Progressive Cinematic Universe should have cross-over event

With Hollywood studios focused on creating cinematic universes (think Marvel and DC), I came up with an idea for a cinematic universe while watching commercials during sports this fall.
It started when I noticed that Progressive Insurance has more characters than Flo, Jaimie and the squad. There’s life coach Dr. Rick, who helps people from turning into their parents. Plus, there’s “the backups” like 49ers quarterback Josh Dobbs. There’s also a sticky-note monster.
They make up the Progressive Cinematic Universe. I’d like to see a crossover event of some or all of those characters. Yeah, I know, I’m weird.
But as I continued to watch college and pro football games and the MLB World Series, I noticed that every major insurance company had comedic commercials featuring their own characters.
State Farm has “Jake from State Farm.” Allstate has actor Dean Winters as Mayhem. Liberty Mutual has LiMu Emu and Doug. And of course, Geico has Martin the Geico gecko.
OK, so a multicompany crossover event isn’t going to happen. My mind wanders sometimes.

These music acts should be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2025

I don’t do predictions for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I’ll leave that to the experts. Rather, I write about who I think should be included in the hall.
With the 2024 class installed last month, it’s time to focus on next year’s class.
Many of these names I’ve suggested before, but I’ll keep saying them until they’re in.
Newly eligible acts in 2025 include Pink and Linkin Park, according to Future Rock Legends. Neither are proper candidates for first-year induction, though I think both deserve to get in eventually.
Every year needs at least one rock goddess or diva superstar. But with the untenable backlog at the hall of fame, there are several that need to get in pronto. They are Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan, Cyndi Lauper and Sade. (All but Estefan have been previously nominated.)
Carey even joked that her attorney got into the hall before she did.
And Lauper is now on a “farewell tour.” So the timing is right.
I’ve suggested all of those women before. Now I’ll add two more: Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Both have been eligible since 2023.
Spears recently made headlines with her best-selling memoir “The Woman in Me.”
I would love to see an all-divas induction ceremony. That would be incredible. I suggested recently that the rock hall hold two ceremonies – one for “modern era” acts and another for the “classic era.”
For the “classic era” induction ceremony, I’d like to see these acts get the nod: Billy Idol, INXS, Joy Division/New Order and Phil Collins.

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Rock Hall adds more fossils to its collection (Nov. 3, 2024)

Rock Hall adds more fossils to its collection, needs more 'modern era' acts

The paleontologists at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame recently added several more fossils to their museum.
On Oct. 19, the Rock Hall added a bunch of ancient acts to its inductee list. Key members of some acts are deceased and others were too old to perform at the induction ceremony.
The Rock Hall has a tendency to choose older acts over newly eligible acts. The thinking is that you can’t induct so-and-so before some older act is enshrined.
I think the hall should have two inductions per year: one for the “modern era” and another for a “classic era.” This would be similar to how the Country Music Hall of Fame chooses inductees with its “modern era” and “veterans era” selections. The Baseball Hall of Fame has “contemporary” and “classic” eras for inductees.
This year, the Rock Hall inductees were Mary J Blige, Jimmy Buffett, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & the Gang, Alexis Korner, John Mayall, MC5, Ozzy Osbourne, Suzanne de Passe, Big Momma Thornton, A Tribe Called Quest, Dionne Warwick and Norman Whitfield.
Of those, only Mary J Blige and Dave Matthews Band could be considered “modern era” acts.
The rest would be considered “classic era” acts or early influences.
Of the 11 individual inductees, five are deceased. Of the groups, many had lost key members over the years or were simply too frail to perform at the ceremony.

Consider this: The R&R HOF snubbed @ForeignerMusic for so long that Mick couldn’t be there, the founding member. @jimmybuffett snubbed so long that he’s passed. @peterframpton so long that he had to sit and play. @OzzyOsbourne solo so long that he had to sit & couldn’t sing. And…

— Eddie Trunk (@EddieTrunk) October 21, 2024

So the induction ceremony consisted largely of tribute performances by “modern era” performers such as Kenny Chesney, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Dua Lipa, Jelly Roll and Keith Urban.
The ceremony itself was a five-and-a-half hour-marathon. Vulture writer Devon Ivie called it “a really long ceremony with really long speeches.”
The solution for such a long show: break it up. One show for “classic era” and early influencer acts and a second show for “modern era” acts.
Once the Rock Hall deals with its ridiculously long backlog of eligible artists. It can go back to one show.

Photo: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum plaza. (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame).