New Cast Members of Law & Order: SVU Announced

On June 27th, it was announced that Danny Pino (Cold Case) and Kelli Giddish (Chase) will be joining the cast of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for its 13th season. Pino and Giddish will be replacing Christopher Meloni (who decided to leave the series after the 12th season) and Mariska Hargitay (who is only scheduled to appear in the first 13 episodes of the upcoming season).

Through reruns over the past couple of months, I have become a huge fan of L&O: SVU. Two of the prime reasons are Meloni and Hargitay. However, new blood can be a good thing and I am looking forward to seeing what Pino and Giddish bring to the aging series. Given their track record of starring in police procedurals, the decision to hire Pino and Giddish for L&O: SVU looks like an excellent one on paper. As to whether or not it plays out on screen, we'll see when the show returns this fall on NBC.

Update: I just learned from a reliable source that Mariska Hargitay will be with the show for the entire season. She will continue her role as Detective Benson for thirteen episodes before her character is promoted to a supervisory role. Since Mariska asked for a lighter workload, she will likely be receiving less screen time after her character gets promoted. Please accept my apologies for the confusion.

What are your thoughts on Danny Pino and Kelli Giddish joining the cast of Law & Order: SVU?

Confessions of a Dead Beat Blog Dad/Zooey Deschanel

As of late when it comes to Pop Culture Dish, I've been the proverbial neglectful parent. Due to various other interests which have taken up my time (including writing for a second blog, Diversity Ink), I've paid less and less attention to my first born over the past year and a half. I plan on making a conscious effort to change my ways by devoting more time here at PCD. Although I won't guarantee I'll be writing 4-5 posts a week as I did back in the day, my output here will at least get me off the "deadbeat blog dad" list.

A couple of Saturdays ago, while milling around my apartment, a Cotton commercial featuring Zooey Deschanel came on TV. When I heard her unmistakable singing voice, I quickly ran into the front room to check out the spot. I was like, "Cool, Zooey's in a brand new commercial!" When I looked it up, I was surprised to learn this commercial is from 2009! Where the hell have I been and what have I been doing?! Apparently, not watching channels which aired this spot. In case you've been in the commercial wilderness like me or just want to watch "She", here it is:



Speaking of Zooey, I'm looking forward to her upcoming Fox sitcom titled New Girl (in which she plays Jess Day). I just watched a preview of New Girl on Fox's site and it looks promising. It has similarities to the new ABC sitcom Happy Endings.  Both shows deal with someone picking up the pieces after an embarrassing break-up and are single-camera sitcoms without a laugh track. Even Jess's new apartment is reminiscent of one of the sets used on Happy Endings. Coincidentally, the pilot for New Girl features one of the stars of Happy Endings (Damon Wayans, Jr.). Since the latter has been picked up for a 2nd season, Damon's role on New Girl will be recast.

Any Zooey fans out there? Are you looking forward to her new sitcom?

Pop Culture Trivia: The Beatles Edition

  

The next 15 questions are all related to John, Paul, George and Ringo.  If you are a Pop Culture Trivia virgin and are about to be touched for the very first time, please read all the rules before taking the quiz:

* Along with the Internet, the use of books, magazines, notes, data stored on a computer, etc. to help you come up with the answers is not allowed.

* Please read the questions carefully. For example, if you mistakenly give a performer's name instead of the movie/TV show, the answer will be marked as incorrect.

* If you give a final answer along the lines of "If it isn't Hey Jude, it's Let It Be", it will be marked as incorrect.

* Unless I ask for the correct spelling, you won't lose points for any misspellings as long as I can decipher your answer. If I have no idea what you mean, I'll email you for verification. If I don't hear from you, your answer will be marked as incorrect.

* If you are the only player to get a particular question correct, you earn 5 bonus points. The first player to submit their final answers to me will earn 2 bonus points. 

* Please do not post your answers in the comments section. Instead, send them to ultfan@gmail.com no later than Friday, July 8th, at 11:59 PM EST.

* To make it easier for me to add up your score, please cut and paste the game into the body of an email and type your answers after the point value of each question. Although I will email the answers only to those who take the quiz, I will still post the names of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers here.

Have fun, good luck and remember, the love you take is equal to the love you make.

