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Nolan's Pop Culture Review 2008!
   Assistant Editor:  Terence Nuzum.                                                          HOME     ARCHIVES
Established A.D. 2000, March 19. Now in our ninth calendar year!
Number 419  (Vol. 9, No. 14). This edition is for the week of March 31--April 6, 2008.


"Shine A Light"
The Yellow Submarine Chronicles Part Two: You Could Pass for the Originals
Politico .... Dot Com Me Baby .... New Kid On The Block .... o
Thanks Ed .... 40 Years Ago .... Passing On .... Can I Have Your Autograph .... .... .... .... .... And The Oscar For 1976 Should Have Gone To... h
The Obama Irony

Also...
Thanks for the Iraq War feedback
Matt's Rail update


I never thought I'd have to retract a statement or prediction so fast as the one I made only two weeks ago, the one where I pretty much called Barack Obama's presidential bid dead in the water after the anti-American and racist remarks made by his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, hit the news wires, followed by Obama's denial, followed by Obama's reluctant acknowledgement.

Specifically, I called the events "irrecoverable" with the implied suggestion that we might as well accept Hillary Clinton as the defacto Democratic nominee right now. Mike Smith, in his column, Mike's Rant, said pretty much the same thing. Looks like we both may've been a bit premature, to say the least. Obama's lead is even more impressive now than when his Reverend took the national pulpit by storm. (As of this writing, the upcoming Pennsylvania primary is expected to go to Clinton. While still no slam-dunk for party nomination quite yet, it still keeps her firmly in the running. The whole business about Super Delegates and the Florida/Michigan angle, we'll save for some other time.)

In brief, Obama went into the presidential race with a skin-color-is-not-important approach and in the intervening months proved the complete opposite was unavoidable. While I'll acknowledge this seems similar to the statement that got Geraldine Ferraro bumped off the Clinton campaign a few weeks ago ("Obama would've never have gotten this far if he weren't black"), my view parts ways on how "definite" the race card is. The press couldn't leave it alone, his family and minister have inadvertantly worked against the cause, and now his race is inextricably tied to his campaign. Although in hindsight this seems obvious, I can't help but ponder the irony. It's likely through controversy he gained supporters and sympathizers he might not've had, sure, but I'm still flummoxed at how easily he escaped the Wright episode. And to think Clinton used to be the one who sewed up "the black vote". Ironies compound.

So I ask why. Despite everything, Obama has yet to be specific on a single issue. His message of "change" is fluffy rhetoric designed to inspire constituents (it certainly has done that) but not to answer any questions (he tends to shun invasive reporters). His scary name is blown off except by self-indulgent radio talk show hosts. So what's left? He's got CHARISMA?? OOooohhhh. And he gives great speeches.

Final thought. Lest anyone think I'm making a case that if Obama cinches the Democratic nomination, that he's as good as elected President....nope. We're way too far out yet to make such a call. I am not a big fan of any of the big finalists, by the way. Everyone I've spoken to seems to think that the Democrats' embattled situation paves the way for Republican John McCain to take the White House, if for no other reason than he seems impervious to scandal!

We are facing very serious issues as a country right now. The Iraq War rages on, while neighboring Iran gets dangerously close to nuclear capability. The American economy is in a horrible recession. Illegal immigration is just barely being dealt with. Gas prices continue to climb. Etc., etc., etc.

RON PAUL IN 2008. Any other choice is a wasted vote. Yeah, I know, I digressed right at the end there. But he's still in the race, you know.

Post your thoughts on this topic


THANKS FOR THE TERRIFIC FEEDBACK...
...on last week's topic, "The Iraq War: 5 years and 4,000 Dead Americans". The Message Board was hopping with discussion and we even got two new registered posters in the process. Well done, everyone.


MATT'S RAIL UPDATE
The Crazed Fanboy Content Management System has finally added Matt's Rail to the list of columns whose writers are able to upload their work at any time. This week's Rail will be the first one posted using this system.

The CFCMS was a web-interface template designed and written by yours truly over the summer of '07 and implemented into PCR last Fall. So far, the experiment has been a complete success, I'm very happy to say.



Readers' Comments

The Readers' Comments section for this issue of PCR is now closed. To continue to interact, please use the Message Board or write a Letter to the Editor! The comments below are listed starting with the most recent. Thank you.

Crazed FanComments -- We Welcome Reader Feedback on any article(s) on this page.
Roosevelt [06-04-2008 13:21]  
i love to wrestling if i can. i bein wrestling for 3 week. i start wrestling at home an i love it. but i need some one to help me wrestling. i wont to go to wwe i will wrestling for free. if i can
Lonnie Dohlen [06-04-2008 12:07]  
Didn't Chartlon Heston Have a Nude Scene in one or two of his Movies?PLANET OF THE APES OR THE OMEGA MAN.
Nolan [06-04-2008 05:42] 
Charlton Heston, R.I.P. indeed. Absolutely the upcoming PCR's headline story.
ED [06-04-2008 05:25] 
That is too bad about Charlton Heston but 84 is a pretty good run. The NRA has also lost a great spokesman. Get yer stinkin' paws off me you damn dirty morticians!
J.MILLER [06-04-2008 04:21] 
R.I.P. Charlton Heston...One of my favorite actors...
ED [05-04-2008 05:07] 
Mike - they never showed The Beatles cartoons anywhere near me while I was growing up. I was always jealous of kids from other cities who would tell me about having seen them and I had seen the ads for the show in old comic books. I did not get to see them until they aired on MTV in the 90's. I have a DVD set of the series on order if you would like to upgrade that VHS tape you hold so dear!
Lonnie Dohlen [04-04-2008 19:04]  
THAT'S RIGHT Ed Tucker.You tell them like it is.
ED [04-04-2008 15:31] 
That's what I am here for boss! You guys can hash politics to death all you want. I get enough of that from every other media outlet whether I want it our not. I come here for pop culture!
Nolan [04-04-2008 07:49] 
To everyone: Sorry I overlooked the bone-rattling story of Ric Flair's retirement. I had no idea it meant so much to so many of you. I am not a big follower of wrestling, so I guess it's good somebody brought it up. And here I am merely trying to follow the election!

