Ty Watches "Fargo" Season Four Premier

I'm back after a day away. I had some personal stuff to deal with, some tough stuff, and I needed a day to just vent and cry with my wife and kids. But, it is all good now, and I am back. And I am back to talk about the new season of "Fargo".

We have made no secret, RD and I, how much we love the movie and love the show. It is one of the best portrayals, or continuation if you will, or a great movie turned television show. They took this classic movie, and have now made four seasons of some of the most watchable TV out there right now. I was particularly excited for this new season because I am a humongous Chris Rock fan, and I also really, really like Jason Schwartzman. When I saw that they were cast for this new installment, I was pumped. And they are wonderful on the show. This is the first, of four, that doesn't take place in North Dakota or Minnesota. This one is in Kansas City. There is a character from Minnesota in the new season, more on her in a minute, but this is all about the Midwest.

The way the show started off, there were two new episodes, almost three hours of material, and it was tremendous. We got a back story from a young African American student, expertly played by Emyri Crutchfield, about how mob families have come through Kansas City since the early 1900's. It was interesting and cool to see how it was run by one family, a Jewish family, and they made a deal with an Irish family. Then the Irish family takes over and makes a deal with an Italian family. In each one of these deals, a child is traded from family to family too, making it seem that much more ruthless and wild, that people were willing to give up kids to have control over a town and city. After the Italian family takes over, this is where we get the African American crew, led by Rock, coming in to form an alliance with them. When they make the trade off, this is where the show totally takes off. The stakes rise so very much because Rock and his crew are, not only well formed and ready to fight, they are smart too, smarter than any other mob family that has come through. After the trade of children, things get pretty wild. The Italian family loses their leader, mini spoiler alert, when an errant pellet hits an artery in his throat. This pushes Schwartzman to the front of the line. He becomes the leader. He seems ready, but he is also a bit hot headed and hostile. He seems like a bomb that is ready to explode. When he is in the hospital, watching over his father, we meet this crazy nurse who relocated to KC from Minnesota. Jessie Buckley plays the nurse, Nurse Mayflower, and she is crazy. She has been getting compared to Nurse Rathcet, but I think she may be more crazy, and also smarter. She is an evil genius essentially. Her arc over these two episodes was wild, and I am completely in for her journey. As for Schwartzman, he was good, like he always is, and I want to see where he goes from here. He had some great scenes in the first two episodes. Rock and crew were my absolute favorite part so far. Rock is the poised leader of the new mob that comes to town. He is pointed and careful and smart and knows what he is doing and how to do it. It is so cool to see him in a role like this. This is like the stuff he did early on in his career, like his role in "New Jack City", or more in tune with what he did on his own with a movie like "Top 5". Chris Rock is a good, adaptable actor, and roles like he has in "Fargo", and the aforementioned movies before prove that. His crew is also pretty great. Again, they follow his direction, and Doctor Senator, played by Glynn Turman, is a great second in line. Again, he is calm, but he also seems like he has a very, very dark side.

I have enjoyed every iteration that Noah Hawley and crew have done with the "Fargo" TV series, but this one feels different. This one feels like it could be a classic. This feels like this could be the season where everyone is talking about it years and years from now. It has the potential to be that good. I was enthralled, didn't look at my phone and watched with intense focus the whole time. That doesn't happen much anymore, but this fourth installment has my undivided attention. I cannot wait to see where they go from here. 

Ty

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

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The Comedic Genius of Fred Willard

I mentioned last week how my wife and I have been on a Christopher Guest kick for our quarantine date movies. We have watched three the last three weeks. We watched "This is Spinal Tap", "A Mighty Wind" and "Best in Show". They all still hold up, they are all still very funny and they all make me want to watch his other movies.

On these re-watches, I noticed that it is Fred Willard usually being, or having one of the best parts or moments in the movie. He is only in "Spinal Tap" for one scene, but it has still stuck with me. He is the naval base guy when they play a veterans show, and he greets them. He calls them Spinal Tarp, he throws in some solid dry dad jokes and I was sitting there watching it and just laughing and laughing. It is supposed to be a forgettable role, but Willard made it great. And then in "A Mighty Wind" and "Best in Show", he steals each movie, at least for me. He is absolutely wonderful in both of these movies. He is, by far, in a cast filled with great humorists and comedians and improv people, the very best. In "A Mighty Wind" he is the manager of the New Main Street Singers, the cheesy Branson esque folk band, with a past in TV. He appeared on a TV show called, "Wha Happened", which according to the newspaper in the movie was "canceled due to total lack of interest". But Willard's performance makes it seem like he was a star. He was so funny, doing the "wha happened" line over and over again. And when he is talking about doing stand up and bombing, but throwing in lines that he thought worked, it was tremendous. He was a sad sack of a comedian and actor, but he had this happiness that he let wash over him all the time. He also had bleached blonde hair that he gelled up for this role, adding even more humor. I don't know if Guest asked him to do this, but I like to think it was his idea, he told no one and showed up to set the first day and rolled with it. He is so good in that movie.

Fred Willard, and I am not kidding, is Oscar worthy great in "Best in Show". He is a bumbling broadcaster for the dog show, who knows nothing about dogs. He goes off on these tangents and soliloquies, that are total nonsense, but coming from Willard, they are delivered to perfection. He is so funny. He is so memorable. He is the best thing about what I consider to be the best Christopher Guest movie. When he is talking about the dogs, then goes into questioning the co broadcaster how much he thinks he could bench in his prime, that is classic. When he calls Jane Lynch "one happy fellow", and is told that she is, in fact, a woman, hilarious. When he tells the proctologist joke, and the other broadcaster calls him out for using that last year, and he just moves on, it is majestic. Every single thing Willard does in "Best in Show" not only works, it is perfect. His portrayal of this buffoon is just perfect.

This got me thinking about some other things I have seen Willard in, and how he is pretty damn good in everything he did in his lifetime. Most recently he was on "Modern Family", and even though we stopped watching that show, I did see Willard, as Phil's dad, and he was great. He was in a sketch in one of my favorite shows from last year, "I Think You Should Leave", as an organist at a funeral, and his performance is riotous. He's the TV show manager at the news station in "Anchorman", and his cut away lines, when he is talking to the school about his kid, or his one interaction with Christina Applegate, those are some of my favorite quotable lines from that gem of a movie. He was in three episodes of "Space Force" as Steve Carrell's father who is clearly suffering from dementia, and he makes that funny. I will never, ever forget him in "Review". He was amazing as Jessica St Clair's dad, who Forrest tries to reconcile with, takes him to space, and he meets a very unfortunate and untimely death, again, played to humongous laughs.

The list for Willard goes on and on and on. IMDB has him as a credited actor in over 300 things. That is astounding. The fact that he isn't more appreciated, he barely ever comes up when people talk about all time great comedic and improv actors, is criminal. Willard is one of, if not, the best. He is always reliable. He was always funny. He never really had any outside problems, minus the being caught in an adult movie theater, but he found a way to make a joke out of that because he is a master. Fred Willard was a tremendous talent, and rewatching some of his older stuff, I have found myself missing him, and wishing I could see him in more. Willard was great, and I suggest people go and check out his work. It is a plethora of comedy classics, and he usually steals the show.

The fact is that Fred Willard was one of the all time greats. 

Ty

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

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A Review of the First Broadcast Hour of MTV.

On August 8th, 1981 MTV was launched, thus began the dawn of a new age in cable television. Joining TBS, HBO, and ESPN, MTV would go on to become one of the most important, and polarizing, channels in cable music history.

Recently, the first four broadcast hours of MTV was downloaded to the Internet Archive (you can watch it here). The video is old, and it is missing a few moments. Still, most of the legendary early moments of MTV are intact. Some of those early moments are iconic, some are very forgetful. I decided I wanted to go back and rate those early videos and find out if they have stood the test of time. There are three criteria I will use to rate the MTVness of that first hour.

Is the video any good?

We are obviously using late seventies/early eighties technology, so I will grade on a curve.

Is the video memorable?

Obvious one here. Do we still think of this video almost forty years later.

Did the video kill the radio star?

The 1980’s saw a rise in one hit wonders, and many people think it is because an average band had a good video on MTV. I will ask did the video elevate the song.

One last side note. I loved MTV. I still bitch about the day “Remote Control” came on and doomed my beloved channel to not being the “nothing but videos” spot on my cable box. I also tell everyone I know that I stayed up to watch the launch of MTV. Since I was six years old in August of 1981, I highly doubt I did stay up, but the legend has become reality in my mind.

Alright, let’s get to it.

12:00 AM, Eastern Standard Time August 1st, 1981

Video and audio of the Space Shuttle getting ready to launch. A countdown. Shuttle engines start. The scene switches to the launch of an Apollo rocket. Neil Armstong on the Moon. And then the words “Ladies and Gentleman, Rock and Roll. The MTV flag next to the Moonman and the iconic guitar riff that will forever be associated with Music Television. Transition right into the first video in MTV’s history.

“Video Killed the Radio Star” The Buggles

We all know this was the first video ever. I always thought it was made for the launch of MTV. I was wrong.

Any good? Absolutely. It was a video, not just concert footage. It told a story. It looked cool. Everyone was wearing shiny silver. The backing vocals had on cool glasses. It ushered in the future.

Memorable? We all know this video. The answer is yes.

Did the video kill the radio star? Yes. The Buggles eventual joined the band Yes, but their song and video for “Video Killed the Radio Star” will always be a part of history.

The first commercial on MTV is an ad for…MTV

“You Better Run” Pat Benatar

For decades I have been telling people that the second video ever on MTV was Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield”. Two things. I was wrong, and I have never ever heard of this song.

