Whether it’s on the big screen, the small screen or the streets of Hollywood, guy-love is everywhere these days. Sure, it’s great to catch up on which celebrities are dating, but just as much fun to see who they’re hanging out with and how well they’re getting along.

Yes, we’re talking about the bromance. The term may be relatively new, but the sentiment isn’t. For decades, the entertainment industry has provided us with these intense and unique depictions of male friendship.

Now, we’ve put together a list (in no particular order) of some of the best and most memorable bromances that we could find on any medium. If you can hardly say one name without thinking of the other, well, that’s a pretty good way to narrow down the list.

Corey Haim & Corey Feldman

There have been several Coreys we have gotten to know, but if you mention “The 2 Coreys” there is only one. Corey Feldman appeared in “Gremlins”, “The Goonies”, “Stand By Me” and countless TV shows before he met his hetero soul-mate Corey Haim, teaming with him in the classic ‘Lost Boys” in 1987.

They later appeared together in “License To Drive”, “Dream a Little Dream” and 19 episodes of “The Two Coreys” in 2007/8. The television show only solidified what fans of the pair already knew; these two were best friends no matter what. Corey Haim’s sudden death in 2010 shocked fans, and the lack of inclusion in the Oscars ‘In Memoriam’ segment was a slap in the face to the troubled star’s memory.

Brad Pitt & George Clooney

When someone like Meredith Vieira asks you about your bromance during an interview, you know things are serious.

Arguably one of the most attractive bromances of all time, these two beautiful, critically acclaimed actors are not just friends on set of the many, many movies they’ve done together, but in real life. Through the good and the bad, the pranks and the more pranks.

Ben Affleck & Matt Damon

It’s hard enough to stay close to your childhood friends when faced with things like further education and growing up (and potentially apart), but imagine keeping a childhood friendship alive under the heavy lights of Hollywood?

Ben and Matt, who played little league together, were able to just that while also starring in and writing award winning movies together. And even now that they’re both married in normal romances, they still keep their bromance alive.

Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis

Martin and Lewis started their successful pairing in 1946, Dean Martin was the suave leading man and Jerry Lewis the comic foil. They started on stage, The Ed Sullivan Show, and eventually films. Their close friendship made the act more real than most comedy duos.

At one point, in 1956, Dean left the successful team, due to, in no small part, Jerry’s comedic silliness becoming a major part of the act. They did not speak again for nearly 30 years, in 1987, shortly after the funeral of Dean’s son, except for a brief appearance together during the 1976 Muscular Dystrophy Telethon, instigated by Frank Sinatra. Jerry later wrote a book – Dean and Me — A Love Story in 2005.

Cory Matthews & Shawn Hunter

It’s hard to imagine a closer relationship than that of Cory and Shawn from Boy Meets World. Growing up can be hard, but with a friend by your side that can save you from as much trouble as he can get you into, you’re going to make it out okay.

When times got hard, these two were never above a serious heart-to-heart. Even Topanga, the love of Cory’s life, couldn’t come between the two. Seriously, no kid watching that show didn’t want a friendship like that.

Shawn Spencer & Burton “Gus” Guster

Psych is one of the wittiest shows to ever come to TV and it all revolves entirely around Shawn and Gus’ unbeatable friendship and dynamic.

When Shawn has his psychic revelations, Gus is literally oftentimes the only one who can make sense of them or catch every pop culture reference and, of course, react so perfectly to a name change or Shawn’s “I have a clue face.” No matter what trouble faces them each week, these two are in it for the long haul together.

Christopher Turk & John “JD” Dorian

Surgeon Christopher Duncan Turk, played by Donald Faison and John Michael ‘J.D.’ Dorian, M.D., played by Zach Braff, were probably the best-known TV Bromance couple of the last decade. On the NBC show ‘Scrubs’, any and everyone who encountered the pair often questioned the closeness of the heterosexual friends, who met in college. They often finished each other’s sentences, and sometimes even seemed to know their bromantic partner’s thoughts. The codependent relationship was apparent whenever one of them was not under the same roof – the disorientation and anxiety of one without the other was often a theme of the show.

Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid

Although the term “Bromance” didn’t come into the modern lexicon until the 1990s, Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) & the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) illustrated the prototype of the modern bromance.  They worked together as bad guy train robbers and as good guy payroll guards. In many ways they shared Sundance’s girlfriend, Etta Place.

One of the most famous stunt scenes in a western movie had the pair juming off a ledge into a river with non-swimmer Sundance trusting that his partner would not let him drown. They later moved to Bolivia and died together, in a blaze-of-glory gunfight. Like brothers. Or desperate lovers. Bromance, like romance, is often filled with fiery passion.

Jay & Silent Bob

Perhaps the most inseparable friends on this list, these two are rarely seen without the other by their side. Six movies is no small feat for any duo and yet they remain the perfect complement to one another and the perfect duo to make us laugh. They may express an interest in the ladies, but it’s pretty clear who ranks most important in their lives: each other.

Sherlock Holmes & Dr. John Watson

Holmes and Watson are complete opposites on the surface. Holmes is an anti-social eccentric genius with no regard for cultural constructs whereas Watson is a brilliant well-adjusted gentleman and doctor. But each completes the other by providing what is missing in the other’s life. Holmes needs stability, and Watson needs adventure.

“One could not survive without the other, and they know it. Whether it is completing each other’s sentences or risking their live’s for the other’s safety, these two are the best of example of brothers-in-arms and perhaps my favorite bromance,” said PCM writer Lena. We should all be so lucky to have one friend like that in a lifetime.

Johnny Depp & Tim Burton

Two of the hottest names in Hollywood right now, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp have one of the most well-known bromances in the world. Depp is often cast as the main protagonist in Burton’s films, as well as Helena Bonham Carter-Burton’s girlfriend. In interviews together they speak as though they were twins, coming from the same family, background and life experiences.

Depp and Burton have made several unforgettable films within the past two decades which have included ”Edward Scissorhands”,  ”Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,  ”Ed Wood” and “Alice in Wonderland”.

Both Burton and Depp are the godfathers to each other’s children. As Johhny said, “He is a brother, a friend, my godson’s father. He is a unique and brave soul,  someone that I would go to the ends of the earth for, and I know, full and well,  he would do the same for me. ”

Honorable Mentions:

In Music –

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Steven Tyler and Joe Perry
John Lennon and Paul McCartney

In TV –

Supernatural’s Dean and Castiel
The Vampire Diaries’ Damon and Alaric
The OC’s Seth and Ryan
Kenan and Kel
Beavis and Butt-head

Other –

Wayne’s World’s Wayne and Garth
Scooby Doo’s Scooby and Shaggy
Star Wars’ Han Solo and Chewbacca

According to The Guinness Book of World Records, Sherlock Holmes is the most portrayed literary character in film, the most portrayed detective, and one of the top 10 most portrayed characters in film, period.

It is in the classic films of Holmes that the phrase, “Elementary my dear Watson” was coined (Fun Fact: this line is never actually said in the stories. The closest any dialogue comes to is Watson, “’Excellent,’ I cried. ‘Elementary,’ said he”) Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce not only did the famed radio stories together but they also did 14 movies from 1939-1946. Bruce was a consistent Watson, playing him as a good natured, bumbering oafish Santa Clause, though Rathbone eventually passed the role of Holmes onto Tom Conway.

There have even been movies of what Holmes might have been like as a youngster. The classics with Buster Keaton called Sherlock Jr. and one in particular called Young Sherlock Holmes by Steven Spielberg is one of my personal favorites, and even some animated films have been made. He is the inspiration for several TV shows such as House and Monk, House even living at the same address as Holmes (221B).