1. Opening to the sound of a chattering audience and an orchestra tuning up and ending with a final piano chord that lasts over 40 seconds, what landmark LP was ranked #1 on Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time? 2 pts

2. On February 9th 1964, The Beatles drew an estimated 73 million viewers during their first appearance on what prime time variety show? 2 pts

3. The cropped photo below is part of the cover of what Beatles compilation, which won Grammys for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album and Best Surround Sound Album? 3 pts

4. Before settling on "The Beatles", which one of the following names was not used by The Beatles during their formative years? 6 pts

a. The Quarrymen
b. Johnny and the Moondogs
c.The Liverpool Lads
d. The Silver Beatles

5. The following lyrics are from what song? 3 pts

I don't know how you were diverted
you were perverted too
I don't know how you were inverted
no one alerted you
  
Bonus: Which Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee played lead guitar on this song? 3 pts

6. Correctly match the women in the photo with the Beatle that they married. 2 pts each

1.
2.
3.
4.

7. Of the following Beatles albums, which is the only one that contains the word “Beatles” on its front cover? 6 pts

a. Magical Mystery Tour
b. Abbey Road
c. Let It Be
d. Rubber Soul

8. What are the titles of the six #1 hits the Beatles had on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964? 2 pts each

For 10 bonus points, how many total weeks did these six songs spend at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100? If nobody guesses the exact number of weeks, the one who comes closest gets 5 bonus pts.

9. The photo below is of what performer, one of only two non-Beatles to receive billing as an artist alongside the Beatles on an official Beatles record release? 5 pts

For 3 bonus points, who is the other non-Beatle to receive billing as an artist alongside the Beatles on an official Beatles record release?

10. In the 1965 film Help, there is a scene in which John is reading which one of the following books? 6 pts

a. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
b. A Spaniard In the Works by John Lennon
c. 1984 by George Orwell
d. The James Bond Dossier by Kingsley Amis

11. Below are the names of people (real or fictional) mentioned in the lyrics of songs by The Beatles. You have to correctly identify the song. 3 pts each

a. Vera, Chuck, and Dave
b. Semolina Pilchard and Edgar Allan Poe
c. Flat Top
d. Peter Brown
e. Desmond and Molly Jones

12. What is this movie character's family relationship to the fictional Paul McCartney? 3 pts

13. Which one of the following Ringo Starr-led Beatle tunes was actually written by Ringo? 6 pts

a. Yellow Submarine
b. With A Little Help From My Friends
c. Octopus's Garden
d. Act Naturally

14. What are the names of the four songs on the album The Beatles (aka "The White Album") that contain a female's name in their title? 2 pts each

15. The screen cap below is from what Beatles promo clip? 15 pts

The Retro Mix Playlist For 6/17/11

Show theme: Real oldies from the 50s and 60s

6 pm hour

Sock It to Me Baby!- Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels
Let the Four Winds Blow- Roy Brown
Hard Headed Woman- Elvis Presley
Ride!- Dee Dee Sharp
Louie, Louie- The Kingsmen
Tennessee- Jan & Dean
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You- Frankie Valli
Everybody Loves Somebody- Dean Martin
Uptown- The Crystals
Maybellene- Chuck Berry

Tribute to Carl Gardner, co-founder and lead singer of The Coasters, who died on 6/12/11
That Is Rock & Roll- The Coasters
Yakety Yak- The Coasters
D.W. Washburn- The Coasters
Young Blood- The Coasters
Charlie Brown- The Coasters

My Prayer- The Platters
I Know a Place- Petula Clark
Mr. Personality Man- The Foundations
Splish Splash- Bobby Darin
Sky Pilot- Eric Burdon & the Animals

7 pm hour

That’ll Be the Day- The Crickets
Hello Little Boy- Ruth Brown
Uptight (Everything’s Alright)- Stevie Wonder
I Think I’m Down- Harbinger Complex
Do You Believe in Magic- The Lovin’ Spoonful
Saved- LaVern Baker
It’s Only Make Believe- Conway Twitty
Danny Boy- Jackie Wilson
Piece of My Heart- Big Brother & the Holding Company

On the Flip Side segment:
Sing a Simple Song- Sly & the Family Stone (B-side to Everyday People)

Little Darlin’- The Diamonds
Somethin’ Else- Eddie Cochran
The Horse- Cliff Nobles & Co.
Please Mr. Sun- Tommy Edwards
Running Scared- Roy Orbison
Lightning Strikes- Lou Christie
Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On- Jerry Lee Lewis
I’m Walkin’- Fats Domino
Story of My Life- Unrelated Segments

8 pm hour

Be Bop A Lula- Gene Vincent & his Blue Caps
The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game- The Marvelettes
Big Town Boy- Shirley Matthews
Just a Little Bit Better- Herman’s Hermits
Rebel Rouser- Duane Eddy
Transistor Sister- Freddy Cannon
These Arms of Mine- Otis Redding
Meet Me at Mary’s Place- Sam Cooke
Time Won’t Let Me- The Outsiders
Chicken Shack- Amos Milburn
This Old Heart of Mine- The Isley Brothers

