Pop Culture Wednesday

Posted: December 1st, 2009 | Filed under: Pop Culture | 32 Comments »

Gonna try a little something new this Wednesday … I have a series of blog posts about pop culture stuff that I have not yet posted because the posts never felt quite finished. They still don’t feel finished but, they’re about to expire so I’m going to post them periodically through Wednesday.

Among the topics you might see:

1. Why Robin Williams makes me sad.

2. The honesty of country music.

3. The horrors of leaving the state of Kansas.

4. Thoughts about a bumper sticker.

5. My new favorite infoco product.

6. The genius of those Verizon map commercials.

7. The 10 best holiday songs (accepting nominations).

8. Yes, Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.

9. Miscellaneous.

There’s also a long post coming up about my favorite Hall of Fame candidate on this year’s ballot … maybe you can guess who it is.

Oh yeah, two more things: Shameless. Promotion.

32 Comments on “Pop Culture Wednesday”

  1. 1: Randy Umstead said at 11:53 pm on December 1st, 2009:

    Circle me, Patch Adams.

  2. 2: DJ said at 11:57 pm on December 1st, 2009:

    This could be the best day ever.

  3. 3: Flup said at 12:01 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    The best holiday song ever is without question “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree.” But I’m guessing you’re thinking more along the lines of Christmas; my vote there is for “Christmas Wrapping.”

  4. 4: darockwilda said at 12:14 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    Just put in your book as my first request for xmas. My next request was Simmons’ book so take what you want from that.

  5. 5: Tom said at 12:17 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    I’m with DJ — what a phenomenal alternative to tomorrow’s inevitable onslaught of “Tiger’s a philanderer” stories.

  6. 6: Moe said at 1:41 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    The Christmas Song sung by Nat King Cole ..

    Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…

    When I hear that I just immediately think about crackling fires, egg nog (heavily spiked) and little kids with smiles from ear to ear.

  7. 7: Ryan JL said at 2:14 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    Joe, if your sportsman of the year is anyone but Greinke I will buy 10 copies of your book.

  8. 8: David said at 4:11 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    Duane Kuiper’s on this year’s ballot? I mean, I’m guessing … Appier, for no particular reason (although Wikipedia reminds that he threw back-to-back CG shutouts against the Red Sox and Yankeees in ‘91… who combined were .478 that year).

  9. 9: AMR said at 6:37 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    I concur with Moe:
    #1 is Cole’s “Christmas Song”

    Here’s the rest of my top ten:
    Songs from Low’s “Christmas” EP:
    “Just Like Christmas,” “Long Way Around the Sea,” “Taking Down the Tree,” and “One Special Gift.”

    Judy Garland’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” from “Meet Me in St. Louis”

    Roy Orbison “Pretty Paper”

    Vince Guaraldi Trio “Christmas Time is Here” (should be “Linus and Lucy” but I don’t think that really counts)

    Gordon Lightfoot “Song for a Winter Night”

    And I’m not sure whose version of “O Holy Night” I find most canonical.

  10. 10: Bryan Adams said at 7:10 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    You’re probably already a Klosterman fan, but his chapter in “Eating the Dinosaur” about Chris Gaines is brilliant (re: country music honesty).

  11. 11: Dan Boyce said at 7:36 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    Holiday song nominees:

    Father Christmas by the Kinks
    I Believe in Father Christmas by Greg Lake

  12. 12: David A. said at 7:38 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    Re: 11 — Klosterman also wrote about country music in Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs. Haven’t read Dinosaur yet, but I can guess what he said about Gaines based on the passages from the previous book.

    http://books.google.com/books?id=4jzEnlEE5l8C&lpg=PP1&dq=klosterman%20cocoa%20puffs&pg=PA167#v=onepage&q=country&f=false

  13. 13: Alvin said at 8:06 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    Check out “Tis the Season” by Los Straitjackets. Kick ass, up tempo surf guitar
    versions of classic Christmas songs.
    http://www.straitjackets.com

  14. 14: Dan Mac said at 8:10 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    Best Christmas Songs:

    1) Mariah Carey- All I want For Christmas Is You

    (and #2 isn’t very close at all!)

