Ty Watches "Bar Rescue": Desi Romano's Edition

This past Sunday "Bar Rescue" got back to its usual form. The episode the week before, with Big Mike's Sports Bar and Grill, was moving and very different from anything I have come to expect. While that was a very nice change of pace, I was happy to see it get back to its roots.

Taffer and crew traveled to New Orleans once again, but the bar was not in trouble due to a massive flood of epic proportions. This bar was failing because of the ownership and staff. You know, typical "Bar Rescue" type stuff. The bar is called Desi Romano's, and I will say right at the top, Taffer could not and did not change the name. It was named after the owner, and to Taffer's credit, when the bar has a historical or meaningful name, he does not change it.

This bar was like most other bars on the show. At first, they were making tons and tons of cash. They were making so much money, they couldn't count it fast enough. Then, the bad stuff happened. In this bar's case, the owner Desi had a stroke. This was very unfortunate and it happened at the worst possible time. Desi was ready to hand the bar over to his daughter, but she needed lots and lots of training. She is very young and inexperienced, but he wanted to keep the bar in the family, which is very understandable. So, Desi has the stroke, and he misses 3 plus months of work. He had to get his life back together. During that 3 month period, the bar took an enormous tumble. The staff started to take major advantage of Laura, Desi's daughter. She could not run the bar properly yet, and the staff knew it. A bunch of the bartenders and the head chef started to run their own bar tabs. The bar also was becoming neglected. The staff didn't clean as much and they did not restock liquor and food kind of took a back seat. When Desi was healthy enough, he came back, but he more so came to his bar to drink and berate his daughter, along with the entire staff.

When Taffer and crew showed up to the bar to watch from their van on the monitors to see how poorly the bar was being run, the main thing that stuck out to them, and me for that matter, was that Desi just got more and more hammered as the night wore on. Taffer sent in his spies, who were former bar owners that had their bar rescued and were now thriving, and what they saw from the inside was even worse. The bartenders couldn't make a simple drink, and a New Orleans staple, the Hurricane. The bartender told them she had no idea how to make one, and instead offered to make him a margarita. When they tasted the margarita, both spies said it was terrible. The other spy ordered a rum and coke, seems simple enough, and he said that it was watered down and gross. When they ordered food, they ordered what the menu said was "Award Winning Mac and Cheese". Well, this did not look like halfway decent, and definitely not award winning, mac and cheese. It looked awful and that was confirmed by both the spies.

All the while this stuff was going on, Desi was having beer after beer and shot after shot. When Taffer finally decided to enter the bar it took him over 3 tries to get Desi's attention. When Desi finally acknowledged Taffer was there, he called him Tom. His first name is Jon. All of us know this. But, Desi was so wasted he couldn't even say his first name. While Taffer was berating him, Desi would go back and forth between yelling and asking for help. He couldn't figure out what he wanted because he was so inebriated. It was a mess. It started out funny, but soon became sad. Desi clearly has an alcohol problem and his daughter was very worried about him. After Taffer had enough, he walked out to Desi yelling at him to not leave, then giving him the finger.

Taffer, of course, came back the next day, and Desi showed up sober. He even stated that he did not remember what happened the night before and that he was very embarrassed. It is always nice to see an owner own up to his or her bullshit on this show. Taffer and crew immediately got to training after Taffer let Desi and his daughter know how much money their staff had run up on their bar tabs. The first few were average, right around 50 or 60 dollars, but then they got to the head chef. Her bar tab was 2,000 dollars. That is a whole lot of alcohol that she had not paid for in three months.

After this was all resolved the real training started. The staff was not prepared for the simplest of tasks and you could see it weighing on Taffer's experts. Stress test came and it was a nightmare. They had no system in place that was any good, and Desi and his daughter could not run the bar. No one was getting drinks and food was getting cold in the window. It was a typical stress test nightmare. After seeing how far behind they were, Taffer's experts decided it would be best to make the menu as simple as possible. During this training session, Taffer and his construction crew got to fixing the bar up.

With the new, easier menu and the bar being all gussied up, Taffer was ready for Desi and his crew to see their new bar. The name was the same, but the inside was totally different. There were new POS systems, new décor, new bar tops and stools, new pool tables, charging docks at the bar. Basically, the inside looked brand new, and everyone loved it. It was one of Taffer's better efforts I must say.

During re launch, everything ran smooth and Desi Romano's looked to be getting back to its money making ways. The staff was better, the kitchen staff was firing on all cylinders and Desi and his daughter were doing everything right. Taffer left feeling he had done all he could. During the 6 week check up, the bar sales were up 12 percent and the staff no longer had open bar tabs. Desi Romano's looked to be slowly, but surely getting back on its feet.

This was another run of the mill "Bar Rescue" , and I loved it. This Sunday they are doing another back to the bar thing, so I won't review that, but in 2 weeks there will be a new episode and I will be back to review that one. Come back then for your next "Bar Rescue" update.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He was relieved when he found out the bar was not serving Mac's Famous Mac and Cheese. Poor dog.

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Ty Watches "Love" Season 2

ed note: Ty Watched season 1. Read about it here.

Recently I finished season 2 of "Love" on Netflix, and I really enjoyed myself while watching it. I really liked that it picked right up where season one ended. I will do little to no spoilers today, so anyone who hasn't seen it yet should be fine reading this.

Where we left Gus(Paul Rust) and Mickey(Gillian Jacobs) were outside a gas station where Gus was buying snacks. Mickey lays it all out for him and tells him all of her secrets. She says that she wants to take a year off from dating and get her life together. Gus proceeds to kiss her, and that is where season 2 starts.

I really like this show. A lot of people will say "Master of None" is the better romantic comedy show on Netflix, and while I really like it, I think "Love" is much better. "Love" doesn't take itself as serious as "Master of None" seems to. I also prefer the leads in "Love" to the leads in "Master of None". I love Aziz Ansari's stand up, and his phenomenal role in "Parks and Rec", but for a sitcom type show lead, I, for some reason, prefer Paul Rust. He is way goofier and way less self serious. As far as the female leads, I will take Gillian Jacobs any day over Noel Wells. She's a much better actress and way, way funnier than Wells. She is just more fun to watch act. People are trying to compare these shows, I chose not to. These are 2 different style shows. "Love" is much more of a straight forward comedy and "Master of None" borders on the dramedy line. I like both shows a lot, but, as previously stated, I prefer my comedy as goofy and straight up, therefore I prefer "Love". That is where the comparison stops for me.

Anyway, season 2 of "Love" follows a couple of months between Gus and Mickey. Mickey doesn't want to date anyone, but her addiction to love gives in. Not only is she an alcoholic and drug addict, but she is also a sex and love addict. She really, truly seems to very much like Gus. Gus is different from any guy that she has dated before. Gus is polite. Gus is nice and complimentary to her. Gus tries hard because he feels that he doesn't deserve someone like her. Gus, at least on the surface, seems to be a great guy. But, he is a little overbearing. He can be complimentary, but also condescending. He waits until the last minute to explode on Mickey when he is upset with her. Mickey, to her credit is trying to get her life together. As I said, she is involved in all the addiction programs. She actually takes her job seriously this time around. She wants to better herself. She doesn't want to give in to Gus, but she likes him so much that she gives it a try. But, she too has her flaws. She flakes out a lot on friends and family. She rants and raves about Gus a lot. She feels that she can give relationship advice, even though she clearly doesn't know what she is doing in that aspect of her life. That is what I like about the 2 main characters, they have flaws. Neither is right or wrong with their decisions. There is some great back and forth this whole season between Gus and Mickey. The creators and writers, including Paul Rust and his wife Lesley Arfin, really did an excellent job portraying relationships in your early thirties during this season.

While Rust and Jacobs are the clear stars of the show, the supporting actors were used excellently, and frequently, this season. Claudia O'Dougherty, who plays Mickey's roommate, was great this season. She is funny, quirky and plays her role as fish out of water so great. She is the best supporting actor in the whole show by far. Mike Mitchell, of "Doughboys" and "Birthday Boys" fame, was used a lot more this season, and he had a creepy and weird story arc, but it was perfect for him. Judd Apatow's daughter Maude, who plays the actress that Gus teaches, had a much bigger role and she can really act. The people who work on the show "Wichita", the show where Gus works, weren't used as much, but when they were, they were really funny. Brett Gelman is awesome in his few and far between scenes that he gets this season. Bobby Lee is really funny in his minimal role. Gus' friends, the guys and girls that make up theme songs for movies that don't have theme songs, where really good as well. Everyone in the show is great.

I cannot say enough nice things about "Love". I think it is the best Netflix show, and I am way into a lot of Netflix shows. Paul Rust has found a perfect place for him to shine as a writer and actor. Lesley Arfin is a tremendous comedy writer. Gillian Jacobs crushes her role on the show. All the supporting actors I mentioned are fantastic. Watch this show. I know you will love it as much as I do. I saw that they are filming a season 3 and I cannot wait until it comes back on. "Love" is great, and it is one of the best comedies on any type of television right now. Check it out.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. If Ty watches a bunch of Netflix shows, where is his review for Voltron: Legendary Defender? That show rules. 

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Ty Watches "Bar Rescue": Big Mike's Sports Bar and Grill

This week's episode of "Bar Rescue" was so much different from anything I have ever seen on the show before. They have done rescues of bars that have been damaged before, they did one in the Northeast after they had their big storm, but this one was just different. This was the first ever episode I have seen where I was legitimately moved by what happened over the course of 44 minutes. I literally thought I was going to shed a tear or two, and I do not cry at anything, except Pixar movies.

For this rescue, Taffer and crew go to a bar in a small town in Louisiana called Big Mike's Sports Bar and Grill. This town just three months ago was absolutely destroyed by a horrific storm. During the cold open they were flashing stats of the storm, and some of the things I remember where, there was 2.3 billion dollars worth of damage, they said there was more rain and flooding than Hurricane Katrina and that 90 percent of the businesses in the town had still not re opened and may never open again. Right off the bat the music was sad and the announcer's voice reflected that sadness.

