Enough ink and pixels have been spilled over the bitterness, resentment, and spiteful materialism of our age to fill a library of books and a Google server’s worth of blogs with tiny, near illegible 6 point type. More time has been spent fretting over the tragic insincerities we suffer and inflict upon ourselves than we would likely care to admit. Once and for all, then, for finality and catharsis, let’s just get it out of the way so we can move on—

We are a group of overweight, undereducated, egocentric, misunderestimated, corporate-cultivated igeneration slackers, freshly weaned off our mother’s television’s teat. We are obsessed with motivation, but unmotivated. We are enamored with success, but unsuccessful. We learn to read the small print in the womb and write résumés before we can walk, and we think that that’s the way it’s supposed to be.

Well, we should think again.

When we were kids, we had some absurd ideas. We believed that we would reap what we sow, that people were, for the most part, honest, and that if you were to give your friend $5 for his allegedly legit limited edition holographic Charizard pokemon card, that it would in fact be legit, and not a counterfeit, regular edition holographic Charizard card deceptively and maliciously glued to an embarrassingly pedestrian Polywhirl.

When we find out that none of these things are true, however (fucking Polywhirl), we suffer a fall from grace of sorts. The more we find out, the further we fall. We come to realize that “no trans fat” really just means five times the amount of regular fat, that laser tag guns don’t actually shoot visible beams of light like they do in the commercials, and that the batteries for them are never, ever included.

The result is this—that we suspect falsity in all things first and foremost. Our minds are lie detectors first, calculators second, scales and gauges third, but open never; and how could they be, when in addition to these chinks in our armor there are Madoffs and Limbaughs and Gagas and Jonases all competing for our hatred and disgust and resentment, all attempting to disarm us with their flamboyant and inescapable cheapness? No, injustice and insincerity are not new inventions. But now, more than ever, they seem to manifest themselves in the faces of the aforementioned like ugly, blind, persistent rodents that never cease to be the things to guard oneself against. If only life were a giant game of whack-a-mole, and we hadn’t misplaced our mallets.

So we give up, we give in, and we agree to go along for the ride. We tacitly consent to being pigeonholed by parents, politicians, priests and professors into corporate warriors and pseudo-compassionate fools. This is nothing new. In fact, it’s sickeningly cliché. We live in a world as uncertain as it is competitive, and as user-friendly as it is dangerous. We are taught to simultaneously love, respect, and market ourselves to such an untenable degree that we find morality in impossibility and solace in the banal predictability of reality television.

So what do we do about it?

We look for love. We make music. We become nihilists, and call ourselves hipsters. We waste our brains on Facebook and Family Guy, and we write articles on the internet about how much we hate hating everything. Perhaps, one day, we’ll actually start resenting something enough to do something about it.

-Jason Moreira

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Today we received an email from some promotional company informing us that "I'm Mobile" and "Radio Paradise" are combining to create some sort of online, mobile, radio thing. But that does not matter to us at all. What matters is that on RadioParadise.com we found their video competition. If you get a million views, you win a thousand dollars. The Rules:

- Don't be profane/sexual
- Put RadioParadise.com on the screen for at least 5 seconds
- ...That's it. Watch what happened:

We took this literally by making a video with all the knowledge we have about Radioparadise.com



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Fickleness, thy name is Olympic gymnastics all-around champion. Carly Patterson was only the second American to win an Olympic all-around title, and did so in 2004 with this proficient but uninspired floor routine. Patterson then tried to break into Hollywood by doing proficient but uninspired song renditions on Celebrity Duets. Lastly, Patterson had a minor hit last fall with Temporary Life (Ordinary Girl) after it was remixed by a radio station in Austin. The verdict? You guessed it. Proficient but un--Ahh, we can't even say it anymore.

Now, Patterson is back with "Time To Wake Up," a mid-tempo, country-infused single which she hopes will legitimately propel her into the mainstream music industry. Watch her video -



Is this 'Britney Spears trying her hand at acting' territory? Or more 'Michael Jordan playing baseball?' Is just proficient good enough? And can you really be "a little rough around the edges"--as Patterson sings--with such meticulously crafted hair?