Any good? The early days of MTV was all about selling an image. Pat Benatar was one of those early images. Tight leather pants, bold lipstick, short hair, I’ll beat your ass attitude, Benatar was a pioneer in this arena when MTV was in it’s early days.

The video for “You Better Run” is mostly just the band performing, but it focuses on Pat Benatar. That is what separates this video from many others we will see in the first hour.

Memorable: Pat Benatar made much better music, and music videos, after “You Better Run”. I already mentioned “Love is a Battlefield”. This should not be in Benatar’s highlight reel.

Did video kill the radio star? Not this video. Pat Benatar was just getting ready to blow up on MTV and on the radio dial.

Now we meet the VJs (video jockeys in case you did not know). We start with Alan Hunter, then Martha Quinn, followed by JJ Jackson, Next up is Nina Blackwood, and we end with Mark Goodman boldly proclaims that MTV will do for music videos what FM did for music.

In the ad break we see commercials for a three ring binder called The Bulk, a promo for the movie “Superman II”, and then some words from Dolby Laboratories.

“She Won’t Dance with Me” Rod Stewart

Another artist who would make a name for himself in the early days of MTV, and yet another video I have absolutely no memory of.

Memorable: Obviously not. I just said I have no memory of it.

Any Good: Another performance video, but this one does show off the style and antics of Rod Stewart. It is also shot in a black room with white polka dots.

Did video kill the radio star: We all know Rod Stewart for his music, not for his music videos. There is no way “She Won’t Dance With Me” was ever going to deter the incredible career of Rod Stewart.

In the ad break is when we first see the iconic guitar smashing into a tv MTV ad.

“You Better You Bet” The Who

Love em or hate em, The Who is one of rock’s biggest acts. “You Better You Bet” is when The Who were getting away from their “Tommy” and “Quadrophenia” days and just trying to sell some records.

Memorable: The song is popular. The video? Not so much

Any Good: A straight up performance video, but it is shot in classy black and white.

Did video kill the radio star: The Who were already a global success. If anything, the laziness of the video may show that the radio star was not ready for video.

In the break, VJ Mark Goodman explains how you can mail away for a sticker to place on your stereo’s FM dial so you know where you can watch MTV on your television, and listen to the music through your stereo. We are then treated to a Mountain Dew ad followed by a plea from the Interfaith Hunger Appeal. REO Speedwagon then appears and tells you when you watch their next concert live on MTV.

“Little Susie’s on the Up” PH.D.

I have never heard of PH.D., and after doing a little research I know nothing significant about the band.

Memorable: After seeing it, yeah it is memorable because it is all over the place yet still tells it’s story of a dance competition.

Any Good: Being memorable and being good do not go hand in hand. “Little Susie’s on the Up” is exhibit one. We have piano playing, a butcher shop, hairdressers, ironing, a dance competition, snotty dancing people, and a top prize of a jar filled with olives, I think.

Did video kill the radio star: The insanity of this video is much better than the terribleness of the song.

“We Don’t Talk Anymore” Cliff Richard

I was getting ready to say that this is a no name artist left over from the AM Gold era, and a terrible video, and then I researched who is Cliff Richard. Holy crap. This guy is one of the best selling and beloved artists in British music history, and he is a knight. Sorry Cliff.

Memorable: Nope, just a guy swaying and singing with a guitar superimposed every now and then.

Any Good: The dude may be a legit superstar, but I still think the song and the video sucks.

Did video kill the radio star: Obviously not. Cliff Richard was already big by the time this snooze fest came along.

“Brass in Pocket” The Pretenders

A Hall of Fame band with a Hall of Fame video. Absolutely legendary.

Memorable: Hell yeah it’s memorable. This video shaped the way I hear the song “Brass in Pocket”. Whenever Chrissie Hynde says “special”, and the band responds with “special”, I always picture one of the guys pointing to the word special on the menu. It is so cheesy and so awesome.

Any Good: This is the best video to be shown on MTV in these early hours. It has a story you can follow and the iconic use of the special on the menu.

Did video kill the radio star: This is a great video, and it introduced many people to the awesomeness of The Pretenders, but no the video did not overshadow the music.

“Time Heals” Todd Rundgren

Music legend, and not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for some reason, Todd Rundgren sings a song while he interacts with a bunch of surrealist paintings by Dali.

Any Good: It is different. If you like different, then it is good.

Memorable: I never saw it until I started this project. I will now never forget it.

Did video kill the radio star: Todd Rundgren has never been known for his videos. He is known for being one of the most influential people in rock history. Explain to me again why he is not in the Rock Hall.

“Take it on the Run” REO Speedwagon

Side note: The video I was watching cut this music video a few seconds after it started. I do however feel like I got the spirit of the music video by those few seconds.

Concert footage from REO Speedwagon singing one of their most popular tunes of the time.

Any Good: Bland concert footage from a bland band, so no.

Memorable: Maybe if you saw the Speedwagon at a county fair, this video could bring back some memories.

Did video kill the radio star: Not this video.

In the ad break, VJ Mark Goodman once again tells us where we can get the MTV dial position sticker. This is followed by an ad for Chewels gum.

“Rockin Paradise” Styx

Dennis DeYoung is alone on stage with a player piano. DeYoung is sporting an epic fro and killer mustache. He is singing a quiet melancholy tune. And then it gets real. The rest of the band join DeYoung and proceed to rock your world.

Any Good: Basic performance video with a crazy looking Dennis DeYoung

Memorable: Not really. Outside of DeYoung, standard rock performance.

Did video kill the radio star: If you love Styx, it is not because of this video. If you do not love Styx, this video will not convince you.

In the ad break we are told that Andron is the first pheromone based fragrance and the whole family, including the dog, enjoys playing Atari.

“When Things Go Wrong” Robin Lane and the Chartbusters

The biggest hit from a band I have never heard of. A video with a story. Lady goes to a colonial town, sings towards the sea as we follow a guy go on a big ship. The end.

Any Good: At least it is not a performance or concert footage video.

Memorable: Already forgotten.

Did video kill the radio star: I think video was supposed to launch the radio star. Did not happen.

VJ Mark Goodman introduces that MTV will cover the music business in all fifty states. Up first is a report by Bob McClain on the New York homecoming of The Ramones. We are then treated by an ad for The Movie Channel. We also get our first experience of the “Don’t watch that, watch this” MTV promo.

“History Never Repeats” Split Enz

A New Zealand band that never quite made it in the states. At least they had this video which is mostly the lead singer in bed while he sings the tune.

Any Good: Not that bad. They tried to make a visually interesting piece of art.

Memorable: They really did not succeed. Split Enz seems like an early version of the alternative artists that will take over MTV in a few years. They definitely had the eighties pop pretty boy look going.

Did video kill the radio star: Like Robin and the Chartbusters, I think this video was supposed to launch Split Enz. Alas, it did not work.

“Hold on Loosely” 38 Special

A famous band performing their famous song in concert.

Any Good: Do you like the song? Come watch the band play the song in front of people.

Memorable: Concert footage of a semi famous band. You do not need to watch to enjoy the song.

Did video kill the radio star. This is not a video. 38 Special did ok with out the visual aspect of their craft.

That is the first hour of MTV. Thirteen videos, along with introduction of the concept, and the VJs. This was what MTV launched as. A mix of new artists using the new medium, and a bunch of old artists showing you their concert footage. The good thing is after hour one, I am intrigued to see what is in store for hour two. How about you?

Overall review - I WANT MY MTV.

RD

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

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Ty Watches "Last Chance U" Season 5

Being that this has been all sports, and mostly college football, I want to finish the week out talking about that very topic. But this time I am going to end on a higher note than what I have been coming with all week.

I just recently finished the fifth season of "Last Chance U". I am a fan of this show. I know that it is a bit over dramatic, it is the same story season after season and it follows a very paint by numbers thread. But, I love college football, I love watching these kids get a shot, I love watching the dynamic of the coaches at the junior college level and I love this show.

This final season, at least in the sense that they are doing football, rumor has it they are switching to basketball for the next season, and that would rule, was great. This was actually the first season where I didn't really find anyone I disliked. The seasons before, at that school in Mississippi and the one in Kansas, both of those coaches were straight up assholes. They played the villain role, and they played it too well. They, in my opinion, hammed it up when the cameras showed up on campus. The kids, they each had some interesting stories, but for the most part, they were castoffs. The two schools before were essentially farm systems for division 1 schools. The kids would either not have the grades to get into their dream school, they were cut from their D-1 school, they were told to go play at the junior college level to hone their skills, it was all about getting the best of the cast off athletes. The kids at these schools in previous seasons, I had heard of some of them. Hell, one was a running back I thought was going to be great at Michigan, but he simply refused to go to class and was kicked off the team. The kids at the school in season five, it's called Laney, are kids that have not given up on their dream of playing college football at a higher level. Laney College doesn't have dorm rooms. The kids on the team have to pay to go there. There are no scholarships. Sure, there is recruiting, and I am sure some kind of "allowance" type stuff takes place. But for the most part, these kids have to get themselves to and from school on their own, most of them have jobs and some even have kids that they take care of and show up to practice. They play to play. They love the game. And they know that Laney is their best shot at getting somewhere else. There is an exception. One kid on the team is a top flight cornerback. He was, at the time of filming, the fifth rated corner in the country as far as recruiting magazines claimed. But, he went to Laney because his brother went there, his cousin went there and he needed to get a little better before joining a D-1 program, which he does. Other kids, they were all so easy to root for. The little white receiver who I was not a fan of, when I heard his life story, I understood why he acts the way he acts. He won me over. The other receiver, the one that has to sleep in his car, that has no contact with his father, his story was crazy depressing, but the way that kid that keeps at it, the way he sacrifices and the stuff he does, I will root for that kid forever to make it. The lineman who is married with two kids was one of the gentlest giants I have seen on TV. He was a beast on the football field, but off it, he was essentially a stay at home dad trying his best to be there for his kids. I related to him the most. And the star of the season was the coach, John Beam. Apparently this gentleman is a legend in Oakland. He has stuck around for 40 plus years. He has had other opportunities, but he has declined them all because he loves what he does, loves working with juco kids and LOVES Oakland. He has his moments, like every coach does, but he is likable and goofy and funny and I found myself rooting for him and his team way more than the other teams featured in "Last Chance U".

