Category: Pop Culture
Lana Del Rey Serves Up A Heteronormative Wet Dream By Singing “Stand By Your Man” in Arkansas
Lana Del Rey, who has never been one to shy away from heteronormative, 50s/60s-era themes and iconography in her work (in fact, that is the [Read More…]
When Everyone Wants to Believe A Celebrity Is Andy Kaufman’ing It
Ye, Taylor Swift (because Matty Healy), Lizzo, Doja Cat. When it comes to “wanting to believe” a celebrity is merely “putting you on,” the past [Read More…]
In Case Anyone Needed Additional Evidence That Celebrities Have More Influence Than Politicians, Look No Further Than the Plea to Taylor Swift Amid L.A.’s Hotel Strike
“With great power comes great responsibility.” That’s the Spider-Man platitude so often wielded for those who are actually in offices of power. And yet, it’s [Read More…]
Euphoria Becomes Drenched in Death
The date is January 30, 2022. Not so long ago in some ways, and a lifetime ago in others. For one thing, two particular famous [Read More…]
Lizzo Just Kind of Ruined Barbie
As though Barbie: The Album wasn’t already suffering enough (critically, not commercially), Lizzo had to go and get herself accused of, among other things, sexual [Read More…]
The Fan/Performer Dynamic Keeps Getting Decidedly More Employer/Employee
It used to seem so glamorous to be an “entertainer.” Yet even that word has connotations of being like a monkey with cymbals, “programmed” to [Read More…]
Tony Bennett: The Model Italian-American (Or At Least Less Affronting Than Most)
As a second generation Italian-American (with his mother, Anna Suraci, born right after his grandmother arrived in the U.S.), Tony Bennett had the potential to [Read More…]
Wham!—The Music Duo and the Documentary—Reminds That Pop Music Was Never Frivolous
It’s easy to write Wham! off, even to this day, as another “embarrassing” 80s pop group. Their preppy, often neon attire, combined with Hair As [Read More…]
Britney Is Once Again Humiliated and Painted as the “Crazy” One–This Time Just For Trying to Be a Fangirl
For those who have followed the latest in an endlessly bizarre series of celebrity news items, perhaps the most unexpected of late has been Britney [Read More…]
“I Keep My Side of the Street Clean”—Not!: Taylor Swift’s Garbage (Not to Be Confused With Taylor Swift Is Garbage)
Like most things that the hoi polloi are expected to endure/“deal with,” celebrities and the otherwise wealthy are not. For someone of Taylor Swift’s caliber [Read More…]
