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.

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Take a Little Time and Go Watch "The Court Jester"

In Saint Louis we had freezing rain overnight. This caused school closures, some businesses taking the day off and sports activities being pushed back. But, on Monday's I grocery shop for the family. It is what I have been doing since I became the at home parent. And since grocery stores are seemingly never closed, I did my duties as usual.

When I got to my first stop they had a sign on the door saying they did not open until 11am. I got there at about 20 till, so I sat in my car and played on my phone. While scrolling social media I saw a story about the unauthorized short film "The Court Jester". This is the short where Pauly Shore plays Richard Simmons. By all accounts, Simmons had not given this his blessing, so that is why it is considered an "unauthorized" biography. In reading this story, it was on Uproxx, I did read that Shore said Simmons was coming around to almost giving it his blessing. They screened it at, I believe, Sundance, and it got an ovation. I have been curious about this since I first read a week ago that Shore was playing Simmons in a biopic. I have always been an unabashed fan of Shore's. He came into my movie watching life at the best time. When I was a pre teen, "Encino Man" and "Son in Law" came out during the prime of pay per view, and I watched those movies over and over and over again. I never knew why I was so enthralled by these movies as a kid. But when I became an adult and a father, it hit me. Pauly Shore is what drove me to watch these movies. There was no one funnier than him to me at the time. This was before I got into "SNL". Then I started to watch Sandler and Farley and Rock. Those became my favorites. But for a good long while, I was a big fan of Shore's. I have semi followed his career since I first watched him. I like the movie "Pauly Shore is Dead". I think it is a solid mocking of his career. I was stoked when he was a special guest star on "Workaholics". Listening to him on "WTF with Marc Maron" was very eye opening. I sought out movies like "Bio Dome", "Jury Duty" and "In the Army Now". I was pretty enthused when he appeared on the "Comedy Bang! Bang!" tv show. While his stuff is never serious, or even very good, I find it to be like comfort food for me. It is nice to sit back and turn my mind off and laugh at his nonsense. So when "The Court Jester" was announced, I thought it was going to be a comedy.

It is not. I read the Uproxx story and Shore said as much himself. He took this role in this short seriously. He didn't want to poke fun at Simmons. That was never his, or the filmmakers and writers intention. The Uproxx story, nicely, added a link to watch the short. Since I still had ten minutes before the store opened, I clicked the link and watched the eight minute short.

I loved it. I thought it was pretty excellent. They told a nice, heartwarming story. There is this worker for "The Ellen Show" who is a little heavy and nondescript. The short starts with a shot on this worker staring at a donut and a song plays where the only lyric is, "DONUT". He is then snapped back into reality and told to give Simmons a copy of his DVD to promote on the show. All the while people keep asking who he is, and if he is new. He tells everyone that he has worked there for seven years. He doesn't make it in time to hand over the DVD, and the people on the show are furious with him. During this time, Simmons goes on the show and does his schtick. Anyone who has the slightest clue of who Simmons is knows what I am talking about. And Pauly Shore absolutely nails every aspect of Simmons. He looks like him, he's built like him, he has the same mannerisms and voice as Simmons. He is as upbeat as I remember Simmons being. It is a pretty fantastic impersonation. Eventually Simmons runs into the worker and they have an incredible heart to heart. And Shore nails what it must have been like to have a one on one conversation with Simmons. And there is no poking fun or jokes or anything that could be perceived as cruel. Shore does Simmons as one of the nicest, most comforting people you could ever meet. It was pretty amazing to see him transform into this character.

I highly recommend checking this out. It is only eight minutes, like I said before, but it packs a punch. I was happily shocked at Shore's ability to pull it off. I'm curious if they will make a full length feature. But for now, I have "The Court Jester". And that will do just fine. 

Ty

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

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Happy Birthday to Great All Around Person Dolly Parton

Today is Dolly Parton's birthday. Look, I'm a very late convert to Dolly Parton. I've always known who she is, why she's famous and that she has millions of fans. But, it wasn't until recently, namely the pandemic and the rollout of the vaccine, that I really paid attention to Parton. After what I have learned, I’m a big fan of Dolly.

From what I have read and been told by those close to me, Parton was involved in some way helping the COVID vaccine come out, and come out as fast as it did. I will forever be grateful to her for this. She helped usher in this new normal, and because of her tireless efforts, we are back to some kind of normalcy in America. She is an ally of the LGBTQ+ community. She has never given up her political leanings, but she has always been a supporter of same sex marriage and has always loved that she is an icon within the community. She helped with a telethon after wildfires broke out in the Smoky Mountains. She works with Red Cross and HIV/AIDS related charities. She has an honorary doctorate from the University of Tennessee. Dollywood has been a massive success. She has won multiple awards. She has written books. She revolutionized writing rights for songwriters. Colonel Parker tried to goose her out of money for the song "I Will Always Love You". He claimed that it was standard procedure for a songwriter to hand over half the publishing rights when another artist, namely his artist Elvis Presley, covered a song. Parton refused and the rest is history. Parton was not only a genius songwriter, but a genius business person. She has earned an endless amount of money during her career. She's gone on to do multiple genres of music. She is a country icon, but she has also done pop and rock records. She has covered old blues standards. She has a Christmas album. She's even done bluegrass. Not to be outdone on the stage, she is also a fairly accomplished actor. I just recently watched "9 to 5" with my wife, and Parton was the best one in the whole movie. Her music is all over soundtracks. She's appeared on "Grace and Frankie". She has multiple Hallmark Christmas movies. She has lent her voice to many, many animated movies and shows. She has almost an entire "Simpsons" episode dedicated to her. She's been married to the same person for over 50 years. She's never had kids, but she loves them. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She has countless awards, including an Oscar. And she just performed at halftime of a Thanksgiving NFL game. She is a wonderful, beautiful star.

Dolly is 78 years old today, but you would never be able to tell. That is amazing. Dolly Parton is a national treasure. I wish I had come to her stuff earlier in my life. I was a snob when I was younger about music and movies. I still have snobbish tendencies, but it is getting better. I would not have watched "9 to 5" or listened to her music in my 20's. Now, being 41, I loved "9 to 5" and I will pop on "Jolene" at the drop of a hat. I love that tune. Happy Birthday Dolly Parton. Here's to many more and keep doing all that you do for the country. You are one hell of an awesome person. 

Ty

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

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Who Should Be the Next Michigan Football Coach

It is looking more and more likely that Jim Harbaugh is going to make the leap to the NFL.

I don't blame him. He accomplished his goal at Michigan. He was hired nine years ago and he said he wanted to restore Michigan into a national power. They just won the national title ten days ago. They have also won the Big 10 three times in a row and beaten the university of Ohio State three times in a row. They have had multiple players drafted. Michigan is as back as any college football team can possibly be.

I was talking to my dad earlier today and we discussed his possible jump to the NFL. I feel like he is still itching to win a Super Bowl, and since he won a college football title, a Super Bowl ring would be the icing on the cake for him as a coach. I also think he is sick and tired of the NCAA. They seem to have a vendetta against Harbaugh, and he is a grown ass man. Why would he want to deal with this? He has been proven innocent at every turn, yet the NCAA will not stop pursuing so-called "incidents" against Harbaugh. I get that he may have grown tired of the constant watchful eye of the NCAA. It is just like Pete Carroll when he bolted USC, and his transgressions were much more severe than anything Harbaugh is being accused of doing. I have read a bunch today that the Chargers are preparing an offer, although they are interviewing other candidates, but I feel it is just a matter of time. Harbaugh is most likely going to get an offer, and I fully expect him to take it.

So that leaves Michigan with a head coaching vacancy. I've seen names floated out there. Names like Lance Leipold, Matt Campbell, Chris Kleiman, and the worst on these lists, Brian Kelly. I don't want any of those guys to become the head coach at Michigan. Kansas is a fun offense to watch, but Leipold has zero expectations in Lawrence, and when they win eight games, that is a massive success. I look at him like I did Brady Hoke. He seems like a much better coach when he doesn't have massive expectations. I could say the same for Matt Campbell. He has done some solid things for Iowa State, but the shine is off him as a big time head coach to me. Iowa State hasn't been great lately, he is hot tempered and I think he might crumble the moment something goes wrong if he were to take over for Michigan. Chris Kleiman is exactly like Leipold to me. No frills, not very fun and doesn't have the will to win at a big time university.

And then we have Brian Kelly. I would be so very upset if Michigan even interviewed this guy. He is a phony, not the best coach, is very bad tempered, rubs people the wrong way, players don't really seem to like him all that much and has never won big. He has made one national title game, where his team was crushed. And that whole deal with his fake accent when he took the job at LSU, that was the final nail in the coffin for me. From that day forward my hatefulness for him grew infinitely. Michigan should not waste their time for one second with this egomaniac. I'm out on those four immediately. I don't even think Michigan should call them unless it is a last resort. And they should never call Brian Kelly. That guy stinks.

So you may be asking, who should they hire then Ty? I'll tell you. They need to stay in house. What they have done the past three years, with this staff, has been very impressive. They recruit players that fit their system, they get quality transfer portal guys and they have very good camaraderie. There are three guys I'd talk to already on the staff. I'd talk to Mike Hart. Jesse Minter and Sherrone Moore. Hart was a Michigan legend as a player. He might be even better as a coach. The running back room since he took over has been the best skill unit this team has. And the backs love to play for him. Hart is the hometown guy you kind of need to keep on your staff no matter what. Minter is young, just coordinated one of the most dominant defenses in the history of college football and proved he didn't need signs to do his job at an elite level. Minter has a sophisticated, NFL level defensive unit and has gotten better and better the past two years. He is going to be a head coach soon, so why not give him an interview where he is currently employed. I will say, I do think he will go with Harbaugh if Harbaugh asks him to go to the NFL. I think those two may be linked for a while now. And finally we have Sherrone Moore. This is who I want them to hire if I'm being honest. Moore proved his worth this season. He basically got an on the field interview during the season. Harbaugh was suspended the last three games of the season, the most important games, and Moore shined. He dominated a high level Penn State defense. He didn't call a single pass after the eight minute mark in the second quarter, and it worked. He then had a possible trap game with Maryland, that he came out with a favorable outcome. He then outcoached Ryan Day in the biggest rivalry game of the season. Moore took chances, seemed more comfortable with his players and trusted the rest of the staff that day. He also won two of those three games as the road team. Moore has called a solid, tried and true offense for two years. He has coached the o line for three years, and that may be the best unit on the whole team. He also proved his worth to Michigan four times this past season, three of which were tough games for a head coach.

Michigan needs to stay within the staff they already have right now if Harbaugh does jump like I expect him to. And they have three excellent options already on the staff. Do the right thing Michigan. Give Moore this job. He has earned it and he deserves it. This is the best option by a million miles if/when Harbaugh leaves. It has always been, and should be, Sherrone Moore. 

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 the Trailer for "Spaceman"

Yesterday I watched the trailer for the movie "Spaceman". This is the new Adam Sandler movie that premieres on Netflix in March. Let’s discuss.

I have been an Adam Sandler fan from the moment I first saw "Billy Madison". I then went back and watched his stint on "SNL", and pretty much all of his other stuff. He had a fan for life from then on out. I even saw "Little Nicky" in theaters, on my birthday. I watched both "Grown Ups" movies in the theater. I have never finished "Ridiculous 6". I enjoy Sandler's work and will continue to watch almost everything he is involved in. So, this new movie "Spaceman" got my attention simply because I saw Sandler in a picture for the trailer.

I watched it, and I am amped to see it in a little over two months. The movie looks very cool. I am a fan of sci-fi space movies. The set alone will draw me in no problem. I like movies that take place in space because I know I will never go into space. So, I like to see how these writers and actors portray that on screen. I love the "Alien" franchise, minus some of the newer movies. "Blade Runner" is one of my all time favorite movies. I really loved watching "Gravity" in 3-D. That was the best way to watch that movie. That was the closest I think I will get to feeling like I'm in space. I'm a sucker for a space movie. So, I was sold based on that alone. Then I watched and focused on the story. I am all in now. It is about some NASA employees that go on lone space missions. They study and record what life is like, alone in space. I got a real "Black Mirror" vibe from the trailer. Carey Mulligan plays Sandler's wife, and she is one of the best actors in Hollywood. She always brings it, always does a great job and brings brevity to any movie she is in. In this trailer that comes across tenfold. Once she shows up I have an immediate reaction thinking this is an upper tier movie. Then the trailer tells us the movie is written by the people that wrote "Chernobyl". I never saw that show, but from what I read, it was pretty amazing and very grim. These are three key facts that very much intrigue me. As I said before, I'm all in on this movie. Throw in the fact that Paul Dano plays a talking spider, that is icing on the cake. This movie is going to be weird and awesome, hopefully. I cannot wait.

I also want to say, I love this new direction Sandler is going with his movie choices. He is doing some really interesting stuff and I'm here for it. I loved "Uncut Gems". It is a little overlong, but that movie is intense and Sandler crushes it in the lead role. It is criminal that he didn't get awards consideration. Then he did "Hustle". I like that movie even more. I am a sucker for basketball movies and Adam Sandler movies. Combine those two, what a recipe for success. "Hustle" also happens to be a very well made, well written and well acted movie. And now we have "Spaceman". Sandler is on a roll of movies that speak to me as a fan. These are not outrageous comedies, which he already has done and perfected. These aren't movies where he is letting his buddies goof around. These aren't paycheck movies that he is making to just get paid. He is taking real chances on interesting and different styles of movie. I love that and I love that he is stretching his chops. I hope he keeps doing cool stuff like this for a good long while. This 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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Make Shorter Movies

I was listening to "Comedy Bang! Bang!" earlier today and Scott Aukerman brought up a pretty good point about the length of movies. He had Jake Johnson on as his main guest and they started a conversation about the most recent "Spider Verse" movie.

