WTF Costumes
While we seem fully on board with the concept of knocking on people's doors and demanding free fun-size chocolate bars, one element of trick-or-treating has failed to cross the Atlantic: dressing up in humiliating costumes. Here, a witch's outfit is all we demand of our children, but in America, Halloween is treated as if it's the fancy dress version of the World Cup, with participants transforming themselves into everything from the Keyboard Cat to living iPods. Of course, another American element is that most of the extroverts here are fully grown adults. This site collects some of their extreme examples of fancy dress, from a baby emerging Alien-style from their father's blood-splattered chest to warped scenes of sexual congress and a moving tribute to Daft Punk.
The Middle Class Handbook
The middle classes are the most ridiculed and derided people in Britain, despite the fact that most of us belong somewhere in the top, bottom or middle-middle of it. Regardless, everyone will find something horrifyingly true about themselves or hilarious about Barbour-wearing folk in this soon-to-be-a-novelty-book field guide. Among its newly discovered social tribes are the "chaveau riche", "Jamie Oliver's Army" and "Saga Louts", while How To Be Middle Class entries explore such issues as service station etiquette, with a father who treats it "like a cross between a Formula One pit-stop and an Ebola colony". Elsewhere are reports on the middle class struggle, what the chattering classes are wibbling about and how couples talk about other couples.
Blog roll: Horror
Frankensteinia (not a real word) defined from Boris Karloff to his various comic book reanimations.
Dedicated to the study of monsters in pop culture, including the shirtless True Blood hunks.
News, trailers, videos and cast interviews from the latest horror movie and DVD releases.
Vintage gore blogger asks: "Is a monster scarier if it's shown or merely suggested?"
Elvira has some important info for you, plus prepare your VCR for hot new flick The Disco Exorcist.
Thrills, reviews and excellent lists like "Female villains in horror" and "Holy Shit! Endings".
What we learned on the web this week
Luke Perry loves his fans
How The Empire Strikes Back should have ended
The man who invented LOLCats is allergic to cats
Zach Galifianakis is such a tease
How to make an Avatart
The Mad Men theme tune is now available with added swing
What it's like in 1998
The beauty of the mosh pit
What Simon Cowell looks like with Dannii's nose, Cheryl's mouth and Louis's head
Some interesting things found at airport security
