Pop Xulture Newsletter # 10 - End of 2022 Favorites
Happy end of 2022 and kick off to 2023! I’m doing a different Newsletter format for this end-of-year special. Below you’ll find: (1) A list of my 2022 articles, (2) My media favorites consumed this year, (3) Books read for my 1982 vs. 2022 article, and finally, (4) some of the cool stuff I’m working on for the new year. Enjoy!
#1 - My 2022 Articles
The Princess Bride (to Be), Across the Sea, and the Importance of Story (Substack Exclusive)
Being the Ricardos: Like Lipstick for Chocolate (Substack Exclusive)
Why Are Dr. Rick's Progressive Ads Actually Traditional Comedy?
Creativity, Part 1 (Substack Exclusive)
For My Mental Health I Repeatedly Watched One Episode of Ted Lasso
Moon Knight, Jesus, and Why Adaptations Succeed Once in a Blue Moon (Substack Exclusive)
The Bob's Burgers Movie: Hope and Hijinks for the American Family
Creativity, Part 2 – Play and Procrastinate (Substack Exclusive)
Thanksgiving Episodes Referencing Citizen Kane (Substack Exclusive)
Daughters and Daddies: Giving Louise, Eleven, and Kamala the Confidence They Need
The Big Bang Theory’s Healthy Sexual Adjuration (Substack Exclusive)
Cole Burgett’s The Lost Son: The Horror of an Unabsolved Homecoming
Interview with Cole Burgett on “The Lost Son” Series (Substack Exclusive)
1982: Music’s Incredible Year - How the Industry Changed Its Tune & Struck a Chord (Substack Exclusive)
“1982 vs. 2022: Greed vs. Giving” – slated to publish with Christ and Pop Culture on 1/2/23
#2 - All Media Favorites Consumed (But Not Necessarily Created) in 2022
I enjoyed some great media this year and wanted to share. Additionally, I read more books than what’s mentioned below, if you want to see my list go to: Chris Fogle’s Goodreads. Here’s a smattering of what I consumed (with sporadic commentary):
TV Shows
Doctor Who, Series 13 - I relate to time travelers because this season felt like forever, airing over an entire year. But I enjoyed the “Flux” story arc (which I wrote about here) and loved “The Power of the Doctor” episode so much I bought the DVD.
Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities
MCU (Marvel), specifically She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Ms. Marvel, and Moon Knight
Murderville
Only Murders in the Building, Season 2 - Possibly the funnies show I watched this year.
The Rehearsal - This wins my “Most Uncomfortable” award. I hadn’t seen Nathan Fielder in anything prior to this show. The YouTube algorithm knew I wanted to try out his brand of humor months in advance by constantly pushing me to see “Nathan Fielder Brought Susan Sarandon As A Back-Up Guest” on Conan. But Fielder’s show The Rehearsal is so awkward and intriguing it reminded me of an un-scripted version of Season 1 of The Office (U.S.).
Sandman
Severance
Stranger Things, Season 4
Welcome to Wrexham
Movies
A Christmas Story Christmas – True to the humor and spirit of the 1983 classic. I only wish it came out in 2023 so I could use it in my ’80s comparison article next year!
The Batman
Bullet Train
Don’t Worry Darling
Good Night Oppy
Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Us – I’m not a big horror fan so it shouldn’t be surprising that it took me this long to watch these. But they were really good, made me think for days after watching, and I’m looking forward to Nope.
MCU (Marvel), specifically Werewolf by Night and Thor: Love and Thunder
Spirited – Probably the best new holiday movie I watched this year. Self-aware and fully aware of A Christmas Carol lore, while breaking with traditions (and straddling the PG-13 ratings).
Werewolves Within
Books
A Multitude of All Peoples by Vince Bantu
A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay
The Martian by Andy Weir
The Savage Beard of She Dwarf by Kyle Latino (graphic novel)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Tom Waltz (graphic novel)
Music
Gloryhammer (band) – I routinely listen to the albums “Space 1992: Rise of the Chaos Wizards” and “Legends from Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex” and was pleasantly surprised with new singer Sozos Michael’s first offering in “Fly Away.”
