nostalgia

The holidays are a time for reflecting on cherished memories. For some people, this means recalling special moments with loved ones and celebrating past accomplishments. For me, it means wallowing in all of the pop culture I liked when I was a kid. Remember the Claymation Christmas Celebration? Or the time you got that She-Ra action figure? Sure you do. And if the friends and family on your gift list this year are like the rest of the Internet (and me) in their nostalgia for times recently gone by, here are some gift ideas, sorted by type. Fire up the Betamaxmas and let's do this!

Say what you will about Old Navy, its ad team knows their audience. They got the attention of late-twenty-early-thirtysomethings with a Blossom reunion, a 90210 reunion, and now they've brought America's Sweethearts: 1997 Edition to the small screen and crammed 'em inside of a boombox. That's right—Backstreet's Back!


Alright!

Welcome back to another episode of Bitch Popaganda! Tune in as Kjerstin, Kelsey, and Kristin discuss '90s nostalgia and Project Runway; then get whisked away to the movies to hear Andi, Jacob, and Kelsey's review of The Change-Up. Plus, Bitch faves!



Links after the jump!

Lots of songs are slow, but to recall the awkward, needlessly dramatic tradition of the junior or senior high school "slow dance," tunes need to have several additional qualities for me:

• They must speak of a love most intense and cinematic.
• They must have a late-'90s sensibility, regardless of when they were actually recorded.
• They must sound just... so pretty, despite my initial desire to dislike them out of cynicism.

Tracks and space for your own jams after the jump!

Life was wonderful and simple when I was queen of the prom, when all that seemed to matter was how cute you were? And I was very cute. Just thinking about those days that are so gone depresses me. Everything depresses me today. Especially my own life.

Jessica and Elizabeth are back, and they are as inconsistent, problematic and riveting as ever. Read on for fangirlisms, mild spoilers, and thoughts on whether Francine Pascal is just making fun of us.

At some point in discussions about being childfree, the inevitable "I don't contribute to overpopulation" argument shows up. It's one of the most complicated for an environmentalist like me because taking that stance immediately implies others do not care for the world in the same way that the speaker does. That's a subjective assessment that is just not true.

The remake of The Karate Kid surprised many Hollywood insiders–worn down by under-performing overly hyped films (Robin Hood, Sex and the City, Killers) and the audience's reluctance to shell out upwards of $17 for gimmicky 3D summer releases–by ringing up an impressive $56mil over the weekend.