--Gaar Adams

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Keep an eye out for Jason and Arian at All Points West! Find them, mention PopSense, and you'll get to be in our festival report!

*Note* Arian will probably not be wearing a tinfoil robot costume. Just keep that in mind. Also, Stelios will not be creeping in the corner.

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For years celebrities have used their glory to lend aid those less fortunate. From astounding sums of money given in donations, to very chic charity and foundation launches, celebrities manage to utilize free time to do some good. Now, whether these acts are wholly altruistic or a ploy to keep them off of tabloid pages is hard to say, but, regardless, it makes a positive impact.

Perhaps the summer months have left them bored, or maybe they are putting in their tax exempt projects of the year, or maybe, just maybe, they are really good people, but for whatever reason the music world has had a surge of giving. The Holy Trinity of Acoustic Guitars, Monsters of Folk, has announced a charity tour benefiting local non-profit organizations. Proceeds from crooner Ray LaMontagne’s fall tour will go to the National Children’s Cancer Society. Climate control and natural disaster relief group Artists Project Earth will bring together an eclectic group of musicians for its latest collaboration due out in August.

These offerings are not from the music world’s forgotten, one-hit wonders. These are music’s finest contributing their work for the greater good. In an age where musicians are greedy enough to pitch fits and lawsuits over a few (million) file-sharing downloads, it warms the cockles of our cold hearts to witness such benevolence. With all of the charitable music options, listeners cannot help feeling dirty for buying music sans causes. Come on, bands! Aren’t you tired of Bono stealing all the glory? Don’t you want to wipe the smirk off of Elton John’s face? Thought so. Here are a few ideas for artists to get involved.

Lady Gaga: Gamblers Anonymous – Her sick addiction was made public under the guise of a catchy pop song, but Gaga’s heartbreaking cry for help makes her a knowing and obvious candidate for work with GA. This partnership has the ability to benefit both sides. Gaga can finally put away her Poker Face, and at least the chain-smoking card sharks could have something to stare at aside from their card hand.

Passion Pit: National Abstinence Education Association – If artists are going to subject millions to tracks that sound like they’re laced with heroine, they have to be aware of what image you are presenting. Passion Pit’s faults do not lie in their musical content or shows, which are generally wholesome. No, their downfall comes with the first impression – the name. What exactly is the angle, here? A pit of passion?! They have hoodwinked impressionable young children with the synth-giddiness of “Chunk of Change” and “Manners,” craftily masking their hidden agenda: leading children not into a giant orgy, but rather into eternal hellfire that will surely ensue after premarital sex. Now there’s a pit you’ll never recover climb out of.

Kanye West: Marine Conservation Network – We’ve all heard South Park’s infamous fish sticks joke. A disappointing lack of response after this 45-minute jab at the cocky rapper left everyone wondering – has Kanye finally gotten over himself? Of course not! If he was, however, suddenly blessed with a sense of humor and a fruit juicer to remedy the size of his head, West could get serious laughs from helping out someone other than himself.

Amy Winehouse: Drug Abuse Resistance Education – Does this need any explanation?

-Abby Johnston MORE»

Or at least their PR is. The other night, we received an email with the subject, "you are missing out on the third eye blind fun." The words "fun" and "Third Eye Blind" only belong in the same sentence when you are a) talking about camp-fire sing-a-longs of "Jumper" or b) the 90's. A chance email correspondence resulted between PopSense and Third Eye Blind's PR agency, Mega Force USA. The discussion is as follows:

In a message dated 7/29/2009 9:00:46 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, editors@popsense.com writes:

Hey,

Thanks for sending. Admittedly, the site generally doesn't cover more mainstream acts, though we certainly would post something along the lines of Andrew Bird or Heartless Bastards, which I see you also promote. Just a heads up!

On Jul 31, 2009, at 10:19 AM, Megaforceusa@aol.com wrote:

Third Eye Blind are not really mainstream. Lyrics are the most demented around.

