What’s the fun of making a Best Of list when there’s no Worst Of to accompany it? Well, fear not. I’ve rounded up a list of the worst pop cultural elements of 2007 — the sort of things that we’d all be better off without had they never occurred in the first place. Then again, without them, we wouldn’t have anything to complain about; so I guess I should be thankful that they existed. Or something like that. Full list after the jump…
Another List of Things: Best of 2007
It’s the end of the year, and since everyone is writing lists, I figured I might as well throw my hat into the ring and pen one of my very own. Unfortunately, I haven’t really seen enough movies or listened to enough music to compose a proper, thorough list. Therefore, I’m gonna do some sort of year end list/awards hybrid mess. Honestly, I really don’t know what I’m going to do, but whatever it is will be after the jump…
Knut Who?
“Oh hello. I’m a little sad because I’m SO DAMN ADORABLE.”
A few months ago, we all loved Knut the polar bear to pieces. I for one spent many a goofy moment smiling at the assorted galleries dedicated to his cute, joyous youth. In fact, on a recent trip to Berlin, it was all I could do to avoid dropping by the zoo and purchasing a collectible Knut tchochke. However, Knut eventually hit those awkward polar-tween years and like so many child stars before him (Jonathan Lipnicki, Hallie Eisenberg, Prince William), he quickly lost his cuteness in favor of general gawkiness (or in his case, muddy bloodlust). Luckily, we have a new cub to dote over, and unlike those silly polar bears, this one is guaranteed to stay cute for the rest of her life. Why? Because she’s a goddamn baby panda, that’s why. Knut will always have a special place in my heart, but for now, let’s all enjoy the glory that is ZHEN ZHEN, the San Diego Zoo’s newest media sensation.
A few more photos after the jump.
Delta to Bags: "Why Don't You Hang With Us For A While?"
Ah Delta Airlines — the eternal wellspring of traveler nightmares. Between the pink-tinted TV monitors and the narrow, butt-numbing seats, it’s hard not to find something to complain about on this oft-maligned airline. I’ve been lucky enough to have avoided them for the past few years, but others haven’t been so blessed. My friend IndianJones had the misfortune of flying Delta from Los Angeles to Boston (via Vegas), and for whatever reason, he seemed to think his experience would be hassle-free and unremarkable, as evidenced by this naively amusing Facebook proclamation:
“IndianJones is not going to bore you with the details of his travel….yet.”
I guess he thought he was in for a rather mundane transcontinental flight. Well, it only took a few more hours before the inevitable update surfaced:
“IndianJones has finally been hit with the curse of the lost bag….thanks DELTA.”
I felt his pain, even though I immediately wrote “HA!” on his Wall. Nevertheless, it wasn’t until a full day later that he could proudly announce, “IndianJones has been reunited with his bag.” Surely, it was an arduous experience for him, but don’t feel too bad though. He’s in the Bahamas now. Suffering a similar fate (minus the tropical final destination) was the author of Hiro Talks A Lot, who not only lost her bag but had to deal with FECES during her Delta exploits. To read the entire sordid story, which is highly amusing, click here.
L.A. Chinese Dining on Christmas: A Modern TRAVESTY
A sight rarer than the unicorn.
When it comes to dining options on Christmas, the choices are few and far between for the greater non-Christian population of America; however, there is usually one standby whose open doors have become a tradition unto themselves. I’m of course talking about your neighborhood Chinese restaurant, a culinary outpost in a sea of “Closed for Christmas” door signs. Eating Chinese on Christmas is pretty much the de facto alternative dining option on the 25th — so much so that it was even immortalized in that most hallowed of holiday offerings, A Christmas Story.
So surely finding a Chinese restaurant open on Christmas in Los Angeles should be no problem, right? In a city with a rather sizable Jewish population, not to mention two popular Chinese eateries with the seemingly un-Christian names of Genghis Cohen and Mao’s Kitchen, a veritable feast of Yangtze proportions would await those of us seeking out the supple flavors of soy and MSG. Or so we thought. This is Los Angeles, of course — a city that rarely makes sense at any given time.
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Big Sharon Is Watching You
In an ill-advised public relations move, the Ministry of Truth hires Sharon Stone as the new face of totalitarianism.
Sharon Stone Spearheads Fluorescent Giraffe Revolution
“And so I walked into Toys ‘R’ Us, saw Geoffrey the Giraffe, and told the clerk, ‘I want that skinned, cleaned, and ON MY HEAD!'”
[Buzz Photo via Best Week Ever]
EXCLUSIVE: Lynne Spears's Manuscript Leaked to the Internet
As has been widely reported, Christian book publisher Thomas Nelson Inc. has announced that in the wake of the Jamie Lynn teen pregnancy scandal, it is indefinitely delaying the publication of Lynne Spears’s first book, a memoir that details the highs and lows of raising a family in the spotlight.
Of course, thanks to the wonders of the Internets, we here at B-Side Blog have obtained an exclusive copy of the manuscript in all its much-hyped glory. Excerpts after the jump…
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SHE'S A PIRATE: Holiday Greetings From Brenda Dickson!
WELCOME. One of my favorite viral video stars, Brenda Dickson, is back with a very special Holiday Greeting for the world. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, then you may need to do some light but highly entertaining research. Brenda was a soap actress in the ’80s, and with her fame expanding to the upper reaches of the stratosphere, she released an informative lifestyle home video that taught people how to dress, act, eat, and exercise like a star (ostrich feathers, anyone?). Twenty years later, that video has resurfaced, as well as a series of laugh-out-loud parodies. If you’ve never seen them, I’ve included all the essential clips after the jump. They’ll be worth your time. If you have seen them, then enjoy the holiday message. Now get the hell out of here!
Continue reading “SHE'S A PIRATE: Holiday Greetings From Brenda Dickson!”
Minor Technical Difficulties!
Huh?
I’m in the process of switching over from thisblogismine.com to bsideblog.com, and as some of you may have noticed, it hasn’t been as smooth a transition as once expected. There’s been widespread reporting of images gone awry, and for some, the site merely loads up a generic page from GoDaddy.com. I assure you I’m on top of these issues (read: panicked, sweating). I’ll have the kinks ironed out over the course of the next day, and hopefully this bit of cyber-turbulence will pass without incident. In the meantime, the captain asks that you return to your seats, fasten your seatbelts, and refrain from moving about the cabin.