Director's cut — June 2005

June 1, 2005 by Tara Brabazon

Greetings to members and lurkers.

Although my day job is as an academic, at night I am a closet bibliophile and pop cultural collector. During my 6am aerobics classes I invent lists of pop trivia:

• Best pop hair cuts
• Best eyeliner use in a soap opera
• Best use of an Ikea sofa in television
• Best use of a Hunters and Collectors song

And the worst lists.

• Worst tie in television
• Worst boots in popular music
• Worst celebrity use of hair extensions
• Worst attempt by baby boomer rock critique to appear 'down' with the kids

I really don't need other people for this game. I can endlessly summon lists categorising and judging the culture around us.

It always makes us feel more normal (!!) when our particular obsessions are shared with others. That is why it is my absolute pleasure to introduce one of our new members to the Popular Culture Collective, Mary Cull. New members are joining us almost daily, and I welcome each of you. All members find their own space and role in the PCC community, but Mary has found her virtual destiny very early in the piece.

Mary is going to write a monthly column for us titled Mary's Mix Tapes (MMT). Bookmark this site. It is located off the Rhythm and Movement hub. Every month, Mary will share with us a very special list of songs based around a specific topic. I have found her lists completely addictive. While I will not ruin her first column by naming it here, I found myself going through my music database to actually make her mix. I am becoming rather fixated on her titles and monthly collections, and I am sure you will be the same.

Welcome Mary and thank you for the laughter, interest and intelligence you have already added to the site. Have a great month listing, and listening.

Be well — see you in July.

Tara

Permalink