To ED: Thanks for staying truer to our pop culture mission than even I did this week! Thanks for the terrific close-up of the Beatles cartoon series. Cool pics, too.

To Matt: Glad the new system worked out and you took to it so quickly. I appreciate it. And congrats on dotcomming Masters of Horror, my friend.
Chris Woods [03-04-2008 15:01] 
Paul - I totally agree that Flair and wrestling in genreal is a big part of pop culture.

Steve - Gordon Solie was also inducted into the Hall of Fame this year too, so was Eddie Graham who ran Championship Wrestling from Florida

J. Miller - Flair is pushing 60, he's 59 right now.

Terence - I agree that wrestling was better 5 years ago. But still watch it. I liked Kane better with the mask as well and Cena sucks.

Lisa - You are right, he is called The Nature Boy. Back in the 50's and 60's there was Nature Boy Buddy Rogers, but the name stuck more with Flair.
Chris Woods [03-04-2008 14:56] 
Ric Flair's retirement is a big moment in Pop Culture history. Flair has been wrestling for over 35 years in the NWA, WCW, WWF (now WWE). His last match was on Sunday at Wrestlemania 24 in Orlando against Shawn Micheals. I was thinking about writing an article on Flair and Wrestlemania being in Orlando, but didn't have time this week cause of my work load, but still my for next week hopefully.

Ric Flair was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this past weekend as well. They also did a very classy good-bye to Ric on Monday Night RAW where wrestlers from past and present came out to pay tribute. To me Flair is a bigger wrestling star than Hulk Hogan. Flair is the Babe Ruth of wrestling.
Lisa C [03-04-2008 12:34] 
I'm with JMiller...I had no idea Ric Flair was still wrestling. Wow.

I used to be glued to the TV set every Monday night in the mid/late 90s....for some reason, the New World Order thing really annoyed me and that was one of several reasons I stopped watching wrestling.

Wrestling brought me to Tampa, actually. My ex and I moved here in 1997 so that he could finish up some Tampa wrestling school that he was enrolled in and launch his wrestling career.

Was Ric Flair's nickname "Nature Boy" or something like that or am I confusing him with someone else?
Terence [02-04-2008 18:29] 
i stopped watching wrestling about 5 years ago when Kane stopped wearing a mask, mankind retired, the rock left, stone cold stopped wrestling, and thye made losers like John Cena champs. it holds no enjoyment for me anymore until they start to have cool characters and ridiculous storylines with those type characters again.
J.MILLER [02-04-2008 14:23] 
Paul I was a pretty rabid wrestling fan when I was younger...The shock for me isnt that Ric Flairs retiring its that the dude is still wrestling...Hes gotta be pushing 60
Steve Beasley [02-04-2008 13:18] 
I completely agree with Mr. Guzzo. I am not the rabid fan I once was back in the 60s and 70s, I still enjoy it when I happen to catch it on television. The best days of wrestling in my opinion were on, "Championship Wrestling from Florida with Gordon Solie", tho I imagine other state had their own versions.
Having said that, there's plenty more to pop culture than movies and TV, tho that is the "bread and butter" of this website. Other contributors to pop culture area are Ken "Von Dutch" Howard, Ed "Rat Fink" Roth, Arlen Ness, George Barris, John Lautner and a whole host of others. Just "google" any name above and check out their contributions.
I hate to see Flair retire. He was one of the great ones, but I can't really blame him. Wrestling is a young man's game. He deserves a decent retirement. I met him, when he and Terry Bollea came into the Mad Hatter/Mark Twain's back around '79 or 80. Terry knew my lil bro (not necessarily a good thing, then) and brought Rick o
Paul Guzzo [02-04-2008 12:14] 
I think Chris Woods and I are the only wrestling fans who regularly visit, but I am curious to see if Ric Flair's retirement gets mentioned in this issue. It is a pop culture website and Flair was a major part of America's pop culture for close to four decades.
[31-12-1969 16:00] 
End of Comments    


"Mike's Rant" is ©2008 by Michael A. Smith    "Matt's Rail" is ©2008 by Matthew Drinnenberg     "This Week's Movie Review" is ©2008 by Michael A. Smith    "FANGRRL" is ©2008 by Lisa Ciurro    "Retrorama" is ©2008 by ED Tucker    "Filmlook" is ©2008 by Paul Guzzo    "CANOVA: The Online Comic Series" is ©2008 by John Miller      All contents of Nolan's Pop Culture Review are ©2008 by Nolan B. Canova    
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