Ty Watches "Big Mouth" Season Six

Yesterday I finished season six of "Big Mouth". "Big Mouth" is the best show on right now that touches on puberty. Puberty, and growing up for that matter, is a pain in the butt. It is an awful time in your life. It is awkward and gross and disheartening. It is all bad. It is a necessary evil, but it is still very, very evil. "Big Mouth" puts that forth tenfold. They do not shy away from anything.

Everything touched on in the show, I have found a relatable time in my life. That was what drew me to the show in the first place, and that is what keeps me coming back. I remember thinking when it first came out that it would maybe be sustainable for two, three seasons. But they are now in the sixth, and they keep finding fresh ways to talk about this awful time in your life. And while it is still fresh, it is also more of the same. And I mean that in the best possible way. It is like being reacquainted with an old friend. It may feel awkward and weird at first, but then after a minute or so, it is just like the old times. I found myself right back in it after the first episode of the new season. It was great to see all these characters I have gotten to know over these six seasons.

Season six did touch on some new ideas. We got to meet Nick's grandpa and find out about his dad's athletic past. The sport was nipple twisting, but it was still pretty funny to see how they dealt with strained relationships. Andrew had to deal with a breakup of his own and his parents fighting. I like that they gave Andrew a little more of a storyline than just being a pervert. He showed a little growth. I like that. The whole scenario he was involved in in the finale was nuts also. It was wild. Jessi dealt with a new step sister, becoming friendly with her stepmom and finding out that even parents have real feelings too. Missy met and started to date a religious kid. He also happens to be asexual, and the way the writers put that across on screen was pretty rad. They handled it very properly. I also enjoyed the return of Nathan Fillion. Jay grew and found out more about himself just like Andrew. The only difference is that they kept him as gross as ever, but that works with Jay. He is supposed to be the gross one. He is the one we all look at and laugh about, but we all knew someone like him when we were growing up. I also enjoyed the hormone monsters having a baby and then introducing a few new hormone monsters from their spin off show, "Human Resources". There was far more singing this season, a lot more stuff outside of school and even some tech talk. The Apple brooch episode was phenomenal.

I adore "Big Mouth". I have said it before and will say it many more times, but this should be shown to every kid that is currently going through puberty. This show knows how to tackle it better than any show now or in the history of TV. "Big Mouth" is a special show that happens to be very well done. The writing is tremendous. It is at the top of the list. Go watch this show everyone. It is worth it.

Ty

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

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Season Three of "Love is Blind" is One Season too Many

As you all may have heard on a recent X Millenial Man podcast, I enjoy reality dating shows. As much as I wish I did not like them, they always seem to suck me in. I get invested and I want to see how they end. I also like to do further research and see if the couples are still together after filming ends.

One such show that came into my life at the start of quarantine was "Love is Blind". Netflix dropped the first season maybe only a month or two into quarantine and it grabbed me. The whole concept of the show is to see if love is truly blind. There are two dorms of the opposite sex. They have twelve men and 1twelve women living in these dorms and they date members of the opposite sex. But while they are on these dates they cannot see each other. They have pods and they can talk for hours on end, but they do not get to see what each other looks like. It is a very simple premise, but the way the show is made, it is very watchable. The first season also came at a perfect time. I was watching anything to take my mind off of COVID and this was a great distraction. It was perfect.

I enjoyed the first season so much, so when the second season came out you better believe I was tuning in. While still solid, the second season started to show its cracks. The show became more focused on looks. The show started to show its vanity. The contestants did not look like people we see in the world everyday. The cast was more beautiful, more vain, more into themselves and it became tougher to watch. But I still found stuff to hang onto. I still found myself rooting for and against some of the couples. I still had an opinion. It still held weight with me. I was still invested. I was so deep in this season that when the reunion was aired I openly yelled at my TV at some of the things these people were saying.

My wife and I recently watched the entirety of the third season. This may be it for me. The show has lost all of the good will it had garnered in the first two seasons. The contestants are as vain as ever. They care far too much about looks. They care far too much about others. None of these couples should be together or stay together. None of it works. They are too plastic, too fake, not real at all, they are all caricatures of everyday people. It is fully a farce now. It is not even close to what we consider reality tv anymore. I get that reality tv is almost as staged as basic cable comedy or drama, but this is taking it even further. The conversations these contestants have, both in and out of the pods, are asinine. They make no sense. The people involved go from one major point to the next, contradicting themselves all along the way. At multiple points I heard people say stuff like, "there is no way I can marry this person", only to end up marrying them. Or they will say to their SO, "I cannot envision my life without you", and then break up with them. It is maddening.

This season also makes women look insane. The people involved do not do a good job of putting women in a good light. They make them look nuts and drunk and spineless and mean and vindictive. I am fully on the side of the women throughout this entire season. They are right. The men are wrong. They are assholes. They are immature little babies. They blame everyone but themselves. They are ugly inside and out. "Love is Blind" season 3 tries to prop these men up and they fail spectacularly. I did not like a single male contestant on this show. I could not even find little things I liked about any of them. They are all awful. The women, while not being held up to as big a standard, can all do far, far better than the dudes they ended up with. In particular Zenabe. She is so, so, so much better than Cole. Cole is a monster. He gaslights people. He makes people feel bad about themselves. He asked his girlfriend if she were bi polar at one point. I mean, he is a scumbag. And when Zenabe goes off on him, that was probably the only point that I cheered during this season.

Season three of "Love is Blind" is a mess. The show has fallen off. It has lost its way. It has given in to reality tv dating show tropes. I never took it seriously to begin with, but now it is a total farce. The show does not work like it did in early 2020. The jig is up. The show does not have that oomph it once had. I do not know if I will be tuning in to season four at this moment. Season three was so bad and mean and gross that it may have lost me as a viewer. Time will tell I suppose.

Ty

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

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Bol Bol Makes The Orlando Magic a Worthy Watch

In lieu of doing my annual thanks post I usually do on Thanksgiving, I took the day off to reflect. I am very thankful for so many things, but I wanted to do something a little different, a little off the beaten path from what I normally do. This piece is going to meld the two things together for me.

I love basketball, as you all know very well. I especially love the NBA. In football I prefer college, but the NBA just does it for me. It is also very early in the season, so things are pretty wide open and kind of nuts right now. I like to watch all the teams, and having League Pass makes that a cinch. This means I have been watching a ton of Orlando Magic. Some might say too much.

Orlando is not very good, but they are fun to watch. They fly up and down the floor. They do not play much defense, but their offense is fast and tense. They love to get it up and down, and I love that style of basketball the most. I am currently coaching my 5th grade team to run, run and run some more. It doesn't always work, but when it does, it is a thing of beauty. I feel like that is what the Magic are doing right now. They are just throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks. They also have a core group of young players and they are a delight to watch. Even when they screw up it is still somehow entertaining. I like guys like Cole Anthony. He is fun and plays a little old school-ish. Franz Wagner is turning out to be a very solid pro on both ends. He is living up to the hype. Paolo Banchero was the correct choice at number 1. He is hurt now, but when he has played, he has looked very legit. He has the tools to be a star. Mo Bamba is playing more like I hoped he would when he first entered the league. He is a rim protector, a decent low post guy and can run for days. Jalen Suggs has looked better this season. Wendell Carter Jr has found a place that has let him figure it out and he looks like he is doing just that. Even Markelle Fultz, when not hurt, has found a style of play that works for him and the team. But the one guy that has impressed me the most, the player I like to watch the most on this team, the whole reason for this blog today, is Bol Bol.

