Reflections From The Bell Curve: Pop Culture Triptych: Countdown from Fifty
Initiating the challenge above three months ago, I had high hopes of being the hero in my own story. Or at least I didn't expect to get stuck for long or have much trouble filling in gaps in the descending order when readers couldn't come up with a piece of pop culture to match whatever number we'd gotten to at that point. Quite obviously, I was mistaken.
Just a cursory look at the eighteen comments appended to the post above will tell you who the real hero of my superficial saga is. Not only was he first out of the box - and not with one or two entries but a triptych to start - but then when I fell silent for a few weeks, he came up with a second triptych leaving me to scramble to re-start at thirty-five. When I revealed to this hero that all I had to offer was a pop culture tidbit with a thirty-three in its title, he took pity and supplied me with a thirty-five and thirty-four. He also threw in a different thirty-three than mine, the showoff.
If you read the comment thread, you'll see my rescuer made his most recent contribution (his fourth triptych!) several weeks ago leaving the ball in my court - or yours if you decide to join or re-join the fray - at twenty-nine. Once again, the hero who became a zero - that would be me - has now been stuck since early October. I've got a twenty-eight lined up (HINT: It's a film), but no twenty-nine OR twenty-seven up my sleeve. I could have cheated all along and used Google but I promised on August 4th not to do so and asked all of you to maintain the same integrity.
At this point, I'm confident about just one thing as this challenge gets to its halfway mark. If I need a rescue, I know who will be riding in on his white horse. Now if someone else - commenter #2 or #3, maybe? - jumps in as we get closer to the finish line, my rescuer can take a brief break. Remember: Not every comment has to be a triptych. Only my contributions must have three pop culture artifacts. If you've got one or two in the right descending order, that's good enough. Take it from me and don't try to compete with my rescuer. I suspect he's already got the whole enchilada cooked and ready to serve from twenty-nine all the way down to one.
Unfortunately I am a pop culture dummy so I can't participate. Good luck to all who can!
ReplyDeleteInes; I think you'd be surprised to see how many pop culture artifacts have snuck into your unconscious over the years, especially as the descending numbers creep into the teens. In any case, thanks for the comment and welcome back!
DeleteGood morning, Pat. OK .. Although I'm more of a fan of his earlier work, I'll go with Highway 29, Bruce Springsteen, Ghost of Tom Joad album. And for 27 (you have 28) Fall Out Boy - '27' from their Folie a Deus album. Thanks to my friend Tony for this one since I'm not really that much aware their music.
ReplyDeleteBe well,
Bob
So the ball is back in my court. Bob, your pick for 27 was the same as I had on my list. This is a great album and you should give it a listen to when you get a chance, but also listen to a couple of their better albums, "From Under the Cork Tree" or "Infinity On High" if you like pop punk.
ReplyDeleteMy next triptych is:
26 - 26 - Paramore from the album "After Laughter"
25 - 25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago from the album "Chicago"
24 - 24K Magic - Bruno Mars from the album "24K Magic"
White Horse Man; Thanks again for getting on the court and bringing us down to 23 with your fifth (!) triptych. Although I know you've got more ready to go, give me (and other readers) some time. I want to redeem myself with a 23-22-21 triptych but right now I've only got a "21" ready. I'd like to have another chance (and give others one as well) before we begin approaching the easiest part of this challenge. BTW, I was pleased to see you & Bob overlapped on the "27". I'll have to check out that song, based on your recommendation.
DeleteSince you have a 21, I'll fill in 23 and 22.
ReplyDelete23 - 23 - Jimmy Eat World from the album "Futures"
22 - She's 22 - Norah Jones from the album "Little Broken Hearts"
Chris; I was still hoping to get this triptych and partially redeem myself but you only gave me ten days! Man! Anyway, my 21 is "21 Guns" by Green Day, leaving us at 20.
DeleteSorry, I'll try to refrain from jumping in too quickly. I was just hoping to get down below 20 where it gets easier and we might get more participation.
DeleteChris; No apologies needed; I'm psyched that you're so involved in this geeky exercise. OK - next triptych: There's the band Matchbox 20, then there's "19 Forever" from Joe Jackson's "Laughter & Lust" album, then there's the late 80s movie "18 Again" with George Burns.
DeleteGood morning, Pat. OK ..let's keep this going.
ReplyDelete17 - Age of Seventeen - Stevie Nicks
16 - So Many !!! .. But going with Sam Cooke - Only Sixteen (Love that smooth voice)
15 - Little 15 - Depeche Mode (one of my wife's favorite bands)
This is fun !!!
Bob; Thanks for jumping back in and with your second triptych to boot. And you are so right about 16 - music, film, books, etc. are ripe with that number. The triptych score now stands as such: Chris, aka White Horse Man: 5; You and I are in a tie for distant second place with 2 triptychs each. In last place: Mr./Ms Anonymous (from the comments on the original post back on August 4) with one triptych for the 45-44-43 slot, if memory serves. I won't be at all surprised if White Horse Man jumps back in before I can come up with a 14, let alone complete another triptych before he pulls his sixth one out of his hat. He's relentless.
