Popshifter - shifting the tone of pop culture criticism

Time 2020-06-20 15:05:40

Web Name: Popshifter - shifting the tone of pop culture criticism

WebSite: http://popshifter.com

ID:5961

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the,tone,Popshifter,

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After ten years in existence, it’s time to say goodbye to Popshifter. We will continue to publish articles until December 31 of this year. After that, Popshifter will remain online as an archive-only website. Popshifter will continue to exist on both Facebook and Twitter.La Jetée, 1962Don’t worry; the current crew of Popshifter writers will still be publishing our work, albeit at a variety of different locations. Before I get into those details, though, here is some history.I started Popshifter in 2007 as a way to push back against what I saw as the snarky, cynical tone that represented the bulk of the online discourse on pop culture. It was also an opportunity for me to challenge myself: Could I develop an online publication with a specific manifesto? Would other people want to participate?The answer to both questions turned out to be yes. Although Popshifter began by producing bi-monthly issues, we incorporated a blog onto the site in 2009. In 2012, after 27 issues, Popshifter made the switch to blog-only, and that’s how it’s been ever since.Over the last ten years, I’ve worked with close to 100 writers. I am grateful to all of them for taking part in this eclectic experiment, especially since Popshifter was a non-paying gig. We have never accepted advertising and no one has ever gotten paid, including me. Some of those writers write for the site only occasionally or they have moved on to other projects, but they should all be thanked individually, as they were “early adopters” and dedicated writers who helped the site find its voice, and Popshifter would not exist without their contributions: Lisa Anderson, Cait Brennan, Emily Carney, Paul Casey, Julie Finley, Hanna, Brad Henderson, J. Howell, Jemiah Jefferson, Matt Keeley, John Lane, Christian Lipski, Maureen, Megashaun, Michelle Patterson, Danny R. Phillips, Jesse Roth, Noreen Sobczyk, and Chelsea Spear.Over the last few years, Popshifter downsized to a core team of devoted writers and I owe them all an enormous debt for their hard work, creativity, and an unflagging determination to keep things running smoothly:Melissa Bratcher, Hanna, E.A. Henson, Sachin Hingoo, Tyler Hodg, Jeffery X Martin, Tim Murr, and Laury Scarbro. I’d also like to thank all of the PR folks who have supported Popshifter over the years. The list is far too long to name all of you, but special thanks go to:Cary Baker (Conqueroo), Matt Ingham (Cherry Red), Jessica Linker and Jacob Daneman (Pitch Perfect PR), Clint Weiler (Arrow/MVD), Valerie Burnatowski (Environics PR), Brian Carmody (Orange Media Relations), Sadari Cunningham (Fetch Publicity), Trevor DeBrauw (Biz3), Jim Flammia (All Eyes Media), Daniel Gill (Force Field PR), Chris Hansell (Sacred Bones/Dais Records/Blackest Ever Black), Billy James (Glass Onyon PR), Bob Lugowe (Relapse Records), Krista Mettler (Skye Media), Rey Roldan (Reybee), Mike Turner (Crashing Through Publicity), Ryan Werner (Cinetic Media), Leah Visser and Chris Allicock (of the now defunct Amberlight), and everyone at Clutch PR, Girlie Action Media, Image Entertainment, Scream Factory/Shout Factory, Wild Eye Releasing, and Vinegar Syndrome. If there is anyone I have forgotten, please know that it was not done on purpose!One of the outcomes of running Popshifter was that I was able to write for other sites, including Bramptonist, Biff Bam Pop, Diabolique Magazine, Dirge Magazine, Everything Is Scary, Modern Horrors, Rue Morgue, The Cultural Gutter, The ScreamCast, The Toronto International Film Festival Midnight Madness and Vanguard Blogs (RIP), and Vague Visages. I have had my work appear in print in Rue Morgue magazine as well as Rue Morgue Library #10: Women With Guts. I’ve also had a chapter published in Spectacular Optical’s second book Satanic Panic: Pop-Cultural Paranoia of the 1980s, with another chapter to be published in December in their Yuletide Terror book.I’ll still be contributing to several of these fine publications, and will continue to welcome press releases in order to write about music, movies, TV, books, and much more.As one of the editors at the excellent Biff Bam Pop, I have extended an invitation to the current team of Popshifter writers to come and join us there. I am hopeful that musicians, filmmakers, and other artists will still be interested in contributing to Popshifter’s annual Best Of Lists (eight years and counting!), which will find a new home over at Biff Bam Pop.Last but not least, thank you to all of the Popshifter fans for reading, commenting, sharing, and supporting independent media!If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Leslie Hatton, a.k.a. Less Lee MooreBy Tim MurrThis July marks the 40th anniversary of Wes Craven s landmark horror classic The Hills Have Eyes. It s a story about an east coast American family taking a trip through the desert when they are besieged by a family of cannibals. The cannibals are loosely based on the real life Sawney Bean clan from the UK, known for attacking and eating travelers. Eventually, the Bean family was arrested and brutally put to death. Continue reading Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes Turns 40 By Tim MurrAlice Cooper, 69 years young, has reunited with three members of the original Alice Cooper Band and hit the road to support their new album, Paranormal. This will be the first new Alice album in six years and the first with Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway, and Neal Smith since 1973 s Muscle Of Love. On the official Alice website you can find videos of the reunited group playing in Nashville recently(with a current member of Alice s touring band standing in for the departed Glen Buxton). They sound fantastic.Alice himself still looks good, but who knows how many more years anyone has, so if Alice comes to your town, try not to miss it! I saw him on the Theater of Death Tour a few years ago and then a year or so later playing with Iron Maiden and the shows were phenomenal.So in honor of a new Alice album I thought I d make you an imaginary mix tape of the top 20 best deep tracks from across Alice s storied career! Continue reading Top 20 Alice Cooper Deep Cuts By Tim MurrThis week marked the series finale of A E s Bates Motel, a show that many people, myself included, was suspicious of as soon as the series was announced. However, I was won over within the first couple of episodes. I enjoyed the numerous subplots that ran through the five seasons, none of which related back to the original film or book, namely the marijuana and sex slave trades. I also liked the change of setting to Oregon (remember, Hitchcock changed the setting from the novel as well), and nearly all the characters invented for the show and the changes made to the original characters. Yes, at times it was hard to reconcile the show with the film and novel, but when I was able to let go and just enjoy the show as its own thing, that s when watching Bates Motel became one of the most engrossing and rewarding shows on TV, something it had no reason to be. Continue reading Farewell and Thank You to the Makers of Bates Motel (Expect Spoilers)

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