SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 7 - "The Late Show with David Letterman - December 19th, 2014 "

ed note: This article was originally published on December 7th, 2016

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 are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 7: "The Late Show with David Letterman - December 19th 2014"

Original air date - it is right there in the title.

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six

Every year around Christmas we listen to the same songs and watch the same television shows. We all have our traditions, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. These little bits of holiday pop culture sometimes get us into the right mood during a cold December night. These annual traditions help us look back to other pleasant times we experienced during the holiday season. There is a comfort in looking forward to that one thing that makes our holiday season extra special.

David Letterman once famously said that it is not the Christmas until he hears Darlene Love sing that song. The song in question is the new standard (Christmas) Baby Please Come Home. Vanity Fair has a great oral history of how Darlene Love ended up on Letterman for almost thirty years singing her iconic song. That first appearance in 1986 was simple, and without pomp, but a beloved holiday tradition was born.

The small band, and ugly holiday sweaters, had nothing on Phil Spector's iconic Wall of Sound, but Darlene Love still slayed with her vocals. Since that appearance, Darlene Love, Paul Shaffer, and David Letterman made (Christmas) Baby Please Come Home a fixture on Late Night, and then The Late Show. Only a writers strike would stop the trio from letting Letterman start Christmas. Many even believe that Love's Late Show appearances helped her finally, rightfully so, get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

On December 19th, 2014, Darlene Love performed (Christmas) Baby Please Come Home for the last time on The Late Show. In May of 2015, David Letterman retired from the late night game. Everyone knew that the December 19th performance was going to be the last, and nothing was held back. The four-piece backing band of 1986 was replaced by a horn section, strings, backup singers, and Paul Shaffer on a grand piano. Love even decided to belt out the last few lines on top of the piano because she was afraid of breaking down when Letterman came to give her a hug. The 2014 performance of (Christmas) Baby Please Come Home was an epic curtain call for a singer, a talk show host who was a fan, and the viewers that counted on Darlene Love to usher in the holidays every year on late night television.

Our holiday traditions are something to be celebrated. Listening to the same songs, or watching the same tv specials, is what makes December a great time. We all have that one special pop culture thing that gets us in the right Christmas mood. David Letterman had Darlene Love sing that song. We were truly lucky to share this tradition with Mr. Letterman.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The holidays do not start for him until he hears Linus and Lucy.

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Some Thoughts on the Peloton Ad

Okay, a ton of people have, by now, seen and given their feelings on the new Peloton ad. I think this ad is wild, pointless unless you are a rich person and I thought it was a sketch, not a real ad, the first time I watched it. Then, it became this humongous thing. People have really dug deep into every aspect of the ad. Multiple publications and bloggers have broken down pretty much every single second of the ad. After reading a good portion of them, and watching people talk about it, and even consulting with RD about it, I have a take as well. But, I also want to talk a little bit about how big this has become. That will come near the end.

So, the ad in and of itself is odd. I feel bad for the lady in the ad. I think she may be in a cult, or trapped and forced to work out on this bike and record herself doing it for proof. She definitely seems like a prisoner. I also find it weird that she is the only one that speaks in the ad. I also don't get why she records the workouts, who it is for or what it is for. It simply doesn't make sense. For a 30 second ad to make me asks so many questions probably says more about me, but still, it is wild. I personally don't know anyone that owns a Peloton, and I will not be buying one myself. I like to run outside on trails and play pick up basketball. Also, I already have a recumbent bike and a TV, so why would I need an overly expensive bike anyway. These are my thoughts on one of the most pointless ads to be released during the holiday season.

What has made this even wilder is the response. As I have said, a ton of people have written long, extensive think pieces on this ad. They break it down to its core. They ask so many more questions that I just did. They go into such great detail about the ad. And, I find some of them funny, some informative and some as pointless as the ad itself. Also, the people at Peloton have responded by showing 3 emails from "happy" customers that seem to love the new ad. That is so bizarre.

I personally think all of this response is in direct correlation for how society currently watches everything, and how everyone has an opinion, and seemingly, a platform with which to tell people their opinion. This couldn't simply just be an ad, people felt they had to dissect it to its core. People felt the need to tear it down, to dunk on it, to crush the Peloton spirit. And while I am all down for sticking it to evil corporations, which some research shows that Peloton is one, this feels a but piled on. It would be fine if a few people wrote some funny pieces about how weird the ad is, but everyone is going in hard on this ad. And while I agree with most of them, I do feel bad for the actress having to hear and read all this stuff. I'm sure she signed on because it was an acting job, and now, it has all blown up. That would be hard. I get people calling me names and saying I'm stupid or whatever online, but nothing like this ad. That has to be crummy.

Anyway, the Peloton ad is weird, it feels cultish and it doesn't make me want to buy their product anymore than I did before I even knew what Peloton was. But, I'm sure this will all blow over in another week or so and something new will grab the country's attention. That seems to be the way of the world now.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty’s Peloton is riding on his bike and playing a ten year old college football game on his X-Box 360. That is a real workout folks.

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SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 4 - "M*A*S*H: Death Takes A Holiday"

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 are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 4: "M*A*S*H: Death Takes a Holiday"

Original air date, December 15th, 1980

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three

Christmas memories affect people in different ways. Some remember great joy during the holiday season. Some remember anxiety about the financial demand that Christmas puts on people. Most people experience a mixture of these two memories, along with a whole bunch of other happy / sad feelings. Others look at Christmas as a particular special day . We want everyone to be happy, healthy, and think only of joy. We do not want to think about death and starvation.

In December of 1980, M*A*S*H was one of the most watched shows on television and had recently passed 200 episodes. The adventures of the 4077th often time mixed comedy and drama. On the 15th of December, "Death Takes a Holiday" would be remembered as a great piece of television because of the serious nature of the episode.

The staff and doctors of the 4077th are getting ready to throw a Christmas party for a local orphanage. After learning that the food for the party was lost in an enemy attack, the MASH decide to donate their own food gifts from home to the meal. Everyone is a good sport except for Maj Charles Winchester, who donates very little. Charles was always seen as being snooty, so the rest of the unit believe he is just being a typical Scrooge.

What everyone else does not know is that Charles is upholding a family tradition in anonymously donating his chocolate bars to a needy charity. The Major later finds out that the orphanage sold his fancy chocolate on the black market. Charles is upset and confronts the director of the orphanage, but understands that the chocolate was worth a lot of money, and now the orphanage can afford rice and other staples for many meals. Maj Winchester wanted to give the kids joy on Christmas, but is satisfied to know that his gift allowed for a longer survival for the charity.  

The party itself is good fun, but some are absent because a mortally wounded soldier is brought into the MASH. Hawkeye, BJ, and Margaret are tending to the soldier, and quickly figure out that the man will not live. The group also find out that the man has a wife and young children. It is assured the man will die, but Hawkeye, BJ, and Margaret make a vow to keep the soldier alive until Christmas has passed. They did not want the man's children to remember Christmas as the day their father died.

The surgery is not going well for the mortally wounded soldier, and he dies just before the end of Christmas Day. Hawkeye goes to the clock and moves the hands until it is after midnight. He announces the death as 12:05 am, December 26th. Margaret says she has never falsified a record, and one of the doctors says she should, he informs the group that Christmas should be a time of birth. The group kept their promise to the dying man.

Terrible things happen to people every day. Many of us use Christmas Day as that oasis away from the hurt in the world. Christmas should be a day of birth, and joy, and togetherness. Unfortunately reality cannot use that one day to save starving orphans, or give a young father the chance to watch his kids grow up. What Christmas can give us are happy memories that will carry us through the bad times. The orphans will remember that an anonymous donor gave them months of food, and a family will remember that their father/husband held on for one more Christmas Day. Those memories will make Christmas special.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. 

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

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 2 - "G.I. Joe: Cobra Claws are Coming to Town"

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 are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 2: "G.I. Joe - Cobra Claws are Coming to Town" Original air date, November 7th, 1985

Opened Doors: One

The holiday season tends to see a lot of people taking much needed time off work. Many companies are shorter staffed due to the large amount of employee vacations. The people left in the office around the end of December tend to be the people who do not particularly care for the whole holiday season. They may have no families, or they may not care for the one they have. Thank goodness for these people, because without them we would have no one to do any of the needed work during the end of December. Work like defending our nation from an evil terrorist organization determined to the rule the world.

