Culture Archives - Page 13 of 34 - Postcards from The Pug Bus

Postcards from The Pug Bus

Lifting a satirical leg on pop culture since 2004

Persons in the Ether

Question of the Week

Pasta or rice?

Judith Mercer, 64, retired dental-office receptionist

Allegedly twirling responsibly at 28 Rotini Lane, Scranton, PA

Pasta. Rice is perfectly respectable, but nobody has ever brought out a steaming bowl of rice and made me feel that the evening had suddenly improved. Pasta has occasion to it. Rice feels like somebody remembered we needed a side dish.

Raymond Givens, 57, commercial awning estimator

Allegedly measuring portions at 311 Long Grain Road, Tulsa, OK

Rice. It knows its job and doesn't make a production out of it. You put something on rice, and rice gets out of the way. Pasta wants sauce, cheese, garlic bread and everybody's attention. I already have relatives like that.

Brenda Kessler, 46, assistant manager at a self-storage facility

Allegedly keeping both options available at 9 Starch Crossing, Peoria, IL

Pasta on weekdays, rice on weekends. I realize most people would do that the other way around, but most people have never successfully managed three hundred and twelve storage units. Systems matter. Once you start improvising with carbohydrates, other standards begin to slip.

Some comebacks don’t need subtlety, just extra napkins.”

Culture

Hooters Comeback: The Owls Bounce Again

philmaggitti cultural commentary 12 months

In a stunning act of culinary necromancy, the original founders of Hooters have seized back the reins of their orange-shorted empire, vowing a Hooters Comeback… Read More

A whimsical illustration of an elderly, balding guitarist, in sandals, playing in the Afterlife Lounge on a pink cloud, attended by a grand piano, chimes, and ambient stars.

Zzzzzzzz.

Culture Music

New Age Music: Now Playing in the Afterlife Lounge

philmaggitti cultural commentary, music 12 months

New Age music, once the shimmering soundtrack of crystal shops and yoga VHS tapes everywhere, has entered its twilight years, if not its twilight dimension… Read More

Talor Swift's corset illustration appears on Gutfeld! to explain what she meant in the song "Wood."

"Ya see, wood means ..."

Culture

Taylor Swift’s Corset Declares Its Independence

philmaggitti cultural commentary 12 months

Taylor Swift’s Corset has rejected its status as mere accessory and now operates as a sovereign diplomatic entity with its own press credentials, velvet entourage,… Read More

A man in ornate robes laughs uncontrollably, embodying The Day of Laughing Until You Cry—a canonical entry in the Perfect-day-Taxonomy.

Fourteen?!? Only 14? You kidding me?

Culture

The Fourteen Flawless Days of the Caliph: A Perfect-day-Taxonomy

philmaggitti cultural commentary 12 months

In the twilight of his reign, 912 to 961 CE, Abd al-Rahman III Caliph of CÃ³rdoba, master of palaces, gardens, harems, and armies–sat beneath the… Read More

Four new Crocs styles arranged against a beige background — a red cosmic platform pair, black LED-lit clogs, gray fuzzy Crocs, and green holographic Croc boots glowing faintly — showcasing the absurd extremes of new Crocs styles.

Looking for a shark to jump.

Culture

New Crocs Styles Have Exhausted Every Option Known to Man

philmaggitti cultural commentary 12 months

If you thought Crocs had already pushed the boundaries of weird footwear, get ready to weep. It is official: New Crocs Styles have exhausted every… Read More

Roger Daltrey of The Who in performance, hitting himself in the head with a swinging microphone, his pot belly visible beneath a tight navy t-shirt—capturing the tragic comedy of aging rock stardom.

"Ouch! Mother-fucker.

Culture Music

The Who Threatened with Deportation by President Trump

As told to The Pug Bus cultural commentary, music, trump 1 year

Look, I’ve always been a huuuuuge fan of rock and roll. Big fan of The Who. Tremendous music. But what’s happening with them–The Two, really–is… Read More

Morgan Wallen performing live on stage in a trucker hat, stadium crowd cheering, symbolizing his post-scandal comeback.

Morgan Wallen went from “canceled” to packing stadiums faster than you can say “hold my beer.”

Culture

Morgan Wallen vs. Cancel Culture: Who Really Got Canceled?

philmaggitti cultural commentary, Morgan Wallen 1 year

One blurry TMZ video, one slurred word, one cancel culture tantrum–and Morgan Wallen became the biggest name in country music–if not all music. Before that,… Read More

A transgender woman with a thought balloon that reads "Born that way."

"My name used to be Robert."

Culture

How Newsrooms Preach the Transgender Gospel

T.J. Eckleburg cultural commentary 1 year

(The tail is wagging the transgender dog, much to no one’s surprise.) The Numbers Behind the Transgender Noise According to the Williams Institute at UCLA,… Read More