Ty Watches "Clipped"

I started to watch the hulu miniseries "Clipped" the other day. I have been looking forward to this since I listened to the podcast miniseries, "The Sterling Affairs", that it is based on. I followed along with the casting, the writers they hired and when it would be released. Then I went on vacation and forgot about it. That is until my cousin messaged me to ask if I had seen any of it yet. That jogged my memory and I fired it up the other day.

Now I truly cannot decide if I like it or not. This is a wild, widl story. For people who may not know, "Clipped" is centered around Donald Sterling, the former owner of the Clippers, and his relationship with his assistant V Stiviano. He said some horribly deplorable things about other races, Stiviano taped it all, and when she felt like she was being pushed out of his life, she released the tapes for all to hear. I have never listened to the tapes, but from what I have read about them, they are abhorrent. Sterling is a racist through and through. He also seems like a real crummy person to be around. He is an awful person who deserves all the hate he is rightfully getting right now. Ed O'Neil plays him in this show, and I have to give him credit because he is creepy as ever. Everytime he is onscreen portraying this monster my skin crawls. I cannot stand this person and O'Neil hammers that feeling home for me. Stiviano is played by Cleopatra Coleman, and she does a very good job of portraying someone that is just out to be famous. She doesn't seem to care how she gathers said fame, she just wants to be famous. Jacki Weaver plays Shelly Sterling, and she is delivering as she always does. The final main character of this story is Doc Rivers, played by Laurence Fishburne. He is, far and away, the best actor in this whole thing. He has totally embodied Rivers. He sounds, moves and reacts just like Rivers. It is uncanny.

So, with this main cast being a bunch of homerun hitters, and this story being juicy as hell, that should make for an easy 1-2 punch to make this whole show sing. But, it seems very different and odd at times while watching. I told my wife that I don't know if these people are really this shallow, or that was the direction the actors were given. At times the show seems very much like a melodramatic soap opera that "Talk Soup" would have made fun of in its heyday. Other times they try to be very serious, but it feels like they go over the top with it. When I was watching the second episode the other day it felt very much like a Spanish telenovela. I don't know if that is the vibe this show is going for, but that was the feeling I took away the other day. And the casting team did no favors to the actors they got to play the players. None of these actors resemble any former Clipper. During a basketball scene when they are playing the Warriors, the guy they got to play Steph Curry is the bottom of the bargain barrel version of Curry. But, with all these criticisms I may have, I find myself going back for more. It is like a trainwreck that I simply cannot look away from. I will laugh hysterically at something that I have to assume they were going for drama and not comedy. There are other times that I will exclaim, to no one in the room, "WHAT!!!!????!!!". I cringe consistently at some of the basketball stuff they do. There is a scene where they do the roll call song, and it made me squirm on my couch.

All in all, this show is inconsistent, and at times very dumb. But, I want more. I think because I was so interested and I devoured the podcast miniseries, I will finish this. But, I'd be wrong if I said it was actually good. It is a soap opera and that is how I will watch it going forward. 

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.

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

An Ode to the Greatness of Will Forte

I listened to a podcast recently where they talked about the movie "Nebraska". I remember liking this movie. I enjoyed what I saw. During the episode they mentioned how good Will Forte is in the movie. I then remembered that they were correct. Forte really shines in this role. He plays the drama really well, and when needed, he is a comedic genius.

This got me thinking about his other performances and how great an actor he has always been. I became aware of Forte from "SNL". I instantly liked what I saw. He was absurd and silly. He did sketches that I hadn't seen before on the show. He was doing some wild stuff, especially for "SNL", and I was in from that point on. I decided a long time ago that I was going to be a Will Forte fan. I followed his work after "SNL" to one of my favorite shows ever, "Clone High". He voiced Abe Lincoln, and I found it absolutely hilarious. He was one of the main characters, and he did some excellent voice acting. I then watched "The Brothers Solomon". When I first watched it, I did not enjoy the movie. It was almost a little too absurd and bizarre. The writers seemed to take the jokes too far. But I watched it again, older, and I found myself enjoying it a bit more. The movie is wild, but the jokes hit a little better the older I got. Some of the stuff I didn't get landed with me this time. He was barely in the movie "Beerfest", but he was memorable. He did some more voice work, and a few more movies with friends, some of which I saw, others I skipped.

Then "MacGruber" came out.

I have loved this movie since the day I first saw it. It is absurdist humor at its absolute best, and Will Forte crushes as the lead character. This is such a perfect role for him. He can go as big as he wants, and fans like me will love every second of it. I have watched "MacGruber" a bunch since, and each time I find something else that makes me laugh even harder. "MacGruber" is a stone cold classic.

Forte then had an excellent run on "30 Rock". He was great in that show. We have the aforementioned "Nebraska", in which he proves his acting chops. He appeared on the "CBB" television show a few times, each appearance funnier than the last. He did some work on "Kroll Show", an underrated gem. He did a few things with The Lonely Island, all of which he is amazing in his small roles.

Then we got "Last Man on Earth".

This is one of my favorite shows of all time. I think it was funny as could be, but it also had a bunch of dramatic moments, where Forte crushes it. When he finds out his brother is still alive, Jason Sudekis. The things between the two of them are touching as hell. I buy that they were brothers. When Sudekis leaves, presumably to go die, I was in tears. And the way Forte and Kristin Schaal work off one another on the three seasons of that show is a thing of magic. "Last Man on Earth" is a gem as well.

I really enjoy his work in "A Futile and Stupid Gesture". He does some good work in "Good Boys" and "Booksmart". During the pandemic he did some solid work. Peacock did a "MacGruber" show. It was funny, but not as funny as the movie. He has a recurring role on "Bob's Burgers". He's in "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story". He's done three episodes of "The Simpsons". He is endlessly memorable and quotable on "I Think You Should Leave". And now he has a new Netflix series called "Bodkin", which I will almost certainly watch very soon.

Will Forte is a true pro. He is endlessly reliable. He is hilarious and has proven he can do drama. Will Forte is awesome and I just wanted to give him some love today. Forte is great. 

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.

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

Ty Watches "The Contestant"

Last night I finished the new Hulu documentary "The Contestant". I clocked this movie solely based on a picture. I was scrolling through Hulu one day and saw this picture of a gentleman sitting down with wild hair and a bushy goatee. It was at that moment that I thought, what is this, and I need to find out asap. I did a little research and found out it was a doc about the first "reality show". I watched one trailer and that was all I needed to watch. I started it the other day, but my son got home from school, and he was not interested. That is why it took me two days to finish.

I really liked what I saw. This is an eye opening doc. There are so many things in here that made me gasp and audibly say things to no one besides my dog. I could not believe what I was seeing. The movie is about a young actor in Japan, nicknamed Nasubi. That is the Japanese word for eggplant. He is called this because he has a very long face. He was bullied as a child because of this, but found out that if he made people laugh, he would not get picked on. After growing up and not enjoying the day to day office life, he decided to become an actor and comedian. He was amongst a group of other no known actors to participate in a new show. His ticket was picked and he was off to do a show, of which he had no idea what it was going to be. He is taken to a room, stripped of all of his clothes, has the essential things to survive, and is told that he can only leave the room when he earns 1,000,000 yen by mailing in postcards from popular magazines. This all takes place in the late 90's. So, Nasubi knows he is being filmed, but doesn't think it is ever going to see the light of day. He is also totally alone and the only way to get food, clothes and whatever else he may need, is to play these mail in postcard games from magazines.