Aukerman mentioned how much he liked it, but that he was annoyed at the ending. I heard a lot of people make this complaint as well. I thought it was fine because it means more of these movies. I want all that I can get at this point. But that is not what I took away from all of this. While talking about the movie, Aukerman mentioned that they should just make one five hour movie. Johnson said that he didn't know how long each movie is, but that he is fine with whatever they do because he loves these movies.

But Johnson did mention that he is not a fan of super long movies. Aukerman agreed. They both said that 90 minutes is the perfect amount of time to watch a movie. Johnson said that he loves Martin Scorsese, but he hasn't seen many of his recent movies because they all approach three hours. Aukerman said he has seen "Killer of the Flower Moon", which he liked, but he also said that it felt very long. I sat back and thought about this as I listened to them gripe about it, and I have to say, I fully agree with their assessment.

Movies are very, very long now. A movie I love, "Uncut Gems", is about two and a half hours long. I have a lot of love for the movie, but there are definitely things they could have cut from the movie. The whole scene with The Weeknd felt unnecessary. The constant fights with his wife felt tacked on. I wanted more of the family stuff or the Kevin Garnett stuff. They could have cut things here and there and made that a two hour movie with ease. And I still would love it. I am a big time fan of the "John Wick" franchise, and each movie seems to get longer and longer. These movies keep me intrigued, but still, they can cut some stuff down and make these movies a hair over two hours, no problem. I enjoy watching Judd Apatow movies, but he keeps making two plus hour comedies. That is way, way too much time for a comedy. Ninety minutes should be the hard cut for a comedy. I also love sci fi, and the fact that those movies keep pushing two and a half hours is nuts. "Blade Runner" is 1 hour 57 minutes. That is kind of perfect. I'd so much rather watch "Blade Runner" than "Interstellar". A movie that clocks in at 90 minutes, or even 1 hour 45 minutes, that is the exact amount of time that I want to sit and watch a movie from start to finish. A movie that length will keep my attention, I won't squirm in my seat, and that feels like the perfect amount of time to tell a well thought out story. These "epics" almost feel like the writers and directors don't know how to finish the movie, so they just keep filming and writing more and more. It is like the movie "Babylon". They had no idea how to end that, so they kept making it and eventually had to end it. They did that with a death, the most common way to end these "epics". Movies that are shorter get you in, hold your attention for the allotted time and get you out. That's the way it should be.

We need more 90-115 minute movies. That would rule. 

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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It Is a Good Day to Be a Green Bay Packers Fan

The Green Bay Packers went into Dallas yesterday and won. The Packers are the youngest team in the playoffs. They have guys that have little to no experience in high pressure games. I expected them to win no more than seven games at best. I thought they may be looking for a new head coach at this point. I was out, a bunch of other people were out and I was kind of ready for a rebuilding season.

They went the other way though. They eeked out nine wins and secured a playoff spot on the last day of the season. I was stoked that they scraped together some ugly wins and finagled their way into the playoffs. But I assumed it was over there. I was talking to a brother of mine earlier in the week saying that I thought they had a minor shot to beat the Cowboys, but the both of us concluded they were not going to win. They proved us both wrong.

This win was so gratifying for two main reasons to me personally. First, they beat the Cowboys. This is the self proclaimed "America's Team". They had all the momentum in the world. They had home field and they were on a winning streak. They got to face the Packers. And Green Bay went in there and scored 48 points. Against the supposed vaunted Cowboys defense. Sure, one of the scores was a pick 6, but that still means the Packers offense scored 41 points. That is amazing to me considering the players. Jordan Love far exceeded my expectations this season. He was more than capable. He never really floundered all season long. He kept a level head and managed to do some solid things as an NFL starting QB. Aaron Jones was seemingly hurt all year but has come out very strong in the past four games. He was especially great yesterday. He had three tds and looked like a man possessed. It was awesome to see him playing so well. The receivers, a young group with no star player, came on strong and have been pretty reliable. They have taken some chances in the later rounds of the draft, and it looks to be paying off. The defense, which has been a bit of a problem, came to play yesterday. The run defense was good. The run defense has been good all year, but they took it up a notch. The pass defense, the clear problem area, was pretty on point for the majority of the day. They gave up a few garbage, pointless tds yesterday, but when it mattered most, they were up to the task. This was satisfying. I love it because not a ton of people are talking about the win, but they are talking about what went wrong for the Cowboys. This is great being a Packers fan because they can still fly under the radar, but the Cowboys continue to get lambasted everywhere. It is gratifying.

Second, the win also makes me even happier that they moved on from that insane clown Aaron Rodgers. He was looked at as the only reason the Packers did anything for the past decade. He was the "glue guy" whenever the Packers had a good season. And when he asked out, and was traded, everyone, and I mean everyone, figured this was it for Green Bay. Hell, even I have said, many, many times, that the Packers were due for a rebuild, and this season would be the perfect time. But look where we are now. Aaron Rodgers gets hurt four plays into the regular season and has gone on to do insane things all year long. He has promoted his conspiracy theories and anti-vax nonsense any time he is on ESPN. He goes on wild rants about "woke culture" and "cancel culture". He vomits diarrhea from his mouth any chance he can, and almost everyone is starting to see how nuts he truly is. And what is Green Bay doing? They are winning playoff games behind a quiet, young good QB. They have a solid o line. The run game is stout. The defense is playing better. And Matt LaFluer is proving to everyone, myself included, that he is a good, viable NFL head coach. It makes me so, so happy that they moved on from that wacko and the results on the field are all the same.

Yesterday was a very good day to be a Packers fan. I hope it continues throughout the playoffs, but if it doesn't, and their season ends in a week, at least they beat the Cowboys in Dallas. And they did it with Jordan Love. What a great, great day. 

Ty

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

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Aaron Rodgers is Still an Idiot

Aaron Rodgers has lost his goddamn mind. He has become the epitome of white privilege.

Rodgers goes on the biggest sports network in the country, on one of the biggest and most popular sports programs currently on in the country, and complains about "cancel culture". I loathe the term "cancel culture". That term, to me, is what rich white men use to try and blow off any mistake or outrageous thing they do in the public's eye. They think it is a term they can use to get out of any scenario they don't agree with. And Aaron Rodgers has become the poster child for doing this in his everyday life. He recently went on "The Pat McAfee Show", a horrible show that lets all the people see how far down the rung ESPN has gone to stay relevant, and said that Jimmy Kimmel may have been on Epstein's List. That is such an awful, horrible thing to say, and he has no credible evidence to say such a thing. Kimmel made a joke. That is what he made his money doing. But Rodgers took it at face value and decided he was "going to get even". So he said this awful thing on national tv, and as we all expected, ESPN reprimanded him and Pat McAfee.