Bol Bol was a very ballyhooed recruit. He was this unicorn that every major program wanted. He finally decided on Oregon. When I first heard of him, then saw him, I was skeptical. But then he played a few games for the Ducks. He was worth the hype. He was blocking shots left and right. He was scoring with ease in the post. He was pulling big guys outside and making threes. I was flabbergasted. I could not believe my eyes. But then he got hurt. He missed most of his freshman season. He then went pro, as expected, but slipped to the second round. The Nuggets drafted him. I liked this pick because he could develop with a very good pro team. He was going to be learning from some of the best. But they never played him. They could not find minutes for him. He'd get in blowouts and show flashes, but nothing was sustainable. He was then traded to multiple teams. He somehow ended up in Orlando before this season started, and I liked it. It reminded me a ton of when they acquired Fultz. Bol Bol was going to get to play, he was going to learn on the fly and the Magic were going to let him be himself. And so far, he has looked pretty wonderful. He is hitting threes. He is grabbing boards. He is blocking shots. He is putting up double doubles with ease. He looks to be having fun. He looks healthy. He looks like he is turning into the unicorn that everyone previously thought he could be.

Lately I have been watching a ton of the French kid, Victor Webanyama, and he is legit. He is going to be a star. But everyone says that no one has ever looked like this kid. Well, and he is not even close to this kid's level, but isn't Bol Bol kind of like the poor man's Webanyama? They both have similar games. The French kid is built better, but Bol Bol has gotten bigger since he entered the league. The French kid and Bol block a lot of shots. They both grab boards. They both can stretch the D. Again, Bol is not the prospect Webanyama is, but he is a very similar player. They have very similar profiles.

All in all, it has been an absolute joy to watch Bol Bol to this point of the season. I hope it sticks. I hope he becomes a regular starter in the NBA. I also hope he stays with this fun young core in Orlando. I feel like this team could be very good in two to three years if they stay put. Until that time comes though, I will sit back and gladly watch Bol Bol do stuff that I have never seen on an NBA floor in my life to this date. He is a fun player to watch.

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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Where are the Good Thanksgiving Centered Television Shows and Movies?

While walking past my wife's home office this afternoon I noticed some turkey stuff on her screen. As I got a closer look it was tv actors in turkey outfits or eating turkey. I asked what they were doing and she said they were having people put down their favorite movies or tv shows centered around Thanksgiving. It seemed like a relatively normal thing that offices do.

After looking at her screen for a minute I went for a run, and then my wheels started to turn. I think a lot when I am out on my own running. So I started to think of tv shows or movies that I enjoy centered around Thanksgiving. I have not seen "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" from start to finish in my lifetime. I remember my mom really liked a movie called "Home for the Holidays", which is solid but also very depressing. "Thankskilling" is also a solid option, but that is a movie that is so bad it is good, and I wouldn't necessarily call it a "Thanksgiving" movie.

My mind wandered to tv shows. There are a lot of tv shows that show a Thanksgiving, or feature a turkey, but no show has a real "Thanksgiving" episode in my mind. And let me be clear, these are tv shows that I watch. I've never seen "Friends". I stopped watching "New Girl" after two seasons. I do not watch a whole lot of regular channels tv programs. But I do watch a ton of "Simpsons". I was racking my brain. They have the episode where Homer is Mr Burns' prank monkey, but that is more of a Christmas episode. It centers on Homer being Santa in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. They also have other episodes that feature a turkey, but again, Thanksgiving is not the holiday being celebrated. I noticed someone on my wife's computer put the episode of "Seinfeld" on there where Newman imagines Kramer as a turkey. But this is not a Thanksgiving ep at all. This is all about Kramer using butter as sunscreen and shaving cream and he sits outside for too long. He also stays in his hot tub too long. There is not even a mention of any holiday within the twenty-two minutes. The closest I can think of a tv show that fully features Thanksgiving is "Bob's Burgers". They have full eps dedicated to the holiday. But, even within these shows, it is all about Bob's joy of cooking the meal. They do not give thanks. There is no real fighting. They do not have turkeys everywhere. The episodes are wonderful, some of my absolute favorites, but they do not scream out Thanksgiving like other shows do with other holidays. Hell, even a show like "The League", which is all about football, barely even mentions the holiday outside of one episode in a late season. I mean, look at a show like "The Office". Their Christmas episodes are legendary. I could say the same thing about "The Simpsons''. Outside "Treehouse of Horrors' ', they tackle Christmas the best. Back to "The Office '', they did a Valentine's Day episode that was classic. "Parks and Rec" also had some really excellent Valentine's Day episodes.

I just do not get why Thanksgiving does not get the love on the shows I watch. But please, tell me some good Thanksgiving stuff you all watch. I want to know what to seek out, what I should be watching this time of year. I am going to remedy my lack of seeing "Planes, Trains and Automobiles", but I need more recommendations. I want more as well. Enlighten me everyone. Tell me what to seek. Thanks in advance.

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 "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law"

Over the past week my wife and I started and finished the first season of “She Hulk”. It took me an episode or two, but I ended up loving this show. It is funny. It is very well written. It is well acted. The fourth wall breaking is wonderful. It’s like the popular mockumentary shows with a superhero as the star.

I also really enjoyed the cameos once I bought in to the fact that they were going to do this as fan service. As I said, it took me a few episodes, but I loved the addition of Hulk. He was important to help push along Jen Walter’s story. He was the reason she got the Hulk ability, and we needed that full first episode to get us to the finish line. I also like Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk. He’s great. But after that first episode he only shows up here and there. It’s not overkill.

I think Tatiana Maslany was the best choice for Walters/She Hulk. She is so funny. She is relatable. She’s a great actor. She brings a unique voice to the MCU. I love that she got this role and she absolutely crushed. I can’t wait to see where she goes with this character from here.

Maslany’s co stars were wonderful. Her assistant at work was a great best friend at the office. The derpy guy they with with at the new office was great comic relief. Tim Roth, as The Abomination, was so funny. His story arc was fantastic as well. Jameela Jamil was so excellent as the influencer who happened to get minimal super powers. The addition, minor spoiler, of Daredevil really helped push the story along. The actors are wonderful.

I really liked the stuff they touch on in the stories. The trials and tribulations of women are at the forefront. They talk about walking home alone at night, getting hit on at work, trying to find good dates online, and so many other things, and they handle it so perfectly. The show got better and better with each episode. I found myself getting more and more into it with each new episode. I loved the tags on a few episodes, but I was also stoked they didn’t do it at the end of every episode. The finale was also a stroke of genius. They really turn the MCU on its head.

“She Hulk” is an excellent show and everyone should check it out. It’s got excellent performances, great writing and cool storytelling. Check 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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Better Never Than Late on "Don't Worry Darling"

A while back I wrote about all the off screen drama involving the movie "Don't Worry Darling". The trailers and the cast and then all that nonsense had me pretty hype to watch the movie. I also loved "Booksmart", Olivia Wilde's first movie, so I figured she was due for another solid outing. I was on board to see this movie. And it is now streaming on HBO Max. My wife also wanted to see it, it was her turn to pick the date night movie and she picked "Don't Worry Darling". We sat down and were both excited.

The movie, for me, did not deliver. Now, my wife liked the movie. She enjoyed her viewing experience. And Florence Pugh and Chris Pine did a very good job with little material to work with. Those are the things I enjoyed about the movie. But everything else fell very flat for me. It was not worth all the hype. The story and most other performances just didn't work for me. The direction felt clunky and forced. Some of the acting was very blah. And the stuff that was left on the cutting room floor, according to internet research, probably would have helped. But I was not feeling it.

Pugh, as previously stated, was solid. She did a great job in fact. She is very good in these horror/psychological roles. She knows how to do that. But Harry Styles is not a great actor. He tried very hard in this movie, but I just didn't buy his performance. He has a scene where he has to cry and act upset and it looked like a first time actor trying way too hard. He did some things well, but most of it was very forced and not so good. At least he can sing. Nick Kroll was underused. He did not get a chance to shine in a role that is very different for him. I wanted more. I could say the same for Kate Bertlant, who I also like very much. She had moments where it looked like she was going to go through some stuff, but they cut her off or cut away from her character. I wanted to know so much more about her. Her husband, played by Asif Ali, only had a handful of lines. He was not fleshed out at all. Kiki Layne had a very juicy role, got to do some decent stuff, but she was the person who was cut the most. Her role was, seemingly, very important to the story, but she was more under utilized than Kroll. That was a bummer. Pine's wife, played by Gemma Chan, had this eeriness to her, but she never got fleshed out either. That seemed to happen a lot in this movie. Wilde gave herself a supporting role, and it felt like they wrote her character more than any other supporting actor. She had a backstory and stuff that happened to her, but I was not given enough time as a viewer to really care about her. What happened was sad and devastating, but they did not reveal any of it until the very end. There was no time.

Therein lies my biggest problem with the movie. They had a great idea, they had a solid cast, they had people game for this movie, the set pieces were dope, but they did not go far enough with this story and these people living in this world. The movie was a shade over two hours, but it felt unfinished. It felt rushed. It felt like they were all trying to not get COVID, this movie was filmed during a surge from what I read. It just did not tell this interesting story in an interesting way for me. The way they got to the twist was slow, but once they were there, they went too fast. Pugh tried her best to pull it off. Pine was a great villain, but the rest was just too bland. When they flashed back and forth, Styles looked like a bad guy from an early 2000's indie movie, and not in a good way.

I don't know. The movie had all this press and all this build up, but it just didn't hit home with me. And that bums me out. I really wanted to like this movie. Or, at the very least, I wanted this movie to give me a story. I wanted it to be memorable. But it was just a very bland and boring movie that did not deliver. Oh well, at least I have the off screen nonsense to look back on in the future. What a bummer.

Ty

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

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An Ode to Jillian Bell and Her MVP Performance on "Workaholics"

I am rewatching "Workaholics" for the, what seems like, millionth time. I love this show. It is one of my all time favorites. I enjoy the comedy, like the acting and think it is one of the funniest shows of all time. Everyone on it is very good at their roles. But there is one actor who I think may be the unsung hero of it all. That actor is Jillian Bell.

Jillian Bell plays Jillian on the show and she is the best scene stealer and quite possibly the funniest person on the show. Every time she shows up I find myself laughing harder than normal. I did not notice this until very recently. On this most recent rewatch I am going through and doing my own personal best of. I pick out a few episodes when I turn it on that I love. These ones always hit. And whenever Jillian Bell shows up I get pumped. I was watching one yesterday and it really hit home how great she is.

In this particular episode TAC, the company they work for, is selling a new female based product. All of the male salesmen are horrible at their jobs so they get replaced by the women. The women crush it, mainly Jillian. The success goes to Jillian's head and she starts to treat Blake like an object. Seeing her go from such a sweet, nice person to this mean and vindictive salesperson is a masterclass. She is so funny and scary. When she reveals her tattoo, that whole scenario is magic. When she exclaims, "I need my first cup of coffee ever", I laugh harder each time. She does such a great job.

It is not just that one episode. When she runs for snack manager, that is a classic for fans of this show. When she tells the boys about a promotion, and the way she just blindly goes about her day, genius. When she and Blake get a cat and co parent, oh man, that is some kind of wonderful. When she helps out the guys with their backyard wrestling, that is awesome. I love when she has to take over the office because Alice is sick and it is a disaster. And only someone like Bell could pull this off so well. Her timing, the way she plays this character, her comedy, the line delivery, it is all top notch. I find myself constantly impressed.

I have seen a ton of other stuff that Jillian Bell has been in, and it is all good. I adore "Brittany Runs a Marathon". It is one of the few movies that have made me cry, and that is due to Bell's performance. She is awesome as the villain in "22 Jump Street". It is a true tour de force villain role for her. "Sword of Trust" is an indie favorite of mine, and she is great. "Idiotsitter" is a highly underrated comedy and she was clutch on that show. She is probably the only funny part in "Fist Fight". I loved her in "The Night Before". Bell is a great actor. But it is her work on "Workaholics" that introduced me to her and it is my favorite thing she has done. I do want to see her new movie, "I'm Totally Fine", but I do not think it will be better than "Workaholics".

Seriously, go check out Jillian Bell’s work on this show. She is amazing and really took this role and ran with it. Anyone that can deliver a line, "I'm looking like a boss though, in head to toe Costco" is going to have a special place in my heart. Jillian Bell crushed it as Jillian on "Workaholics".

Ty

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

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An Ode to the Great Movies from the Safdie Brothers

While channel surfing the other day I came across the movie "Good Time". For those that may not know, "Good Time" stars Robert Pattinson and Benny Safdie. They are brothers who are running from the police after a bank robbery gone wrong. Safdie is the brother with a problem and Pattinson is the brother trying to help the only way he knows how.

This movie is incredible. This is the third time I have watched it and it gets better every time. Pattinson delivers a powerhouse performance. This is the movie that I saw him in when I realized he could really act, that he wasn't just the kid from "Twilight". He and Kristen Stewart have gone on to have very successful careers since that movie.

What stood out most this time from watching "Good Time" was the direction of the Safide brothers. They both directed the movie. Benny Safdie was also in it, but he and his brother, Josh, are credited as co directors. This movie is anxiety riddled. It is fueled with intense moments. I found myself on the edge of my seat and I already knew what was going to happen. But watching Pattinson running around New York with all kinds of shady people made this movie that much more intense. Whether he is trying to break his brother out of a hospital with a police guard standing watch, or tricking a family into letting him in, or dealing with a formerly incarcerated alcoholic, it is all just pure chaos in the best possible way.

