Cultural Ramblings Redux

I've been mulling over some of the less important features of life recently, and since I don't have the time to launch into the tirade I'd planned, here goes:

--  I'm not a huge Nickelback fan by any means -- I can't even spell it right half the time -- but what's behind this inside joke everyone seems to throw around bashing the group?  Did they do something heinous about which I'm unaware?  Is there music routinely panned?

-- The retirement of Flo from the Progessive ads is long overdue.  Other companies have ridden the horses they put before the public for long periods of time, and others -- hello, Snapple -- have retired their spokespeople way too early.  Flo was cute at first but she's turned into someone who is the only person who finds herself funny.  The bits she does to pitch the insurance programs seem more like platforms to pitch Flo, with Progressive there only incidentally.  If she's trying to showcase her talents for a greater gig, it ain't working.

--  Is SNL relevant any more?

--  Growing up, The Gong Show was hilarious to our teenaged minds.  Chuck Barris portrayed the somewhat aloof emcee, and the Unknown Comic even made it to our honors Spanish class one day, bringing out teacher to tears when she walked into the room to find a class full of students wearing paper bags over their heads.  The reincaration with Mike Myers is a lame effort that exists simply to give Mr. Myers an excuse to effect a British accent and act goofy, since the Austin Powers franchise seems to be kaput, and to allow three erstwhile celebrities the chance to prove how hip and urbane they are as judges.

--  A sign that the apocalypse may be upon us:  Dr. Pimple Popper.  I bet her med school classmates are so envious of her now...

--  Autumn is fast approaching and so is the new TV season.  God help us.

--  Karen told me about an offer from our cable provider to get HBO and Cinemax for $15 per month for a year.  Years ago I might have jumped at it.  Now, I'm ambivalent about it at best.

--  If one is a male celebrity these days, isn't he frantically running through his memory bank to see whom he may have sexually assaulted or even acted rudely to in a suggestive manner?  It seems that not a week goes by without yet another charge of unacceptable behavior surfaces.

-- Speaking of watching one's back, what in the world would possess a guy to date Taylor Swift?  Wasn't Alanis Morrissette enough of a warning?  Taylor Swift has made a cottage industry out of revenge songs against exes.

--  And speaking of Taylor Swift, I'm glad to read that she and former bestie Katy Perry have patched up their differences.  That I even know this is attributable to the gossip magazines Karen keeps in the bathroom, which can be considered a link to the importance of that story.

--  I detest the term bestie.

--  Although it's sports related, this is humorous in a cultural aspect:  So I decided to see my Cubs when they're in town and chose not to attend the game that was a Harley-Davidson night because I don't like dodging cycles as they weave in and out of traffic, typically from behind me in my blind spot.  So I chose the next night and bought my tickets.  The hometown team just announced a couple of weeks ago that the game for which I bought tickets was now going to be Gay Pride Night.

(c) 2018 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles