New Jersey’s Great Pop Culture Moments Vol.39: Dallas
Dallas spent 13 years on the air and in its 14 seasons, New Jersey was mentioned only once. Regardless of being mostly Jersey-less, it’s still one of my favorite TV shows of all time. One NJ namedropping seems like one too many since The Garden State is probably the furthest thing from the wheelin’ and dealin’ of a Texas oil company. In Season 13, Sasha Mitchell (Cody on Step by Step, Kickboxer sequels, and Slammed) joined the cast as James Beaumont, J.R’s illegitimate son. In this scene he reveals a bit of his past to J.R’s assisstant, Sly Lovegren, just after applying suntan lotion on her back.
JAMES: “I was kicked out of 3 different schools in 3 different countries.”
*Just in case you want to model your kid after James Beaumont from Dallas, two of the most popular military schools in New Jersey are The U.S Military Academy Prep School at Fort Monmouth aka West Point Prep, and Cedar Bridge Military Academy in Toms River, NJ.
Madonna in New Jersey: “Into The Groove” – Blond Ambition Tour 1990
Recently, Madonna lent her music to Fox’s show Glee, and I inadvertently caught bits and pieces of it. I’m sorry if you love the show, but it’s fairly cheesy. Don’t get me wrong, Jane Lynch is hysterical, but the rest of the show just reminds me of a hipper version of High School Musical. The episode I saw, “The Power of Madonna,” had the cast performing Madonna’s big hits and recreating her videos throughout the show, but I would much rather hear the real thing.
I headed over to trusty YouTube and found a clip of Madonna performing one of my favorite songs of hers in New Jersey! It’s “Into The Groove,” from the East Rutherford, NJ stop on the Blond Ambition Tour in June of 1990 which took place at the Meadowlands Arena (aka Izod Center). If you can get past the banter at the beginning, it’s a damn fine performance, just as Madonna’s usually are. Also, it’s obvious that Lady Gaga’s style in the prison scene in her video for “Telephone” is clearly inspired by Blond Ambition era Madonna.
I’ll admit that I wanted to maul Madonna when I was a kid. It was abnormal because while most of my friends were tossing around a baseball with their friends, I was tossing in videocasettes of Desperately Seeking Susan, Who’s That Girl, and The Virgin Tour VHS tape to ogle my future wife. I don’t regret not throwing the baseball around since I knew I wasn’t MLB bound, but I chalked it up to the fact that all my Madonna “research” may come in handy someday when I’m older and I need to write a blog post about one of Madonna’s performances in New Jersey.
NJ T-Shirt Tuesday 49: Guidon’t!
**T-Shirt Bordello refers to this shirt as their “Fist Pumping Tribute to Jersey Shore” and it’s “made of 100% cotton for that comfy feeling you get after changing the channel from Jersey Shore.” Just before this post was published the tee was on sale for a rock bottom price of $2.99, so get it while you can! www.tshirtbordello.com
Monique “The Original Gata” Dupree is April’s Garden State Playmate!
April’s Garden State Playmate is Newark-born actress and model Monique “The Original Gata” Dupree. She’s starred in several films such as Lean On Me, Bachelor Party in the Bungalow Of The Damned, The Skeleton Key 2, and Step Up 3-D. It’s easy to relate to “The Original Gata,” because she loves her kids, horror movies, and even wrestling! For this month’s GSP, The Sexy Armpit presents a special interview with Monique Dupree!
ARMPIT: Hey Monique! You’re an actress, model, and even a singer. You have your hands in so many different projects and it all sounds impossible to keep track of. I forget when I have a freaking dentist appointment! Do you have someone that helps you out? How do you keep your shit together so well? Do you sleep?
MONIQUE: Sleep? What IS that, lol I have a very supportive family and without them, I wouldn’t be able to accomplish a quarter of what I do. Especially my oldest, Monet. That girl is my ROCK.
ARMPIT: So, after 8 children, not many moms are rocking a body like yours, how doooo you do it?
MONIQUE: It’s really hard to get back into shape after each baby. I drink lots of water, watch my diet a bit, and exercise. Sounds easy, but throw that in with everything else and it becomes a magic trick!
ARMPIT: When you indulge, what is your favorite thing to eat or snack on?
MONIQUE: GODIVA and Starbucks OMG yes lawd!! lol that’s a dangerous combo right there.
ARMPIT: You had one of the best lines in Bachelor Party in the Bungalow Of The Damned: “So…where can we drop our pom poms?” You seem to have a knack for delivering tongue in cheek lines like that. Do you consider yourself a funny person? Sexy AND funny is a rare combo!
MONIQUE: Actually, I don’t, although I’ve always wanted to do comedy, which I’m finally getting into. I so admire those with uncanny comedic timing.
ARMPIT: I’m a big fan of The Replacements, what was it like appearing in that film?
