NY Post goes to Chuck Klosterman’s Astor Place B&N reading and reports on the author’s fanbase.
These are the Klostermaniacs, the ever-growing Cult of Chuck that includes bookworms, bloggers and even uber-goober Seth Cohen on “The O.C.,” who hailed Chuck’s geek wisdom on an episode last season.…
“It is sometimes surprising how intense some of the people are about these books,” said Klosterman, sitting down to sign copies and field a few questions from readers.
“Do you think Fleetwood Mac is ‘thirtysomething’?” asks one fan, confusing even Klosterman until he pieces together the obscure reference to his book, Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs.
I recently bought Killing Yourself To Live and I’m digging it so far…
Spin magazine is on the third floor of an office building on Lexington Avenue, a street often referred to as “Lex” by cast members of Law & Order. It always the spring of 1996 in the offices of Spin; it will be the spring of 1996 forever. Just about everybody who works there looks like either (a) a member of the band Pavement, or (b) a girl who once dated a member of the band Pavement. The first time I walked into the office, three guys were talking about J Mascis for no apparent reason, and one of them was describing his guitar noodling as “trenchant.”
Anyway, back to “Do you think Fleetwood Mac is ‘thirtysomething’?” … this is a reference to an ingeniously dorky rock game Chuck described in his last book:
Ten minutes later, I found it necessary to mention that Journey was rock’s version of the TV show Dynasty. This prompted a spirited debate we dubbed “Monkees = Monkees.” The goal is to figure out which television show is the closest philosophical analogy to a specific rock ‘n’ roll band, and the critiera is mind-blowingly complex: It’s a combination of longevity, era, critical acclaim, commercial success, and — most important — the aesthetic soul of each artistic entry. For example, the Rolling Stones are Gunsmoke. The Strokes are Keifer Sutherland’s 24. Jimi Hendrix was The Twilight Zone. Devo was Fernwood 2-Night. Lynyrd Skynyrd was The Beverly Hillbillies, which makes Molly Hatchet Petticoat Junction. The Black Crowes are That ’70s Show. Hall & Oates were Bosom Buddies. U2 is M*A*S*H (both got preachy at the end). Dokken was Jason Bateman’s short-lived sitcom It’s Your Move. Eurythmics were Mork & Mindy…
You get the idea. Fun game, but only if you have pop culture savants to play with. That’s where you Stereogum readers come in. I’ll go first.
Your turn. Spare us the Bobby Brown = Being Bobby Brown.
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I’m sticking with sleater-kinney=buffy for the feminist ass kicking quotient. I also want to lay down some
pavement-teenage mutant ninja turtles. Cause they live under the pavement. obviously.
Clearly Rick Springfield-General Hospital.
Bob Dylan – Seinfeld
Scissor Sisters -> Will And Grace
Nellie McKay -> Veronica Mars
Inkubus Sukkubus -> Charmed
The Zutons -> Blackadder
The Killers -> Las Vegas
My Chemical Romance -> Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Alanis Morissette = The O.C. + Dawson’s Creek
Because she uses big words to sound kitschy, edgy and/or cute but usually comes up sounding like a 7th grade english teacher trying to relate to pre-teens or a total wannabe culture vulture best week ever panelist
Air = Sex and the City
I think Fiery Furnaces = Arrested Development.
Von Bondies (C’mon, C’mon) = Rescue Me
Weird Al Yankovic = Mystery Science Theater 3000
The Fall = Cops
The number of songs/episodes written, not the crime aspect.
Come on, Alanis Morissette = Dawson’s Creek? The formula clearly is:
Sarah McLachlain= Dawson’s Creek.
others:
Brian Wilson= The Wonder Years
My Bloody Valentine= Twin Peaks
Drive By Truckers= The Sheild
The Arcade Fire= Fifteen
fugazi = GI Joe (sorry. couldnt resist)
New Kids on the Block=Charles in Charge
Scott Baio and Donny Wahlberg could totally rock a new season of the Surreal Life together.
Thunderbirds Are Now! = You Can’t Do That On Television
Having read all 113 of the previous comments, I’d have to say only about 13% of Stereogum commenters are true “pop culture savants”. You know who you are. The rest of you disappoint me greatly.
nods in acknowlegement
lol
queens of the stone age=entourage
rilo kiley=degrassi
Ted Nugent – Clan Of Bear Cave
See what I mean?
Hey Uri now we know who the third person at the Klosterman reading was!
Pet Shop Boys = Queer Eye
Chappelle’s Show = Shuggie Otis?
stereogum = vapid
i’m thinking rilo kiley = salute your shorts, and not because that one guy was on the show, but because i think rilo kiley has a very summer-camp vibe.
and the O.C. = the Killers. both are entirely too popular amongst the same group of people…yet, both totally suck.
Britney Spears = Clueless (not just for the title either)
Nick Cave = Deadwood (the old stuff, anyway)
Frank Sinatra = The Sopranos
the go-go’s = square pegs
klosterman is my master.
iron and wine = the joy of painting, with bob ross (happy little trees!)
hellogoodbye = the weekenders
they might be giants = mission hill (but MST3K works as well)
eisley = gilmore girls
and MCR as buffy is a damn good call.
Fall Out Boy=Video On Trial.
Both want to be cool sooo much, and try to critque everything, including themselves. At first both seem sorta clever, but end up looking lame, and out of ideas.
The Beatles = Doctor Who
The Kooks = How I Met Your Mother.
The Clash = Happy Days
The Jesus and Mary Chain = Twin Peaks
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club = Lost
Nirvana = Saved by the Bell
The Dandy Warhols = Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Blur = Neighbours
Arctic Monkeys = The Office
Stone Temple Pilots = Home Improvement
The Foo Fighters = King of the Hill
Oasis = Friends
The Hives = Arrested Development
The Vines = According to Jim
Franz Ferdinand = House MD
Kaiser Chiefs = 30 Rock