In a message dated 7/31/2009 10:29:41 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, editors@popsense.com writes:

I'll take your word for it. I suppose I should've clarified and just said our readership looks for the "indie" caliber of, as I mentioned, Andrew Bird or Heartless Bastards. Don't get me wrong, I've had my share of Third Eye Blind lovin' - I even performed semi-charmed kind of life in high school haha

On Jul 31, 2009, at 10:34 AM, Megaforceusa@aol.com wrote:

check out this new video. mtv and fuse banned it cause of "you fucking whore..." content.

the video is hundreds of photos strung together. feel free to post:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBmb_LbqN2U

--

We will now feel free and post. Remember when cursing and "getting banned" was alt?



Now we just have to dress rly rly crazy.

















The 90's band was all about "having tude," eating the Chickity China the Chinese chicken and "not giving a shit." There were two ways to not give a shit in the world at the time.

Be misunderstood (Circa 1992)

















Be pissed off (Circa 1999)
















The 2000's are a reaction to the push and pull of "misunderstood" and being "pissed off." With the exception of Buckcherry and the rest of the post-pop-alt-rock hangover, bands decided to chill out and be weird enough to be quirky, but not misunderstood.














































"We're thinking of naming our band NGNT"
















Since everyone looks like they're in a band now, it's hard to tell who actually makes music anymore.


Do you think Third Eye Blind should hire a stylist? How will we recognize bands in the 2010's, when clothes aren't fashionable anymore?


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7 Worlds Collide, AKA The Radiohead Wilco Johnny Marr Neil Finn Supergroup [Stereogum]: Sexual pleasure now seems archaic and inefficient.

New 'Nickelodeon' logo [Variety]: So this is what it feels like to have your childhood stolen from you and beaten to death right before your eyes.

Fantastic Mr. Fox Trailer Released [/Film]: That felt weird. Watch it and you'll see what we mean.

YouTube video sparks Chris Brown track sales [EW]: Mo' Money = Mo' expensive whips to use on women.

Incredible watercolor paintings by 6 year-old [DailyMail]: Well at least he's not out on the streets, that's what matters most.

Read Previous Morning Links

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America's sweetheart Jon Gosselin and his beloved woman friend Hailey Glassman. After their apartment was mysteriously trashed and looted now talks of some good old physical abuse are coming into the conversation. HuffPost reports:

Hailey says that Jon slammed her against the wall after he found a photo of her kissing "Celebrity Boxing" promoter Damon Feldman.

"That picture started the whole thing, a picture of her kissing another man," a source told the New York Post.

Cops are still investigating a harassment charge Hailey filed, accusing Jon of pushing her against a wall and verbally abusing her.

There it is folks. Bradley Cooper, badass star of The Hangover and Wedding Crashers, showing a little butt cleavage for all the world to see. PopSense.com, scarring you for life as always.

Thanks to Bauer Griffon Online for hooking us up with this one.

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Yeah, it's $530 unsubsidized. Google's not going to be selling the phone at cost, like so many people considered. They're not going to save us from the "making money off of hardware" culture we've got right now, so this is basically just another Android handset, albeit a really good one

Nothing about this video makes sense. Neither the corrupt 19th century politicians nor the 80's performance cut scenes nor the fire juggling nor the cyber-punk fight scene. And that's okay, because it's Julian Casablancas.

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When this message is sprawled across your screen, preventing you from sharing your every move with your friends, family, and distant individuals who you've never spoken to before in real life, you begin to question your existence both on and offline. Predominantly online.

When Twitter goes down due to over capacity, one can't help but imagine that there must be some humans behind the system doing us all a little favor. Saying, 'hey, you, twitter user, take a breather. Go eat a snack. No, don't tell us about, just eat the snack, and come back later.'

Thanks for the advice Twitter gods.

Now if only we could find out how the hell you get paid...

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It is a collaboration no one had even considered, let alone thought possible: the archetypal hipster band, MGMT, will be making an appearance on the new album from the king of rap, Jay-Z. Many people were shocked by this announcement; some even thought it was a lie. Indeed, with such a combination, a myriad of questions come about. What is this song going to sound like? Didn’t Jay-Z complain about things like this in that new song D.O.A.? Why did MGMT agree? More importantly, though, are we really surprised?

