Tag: the dark 100
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DragonKing Dark: Adam Walsh & the birth of true crime content, pt. 1
Continuing our 100 darkest moments in pop culture history, we begin a three-episode run of tragic events that gave rise to the true-crime genre of documentaries, podcasts, and TV channels. The murder of Adam Walsh was a tragedy beyond comprehension. Yet, born out of that horrible event many incredibly good things came including the Center…
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DragonKing Dark: The Harvey Weinstein scandal
My ongoing series examining 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history continues with a look at the movie scandal that spawned the #MeToo movement and the many crimes of producer Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein was a powerful movie producer in Hollywood who is accused of numerous heinous sexual assaults against a large number of…
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DragonKing Dark: The Bill Cosby scandal
Bill Cosby was “America’s Dad.” He was a mega-popular comedian and actor with his NBC TV sitcom The Cosby Show holding the spot as the biggest television show of the late 1980s. Then, it all came crashing down a few years ago when allegations of rampant sexual misconduct and assault began to surface which ultimately…
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DragonKing Dark: Tonya Harding vs. Nancy Kerrigan
Our Dark 100 series looking of the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history continues with a look back at the 1994 sports scandal involving U.S. Olympic skaters Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan. Harding was accused of being involved in a physical assault of Kerrigan in order to increase her Olympic medal chances. The attack…
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DragonKing Dark: The death of NHL player Bill Masterton
The NHL is a fast, high-impact, and sometimes violent sport. But you may be surprised to learn that only one hockey player has ever died as a direct result of the game. In 1968, Bill Masterton became the only NHL player to date to die as the result of injuries suffered during a game. His…
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DragonKing Dark: The murder of SNL star Phil Hartman
Another tragedy from the cast of Saturday Night Live is our stop this week on the DragonKing Dark 100 darkest moments in pop culture history series. This week, we take a look at the domestic violence murder of comedian Phil Hartman. Hartman was a popular SNL cast member, voice actor, and comedian who was killed…
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DragonKing Dark: The death of actor & comedian Robin Williams
My series looking at 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history continues with the death of actor and comedian Robin Williams. A comedic genius who first came to national attention on the Happy Days spinoff series Mork and Mindy, Williams followed this up with a stellar career both as a comedic and dramatic…
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DragonKing Dark: The ‘Twilight Zone’ movie disaster
The Dark 100 rolls on. In July 1982, actor Vic Morrow and two child actors were killed by a helicopter crash while filming a scene for “The Twilight Zone” movie. The accident revealed numerous shortcuts and safety protocols that were bypassed which contributed to the tragedy. The Twilight Zone movie disaster is one of our…
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DragonKing Dark: The story of former NFL star Aaron Hernandez
Our next installment in our 100 darkest moments in pop culture history involves the story of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez. Hernandez was an elite level football player whose off the field exploits landed him in prison and later dead. Despite being one of the best players on his national championship winning…
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DragonKing Dark: The death of Bruce Lee
We continue our series on the 100 darkest moments in pop culture by examining the death of action movie star and perhaps the world’s most influential martial artist: Bruce Lee. The name Bruce Lee stirs up almost mythological images. One of the most skilled martial artists ever, Lee was even more than that. He was a…
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DragonKing Dark: The AIDS crisis impact on pop culture
I continue my series on 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history and this week’s DarkongKing Dark is a little different in that respect as I take a look at the profound impact the AIDS epidemic had on pop culture in the 1980s into the 1990s. Numerous important entertainment figures like Freddie Mercury, Rock…
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DragonKing Dark: How ‘The Death of Superman’ almost killed comics
We pick back up our ongoing series in the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history and in doing so, we travel back to the early 1990s. Comic books and trading cards were booming. Speculators were buying both in bulk with hopes of one day owning something valuable. But, the bubble was ready to burst…
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DragonKing Dark: The death of ‘Superman’ actor George Reeves
He was Superman for an entire generation. He was faster than a locomotive and could leap a tall building in a single bound, but George Reeves was dead at the age of 45. There has been much mystery around the his death which was officially ruled a suicide. Many people were skeptical and it seems…
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DragonKing Dark: The death of Len Bias
While this series focuses on the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history, the death of Len Bias is even more than that as it’s one of the 100 darkest moments in American history because of what came next. Bias was the Boston Celtics’ no. 2 overall draft pick in 1986, but died two days…
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DragonKing Dark: The death of AC/DC singer Bon Scott
The rock music world was shaken in February 1980 when the distinctive lead singer of the rising rock group AC/DC was found dead in a car. The cause of death was apparently alcohol related though specifically how has been debated for 40 years now. It seemed impossible that a rising rock group with such a…
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DragonKing Dark Podcast: The death of Heath Ledger
We continue our 100 darkest moments in pop culture history by looking at the death of 28-year-old actor Heath Ledger. He had a couple of breakout moments: first in the movie Brokeback Mountain and then in an even more iconic portrayal of the Joker in the The Dark Knight. Then, he died suddenly from a drug…
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DragonKing Dark: The death and mysterious life of Jayne Mansfield
Continuing our look at 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history, I am joined by Tonya from When It Was Cool to discuss the death of starlet Jayne Mansfield who was killed in a 1967 car accident. The events leading up to her death are quite dark and mysterious including her stint in the…
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DragonKing Dark: The killing of Marvin Gaye
Our list of 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history continues with the killing of Marvin Gaye, an influential singer and musician who gained worldwide fame for his work with Motown Records. He was fatally shot three times by his father, Marvin Gay Sr., on April 1, 1984, at their house in the…
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DragonKing Dark: Woodstock ’99
Continuing our 100 darkest moments in pop culture history, we look back at Woodstock ’99. This event, which recently got the HBO documentary and podcast treatment, there was one death, numerous sexual assaults, arson, and a general mockery of pop culture and toxic fandom at the festival originally known for peace and love. Woodstock ’99 put…
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DragonKing Dark: Great White & the Station Nightclub fire
Our series of 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history continues with the disastrous Station Nightclub fire in 2003 that killed 100 people during a Great White concert. Great White was a nationally known band which had a few hits during the hair metal era. In 2003 while playing a concert in West…