Bobblehead Hall of Fame opens in Milwaukee

The latest physical hall of fame recently opened in Milwaukee and it’s devoted to bobbleheads. That’s right; it celebrates those collectible figurines with bouncy, oversized heads.
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum officially opened to the public on Feb. 1. It houses the world’s largest collection of bobbleheads from sports, popular culture and other genres. It also features exhibits related to the history of bobbleheads and making of bobbleheads.
I wonder about the sustainability of bobbleheads when other figurine types are emerging such as Funko’s vinyl Pop collectibles.
By my count there are now 435 physical halls of fame in North America that you can visit. They span sports, entertainment, aviation and a host of industries. (Check out this Google map of physical halls of fame.)

Related articles:

National bobblehead museum is open in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point area (Journal Sentinel; Feb. 8, 2019)

Nod of approval: Go inside Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum near downtown Milwaukee (Milwaukee Business Journal; Feb. 9, 2019)

Attraction at New Museum: 6.5K Bobbleheads (Newser; Feb. 6, 2019)

Bobblehead Museum Opens in Wisconsin (VOA; Feb. 10, 2019)

Fake Monica Lewinsky photos, fake Old West photos, fake North Korea photos

Since May 2016, I have been writing about the deceitful practices of online content promoters. I have written 80 articles on the topic of lying clickbait.
I have shamed clickbait purveyors like Revcontent, Taboola and Outbrain for not policing the articles they promote.
But frankly little has changed, so I’m hanging up my hat with this post.
These companies are still using the same shameful tactics and likely will continue to do so. It’s just too lucrative for the distribution services and content sites that carry these ads.
So for my final post on the subject, I’m going to shine a spotlight on some greatest hits. These are ads I’ve seen recently that repeat the same lies I’ve written about previously.

A sponsored article on Yahoo titled “Ever wonder why Monica Lewinsky never got married?” used a photo of Lewinsky lookalike and porn star Nikki Loren (top photo) alongside a picture of Lewinsky.
I first noticed the use of Loren photos with Lewinsky articles back in December 2016.

An Outbrain article titled “Unedited Wild West photos show what life was really life” used a grainy, black-and-white photo of a pretty young lady holding a shotgun.
As I noted in December 2016, the photo is actually of actress Adriana Torrebejano from the Spanish TV series “Tierra de Lobos” (2010-2014)

Outbrain also ran an article titled “These photos are not Photoshopped – This is North Korea.” It used a photo of South Korean model Kang Taeri. (See her Instagram and Twitter accounts.)

Finally, an Outbrain post titled “Virginia may pay off your home if you live near Great Falls” used a photo of former Circuit Judge Mary Ann Gunn of Fayetteville, Arkansas. The picture is from her reality TV show “Last Shot with Judge Gunn.”

Worst twist endings in modern movies

In the movie “Goosebumps” (2015), author R.L. Stein, played by Jack Black, says there are three parts to a story: “the beginning, the middle … and the twist!”
The concept of twist endings in movies is back to the fore with the release of the movie “Serenity” on Jan. 25. Many critics hated the big twist in the movie calling it “ridiculous,” “insane” and “bonkers.” I, on the other hand, liked it.
What works for some people in storytelling, doesn’t for others.
For instance, I thought the critically acclaimed USA Network series “Mr. Robot” was fantastic until it was revealed that a main character was just a figment of the lead character’s imagination. I couldn’t take the show seriously after that.
Among popular or well-reviewed movies, some titles with big twists that didn’t work for me include “Arrival” (2016), “Predestination” (2015), “Shutter Island” (2010) and “Identity” (2003).

Note to film critics: Saying a movie has a big plot twist is a spoiler

The new movie “Serenity” starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway was always going to be a tough sell to audiences. The genre-defying noir thriller is difficult to explain without giving away what makes it unique.
Critics generally didn’t like the film and focused on its out-of-left-field plot twist in their reviews. Some writers went ahead and explained the twist.
Whenever there’s a plot twist late in a movie that forces viewers to reinterpret everything that preceded it, critics should not reveal that. Otherwise audiences that know there’s a big twist coming will go into the movie with their guard up, looking for signs of what’s to come.
It’s much better to be hit with the twist naturally for that major “whoa” moment. I remember that rush of excitement on seeing “The Sixth Sense” in the theater before anyone spoiled it for me.
At least with “The Sixth Sense” reviewers could focus on that fact that it was a scary movie about a boy who sees dead people. They didn’t have to spoil the ending.
But with “Serenity” all they had to work with was a mostly paint-by-numbers noir flick about life on an island where everything isn’t what it seems.
I agree with McConaughey and Hathaway who criticized distributor Aviron Pictures for its poor handling of the film, including lack of advertising. McConaughy thought the movie should have been rolled out slowly and given time to build word of mouth, according to Deadline.
Critics slammed the film and initial audiences were negative on it. “Serenity” currently has a score of 22% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience score is only slightly higher at 30%.
Personally I liked the movie. But I wish I hadn’t known there was a twist going into it. “Serenity” isn’t going to be for everyone though. I think “Serenity” will become a cult movie over time.
If this had been a “Black Mirror” movie, people would have really liked it.

Sample reviews of “Serenity” that spoil the ending:

You Will Not Believe Serenity Is a Real Movie (GQ)

Serenity Sets a New Bar for Ridiculous Movie Twists (Vanity Fair)

‘Serenity’ Review: No One Is Prepared for This Bonkers Movie (Collider)

Matthew McConaughey's Serenity Is So Insane That No Headline Can Begin to Do it Justice (Esquire)

Bait-and-switch photos in lying clickbait

I’ve written many times about how clickbait purveyors will use unrelated photos to get people to click on their articles.
What follows are a few of the latest examples of this deceptive tactic.

