Archive for the ‘pop culture’ Category

Will Sesame Street Return to Video Games?

Friday, November 20th, 2009

If the names Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch and The Count don’t bring back memories that make you smile, you must have missed out on Sesame Street, the beloved children’s show. Either that or you didn’t have a TV when you were a child.

Created by the Sesame Workshop (or more fondly remembered as the Children’s Television Workshop) back in 1969, the show was built on the idea that television — long believed to be an entertainment device — could actually serve as an educational tool. Within years, the show would become a worldwide cultural phenomenon. It would be lauded for its ability to teach young people the basics of reading and mathematics, and promote good values among children.

The belief, as author Malcolm Gladwell wrote about was that “if you could hold the attention of a child, you can educate them.” That theory seems to hold water and a big part of the massive popularity of Sesame Street has been the characters in the show. Sesame Street is famous for the Muppets characters on the show, all created by Jim Henson. These puppets are a large part of the success of Sesame Street and characters such as Ernie, Bert, Grover, Kermit the Frog and more all have their own place in the collective memories of people everywhere.

This popularity has led to spin-off merchandising. Toys, clothes, lunch boxes, shoes and other accoutrement for children were all licensed and made money. This even extended to the world of video games, beginning with games such as Big Bird’s Egg Catch for the Atari 2600, and continued with Sesame Street: Big Bird’s Hide and Speak for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and Elmo’s Number Journey for the Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64.

Formerly an entertainment medium for children, the video games industry now caters to older demographics. In recent times, video games were said to carry a certain social stigma, following high-profile media discussions about them exposing children to violence, sex and other mature themes. Games for children have floundered critically, not just because of the more mature tastes of players, but also because most games for children have been criticized as inferior gaming experiences.

As Sesame Street celebrates its 40th Anniversary, will the beloved children’s show make a return to the video game world by December 2009? Predicto.com’s users have weighed in and, as of today, 68% of respondents have voted with a resounding Yes!

What do you think? Visit Predicto.com, speak up and be part of the Predicto Mobile community now!


Stan “The Man” Lee in a Batman Movie?!?!

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

Stan Lee“Make mine Marvel” or “Die-hard DC”? For the uninitiated among you, we’re not speaking a foreign language. No, we’re talking about one of the biggest rivalries of all time — equal to if not greater than such legendary battles as the Yankees vs. the Red Sox, cats vs. dogs and Tupac vs. Biggie.

This, friends, is the eternal battle of comic books: Marvel vs. DC.

DC is the industry powerhouse that’s home to iconic heroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and the Flash. Marvel is the underdog that rose to superiority and counts among its ranks the likes of Spider-Man, Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man and the X-Men.

In Hollywood, however, these distinctions often mean little. Halle Berry, for example, played Storm in Marvel’s X-Men franchise and DC’s Catwoman, while Ryan Reynolds is set to play Marvel’s Deadpool and DC’s Green Lantern.

But what happens when Stan “The Man” Lee, the creator of Marvel’s most well-known heroes, says he wants to do a cameo in the next Batman flick put out by a competitor?

dc-vs-marvelLee is no stranger to film, having made brief appearances in nearly every Marvel motion picture in the last decade. But will he have crossover success by making an appearance in the next, yet-to-be-confirmed adventure of the Caped Crusader? 51% of voting Predicto Mobile members say yes!

See what commenters had to say about the potential collabo!

What do you think is going to happen? Visit Predicto.com to register for the text message-based mobile game that has everyone predicting the outcome of sports, pop culture, news and entertainment events. Along with being able to vote on surveys, including this one, you’ll get updates when the answers are revealed.

Sign up today — and get more Predicto by becoming a fan on Facebook!


Will Glamour Have A Plus-Size Column Like Marie Claire?

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

Predictoglammc082708The fashion world recently got a taste of something big, literally. At 5′2″ and 220 pounds, Ashley Falcon, Marie Claire’s new columnist for “Big Girl in a Skinny World,” gives fashion advice for plus-size women.

