Blog Topic: Media Matters

Culture Briefs: ESPN's 'College GameDay' Comes to Athens, Paul Finebaum Speaks

By Blake Aued | September 27, 2013 3:22pm

Will be-buzz-cutted ESPN talking head Kirk Herbstreit stop into Mr. Haircut for a little off the top?

Workers were setting up the ESPN "College GameDay" stage in Myers Quad today for what promises to be an absolutely insane football Saturday against LSU. (Pro tip: Unless you're going tailgating or to the game or to a bar to watch the game, DO NOT, under any circumstances, leave your house tomorrow.)

Gabe Vodicka and I had a chance to talk this morning with ESPN personality Paul Finebaum (whose intelligent and caustic Birmingham Post-Herald columns I grew up reading). Here are his thoughts on Georgia fans, the Dawgs' title chances, Mark Richt, Michael Adams and whether UGA fans should boo Zach Mettenberger.

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Homedrone: Jandek's Athens Show is Now Available on CD

By Gabe Vodicka | September 24, 2013 3:32pm

Hands down, one of the biggest local shows of 2012 was reclusive sound wizard Jandek's appearance out at the Orange Twin Conservation Community. Last July, the Man from Corwood (who's actually, uh, from Texas) was joined by regional luminaries like Bradford Cox and Heather McIntosh for a weird and unforgettable performance.

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Culture Briefs: Athens to Host 'College GameDay' on Saturday

By Gabe Vodicka | September 23, 2013 4:32pm

Get those signs ready, hooligans: ESPN's flagship college football program, "College GameDay," will broadcast from Athens this Saturday, Sept. 28. starting at 9 a.m. No. 9 Georgia takes on No. 6 LSU at Sanford Stadium at 3:30 p.m. that afternoon.

The show, which features talking heads Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and former Georgia linebacker David Pollack, is a network staple known primarily for its feature wherein the hosts (and often a celebrity guest) predict the outcomes of the day's games. For the final segment, which previews the day's marquee matchup, Corso famously dons the head of the mascot from whichever team he predicts will win.

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Culture Briefs: 'Walking Dead' Producer to Speak at UGA

By Blake Aued | September 18, 2013 4:41pm

Gail Ann Hurd, the executive producer of the hit AMC zomedy (Get it? I just made that up.) "The Walking Dead" is speaking at the Richard B. Russell Special Collections Libraries at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24.

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In the Loop: UPDATE: Athens Is on All of the Lists

By Blake Aued | September 6, 2013 11:17am

Athens is No. 1 on the list of Cities on the Most Lists.

Last week, something called Simple Economist named Athens "best town in the world." (That statement may be somewhat hyperbolic, although we can't really disagree.)

Wednesday, MSN Real Estate included us on a list of "10 college football towns—for grownups."

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Homedrone: Read Patterson Hood's Gripping Essay on 'The New(er) South'

By Gabe Vodicka | August 20, 2013 3:12pm

Photo Credit: Maria Ives

Patterson Hood

My beloved punk rock showed me a way to blend both things and rebel against the more oppressive forces of my hometown's religious conservative mores. Unfortunately, my coming of age coincided with the Muscle Shoals R&B scene ending, or at least losing its worldwide relevance. I got to the door just as it was slamming shut, and my punk rock leanings did nothing to endear me to my father's peers and associates, most of whom thought I was a spoiled, ungrateful, disrespectful prick.

—From "The New(er) South," an essay penned by Drive-By Truckers' frontman Patterson Hood for new webzine The Bitter Southerner.

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In the Loop: ABH: Armed Dog Terrorizes Athens

By Blake Aued | August 16, 2013 11:33am

The world's most highly evolved dog is brandishing a gun at people in an Athens neighborhood, according to the Athens Banner-Herald.

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Culture Briefs: Ciné Reaches Kickstarter Goal, Will Evolve Digitally

By Gabe Vodicka | August 14, 2013 3:58pm

Last night, beloved local arthouse theater Ciné surpassed its $60,000 goal on Kickstarter, where it had solicited donations to help with the purchase of two new digital projectors, which it requires to continue showing 35mm film. Crazy how that works, ain't it?

As of this writing, the project has exceeded its goal by almost $600. But don't let that stop you from joining the digital evolution if you haven't already. From the Cine website:

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Culture Briefs: Q&A With Spectacular Now Director James Ponsoldt

By Gabe Vodicka | August 2, 2013 6:21pm

James Ponsoldt

The Spectacular Now, which opens today in L.A. and New York, is not Athens native James Ponsoldt's first feature-length film (it's his third, following 2006's Off the Black and last year's Smashed) but it's by far his most personal. Set in Ponsoldt's hometown, and shot here last summer, the movie documents a budding high-school relationship. But it's no breezy teen rom-com, having already earned rave reviews from outlets like The New Yorker.

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Culture Briefs: The Spectacular Now Opens in L.A. and NYC, Athens Screenings Set for Aug. 6

By Gabe Vodicka | July 29, 2013 3:03pm

The Spectacular Now

After winning big at Sundance earlier this year, Athens native James Ponsoldt's coming-of-age tale The Spectacular Now is set to open in Los Angeles and New York City this Friday.

Shot entirely in Athens, the movie stars Shailene Woodley (The Descendents) and Kyle Chandler ("Friday Night Lights"), among others, and tells the story of an improbable teen romance. The film is already garnering rave reviews from influential critics, like New York Magazine's David Edelstein and The New Yorker's David Denby.

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