When we finally get to meet Big Mike, who seems to be one hell of a nice guy, he tells of the terrifying tale of what has happened to him and his family since the storm. Big Mike, and his wife Jocelyn, are being interviewed and they show pictures of the damage to their house first. It is absolutely wrecked. They needed to have, pretty much, their entire home fixed due to flood damage. They show pictures of their children sitting on cars that are in 4 feet of flood water. It was so goddamn sad. Big Mike has a water damage stain on one of his walls and shows the viewing audience that the water got as high as 64 inches in their home. That is almost 5 and a half feet. That is so scary.

Taffer comes by himself to talk to Mike and Jocelyn about the bar and their home and their lives afterward. When he shows up they tell him that before the storm, Big Mike's was the place to be in this town. During LSU games on Saturday and Saints games on Sunday the bar was packed to the rafters. People would come in after sporting events, have kids parties there, basically anything that a restaurant and bar could handle, Big Mike's handled and then some. They were making almost 2 million dollars a year, and they deserved every cent of that. Jocelyn and Mike where hard working, nice people that their employees and their neighbors and the town loved. Hearing all this almost brought Taffer to tears. That was crazy. When they showed him where they were living while their home and bar was under construction, I got even sadder. They were living in a mobile home and their daughters were living in a different mobile home. They were separated because they did not have the space to live together. The kids were older, teenagers I believe, but still, that would be very hard. I cannot imagine not living with my kids.

At this point I found out that Jon Taffer is a dad. I never knew that. He told them that he has a 28 year old daughter. I was floored. But he sympathized with them not being with their kids. This was the point where Taffer promised them that he would fix up the bar in a week, they were told it would take up to 6 months to get the bar up and running.

Taffer brought Jocelyn and Mike out of the bar after he had them show him around and at this point we see the entire town there ready to help anyway they can. Again, I almost shed a tear. There was so much crying I could not help myself. Taffer brings in his best construction crew to get to work, and while they are getting the bar ready, he has 2 experts, one of which was McCargo, get the staff ready at a different bar that was back up and running. This staff had not worked in a bar or restaurant for about 3 months, so they were rusty. But, following the theme of this very off the cuff episode, the experts and Taffer never demeaned the staff, instead they encouraged them the entire time. Sure, he told them they needed to speed up and shake off the rust, but he never called one person a failure or told them that they were letting their loved ones down. The training was all very civil and respectful. McCargo helped out the kitchen staff with a big smile. The mixology expert was always complimentary, even in his criticism. It was a very nice change of pace.

There was one point during the training and construction where it looked like Taffer's construction crew may not get all the work done. This was a 10,000 square foot bar and restaurant. This place was big and needed a ton of work.

At another point, Deuce McCallister, formerly of the New Orleans Saints, showed up to lend his support and help any way he could. This whole town was coming together to get this well known and loved establishment back up and running.

After working throughout the day and night the construction crew got the job done. I would usually have a snarky comment about this, but this was such a touching episode, I'm not going to say anything mean. When the staff and Jocelyn and Mike see what the bar looks like, they cannot stop crying tears upon tears of joy. The place looked spectacular. This was the best rescue they have ever done in my opinion.

They kept the name too, thank goodness. While looking around at everything, the television crew kept showing old pictures with all the flood damage next to the new look of the bar. It was amazing. When Taffer sat the staff down, he showed them a video of the bar owners that he helped get back on their feet in the Northeast, and they donated 10,000 dollars to Jocelyn and Mike to get another trailer for their daughters to live in while they house got fixed up. Again, I was just about to cry until I realized that I was watching "Bar Rescue".

During the re-opening, everything, thankfully, went so smooth and the staff crushed it. I was so, so happy that these people were getting back on their feet. Taffer left the enormous bar to a great ovation. It was well deserved.

When they did the 6 week checkup, Big Mike's was doing great. They were recording record sales and their house was nearing completion for the family to move back in. This was, I kid you not, the best episode I have ever seen of "Bar Rescue". It was so different from the norm, but it was incredibly touching and moving and I was taken aback at how sweet these people on the show can be. I loved this episode so much. I actually wish more were like this, but "Bar Rescue" has made its dime on trashy people. But, this was such a great change of pace and I applaud them for doing something like this.

An episode like this of "Bar Rescue" makes me like this show so much more than I thought ever possible. Thank you for this "Bar Rescue" and Spike TV. You guys did a tremendous job on this episode.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. If Taffer and the crew ever make us shed a tear for a run down super trashy strip club, they deserve a goddamn Nobel Prize. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "Bar Rescue": The Speakeasy Edition

We had a new episode of "Bar Rescue" this past Sunday. It was nice to see the show again after last week's check up episode. I prefer my "Bar Rescue" episodes to be new and not "clip shows", if you will.

This time around, Taffer and crew went to a bar called The Speakeasy in New Orleans. This was one of the most middle of the plate episodes that I have ever seen. It had everything you could ever want from an episode of "Bar Rescue". When we first meet the owners of The Speakeasy, it was your typical story. The bar was owned by a husband and wife, and they will making lots and lots of money. They had a nice spot in a town that is known for their alcohol and night life. They were making so much money in fact, the husband and wife decided that they wanted to have kids, so they sold their shares to the other owner and moved on from the bar business to start a family. They had 2 kids, each had solid office jobs, but they missed the bar life. They both liked to drink and party. The wife loved to dance, or as they kept saying in the episode, "twerk", side note, "twerking" is not a popular thing anymore, stop with the "twerking" stuff, it is played out. The husband loved drinking beer and taking shots. They each said that the corporate world was not for them, so they went back to the bar and bought back their shares.

When the couple returned to The Speakeasy, they noticed that the bar wasn't really doing as well, and it was not being properly taken care of. Did they do anything to fix this you ask? Well, if they did, it would not have been on "Bar Rescue". They, of course, neglected to fix the bar up and just let it get worse and worse. The owners cared more about dancing and drinking than they did about training their staff and keeping their bar clean and efficient. They started to lose tons of money, so much so, they were in debt 250,000 dollars. They were in danger of losing their house and their bar. The wife's mom was the other owner, but she did not need to be running a bar. This husband and wife should have been doing everything, but they had other stuff in mind.

Taffer brought a new mixology expert, she was involved in a previous rescue, and my favorite food expert, Aaron McCargo with him. When they got to the bar, all three of them watched from the van outside on the monitor. They saw what we all saw. The husband was drinking shot after shot and beer after beer and the wife was "twerking" and showing off her dance moves in between throwing darts. The staff was getting wasted with the owners and everyone was fighting with everyone. Taffer sent in his spies, one of which was McCargo, and when they got inside, it was much worse than expected. The bartenders could not make the simplest of drinks. The kitchen staff was non existent for about 20 minutes, and when the cook did show up, he did some disgusting things with old and unmarked food. He touched raw chicken with no gloves, and then proceeded to touch everything else around him.

When the food was coming out, it was at that point that Taffer came in and told his spies to not touch the food. He did his usual yelling. He told the staff and owners, after he got them all to stop yelling at each other and acting a fool, that they were in danger of getting many, many people sick. It was your run of the mill kitchen stuff, and it was a sigh of relief. Nothing like something very common to give me a sense of relief. Taffer and McCargo went to the kitchen, and what they saw was absolutely disgusting. This kitchen had clearly never been cleaned and the food was old, and most likely, rancid. Taffer dumped all the food on the prep table, all the while berating the whole staff. Taffer was yelling so much, the wife owner started to have a legit panic attack. It was bizarre.

Taffer ranted and raved, all of which was 100 percent correct and needed, and told the staff to clean the kitchen. They started, but they were all so drunk, they blew it off. This did not make Taffer and McCargo happy. They were pissed, as they should have been. Taffer had his crew clean the kitchen, but the next day, he laid into the owners and the staff. He really let them have it. It was more so a "I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed", but coming from Taffer, it sounded brutal. He told the husband and wife that they were failing their kids and the wife's mom. The wife started to cry and Taffer called bull shit on the crying. I loved it. He told her it was a crutch and that when she cries, people lay off her. She told him that was true. He got to the root of her main problem. The husband was simply a drunk that needed to be relegated to the kitchen because that it was he knew. That's not a bad thing either. I know I was put on this planet to do grunt work and I'm fine with that. Each person has their thing, and this guy needed to be in the kitchen. And you know what, he was very good, when sober, cooking food.

Stress test went as expected. Their POS systems were garbage. The staff could not keep up with the orders. The kitchen was not getting their tickets because of the crappy POS systems. And one of the staff, Cassie was her name, was just terrible. She was put on as a waitress for the night, and she was rude and mean and never smiled. She was a nightmare, and she got rightfully fired after stress test.

After the terrible stress test, Taffer and crew got to fixing up the bar and training the staff. They changed the drink menu to make things simpler and they made the food much more Creole/Cajun style, perfect for the area. During relaunch, in which Taffer changed the name to Second Line, I did not care for the name change, I actually liked the name The Speakeasy, the bar was done up like most bars on this show. New tables, chairs, bar stools, big screen TV's, all the usual things we expect.

When they re opened the bar with the new name, things ran very smoothly, of course. During the 6 week checkup, the husband and wife were doing their respective jobs well and not fighting, the staff was doing better, and the bar was starting to make a bit of money here and there. And just to hammer it home, they said that the wife is no longer "twerking". They always do this now. They always have to add something on at the end that makes me say, "stop it with that nonsense".

As I have stated, this was your very run of the mill "Bar Rescue", and I loved it. I liked that he brought a new mixology expert that was part of a previous rescue. I'm always happy when McCargo is his food expert. And when Taffer not only has a bar, but also a relationship to fix, "Bar Rescue" is at its best. Keep up the good work, and I will be back next week to review the next episode.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is sensative about twerking ever since he lost a twerking competition to the head editor back in 2012. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "Trial & Error"

I've been spending a lot of time this week talking about basketball, it is tournament time, so who could blame me, but today I'm going to write about a new show that I really enjoy.