The first action they took was an apology. That was about as small a thing they could do, but at least they did something. Even McAfee said it was inappropriate. But, to no one's surprise, Rodgers was back on again, and this is when he went on his insane rant about "cancel culture". He mentioned his anti-vax status, like a true moron. He talked about conspiracy theories, and how some of them have been "proven to be true", like a true psychopath. He talked about how people were coming after him, but he "truly doesn't care", which is contrary to his whole unhinged monologue. And it was just downhill from there.

Aaron Rodgers is a rich, famous athlete. He has made tons of money. He has tons of fans. He has appeared in tv and movies. Some people, not me, still root for this maniac. But this has got to be the beginning of the end for this lunatic. He has no place to complain about anything. He was brought up with no real struggle. He has been a pro seemingly forever. He has been paid handsomely. But he still finds something to be outraged about. He finds something to complain about. He wants the focus to be on him and how downtrodden and tough it is to be Aaron Rodgers. Well, I don't care what he says. I want him to continue to dig himself in bigger holes. I want him to make it harder and harder for people to root for this idiot. I wish he had actually tried to come back from his ACL injury. It would have been absolutely hilarious to me to see his achilles rupture even further. Then maybe he could go on another "darkness retreat" and get himself "immunized".

Aaron Rodgers is a dinosaur. He is a privileged white man that continually tries to find ways to say that he is being chastised from the mainstream media, which I'm surprised he hasn't called it the "lamestream media" yet. Rodgers will not be asked to be back on McAfee's show for some time now. But I would guarantee that when he comes back, he will go on some other insane rant about his time away from the show was due to "cancel culture". What a sad person Aaron Rodgers has become. He is a true crazy person that needs real help from a mental health professional. That may be the only thing that can help him now. But I doubt 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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An Ode to the Careers of Two Football College Legends

Two titans of the coaching world in football are moving on/retiring. Let’s discuss.

I first heard that Nick Saban was retiring when I was scrolling through Facebook last night. A friend of mine posted something about it, but I thought he was just screwing around. I went and tried to find something on a reputable website, but nothing came up right away. So I gave it about ten minutes and checked again. It was EVERYWHERE that Saban was walking away. I was stunned. He took the team he had this season to the playoff. He has won six titles since he took over as the head coach at Alabama. He won another title when he was the head coach at LSU. He had minimal success with the Dolphins before leaving like a coward when the Alabama job opened up. But, for me as a true college football fan, he has been the face of Alabama and their dominance since his second season. His team's have been wildly impressive since he took over. He coached guys like DJ Fluker, Julio Jones, Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts, Devonta Smith, Derrick Henry, Alex Leatherwood, Quinnen Williams, CJ Mosley, Dont'a Hightower, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Mark Barron, just to name a few. Oh, he recently just coached Heisman winner Bryce Young. Jalen Milroe is a stud. Jahmyr Gibbs transferred in and became a first round pick. Jaylen Waddle is a budding star. The list could go on and on. These are just some of the players he coached at Alabama mind you. He has had other stars at his other stops. But what made him so dominant at the college level was not only the talent, but his passion. Nick Saban is a maniac. This is the same dude that, after winning a national title, he complained that he had to start recruiting again. He was never satisfied with the product. Once he got a ring, he wanted more. It was that drive and grit that made him the greatest college football coach of time. I don't think there is a better one out there. He has played against all of the other greats, and gotten the best of all of them. Look at his coaching tree and all those guys he beat during his tenure. It took Kirby Smart a long while before he beat Saban. Jimbo Fisher only has a few wins against him. I don't know that Lane Kiffin has a win over him. Steve Sarkisian got his first this past season. Butch Jones had a melt down after taking the Tennessee job just trying to beat him. Billy Napier never got Florida over the hump. Jeremy Pruitt and Mel Tucker had to leave their head coaching jobs due to scandal. He has also produced pro coaches. Guys like Brian Daboll, Joe Judge and Bill O'Brien have all spent time under Nick Saban. What Saban did for the college football game and Alabama may never be matched. Alabama was always a threat. When Michigan drew them in the playoff this season I wasn't thrilled because of Alabama's past and potential. He struck fear in opponents. He had the best recruiting pitch. He hired the best coaches. And he always found ways to win. The NFL was never for Nick Saban. He was always destined to be a college football head coach and he became the best the game has seen to this point. It will be odd to not see him on the sideline next season, but congrats on a coaching career that may never be matched. Nick Saban is an all timer.

As for the NFL, well, Bill Belichek and the Patriots have "mutually" parted ways. This felt like a long time coming, but when this news hit this morning, I was still a little taken aback. Bill Belichek turned himself into one of the greatest head coaches the NFL has ever seen. The things he did with the Patriots starting in the early 2000's is the stuff of legend in the coaching world. The guy had an eye for talent when it came to players and assistant coaches. He had this odd sense that he could get the most of people that not many saw much potential. Drew Bledsoe, their star QB and former number one overall pick gets hurt and they turn to some 6th round backup named Tom Brady. We all know what happened then. It was a decade plus of dominance with that pairing as QB and coach. The Patriots always seemed to win and always seemed to be in the thick of the playoff race. Even the season Brady went down in week one, the Patriots still managed to win ten games with Matt Cassell as their starting QB. That has a lot to do with Belichek. This guy also took chances on players. He brought in Randy Moss and had that electric offense. The best years of Laurence Maroney's NFL career were in New England. Ty Law was an all pro under Belichek's tutelage. Lawyer Milloy became one of the best safeties in the league. Benjarvus Green Ellis had a career because of him. The same could be said for Wes Welker, Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman. Richard Seymour made a name for himself in the league because of Belichek. The guy had an eye for these "diamonds in the rough". He also knew how to hire good assistants that figured out how to work with him. Josh McDaniels isn't much of a head coach or person, but the dude can coach a Bill Belichek offense. Matt Patricia only got a head coaching job because he ran Belichek's defense to perfection. Joe Judge was a special teams coach under Belichek, after working for Saban, and that reputation of working with Belichek got him the head job with the Giants. Brian Flores is an amazing defensive coordinator and he more than deserves another shot at being a head coach. Romeo Crennel had a few good years with the Browns. Charlie Weiss parlayed his coordinating job into a few head coaching jobs, namely Notre Dame and Kansas. Hell, even Nick Saban spent time working under Belichek when he was the head coach of the Browns. While a good amount of these guys never reached the heights Belichek has, they had massive success working from, and learning from, Bill Belichek. I don't know what the future holds for him, but I would be a little stunned if he isn't hired by one of the seven teams with a current opening very soon.

As it stands on January 11th, both Bill Belichek and Nick Saban are no longer football coaches. That seems wild to say, but here we are. Crazy. 

Ty

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

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Ty Reads "Dumb Ideas"

Over the holiday break I decided that I wanted to get back to reading more books. I put about five or six different books on my list, and like a stroke of good luck I got most of them. Now, when I say books I'm not talking about the stuff we read in school or what is in popular demand. I like comedy books. I like books on photography. I enjoy real life sports stories. These are the types of books I like to read. One such book that I put on my list and hoped to get was "Dumb Ideas" written by Dan Curry and Eric Andre.

