archive

The age of microcelebrity

From Wired, Clive Thompson on the Age of Microcelebrity: Why everyone's a little Brad Pitt. A look at how Kevin Federline took his place among the world's most powerful men. A review of Philosophy and the Interpretation of Pop Culture. A review of Undead TV: Essays on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A review of In the Know: The Classic Guide to Being Cultured and Cool by Nancy MacDonell. $30,000 millionaires the douchebags in the mist: Venturing into the Dallas jungle in search of the elusive $30,000 millionaire — is he myth or fact? NewsGroper.com is the apex predator in an insurgent new form of satire, with anonymous bloggers pretending to be someone famous. From n+1, Gawker 2002—2007: As Gawker Media grew, from Gawker’s success, Gawker outlived the conditions for its existence. The conventional wisdom is that the "zine explosion" of 10 years ago ended with a whimper, but zines never died, they just got craftier. A review of Tipping the Sacred Cow: The Best of Lip: Informed Revolt, 1996-2007 by Brian Awehali. A review of Creem: America’s Only Rock ’n‘ Roll Magazine by Robert Matheu and Brian J. Bowe. A review of Rock and Roll, edited by music photographer Lynn Goldsmith. Stairway to Stardom: If Led Zeppelin reunites, will they play the song that almost destroyed them? "Thriller" at 25: The album of the 80s and unlikely ever to be beaten on sales — what made it so good? (and more) Mic'd Up: With karaoke, those who can't, do anyway; those who wish they could, only watch in mute rapture.