This season was very solid. It was probably the best they have done to this point. If this is the way they are going out from the juco football standpoint, they picked the best possible way to do it. I recommend this show now more than ever since football is going to be very different, if it exists at all, this fall. "Last Chance U" is solid, and featuring Laney College in Oakland was perfect. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Watches "The Umbrella Academy" Season 2

The past week my wife and I have been watching "Umbrella Academy" season 2. We watched the first season last year on a whim of hers and I thought it was fine. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad. The fight scenes were awesome, the story was cool, the animation and CGI work was top notch and the ending was rad. The acting was hit and miss though, it got a little too melodramatic and it felt kind of slow at times. Like I said, it was okay. But, the ending to season one definitely made me want to come back to the show. I was curious to see where they would go with this story in a second season.

The second season came out at the end of July, and we have watched the first five episodes, with plans on finishing it by the weekend, and I have to say, the second season, so far, has been totally awesome. I liked the first season enough, but this second season has totally blown season 1 out of the water. The acting has been shored up. Everyone is good, not just Ellen Page and the kid who plays Number 5. The story, which has shifted to the 60's, and the assassination of JFK was the absolute right move. Each episode has told the backstory of the main characters so far, and what they have done in the two to three years they have traveled back in time to Dallas in the early 60's. The music has been so cool. They play old hits and set them to some of the most kick ass fight scenes I have seen on TV or in a movie. There was a fight scene last night that we saw that was almost, almost as good as anything I have seen in any of the three "John Wick" movies. The bad guys this season are so much more fleshed out, and frankly better, than what they had last season. No offense to Mary J Blige, she is a wonderful singer, but her acting cannot hold a card to the people they got this season as the villains. The Swedes are right up there with the Salamanca brothers from "Breaking Bad" for me. Kate Walsh is back, and she is the ultimate villain. She is so good in this role, her clothes are wild and dope and she is as bad as they come.

I have been so much more into this season of the show. I find myself thinking about what I think will happen next each day. I put my phone down when we watch and the show gets my 100 percent attention. I do not want to miss a thing. I don't want to miss any possible plot points that I am sure will come back in the last five episodes. The show has just been so much better. The writers seem to have really bought into this season's premise, and they have nearly perfectly fleshed out the characters arcs to this point. The way they start each episode, with a very important cold open has been so good in letting me know what to look forward to. The emotional changes from the first season are so much better. Luther, the big ape man, has become this sad sack of a person, and the actor is totally nailing the emotions. He is funny, but you also feel for him. Adding in the JFK stuff has also given us cool characters, including a guy that plays Jack Ruby. It has been so cool.

I'm very excited to see where they go with the ending. My wife has read spoilers, but I have asked her to not tell me anything, I want to be surprised. This might be one of the best sophomore seasons of TV I've seen in quite some time. I have really enjoyed season 2 of "Umbrella Academy", and I am almost certain they will end it with a bang, and it will totally hit. This show is very good, and I definitely recommend it. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Watches "Teen Titans Go!: The Night Begins to Shine"

With everyone being home at my house for the last four plus months, I have seen some shows and movies that would have never really been on my radar. I've seen so many more episodes of "T.O.T.S." than I'd like to admit, my daughter loves it. I have watched all the variations of "90 Day Fiance". My wife and I turned on a show on TLC last night, that network is pure trash now by the way, called "My Pregnant Husband". It's wild the stuff I have seen. Add on the fact that there were no sports, and I frankly didn’t really have a say. But, one show I have really taken to, one show I actually want to sit and watch, my son introduced me to. The show is "Teen Titans Go!".

Now, I know I heaped praise on the movie when it came out, putting it in my top five of the year. But, prior to that, I had never actually watched an episode of the cartoon. I had seen bits and pieces, I know the show that is on Cartoon Network now is a silly recreation of an old cartoon, and there is a live action, hyper violent version of the show on that DC channel. But, I have come to really enjoy, and appreciate what the comedic cartoon version of "Teen Titans Go!" does. This show is funny. There are very well written jokes. There are things for both kids and parents. My four year old daughter loves it. My wife does too. The show is very well made. And there is one set of episodes, I think it is an hour long special, that is one of the funniest, most unique and coolest things I have seen on TV.

The special is called, "The Night Begins to Shine". This special is all about the Teen Titans getting together to, essentially, save music for the greater good. And for a show that is all about the jokes and quips and one liners, there are very few in this. This is about as straightforward as this show can get. Sure, there is funny stuff like Beast Boy meeting one of the band members and constantly being hounded by a bird with clues, and Cyborg gets the crew all riled up at the beginning by singing the song, and even the fake band created for the special has their moments. And Cee Lo Green and Fall Out Boy make an appearance and are given some solid jokes to perform. Other than that, this is a straight up, hardcore, lets save music for the greater good special, and I adore it. We watched it just yesterday for, I think, the 10th time as a family, and it still held up as well as the first time. The animation, they go to this outer space world, that they refer to as "radical", and the Teen Titans look like versions of their old selves from the old cartoon, is phenomenal. The story, about why music is so important and needed and how it brings people together, is great. The minimal jokes I mentioned, they are all perfectly timed and perfectly delivered. And the music, it is very catchy and very fun. The band they created for the special is called B.E.R., and they play 80's style synth rock, except they are good. They have the song "The Night Begins to Shine", which is, according to the episode, the greatest and most important song ever written. Cyborg is so enamored with the song, he is kept in the space world while the other Titans have to help him escape. All the stuff with the members of B.E.R., how they all get found and reunite, is so wonderful.And seeing them transform into their robot forms and play their music to save the world, it is one of the coolest things I have seen. I love everything about this special. I am growing to love this show too. But this special is unique and cool and I know they are making a second part, which I will most definitely watch, and I love it all.

This is one thing I am truly glad that I have been exposed to by my son while we have all been at home. This is a show I would have just considered a "kids" show, and not paid any attention to. But. my son knows my love for music, seems to like a lot of what I like, and I am so happy he had me sit down and watch this the first time he did, and was even happier when he suggested we all watch it again for, as I said, at least the tenth time. Check out "Teen Titans Go!" if you haven't already, watch a few episodes to get the gist, and then watch "The Night Begins to Shine". I promise you you will not be disappointed, and I bet you will suggest it to other family and friends. It is truly awesome. 

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 "Space Force" Season One

The other night my wife and I finished season one of "Space Force".

When I first heard about this show I was excited. It was Steve Carrell and Greg Daniels pairing up to make fun of the current "government", and their "plan" to get the US back in space. It sounded like an absolute home run to me. I was stoked. Then it came out, and it seemed to be getting poor reviews. I saw online publications saying it wasn't that funny, Steve Carrell was not very good, it seemed disjointed, all kinds of problems seemed to be had. Then my wife talked to some people she works with, people who have similar taste in TV shows, and they echoed what the critics were saying. They seemed to simply say that it wasn't funny, and that was the biggest problem. So going against my better judgement, I decided to listen to the critics. I decided I wasn't going to watch it. Then one night my wife suggested we give it a try. We are home, we have caught up on other shows, we have watched far worse things, so why not?

One night we watched the first episode and we both liked it. The next night we watched a few more, and found ourselves liking it more. We would find ourselves watching two episodes every other night until we finished it late last week. When we were all done I stated, " this is why I don't listen to critics!". I mean, the show isn't great, it is definitely no "Office", but it is not as bad as most were saying. I found Carrell funny. Sure, his voice was weird, but other than that, he was good. He played his role as the guy lumped into a job he didn't even want, or is qualified for, very well. Carrell has become one of the more reliable actors in Hollywood. And working with Daniels, they remind me of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, they put out solid stuff. John Malkovich played a scientist, a super genius, and he was the best one on the show by a million miles. He was arrogant and smug and mean, but he was also damn funny. He also showed a very soft side at times that I found incredibly sweet. Whenever Malkovich was on screen I did not take my eyes off him. I knew his performance was going to be great. I'd nominate him for an Emmy. Seriously. I thought Lisa Kudrow was great. She is Carrell's wife, and even though she has a very small role, it is damn memorable. When they move to Colorado, and she is in jail, I was shocked, in a good way. She has some great moments in season one. Diana Silvers plays their daughter, and she is good as the oft forgotten wild child in the family. She has good intentions, but she lets her emotions get the best of her too often. Jimmy O Yang is so god damn great as Malkovich's right hand man. He is funny, smart, obsessed, and involved in a very sweet love story. His love interest, Tawny Newsome, was simply perfect. She is a pilot who winds up going to space out of nowhere, but she just rolls with the punches. When she says her statement when she first walks on the moon, it was so great, so perfect and so well written and performed. Ben Schwartz is the media guy for Space Force, and while he could have pigeonholed himself as a Jean Ralphio esque character, he doesn't. He is kind of dumb, but also cocky, and when an actor like Schwartz, who is really willing to go for it, gets a role like this, it hits. And everyone else involved, they did a very solid job.

That is the best way I can describe this show. It is solid. It is not the best thing you will ever watch, but it is not the worst. It's not quotable, but you don't forget about it either. I highly recommend bypassing the critics and checking out this show if you are on the fence. I know I was, and I am glad that I was pushed into watching it. I recommend "Space Force". It is well done TV. 

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 Eric Andre's Comedy Special "Legalize Everything"

Last night I was able to sit down, finally, and watch Eric Andre's new stand-up special, "Legalize Everything".

I loved it, of course. I am a big time Andre fan. I have watched his talk show on Adult Swim multiple times. I loved his role on "Man Seeking Woman". Any time he pops up in a movie, even in a very small part, like in "Popstar", I always end up laughing. And one of the more upsetting live show misses for me was when I was supposed to see him in Saint Louis, but he had to cancel the show due to scheduling conflicts. He never rescheduled, and who knows what will happen with live shows given the current situation. I wished I had gotten to see him. But, luckily, I have all this other content of his to watch, and now this new stand-up special. Since I didn't get to see him live, this was my best case scenario. And as I said, I loved it.

Eric Andre is like the Tasmanian Devil of comedy. He is a total ball of energy on stage, but he can also turn on a dime and really slow things down and tell some funny ass stories. I also appreciated that it was just under one hour long. He gets in and out, and crushes while he is doing his show. The live show was what I wanted to see as well. I mentioned the energy, he has great jokes, he talks about deep stuff that he makes funny, and his crowd work is impeccable. I am going to spoil much because people need to check this out.

Andre is a bit different than most stand-ups out there today. He is so high energy and so wild and so crazy, but it is all done with a tremendous amount of humor. I also liked the cold open of the special where he pretended to be a police officer in New Orleans, where the special was taped, and he walked around getting high, giving people pills, telling people he took evidence, just doing everything illegal, and seeing real people have real reactions, it was like watching his talk show. He then proceeded to crush from the moment he stepped on stage. Oh, he also went through the crowd when he was introduced, and was yelling and getting everyone hyped up. It was great. When he took the mic, he talked about so many different things. He did a good chunk at the beginning about drug use, which was hilarious. He talked about smoking pot with his mom, his experience with MDMA, his one time Xanax trip at Coachella, the bad cocaine in NOLA. It was so funny. He then did a classic bit about the show "Cops", and how ridiculous that they have reggae music as their theme music. It is funny, and timely. The stuff about religion, and Plymouth, Massachusetts was tremendous, and I am totally on board with his thoughts. I howled when he climbed onto an audience member, and told him to stop being weird. The thing with the phone, and texting, that is going to be a classic bit. When he spoke about his early career stand up, and the exploits that happened, again, cackling with laughter. The bit with the souvenir he got in Cuba was great, as was his story about being in the Red Light District in Amsterdam. The whole damn thing is great.

I am a fan, so I knew that I was going to enjoy this special. I do think people who may be on the fence about him will enjoy it too. Like I said, it is wild, but he does tone it down from time to time, and does very funny stories, of which he calls back later in the special. Eric Andre is awesome, and this special is great. I highly recommend checking it out.

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 "Long Gone Summer"

Yesterday I watched the most recent 30 for 30 "Long Gone Summer". The doc was about the summer of 1998 when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa chased the home run record set by Roger Maris.

I lived through this moment in time, and I vividly remember the chase because I live in Saint Louis, and I am a Cardinals fan. That was one of my main motivations for watching this movie. I also wanted to see how much they talked about steroids in this era, and how much of a part it played in both guys, and eventually Barry Bonds, breaking such a hallowed record. And yes, records in baseball, for some reason, are held in higher regards than in other pro sports. So the fact that three guys in four years broke the record, people had lots of questions. But I will touch on that in a moment.

As for the movie, it was just fine. It wasn't great, it wasn't bad, it was just fine. This is unfair to the movie, but I am now going to be comparing the every 30 for 30 to "The Last Dance". That was epic, perfect and one of the best movies I will ever see. So I know comparing this movie to it is not fair. But it just didn't fully live up to the hype for me. A lot of the footage, I remember seeing. I was 16 when this happened, loved baseball, played baseball, so it had my full attention. Baseball also needed something to get back in people's good graces after the 1994 lockout, and this home run race was the remedy. I remember McGwire starting off hot. I remember Ken Griffey Jr being right in it. I remember Sammy Sosa coming on super strong in June. They covered all this, but they didn't really add anything new. I don't think they put in anything that your average baseball fan doesn't remember from that era. They talked about Kerry Wood, but he was the hot phenom at the time. They mentioned Harry Caray's death, and everyone knew about that. They mentioned Sosa's unexpected explosion in June, but that is what got the world's attention. They talked about how hard it was on both guys, but anyone that watched could see it in their faces, especially McGwire's. Sosa loved the limelight, and he shined in it. McGwire just wanted to hit baseballs. I also remember not being a fan of either guy, even though I was, and still am, a Cardinals fan. I was always a Griffey Jr guy.

What I am trying to say is, I already knew all the stuff they were getting into with this movie. I watch 30 for 30's because they give me new info, or tell me about someone I never heard of before. This was almost a paint by numbers doc. It was softball question after softball question. They did not really dig deep into what I was hoping they would, steroids. And that is on me I guess. I was going into this movie thinking it was going to be a salacious take down of both guys, and both guys would come clean about their steroid use. And, I mean, I guess they did, but it was kind of half hearted admittance. McGwire said he used steroids, but only for injuries, which is B.S. Sosa said, "everyone was doing it", which isn't really an admission, but also kind of is. But they did all that in the last ten minutes of the movie. They spent an hour and a half praising these guys, showing legions of fans cheering for them and how they overcame adversity, only to switch at the end to say, "they may have used steroids". There is no may, they did. This could have been like the Lance Armstrong doc. They could have delved so much deeper into the seedy world of steroid use in baseball in the mid to late 90's and early 2000's. They chose to go in a different direction, which is fine, it just wasn't what I wanted or expected. Sosa and McGwire almost come off as good guys, and they both are not, at least in baseball terms. They both took PEDs. They both cheated the game. They both fell off after this one magical season. They both were called into congress to talk about PED use. And "Long Gone Summer" just kind of glossed over all of that in favor for watching a baseball fly over a wall.

It was nice to go back in time and see a ton of cool stuff that I watched as a teenager, but this movie could have been better, at least for me. I wanted more steroid talk, more salacious stuff. "Long Gone Summer" went for sympathy, and that is their prerogative. Now I know to watch "The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience" if I want what I deem to be the truer story, and I'm totally cool with that. I'm glad I watched, but I don't see myself revisiting it like I do with so many other 30 for 30's.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Quibi is Worth it for "Reno 911" Alone

So I have been revisiting movies and shows during quarantine, and the other day Comedy Central was showing a block of “Reno 911”. I sat down to watch because I remember loving the show. Hell, I even went to the theater to see the movie they made, I liked it too by the way. I was nervous about how I would look at “Reno 911” all these years later, but it held up. It was still funny, witty, well improvised and I sat there laughing like I used to when it was originally on.

I recently remembered a rumor I had heard awhile back that they were remaking it. Well, maybe not remaking, but doing a new, updated version of the show. I searched and searched, and came across an app called Quibi on my phone that had the show. In fact, they had a bunch of shows that seemed up my alley. There’s some cool sports stuff, music stuff, other comedy shows, even some interesting cooking shows. But, most importantly, they had the newest season of “Reno 911” on there. I did some research about the app before proceeding. There is a two week free trial, and I was given the option to proceed or decline after that. Well, I didn’t even watch a “Reno 911” during the trial. I found that I was watching some of the other shows. Chrissy Teigen has a very funny cooking show. Chris Paul has a basketball show that he produces that I liked. Anna Kendrick stars in an interesting looking show. Even Will Forte and Kaitlyn Olson have a funny show on there. And of course, after checking out the other stuff, I went to “Reno 911”, and it’s still great.

You may be reading this and thinking, damn Ty you are watching too much TV during quarantine, and while I won’t disagree with that, the episodes of the shows on Quibi are 10 minutes of less, including “Reno 911”. Look, this isn’t an ad for Quibi, but what they are doing right now is working really well. It’s also only like four dollars a month, and you can unsubscribe any time. But my reasoning for even trying the app was “Reno 911”, and this updated version is so reminiscent of the old show. It’s shorter, but “Reno 911” is the type of show that thrives on quick clips and quick setups. That is why Quibi is the best platform for the show.

As for “Reno 911”, it helps that everyone is back from the original, with Joe Lo Truglio added on as another officer. I’ve only seen the first two episodes of the new season so far, and actors I like, like Dave Holmes and Michael Ian Black have shown up. It just further proves to me that they aren’t changing the show, they just wanted to bring it back for the fans.

If you have the means, rediscovered the show like me, I recommend getting Quibi and watching the new “Reno 911”. It’s well worth your time had money.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Watches "The Last Dance" Parts 9 and 10

"The Last Dance" ended last night, and it may be the single greatest documentary series that has ever existed. I don't feel like I am being a prisoner of the moment. I don't think it has anything to do with the lack of sports, although that definitely helps. I think this is the greatest documentary series ever because it is about the greatest basketball player ever, and it is directed by one the best sports story tellers of all time. "The Last Dance" has every single ingredient to make it as perfect as it was.

Now, spoiler alert out there for listeners to out podcast, but I will give my feelings on the documentary as a whole on the next pod. Today, I want to continue with my review of the most recent episodes. Last night finished it off with 9 and 10, and they were magnificent. The series continued to get better, and last night was no exception. Episode 9 went straight away into the 98 East Finals against the Pacers. This was one of two series that went to 7 games during the Bulls double three peat. This was also, probably, the toughest series for any Jordan led team, prior to the Pistons. The Pacers had the style of team that could compete with this Bulls squad. They had big, nasty guys. They had a veteran point guard. They had quickness and electricity off the bench. They had an old sharp shooter. They had size. And they had Reggie Miller. They could have won this series. They could've ended the dynasty one series early. But they didn't. Too may mistakes, miscues and poor rebounding and free throw shooting doomed them. Also, the jump ball between Rik Smits and Jordan was a play I never, ever thought about, but was played out to show how important that one moment was in this series, and I will never look at it the same ever again.

