Synopses & Reviews
Each week, the writers of
The A.V. Club issue a slightly slanted pop-culture list filled with challenging opinions (Is David Bowie's "Young Americans" nearly ruined by saxophone?) and fascinating facts. Exploring 24 great films too painful to watch twice, 14 tragic movie-masturbation scenes, 18 songs about crappy cities, and much more, Inventory combines a massive helping of new lists created especially for the book with a few favorites first seen at avclub.com and in the pages of
The A.V. Club's sister publication,
The Onion.
But wait! There's more: John Hodgman offers a set of minutely detailed (and probably fictional) character actors. Patton Oswalt waxes ecstatic about the "quiet film revolutions" that changed cinema in small but exciting ways. Amy Sedaris lists 50 things that make her laugh. "Weird Al" Yankovic examines the noises of Mad magazine's Don Martin. Plus lists from Paul Thomas Anderson, Robert Ben Garant, Tom Lennon, Andrew W.K., Tim and Eric, Daniel Handler, and Zach Galifianakis -- and an epic foreword from essayist Chuck Klosterman.
Review
"andlt;iandgt;Inventoryandlt;/iandgt; is awesome and will provide you with endless hours of reading and arguing with friends. I love this book, except for page 124. I don't care what anybody says, Bowie's 'Young Americans' sounds terrific with the saxophone. Go f*** yourself, A.V. Club." -- Joel McHale, andlt;iandgt;The Soupandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"In a culture that worships the disposable, lazy lists obligatorily put together by self-serving editorial staffs at the likes of andlt;iandgt;Barely Information Magazineandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;The A.V. Clubandlt;/iandgt; has decided to embrace what it parodies until it meets itself just outside of heaven and shakes its own hand while flipping itself, and you and me, off. Kudos, andlt;iandgt;A.V. Clubandlt;/iandgt;!" -- David Cross, andlt;iandgt;Mr. Showandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;iandgt;Arrested Developmentandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"I'm going to put this awesome book on my coffee table so when people come over they'll think I'm fun, clever, and sophisticated, but charmingly populist. And when they see my name on the back cover, they'll also think I'm famous!" -- Mindy Kaling, andlt;iandgt;The Officeandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"Despite the fact that they declined to ask me to participate in this award-winning* book, I bear no ill will toward the writers because they are all geniuses; buying this book will make you feel a genius, too.** (*This book has not won any awards. **No, that was not a typo. I literally meant you would feel a genius.)" -- Michael Ian Black, andlt;iandgt;The Stateandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;iandgt;Michael And Michael Have Issuesandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"I did look at the book and enjoyed it, but didn't have time to come up with a quote, unless 'Seems like a pretty good book. I had a great time skimming it' works." -- Eugene Mirman, andlt;iandgt;Flight Of The Conchordsandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;iandgt;The Will To Whatevsandlt;/iandgt;
Review
IndieFab Award Finalist and#160; and#8220;
Super Pop is as snappy as its titleand#8212;a wonderful gateway to broadened horizons for current and future pop culture obsessives.and#8221;
and#8212;Matt Zoller Seitz, New York Magazine, television critic
and#160; and#8220;Thanks to Super Pop, youand#8217;ll never be caught without a pop culture recommendationand#8212;or tenand#8212;to fit every social setting (and fill many weekday nights at home as well).and#8221;
and#8212;Ethan Alter, Television Without Pity, film critic
and#160; and#8220;Super Pop is the Holy Grail for ALL your social and antisocial needs. Daniel Harmonand#8217;s book is smarter than your average bear, funnier than your average LOLcat, and more useful than a dozen remote controls. In a top ten list of the top ten and#8220;top tenand#8221; books, Super Pop goes straight to number one.and#8221;
and#8212;Nancy Holder, New York Times bestselling author of Buffy: The Making of a Slayer and#160; and#8220;This book of annotated lists reads like an effective study guide for your next trivia nightand#8230;(the) content is actually far more substantial than first impressions would implyand#8230;This is a go-to resource for teens looking to bone up on pop culture, sound interesting at a party, or craft the perfect playlist for a workout.and#8221; and#8212;Booklist and#160; and#8220;For anyone who has ever felt the slightest bit deficient in their pop-culture expertise, here is the ultimate guide, guaranteed to fill any voidand#8230;.The bizarre choices will prompt many double takes and lots of laughterand#8230;.A weird, witty, endlessly entertaining compendium for the budding pop-culture aficionado.and#8221; and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
"This book is terrific fun just for browsing purposes. But as aand#160;source of potential teaching / discussion / writing ideas, itand#8217;s downrightand#160;invaluable."and#160;and#8212;Peter Gutierrez, "Connect the Pop,"and#160;School Library Journal blog
"Super Pop bursts with titillating pop cultural tidbits and trivia . . . Author Daniel Harmonand#8217;s intent when he wrote Super Pop was to go beyond the usual lists of movies, books, and trivia, that Harmon calls 'unsurprising' and create exciting lists that spark the imagination, and 'go beyond the old standard and a few new staples.' Super Pop achieves this with flying colors."and#160;and#8212;ForeWord Reviews
"Highly intriguing...Harmon envisions a world where his audience will take these recommendations, discover new things, and add to the cultural archive with their own lists and recommendations. In this way, everyone will have an investment in keeping artifacts of pop culture from 'slipping through the cracks,' as he put it. 'I did not intend these lists to be an endpoint,' Harmon said, 'but rather a beginning.'"and#160;and#8212;Flavorwire
Synopsis
A.V. Club was founded in 1995 as the arts-and-entertainment arm of the satirical newspaper and website The
Onion. The two brands quickly became distinct from each other, with The
Onion providing humor and America's finest news, and the A.V. Club becoming a significant, well-received source for pop culture news and commentary. In recent years, the A.V. Club's web presence has become huge, attracting over a million unique users per month who visit for reviews, interviews, listings, and features on film, television, music, books, and more.