Ashley proves that fashionistas come in all shapes and sizes and that in this world, it’s an epic struggle when you’re a big girl. So she offers help, giving the curvy females practical fashion advice. Take for example her recommendations on the best jeans for curvy women. Her column immediately earned points with plus-size women everywhere for daring to call out designers for equating larger sizes to shapeless, non-flattering cuts.

The question now is will Glamour follow suit and find itself a plus-size fashion writer as well? 75% of the Predicto community says yes, 25% says no. Here’s what some of them had to say.

“I think they will since there are a lot of plus sized women out there,” says member “dottynell.”

“They should! Most of America is overweight,” says “Nikiya.”

“They have a very different readership. Glamour is an aspirational mag and nobody aspires to be fat!” says “nwyd4928.”

“Glamour [won’t get a] writer to write about plus-sizes like Marie Claire,” says “Bmay75.” Not a fan of Glamour, we suppose?

While we love the fact that Ashley’s bringing more than size diversity to the fashion glossies, we also think Glamour should feature spreads for big women.

What do you think? Visit Predicto.com to register for the immensely popular text message-based mobile survey system that has everyone predicting the outcome of sports, pop culture, news and entertainment events. Along with being able to vote on surveys, including this one, you’ll get updates when the answers are revealed.


Will DKNY’s Smoothies Line Be Spring’s Hot Seller?

Monday, October 19th, 2009

DKNY2Underwear as outerwear? The concept isn’t as risqué as when Madonna pioneered it in the early and mid 1980s, but Donna Karan New York is the latest style icon flipping the script on public displays of unmentionables.

DKNY’s new Smoothies shapewear collection will be available in February. Showcased during a recent fashion show, the short, high-waisted and capri-length garments essentially work to smooth out clothing layered over them.

Not only does your exterior have a more appealing presentation, but the array of colors (such as black, neon pink and others inspired by those delicious, blended drinks) are meant to peek out and complement your flaring frocks. How’s that for adding accents to your wardrobe?

Image is everything and Smoothies are sure to be a hot item when things start warming up in the spring.

Predicto asked and you answered: Will DKNY’s fresh fashions sell out at stores by March 1? 72% of voting Predicto Members say yes and expect this new gear will fly of the racks fast!

Will you be picking up a few Smoothies for your collection? Visit Predicto.com to register for the text message-based mobile game that has everyone predicting the outcome of sports, pop culture, news and entertainment events. Along with being able to vote on surveys, including this one, you’ll get updates when the answers are revealed. Sign up today — and get more Predicto by becoming a fan on Facebook!


Balloon Boy: Headed to a TV Near You (Again)?

Friday, October 16th, 2009

*Oct 15 - 00:05*Yesterday, America was glued to its collective TV set and computer anxiously awaiting the resolution of the Balloon Boy saga.

For those uninitiated few among you, allow Predicto to get you up to speed.

Richard and Mayumi Heene, former participants of the Petri dish experiment known as Wife Swap, are amateur enthusiasts of everything from UFOs to storm chasing. While entertaining themselves with the former, Richard built a balloon that escaped from their backyard.

Earlier in the day, Richard says he repeatedly told his 6-year-old son Falcon to stay away from the balloon. When it began floating into the air and the boy couldn’t be found, the rest of the family feared the worst: that Falcon was inside the balloon.

The four-hour debacle affected air traffic at Denver’s nearby airport and the airwaves, as the cable networks broadcast the balloon floating some 10,000 feet in the air. When debris fell from the floatation device, everyone feared the worst, but when it finally landed and he wasn’t onboard, fears intensified.

Later, when the family was at home, Falcon appeared out of nowhere. He had apparently been hiding in a box in the attic … that was searched twice … by trained professionals.

The story got sketchier when the family appeared on Larry King Live and the boy made a statement that insinuated this had all been a hoax. (Dad’s drive to be on a number of reality show ventures didn’t help matters.)

Hoax or not, Predicto wanted to know if we can expect to see the Heene family in their highly desired reality show? While the vote is close, 53% of voting members say that it will not happen.

“They won’t because it was a hoax,” says member “skin10806.”

