A Misanthrope’s Guide to the Clean Girl Aesthetic

I keep seeing this Clean Girl aesthetic everywhere online, accompanied by a litany of Clean Girl “rules” to follow. I dunno. It sounds pretty insulting to everyone else. Like you’re just a Dirty Skank if you’re not a Clean Girl. Why not just call it, “Basic Bitch, Fresh Out of the Shower”? Essentially, the Clean Girl aesthetic takes the "no-makeup makeup look" to obnoxious levels, ...

In Defense of Halloween III: Season of the Witch

As a devout fan of the genre, I've often found myself defending some of my choices of horror movies. Despite being a "genre of the people," horror snobs sometimes sneer down their noses at certain flicks for one reason or another. One such film that gets a lot of flack is Halloween III: Season of the Witch.  Released in 1982, this unfairly maligned, redheaded stepchild of ...

The Ethics of AI

Disclaimer: This blog post was written by a living, breathing writer with years of experience honing their craft. But I'm sure some AI app is going to scrape this blog and attempt to recycle it elsewhere. Eat me.  In recent months, artificial intelligence (AI) and the ethics of its usage has become a hot topic among professionals and recreational dabblers alike. From Lensa AI generated art ...

Breakfast Sandwich Showdown: Wawa Sizzli vs. Dunkin’ Sweet Pepper Bacon Croissant

With the weather getting nicer and being short on ideas, I thought I'd kick it back to the old days of reviewing fast food items -- specifically, fast food items garnished with bacon. Having a hankering for something substantial-yet-salty, I decided to compare two take-away breakfast sandwiches comprised of bacon, egg, and cheese on a croissant: Dunkin' Donuts' Sweet Pepper Bacon Croissant and Wawa's Bacon ...

The Death Box: A Non-Existent Product You’ll Love!

I'll be the first to admit that I've got my weird moments. I'll also probably be the last to judge you harshly for your own. Will I laugh? Oh, you betcha... But I won't judge. With that sentiment in mind, I recently read about a product called 21 Grams, a memory box that contains essential elements to remind a person of their deceased loved one. I ...

The Politics & Pressure of Prom

Imagine an event so magical and monumental that it involves months of planning and preparation. An event that promises an enchanted evening filled with romance, formal attire, dancing, multiple regrets, and a drain on your bank account.  If you think I'm talking about a wedding, think again. The prom has long held an important place in the high school landscape. (Umm... Carrie, anyone?) However, the importance ...

What’s Shakin’, Bacon Sundae?

In the grand tradition of trying unusual fast food menu items on their first day of nationwide release, I hauled it on over to Burger King today to try the new Bacon Sundae. It's a sad commentary on our dietary culture that bacon has become an ubiquitous garnish, occupying a position that was once the chief domain of parsley. Whereas a sprig of healthy green once ...

Van Halen Gets a Shitty “Tattoo”

In a recent installment, I ran down a list of unintentionally hilarious moments in hair metal history. At the time, I wrongly assumed that accidental humor was the sole proprietorship of rock videos made between 1985 and 1995. Now, it's 2012 and seminal pop metal band Van Halen not only resurrected David Lee Roth as their lead singer, but they've also brought back unintentional humor in ...

Take This Bird and Stuff It: A Cynic’s Guide to Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving used to be a low-maintenance holiday. Now, with everyone in a mad rush to jump into an early grave, Thanksgiving has become the pre-game show to Christmas. Worse yet, many employers use the three-day Thanksgiving work week to bust the balls of employees and try to squeeze five days worth of work into three. That's if you happen to have a job that closes ...

Do You Remember Rock n’ Roll Radio? Probably Not.

September 2nd, 2011 marked the last day that Philadelphia's 94.1 WYSP was "The Rock Station." Recently, an article in the Philadelphia Business Journal announced that Philly's AM band sports talk radio station, 610 WIP, would be taking over the 94.1 FM frequency. The takeover would be an effort to compete with Philly's other dual-band sports radio station, 97.5 FM The Fanatic (which is virtually a ...