MONIQUE: It was pretty fun. I’m not a big football fan, but after filming I surely felt like I was.
ARMPIT: You will appear in the upcoming Step Up 3-D. Will you be playing a dancer?
MONIQUE: Yup. I was a dancer in the film. Dancing is hard enough as it is, but having to dance over and over and over AND add dust and wind it was like jeesh!
ARMPIT: Do you ever get sick of having such large breasts? Do you feel like they just get in the way sometimes?
MONIQUE: YES! I’ve actually discussed having a reduction. I know some of my fans would be like WTF, but its really hard on my back. With each kid I have, it seems they grow bigger and bigger. It just doesn’t feel as good as it looks.
ARMPIT: Since it’s widely known that you have no qualms about being naked, how do you feel about your kids seeing some of your more naughty film appearances? Are you the type of mom who filters what her kids see?
MONIQUE: I don’t filter my children as long as they have a basic understanding of things that they are watching first. If they see a film that has violence, they know it’s not real. They’ve been on set with me and understand that it’s not real. I speak to my children honestly and intelligently, instead of baby feeding them information so to speak. They understand alot more than we give them credit for.
ARMPIT: At the risk of actually sounding like a mature and credible interviewer, how has the Internet and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter effected your career?
MONIQUE: The Internet hurts and helps at the same time for me. But if you use the networking sites properly, the good will far outweigh the bad.
ARMPIT: As the First African American “Tromette” is there a tidbit that ONLY you can reveal to us about the legendary Lloyd Kaufman?
MONIQUE: Yeah…Lloyd Kaufman is My FATHER! lol, I’m sorry, I just had to do it. No. What you see is what you get with Lloyd. He’s the great man that he appears to be, very knowledgeable and loves the independent arts.
ARMPIT: Did you decide to homeschool your kids because of your own experience in Newark schools growing up?
MONIQUE: Yes and No. I decided to homeschool my children because a few of them are considered to have learning disabilities and the schools’ answer to that was to put them in special education classes because the teachers were already overwhelmed with the student to teacher ratio in the first place. Then to have a child you have to constantly pay extra attention to? I took them out because as their parent, it’s my duty to make sure they get the best education possible by any means necessary. Even if it means killing myself to do it. By the way, teachers are unsung heroes. They have to put up with SO much for so little pay. I admire and respect them. So my decision was not based on the teachers performances. it was based on the way the system has things set up to run…it needs to change.
ARMPIT: On a scale of 1 being completely SUCKY and 10 being Bill and Ted EXCELLENT, where does Corey Booker rate as mayor of Newark?
MONIQUE: I’ll give Corey a 6
ARMPIT: Daamn! Besides you, what’s sexy about New Jersey?
MONIQUE: Lol…ummm Newark!
ARMPIT: Can you recommend some good spots to our readers that you frequent in New Jersey? Any local restaurants, shops, clubs etc?
MONIQUE: I’m a dark girl…I frequent QXT’s in Newark. And Queens Pizza!!!! yeah!! I freaking LOVE their food. That’s real pizza for ya!
armpit note: QXT’s is NJ’s alternative dance club on Mulberry Street in Newark and Queen’s Pizza is on Halsey Street in Newark.
ARMPIT: Cool. Who are some of your celebrity crushes?
MONIQUE: oooo, Well, I have a crush on Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie (ha, that’s funny) Prince, Jeff Hardy, Stephen Baldwin, Lucy Lui, Drew Barrymore and Hugh Jackman.
ARMPIT: You’re in luck Monique, I hear if you donate money to Stephen Baldwin he’s yours for life! Now let’s pretend that The Sopranos is still in production and you have a shot at a role in the series. Out of the following options, which role would you like the most and please give a short explanation of why:
a) A luscious exotic dancer at the Bada Bing club
b) Silvio is still in a coma and you’ll play his hot new nurse
c) Tony Soprano’s deaf masseuse. (a non-speaking role, but moans a lot when Tony has sex with her!)
d) A bisexual girl who Meadow finds herself attracted to
MONIQUE: D …I would so choose D!!! Explanation: have you SEEN MEADOW??? Nuff said
ARMPIT: Haha awesome! A BIG thank you to the lovely Monique Dupree!! Pay a visit to some of her websites:
http://www.moniquedupree.com/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2374082/
www.twitter.com/originalgata
www.myspace.com/theoriginalgata
http://www.myspace.com/negrochilde
http://www.youtube.com/moniquedupree7
Happy 73rd Birthday to Jack Nicholson!