I, as you all know by now, am a big time Eric Andre fan. I love his talk show, I'm a fan of "Bad Trip" and his new podcast has fast become one of my must listens when a new episode comes out. I also enjoy seeing him pop up tv shows and movies that I did not know he was going to be involved in. So, a new book about his pranking written with his writing partner, sign me up.

I loved this book. I am not a fast reader, but it only took me a little over a week to finish. I would find myself cracking up while reading. But he also put some nice stuff in there too, especially about his mom. But make no mistake, he always buttons the nice stuff with a very solid joke. The way the book works out, Curry and Andre take turns writing different chapters about their lives, their ventures on "The Eric Andre Show" and any other stuff they find funny. I enjoyed reading about how Andre got into the pranking world. It seemed like he was destined for it from what I read, but it was still pretty cool to see where it all started. I also liked reading him write about finding himself in the prank world. Curry would follow this up with how he almost fell into this world. He had other plans, but pranks would always pull him back in. I also enjoyed both of them giving their takes on the shenanigans behind the scenes on "The Eric Andre Show". I loved hearing about the people who worked there and who Curry and Andre trusted. One of my all time favorite pranks on the show was when Andre went to a MENSA meeting dressed in full knight armor. I laugh every time I watch that. Well, they did full chapters about that whole situation. It was awesome. There is a big chapter on Kraft Punk, one of the best characters on the show. Kraft Punk is a menace, and they give the reader all kinds of details. It is epic. They talk a whole lot about them crashing the 2016 RNC. That was funny/terrifying. We get a full Andre chapter about the odyssey of "Bad Trip". There is so much more to that story than I ever knew. Reading about each season of the talk show and the styles Andre tried to go with, that seemed harrowing. We even get to read about both guys' ventures in college, and how much they rip on that. There are also fake quotes from made up philosophers. They give the reader pranks to try if they seem wild enough to go for them. And there are nonsensical emails between Andre and his mom that are pretty hilarious.

"Dumb Ideas" is a very good, very funny and wonderful read. I highly recommend this book to fans of Andre's career and want to hear from his writing partner as well. It is 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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Go Blue

Michigan football did it. They won the national title last night.

The game was close until about seven minutes left. That was when Blake Corum ran it in, and then Mike Sainristil took a pick 81 yards to the redzone, and then Corum punched it in one more time to seal it, 34-13.

Michigan finished the season 15-0. That is the most wins in Big Ten history. That is tied for the most wins with four other teams. Jim Harbaugh revamped his coaching staff, got younger, adjusted and brought a national championship to his alma mater. He accomplished the goal he had when he took this job nine years ago. He has restored the Michigan football program back to being a perennial threat. This is their third playoff appearance in a row. The third time was the charm for this team. They exorcised all of their demons. The people who said Harbaugh couldn't win a big game were proven wrong. He beat Alabama in the Rose Bowl, and then went on to dominate Washington, the only other undefeated team in division 1, in the title game. He has also beaten the university of Ohio State three times in a row. Harbaugh has proven the doubters wrong. Blake Corum came back from a tough injury last year to lead this team, and become one of the best running backs in the history of Michigan football. JJ McCarthy took over as the starter last season and hasn't looked back. He is now 27-1 as the starting QB. The defense has become this boa constrictor. They just squeeze and squeeze and squeeze until their opponent can't take it anymore. Thank you to former Indiana coach Tom Allen for the boa constrictor comparison. The defense is also full of talent. There isn't one guy, this is a collection of super talented players that do what is best for the team. But what I love most about this team is the fact that they are just that, a team. They may have a few players that the media focuses on, but make no mistake, this is a team. They play for one another. Their individual success is the team's success. They don't care who the "star" player is, they just care about each other achieving the team goal of winning it all. Which is what they just did last night.

Of all the seasons to win it all, it is kind of perfect that it was this season. Michigan started with their head coach suspended for the first three games due to "burgergate". Apparently Jim Harbaugh bought some recruits hamburgers during the 2020 recruiting dead period, and also watched workouts during the same time. It is small fries compared to some other infractions, but he was still suspended. Michigan easily won those games as they were against inferior opponents. Then Harbaugh came back. Michigan continued to win, but during the Rutgers game, Greg Schiano made some odd comments. He seemed to allude that Michigan may have had some intel as to what signals Rutgers was using. It was of no mind the following week when Michigan traveled to Nebraska and absolutely smashed them in their first road game. They were 5-0 at this point and riding high. They proceeded to cruise over Minnesota in a nationally televised night game, and I was starting to believe in this team's potential. Then they proceeded to demolish Indiana, and this was when Tom Allen gave us the boa constrictor line. Then they had a bye week. Then all these stories came out, mainly from ESPN, that Michigan was involved in some kind of espionage sign stealing enterprise. It was the talk of every sports channel. I even saw some reputable news sources talking about it. The way it was reported, you would have thought Michigan was breaking some kind of law. They were the villains. Everyone, outside of their fanbase, painted them as cheaters. They were called despicable. Talking heads on sports shows said they wouldn't recognize them as champs if they won it all. People on message boards were saying hateful, awful things about their coach, the players and us fans. Michigan took this all in stride and came back from the bye week facing rival Michigan State, whose coach was fired for having an affair with a speaker, which everyone seemed to forget about, and beat them 49-0. I started to buy in even more. They had Purdue next, and Purdue's coach acted holier than thou, calling Jim Harbaugh a spade. Michigan beat them 41-13, and it wasn't even that close. Then the calls from Big 10 coaches came about suspending Harbaugh immediately for the sign stealing allegations. Remember that these have always been, and still are, allegations. The new Big 10 commissioner did something unprecedented and suspended Harbaugh immediately for the rest of the regular season. These were Michigan's three most important games. This was going to define their season. These games would determine if they would win the Big 10 again, and make the playoff again. Harbaugh and Michigan took the suspension and gave the interim head coaching job to offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Sherrone Moore. He proceeded to lead Michigan to a win over Penn State, in Happy Valley. And that game wasn't close. This was a gratifying win because Penn State's coach was acting all high and mighty all week leading up to the game. And Moore outcoached him, ran the ball down his defense's throat and won. They then beat Maryland in a game that was way too close for comfort. But I feel like every championship team needs one of these games to keep them honest. They then had the university of Ohio State. Ryan Day got everything he wanted in this game. Harbaugh was suspended, the media was on his side, the refs were on his side, all of his players were healthy and ready to go. And guess what, he still couldn't beat Michigan. Moore outcoached Day's punkass and led this team to a third straight win over their biggest rival and a shot at a third straight Big 10 title.  Harbaugh served his second suspension and came back. And you all know how this season ended. They throttled Iowa, then won a thriller over Alabama and closed it out with a runaway win in last night's title game. It was awesome.