This past Tuesday night NBC aired 2 episodes of a new show called "Trial & Error". When I first saw commercials for the show I was a bit dubious, but also kind of intrigued. The dubious part of me was seeing the commercial and thinking it was a rip off of "Parks and Rec" and "The Office". But, after much thought, not that much really, I thought, why not do something in that model. Both those shows were great and had great runs, for the most part. "The Office" got really bad after Michael Scott left, but it was pretty good up until then, and it's first three seasons were phenomenal. "Parks and Rec", I thought, was great all the way through. So, the bad feelings I had about the previews for "Trial & Error" kind of disappeared.

The trepidation fully left my mind when I saw more of John Lithgow in the previews. He looked funny. He looked like he was having a good time filming the show. He is an extremely talented actor who I have liked in pretty much everything he has ever been in. I loved "3rd Rock From the Sun". He was terrifying as the bad guy in the greatest season of "Dexter". He was decent in his smaller roles in "Interstellar" and the revamped "Planet of the Apes". He's just really good in everything, even if it is bad like "Cliffhanger". He is truly great as a bad guy, but has proven that he has some great comedic chops. That is why "Trial & Error" is the perfect show and perfect role for him.

"Trail &Error" centers around a murder investigation in a small town in South Carolina. Lithgow's character, a roller skating poet, is accused of murdering his wife after she is found dead, looking like she was thrown through a window. I know it sounds really dark, but this show is a straight up comedy. I saw some other people say it is a cross of "Parks and Rec" and "Making a Murderer", and I couldn't agree more with that comparison.

Lithgow is the unequivocal star of the show, but the supporting actors are just as good. Nicolas D'Agosto plays the big time lawyer from New York that comes into town to defend Lithgow. He is not really that big time, this is his first case without his boss, but he is from New York, so the people in the town of East Peck just assume that he is a hot shot. D'Agosto is very, very good in this role. Some of you may know him from the terrible movie "Fired Up", or the latest "Final Destination" movie. I remember him most as Hunter, Jan's assistant, from "the Office". He is wonderful, at least in the first 2 episodes, in a leading role. He is just as funny as Lithgow, and his looks to camera, the show is shot documentary style, remind me so much of Adam Scott and John Krasinski in their NBC shows. He is just as funny as they are, in my opinion. I know he has been a "star" in a few bad movies, but I feel like this show will really put him on the map.

Some other great actors that popped up in the first 2 episodes are Sherri Shepard, Steven Boyer and Jayma Mays. Mays is well known for her roles on "The League" and "Glee". But much like A'Gosto, I feel like this is a perfect fit for her. She is a hard ass lawyer in this small town, and all the locals love her. She is the prosecution's lead lawyer, and she has the town behind her. She is tough, no nonsense, but also makes weird passes at A'Gosto all the while hell bent on destroying him in this case. Steven Boyer is the goofy townie who happens to be A'Gosto's lead investigator. The only reason he got that job was because he knows everyone in town, and his brother/cousin is part of the local police, so he can get inside information. He is also always involved in some kind of hiccup that is a massive blow to the case, but then stumbles upon some new break that helps the defense.

But, my personal favorite character on the show is Sherri Shepard's character. She has so many weird abnormalities, and all of them make for some funny television. She has something called "facial amnesia". This means that she never remembers people she just met. She has a very funny line in the pilot where she says, "it's great for me and my husband because it is like I have a new lover every night. But...I do remember penises". I cackled when I heard that. She also has a disease where she laughs at incredibly inappropriate times. Whenever they mentioned something involving the murder that is horrific, Shepard cannot control her laughter. She mentions a death in her family, and it takes all of her strength to not laugh, but by the end of the interview, she is cracking up. She has another strange disease that when she sees something beautiful she passes out. Again, it is played for big laughs, and it worked on me tenfold. She is awesome in this role and on this show.

If the first 2 episodes are any indication of where this show is going, I am really excited. It was funny, goofy, dark and very well written. I have high hopes for "Trail & Error", and I think you all should too. If you haven't watched it yet, check it out. It is a very good show. Here's to hoping it gets a real chance at staying on TV.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is of the opinion that NBC should give good shows at least as many episodes as they gave "Veronica's Closet". That should be a law. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "Bar Rescue": Back To the Bar - Brick and Barley Edition

There will be no "Bar Rescue" update today. They did have a new episode, but it was a "Back to the Bar" theme. I already reviewed the episode with the bar they featured in the "Back to the Bar" episode, and I do not think I need to do a retread. If you want to read my review of the bar featured, search for the "breastaraunt" bar, or as it is now known, "Brick and Barley". There is another new episode this Sunday, and it is a real episode, so next week I will be back with my regular "Bar Rescue" reviews.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "Bar Rescue": The Dug Out Edition

This past Sunday was one of the most excellently trashy episodes of "Bar Rescue" that I have seen. Now, it's not on the level of gross that "The Landing Strip" episode achieved. But, this was trashy for other reasons.

First though, let me explain the nuts and bolts as I like to do. The bar that Taffer and crew came to rescue was in the heart of downtown Chicago. The bar was called "The Dug Out", and it was located literally right next to Wrigley Field. During baseball season, "The Dug Out" would make a ton of money from people coming and going to the game. It was during the off season when the bar would hemorrhage money. Well, that and the owner was a complete mess. This guy was so much worse than any owner I have seen, "Landing Strip" and "Piratz Tavern" included. This guy was completely clueless and did not seem to care about anything at all, except getting wasted. To the staff's credit, they tried very hard. They did the best they could, but they were never trained properly and the owner did not seem to care to train them. It was his way or the highway.

During baseball's off season, and during the regular season for that matter, the owner did not make the staff clean the bar. This was where I felt the staff could have done a bit more. This bar was disgusting. But, to the staff's credit, whenever I had a manager or owner that I worked for that showed no signs of caring, I took that as, I should not care as well. He didn't seem to mind that the bar was a disgusting mess, so why would the staff clean? They were still getting paid either way. And when I say this bar, and the kitchen too, were disgusting, I mean they were absolutely barf worthy in the filth that had piled up. I have never seen so many fruit flies in my life. The staff was swatting away flies left and right, the flies were on the walls, cups and trays, they were everywhere. The stools and tables in the bar were old and broken down. Cushions were coming undone and the tables just looked worn down. I also saw caterpillars, ants and some cockroaches crawling around in the front of the bar.

The kitchen was just as bad, if not worse. Nothing looked to have been cleaned one single time. The owner doubled as the chef, and when Taffer and crew watched from the van, what they saw, and what I saw, made me sick to my stomach. The owner did not wear gloves and cross contaminated everything. He also refused to clean anything, as I have already stated. Condiment bottles had so much build up he didn't even use the cap anymore because he could not close them. There was mold, grim and possible grease fire traps from all the loose grease everywhere. Taffer had his spies order food, but when he saw what was going on, he rushed into the bar to tell them not to eat anything. Taffer then told the kitchen expert to throw all the food out and close down the kitchen. He also told the bar expert to close down the front as well.

When they came back the next day, the kitchen expert had asked what happened to all the food he threw away, he did not see it in the trash, and the owner stated that he took it home to freeze. HE DIDN'T WANT RANCID FOOD TO GO TO WASTE! THIS IS VILE! The bartenders were sat down to train, and they were clueless. All they had known before was pouring random alcohols into a big fish bowl that was dubbed non ironically, "The Fishbowl". He also had a lemonade pitcher filled with multiple bourbons. He called this "concoction", "The Hot Pussy Shot", and they kept saying it over and over again throughout the whole episode. It was so gross.

Mind you, all this has happened, and I checked the time left in the episode, and we only had abut 25 minutes left. I soon realized that Taffer was probably going to walk out. Back to training for stress test.

During the training, the staff was on board with everything that Taffer and his crew were showing them. The owner though, he couldn't have cared less. He just sat through all this, questioned everything and told anyone involved with Spike TV and Jon Taffer that he wasn't going to do anything they told him to do once he and his crew left. He was a real asshole. The staff desperately wanted all the changes. What has become a recurring theme on the show, the staff needs the job way more than the owners do. They live paycheck to paycheck, so they need the bar to work out, or else they are back on their own looking for a new job. That can be very tough and stressful. So, the fact that this owner was so cavalier in his attitude really made me dislike him. The failures, as Taffer loves to say, were solely on him. If you cannot succeed with a bar that close to Wrigley Field, you should not be in the restaurant or bar industry. This guy had a goldmine and he was letting his childish attitude flush it down the toilet.

They eventually got around to stress test and it was, to no one surprise, a total disaster. The owner screwed everything up. Oh, he also decided to have a few drinks before stress test right in front of Taffer's front of house expert. This owner was a real piece of shit. I cannot stress that enough. During stress test and training he just floated and never paid attention to what needed to be done. When they were finally drowning in a sea of customers not getting food or drink, Taffer shut it down.

The next day Taffer gathered the staff and not the owner and told them that he was going to remodel the bar for them, but he was leaving immediately after that. He was leaving it in the hands of the employees. This was a first for me in watching "Bar Rescue". When he was telling the staff the plan, a few of the employees literally broke down in tears. It was sad. He let the staff see what he had done. He changed the name to "The Press Box". Not great, but not bad. He added some ivy to the outside and totally refurbished and refurnished the inside. It looked like a legit sports bar. It was one of Taffer's better "rescues".

The icing on the cake was just about to happen right near the end of the episode. After the staff saw the new bar, who should show up but the uninvited and incredibly wasted owner. He walked through the crowd and yelled, "JON! MY MAN!". He then went on to berate Taffer and his staff. He was slurring his words and couldn't say a single sentence coherently. It was a total nightmare. His whole staff quit on the spot. He yelled at them as they were walking away, but they did the best possible thing, given the situation. Then, after the staff and Taffer split, the Spike cameras followed this moron inside and chronicled all the nonsense he said when he saw the bar. It was total gibberish, and he even tried to do a line from "A Few Good Men", which came out horribly wrong.

They did do a 6 week checkup and 2 of the 4 employees came back, but the owner had changed everything back to the way he wanted it, even bringing back "The Hot Pussy Shot", which they just had to throw in there one more time. This bar was a total and complete disaster, and when I fully side with Taffer, there is a serious problem with the people involved with this particular bar. This owner was horrendous, and while I wish no ill will towards anyone, I hope he is no longer involved the food and bar industry because he is going to get people seriously sick due to his lack of caring. This owner was an abomination and he deserves to have his bar taken away from him. It's as cut and dry at that.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The head editor has been to Wrigley Field a few times, and has been to many bars in the area. There is a good chance that he was victim of "The Hot Pussy Shot". Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "Taboo"

"Taboo" just finished its first season on FX. I have been very vocal about how much I anticipated this show. I loved how FX promoted the show. I loved how the commercials gave away nothing. I had no idea what the show was going to be about, and I liked it that way. I purposefully waited until now to write about the show because I wanted to fully experience it for myself before I wrote about it. Now, I am not going to spoil much, if anything, I know that binge watching is the new thing and "Taboo" is a perfect binge worthy show, but I do have some thoughts that I want to get out since the show finished its first season.

"Taboo" centers around a man named James Delaney(Tom Hardy) who has returned to his home in the UK after a trip to Africa. The people who know James Delaney assumed he died on this trip because of the stories that had made there way back to the UK. When he first arrives back home, the townspeople are shocked. Everyone has questions. Delaney has no time for answers. He is on a mission. First spoiler, his father has died, and Delaney is back to run the family business, which seems to involve some kind of shipping. The show takes place in the early 1800's by the way, hence the shipping company.

Anyway, we come to realize in the pilot that the entire Delaney family is mentally unstable. The mom, the dad and most definitely James Delaney. They are all very crazy. The mom is sent to an institution for all the horrible things she did when she was alive. The dad went madder and madder the older he got we were told. And when Delaney returns from Africa, he claims he can talk to the dead, he says, "They sing to me", and he has many hallucinations. The hallucination scenes are scary, but also very neat and interesting. He is also filled with many tribal tattoos.

We also come to find out that he has a half sister, same dad, different moms, that he is in love with. Her name is Zilpha Geary, excellently played by an unknown to me, Oona Chaplin. She too is in love with him, but after she assumed he died, she married a very mean and brutal man, Thorne Geary(Jefferson Hall). He is a dick head and he gets what he deserves. I'll leave it at that. The two of them love each other, but it is, so to say, taboo, and they do not end up together. Again, I do not want to spoil too much.

There are some other great supporting characters in this show as well. Delaney's butler is wonderfully played by David Hayman. His name is Brace, and while he is a very loyal worker to the Delaney family, he too has done some serious shit and has some dark secrets. We also meet Delaney's fathers second wife, Lorna Bow(Jessie Buckley), who is in it at first for the fortune, but later as a James Delaney supporter and helper. We also meet some prostitutes that may or may not have been some of his fathers clients.

Then we have the British Parliament. They are the baddest dudes in the whole series. The king is a disgusting, gout filled blob of a man. Everyone in this show is some form of filthy kind of monster, but the king takes the cake in looks and attitude. He is so gross. There's Solomon Coop(Jason Watkins), who is the king's right hand man, but he is a slime bag of epic proportions. Then there are the members of Parliament that are just as corrupt as any current politician we have in our government. Sir Stuart Strange(Johnathan Pryce) is a terrible, monstrous human being hell bent on money and killing people. Godfrey(Edward Hogg), the closeted note keeper for Parliament who is a male prostitute at night and Delaney spy on the side. John Pettifer(Richard Dixon) who is a corrupt underling of Strange's. Benjamin Wilton(Leo Bill) is another underling errand boy for Strange. Basically, all of Parliament is corrupt because Delaney owns a piece of land that they need to win the battle that they are in with the United States, but Delaney will not give it up. Watch the show to find out why he won't let go of this land.

Some other characters I really liked in the show include George Chichester(Lucian Msamati), the African American man that has climbed the ranks of government who works with Delaney for what is right. Cholmondeley(Tom Hollander), the chemist that makes gunpowder and just likes to have a good time that ends up helping Delaney out. Dumbarton(Michael Kelly), who is an American spy in the UK posing as a doctor and flag maker that meets a gruesome end. And Atticus(Stephen Graham), Delaney's former enemy turned adversary. There are so many more great characters, these are just the ones that stood out to me.

I enjoyed "Taboo" very much. At first glance I thought it might have been a little too much History Channel for me, but the way the story was told and how it unfolded had me rapt with attention. The show was violent and dark and sad and no one was the good guy. Sure, you root for some people, but in the long run, each and every character has way more flaws than not. The British Parliament is the "bad guy", but that is not to say that Delaney is the "good guy". He is very, very far from a good guy.

I highly recommend people watch "Taboo". It is a very interesting and unique take on some classic historical stories from the US and UK's past. I also recommend binge watching it. It is perfect for that type of viewing.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. If you have FX, you can get FX Now and binge all of "Taboo" right now. What are you waiting for? Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "Bar Rescue": Summit House Grill and Pub Edition

This past Sunday on "Bar Rescue", Taffer and crew headed to the Summit House Grill and Pub in Colorado. This was a husband and wife owned bar. The wife had a steady job in I.T., but her husband convinced her to quit that job and enter the bar industry.

This was an obvious mistake.

At first, the bar was making tons of money, as per usual. The husband owner said they started out making 30,000 dollars a week and at one point, then started to make closer to 45,000 dollars a week. They were making enough money that they were turning a decent enough profit, so the husband and wife decided to turn the bar over to the employees and managers, only coming in once or twice a week to check up on things.

This was when things started to go downhill. The employees and managers had free rein to do what they pleased. Some worked hard, Nichole to be exact. But, the others had a free for all. They did not respect the husband owner, they played free and loose with the rules and they basically did what they wanted. The husband owner would start to come in more often when he realized they were starting to lose money, but he came in only to get drunk. He seemed to care less and less about the bar and more and more about getting drunk and blaming everyone else for his problems. The wife owner was the one who called Taffer to come and save the bar.

When Taffer arrived, he had the wife come and watch her husband run the business. This was a nightmare. All he did was drink, berate customers and workers, hit on customers and cause big scenes. His wife was mortified by what she saw. When he started to get drunker, meaner and hitting on any female customer he saw, the wife said she'd seen enough and stormed in the bar and gave her husband the business. She yelled and crushed him for what seemed 15 minutes straight. It was beautiful. After the husband blamed her for all his problems, the employees cut him off and had to physically remove him from the bar. It was funny, but also kind of sad. Taffer came in during this fight and poured a beer on the husband as well. It was so disrespectful and totally awesome.

When everyone sobered up, Taffer had them in the next day to train. Before training though, Taffer made the husband blow into a breathalyzer, and luckily for him, he was sober. Then they got to business. The training was a nightmare. The employees had no idea what they were doing and it showed. The kitchen staff was just as clueless. The "experts" did their best to prepare them for stress test.

Needless to say, stress test was terrible. No drinks or food made it to anyone at any decent times. The husband looked so stressed, I said to my wife that he should have a drink to calm his nerves. The wife was great and so was Nichole. Everyone else, a total train wreck.

After shutting down, Taffer and his people got down to fixing the inside of the bar. Interesting fact about this bar, it was clean and nice, it was the husband that was the problem. So, the work Taffer and crew did was minimal. They kept the name and gave the inside a forest feel. It was one of their nicer efforts. Prior to relaunch, Taffer had a heart to heart with the husband, seems to be his new thing, and they hatched out all their problems. Everything seemed great after their talk.

During relaunch, the employees and owners were struggling, at first. I haven't seen something like this in awhile. Of course they dug themselves out and things were running smooth enough for Taffer to leave. During the 6 week check up, the bar seemed to be back on track and they were making a bit of their debt back. Nichole was also a full time manager now, which was much deserved.

This was a very down the middle episode of my beloved "Bar Rescue". That's not to say it wasn't great, but you could tell what was going to happen beat for beat. Come back next week for my review of the next episode.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He was going to open a bar with his wife, but when Ty said he would not serve liquor, his wife shut the whole thing down. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "Bar Rescue": St8 Pub Edition

"Bar Rescue" is back. I know that I'm a little late on my review of the mid season premiere, but other stuff has come up. Do not worry, I will be here every Monday from here until this season ends to update you on all the new episodes of the fifth season of "Bar Rescue". I have to say, with what is going on in the world right now, a show like "Bar Rescue" lets me escape the nightmare for at least an hour, and I am very grateful to Spike TV for this. So, lets get to it. 

On Sunday, Taffer and crew were back to rescue a bar that was in disarray in a small suburb of Denver, Colorado. The bar was called St8 Pub. I do not like this name. I'm not a fan of using numbers in place of letters. If this makes me a curmudgeon, so be it. I don't use emoji's, any abbreviations or numbers when texting, writing, or talking. I use full words and something like this seems lazy to me.

Anyway, this bar was small. It was only about 1500 square feet and only had one of each, a speed well, bar top and POS system. That is incredibly tiny. Anyone that has worked in the food industry knows how small that is. To make matters worse, the owner of St8 Pub was given the bar as a gift. He had to pay nothing for it. It was handed to him with the caveat that he would furnish it and pay the bank monthly rent. Sounds easy enough, right?

Well, this guy decided that he would rather forgo paying any rent and just get absolutely sloshed every night. When Taffer and crew arrive at the bar in their car and watch from outside, as they always do, all they see is the owner pounding drink after drink and shot after shot. To make matters worse, he would berate customers and kick them out if he didn't personally like them, and he let his friends drink for free, as long as he could get wasted with them. He also only had one other employee. It was him and a lady named Caitlyn working there. Caitlyn, to her credit, worked her tail off. She would tend bar and do anything that she could do to keep this bar afloat. She was the one who called the people at "Bar Rescue" to come and save the bar. The owners mom was there all the time too, but she was more so there to help out and continue to feed into her sons ego and alcohol problem. She was an enabler. I'm sorry to say that, but it was clearly evident that she saw nothing wrong with what her son was doing.

When Taffer sent in his spies, he first had them order a beer. The beer was served in a mason jar, and the bar expert blew his stack at this. This was an act of terrorism in his eyes. Then, Taffer had the spies order food, and what they saw next made them, and me for that matter, sick to their stomachs. The owner doubled as the chef, and prior to making the food, he smoked a cigarette and took out the trash, never washing his hands before touching the food. That is disgusting. He did put on gloves when making the food, but he kept touching the cutting board and kitchen top and wiping sweat off his face and forehead, rendering the gloves useless. The food he made, a sloppy joe, looked disgusting and looked like mystery meat, which he microwaved. It was gross.