They shifted from that series to the 97 Finals against the Jazz. They showed a lot of stuff from there. We got some great back story on Steve Kerr. His story was very, very in depth, heartbreaking and showed his character. It made me like him even more. We also got the real truth behind the infamous "flu game". As I suspected, and a ton of others did, it wasn't a stomach flu, it was food poisoning. To hear Jordan confirm so quickly and assuredly made it hit home even more. And to see the way he came out and played, after going through something as awful as food poisoning, the guy is not human. That was cool. I also liked getting to see Jordan's kids and hearing them talk about their dislike for Utah and why their mom wouldn't let them go to games there. It was nice to finally hear from someone in his family.

They shifted back to the Pacers series and we got all the intel that I mentioned, and so, so much more. Reggie Miller is underrated, Scottie Pippen is one of the best defenders ever, Larry Bird could coach, Steve Kerr was a sharp shooter and Jordan was an absolute killer. It was awesome to see them break down the series the way they did. We also got to hear about his close relationship with one member of his security detail, and that was a nice story to see how that gentleman took on the fatherly role for Jordan after his dad was killed. It was all great.

Episode 10 was all about the 98 Finals and the aftermath. This was a tremendous episode. To see them talk about how they went about winning, how tired mentally and physically they were, how they laid it all out, it was amazing. Also, big props to Scottie Pippen for playing through that horrible back injury. He really showed his mental toughness, and to do what he did with that injury is astounding. Also, props to Dennis Rodman. Sure, he is an asshole, he skipped out on practice to go wrestle, he wouldn't talk to anyone, but the dude laid it out on the court every game night, and he was the best pest and rebounder that the Bulls have ever had. He also hit four straight free throws in a critical moment for the Bulls, and that is just amazing.

But this was all about MJ and his willingness to put this team on his back and carry them to their 6th title. The things he did in game 6 of the 98 Finals was spectacular, especially the last minute of that game. The Bulls were down 3, and he goes and gets a quick layup. I mean, guys tried to stop him, but he is Michael god damn Jordan. If he wanted to get to the basket he got there. Then, to get the strip on Karl Malone, and bring the ball up and hit that jumper, I mean, there is no better way to go out than that. I know he came back to play for Washington, and some may say he pushed off Byron Russell, but I will always look at that jumper as his last moment. That personified his greatness. That sequence proves for the billionth time that he is the greatest to ever play basketball. I have a piece tomorrow about current players calling him out, Channing Frye I'm talking particularly to you, and they are all full of nonsense. But I will save all that for tomorrow. Jordan proved time and again, when he wanted to win, he was going to find a way to win.

Then the aftermath of that, what followed after the 98 title was wild. Everyone wanted this team back, they wanted to see if they could go for four straight, to win seven in nine years. And I think they would have. If they were able to pull it off, they could have done it. And to see Jordan's reaction to Jerry Reinsdorf's explanation as to why they had to split this team up was something else. Jordan said he didn't agree, and laid out a scenario where they could have done it all again. We were left thinking, what if, but what we got from the 90's Bulls, and Jordan himself was witnessing greatness that we may never see again.

This, and I will keep saying this, is the great documentary series that has ever existed. It is, by far the best sports doc ever, and dare I say, the best documentary ever made. "The Last Dance" is a rare achievement we don't see that much today, and that is being a perfect movie being perfectly told. I love this and I cannot recommend it enough. I will rewatch this maybe a billion times. It's the best. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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

Ty Watches "The Last Dance" Parts 6 and 7

I just finished up the most recent episodes of "The Last Dance", and this is why I was so interested in this doc. This is the stuff I was here for. These are the episodes I have been waiting for. This is the kind of new information I wanted to see, and hear from the man himself, in Michael Jordan. I was so enthralled by everything I watched.

The first episode talked about the first three peat. The team, and Jordan getting to that level, and all the stuff they went through after the third tit;e. This was when Jordan retired the first time. This was when his father was tragically killed. This was when all the theories came out that he was "forced" to retire by David Stern due to his gambling. All the people refuted everything, but still, seeing them questioned, and seeing them kind of shift and look around when they answered, it was glorious. I don't believe that Jordan was forced into retirement, but I also don't think he left to simply play baseball. He was at the top of his game, he was winning every year, he was making a ton of money and he was the biggest star in the world. I think he wanted a new challenge. He mastered the game of basketball, so I think he wanted to try to conquer a different sport, a sport he grew up playing, and falling in love with due to his dad. I think the passing of his dad was the main reason why he walked away. That, and that he was so tired from carrying the Bulls to three straight titles. The stuff with his dad was so upsetting and sad and just miserable too. To see the media drag him the way they did back then, that was disgusting. I cannot fathom what the media would do today. It would have been ten times worse. I will say, to see Jordan, his mom and brother talk about this was pretty upsetting, but I respect that they did it. It had to be really tough for them, but they still did it.

Then they shifted to his demeanor with his teammates. This was the stuff I have been waiting for. They touched on it a little in episode 7, but they really went into it in episode 8. In 7 we got to see Jordan going after a young rookie, Scott Burrell. The stuff he stood up to, the stuff he dealt with, the way he handled it, he is a much better dude than I am. He was a pro, and he knew why Jordan was doing what he did. We also got stories of him and Steve Kerr getting into it. He used to shit talk guys like Jud Buechler and Luc Longley. He went in on anyone that he felt didn't meet his standards. Jordan is the GOAT, and I would have hated playing on his team. But, he did win, and he helped to squeeze out every ounce of talent his teammates had.

They also talked about him coming out of retirement the first time, and how he had to reshape his body multiple times because of switching sports. Jordan was nothing if not maniacal when it came to getting the best out of himself. We also got to hear about the incredible pick up games that would go on while Jordan was filming "Space Jam". The people who made that movie built him a gym, and he had players fly in from everywhere to compete with him so he could get back into basketball shape. This was the season after the Magic ousted the Bulls in the playoffs. The only time I believe a Bulls team MJ was on, after getting past the Pistons, that didn't win a title. Reggie Miller, during a talking head interview talked about how MJ must have been a "vampire" because he filmed the movie all day, played games at night, lifted and did this everyday during the course of making "Space Jam". That was a special moment from this doc.

We also got a look into the 72 win Bulls team. This was the year after Jordan came back, the fight with Kerr during practice, and the way that Bulls team ran roughshod over the rest of the NBA. That team still irks me because they beat my team, the Supersonics, but damn it were they impressive. We also got more of the asshole Jordan during this season, and this part of the doc. I mentioned Burrell and Kerr, but he did this to everyone on the team. They asked him if he ever regrets being so mean, being described as a "mean person", and he said no, very bluntly I might add. He didn't care if he hurt your feelings, as long as you helped him win. I also liked that we got to see Gary Payton heavily interviewed during this episode, he is my second favorite Sonic ever behind Shawn Kemp. He was a great defender, and an even better shit talker. He talked about how he locked Jordan up to help the Sonics win two games in the Finals, and they showed the film to Jordan, and he kept laughing, and simply stated, "Payton didn't stop me, I had other things on my mind for those two games". We come to realize that Father's Day was the day of game six, and this was the first season, and Finals his dad wasn't at. The Bulls proceeded to dominate the Sonics to win the title, and they show Jordan just collapse in the locker room. I would be lying if I didn't say I teared up at this moment. It was a gut punch indeed. They finished the episode off with the East Finals in 1998 against the Pacers, and Reggie Miller saying that he was going to be the guy to retire MJ. Another great line from Reggie Miller.

These were the two best episodes to this point, and it has me so excited for the last two. It's bittersweet though because I don't want this doc to end, but I am so excited to see how they finish it. I imagine it is going to go out with a bang because, with every episode to this point, it has just gotten better and better and better.

This is an amazing docu series.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

The Latest Episode of "What We Do In the Shadows" is One for the Ages

"What We Do in the Shadows" was a great movie, and the TV has more than lived up to the hype. It is funny, similar to the movie and gives you that feel that you got from the movie. Season one was exceptional, and so far, season two has been equally as great.

Most shows seem to find their footing in later seasons. It happened with "The Office", "Parks and Rec" was the same, even my favorite show ever, "The Simpsons", really started to get great between the end of season one into season two. "What We Do in the Shadows" has been solid all along. They had the outline from the movie, and the show has ran from there.

Last night they hit a very, very high note. This was the best episode, so far, from the series. At least my wife and I think so. The one thing the show has added that the movie didn't was a new type of vampire, an energy vampire. Mark Proksch, who has been on any number of sitcoms you all watch in small roles, is Colin Robinson, the energy vampire, and he is great. His little bits here and there have been some of the best parts of the series to this point. Last week he had a tremendous moment at a Super Bowl party they were all invited to. He has great stuff in season one pertaining to local government meetings. There was a very solid episode from season one where he has a short fling with a feelings vampire. She would make people sad around her, and that is how she would "feed". But last night the majority of the episode was all about Colin Robinson, and if you are wondering why I keep typing his full name, that is how they refer to him on the show all the time. They always say his full name.

