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Friday, March 16, 2012

Power Rangers Fight for Rights of Shapes

Image via WikipediaThe crazy, undeniably ridiculous show that came out years ago called “Power Rangers” was a fad that reminded everyone how awful popular things can really be in this world. However, people really enjoyed the show, and kids really started kicking things and wearing leisure suits with helmets. Its popularity makes it relevant, and the show’s place in pop culture makes it wonderfully ironic to like these days. In fact, any gear resembling the Power Rangers signature suits might be considered hot property, whether intentionally or not.


The Power Rangers, or rather the owners of the Power Rangers, are suing a small business for willful copyright infringement. This small online business sells hooded sweatshirts that can be customized to match your desired awfulness. Again, since awfulness is being stylish or at least ironically stylish these days, the hooded sweatshirts have been selling well apparently. So the Power Rangers and their people heard about these upstart hoodie slingers and noticed something odd about the design they were using. They noticed that the awfulness looked eerily similar to the awfulness they helped bring into the world years before. In fact, not only was the awfulness so similar, you throw a helmet on the hooded sweatshirt, and you got yourself half of a power ranger. The signature shapes and pattern of the Power Rangers’ suits are copied almost identically onto these hoodies. So naturally, it’s time to get the lawyers involved and to make a big deal out of something that is so very much not a big deal.


The Power Rangers’ power attorney squad will be claiming copyright infringement of intellectual property, although the intellectualness of this property is really very minimal. Perhaps it’s this minimalistic style that has everyone hoping for a hoodie, but doesn’t that bring up another question? How minimalistic does intellectual property go? Does it go as far as a diamond shape in the middle of a colored shirt? Sure it seems they look similar, but when something is so simple, it’s easy to believe that someone else might accidentally come up with the same minimal design. Therefore, argue all you want about copyright infringement, but willful copyright infringement seems a stretch. I mean, who looks at the Power Rangers’ suits and says, “Those are outstanding, let’s risk getting sued to make hoodies that look like Power Rangers”. I hope this is not the case, but either way, there will be a case and many peoples’ time will be wasted.

Labels: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Ranger, Power Rangers Samurai

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Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Did You Know These Facts about Sesame Street?

Image via WikipediaSesame Street and its characters are some of the most beloved entities on television today. The program has taught millions of kids about spelling, counting, letters and other important information in a fun and interesting way. Most adults would recognize Bert and Ernie, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch and other characters, but few would know the following facts about one of the most popular and respected children’s programs on TV today.

The Name of the Show
Have you ever wondered where the program’s title – Sesame Street – originated from? It’s actually the idea of one of the writers that began working on the show before it began. The word “sesame” refers to the old Arabian fable in which the phrase “Open Sesame” is repeated several times. The word “sesame” was a word that elicited excitement and the word “street” applied to the image of the urban street on which the show was set.

Different Character Colors
Over the years, there were many changes to the characters on Sesame Street. But during the first couple years, there were some dramatic changes. For one thing, Oscar used to be orange instead of the dirty green that we know him as today. Grover also changed from a brown color to the blue color that he is now.

Cookie Monster Existed before Sesame Street
Many fans of Sesame Street may think that the Cookie Monster originated on the kid’s TV program. But he actually started in a General Foods commercial and an IBM training film several years before Sesame Street began. He was also in a commercial for Munchos where he had the name “Arnold the Munching Monster.” However, Sesame Street softened up his image to be more appealing to kids by removing his big sharp teeth and other features that could potentially be frightening to them.

Muppets Weren’t Always Featured
Before Sesame Street was televised, the pilot was tested in a focus group comprised of families. The pilot only had one sketch featuring Muppets, which happened to be Bert and Ernie. This sketch was the only one that the focus group actually enjoyed. As a result, the entire show went through a transformation to focus heavily on the Muppets with human interactions occurring throughout each episode.
Changed Names

Barkley is one of the lesser used characters in Sesame Street, but he has a recognizable face. However, he wasn’t always known as Barkley. For the first few appearances, he was actually named Woof Woof.

