Limelight – Page 3 – Topical Fruit

Wait, Roddy Piper Didn’t Invent the Bubblegum Line from “They Live”???

I hate to disparage a legend, and make no mistake, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper was and forever will be a legend.

He was one of the most indelible personalities in the history of professional wrestling, and arguably its single greatest villain.

Roddy was the most despicable “heel” in the business at a time when it was literally dangerous to be the bad guy. A lot of people still believed wrestling was real back then, and to those folks, Roddy’s words and actions weren’t just antisocial, they were criminal.

These fans wanted to see Roddy get hurt in the ring, but they also wanted to hurt him themselves. And when they managed to get close enough to him they tried. Sometimes they succeeded. It took real grit and guts to be the heavy in those days, and Roddy was the heaviest of them all.

To conclude this point, if a Mt. Rushmore of wrestling is ever carved, Piper’s leering mug better be up there. I’ll let the rest of you argue about the other three.

That being said, one of Roddy’s greatest pop culture achievements might not have been solely his. I’m talking about his famous line from the 1988 sci-fi classic “They Live”:

“I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I’m all outta bubblegum.”

Full credit for that line has always gone to Piper. Even writer-director John Carpenter concedes it, saying it came from a notebook Piper kept of ideas for his wrestling promos.

But it turns out he’s not the first person to use that line . . . or at least a variation of it . . . on film.

In 1973, amid a wave of “blaxploitation” films like “Superfly”, “Coffy”, and “The Mack”, there came a little movie called “Five on the Black Hand Side”; a good-natured comedy that celebrated black culture in a way that those violent, drug-and-pimp flicks did not.

The film spends a good amount of time in a barbershop, and in one scene, a character named Fun Loving, having just received a haircut, launches into a rap that includes this little adage:

“I ain’t givin’ up nothin’ but bubblegum and hard times, and I’m fresh outta bubblegum.”

Not exactly the same, but way too similar to ignore.

Roddy may have come up with the exact wording he used in “They Live”, but the fact that a similar iteration existed at least 15 earlier suggests that it didn’t travel directly from God’s lips to his ears. I have to conclude that Roddy heard the expression . . . or something like it . . . somewhere in his travels and borrowed it.

That’s not to say he gets no credit. After all, he’s the one who turned it into a pop culture phenomenon, which is a feat in and of itself.

The fact is, Roddy knew a great line when he heard it, whether it sprang from someone else’s imagination or his own.

Yet another reason why his legend lives on.

What Is This Woke B.S.? There Are Women in Men At Work???

The woke mob has stepped over the line several times now, from black Disney mermaids to canceling well-meaning comedians just for yanking their penises in front of unwilling women.

But this time they’ve gone too far.

Remember everyone’s favorite ’80s band Men At Work . . . oh they of such classics as “Who Can it Be Now” and “Down Under”? Well, they just announced a Summer 2026 tour with Toad the Wet Sprocket and Shonen Knife.

The announcement was accompanied by a promotional photo of the band, and there are TWO WOMEN in it!!! I am NOT kidding!

One of these “birthing people,” as I’m sure the band would like us to call them, is named Rachel Mazer. She plays sax, flute, and keyboards. The other is Cecilia Noel, who handles percussion and vocal harmonies.

And if that doesn’t bother you, you’re clearly not eating enough road kill organ meat.

People, this band is called MEN At Work. Not PERSONS At Work. Are we supposed to stand for this? If we don’t stop it now, where does it end? The Beastie People? Or even worse, Boyz 2 Whatever???

This. Must. End. Now. We must ignore this abomination once proudly known as Men At Work. Please skip this tour, so as to keep them from achieving their woke, inclusive, feminist, man-hating agenda.

Thanks, bro!

The Best Songs to Listen to While Falling Asleep

If you’re the kind of person who puts on music at bedtime and hopes it magically shuts your brain off, science has some good news.