Now of course we cannot forget Holmes’s own country and her additions to the Holmes legacy; BBC currently has a series, Sherlock, which sets Doyle’s stories in the modern day. Folks, I am not writing reviews here, I know, but I must take a pause from our stroll down Entertainment Blvd in the town of History to say a few words on BBC’s show… It. Is. Gold. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Holmes with Martin Freeman (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) co-staring as Dr Watson, with writing by Martin Gatiss and Steven Moffat (Doctor Who). And if you’ve never seen any of these peoples’ prior work, let this be the first!… ok and we’re back; the use o f modern technology in this show is amazing. Instead of writing for a magazine, Watson has a blog. In keeping with his anti social behavior, Holmes prefers to text people rather than actually talk to them. Even the use of modern language for classic lines like, “The game’s a-foot!” is now “The game is on!” and after Holmes tells Watson the way he deduced his army history, his family, and his psychosomatic limp all from his face and his phone:

 Watson: That was amazing.

Holmes: You think so?

Watson: Of course it was extraordinary, quite extraordinary.

Holmes: That’s not what people usually say.

Watson: What do people usually say?

Holmes: “Piss off”

 It’s quirky, funny, fast paced, and brilliant. And most importantly the best part is not solving the crime, it’s finding out how Holmes solves the crime.

 And last but not least we have the new Sherlock Holmes movies starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, (as if Holmes and Watson couldn’t get any better, now they are sexy).

Something that both these movies and BBC’s Sherlock have in common is they bring the characters back to the basics. As wonderful and as priceless as the classic movies and even the radio dramas are, they take some liberties with the characters, like the deerstalker hat so associated with Holmes, and the bumbling sidekick of Watson. I feel these recent adaptations of Doyle’s stories are the most faithful to the original characters. Watson was very popular with the ladies, not a player, just a real catch. Holmes has a drug addiction, not exactly proper for cinema back in the day. The classic movies have him as a gentleman but new ones remind us that he is a man.

 Obviously there is something about Holmes that has endeared him to so many generations and spanned over every popular form of entertainment. Why do we love him so much? My dear old dad believes, and I happen to agree, that we love him because there is a Holmes in all of us.

 “Wait, what?” you might be saying, “I’m no detective, I am not anti-social, and I don’t have a drug addiction, etc” (or you do, I don’t know) but Holmes is deeper than that. He’s all the things that make a super hero, just without the radio active spider; the observation skills that he developed over time seem almost psychic (um Psych much?), he has a wealth of information that makes him an almost living encyclopedia/internet, he is even skilled in several fighting styles and can manage just about any disguise that a situation might call for, and let us not forget he has a loyal friend and side kick who goes on his adventures with him.

At the same time Holmes is just a man, flesh and bone, a mirror to us of our vices that inhibit our better parts from winning out sometimes; Holmes is irritable, quirky, struggles with drug addiction, has hermitic tendencies and sometimes neglects his personal hygiene. But he is us. He is ours. Larger than life. Powerful enough to take over his creator’s life so as to continue living on after both of their deaths.

So there you have it! Sherlock Holmes’s journey through time and entertainment. What Throwback shall we explore next week? Leave a suggestion in the comments! I’d love to hear your suggestion!

Logo photo by Justine Impressions http://www.justineimpressions.com/

2012 is the Year of the Dragon, and will arrive on February 4, 2012. The Chinese New Year Day is January 23, 2012, the Lunar New Year of the Water Dragon, a once-in-a-60-yr occurance.

The Year of the Dragon is considered to be the luckiest in the Chinese Zodiac. In contrast to the European dragon, the Chinese dragon symbolized power, strength and good luck. The dragon also has power over water, such as rainfall, hurricanes, etc. It is the only Chinese Zodiac sign that is a legendary animal.

The dragon has been a symbol for the Emperor in many Chinese Dynasties, and the Imperial Throne was often referred to as the Dragon Throne.

Kung Hei Fat Choi: may prosperity be with you!