In the past few years, rap has begun to pervade all areas of music. A decade ago, rap music was, in a way, feared by many with the stigma that rap music harbors violence. Since then, however, rap and hip hop have been able to overtake a large portion of the pop music industry. A quick look at the current Top 40 singles and a sample of the music on hit music radio stations shows this clearly. Even the Jonas Brothers have a song featuring Common. After taking over popular music, it almost makes sense that hip hop, and the leaders of the industry like Jay-Z, would next look towards the next up-and-coming industry: “indie” music.

But hasn’t this already happened? Hundreds of indie rappers exist and are well-known and liked in the scene: Jedi Mind Tricks, Atmosphere, the Beastie Boys, to name a few. Furthermore, generally hipster-esque dance music has seen a huge influence from rap: Wale has a version of Justice’s "D.A.N.C.E.," Diplo masterfully remixed Spank Rock’s "Put That Pussy On Me" and Kanye West’s "Stronger." Mix artists and DJs like Super Mash Bros and Girl Talk have been using rap to enhance their tracks for years. Moreover, old school rap music from the early 90s has become relevant in the indie music scene. A Tribe Called Quest, Notorious B.I.G., and the occasional DJ Kool are not uncommon to hear anymore.

On the other hand, perhaps rap isn’t influencing “indie” music – perhaps it’s the other way around. We all saw Kanye West make an astounding musical turn in last year’s 808s & Heartbreak. Although he was highly influenced by his personal tragedies, Kanye did make a slight break from rap music, and he definitely made his fellow rappers look up and think about non-rap rap music. Lil Wayne tried this out with "Prom Queen," and basically failed, but the attempt is still acknowledged. Pharrell was notably impressed by Jamie Cullum’s cover of "Frontin’."

Kanye introduced the mainstream to "hipster rap," only to have his take on the genre killed off by the Jiggaman himself. It seems, however, that it is Jay-Z who will keep this genre, for better or worse, alive.


- Alexandra Svokos


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Finally-- Minority Report meets Juno.
All the inappropriately-young-looking cuteness of Ellen Page combined with the post-Titanic badassity of Leonardo DiCaprio comes together in this action thriller.
The trailer isn't very revealing, as can be expected for a teaser, but definitely seems intense. The part where Leo gets pushed into a bathtub appears particularly wild.
Is it just us or did the first half of it sound like a commercial for some Microsoft product?
Enjoy.

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Earlier this morning we thought John F. Kennedy was on a boat. Or a yacht, technically. With nude bitches.
A few hours later we discovered this was false, doctored, fake, what have you. 'Professor' Sedlik was wrong after all.

It all started when TMZ got sent this photo (below) by some fellow who claimed that his father used to parade it around as being his special picture of JFK...on a boat with naked bitches.

Sure, any argument can get out of hand. But if one person is willing to simply walk away from the situation, why not let them? Apparently, on July 25, 2009, DC Metrobus operator Michael E. Robinson thought that it made more sense to keep a passenger “trapped” inside his bus (refused to open the exit doors), after a dispute.

Maybe he wanted to keep the passenger onboard while he came up with the best comeback possible? Or perhaps he just wanted to have the last word. He doesn’t have much to say now though, y’know, after being arrested and charged with kidnapping and all. As a former transit driver myself, I can see how it might be tempting to keep a passenger in-place while you wait for the police to arrive on the scene, but let’s be serious. DC Metrobus. A “dispute?” Let it go. Let him go! Or, let's give Robinson some credit, and assume that maybe the driver was just so stressed out with all the bad press that Metro has been getting lately, with Metrorail operators texting, and falling asleep at the wheel, that he thought it would be a good idea t—nope. Nevermind. Dumb idea all around. Way to go, buddy.

-Bryce Griffler

[via NBC Washington]

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The first trailer for the Coen Brothers' latest film has just been released. 'A Serious Man' will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and is set for limited release on October 2. Their first film since last year's 'Burn After Reading,' sees the Coen brothers back in familiar territory: Minnesota. The film takes places in the same town in which the brothers grew up and chronicles a Jewish academic in the late 60's as he struggles with a range of personal and professional conflicts. Check it out below (you can tear your eyes away from Kathie Lee Gifford drunkenly stumbling through the 18th hour of The Today Show for two minutes, alright?)



On a scale of 'G-Force' to 'No Country,' where does this film look to rank? Any Coen brothers skeptics out there? Certainly it's difficult to show your face in public, but now is your chance to air out your grievances...

--Gaar Adams

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There is nothing more satisfying that having a favorite undiscovered band. You get to have that smug grin every time you explain what’s in your iPod. “Oh you don’t know (fill in the blank)? I thought they were starting to get popular…” Just admit it, everyone loves getting to fake being a connoisseur from time to time.

Then (fill in the blank) does a commercial.

This should be a moment of celebration. Now everyone can bask in the glory of (fill in the blank)’s awesomeness. People will buy their records, their fan base will grow, and perhaps most importantly, people might know what you are talking about. But this isn’t a happy occasion is it?

I remember the first time this happened to me. Matt & Kim, or as there now know, “the band that sells the mojito made by Bacardi.” I was watching my daily dose of HGTV, learning how to balance the colors of my flower arrangements, when it happened. As the opening piano riff of “Daylight” kicked in, I had a “cool, I know this song” moment immediately followed by a “wait wait… why the fuck am I hearing this song right now?” moment which promptly cued the “oh shit… NOOOOOOOOOO” moment.

And from there it was downhill. “Daylight” over the radio when I got on the bus. “Daylight” over the radio in Panera. “Daylight” in the gym when I’m doing my crunches. Is this a direct result from the commercial? Probably not. Matt & Kim are great and deserve all the accolades they get. Did that damn commercial change the target audience of that song? Bet on it. A moment like that can immediately change the trajectory of a band.

Don’t believe me? You must have forgotten what happened when Seth Rogen did the robot high as a kite to “Paper Planes” in the trailer for Pineapple Express. Immediately, a year old album caught on fire, and that single teleported to the top of the charts. The artist who would have probably spent her career dabbling in “world” music bin obscurity, suddenly became a hip-hop staple. You think M.I.A. is going to use the bongos and lo-fi dub sound of “Arular” or the gunshot laden, sample heavy sound on the radio friendly half of “Kala”? Please.

And yet…

Part of me wants to say “get over yourself asshole.” What’s wrong with liking something that’s popular? “Paper Planes” is one hell of a song. Just because it took everyone a year to recognize it doesn’t mean you get to keep it to yourself. Don’t be such a prick.

This is the conversation that runs in my head every time Holy Fuck does a Lincoln commercial, Santogold (‘scuse me, Santigold) sells me Bud Light Lime, Bob Dylan plays for Victoria’s Secret, and “Blister in the Sun” gets raped by the Wendy’s girl. I want to let it go. I want to not care. I want to be happy for the artist. WAY TO MAKE THAT CHANGE! DOLLA DOLLA BILL Y’ALL!

But I can’t, and it’s killing me inside.

-Zak Krone

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Shiantology: A tribute to deity, Shia LaBeouf [Shiantology]: We've always said, if there's one actor who deserves a shrine, it's this guy.

Green Day's American Idiot musical takes on artistic team and sets for September opening [NYMag]: Yeah, f*ck Bush! This is so relevant!

New Sony X-Series Walkman [Gizmodo]: You nailed it with this one guys, say goodbye to iPod's domination of the market...

Yahoo once used Google, then their own algorithms, now they're taking on Bing [Mashable]: So let me get this straight, you type in keywords and you get search results?! This is innovative shit right here!

Google Voice Goodies [Google]: "Hey other search engines, yeah this is Google here, calling from my free internet phone...wait, what? I can't hear you... oh yeah that's cause you don't have a phone, assholes!

Read Previous Morning Links

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You've got the glasses, you've got the built-in human eye-sight capabilities (except for the blind, who can't read this post anyway), and now you've got an excuse to combine those two things at home!

We'll leave it to the pros at Mashable to explain this further but this is great news for all of you out there who feel that television these days needs a bit more depth...ha.