In November of 1985, the G.I. Joe cartoon presented kids with a Christmas themed episode entitled "Cobra Claws are Coming to Town". The story begins with our real American heroes transporting a bunch of toys for a charity event, and then Cobra attacks. The Joes easily repel the attack, but Cobra agent Firefly leaves something with the toys. Once back at Joe headquarters, the team is getting ready to have Christmas dinner prepared by chef extraordinaire, and heavy machine gunner, Roadblock. Shipwreck, Blowtorch, Tripwire, Dusty, and Wild Bill are a few of the Joes all on duty during this holiday season. Cover Girl remarks to Duke that the Joes are a bit undermanned because so much of the team is off for the holidays. Duke reassures the tank driver that is all good because the Joes have an awesome laser security system to keep Cobra out. Everything should be peaceful this joyous night.

Roadblock's turkey is a big hit with the Joes, even Junkyard the dog gets a leg to feast on. Unfortunately. Junkyard's buddy Mutt is not feeling very festive. Duke chalks it all up to holiday blues. While walking off the blues, Mutt is ambushed by tiny Cobra troops that hid out in the toys Firefly left after the first attack. All of the Cobra high command along with a bunch of troops were shrunk down and made it behind the laser barrier by hiding in the toys. Once free, the Cobra troops are brought back to normal size by Destro's shrinking/enlarging gun. This holiday night was not going to be silent.

What follows is a typical G.I. Joe adventure. Cobra Commander has the upper hand, and can not lose, but he does. Destro invents a world-changing weapon, and once broken, we never see it again. Shipwreck makes lewd comments about a side of beef, and Duke is no nonsense. Oh, and Shipwreck's parrot Polly is shot with Destro's gun and becomes massive. With the gun destroyed, we never get any explanation on how this highly intellectual bird is brought back to normal size. This is what us kids wanted from G.I. Joe. Knowing the familiar plot beats was half the battle.

What makes "Cobra Claws Are Coming to Town" a holiday classic is the fact that it mimics all great Christmas shows, plus we have some kick butt red on blue laser battle action. Mutt is grumpy, then he is not. Cover Girl gives Duke a little kiss on the cheek and wishes him a Merry Christmas. Shipwreck is once again left dateless, plus he has a giant bird to contend with. Cobra Commander has to spend another holiday arguing with Destro and the Baroness. "Cobra Claws are Coming Town" showed that in the world of G.I. Joe, the themes of togetherness and teamwork did not take a vacation on Christmas. Work still had to be done while the small crew enjoyed Roadblock's feast, and that work was done to the same standard as the last 50 plus encounters with Cobra.

Many people are finalizing their plans for the upcoming holiday season. Offices will be mostly empty, those left behind may have the holiday blues, and work may seem a bit dull. Do not be fooled, the enemy may have revolutionary technology, and will use it to strike when your guard is down. Just remember, your coworkers who were also left behind will be there to have your back. Teamwork will make anyone's season sunny and bright.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He kept yelling out COBRA while writing this, but was calm when he repeated Yo-Joe three times. 

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Ty Watches "The Good Place" Mid Season Finale

Last night was the mid season finale of “The Good Place”, and it was a tremendous episode. The entire 22 minutes were centered around Chidi, who is excellently played by William Jackson Harper. The whole episode was about the people waking him up from his slumber, and it flashed back to all of his crucial memories over his life on and off Earth. It was great.

For those that may not know, Chidi is infamous for being the most indecisive human being ever. He cannot make even the easiest of choices. It was so bad, his lack of urgency caused him to lose his life. I know this sounds dire, but in the context of “The Good Place”, it is put across hilariously. Anyway, when Michael(Ted Danson) goes to snap his fingers, we get to see all these moments. It started for him as a baby, when his parents asked if he liked the name Chidi, and he immediately cried. We then see him struggle to pick a chair in elementary school, breaking up with a girlfriend because he thinks philosophy can keep them together, to his dean at college telling him his thesis is too much, to his friends questioning him, to him being in the good place and struggling there, we see it all. And Harper is so good at portraying this indecisive genius. His quirks and quips she questions are never ending, so much so that it is exhausting.

Near the end of his memories you can see a different Chidi. After finding Eleanor(Kristen Bell), he seems more sure of himself, more confident. Right before he gets his mind wiped, the season 3 finale, he writes a note and gives it to Janet(Darcey Carden), and asks her to hold onto it until they meet again, if ever. When Michael finally finishes the snap, Chidi wakes up and is asked how he feel. He looks relaxed, and he says, “I feel great”, and I totally believed him. He looks, for the first time in his afterlife, like he is calm and confident. He has a look of assurance we’ve never seen from him. He asks all of his friends if he’s been annoying for the last 300 years, and they kind of blow it off to tell him that he needs to save all of humanity and Earth. Just when I thought he would revert to his norm, he says okay, and that he will try. He then asks Janet for the letter, and inside it reads, “there’s no “answer”, but Eleanor is the answer”. It was so sweet and touching and perfect.

“The Good Place” just continues to get better and better, and surprises me with something new almost every episode. This mid season finale sets up the actual finale perfectly, and I’m so stoked to see how they finish it up. In a show with a great cast, great writers and great direction, this episode was an absolute home run. My hat is off to all of the people that work on it.

Ty

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

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Nathan Fielder's Unpleasantness Made "Nathan for You" A Great Show

I've been on a kick lately of re watching some old comedy shows that I used to love. And when I saw old, I mean like 4 or 5 years they have been off air. Not classics, just stuff I used to wait weekly to watch. I recently did this with "Workaholics", my wife and I always re watch shows like "The Office", "Parks and Rec" and "Happy Endings" as well. Recently, after finishing "Workaholics", I decided I was going to watch "Nathan For You" again.

Now, you all know how I feel about this show. It is one of the funniest things that has ever been put on TV. I mean "Finding Frances" is a god damn masterpiece, and I cannot wait to watch it again. But, after closing the show with "Finding Frances", I kind of forgot about all the other great stuff "Nathan For You" did. This show is one of a kind, and the stuff Fielder did was simply amazing.

For example, when the pig rescued the goat from the lake, that became a worldwide story, that was Nathan Fielder. Dumb Starbucks, that was Fielder. Fielder got a ghost writer to write a self help book, which I read, and started a whole weight loss movement. That book is insane by the way. Fielder and crew did a ton of memorable things. In the first episode, he got a frozen yogurt place to add a poo flavored yogurt.

The one thing I have kept going back too since I started my re watch was a segment of one of his earlier episodes where he convinced a car mechanic to get himself hooked up to a lie detector when giving people estimates on their cars, and telling them what was needed. Seems like a simple enough idea, and actually, it is one of his better, and more solid, ideas. But, as he does with every segment, he had to make sure it worked out properly before heading back to the mechanic's. He also had to put his humor in to the performance as well. So, while checking out the lie detector, he had the person administering the test ask him about his search history on his computer. More to the point, he had the tester ask him if he has every watched pornography on his computer, and further more, had he pleasured himself to said pornography. Of course Fielder said no, and of course he did not pass the test. But, to see his reactions to every question was hilarious. He was so stand offish and bullish that he never used his computer for this activity. He went as far as trashing the tester to everyone involved. During voice-overs he even said stuff about how poor the tester, and the lie detector, truly was. If you know Fielder's humor, this speaks to you on so many levels. If not, he is dry and monotone and seems like he could care less. It is an acquired taste, and he pull sit off to perfection. He is also a but dorky, so to see him so offended by the lie detector, it makes it that much more funny. I have been relaying this to my wife constantly, and every time I bring it up, I find myself laughing so hard that I have tears in my eyes. The fact that he even tells customers at the mechanic shop that the lie detector wrongly said that he was using his computer for pornography makes it that much more hilarious.

