Don't call it a comeback
By Lindsey Rivait
Arts Editor
January 14, 2009
 Like every year, 2008 saw some surprising resurgences from pop culture icons of the past. Whether it’s a rehash of a 1990s television show, a pop star cleaning up her act, or even a boyband reuniting so I can spend entirely too much money seeing them live and losing my voice singing along to “Hangin’ Tough,” 2008 saw many ghosts coming back to haunt us.
90210
If you missed it the first time around, or even if you didn’t, it’s worth watching to see Shannen Doherty and her crazy eyes. The show’s female cast members have been criticized for being too skinny, but that hasn’t stopped them from engaging in any high school drama—you know, the most serious and life-altering drama one can go through.
Britney Spears
She’s a fascinating train wreck that managed to clean up enough to record and release her new album, Circus. I’m glad she’s better, but I have to admit that the head-shaving party girl Britney is much more interesting. I scoured the Internet keeping track of her hospital drama in February. I couldn’t look away, but then I’m a horrible person. Having her father taking care of her (for $16,000 a month) has certainly helped the pop diva straighten out.
Guns N’ Roses
It actually happened—Chinese Democracy finally came out after only 15 years of Axl Rose acting like a weirdo diva. You won’t find any Slash or anyone else besides Axl from the original band’s line-up, but that doesn’t stop the album, which I once thought of as a fabled mythical creature like a unicorn, from rocking.
New Kids on the Block
After 14 years, the five bad brothers from the Beantown land are back. The new album, The Block, features artists like the Pussycat Dolls, Ne-Yo, Lady GaGa, New Edition, and more. The guys played sold-out shows across Canada and the U.S., including three shows in Toronto (the first of which sold out in four minutes), and an amazing show in Detroit. And yes, Jonathan Knight is still hot at 40.
Robert Downey Jr.
He used to be one of those actors I hated, but had no real reason to hate him. Sure, he may have had a slight, very small drug problem in the past, but he’s good now. Still, I didn’t want to see Iron Man, because who wants to see Robert Downey Jr. running around like a robot? I watched it anyway, and holy crap! Robert Downey Jr. running around like a robot! I’m glad he’s back.
Saturday Night Live
One good thing to come from the McCain-Palin ’08 campaign disaster was Tina Fey’s impression boosting SNL’s ratings. The series is always hit-and-miss, but Fey’s appearances on the show had viewers tuning in and laughing—even during the opening.
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