Photo of author Barry Thompson

Barry Thompson

Barry Thompson does pop culture and music journalism. His work has appeared in the Boston Phoenix, Esquire Online, Paste Magazine, and several other online and print publications. He lives under a bridge with a cat in Allston, Massachusetts. Follow him on Twitter @barelytomson.

Latest Posts From Barry

monty python's the meaning of life terry jones vomit scene

Nov 23, 2016

The Crazy Stories Behind 5 Disgusting Movie Vomit Scenes

Innumerable billion-dollar industries have risen around humanity's unceasing impulses to eat and fornicate.

Nov 22, 2016

The 10 'Double Dare' Obstacle Courses We Loved the Most

Every TV show needs a hook: American Idol had wretched singers embarrassing themselves at auditions.

Sep 15, 2016

Why 'South Park' Has Surpassed 'The Simpsons'

We need to have a serious talk about cartoons.

The Box: How a Forgotten TV Network Changed Music and Predicted the Future

Aug 12, 2016

The Box: How a Forgotten TV Network Changed Music and Predicted the Future

Back in olden times, there was a thing called The Box, and it offered a simple proposition: you called up a 900 number on your landline, punched in a four-digit code corresponding to a music video you wanted to see (ideally something banned from mainstream media for obscenity), and incurred a charge of between $0.99 and $2.99.

portrait of Tori Spelling in "Mother, May I Sleep with Danger"

Jun 17, 2016

The Oral History of the Camp Classic 'Mother, May I Sleep With Danger?'

Not long after he smashes Kevin Shane's head in with a toilet tank lid, Billy Jones becomes concerned that his girlfriend Laurel Lewisohn is spending too much time with her college peer group.

Ewan McGregor as Renton in Trainspotting

Mar 24, 2016

6 Life Lessons We Picked Up From 'Trainspotting'

Trainspotting, which hit American soil in July 1996 after being released to widespread acclaim in the UK earlier that year, was an instant classic -- and it remains hugely influential 20 years later.

4 Highly Plausible 'Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey' Theories You Need to Hear

Jan 13, 2016

4 Highly Plausible 'Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey' Theories You Need to Hear

Panned by critics as a bid to ride Back to the Future's coattails, 1989's Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure quadrupled its $10 million budget at the box office and inspired kids nationwide to pepper every conversation with non-sequitur air-guitar riffage.

The 26 Female Superheroes Who Paved the Way for Jessica Jones

Nov 17, 2015

The 26 Female Superheroes Who Paved the Way for Jessica Jones

A while back, someone asked me about the yellow-and-blue pin I wear on my jacket lapel.

An Oral History of Nickelodeon's 'Double Dare'

Oct 7, 2015

An Oral History of Nickelodeon's 'Double Dare'

As the entertainment industrial complex continues its methodical excavation of the collective cultural memory of ‘80s babies, Nickelodeon heralds the arrival of "The Splat," a late-night and online programming block devoted to the network’s ‘90s highpoint, which launched October 5 on the TeenNick channel.