This was when Taffer and crew blasted into the bar and proceeded to destroy this owner with words. They called him every name that every episode of "Bar Rescue" uses. He was a failure, a loser, a drunk, a low life, all bad things, this guy was called. It was brutal and I could not look away. Taffer even went as far as to mock the guy by taking his hat off his head, put it on his head, do an "impersonation" of the owner, and it was one of the most glorious moments ever on any episode of "Bar Rescue".

During this magnificent attack, we come to find out that the owner has not paid rent in 13 months, the exact amount of time he has owned the bar, that he was in debt 35,000 dollars with the bank, and had he not paid them in full by the first of the month they were going to shut down the bar, and that his mom was paying his rent for his apartment. This dude was a real piece of work. He tried to fight back when Taffer was crushing him, but he was too drunk and I genuinely feel like this talk opened his eyes. This was a berating that actually held some weight.

After Taffer closed the bar down, he had everyone come in when they sobered up so they could have a talk. This was when the owner owed up to everything he had done, and was doing, was wrong. He laid it all out on the table. Taffer and crew also proved that he and his one employee knew nothing about craft beer, which they claimed to be experts in. They immediately began training, and also had the owner hire some help. Of course they got up to speed and they got some fresh faces the day before stress test.

Needless to say, stress test was a nightmare. Nothing went right. Drinks were poured wrong. Beer was poured improperly. Food died in the pass. Tables never got drinks or food. It was your typical stress test. They shut it down, got to the root of the problem, and Taffer brought in his people to fix the place up. There was the heart to heart with mother and son. Son owned up, once again, to his mistakes and Taffer had that creepy smile on his face when they resolved their conflict.

When they came back for the re open, things seemed to be much better. Taffer renamed the bar Downstairs Pub and Grill. I very much dislike this name. He wanted a whole "man cave"(I despise this pairing of words), vibe, and he figured downstairs was where these man caves exist. He also put up fake pornography magazine cover photos on the wall. It was so god damn stupid. Other than those two dumb things, the inside of the bar looked much better. They had a new bar top, new stools and chairs, more POS systems, a better draught system and easier, better cocktails and food. The kitchen also looked much better. Smaller pots and pans, most everything used a pressure cooker and a fryer, so it was much less clutter. The kitchen was cleaner too. During the re open, everything ran much more smoothly. Food and drink was getting to the tables in correct timing, and everything, according to the customers, tasted very good. It was a great turnaround, as it usually is with most bars on "Bar Rescue".

When they did the 3 month check up, the bar was running smooth, the owner did not drink on the job, was paying his own rent and had a plan in place with the bank to pay them back in smaller increments over a certain period of time. It was your typical "Bar Rescue" ending.

We all need our heroes in dark time, and the crew of "Bar Rescue" are my bright knights. I'm very happy this show is back for me to review for everyone, and I cannot wait until next week to watch the new episode and write about it next Monday. "Bar Rescue" is back. Woo hoo!

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. When the world gets crazy, all Ty can do is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "Man Seeking Woman"

I'm a big fan of the television show "Man Seeking Woman". I have watched it from the start. I was excited to see Jay Baruchel in a leading role on a sitcom. I've been a fan of his since I first saw him on "Undeclared", and the fandom only got bigger after seeing the excellent movie "Goon", and his role in "This is the End". I am also a Eric Andre fan. I think you all know this very well by now. So, I was pumped to see him in a major supporting role. Other than those 2, I hadn't really heard of anyone else that was going to be on the show, but I really have grown to like Brit Lower, she plays his sister, and the actors that play his mom and dad.

"Man Seeking Woman" has a simple premise based on a book with the same title. Jay Baruchel plays Josh, who is unlucky in love. Eric Andre is his best friend and the first two seasons were basically about their many mishaps when meeting ladies and the things that happened afterward. I thought it was great. I found the show funny, unique and very cool. They took things to the literal point on this show. In one episode, they mention going to a destination wedding, I believe I have brought this up on the podcast before, and the destination is hell. Well, the wedding is literally in hell, There are devils and demons poking and prodding people with pitchforks and everything. Most episodes are like this, and I think that it is great.

Then, when I saw promos for season 3, I saw that Josh had a steady girlfriend. I had a lot of questions going into season three. I thought, were they going to focus on Mike(Eric Andre) more? Or maybe it would be Josh's sister who got more screen time. Side note, there is an episode in season 2 where Josh's sister has an affair with Santa Claus that is so god damn good. Seriously people, go watch that episode. Maybe they would focus on the parents more. I really did not know what to expect.

I have to say, this season has been just as good, if not better than the previous 2 seasons. I know it is called "Man Seeking Woman", and the "man" now has a "woman", but that has not slowed the show down a bit. The show is just as biting and satirical and literal as it has ever been.

They did a whole unwanted citizen type theme for the season 3 premiere. Josh was staying at Lucy's(Katie Findlay, an excellent addition to the cast), his new girlfriend's apartment all the time and her roommates were fed up. So, the writers treated the whole episode as if Josh was an illegal immigrant. It was timely without the show knowing it would be timely, and it wrapped up very sweet, with Lucy leaving her cushy apartment to stay with Josh. I wish some of the monsters we have in government now would watch this episode to see how stupid they all truly are, but I know they would not get the joke.

From there on, each episode has been pretty decent. We have Lucy moving in with Josh and changing his whole place around so it suits her needs, only to realize this makes Josh upset. There was an episode where Lucy and Josh get into a fight and Josh escapes to Mike's "Bro Island", that was hilarious. There was an episode that showed the way different age groups act, like Millennials and Baby Boomers. They have the whole meeting the parents thing, which was a real standout this year, especially the episode where Josh meets Lucy's parents. I loved the whole "Where the Wild Things Are" theme they used.

Then we have this past Wednesday's show. It was real, real good. Josh and Mike are playing video games, and Mike inadvertently looks at Josh's phone for some info. As soon as he unlocks the screen, he sees that Josh has an article up about asking your girlfriend to have, and I'm not being gross, this was what came up, anal sex. Mike is thrilled, but he says that this is something you have to ask the Father of your girlfriend if it is okay, a la marriage. There is a great scene following that when Mike gets Josh's sister involved in the debate, and she agrees with Mike. So, Josh asks, Lucy's mom and dad say that they've been waiting for this day, then nonchalantly, Mike asks Lucy's parents if he can propose marriage to her, and they kind of blow it off and say sure. It was funny. The rest of the episode focuses on how much anxiety something like proposing can cause, and they never touch on the anal sex thing again. I loved that they showed how much terror the person asking someone else to marry them go through. I also love how they show the one being proposed to is overly prepared and just wants it to happen, no matter what. It was a very good 22 minutes of TV.

With all that being said, my fears that the show wouldn't be as edgy or literal as it was for 2 seasons were for naught. It is just as funny, takes just as many chances and the addition of Lucy was an absolute grand slam. I'm a big, big fan of this show and I think many more would be to if they gave it a shot. Go check "Man Seeking Woman" out, it is well worth your time.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is still working up the nerve to ask his wife's parents if he can marry their daughter. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "Legion"

Today I'm going to keep my piece kind of short. The main reason, I do not want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't watched the show yet, but "Legion" is going to be a masterpiece.

My wife and I just watched the premiere last night, and I was totally blown away. I loved absolutely everything about the show. The tone was dark with splashes of humor here and there. The acting was exquisite. All the main characters, and for that matter, the supporting characters, did a wonderful job. The set pieces were pretty much perfect. The pace and style was like nothing else I have seen. The color of the show was retro and really cool. The wardrobe was a 70's throwback, which I really enjoy. The interstitial scenes spliced in during David's "episodes" were terrifying, yet I couldn't look away. This is one of the most unique shows I've seen in quite some time.

The fact that the writers and producers can take a superhero property like X-Men and make it their own is a triumph in and of itself. I'm sure I missed a lot of real inside baseball stuff with side characters and dialogue, I'm not fully versed when it comes to the X-Men universe, but "Legion" held my attention for 90 minutes straight.

I also really liked the action sequences they had in the first episode. They were big on a small screen. It was the best action I've seen on the small screen since the season premiere of "Lost". I actually think "Legion"'s premiere was better than "Lost".

As I said at the top, I do not want to give anything away, so go watch the premiere as soon as possible. I also do not think you have to be a superhero or comic book person to enjoy this show. Its got something for everyone. Shows only get better, most of the time, after they premiere. If this happens with "Legion", it is going to go down as one of the greatest shows of all time. I cannot wait to see where they go from here and I'm pretty sure it is going to work and it's going to be great.

FX continues to have the best programming and continues to take the best chances on new shows. I love FX and I'm fully on board with "Legion". Everyone needs to watch this show now. It is phenomenal.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He really likes FX. Hear him talk all about it on a recent episode of the X Millennial Man. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

The Greatest Television Ever: "Workaholics" is Going Out as One of the Best Comedies Ever

Comedy Central is currently airing its final season of "Workaholics". I've been a fan of this show since day one. I was a fan of these guys when they were known as Mail Order Comedy and only did videos for YouTube. So, when they got a show on Comedy Central, needless to say, I was thrilled. And, the fact that the show turned out to be just as funny as I hoped was icing on the cake.

"Workaholics" has had many, many memorable episodes. Front yard wrestling was a gem. Having the weightlifters that were lifting weights for Jesus coming to live with them, hilarious. Any episode that heavily featured Karl, tremendous. When they found a new weed dealer, excellent. When they made their "burrweedos", another classic. I could go on and on and on. I love this show.

When it was announced that the seventh season would be their last, I was sad, but it felt right. There wasn't much else these guys could do, and Comedy Central has some great, newer shows like "Broad City", "Review", "Detrioters" and "Jeff and Some Aliens" that fit right into that late night schedule with relative ease. They have good shows already in place to fill the void that "Workaholics" might have left.

