pop culture
Modern popular culture topics in the geek sphere.
The Nightmare Before Christmas - A Movie Review
Can Halloween and Christmas mix? After Halloween, The Nightmare Before Christmas was released to theaters in 1993. Now that the yearly Halloween festivities have concluded, Jack Skellington, king of Halloweentown, longs for something different. Upon the discovery of Christmas, Skellington enforces a new holiday tradition.
Marielle SabbagPublished a day ago in GeeksHotel For The Holidays
In doing my best to cover just as many Christmas movies as possible, and as many movies released in 2023 as possible, we are now reviewing Prime Videos' other original movie, Hotel for the Holidays. Again I am drawn to these movies because of actresses that I like. Cheryl Blossom from Riverdale is the star of this prime video original. So here we go with our Hotel for the Holidays review.
Alexandrea CallaghanPublished 2 days ago in GeeksSquishmallows are this generation's Beanie Babies
I was born in 1990, so it may not come as a shock that during my elementary school years, collecting TY beanie babies was one of my main focuses in life. I'm not sure exactly why TY Beanie Babies became so popular maybe it was that they all had names, birthdates, and poems on their cute heart-shaped tags. For one reason or another, they became the toy most everyone wanted. I remember how excited I was when I counted my collection and discovered that I had 100 of the cute plush toys in my collection. As with most popular toys, the hype eventually died down, and their popularity faded. I even eventually got rid of my collection, but I have been working to build it up again and I probably have even more Beanie Babies than I use to have. I'm not sure exactly when I became aware of Squishmallows but the hype around them definitely reminds me of the TY Beanie Baby hype and it's refreshing to see a new generation focusing on something fun and wholesome again. I know I sound like an old person when I say this, but there is an abundant supply of things for kids to worry about in today's broken world. As someone who worked with children, it is easy to feel like kids in today's world do not get to experience the joy and innocence of childhood that previous generations did. A quick Google search informed me that Squishmallows became popular through social media during 2020. It makes sense that people were looking for some comfort during that year, and it is very easy to see why they became popular during that time. However, their popularity seems to be sticking around for now as far as I can tell. I work at a store that sells them, and I love seeing kids of all ages get excited about them. We have a ton of them in stock. Just like how stores back in the 90s would have shelves full of TY Beanie Babies. There is no denying how cute Squishmallows are. Similar to TY Beanie Babies, Squishmallows have names and pomes inside their tags. This gives each plush their own personality, and it is fun to try to find one that shares your interests job or even name. This one simple thing sets plush toys like this apart from the normal everyday stuffed animals. If for some weird reason I ever had a toy company, I would work to give each toy its own back story and personality because it is easy to see that toy buyers want that. I love how popular these toys are. Kids today have it harder than my generation did, and I'm not afraid to admit that. It's refreshing to see kids excited about toys again, and I want to thank Squishmellows for helping this generation through the year of 2020 and beyond. Collecting toys is a great hobby for any age, and I'm glad that the tradition of collecting cute plush toys is alive and well. Collecting is a great hobby but you have to have something that you are interested in collecting first. There is something so charming about toys like TY Beanie Babies and Squishmallows that makes it easy for people to want to collect them. As someone who has been collecting for awhile it may be a good idea for me to give some advice to the new generation of toy collectors. My advice to this new generation of plush collectors is this. Have fun, collect as many as you can, and be very proud of your collection. However, don't let anyone tell you that collecting popular stuffed toys is a good investment and will pay for your house someday. Ask any 90s kid about that, and you will probably get more information than you ever wanted to hear. I hope that the popularity of Squishmellows stays around for a very long time and that the next generation has something similar to collect.
Christina EpperlyPublished 2 days ago in GeeksSpider-Man 4 Web-Slinging Back: Tom Holland Drops First MCU Update in 5 Months!
SUMMARY Tom Holland confirms ongoing discussions about Spider-Man 4, highlighting the importance of doing justice to the character and protecting his legacy.