Bloodywood (band) – various songs
Memphis May Fire (band) - “Remade in Misery” (album)
Phinehas (band) – “The Fire Itself” (album)
twenty one pilots (band) – “Scaled and Icy” (album)
Wage War (band) – “Manic” (album) – I enjoy the whole album but for some reason the lyrics, music, and images from the song “Manic” haunt me…in a good way.
We Butter the Bread with Butter (band) – “Das Album” (um…album)
#3 – Books I Read for my 1982 vs. 2022 Article
As you can see from the unbalanced list below, I went overboard on reading 1982 books. I certainly don’t regret reading any of these but in terms of time efficiency, I’ll be reading a fraction of this number for 1983. Below is the list with a brief summary for each.
1982 Books:
The Gift of Giving by Wayne Watts (1982). This book gave me the idea to have the greed and giving themes for my article. But it was also personally incredibly impactful, helping me to understand tithing properly. I highly recommend.
Different Seasons by Stephen King (1982). This novella collects the short stories Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil, The Body, and The Breathing Method (but I forgot to read the last one). I wrote up a partial section from Apt Pupil, tying Putin to rumors of him being a Nazi but it didn’t fit into my article.
Between Heaven & Hell: A Dialog Somewhere Beyond Death with John F. Kennedy, C.S. Lewis & Aldous Huxley by Peter Kreeft (1982). As speaker for the dead, Kreeft came up with a very creative book. Realizing all three of these men died on the same day, the author hypothesizes what their conversation would look like in purgatory. I recommend.
Moon Knight (1980-1984) by Doug Moench. I read several of the 1982 comics before using untitled #16 for my comparison article. If you’re looking for something fun and cheesy check out #15 from 1982 – Splinter spoiler: there is a rat man.
Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman (1982). A surprisingly interesting explanation on why the film industry does what it does. Yes, some of it isn’t relevant 40 years later but a lot of it is and there are many, many cool stories sprinkled throughout. I recommend.
A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami (1982). A weird story about an untitled protagonist who must find a special (literal) sheep.
Discovering God’s Will by Sinclair Ferguson (1982). A thought provoking look at how to discern the will of God for your life. I recommend.
2022 Books:
Moon Knight, Vol. 1: The Midnight Mission by Jed Mackay and Alessandro Cappuccio (2022). A pretty good book – I gave more thoughts here.
Agents of Flourishing by Amy Sherman (2022). Offers a framework to participate in God’s redemptive mission in six spheres of civilized life. I have only read a few chapters (since I found what I needed in order to meet my deadline) but am looking forward to finishing it. I recommend.
#4 - Upcoming in 2023
I’ve got some exciting plans for 2023. In the first quarter I plan to write on the TV shows Welcome to Wrexham and Severance as well as the documentary film Good Night Oppy. I’m also going to do a series for Christ and Pop Culture on films that premiered in 1993. The focus won’t be a direct comparison from 1993 to 2023 (like my 1980 vs. 2020 series), but why the film was impactful in 1993 (or grew to cult status) and how it has impacted culture over the last thirty years.
And I finally decided to join Instagram via handle: ChrisFogleNerdWriter. My wonderful wife has been posting all my writing under that hashtag, so you can find years of my stuff under #ChrisFogleNerdWriter. But now I’ll actually be posting content on there (here’s my first post wishing you a happy NY and the internet a happy birthday). My wife is really good with the Instas and since she’ll be managing the account, you’re sure to see some different stuff from me. Feel free to suggest what I should do!
I hope you enjoyed my year end lists. If there is a different format you would like for next year or if you’d like lists like this more often let me know in the comments (or email me directly at: fogle.christopher@gmail.com). Also, if I missed any good media please share it…again in the comments.
Thanks, in Him,
-Chris (the Bearded Wonder) Fogle