The doc starts off goofy and funny, but it quickly turns dark, and kind of sad. You can see the struggles Nasubi is going through. You can see him starving. At one point, after he eats all of his rice, he is left to eat dog food. I was so sad for him at that point. Seeing him slowly lose his mind was hard to watch. He didn't deserve this, but he was there everyday, everything being filmed and watched and he kept plugging away at these postcards. The producers and creators of this show kept pushing. People kept tuning in, so they just kept it going. They moved him and gave him new tasks. He had to figure things out all over again. And he did. And he was eventually done with this, but it still felt like bullying, the way he was treated afterward. He became a caricature. I felt really bad for him because you could tell he was still really struggling with everyday life. He eventually used his newfound fame to help others. He did what he could for the horrific tsunamis and earthquakes in his hometown. He climbed Mt Everest to make money for another earthquake in Delphi. He did things to help others. Instead of trying to take his fame and become an actor or comedian known worldwide, he did things to make sure others were taken care of. Nasubi is a good dude who did not deserve to go through the horrific 15 months he did for content. I am so glad he came out of the other end a better person.

I recommend this doc wholeheartedly. It is a glimpse inside the awful world of "reality tv", and how it kind of got its start. And Nasubi is so much better than the people who used him for 15 months. "The Contestant" is a very good doc and you should watch it right now. 

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.

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

I Did Not Grow Up Watching the Shows of My Generation

While on a walk this morning I was listening to the podcast "This Is Important". I enjoy listening to the "Workaholics" guys shoot the shit weekly. It is relaxing and fun for me. Today they brought up the cartoon "Talespin" and they totally sidetracked what they were talking about to talk about their memories of this classic kids cartoon from the 90's. I thought back and remembered seeing commercials for this show. I saw the toys in the store growing up. But, I do not remember watching it ever. I guess it just passed me by.

This got me thinking. My wife brings up old shows she watched while growing up and they usually go over my head. I am a day older than her, so it is not like we are from different generations. And when I get together with friends from childhood, the few I still see, they will bring up classic shows and it flies over my head then as well. I guess I didn't watch the shows that most people my age watched growing up. Besides "Talespin", my wife will bring up "Ren and Stimpy" a ton. I have only seen one full episode of "Ren and Stimpy". I thought it was gross as a kid, so I tuned out. My wife also loved "Pinky and the Brain", which was a sideshow involved with "Animaniacs". I know all the classic lines from "Pinky and the Brain", but I can't pull out the stuff my wife comes up with on a regular basis. I would float in and out on "Rugrats" constantly. I would watch it very closely for a season, then totally tune out. I've never seen a second of "Dexter's Laboratory" or "AAH! Real Monsters". I've only seen a handful of "Doug" and maybe an episode or two of "Rocko's Modern Life". "Johnny Bravo" is a complete mystery to me. As is "Gargoyles", which my wife adores. I know people are totally stoked on "X-Men 97" right now. I haven't even started it because I never watched the original "X-Men" cartoon. I did watch "Beavis and Butthead", as well as "Daria". But a show like "Recess" or "Batman; The Animated Series", never watched a second of them. I kind of wished I checked these out when I was younger.

I feel like I chose to watch stuff like "Sportscenter" or "American Gladiators" instead when I was younger and home on summer break. I have seen the entirety of "Good Times", which was a classic. But that was live action. I go in and out of "South Park", but can recite about 90 percent of "Seinfeld". I guess, growing up, my folks didn't really leave cartoons on tv. I know "Ghostbusters" had a cartoon, but I watched the movies. The same can be said for "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". I craved sports and live action as a kid. I enjoy animation much more as an adult. Maybe I should go back and check some of this stuff out, but I don't know where to even start. And there is so much current stuff that I want to see as well.

I guess I am asking some people around my age who watched these things, other than my wife, what I should check out? What is worth using my free time to binge? I can only watch the same shows over and over again, so I want something classic to check out. Let me know what is best and I will have a follow up to what I picked and how much I liked it. Be nice in the comments. And give me those suggestions. 

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.

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

Ty Watches "Fallout"

Recently my wife and I started to watch "Fallout" due to RD giving it some rave reviews. I didn't know much about the show, but I did hear Johnny Pemberton talk about it on a recent episode of the podcast "Doughboys". I have been a Johnny Pemberton fan ever since I first saw him on "Superstore". He was hilarious on that show, and that gave me the push to watch his standup and his other movie and tv appearances. I was an instant fan. Then, after listening to "Doughboys", RD and I were recording a podcast of our own, and he kept asking me if I had seen "Fallout", or if I was going to check it out. I mentioned the Johnny Pemberton stuff, and with the push from RD, that was all I needed to check it out. I told my wife I was going to start it, but she asked me to wait. She wanted to watch it as well. It was a wonderful surprise.

So, over the weekend, we started, and three episodes in, I'm all in. This is a good show. It is gory. It is violent. It is profane. It is bleak. It is hilarious. And it is doing some cool, interesting things for a newish tv show. I have never played the videogame that it is based on. I don't think RD has either. I know my wife hasn't either. But, I don't think you need to to watch this show. The characters look like what I have looked up on the internet from the game, but that is where it seems to end. This is a whole story outside the game from what I gather. This is new and unique to the show. And it works. I have been so excited to watch with each passing night. I'm doing a thing where I don't want to binge watch shows. That means one show a night. It makes for a much more fun experience watching a show. It reminds me of how I used to watch tv as a kid. It also helps build suspense. I am so ready to focus on the episode when we turn it on. I am fully locked in on what is happening on the screen. No phone, no Nintendo Switch. It is just me, my wife and "Fallout". I love it that way.

Outside Pemberton, who plays an army brat, the cast is pretty great. Ella Purnell is the lead. She is really awesome as a vault dweller. Her naivate is great to watch on screen. Kyle MacLachian plays her dad, and he has only been in the first episode so far, but it is clear there is more of him to come. Moises Arias plays her brother, and while he seems meek, his arc looks like it is going to take a cool turn. Leslie Uggams and Zach Cherry are on the vault board, and they are in over their heads. Aaron Moten plays Maximus, another Army brat, who is out doing his own thing in this wild post apocalyptic world.

And then we have Walton Goggins.

Walton Goggins may be the coolest person on Earth. He is so, so wonderful here as "The Ghoul". I have a whole piece coming up strictly dedicated to his acting career. That is for another day. But in "Fallout", Goggins continues to be so incredible. He makes a show instantly watchable when he is on screen. He is the absolute best.

Outside the acting, the scenery is rad. The world they created is dark and bleak and arid. It is a good look at a crazy possible outcome of a bomb. And even in the dark times the show has created, there is still humor peppered in and out of each episode. I find myself laughing a few times each episode.

I'm very glad this show is in my life now. I highly recommend people watch it if you have Prime. "Fallout" is very, very well made. Check it out. 

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.