Happy Birthday to one of the greatest actors of our time and Jersey boy Jack Nicholson! Nicholson grew up in Neptune City, New Jersey and attended Manasquan High School. Jack was voted class clown by the class of 1954 which seems even more comical when you think about how 35 years later he would become one of pop culture’s most famous clowns, The Clown Prince of Crime, THE JOKER! Sure Heath Ledger gave a one of a kind performance in The Dark Knight, but Jack revolutionized the role in 1989’s Batman. If you mix Jack’s performance in one of my favorite films of all time, The Shining, with his turn as The Joker, you will likely arrive at something very close to Heath Ledger’s approach to The Joker character. Thank you Jack for all the superb, over the top, and ridiculously entertaining performances throughout your career!
DC Comics Digital Subscriptions
I was never a hardcore Green Lantern fan, but I can imagine how ridiculously pumped true GL fans will be in June of 2011 when the film hits theaters. Did it really take 23 years for a theatrical version of Watchmen to hit the silver screen? Shit, the rights to make a definitive Batman film were purchased from DC in 1979 and after enough scripts to fold up an entire origami model of Wayne Manor, the movie was finally produced and released 10 years later. Anticipation counts for something, but totally frustrating the shit out of your fans is a completely different story. I don’t mind waiting a couple of years for another Batman sequel, but if I have to wait 4 or 5 years I’ll be having flashbacks to the 8 year span of time that it took for WB and DC to grow enough cajones to release Batman Begins. They clearly wanted to be sure that the public had pretty much came to terms with 1997’s farce Batman and Robin. Finally, this brings me to my point, why the hell is DC Comics taking their sweet old time in rolling out a digital subscription plan?
Rather than living in the past and pandering to the old school of fans, DC desperately needs to commit itself to using the most cutting edge technology at all times. If there are so many readers out there who only want to buy print versions of their favorite comics, then why not produce both the hard copies as well as the digitally scanned issues? I’ve read some bullshit on the Internet that DC reps claim that they haven’t found the right method of presenting a comic book via the Internet. That’s funny considering you can find almost any popular comic available for download somewhere on the Internet. Collectors are nice enough to scan them in for archival purposes rather than alternatively finding an issue on eBay and paying a ridiculous $15 or $20 bucks for a comic with yellow pages.
What better way to reintroduce lesser known characters and bring superheroes to the forefront than by revolutionizing the way we read comics books? Making the comic book relevant again should be of paramount importance to the newfangled DC Entertainment. For the past few years, DC’s Zuda imprint has been their only foray into webcomics. The only problem with it is that the comics Zuda features are all original works, none of our favorite characters from say…Justice League or The Outsiders. It’s also a competition which provides independent artists and writers the opportunity to showcase their material. Think of it as the American Idol of DC Comics.
A true comic book fan merely wants an escape. They want to experience stories of their favorite heroes while being immersed in spectacular comic art. Personally, I could care less if I have the actual issue in my hand or not. It’s even better if I don’t because I have enough crap in my bedroom and I don’t need even more stacks of comics. My large screen computer monitor is a perfect way to enjoy a comic book, and it would sure make storing and organizing your collection a breeze. Many of us have learned to let go of albums, definitely shitcanned VHS and cassette tapes, and we’re even forgetting about CD’s, so why can’t we forego comic books? The best way of making a superhero eternal is to immortalize them on the Internet, or in a more modern fashion, make them available through an easy one click purchase on iTunes. As far as I’m concerned the fact that Marvel does offer digital subscriptions is a huge win for them. If DC Entertainment wants to compete on the same level as Disney/Marvel, they need to get in the game.
NJ T-Shirt Tuesday 48: Bon Jovi “They’re Back!”
What a coincidence! This vintage Bon Jovi New Jersey T-shirt from 1988 is going for a whopping $150 bucks on eBay and an average ticket for Bon Jovi’s string of upcoming shows at the New Meadowlands Arena in May just so happens to be the same price! What a RIP! Of course, that’s not as bad as some of the other Jovi shirts I have seen on various sites which are going for upwards of $300 dollars! You are f-cking out of your mind if you pay that kind of money for a ratty, old t-shirt that’s more than 20 years old! I’d rather go experience an overpriced concert while simultaneously bypassing the $35 dollar beer/hot dog combo meal than buy a ridiculously priced, USED t-shirt.

And what’s with the back of this shirt? Who the hell did Jovi think they were back then, DOKKEN? This “They’re Back!” business belongs on the back of an Alice Cooper or W.A.S.P t-shirt, NOT family friendly heartthrobs Bon Jovi! I’m getting scared just reading the back of this shirt, it’s scarier than David Bryan’s horrific hair.
Can MacGruber Save WWE Raw at The Meadowlands from SUCKING?
Scarlet Carson’s “Burn It All” Scorches – Review by Jay Amabile

Order Scarlet Carson’s “Burn It All” at this link for $10 bucks
4/18/10 w/Papa Roach at The Starland Ballroom
4/27/10 w/Saliva at The Highline Ballroom in NYC