Category Archives: Commentary

Commentary, TV

The One About the Security Drones

Doctor Who: Revolution of The Daleks Airdate: 01/01/21

Pic from the BBC

These ‘Holiday’ specials have come to carry a lot of weight. It’s a bridge between the previous season and the one meant to come, so the pieces on the board need to be cleared and reset. But it also has to be a somewhat stand alone story for holiday viewers to pop into. Not to mention the continuing shifting pattern of television consumption, or 2020 being so freaking weird and sad and strange and sad.

So, in a way the production team couldn’t have completely known or planned when this was filmed in 2019, It comes very close to capturing 2020’s mood. And a bit too on the nose, in some respects.

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Commentary, From Somewhere, Keeping Up Apperances

The New Normal

image from is it canceled yet? Yes, that’s really a website. It’s funny and you should visit.

OR The same normal with added anxiety…

Sigh. Oh, where to begin. 

A lot has happened in two months. It’s been difficult for most people to find footing and just be able to think straight. Or even, in some case, to simply get by.  Trying to think of something uselessly funny or odd in pop culture to write about in the hopes of maybe lightening your mood has been difficult to say the least. The struggle for tone- some level of acknowledgement what we’re all going though, and gently finding a way to chuckle at the anxiety bubbling underneath. 

I’ve also been struggling to avoid anything approaching earnestly saccharine. Because let’s be honest here, my optimism level cap is ridiculously low in the best of times- it’s not going to work any miracles now. 

Everything feels weird. Everything feels awkward. Oh look, another virus task force briefing.  And then, one from every state. Delightful. And now back to Kelly Clarkson. Stay safe- fear everyone and everything!

It’s just not easy to pick up where I originally wanted to go with this thing. That seems more inconsequential and stupid than it usually is. 

Wait- did CNN really just do a stay home segment with GWAR?  

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Commentary, Music, These Modern Headaches

Sharing The Tapes

Image by ThegreenJ

The High Fidelity television series debuted this week on Hulu. And it also occurred to me that we just passed Valentine’s Day. So with the idea of music and its connection to all sorts of relationships as expressed in the novel/ film/ now-TV show-along with the usual VDay debate of making something over buying something and it’s relative value vs its meaning-had me thinking about the value of mixtapes in the playlist world. Because me.

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Commentary, Keeping Up Apperances

Just Like Starting Over

Welcome back to From Somewhere, a blog objectively about Pop Culture in all its various guises and varieties.

From Somewhere originally existed as a free form pop culture commentary column in a long buried free arts magazine (Stuff) distributed in the Huntsville / Florence Alabama area.

Additionally, I do remember interviewing The Smashing Pumpkins (before they broke up the first time) and KISS (when the original makeup lineup reunited, before the first retirement). Not surprisingly- the mag flamed out because the internet happened.

And I also remember not getting paid for any of it. Ah, how the world changes and yet in some ways remains unchanged. It’s a constant comfort.

Ahem. The Internet.

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