As I said last week Holmes was so powerful he could not be kept on paper so Doyle’s stories also became available in the mediums of theatre and radio. The radio dramas began with The Mercury Theatre on the Air starring Orson Welles which aired September 25, 1938. It was Orson Welles’s own adaptation of the playwright William Gillette’s story. In it we meet Sherlock Holmes’s most famous adversary, Professor Moriarty, the Napoleon of Crime, a criminal to match Holmes’s intelligence and trickery. There have been many famous foil duos, Batman and the Joker, Snoopy and the Red Baron, well you can’t have Sherlock Holmes without Professor Moriarty.

The radio drama’s aired from 1938-1969 starring such legends as Basil Rathbone, Tom Conway, John Stanley, Sir John Gielgud, and Carleton Hobbs as Sherlock Holmes. One of my favorites is The Adventure of the Haunted Bagpipes. The way each show begins is the same. The host sets the scene for the listeners, “Kreml Hair Tonic and Kreml Shampoo presents The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes starring Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson and Tom Conway as Sherlock Holmes.” Then he’ll say something like, “Now here we are once more in Dr. Watson’s study. And maybe we’re not glad to get here. If we hadn’t had a Sherlock Holmes story waiting for us at the other end we’d have never ventured out on a night like this.” … “Oh it’s typical Edinburgh weather,” responds Watson. And from there we begin our adventure.

 This time Holmes and Watson go to Edinburgh, Scotland. Holmes says that London has been fairly bereft of crime over the past few months and it is because the man behind the criminal scene has been in Edinburgh. The man is none other than Professor Moriarty himself. Now Holmes is in Edinburgh because he has been hired by an owner of some property in the city. Rumors abound that the area is haunted and no one dares go near it. They say that one of the houses, sealed shut since the infamous Black Plague, sometimes has ghosts of those who died walked about inside. They also say that at night there can be heard the sound of bagpipes played by the ghost of a piper who went missing in the underground tunnels 150 years before. So naturally Holmes has decided to stay in the house next door to the fatal house (like you do) and Watson is not looking forward to the night ahead. And on top of all of it it’s raining, Holmes says it’s “just a good Scotch mist.” “Mist, my grandmother,” says Watson, “I’m soaked to the skin and my teeth are chattering like castanets.”

After they arrive, they barely settle in before the house keeper who met them runs out because she doesn’t want to be there after dark not long after which they hear the phantom bagpipes. So naturally (sigh) Holmes says they should go into the sealed house! Inside they find the house covered in cobwebs with a table still set for a meal during the plague era in the dining room. And in the sitting room they find… sorry, Spoilers (Doctor Who says hi). You’ll have to look it up! But anyway the stories are beautiful and very well done. From the sound of a fire crackling to the sounds of a busy street, no ambiance or sound effect is missing or lacking. The music was even performed live in the studio for the broadcasts! And of course the voice acting is excellent!

There were several plays including the afore mentioned play by William Gillette (1899) Sherlock Holmes, or The Strange Case of Miss Faulkner, which was a culmination of several stories by Doyle, A Scandal in Bohemia, The Final Problem, The Copper Beeches and A Study in Scarlet. By 1916, Harry Arthur Saintsbury who starred in this production had played Holmes on stage more than a thousand times. Also part of this cast was a certain child actor who grew up to be one of the most iconic names in film and comedy, you know him as Charlie Chaplin. This play formed the basis for Gillette’s 1916 motion picture, Sherlock Holmes, but more about that next week.

Then in 1965 a Broadway musical called Baker Street opened and ran for several months. It starred Fritz Weaver as Sherlock Holmes, Peter Sallis as Watson, and Martin Gabel as Moriarty. This cast list also happened to include the one, the only, Christopher Walken (ah, not expecting that were you). The cast called for 14+ men, 4+ women, and 4 children’s roles as well to play the Baker Street Irregulars, whom Holmes sometimes employs as spies and messengers in the stories. Actually the plot for the musical is very similar to the plot of the first Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law movie. But again, more on them next week…

Lena is an actress and likes the color red this week.

