Dig the best, curse the worse

This year, it was all about the endless battle between style and fashion. And of course, there were winners and there were losers:

Clothing:

The Best: Tiger Woods. The 21-year-old wnderkind sweeps to the forefront of America's consciousness by winning the Nationals; Nike rides the wave and opens up a previously non-existent market - extreme golf. The action isn't extreme and the clothing is s ubdued, but they're trying to tap into the same "Gen-X Games" vibe. But make no mistake, the kid's got style - his deft handling of the Fuzzy Zoeller situation and eminently quotable statement that, "There are still good courses I couldn't play on," makes him the berspokesman for the nation's biggest sportswear manufacturer. We'll be hearing a lot more from Mr. Woods in the near future and seeing a lot more of those visors as well.

The Worst: "High Impact" clothing. Florescent colors went out in the 80s, but now America's malls and department stores are betting that garish and gaudy neon greens and flamingo pinks are exactly how you want to augment your summer wardrobe. Yuck.

Music:

Best: Brendan Benson. If Blur is the Beatles and Oasis is the Beatles again, then Brendan Benson is the '90s incarnation of the Monkees. Which is to say that he manages to create simple pop music, rich in guitar hooks and vocal harmonies, without any of t he pretensions of his British counterparts. It's just so hard not to like the guy - and yet, his albums go untouched at rock bottom prices in used CD bins around town. This giant reservoir of cheap promo CD's sold back by less honorable practitioners of m usic journalism could be his greatest strength, however. Honorable mentions: Reel Big Fish "Turn the Radio Off," Pavement "Brighten the Corners" and Wilco "Being There."

Worst: The Spice Girls. OK, so this was a cheap shot, but the Spice Girls define the absolute low end of music these days. And it's only getting worse: next the British pop group will star in a film to be written by Jennifer Saunders ("Absolutely Fabulous ") and directed by Bob Spiers ("Wayne's World"), according to the Hollywood Reporter. The film, which starts shooting in July, was described as "A Hard Day's Night" meets "Wayne's World." Please.

Beverages:

Best: Weinhardt's HefeWeizen. It hurts me to see people drinking bad beer - especially when there are so many good, cheap beers out there. A 12-pack of Weinhardt's will set you back a mere six bucks or so, much less than an equivalent amount of Bud or Coo rs. A "HefeWeizen" is a wheat beer, tasty, light and with a bit of honey to nip off the aftertaste. Why even bother with that other stuff? 'Course, since it comes in bottles you won't be able to crush the can against your forehead when you're done ...

Worst: Wide Mouth Cans. This is the really extreme way to slam your Dew. The new can top, pioneered by the Colt 45 malt liquor cans, ensures that you'll gulp your Mountain Dew without having a chance to pause and savor that succulent heavy pseudo-citrus f lavor. You can still, however, crush this can against your forehead if you feel so inclined. Honorable mention: Orbitz. We're about to see other "texture-enhanced" beverages on the market soon.

Television:

Best: The Cartoon Network. It seems like the coolest stuff on TV today is kids' programming. After a mysterious period of really sucking when it was first introduced on TCI, the Cartoon Network has lived up to expectations as of late. Great shows include "Two Stupid Dogs," "Dexter's Labs" and the two Space Ghost shows, wildly inventive programming that is both imaginative and entertaining. Check your local listings for showtimes. Honorable mention: A&E "Biography" - not a new show, but like "The Simpsons" it continues to surprise and enlighten.

Worst: "Bzzz!" A "high impact" dating show for a "high impact"-clothing-wearing generation.

Literature:

Best: The Fortean Times. The truth is out there, and the good folks at The Fortean Times relentlessly research the great myths and legends of our time. Recently the magazine went through a bit of an image change to make it more accessible; it used to be l aid out as a serious journal, but now has assumed its rightful place in pop culture. Written with the serious academic in mind (the articles are well-cited), it nevertheless maintains an attitude of quiet ironic distance. Its examinations are fun and comp lete, and longer articles are peppered with tons of "News of the Weird"-style briefs from around the world.

Worst: The Patriot Writer. Let's face it, you're never the same once you've seen Ross Perot, the Clone Master, use his Jurassic Park technology to make an exact duplicate of your woman. Tucson's best local conspiracy nut, the Patriot Writer (a.k.a Albert Thomas Wilson), certainly hasn't forgotten - he's been using self-published "alternative media" to spread the truth about U.N. concentration camps in Sioux City, Iowa, and about the vast plot against TV preacher Dr. Gene Scott by the Anaheim City Council. Oklahoma City, Waco ... they're all just small parts of the overall picture. His work is available in the Tucson Weekly boxes down by the corner of Park and University, as well as in Zip's and scattered randomly around town. Wilson also hosts a live publ ic access show called "Wake Up Call."

Tobacco:

Best: Kamel Menthe "Slide-O-Matic." Camel really outdid themselves on this one, as the "Slide-O-Matic" is probably the best package design we've seen all school year. Retro-kitschy, to be sure, but there's something eternal about the design. It's silly, b ut that's the point. The ironic distance is already there for you on the back of their non-menthol counterparts, the Kamel Reds: "Back after 80 years for no good reason..."

Worst: Buz Cigarettes. Duuuude, only one "z" in "Buz." How alternative. 'Sides, they don't even taste good. Honorable mention: cigars. Ooh, I'm such a connoisseur.

Film:

Best: "Gridlock'd." A tough film to explain, but somehow a fitting epitaph to Tupac Shakur's short and enigmatic career as both an actor and musician. Out of all the movies this year, this is the only one that was a real surprise, the only one that seemed to veer off course from the mainstream to try something completely new and different. Shakur, teamed up with Tim Roth for this film, was in fine form as a heroin addict trying to get into a rehab program to kick his habit. In many ways the film is remini scent of Jarmusch's languid and moving "Dead Man," but for better or for worse, it doesn't get as lost in its own artiness. Honorable mention: Jerry Maguire.

Worst: There were way too many bad movies this year. I'd rather not talk about it.