Living under a rock? Don’t worry! For all your secondhand pop culture news, check out the Thrift Pop.
Royal Babies Born
Are you the kind of person who enjoys reading about babies born into the kind of power, wealth, and importance you couldn’t even begin to achieve through a lifetime of hard work and patience? Then this summer was the most exciting for you since the last time a panda gave birth.
Kim Kardashian gave birth to a baby girl in mid June. The baby was born into a dynasty of famous… let’s say “reality show stars.” With a mother worth $40 million, a father worth $100 million, and a name like North West, it seems as though this baby is already set to go places.
If that wasn’t enough for all you fans of apparently important infants, Duchess Kate Middleton gave birth to the royal baby, Prince George Alexander, Louis on July 22. This baby is so important that no one even bothers to learn his last name. He’s just “Prince George,” and you should already know who that is.
Until those royal babies do something to earn their titles, we can finally stop pretending that we care about them and let them be royal pains for their royal parents.
Song of the Summer: The Great Debate
When it comes to songs of the summer, I’m a huge fan. From “Alone” by Heart (1987) to Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” (2012), I can’t get enough!
This year, the title seemed to have been taken by Daft Punk with their hit song, “Get Lucky.” For a while, it was played everywhere. Jimmy Fallon incorporated it into numerous bits on his show, “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” which seemed like a sure sign that it would be taking its place in summer song history.
Unfortunately for Daft Punk, another song was climbing the charts. That song was “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke, and its catchy R&B feel wormed its way into listeners’ ears. The song had been released quietly, but several commercial spots sent it skyrocketing to the number one spot on the Billboard charts. Thicke also gained public attention through his controversial lyrics and music video. The deal was sealed by Stephen Colbert, who declared “Blurred Lines” to be the official song of the summer when Thicke appeared on his show, “The Colbert Report,” in place of Daft Punk.
Robin Thicke may have snagged the top spot on the Billboard charts this time, but maybe next year it’ll be Daft Punk’s turn to get lucky.
Twelfth Doctor Actor Announced
The news that Matt Smith, the eleventh incarnation of the Doctor on the BBC’s wildly popular sci-fi show,
“Doctor Who,” rocked the show’s fanbase to its core. (That fanbase, coincidentally, includes all of Britain. You can’t dislike “Doctor Who” there; it’s a law. That’s why Joe Krider’s (‘13) dad was forced to leave.)
After the announcement, “Doctor Who” fans- or “Whovians,” as they’re known to the internet- waited with bated breath to find out who the next incarnation of the Doctor would be. On August 4, the wait was over; Peter Capaldi, the 55-year-old actor best known for his portrayals of gritty, foul-mouthed characters, will be taking over after this coming season’s Christmas special. Merry Christmas, Whovians!
Death of Glee Star Cory Monteith
Tragedy struck the cast of popular musical TV show Glee when star Cory Monteith was found dead of an overdose in his hotel room in Vancouver, Canada on July 13. Monteith, who was 31 at the time of his death, played quarterback and glee club heartthrob Finn Hudson.
After his death, fans and paparazzi alike respected the Glee cast’s privacy while they grieved. Lea Michele, girlfriend and co-star to Monteith, gave a moving speech a month after his death, her first public appearance since that night. Keeping back tears, Michele said of Monteith, “We were very lucky to witness his incredible talent, his handsome smile, and his beautiful, beautiful heart.”
As for the fate of Finn Hudson, Glee’s writers plan for him to die along with the actor who brought him to life. A memorial episode is in the works, and the show’s creator, Ryan Murphy, says it will be “a celebration of [Finn’s] life.”
~Rachel A. Schrock