The Safdie brothers seem to thrive on making movies that freak you out without having jumor scares or built in scary stuff. There is a scene in "Good Time" where they are at a theme park after dark, and when Pattinson's character turns all the lights on, the noise from the park scares me. I think that is because I am so caught up in the madness that is occurring at any given moment. And nearly the exact same thing happens with the other Safdie brothers movie I have seen, "Uncut Gems". "Uncut Gems" is one of the best movies I have ever watched. They take another actor, Adam Sandler, and put him in these crazy situations, all of his own doing by the way, and Sandler nails it. It is his best non comedic performance in my opinion. When Sandler has good writers and directors attached to a genre he may not be all that comfortable with, he usually delivers. The Safdie brothers made a movie that fits that perfectly. Sandler is a degenerate gambler and habitually cheater in "Uncut Gems". He is slimy and smarmy. He treats people like human ATM machines. And he does pay a horrific price in the end, but again, it is all because he doesn't know when to quit. And the Safide brothers do a wonderful job of showing his day to day life in this movie. It is also anxiety fueled. There are moments in "Uncut Gems" that scare me and it is not a scary movie. The Safdie brothers get a tremendous performance from Kevin Garnett, who is essentially playing a heightened version of himself. They got The Weekend to play a total scumbag in this movie, and he nailed it. Idina Menzel, who plays Sandler's wife, is not your typical put upon wife in this movie. She is tough as nails and commits. I really feel like that is due to Safdie brothers direction. "Uncut Gems" is a must see movie. It was the last movie I saw in the theaters prior to the pandemic, and I was stoked to tell people that.

I guess what I am trying to get at today is how well the Safide brothers make these specific types of movies. They are scary without being horror. They have funny moments without being a comedy. These are crazy dramatic scenes without their movies being full on dramas. I don’t really know how to categorize their movies, and maybe that is exactly how they want it to be. All I know is, I am a fan of their work and I cannot wait to see what they do next. I read they are working with Sandler again, so that could be very cool. Until their new project comes out at least I have "Good Time" and "Uncut Gems" to hold me over when I want to be stressed out in a good way while watching a movie.

Ty

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

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An Ode to Gil Ozeri, "Comedy Bang!Bang!" Greatest Guest

This morning during my run I listened to the newest episode of “Comedy Bang! Bang!”. It has to be my favorite podcast. It’s my favorite that I don’t cohost for sure. I love pretty much everything about the show. It’s the best improv comedy show. It’s the funniest show. Scott Aukermann has turned it into an empire. They go on tour. I saw a live show and it ruled.

What makes this show so great for me are the guests they have after the main interview. I love the main interview, but it’s the next people that make this show the best. Aukermann usually has two of his buddies on and they play characters. No one is ever themselves. This is where the show jumps from great to classic. Any number of his friends are awesome too. But this newest episode may have my favorite buddy of Aukermann’s featured.

Gil Ozeri was the final guest and he was a delight. He okayed a “busy guy”. He referred to himself as the “busiest man in the world”. He says he’s a husband and a father to many kids. That he owns multiple businesses. That he helps everyone when he can. And he kept getting calls throughout the final twenty plus minutes. His phone kept ringing and each ring was a different person. He sold a movie, talked to his mom’s gynecologist, had an alarm for his viagra, talked to business partners, had a painting commissioned, I could go on and on. But something that shouldn’t have worked was dynamite. I found myself howling. I was still listening when I finished my run and I laughed even harder after catching my breath.

This is what makes Ozeri such a great guest. He goes for it. There is no joke he isn’t willing to run with. He has an idea for a character and he makes it work. He is an excellent improviser. He is so good at just going with the flow. After listening to him today I thought about other times he was on the show and it made me smile. The fact that he is so game makes it so wonderful. Just in this past year he’s been on two other times and they were both equally phenomenal. He was Dr Sweetchat the Small Talk Robot right at the beginning of the year. That is such a memorable character. The robot is on the plug bag song. I have listened to this episode multiple times and I laugh harder each time. It will be a classic for sure. It already is for me. He was on again awhile after that. He went on with one of his improv groups, Hot Sauce. That group includes Ozeri, Adam Pally and Ben Schwartz. That is a murderers row of improv people. And Ozeri was the funniest. He plays a singer and the songs he makes up are awesome. I have listened to those aplenty since his appearance this time. They are amazing.

What makes Ozeri so extra great is the fact that he’s been around “CBB” since the start. He first appeared on episode 151 and has been on a bunch since then. I just wanted to give him a shout out today because I really appreciate how hilarious he is. I want others to check him out too. Gil Ozeri is really great at what he does. Seek him out people.

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 "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story"

We watched "Weird" this weekend and I am here with a review today. Right off the bat, I was super hype to watch this movie. I could not wait. From the time that Aaron Paul did the short for Funny or Die, then the movie was announced and then Daniel Radcliffe was cast in the lead, I was ready for this movie to be released.

“Weird” totally delivered. This movie was everything I wanted it to be. This movie was nuts and funny and goofy and silly and did not take itself seriously at all. It was wonderful. I have similar feelings to this movie that RD and I both have for "Mad Max: Fury Road", but in a totally different way. "Weird" will definitely be on my best of list at the end of the year, spoiler alert. I mean, I don't even know where to begin when explaining everything I love about this movie. From start to finish this movie delivered.

When we see a young Weird Al, it is awesome. The actor they got to play him looked like him as a kid. The actor also did a phenomenal job. The actors who played his parents were so over the top and for that kid to keep pace, that was a feat. His mom is hyper supportive, but also knows when to tell the truth. His dad is straight out of every other music biopic, and that is exactly what they wanted. He is mean and grouchy and full of pain and anger. He is constantly yelling and fighting everyone. He breaks Al's accordion when he is a teenager. He is a perfect parody. And the kid who plays teenage Al, again, perfect casting. It was glorious. I loved that they also made accordion music like rock music in the movie. When teenage Al goes to a party all the kids are listening to polka and dancing like it is the best thing ever. And then when Al plays the accordion, they all lose their minds like it is the best thing they have ever heard.

After Al's dad breaks his accordion we transition to college Al, and this is when Radcliffe takes over. He is magnetic. He is up for anything in this role and he absolutely goes for it. I found myself super impressed at how well he acted in this role. He acted the hell out of it. From his rise to fame to his murderous rampage to his booze and drug fueled rants to audiences, it all works. It is all great. My favorite part was when he went to a party at Dr Demento's house and we got all sorts of cameos. From Conan O'Brien to Jorma Taccone, there were cameos aplenty. The best, for me, was Jack Black as Wolfman Jack. It was simply amazing. He had the look, voice and charisma of Wolfman. His perfectly coiffed beard was a sight to behold. I also need to point out how awesome Rainn Wilson was as Dr Demento. He played him superbly. Also, Evan Rachel Wood was phenomenal as Madonna. I was so surprised by how well she did. I fully understand how good of an actor she is, but this was a totally different role for her. She embodied Madonna. She made her even more bitchy and clout chasing. It was an incredible performance. I am not speaking out of turn, but I do think she should, at the very least, get Oscar consideration. The whole subplot with her taking over for Pablo Escobar was dynamite. Also, her being a bad influence on Yankovic, that was comedy gold.

I think what I liked most about this movie was how seriously they played all of it out. The movie was meant to be big and bold and wild and action packed. They did all of that, but they went even further than they had to. The violence was a shock, but it was also hilarious. Radcliffe's performance was second only to Evan Rachel Wood's. This movie is perfect. I think the idea of doing a parody movie about a parody singer is all too perfect. I love this movie. Please check out "Weird". It is totally worth your time.

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 "Atlanta" Series Finale

I just watched the series finale of "Atlanta". This is one of the best shows that has ever been on TV. I was thrilled how they ended it. It did not have to be some hoity toity everyone getting together one last time for a love fest. They were all together, as they should be, but it was not a final type thing.

