Brian’s Top 5 Jack-O’-Lanterns

Carving jack-o-lanterns has always been a key part of my Halloween celebration. But particularly in the last ten years or so, I’ve gotten into it in a big way, to the point that it just might be my single favorite part of the season. In fact, it’s gotten to the point where just one a…

Ranking the Monster Cereals

  Back in 2013, I addressed General Mills’ line of “Monster Cereals” in one of my October posts. You can read the whole thing here. My thoughts on the topic generally haven’t changed, but since the 2nd has already come and gone, I chose a list that wouldn’t take too much thought to put together.…

The Top 10 Twilight Zone Episodes No One Talks About

The Twilight Zone is one of my favorite television series of all time. If you’ve been following along with my “Small-Screen 66” series, you can expect it to earn a place of honor. Arguably the greatest anthology series ever made, the show is packed to bursting with creepy creatures, unforgettable twists, and man’s inhumanity to man.…

Brian Terrill’s Small-Screen 66 – #50: “Dexter”

Small-Screen 66 – #50: Dexter (Showtime, 2006-13) “Tonight’s the night. And it’s going to happen again and again.” We crack the Top 50 (God, that meant a lot more when I was doing 100 of these) with the show that introduced me to the wonders of Contemporary Cable Drama…and binge-watching. It was a dangerous combination.…

Brian Terrill’s Small-Screen 66 – #51: “Pokémon”

Small-Screen 66 – #51: Pokémon (Syndication / WB / Cartoon Network, 1998-Present) In my Film Favorites countdown, I briefly considered the question of what constituted the best “video game movie” of all time. But when it comes to TV series, there is no debate. With more than 850 episodes over 18 seasons (and counting), Pokémon is…

Brian Terrill’s Small-Screen 66 – #52: “MythBusters”

Small-Screen 66 – #52: MythBusters (Discovery, 2003-Present) “Don’t try anything you’re about to see at home.” “We’re what you call ‘experts.’” This admonition, in addition to being whole-cloth hogwash (if no one ever “tried this at home,” how could anyone BECOME an expert in the first place?) opens each episode of today’s selection. Fortunately, the…

Brian Terrill’s Small-Screen 66 – #53: “Adventure Time”

Small-Screen 66 – #53: Adventure Time (with Finn & Jake) (Cartoon Network, 2010-Present) Let me start by saying that those who like this show tend to REALLY like this show. If I come across as an insufficiently devoted fanboy, I apologize in advance. Adventure Time originated as a seven-minute short produced by series creator Pendleton…

The Top 15 Advertising Jingles

  Ah, the jingle. Brainwashing at its most palatable. Like all aspects of advertising, jingles are carefully crafted to instill a need in you, the consumer. Without the company’s product, your life lacks meaning, and you are an inefficient, unsuccessful organism. You loser, you. Better do something about it right quick. The most insidious (and…

The Top 10 Characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender

Here at Earn This, many of us are huge fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender. And we all agree: It’s the characters and their development that make this show great. Six of us sat down and each made a list of our ten favorite characters. The results were often quite varied, but several names showed up frequently…