A study claims it has figured out the best songs to listen to if you’re trying to fall asleep, and yes, they actually used a formula to do it.

The most sleep friendly songs tend to share a lot with lullabies. Think slower tempos, softer energy, and melodies that feel comforting instead of stimulating.

In other words, this is not the time for a hype playlist or anything with surprise beat drops. Your brain wants calm, familiar vibes, not a musical jump scare at 11:47 p.m.

The study broke things down by genre, which is helpful because not everyone relaxes to the same kind of music. Rock fans, pop lovers, and hip hop listeners all got their own Top 10 lists.

Rock:

1. “Your Song”, Elton John

2. “Going to California”, Led Zeppelin

3. “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters”, Elton John

4. “Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight”, The Beatles

5. “Wish You Were Here”, Pink Floyd

6. “The Load”, Jackson Browne

7. “Walk on the Wild Side”, Lou Reed

8. “Every Breath You Take”, The Police

9. “Desperado”, Eagles

10. “Imagine”, John Lennon

Pop:

1. “I Love You”, Billie Eilish

2. “When the Party’s Over”, Billie Eilish

3. “Memories”, Maroon 5

4. “Favorite Crime”, Olivia Rodrigo

5. “The Remedy for a Broken Heart (Why Am I So in Love)”, XXXTentacion

6. “Changes”, XXXTentacion

7. “All of Me”, John Legend

8. “Falling”, Harry Styles

9. “Idontwannabeyouanymore”, Billie Eilish

10. “You Broke Me First”, Tate McRae

Hip-hop:

1. “Sunflower”, Post Malone and Swae Lee

2. “Same Love”, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Mary Lambert

3. “Psycho”, Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign

4. “Party Girl”, StaySolidRocky

5. “Swang”, Rae Sremmurd

6. “Gucci Gang”, Lil Pump

7. “Broccoli”, Shelley FKA DRAM featuring Lil Yachty

8. “Ballin'”, Mustard and Roddy Ricch

9. “Nonstop”, Drake

10. “Middle Child”, J. Cole

So if counting sheep isn’t cutting it, maybe try letting Elton John or Billie Eilish tuck you in instead. Worst case scenario, you don’t fall asleep but at least your playlist is elite.

Matthew McConaughey Trademarked “Alright, Alright, Alright”

Matthew McConaughey has officially locked down one of the most recognizable catchphrases in movie history.

The actor recently trademarked “Alright, alright, alright,” a move that is less about merch and more about protecting his voice and likeness in the age of artificial intelligence.

According to trademark filings, McConaughey applied back in December 2023, and the registration was approved last month. In total, he secured eight trademarks, all designed to keep his unique style from being copied or misused by A.I. tools. As deepfake audio and video continue to get more convincing, celebrities are starting to treat their voices and mannerisms like valuable intellectual property.

The filing itself gets incredibly specific, because of course it does. It describes the phrase as “a man saying ‘ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT,’ wherein the first syllable of the first two words is at a lower pitch than the second syllable, and the first syllable of the last word is at a higher pitch than the second syllable.”

In other words, it is not just the words, it is the exact McConaughey delivery. You can hear it in your head right now.

The trademark does not stop there. McConaughey also secured rights to several short video and audio clips. One is a seven second video of him standing on a porch. Another is a three second clip of him sitting in front of a Christmas tree. He also trademarked audio of him saying, “Just keep livin’, right? … I mean … what are we gonna do?” which longtime fans will instantly recognize.

This move highlights a growing trend in Hollywood.

As A.I. becomes more capable of cloning voices and recreating performances, actors are taking steps to make sure their identities are not used without permission. For someone like McConaughey, whose voice and cadence are basically their own brand, the risk is real.

It is also kind of wild to think that a phrase first uttered in 1993’s “Dazed and Confused” is still powerful enough to need legal protection in 2026. Nearly three decades later, “Alright, alright, alright” remains shorthand for McConaughey himself.

