Resolving to Change Our Media Habits
Editor’s Note: It’s nearly the dawn of a new year, and with the turn of the calendar many of us take stock of our lives and decide to make a change or two. Sometimes that can take the form of the standard New Year’s resolution. Sometimes we simply want to improve on what we’re already […]
Living in Adele’s World
Adele’s had a pretty good month. OK, scratch that. Over the last 30 days or so, she’s been as hot an artist as there’s been in this age of digital downloads. Sound like hyperbole? It’s not (even though I am given to that little problem every now and then). The British neo-soul singer’s third studio […]
Musical Musings 2015: Adam Holz’s Year-End Picks
After a surprisingly positive 2014, this year was a bit thinner when it came to positive stand-out tracks and albums. But I’ve still managed to sift out five terrific musical moments (some albums, some tracks) that span quite a bit of stylistic and thematic territory. (They’re listed in no particular order.) Twenty One Pilots, Blurryface: […]
What a Rock Star’s Tragic Death Has to Do With Us
When celebrities die tragic, premature deaths due to addiction and excess, popular culture has a way of lionizing them as something akin to martyred heroes. From Marilyn Monroe to Jim Morrison, Elvis Presley to Kurt Cobain, Corey Monteith to Heath Ledger to Philip Seymour Hoffman, the sad story is so sadly similar: a blazing life […]
Naked and Assimilated
Back in October, singer and actress Selena Gomez gave an in-depth interview with the website refinery29.com. She talked at length about transitioning from what the magazine describes as her “safely PG” Disney days to a young adult artist who’s now shedding the restrictions and prohibitions that come along with the Mouse House mantle. Selena’s latest […]
Desperately Seeking Transcendence
A few weeks ago I went to my first NFL game. It was a doozy: the Denver Broncos versus the Green Bay Packers at Sports Authority Field in Denver. In just about any way you want to quantify it, the entire experience was bigger than life—from pregame festivities to the happy ending (well, for Denver […]
The State of Teens, Tweens and Screens
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to notice how screen and media time continues to grow for so many of us, young and old, these days. Televisions, computers, e-readers, tablets and smartphones offer unprecedented opportunities to engage in all manner of entertainment media. But just how much of this entertainment do our teens and tweens […]
The Costs of Marijuana Legalization: A Colorado Snapshot
My children will grow up in a city with marijuana stores on what sometimes seems like every corner. Since Colorado legalized medical marijuana dispensaries back in 2006, a blooming industry in legal pot has blossomed—an industry that’s only continued to expand with the legalization of recreational marijuana in 2014. Even though Colorado Springs has said […]
When Zombies Are ‘Real’
One of the main messages Plugged In emphasizes is the possibility that our entertainment choices influence us. The movies, TV, music and video games we consume engage our imagination and help shape our worldview, molding how we see reality, what we think is right and wrong, good and bad, normal and unacceptable. Because I’m Plugged […]
A Playmate’s Second Thoughts
Holly Madison rose to fame first as a model for Playboy and later as one of the main stars of the E! reality series The Girls Next Door (which focused on several Playmates’ relationships with Playboy founder Hugh Hefner). Now the 35-year-old mother is talking about her hopes for her daughter, 2-year-old Rainbow. When asked […]