Next Week: Part III (Film and Television)

Logo photo by Justine Impressions http://www.justineimpressions.com/

The most loved Kardashian, besides Bruce Jenner of course, is Mason Disick. Or, at least he is quickly becoming a highlight on the E! series Kourtney and Kim Take New York. Every time the toddler says something you can’t help but say, “Awwwwwwww.”

Kourtney and Scott Disick’s baby boy has grown in front of our eyes since the first day he was born. Now the little guy just celebrated his second birthday, as Will Smith would say, in Wild Wild West-style. Mason’s big day as a cowboy was celebrated in Kris and Bruce Jenner’s Hidden Hills, Calif. home.

Not only was there a cowboy hat-shaped birthday cake, pony rides, and a petting zoo, but there was a crafts table. Who doesn’t enjoy constructing pieces of art out of Elmer’s Glue and construction paper? Mason obviously does for now, but Kourtney should be prepared for a stage in every child’s life called the “terrible twos.” That is one ride she will need to saddle up for, GIDDY UP!

It may not be a federal holiday, but January 21 is still cause for celebration. It’s National Hugging Day! And, really, who doesn’t love a good hug?

There are all kinds of hugs: the I’m-here-for-you hug, the so-nice-to-see-you hug, the thank-you hug… really, the possibilities are endless. So in the spirit of spreading the love, we’ve compiled a list of celebrities who we would use the “National Hugging Day” excuse on if we happened to run into them on the 21^st.

So while you get your arms prepped for all those hugs you’re about to give, check out who made our list and tell us who else would be on yours!

Katy Perry

It’s no secret that Katy is going through a difficult time right now. We had been rooting for Katy and Russell Brand to last forever, but with the impending divorce it seems all but hopeless. We would give her a hug just let her know we’re there for her and that she will get through this.

While Katy seems to be putting on an admirable strong front, we don’t blame her for being upset over the divorce. She even canceled her appearance at the People’s Choice Awards last weekend, which would have been her first appearance since news of the break-up, to keep out of the limelight. We love you Katy! *Hug*

Steven Tyler

This rock legend has always been a favorite of ours, but since joining the judging table for American Idol last season, we’ve discovered that many more reasons to adore him. Sure, he may be a little crude at times, but we’ve seen his heart, his passion, his vocals and his reaction to hearing a true talent and that’s enough to push him even further up the ranks.

But what really landed him a spot on the list was after watching last night’s conclusion of the two-night premiere event for Season 11 of American Idol. Everyone loves Steven, this is no surprise, but with every contestant and their mother getting the opportunity to hug Steven and come away raving about it, he definitely is added to our lets-hug list.

Demi Lovato

Demi’s tale this past year is nothing short of inspirational. We admit, as much as we love Demi, last year she would have made this list with a different sort of hug after being admitted into rehab for a myriad of issues, but she has truly transformed her life, her image and her role model status.

She can now be the image of hope and support that we all originally may have pictured her. She is a symbol of strength, positivity and, now, sobriety. If that doesn’t deserve a hug, well, we don’t know what does.

Vin Diesel

It takes a special sort of actor – and man – to pull off the tough guy role AND the family friendly role. But Vin does it with ease. Not only does he give us a sense of protection, but a surprising sense of warmth and humor.

Not to mention, he stated this past year in an issue of “Men’s Health Journal” that he likes hugging. So, uh, we’re not going to deny him.

Giuliana Rancic

It has been a trying year for this host. After being diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, she announced it to the whole world, underwent a double mastectomy among other treatments and has returned to work.

She’s one of the strongest women in Hollywood and has proved herself to not just be a role model but a beacon of hope. She’s shown that she is a fighter and for that, we not just admire and congratulate her, but we put her on the lets-hug list.

Jon Bon Jovi

He’s Jon Bon Jovi, so to be quite honest – we don’t need a reason to want to hug this Renaissance man. But, he did beat out other celebs who we would have argued the same reasons for (think Ryan Gosling) because of that terrifying death rumor that spread about him last month.