So no, you probably will not hear an A.I. version of Matthew McConaughey selling random products with that iconic line anytime soon. And honestly, that just feels right.

Zoe Saldana Is the Highest-Grossing Actor of All Time

Zoe Saldana has officially taken the box office crown.

Thanks to the massive success of “Avatar: Fire and Ash”, Zoe Saldana is now the highest-grossing actor of all time, with her films earning a jaw-dropping $16.8 billion worldwide. Yes, billion with a B. That puts her ahead of some very familiar names and cements her place in movie history.

The new milestone bumps Scarlett Johansson out of the top spot.

Scarlett Johansson now sits at number two with $16.4 billion in total box office earnings. Not exactly a bad consolation prize, but still, second place hurts when you were just winning. Rounding out the rest of the top five are Samuel L. Jackson at number three, Robert Downey Jr. at number four, and Chris Pratt at number five. If you’re sensing a theme here, you’re not wrong. Marvel actors dominate this list like it’s their job, because, well, it kind of was.

Saldana’s rise to the top is no accident. She happens to be a key player in two of the biggest movie franchises of all time. Between “Avatar”, “Star Trek” and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she has been quietly stacking box office wins for years. While some actors bounce from franchise to franchise, Saldana locked into the right ones and stayed there. That long-term strategy just paid off in a historic way.

The rest of the Top 10 reads like a blockbuster hall of fame. Tom Cruise lands at #6, followed by Chris Hemsworth at #7, Vin Diesel at #8, Chris Evans at #9, and Dwayne Johnson closing things out at #10. It’s basically a list of people who have spent the last decade saving the world, blowing things up, or both.

What makes Saldana’s achievement especially impressive is how under-the-radar it feels.

She’s not always the loudest name in the marketing, but she consistently shows up in movies that absolutely dominate theaters worldwide. “Fire and Ash” simply pushed her over the edge, turning a long, successful career into a record-breaking one.

So congratulations to Zoe Saldana, the new queen of the box office. If Hollywood were a video game, she just unlocked the final achievement.

Dolly Parton’s Signature Look Was Inspired by the Town Tramp

Happy Birthday to Dolly Parton! Today she’s 80 years old.

Dolly has always been one of a kind, but her iconic style didn’t just fall from the rhinestone-studded sky. A throwback interview is making the rounds online — and it’s pure gold.

Turns out, Dolly’s look was inspired by a woman from her childhood that her mother really didn’t want her looking up to.

“We didn’t go to town that much, but when I would, I would go to see her,” Dolly recalled, referring to a local woman she found absolutely mesmerizing. “She had these long red fingernails, wore bright lipstick, she had peroxide blonde hair, tight clothes, short… and I thought, she is the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.”

Her mom, however? Not so impressed. “My mother said, ‘Oh, she’s just trash. She’s just a tramp.’ And I thought, that’s what I want to be when I grow up,”

That bold, bedazzled look would go on to define her career — from big hair to even bigger personality — and inspire countless others along the way. Dolly has never shied away from her love of glam, once famously saying, “It costs a lot of money to look this cheap.”

All these stories resurfacing for Dolly’s birthday are fun to watch. But this one hits differently — because it reminds us that the Queen of Country didn’t just break the mold, she chose a completely different one and ran with it in high heels.

And we’re all better for it.

The 25 Most Overrated Movies of All Time

Everyone has that one movie they swear is a masterpiece… and another person who absolutely cannot understand the hype.

Movie arguments are basically a sport at this point, and this list of the most overrated movies of all time will undoubtedly create chaos.

Taking the number one spot is “Joker” from 2019. Joaquin Phoenix won an Oscar, the movie made over a billion dollars, and yet plenty of people walked out feeling like it was trying way too hard to be deep. For every fan who calls it a gritty character study, there is someone else who says it is just two hours of misery dressed up as brilliance.