Revcontent carried an article recently titled “28 celebrities who are mega Trump supporters now; Number 12 seems unreal.” It used a photo of comedian Jon Stewart, which is ridiculous. Stewart isn’t shy about promoting his liberal politics and hatred of Trump. Still, some people probably clicked on the article to see if Stewart was listed as a “mega Trump supporter.”

A sponsored article on Yahoo titled “Brooke’s grown-up son looks just like his father” used an old photo of Brooke Shields with Michael Jackson. The implication is that Jackson is the father of Shields’ son. Ha, ha, ha. Nevertheless, it probably got some people to click.

Speaking of celebrity children, another clickbait article titled “Sandra Bullock’s son is all grown up and he might look familiar to you” used a photo of 40-year-old pro football player James Harrison. There’s no relation between Harrison and Bullock’s adopted son. By the way, her son is only about 9 years old. So he’s not “all grown up.”

Outbrain distributed an article from Livesty titled “These yearbooks were printed and handed out to the whole student body before the teachers realized the photo error.” Versions of the article used different photos of pretty female cheerleaders.
I usually don’t click on these articles, but I made an exception in this case. The actual article used neither of the photos shown here. They were presented with the clickbait without explanation.
The first one with the blonde girl with red war paint was taken by Jason Duchow of Oldtown, Idaho.
I could not identify the origin of the photo of the three girls with black shorts and tops. If anyone knows, send me an email.

Photoshopped fakes of Donald Trump, nature and airplanes in lying clickbait

Phony photos continue to be the milkshake that brings all the boys to the yard. They are used in lying clickbait to draw curious web surfers.
My latest installment on lying clickbait looks at such Photoshopped fakes.
Let’s get started.

A recent article distributed by Revcontent was titled “15 photos Donald Trump tried to keep from the public.” It featured a Photoshopped picture of the current president golfing. The picture was altered to give Trump a bigger belly. Included here are the lying clickbait article and the original photo for comparison.

Another Revcontent article was titled “60 unedited nature photos – This is not Photoshop.” Wrong! It featured a Photoshopped fake. The photo of a bear growling and peering into a tent was a composite created for a Photoshop contest. It has been debunked by Snopes.com and Tvurce.

Finally, a recent article distributed by Outbrain was titled “The F-15 is no match for this plane.” It used a picture of a fake aircraft purported to have a dual fuselage design. The original photo is of a Russian Antonov An-124 heavy transport aircraft. It has been Photoshopped to have two or three fuselages. (See article by Popular Mechanics.)

Vampire TV shows stage comeback as zombie TV shows fade

Several years ago, you almost couldn’t change the channel on your TV without landing on a vampire show. The first half of the decade was flooded with shows about blood-suckers, including “True Blood,” “The Vampire Diaries” and “The Strain.” But the trend petered out. Those shows and others have since been canceled.
In its place came a wave of zombie shows, riding on the success of AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” But now zombie shows seem to be ebbing. Ratings are way down for “The Walking Dead”; Syfy recently canceled “Z Nation” after five seasons; and the CW’s “iZombie” is preparing to air its fifth and final season starting in May.
But it looks like vampire TV shows could be staging a comeback.
Earlier this month, Fox premiered “The Passage,” a drama series based on the trilogy of vampire-themed novels by Justin Cronin. It joins Syfy’s vampire apocalypse show “Van Helsing,” which was just renewed for a fourth season.
In March, FX is set to air “What We Do in the Shadows,” a comedy series based the 2014 film of the same name. It follows three vampires who have been roommates for hundreds of years.
Meanwhile, the CW has ordered a pilot for a possible series based on the 1987 vampire movie “Lost Boys.” Rob Thomas, showrunner for “iZombie,” is executive producing the new show, according to Deadline.
The following are lists of TV shows featuring vampires and zombies. I’ve included only English-language, live-action series.

Vampire TV shows:

Angel (WB, 1999-2004)
Being Human (BBC, 2008-2013)
Being Human (Syfy, 2011-2014)
Blade (Spike, 2006)
Blood Ties (Lifetime, 2007)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (WB, UPN; 1997-2003)
Cliffhangers: The Curse of Dracula (NBC, 1979)
Dark Shadows (ABC, 1966-1971)
Dark Shadows (NBC, 1991)
Death Valley (MTV, 2011)
Demons (ITV, 2009)
Dracula (NBC, 2013-2014)
Dracula: The Series (syndicated, 1990-1991)
Forever Knight (CBS, USA Network; 1992-1996)
From Dusk till Dawn: The Series (El Rey, 2014-2016)
The Gates (ABC, 2010)
Kindred: The Embraced (Fox, 1996)
The Lair (Here TV, 2007-2009)
Moonlight (CBS, 2007-2008)
My Babysitter’s a Vampire (Disney Channel, 2011-2012)
The Originals (CW, 2013-2018)
The Passage (Fox, 2019-present)
Penny Dreadful (Showtime, 2014-2016)
Preacher (AMC, 2016-present)
The Strain (FX, 2014-2017)
True Blood (HBO, 2008-2014)
Ultraviolet (Channel 4, 1998)
The Vampire Diaries (CW, 2009-2017)
Vampire High (YTV, 2001-2002)
Van Helsing (Syfy, 2016-present)
Young Dracula (CBBC, 2006-2014)

Zombie TV shows:

Death Valley (MTV, 2011)
Fear the Walking Dead (AMC, 2015-present)
Helix (Syfy, 2014-2015)
In the Flesh (BBC, 2013-2014)
iZombie (CW, 2015-present)
Santa Clarita Diet (Netflix; 2017-present)
The Walking Dead (AMC, 2010-present)
Z Nation (Syfy, 2014-2018)

Photos: Promotional art for “The Passage” and “Van Helsing.”