With that being said, "Workaholics" is going out with a bang. Every single episode so far has been great. Every one has been a home run. Every one has been hilarious. Every one has surprised me with how hilarious it has been. The show has always been funny, but each episode for its final season, so far, has been tremendous. Whether it features Karl and Anders talking about who is the "top" in their business relationship, only to find out that Alice's dad, played excellently by Dennis Quaid, is the true "top". That episode also features great side stories with Adam and Alice acting like a couple and Blake selling weed over the phone as opposed to the fire whistle Alice's dad created which they are supposed to be selling. That is when Karl comes in and takes that episode from good to great.

Or, take the season premiere that featured Blake, Ders and Adam having to train new employees, who are just younger versions of themselves. This episode had the three main characters realizing that they are getting older and they may not be able to handle the pranking that the younger generation does nowadays. It also features a great scene involving Ders, Adam and Blake also hiring an older gentleman because he is 69 years old. The humor is as childish as you can imagine, and I loved every second of it. The three younger actors they got for this episode were awesome as well.

The third episode of the season found the boys going to the TeleAmeriCorp's corporate condo for a weekend, and of course they got into some shenanigans. First off, they weren't even supposed to be there, Adam stole the keys. But, Blake is hell bent on playing volleyball and seeing the sunset, Ders wants to get a hickey and Adam wants to film a video that will make him go viral. There is some great scenes of them playing volleyball, a al "Top Gun", but it pans out to reveal that they are beating children in the game. They also meet some ladies that they take a liking to, but they have bully esque boyfriends, like an 80's movie, and those scenes make for some great comedy. Ders constantly trying to find someone to give him a hickey is sad, but hilarious. Adam's attempts at going viral are all for naught, and he constantly hurts himself. The episode culminates with them being locked out of the condo while some townies have a big party without them.

Then, last nights episode was really cool and really different. This time they focused on the character of Bill, a sad sack loner that works with them, but they put him in a thriller type of movie style episode. It turns out it is all a dream, and the whole office is playing a prank on him, spoiler alert. The episode was dark, violent, but above all else, very funny. The ending is a riot. Watch it, you will not be disappointed.

"Workaholics" has only 6 episodes left, and you better believe that I will be writing about the series finale. But, I'm so glad that these guys got there shot and they ran with it and hit on something big. This show has given all three of these guys an extended career in show business as well. Adam Devine is becoming a bona fide movie star, Anders Holm has had some great bit parts in movies, "Top Five" comes to mind immediately for me, and so has Blake Anderson, "Dope" comes to mind. I will miss "Workaholics", but I have been extremely impressed with how they have come out of the gates so far, and I cannot wait to see what they do with their final episodes. I'm sure whatever they do, it will work and it will be funny. That has how the whole series has been.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He loves to look into this fantasy world of places people go to work. He works wherever he wakes. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Playing Ten Questions with a New Five Year Old

Nothing is off the record here

My son turned 5 yesterday, and I decided that I wanted to interview him. I wanted to know how he sees the world. I wanted the insight of a 5 year old because, honestly, I do not remember much, if anything, from when I was 5. I asked him 10 very simple, easy questions. He answered them all as truthfully as he could, and then he asked me the same 10 questions. I thought this was an interesting idea, so I'm going to go through each question, his answer, why he answered the way he answered and my response when he interviewed me. Here we go.

Question one: Who is your favorite superhero? As you all know by now, my son loves superheroes. His answer was, very quickly, Captain America. When asked why, he simply said because he has a shield. Nothing else, just that he has a shield. Short and sweet. My answer to this question, Wolverine. When asked why, I told my son that I liked his powers and his claws. Both of us needed little to no time to answer this question.

Question two: What is your favorite movie? Miles thought about this one and finally settled on "Captain America: Civil War". See the running theme so far? When asked why it was his favorite, he said because of the battle scene in the airport. Now, full disclosure, that is the only scene of the movie he has ever watched. He hasn't seen anything else in the movie. I thought it was an interesting choice. My pick, "Napoleon Dynamite". When asked why, I told him that it was silly and goofy and I've seen it over 40 times. He was unimpressed.

Question three: What is your favorite TV show? He quickly answered "PJ Masks". You all know how I feel about this show. But, my son loves it because of the "superhero" theme. Simple and plain. When I was asked, I of course said "The Simpsons". It's the best show ever and I will not hear of anyone not agreeing with me.

Question four: What is your favorite book? His answered spoke so much to his age and the time we live in now. Without hesitation, Miles said, "Captain America: An Origin Story", on his Kindle Fire. He reads books off a tablet now. I still read paperbacks, but this generation of kids, everything is digital. When I asked him why this was his favorite, he said because it tells him everything about his favorite superhero. When he asked me, I said "Lord of the Flies". He asked me what is was about, I told him, and he said he wants to read it someday. This was a very proud moment for me.

Question five: What is your favorite sport? Miles said baseball, baseball, baseball. When I asked why, he said it is easy, he likes to hit and throw and play first base. It was a very child like answer, and I loved it. I was the same when I was his age. I told him that, but when he asked me the same question, I told him basketball. It is my favorite to play and watch. He thought I was going to say football, which I love, but I surprised him with basketball.

Question six: What do you like about school? He told me he likes his teachers, the stuff they teach him and playing with his friends. I thought this was a perfect response from a 5 year old in Pre K. That is exactly what I'd expect most 5 year olds to say. When he asked me what I liked about school, I told him recess. He was confused because recess is so short, but I told him I looked forward to it everyday.

Question seven: Who is your favorite family member, grandparents and cousins included? This may sound like an odd question, but he's 5, and he said he loves everyone! I was floored. He was being completely honest too! Anyone that knows Miles knows that he loves everyone and everything. I know I'm biased, but he's a damn good kid. When he asked me, I said besides Mom(my wife), I told him my brothers. I've been through it all with my brothers and they have all made me a better person. Thanks guys.

Question eight: Who is your best friend? Now, this may have been an answer based on who was around, but I think this is true for most 5 year old boys, he said Mom(my wife). When I asked him why, he said she is the nicest and sweetest person he knows and he loves her so much. It was very nice. When he asked me, I did not have as quick an answer. I have lost touch with a lot of people I used to consider my best friend, but when it comes down to it, my father is my best friend. We go to shows, games, movies and just talk about everything. He has always been there for me and he's always kept me level headed. Not only is he my dad, he is undoubtedly my best friend.

Question 9: What is your favorite food? He answered just as I thought, saying mac and cheese. This kid would eat it everyday if I let him. He said he loves it because it is gooey and cheesy and that his Grammy, my mother in law, makes the best. I told him my favorite food was steak. When asked why, I told him that I love meat. That is it and that is all.

Final question: What is your favorite restaurant? He said Chuck E Cheese. I think this place is gross, Miles loves it. This is the most 5 year old answer imaginable. That place is made for young kids. He even likes the food, where I find it inedible. My answer, The Block. It's a local Saint Louis butcher block that has the best meat I've ever had in my life. It is really great. If any readers not from Saint Louis come to town, check The Block out. It's incredible.

So, that is the life through the eyes of the newly minted 5 year old son, Miles Kulik. I loved this idea and I'm glad my wife suggested it. I had a lot of fun doing the interview and even more fun writing it. This was great. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I enjoyed doing it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man. The other great thing about having a new five your old in the house. The dad can spend the weekend playing at an indoor water park. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Watches "The Simpsons": A New Classic with "The Great Phatsby"

This past Sunday was one of the best "Simpsons" episodes I have ever seen. I'm not one of these fly by night hipster "Simpsons" fans either that say, " it was so much better 10 years ago". Screw those people. "The Simpsons" has been, and always will be the greatest show ever.

Having said that, every once in awhile, an episode like Sunday night comes along and just grabs you. I knew I'd be on board when I saw commercials for the episode leading up to it. I'm an enormous hip hop fan, as you all know very well by now, and the fact that this episode was based around hip hop had me from the start. I also really liked the fact that they based the entire episode around "The Great Gatsby", calling this episode, "The Great Phatsby". That is some tremendous wordplay. The beginning, middle and end were all wonderful. I loved Homer being the narrator for the whole episode.

The B story, with Smithers going to Canada to get a particular kind of ice was very funny. I loved that they kept cutting back to it as well. It seemed that every time I forgot about Smithers, they'd cut to a scene of him going through a horrific incident to bring this fancy ice back to Mr Burns.

The A story was tremendous. Mr Burns tries to throw a fancy party to get back to feeling good about himself. The party is a disaster because he staged in like a 1920's party. Mr Burns and Homer then take his boat out for a ride and they stumble upon a very uproarious and fun party. They both get off the boat and meander their way through the party, trying to find out who is throwing this excellent shindig. Everyone they run into say this is a mystery person, but they do get to meet the man because he is a big, big Monty Burns fan.

The gentleman's name is Jay G, and he is the biggest producer in current rap music. He tells Mr Burns that he owes everything to him and his book on business. They become fast friends, and Homer is there for the ride. Jay G gives Mr Burns the confidence to live lavishly, and Mr Burns does just that, all the way to bankrupting himself.

We soon learn that this was Jay G's plan all along. He followed Mr Burns book to a T. He even wrote a dis rap to sully Burns' name. The video for that song is hilarious. After this, Bart tells Mr Burns that he needs to write a dis rap back, because that is how you win in today's world of rap music. They go to Springfield's rap aficionado, Milhouse, to get all the advice they need. Another great scene.

There is also a C story going on during this where Marge and Lisa open their own store, and it drives both of them crazy. It is very funny and not to be missed. Anyway, back to the A story.

When Bart, Homer and Mr Burns get together to record their song, the voice guest list is second to none. The RZA comes in and does a verse, Snoop Dogg does a verse, Common does a verse and Keegan Michael Key does a verse, and they all sound great. When Burns is ready to release the single, a hologrammed Jay G shows up and says he bought his single and bought out everyone that rapped on the song. When Burns is at his lowest, he steals Jay G's prize goose and threatens to eat it. That doesn't happen, but there is a fight scene between the two of them and they end up on a broken chandelier that is about to crash to the ground. When Jay G tells him why he did what he did, Burns finally understands. Smithers saves them by sledding in on a pallet filled with snow. Mr Burns then tells him he wanted ice, not snow. It was very funny. Mr Burns and Jay G then make an agreement and Burns gets his nuclear plant back. He decides to add music everyday, but after one time, he decides it will only last the one time.