Thankfully he is alive and even proved it with a picture of himself where he’s holding a sign that is dated that very day, but we’d like to hug him just to make 3000% sure that he’s alive and well. And, again, he’s Jon Bon Jovi. ‘Nuff said.

The Cast of Harry Potter

Everyone gets that feeling from time to time like something is missing. But, sadly, we know what is missing from our lives now that the Harry Potter series is finished and all the last movie has been released just this past year. No longer do we have the promise of new storylines and information to discover.

We still have the movies to watch and the books to read and we even have the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to visit when we need a true dose of Hogwarts, but we would love to just give the cast of the Harry Potter movies a hug so that we can get a better sense of goodbye. It’s never really goodbye, but a wrap-up hug would just put us more at ease.

Revenge’s Daniel Grayson

Revenge is arguably the best new show on TV  and features a great collection of characters. But one that stands out as someone we would really like to hug is Daniel Grayson. He doesn’t want to just be the rich boy. He’s sweet, he’s caring… and he has no idea what’s coming down the line for him.

This would probably be a long hug, because we not only thing he’s a great guy, but we know that as much as he loves Emily, he is going to get hurt. Both literally and figuratively. So we’d really like to hug him while we can and try not to cry while doing so.

Howie Mandel

Okay, at first glance this may seem a strange choice. But Howie is an unstoppable force and he seems like a great guy. Between America’s Got Talent, Deal of No Deal and Mobbed, Howie shows no signs of stopping down and for this we are definitely always excited to see him.

But we’d be lying if we didn’t admit that part of the reason he made the list is because of what we imagine to be the exclusivity of his hugs. The man has mysophobia, an irrational fear of germs, so the hugs may be few and far between (we have seen him hug people!), but we’d like to be among the few people who can say we’ve hugged Howie!

The Impractical Jokers

We hope you’ve heard of this show by now, if not already fallen in love with it, or else we’re afraid you haven’t been getting the appropriate doses of laughter on Thursday nights. Joe, Murray, Sal and Q are the four best friends behind this tear-inducing laugh riot series and they would definitely be getting a “thank you” hug.

Thank you, guys, for coming into our lives when reality TV was at an all-time bore and providing us with endless enjoyment. Really, it’s endless; we can watch the repeats over and over and laugh like we’ve never seen it before.  Besides, for what they put themselves through, they deserve a little – arguably a lot of – love.

Georgia mother, Chuntera Napier, was arrested for allowing her 10 yr-old son, Gaquan, to get a tattoo on his right arm in honor of his late brother, Malik.

Malik, 12,  was killed two years ago by a teenage driver, and Gaquan was with him when the accident happened. Napier says her son asked her if he could get a tattoo to honor his brother, and she didn’t know how to refuse his request. She allowed him to get a tattoo with his brother’s name and former basketball number. (Napier has several tattoos of her own in memory of her late son).

A 2010 Georgia law states that it is “unlawful for any person to tattoo the body of any person under the age of 18, except for a physician or osteopath.” Napier asserts that she was unaware of the law, and is in disbelief that parental consent wasn’t enough.

Napier has been charged with misdemeanor cruelty and being party to a crime. The Smyrna, GA tattoo artist is also under investigation.

From Toddlers With Tiaras to Tots With Tattoos…where is the parenting, folks?

For the first time in seven years, the music industry’s premier event, the 54^th Annual Grammy Awards, will have an official host. And, who better, really, than the one and only LL Cool J?

The rapper, actor and (we’ll just say it) Renaissance man has hosted “The Grammy Nominations Concert Live! – Countdown to Music’s Biggest Night” since its inception in December 2008, but this is his first time hosting the actual Awards broadcast.

Obviously no stranger to the Grammy’s, LL is a two-time Grammy Award winner and in addition to hosting this year’s event, he will join the line-up of performances for the night, which already includes current Grammy nominees Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson, Foo Fighters, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift.

