BANTER WITH BEN AND LISA #68: Emmys Recap, Jon Gosselin, Nate Burleson, and Portland Adventures

This week on “Banter with Ben and Lisa,” Ben Mandelker (bsideblog.com) and Lisa Timmons (twitter.com/timmonslisa) give pop culture a big bear hug. First, Ben discusses his recent trip to Portland and shares passages from an 1888 etiquette book he found at Powell’s Bookstore. Then the two talk about Nate Burleson of the Detroit Lions and …

BANTER WITH BEN AND LISA #64: Miley, Gaga, and the VMAs

This week, Ben Mandelker (bsideblog.com) and Lisa Timmons (socialitelife.com) take on MTV’s annual display of craziness: the VMAs! We tackle everything from Miley’s twerking to Gaga’s wigging out. Plus, the much-hyped NSYNC reunion, Macklemore’s J-Hud moment, and Katy Perry’s time in the ring. Come listen!

WATCH WHAT CRAPPENS #54: 1st Annual Crappy Awards!

Taste Awards Prove To Be The Most Embarrassingly Amateurish, Unintentionally Hilarious Awards Show Of All Time

Last night, a friend of mine offered me a free ticket to the Taste Awards (also known as the Tasty Awards, depending on which part of the official website one visits), which is a burgeoning celebration of food, fashion, drink, and style — four realms that most certainly deserve a glitzy award show. I was …

YEA OR NAY: Eddie Murphy As Your Oscars Host

Earlier today, it was announced that Eddie Murphy will be hosting the Oscars next year, which is both exciting and confounding. After all, Eddie Murphy is known these days for being, well, kind of a downer. When was the last time we saw him being funny? Don’t you dare say Norbit. Nevertheless, while the comedian …

EMMY NOMINATIONS: Let’s Look At The Ballot, Shall We?

The 2011 Primetime Emmy Nominations came out today, and generally they look pretty solid. It was the usual mix of old standbys and random new faces. The only difficult thing for me was realizing that I watch so much reality TV now that my authority on scripted fare isn’t quite what it used to be. …

The Most Amazing Piece of Retro YouTube Junk You’ll See Today

If you’re looking to kill about nine minutes, check out this long lost footage from the 1984 American Music Awards. Back then, the award show sensitively featured categories like “Favorite Black Single” and “Favorite Black Album.” Things have changed a touch since then. Some things, however, are very much the same. Take, for example, Prince, …