The PopCulteer
January 3, 2025

I had a big PopCulteer column planned for today, and…it ain’t happening. Life intervened.

So now it’s time for my big weekly essay, and I have to improvise.

Back in the early days of this blog I used to do a “rant week” at the end of the year.  Not having the energy or the time to do that now, means that you’re going to get some random, unsorted opinions and observations from your humble blogger, in no particular order, and definitely not of any set length.

Keep in mind that some of my opinions are about food. I have food allergies and some idiosyncratic tastes when it comes to food, and I do not mean for my observations to be perceived as insults directed toward people who like the things I can’t or don’t eat.  I am not food-shaming anyone here. These are just my opinions, and as they say, opinions are like assholes, everybody’s got one.

Speaking of assholes, I absolutely can’t stand the taste of Ranch dressing.  I would imagine that it might taste like assholes.

Part of me thinks that I should promote this post as having “400% more assholes,” since I think I’ve only used that word once in PopCult before now.

One of the big non-stories in Charleston this year was the non-opening of the huge aquatic center that was announced with much fanfare back in 2022.  When it was announced, I had a lot of questions.  None of those questions have been answered.  Macy’s has been torn down, and at some point the plans were dramatically scaled back, resulting in the aquatic center part of the aquatic center being excised. Now it’s just a sports complex. Makes you wonder if maybe these plans should have been crafted in the sunlight, instead of behind closed doors.

The fate of the beautiful (on the outside) Charleston Municipal Auditorium is still up in the air. I’m sure Rodney Loftis has a big ol’ demolition boner at the thought of levelling another of our city’s historic landmarks, but I really hope that this time…for once…sanity prevails and they manage to save the Art Deco facade and update the insides of the building for modern times.

My fear is that this is where they plan to stick the aquatic center that they don’t have room for at the mall anymore.

That once-vital stretch of Charleston, West of Downtown, looks like a post-apocalyptic wasteland now. While that is pretty cool in and of itself, it’ll be nice to see if anything actually gets built there.

Speaking of the mall, are there any stores left there?

On a completely different topic, I might be alone in thinking this, but I think maybe, thousands of years ago, society took a wrong turn when we normalized alcoholism. As a non-drinker it amazes me that so many people can’t even consider going anywhere or doing anything (or listening to live music) without having a drink handy. I realize I’m in a tiny minority here, but I can’t imagine anybody who ever got sick drunk once ever getting sick drunk a second time. I say this as someone who’s never been drunk, so maybe I’m missing something here.

I am perfectly content missing that, by the way.

Earlier this evening I was joking around with my lovely wife and went off on a tongue-in-cheek demented and nonsensical rant, and at the end, I came up with the perfect ending, “Hey, you might not believe me, but you can look it up…every word I used is in the dictionary!”

I think it would be really cool if the city of Charleston would consider restoring some of the public art that has faded in the sunlight, or has been removed entirely.

Isn’t it about time for Burger King to bring back the Italian Chicken Sandwich. I mean,it’s been a year or so.

A word of advice to all restaurants…as many people absolutely HATE chipotle, jalopeno, wasabi and ghost pepper as love them. Maybe don’t assume everybody likes to feel like they’ve ingested battery acid and offer some less intense options.

I have never seen the appeal of chicken wings as food, even more so when they are drenched in some awful hot sauce.

I like the pepperoni rolls you find at Kroger’s bakery better than the “genuine” ones you find in Fairmont and Clarksburg. Those “genunine” pepperoni rolls are like somebody pushed stick pepperoni into a day-old bagel.

I find that the new local movie reviewer for the Charleston Gazette-Mail is quite useful because he hates every movie I like, and he slobbers all over every movie I don’t. That means he still serves a purpose. Kudos to him.

There’s something surreal about having vivid memories of things that happened sixty years ago.  It’s even more surreal when you remember them when you can’t think of why you went to the kitchen.

One of the great mysteries of the art world, even moreso than the true identity of the Mona Lisa, has to be, “Which one of those dogs playing poker won the game?”

And does that mean he took home the kitty?

Are they gonna change the name from “CyberTruck” to “CyberPinto?”

I still can’t figure out why I like pickles but can’t stand cucumbers.

Bacon and eggs do not belong in salads. You folks are mistaking it for breakfast.

It still seems weird that Drug Emporium no longer has pharmacies. I hope Art Emporium isn’t getting any funny ideas.

Now that Joe Manchin is completely irrelevant, can we please stop talking about him?

Why is it that, when I go into a record store that sells vinyl, my first inclination is to rush to where the albums are that I already have copies of?

I am probably  one of the few people looking forward to what happens when the folks who own Roses Department Stores take over Big Lots. I love me some cheesy knockoff toys.

I don’t really plan to watch Wicked. I know the show has some great songs in it, but the original Wizard of Oz was one of the first books I remember reading, and as a long-time comic book reader, I’m pretty much done with “grim and gritty reboots.” I just dont think I can get past the changes.

And that is this week’s half-assed PopCulteer. Check back every day for fresh content, even when I have to make it up on the spur of the moment.