Pop Goes The Culture

A Note from Barb

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:53:58 +0000

Hey everyone, by now you have figured out the Susie and I have hung up our PGTC podcasts - for almost a year now - and I am sorry this note is late. Susie and I got very busy with work related projects and put the pods on hold for now. There may be more pods in the future but regardless, thanks to everyone of you who listened to us argue and cajole through our years here. Your comments and support were uplifting and made it fun to come in to the recording studio every week. Keep in touch here or you can visit our other online properties:
Gregg’s music blog: mach-zehnder modulatorRed Record Box
Barb’s Media blog: 3W Design Group Media
Barb and Gregg’s other podcast: Door Pod Show
Thanks again and hang in there - things are going to get better soon in our fair country!

Life in a Small Town

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:27:44 +0000

Both Susie and Barb came from small towns, moved to cities, and came back to small towns.Â Here they discuss what their lives are like and how their geography affects their daily routines, perspective, and attitudes in general.

Music: Hungry Town by Big Pig from the album Bonk

Sublime Spaces & Visionary Worlds - Part 2

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 22:21:50 +0000

Still discussing the major outsider art show at the Kohler Art Museum in Kohler, Wisconsin, Susie and Barb delve into the influence outsider artists have had on the art world, as well as the meaning of their work in the very commercial (mercenary? fraudulent?) world of art today.

Music: “Story Of An Artist” by M. Ward from “The Late Great Daniel
Johnston: Discovered Covered: The Covers”

Sublime Spaces & Visionary Worlds - Part 1

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:06:06 +0000

Barb and Susie travel to the Kohler Art Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin (www.jmkac.org) to see the outsider art show currently on exhibit. An amazing 22 artists are featured in over 16,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space. New York City would have a tough time matching the magnitude of this show on original environment builders. The subject matter, media, inspiration, and stories are shared in Part 1 of this podcast on some of the REAL stars of the art world: Dr. Charles Smith, Nek Chand, Levi Fisher Ames, Nick Engelbert. An overwhelming experience.

Music: “Story Of An Artist” by Daniel Johnston from “The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Covered: The Originals”

Daniel Johnston is considered an outsider artist in the music world. He has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and his songs are often called “painfully direct,” and tend to display a blend of childlike naÃ¯vetÃ© with darker, “spooky” themes. The album The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Covered features covers of his songs by a variety of popular artists and a second disc of the same songs performed by Johnston himself. Johnston is alive and well despite the album’s title.

New Magazines

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:37:41 +0000

In spite of internet dominance, new magazines continue to pop up at a fast rate. Susie and Barb check out four of them, reviewing Glimpse, Conde Nast Portfolio, Geek, and Good, and are generally delighted with the results.

Music: “Magazine” by Pedro The Lion from the CD “Control”

Future Media Redux

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:53:17 +0000

Barb and Susie revisit predictions of two years hence on new media to talk of what has come to pass.Â Such things as on-demand media and podcasting have been slow to catch on.Â Susie is still arguing for transparent, fool-proof idiot-proof technologies to welcome all to the future.Â Barb says the younger generation doesn’t need hand-holding and is sprinting ahead.Â Susie doesn’t get the 1.5″ screen for primary video viewing, Barb says no problem for youth.Â Â And so on.

Music:Â “Analyse” by Thom Yorke from “The Eraser”

Size Me Up

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 17:29:11 +0000

Women’s clothing sizing has certainly changed over the years, to the point where we can hardly decide where to start in the clothing stores.Â Susie and Barb peruse a 1946 Butterick pattern book and note that measurements for a size 10 were 28-24-31, smaller than today’s size 0Â (30-22-32).Â What gives?Â Partly psychology, partly a lack of standards, and a lot of wishful thinking!Â Why is a size 2 the new size 8 in the aspirational diet commercials?

Music: “Suffer For Fashion” by Of Montreal from the CD “Hissing
Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?”

Sensory Overlord

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:52:59 +0000

Yes, we are captive to assaults on our senses. And smart marketers are picking up on that. In a world of visual clutter, why not address our vulnerability to the song or the smell that captures our imaginations and then, our money? In a new book, Sound Business, Julian Treasure points to the benefits of appropriate music tracks to retailers. And the company ScentAir is all over aroma marketing. Susie and Barb get excited about the possibilities and offer a few ideas of their own.

Music: “Aroma” by Maple from the album “The Daily Charm”

Presidential Candidates - 57 Channels (And Nothing On)?

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 14:46:30 +0000

Barb and Susie sift through all 17 current presidential candidates to discuss how they are presenting themselves to their publics. Using their websites as a starting point, it becomes apparent that there is a great deal of sameness. The biggest quandary “what will become of the Republicans” can a B actor actually rise to the top for a shot at the nation’s #1 spot .AGAIN?