Looking back one can see that this was not a typical series finale. This was like any other episode of the series, and I mean that in the best possible way. This finale centered on Darius, a superb LaKeith Stanfield, and his day inside a deprivation tank. Or maybe the whole thing was all in his mind. We may never know. And I love that. I am a big fan of movies like "Inception" and that was what this finale ended up being. Spoiler alert, but the ending is up to us, the viewer.

Seeing the day through Darius' eyes was great. We got to go on a ride with him, and he is one of the more fun people in the show. We got to go through his ups and downs. Darius has always been a guy that does his own thing, but we got to meet an old friend of his. This scene was rad. We got to see he had a brother that he still talks to, even though he has, most likely, passed away. That scene was powerful. We also got to see him get real in a situation that was totally messed up. This was all wonderful.

Paper Boi, Van and Earn all had a day all their own that was wild as well. The whole Popeye's thing and going to the black owned sushi restaurant was fantastic. I could not take my eyes off Paper Boi and his journey through the day. Brian Tyree Henry was outstanding throughout the entire series. This episode showcased his talents tenfold. He was dynamite.

Donald Glover and Zazie Beetz had little to do, but they each had their own time to shine throughout the 4 seasons of the show. And in the little time they had in the finale, they crushed. Earn telling Darius that this was all real was great. Seeing how scared Van was while they were getting a swift talking to in the sushi restaurant was some excellent facial acting. I bought how scared she seemed.

I was blown away by how good the finale was, and how great this whole series was. I was finding myself getting closer to the end and saying, "I don't want this to end". I have not had that feeling much about most shows. When "Lost" ended, I was cool with it. I liked "Game of Thrones", but when it was done I moved on. I was ready for both "Parks and Rec" and "The Office" to finish. This finale was better than another favorite of mine, "Brooklyn 99".

Looking back "Atlanta" did things that not many other TV shows have done before. I found myself constantly thinking about episodes after I watched them. Certain episodes, like "Teddy Perkins" and all of season three stayed with me like a horror movie that I enjoyed. This show confused me in all the best ways. There was stuff that I just could not figure out, but reading and searching about it made it that much more enjoyable when it all came into focus. I will forever adore this show. Donald Glover created something that will be a classic. This show will go down in history as one of the best ever.

I, obviously, could not recommend this show more. "Atlanta" is an all time great. Thank you to everyone that worked on this show. Not only Glover, But Zazie Beetz, LaKeith Stanfield, Brian Tyree Henry, Hiro Murai, Stepehn Glover and countless other genius individuals, thank you all forever. "Atlanta" rules.

Ty

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

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The Packers Stink

Before the NFL season started I assumed Green Bay would walk in their division. They have done it every year for the past decade, so I just figured it would be more of the same. I thought the Lions would be better, but not a threat. I predicted the Bears to be one of the worst teams in the NFL, but they have some fight and play hard. And I thought the Vikings would be mediocre, a .500 team at best. It has almost always been this way.

The Packers are bad. They are very, very bad. They have no fight. They are constantly injured. The defense is seemingly always on the field. The special teams are beyond mediocre. The run game is nowhere to be seen. The pass game is even worse. The offense is terrible. And I am here today to put the majority of the blame on Aaron Rodgers.

I loathe this dude. I also loathe the fact that this team is so predicated on how one guy performs. But every week Aaron Rodgers makes some dumbass face or blames someone else or says some nonsense in an interview and it just bums me out.

I cannot believe I am still supporting this team. I do not like the QB or the coach. I only like some defensive players. The team has zero urgency. They have no fight. They cannot put it together at all. They have gotten worse every week. Last week against the Lions they managed 9 points. 9 freaking points. And it is not like they were not in the red zone a bunch. They had, I believe, four trips to the redzone. And, once again, managed only 9 points. Rodgers threw a pick to Aidan Hutchinson. I was stoked to see Hutchinson get a pick, but a defensive lineman picking off a QB that is supposed to be an all timer, that is rough stuff. But it has been like that all year. Even the three wins they have are all low scoring. They have won with defense. The offense is a wreck. I know that Davante Adams left, but he should not have made this much of a difference. He is an incredible receiver, one of the best in the league, but one receiver signing with a different team should not make this much of an impact. They still have Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. They still have solid wideouts like Randall Cobb. They got a solid rookie in Romeo Doubs. They still have the core of their O line. They have a decent tight end room.

I think it all goes back to Rodgers. He threw his fit, lied to everyone about being vaccinated, still got paid and now it is like he doesn't even care. He goes out on the field with his stupid haircuts and makes derpy faces all the time. It is aggravating. I am so ready for the Packers to move on.

I am ready to watch Jordan Love give it a shot. I want them to maybe draft a young QB in this upcoming class. I mean, the Packers are not going anywhere this season. They are 3-7 and it is not going to get any better. Sure, they are ahead of the Lions and tied with the Bears, but those teams play hard. And have players. The Lions are building a defense for the future, and I bet they will address the offense this offseason and in the draft. The Bears have a very good young QB in Justin Fields, they traded for Chase Claypool and they made some moves to get picks. They let Roquan Smith go, but they got picks. They traded a D lineman, but they got picks. They are building. As for the Vikings, screw their QB as well, but they have Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook. They still use Adam Thielen quite a bit. They traded for TJ Hockenson. Their defense is as solid as ever. I mean, they would be just fine with Justin Jefferson, but they have building blocks as well.

The only team in the division stuck in neutral, the Packers. This team needs a change and they need it at a lot of levels. They need a new QB. They may need some new coaches. They need to get some more solid wideouts. They need to revamp. They may even need to rebuild. This team is not good and the future looks rough. Time for some changes. 

Ty

After All These Years, "The Simpsons" Still Make Great "Treehouse of Horrors"

Last night my wife and I got around to watching the last two new episodes of "The Simpsons". Our son has been begging us to watch them. He has seen them a bunch and loves them. He joined us last night.

The first one though, entitled "Not It", is a Treehouse of Horror Story. I do not know that they have ever done this before. I have been watching this show from the jump and this is the first time I have seen them do something like this. It was cool. I am afraid of clowns. I believe I have mentioned this before. But this "Not It" episode was rad. I enjoyed the hell out of it. But it was scary. There were moments I had to look down. The animators made Krusty very creepy. He looked like Pennywise. It was frightening. It was also funny though. They made fun of Krusty. They shot him down. Krusty also made some jokes. It kind of took the edge off. It made it a little less scary. But there were still moments. When Krusty would show up and frighten them as kids, that made me jump. The ending of the episode, before they defeat Krusty was definitely scary, and gory too. I was taking my eyes on and off the screen the full 30 minutes. But I loved the episode. I thought it was very well made. The movie "It" scarred me when I was young, so I have not watched the new movies. My wife has. She enjoyed them and she said that the writers did a very good job making a parody. She was trying to figure out who each character was in the movie from the show. She said a lot of it was right out of the movie. When they showed that Moe was famous, she immediately pointed out that he was doing the Bill Hader part. I think she was impressed how they pulled it off. She also just watched the movies last week, so it was fresh. "Not It" was a very solid, very good episode of "The Simpsons". Doing a Treehouse of Horror Story episode makes me want more and I kind of wished they had done this in the past. Better late than never I suppose.