Inventory will enjoy contributions from the entire A.V. Club staff, but the primary staff members assigned to the book project are Editor Keith Phipps, Managing Editor Josh Modell, and Associate Editors Tasha Robinson and Kyle Ryan.
Synopsis
Based on a popular weekly feature in the A.V. Club — The Onion's beloved arts and entertainment guide — this book presents a smart, opinionated, and amusing compendium of pop-culture lists and trivia. b&w photos throughout.
Synopsis
Each week, the writers of The A.V. Club issue a slightly slanted pop-culture list filled with challenging opinions (Is David Bowie's Young Americans nearly ruined by saxophone?) and fascinating facts. Exploring 24 great films too painful to watch twice, 14 tragic movie-masturbation scenes, 18 songs about crappy cities, and much more, Inventory combines a massive helping of new lists created especially for the book with a few favorites first seen at avclub.com and in the pages of The A.V. Club's sister publication, The
Onion.
But wait There's more: John Hodgman offers a set of minutely detailed (and probably fictional) character actors. Patton Oswalt waxes ecstatic about the quiet film revolutions that changed cinema in small but exciting ways. Amy Sedaris lists 50 things that make her laugh. Weird Al Yankovic examines the noises of Mad magazine's Don Martin. Plus lists from Paul Thomas Anderson, Robert Ben Garant, Tom Lennon, Andrew W.K., Tim and Eric, Daniel Handler, and Zach Galifianakis — and an epic foreword from essayist Chuck Klosterman.
Synopsis
This wide-ranging collection organizes pop cultureand#8217;s greatest hitsand#8212;including movies, books, comic books, songs, and podcastsand#8212;into hilarious, provocative, and weirdly edifying top ten lists.
Synopsis
Super-Pop offers a maximum-pleasure, minimum-effort way to become smarter, happier, and more likely to survive your next family function (or a shark attack). This hilarious and wide-ranging guide sorts nearly 500 different bestsellers, blockbusters, and underappreciated gems into quirky top ten lists, like and#8220;Outwit Death: Essential Lessons in Survival,and#8221; and and#8220;Achieve Mindfulness: Movies That Will Show You the Way (With Wise Elders Now Included).and#8221;and#160; So whether youand#8217;re looking for some motivational workout music, need help planning a July 4th double feature, or just want to pick up some knowledge without straining your brain, this book has you covered. With new insights on old classics and fresh ideas for jaded eyes, Super Pop makes sense of pop culture and#8211; and then puts pop culture back to work!
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About the Author
A. V. Club was founded in 1995 as the arts-and-entertainment arm of the satirical newspaper and website
The Onion. The two brands quickly became distinct from each other, with
The Onion providing humor and America's finest news, and the
A. V. Club becoming a significant, well-received source for pop culture news and commentary. In recent years, the
A. V. Club's web presence has become huge, attracting over a million unique users per month who visit for reviews, interviews, listings, and features on film, television, music, books, and more. Inventory will enjoy contributions from the entire
A. V. Club staff, but the primary staff members assigned to the book project are Editor Keith Phipps, Managing Editor Josh Modell, and Associate Editors Tasha Robinson and Kyle Ryan.
Chuck Klosterman is the author of Fargo Rock City; Sex, Drugs, And Cocoa Puffs; and Killing Yourself To Live. He is a columnist for Esquire and has written for GQ, Spin, the New York Times magazine, the Washington Post, the Believer, and ESPN.