13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dazzling & Innovative : The Best Pop-Culture Source Around, July 29, 2009
This review is from: Pop Candy (Kindle Edition)
Like many audiences across the globe, I get my news and information from various sources, but for the entire last year, my one-stop source for anything remotely related to American (and even British!) pop culture, has been Pop Candy, run and maintained by the effervescent Whitney Matheson. Seriously, if pop culture is your thing, look no further. To her credit, Matheson has unknowingly introduced me to many of my current staples - and she has broadened my musical horizons as well, with her choice recommendations (I'd say that her blog is one that could possibly result in an increase of legal digital downloads - since her recommendations are so spot-on).
A couple of observations - Whitney Matheson seems to be the kind of person who takes her job very seriously. For the rest of the world, this might seem like an easy job to do - but considering how many movies, TV shows, magazines, books and publications she has to wade through before she makes her recommendations, this cannot possibly be an easy task. That said, she makes it a point to actually understand and absorb the product she is either promoting or spotlighting, and also tells us quite frankly when she isn't familiar with something in particular. I found this very refreshing as she by no means acts like a one-stop authority on every bit of pop culture under the sun.
Especially interesting are her daily highlights - a collection of bullet points with links to external sites with the relevant article - most of these focus on some of her own favorite shows - I see a huge interest towards Joss Whedon ("Dollhouse", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") and "Battlestar Galactica", but it must be noted that it was Matheson who introduced me to the world of Battlestar Galactica in a random post she made about the show about a year ago. Since then, the show has gone on to become one of my all-time favorites, rivaling even my love for "The Golden Girls" and "The Nanny" (I know, weird choices, but what can I say!)
Matheson is also groundbreaking in introducing somewhat unknown British shows to American audiences. For example, the original "Life on Mars" and the rather recent "Torchwood" were largely unknown by American audiences, but Matheson makes it a point to update us on show trivia and even DVD release dates. Her "Release of the Week" section is the most interesting part, for me, because 9 times out of 10, the DVD she recommends is either something I have been wanting, or something that I discover I actually need - how she is so tuned in to a pop culture sensibility I'll never know, but she is.
Pop Candy also travels around - the recent Comic-Con was well covered, and the site also spotlights a reader/fan of the blog every now and then, with a hilarious list of things that interest them or listings of famous people they've met. This sort of demonstrates to the world at large the kind of audience that visits the page, and really, its a niche audience that has a very different kind of vibe - something that resonated with me very well. Pop Candy is, for me, the only place I'd need to visit everyday in case I need to know whats happening in the world of independent music, for instance. Some of her choices in the past, for instance (Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear) are today all well established acts, and its through Pop Candy that I discovered the brilliance of "Mad Men", "Dr. Who", and most recently, "Burn Notice", which I just cannot wait to see completely.
Whitney Matheson also has a gentle side to her - her list of comic books and graphic novel recommendations are simply stunning, and you'll find yourself checking out obscure and unknown artists that you wondered why you haven't discovered before. The great part about her is that she seems to actually enjoy and love the books she reads, and if theres a week she hasn't been able to read a book or watch a movie, she'll tell us that, instead of fictionally creating a review just for the sake of it. I appreciate this, and so do many others.
Isn't it ironic that in a world filled with Entertainment Weekly, People Magazine and Huffington Post, that the one source I repeatedly turn to is Pop Candy? But try it - its a worthy investment, and something that will pay you back richly. Its also addictive, many times I find myself revisiting past posts just to get some information I missed the first time, and her links to cult star interviews every now and then are absolutely riveting. Yes, there is an obsession for "Lost" on this site that is a bit too comprehensive for my liking, but thats a minor quibble - all in all, this is a fantastic slice of present day pop culture, and no better place for you to get your daily fix.
Amongst all Entertainment Blogs and Sites on the wide, wide Internet, this ranks a lofty, well-deserved, and respectable Number 1.
Five Stars.
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