The episode started with Colin Robinson talking about how he doesn't know what he is supposed to do at his job, and he gets called into his boss's office, where he assumes he is going to be fired. Instead, he gets a promotion. He is conflicted because he doesn't want to lose any, as he puts it, "roomie time". He likes the other vamps he lives with. They don't really care for him though. When he comes home to tell them about said promotion, they kind of blow him off, and he retreats to his room, where there is an absolutely excellent shot of him in his bed with pajamas that match his bedding. It is such a throw away shot, but it is so worth it. This reaction from his roommates has him even more worried about the promotion. But when he goes into the office, and has his first meeting that he is running, he realizes that all these people have to listen to him because he is the boss. They have no choice. He starts to become more and more powerful the more he realizes this. He gets to a point where he starts to abuse said power. He talks about how it has become easier and easier for him to "feed". There is a scene where he says he can just say a thing, a cliche thing that 9-5 workers say, and they instantly get bored. It's great. There's another scene where he is talking about how he can feel his power growing, he runs his hand over his bald head, and he has a full head of hair. He goes back to the house and starts to get the roommates to argue over something he subconsciously made happen, and he loves that they are fighting over what he did. It makes him that much stronger. He is so strong in fact, he can move stuff with his mind and fingers, and he can fly. That was another great throw away scene. It gets to the point where his roommates are near death because they are so bored and he continues to feed on them. They start to look old and decrepit and can't even move. Even Guillermo, one of the vampires familiars, is near death because he has no energy left. When Colin Robinson comes upstairs to really let the roommates have it, to finish the job if you will, he multiples into three versions of himself. You think he is going to win, but the three of them get into a mundane argument about a nickname. They argue for over an hour, and they all seem to die. While the rest of the roommates go to bury him, they have recovered since Colin Robinson isn't doing his normal thing, they give him a memorial service. It is very mean and they don't say anything too nice about him, but the original Colin Robinson reveals that he was faking just to witness his own eulogy. He then tells the roommates that he is done doing his new thing. He is done with all the newfound power. When the episode ends, we see Colin Robinson at a new office, because the old one was out of business due to him constantly "feeding", and he seems happy to have a new group of people to annoy and "feed" on there.

This was a brilliant idea from one of the best shows that has come out this year. I love this show, and this episode is the best one they have made to date. I highly recommend the show, and if you are looking for an entry point, check out this one. It is peak "What We Do in the Shadows". 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Watches "The Last Dance" Parts 4 and 5

Episodes 5 and 6 of "The Last Dance" aired last night, and like the first four, this doc just continues to get better and better, and more revealing. I love this whole thing, and I am actually a little upset that there are only four more episodes. There are only two more weeks. I could watch this for another 10 to 20 episodes easily. That is how intriguing and wonderful this has been.

In episode 5 we got a look at a little bit of everything following the Bulls first title in 1991. We also got a dedication to Kobe Bryant prior to the start. The first part of the episode started with the 98 All Star game that featured the two going head to head. We even got a talking head interview with Bryant, and it was eye opening to hear him say the things he said about Jordan. Hearing him talk about his importance, and how if it wasn't for Jordan, he wouldn't have been the player he was. He even said how much he disliked the comparisons, and people asking who would win one on one. He all but squashed that, and let it be known that Jordan is the GOAT.

From there we got a glimpse into the 92 team that repeated. This was great because we got to see this team really rise to dominance, and see Jordan kind of take basketball to a whole other level. BJ Armstrong even said that he wasn't playing basketball anymore, he was simply out there to find new ways to win. That is how dominant, and great and maniacal he was as a player. The matchup between him and Clyde Drexler was supposed to be close. It wasn't. This series featured "the shrug" game, where MJ hit 6 threes in the first half, and scored 35 in the same half. He outplayed Drexler every step of the way. He said that he wanted to show how much better he was, and that it pissed him off that they were even comparing the two. Jordan is better, and will always be, and he proved that.

We also got a look at the Dream Team where, once again, and as usual, Jordan was the alpha. He was the dude. He was the guy. The video tape of a practice game was awesome. The way he and Pippen dominated Toni Kukoc was wild. They wanted to prove Jerry Krause wrong, and while Kukoc turned out to be a fine player, Jordan and Pippen proved they were better, and more important.

The episode also got into his cultural impact, what with his shoes and commercial appeal. It had to be hard to be Michael Jordan. That was the big takeaway for me from episode 5.

Episode 6 starts off with how hard it was for him to deal with the fame. It seemed like he had no time to just be alone, or away, or with his family. He was pulled in a million different directions. From there we dig into his gambling. This added to his competitive nature. There is a scene where he is betting with his handlers who can get a piece of change closest to the wall without touching it, and when he got beat by one of the dudes, you could tell it irked him very much. We then shift back to 93, with the Bulls working on their first 3 peat. This was also when they started to dig a little deeper into his gambling, referencing Sam Smith's wonderful book "The Jordan Rules". This was the same time they started to try and dig up dirt on him. They figured he couldn't be as perfect as he appeared. This is the episode I have been waiting for. This is where it got grimy and gritty and down and dirty. Apparently Horace Grant was the first one that spoke up, but it seems like there were plenty of other people. Jordan said it was Grant, but Grant said he didn't say a word. Who knows, but I do know that Grant wasn't too thrilled with the attention that MJ and Pippen were getting over him. But being the genius of basketball that he was, his play didn't waver a bit. In fact, he just kept getting better. It seems like it fueled him.

Then we shifted to the rivalry between the Bulls and Knicks in the early 90's. The Knicks tried to be the new era "Bad Boys", but the Knicks weren't as dirty, and easier to root for. They also weren't nearly as good. They did some stuff. They went up 2-0 on the Bulls, we got the famous Starks dunk. But, other than that, they were no real threat to the Bulls.

We did shift from there back to his gambling, which people blamed for the Bulls dropping the first 2 games. This was also when we meet a guy named Slim Buller, who was a badass dude that gambled with him all the time. Apparently, Jordan spent a good amount of time with this gentleman. This was when people started to really push on the gambling, and if he was an addict or not. This was the first time I have seen Jordan a little defensive in the talking head interviews. He was near over explaining what he was doing. But, as he is want to do, he responded as he always did, and came back and dominated the Knicks in four straight games. We also got to see the epic game 5 finish, with Charles Smith getting blocked four times, right at the rim. Poor guy.

That win pushed the Bulls to their third finals appearance in a row, this time to face the Suns and league MVP Charles Barkley. That series was an okay one, but it still gave Jordan the platform to prove is greatness over everyone else, which he did. This 6th episode started to show more of the asshole that Jordan was, and maybe still is, and that was great. I have been waiting to see this side of him. This was one of the things at the very top of my list that I wanted from this doc. It closed out nicely with them getting ready for the 98 playoffs, and as I am every Monday now, I cannot wait for the next two episodes.

"The Last Dance" has been so worth it so far, and it is only going to get better and better the rest of the way. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Ty Watches "Dave" Season One Finale

Last night my wife and I watched the season one finale of "Dave". This was a show that I was excited for when I first heard about it, and the full season did not disappoint at all. It was very different from what I was expecting, but in a very good and surprising way. Yes, the show had plenty of comedic moments, but there were also very moving, sad, thought provoking and boundary pushing stuff. This is why FX is so far ahead of the curve of other networks. They give people shows, and they let them go off in whatever direction they want.

In one particular episode of "Dave", they talk about weird sexual fetishes, but it was a solid portrayal of people doing for others in a relationship. Dave and his girlfriend Ally worked to find a medium ground together. There was another episode that focused primarily on Dave's hype man GaTa. GaTa was a total unsung hero this first season, probably my favorite character, and to see his back story, involving hospitalization due to bi polar disorder, was moving as hell. There was one episode that solely focused on Els, the producer friend of Dave's, that shows his relationship, his friendship with Dave and his trepidation to move up in the music industry. Basically, FX let Dave Burd and his people do what they wanted, and it worked so god damn well.

The finale was on a whole other level. It started with him rapping about his career, ending up in jail and being forced to do things he didn't want to do. The first five minutes or so were just that. It was essentially a music video. Then they smash cut to his record label people being totally appalled with the song. They didn't like what the song had to say, they didn't want to release it and they were all very offended by everything. Dave didn't care. He kept calling this song his "life's work", and his "triumph"., But everyone around him, except for Benny Blanco, which, bravo to his performance on this show, he was great, did not want him to release the song.They thought it would stop him in his music career before it even really started. There was great stuff with him and his buddy, who is his manager now. They fought and argued, and even though his buddy relented, you could tell he was upset. The scene with him and Els, where Els tells him he is going on tour with another rapper for six months, was telling for both. Els thought Dave would be happy for him, but like he has been all season, Dave was selfish and upset. Even GaTa, who stands by him no matter what, thought it was wack to release the song without telling his label. As I said before, the only person who told him to release it was Blanco, explaining that there would be two outcomes. He said that people would love the song, and the label would have to give him full control, or it would bust, and the label would drop him. He posed it as a win win for Dave. Dave was all set to do it on "The Breakfast Club", a very popular and influential morning hip hop show. He flew to New York with GaTa and his manager and was fully intent on releasing the track. Then the show did what it has done all season and totally stunned me in the best way possible. During the interview Charlamagne the God, one of the hosts of the show, kept pushing him. He kept asking him tough, racial questions. He kept asking him why he was copping other culture. He pushed and pushed. He asked questions Dave had never considered. Even with GaTa's help, Dave was stuck. He didn't know what to do. You can see the wheels turning in his head about whether or not to actually release the track. The head guy from the label showed up as well, thus making it that much more high stakes for him. When the time came to play the track, Dave decides he is simply going to free style. He made the right choice, but now he had to prove that he could actually rap. Charlamagne made sure to tell him, quite persistently, that eight million people were currently listening, and that he was going to mess up. Well, Dave turns the beat on, and just like in the premiere episode, he goes on to spit an incredibly long, intricate and dope song. The way he weaves in and out of words, the way he combines stuff, his voice, his lyrics, Dave Burd is a good rapper. The show makes a joke all season long that he thinks he is the greatest rapper of all time. And while I don't think that he is, he is a very good, very unsuspecting rapper. This last shot proves that tenfold. And when they finally get to the end of the song, he goes on to say something about his real name, kind of like, "and my name is.........", and he pauses. Charlamagne asks him, "what's your name", and the show cuts to end credits with just DAVE in all caps.

