Culture

Another year has come and gone. The sanitation workers have hauled away the last vestiges of torn Christmas wrapping and boxes, our heads are still buzzing a little from staying up way too late and drinking way to much. And on top of that, the shirt that fit us just fine last October seems to have shrunk in the dryer or something!

But with all that, we've not forgotten that the new year brings with it the voting for the best of last year! So please take a look through the categories below, where the team at Critical Blast has suggested what we think are the Best of the Best of 2017. And because we're not infallible (rumors of selecting new staff members through white or black smoke signals to the contrary), we've got an "other" option in almost every category so you can correct us with what we should have suggested!

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Interview

Disclaimer: I want to make it very clear, I am not endorsing this product or any claims made by Unspoil.me.  I am covering this story because it amused me, not because I think it has any credibility.

I stumble across the weirdest things in my journeys across the internet.  Today, that happened to come from a website I've never heard of called IFL Science.  They did a story about something called Unspoil.me, and I just had to talk about it.

There's nothing quite like watching an amazing TV show for the first time. The second time you watch it, however, you're going in with no surprises and the experience is never as good.

In case I've never mentioned it before, I'm old. So my playlist doesn't often reach out to include Taylor Swift in its lineup.

That doesn't mean I'm insulated, though. I know who she is, I remember when she was on my country stations...and I'm aware that, for whatever reason, her opinion on politics is highly sought after, and her silence on it seems to be infuriating to the pop culture media HMFICs. Yes, why is a twenty-something pop-star not weighing in on where she stands on matters of international diplomacy or perceived social inequities? How can we move on without knowing this information?

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Reviews

From CBS News:

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday overturned "net neutrality," the regulations ensuring that internet service providers such as AT&T (T), Comcast (CMCSA) and Verizon (VZ) treat all website and content equally.

The meeting was charged, reflecting the public controversy over whether to preserve or eliminate the Obama-era rules. As if to punctuate the drama, attendees at the FCC hearing were forced to abruptly clear the room over unspecified security concerns before Chair Ajit Pai cast his vote.

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Reviews

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Critical Blast Bombshell, December 2017 - Jennifer of Themyscira

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose. Yuletide carols being sung by a choir, and folks dressed up like...Wonder Woman?

Now that's a Christmas tradition we can get behind! In fact, some of our favorite Christmas stories involve things like Superboy and the Legion looking for the Star of Bethlehem, or Batman tracking down a thief dressed like Santa Claus. So why not put a little cosplay into your Christmas, like our Bombshell does this month. She even rescues Star Wars from the cringeworthy Christmas crossover it tried so long ago with a Star Wars holiday pose!

Get ready to hang your stockings and say your prayers, because cosplay is coming at you now, as we proudly present the...

From Comics Beat:

Well well. Just the other day we mentioned the horrible Q3 financials for convention company Wizard World. Along the way we pointed out that their revamped publishing plans didn’t seem to have gone too far and mistakenly said that the “WizPop daily newsletter idea had never appeared. we were corrected in that it’s actually up as a daily FB post.

With a little more than 1200 followers. Not to be mean.

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Interviews

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

November’s Bombshell of the Month – Bean J. Bunny

At the rate the Hollywood sex scandals -- particularly the under-age sex scandals -- are proliferating, Hollywood is going to be holding its award ceremonies in a high school gymnasium and even then have plenty of room to accommodate the crowds.

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

November’s Bombshell of the Month – Bean J. Bunny

Cosplay opens itself to so many genres for creative people who want to bring the otherworldly to reality. Many draw upon comic books and movies. But even more draw upon video games and Japanese anime films or manga.

That's the forte of our November Bombshell, who applies her craftsmanship and experience to characters like Ibuki Mioda (DANGANROPA 2: GOODBYE DESPAIR) and Cynthia (FIRE EMBLEM). And it takes quite an imagination to fully flesh out a character who exists in a 16-bit world like UNDERTALE.

So without further ado, Critical Blast is happy to present to our readers the Lead Cadette of the Super Stitch Siblings and this month's Critical Blast Bombshell!

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Interview

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Reviews

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Featured Segment

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

October’s Bombshell of the Month – Old Fashioned Nerd

From Variety:

Netflix has again raised the monthly price of its most popular streaming plan in the U.S., with the two-stream HD tier now $10.99 per month for new subscribers — while existing customers will be moved to the new rate over the next several months. That’s up $1 per month from the previous $9.99 monthly fee.

The company also increased the monthly fee for its four-stream “family plan,” from $11.99 to $13.99 per month. That “premium” tier also includes select content in Ultra HD 4K format.