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29 Apr 2011 18:50

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Culture: Mike Tyson’s tattoo artist sues to stop “The Hangover 2”

  • Today in the greatest story ever of the day: Mike Tyson tattoo artist S. Victor Whitmill, who calls the former boxer’s facial mark “one of the most distinctive tattoos in the nation,” wants to ensure that Ed Helms’ similarly questionable facial tattoo doesn’t make it to theaters. Here’s what the suit says: “Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. — without attempting to contact Mr. Whitmill, obtain his permission, or credit his creation — has copied Mr. Whitmill’s Original Tattoo and placed it on the face of another actor … This unauthorized exploitation of the Original Tattoo constitutes copyright infringement.” Protip: Don’t give a guy a stupid-looking tattoo if you don’t want it to be parodied by a popular film franchise. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Apr 2011 11:34

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Culture: O no! The Oprah Store is closing. Not The Oprah Store!!

  • It’s like Oprah, the brand, is dying: Back in 2008, Oprah Winfrey opened up a store dedicated to all things Oprah. It had an online component and even a few airport kiosks around Chicagoland. That’s all going away, along with the show that berthed them, at the end of May. “We’re ceasing retail operations as we shift our focus to our core business of television production,” said spokesman Don Halcombe, who noted that the store was meant as a way for Oprah fans to “take home a piece of that experience.” Buy your Oprah crap soon, guys! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Apr 2011 21:12

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Culture: The “RIP Typewriters” meme that wasn’t actually true

  • How was it that Brian Williams got on the telly last night and said the typewriter was dead when it really wasn’t? Well, Bri-man got his info from The Atlantic (well, The Atlantic Wire, to be exact). They got their info from The Daily Mail (who wrote a particularly tabloidy story). And The Daily Mail? They got their info from India’s The Business Standard, which quoted the owner of the factory in question, but didn’t check their info. To The Atlantic Wire’s credit, they did an update, noting that Swintec still makes electronic ones — most of which cost more than an iPad. But other sites kept the misleading info in the headline (looking at you Mashable). As Harry McCracken put it, while noting that you can still buy mechanical typewriters on Amazon, “There will still be people using typewriters long after all of us who are writing about this are gone.” Yep. Like prisoners. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Apr 2011 18:38

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Culture: Fox network decides to throw official hashtags on its shows

  • We’ve noticed shows like Glee and Idol trend while the show is on, but fans often use different hashtags. We thought if we provided the official hashtags, then more posts would aggregate.
  • Fox marketing president Joe Earley • Describing the network’s decision to put Twitter hashtags for its shows next to the network’s bug. Genius idea. And on top of that, Twitter wins because it encourages more people to post on Twitter instead of going to some forum instead. But is this giving Twitter too much credit? While a lot of people use it, not EVERYONE does. Some food for thought. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Apr 2011 17:23

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Culture: About time: Papa John’s unveils their royal wedding pizza

  • The Royal Pizza: Ubiquitous pizza chain Papa John’s enlisted the aid of a food artist to create this topping-heavy monstrosity ahead of Britain’s royal wedding. We’d love to get one of these, freeze it in a lock box somewhere, and see how much value it accrues over the next few decades. After all, people seem to love royal family memorabilia, and pizza, so it’s a slam dunk. (In other related news, we friggin’ love the URL on this story. Actually, go here.) source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Apr 2011 10:26

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Culture: Volkswagen’s new Beetle: Clean design, no flower power

  • Here’s a photo of the new Volkswagen Beetle, updating the design of the last model, which has been around since the late ’90s. It looks … aerodynamic. Clearly, someone forgot that the Beetle has to look lumpy. That’s what the Beetle is! A lumpy car! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Apr 2011 22:17

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Culture: 2012 outlier Donald Trump could create huge problem for NBC

  • situation Donald Trump, best known of late as host of NBC’s hit show “The Apprentice,” has made waves of late for his birther stances, and is making waves about a possible presidential run.
  • problem If Trump runs — which he may, based on his recent bluster — NBC may have a real problem: They’ll have to give up a still-popular show that draws ratings — or give equal time to other politicians. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

16 Apr 2011 21:49

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Culture: Will Ferrell’s new Spanish-language film looks amazing

  • Will Ferrell’s Spanish-language juggernaut: With the tone of a Robert Rodriguez film, the acting cast of a Pedro Almodóvar barnburner (with a little help from a “Parks and Recreation” standby) and the wit of a Funny Or Die keeper, we would be underplaying our hand if we didn’t point out that “Casa de Mi Padre” (“House of my Father”) probably isn’t for the Spanish-language market. This is the Will Ferrell we know and love. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Apr 2011 19:06

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Culture: Roger Ebert’s masterful one-star review of “Atlas Shrugged”

  • A man in black, always shot in shadow, is apparently John Galt. If you want to get a good look at him and find out why everybody is asking, I hope you can find out in Part 2. I don’t think you can hold out for Part 3.
  • Roger Ebert • In his one-star review of “Atlas Shrugged, Part 1.” Another sample of Ebert ripping apart the cash-in film adaptation of Ayn Rand’s masterwork: “There is also a love scene, which is shown not merely from the waist up but from the ears up. The man keeps his shirt on. This may be disappointing for libertarians, who I believe enjoy rumpy-pumpy as much as anyone.” It’s times like these that Roger Ebert works best — by, due to the nature of the subject material, changing from critic into comic. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Apr 2011 11:18

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Culture: RIP Sidney Lumet: Legendary Hollywood director dies at 86

“I’m mad as hell and can’t take it anymore.” Know that movie (“Network”)? This was the guy who made it. He also made many other great ones. No Oscars though (what)? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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