“I hope so. We all could use someone to remind us just how many blessings we have and no matter what struggles we have, there’s always a way to overcome,” says “qbh35526.”

“I think they were just trying to get some attention,” says “cqih5596” of the assumingly undeserving family.

“Why would the kid get his own show? That’s ridiculous. He wasn’t even in the balloon!” says “cibj0886.”

Very passionate opinions on this subject. Do you have your own? Visit Predicto.com to register for the text message-based mobile game that has everyone predicting the outcome of sports, pop culture, news and entertainment events. Along with being able to vote on surveys, including this one, you’ll get updates when the answers are revealed. And most importantly, you can express your thoughts on these surveys. Sign up today — and get more Predicto by becoming a fan on Facebook!


Will Miley Rejoin Twitter?

Friday, October 9th, 2009

Miley CyrusHave you ever considered correspondence from Miley Cyrus to be the “light in a world or darkness”? Well her fans and her dad, Billy Ray, have achy-breaky hearts because the teen queen also known as Hannah Montana has closed her Twitter account!

Why? All because some boy told her to. Sigh.

So, Miley has been filming this movie with a guy named Liam Hemsworth. The two are apparently an item now. So it appears that Miley will only be telling him what she’s doing instead of sharing the ultra-important info with her more than 2,000,000 ex-followers.

The final Tweet from the 16-year-old? “FYI Liam doesn’t have a twitter and he wants ME to delete mine with good reason.” What reason was this? And how dare he!

After an active text life, we at Predicto are wondering if Miley will return to the screen by re-opening her Twitter account – against Liam’s wishes. (If relationship drama occurs, you can count on Predicto to have a question about it.) 64% of voting Predicto members expect to be receiving sweet Tweets from the Disney superstar by 11/15.

“Everyone wants to know what is going on with Miley. I’m sure she will keep on communicating,” says member “proo3391.”

“If she does, it will be under an alias,” says “pri_t_kitty.”

“I just think she did it so she could get attention,” says “dshg1651.”

If you’re longing for more Miley in your life, visit Predicto.com and register for the text message-based mobile game that has everyone predicting the outcome of sports, pop culture, news and entertainment events. Along with being able to vote on surveys, including this one, you’ll get updates when the answers are revealed. Sign up today!


Textually Active

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

Have you heard of adult sexting? Chances are you’ve not only heard of it, but have probably done it, too. Listen to Predicto TV host Ereka Vetrini’s chat on Your Time with Kim Iverson about the joys and precautions of responsible sexting.


Is General Motors on its Way Back to Being the No. 1 Car Maker this Year?

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

Car image for Predicto blogGeneral Motors has been in extremely hot political water since the auto industry bailout from late last year. Prior to that, GM had faced a lot of economic, management and political challenges that one wondered how in the world it ever survived and thrived. For years, it has dominated the car industry with the massive demands and production of its line of iconic muscle cars. The entertainment industry has also played a huge role in ensuring the success of the all-American machine.

In the past couple of years, however, we saw how the mighty had fallen. Not that GM fell completely out of the scene, it merely slid down to the No. 2 spot as the world’s largest car maker. And who now holds its former glory? Not some royal European machine, but a once-lowly industrial brand from Japan, now transformed into the industry giant that is now known as Toyota.

Based on the 2008 ranking on the Fortune 500, Toyota is No. 1 in global unit sales. That says a lot about a company that once manufactured utterly unreliable cars, but now leads the way in pushing hybrid cars to the market. They were in fact one of the first brands to mass-produce and sell such cars. Today, with Toyota’s strong worldwide presence, innovative strategies and strong brand recognition, other car manufacturers, including General Motors, are finding it hard to keep up with Toyota’s pace.

So, will General Motors be able to reclaim its title as the “World’s Largest Automaker” this year? (It certainly is not the largest car maker anymore, but it sure still manufactures the largest cars in the world, and they are not that far behind Toyota.)