Look, I love this show. As I said, it is one of the greatest things to ever be on TV. But, if you decide to watch because you know of Dumb Starbucks, or the pig and goat thing, you will be greatly surprised by how great the rest of the show was. And, if you want to watch, think about my blog today when you watch the lie detector segment in an early episode. It is one of the best.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He had an uncomfortable experience with a lie detector test. It was quite uncomfortable, know what I mean?

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Ty Watches "Big Mouth" Season 3

Last Friday I finished season 3 of "Big Mouth", and it continues to be the best show about puberty that I have ever watched.

I love this show, and I love what the writers do to show kids how tough and embarrassing and crazy and messed up puberty can be. I wish they showed this show in middle schools, they won't because it is so very dirty and uses bad language, because I feel like it would make the students feel okay. It would let them know that puberty is tough for every single person out there. I also think it is the perfect show for people my age because it is so easy to relate to. I remember going through puberty, how tough it was, and I was just your average run of the mill kid in middle school. There was nothing spectacular or terrible about me. I was the definition of average in middle school, and puberty sucked for me too.

The third season of "Big Mouth" touched on some really great concepts, and added a few new characters that were really funny. The subjects that they touched on in season 3 were things I went through, stuff I did and was/am still embarrassed by, and it all really hit home. They talked about school uniforms in the season premiere, and it was a great discussion on how differently boys and girls are treated at that time in their life. Another episode, it crossed about 2 episodes in fact, Nick and his family are obsessed with their phones. None of them can live without them, and when the phones get taken away, they freak out. I live that daily with my son and his Switch. He is crazily obsessed with that thing, and it is getting tough. also, that episode makes me happy that cell phones weren't a thing when I was a kid. The Florida episode is a perfect encapsulation of what the rest of America thinks Florida is. Also, the secondary storyline of Andrew and his cousin was absolutely hilarious. There is one episode that is entirely dedicated to the story of a young Duke Ellington. Jordan Peele is great as Duke, and to hear him tell the story of how he became to be a great jazz pianist was funny and enlightening. There's another episode where the boys rank the girls on looks. I did this same thing, I am embarrassed that I did it, and this episode flooded me with memories. It shows how gross and mean middle school boys can be, and I was once the exact same way. This was probably my favorite episode of the season. There's another one that is pretty much about the SAT, or any standardized test, and that portrayed the anxiety those tests give 12 and 13 year old, and it is unnecessary anxiety. The "Disclosure" musical episode was so niche, and so god damn hilarious. We were also introduced to Thandie Newton's character Mona, another hormone monstress. The secondary story too, where the "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" guys come in and fix Coach Steve was dynamite. And the season finale, where all the kids get "super powers" was so good. This is where Andrew and Nick get in their first real fight, and that was, dare I say, emotional to watch because, again, I went through that exact thing in middle school.

There is a ton of side stuff that was perfect this season too. Jay coming out as bi sexual was awesome. Also, Jay being taken in by Nick's parents when he is abandoned by his family was great. The addition of Ali Wong's character, Ali, was perfect. The stuff with Jessi's power, making people tell the truth, really gave us some insight into what her character may be doing next season. Andrew Rannels character finally getting a boyfriend was a long time coming. And anything that featured Coach Steve was ridiculous and hilarious.

"Big Mouth" is one of the best shows currently on TV. I was stoked that Netflix gave it such a long term deal. Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg have struck lightening in a bottle, and I cannot wait to consume more and more of the show. It is fantastic. And season 3 keeps showing that the show is only getting better and better.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches "Watchmen": Season Premier

Yesterday I was able to watch the series premiere of "Watchmen" on HBO. I need to say, and I already told RD this, this may be one of my shorter blogs because I do not want to spoil anything at all. This is a premier, and I feel like the rest of the series is going to rule, but I was absolutely blown away by what I watched for an hour.

This is already way different from the movie, and I mean that in the best way possible. The opening scene was one of the most harrowing and disturbing things I have ever watched, and when RD told me it was a real incident, I was even more horrified. From there on out, I was incredibly intrigued by everything I saw. Regina King is awesome and she is one of the most kickass characters I have ever seen on TV. Also, Sister Knight is one of the coolest super hero names I have ever heard. Don Johnson as the sheriff was crazy and wild and had an edge to him. Tim Blake Nelson had the coolest mask, more on that in a minute, and is playing a character like I have never seen him play before. They seem to be the main characters at the current moment, but Louis Gossett Jr looks like he will be playing a very pivotal role in the show.

As for the show, man was it weird, and man was it good. Again, I am not going to go into tremendous detail, but it was incredible. I already mentioned the opening scene, and from there on out, I was impressed. The show takes place in 2019, so the original "Watchmen" characters aren't involved, yet. The new era of "Watchmen" clearly lives in a wild police state, where the police cannot show their faces, and their are some real bad people out there trying to get rid of them. Also, at one point, it rained squid from the sky, which was wild and dope as hell. The premiere sets up this scary vision of a new world, one that isn't too far off from real life because of how racist a lot of people are right now, and I was scared and unnerved and couldn't take my eyes off the screen. Regina King seems to be one of the most badass officers on the show, and like I said, she is wonderful. The premiere was violent and scary and cool and innovative. It reminded me a ton of the series premiere of "Lost", in the fact that I have so many questions, and I can't wait to see where they take it from here. That also makes sense to me because Damon Lindelof is one of the writers and creators of "Watchmen" (note: not Alan Moore)..

This show needs to be watched by everyone for so many reasons. It is so cool and so universally its own. Yes, it takes from the graphic novel, but the main characters, at least so far, are completely new. Just watch the show. Please. It rules.

Ty

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

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"The Righteous Gemstones" has Already Delivered a Perfect Episode of Television

I'm not fully caught up yet on all of "Righteous Gemstones" yet, I am one episode behind. But my wife and I watched the episode last night where they went back in time before their third, and final, child was born. This was one of the best 40 minutes of TV that I have seen in quite some time. The stuff they did on this episode, and how they kind of explained the way these characters took shape as children, was wonderful.

First of all, the kids they got to play Danny McBride and Edi Patterson as kids were phenomenal. The young kid playing Danny McBride's Jesse was tremendous. He was as boisterous and offensive and mean and confused as I imagine Jesse would have been as a kid. The scene between him and a young Baby Billy, who I will get to in a few minutes, was so great. Baby Billy getting young Jesse drunk, so he would start a fight with his dad, was so funny, and so telling for the future. That kid was awesome. The actress that played young Judy was hilarious and foul and just angry all the time. She loves seeing her brother get in trouble, she always wanted to fight him, she was a perfectly spoiled brat during her party, it was all perfect. When she secretly watches Jesse get in trouble on the stairs, my wife and I were howling with laughter. It was so well done.

As I mentioned earlier, to see a young Baby Billy, who is expertly played by Walton Goggins, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors, was stupendous. He was just as devious and conniving and backstabbing and pathetic as he is as an adult. He is a trickster and a shit disturber. He got Jesse drunk to start a fight. He is constantly picking fights with Eli(John Goodman), and he takes advantage of those who still, for some unknown reason, love him and want to help him. What he did to his sister, Aimee Leigh(Jennifer Nettles), was such a low blow, and when she finally stood up to him, I was so happy for her. But you could see the conman in Baby Billy the whole time. He truly only cares about money, and himself. I will say, when his son hands him the ninja star, that was the funniest scene of the whole episode in my opinion.

The best performances in this great episode were Goodman and Nettles. They were so perfect together. They showed every part of a marriage, and boy did they love one another unconditionally. Nettles was the perfect, happy and loving parent and wife. She wanted everyone to be happy and get along and have a good time. But, she did have a tough side to her, and she was the star of the church in its early days. She was the main attraction, and she knew it. Goodman was so deeply in love with his wife. Seeing this episode makes his current mood so much clearer. He is clearly depressed and misses his best friend and wife. She kept him in check and loved him as unconditionally as he loved her. He was willing to protect her at all costs. He did what she needed when she needed and he was happy to do it. I now fully get why he is in this awful head space in current day on the show. Their connection and chemistry was fantastic.

To wrap this all up, this episode was perfect because it gave us the seeds to see why these characters are who they are as adults and much older adults. You could see the fire and anger in Judy's eyes. You could see the want to be a star and want to be the only one that matters in Jesse. You could see the conniving and cunning and sleaziness of Baby Billy. And, most importantly, you could see the joy and love that Aimee Leigh brought Eli.

This was a perfect episode of TV. This is the type of thing where, when I see it, I remember how great McBride and Jody Hill and David Gordon Green are as a trio when they work together. I'm so stoked to see where the rest of this season goes, and where they take season 2. "Righteous Gemstones" is a great show, and this was a near perfect episode.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Since Ty is the youngest in of four brothers everyone should start calling him Baby Ty. Let’s get it started.

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Ryan Clark Shredding Paul Finebaum is a Moment Worth Cheering For

Now that both of my kids are in school, well, my daughter only goes twice a week for a half day, but still, I will find myself watching some TV if I have some free time, and this morning, I happened to have a little free time. So, I turned on ESPN because I like to catch up on any sports news I may have missed over night. I will say, it is more on just for noise, but sometimes the subject they talking about catches my attention. Also, it helps when there are people on that I like, or despise. This morning, whatever show was on, happened to have people fro both categories for me. So, I actually turned my attention to the screen, and what I witnessed was absolutely amazing.

I loathe Paul Finebaum. I have talked about it plenty on the site. He is a low class Skip Bayless. He is a poor man's Colin Cowherd. He is the type of guy that wished he was good enough to play sports, but wasn't, so now, he is taking all that anger out on TV and current players. Paul Finebaum is a wannabe dipshit that lives in a hot take culture. He is a hack, a phony and a poser. Ryan Clark, on the other hand, I think is great on TV. He played professional football, he is smart, he is passionate and he knows what he is talking about. He also had a solid pro career, a great college career and just seems like a solid dude. He has walked the walk, and he can most definitely talk the talk.

So, on ESPN this morning, I think it was Mike Greenberg's show, Greenberg gave the stage to Finebaum to talk about 2 QB's. First he mentioned the Eli Manning benching. He talked about how Eli was handling this with "grace and class", and is "all about the team". He also mentioned how the Giants should have done this sooner, but still, they did it, and Eli was being a "gentleman about it". Then he shifted to Cam Newton, who is hurt mind you, and proceeded to do his hot take bull shit, and tried to shred him. He said that he was "no good" anymore. That he "only cares about Cam Newton". That Newton has "wrecked this franchise". This was his classic hot take nonsense, with no preparation done for the story, that Finebaum has become known for. He just said whatever was in his pee brained little mind, and just vomited his stupid take all over the stage. After his Newton take, the show shifted over to Ryan Clark, and he proceeded to drag the shit out of Finebaum. He went off. It was glorious. He called Finebaum out on the way he covered and talked about the 2 QB's. Clark made it a point to say that he called Manning "classy", while calling Newton "a train wreck". Never mind the fact that Newton, who gives his all out effort every game night, gets illegally hit all the time and is recovering from offseason surgery. But Finebaum thought it was okay to call him "selfish" and "arrogant". Then when mentioning Manning, Clark made it his mission to talk about how poorly he has played the last 4 years, how bad the Giants have been because he has been unable to accept that his time is up. He talked about all the balls he has thrown away with no one near him to hit him. Clark talked about how Manning's play, on the field, has been selfish. How he only cares about his health, and I couldn't agree more with him. He then talked about all the stuff I just said about Cam, and how he is giving up his body for the game, and all Finebaum could do the whole time was just squirm and squeeze out a wry and despicable smile. While Clark was eviscerating Finebaum another host of the show kept egging him on and saying "YEAH!!!!" the whole time. It was awesome. And for this to come from a guy like Clark, it was perfect. As I said, Clark has been there before. He has played the game at the highest of high levels. He has been in the trenches with these dudes. He knows the game inside and out. And that is something Finebaum will never, ever, ever know.

Finebaum is a trash reporter and a trash TV host. He does not know what he is talking about, and when he gets pushed, and owned by a former player, all he can do is act defensive and say "lets just cancel the rest of the day if this is how it's going to be". I love that Clark and the other hosts of the show let Clark go in on Finebaum. Finebaum needs to be called out as the fraud that he truly is, and Clark did that spectacularly this morning. I am so glad that I tuned in to witness this show this morning. This was great, and I hope it knocks him down all the pegs that he so rightly deserves to be knocked down.

Screw you Paul Finebaum, and thank you Ryan Clark for not letting Finebaum and ESPN continue with their usual nonsense. I am now a Ryan Clark fan for life. This totally ruled. It was wonderful TV.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He wanted to use a special word to describe Finebaum’s views on athletes and what ethnic groups they belong to. What rhymes with fascist tiece of spit?

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There are No Small Parts Just Great Side Characters Like Karl in "Workaholics"

I've been re watching the entirety of "Workaholics" the past couple of weeks, and I wanted to point out one side actor that I think is highly underappreciated. The three main guys are great, Jillian Bell is great, the lady that plays the boss of the telemarketing company, sad and hilarious, Montez, Waymond and Jet Set(RIP), all fantastic.

But, Kyle Newachek, as Karl, is my favorite side character, by far, on the show. He is so funny yet easily relatable. I find every episode he is featured on, or at least shows up in, is made infinitely better by his appearance. For example, the episode where they decide to take acid, and end up in a hotel, the addition of one line by Karl is amazing, and I still quote it. When Anders shows up in the room and finds the guys there, Karl asks him to be quiet because he is on the phone, and he is asking the front office if the ice is still free. When Anders asks him why he is asking about the ice, Karl says that "ice is the currency of the future. I'm gonna be rich". I walk around saying that all the time. I also love that after a commercial break, they pan back to the room, and there are buckets and buckets of ice everywhere. I just recently watched the episode where the guys get a new drug dealer, and the pain and hurt that Kyle Newachek shows as Karl is amazing. Yes, it is played for laughs, which it got a ton of from me, and it is all made is jest to a love story, but Newachek nails it. I was sad for him when the guys ditched him. I felt for him when he had to let his dog go. I was happy when they reunited at the end of the episode. It was a perfect encapsulation of the range that this goofy character can have on this absurd comedy that works. There is another episode, where Karl is going to get married, and he totally changes his whole appearance and demeanor. He becomes this odd pushover, and the only guy that wants to make it right is Blake. Blake wants to change him back because he finds Karl's soon to be wife cheating on him, and because he wants his weed dealer back. But, to see Karl's transformation, be it his clothes or haircut or attitude, it was all hilarious, and that is due to Newachek's performance. It is still one of my all time favorite episodes of the show.

The one thing about Karl, that truly takes the cake on the show, is his van and his stench. First off, he has what they call the "Grape Van". They call it this because it looks like a creepers van, but Karl painted the G on there so that it would ward off all the weirdos, or so he says. This van makes many appearances throughout the series, and every time, it is funny. And his stench. This is a running joke as well, and the way Kewachek dresses up as Karl, and fixes his hair, and his lazy eye, and pretty much everything about him just oozes disgust, and it works to perfection. It is truly a wonderful performance from this side character.

I know Newachek is one of the original crew that created this show, and that he directs a ton of episodes, but the fact that he helped create this awesome, and memorable character speaks volumes to his talent. I literally cannot wait to watch the rest of the series to see all the Karl moments I may have missed the first time around. I'm pumped.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has an idea of the currency of the future. Mega Stuff Oreos, that shit is priceless and tough to find.

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Ty Watches "The Righteous Gemstones" Series Premier

Last night my wife and I watched the new Danny McBride show "The Righteous Gemstones" on HBO. I have been anticipating this show, as I stated on a previous podcast, and boy did the pilot, for me, live up to the hype.

This show has all the elements that I have come to expect from McBride, Jody Hill and David Gordon Green, but amped up by ten. No show of theirs will live up to "Eastbound and Down", that was lightening in a bottle, but "Vice Principals", and now "The Righteous Gemstones" are excellent. What i really enjoyed about "Vice Principals", and I have written about this before, was how comedic, yet dark, it was. That show was excellent, and it had a great run. What I found in the pilot of "TRG" was that, while still funny, this show may be their darkest yet. There was some wild stuff that went on in the pilot episode. I am not going to spoil anything, but man did stuff gets nuts at the end.