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

Ty Watches "Love, Death, and Robots"

RD and I were having a conversation the other day and he brought up the Netflix series, "Love, Death and Robots". This was not the first time I had heard about this show. Nick Wiger talks about it quite a bit on his many podcasts. I have heard some friends bring it up. I have read about it before. But, it wasn't until my brother was talking about it, he hasn't seen it to the best of my knowledge, that I finally felt intrigued to actually watch the show. RD has, for the most part, been a good barometer for me when it comes to good tv or movies. I trust his opinion. So, after we talked about it, and I was sitting down folding clothes, that is when most of my tv watching is done, I decided to give "Love, Death and Robots" a try.

I was immediately hooked. From the first episode I saw, episode one of the third volume, I wanted to watch more and more. I couldn't figure out why Netflix decided to start me on the third volume, but then I read some stuff. I guess "LDR" gives you four episodes they think you'll like based on what you have watched before. I also read that they just start you with the most recent stuff. Either way, the first episode of the third volume was all I really needed to get hooked. It was three robots, who looked familiar to me from seeing stuff on the internet, trolling around the remains of humanity. All the people were gone, but buildings and the like were still there. The robots checked it out, made some jokes, poked fun at the human race and the episode was over. I couldn't believe it was over and done within ten minutes. Then I looked up some other episodes and the usual run time is anywhere from six minutes to twenty-two minutes. This was another feather in its cap. I love content that doesn't drag. "LDR" tells a story very quickly. They get you in and out asap. And there is nothing really left to the imagination. They tell a well thought out, full tale.

After the first episode I saw I thought they may all have a funny tilt to them. Some do, but the stories cover a wide variety of genres. There's comedy, sci fi, drama, horror, brutal wars being fought, zombies, AI gone awry, there are so many more that I will not name right now. I love that. "LDR" doesn't have to stay in one lane. They go for it in any genre. And each episode is animated differently. The amount of work that goes into each episode is amazing. And it comes off beautifully. The David Fincher directed episode "Bad Travelling" is a work of art in the horror genre. "Jibaro" is one of the coolest, and most colorful things I've seen. And each episode is different and cool and offers almost everything to any watcher. "LDR" reminds of a Quibi version of "Black Mirror". They tell the horrors and the ills and even some of the good about technology and the future.

I cannot recommend this series enough. It is one of the most inventive things that tv has ever given us. I will most likely finish it all within the next week, which will only make me want to see more. Go check this show out. It is masterful. 

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.

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

An Ode to the Comedy Stylings of Kyle Mooney

My algorithm for my Instagram reels has been throwing a bunch of comedy stuff my way. I love it. I'm a big fan of standup. I get a bunch of standup clips now. My favorite movies are comedies. I get plenty of trailers and classic scenes now. And I love going back and watching "SNL" clips and cast members doing their own thing. One such cast member that has been showing up a bunch lately is Kyle Mooney.

I adore Kyle Mooney. I think he might be one of the most underrated and funniest cast members of all time on "SNL". He has been around longer than most of you think, and his hit rate is pretty damn high. Mooney did some of my favorite things on "SNL". He used to show up as a 90's stand up on weekend update when he was on the show and it was the funniest thing in the world to me. He was so deadpan. His jokes were awful. Even when he pandered to the crowd it was met with crickets. And that was the whole point. I loved this character so much that I would sit on my couch howling at this portrayal. My wife was not a fan, but I fully bought in from day one. He used to do digital shorts with Beck Bennett that were bizarre and hilarious. I liked these shorts as much as The Lonely Island stuff. Whenever he would show up in pretty much any sketch I was stoked and his appearance took it up a notch for me as a viewer.  When he did stuff outside of "SNL" I was almost assured to watch. The movie he made, "Brigsby Bear" is funny, sad, heartwarming and so memorable. The fact that Mooney starred and was a writer on this movie made me so happy. This was a role that let him stretch, but also do what he does best, and it is a highly underrated gem. I have so many vivid memories of that movie and they are all good. People need to watch that movie. His one appearance on "Parks and Rec", where he interviews to be Ron's assistant, let him do his awkward comedy at his best. He appeared on the first show from Jessica St Clair and Lennon Parham, another underrated gem, "Best Friends Forever", and while I don't remember much, I do remember Mooney's one episode. He had a solid run on "Hello Ladies", the show from the original "The Office" creator, Stephen Merchant. He did a one off appearance on the "Comedy Bang! Bang!" television show. He reprised his "Hello Ladies" role for the movie. He was very memorable in the movie "Hello, My Name is Doris". And his most recent tv show, "Saturday Morning All Star Hits" sees him playing twin brothers on a 90's sketch show. It is funny, weird and incredibly dark. It is like a much darker version of "Brigsby Bear". I really enjoyed the first season of that show. I hope it comes back.

I feel like Mooney is right up there, as far as sketch stuff goes, with someone like Tim Robinson. Mooney can be much, much darker too. As for the Instagram reels, his stuff is riotous. He goes around interviewing people, all the while he is being very awkward and very bizarre. And I find myself cracking up every time at each new video, of which he puts out daily. Kyle Mooney has an old filter as far as comedy goes, and that works for me so much. I get excited when I see a new video. When he shows up in a movie or on a tv show or on a podcast, that makes it even more of a must see or listen for me.

Kyle Mooney is an underappreciated comedic genius. If you like awkward comedy, he may be the best one doing it out there right now. Give him a shot and I bet you will not be disappointed. Kyle Mooney rocks. 

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.

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

Ty Watches "Curb Your Enthusiasm" Series Finale

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" ended the series last night in what I consider to be perfect and glorious fashion. I don't truly know what I was expecting, but this seemed fitting and almost the only way Larry David could close out this classic television comedy. David is a genius. I have sung his praises for so, so many years. The guy gets it when it comes to comedy. He makes fun of others, but more importantly, he makes fun of himself time and time again. That much was on display during the hour long series finale. I think that is what made this such a successful and hilarious show over its long run.

"Curb" started in 2000. The show went for 12 seasons, and it felt like HBO let him put out a new season whenever he was ready. That was the best way to do this show. They had to be hands off for this to work. I have to assume David made it that way as well so he could put out exactly what he wanted in each season. We got 120 episodes of his genius. We had through lines in every season. They brought back classic bits in last nights finale from the earliest seasons. David got incredibly famous people to be on, either as themselves or as totally new characters. He let his stars shine. JB Smoove became a household name. Jeff Garlin and Susie Essman will be remembered forever as their characters. Ted Danson's heightened version of himself was perfect. Cheryl Hines starred as his wife and then ex wife. He got everyone from "Seinfeld" to be on his show. He got Bruce Springsteen to appear. He gave young up and coming improv actors their first chance to be on tv. He made offensive jokes and dealt with the blow back. He made his portrayal of himself as one of the greatest comedic characters to ever be on screen. This was, and always will be for me, a perfect show. This is the greatest comedy to ever be on tv. No one will come close to touching its genius. "30 Rock" is the closest now, and I love that show, but it is not even close to the hilariousness that "Curb" gave us.