Labels: Bert and Ernie, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Sesame Street

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Thursday, March 8, 2012

Four Awesome and Memorable Schoolhouse Rock Episodes

Image via WikipediaIf you grew up during the 1970s and 1980s, you probably remember the catchy Schoolhouse Rock cartoons that would come on during the Saturday morning cartoon times. You probably also learned a lot about several topics, including how a legislative bill gets created and passed, how to determine what an adjective is and much more. There were dozens of Schoolhouse Rock episodes throughout the years, but some stick out more than others for being more memorable and catchy. Here are a few of those that you may remember the most.

Three is a Magic Number
One of the most memorable Schoolhouse Rock episodes is entitled Three is a Magic Number. This was the debut episode of the Schoolhouse Rock series in 1973 and it was sung and written by Bob Dorough. It talks about the various traits of the number 3. It was also voted as one of the top ten of the 30th anniversary edition and the band Blind Melon remade the song for an updated Schoolhouse Rocks album in the 1990s.

Conjunction Junction
This is memorable because both the tune and the title is catchy. This episode aired for the first time in 1973 and the song was written by Bob Dorough and sung by Jack Sheldon and Terry Morel. The cartoon shows a train engineer hooking boxcars to each other with verbal conjunctions. The memories were revived in recent years when Glee featured it in one of its episodes. This was also voted as the best song in the entire series for the 30th anniversary edition.

The Preamble
In efforts to teach kids about the basics of our government, The Preamble debuted in 1976. The lyrics in this song talk about – you guessed it – the Preamble to our United States Constitution. In order to match a rhyming scheme, however, a small section of the Preamble had to be left out. This was voted number 6 of the best songs for the 30th anniversary edition.

Where the Money Goes
Season 6 of Schoolhouse Rock was in the 1990s and the season, like previous seasons focused on a particular topic. This particular season focused on managing money and other money topics to help teach kids about spending it responsibly. Where the Money Goes is an episode that debuted in 1995 and it involves a father telling his son about the various expenses that a family has to consider when spending money.

Labels: Bob Dorough, Glee, Jack Sheldon, Schoolhouse Rock

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Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Five Life Lessons We Can Learn from Peanuts

Image via WikipediaCharles Schultz created one of the most recognized characters in the history or comics. Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus and Pigpen are four names synonymous with the Peanuts comic strip and cartoons. While many of the Peanuts comics and televised cartoon may seem like they are just silly story lines designed for kids, there are many things we can learn from watching these cartoons and the characters included in these cartoons. Here are five life lessons we can take away from Peanuts.

Persistence is a Key to Success
One of the most famous and well-known gimmicks in the Peanuts comics and cartoons is the one in which Lucy holds the football for Charlie Brown to run and kick. At the last second, Lucy always pulls away the football and Charlie goes flying into the air and lands on his back. But even though he knew this was going to happen, at least in the back of his mind, he always tried it. He never let his past failures discourage him from trying again. If many of us were more like Charlie Brown and we continued to try things despite past failures, we many accomplish more of our dreams and goals.

Being a Hesitant but Effective Leader
Many of us have been in crisis situations where a leader was sorely needed but nobody stepped up to take that responsibility. In “Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown,” Charlie is in a situation in which a leader was needed to take charge of the situation. There are times in our life when we need to step up to lead during a crisis or other situation and despite our hesitations, we can be a successful leader and realize traits within ourselves that we never knew existed.

Character is Often Displayed by Actions
There are several different character traits that the Peanuts characters displayed in various situations. But many times, their character came out through their words. Woodstock, however, never spoke. The little yellow bird had great character and we always knew his intentions because of his actions. We can say anything we want to try to persuade people about our character, but our actions are what really show who we are regardless of the words that come out of our mouth.

There is Strength in Friends
One of the best things you can have in life is a few good friends. Peanuts shows us this many times. Despite their differences and the arguments they have, they still stuck together especially when times got tough. Do you have friends in life who you can say this about? If so, consider yourself a lucky person to have friends that stick close when there are difficult times in your life, just like the characters in this cartoon.

Listening to Others is Important
Another popular thing about the Peanuts is Lucy’s psychiatric practice. For only five cents, she would listen to all of your problems. She may give horrible and even insulting advice, but she still listened. In life, if you can learn to listen more than you talk, you will accomplish a lot.