Our Predicto voters have spoken. 46% say yes, 54% say no so far. “Usertrlb4180” asserts that the government shouldn’t be the one to make GM get back its former glory, the people should. Well, if GM makes more eco-friendly cars and keep up with the way people have grown so accustomed to compact Japanese cars, maybe they will regain their spot soon enough. But as one of the voters aptly put it, “GM had their time. It’s time for another automaker to have theirs.”

With GM’s fresh funds from the government, it could now be up to something that could make everyone’s jaws drop. Before we know it, the company could be rolling out better cars that could give other automakers a run for their money.

Who else says GM will be No. 1 again this year? Who else says no, they won’t? Let us know what you think by visiting Predicto.com and voting (and leaving comments) on this survey.


Are We Going to Find Led Zeppelin in Guitar Hero Soon?

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

Predicto image September 24“It’s been a long time since I rock-and-rolled!” wailed Led Zeppelin front man Robert Plant in their 1973 hit song “Rock and Roll.” Yes, it’s been a long time since the aging British rock group brought the house down with their ageless repertoire, though Led Zeppelin got together two years ago and pulled off an incredible performance, snow-white hair, wrinkled faces and all.

But what’s really making fans clamor for more Led Zep is the possibility of releasing the band’s tracks in the Guitar Hero video game before the end of this year. The creators of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games have been very busy these days, rummaging through classic rock catalogs, hoping to lure enthusiasts from all generations to the video games and rake in heaps of revenue. The venture also provides a very lucrative additional source of royalties for musicians. Even one of the greatest among the legends, The Beatles, have recently allowed their tracks to be included in the Rock Band video games, creating a fresh new following for the Fab Four.

One wonders, though, do remaining Zeppelin members Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones find the releasing of their hits such as “Moby Dick” in Guitar Hero an appealing prospect?

While 90% of Predicto voters so far say yes, Led Zeppelin will announce they are releasing a Guitar Hero video game by 12/15, the main man himself, Jimmy Page, says otherwise in a recent interview. As for the reason for why they may not release their tracks in Guitar Hero or any video game — well, they are just not comfortable giving game developers access to their master recordings. Also, as for his thoughts on gamers playing Led Zeppelin tracks on fake guitars, Page suggested they pick up a cheap guitar instead and learn how to make it work.

Well, we’ve heard a lot of these denials in the past so most fans probably won’t take Jimmy Page’s word at face value. Who knows? He could have spoken too soon. But fans are willing to put up with anything just to see “Royal Orleans,” “Stairway to Heaven,” “Dazed and Confused” and “Kashmir” in Guitar Hero. With enough demands, fans might just get the rest of the Zep crew to agree to finally release their immortal tracks in video games. Who really knows?

What about you, guys? Have your say at Predicto.com. Do you think Led Zeppelin is going to cut Guitar Hero fans some slack and give them the best Christmas present by announcing the release of their songs in the next GH installment?


The “Smize” Have It … Will Tyra?

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

showimgIt’s hard to not love Tyra. This statement, of course is debatable. We at Predicto LOVE Tyra, especially after last night’s episode of America’s Next Top Model.

Fans of the show are aware of Tyra’s trademark technique: smiling with your eyes. No matter what you have on or what crazy position you find yourself in, if you’re a model, the key to selling the product and the image is convincing onlookers with those baby blues (or browns, greens, grays and others).

Since this season’s run of ANTM features petite-sized models, Tyra feels it’s more important than ever for her protégés to strike a fierce face.

So important, in fact, that she dressed in nerd-girl attire before transforming into superhero, Super Smize, and posing harder than Vogue Evolution on America’s Best Dance Crew.

Remembering that the Smize is Tyra’s signature move, will she trademark the term by 1/10? 74% of voting Predicto members say yes!

See what the Predicto Mobile community had to say!

Do you want to vote on this survey? Are you curious to know what happens? Satisfy both urges by visiting Predicto.com. Once you are registered, you can join in the fun of predicting what will happen in the latest news, sports, pop culture and entertainment events. Along with texting in your comments for others to read, you’ll receive news updates when your voted-upon surveys develop new information.

Sign up today! And to get more Predicto, become a fan on Facebook!