And the way they closed it all out last night was a true joy to watch. To take on David's finale of "Seinfeld", the one everyone besides my wife and I seem to despise, and just go with it and do an almost updated version, it was the absolute best move to make. My wife and I kept saying to one another while watching, "this is perfect". To see him in a courtroom, to see the witnesses from seasons past show up, to see him and Jeff get into another messed up situation caused by their own stupidity, it was so perfect. Seeing Jerry Seinfeld show up for him and David to do bits was like watching a reunion I didn't know I needed. And for the the two of them to kind of hash out the "Seinfeld" finale in the most meta way possible, I couldn't be happier with what I saw. I'm glad they didn't do some kind of character change for anyone on the show. They all ended up the same as when they first appeared on the show. They were still griping about menial things. They were still trying to figure out where to eat. Richard Lewis, RIP, was still cracking jokes to David, and he was doing the same to Lewis. It was just a great sendoff to a great, all timer of a show. I loved the series finale. So did my wife. As for what I've seen on the internet today, it got a pretty good ovation from everyone who has watched it.

I want to end this today by thanking everyone involved with the creation and the constant improvement on "Curb Your Enthusiasm". You will all have a special place in my heart. And the biggest thanks goes to Larry David. Your genius knows no bounds. You are the greatest comedy television writer this world has ever been able to witness. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and enjoy your retirement. Now, it is time for me to rewatch this series for the millionth time. 

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.

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

R.I.P. Richard Lewis

Richard Lewis passed away at 76 yesterday. No cause of death was given, but he was battling Parkinson's Disease.

This one kind of hit me hard, as a fan. Lewis was a big deal to me due to his recurring role on "Curb Your Enthusiasm". He was a pretty big part of one of the best shows to ever be on tv. Lewis and Larry David are lifelong friends. It showed on the show. The back and forth, the yelling, the lack of courtesy, it all played so well because of their closeness and chemistry. They knew each other so well that they knew how to goad the other one, or how to try and make the other laugh and break while filming the show. It was glorious to watch. To see David get on Lewis' nerves whenever he would cause a break up with the next girl that he would claim to be "the one". These interactions were amazing to watch. I also really enjoyed in recent seasons of the show how they shifted from who Lewis was dating to what they were going to do in the afterlife. In one of the most recent episodes, they yell fight at one another about putting each other in their own personal will. Seeing David endlessly challenge Lewis was wonderful. And all the while you could see Lewis smiling wryly back at David. The closeness and love between the two friends was very apparent. I walk around the house and say "Richie boy!" all the time. That was how David would greet him whenever he was on the show. Richard Lewis' work on "Curb" was his greatest achievement in my mind. He will go down as one of the best people to ever be on this show. But Richard Lewis did so much more.

The first time I saw him was in the Mel Brooks movie, "Robin Hood: Men in Tights". I watched this movie over and over again as a kid. I rewatched it in the last couple of years, and while it wasn't as great as I thought it was when I was a kid, I still found myself chuckling at it, mostly at Richard Lewis' character. He played the king, and he had this mole that always moved. Every new scene, that mole would be in a different spot. And Lewis really played it up. He also got to do some of his standup routine in the movie, and that was just as funny. I liked how he would break character and go into his bits. It was great.

That is another thing I always conflate with Richard Lewis, stand up comedy. He was one of the first stand up comedians I ever saw on tv, and I clocked him as the stand up guy. He had a very unique look, and that was my influence with comedians going forward. Anytime I saw a person that looked or dressed like Lewis, I assumed they were also a standup. I first saw Steven Wright on tv with a hat and black suit coat, thought he looked like Lewis so I assumed he was a comedian, and then he did stand up comedy. The first time I watched "Seinfeld", and saw his stand up at the beginning, he was dressed like Richard Lewis. During that era, he was the guy that made me think of stand up comedy and guided my direction into being a fan of the artform. He ushered me into something I adore so much now.

Outside of "Curb" and "Robin Hood: Men in Tights", he was the Golem in "The Simpsons" treehouse of horrors. He appeared as himself on the highly underrated "Dr Katz". He co-starred with Jamie Lee Curtis in "Anything But Love". And lent his voice to "Bojack Horseman". Richard Lewis has always been around in Hollywood. He stayed working, be it tv and movies. But he was, and always will be, best known as one of the best stand up comics to ever do it. He was one of a kind. He was a legend. And he will be missed.

Rest in Peace Richie Boy. You will be missed. 

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.

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

Ty Watches "Curb Your Enthusiasm" 14th Season Premiere

The 14th, and final season, of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" premiered this past Sunday. My wife and I didn't get to see it until Monday, but all the same, it was awesome.

The thing I like most about this show, what has kept me coming back for each new season, you never really feel like it left. It picks right back up where we left off after last season, and we are in it. That makes me happy to be a fan. They don't have to rehash every storyline from the previous season. They use the main story, add a little detail from other seasons, but all in all, each new season is, and feels, new. Larry David and the writers deduced they were going to keep his new show and Maria Sofia this time around. That is kind of perfect because it helps the viewer understand why David and all his people can continue to live their lavish lives. His show is a hit, he is asked to appear at parties with Maria Sofia and they do, although David is not too thrilled. And then we are thrust into the new season.

This is the last go round, that is what everyone involved with the show keeps telling us, so we are instantly put into uncomfortable situations. Larry goes to Atlanta to appear at a party of a lifelong fan. Before going though they stop off at Auntie Ray's house in Atlanta. Auntie Ray was one of the family members displaced by the hurricane in season five I believe. She and Larry are all lovey dovey with one another until she tries on his glasses. Larry is convinced she bent them and they have a pretty epic screaming match. Leon is there, of course, and he adds his usual hilarity. Maria Sofia and Larry are at it at every step, so all of this just adds to his frustration over the glasses. We then get classic Larry David stuff. He wants to call a party guest by a nickname, but they don't want him to call her that. This irks Larry and he will not rest until he knows why he cannot call her by this name. He won't take pictures with the party guests. Leon eats the birthday cake before it is presented. David feigns interest during conversation. He gets into a fight with the maid at his hotel. He has to wear Auntie Ray's glasses everywhere. Jeff tells him he may not get paid for his appearance because of his attitude at said party. It is all the classic things you have grown to love about the show made better by the three years since it was last on air.

David knows what he is doing because he may be the best writer in comedic television history. He is gruff and mean and angry all the time, but that is what I love about the character. Leon is back and funnier than ever. Jeff and Susie are there to go along with and antagonize. Cheryl and Ted Danson are going to come up most assuredly. I cannot wait to see Vince Vaughn. I have to assume Richard Lewis will make appearances. And now we have Maria Sofia.

I cannot wait to see how they close this all out and I'm going to relish every moment of this final season. If the season premiere is any indication, this is going to be a rock solid season of one of the best comedies of all time on tv. 

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.

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

Leon Black, The MVP of "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

The final season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" premieres this Sunday. Everyone involved has said that this is it, and I fully believe them. I don't think this is one of those situations where people say this is the end but then decide to come back for a movie or reunion. This has a real finale feel. I also tend to believe that Larry David is done with this show too, and he doesn't seem like the type to go back on this. So, with that being said, I want to shout out an actor that turned this show from great to classic.

