(pop) kulture klub

(images are my own crappy screengrabs, you're welcome)
Life lately has been a bit hectic, as expected this time of year. Something about the holidays really puts that anxious air of excitement into my blood, regardless of what's going on, but in addition, I'm working against (with?) a few big deadlines at work and getting little-kid antsy about the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities. Amidst all this work and play, I've got a weird backdrop of culture filtering into my brain from various sources.
Reality Bites has made it's way into a grotesque number of conversations lately, mostly thanks to the fact that Lisa Loeb's Stay (aka my top Karaoke pick, and therefore a regularly bar-chat topic) plays over the credits. I re-watched RB the other day for the first time since graduating college, and it was heartbreaking, pathetic, and so, so, real, all at the same time. It also contains a scene that's sure to inspire early-20s nostalgia for even the most stone-hearted - this will make you want to call your best friend and drive in a car with the windows down.
And, finally, almost a year after I jumped in to my noble quest to watch Dawson's Creek from start to finish (thank you, Netflix Instant), I've done it, for better or worse. Let's be real here. The first season was groundbreaking. The second through fourth seasons were best served to a half-asleep, wine-swigging audience (see: reasons it took me 11 months to watch this show). The fifth season, with the addition of Kim Kelly / Busy Phillips as Audrey, increased watchability tenfold. By the end of the sixth season, I found myself shedding actual tears over a teen prime time nineties soap, so. Disclaimer: this outpouring of emotion was greatly aided by the fact that the original Paula Cole song reappeared in the credits for the last two episodes. Thank god. At any rate, DC does a great job of conjuring up my own late high school memories, which was...sort of enjoyable. It's television candy corn: not particularly good, and certainly has zero nutritional value, but every once in a while it just really hits the spot. And, if you actually have seen this show, and had any doubt about my feelings: Pacey and Joey forever.