Labels: Charles M. Schulz, Charlie Brown, Peanut

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Friday, March 2, 2012

Seven Facts Hardcore Fans Know about The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper

Image via WikipediaSheldon Cooper is one of TV’s most famous and beloved nerds. He’s also one of the more unique characters to grace our TV screens in quite some time. His quirks make him a lovable figure and his overly analytical mind and social awkwardness simply adds to his lovability. If you are a hardcore fan of The Big Bang Theory, you may or may not already know these facts about Dr. Cooper.

• Sheldon Cooper has several phobias, both common and uncommon. Some of Sheldon’s phobias that have been mentioned or alluded to on the show include autophobia, which is the fear of being alone and scelerophobia, which is the fear of criminals and burglars. He also has cynophobia, which is the fear of dogs, mysophobia, which is the fear of dirt and germs, and ornithophobia, which is the fear of birds. He clearly has others, but these are the ones that are confirmed by being mentioned in one or more episodes.

• Sheldon Cooper has an IQ of 187 and he completed the fifth grade at the age of 11. At this age, he also entered college. At age 14, he entered graduate school and he obtained his first Ph.D. by the age of 16. In addition, he was the youngest recipient of the Stevenson Award at age 14 and a half, but that honor was usurped by Dennis Kim.

• Cooper’s three favorite films and TV shows include Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars and Star Trek. His favorite Star Trek character is, of course, Mr. Spock.

• Sheldon is a “card carrying member” of many organizations. Three of those organizations include the Justice League of America, the Museum of Natural History and a local planetarium (the specific location is never mentioned).

• His favorite movie Catwoman is Julie Newmar and his least favorite movie Catwoman is Halle Berry.

• Sheldon has a twin sister whom we meet in one episode. Her name is Missy and the other three guys in the group find her extremely attractive. He also has a brother which we never meet and he has been left unnamed to this point.

• Sheldon is allergic to cats and bees and he also has a few medical conditions and traits, including OCD, asthma, and eidetic memory. However, he likes to emphasize that he is “not crazy” because his mother had him tested for insanity during his younger days.

Sheldon Cooper is one of the best characters on TV and he offers many belly laughs for viewers.

Labels: Big Bang Theory, Halle Berry, Julie Newmar, Sheldon, Sheldon Cooper, Star Trek

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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Four Comparisons between the A-Team TV Series and the A-Team Movie

Cover of The A-Team 2: Small But Deadly WarsFor children of the 1980s like me, the A-Team represented something. It was an exciting show that was filled with explosions, comedy and a great soundtrack. There wasn’t a lot of mushy romances or things that we didn’t like as preteen boys. It was the perfect TV show. And then when the movie came out last year, those feelings of excitement were reignited. For the most part, the movie stayed true to the TV series which made it a great adaptation. Did you find yourself comparing the movie to the original TV series? Here are a few of those comparisons that you may or may not have noticed.

• Is the crew still from the Vietnam War?
In the original TV series, the A-Team was a crack crew of commandos that escaped from a Vietnam prison during the Vietnam War. But if the movie had stuck with that storyline, the team members would likely be in their 50s or 60s, which may be good for Hannibal but not the others. Instead, the team comes from the time when America is withdrawing from Iraq. Since this hadn’t happened at the time the movie was made, it was likely set in the very near future.

• What crime did they commit?
The reason the A-Team went into the prison in Vietnam is never really explored except for the fact that it was a crime they didn’t commit. But that story line is explored in the movie and it takes up a good chunk of the beginning. They are accused of blowing up a superior’s vehicle and killing him in the process, but it wasn’t them that committed the crime. So, in essence, the movie stays true to the series but it goes into detail.

• Do they still help people?
In the movie, the A-Team is hell bent on saving themselves and reinstating their reputation instead of helping ordinary people like in the TV show. Maybe, however, this will leave some room for an A-Team 2 in which they continue their mercenaries of justice attribute so they can help others who cannot afford to help themselves.

• Is B.A. still afraid of flying?
Not only is he still a bit hesitant about hopping on a plane, the movie gives a little back story about how he began his fear of flying. Let’s just say that it involves Murdock, a helicopter and fighter jets trying to shoot them out of the sky.