The first couple seasons of this show were great. They laid the groundwork. We got to know who the main characters are, how they act and live day to day. The show was also hilarious. I loved everything with Larry and Cheryl. The stuff with his dad was phenomenal. The stuff with Cheryl's family was great. Getting to know Susie and Jeff really let us into those characters' lives. Seeing how Larry David interacted with the people he used to work with was pretty excellent. The show worked. But, when they decided to do their thing with Hurricane Katrina, and write it into the show in their own way, this is where the show skyrocketed to being one of the best things in television history.

During the season 6 premiere the audience is introduced to the Black's. They are the family whose house was destroyed from the flood and the David's took them into their home. We get to meet the mom, the aunt and the kids right away. But it wasn't until the next day that we were introduced to Leon Black. Leon might be the greatest side character of all time. JB Smoove absolutely knocks this role out of the goddamn park. It feels like Smoove was destined to play this role. He is too perfect here. The whole idea of the show is, with each storyline, they improvise. There are never any true scripts. They get an idea of what each episode will be about, but there are never any written lines. Or at least that is what I have read. This fits right into Smoove's wheelhouse. He is a true comedian and an excellent comedic actor. He improvises so well with David, Susie Essman and Jeff Garlin. It feels like he makes them go up a level. Everytime he and David get into a shouting match I know it is going to be hilarious. When he starts to talk about Leon's past life experiences, it is so, so funny. When he reminisces I cannot control my laughter. I watched an older episode the other night where Leon and David come up with an idea for Leon to be a "house husband". This means he goes and helps his friends get better deals on home improvement projects. It all blows up in their faces, and Smoove is there to play this all for big time laughs. I also love the episode where we see the Black's leave Larry's house, after he and Cheryl split, and Leon walks up, seeing his family leaving. When Larry asks what he is going to do, Leon tells him he is going to go inside and eat his Chinese food, securing his place in Larry's house. Since that moment they have been roommates and friends. They've gone to Paris together. They have their businesses. Leon played a fake doctor for him. He has been his assistant. He talks to him about his lovelife and Larry's could be better. He despises Irma more than Larry I think. They are inseparable, and we are all reaping the rewards of getting to watch them go on this journey as a team.

I cannot wait to see what they do in this final season, but more so for me, I want to see how they wrap Leon's story. That is what I'm here for. I cannot wait. 

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.

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

Ty Watches "The Curse" Season One

Last week I finished season one of "The Curse". I kept thinking about it a lot since then. I was thinking about it so much that I went back and rewatched the finale last night.

I thought this finale was pretty remarkable. In fact, I found this whole season to be very weird and interesting and thought provoking and pretty solid. This show is very different. It is unlike pretty much anything that is on tv right now. The plot is fairly simple, but the execution was next level.

"The Curse" centers on Whitney and Asher, a married couple that host a HGTV show. They go to their hometown and build climate change friendly homes. They have squabbles with the network, the people who work for them and amongst themselves. Sounds simple enough. But the twists and turns happen galore. This show went to some of the cringiest places one could imagine. There were times where I felt uncomfortable watching. I would squirm on the couch. It was wild. The way these two take advantage of the people in their hometown, especially the indigenous people, is abhorrent. When they think they are doing something nice, it is only for their own benefit or to help the show. They are only out for themselves, so much so that they start to plot against one another.

Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder are dynamic here as well. I was totally blown away by Fielder's acting. He takes the uncomfortableness to a whole new level. If you thought he was awkward on "The Rehearsal" or "Nathan For You", this show makes those people look tame. He is clingy and needy and helpless here. It was a delight to watch. Emma Stone is wonderfully odd and plays a white savior so well. She has no qualms about the things she does as long as she thinks she is helping out the less fortunate. In most cases she is only out for herself. There is a scene in particular when she pokes fun at Fielder for trying to be tough and I was taken aback at how mean and nasty her character could be. It was a tour de force for her. I also appreciate the fact that she is doing stuff like this as opposed to taking on multiple rom coms or dumb coming of age movies. She is taking chances, nailing it and I'm here for it. Benny Safdie is also a revelation. I have always enjoyed his directing, but his acting here is pretty good. And while not as cringey as Fielder, he is right up there.

I think my favorite thing about this show is the long, silent moments. They really make you sit in it. The viewer is almost forced to sit and go back and think about what you just saw. They will have this super awkward scene or moment, and then they will cut to a long shot of a home or the face of the person in the aftermath. You just sit there and go over what you just saw until the silence breaks. It is pretty cool the way they do that. And the way they tell this story, and how they end it, it is one of the odder yet cooler things I've ever watched. They never poke fun at reality tv or home making shows. They never make these awful people seem like they have some good inside of them. They paint these overprigeled rich assholes in the proper light. And I love that.

"The Curse" is not the easiest watch, but if you let yourself get into it, the payoff is pretty exceptional. I loved it. If you are going to watch, and you are a Fielder fan, change your expectations. And if you are going in to watch Emma Stone, change your expectations. This show is unlike pretty much anything out there now, but it is well worth your time. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

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

"Fargo" Created a Television Masterpiece

Last week's episode of "Fargo" was something incredible. I was in awe watching that hour of television.

"Fargo" is one of the better shows on tv. I loved the movie, and when a tv show was announced, I was skeptical. But then the show came out and it is even better than I could have imagined. I liked season four, and that one gets some hate online. I thought it was good. But this most recent season has been a return to form if you will. They went back to the basics, probably brought back some original writers, and they have made something special. And, as said before, last week's episode was a triumph.

The episode in question we got to see Dot's, Juno Temple, backstory. We have been given little hints here and there about why she is doing what she is doing, and how she may have gained some of her vast knowledge. But nothing was ever really definitive. We got that last week. The episode sees Dot going on a mission to find someone to help her. She needs to let the world know that her ex-husband is a bad, bad person. We see her driving a bunch and nearly falling asleep at the wheel multiple times. She eventually ends up at a diner where she can eat and rest. This is where the episode goes from good to great. When Dot is done eating she finds her way to a community of abused women working and living together. This is where she finds Linda, the woman she has been looking for for help. But, before Linda will leave with her, she wants Dot to tell her story. She wants Dot to connect with the other women in the shelter. When Dot first gets to the commune, she sees a show featuring puppets. The show is harrowing. It is tough to watch. It is also heartbreaking. Dot takes this in and passes out. It is probably from no sleep, but maybe the truth in the story also knocks her out. We then see her journey making her own doll. When she finally tells her story, it is more depressing and tough and uncomfortable than the initial story we saw. Dot tells of a time when she was 15 and ran away from home. She was on her own and this lady Linda takes her in. We find out Linda is married to the bad guy that Dot is after, played by Jon Hamm. We see Hamm's character abusing and taking advantage of Dot. He abuses her sexually and physically. He takes advantage of her. He forces marriage upon her. All the while Dot is using dolls to tell this harrowing and rough story. The way they used these dolls was amazing. I couldn't take my eyes off screen. We see these dolls, but eventually they become real to me. I spoke with my mom, who worked in a battered women and children shelter, and she let me know this is a real therapy that is used. That makes this episode even better. After the story, Dot gets Linda to go with her and they are on their way to get Hamm. But, it turns out this was all a dream while she was waiting for her food. It was a "Wizard of Oz" scenario.

