Batman scribe, Paul Dini and his fabulous and
beautiful wife Misty, on what proved to be a very special night. The
day that Paul, Misty and I were planned to meet up it was confirmed in
Variety that Paul’s brand new television series, Towers Prep,
will be making its debut on The Cartoon Network. As part of The
Cartoon Network’s foray into live action series, Tower Prep is
one of two new live action series that will be debuting at a yet to be
announced date. Variety reported the premise of Tower Prep
by saying:
But
I know what you folks want to know about. How about interviews? You
all know I wouldn’t travel all the way to 
Then,
upon arriving to Los Angeles, I sat down with a true pop culture
original - former child actor Robbie Rist. Now a fixture in the
Finally,
upon returning from Los Angeles, I had the great pleasure to do an
interview with Alison Arngrim, who played one of televisions’ most
notorious villains, Nellie Olson, on the family classic Little
House on the Prairie. Currently touring North America and Europe
in a one woman show called Confessions of a Prairie Bitch, and
appearing in the new holiday film Make the Yuletide Gay, Alison
charmed me with not only stories about her days playing one of the
most despicable characters this side of Nurse Ratchet, but with
stories about growing up in Hollywood, her childhood encounters with
Liberace and even the real life history of the actual Nellie Olson.
My visit with Alison was a pure delight and I am excited to be
featuring her at PCA.