The actual "Treehouse of Horror" episode was one of the best I have seen in some time. I have never been the biggest fan of these episodes, but I do find them enjoyable. I also liked the original ones. I liked how they tried to be legit scary. And they usually pulled it off. That was how this new "Treehouse of Horrors" episode was. This was legit scary. The first story was like "The Babadook". They called it "The Pappadook", and it was genuinely frightening. Marge goes full on as the mom from "The Babadook". She continuously attacks Maggie. I can see why my kids were so scared by what they saw. There were very few laughs, and I think that was on purpose. I really liked how dark they went with it. The second story was the anime that they had been promoting. This one was a little more lighthearted, but it also had some heavy stuff going on. Lisa gains the power from a book to off the people she chooses. This episode was pretty heavy with the story telling. It was almost too real. It was wild. And when Lisa learns who found out her secret, it got really real. I was nervous for Bart for a second. But Lisa did the right thing and all was good. What I found most impressive was the animation in this story. It was rad. I was amazed at how they did it all. It was great. The third story was a "Westworld" take. It was my favorite of the night. The way the story unfolded, and what we saw at the end was awesome. I love how the Homer robot gained sentience and got the rest of the family involved. He picked certain robots that he wanted to work with. I also liked all the separate worlds they created and how they showed them all. I also think it was really cool how they got the Ralph robots to come at them continuously, and how they used old gadgets to fight them off. And when they pulled away, after they escaped, the twist was dynamite. When we saw Linda Belcher, and then the camera panned back and we saw all the other worlds they created, that was eerie and very neat. This "Treehouse of Horrors" was one of the best in a while.

These two episodes back to back make me respect this show even more. They are still doing things that nobody else can do. And they do it the best. I love "The Simpsons".

Ty

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

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Making the Whole Bed is a Whole Lot of Torture

As you all know by now I am the homekeeper of my house. I do all the chores. That is my job as the at home parent. But today I had to do what I consider to be the worst job of any homemaker, make a bed. And I do not mean just put the blankets on the mattress all nice and fluff the pillows. I am talking about making the whole bed. From bottom sheet to top sheet to pillows and pillow cases.

This is the worst. I loathe this chore. I put it off until I absolutely have to do it. It is too much for me. And I get that this is a champagne problem and I shouldn't be griping, I get to stay home, I do not have to go to an office and do mundane work. But the job of the at home parent can be hard at times and I have a venue with which I can vent about the stuff I do not like.

Let’s go through the ordeal.

First off, I am a bigger dude. I lost a good amount of weight, but I am still on the bigger side. I am also hairy everywhere except for my head. This means I sweat. A lot. So the full process of making a bed gets the sweat glands going. Then the whole process is just a nightmare. If you get the bottom sheet wrong you have to rip it off the mattress. If the tags are on the outside you have to start all over again. It can be very frustrating. The older I get the more I act like my father, and I love this by the way, so that means making the bed causes me to curse under my breath. And when it doesn't go right I am a sailor. I say all kinds of swear words to an inanimate object. I go off on the sheets, cases and blankets. Pillows better watch out because I am coming for them. Almost nothing frustrates me more. And even when you get that bottom sheet on, you have to do it all over again with the bed sheet. That is as much a pain as the bottom sheet. Then you have that thin top blanket that continuously blows off the bed with the slightest gust of wind. I could clear my breath and that whole blanket moves. It is a pain in the butt. Then you have the pillow case. This should be the easiest, but if you do not get that pillow in correctly the whole thing looks wonky and doesn't feel right. It almost makes the pillow harder if the pillow case is not on there properly. And just when you think you have finished, when it feels like the work is done, you have to put the blanket on top. Myself, my wife and now my kids all like our blankets to be faced in a specific way. And if it is not, we have to do it until it feels and looks right. This could be several different movements before it is in the right spot. And with my kids, after making the full bed, I have to put all their stuffed animals and other accoutrements on there. It adds up to five minutes. My daughter has so many stuffed animals that I had to put some away for donation just to make enough room for her to sleep comfortably in there tonight.

As I said, I get that this is pretty ridiculous to gripe about but I bet there are a good amount of people out there who agree with me. And I bet the ones who think this is nuts will look at making a bed a little different next time. They may think more about it. I just needed to get this off my chest today. This was a nice little therapy session for me. Thanks for indulging.

Ty

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

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"Mr. and Mrs. Smith" is So 2005

This past Friday for date night my wife chose "Mr and Mrs Smith" for us to watch. I had never seen it and she hadn't seen it since she went to the theaters to watch it.

I thought the movie was fine. It was fun and the perfect popcorn movie. I didn't have to give it my full attention, but since I had never watched it, I did. But I am not here to review the movie today. Well, maybe you could call this a review. But this is more about that time in the world and movies like this.

This movie is quintessential early 21st century. There are so many things that just put me back into that time in my life while watching this movie. The movie came out in 2005. I had been out of high school for four years and had just finished up my career ready college. I was fully in as a dental lab tech and my wife and I would start dating in about a year. I was single, living at home and working. I had money to go out every weekend, and did sometimes, and I would go to the movies all the time. But "Mr and Mrs Smith" was not on my radar. I remember all the hubub surrounding this movie. It was all people could talk about. This was the movie that broke up Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt. Pitt and Angelina Jolie were a couple shortly after the movie premiered and they were soon married. But that is not even why this movie is the perfect early 2000's movie.

While watching it the other night there were things that just screamed 2005. The movie is rated PG-13, but there is an inordinate amount of violence. The two main characters are assassins and they brutally kill people left and right in this movie. But the bad guys had foreign accents and were doing bad things, so it was deemed okay. Hell, some of the kills were played for laughs. But they also never showed any blood. It was almost like watching a modern superhero movie. Most of those get away with a PG-13 rating because they do not show blood. That is exactly the same thing that happened in "Mr and Mrs Smith". The murder count is massive, but no bloodshed means no R rating. The kills were also crazy. Bad guys would get gunshots to the chest and fly 100 yards in the air to their death. Houses would blow up. People got ran over. It was wild. But that was the thing back then when making these action comedies. They would kill tons of people, but with no blood, and undercutting them with jokes, we just would turn a blind eye. I know it was only 17 years ago, but it feels like a fully different lifetime.

Then we have the acting of the two leads. They have dynamite chemistry in this movie. It does ooze off the screen, especially when they are doing the therapy scenes. But it did not blow me away like I was expecting. I thought it was going to be palpable. I assumed they would be all over one another the whole movie. I had a fully different idea of what was going on on set. Sure, they played well off one another, but it wasn't the sexiest thing I have ever watched. I have seen much better movies where the two leads have way better chemistry. Hell, I probably have seen much worse movies with better chemistry. I think of a movie like "Accepted", that is not very good, but Justin Long and Blake Lively had as much chemistry as Pitt and Jolie do in "Mr and Mrs Smith", in my opinion.

The thing that makes this movie take me back so much is the look. The way the movie looked is very early 2000's. You can see that CGI is getting better, but it is still a work in progress. The costuming is great. Jolie looks wonderful, but she wears very mom-ish clothing during the rough part of the marriage. And when she put that bondage outfit on while doing a hit, most actresses would turn that down nowadays, and rightfully so. Brad Pitt wore goofy hats, looked like a downtrodden rich golf playing dad and had a shaved head. I think he looks better with long hair, but that is neither here nor there. That was the style back then. I remember saying to my wife that Jolie was far too good looking for Pitt in this movie. She disagreed but got where I was coming from.

