True Story: Pokémon Go and the Wild Raccoon Encounter
An illustrated depiction of a Pokémon Go encounter
Content Director | Editor-in-Chief | Storyteller
Category: Entertainment
Long Live Adulthood
First God, then rock, now this? According to a story in this week’s New York Times Magazine, adulthood is dead.
Nevermind that “[Concept] is dead” is the academic equivalent of click bait. In this case, the social media headline might read: “A respected New York Times cultural critic makes a bold statement. What he says will surprise you!” Unlike click bait, the content is indeed surprising and even worth reading; it’s also a bit off the mark.
Spiders Not-So-Alive!
Going to the American Museum of Natural History began as a simple idea for a Sunday outing. Then Taran went to the web site. I had already checked it out and — given her absolute fear of even the tiniest little harmless spider — I assumed Spiders Alive! was a non-negotiable NO WAY! But I was wrong.
Did Downton Abbey Just Break My Heart?
It began as a silly photo “gaff” (perhaps stunt) in which a “Downton Abbey” season 5 press shot featured The Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) and an allegedly overlooked modern-day water bottle.
The incident caught traction on social media, especially Facebook, where the cast responded to “Water Bottle-Gate” with tongues firmly in cheek, but for a worthy cause. The cast got together, out of character, and winkingly held up water bottles.
Photo Faux Pas: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
File Under: What are You Smoking?
Like most people, I think, I’m confused by Penguin UK’s adultified 50th anniversary cover choice for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
According to the Facebook post, where the cover was revealed, “This new image for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory looks at the children at the centre of the story, and highlights the way Roald Dahl’s writing manages to embrace both the light and the dark aspects of life.”
Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N.: Agents Rothman and Lopez Reporting
Yesterday Taran and I checked out the latest exhibition at Discovery Times Square — The Marvel’s Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N., which opened May 23 and runs through January 4, 2015. We take our Avengers pretty seriously, so we went prepared for our photo ops. Well, some more than others. I went with a simple outfit that ended up being a cross between Simmons and Skye from the TV show. Taran went more traditional with a blazer ensemble and pulled off a great Agent Colson. Both of us had our super-cool S.H.I.E.L.D. badges ready to flash.
An Evening with Hedwig and Her Angry Inch
A couple months ago while doing my hostly duties at my company’s BEA party, I found myself in a fantastic conversation. It began when a friend/colleague apologized for being unable to hook me up with an interview with Neil Patrick Harris. He’s got what looks to be a wonderfully creative biography coming out in October that’s styled like the old Choose Your Own Adventure books. The apology happened to come at a moment when I was chatting with actor Cary Elwes, who’s also anticipating a book release in October, and with whom I’d enjoyed an interview earlier that day.