I was stunned. I had goosebumps. I was super duper impressed. I said out loud, "GOD DAMN I LOVE THIS SHOW!". I cannot wait for season two. "Dave" was great in every sense of the word. I highly recommend it. It is one of the better shows to come out in 2020. I truly do love this show. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Ty Watches "The Last Dance Parts 3 and 4

I just finished episodes 3 and 4 of "The Last Dance", and just like the first two, this is amazing. This is exactly what I, and all other sports fans, have been craving. The show is starting to dig deeper and deeper into all the things that went into this last run for the 90's Bulls.

Episode 3 was focused on Dennis Rodman's addition to the team. First off, Rodman is a crazy dude, but man was he an excellent basketball player. I do not agree with his politics, he is crazy as I said, he is still a little loony, but man could that dude defend, be an enforcer and grab rebounds. Hearing him talk about his early days in Detroit was like taking a class on how to judge angles on the floor, and I loved every single second of it. When he talked about taking friends to the gym at 2 and 3 in the morning to shoot and miss shots just so he could watch how it came off the rim was astonishing. Talking about watching film of how big time players would shoot, and the way the ball would rotate, was like the coolest lesson I could have learned as a young player. His tenacity on defense, and his willingness to do the little things, the dirty work, it was amazing. But, he did come with a ton of baggage. He started to lose it late in his Pistons career. He really lost it while he was in San Antonio. And, while he gave in to the greater good of the team while playing for the 90's Bulls, he was for sure going through some mental issues. He had, and still has, some serious issues, but I say again, the dude was such a uniquely gifted player. He was also another one of these super small school guys who made it big in the NBA in the late 80's and early 90's, and it was because he was willing he work his ass off. He seemed to work harder than almost anyone else in the league at that time. It was pretty eye opening. My favorite part was when the director showed Rodman, Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson the video of Jordan reacting to Rodman saying he "needed a vacation". That was epic.

Episode 4 picked up with Rodman on his "vacation", and we got a one on one interview with Carmen Electra, Rodman's girlfriend at the time, and again I have to point out the people they are getting for this doc are amazing, and she described Rodman perfectly. She talked about his constant partying and how much fun he liked to have and even spoke on when Phil, Scottie and MJ came to Vegas to pick him up. That was hilarious, and I imagine what must have been going through her head when this happened. We shifted from there to learn more about Phil Jackson. This episode was his episode. They talked about his childhood, his love of Native Americans, how much he wanted the game to be a team game, his work with Tex Winter, his playing days, his drug use and how great of a coach he was. I have said many times that I think Greg Poppovich is the greatest coach in the NBA ever. But I am now wavering because of the way we see how Jackson worked with the greatest ever. How he got him to buy in. How he made him realize that he needed his teammates to help him. MJ may have liked Doug Collins more, but Jackson was the perfect coach for him and that team. Poppovich has the best system, and it will always work. But, Jackson is the best at dealing with major, major personalities. He knows how to handle super duper stars. And while Jackson is the weird hippy guy, he knows the game very well. Well, he and Tex Winter worked together very well. I feel like this episode was kind of an ode to Winter. He is the genius behind the Triangle offense, Jackson was just the face. But, I came away from episode 4 really admiring Phil Jackson. I was also happy because they started to show the real asshole side of MJ in the middle and near the end of the episode. They talked a lot about the rivalry between the Bulls and Pistons back then, and this is when true MJ started to come out. He hated the Pistons, he did what he took to get over that hump, and man oh man does he despise Isaiah Thomas. Again, they showed him a video of Thomas explaining why the Pistons walked off when the Bulls finally beat them, without shaking their hands, and you could see Jordan, who is 57 now, seething with anger. It was another great moment.

"The Last Dance" has been truly wonderful so far, and I fully expect it to continue that way. While this is on, every Monday I am going to write about my thoughts with each viewing. I cannot recommend this doc enough people. It is a wonder. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty Watches "The Last Dance" Parts 1 and 2

"The Last Dance" made its much anticipated premiere, two months early, last night and it was everything I hoped for, and so much, much more. Sports fans are craving something, anything, that we can rally around and talk about and be excited about and be in the forefront of the media, and that finally happened for the first time since early March, in a good way.

"The Last Dance" is going to be focusing on the 97-98 Bulls team primarily, but this ten part docu series is clearly going to be touching on so much more. The first two episodes had so much stuff in couple hours that I hadn't heard or seen ever before. I am a rabid NBA fan, especially this particular era they are focusing on, and there was so much new information that I didn't even know I wanted.

The first episode primarily talked about the early Jordan years. We see him becoming the dominant force he was to be when he was at UNC. We heard from guys like James Worthy, Roy Williams and Billy Packer about how there was something special about this kid. They talked about his natural ability but also his almost maniacal work ethic, how he wanted to be better than everyone else, how he practiced longer and harder than anyone. They focused on his want and will to be the best. He told Roy Williams that he wanted to be the best guy at UNC, and Williams told him he had to work. Well, he worked his tail off, and we all know about his dominant career in college. He won a title, a player of the year award and was easily a lottery pick. They then shifted to his rookie year, and that was eye opening for me. He went to a, and I never knew this, what was a moribund Bulls team. They were being outsold by indoor soccer teams and plays in their own arena. Then Jordan comes, blows up, and all of the sudden they are selling out every game. The players on the current team realized pretty soon how good he was. They knew very early on that he was the best player on the team by a very wide margin. Some of the stuff they talked about that I never knew included how much drugs the Bulls players did when he was a rookie. Jordan didn't do this, instead, he lived on his own and just set a laser focus on the game. That was what separated him early on from everyone else.

Outside the Jordan aura, I learned how much the players, especially Jordan, really loathed Jerry Krause. They despised that man, openly picking on him in public. I also learned that Jerry Reinsdorf is a very quiet man, who tries to stay out of a lot. I found out that Rod Thorn truly wanted Hakeem in the draft. I also heard how other players and coaches never, ever thought that Jordan, a 6'6 guard, could lead a team to a title. And they started to show his real attitude near the end of the first episode, when the 97 Bulls traveled to Paris for an exhibition, and Jordan looked like he just wanted to leave, and that all the hubbub there was beneath him. He also showed that he didn't, I don't know if respect is the right word, that he didn't care about guys on the team that weren't Dennis Rodman, or mainly Scottie Pippen.

That is where the second episode takes us. We get to hear all about Pippen. He was a player that, as a kid, I didn't think was actually as good or important as he truly was. Now that I am an adult, and have studied the game a ton, I know I was wrong, and how great and important Pippen was. The whole thing was about how Pippen is the greatest number 2 ever in the NBA. I won't call him Robin because I feel like that is disrespectful to Pippen. I also learned that Pippen was a small college kid, who was so painfully shy, that he signed a ridiculously awful contract way too early in his career. He signed a seven year deal worth 18 million dollars. I mean, can you believe that. Can you fathom a world where Pippen is the sixth highest paid player on the team where he is clearly the second best option. That is nuts. He should have made triple that for what he gave to that team, and what he gave to Jordan. This episode also really dug into the aggressiveness and fight that Jordan had. He would yell and scream at his teammates in practice. He would tell them exactly what he thought of them. He didn't care about feelings, he simply wanted to win. And if he had to hurt your feelings to do that, he would do that. He was ruthless, he was a winner and he expected the best effort out his teammates no matter what. We also got a little look into his childhood in this episode, with some interviews with his brothers, and again, this was totally eye opening. It shined a new light on MJ's competitive edge. It showed how this started so young, and drives him still today.

These first two episodes were like a fix for me. I felt that urge for sports on my TV was given to me. It was amazing. I watched it in real time, which I never do. I am so very, very, very excited for the next eight parts. Sunday cannot come fast enough so I can watch the next two episodes. I love this, I love that ESPN pushed it up so we can watch something we all crave and I love that I get to watch a truly all access look into the life of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball. Watch this docu series. I implore you. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Let's Talk About the Average "The Tiger King and I"

For those of us that wanted more "Tiger King", we got it yesterday. They had a reunion show, of sorts, and it was interesting. Joel McHale hosted the show from his home, as we are on quarantine right now, and he had, I believe, seven guests. They included Exotic's former workers, Saff, the drunk dude and the guy with two fake legs. There was also Jeff Lowe and his wife, one of Joe's ex husbands, John, Exotic's campaign manager and Rick Kirkham, the "Inside Edition" guy.

The "reunion" was kind of a let down, at least for me. I was expecting something as wild as the show, and maybe that is on me. The show was so wild and bizarre and intriguing and insane, I just naturally assumed the reunion would have some of that flair. It did not. It was really more of a, "lets all shit on Joe Exotic for 40 minutes", and skirt around some of the problems that some of the other guests may have had, or still have. Now, that could be on Netflix. Maybe they wouldn't have been able to get the guests unless they were portrayed as fine people. As for the dumping all over Exotic, well, I should have expected that as well. In fact, the only people that didn't take this time to dunk on him were Saff and his former campaign manager. Now, they didn't really side with him either, but they didn't crush him either. They agreed that what he did was wrong, because it was super wrong, but they also acknowledged that almost everyone was doing something wrong. They knew the bad things that Exotic did to some of the animals, but they also knew that Lowe is a bad dude, and people will feed into anything as long as it is put out the way Netflix did with "Tiger King".

