Pop Culture Favorites

Favorite Movie: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

What attracts me to this movie is that there is so much detail and so many strange situations to analyze. The more one watches it, the more there is to see. It made the list because it's a movie I've watched several times recently, so it was fresher in my mind than Fight Club, which is the other movie I was considering. It influences me because I think the representation of gonzo journalism is interesting, which probably makes me more inclined to like other movies about crazy countercultural figures.

Favorite Music: Fiona Apple

I'm attracted to Fiona Apple's music because her voice is beautiful and her lyrics are expressive. I can feel the rhythmic pulse of her music, and I love the way her clear, deep voice cuts through the rest of the music and stays with me. It influences me because it influences my other musical tastes - almost anyone who makes music which is similar to who is likely to be someone like. Lily Allen and Tori Amos are good examples of this, because they are talented female singer-songwriters who remind me of Fiona Apple in some ways.

Favorite TV Show: Law and Order

I like Law and Order because it's a serial crime drama that I can have on in the background while I'm doing other things, but also because it poses some interesting questions about society. The original Law and Order creates many scenarios where what was originally a criminal trial becomes a political show trial, or where police action falls in a gray area constitutionally. I like pondering these situations, because it gives me an opportunity to test out what I think.

Favorite Ad: Freecreditreport.com sing-alongs

I love this commercial! It's so catchy. The lyrics are extremely clever, the music is simple but stays in my head all day. There's also something about a sad bicyclist singing about how a credit report could have gotten him a car, or a depressed waiter dressed like a pirate mourning his dead-end economic situation, that catches my attention when it comes on TV. This commerical influences me because it's effective, and I spend the rest of the day with "F to the R to the E to the E to the C to the E-D-I-T. Re- to the -port to the dot to the com, baby" stuck in my head.

Favorite Comic: Dilbert

I used to read this in the Sunday paper every day. I like how it mocks corporate culture, and demonstrates the sheer meaninglessness of many requirements of work. Although I don't have an office job like Dilbert, I do go to school. While college is much better than high school, sometimes activities and classes still seem like they won't be relevant to daily life, and sometimes dealing with administrative people is annoying and time-consuming. Dilbert is a fun outlet for these feelings, pointing out the absurdity of official bureaucracies and mindless assignments.

The List Overall:

I'm not struck by any major commonalities between the things I chose, but there are some slight trends. I chose to interact with all of these pieces of media because the resonate with some experience I've had, or because they are unique enough to fascinate me. Sometimes I read or watch things simply because they are readily available, which is definitely the case with Dilbert, Law and Order, the Freecreditreport.com commericals, and even Fear and Loathing (because we own the DVD, so it is cheaper and easier than renting a movie).