Smart List: Pop culture talking points
We all will be talking about: Wii Fit. Who knows? Your little brother might soon be asking you how to master downward facing dog. With the arrival of Wii Fit, Nintendo’s hotly anticipated exercise video game, gamers can now squeeze in aerobics, muscle toning and yoga between rounds of Mario Kart. But this should all be old news to you by now. Amazon.com is already backed up with pre-orders. Hope you thought ahead! (Wednesday)
-Denise Martin (Nintendo / Associated Press)
You might not even know you’ve been talking about: U.K. duo the Ting Tings. The act will release its debut album, “We Started Nothing,” digitally on Tuesday (good old-fashioned CDs to follow in a couple of weeks). The Tings’ current single overseas, “That’s Not My Name,” is part cheerleading anthem, part glorious kiss-off, an effervescent mix of peppy guitars and new wave sounds. The Tings’ current U.S. single, “Shut Up and Let Me Go,” is a slinky punk-dance number, with spiky, Clash-like guitars. It’s also rising up the charts, thanks to being featured in the latest iPod commercial. (Tuesday, digital and vinyl only)
-TM (Jack Plunkett / Associated Press)
You might be talking about: Julianne Hough. Scarlett Johansson is not the only blond screen star releasing a music album this week. And the country debut from Hough, better known as a two-time “Dancing With the Stars†champ, may even outsell her movie star counterpart; her single “That Song in My Head†is rapidly climbing the country Billboard chart and iTunes music video lists. (Tuesday)
-DM (Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images)
You’ll have no choice but to talk about: The new “Indiana Jones” movie. ”Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” opens Thursday, but you knew that already. The film, set in the 1950s, will premiere Sunday night in Cannes. Harrison Ford’s Indiana has a new sidekick this time around in Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), and an old flame returns in Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). There also may or may not be some alien undertones. (Thursday)
-TM
Related: Will Spielberg take a walk on the wild side?
Remember Karen Allen? Steven Spielberg did for ‘Indiana Jones’ (Paramount Pictures / Associated Press)
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Perhaps you’re too busy reading to talk about: The latest Chuck Palahniuk novel, “Snuff.” Due in stores May 20, the “Fight Club” author returns to tell the story of Cassie Wright, an aging porn star with designs on setting the record for sex with the most number of men in one day (that’d be 600, apparently). But it’s not as down and dirty as it sounds, as Palahniuk is just as interested in looking at the men who are awaiting their number to be called. (Tuesday)
-TM (Bruce Ely / For the Times)
You should not be talking about: “Postal.†The latest film from German director Uwe Boll is a terrorism satire that, we kid you not, features actors playing Osama bin Laden and George W. Bush. (Friday)
-DM (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
