Irrelevant Crap: The Best And Worst Of 2013

by Doctor RJ @ Daily Kos…..

I love lists. There’s something so human about trying to file, index, and number things. There’s an absurdity to it, but that’s half the fun. They’re either good lists that are interesting, or they’re terrible lists which provoke argument over what people feel are either an unwarranted inclusion or errant omission. So win-win. So let’s throw these topics on the table for discussion:

• Best and Worst Films in 2013?
• Best and Worst Television Shows in 2013?
• Best and Worst in Music for 2013?

Looking back at pop-culture in 2013, it’s a hard year to categorize for having a prevailing trend that was significant across all genres. While there was a good amount of twerking, selfies, and hashtagging going on, some long-term trends in the various mediums continued. For example, in the music industry, the shift from retail sales to online digital downloads continued. However, overall sales of tracks and albums have been trending down, with some speculation that online streaming from music services like Pandora andSpotify may be responsible. Similar long-term shifts and trends can also be seen in other entertainment industries. Last week Daily Kos’ very own Susan Gardner (aka SusanG) recommended to me the book Viewing America: Twenty First-Century Television Drama by Christopher Bigsby, where one of the main themes is the shift of talent towards television as the entertainment medium to discuss serious issues through art. TV was once viewed as a “wasteland” where film actors, screenwriters, and directors would be taking a step down in their career to do a TV show. In fact, a lot of TV actors wanted to escape their television jobs to do “serious” work in movies. Fast forward to the present, and television is now seen as the place where stories can be given enough time to develop thoughtful analysis of characters, themes, and exhibit commentary on various societal and political issues. And the trend in movies since the 1980s is towards blockbusters that are largely either action films and/or family movies. Of the top 10 grossing films for 2013, 8 were either sequels or prequels, 6 could be categorized as action movies, and all of the top 5 were either animated, based on comic-book characters, or specifically intended for young adults/children. Follow beneath the fold for more …. Continue Reading

Looking back at 2013…..Daily Kos

by Doctor RJ @ Daily Kos…..

I love lists. There’s something so human about trying to file, index, and number things. There’s an absurdity to it, but that’s half the fun. They’re either good lists that are interesting, or they’re terrible lists which provoke argument over what people feel are either an unwarranted inclusion or errant omission. So win-win.

So let’s throw these topics on the table for discussion:

• Best and Worst Films in 2013?
• Best and Worst Television Shows in 2013?
• Best and Worst in Music for 2013?

Looking back at pop-culture in 2013, it’s a hard year to categorize for having a prevailing trend that was significant across all genres. While there was a good amount of twerking, selfies, and hashtagging going on, some long-term trends in the various mediums continued. For example, in the music industry, the shift from retail sales to online digital downloads continued. However, overall sales of tracks and albums have been trending down, with some speculation that online streaming from music services like Pandora andSpotify may be responsible.

Similar long-term shifts and trends can also be seen in other entertainment industries. Last week Daily Kos’ very own Susan Gardner (aka SusanG) recommended to me the book Viewing America: Twenty First-Century Television Drama by Christopher Bigsby, where one of the main themes is the shift of talent towards television as the entertainment medium to discuss serious issues through art. TV was once viewed as a “wasteland” where film actors, screenwriters, and directors would be taking a step down in their career to do a TV show. In fact, a lot of TV actors wanted to escape their television jobs to do “serious” work in movies. Fast forward to the present, and television is now seen as the place where stories can be given enough time to develop thoughtful analysis of characters, themes, and exhibit commentary on various societal and political issues. And the trend in movies since the 1980s is towards blockbusters that are largely either action films and/or family movies. Of the top 10 grossing films for 2013, 8 were either sequels or prequels, 6 could be categorized as action movies, and all of the top 5 were either animated, based on comic-book characters, or specifically intended for young adults/children.

Follow beneath the fold for more ….

Continue Reading

2014: The year to ‘go small’…..

…from Politico….

Lawmakers are reluctant to rely on the federal government to get anything done — a guilt-by-association consequence of Obamacare’s botched rollout. Republicans have called it an indictment of more than a website, but of Big Government itself.

While Democrats argue the problem is obstructionism — not ideology — the result will be the same: As Washington laments the end of a do-nothing year, lawmakers are fully prepared to do as little — or even less — in the new year.

“I think anything that has a significant expansion or role for the federal government is going to be problematic,” South Dakota Sen. John Thune, a top Republican message strategist, told POLITICO. “Because I just think there’s going to be such a cynicism and skepticism attached to any promises made with regard to the federal government’s role.”

There are top tier bills for 2014 that even a divided Congress should pass. A new farm bill, another debt limit extension and appropriations to keep the government from shutting down again are already lined up for action early in the year. But none is expected to be a blockbuster.

“Some things are big enough that they have to happen,” said Sen. Jim Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican at the center of several policy bills considered “must pass” that deal with the Pentagon, water infrastructure and highways.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/obamacare-clouds-future-for-big-legislation-101565.html#ixzz2p52ey3wh