Superheroes.VersePublished 4 days ago in GeeksMy Buffy the Vampire Slayer Ranking
Due to streaming this show has garnered a new fan base over the years since it’s aired and as someone who has watched this show in real time, it’s pretty cool to see that it still has its place. So obviously I’m only gonna focus on the seasons that aired and not the seasons that were written in comic form although I’ve read about what happened in those seasons and it would’ve been pretty cool to see that on TV but I’m sticking to the original show. I heard about them trying, to reboot this show a couple years ago. I don’t think that’s gonna happen anymore but if it ever did, I wonder how they would develop it. Or how the show would feel amongst a new generation. This is just my opinion it’s not meant to be the end all be all. So if anyone disagrees, then that’s fine you can make your own list if you want.This is just the way I see each season, so just have fun with it!
Travis JohnsonPublished 4 days ago in GeeksThe Reincarnation Of A Special Grade Interest
On the edge of summer, really the cusp of fall, I spent $140 on eight manhwa volumes. Which . . . isn't even fair. The first one was "Daughter of the Emperor", at the Barnes & Noble in Coral Gables. I was there with my cousin, just strolling in because that place offered free parking for a couple of hours- more than enough time to allow me to complete my goal of hitting up that sweet little boba shop and the paleta place further down. A bathroom break was requested, and while I waited, I couldn't help but peruse. I mainly loitered by the romance section, unwilling to deep dive and give myself any room for weakness. But there was no need to fear making room for it, when weakness was in the very marrow of my bones.
Danny FantomPublished 4 days ago in GeeksThanos Is Responsible For The Birth of Marvel's Deadliest Symbiote
SUMMARY Thanos' search for the Infinity Stones inadvertantly led to the creation of the Carnage symbiote. In Venom #20, the Maker theorizes that the Venom symbiote reproduced in response to Thanos' threat, giving birth to Carnage. Carnage evolved into a cosmic threat on the level of Thanos, over time becoming by far the Marvel Universe's most dangerous symbiote.
Superheroes.VersePublished 5 days ago in GeeksIs Twenty-Five Twenty-One Worth Watching?
"Twenty-One Twenty-Five" is a South Korean drama that was broadcast in the year 2021. It is a romantic melodrama that narrates the story of two people who first met as teenagers and later reunited as adults. The drama sheds light on themes of friendship, love, and personal growth. This article discusses the strengths and weaknesses of this popular Kdrama "Twenty-One Twenty-Five".
Umama ZahirPublished 6 days ago in GeeksBallad of Songbirds and Snakes
The first Hunger Games resurgence started when the first trailer for Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was released. The second is now as the movie has opened. The problem with both is it brings forth the people that have the media literacy of bread. So I will reiterate once again, nearly no art exists for entertainment. Most art has a message, ALL dystopian art is commentary and you are supposed to understand the themes it's spoon feeding to you. If you are the part of the fanbase asking for more games, you are the problem and you need to get that worked out with a licensed healthcare professional. That said, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was a wonderful and terrifying look at what power can do to people, the choices between right and wrong and what people will do to survive.
Alexandrea CallaghanPublished 6 days ago in GeeksUnwrapping the Sounds of 2023: A Comprehensive Guide to Spotify Wrapped
As the year draws to a close, music enthusiasts around the globe eagerly await the unveiling of their personalized Spotify Wrapped, a yearly tradition that encapsulates the essence of their musical journey throughout the past 12 months.
Luna RussoPublished 7 days ago in GeeksHow Rick And Morty Made The Case for the Mid-Season Finale Gambit
Gambling can be fun sometimes, especially if done safely, kids - and clearly, Dan Harmon Co-Creator of the series and writers of this episode, Albro Lundyand and James Siciliano are betting men. Season 7 episode 5 “Unmortricken” is the episode where Rick, or the Rick we follow at least - a parasitical grandpa/deadbeat father/Jerry tormentor gets everything he asked for. It has everything: lore, backstory, intrigue, revenge, and a dash of ghoulish overkill. Mainly of the spare ‘thematic’ Ricks. It’s very big, it’s very clever, but is it it? If any season of any show needed to prove itself, it is this one - and usually this is done by a traditional season structure. But since when has Rick and Morty played by the rules?
Jessica BaileyPublished 8 days ago in GeeksA Decade of Frozen: Reflecting on the Enduring Magic
The cold never bothered me anyway. Ten years ago, Frozen hit theaters. Gifted with magical ice powers, Elsa retreats from the world to keep everyone safe, including her sister Anna. During her coronation, she accidentally uses her powers to turn the world into an eternal winter. It’s up to Anna and her friends to save the world.
Marielle SabbagPublished 8 days ago in Geeks