Joseph Allen

image of Joseph Allen

Joseph Allen studied comparative religion at the University of Tennessee. After earning a liberal arts degree with honors, the next step was obvious—learn a real trade. Allen began working as an entertainment rigger in Miami and Boston, and has indulged his wanderlust ever since. He is currently collecting the sanctified dead at RockStarMartyr.net.


Low Life

Losers at the Game of Life

Losers at the Game of Life

People often compare video gamers to crackheads, but that’s unfair. Crackheads are way

Evolution

Pop Evolution: The New Evangelicalism

Pop Evolution: The New Evangelicalism

Did life evolve by purely natural processes? Could random mutation and natural

Cultural Caviar

Fundamental Contradictions About Easter

Fundamental Contradictions About Easter

“What day did Jesus die on?” my friend asked. “It was on Christmas, right?” He

Tech Overload

Google Goggles

Google Goggles

As if smart phones weren’t irritating enough, by the end of the year people will be

Takimag Classic

Race: Real and Surreal

Race: Real and Surreal

I tried to go into the 2012 American Renaissance conference without prejudice, but it

Pop Music

Jesus Returns (in a Tour Bus)

Jesus Returns (in a Tour Bus)

Christian rock is just like any other music that sucks, except it’s played for Jesus.

Wild Things

Thar’s Meth in Them Thar Hills

Thar’s Meth in Them Thar Hills

Two years ago Oak Ridge, TN housed the world’s fastest supercomputer. Even better, my

Tech Overload

Smash Nomophobia!

Smash Nomophobia!

Nomophobia, or “no-mobile-phobia,” sounds as stupid as luposlipaphobia. At least

Pop Music

The Boredom of Whoredom

The Boredom of Whoredom

A good woman is hard to find, especially if you’re a rigger. That’s my job, though—I

Cultural Caviar

Male Gays and the Male Gaze

Male Gays and the Male Gaze

It’s amazing what a man will do for love. To please my girlfriend, I recently found

2012 Election

Election Eve 2008: A Bad Night to be White in Harlem

Election Eve 2008: A Bad Night to be White in Harlem

Two years ago, I was invited to an Election Eve party in Harlem. I found New York was

Tech Overload

Cybershark Feeding Frenzy

Cybershark Feeding Frenzy

The perverse coupling of surveillance and exhibitionism forms a cornerstone of American

Culture Clash

Beyond the Burqa: America’s Role in Regulating Taste

Beyond the Burqa: America’s Role in Regulating Taste

France’s recent “Burqa Ban” has provoked all the global indignation and murderous

Death of Rock 'n' Roll

Bonnaroo: From Harmless Hippie Fest to Corporate Scam

Bonnaroo: From Harmless Hippie Fest to Corporate Scam

In a perfect world, we would be stuffed together in plastic tents under the hot sun,

Pop Music

Why I Quit Touring with The Black Eyed Peas

Why I Quit Touring with The Black Eyed Peas

Last year I toured with the Black Eyed Peas on their Japan/Australia run. It was dubbed