Tag: the dark 100
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DragonKing Dark: The crimes of Jared Fogle
Karl Stern’s Dark 100 series continues. Note: Listener discretion advised You probably didn’t expect the face of evil to look like a geek eating a footlong did you? Yet, here he is: Jared Fogle. Why this goof became pop culture famous is beyond me, I mean, sure, literally for eating sandwiches and losing weight, but…
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DragonKing Dark: The Robert Blake murder trial
The Dark 100 continues. Actor Robert Blake was best known for his role in the 1970s TV crime drama Baretta. His star faded and in 2002, he became pop culture famous yet again but for an undesired reason — he was accused and arrested for shooting his wife to death in the parking lot of…
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DragonKing Dark: The Lance Armstrong scandal
Karl Stern’s run through dark moments in pop culture history continues. Lance Armstrong is far and away the most famous cyclist that has ever lived, dominating the Tour de France and many other world class cycling events. He was pop culture famous in the United States and beyond. However, that much domination, especially in sports,…
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DragonKing Dark: The Michael Richards/Kramer comedy club scandal
Karl Stern’s 100 darkest moments in pop culture history series rolls on. On this week’s DragonKing Dark, my series on the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history continues with a very popular individual in pop culture. Michael Richards played the quirky character Cosmo Kramer on the megahit TV sitcom Seinfeld. Kramer was a fan…
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DragonKing Dark: The Payne Stewart plane crash
Karl Stern’s path down the darkest 100 moments in pop culture continues. In 1999, television viewers tuned into the story about an out of control jet plane flying across the country from Florida toward Canada. The unresponsive plane was tailed by military jets across the country, failing to make contact with any ground control. Military pilots…
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DragonKing Dark: The 2000 Paralympic Games basketball cheating scandal
Inarguably, one of the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history took place at the 2000 Paralympic Games where, brace yourself, Spain competed in basketball with players representing themselves as intellectually disabled who weren’t. Yes, you read that right. They also won the gold medal and outed themselves once it hit the newspapers. The International Paralympic Committee…
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DragonKing Dark: The 2000 Paralympic Games basketball cheating scandal
Karl Stern’s run through the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history continues. Inarguably, one of the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history took place at the 2000 Paralympic Games where, brace yourself, Spain competed in basketball with players representing themselves as intellectually disabled who weren’t. Yes, you read that right. They also won the gold…
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DragonKing Dark: The 1972 Olympics
My 100 darkest moments in pop culture history series on DragonKing Dark continues as I examine the terrorist assault and murder of eleven Israeli athletes during the 1972 Olympic games in Munich, Germany. Germany, wanting to put the stain of the past behind them, had strongly pushed the “smiling Olympics” and despite warnings, failed to…
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DragonKing Dark: The Lindbergh baby kidnapping & murder
On March 1, 1932, one of most sensational crimes ever to grip America occurred: the Lindbergh baby kidnapping and murder. The son of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh, aged 20 months, disappeared from his crib and was, apparently, held for ransom, which was paid. However, just over two months later, the child’s body was discovered in…
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DragonKing Dark: The Jackie Coogan Law
You know your life has taken a bad turn if the government has to name a law after you. That’s exactly what it was for child actor Jackie Coogan, who, after gaining huge success in various Charlie Chaplin films, went on to even greater notoriety as Uncle Fester from The Addams Family. So, what is…
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DragonKing Dark: The Little Rascals/Our Gang curse
I continue our series of the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history by taking a look at the supposed curse of The Little Rascals/Our Gang group of actors. Did many of them meet an untimely demise? We will discuss. One thing is certain, however: Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer’s story does not end well. On this…
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DragonKing Dark: The death of INXS’ Michael Hutchence
My ongoing look at the 100 darkest moments in pop culture continues. Michael Hutchence of INXS was found dead in his hotel room in 1997 and you may think you know the reason why. But did you know that most of what you think you know about his death is probably wrong and taken out…
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DragonKing Dark: The death of George Michael
We continue our series of 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history by taking a look at the death of one of the greatest vocalist of the 1980s-2000s, George Michael. Starting his career with the duo Wham!, Michael rose to even greater success as a solo pop star during the late 1980s into…
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DragonKing Dark: The death of Prince
I continue the DragonKingDark look at 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history with the death of pop music legend, Prince. He died just over six years ago of a fentanyl overdose. Since then, fentanyl has been a scourge in American society, responsible for numerous overdose deaths. He was one of the most…
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DragonKing Dark: The death of Naomi Judd
We continue our series of 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history by looking at the recent death of country music star Naomi Judd. Judd was 76 years old and all of The Judds’ hit songs were behind them, so in terms of affecting pop culture, one might argue that this one doesn’t…
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DragonKing Dark: The death of John Denver
In my continuing series on the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history, I look back at the 1997 death of folk and country music star John Denver who was killed in an experimental aircraft crash at the age of 53. While Denver’s career as a hit maker was probably over, he was still a…
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DragonKing Dark: Warner Bros. destroys DC Comics
I continue my series of 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history and this week, I look at the destruction wrought by Warner Bros. against the iconic characters of DC Comics. Characters who have been around since the 1930s have been rendered generationally irrelevant by a terrible connected universe of movies, bad castings,…
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DragonKing Dark: Honey Boo Boo
We continue our series of 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history and this week, I am your father who is very disappointed in you. No, this week nobody died. No tragedy has befallen a cast member (aside from a few arrests) but I discuss the general state of a show which was…
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DragonKing Dark: The OJ Simpson case & trial
Where were you when JFK was assassinated or when Elvis died or when a man landed on the moon? How about when the OJ Simpson verdict came down? The NFL football star and actor was accused of murdering two people, including his ex-wife. This case has been discussed a million times (or more), but here…
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DragonKing Dark: The coverage of the JonBenet Ramsey murder
Continuing our look at 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history, I continue to examine the rise in popularity of true crime documentary/TV channels/podcasts. On this DragonKing Dark, I look back at the murder of six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey. We aren’t going to dive into the details of the crime beyond the basics because…