Best in Show (Business)

As 2009 winds down, I figured it would be appropriate to mention 5 pop-culture phenomenons in this year that, in my humble opinion, really shook the zeitgeist in the best way. And to all the "twi-hards" out there, I'm not a fan of sappy soft-core porn marketed to creepy women who hit on 17-year-olds. So don't complain about me not mentioning those crazy bloodless (irony?) movies.

5.) Adam Lambert

This glam-rocking, fellatio-simulating, Elisabeth Hasselbeck-enraging 27-year-old had one hell of a year. And boy was it entertaining to follow. Color me biased, but I was on the Lambert train every since he blew us all away with his rendition of Tears for Fear's "Mad World". Lambert is everything a megastar should be --he's provocative, intriguing, controversial, and best of all: entertaining. I guess he really had thought that out when he titled his debut album, For Your Entertainment.

4.) Up in the Air



Jason Reitman's third directorial endeavor proved the old "third time's the charm" theory. That's not to say that his previous two films were anything but fantastic. Up in the Air is just one of those movies that means to shake you and masterfully succeeds. The story, which revolves around a corporate "termination facilitator" during this time of great economic turbulence, manages to humanize a man that many people would not be able to resonate with. George Clooney's performance is a thing of beauty as he combines clever wit and charm with underlying pain and vulnerability. Up in the Air is, in my opinion, the best picture of the year.

3.) Glee



Few shows have the bravado to combine musical theater with authentic real-life drama and succeed. Glee does that and then some. It's characters, which are hilariously clichéd façades with underlying heartbreak are the type of people you would love to meet in real life. Despite the vocal mastery and stage presence of the glee club performers, Jane Lynch's Sue Sylvester is the show's best asset. Combining her trademark deadpan with brutal comedic honesty, Lynch brews a recipe for side-splitting humor that gives the word "glee" a whole new meaning. Glee works because, it' funny, true to itself, often heartwarming, and overall a gleeful experience to partake in.

2.) Avatar



Sure, it hasn't even come out in theaters yet (go see it December 18th) but Avatar, James Cameron's 10-year-old brainchild, is supposedly the gateway to the future of film-making. Combining breath-taking visual effects and 3-D technology, the Oscar-winning director has presented this epic as his next Titanic. With a budget of half a billion dollars, it sure as hell has to be as successful as Titanic to even make a profit. Regardless, the sheer amount of massive buzz surrounding this film is enough to catapult it to the number 2 spot on this list.

1.) Lady Gaga



It's fitting that I began this list with a provocative pop star and ended it with another. Lady Gaga is, without a doubt, the breakout star of 2009. A pop goddess, a stunning fashionista, a gay rights activist, Gaga blasted her way into the pop-culture world with her smash hit, "Just Dance". Her debut album, the Fame, has sold millions of copies and her new EP album, the Fame Monster is on well on it's way to surpassing that amount. Gaga's performances have become a staple of the music industry. From bleeding on stage to smashing vodka bottles on a flaming piano, Gaga's dramatic prowess makes her the force to be reckoned with. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who influenced the pop-culture world this year more than Lady Gaga.

Until next time,

The Guy in the (Not so) Horn-Rimmed Glasses

P.S. Due to exams and such, I will not be able to post until sometime next week. But look forward to that post, I promise it'll be a good one!

Questions? Concerns? Advice? Insults? Lay em' on me!