As I said up top, it was a euphoric feeling at the end of the game last night. I remember when they won in 1997, but I was only 15. This time I'm an adult. I will remember this as long as I live. This team is going to go down as one of the best teams in the history of college football. If Harbaugh does leave for the NFL, I have no ill will. I think it is going to happen to be honest with you. If he does leave, I'd give the job to Moore without a second thought. And, along with Harbaugh, I want to thank Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards, the entire o and d line, all the wideouts, the tight ends, Will Johnson, Makari Page, Rod Moore, Junior Colson, all the other secondary and linebackers, and Jesse Minter and Sherrone Moore. As well as Jay Harbaugh, Mike Hart, Mike Elston and Stev Clinkscale. And every other player and coach I did not mention. This was a team's team and they accomplished the ultimate goal. They did it with tough interior play, elite tackling and one of the best college football defenses in history.

Thank you Michigan football. Thank you so much for this wonderful title. I am forever grateful and will never forget this as long as I live. I'm on cloud nine right now. This is one of the best things I've seen in sports in my life. This is euphoria. Always and forever, Go Blue. 

Ty

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

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Ty's 2024 NFL Playoff Predictions

The NFL playoffs are set. There are some surprise teams and some teams we all knew were going to be there from the start. I'll do my playoff predictions today and pick the MVP of the Super Bowl. The playoffs are here and this is when the fun begins.

I'll start with the AFC.

The Ravens earned the first round bye. They had an awesome season. The 2-7 matchup features the Bills and Steelers. The Bills won the division last night, eking out a close one over the Dolphins. The Bills are a good team that seems to find ways to come up short in the playoffs. The Steelers are here by pure luck, but they do have a solid team that has found ways to win games all year. That being said, I have the Bills finding a way to win a playoff game, finally, and advancing to the next round. The 3-6 game gives us the Dolphins facing the Chiefs. This one is tough for me. The Chiefs should win. They have homefield, they are a better team and have a much improved defense. The Dolphins have an explosive offense. They can score in bunches and bunches. They have speed everywhere and their offense is magnetic. Their defense is riddled with injuries and inconsistencies. I don't have a ton of faith, but I'm going with the Chiefs, strictly based on having home field advantage. The 4-5 gives us the Texans facing the Browns. This is offense versus defense. This is an up and coming team facing a team finally living up to their expectations. This is Joe Flacco versus CJ Stroud. Give me CJ Stroud. He has been on fire all season and that will continue in his first playoff game. I also think Demeco Ryans is a very, very good coach too. He will prove that this weekend.

So, that gives us the Ravens facing the Texans and the Bills facing the Chiefs. The Ravens are going to exorcise some demons this season. I feel it. They will win this game and win big. Lamar Jackson is going to prove how great he is, and how deserving he is of the MVP this year. The Chiefs and Bills game is tough. I have no faith in either team. The Bills have already beat the Chiefs once this season, and that was before the Bills went on a win streak. The Chiefs will have to travel, and that will be their final undoing to this inconsistent year for the Chiefs. Bills win.

That means I have the Ravens playing the Bills in the AFC title game. The Ravens will win in a walk. They are the better team and they will prove their worth in the playoffs this season. Ravens advance to the Super Bowl.

Now for the NFC.

The 49ers walked to the one seed, they have the best team in the NFL and they should be the heavy favorites to win it all this season. The 2-7 matchup features the Cowboys and Packers. The Cowboys have an elite defense, they have a great QB and pass game and they have home field. The Packers, inexplicably, are here. They beat the Bears yesterday to secure their spot. Jordan Love has played way above expectations, the run defense is solid and they can control the clock from time to time. But, the Packers secondary is mediocre and that will be their downfall. The Cowboys win. The 3-6 gives us the Lions and Rams. I have seen all the stuff about Matthew Stafford coming back to Detroit, that the Rams are primed for a playoff push, that Sean McVay is a playoff coach. I don't buy it. The Lions offense has been steady almost all season. The defense is bend, don't break to the nth degree. They have solid special teams. And they are playing at home. The Lions are going to win and give their fans even more time to celebrate a wonderful season. The 4-5 game features the Buccaneers and the Eagles. This is a toss up, which feels wild to say at this point. The Buccaneers won the division. They also only won nine games. Baker Mayfield is their QB. They do get to play at home, but does that even matter here? The Eagles are reigning NFC champs. But they have been bad over the whole last half of the season. The offense has stalled and the defense has been horrendous. This feels like it should be an easy Eagles win, but with the way they've been playing, I don't trust them at all. I'm going with the Eagles, but I have zero faith.

So that gives us the 49ers facing the Eagles and the Lions facing the Cowboys. The 49ers have trounced the Eagles once already this year, and it will happen again in this game. The 49ers will be able to stop the Eagles offense, and the 49ers offense will score all over the Eagles defense. This game could get ugly. The Cowboys and Lions will be a much better game. This should go down to the wire. They played very recently and that game was good, until the refs screwed the Lions over. That won't happen this time. I have a ton of faith in this Lions team. They are a good, young and hungry football team. I have the Lions advancing to face the 49ers in the NFC title game.

Here is where it ends for the Lions. The 49ers are prime to return to the Super Bowl after a year away. They are the most complete team in the NFL and they are on a mission. They win the NFC with relative ease.

That leaves us with the Ravens facing the 49ers in the Super Bowl. This is how it should be. They are the two best teams in the league and they should meet for a chance at a ring. They played once before, and while the Ravens won that one big, this game should be much closer. This game should go down to the wire. And to complete the season of reintroducing themselves, I have the Ravens winning it all. They have it all going their way right now and they just need to win their first playoff game to prove they can do it before they go on a streak and win it all. I also have Lamar Jackson doubling up at the regular season MVP by winning the Super Bowl MVP.

There you have it, my 2024 NFL playoff preview and predictions. As always, take it with a grain of salt. 

Ty

"Bull Durham" is the GOAT of Sports Movies

The movie "Bull Durham" has been on cable recently and I have watched it twice in the past month.

I love this movie. I think, as do many other people, that it is the best baseball movie of all time. I love "The Sandlot" and "Major League". I get down with "Little Big League". I finally watched "The Natural" from start to finish very recently. While all of those movies are very good, they are not at the level of "Bull Durham" for me. It is funnier than all of those movies, even "Major League". The jokes hit harder and they last longer. The baseball is so much better. It is filmed better and the actors look like they can actually play the game. The drama is understated and played off so much better in "Bull Durham". The love triangle is so well done. The stuff with Kevin Costner being this ragged, angry minor league lifer feels very true to life. I have to imagine that is how a minor league lifer would feel. I would bet they are bitter. Tim Robbins being this hotshot, young idiot was too good. He was magnificent in the role.

While watching it recently my son joined me. He was confused, but he was asking questions. That is his way of saying he likes something without actually saying he likes it. I knew he was intrigued, especially when they played baseball in the movie. That is high praise from him.

