Maya Angelou is a widely acclaimed poet, novelist, and veteren of the civil rights movement. She recited her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at Bill Clinton’s presidential inauguration.

Marlon Brando was a supremely talented and somewhat wacky and unpredictable method actor. He is noted for his Oscar-winning performance as Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather and motorcycle gang member/general hellraiser Johnny in The Wild One (in which he was asked “what are you rebelling against, Johnny?” and memorably replied “Whaddya got?”)

Brando was a bit more pointed in his rebellion off-screen, suporting civil rights through participation in the March on Washington and Freedom Rides. He boycotted the 1973 Academy Awards ceremony over Hollywood’s racist depictions of American Indians and the ongoing attacks at Wounded Knee. American Indian activist Sacheen Littlefeather accepted the best actor Oscar on his behalf, made some improvised comments after producers threatened to have her arrested if she went through with plans to read a lengthy speech Brando had prepared. The Academy promptly banned any future award acceptance by proxy.

Brando was known for his increasingly eccentric behavior in his later years, and his close friendship with none other than Michael Jackson

Kangaroos can be vicious. Just imagine one on PCP! The resulting injuries might leave the victim with optic damage creating a vision disorder beyond diplopia (or “double vision”), but a near-homonym for a ‘70s dramady

In the 70s and 80s, back when vinyl was still king, various Christian right types (and the Parents Music Resource Center) made a lot of noise about how rock bands (including, notably, Led Zeppelin) were supposedly promoting Satanism through their recording via backmasking, the process of recording something backwards that is meant to be listened to forwards. Rappers frequently use backmasking to censor dirty words on the “clean” versions of their songs, but back in the day rock bands used it to embed subliminal Satanic messages in their music. Or so Tipper Gore said.

It would have been funnier if time and resources hadn’t been wasted on proposed state and federal legislation seeking to eliminate or regulate recordings involving backmasking because, as the 1983 California bill said, it “can manipulate our behavior without our knowledge or consent and turn us into disciples of the Antichrist”

NAMBLA is the acronym for the North American Man/Boy Love Association “a pedophile and pederasty advocacy organization in the United States that works to abolish age of consent laws criminalizing adult sexual contact with minors.”

Yo Gabba Gabba! is a popular children’s television program:

Jean may not be joining Biz Markie and The Roots as a special guest star on the show any time soon

Sad!

Dora the Explorer has such nice, educational adventures that always have a happy ending

Nellie Oleson was a character in several of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s autobiographical Little House novels and the television series based on them. Nellie was a sadistic brat of dubious ethics, as opposed to spunky, wholesome protagonist Laura.

Actress Alison Arngrim played Nellie. She later wrote a memoir about her experience:

Vivienne Westwood is a designer famous for her role in mainstreaming punk fashion

Grae had three pregnancies ended by abortion or miscarriage by teh age of 27, and here grapples with judgement of this history, including what her potential children and the Catholic church (which officially and vocally opposes abortion) would have to say, ultimately resigning herself to damnation and questioning how she can have a relationship with God after making the choices she’s made