DeleteBob; Uh-oh two mistakes in my last comment directly above: 1.) You are ALONE in second place because your most recent comment from early today means you have contributed a triptych of triptychs - i.e., three for you, putting you in second place and ME (!!) in third NOT tied for second. Mea culpa. And ... 2.) Mr./Ms. Anonymous's only triptych was for 41-40-39; YOU contributed 44-43-42 - it was the first of your three. Mea culpa, redux. Now, to get my brain working on a 14 & a 13 (got a couple of 12's) before White Horse man rides in, the showoff, or ... you chime in again and start closing in on the guy on the horse.
DeleteI agree Bob, this is fun!
DeleteAre you ready for a 14 and a 13 or do you want more time?
ReplyDeleteChris; You are relentless. I think I might have released a monster. So, I've got a 13 (film = "13 Going on 30", starring Jennifer Warner) AND a 12 (Solomon Northrup's memoir = "12 Years a Slave", later made into a popular film) BUT no "14" came to me since Bob (above) re-joined the fray on December 1 with his 17-16-15. I'm sure you have a "14" so, lay it on me, white horse man. We'll then be at "11" and counting after you come to my rescue (again) with your "14".
DeleteI have two for 14:
ReplyDelete14 Years - Guns N’Roses from the album "Shattered Illusions"
or
Fourteen Black Paintings - Peter Gabriel from the album "Us"
White Horse Man; Thanks for the rescue (redux). OK, now we're in really easy territory. I wanted to go with a song, a movie, and a book for all my final triptychs , i.e., from 11 down to 1, BUT I'm afraid if I wait TOO long, you'll ride in and finish the whole thing without giving me a chance to breathe. So, here's my next triptych, as usual without help from Google, etc.: 11 = "Seven Comes Eleven", a jazz standard (and I won't claim it for "7" either); 10 = has to be for that Bo Derek movie, if for no other reason than that bathing suit - whew! 9 = "Revolution #9", of course. You're up, White Horse Man. I'm betting we're going to finish this before the day is out. And, like you I've got some "Zeros" ready to go, as well as a surprise even YOU won't be able to top. Do I have your attention?
DeleteYou definately have my attention. Like Bob said, "This is Fun!!!"
DeleteI worked out my list when your started this back in August. I am enjoying those who participate and have been trying to refrain from "riding in to the rescue" until there is a lull. This is what makes it fun for me, seeing what other people come up with. Like I said, I have a complete list ready to go, but I will give others a chance to join in the fun.
Here we go .. again ...
ReplyDelete8: '8 Days A Week' - who didn't see this coming?
7: 'The Magnificent ' - Absolute Great Film.
6: 'Six Degrees of Separation' - Interesting film and lead to '6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon' - always a lot of fun - lol
Getting close to the end ...
Be well all,
Bob
Oops - I left off the number 7 in The Magnificent 7 - but I think we all knew that one, right?
ReplyDeleteNice work, Bob; OK, I'm going to chime in with my final triptych (including a bonus triptych for the number 3) with a song, book, and three "three" movies. I'm quite sure White Horse man will be right behind me to complete this silliness, but I've got a BIG surprise up my sleeve for him after he brings us to the finish line. Ready? 5 = "Five O'Clock World" - great song by the Vogues; 4 = Jim Bouton's saucy memoir "Ball Four"; and 3 = "Three Amigos" (perhaps the silliest movie of all time), "Three Coins in a Fountain" (perhaps the cheesiest), and "3:10 to Yuma" because at least one of the three films has to be watchable. OK White Horse man - wrap this up and then wait for my coda/surprise.
DeleteAlright, if you insist. I have multiples for 2, 1, and 0 so I am going to go with The Beatles for number 2 and 1:
ReplyDeleteTwo of Us - The Beatles from the album "Let It Be"
One After 909 - The Beatles from the album "Let It Be"
And for 0 I am going with Declan McManus:
Less Than Zero - Elvis Costello from the album "My Aim is True"
Now go ahead and lay on the big surprise!
White Horse man: Knew I could rely on you to get us to the finish line. Thanks for all your help over the last four months. Now, how about a pop culture tidbit SMALLER than "One After 909" but larger than "Less Than Zero"? That would be "3/5 of a Mile in Ten Seconds" by Jefferson Airplane. Come on, how many people do you know who could pull out a piece of pop culture with and oddball fraction with no outside assistance? Give credit where credit is due.
DeleteThat's very good. But I guess it you are going to go there, are "Half a Heart" by John Mayer and "Quarter to Three" by Gary 'U.S.' Bonds acceptable also?
DeleteChris aka White Horse man; OK, looks like we're near the end of the road here, although I'm already thinking about how I'm going to publish all 50 pop culture artifacts we dug up (i.e., from the original post on August 4 and "Fifty Ways to Leave your Lover") down to 0 (yesterday's "Less Than Zero") in some fashion. Can't list all 50 in a single blog post because that would violate my policy of keeping all my posts short enough that the average person can finish reading one in the time to takes to empty the bladder. Got any ideas? Don't want all this effort (you, Bob, and me, mostly) to go to waste. Now, as far as your fractions above ("half" and "quarter"), those are not bad but you have to admit 3/5 is REALLY impressive. Especially given the "no cheating" guideline. Thanks for all the assists, Tonto, and let me know if you come up with a good way for me to preserve 50-0 (and the IMPRESSIVE fraction) for posterity.
Delete