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My Pop Cultural Thanksgiving: The Four Ephemera Getting All My Gratitude This Year

By Rob Payne | Lists | November 21, 2012 |

By Rob Payne | Lists | November 21, 2012 |


It’s no secret that we here at Pajiba love Thanksgiving. The food, the friends and family, the movies and the TV shows, the changing of the leaves, all that good stuff. Or, at least, we love using it as an excuse to write some seasonal-themed articles when we otherwise might not have anything else to write about due to a sudden illness sapping our energy and brainpower to pursue more clever or interesting topics. (Ahem.) But in spite of catching a nasty cold and being unable to use any sick time at the day job due to the busy-ness of the season and co-workers already vacation, I realized there are several things that I am absolutely, without question or reservation, grateful for in our pop cultural landscape this autumn.

With that in mind, here are the Four Things that I’m Thankful Exist this Thanksgiving, and I hope you’ll share whatever you want to give thanks to in the comments below. Enjoy!


Adele’s “Skyfall” is One of the Best Bond Theme Songs Ever
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Why I’m Thankful: Just to cover my bases, I went back listened to the previous six James Bond themes - from GoldenEye to Quantum of Solace - and I can say with no hesitation that Skyfall’s surpasses every single one. Prior to that, I can’t even name any memorable or listenable Bond songs besides Goldfinger and Live and Let Die, and I’ve seen every single Bond movie at least once. Though the title is nearly as awkwardly placed as all the others, Adele’s “Skyfall” is just a damn good tune that can be heard a dozen times before it gets old, if even then, and just so happens to be a James Bond theme. If you haven’t heard it, what are you waiting for?


“The Walking Dead” Season 3 (So Far)
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Why I’m Thankful: I’ve been complaining about this show pretty much since the start episode two, season one - though I only really started hating it with episode four, “Vatos.” There were glimmers of hope in season two, especially after the non-Darabont run began to air, but the most enjoyable part of the viewing experience was reading TK’s reviews in the days following each installment (even when we disagreed). Season three has been such an improvement that I’ve been telling everyone I can to forget about trying to play catch up with the past and just start in now. There are still loads of problems - T-Dog, Michonne, Andrea - but there is far more to praise than criticize at the moment. Frankly, I’m just thankful I can watch the only zombie apocalypse show in the history of television for any reason other than spite.


In Lieu of “Community,” the Harmontown Podcast
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Why I’m Thankful: You all know how much I love “Community” and have since the very beginning, so it’s been rather painful not to have the Greendale Six to hang out with every Thursday this fall season. And even if NBC wasn’t playing musical chairs with it, the show would be back without its creator and raison d’etre, Dan Harmon, so the wait is jam packed with trepidations, anyway. But Harmon hasn’t yet disappeared from this Earth and has taken his weekly live show, Harmontown, into the podcast arena. Other than the most delirious and delightful Dungeons & Dragons campaign imaginable, the show is rather indescribable, suffice to say it must be what Dan Harmon’s brain feels like. The podcast is awkward, bawdy, and maybe a little crazy. Just like the man himself.


The World’s Coolest First Family Just Got Re-Elected (on Fox News)
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Why I’m Thankful: It should come as very little surprise that most of us here were quite happy to see Barack Obama re-elected to the office of the President on November 7. This is Pajiba, after all, and while we try not flaunt our biases we don’t exactly hide them, either. Besides the politics of it all, we can now look forward to four more years basking in glowing warm, warming glow of the downright hippest (and prettiest) first family in American history. Continuing to have Barack, Michelle, Sasha, and Malia (and their little dog, too) live in the White House will at least make all the other first families in the world totes jell-o by how easy they make it look. The USA is just that much better because of the association. Consider it Cool by Presidential Proxy. Seeing it announced live on Fox News, along with Karl Rove’s ensuing meltdown, was just icing on the gluten-free cake for me.


Rob Payne also writes the comic The Unstoppable Force, tweets on the Twitter, tumbls on the Tumblr, and his wares can be purchased here. He would say there is only so many times one can re-watch the first three seasons “Community” on DVD before the fourth season finally premieres, but he has yet to hit that wall.