Right behind it is “The Shawshank Redemption”, which might be the most shocking inclusion for a lot of people. It’s constantly ranked as one of the greatest films ever made, especially online, but critics of the hype argue that its reputation has grown far beyond what the movie actually delivers.

“Up” from Pixar lands at number three, and this one hurts. The reasoning, though, makes sense. The opening 20 minutes are widely considered one of the most emotional sequences in film history. The argument is that the rest of the movie never quite reaches those same heights.

Other modern favorites also made the cut, including “Everything Everywhere All at Once”, “The Revenant”, “Gravity”, and “American Hustle”.

Each of these movies was praised heavily at release, won awards or dominated pop culture, and then slowly picked up backlash from viewers who felt the hype machine went into overdrive.

Classic films were not spared either. “Gone with the Wind”, “The Birds”, “Miracle on 34th Street”, and “Once Upon a Time in America” all show up, proving that even movies considered untouchable can still be called overrated by newer audiences.

Romance fans will notice “The Notebook” on the list, while nostalgia lovers might not be thrilled to see “Grease”, “The Breakfast Club”, “Top Gun”, and “Elf” all labeled as overpraised. Even “Fight Club” and “Good Will Hunting” did not escape criticism, which feels like a direct challenge to film bros everywhere.

The full list also includes “Friday the 13th”, “Gladiator”, “Amélie”, “Prisoners”, “Desperately Seeking Susan”, and “Private Benjamin”. In other words, no genre is safe.

At the end of the day, calling a movie overrated does not mean it’s bad. It just means expectations got so high that some viewers walked away unimpressed. And honestly, without lists like this, what would we even argue about online?

These Artists Have Demanded Some Pretty Weird Things

You know an artist has officially reached legendary status when they can make absolutely ridiculous requests and still have people scrambling to make it happen.

The gold standard will always be Van Halen, who famously demanded a bowl of M&Ms with all the brown ones removed at every tour stop. It sounded insane, but it was actually a test to see if venues were paying attention to their contract. Still, it opened the door for a lot of… creativity.

Over the years, plenty of artists have taken full advantage of that power, and some of their requests are equal parts hilarious and unhinged.

Weird Al Yankovic: Unsurprisingly, he kept things on brand. For years, he asked for one “garish” Hawaiian shirt at every appearance. Eventually, even Weird Al had to admit he had too many and retired the request.

Cher: She likes her wigs treated like the stars they are. She reportedly requests an entirely separate room just to store them. Considering how iconic her hair looks have been over the decades, this one almost feels reasonable.

Jennifer Lopez: J-Lo is all about vibes. She prefers an all-white dressing room, complete with white candles, couches, tables, and flowers. The goal is to keep her mind and spirit calm, which is probably easier when nothing clashes.

Rihanna: She requests a plush, animal print rug so she can walk around barefoot. If you are going to be a global superstar, you might as well be comfortable.

Justin Timberlake: He takes cleanliness very seriously. He has reportedly requested that doorknobs be sanitized every two hours. That one feels less diva and more mildly anxious, but still very specific.

Beyoncé: She likes her dressing room set to exactly 78 degrees and wants well-seasoned chicken. Honestly, the temperature request alone probably causes the most stress.

Selena Gomez: This one’s a little awkward. After her breakup with Justin Bieber in 2014, she asked that anyone on her team named Justin go by a different name. Fair is fair.

Jay-Z: He once requested seven dressing rooms during a 2009 tour, along with high-quality peanut butter and jelly. Even billionaires still crave comfort food.

Britney Spears: When she played London in 2011, her requests included McDonald’s cheeseburgers without the buns, 100 figs and prunes, toothpaste, fish and chips, and a framed photo of Princess Diana. That list feels like it tells a story we are not fully prepared to unpack.

And then there is Metallica, who in 2004 simply asked for bacon with every meal. No symbolism. No explanation. Just bacon.

The takeaway here is simple. Fame does not make people normal. It just gives them the confidence to ask for exactly what they want, no matter how weird it sounds.