Music: “Election” by Don Dilego from The Lonestar Companion: Volume Two

“D’oh!” - The Simpsons

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 18:40:24 +0000

With the Simpsonâ€™s movie already a proven success, Barb and Susie discuss a new book on the Psychology of TVâ€™s favorite family. Pop Culture publisher Ben Bella Books coerces us into reviewing their title,â€The Psychology of The Simpsonsâ€ by GIVING US BOOKS! (At least we believe in full disclosure)

Simpson’s Movie Theme by Danny Elfman orchestrated by Hans Zimmer

It’s Reigning Cats and Dogs (Classic PGC)

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:16:38 +0000

Our pets are our children, more than ever before. Barb and Susie look at the pet owning trends and statistics, the increase in pet memorializing, pet accessories, pets AS accessories, and what it says about us. And check out the funniest cat clothing site ever, Cat Prin, a Japanese company determined to get your cat into a dress. Glamourdog.com will knock your frilly socks off. Then there are the new hybrid dogs: Pookimo, Shepadoodle, Torkie, and say it isn’t so, the Saint Berdoodle, yes, that’s a poodle mated with a Saint Bernard.

The Myth of the Fashion Magazine

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 14:39:36 +0000

Although most professions hire employees who specialize in their field, the fashion magazines are different. Most are peopled with trust fund kids and daughters of socialites. No wonder we scratch our heads when we see what is inside. They reflect a world not meant for us, and yet they hold power and sway over teens and make the rest of us feel like fashion failures. Fear not! Susie is happy to blow their cover and make less socially endowed fashionistas free again

Sports and Athletes - Evolution of the Brand

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Thu, 24 May 2007 19:29:31 +0000

The cultural ramifications of how we see our teams and athletes - what has changed since the days of the sports hero on the Wheaties box, and is it a good thing? Barb and Susie look at the topic from the perspectives of the athlete, the audience, the team, and the ever- present corporate sponsors. And what about the women? Listen in!

The Seminal Moment - Classic

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Tue, 15 May 2007 19:09:06 +0000

Everyone has them. They are forks in the road when major life decisions are made. They can feel like a light bulb being turned on, or an incident that takes your life in a whole new direction. Often, you only recognize them in retrospect. But they rock our worlds. What are yours?

What is a Library?

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Thu, 10 May 2007 21:17:42 +0000

Are good books defunct? Where is the line between information and entertainment? Should it just be Blockbuster and Barnes & Noble only free? Should a library reflect the same crummy taste seen in our nightly TV reality shows and sitcoms? Should all the old books be thrown out? Do librarians answer to a higher power of knowledge or just reflect the community? Should they evangelize in their sacred halls? Listen in, and then you tell us!

Geeks, Nerds, and Dorks

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Wed, 02 May 2007 17:31:53 +0000

Pop culture is sprinkled with them! Hear the actual weird origins of the terms, and follow this trio of fringe types through pop culture history. They arenâ€™t the same as they ever were, and are now demanding the spotlight and entertaining us in myriad TV shows and movies. Barb and Susie define and discuss.

Music: Nerd Alert! by The Aquabats from the album Charge

American Food - From 50’s Home Dining to 7-11

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 13:44:15 +0000

We wax poetic about retro foods and examine the current culinary scene, including eating meals on the fly at 7-11 and so-called health foods like Silk from soy. As always, we ask, is it just us Americans or have we poisoned other countries and cultures with our bad eating habits? Listen and comment, please!

News Versus Entertainment - Who Cares?

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 13:25:26 +0000

We do, not that it makes any difference. We talk about the major issues: why are news programs giving air time to the left and the right and thinking they have done THEIR jobs? What ever happened to the facts? Whatever happened to presenting current events that have greater global implications than what dress some starlet wore to the Oscars? Listen and tell us what you think.

Intelligent Design

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 20:44:53 +0000

An evolution revolution is building, as creationists attempt to ‘debunk’ evolution and replace it with what they are euphemistically calling ‘intelligent design’ in our science curriculum. We discuss the importance of keeping an eye on the school board members who have all the power to make the decision we hope they make - continuing to teach evolution as fact, not mere supposition.

Magazines on the Move

barb@popgoestheculture.com — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 21:30:25 +0000

Even with the internet nipping at its heels, the magazine industry seems to keep on keepin’ on. This year saw a small rise in new magazine introductions, while you would think they would be going under left and right. Clearly we haven’t ended our love affair with the printed word. Susie and Barb talk about the believability of print vs. the web, old favorites, new concepts both sublime and ridiculous, and as always, some stats to back it up.

Music: “Magazines for Entertainment” by Medications from the CD Your Favorite People All in One Place