We’re looking forward to seeing his charisma in action as he joins the impressive list of stars who have lent their talents to hosting music’s biggest night like Queen Latifah (hosted the 47^th annual Grammy Awards), Jon Stewart (hosted the 43^rd and 44^th Annual Grammy Awards), Billy Crystal, Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O’Donnell among others.

The 54^th Annual Grammy Awards will air live from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles at 8 PM ET/delayed PT on Sunday, February 12, 2012 on CBS.

All of the websites affiliated with Pop Culture Madness – including celebritymagnet.com, pcm-tv.com, pcm-music.com, pcmlifestyle.com, grandmagazine.com, worldofpopculture.com, and popculturemadness.com have joined Wikipedia, and many other websites to protest SOPA, and it’s ugly little brother, PIPA on January 18, 2012.

What is SOPA and how does it affect me?

Our friends at BoingBoing.net said it perfectly:

“We could not ever link to another website unless we were sure that no links to anything that infringes copyright appeared on that site. So in order to link to a URL on LiveJournal or WordPress or Twitter or Blogspot, we’d have to first confirm that no one had ever made an infringing link, anywhere on that site. Making one link would require checking millions (even tens of millions) of pages, just to be sure that we weren’t in some way impinging on the ability of five Hollywood studios, four multinational record labels, and six global publishers to maximize their profits,” says BoingBoing.

This is true for nearly every news website – we are all at risk – even schools, bloggers, anyone with an opinion. This goes beyond censorship. There are issues of ‘fair use’ and the very principal that some company lawyer or egghead can have anyone’s voice clamped shut online, for a single accusation.
Yes, an accusation – you are presumed guilty. A single sentence or picture on a single page can have your entire website shut down.

Enforced, accusation-based copyright control, run by a blind bureaucracy can be an ugly thing. In some of our experience, we have gotten material from major movie/record companies, asked to promote said movies and bands, on our website, even our youtube accounts only to have the same companies, weeks later demand we take down their intellectual property. We have literally had to close a youtube account for this very reason – doing what they asked for, without any compensation, and risking a lawsuit from them for doing exactly as they asked.

Most of what we do, in entertainment news and regular news, is get information from the major (and minor) entertainment conglomerates, interview those involved, and present the information. Then, on a whim, we, or any website, can be basically shut down by one of a handful of corporations based on an accusation.
Keep on your congressmen and senators – regardless of political party – this is something that every freedom-loving liberal, conservative and libertarian should agree on – we have every right to disagree.

This law, and any variation of it (and they will come!), is wrong, immoral, unconstitutional, and to use a four letter word – EVIL.

Sorry for any inconvenience this strike may have caused you.

Joe Hummel, III
webmaster/ web publisher for Pop Culture Madness and affiliated websites

A demonstrator in Oshkosh, Wisconsin found out the hard way that “more cowbell”  isn’t necessarily a good thing.

The 26-yr old Appleton, WI man was arrested on Thursday after he kept playing a cowbell and shaking it in a police officer’s face. He and other protestors were asked to be quiet and avoid blocking a restaurant’s driveway when they were demonstrating for the recall of Wisconsin governor Scott Walker.

When the officer tried to take the cowbell, the man pushed the officer. While the officer was attempting to handcuff the cowbell player, a 25-yr old Appleton woman hit the officer in the back with her picket sign.

Both protestors were taken to jail. Police will recommend that the man be charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, and that the woman be charged with disorderly conduct and battery to an officer.

“More cowbell”  is a catchphrase which originated from a 2000 Saturday Night Live skit featuring Christopher Walken and Will Ferrell. The sketch was a fictionalized version of the recording of the Blue Oyster Cult song (Don’t Fear) the Reaper, with Walken as music producer “The Bruce Dickinson”, and Ferrell as fictional cowbell player Gene Frenkle.

Christopher Walken may like more cowbell, but apparently the Oshkosh, WI police officer does not.