Since I’ve joined the staff for this site, I’ve learned so many things just by virtue of being on the official Popdose e-mail list. For instance, d’you remember that high-larious “Shoes” video from a couple of years ago? You know: You have too many shoes. SHUT UP!! Man, good times. Dig this, though — the drag-queen dude from that video is back with a new clip, for another grassroots viral sensation! And I never would’ve known ‘til I got the nice e-mail from his publicist. And without the Popdose e-mail list, I never would have heard about Jason, and the terrible thing he did with the goats — although, to be fair, I only heard that from Jeff, and I’m not entirely sure I can trust him anymore since he told me that Mishka was big in Japan, which doesn’t even make sense; I mean, yes, obviously your European of typical height is going to be comparatively bigger when surrounded by Japanese, who tend statistically to be shorter, but still, that doesn’t actually make him “big in Japan.” Anyway.

The Popdose mailing list also clued me in that Brian Warner and his popular beat combo the Marilyn Mansons have a new record coming out. Now, I admire young Brian. I’m not a superfan or anything, but you’ve got to be impressed with the way he’s overcome a host of disabilities — albinism, lazy eye, and (judging from this photograph) gynecomastia, among them — to become a big wheel in the music business. Some of the tunes are pretty catchy; I’ve always liked “The Dope Show,” especially since the kids explained to me the whole bad-means-good hip-hop slang thing; and while I’ve never seen Marilyn and the Mansons live, I’m sure they put on a show that is, indeed, “dope.” (more…)