What I want to focus on more today is the plot and the actors. I love the plot of this show. I am a non religious person, not at all, so to see a show that sends up the whole Evangelical TV minister, and makes them sinister and evil and only interested in making more money than any person could ever need. We have all seen how awful some of these TV ministers, Joel Osteen comes to mind first, are really are behind the scenes. That is what this show shows us. The three main characters, John Goodman as the patriarch and main minister Eli, Danny McBride as the screw up, yet thinks he is more important than he really is Jesse Gemstone and the gullible and wet behind the ears youngest son, Adam Devine as Kelvin Gemstone, are all great in their own ways. Goodman is menacing and in a deep state of depression. His wife has died and his family is constantly fighting each other. Add on the fact that he is trying to be the only game in town, he is a bad dude. Goodman is perfect for this role. McBride is perfect in the role of an asshole who is way in over his head. He seems good on the surface, but he has some demons that he is fighting, and he refuses to go it alone. He wants to drag all kinds of people into his own mess. And Devine, in a very different role for him, is so innocent and maybe has some kind of soul and just wants to help people. They are all great. The third child of the family, Edi Patterson as Judy Gemstone, is definitely the smartest one of the family, but she doesn't get her due because she is a female. Patterson was a revelation on "Vice Principals", and now, in a much bigger role, I feel like she is going to shine.

Outside of the Gemstone family, the supporting actors so far are really good. Tim Baltz is Patterson's soon to be husband, and he is a pushover and hilarious. Dermot Mulroney, as a rival minister, is kind of badass, and I actually found myself rooting for him in the episode. Casidy Freeman as Amber Gemstone, McBride's wife, is so good and menacing herself. She had the line of the episode to me when Baltz's character said that the family is backwards and they never give women a chance, Freeman speaks up, but before going into her rant, she asks McBride if she can speak. Even a guy in a super small role, Tony Cavalero as Keefe, the former Satan worshiper who is now working for the church and has found God, I found him absolutely hilarious. Everyone, so far, has been wonderful, and I cannot wait to see where they take the characters from here on out. I have also seen that Walton Goggins, one of my very favorite actors, is going to show up in upcoming episodes, and I'm sure that will rule. It is not only the characters that I cannot wait to see where they go, it is the story too. Like I said, no spoilers, but the way the pilot unfolded, things are going to get wild in this first season. It should be dark and hilarious.

Look, I am a McBride fan. I am predisposed to like what he does, and a show like "The Righteous Gemstones" is perfect for his sense of humor, and what he wants to do on a show. I have a feeling this will be one of my favorites from 2019, and I cannot wait to see how the next 8 weeks pan out. I highly, highly recommend this show. It is really good.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ok people, one spoiler. Never in your life will you see the efficiency of a Land Rover running over not one, but two people. It was shockingly awesome

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Ty Watches "Last Chance U" Season 4

It seems like the last 2 years right around this time of year I find myself giving a review of the Netflix show "Last Chance U", and today, I will be doing that very thing.

I just finished the fourth season last night, and this season was quite a doozy. The first 2 seasons of the show featured a pretty prominent Junior College football team in Mississippi. They had some good players, a loud coach and won. They were established as a junior college powerhouse. It was interesting to hear these kids stories, and pick sides, I pretty much always took the players side.

The show then shifted in season 3 to a new juco in Kansas. This team, Independence Community College, was a bottom of the barrel squad. They never had a winning record, at one point they were in the midst of a 14 game losing streak, they hadn't been to a bowl games in decades and they had never won any of the bowl games they were in when they made bowl games. Then they hired a volatile new coach, Jason Brown, and he was starting to turn things around. In his first year, while they still held a losing record, he stopped the horrid 14 game losing streak, and he had his team playing some solid football by the end of the year. Then he had a full offseason to recruit, and recruit he did. This is where season 3 picked up. He had gotten some of the top D1 transfers to come play at this small school in Kansas. They had a QB who was at Florida State. There were a few other guys that saw some snaps on other big time D1 schools, but had bad grades or run ins with the law or school, and they were kicked off their teams. His team was pretty good, and in Brown's second season, the Independence Pirates won the conference, and made their first bowl game in a long time, which they won. He did all this with some good players, but, he is a brash, no nonsense guy that has hustled his way to where he was at the time. He curses like a sailor. He drinks, by his own admission, too much. He constantly yells at his players and fellow coaches. Guys would leave for other jobs, or get fired, simply because Brown did not like them. There is a lot of screaming matches on the sidelines during season 3. I do have to say, while it made me uncomfortable at times, it was riveting TV.

I was excited to see season 4. I would check occasionally for updates, and then I want to say in early August, I was made aware that the new season was available to stream. I do need to say, I already knew going into this season that Brown was forced to resign because of a very insensitive text exchange with a German player, more on that in a minute. So I was curious to see how everything was going to unfold. When I started watching, about a week ago, the first episode of the season started out with Brown gushing over all his new talent. He had one of the top dual threat QB's, a few solid receivers, the number one rated juco D lineman and a crop of solid linebackers and defensive ends. This was going to be a big year in Independence. They were picked in the preseason to win the league, and were a national title favorite. And after one game, they looked the part. But, their dual threat QB would get injured on the second play of the game, which should have been an ominous sign. After that first game, the season went to hell. They lost 8 straight games. It was brutal to watch. This team, beaming with talent, just couldn't put it together. They would have a few miscues, the coaches would get into it, and the game would be lost. They seemingly did it to themselves all year long. After the QB got hurt, they went to the backup, and after one or 2 mistakes, they would take him out and out in the third guy. It got so bad that they brought the former FSU player back. That really messed with what little stability this team had. When they couldn't decide on a QB, the offense went to shit. This was rough for the defense. They were constantly put in horrid situations that no team could recover from. Then, when the offense had the occasional spark, the defense would find a way to blow leads. I do need to say this though, the defense was much, much better than their offense. I put very little blame on that unit. During the losing streak things got rough both on and off the field. The players started to lose any interest in playing like a team. It turned into guys just trying to get film work to get a scholarship. The coaches then started to bicker. Then some other players started to stop going to class. Then Jason Brown started to cut guys for no reason and fire coaches who already said they were leaving at the end of the year. While I think Jason Brown knows the game of football well, what he needs to work on, according to what was filmed, are his people skills. This all came to a head for me in 2 instances during this 4th season.

The first was when he cut his best receiver because he smelled like weed, and then started to bash him, this coming from the player mind you, to coaches recruiting him. The second was the text incident I mentioned earlier. He had a redshirt QB from Germany on his team that he let be team manager during his redshirt year. This kid did what was asked of him, and because he wasn't right on time to hang a poster for Brown, he called him a "German fuck", and said, "I am your new Hitler". Look, I understand letting your emotions get the best of you. It happens to me every Tuesday at my rec league basketball games. But I have never verbally abused anyone, and I wouldn't even think to compare myself to a horrific dictator that murdered so many people. This was too far. As I said, I think Brown knows the game of football enough, but he has awful people skills. When all this came to light I thought he would be more apologetic, or at least show some kind of sympathy. Instead, he called himself "old school", said that he could be someone else's "treasure", blamed the kid and said, "if you do the crime, you have to do the time". He never once apologized. That is far too prideful even for me. This could have easily been a non story, and something that was solved quickly, but Brown didn't want it that way. It was a bad season, that did not live up to expectations, Brown blamed everyone but himself, cut good kids for no reason and fought constantly with his players and coaches. He let his emotions run him. Even I think he would admit that. That was my biggest takeaway from the fourth season, how pride can get in the way, and when things go bad, the best way to handle them would be the exact opposite of what Jason Brown did in Independence, Kansas. I'm sure he will get another chance to coach somewhere, but for Brown, this one incident will, unfortunately, be what he is always remembered for.

That being said, if you like "Last Chance U", this recent season was cringe worthy and great. I highly recommend it. Just know that it gets real nasty at the end, and that it is like watching a train wreck, where the train decides that everyone else is to blame.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. One time in his rec league another player told Ty that he was his Lech Walesa. Ty has no idea what that means.