I also want to point out how disappointed I was that McHale didn't really bring up any of Lowe's legal troubles while interviewing him and his wife. He decided to mock his clothing, which was funny, but he really let Lowe destroy Exotic and blame every little thing on everyone else. I felt that McHale could have went in hard on him, but he, or Netflix maybe, kind of handcuffed any real questions that could have, or should have, been asked. I was stunned at how much the former alcoholic guy went in on Exotic. He seems to really hate him, and while he was pretty quiet on the show, until the trial, he let loose in this special. He said good riddance and said he is sure Exotic will die in jail. He also went on some wild rant about how he has never done meth, how he loves Jesus and that his teeth are haggard because he is old and a former alcoholic. It was the weirdest thing in this. The guy with two fake legs seems to just want to live as regular a life as he can. He has a girlfriend, got his teeth fixed and is doing stuff with cars. He wants to move on. The former husband feels the same for me. He has stopped with the drugs, he has a kid, he has dentures and he looks to be on the path of clean living. As for Kirkham, that dude is just full of shit all over the place. I don't get what he is after and what he expects. He lives in Norway now, and man did he dunk all over Exotic whenever he got the chance. It felt like he was saying a whole bunch of stuff so the attention would be off him and on anyone else.

Which brings me to a few final points. One, I don't know who to believe in any of this. I don't know if Exotic is telling the truth, or parts of the truth, or if the people interviewed, minus Lowe, are telling whole truths. They all seem like they are skirting around the main issue. As for Exotic, he is in jail, where he belongs right now, and he will never really know his "fame" at this moment. But, I don't think people should be wishing death on him or anything. He is a dude that dug himself a pretty big hole, and unfortunately for him, it kept getting deeper with no way out. And I also get why he couldn't be on to defend himself. As for Carol Baskin, I knew she wouldn't show up because she is a coward who knows she did something very wrong. She could have tried to defend herself, but her silence spoke volumes to me.

This special was fine, but it could have been much, much better in my opinion. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Ty Watches "Miracle Workers" Season 2

Yesterday I finished season two of “Miracle Workers”. I really enjoyed the first season, but didn’t know if they’d do another one. I thought it was going to be one season and out. Then it was rumored that they were going to do an anthology type thing, with the same actors playing different characters in different stories. I loved this idea. When I found out they were going to do a dark ages season, I was even more on board. I enjoy reading about that time, and throw in the fact that Simon Rich was going to put his spin on it, this was a home run for me.

This season two experiment did not disappoint. As I said, they brought back all the main people, Daniel Radcliffe, Steve Buscemi, Geraldine Viswanathan, Karan Soni and Lolly Adefope. But this time around they had different roles. Buscemi and Viswanathan were father and daughter, and Jon Bass, who had a smaller role in season one, was the son. Buscemi was a hard working guy who was just happy to be alive and have healthy children. He was great. Bass was a dolt and a dummy, but he was also super nice and really loved his family. Viswanathan was the smartest person in the town, a hard working idealist they wanted bigger and better things. She was so good in this part of the anthology. She was great in season one, but she excelled as the star of season two. She had the funniest moments of the season, she had the most growth, she revealed the most, she crushed it. I was so impressed by her performance. Adefope, who was quietly amazing in season one, was great here as well. She had a bigger role this time around too. I really enjoyed her stuff with the convent, and his into it she got. She was fun, grounded and kept a level head. Radcliffe was great, as usual, as the black sheep prince of his royal family. He was all about love, affection and helping others. His family was filled with murderous tyrants, his dad, the king, played by Peter Serafinowicz expertly, was the most vicious of all. But Radcliffe was just different. He wanted what was best for the town, the people and, mainly, Viswanathan’s character. Their scenes together were so sweet, even when they fought. Karan Soni was solid, like he always is, as the Lord who works for Radcliffe’s family. He was funny, dry and quick witted. The episode where he goes to trial to help out a goat is hilarious. He truly owns that whole episode. He also had a heart of gold, and was rewarded greatly in the season finale. As for the other actors, they did great in their small roles.

What I liked most about this part of the anthology was how they joked about the dark ages. Be it war, religion, money, entertainment, it was all done so well. To open a series with a live execution, and to play it for laughs, I mean, it was perfect. The stuff with school, and how it was so ridiculous, simply hilarious. The “concerts” and live entertainment was downright absurd, and I loved it. The way they represented class was also done so well. I love this series, and I want it to stick around.

I’m a humongous fan of Simon Rich as well. He did some great stuff while writing for “SNL”. I am one of the biggest fans of “Man Seeking Woman”. And now he has “Miracle Workers”. This one seems like it has the most staying power simply because Radcliffe is attached. But everyone else is fantastic that is involved with this show. I cannot recommend it enough. Watch this show so TBS will continue to let them make more and more. It is so good.

Ty

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

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Let's Talk About the Awesome "Tiger King"

My wife and I finished "Tiger King" in three days.

This is a show that I would have never watched unless I was quarantined by my local government to stay in my home. But still, I watched it, and I have to say, it was incredibly enjoyable. It was also hilarious. It was also insane. It was also a total train wreck that I simply couldn't take my eyes off. In fact, I want to thank "Tiger King" because it has kept me off my phone, and let my mind wander elsewhere for awhile.

All that being said, I do want to talk about this show though. I have found, as I have gotten older, I enjoy this style of a mystery, or murder, or crime type story. I was, still am, a big fan of "Making a Murderer". I thought the Aaron Hernandez three part mini docu series was very informative and watchable. I, of course, love the parody of all of these, "American Vandal". I feel like "Tiger King" is a great blend of these two different style shows. There is the true crime element, which I will get to, but there is also humor, albeit unintentional.

For those that don't know, and I think it is a small group of people, the long and short synopsis of "Tiger King" involves two people, one a redneck who owns an exotic animal farm, and a lady who owns an exotic animal rescue. Now, there are many, many, many other people involved, but Joe Exotic, the redneck, and Carole Baskins, the rescuer, are the two main people. Before I get into this, and I won't spoil everything, there are no good people in this story. There is really no one to root for. When we finished last night, the only people I said I felt bad for, or thought weren't that bad, were people who originally worked at Joe Exotic's zoo. They seemed to be down on their luck, they found a job they could do, and do well, and they never got a fair shake. They were put in horrible situations, and thankfully they got it. Hell, there is one lady that lost half an arm, and only five days later she returned to work at the zoo. I did feel for her after all this, and she was, by about a million miles, the smartest person in the whole series.

Anyway, the story follows Exotic's quest to get Baskins. These two were rivals. These two hated one another. These two wanted the other one to suffer, be it through legal fees or via injury. They are also both horrendous people. Exotic cares about no one but himself. He may have started this zoo with good intentions, of getting these animals back to their native lands, but he didn't end up that way. He let the "fame" get to his head. He called himself the Tiger King. He bred cubs and sold them. He euthanized tigers that seemed to old to him, tigers that couldn't help him make money. He hung out with other awful, felonious people. He never paid anyone anything near what they worked for. He was always in debt. He took advantage of young men. He is terrible. But, I actually think Baskins might be worse. She comes off all decent and honorable, but as the series went on, there is some stuff about her that is very bad. She is not the saint she makes herself out to be. She says she "rescues" these animals, but she has them all caged up, and makes millions on people visiting her zoo, which she calls a "rescue". She doesn't pay her workers anything. She calls them all "volunteers", of which she makes go through levels, and even when they get to the highest level, they still see zero dollars netted. At least Exotic paid his people something. Baskins also had an awful childhood, which led to her breaking up a marriage, and then marrying that man, who was a millionaire. There is an entire episode dedicated to when her former husband disappeared, and lets just say, people bring up whether or not she may or may not have fed him to their tigers(I fully believe she did). She also took everything from him, and gave next to nothing to his first family. She changed everything on the living will right before he "disappeared". She also fights baseless legal battles until she bleeds people dry. She is not a good person, no matter how she may portray herself.

Outside of Joe and Caroline, there is a plethora of other people that are just nasty and conniving and despicable and just flat out gross. The guy that came in and took over Joe Exotic's zoo, he is a total scumbag. He should be in jail for a long, long time. The guys he worked with, and then screwed over, they aren't very good people either. The poor kid that was Exotic's campaign manager, yes, Joe Exotic ran for president in 2016, and then governor of Oklahoma, he has lived a life in short, short time. From dealing with Exotic as a candidate, to seeing one of his husband's kill himself right in front of him, to everything else, he has seen some stuff. Baskins new husband seems like he is a brainwashed lunatic that is creepy as hell, especially when he sings to her. All of this is straight up crazy.

This show is wild. Like I told my wife after we finished, in other series like this, I always find someone to root for, or someone I feel bad for. In "Tiger King", there is no one, no one major at least, that I have any feelings for. Look, like I said at the top, this is a show I would have probably skipped if we weren't in our current situation. But, a silver lining perhaps, we are told to stay home, to self quarantine, restaurants and night clubs are closed, and that means we decided to watch this after hearing from nearly everyone we know, via text or Facetime, telling us that we would love it, and I loved it. I will probably watch it again to find even more things I may have missed, or just to listen to Joe Exotic's grating voice, or awful country music, of which he doesn't sing, he lip synch's it all. Or, I want to find out more about this Baskins lady because I think she is as guilty as the day is long.

“Tiger King” is an intriguing show that is humorous while also being crazy. I cannot recommend it enough. Check it out please, and lets have an open conversation about it. I haven't stopped thinking about it since we finished it last night, and I am sure I will continue to think about it for weeks. Watch it.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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