Pop Culture Blind Spot is all about filling in the gaps that form between me and certain pieces of the pop culture universe. Self serving? Yes. Narcissistic? You Betcha. But hopefully, it will also be entertaining for you to read about all the crap I’ve missed and my experience filling in those blanks.
If you’ve ever had someone say to you “I can’t believe you’ve never” something, then you have a Pop Culture Blind Spot.
I’m as guilty as the rest of you. Even though I pride myself on knowing just about everything there is to know about everything Pop Culture, I’ve got huge blind spots just because there are only 24 hours in a day…and there are just some things I’ve straight up missed out on.
Now I’m not talking about things like “I’ve never seen ‘Mom and Dad Save the World‘” because maybe 10 people have seen that movie ever. (And yes, I’m one of those 10…in the theater). I’m talking about the huge over-sites of those things in Pop Culture that everyone should be required to see. For example, last year for my 29th birthday I watched ‘Top Gun‘…for the first time. That’s right, I’d never had the need for speed or heard the context of “Take me to be or lose me forever.” And honestly, it wasn’t that great. I mean it was an hour and a half of super tight close-ups in cockpits and shirtless dudes. Not exactly my cup of tea. But it was important to see because it was a huge blind spot in my Pop Culture knowledge. Now I get why people break out into “You’ve lost that loving feeling” in bars and why people answer the phone with “Talk to me, Goose.”
Another example? I’ve never successfully played through any of the ‘Metal Gear Solid‘ games. I mean I understand that they’re hugely influential over the last 20 years of video games, but I just don’t get it. I tried to jump on the bandwagon back in the PS2 days with but I literally got so bored with the absolute bat-shit insane story that I gave up after a couple of hours. I was working for a video game company at the time and all of my co-workers were obsessed with it but I just couldn’t force myself to slog through it.
Which brings us to the reason behind this blog. I’m going to try and go back and try all the things that have fallen by the wayside over the years. I’ll watch the movies I’ve never seen, play the games I’ve never played and read all the things that I know I should have read by now. Each time I fill in a Blind Spot, I’ll blog about the experience. We’ll see if my views about Pop Culture change as I shine a light into all the dark little corners I’ve managed to avoid up to now.
You got it!!! You really do!! I come from this genre and I just turned 40 and you summed up the movie and the lack of focus on what really caused their problems in this movie. Not focusing on huge problems…like being a major drug addict and the acceptance of Billy just vacating his responsibilities as a father and that it’s ok to just move to New York to find himself??? this is a college graduate they are talking about…not A 16 YEAR OLD and these characters think…awwww… IT’S GREAT FOR BILLY THAT he is growing up and moving to NY and forgets he ever had a daughter??? I think he says “Melody doesn’t need that” or “me being AROUND AS A WEEKEND FATHER would just confuse them”? Wtf?? Who is them? Confuse who??? What about his daughter, Melody, needing a father? Not one of the characters or the director for that matter address some thought or morals to the child that is being abandoned??? and little reference to Jules COCAINE problem…being THE REAL PROBLEM! Only quotes, such as …”she’s getting worse” and I interpret that as her friends really saying…this affair and her boss is out of control…nothing about rehab…nothing about her and Billy Coking it up at the bosses house??? which, in turn, glamorizes cocaine abuse and Top Gun…another overated movie. I enjoy your blog very much! My request is for you to watch a movie called CLOSER with Julia Roberts and Jude Law. I would be interested in your thoughts. Excellent movie in the way it portrays 4 very confused people and their wacky decisions. I must say, this was the first movie I ever saw portraying how a man really feels when he is cheated by his girlfriend. I have never seen that reality shown so well in any other movie about this topic. Most chick flicks only portray a woman’s scorn but this is definately not just a chick flick.
Thanks for reading:)))) and Thanks for writing:)))))))))
Thanks for reading! I actually saw the play “Closer” when it was in London and wasn’t impressed so I’d been avoiding the movie but I’ll add it to the list to get the PCBS treatment.
And yes, the more I’ve thought about “St. Elmo’s Fire” the more I realize just how terribly self-centered they all are. Fabulous role models for the 80’s teens.
Yes I heard about the play and I forgot to mention that I think Natalie Portman in the movie Closer is outstanding!!! On another note…The movie About Last Night with Rob Lowe and Demi Moore?? Also curious as to your thoughts. Thanks Again:)))