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I Will Miss the Great "Baskets" When it is Gone

It was announced about a week ago that the show "Baskets" on FX would be concluding the series with the season 4 finale on August 22nd. I don't know if this was decided by the creators or the network. I would like to think that the creators decided for themselves. I'm bummed by this, but I understand why they are ending it in 2 weeks. This season has felt like a finale all season long. The way the characters have developed throughout the series feels like it was all leading to a conclusion from the first episode of season 4. Some minor spoilers are coming. Fair warning.

Chip is the CEO of the family barn, and is starting to stand up for himself a bit more. He has become an adult, which seems like it was his arc. Dale is insane, and living in a wild trailer park, but he has been there for his family when they have needed him, and he and Chip have had a moment where it seems like they finally understand, and accept, one another. Martha has become more confident, and she doesn't beckon to every call from the Baskets family. Dale's ex wife has moved on. Their 2 kids are growing up, and they seem to be happy enough with their lot in life. Christine is married to her one true love, and she finally seems genuinely happy. All of the main characters have pretty much wrapped their individual stories with 2 episodes left.

All that being said, I will really miss this show for some different reasons. I like how different it is from most shows on TV right now. It is original and funny and moving and shows what it is like to be in a weird, yet loving family. Louie Anderson has been an absolute delight as Christine on the show. I was stunned when I saw him playing the mom, but after about a minute, I forgot, and totally bought it. That is the sign, to me, as a character really inhabiting the role and making it so believable and real. Martha is one of the most underrated comedy characters on TV. She is so monotone and never changes her facial expressions, yet she may be the funniest person on the show. Every time she has had an episode dedicated to her character, I have always found myself laughing, or feeling remorse, for her. She is wonderful. Zach Galifinakis has been tremendous in his 2 roles. He plays both Chip and Dale, and the fact that I forget that he is playing both twins speaks volumes to his performance. As Dale he is so wild and sad and southern and dumb. As Chip he was such a pushover and a follower that turned himself into a real adult, like I said before. He has played these 2 guys so very well. "Baskets" is filled with great, unique performances from very solid actors.

I also like how the show had such an odd premise, Chip is a real clown from Paris that moves back home to Bakersfield with his family. It sounds simple-ish, but the stories went in so many different directions, and they were all told so very well. I also liked how they showed another side of California that we don't see on TV. Bakersfield seems like such a boring, old timey town. That is not the California that is usually shown. There are no models or big studios or fancy stuff going on. Bakersfield looks like a real town that you'd pass through without even recognizing it. And I really like all the odd side characters the show has brought on from time to time. There are Chip and Dale other adopted twin brothers that are famous DJ's. They were great. The old time fair guy that works at the barn was funny, yet sad. The people that live in the same trailer park as Dale are nuts and wild themselves. The pastor that has a church right next to the barn was a delight. He has a beautiful singing voice too. Martha's parents were so old, yet so funny. It was filled with excellent side characters as well as the main cast.

Like I said, I am bummed that the show is ending, but I get it. And, I still have 2 episodes left to enjoy before it ends its 4 year run. Honestly, that is 3 seasons longer than I thought it would get. Kudos to the creators and writers and actors of "Baskets". I will always remember this show, and I am grateful that I got to see it in real time. I would bet a good amount of money that it will become a cult classic whenever it ends up on a streaming service. It is that good of a show.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is tired of all his favorite tv shows leaving him. Why can’t “Young Sheldon” be given only three seasons and then we can have “Love” back for more.

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TLC Week: What is The Learning Channel Teaching us Today?

Finishing off my week long talk of all things TLC Network, I want to look back at what this network used to be, and what it has now become. I have spent all week talking about my love, and one dislike, of the "90 Day Fiance" "franchise". There are some misses, but more often than not, for me, hits. Big time hits.

When I was a kid, and a teen, and even an early adult, TLC used to be a channel that actually tried to teach people things. TLC stood for The Learning Channel. They would have TV shows that would be akin to a history lesson I would have gotten in high school. They did scientific shows. They had TV shows that were primarily shown in classes in school. They really leaned into being a channel for people to learn about things that they may not have known much, if anything, about. They tried to teach the viewer something, and more often than not, they achieved that goal.

That has all changed now.

This is not to say that I haven't "learned" anything recently. It is just the stuff I've learned is pointless, and how easy it has become to be on TV. TLC now shows pretty much nothing but scripted reality shows. There is a major range from what type of scripted reality shows they have now as well. I, or more likely my wife, will turn TLC on and we could watch anything from "4 Weddings" to "My 600 Pound Life". Both shows are trash reality TV, but do they really teach me anything of importance? No way.

What I have learned from the latest incarnation of The Learning Channel? I do know that when you put 4 brides in a room together, make them attend each others wedding and then let them judge one another, they will be absolutely ruthless. I also have learned that there are people out there that are much more addicted to food than I am, and they let it get to a point where they cannot even get out of bed, or bathe themselves. And they usually blame everyone but themselves. I don't mean to be rude or aggressive, but you can stop eating trash food. People do it everyday. I find myself never feeling sorry for the person that has gotten to 600 pounds or higher. I'm sorry, that is just how I feel. Drifting even further from these shows, TLC has gone as far to put a show on recently, within the past couple of years at least, called "Sex Sent Me to the ER". This show is absolutely fake, ridiculous and insane, yet very watchable. It is like watching a fun bad movie. The reenactments on "Sex Sent Me to the ER" are nuts. Sometimes they have the real doctor playing themselves, or they have actors playing them. They always have actors playing the people who end up in the ER, and they are ALWAYS much better looking than the real person, who is interviewed about their incident during the show. Besides getting much better looking people to play the patients, I have learned that some people will do some dumbass stuff while being intimate. The worst I ever saw was some idiot put his member in a grill on a campsite. I don't know how real that was, but the reenactment was hilarious and insane. I was floored.

To wrap this whole week up, TLC has very much changed what they set out to do from the start. I think they wanted to be an educational channel, and they tried, but it didn't work. So they pivoted to reality TV, a la what MTV and VH1 have done, and they are succeeding now. The shows may be much worse than what they tried to do at the start, but damn are they enjoyable. I will close it all out like I started the week. TLC is the trash reality network right now, and they are crushing it. We will see how long it lasts, but right now, I love it. My hat is off to TLC. Keep doing what you are doing while you can, because this won't last forever. Ride that wave TLC. And thanks for the never ending, trashy entertainment.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Years ago Ty learned how to make a fire from TLC. Today TLC teaches him how to make a fire…in the bedroom.

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TLC Week: "90 Day Fiance: Pillow Talk" is a Welcome Addition to the 90 Day Family

TLC has another one of the most useless, yet supremely entertaining shows currently on TV right now. That show is called "90 Day Fiance: Pillow Talk". Did you all think I was done with the "90 Day" off shoots? Think again.

"Pillow Talk" is essentially a re airing of the newest episode, but this time they have other couples from other "90 Day" shows come on and talk about what they are seeing while they lounge in their home, or the home of a relative. I absolutely love this. I was on the fence when my wife said we should check it out because I didn't want to watch the same show over again. But, it is so much more than that. It reminds me of when VH1 used to show "I Love The Insert Decade Here" shows, or something like "Pop Up Video". It just enhances what I've just seen only an hour ago.

For this first season of "Pillow Talk", they assembled some great past stars from whatever "90 Day" they were on. We get people like Tarik and Dean, who are hilarious. David and Annie, I can't believe I'm saying this, are wonderful, and I find myself agreeing with what David says most of the time. Darcey and her twin sister Stacey are on it, and they are feisty and fun and funny. They even brought Darcey's two daughters on one time, and that somehow worked.

The best couple on "Pillow Talk", by a thousand miles, is Lexi and Loren. They are the most fun, by far the funniest, they have the best reactions and interactions and they are so god damn adorable together. They crack me up, especially how low key Lexi is, and how amped up Loren gets. It works out almost too perfectly.

