Culture Clips: Why Do People Want to Be Scared for Fun?
For most of us, being genuinely frightened is probably something we try to avoid in the real world. But when it comes to entertainment, the opposite is often true. Many people love being scared. Especially this time of year, the time when horror movies rule the multiplexes and haunted houses pop up in seemingly every […]
Did ’80s Movies Reinforce Rape Culture?
Some of us who grew up in the ’80s likely have fond memories of John Hughes’ “classic” teen movies: Sixteen Candles. Breakfast Club. Or maybe we recall how much we loved Back to the Future. Or Ghostbusters. Say Anything. Or Big. Now, all of those movies have some content issues, from a Plugged In perspective. […]
Culture Clips: Apple’s Streaming Service Will Be Family-Friendly and … Religion Free?
Television has trended toward more explicit content for decades. With the arrival of Netflix, Amazon and Hulu—as well as the cultural ascendance of shows on premium cable networks such as HBO—that trend seems to be accelerating. Even shows where you might have expected producers to dial things down—like, say, Amazon’s new Tom Clancy-inspired series Jack […]
TV Wants to Make You Cry
I was watching Monday Night Football when I saw it last week: an ad for some new family-ish show that looked exactly like another hit show. I didn’t actually catch the name of the drama, though, because I turned to my wife and said, “Oh look: It’s ABC’s version of This Is Us.” The latter […]
Hey, Do You Guys Review Netflix Movies?’
Yes. That’s the short answer to the question in the title—and a question we’ve been hearing from our readers more and more frequently, I might add. The long answer is slightly, um, longer. Netflix, of course, continues to challenge both the TV- and movie-distribution paradigms. The streaming service, along with others such as Amazon and […]
Culture Clips: Is Everything Contagious?
Independence is hardwired into the American consciousness. We rugged individualists like to think that we, alone, determine what we like and dislike, do and don’t do, value and shun. We want to believe we’re not influenced by others’ opinions and choices. Not by media or pop culture. Certainly not by trends or peer pressure. Nope. […]
A Plugged In Conversation With LaDainian Tomlinson
Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson was the kind of running back you loved to watch shred opposing NFL defenses … as long as he wasn’t playing against your team. In his 11 seasons (nine with the San Diego Chargers and two with the New York Jets), the unstoppable back with the black visor racked up […]
Why the Eagles Passing Michael Jackson Is Worth a Blog
For pretty much my entire adult life, it’s been common knowledge that Michael Jackson’s seminal 1982 album Thriller was the best-selling record (remember those?) of all time. Well, now it’s not. According to new sales and streaming tallies by the Recording Industry Association of America, Thriller’s been dethroned by the Eagles. That band’s 1976 album, […]
Culture Clips: “Mom, Where’s My Bulletproof Backpack?”
It’s back-to-school time. That means school supplies. Pencils? Check. Erasers? Yup. Trapper Keepers? (Oh wait, it’s not the ’80s anymore. Oh wait again, they have new ones now? And vintage ones sell for big bucks? Who knew?) Bulletproof backpack? Check. Now, that sounds like something your teen might find while scavenging for useful gear […]
Culture Clips: Adults Spend 11 Hours Daily on Screens!?
Does it feel like screens are eating your life? Maybe they are. At least, metaphorically speaking. In the first quarter of 2018, the data hawks over at Nielsen report that the average American adult spent an average of 11 hours and 6 minutes a day watching screens. (And for those really good at math, that […]