The episode ends on a very bleak note, and I have not yet watched the newest episode yet. But this episode was incredible and one of the best written pieces of content that has come out in a long, long time. I highly recommend watching this show, and being amazed at the brevity and genius behind Dot's story. It is a wonderful and incredibly well done piece of television. 

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.

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

Best of 2023 - Television

Today I come to you all with my top 5 tv shows of 2023. I have to admit that there is a good amount of high quality, well regarded tv I have not yet finished this year. I have yet to see shows like "Loki", "Andor", "Ghosts" and "Big Mouth" yet. I'm sure there are a bunch of other shows that I have missed too. But I have seen some good stuff this year and today I want to give you all a peek at how I view television.

At 5 I have the third and final season of "The Other Two". This show is criminally underrated and should not have been cancelled. It is one of the best written and funniest shows on tv. Helen York and Drew Tarver play their characters to perfection. Molly Shannon is an absolute delight, and she got to really stretch in this final season. Ken Marino was great. The young actor playing the famous brother grew up and had a nice story arc about the ills of fame and social media. I have not seen a show that is this meta and funny and perfectly of the time. The whole musical episode was amazing. When York's character quits her job and no one can see her, brilliant. The whole thing with Tarver's method acting boyfriend, chef's kiss. "The Other Two" is destined to become a cult classic. This show is going to do major work on streaming. It will find its audience and I feel like people will talk about it like I do about "Happy Endings" now. "The Other Two" is a show worth checking out.

At 4 I have season three of "The Righteous Gemstones". McBride and company keep finding ways to make dark humor the best humor to watch on tv. This season was incredible too. We got Walton Goggins back as Uncle Baby Billy. Be it his game show idea or him wearing a big clam shell and singing at the pool, he is amazing in this role. We got the struggle of Goodman trying to leave the church to McBride. We also got some backstory from those two, which was nice to see. We got Kelvin, Adam Devine, finally showing his love for Keef. It may have taken the whole season, but damn it paid off. But the best of the best was Edi Patterson as Judy. We learned a whole lot about her this season and Patterson was masterful at pulling all this off. From her tour to the stuff with her husband BJ, Tim Blatz, it all worked to perfection. I cannot wait for season four to come out.

At 3 I have "Jury Duty". I don't know how they were able to pull off such an elaborate prank revolved around jurors, but they did and it was a joy to watch unfold. This show took a real chance. Anything could have derailed the show at any second, but they were able to maneuver around any way of the "hero" finding out what was going on the whole time, until the end. James Marsden played an asshole version of himself, and it worked. A guy made chairpants, and it worked. Another guy and girl did a thing called "soaking", and it worked. A lawyer had one of the worst presentations I've ever seen, and it worked. They were able to pull off this wild prank, all the while not making our "hero" look like an idiot. If anything, he held it together better than any of us would have and I was stoked to see it all get revealed to him and for him to take home a cash prize. I hope they leave this show at one season because it is perfect.

At  2 I have season two of "The Bear". I didn't think they could top season one, and they didn't, but they made a great companion piece to one of the best shows on tv. This season gave us episodes that focused on the individuals that work together at the restaurant. Edibiri's character took us on a food tour of Chicago. Richie had to get knocked down before rising to the top. Fak had to do his magical repairs. Abbi Elliot's character got the job as the marketer for the restaurant and is having a baby. We even got the episode that showed Jeremy Allen White's character family at their worst. That episode has amazing cameos as well. "The Bear" continues to shine as the best show about food on tv. It is better than any cooking show or cooking based competition show. The food looks delicious, the acting is top notch and the direction is a thing of beauty. "The Bear" rules. But it is not my top show of the year.

At number 1 I have "The Last of Us". This show is a work of art. It is brutal. It is realistic. It is dreadful. It is violent. It is relentless. And I couldn't take my eyes off the screen when we watched. This show is truly one of a kind. Pedro Pascal is perfectly cast. Bella Ramsey is just as good and a perfect counterpoint. The Nick Offerman episode is, quite possibly, the best written, directed and acted episode in the history of television. Melanie Lynskey is a bad, bad lady in her episode. The episode with the deaf boy and his brother gives us hope, only to smack it out of our faces in the end. And as mad as I was at Joel for lying to Ellie in the season finale, it made me even more excited to see them deal with it in season two. "Last of Us" is an achievement unlike any other on television. They took this weird video game and made one of the best tv shows to ever exist. I am so pumped for season two.

That is it for tv. Come back tomorrow for my top podcasts of 2023. 

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.

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

R.I.P. Andre Braugher

Andre Braugher passed away at 61 last night. This has hit me rather hard, harder than I expected in fact. I did not know much about Braugher previous to him playing Captain Raymond Holt on "Brooklyn 99". I had seen the movie "Get on the Bus". I know he was on "Homicide". I know he was a steady working actor. But "Brooklyn 99" was my introduction to him and he was incredible on that show.

Captain Ray Holt is an iconic television character. Andre Braugher took this role, ran with it and helped to create one of the most memorable characters in comedic television history. Captain Ray Holt was robotic and amazing at his job. He viewed the world with a cold eye, but he did have a softer side. Holt would say and act robotic, but he would also praise the people he loved on the show. He put his people through tests, and when they came out the other side, he was even happier for them. He took on Jake Peralta, Andy Samberg's character, and helped to mold him into the person he became on the show. He helped Amy and Gina. He entrusted Terry more often than not. He loved the debate and vigor with which Detective Wunch would fight him. Holt was a do it all, genuinely excellent person. I feel like this was just a glorification of Andre Braugher as a person. I feel like the people involved with "Brooklyn 99" were so thrilled to get Braugher on the show that they would just write the character however Braugher wanted him to be written. Braugher seemed to be the consummate professional. Everyone on "Brooklyn 99" seemed to adore him. I think they all loved when they would get to do scenes with him. I also like to imagine that they would love to hang out with Braugher and his family outside the show.

I have never heard anyone say a bad word about Braugher. When the news came out last night there were tremendous amounts of people in shock. All the social media stuff was heaping praise on Braugher. People seemed to be very affected by this news. Braugher had a wife and three kids. I cannot imagine the pain they are going through at this moment. All the love he got from his peers, I have to imagine it was ten times more at home. I have to imagine his wife and children adored him like no one else could. This has to be tragic for them. And he was only 61. That is way, way too young. That is far too young to take Braugher away from his family and friends. I read that he had a brief illness. I don't know what the illness was, but it must have been pretty awful to take Braugher's life. And I don't know how long he fought it because, as I stated before, the illness was described as "brief". This is akin to Chadwick Boseman passing away for me. I am as shocked by this news as I was by Boseman's news. But in Boseman's case, the people around him knew he was sick, and they were able to keep it quiet. With Braugher it feels like he got sick and just passed with no warning.

This is a tragedy. I am super bummed by this. I didn't want to believe the news when I read it last night, but it appears to be true. What a tragic loss for his fans, but more importantly, his family. Rest In Peace Andre Braugher. You were taken away much too young and you are going to be missed. 

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.