Anyway, the things that the couples, or relatives see, and to see their reactions, is totally worth your time. I have said a lot this week that my wife and I judge the people on these "90 Day" shows, and that is exactly what "Pillow Talk" does, except the people involved lived through it. They were on TV. They had their engagements and weddings and life after all that broadcast to the public. They know better than any of us what these people are going through. So, to see them react to this most recent season of "Happily Ever After?" is tremendous. The amount of jaws dropping is amazing. The guttural yells that have come from some people are hilarious. Dean is such a humongous fan of Chantel's, that any time she and Pedro get into a fight, he immediately takes her side, and takes it with a vengeance. He is great. As I said, David and Annie's reactions are golden. David actually seems to have gotten his act together, or he just likes to judge people, and Annie always makes some delicious food and gives her 2 cents, which is very informative. Loren has made some of the best faces during all the Colt, Larissa and Deb stuff. She is clearly aghast at what she is seeing, as we all are. Lexi will just sit there and eat food, but even he has sat up in their bed and dropped his jaw. Those moments are priceless. I love how Darcey is all about people breaking up, or getting their money. She has no bones about who she is, and she is proud to show that on "Pillow Talk". I think what I enjoy most about the show, outside of the fact that I get to see what these people snack on, is that it is a neat little wrap up. It is a nice after dinner show to watch and get full reactions to the insanity that was the episode of "Happily Ever After?".

I cannot help it, I really enjoy the hell out of this show. I was actually bummed when they didn't have a new "Pillow Talk" last week for the "Tell All". That would have ruled. To see the way the cast from "Pillow Tal" would have reacted to the Pedro and Chantel stuff, especially Dean, would have kicked ass. Maybe next time they will. But for now, as odd as this show sounds, I highly recommend, for fans of the "90 Day" universe, to check out "Pillow Talk". 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. What does Ty Snack on when he is in bed watching “90 Day Fiance”? A big heaping bowl of chili of course.

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TLC Week: The Terrible Ideas, and Intriguing Couples of "90 Day Fiance: The Other Way"

Today I want to talk about another off shoot "90 Day Fiance" show. This one is called "90 Day...The Other Way". In this iteration people from America are going to live with their soon to be spouses in their home country.

This show rules. The Americans, for the most part, are the prototypical "stupid" Americans. They make us look like morons. But, that is what makes it so great. Also, the people leaving America, I feel zero sympathy for. Look, I despise this country right now, we are an absolute train wreck and we live in a waking nightmare, but that doesn't mean I am going to move, although Canada would be kind of dope. But, the people on this show are leaving to be with someone that they have online dated for, mostly, less than one year. Some of these people have only met face to face once, or some have only talked on Skype, but they are ready to uproot their entire life, and leave their extended family, to go live somewhere they have only ever been on vacation.

For example, there is this girl Devean from Salt Lake City, and she is ready to move to South Korea to be with her fiance Jihoon. Now, these 2 have met, and even been intimate. She is in fact pregnant with his child. This is part of why she wants to move there to be with him. She does have another young child who she is planning on bringing with her when she moves. I do need to say, I really like this Jihoon guy. He seems to be genuinely in love with Devean, and he wants to provide and his parents are cool as hell. What strikes me as odd though is all the things Devean is oblivious to with this move. There is one scene where she is talking to her folks, and she says, "wait, there is no ranch in Korea". It is hilarious. She is also leaving behind the people who help her with child care. Jihoon's parents came for a visit, and when her toddler was acting up, she just sent her over to her folks house. She just said she now realizes she won't be able to do that when she moves to South Korea. It is clear to me that she is impulsive, and she is very young. I do hope things work out for her and Jihoon because they do seem to be in love for real, but man is she just so very, very young. Also, I'm sure they have ranch, or something similar, in South Korea.

There is this other couple where the guy is moving to a small village in, I think, Brazil to be with his girlfriend. The girlfriend has openly told him that she doesn't want to get married or have kids, and that he should be the sole provider because that is what she expects. The guy, on the other hand, is a mama's boy, and he has done nothing but complain since he got to her hometown. He has griped about the car they own, the apartment they live in, their cooking supplies and the fact that they don't have a good internet connection. It took him about 2 days of living there before he started to complain about every little thing. He is such a whiner. Also, he has been there before, so he should have known what to expect. But, when he was there before, he was on a vacation high. He was staying in nice resorts that had everything he was used to having at home. Now that he has moved there, he is in way, way over his head. Also, I don't think this girl likes this guy clearly as much as he thinks.

There is one lady that is moving to Qatar to be with a guy that she married after she knew him for only 9 days, but she has reservations already. She also is leaving behind her best friend, but even worse, her only son. Their goodbye was absolutely heart breaking. She was his only family, that we the viewer know of, and she just left him. And now that she is in Qatar, she is complaining that her young husband is great in every way, except in the bedroom. She even brings stuff to enhance their bed room experience. He, of course, feels offended, but she could care less. She also has zero money left, and cannot get a job or make any kind of money until her Visa is secured. She clearly went to live there with no plan whatsoever. She is also in her early 50's, so you'd think she knows better.

Then we have a 60 year old grandma who is moving to India to be with her 30 year old fiance, who's parents do not approve of this union, and want him to live at home. These 2 are a total mess. She left behind all her grown children, and grand children, on a whim. She also quit her job and blew all her savings. And when she got to India, her boyfriend did not pick her up for a few hours. The boyfriend has not told his parents that he is living with his girlfriend, his friends think he is nuts, he quit his job and moved to Mumbai so he could be away from his family to be with her and they are now running out of money. I will say, he loves her, and she loves him. But, what I failed to mention until now, this whole relationship started as a catfish, and turned into what it is now. Next week he is actually going to tell his parents about her, and I cannot wait to see what happens.

Finally we have a couple that started out on "Before the 90 Days", and has been around forever. I'm speaking of Paul and Karine. Karine is young and wants a better life. Her parents are great, and she just wants to be taken care of. Paul is a god damn mess of a human being. He carries around a lock of his mother's hair. He is terrified of bugs and dirty water, and he goes to extreme measures to avoid all of this in the Amazon. He has a vast criminal record. He has no money. He cannot keep a job. He packs military grade boxes with junk to go and visit Karine. He has used the term "poop water" on several occasions. He has been accused of terrorism. He is a complete and total mess. He has asked Karine to take several pregnancy and STD tests, even though she has been nothing but faithful to this disaster of a person. He is the type of guy that, for sure, voted for this current administration, and will do so again in 2020 when he inevitably gets deported back to America. Paul is a dip shit and an idiot. I feel zero sympathy for him because he is so dumb and ignorant.

Even though I am dumping on these people, this show is extremely enjoyable. It is so much fun to judge and make fun of these people. There is another couple, where a very intelligent and level headed woman has moved to South Africa to be with her gambling addict fiancé, but honestly, they seem pretty normal and happy. They are the only "good" couple on the show. I am actively rooting for them. But, I highly recommend this show for TLC fans and fans of the "90 Day" ouvre. It is fun, a little different and trashy reality TV at its best. Check it out.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty cannot imagine moving to another country for someone he just met. He had a hard time moving two towns over to be with a girl he had known for years.

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TLC Week: "The Family Chantal" is a Rare Trashy Miss for the Network

Continuing with my week long quest to write about TLC reality shows, last night they premiered "The Family Chantel", a "90 Day Fiance" spinoff show. I have to admit, I was excited to watch. I tried to play it all cool with my wife, like I wasn't stoked to watch the show, but I was. And after seeing the "Tell All", and how they interacted all season long on "Happily Ever After?", I assumed this was going to be one of the wildest, dumbest and most bizarre things on TV. Even the commercials made it seem this way.

Unfortunately, it wasn't wild at all. Actually, it was kind of boring, and seemed pointless. "The Family Chantel" kind of feels like TLC decided to take a shot, since they are owning trashy reality TV right now, but this was a total misfire. By the halfway point of the premier, I was already looking at stuff to buy on Amazon on my phone. I have been making a conscious effort to stay off my phone while watching shows because I want to really focus on what I am seeing. But, "The Family Chantel" was far too boring, and it just couldn't keep my attention. The same thing can be said for my wife. She was laying on our love seat watching, and she would get up to brush her teeth during the show, she got up to take her vitamins, she just kept getting up and down, and to me, that is a sign that she too is bored.

