Monthly Archives: February 2011

This Would Have Made AP English Even More Fun

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Tom Garrett

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby numbers among the many books assigned to me during my early academic career. As was the case with most of that group, I ended up merely skimming enough to do well on the test or … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Gaming, Links, Literature | Tagged 8-Bit, AP English, Engrish, Famicom, Fitzgerald, Gaming, Gatsby, Internet, Japan, Literature, NES, Nintendo, The Great Gatsby, Video Games | Leave a comment

Justin Bieber: A Narrative Lyrical Analysis

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Tom Garrett

On the heels of one of the greatest injustices in recorded human history, I now turn my attention to the incomparable Justin Drew Bieber. I referred to Lady Gaga as a “near-prodigy” last week. There’s no qualifier necessary for Bieber. … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Music | Tagged Baby, Bieber, Commentary, Grammys, Humor, Ludacris, Lyrics, Music, Pop | 7 Comments

The Axis of Ego Podcast: February 14, 2011

Posted on February 14, 2011 by The Axis of Ego

The latest podcast from Tom and Mike is all over the map – literally! Take a listen as the two discuss everything from the current state of affairs in Egypt (not too many laughs in that portion of the podcast) … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Podcasts, Politics, Sports, Television | Tagged Aaron Rodgers, Big Gold, Bill Simmons, Bush, Egypt, Electoral Reform, First Past the Post, Gaga, George W. Bush, Grammys, Jim Ross, Miley Cyrus, Music, NFL, Palin, Podcasts, Politics, Super Bowl, Television, The Office, Twitter, WWE | Leave a comment

An Entirely Qualified White Professional Previews this Year’s Grammy Nominees (Rap Categories)

Posted on February 13, 2011 by Mike Austin

There are many benefits to living in a post-racial society: The rise of the minority-owned business, political de-polarization, proliferation of “possession receivers” in the NFL, King Magazine, etc. One important benefit (to me, at least) is that a thirty-something, well-to-do … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Music | Tagged Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Drake, Eminem, Grammys, Hip-Hop, Jay-Z, Jeezy, Kanye, Kanye West, Ludacris, Minaj, Race Relations, Rap, T. I., The Roots | 9 Comments

SitCombat

Posted on February 11, 2011 by Tom Garrett

I only watch about eight television shows on anything resembling a regular basis. I realized recently that three of those shows are sitcoms airing on Thursday nights. I usually watch all three and informally think to myself, “Show X won … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Reviews, Television | Tagged 30 Rock, Alec Baldwin, Archer, Comedy, FX, Jane Krakowski, NBC, Reviews, Sitcoms, Steve Carell, Television, The Office, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan | Leave a comment

One Space, Two Space, Red Face, Typeface

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Tom Garrett

I’m normally an even-tempered person. If I fly off the handle, I assure you that it’s for comedic effect only. In reality, I’m the guy who doesn’t get emotional about politics or religion or the other fundamental building blocks of … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, General Culture and News | Tagged Blogging, Chicago Manual of Style, Debate, Farhad Manjoo, Grammar, Manjoo, Mountains out of Molehills, Nerds, Slate, Spacing, Syntax, Writing | 13 Comments

Lady Gaga’s “Telephone”: A Narrative Lyrical Analysis

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Tom Garrett

Lady Gaga.* Two words synonymous with “Understated songwriting.” Tackling the subtleties of the work of a performer with a proverbial finger on the very pulse of popular culture can modestly be described as daunting. Yet, that’s what we’ve attempted. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Music | Tagged Beyonce, Gaga, Humor, Lady Gaga, Lyrics, Music, Pop, Telephone, Tisch School of the Arts | 6 Comments

Random Jaw-Dropping 80’s Moment

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Tom Garrett

Saturday Night Live circa 1989: The most amazing part of the show was actually the monologue, in which Gibson said the following: “As I stand here, I realize that, in a live … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Pictures, Television | Tagged 1980's, Commentary, Mel Gibson, Nostalgia, Photos, Pictures, Saturday Night Live, SNL, Television, The 80's | 3 Comments

Podcast Numero Dos

Posted on February 6, 2011 by The Axis of Ego

Tom and Mike (in studio!) talk a little football (but not much), the Grammys, and the website itself. Take a listen below:

Posted in Music, Podcasts, Sports | Tagged Football, Music, NFL, Podcasts, Sports | 3 Comments

Slapdash Super Bowl XLV Preview

Posted on February 6, 2011 by Tom Garrett

The same slapdash rules apply to this Super Bowl preview as did my (surprisingly-accurate) conference championship previews: No serious research, just bloggy ramblings off the top of my head. Setting the bar low . . . The most surprising subplot … Continue reading →