The Art of the Ad: The Playboy Club

At some point in the 1970s, probably just a couple of years before I was born, my parents and some of their friends visited the Playboy Club on East 59th Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan. I know this because of the Playboy swizzle sticks stored in a kitchen cabinet during my childhood, which I … Continue reading The Art of the Ad: The Playboy Club →

Random Image Dump #6: Super Sunday Edition

The Super Bowl always reminds me of my father. He loved football. Oh, he had a healthy cynicism when it came to the multibillion dollar behemoth known as the NFL. I inherited that from him. He could compartmentalize though, tuning out the troubling aspects of the sport and the league long enough to enjoy the … Continue reading Random Image Dump #6: Super Sunday Edition →

Lost and Found: This Girl for Hire

I don’t know what the future of streaming media looks like, but I do know that we’re living in the golden age of choice when it comes to old movies and television. I’m always going to be a proponent of physical media (my bursting, buckling media shelves can attest to this), but sometimes you either … Continue reading Lost and Found: This Girl for Hire →

Have Yourselves a Bewitching Little Christmas

Ever since childhood, when I watched a steady diet of Bewitched reruns, I’ve held the belief that Elizabeth Montgomery is one of the most beautiful humans to ever grace this earth. While certainly a stunner, Montgomery also exuded great warmth and true inner beauty, both on and off screen. In old fashioned parlance, she was … Continue reading Have Yourselves a Bewitching Little Christmas →

Forty Years of Fast Times

If you grew up at a certain time—the 1980s—and in a certain place—suburban America—then there’s a better than average chance Fast Times at Ridgemont High means an awful lot to you. Earlier this year the movie celebrated its fortieth anniversary, which feels like the right time to express my undying love for it. In his … Continue reading Forty Years of Fast Times →

From the Vault: Kelly Bundy and the Alternative Family Ideal

This was originally published at my old site four years ago. I've revised it a bit to share here because of actress Christina Applegate's recent disclosure that she has multiple sclerosis. Applegate holds a special place in my heart and has since I was roughly 12 years old, thanks to her funny and sexy performance … Continue reading From the Vault: Kelly Bundy and the Alternative Family Ideal →

My Angel: Kate Jackson

A few years ago I stumbled on a 2009 blog post about Kate Jackson and had that wonderful moment of recognition when your exact feelings are perfectly expressed through someone else’s words. Even the title of the post captures how I feel: “Kate Jackson Was My Village.” Yes, exactly this: Kate Jackson was my village … Continue reading My Angel: Kate Jackson →