    2) Dean Martin- Baby, It’s cold Outside

    3) Alvin and the Chipmunks- The Christmas Song

  15. 15: ralphdibny said at 8:18 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    The Pogues’s “Fairytale in New York” is the best Xmas rock song of recent years, and James Brown’s Funky Xmas the best album. Elvis’s “Blue Xmas” also needs mentioning. Oh, and Mel Torme’s version of Xmas Song is superior to Cole’s.

  16. 16: Mark Daniel said at 8:34 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    In those Verizon map commercials, Luke Wilson starts naming cities like “Dallas, Texas”. Well, hell, sign me up partner. I have Verizon and I’m pretty sure I can’t get cell service in the 8th largest city in America, much less those tiny hamlets of Madison, Wisconsin, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Seattle, Washington.

  17. 17: Nick Howard said at 8:39 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    The Machine is on my Christmas list. Hopefully Santa will be good to me.

  18. 18: Guy on the Couch said at 8:44 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    hey joe…great piece on the SI website. i can agree with you more.

    along with the 10 best Xmas songs how about the 10 best Xmas movies? my #1 of all time has to be “Bad Santa”. i watch this every year about this time and it still makes me laugh hysterically. it’s a great contrast to the onslaught of commercial Xmas capitalism.

    OUT!

  19. 19: Royals Fanatic said at 8:54 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    Gotta nominate the Barenaked Ladies with Sarah McLaclan singing God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / We Three Kings.

  20. 20: ghb5 said at 8:56 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    The rest of the album is fairly unexciting, but I love Bob Dylan’s version of the old Mitch Miller singalong “Must Be Santa.”

  21. 21: Matt said at 9:04 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    Going off the beaten path a bit with this christmas suggestion but… You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch sung by Boris Karloff.

  22. 22: John in Philly said at 9:06 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    The Grinch, by the Whirling Dervishes always gets turned up on my radio when I hear it.

    Another favorite of mine is Alan Mann’s Christmas on the Block.

  23. 23: Brett said at 9:10 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    Best holiday songs:

    * All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey
    * Any version of Baby, It’s Cold Outside
    * Lonely Jew on Christmas by Kyle Broflofski

  24. 24: Devin McCullen said at 9:45 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    I love The Pretenders’ version of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”, and there’s also “2000 Miles”.

    Emmylou Harris’ album is great, the one that comes to my mind is “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem”

    Oh, and another vote for Mariah Carey – that one is just a lot of fun.

    Speaking of fun & Christmas songs, I’ll take any excuse to link to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_RStwfTAmE

  25. 25: DJ said at 10:12 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    My nomination for the best Christmas song: The Night Santa Went Crazy, by Weird Al.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTGlUMvbhSw

  26. 26: dtro said at 11:13 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    I’m guessing the HOF candidate is Larkin, but Edgar wouldn’t shock me.

  27. 27: Shelby said at 11:18 am on December 2nd, 2009:

    another Weird Al gem–Christmas At Ground Zero:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGdrMOttV_s

  28. 28: Bill C. said at 12:02 pm on December 2nd, 2009:

    I love Christmas songs. Love em. Love the stations that go all Christmas from Thanksgiving through 12/25. (Some start before Thanksgiving now, which seems silly to me).

    But what I do not like, what is absolutely the worst thing about the holidays for me, is commercials making jingles out of christmas songs. Made-up lyrics to the 12 days of Christmas is the most frequent offender, but they do it with all songs and I just hate it. It’s so grating to hear someone singing about Best Buy to tune of 12 Days.

    And it’s so completely unoriginal. Work a little hard, ad guys.

  29. 29: Brent said at 12:45 pm on December 2nd, 2009:

    Any Xmas song by Bing Crosby is good, with “White Christmas” being the best.

    Of course, the drawback to his songs is that none of us sound too good when we sing along with him.

  30. 30: Ace said at 1:48 pm on December 2nd, 2009:

    Horny Holidays by Mojo Nixon. Really gets you in the mood.

  31. 31: Mikey said at 6:27 pm on December 2nd, 2009:

    Nominations:

    Vince Guaraldi – Linus and Lucy

    Pogues – Fairytale of New York

    Big Star – Jesus Christ

  32. 32: Jeff B said at 7:56 pm on December 3rd, 2009:

    I agree with the Vince Guaraldi Peanuts Christmas tunes and the Baremaked Ladies selection.

    My favorite, however, is The Brian Setzer Orchestra’s “The Nutcracker Suite.” Actually, both of the BSO’s Christmas albums are fantastic.

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