Culture Archives - Postcards from The Pug Bus

Roll the Calls illustration showing a Hollywood agent shouting into a desk phone while his assistant clutches a clipboard beside stacks of paperwork.

The call went well. The other party agreed to stop being wrong.

Roll the Calls Explains How to Succeed in Hollywood Without Ever Lowering Your Voice

Ari Emanuel’s new memoir, Roll the Calls (Knopf), explains how a dyslexic kid from Chicago rose from the Creative Artists Agency mailroom to become one… Read More

Quantum superposition collapses as a man opens his drawer and discovers a sock with a grapefruit-sized hole.

Observation confirms the sock is no longer under warranty.

Culture

Quantum Superposition Explains Household Phenomena

philmaggitti cultural commentary 4 weeks

Quantum superposition is the theory that a particle can occupy several states at once until somebody measures it, thereby forcing nature to stop being mysterious,… Read More

Winning at solitaire gets suspicious as a sly player manipulates real cards while keeping a digital solitaire game open on his computer.

Victory is sweeter when the appeals process is handled entirely in-house.

Culture

Underhanded Guide to Winning at Solitaire

T.J. Eckleburg cultural commentary 1 month

Winning at solitaire, whether played with actual cards or on a screen, requires discipline, discretion, and the ability to think like both a criminal and… Read More

Dolly Parton's breasts are remembered in a sentimental memorial tribute featuring her portrait, flowers, candlelight, rhinestones, and a keepsake.

A touching memorial to two enormous contributors to American culture.

Culture

Dolly Parton’s Breasts Remembered Fondly by Her Peers

Chip Hilton cultural commentary 1 month

As tributes continue to pour in following the death of Dolly Parton at eighty, friends, fellow entertainers, and country music historians are paying homage to… Read More

American Dream tollbooth charges drivers extra fees for basic, plus and premium plans in a satirical cartoon about modern life and opportunity.

The American Dream is still free. Processing the dream is $14.99 a month.

Culture

The American Dream Has Added Additional Fees

T.J. Eckleburg cultural commentary 1 month

Although the American Dream remains available, economists report that several features once included with the basic package now require additional payment. Life remains complimentary, but… Read More

Mysterious grimoire reveals mundane household tips as two scholars examine medieval illustrations of cookware, onions, spilled wine, and lavender.

Centuries of forbidden knowledge, most of it safe for delicate fabrics.

Culture

Mysterious Grimoire Found to Contain Mostly Household Tips

T.J. Eckleburg 1 month

The Codex Tenebris, a mysterious grimoire from the late 14th century, was discovered in June behind a false wall in a monastery outside Prague by… Read More

Is Rhetoric Dead? A satirical funeral scene mourns the art of persuasion as Ethos, Pathos, Logos and Irony gather beside Rhetoric’s open casket.

Rhetoric’s funeral was well attended.

Culture

Is Rhetoric Dead? A Rhetorical Question

T.J. Eckleburg cultural commentary 2 months

Is rhetoric dead? Early reports indicate that the ancient art of persuading people with language rather than simply shouting at them until somebody leaves died… Read More

Arthur surveys driveway clutter while rearranging the garage, convinced every box, broken tool and useless relic has found its perfect place.

After four hours, Arthur successfully reorganized the garage into the exact mess it had been before.

Culture

Local Man Rearranging the Garage Achieves Total Equilibrium

T.J. Eckleburg cultural commentary 2 months

Arthur Monroe, a sixty-two-year-old retired metric conversion consultant, stepped into his single-car garage at seven on Saturday morning with a cup of coffee and a… Read More

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