This episode was so good. There was a whole "Empire" tone to the episode as well, with Taraji P Henson playing a character named Praileine. It was awesome. This was one of the better "Simpsons" I've seen in awhile. This is an episode I will think about and watch a lot when it comes on FXX or reruns on Fox. I loved that it was an hour long and all the spoofs and actors and rappers they got to be in this episode was second to none. This was an instant classic in my opinion.

"The Simpsons" is the best show ever, and "The Great Phatsby" proved that tenfold. It was a dynamite hour of television. Go watch it as soon as possible. You won't be disappointed.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He thinks the "The SImpsons" peaked in 2196. It was all downhill from there. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

No Brent Musberger, Forgetting About Domestic Abuse is not OK

Please Brent, just shut up already.

As I said yesterday, today, I want to comment on the whole Brent Musberger situation from Monday night. I was watching the Sugar Bowl, in which Oklahoma blew out Auburn, and I actually turned the game off before I had heard Musberger's much maligned comments on Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon, who is on film punching his then girlfriend in the face.

Again, we have a situation where a football player is on tape abusing a female. This has to stop. We cannot allow this to continue to happen. It is disturbing, disgusting, horrifying and illegal. No one should ever, ever put hands on a female, child or anyone weaker than them. This is so terrible, and there needs to be punishments for people that do this type of thing. My mother worked in a field where she helped battered women and children, and those people had horrific lives. They were always scared. Whenever I would come around, I'm a bigger guy, I could feel their fear in the air. I would never put my hands on anyone, I'm a pacifist, but these women and children only knew of men that constantly hit them. That is no way to live your life. Living in fear is a terrible way to live.

With his terrible actions did Oklahoma punish Mixon? Not that I can tell. In fact, he started at running back in the Sugar Bowl, and was their best player on the field. But, at what point does illegal activity beat out physical ability? Yes, Mixon is a good football player, but he hit a female. He should not have been playing in that game. But, Bob Stoops, who is a doofus, played him anyway after he deemed Mixon's "apology" enough punishment. Mixon seemed genuine in his "apology", but that does not take away the fact that he hit his girlfriend in the face. He should not be allowed to play football after that.

Ray Rice is done in the NFL, as he should be, but others do not face the same type of punishment. Adrian Peterson, after hitting his 4 year old with a switch, missed one season, but came back and was deemed a "special" player for being able to overcome "adversity". Richie Incognito bullied a player into retiring early, but he is now a pro bowl player after his short suspension. Hope Solo repeatedly beat up a family member, who then came out and said they were afraid of her anytime they saw her, but she is still the goalie on the US National soccer team. If Adrian Peterson, Richie Incognito, Hope Solo or Joe Mixon were you or me, and we did these same things, we would be put in jail and treated as pariahs. But since they are athletic, they get fourth, fifth and sixth chances. It is embarrassing and disturbing.

This all leads me to what Musberger said during the game the other night. During the broadcast, remember, I turned the game off because it was not competitive, Musberger said, this is via Yahoo Sports, "He's just one of the best, and lets just hope, given a second chance by Bob Stoops and Oklahoma, let's hope this young man makes the most of his chance and goes on to have a career in the National Football League". ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Instead of addressing what he did, which a lot of other sports outlets had been doing leading up to the game, Musberger took his time to praise Joe Mixon. The only mention of Mixon hitting this female from Musberger was, "given a second chance". What a crock.

This is part of the problem. Musberger only looks at the athletic ability, not the horrific thing that he did. This is terrible. Musberger had the perfect platform to call out this horrific abuse and say that Oklahoma should have held this kid more accountable, I mean, players get kicked off teams for getting high, but they can still play when they hit females, if they are good, but instead, he heaped praise on Mixon. He wished him a long and prosperous career in the NFL. I do not know if this is the first time that Mixon laid hands on this lady, but as my mother, and a lot of other people that have helped abused people say, if they hit you once, they have, or have wanted, to hit you more. But, did Musberger talk about this? Of course not. He only pointed out that Mixon was a good football player, and that Oklahoma did the right thing, in giving him a "second chance".

Then, Musberger gave people even more ammo when he tried to defend himself and his comments while still calling the game. Instead of just saying that he was wrong, or doing a written apology, or something along the lines of trying to bury his awful remarks, he said, this time the quote is from the LA Times, "I happen to pull for people with second chances, OK? Let me make it absolutely clear that I hope he has a wonderful career and that he teaches people with that brutal, violent video. OK?". People shredded him once again via social media, as they should. He still wished this kid good fortune. I do not want this kid to have a bad life, but he beat a woman, and it was on film, and it was awful. I saw people saying that he wants this kid to succeed, but he never mentions the female that he hit. He never once says that he hopes she can one day live without fear.

Musberger has proven himself to be an idiot as far as sports announcers go. He never stops to think about what he is saying, he just blurts whatever comes to his feeble mind. This is embarrassing and disturbing. ESPN had a platform to address this, but they instead put Musberger on to do the game, and he praises a woman abuser. I just do not get it. This stinks and it is making it harder and harder for me to watch football, without turning on my Echo, muting the announcers, and listening to music while I watch the game.

These announcers, the older they get, the worse they become. Brent Musbereger proved his age with these remarks, and I hope someone somewhere punishes him accordingly. But I'm sure they won't, and when I turn on college football next year, Musberger will be right there, calling the games. What a shame.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. 

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

The SeedSing 2016 Year in Pop Culture: Best, and Worst, in Television

This week marks the week of my "Best Of"' lists. I will do TV, movies, music, podcasts and sports moments.

Right off the bat though, 2016 has been a pain in the ass. This is one of the worst years possibly in the history of the world. We have lost so many great people, George Michael even passed last night, I mean, Jesus Christ, we have lost some legends. There is also the terrible, horrible, dreadful election that we have spoken so much of on the site and podcast. The weather, at least here in Saint Louis, has been a nightmare. To make a long story short, 2016 has stunk. This is my generations "great depression", or World War or any other bad thing you want to say. It has been a horrific year.

But, some good, maybe, possibly, even great things have come out this year, and that is what I'm going to be talking about the next 5 days. So, even though I have laid out how shitty 2016 has been, I do have some "Best Of" stuff to get to. I will also throw in one thing on each list I thought was terrible as well, but today comes my top 5 TV shows of the year. I will count down from 5-1 on each list.

So, here we go.

At number 5, I have "Horace and Pete". This show came from nowhere. Louis C.K. had been working on it for some time, and put out every episode on his site on a random Saturday in the middle of the summer. It was an odd time to put out a show, but would you expect anything different from a genius like C.K.? But, getting to what made this show so great, it was so very different from anything C.K. has been doing. It was dark and very depressing. Sure, there were some funny moments, but there was way, way more dark and deep moments. C.K. shined on the show, but so did Steven Buscemi, Alan Alda, Edie Falco and every patron at the bar, especially Steven Wright. The show was shot like a play, which I enjoyed very much. It was unique, it was ground breaking, in its own way and it had Louis C.K.'s imprint all over it. I'm sure it will be on Netflix or some other streaming device, but I recommend buying it on his site. It is only 20 or 30 bucks for the whole series, and you will never forget the greatness that you will see when watching "Horace and Pete". I still can't shake the ending, and to me, that is the sign of a great show.

At number 4, I get a little lighter with, "People of Earth". I had heard very little about this show leading to its build up, but I knew Wyatt Cenac was the star, and I'm a big fan of his. So, I recorded the premiere, which was on Halloween, and waited until 3 or 4 episodes had recorded. I watched all 3 or 4 in one sitting and was immediately hooked. The show has a very easy plot to understand. A group of people calling themselves "Experiencers" get together every week to talk about the time that they were abducted by aliens. In each episode you get to see the people getting abducted, and what they each went through during their experiences. But, there is so much more to this show than just some UFO, alien stuff. The show is very funny. I laughed out loud at parts. There were episodes that were moving and heartfelt. Cenac is a star in this role. Ana Gasteyer is equally as good. The rest of the cast does great in their roles to. The best part though is the aliens. The interactions and things that go on on the ship are great. The creators do not treat the aliens like monsters. Sure, they look like aliens, but they have squabbles and get into petty fights just like anyone else at their respective job does. Like I said, the show did not get the coverage it deserved on the lead up, but the show is great, and it is coming back in 2017 for a second season, which makes me very happy.

At number 3, I have "Luke Cage". This show kicks ass people. I watched it not because it is a superhero show, but because Ali Shaheed Muhammed, from ATCQ, did all the original music for it. But, in watching it for the music, I fell in love with the show. When my wife asked me why I was enjoying it so much, I told her it is like "The Wire", which may be the greatest television show ever, but with superheroes, and it is easier to follow the story. When "The Wire" would go deep into cop talk, sometimes they would lose me, that never happens in "Luke Cage". It was easy for me to follow everything, and I loved that about this show. Mike Colter is excellent as Luke Cage, but everyone else on the show, be it Theo Rossi, Alfre Woodard, Rosario Dawson, Masherala Ali, or anyone else in the cast, they are all stars. The show is dark and violent, but it is also incredible. I love Luke Cage's powers, I love his "origin" story, I loved watching the fight scenes, I loved everything about this show. They even had big time musical guest stars, people like Charles Bradley, Rapheal Saadiq and Sharon Jones, RIP, show up in some episodes. "Luke Cage" is the second best Netflix Original that I have seen. People need to watch it, even if you are not a "superhero" person.