In all seriousness though, does anyone actually want to wear these glasses in their own home? Will every family member have their own personal pair? Will it be ok to wear them outside? Do television shows really gain anything by becoming 3D or is this just a big gimmick? Will we look back on these vague questions in 2011 and laugh at our technological ignorance and silly Web 2.0 ways? Will this post end with an unrelated question?

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Did you wake up this morning missing both Christmas and various members of the Strokes? Well good fucking news for you then, here's Julian Casablancas singing a song about Christmas. Hell yeah. Merry Post-Christmas e'rybody and to all a good night.

Julian Casablancas - I Wish It Was Christmas Today.mp3

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Enough is enough reality TV! The line in the sand has been crossed, the camel’s back is broken in multiple places, and the grass is always greener on the other side. Yes, that last one doesn’t make any sense, but the point is still clear: reality TV has finally gotten to the point that it doesn’t even deal in reality anymore. News out of the reality TV world indicates that “Octomom” Nadya Suleman has signed a reality TV contract deal for her kids that will pay each of the children $250 a day during filming. There is no indication about whether or not Ms. Suleman will even be featured in the show, which really is the ultimate case of exploiting your kids that has ever been seen; at least parents that hope and pray and push for a professional athlete have to wait 20+ years – Octomom decides instead to dive right in! When you pay with peanuts, you get monkeys. Ok, that one doesn’t make any sense either…or does it?

Really, it should come as a relief that Octomom, mother of 14 children through medical means and without a way to really raise these children without public assistance programs – she was already receiving taxpayer dollars BEFORE giving birth to another 8 children – will probably be able to come off the public tab by putting her children in the spotlight before they are even capable of knowing what a “light” is. The opportunity to raise the children in a way that is economically feasible and in such a way that will benefit the children can only be a good thing, especially considering that the money for those public assistance programs can go to families that truly need it now. And really, we are a nation that thrives on the news and gossip of our celebrities, and since the current ones are getting a little tired and old-hat, what better way than to create and manipulate a veritable baseball team of new celebrities? Not one, not twins, but octuplets of dysfunctional, “I am not ready for the spotlight, I am way too young for this, now watch me make a fool of myself” moments! If that didn’t send chills running through the American public then nothing will.

The real problem of this show, and reality TV in general, is the message being sent to the public and the people watching. This woman, financially dependent on the state already, spent money at a fertility clinic to, through in-vitro fertilization, bring into this world eight new wonders to be raised at the expense of state funds. Did she get home with those eight new children and then remember that she already had six children sitting at home needing to be taken care of and requiring financial dependence to make it happen? “What are the six of you doing he-oooooo that’s right.” And now, for this fiscal and moral irresponsibility, she is being rewarded with a show! Let’s face it: everyone in this country would love to be the next big star. How else can shows like American Idol, universal sensations like YouTube, and really reality TV be explained? Everyone wants their chance to be in the limelight and enjoy their 15 minutes of fame. But the reality of the situation is that not everyone is cut out for the spotlight and sometimes shouldn’t be put in the spotlight. Octomom only sends the message that if you have lots and lots of children, you might be rewarded with a show! And you get free hats and T-shirts as part of the deal! Parenthood is something that is often taken way too lightly in this country, and shows like this only serve to perpetuate that norm.

Now, there are shows that send a positive message and do more good than bad: “makeover? That sounds great! To my house? Holy shit!” “We are obese and will negatively impact our own lives and our sad because of it, but this show is going to help us change our lifestyle and shed those pounds? Let me finish this cheeseburger and sign me up!” “My dog is an absolute terror and owns me, not the other way around! What? Speak louder, you are (dog)whispering!” Those shows contribute a positive message that can help people work in their own lives to fix things that they may not otherwise learn to deal with, and should always be a part of what we as a nation watch. Shows that send the wrong message and signal to the viewers are the ones that need to be axed from the schedule and taken off the air. It is time the viewers rise with a collective voice and say no with their power buttons! Or channel changer, don’t stop watching TV, endorsements and commercials are good for bringing the economy back – buy American!

-Brennan Lowery

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Guest Submission by Jeff Mirabello

Kevin Federline, most known for his envious business decision to sleep with Britney Spears, unveiled his new look on Monday at a celebrity golf outing. Fresh off the racks of the local Big & Tall, his outfit included shorts that were most likely meant for Shaquille O’Neill, and a yellow Polo shirt that made him look more like the sun than it did Phil Mickelson. Although he attended the event with his girlfriend Victoria Prince, if he keeps up his new eating habits we feel there’s a good chance he’ll be looking for a new beau. We took this opportunity to draft him a personal ad. You can thank us later Kevin.

“Male seeking female – preferably one with long red braids that goes by the name Wendy. I enjoy luxurious things, like the Arch Deluxe and try my best to live life like a Burger King. I’m okay with long walks on the beach, as long they end with a big plate of french fries or a funnel cake. I prefer not to disclose my real name, but you can call me Kevin Feederline, or K. Food for short.“

Unrelated to K. Fed’s new look, one golf course patron had to be restrained when she tried to sneak under Kevin’s shirt. She later admitted she had mistaken his shirt for the hospitality tent.

The jury is still out on why K. Fed was actually invited to a celebrity golf outing.

-Jeff Mirabello

Jeff is a first-time guest writer for PopSense, and clearly a star for avoiding the obvious K-Fat pun. You too can have a chance at becoming a guest writer by submitting an article today!

[news via Yahoo]
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“Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH” rules. For real, it’s probably one of the greatest children’s books out there. And now, with the “G-Force” rodents doing disgustingly well at the box office (ugh), it looks like Mrs. Frisby and her rodents will be getting their own movie... again. In the novel, Mrs. Frisby and her mouse family—including her sick son—have to move in order to avoid being killed by a farm plow. And where do they go? To live with a group of smart ex-lab rats who not only are super advanced, but who also live and divvy up work in a very human manner.

Neil Burger, director of “The Illusionist”, is currently in talks to write the screenplay of the Newbery Medal-winning novel. As of now, it looks like the movie will be both live action and computer animation, unlike the 1982 film version of the book, the completely animated “The Secret of NIMH”. Step aside “G-Force”; talking rodents never sounded so good. [via Hollywood Reporter] -Melissa Schrettner

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Despite a record breaking 24 hours of New Moon madness last weekend, Cullen and company barely squeezed past Bullock's surprise hit 'The Blind Side' earning $42.5 million over the football drama's $40.1 million, the Huff Post reports.

The combination of these films and the rest of the box office broke the record for Thanksgiving weekend earnings raking in $278 million from Wednesday-to-Sunday.

This shattered the previous record of $244 million from 2000, when "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "Unbreakable" were on top. The irony is overwhelming.

Even the absolutely tasteless 'Ninja Assassins' pulled in $13 million in the six spot this weekend.

This just goes to show you what happens when raging teenage girls and football fans can share the box office. Maybe that isn't what this shows, but it does show that Sandra Bullock isn't as worthless as people previously perceived her to be. We think.

Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob? Do you think that Burger King is right to bring Twilight into their advertising campaign or is it unbelievable that any of the hotties from Twilight would ever eat fast food?

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Guest Submission by Tim Myers

You may not realize it, but hipsters have truly infiltrated mainstream culture. You may have a hipster as a neighbor, a coworker, or even a close friend. But who are these V-Neck wearing, Ray Ban sporting, seemingly anemic twenty-somethings really? You probably have found their behavior confounding. You may wonder whether or not a subculture characterized by apathy and irony can really be considered a counterculture. At some point you may have asked yourself whether or not a counterculture sense of cool is still nonconformist if that which is cool is uniformly agreed upon by a panel of subculture critics and mimicked universally by those immersed within the subculture. You may have tried to educate your hipster friends on the postmodern crisis that you see as embodied by the hipster mentality, only to find that the books that you recommended were neglected in favor of postmodern style defining magazines like Vice and blogs like Pitchfork.

