Your Spring Break Guide to Catch Up on Pop Culture
During the school year, it’s hard to keep track of all of the amazing things going on in pop culture. Between balancing work, extracurricular activities and a social life it’s hard to find time to sit down and watch my favorite T.V. shows every week. But thankfully, this is what spring break is for! I’ve put together this pop culture guide of everything you’ve been missing out on for the past few months and should probably spend the next week getting caught up on. Whether you’re on a beach in Mexico or at home with mom and dad in Michigan, there’s something on this list for you.
My first recommendation for you is something I sneakily started a few weeks ago and will probably blame entirely if my grades don’t come back as I’d hoped. “Downton Abbey” originally aired in the U.K. back in 2010, but has become the new hit PBS phenomenon since the debut of Season 1 in January of 2011, winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries in 2011 as well.. Season 2 has seen the highest ratings at PBS since I don’t know when, but I can tell you why. This drama “period” show is set on the English estate of Downton Abbey and follows the lives of both the aristocratic upstairs and their servants below. It’s full of scandal, intrigue, comedy and Maggie Smith. What more could you look for in a show? In addition, the first season only has seven episodes and the second only nine, so you don’t even need to feel guilty about spending some time with this one.
While you’re not completely absorbed in Downton, here’s some lighter fare for you: Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.” Let me start by saying if you reside on Northwestern’s campus and have yet to hear this tune, you need to leave your bedroom. I’m pretty sure it’s even blasting in the library frequently. While it may sound like cheesy teeny-boppy pop at first listen, this is actually a brilliantly crafted pop song, made all the more lovable by its inane catchiness. “I once listened to ‘Call Me Maybe’ 37 times on repeat because it is impossible to get tired of,” said Nicole Sampedro, a freshman in Medill. The Prince of Pop himself, Justin Bieber, even had this girl play at his birthday party recently, so if he approves, what’s left to think about it? I dare you to listen to it once and not be humming it. Go on, try.
Moving back to the more serious, I’m personally kicking myself that I’ve only seen a handful of the films that were even nominated at the Oscars this year, let alone those that won. Top of my list has to be “The Artist,” winner of Best Picture and a Best Actor for Jean Dujardin. This was the first silent movie to win the Oscar for Best Picture since the very first Oscars 83 years ago. It’s a love story between a silent movie star who is dreading the arrival of talking pictures and a young dancer, set in Hollywood in 1927. Elegance at its finest.
Next on the list is another T.V. show: NBC’s “Community.” This show was slow to pick up a following, but once it did it seemed the momentum could not be stopped. The premiere aired in 2009 and went through three seasons, only to be seemingly axed by NBC this past fall. “Community” fanatics everywhere were instantly in an uproar, and it seems the network listened. The return is scheduled for March 15, so what better time to get involved? “Community” stands out among a T.V. schedule filled with reality singing competitions and medical dramas by being just that touch more intelligent. Celia Skaggs, a junior in Weinberg, said, “Community is a great show because it’s really self-aware and isn’t afraid to poke fun at itself and the T.V. comedy genre in general.” Sounds like a good way to absorb some of that spring break time.
Another timely suggestion I have for you is British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. Sheeran has been gradually working his way up the British charts since last June and took him the big awards of Best Male Artist and British Breakthrough Act and this February’s BRIT Awards (the U.K.’s version of the Grammys). Plus, he’s heading out with Snow Patrol for at least part of their U.S. tour – including their stop in Chicago in April. Take a listen to his song “Lego House” and try not to fall in love with his adorable British accent and the loveliness that is this song (not to mention Rupert Grint in the video).
Finally – and this one might seem obvious so bare with me – “The Hunger Games.” I know, it’s already a huge worldwide phenomenon, but after talking to many friends and others around campus, there are still a good few out there who haven’t read the books and don’t know if they should see the movie. Let me simplify this for you – yes. The movie comes out next Friday, March 23rd, and trust me, 10 days is plenty of time for you to finish at least the first book in the series, if not all three. Suzanne Collins’ gripping young adult novels are right up there with Harry Potter in the caliber of world she creates, and hey, even if you don’t like it, do you really want to be out of this loop?