A look at what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about…
This is the last pop culture roundup of 2009. I'll be back in 2010—but this column will look a little different. I feel the approach we've been taking is prone to growing stale. Lists only change so much week to week, and that limits the exploration we can do in the world of pop culture. So, when we meet again the first week of January, this column will resemble the Weekly Intersections I post each Wednesday. I will be posting links to anything that has grabbed my eye throughout the week that relates to pop culture. Some weeks might focus more on movies. Some weeks might focus more on music. Some weeks might focus more on what people were obsessing over on Google. I think this approach will provide a lot more energy to the column. I hope what we've been doing has been helpful, so I hope to see you on the other side of 2009 for what I feel will be some stronger roundups.
Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)
1. The Blind Side (PG-13)
2. Twilight: New Moon (PG-13)
3. Brothers (R)
4. A Christmas Carol (PG)
5. Old Dogs (PG)
Notables: The Blind Side has just exploded in popularity. Given the general public's rabid obsession with the Twilight series, I'm a little shocked that it has New Moon up against the ropes. I've not yet seen it, but those who have say that while it is somewhat of a paint-by-the-numbers inspirational sports flick, it's stronger than what's usually produced in that genre. So, this might be a good, family-friendly movie to explore.
As for the rest, been there, done that—except for Brothers. A review from CT Movies says the movie movingly asks questions about the domestic impact of war and, more generally speaking, the power of brotherhood.
Top Five Television Shows (according to Nielsen TV ratings for the week of November 30, 2009)
1. Sunday Night Football (Vikings vs. Cardinals), NBC
2. Desperate Housewives, ABC
3. NCIS, CBS
4. The OT, Fox
5. House, Fox
Notables: Football reigns supreme this time of year. Just to be clear: The OT has nothing to do with the Old Testament. It's a "reflections on the game day that was" show on Fox. (Get it? The OT?) As for the rest of the list, it was interesting to see Desperate Housewives make a big comeback. And look—House, that curmudgeonly doctor/antihero made the top five, too.
Top Five Books (according to USA Today research)
1. Going Rogue: An American Life, by Sarah Palin
2. New Moon, by Stephenie Meyer
3. Eclipse, by Stephenie Meyer
4. Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer
5. U is for Undertow, by Sue Grafton
Notables: Palin still reigns supreme. So does Meyer. Sue Grafton? For years she has been adding one book after another to the Kinsey Millhone series—a series about a female private investigator named, well, Kinsey Millhone. The series has been built off of the alphabet. The first book (published in 1982) was A Is for Alibi. Twenty-seven years later we are on U. For Grafton fans keeping score at home, you've got five more books with Millhone.
No—I have no idea how this is at all useful for preaching. But a clever system by Grafton, eh?
Top Five Web Searches (based on the Google Trends report for Thursday)
*Exercise caution when searching; some topics may be inappropriate.
1. volksfront
2. free golf carts
3. rule 5 draft
4. times square shooting
5. shaq retires
Notables: Do you golf? I guess you can get a golf cart for free.
Rule 5 Draft has to do with baseball's winter meetings.
A music peddler was shot and killed by a New York City officer yesterday. Before reading the article, I didn't know much about the violent turn peddling has taken in recent years.
Is Cavaliers All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal retiring? Rumors are swirling that he is.
Posted by Brian Lowery at 9:03 AM on December 11, 2009
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