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

Better Never than Late on "The Star Wars Holiday Special"

Just yesterday I saw “The Star Wars Holiday Special”. This has been a curiosity of mine for quite some time. I’ve heard about its awfulness from many different sources. I’ve heard about it from RD himself. It became a white whale for a bit due to it being tough to find. The people involved dislike it. The fans dislike it. The critics dislike it. George Lucas tried to bury this thing. This was something I wanted to see but never really thought I would have a chance. But now it’s relatively easy to find. RD sent me a copy from YouTube. The quality may not be great, but it’s watchable. I had little to no issues. But, having now seen it, I kind of wish I could go back to the time before I saw this piece of trash.

Look, I’ve been a lot better on this site lately. I am trying to stay away from being negative. But this special is truly vile. It may be the worst piece of content I’ve ever seen. I was getting visibly annoyed during the 90 minute watch. My wife asked why I was mad. My son kept calling up to me from our downstairs saying, “what’s going on up there?”. My daughter, luckily for her, didn’t see my attitude during my “Star Wars” special watch. But when I say this thing is bad, I mean it’s truly, exceptionally terrible.

The special has no through line. They try to use “Life Day”, a supposed Wookie holiday, as the impetus for this special, but it’s sparse and not really touched on until the very end. This is a sketch special, but not in a good way. RD had me watch Paul Lynde’s Halloween special in October, and while nonsensical, Halloween was up front. Life Day is a non starter here. But, we do meet Chewbacca’s family. Apparently he has a wife and kid and his dad lives with them. We never see them in visual content anymore, but they are the stars here. We also get two song breaks. One is from Diane Carroll in a very odd, mastubatory fantasy from Chewbacca’s dad. It’s very weird. The other is a Jefferson Starship song, which is kind of cool, but it’s after their “White Rabbit” heyday. There’s no more Grace Slick, which is a drag. We do get the stars, Mark Hammill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, C-3PO and R2D2 are all here and all phoning it in. Bea Arthur shows up. Her sketch is dreadful and there a seemingly endless song and dance number. Harvey Korman is in three different sketches, all progressively worse. Art Carney gives his all, but the written dialogue is awful. There’s dumbass Imperial Guards. They have a voiceover from James Earl Jones, but we don’t get any new Darth Vader stuff. It’s just a scene ripped from the movie. The stars are there physically, but definitely not mentally. There’s an odd dance/circus number that Chewbacca’s son watches. They try to shoehorn bad jokes. They have an oddly placed cartoon, which I guess true fans like, but it just confused me. I don’t know. I guess I just don’t get it.

This special is unequivocally bad. I don’t think there’s a person who genuinely likes this. If someone says they do they’re lying to you and themselves. This special made me mad because they have this great source material, yet they somehow managed to make it excruciatingly boring and pointless. I loathed this. I do not recommend anyone watch this. It’s not even bad fun. You can’t even make fun of how bad it is because it’s so terrible. There’s nothing redeemable or fun about this. I truly believe this is one of, if not the, worst piece of content that’s ever been put out there. I’d rather watch knee surgery than watch this special ever again. “The Star Wars Holiday Special” is in the Hall of Fame of bad visual content. It may be the MVP.

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.

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

"30 Rock" Sure Had A Lot of Guest Stars

We are currently rewatching "30 Rock" for the millionth time in my house. This is one of the best shows to ever exist. They have done scientific experiments about the jokes per second on the show. Tina Fey is a genius. She created something incredible with this show. I know we will eventually be going back to watch it many, many more times.

During this rewatch though my wife and I noticed something different. We watch a good amount of tv, probably too much. So when we go back and watch something multiple times, one of my favorite things about a rewatch is seeing, or realizing something I never noticed. To me that is the sign of a very good, very high quality show. So, the thing we noticed was the amount of guest stars that "30 Rock" had during its run.

The guest star list is vast and filled with some top notch people. Actors like Jon Hamm, James Marsden and Octavia Spencer had storylines based around their character. Will Forte became an integral character. So did Chris Parnell. Steve Buscemi had a great run as a PI. He is also part of a great meme from this show. But when you look at one off celebs on the show, the list is wild. Tony Bennett appeared in one episode. Carrie Fisher had one episode where she was the focal point of a story. Kellen Lutz showed up and did a great job in his role as himself. Oprah Winfrey, Aubrey Plaza, Whoopi Goldberg, Al Gore, Conan O'Brien, Paul Reubens, Wayne Brady and LL Cool J, all these people came in for a cameo and were all memorable. She also helped out former "SNL" cast members. I mentioned Parnell and Forte, but we also got Jason Sudekis, Fred Armisen, Jimmy Fallon, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg to show up for a bit. Musicians were also everywhere on the show. You can go back and watch the kidney episode with another guest star, Alan Alda, and the amount of famous musicians is insane. It is a who's who of artists. We also got a "Friends" run with David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston appearing in two different episodes. We also got major movie stars like Matt Damon who had a good run. Matthew Broderick showed up in two different episodes. Steve Martin had an excellent episode where he is the star. Peter Dinklage had a great story arc in one episode. I mean, Slama Hayek played a nurse. These are bonafide movie stars here. The list could go on and on and on.

I have sat back with my wife and we have discussed the fact that we both think that "30 Rock" had the best, and most guest stars in the history of live action sitcoms. I feel like these super duper stars realized early on how great this show was going to be and they really, really wanted a guest spot. And when they were asked by Fey, I bet they jumped at the opportunity. "30 Rock" has so many wonderful things going for it, and this list of guest stars makes me adore this show even more. The next time you rewatch or watch "30 Rock" see if you can remember and count the amount of guest star appearances. It will blow your mind. 

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.

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

Ty Watches "The Curse" Series Premier

Last night I was able to watch the pilot episode of "The Curse". This is Nathan Fielder's new show. He is also working with Benny Safdie, he is a co creator, and A24 is producing. Let’s discuss.

This is right up my alley. I adore Fielder's work. "Nathan For You" is one of the best, most original shows ever. He followed that up with a genius show, "Rehearsal". Fielder is in an incredible groove as of late, and Showtime giving him his own show was a genius move. Benny Safdie was in "Good Time" and he directed it with his brother. He and his brother also did "Uncut Gems" which is one of the better movies to have been released in the last couple of years. The Safdie brothers have a great eye for directing and they are on fire right now. Safdie was also excellent in his role in "Good Time". A24 is the best production company in the game. They are doing the best work in movies and tv right now. They also paid people and gave them what they asked for during the actors and writers strike. Whoever is running A24 is one of the smarter people in the game. A24 totally rules and they have a lifelong fan in me. So putting all three of these together, it is a recipe for a wild and entertaining tv show.

Now, this show is not really a comedy. There were comedic moments in the pilot, but they were few and far between and they were buttoned by something creepy or cringey. And I think that is the point of this show. Putting Fielder in charge may lead one to believe that this is going to be a straight forward comedy. But this show is a lot more like "The Rehearsal", or "Finding Frances". Fielder is doing something different and I'm here for it. There were moments in the pilot that were disturbing, creepy, cringey, uncomfortable and I was all in from start to finish. I wanted to see something different and weird from Fielder, and that is exactly what "The Curse" gives the viewer.