Greatest Miss of the Week:
Electric Stories- The Four Seasons (only reached #61 on the Billboard Hot 100)

Sweet Nothin’s- Brenda Lee
Runaway- Del Shannon
Reach Out (I’ll Be There)- The Four Tops
Kissin’ Time- Bobby Rydell
A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel Like)- Aretha Franklin
Treat Her Right- Roy Head
Witchcraft- The Spiders
Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End- The Beatles

The Retro Mix Video of the Week: Splish Splash by Bobby Darin

The Retro Mix Playlist For 6/10/11

Show theme: 80s R&B with my sister “DJ Chip” co-hosting

6 pm hour

Let It Whip- The Dazz Band
Haboglabotribin’- Bernard Wright
Atomic Dog- George Clinton
Candy Girl- New Edition
My Dear Mr. Gaye- Teena Marie
Give Me the Night- George Benson
No Parking on the Dance Floor- Midnight Star

With or Without You segment:

Where Did We Go Wrong- L.T.D.
Don't You Get So Mad- Jeffrey Osborne

Fantastic Voyage- Lakeside
More Bounce to the Ounce- Zapp
Stir It Up- Patti Labelle

7 pm hour
 
Don't Look Any Further- Dennis Edwards
Love Is the Key- Maze feat. Frankie Beverly
How Will I Know- Whitney Houston
I Want Her- Keith Sweat
Gotta Get You Home Tonight- Eugene Wilde
Rebels Are We- Chic
Can You Feel It- The Jacksons

Now and Then segment:

Heart Attack- Raphael Saddiq (from his 2011 album Stone Rollin’)
Little Walter- Tony, Toni, Tone (released in 1988)

Since I Lost My Baby- Luther Vandross
Circles- Atlantic Starr
My Girly- Ready for the World

8 pm hour
 
Jam Tonight- Freddie Jackson
I Couldn't Believe It- Ruffin & Kendricks
Forget Me Nots- Patrice Rushen
Mr. Policeman- Rick James
Whip Appeal- Babyface
Too Tight- Con Funk Shun
Back to Life- Soul II Soul
Teddy's Jam- Guy
Hangin' Downtown- Cameo
Outstanding- The Gap Band
All Fall Down- Five Star
And the Beat Goes On- The Whispers

The Retro Mix Video of the Week- Can You Feel It by The Jacksons

The Retro Mix Playlist For 6/3/11

6 pm hour

Relax- Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Give It Up- Public Enemy
Motownphilly- Boyz II Men
Back on the Chain Gang- The Pretenders
Angel Dust- Gil Scott- Heron
Get Up, Stand Up- Bob Marley
1-2-3- Gloria Stefan & the Miami Sound Machine

With or Without You segment:
Only the Young- Journey
I Believe- Steve Perry

Bills, Bills, Bills- Destiny’s Child
Girls and Boys- Blur
Chevy Van- Sammy Johns
Driving My Life Away- Eddie Rabbitt
Stranger to Himself- Traffic

7 pm hour

Lovin’ Every Minute of It- Loverboy
Coming Clean- Green Day
Spill the Wine- Eric Burdon & War
Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)- Jay-Z
Respectable- Mel & Kim
Motorcycle Mama- Sailcat
Roll with the Changes- REO Speedwagon
Good Thing- Fine Young Cannibals

Now & Then segment:
Lee Majors Come Again- The Beastie Boys (from their 2011 album Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
No Sleep till Brooklyn- The Beastie Boys (from their 1986 album Licensed to Ill)

Sometimes- Erykah Badu
Hang on in There Baby- Johnny Bristol
Life’s Been Good- Joe Walsh
Yes or No- The Go Gos

 8 pm hour

What I Got- Sublime
Escape (I Need a Break)- Whodini
Wishing Well- Terence Trent D’Arby
Do You Know What I Mean- Lee Michaels
Fancy Dancer- The Commodores
Stay (I Missed You)- Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
Future Love Paradise- Seal
Rock the Casbah- The Clash
Got the Time- Joe Jackson
Glamour Boys- Living Colour
A Change Would Do You Good- Sheryl Crow
We’ll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again- England Dan & John Ford Coley
West End Girls- Pet Shop Boys
(I’m Just Thinking About) Cooling Out- Jerry Butler
Roadhouse Blues- The Doors

The Retro Mix Video of the Week: Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) by Jay-Z