When it comes down to it, you simply cannot recreate the magic that the original TV series created. But the movie is still a great adaptation with its updates and the film making technology that we have today that wasn’t even thought about when the show premiered in the 1980s.

Labels: Hannibal, Vietnam

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Saturday, February 25, 2012

Seven Fun Facts about Jersey Shore’s Snooki

Image via WikipediaThe name “Snooki” may be one of the most recognizable names in the United States today. When someone says Snooki, most people immediately think about the petite bronzed Italian girl on MTV’s Jersey Shore. Her real name is Nicole Polizzi, which many people wouldn’t recognize. Here are seven other fun facts that fans of Jersey Shore may or may not know about this fun-loving reality TV star.

• Jersey Shore isn’t Snooki’s first appearance on the TV screen. Before MTV shot the pilot for Jersey Shore, Nicole Polizzi made an appearance on another MTV show called “Is She Really Going Out with Him?” The show as about a variety of nice girls and the jerks that they were dating. She was on episode 14 in the show’s first season and her boyfriend was Justin.
• Since her initial appearance on TV, she has made several other guest appearances because of the popularity of Jersey Shore. In 2010, Snooki was one of the award presenters at the CMT Music Awards. Yes, that’s the Country Music Television awards, which seems like a mismatch but it just goes to show how popular she is.
• If you have an iPhone, you can download an app that will “Snookify” your pictures. Upload pictures of you or your friends and use the app to make the picture look more like Snooki than you ever thought possible.
• In college, Snooki’s major was in veterinary tech.
• According to reports from people close to her, Snooki has never written a personal check in her entire life. However, as a result of her popularity in recent years, I’m pretty sure she has cashed some fairly sizable checks and she’s probably rather proficient in doing so by now.
• Snooki is adopted. However, she does not have any plans in the near future to track down her biological parents.
• For you Avon representatives, you may like to know that she is a big fan and user of your products. Depending on your clientele, this may be a major selling point or it may hurt your sales, so use your judgment if you want to use this fact in your Avon selling endeavors.

Labels: CMT Music Awards, Country Music Television, Jersey Shore, MTV, Nicole Polizzi, Snooki

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Thursday, February 23, 2012

Community Coming Back

Everybody’s favorite show that has not been on TV is coming back on TV. Arrested Development!!!! No, we already talked about that. But Community is back! Yeah, I know, it’s not as exciting, but at least it’s something funny that’s coming back, and not just a reboot of an already not funny show with a younger more annoying guy with longer hair and old ex-wife who does too many drugs.

Community has been a solid show over the last couple years, but for ratings issues and some schedule testing, NBC placed it on the disabled list for a few months. Parks and Recreation has really come alive in the last year, and 30 Rock is back to its old awesomeness, so it’s conceivable that NBC now has some more confidence in their viewership. Community is set to return to the lineup on March 15th, after being gone since the middle of December.

NBC is also throwing in some new shows to help out the roster. A new show called “Bent”, starring Amanda Peet, will duke it out with ABC’s “Modern Family”, which clearly shows some confidence in the show from NBC, since Modern Family is one of the most popular network shows, and it doesn’t seem to be waning one bit.

Community is one of those great shows that mixes it up each episode, much like Modern Family. They don’t really follow a formula, which may cause issues for some viewers, like those who watch CBS shows religiously, but it makes for a great show to throw on whenever. You don’t really need to know too much about the characters to enjoy the comedy, although if you do know the characters there are also a lot of great inside jokes.

One drawback to Community coming back is the great surge from Parks and Recreation will be lost for a six week hiatus after March 8th. The Thursday lineup will consist of Community coming before 30 Rock, then “The Office” and then “Up All Night”. NBC also will be inviting the new show “Best Friends Forever”, which apparently is some kind of female buddy comedy. Good News for that is that Fred Savage is an Executive Producer on it, so hopefully he keeps his solid track record going. Needless to say, NBC is charging ahead making moves mid-season to spice up their lineups and keep things fresh. It’s a good approach considering the only time people really watch NBC is Thursday night, and they’re always kind of scratching up against the other networks despite such a solid ratings day.

Labels: 30 Rock, Amanda Peet, Community, Fred Savage, NBC, Parks and Recreation

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