There was one scene in particular that really shook me seeing Fielder acting it out. He and his wife, Emma Stone, who is perfect here, are being interviewed by a local newscaster. The newscaster starts in on Stone's family and you can see it pisses Fielder off. He starts to go off on her, and at one point he snaps and tells her to "talk to me, not to my wife". My wife saw this and said she hates his character. I told her me too, but I think that is what Fielder is going for. He has other moments that really creeped me out, and he nails it, like the most squirm inducing sex scene I have seen in quite some time. Stone, as previously mentioned, totally nails it here. She is trying to do something good for her community, but she is also the poster child for gentrification, and she has no idea. She is tough and formidable, but she is also causing harm to her community. Benny Safdie is the creep of all creeps here. He is the director of their show, and from the moment he steps on screen he is despicable. He makes it look like a mom is crying when she is actually dying. He hits on Stone far too much. He gets footage without people's consent. He tries to make people uncomfortable when there is no reason for it. He shows his old content which is vile. He is so gross yet I cannot take my eyes off him when he is on screen. This show is very different and very creepy. They let you live in silence and they linger on shots longer than seems necessary. But it works. Fielder has an eye for this. Safdie knows what he is doing. And Stone is such a pro. This works.

“The Curse” may not be for everyone, but I'm in. I say check it out if you like any of the three main people, but go in knowing it is not a typical tv show. It takes chances and those chances worked for me in the pilot episode. I can't wait for more. 

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.

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

Coping with the Unreality of Reality Television

I've talked about reality shows a lot on this website. I also watch, or watched, a good amount of reality shows. I still check in from time to time on reality shows my wife watches on the weekends. But I have been putting more thought into them lately, probably more than the creators, I kid. But I have been trying to suss things out about some of the shows that I watch and have watched.

As I get older I am getting a bit cynical about these "reality" shows. They don't really live up to the hype anymore. They are retreads. They are rip off shows. And they are horrible for the television industry because they put a ton of people out of work. This has been on my mind a lot lately. I find myself even thinking about these shows when they are not on. I don't know what that says about me, but here we are.

I think my biggest issue as of late is the fact that these shows are not actual, true "reality" shows. There is nothing real about them at all. If they were factual, if they were real, they would be tiring and very boring. Think about your everyday life. How boring is it really? I know that if I were to be filmed for a reality show, and if they stuck to actual reality, it would be a total snooze fest. The cameras would see me go through my routine. I get my kids ready for school in the morning. I run errands or have coffee with my dad and friends. I come home and do chores around the house. I go for a run. And then the night is filled with taking kids to sports, having dinner and going to bed. Pretty tiresome huh? That is how I know these reality shows are actually real. Real life is boring. But if you do a few takes of a conversation, add alcohol and try to start a conflict, that is a recipe for intriguing "reality" shows. I have read that these reality shows have copious amounts of alcohol just laying around. I feel like the producers of the shows think that if there is alcohol around, and most of the people enjoy alcohol, they will loosen up and let it fly a bit. That is why there is rarely ever a person on a reality show that has chosen to not drink. I would never be in a reality show because I choose to not partake in alcohol. I would, as I am prone to say in this piece, be very boring.

Take a show like "Love is Blind". My wife is very much into this show and I will sit down with her and watch or listen in the background while I am doing something around the house. This is the fakest "reality" show on tv. They go so far as to have everyone drink from the exact same style cup. The cups are all the same, even when they go to stores, parties or are at their home or their parents homes. That is for continuity. Which leads me to another point. The fact that the glasses have to be the same, so as not to show drinks being consumed, that means they do multiple takes of supposed "real" conversations. There was a very big blow up the other night and the fact that someone cried, I was completely taken out of it because I noticed the glass. This made me question how many times they asked this girl to cry, or how many times they had this dude call her horrible names. And that happens all the time on these shows. It looks like it is a conversation unfolding in real time until you start to think about tv and the fact that they need the correct lighting and that they have to be able to fully hear everything and that the clothing has to be the same, it is all made up.

You could even put cooking competitions in this conversation. I cannot believe that a "Chopped" contestant can think on the fly as fast as these competitors do on the show. They come up with these crazy dishes in a matter of seconds. I have to believe that they have a little bit, at the very least, of an idea of what is coming in those baskets. And they also have to make multiple dishes in an allotted time. Stuff has to get messed up that we never see in the finished product on our tv's.

I could go on and on with other reality shows, but these two came straight to my mind when I thought of this piece. Reality shows are not based in reality. Sorry if that bursts people's bubbles. But I'm not here to tell you not to watch them. If you like reality shows, watch as much as you want. That may be your steez. They just aren't for me and I am going to continue to see what other things I notice while watching them. I will just keep it to myself when I watch with my wife. 

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.

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

R.I.P. Matthew Perry

While at a Halloween party this past Saturday I pulled my phone out to check college football scores. After doing that I had a Facebook notification that I wanted to see. When I clicked on the app my newsfeed was flooded with the news that Matthew Perry had passed away at 54 years old.

I know who Matthew Perry is because I like pop culture stuff. I mentioned this to my wife and her cousin and they let the whole party know the unfortunate news. I watched each person react to hearing this and it kind of shocked me. Matthew Perry was a big deal to a lot of these people, most of which were right around my age. I have never watched the show "Friends". I know, that's weird. It was never really for me. I was not a fan of the comedy they were doing and I wanted to watch other stuff. But I knew who Chandler Bing, Perry's character, was. He was the goofball of the group. He made jokes. I know one of his big things was saying the line, "could I be anymore...." and adding something to button it. That was his schtick. So when I looked at people processing this news, it made sense why they were upset. They grew up on this show. They watch it now like I watch "The Simpsons" I imagine. "Friends" is probably their comfort food show. And I bet a bunch of them liked Chandler the most. So it was interesting processing that and then thinking about this from their perspective.

As the night wore on and we left the party, driving home my wife mentioned that it was crazy that Perry had passed so young. I agreed and we then talked about the stuff we liked that we had seen him in. My wife was never really a "Friends" person either, but she did watch "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip". She is one of the few people I know that watched, and enjoyed, that show. She said Perry was wonderful. We both really like "The Whole 9 Yards". The sequel is no good, but the first one is underrated. It is a funny movie with some dynamite performances, Perry being one of the stars. When I was younger I adored Chris Farley. That meant seeing all of his stuff, including "Almost Heroes". That movie is not very good either, but Perry does his best with poor material, and he is funnier than Farley, even though he had to play his foil in the movie. Perry would show up in other stuff that I liked too. He was in one episode of "Scrubs" and he knocked that out of the park. He played his own voice in a "Treehouse of Horrors", having fun making fun of his "Friends" catchphrase. He popped up in another underrated gem, "17 Again", as older Zac Efron and was dynamite. He played himself in "Children's Hospital", again willing to joke about himself. He reunited with Courtney Cox for an episode of her show "Cougar Town".

Perry stayed working. But he also had a drug problem. Drugs are the worst when people get addicted to them. Perry spoke of his troubles and was very open about it all. Still, it seemed to take its toll. We have friends who watched the "Friends" reunion thing on HBO and they said that he looked better, but you could tell he was not fully healthy. That's tragic. So to see this news, to read that he was only 54, to know that it was not drugs, but they most likely cut his life tragically short, that is what makes this so shocking and sad.

Perry seemed to be an okay enough dude that battled some bad, bad demons. 54 years is not close to enough. RIP Matthew Perry. Get some rest. 

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.

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