Category Archives: Popular Culture

Did Bath & Body Works Bend to the American Girl Boycott?

A Below the Fold reader — quite to my surprise, I actually have some — says that Bath & Body Works has pulled the American Girl "ICan Bands" from its shelves, an apparent response to the boycott against American Girl by some extremist groups. As I said in a previous post, these groups are boycottingContinue reading “Did Bath & Body Works Bend to the American Girl Boycott?”

Apple, ITunes Should Join the Tagged Wide Web

Far be it from me to give advice to Apple’s Steve Jobs. In a few short years he’s managed to make Bill Gates his Salieri and Michael Eisner look like the Hunchback of Notre Dumb. I bought a PowerBook last year just to be safe, lest I die and find out heaven runs on Linux.Continue reading “Apple, ITunes Should Join the Tagged Wide Web”

Fight the American Girl Boycott with Dollars, not Words – Let the “Buy”-Cott Begin

So it seems the greatest evils facing America today are not terrorism, bird flu, high gas prices or Geraldo’s new show on Fox (though I would beg to differ on that one). No, according to the American Family Association and the Pro-Life Action League, the greatest evils facing America are American Girls. Being the fatherContinue reading “Fight the American Girl Boycott with Dollars, not Words – Let the “Buy”-Cott Begin”

FEMA Chief Brown Resigns

Michael Brown, FEMA’s battered and bruised director, is resigning according to published news reports. It was the right decision — and it also saves President Bush the embarrassment of firing Brown instead (though I wouldn’t be suprised if Bush encouraged Brown to step down). Brown is the first and not likely the last to goContinue reading “FEMA Chief Brown Resigns”

Katrina Was a Hurricane, Not ‘Divine’ Payback

There has been plenty of blame, much of it justified, about the official response to Hurricane Katrina. And there will be plenty more in the weeks and months ahead, long after the waters recede. I’ve covered a few natural disasters – fires and earthquakes mostly, devastating for sure but nothing close to what is playingContinue reading “Katrina Was a Hurricane, Not ‘Divine’ Payback”

Newspaper Editor Exposes His Sexual Preference, Readers Expose Their Hate

The editor of the tiny Desert Dispatch in Barstow, Calif., recently published an editorial about his support of gay rights issues, including gay marriage. Now, coming out in support of gay rights in a community like Barstow is going to make you as popular as a vegetarian in Oklahoma. But that’s not why editor ScottContinue reading “Newspaper Editor Exposes His Sexual Preference, Readers Expose Their Hate”

I Blog, Therefore I Hate Myself

Apparently some “journalist bloggers” don’t like PR people, and some PR people don’t like journalist bloggers because they apparently don’t “understand” PR. I’m a journalist blogger and a PR person, so therefore I must conclude that I hate myself. On the plus side, at least now I know how White House Press Secretary Scott McClellanContinue reading “I Blog, Therefore I Hate Myself”

Britney Gets Knocked Up, Quran Gets Knocked Around and PR Exec Gets Knocked Out (and Tiffany Hits Me ‘One More Time’)

The Republican Party is reaching out to African-Americans and Latinos. The Democratic Party is reaching out to evangelical Christians. What’s next, the Green Party reaching out to polluters and oil companies? Britney Spears says she enjoys being pregnant – but I bet not as much as we enjoy her not being able to perform anymore.Continue reading “Britney Gets Knocked Up, Quran Gets Knocked Around and PR Exec Gets Knocked Out (and Tiffany Hits Me ‘One More Time’)”

Ratings Up, Journalism Down As Corey Clark Sings for ABC

I admit I am part of the problem. Even if I didn’t love the collisions of common sense that occur regularly at the intersection of Media Avenue and Culture Boulevard, I would have done what I did last night – watch ABC’s ‘special edition” of Primetime Live about former American Idol contestant Corey Clark andContinue reading “Ratings Up, Journalism Down As Corey Clark Sings for ABC”

Zell Miller, Decency Deficits and the Finnish Solution

Zell Miller, for those who can’t remember way back to last year’s Republican National Convention, is the turncoat Democratic U.S. Senator who bashed Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry from the GOP podium and later challenged “Hardball” host Chris Matthews to a duel. But that’s not the weird part. No, the weird part is watching MillerContinue reading “Zell Miller, Decency Deficits and the Finnish Solution”