So while I think "Mr and Mrs Smith" is worth a watch, it is not because it is some chemistry filled good time of an action movie. I think it is fun to transform yourself back to a time when you were younger watching a silly popcorn movie. That is why you should watch this movie.

Ty

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

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An Ode to Pretzel Slims, or Thins

I'm a big snacker. I love them. I also have a sweet tooth which makes it even harder, especially this time of year. But, just as Nick Kroll said in his recent standup special, "I love snacks!". They are the best. And with kids I usually have to wait until they are in bed to snack. I try not to do it too much anymore because it is horrible to eat most food before bed. It is even worse to eat bad food right before bed. But here we are. I choose to eat snacks more often than not, and it seems to happen after 9pm lately.

Anyway, one of my new favorite snacks are these thin pretzels. Or as Aldi calls them, Pretzel Slims. I believe other companies call them Pretzel Thins. Whatever they may be called, people in the know know what I am talking about.

These things are great. I have always liked pretzels in any form. I love the soft, hot ones from the ballpark, especially dipped in nacho cheese. I like the thick Snyder Pretzels. I like the pretzel bites that Snyder's makes now even more. Those things are loaded with flavor. Aldi has these "pub style" pretzels that are just dynamite. I am a fan. But the problem I run into with pretzels is the dryness. They coat my mouth. I always need some kind of liquid with them. Even when I dip them I still get that dry feeling. Not with these pretzel slims or thins or whatever. They figured out a formula that works. The pretzels are still loaded with flavor. Even the plain ones with salt, they are excellent. Thay have all the typical pretzel flavors just in a smaller package. I recently purchased everything bagel flavored ones. Those are exceptional. They taste great. You can see the sesame seeds and poppy seeds. You can taste the garlic. You can taste the onion. They are amazing. The ranch ones are solid. They have a very good ranch powder flavor. They scratch that itch. I cannot wait to taste all the other flavors this new snack has to offer.

I think what I enjoy most about these pretzels are the shape and style in which they are made. These pretzels are big. They are bigger than a typical pretzel snack. They have some good width. But they are flat, and I love that. There is no extra added dough. That is not needed. They are as thin as a chip. And that is what makes them the best. Chips have always had a leg up on pretzels and I think it is because of the size and shape. But these pretzel thins have found a way to fight that. When I eat them now I get the same experience I do whenever I eat chips. I actually tried this the other night. I know, I'm breaking barriers with my scientific work. But when I put them side by side, with no dip and only water to drink, there was no real difference. The taste was similar. The crunch was similar. The texture was similar, even maybe titled in the pretzel flavor. I was shocked at how close the similarities were.

I am a fan. I saw them at a buddy's house today and told him how much I love them. My wife and I were grabbing a snack the other night and I told her how happy I was that she introduced these into my life.

Keep it up pretzel thins or slims, you are crushing the salty snack game right now.

Ty

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

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"30 Rock" is the Funniest Television Show Ever

My wife and I like to watch TV before bed. A lot of people do this. We keep it on after we fall asleep. We put on a sleep timer, but very rarely do one of us stay up to hear the TV shut off. We alternate which shows we pick before bed. We usually pick comedies that we have seen a bunch. It is like comfort food.

The show we are watching now is "30 Rock". This has to be the 10th or 11th time we are going through this show. I did not watch when it was airing in real time, but I knew of it. I think my folks probably watched it. We all love Tina Fey, so when she left "SNL" to do "30 Rock", I'm sure my folks were pumped. And even though I did not watch it in real time, as mentioned before, I have seen it a ton. I have watched it from start to finish many, many times. And I am here today to tell you that I think "30 Rock" might be the funniest show that has ever been on TV.

"30 Rock" is not my favorite show, that is "The Simpsons". And there are other shows I like more, but there is something about the writing on this show that makes me laugh harder with each watch. This show is filled with jokes. My wife read something a while back saying that "30 Rock" has the most jokes per minute in television history, or something like that. And I fully believe it. We are in season four right now and I find myself constantly chuckling at random things on this show.

I do have to say, "30 Rock" is one show that I have made it to the TV shutting off before I go to sleep. That is because I am laughing all the time. For example, we were watching an episode last night where some of the writers take advantage of Kenneth by making up a religion. Kenneth is bringing them a pizza and says, "the pizza needs to be served by a blonde virgin", and smiles and points at himself. It was fantastic. I was howling. And that is how this entire show is made up. In season one, or maybe two, Tracy Jordan talks about a Halloween parody he made and the show cuts to him singing one line from "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah". Not only is that genius, but they ended up making an entire song due to the popularity of this five second clip. When Tracy proclaims, "it is a show within a show! My real name is Tracy Morgan", I cannot help but crack up. I also walk around quoting that all the time. When Tracy's wife gets her own reality show, "Queen of Jordan", and says "HAM", it is perfect. Tina Fey wrote some incredible stuff for Alec Baldwin. One line that has always stuck out for me is when Jack is explaining how he climbed his way to the top stating, "that is why I worked the day shift at that graveyard and the night shift at the Day's Inn". I mean come on, that is next level brilliant.

In the end it is Liz Lemon, the way Tina Fey wrote her, that is as iconic a comedy character as it gets. She has all the juicy lines. She crushes the comedy. The line reads are a stroke of genius. I love every single thing about Liz Lemon. When she gets her own talk show and sings, "you're a star/you're on top/somebody bring me some ham", that is one of the funniest songs ever. When she tells Jack about "lizzing", the way she explains it is amazing. The way she and Pete play off one another is some of the best chemistry I have ever seen between friends and coworkers on TV. The stuff with her boyfriends, namely Dennis Duffy and Jon Hamm is so incredible. I mean, Liz Lemon is a genius character for TV.

I didn't even mention Jenna or Grizz and Dot Com or Dr Spaceman or the multiple people Will Forte has played on the show. And then you get the cameos. Everyone from Al Gore to Pee Wee Herman have shown up here and there.

I have found with each watch I gain even more respect for "30 Rock". It is such a great television show. It will go down as a classic. It is comedy television at its absolute best.

Ty

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

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Chicken Out Adds to an Already Great St. Louis Food Scene

I am a sucker for a good chicken sandwich. I have written about my many different spicy chicken sandwich adventures before. I love a good fried piece of chicken between bread with some toppings. It is a delight. So when a friend took me to a local chicken sandwich spot in STL, I was intrigued.

The place is called Chicken Out and it is wonderful. There is a local BBQ spot here called Sugarfire, which is dynamite, and the owners of that own Chicken Out. That, to me, is a very good sign. So when I went the first time, I expected a good visit. It went above and beyond. I was wildly impressed.

The menu is fairly simple. There are about half a dozen or so sandwiches, some salads, a wrap or two and sides. This is another feather in their cap for me. When I go to a restaurant with a massive menu it makes me nervous. My anxiety jumps. To me it shows that you do not know how to make a few things great. It shows me you can make a lot of things mediocre, but not one thing really well. So when the menu is small, like Chicken Out, that lets me know that they know what they do, and they know they do it well.

