Before and After: Happy Meals and what they were yesterday and what they have become today.

Well folks, coming June 16th kids everywhere will be munching upon pounds of greasy burgers and fries to get themselves pokemon happy meal toys, including a pokemon TCG card. Now I am too old to play in this game of shadows, “eat our food you get the prize” gambit.. but you got to admit it gets the kids excited to eat fast food. Once upon a time: we were those kids who were gorging upon those double cheeseburgers to get those damn toys. I remember fondly of one those ultra hot meal ticket promotions: POKEMON THE FIRST MOVIE.

There wasn’t a household that year that didn’t have a kid jumping off the walls for this movie.

I was a fan, I played the games,the cards,and have just about anything that said Pokemon on the box, hell I still play the game boy games, I’m a fucking nerd. The movie was mindblowing, it had more action, exciting orchestrations, and a deep meaningful plot (though not executed greatly when examining it now as a 21 year old) that would take 3 episodes to cover. It was a helluva time back in 1998. But back to the happy meals, it’s kind of funny that back in 1998 that happy meal promotions were executed with more attention to detail and hype.. in other words: MANIPULATE (due to misinformation and lack of internet.. so parents didn’t had the knowledge back then) Plus there were more toys, and also there separate things to purchase outside of the happy meals (or in this case Big Kids Meals), like there was Pokeballs with “gold karate” blocks with Pokemon on them. Holy shit, overkill! So that in turn would absolutely require kids to go to Burger King multiple times a week to “BUY THEM ALL!”, and I regret it health wise now. But you know what, I don’t care.. life is short and I will enjoy the times that I was a kid, and 1998 was a bitching good time.

I still have these lying around somewhere.

Now 14 years later, the world has become more informed about the vile, gross, and health destroying fast food!* *quote from a semi rational health nut. McDonalds is trying to recreate that very successful campaign with doing some ludicrous promotions with other places. But here is the important stuff to know: Starting June 16th, McDonalds Happy Meals will come with a Pokemon toy and a reprinted TCG card. The six toys are Pikachu, Servine, Pignite, Dewott, Woobat, and Axew. That’s what you really need to know. I don’t know if it’s because I am older now, but I am not excited for this. I feel nostalgic, but not excited. There’s just something about being bombarded by ads from televisions with their semi clever tag lines and the announcer telling me that “such and such is now at this and that”. The magic is gone, gone are the overblown commercials with creativity and in with the conservative bastardizations of what we call commercials nowadays, and I don’t see them coming back anytime soon.

Cartoon Network brings back Cartoon Planet and Toonami: A step in the right direction?

How did this happen? Remember all the cries of "BETRAYAL" when Cartoon Network turn their back on their loyal fans when they slowly got rid of their old cartoon shows such as Johnny Bravo, Dexter's Laboratory, and Courage The Cowardly Dog, and then went for the jugular vein with cancelling Toonami? Remember when they started pumping out live action shows, and importing Canadian cartoons and basically said "We don't feel like making original shit anymore."? Well apparently they heard your bitching.. er I mean campaigning for "Bring Back The Cartoon Network of old.".

E3: What To Expect Next Week.

E3 has been a staple in the world of pop culture, along with Comic Con. E3 has been the only reason why I watch Spike besides watching Star Wars marathons. I've always wanted to go out there, get some sun, view the landscape, and witness some new games/consoles news. For years I have always been waiting on 3 things to happen.

Toonami: An Important Part Of My Childhood, Reborn. Plus A History.

For those who are unfamiliar with Toonami (primarily those from overseas), Toonami is a daily*/weekly programming block consisting of action cartoons, primarily consisting of Anime (japanese cartoons). I think I got it down right, anyways let's begin. It began in 1997,

Time For Shamless Plugging

Before I whore myself on the internet, I want to plug this awesome Podcast show called "The Nerdpocalypse Podcast". You will LOVE this show if you like comics,movies,human interests, and other things pop culture. Follow them, and spread the word of their awesome podcast!

http://www.thenerdpocalypse.com/

Now time for me to spread the word of my blog, just type #ProjectVHS on Twitter.. and tell them to follow BEYOND THE TAPE for blogging excellence.

Simple... ok bye!

Things I do when I am bored: Mad-libing job applications! (The Best of)

Sometimes when I am bored, I fill out applications for jobs.. I kind of Mad-lib them. Just for Laughs. Folks, I do not send out these applications.. I just fill these out as a joke to kill time in my otherwise miserable life. Plus I do not answer them the same the second time, so I am just compiling the best answers in my collection of 10 + applications.  So let's begin!

"Expected salary" ONE BILLION DOLLARS!

"Why would you like to work for (insert company name here)?" To make bank and get the bitches.

"Describe a time you have provided excellent customer service. Why was the customer "WOWED" When I offered a kid the movie Brink on VHS.

"What are your Personal and Career Goals?" To get laid by age 19, to go to juinor college, and work at a shitty cubicle job till the day I die.

"Are you presently employed?" Yeah, to my couch. "If so, may we inquire of your Present Employer?" Couches do not answer phones.

"Have you ever been convicted of a felony?" Yes. "If so, please explain." I was caught jacking it in San Diego.

"Name of High School." Ridgemont High. "How many years?" For about 25 + years, I am hanging out with Jeff Spicoli.

"Name Of College" Faber College. "How many years?" Less than a year, got kicked out of school for having too many ragers and screwing the dean's wife.

"Any former employers?" I was part of the blues brothers, my boss(s) were Jake and Elwood Blues, I played the french horn. They called me "Mr. Fabulous"


If anyone enjoyed this, please tell me and I might fill out more joke applications in the future. Till then, bye!

How The Avengers success will affect the possiblity of a Justice League movie

With The Avengers coming out in less than 3 weeks, there are already early rumblings from the people who attended the red carpet premiere of the film that this movie is one for the ages. I'll wait till I see it to form my opinion on it. But here's the thing, if this movie kicks epic amounts of ass, and makes a shit load of money.. you can all start expecting a Justice League movie as soon as the next Batman movie after The Dark Knight Rises comes out. We already have the Man Of Steel coming out next year.. believe me folks the process of making a Batman reboot will be done shortly.. because there is lots of money to be made.

But how will The Avengers pave the way for Warner Brothers to make an equally good DC counterpart? If The Avengers is as good as everyone is saying it is right now, it will be the template of how to make a good hero team-up movie.The formula, the right balance of each hero having a story and purpose of being in the movie, nice action, and a coherrent plot. But a Justice League movie might possibly be light on the action and more heavy on the plot due to me reading a few JLA comics. But that's also a DC and Marvel thing.. DC is more heavy on plot meanwhile Marvel is more about the action. So I hope that The Avengers is both financially and critically successful so that we can finally have a Justice League movie.

Or just have a Batman and Superman movie.. that will be good too.