Discourse Chronicle

“We are excited to celebrate The Simpsons on postage stamps,” said U.S. Postal Service Executive Director of Stamp Services David Failor. “Eyebrow-raising to say the least, this witty, well-written pop icon continues to irreverently satire its parody of a middle-class family as it lampoons American culture. The Simpsons stamps, which includes known philatelists Bart Simpson, will serve as a great opportunity to interest youngsters into stamp collecting.” –USPS

category: Humor, Popular Culture, Rhetoric and Poetics, Television    

Fox has renewed The Simpsons for two additional seasons, which means that we will be treated to at least 493 episodes of Homer’s odysseys. […] Currently in its 20th season and averaging 8.7 million viewers, the animated series is already the longest-running prime-time comedy ever. And while The Simpsons no longer carries the must-see clout it did in the ’90s, it can still pack a punchline. –Dan Snierson

category: Popular Culture, Rhetoric and Poetics, Television    

Microsoft is finally admitting that those “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” ads have had some impact on Vista’s reputation and performance in the market. The software giant is planning to respond with a huge advertising campaign of its own — which will not involve admitting that Vista is a bad OS. –Naomi Grossman

[I am a Mac and PC user, but my leanings are now more toward Apple. I admit that I love Mac’s current campaign and my favorite commercials are 2008’s Pep Rally and 2007’s Boxer. BK]

category: Humor, Popular Culture, Rhetoric and Poetics, Technology, Television    

[From Jim Gaffigan’s Beyond the Pale comedy special. Hilarious! BK]

category: Humor, Popular Culture, Rhetoric and Poetics, Television    

Broadcast to nearly 1 billion people in over 230 countries and territories worldwide, the Super Bowl is the marquee event of American sport and television.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will rock this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show as legendary talent such as Prince, Paul McCartney, and The Rolling Stones have in recent years.

Superbowl XLII will be broadcast on FOX on February 3, 2008. –Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Official Site

[I watch Super Bowl Sunday each year for its commercials, but this year will be an extra treat now! BK]

category: Popular Culture, Rhetoric and Poetics, Television    

Executive Producer Doug Liman (‘The Bourne Identity’ Franchise and ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’) and Executive Producer David Bartis (‘The O.C’ and NBC’s ‘Heist’) have joined together to bring back the 1980’s television classic “Knight Rider.” The two-hour movie event brings KITT and a talented cast of young and seasoned actors into the 21st century with speed, drama, love and triumph. David Hasselhoff as a special guest star returns as Michael Knight. –NBC.com

[Awesome! I remember the original Knight Rider was my favorite show as a kid and I watched both movies, Knight Rider 2000 (based on the series) and Knight Rider 2010 (loosely based on the series), so I will definitely check this one out. BK]

category: Popular Culture, Rhetoric and Poetics, Television    

[Our Introduction to Composition professor watches a lot of Sesame Street with his young daughter and constantly references this version of James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful”. A good adaptation intended to teach kids about triangles, but nowhere near as hilarious as the “My Cubicle” parody. BK]

category: Humor, Popular Culture, Rhetoric and Poetics, Television    

[Best commercial or greatest commercial? A hilarious parody of Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” from Rocky III. BK]

category: Humor, Popular Culture, Rhetoric and Poetics, Television    

Entertainment Weekly is giving the world a sneak peek at Stephen Colbert’s new comic book series, entitled Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen. The five-issue series features art by Scott Chantler, of Northwest Passage fame, and follows the intergalactic adventures of Jansen, the hero of a sci-fi novel that Colbert’s Comedy Central host character claims to have written. The title is a nod to William Shatner’s TekWar series. -Megan Grittani-Livingston

category: Comics, Popular Culture, Rhetoric and Poetics, Television    

While fast food tie-ins are still a major part of generating hype for a new film, today Hollywood seeks larger and more creative means to create buzz. Call it organic, viral or guerrilla marketing.

The latest incarnation came this week when 7-Eleven transformed 12 of its convenience stores into caricatures of the Kwik-E-Mart as part of a promotion for “The Simpsons Movie.” -Scott Mayerowitz

category: Humor, Popular Culture, Rhetoric and Poetics, Television