On my first visit I got a chicken sandwich with cheese sauce and bacon. Again, super simple. I am also a sucker for a liquid cheese sauce, so this was an easy order for me. The sandwich was amazing. The chicken breast is fried to perfection, it is juicy and crisp and fills the sandwich. It is a big piece of chicken, but it also feels like the perfect size. Then they add this cheese sauce, it is liquid gold. It is so tasty. It smothers the sandwich but it doesn't take away from the taste of the chicken. And it is messy, but in all the right ways. The bacon is peppered and thick cut. I love bacon on all things, so this is no different. It is a nice salty addition to this already excellent sandwich. Then they use a potato bun. Potato buns are an absolute homerun. I remember the first time I had potato bread. I was a skeptic. Then I tried it and have been a fan ever since. It is not as heavy as white bread. I am a wheat bread fan, but potato bread takes it down. So a potato bun is perfect for me. They are buttery without butter. They have a hint of sweetness. They are the perfect accompaniment to this delightful chicken sandwich. And this is across the board for this menu. My dad loves the chicken burger. It too is on a potato bun, has lettuce, tomato and Duke's Mayo on it. He loves it, and the taste I have had was great.

I had a chicken parm sandwich on a different visit and it was good. It was on Italian bread, had tomato sauce and mozzarella and was really tasty. My son has had their BBQ chicken sandwich, and what makes it so awesome is the way they hold back and do not overload it with BBQ sauce. It is on there, you can taste it, but it doesn't take away from any other flavors.

The chicken fingers are outstanding. They are massive and taste great. The sides are also dope. I have had mac and cheese before. It is creamy and delightful. The potato salad is strong. The baked beans are good. But the trophy for best side is the fries. Fries are pretty common and pretty good at most sandwich or burger spots. What makes Chicken Out fries even better are two things, they are crinkle cut and they have chicken salt. I adore crinkle cut fries. They, to me, just taste better. But this chicken salt, which I have zero idea what it is made of, I love. It is extra salty. It adds a ton of flavor. You do not need dipping sauces. If you want to dip it in anything, get the cheese sauce that oozes out of the sandwich. They are divine.

I am a big fan of this restaurant. I just ate there yesterday and it was as good as the first time. I told my dad that, if Chicken Out is offered to me right now, I am going to pick it. I have been six times now and have gotten the Cheep N Cheddar sandwich three times. I will be trying everything on this menu in the near future. Check this place out if you live here in STL. For non STL residents, find a spot like this to try. Go to local chicken spots and support them. Their food is so much better than chain restaurants and they need your business more. Chicken Out is awesome.

Ty

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

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A Normal Halloween for Once

Last night we took my daughter trick or treating with a friend and my son went out with his friends. Both my son and daughter have done trick or treating prior to this with a group of people, but it was always family.

Then 2020 happened. My daughter was five and my son was eight. The past two Halloween's have been very downsized. We did a family thing in 2020. We had the kids go from room to room in our home and had them tell jokes to get candy. We did as much as we could to give them as "normal" a Halloween as we could. 2021 was not much different. We let the kids trick or treat, but it was just within our neighborhood. They did go to other houses, but they were masked, as were we, and we only hit, maybe, a dozen houses before calling it.

This year was different though. My wife and I recently got our Omicron boosters. Our kids got them last week. My folks have theirs, although we did not see them last night. Most of our school family friends have their boosters. What I am trying to say is, this is probably the most normal Halloween my kids have had in their short lives. My son might remember some Halloween's pre COVID, but I bet he will remember this one for a long, long time. We let him go out with friends last night. He went with a big group of kids he goes to school with. He got to do his own thing. He went to a friend's house, all the other boys met there and they went out on the town on their own. When I picked him up he was thrilled and exhausted. He kept talking about his great night and would end each story with how tired he was. He was in one of the best moods of his life to this point. He was on cloud nine. My wife and I took our seven year old to a friend's house and we stayed to hang out with the parents. The parents are friends of ours and our kids are as close as it gets. So we went over there after dropping my son off. We had pizza together. My wife made a fun drink for the adults, minus me, to have. The kids helped hand out candy before we took them all over the neighborhood. They hit a ton of houses. I usually take Monday off of running, and I did yesterday, but I was still well over 12,000 steps for the day. These girls had us going everywhere. And we saw so many kids out and about. Some were with folks, others were with friends and some were just doing their thing. It was wonderful to see. I fully understand that we are still fully in this pandemic. The winter is probably going to be rough. But last night was like a breath of fresh air for me. It was so cool to see kids out and about. It is made easier since Halloween is generally an outside holiday. You trick or treat outside. Haunted houses are outside. Theme park Fright Fests are outdoors. It is much easier and safer to be outside. I was just happy that my kids got to do Halloween right. It made me happy. It felt like old times last night doing things I used to do pre COVID.

Again, I fully understand we are not out of this, we may never be, but things seem to be returning, or finding some kind of new normal. I was almost as happy as my son last night. Almost. Halloween was a real success last night. The first real successful holiday since COVID came along. I hope we can ride this momentum for some time now because it makes me happy.

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 "Barbarian"

Every Halloween I like to write a blog about the holiday. This year I am going to do the same, but I am also going to wrap in a movie review.

I have mentioned many times that, ever since the start of the pandemic, during our date nights in October that I like to pick movies that are on the scarier side. I like trying movies out that I may not pick any other time of the year. Sometimes it works, "The Babadook", sometimes it doesn't, "Midsommar". I had the pick for the last movie of the month and I chose "Barbarian". I have heard a lot about the movie, but I chose to not read anything or watch any trailers. That was what the people who were talking about suggested doing. The whole idea is to go into the movie blind. I did see a ten second clip of crowds' reactions to the movie in the theater, and they all looked pretty scared. So I was ready to pull the trigger. I was going to go hyper scary with the movie in the final week. Now, I am going to tread lightly so as to not spoil anything, but if something slips out, sorry. Try to watch the movie before reading this.

Now, "Barbarian" is a solid movie. It is scary. I jumped a ton. I was on edge the entire time. I feel like that is how it is supposed to be when watching a movie like this. It really got to me. It also stayed with me for a few days because I had nightmares. It was nothing related to the movie, but the movie's after effects stayed with me. That is another feather in its cap. The movie did its job. The acting was also really well done. I despised Justin Long, as you are supposed to. Bill Skarsgaard is as creepy as ever, and that is without any makeup on. And the star of the movie, Georgina Campbell, was dynamite. She did such a great job, was so easy to root for and she is so easy to watch. She was really, really good in this movie. I had only ever seen her in an episode of "Black Mirror" before this, which she was also wonderful in, so I am not surprised she carried this movie.

Now, for the bad part. As I said, this is a good movie, I understand that objectively, but I did not like it. I loved the story, how they told it and how it all came across, but it was gross. It was gory. It was terrifying. It made me shudder. It jumps tones and times. It was jarring at moments. And you could tell it was filmed during the pandemic. All that being said, I feel like that was the intention of the people making it. They wanted it to be gory. They wanted you to be grossed out. They wanted it to make you feel some kind of way and they achieved it. But it wasn't for me. Movies like this mess me up. I watched it three days ago and I still can't shake it. Images from it still jump into my brain and frighten me. I am definitely more of a psychological thriller type of "scary" movie viewer. Stuff like "The Babadook" does that perfectly.

So, while I can see why "Barbarian" is so loved, and why it got excellent reviews, it is not the movie for me. I do recommend it because it is fascinating, but I will never watch it again. That is the best I can say about 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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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.