I think what makes "Bull Durham" the absolute best is the ending. All of the other movies I mentioned end happily. The Cleveland baseball team makes the playoffs at the end of "Major League". The kids in "The Sandlot" go on and have successful lives. Even the kid that gets into music in the 60's seems okay at the end. In "Little Big League" the Twins get beat by the Mariners, but everyone loves the young kid turned coach. They give him a standing ovation. The fans won't leave until the whole team comes out of the locker room. And in "The Natural", Robert Redford hits a homerun and all of the lights explode. It is this cathartic moment for Redford. He is back to being the star he was before he was hurt. But in "Bull Durham", Costner ends up breaking the minor league home run record, but we only know because Susan Sarandon tells us as the narrator. She even says that the papers do not mention his record at all. Costner is also not on the Durham Bull either when he breaks the record. He is on yet another minor league team. He does end up with Sarandon, but not until he leaves to break this record. He also has visions of becoming a coach. He selfishly leaves Sarandon alone, after being intimate with her many, many times, to do something for himself. And, when we see Costner and Sarandon at the end, they are dancing, and they seem happy, but if you watch the whole movie you can tell this relationship will not last. They have been at each other's throats the whole time. Sarandon picks Robbins over him. Costner may say he made the choice, but that is just his ego. The only person that has a "happy ending" is Robbins. But to get there he has to break Sarandon's heart. He gets called up to the majors and he, much like Costner's selfishness, does what he wants when he wants. So, how truly happy is this ending really?

I love this movie from start to finish. It is the absolute best baseball movie, and may be the best sports movie of all time. 

Ty

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

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We Don't Need a Steamboat Mickey Snuff Film

The other day I saw that Steamboat Mickey was put into public domain. This is happening more and more with some of the older cartoon characters. They have been around forever, and when the time comes, they enter the public domain. That means that anyone can use the intelligent property and do what they want with it. And, after reading some other articles, ones that mention Steamboat Mickey becoming public domain, people already have ideas.

Apparently they are making a horror movie based on this character. I don't know what the movie is going to be about, or when it is coming out, but the pictures definitely indicate a horror movie. I saw one that had a ragged looking Steamboat Mickey looking over what I assume is New York City. I also saw another picture portraying Steamboat Mickey as a villain. The character had devious eyes and was giving me very creepy vibes. It is going to be a horror movie for sure. I also saw that they have done this with Winnie the Pooh. I guess they made a movie last year, a horror/gore movie, based upon Winnie the Pooh. I do not know if any of Pooh's friends were there or not, but they did show Pooh entering an area with a hot tub, a young lady in said hot tub, and Pooh looking like they were up to no good. I do know that this Winnie the Pooh horror movie was blasted by critics. When I was doing my research for my best of lists, this Winnie the Pooh horror movie was on almost everyone's worst list. They crushed this movie every chance they had. I have not seen it, and I don't plan on ever seeing it, but I am not a fan of people taking these public domain characters and making some schlock, horror and gore porn.

These are cartoon characters that I grew up with. I think my folks grew up with them. They have been around forever and they gave many, many kids wonderful memories. Pooh was a big deal to me. I used to read the books and watch any movie that Pooh was involved in when I was a kid. I also watched a ton of Mickey cartoons as a kid. When I watch "The Simpsons" with Steamboat Willie, it instantly takes me to Steamboat Mickey. So, for people who have money and the ability to make movies, to do this, it really bums me out. I don't want to see these characters doing horrible, unspeakable things just because they can now. Just because they're in the public domain doesn't mean they need to be doing horrendous stuff. I understand that no one can do anything to the people using their image, but why not make a cartoon movie about them again? Or why not make a live action comedy with the characters? They could have all the public domain characters appear in a movie together. That would be much, much more fun. But to make gore/horror porn, that is not what I want to see as a fan. I'm not interested in that at all, and I think most people would agree with me on this. Stop doing shock just to shock. It is overdone and hackey. 

Ty

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

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"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.

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Better Never than Late on "The Dial of Destiny"

Over the weekend my wife and I watched the newest "Indiana Jones" movie. I believe the subtitle is, "The Dial of Destiny". I say I believe because we did not manage to finish the movie.

This is a long, long movie. The runtime, I looked it up, is 2 hours and 37 minutes. That is far, far too long for a movie like this. I do have to say, I have only seen two previous "Indiana Jones" movies prior to this, one of which is "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". That movie is a pile of garbage. It is nonsensical, poorly written, the actors seem to have mailed it in and it is just plain bad. The other "Indiana Jones" movie I saw prior to this is "Temple of Doom", and I was young and do not remember much. I have heard people say it is good, but I honestly could not tell you my feelings on it. I have zero recollection. So going into "Dial of Destiny", I had no real expectations. We turned it on and we watched almost all of it.

RD talked to me about the movie on the podcast recently, and I remembered him saying that the action scenes were too long. I scoffed at this. I didn't think an action sequence could be overlong. Well, "Dial of Density" proved RD right and me wrong. The action pieces in this movie are big and expensive looking, but man oh man are they far, far too long. I was watching and thinking, a la Milhouse, "when are they going to get to the fireworks factory". The sequences go on and on and on and on. They seemingly have no end in sight. They would take a slight break to reset the scene, but then it would start up and go on and on again. The opening scene of the movie is an action piece on a train. It should be exciting and fun, but the fact that it goes on for nearly eight minutes is absurd. I didn't realize they could overstuff action like they did. And the deaging digital technique they used on Harrison Ford looked odd. It looked as if the head on the body was going to fall off. He eats food in one scene and it just looks odd. I couldn't make heads or tails of what I was seeing.

I also should mention that I had no idea that this movie was taking place in the 60's. I assumed, wrongly, that this movie was in the present time. This is my ignorance due to only seeing two movies, but it confused me nonetheless. I didn't understand Indy talking about his kid dying in the war. I didn't know what war he was referencing. They showed protesters, but I didn't know what they were protesting. I was confused.

The story was convoluted as well. His old partner's daughter comes into play. She is a grifter who ends up helping Indy, alongside her kid friend. There is time travel. No one acts surprised about said time travel, except for Mads Mikkelsen, who is way miscast here. He is a bad dude too, so I have zero feelings for his grief anyway. When we checked to see how much time was left, which was twenty minutes, we decided to call it there. They were in the past era, Indy and Phoebe Waller Bridge had no real freakouts about where they were, the bad guys had died in a plane crash and I fully didn't care how the movie ended. My wife said, "I'm sure it all works out for all of them", and I'm certain she is right.

I like Harrison Ford. I enjoy his acting. "Blade Runner" may be the best movie ever made, and Ford's acting is awesome. But "Dial of Destiny" is a miss. This movie was too long, too boring and took too long to get the point. I know I won't end up finishing it either. 

Ty

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

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Why is There A Giant Pop Tart All Over the College Football Bowl Scene

During the college football bowl season, outside of the playoff, the bowl games are kind of useless. We have opt outs, the transfer portal opens before the games start, coaches take new job, players graduate, there are so many outside distractions, it makes these games nearly unwatchable.