The reason "Luke Cage" is the second best Netflix show leads me to my number 2 show of 2016, "Stranger Things". Honestly, has there been a recent show that has been more talked about on social media than "Stranger Things". The crazy thing about it, none of the talk was negative. I cannot find one person that does not think this show is awesome. I was skeptical at first when I heard it was a cross between "E.T." and the "X-Files", but as I watched, I found it to be a bit more like "Goonies" and "The X-Files", both of which I love. The kids on this show are wonderful. They are the true stars that are the heart and soul of what makes "Stranger Things" so good. But, the adults, mainly Winona Ryder, are just as good. They have to live in this crazy world that the Duffer Brothers created as well, and they do a phenomenal job on the show. This show kind of had it all. There were love stories, comedy, action, family drama, regular drama, monsters, aliens, weird old scientist guys, but above all else, the best Sci Fi since "Blade Runner". I do not want to give anything away in case there are one or two people that have not seen "Stranger Things", but damn is this show great. The best part is the kids, and that goes double for Millie Bobby Brown, who plays 11. Seriously, if you haven't seen "Stranger Things" yet, first, what the hell is wrong with you, but second, go watch it right now, and thank me later. This show is a true gem.

Finally, my number one show of 2016, "Atlanta". Did you really think I'd pick something else? I've been talking up this show since I saw the first trailer for it, and not only did it deliver on my expectations, but it exceeded them by a thousand miles. There hasn't been a show this original and unique on TV in quite some time. The time and effort that went into "Atlanta" paid off so much. The show was moving, funny, heartfelt, treated every character as if they were the main character, gave us some great newish actors and actresses to love and proved that Donald Glover is one of the best, and most innovative, people working in show business right now. This show had everything. All the episodes were all home runs. The show paid off and, as I have already stated, exceeded everyone's wildest dreams. Every episode with Paper Boi was excellent. Zazie Beets, who played Earn's baby's mother, was tremendous in her solo episode. When Earn and her go to her mother's party, another fantastic 30 minutes of television. But, the best episode of the season was when they had the "BET" type talk show that even included some commercials that Glover and staff made up themselves. This was the most original thing that has been on TV in over a decade. "Atlanta" was head and shoulders above any other TV show on this year, and we did have some decent TV this year. "Atlanta" was the best though, and it wasn't even close.

As far as my one bad TV show of the year goes, it cannot be anything other than "The Walking Dead". I hammeredlast season's finale, and true to my word, I did not watch one single episode of this season, but my wife did, and she said it was excruciatingly boring. They even killed off some "main" characters, but when she told me who they were, my response was something along the lines of "Who?", or "I don't even know who you are talking about". I do not care about Negan, I think the show did all it could in about 2 seasons, but now, they are scraping the barrel. People crushed "The Office" for going on too long, including me, so why doesn't everyone do the same for "The Walking Dead"? I don't get it, but from what I gathered, it was probably the worst show of the year.

That is it for today, come back tomorrow for my top 5 movies of 2016.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He picked no network tv shows because he is under the age of 60 and does not wathc network television. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing's Advent Calendar of Holiday Television Programs: Day 23 - "Seinfeld - The Strike"

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a new awesome holiday television program for every day of Advent. This is the greatest tv of the season. Enjoy.

Day 23 "Seinfeld - The Strike"

Original air date - December, 18th 1997 

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,  Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-One, Twenty-Two

For SeedSing's Advent Calendar of great holiday television shows, today, I'm going to write about the "Festivus" episode of "Seinfeld". I know the episode is called "The Strike", but lets be honest, I think we all know this as the Festivus episode. The Festivus episode of "Seinfeld" ranks right up there with any "Simpsons", "The Office" or any other TV show we have written about for the Advent calendar. In fact, I'm going to say that the Festivus episode of "Seinfeld" is the best holiday television show ever. I may quote "The Simpsons" more, or laugh at "The Office" more, but this particular episode of "Seinfeld" has literally changed the way I view the holiday. Today marks Festivus, and I will be airing grievances, showing feats of strength and getting the big pole out for this wonderful pre holiday holiday. 

The episode starts off funny. We all learn that Kramer was/is a worker in a bagel shop, and the strike that he has been seemingly on for years, has ended. Funny right off the bat. The whole thing with the bagel shop, and Kramer's past, and now present, are all classic "Seinfeld". We also get another story involving Elaine giving some creeps a phony phone number and there is some wackiness that happens with this plot line throughout. But, the true gem of the episode is when George's dad tells the world of the joyous day of Festivus.

We learn that when George was a kid, his dad was in line waiting to get him a toy, a doll in fact, and someone else got the last one. He pleaded and prodded the person to give him the doll, but they just would not budge. This caused Frank to lose his mind. He got very, very upset, as he almost always does.  This was when and where he Frank decided he needed to have a "holiday for the rest of us", and thus, Festivus was born. He decided that everyone needs to do many things to make themselves feel a bit better during this holiday season.

Let's be honest, this time of year brings out the anxiety and anger in the best of us. The holiday season can be pretty rough. So, the fact that Frank came up with a holiday where everyone can air their grievances, I love it. I wish this was a real thing and people would not get upset at the outcome. Imagine how nice it would be to tell everyone how you feel, but with the caveat that they cannot get mad at you, and they are allowed to do the same. This would be terrific. To let it all out, that would feel great from both sides. I love that the Costanza's do this every year, because who has more grievances than the Costanza's? No one, that's who. Imagine Frank, Estelle and George sitting around airing their grievances, it must be magically hilarious.

Then, the feats of strength. This would be my absolute favorite. This gives you the chance to prove who is the strongest in your family. I would crush this part of Festivus (ed note: no he would not), and I think my whole family, while they might disagree at first, knows that I would dominate. Now, imagine once again, the Costanza's doing this. I can almost guarantee that Estelle would be the strongest in the family. She may not look it, but I think she would absolutely dominate George and Frank in a feats of strength competition. I bet George is also the weakest, even at everyone's advanced age. He is so meek and mean, but that is just his attitude, I'm sure that does not translate into actual strength.

Then, we have the Festivus pole, which is the alternative to the tree and menorah used during this time of year. It is just an unadorned pole that sits in your living room on December 23rd. It does nothing, but it adds so much to this episode. The fact that Frank just wanted an alternative to all the glitz and glamour of the holiday's is a perfect representation of Frank and the Costanza's. They do not conform to social norms at any times, and I love that.

What makes this episode even more wonderful is the fact that people have made Festivus a real holiday. This has become a real thing. At the time of its airing, it was just an idea that Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David and the "Seinfeld" writing crew came up with, but now, it is real. The computer hasn't proclaimed that I have spelled the word wrong once, there is actual written facts on the internet and most people actually celebrate the day. This has become a world wide, nationally celebrated holiday. I know for a fact that when I go see my family later today, we will celebrate some of the best parts of Festivus, and I cannot wait (ed note: also the fact that Ty will once again lose the feats of strength).

The fact that Festivus is a nationally recognized thing should be more than enough to get this episode on our list, but there are so many more reasons. It is a funny, goofy, Costanza heavy episode, which are usually the best that "Seinfeld" has to offer. While I love "The Simpsons", and it will always be my favorite show, this episode of "Seinfeld" is one of the best episodes of just general television, but it is also the best representation of this holiday that TV has ever put out. It is magnificent.

Go out and have a wonderful Festivus everyone. After all, it is a holiday for the rest of us.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Did we mention that Ty always loses the feats of strength. He does always lose. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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SeedSing's Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 21 - "Saturday Night Live - TV Funhouse December 17th, 2005

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a new awesome holiday television program for every day of Advent. This is the greatest tv of the season. Enjoy.

Day 21 "Saturday Night Live - TV Funhouse December 17th, 2005"

Original air date - Read the title 

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,  Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty

We all need that special time where we rule the world. I can do no justice to the master work of Darlene Love and the people at TV Funhouse. 

Enjoy

RD 

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He also did not wait in line for King Kong on Christmas Day. He wish he had.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing's Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 20 - "King of the Hill: Pretty, Pretty Dresses"

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a new awesome holiday television program for every day of Advent. This is the greatest tv of the season. Enjoy.

Day 20 "King of the Hill - Pretty, Pretty, Dresses"

Original air date - December 15th, 1998 

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,  Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen

We will stand by our good friends through almost anything, at any time of the year. These people became our best friends because they did something that made our lives better. Sometimes it is the little things, like sitting nest to you at lunch in the second grade when no one else would, or standing up for you when a bigger kid was being a bully. Maybe you were on the same sports team, and this particular friend was blocking the opposing team as you got all the glory. They took some big hits for you, and you will in turn take some big hits for them.

King of the Hill is the often forgotten Fox Animated show that aired alongside the early years of The Simpsons.  King of the Hill was centered on Hank Hill, his family, and his group of best friends. Nearly every week, Hank's existence would be upset by the misadventures of his wife Peggy, his son Bobby, or one of his alleyway drinking buddies. Even if he hesitated, Hank would always try to do the right thing, because that is what you do for friends and family.

The season three episode "Pretty, Pretty, Dresses" takes place Christmastime in Arlen Texas. The Hills are planning their annual holiday party, and Hank's sad sack friend Bill is feeling down. Bill's wife Lenore left him on Christmas many years ago, and he is not over the separation. Bill embarrasses the Hill's a few times with his mental agony, until Peggy finally decides that Bill is not welcome at the party. 

Hank attempts to help his friend out by destroying the lot of old gifts Bill has left for Lenore. This causes Bill to seemingly get better, until the next day when Hank sees his friend outside wearing a dress. Hank is not at all comfortable with this, and asks Bill what in the hell is going on. Bill is not Bill, he is Lenore. Hank's friend has lost his mind.

Through this struggle, Hank goes above and beyond to try and shield his friend from ridicule. Hank explains to the family that Bill blocked for him when they both played football at Arlen High. Bill's blocking helped Hank set the season record for rushing yards. When Bill shows up to the Hill's holiday party as Lenore, Hank is left with only one choice. As the crowd mocks and laughs at Bill, Hank emerges from his bedroom in a dress. He went above and beyond his own comfort to help a friend. Once outside, Hank gets Bill to finally understand that Lenore is gone and it is time to move on. Bill takes off the dress and thanks Hank for being a good friend.

The holidays are not an easy time for a lot of people. We may be filled with joy, while our friends are on the edge of a nervous breakdown. The best we can do is find a way to reach to these freinds and to let them no know we will do almost anything to get them back to good spirits. They were pushing opoosing players out of the way so we can reach glory, wearing a dress is the least we can do for them.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has been sad, and he has worn a dress, but never at the same time.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.