We both said, near the end, that the show was not what we were hoping, and expecting. Instead of drama and stupidity, it was literally watching a married couple struggle due to family issues. It was, at times, kind of sad. I felt bad for Chantel and Pedro because their families hate one another, and that has to be really hard when you are married. Now, these families go to the extreme, suggesting divorce, bringing tasers to their daughter's home, taking twerking classes, deflecting their problems onto siblings, pretty much cliché reality TV stuff. But, even that cliché stuff was boring. The whole taser scene should have been great, but it wasn't. The fact that Chantel's mom brought a taser, then threatened to use it, should have been great. But, it fell flat.

I think part of the problem is Chantel's mom is expecting to become a famous TV personality. The reality though, she is a horrible actress, and this "character" she is portraying on the show is very dull. She is the prototypical overbearing mom, but I have seen better on shows like "Flavor of Love" or "The Real World". She is not that good. Pedro's sister is the same. She is the villain, but again, she is predictable and not a good actress and played out. I've seen her do all the stuff on "The Family Chantel" that she does on "Happily Ever After?". It is lame. Chantel's brother River seems like he doesn't want to be there. And the same for her sister Winter, who is the only good thing about this show. She is the only real person on it. Even when the episode ended, and they showed the coming up this season stuff, nothing really grabbed me. This is where the show is supposed to get the viewer back, make them want to watch more, but it was more of the same.

Look, I know that the two families don't like each other, I know that Chantel's family does not like visiting the Dominican Republic, I know that Pedro and Chantel fight all the time, I know that Lydia, Pedro's mom, blames Chantel's family for her son's attitude. I have seen it all already on "Happily Ever After?" and "Before the 90 Days".

I commend TLC for going for it, but this just doesn't work. We took the show off our DVR after the premiere was over, and said the only way we'd watch it again is on a lazy Sunday if TLC is running a marathon, and nothing else is on. This was an unexpected dud, and it bums me out that it wasn't as wild and ridiculous as I hoped. Oh well, at least I still have all the other iterations, of which I will touch on this week, of "90 Day Fiance". But, "The Family Chantel", for fans of this, is a miss in my opinion.

Ty

TLC Week: The Awesomeness of "90 Day Fiance" and the Fallout of the "Tell All"

This week I'm going to talk specifically about shows on the TLC network. I have no bones about the amount of shows I watch on this network. I have also talked about some shows they put on that look disgusting. I have pleaded to anyone that will listen to me how they definitely need to change the name of the channel because the only thing I have "learned" from the learning channel is that anyone, and I mean anyone, can be on a reality show.

That leads me to what I want to touch on today. I love the show, and all its iterations, "90 Day Fiance". TLC has also learned that this is their biggest cash cow, and they have started to show the show in 2 and 3 hour blocks, and they even have 2 different versions on Sunday and Monday. TLC knows that this is their "hit" show, and they are milking it, as they should.

Last night was the "Tell All" for the most recent season of "90 Day Fiance: Happily ever After?", love the question mark in the title by the way, and it was mesmerizing. I know that this is vapid and stupid and content for the sake of content, but I was very intrigued by what I watched with my wife last night. I need to say too, the last hour of the 2 hour show was the "Tell All". The first hour was dedicated to one of the worst, which means they were one of the most fun to watch, couples on this recent season.

The couple in question are Colt and Larissa. Colt is clearly in love, like for real, with his mom, and Larissa has been in the US for 7 months and has been arrested for domestic assault 3 times. It is a real train wreck, and I literally cannot look away. I loathe these 2 people, but they make for great reality television. All the stuff that went on, from the trail, to Colt's mom telling him how awful his ex wife is, to Larissa living with a new friend, getting a new boyfriend and being asked to stay home for the trial because of ICE, it was all tremendous TV. It is like a drug that I know the effects will wear off soon, but right now, I am hooked. The Colt and Larissa special was wonderful and disturbing and weird and everything I hoped for. My wife and I judged everyone, and isn't that what reality TV nowadays is all about? It was great.

Then the "Tell All" came on, and let me tell you, it was something else. The yelling and fighting and stupidity and lying and ignorance was at an all time high. Some of the couples, mainly Pao and Russ and Andrei and Elizabeth, fans of the show will know who I am talking about, didn't really have to be there. But, the stuff between Jay and Ashley was great. Jay is a 20 year old from Jamaica that has cheated on his wife Ashley 2 times that we know of. He is a scumbag, but she is an idiot. She took this dude back twice after he did this stuff, and I am supposed to feel sorry for her? Get the hell out of here. Colt was there by himself, because he will be alone forever, and he just berated and yelled at everyone. He is a sad, sad, sad man. Larissa didn't even want to be in the same room as him, so she didn't go to the "Tell All", opting to call in via Skype. Nicole was really unnecessary last night, but I feel like something big is going to happen between her and Azan next week.

The cream of the crop that was this train wreck was Pedro and Chantel. It has been widely shown that the 2 families do not get along. They despise each other so much, TLC is doing a spinoff show about that which premieres tonight. Don't worry, my review will be up tomorrow. But the way these 2 interact with one another is toxic. It is really, really bad. Pedro always "jokes" about leaving Chantel, and Chantel is so god damn condescending. It is wild. When Chantel's parents came on, that was when it went from a 10 to an 11. Pedro kept leaving the stage, and then coming back to yell at her mom and dad. The mom and dad are as condescending as Chantel is towards Pedro. It was crazy lit, the way they yelled over one another and fought last night. My wife and I both watched, first in laughter, then in horror and then in sadness for how messed up they all are.

This 2 hour block was a total homerun last night. I say again, I know I shouldn't watch this stuff, but I am hooked, and I don't feel that bad about it. Reality TV is supposed to be like this, and TLC has really found a groove with the whole "90 Day" stuff. My dad hat is off to them.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Was he describing an episode of “The Jerry Springer Show”? That is what the head editor thinks Ty was describing.

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Where are the Great 4th of July Television Episodes?

Happy 4th of July everyone.

That is actually what leads me into what I want to touch on very, very briefly today. The 4th of July is a pretty big holiday. Or, at least, I imagine it is for most. For me as a kid the Fourth meant that I got to eat Dairy Queen and watch fireworks on the hood of my folks car. Pretty simple, yet very fun as a kid. As I got older, the fourth wasn't too important. Then I met my wife, and her family loves the Fourth. They have a big cookout, a barbeque and we shoot off fireworks. It has been that way for 13 plus years now.

I recently noticed that most of the TV shows I watch don't do an episode focused on the Fourth. I know that "Saved By the Bell" had one episode where they played games while working at the beach one summer, and it ended with fireworks, thus leading us to believe it was July 4th. And RD pointed out to me that the episode of "The Simpsons" where they go to Flanders beach house takes place on the Fourth. So, there are 2 examples of shows I do watch that may have a Fourth themed episode.

When thinking about this topic, I searched my brain for other shows I watch that do good holiday themed episodes, and none really came to mind. "The Office", the American version, even when it was bad, they did a good Christmas/Hanukkah themed episode. They also did solid Halloween episodes. But, no real Fourth of July ones. "30 Rock" crushes their Christmas episodes. I think they make some of the best in fact. But, not only do I not recall seeing a Fourth ep, I don't know that I have seen a Halloween or Thanksgiving one. "Parks and Rec", who you'd assume would have a great Fourth of July episode, or episodes, never touches on the holiday. They do excellent Halloween ones. The one with Greg Pitkitis, or when Gerry has a "fart attack", those are classics. But not even when Anne moves to Michigan and Leslie throws a mega party with all the holidays crammed into one, do we see a Fourth of July themed area. It just strikes me as weird is all.

I'm sure there are some shows out there that do celebrate this holiday, I just haven't seen them, or they were forgettable. It is strange is all I am trying to say. The Fourth of July seems to be a major holiday, and the shows I watch that cover major holidays, have never really dipped their toes into the Fourth. Please let me know if I am wrong, or just missed something because I'd like to see how an "Office" or "Parks and Rec" handles the day.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Make your 4th of July resolution to be the person on your block who grills the best hotdog. We have a guide for that.

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