(You can see even more weird rock star requests at Buzzfeed.)

These Mega Stars Never Had a Number One Hit, and That Feels Illegal

For most artists, getting a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 is the ultimate career milestone. It is the musical version of planting a flag at the top of the mountain.

That’s why it feels borderline wrong to learn that some of the biggest artists on the planet never actually pulled it off.

Some of these names will seriously mess with your perception of pop music history.

Take One Direction. At their peak, they were unavoidable. Screaming fans, sold-out tours, chart domination, the whole deal. And yet, their highest-charting song was “Best Song Ever”, which stalled out at number two. Ironically, both Zayn Malik and Harry Styles later hit number one as solo artists, which feels like adding insult to boy band injury.

Shania Twain is another shocker. She’s one of the best-selling artists of all time, especially in country and pop crossover history. Her biggest Hot 100 hit was “You’re Still the One”, which reached number two and stopped there.

Missy Elliott never topped the chart either. Her most successful song, “Work It”, also peaked at number two. Considering her influence on hip-hop, pop, and music videos, that feels almost disrespectful.

Then there’s R.E.M. “Losing My Religion” is one of the most iconic songs of the 1990s, and it only made it to number four. The same goes for Metallica, whose cultural footprint is massive. “Enter Sandman” somehow only reached number 16, while “Until It Sleeps” was their best performer at number 10.

Green Day came close with “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”, which peaked at number two, and Pearl Jam’s highest-charting song was actually a cover. Their version of “Last Kiss” hit number two in 1999.

The surprises keep coming. Demi Lovato’s highest peak was number six with “Sorry Not Sorry”. Bruce Springsteen’s biggest Hot 100 hit was “Dancing in the Dark”, which reached number two. The Backstreet Boys had a #2 hit with “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)”. Sheryl Crow’s “All I Wanna Do” also stalled at number two.

And then there’s Nirvana. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” changed music forever, but it only made it to number six. Even Imagine Dragons fell short, with “Radioactive” peaking at number three.

The takeaway here is simple. Chart positions matter, but they are not the final word on impact. These artists shaped entire generations without ever owning the top spot, which somehow makes their legacies even more impressive.

Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” Finally Cracks the Billboard Hot 100, After 50 Years

“Landslide” is one of those songs that feels too big, too iconic, and too emotionally baked into pop culture to still have firsts left.

And yet, nearly 50 years after Fleetwood Mac released it, the song has just debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 thanks to the series finale of “Stranger Things”.

Nearly five decades after its release, Fleetwood Mac’s iconic 1975 song “Landslide” has debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 for the very first time, landing at an impressive #41.

“Landslide” has long been one of Fleetwood Mac’s most beloved songs, the kind of track that feels permanently woven into pop culture. It is regularly cited as a fan favorite, shows up on countless best-of lists, and has been covered by artists across genres. Still, despite all that love, the original studio version had never actually cracked Billboard’s main singles chart.

That makes this moment especially wild. A song that has sold more than two million units and is certified two-times platinum by the RIAA is only now officially a Hot 100 hit. It turns out cultural impact and chart history do not always line up neatly.

This is not “Landslide’s” first brush with the charts, though. A live version of the song reached #51 back in 1998, thanks to Fleetwood Mac’s massively successful live reunion album “The Dance”. That release introduced the song to a whole new generation at the time, much like “Stranger Things” has done now.

The latest surge proves, once again, just how powerful TV soundtracks can be.

“Stranger Things” has a solid track record of reviving older songs and pushing them into the streaming era spotlight, and “Landslide” is the newest beneficiary. Viewers heard it during a major emotional moment, immediately searched for it, streamed it, and sent it climbing straight onto the charts.

For Fleetwood Mac fans, this chart debut feels long overdue. For everyone else, it is a reminder that great songs do not expire. Sometimes they just wait patiently for their moment, even if that moment comes almost 50 years later.