My friends, while your intentions are no doubt pure, your actions are misguided! You need not try to convert these hipster friends back to mainstream culture! Instead, we must come to understand this unfairly maligned subculture! Thus, in my infinite wisdom, I have compiled a "who's who" list of hipster idols in hopes that society can finally come to understand and accept hipsters amongst their ranks.

Stephen Malkmus: Frontman of seminal garage rock band Pavement, Malkmus is truly the William Hung success story of indie rock. Crooning nonsenical lyrics atonally over songs that often consist of no more than three or four chords, Pavement's albums still somehow end up on most critics top ten of the 90's lists. Malkmus is a guiding light for hipsters who hope their lack of ambition and nonchalance can take them far.



Beetle Bailey is certainly not an obvious reference point for hipsters. After all, his service in the military exemplifies a particular tenant which hipsters rally against: civic duty. But don't be fooled by first glance. Beetle Bailey's commitment to napping and avoiding work have long been continued by a current generation of unemployed, apathetic hipsters living off their parents' upper middle class salaries. Plus, Beetle Bailey single-handedly made the flipped brim cap cool.


The Wu-Tang Clan: Hipsters can in no way relate to the Wu-Tang Clan. Songs about drug peddling, gun violence, and life-threatening situations are experiences that no hipster can connect to on any level. Yet the irony of the upper middle class listening to gangsta rap music is central to the appeal of the music. Also, hipsters have an inexplicable connection with the lower class (see also: PBR/Salvation Army fascination) inspite of the fact most hipsters have never worked a day in their entire life.


Allen Ginsberg: Another surprising choice for a hipster mentor. He's balding, smiles in photos, and would not look good in a pair of skinny jeans. Still, Ginsberg's classic poem "Howl" speaks to this generation of hipsters, particularly in its criticism of a prevailing sense of materialism and conformity commonly exemplified by today's hipsters. Also, he did a lot of drugs, which is cool.



Stefan Urquelle: The result of a lab experiment where nerd-of-note Steve Urkel (notice the similarity in names) successfully concocts a potion of "cool juice", transforming him from a socially awkward high schooler spurned by the far more attractive Laura Winslow into a smooth talking, fashionable casanova. The transformation of Steve Urkel is similar to the common development of many hipsters, who often start out as unpopular nerdy types before developing the same elitist, narcissistic mentality of the popular kids who once made their lives miserable.


So the next time you see your hipster friends smoking European cigarettes outside of the local vegan eatery, maybe instead of shouting obscenities in his or her general direction, pull out a Parliament of your own and chat about the latest Pitchfork review. You will no doubt be thoroughly enriched by the experience.

-Tim Myers

Tim is a returning guest writer for PopSense, check out his previous articles here! You too can have a chance at becoming a guest writer by submitting an exclusive or news article today!

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The tech savvy news team at Alabama's LOCAL15NEWS learned the dark side of live twitter feeds. Thanks to the combination of a keen onlooker, the accessibility of digital cameras, the inner-human tendency to be seeking out instances of 'fail' wherever they exist, and the magic of ironic juxtaposition, we are given this altogether terrible coincidence. After the jump, check out what the billboard had to say alongside the smiling faces of the news team.



Thanks to the Palmetto Scoop for having a witty readership and to Mashable for the tip.

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Guest Submission by Bryce Griffler

Life Lesson #1: If you insist upon making a wax figure of yourself, use your own money. Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority members are trying to fire their sorority President Barbara McKinzie, after McKinzie allegedly used sorority money to commission a “living legacy wax figure” of herself. Furthermore, you would think that for someone whose position is usually unpaid, she would be even more cautious with the way in which she spends money.

Did we mention that the figure would cost $900,000? Washington Business Journal reports that the sorority has allegedly spent more than $500,000 in legal fees in 2008 and 2009 for “actions against whistleblowers,” and has been cited for many other “inappropriate” money-handling situations. This is just one big bad reputation, if you ask me. So perhaps McKinzie was right in doing something for herself, using the sorority’s money, that would be the most discrete—a large wax figure. Maybe she could even fool the sorority girls into firing the wax figure instead of the real McKinzie!

Bryce is a returning guest writer for PopSense, check out all his works here! You too can have a chance at becoming a guest writer by submitting an article today!

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