Oklahoma played without Dillon Gabriel last night. Miami was down to their third string QB, who redshirted this season. Tulane had four or five key guys sit or transfer. Notre Dame is down to a third string QB today. Florida State had upwards of 20 players transfer or opt out. You see what I mean? But, what these bowl games tend to do well is market themselves. I know who wins the Duke's Mayo Bowl every year now because the coach gets doused in mayonnaise, which is gross. The Pinstripe Bowl really goes hard into the Yankees and playing at Yankee stadium angle. It seems to be the same thing with the bowl game at Fenway. The Sun Bowl has a big sun, with a smile on its face, as its mascot. A good amount of these games, or the sponsors of these games that is, have mascots. It is all in good fun. I get it. But the mascot that I am already done with, and ready for it to be retired is the pop tart from whatever bowl game Pop Tarts is the sponsor of this year.

Anytime I went to check scores of the games last night, that damn mascot was there. Anytime I read a story, that damn mascot was featured. Hell, even when I checked on stuff from the games today, the Pop Tarts mascot was front and center. I like pop tarts. I do think they are a viable, quick breakfast option. I know they don't offer much in the way of nutrition, but they taste good. They give you the boost you need to start the day. But putting actual pop tarts in the trophy, what the hell is that nonsense? Why do that? Is the whole team, of damn near 100 players, supposed to share two pop tarts? I know these are pointless questions, and I'm sure that the Pop Tart company gave the players and coaches some nice swag. But still, to make this a whole ass story, come on. I read today that the mascot was made of real Pop Tarts. That is nuts. That is stupid. That is gross. And again, who is supposed to eat this thing? I would guess the winning team is supposed to consume the mascot, but why? Also, I have to imagine the person inside the costume is sweaty and gross. I bet they have a protective layer on, hopefully covering up the pop tart, but still, sweat can leak through. I wear wicking undershirts when I run in the winter to keep me warm and protect the sweat from making me chafe. But guess what, it still finds its way through the layers. I still get sweat on my outer most layer. I would think that the same thing is happening within the mascot suit and the edible part of the mascot suit. That is vile. Also, a pop tart seems like the last thing an athlete would want to eat after playing a four hour football game. I don't know.

I know this is a stupid complaint, but it is a complaint nonetheless, and I have a platform to gripe about these half baked ideas. I get that you have to keep your bowl games, outside the New Years six and the CFP, but this is a bridge too far for me. 

Ty

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

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The NBA Has Never Seen a Team as Bad as These Pistons

When the Philadelphia 76ers were in their "process era", I thought they were the worst professional sports franchise. They played with no fire, they weren't competitive and it felt like they knew they had little to no chance when they entered a basketball arena against another professional basketball team. There was no direction. They had no plan other than trying to get the first overall pick. It was frustrating to watch. Having said all of that, I think the 2023 version of the Detroit Pistons may be a worse basketball team.

The Pistons have, on paper, talented basketball players. They have Monty Williams, who I fully believe is a very good basketball coach. They have veterans and young guys that, again on paper, should compliment each other. But it just isn't working. They started the year 2-1. I saw a little bit of their first game and thought they had enough to win 30-32 games this year. I thought they had something to build on for next season after, most likely, securing another lottery pick in 2024. Well, they have now been beaten 27 straight times. That is an NBA record. They are, without a doubt, the worst basketball team in the NBA.

I do not think any college team could beat a professional team, but I would be lying if I didn't say that my son and I have both talked about some college teams, Purdue and Arizona mainly, that could make it closer than it should be. I have also thought that G League Ignite or one of the better G League teams may be able to actually beat them. That is absurd, but the Pistons are so inept, so lost, so bad that it is not out of the question.

When I look at their roster, and see some of the talent, this baffles me. I am a big Cade Cunningham fan. I fully believe he is going to be a solid NBA starter on a good team. He can score in bunches. But he doesn't play any defense. He also looks bored and disinterested at times on the floor. And he is always hurt. Jaden Ivey is a very skilled guard. He is fast, can get to the hoop and can create shots. But he can be too fast sometimes. He also took a big step back and was benched earlier this year. Jalen Duren is awesome. He is going to be dominant when he gets more time and more experience. But he is young and he is often injured. Ausar Thompson looks like a very decent lottery pick. He is going to need time, but he more than passes the eye test. But he cannot hit the broad side of a barn right now. Bojan Bogdanovic is too old, missing too many shots and looks like he wants to be gone. James Wiseman, who I loved in his draft, is a bust. There, I said it. Isaiah Stewart is too prone to fouling. Killian Hayes needs a change of scenery and a bench role. Marvin Bagley is another bust. Marcus Sasser should be starting, but isn't for some unknown reason. Alec Burks and Joe Harris are beyond washed up. Kevin Knox is their third true bust. At the top of the roster, with the young guys, they have talent but it is not translating at the moment. And they need it to be figured out ASAP.

2-28 is just a horrendous record. It is so bad that you cannot even laugh at it. I feel sorry for the players. I feel sorry for Monty Williams. But they are doing this to themselves. They are 28th out of 30 teams scoring in the NBA. They are 20th in rebounding. They are 26th in opponents points per game. Those are all horrendously awful team stats. And the schedule doesn't get any easier. They have Boston tonight, Toronto after that, then Houston. It may be a long while before they win again. Their best bet right now is January 10th when they face the Spurs, who have double the amount of wins that the Pistons have.

Something's gotta give because they should not be this bad. But boy oh boy are the Detroit Pistons really, really bad. 

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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Adventures with My New Aero Press

During the holiday season my wife and I were gifted an aero press.

For people who may not know what that is, it is a mini coffee maker. We both like our coffee. Be it hot or cold, we each have some every day. I prefer my Chemex over every other method, but I am not opposed to trying different methods of brewing coffee. I really like to try many different ways. I like to see how different it tastes. I like to go through the process.

I am a relatively new coffee drinker, ever since my son was born, so trying all these things is fun for me at the moment. So when we got this aero press, I had no clue what it was. My wife told me she had heard of them, but she was confused as well. I was out at lunch with my folks and my brother and sister in law and my sister in law was telling my dad and I about some of her coworkers that use an aero press. This was the push I needed to try this thing out. It is also snowing here in the STL today, so all the more reason for a warm drink in the afternoon.

The aero press couldn't have been easier to use. All you have to do is fill a beaker like thing with coffee, tamp it down over a good mug, add water and use the press to push the coffee through a mini filter. It took me all of 5 minutes to make a cup. And that cup was one of the better cups of coffee I have had in a long time. Ever since I got my Chemex I'm really into no grounds in my coffee. It is a small comfort for me, and a champagne problem, believe me, I know. But no grounds is the way to go. Chemex accomplishes that. But this aero press may do it even better. This was, quite possibly, the smoothest cup of coffee I've ever had. I tried it with no additions, and while very, very strong, it was so smooth. It went down easier than I thought. When I added a little cream and sweetner, I could still taste the coffee very well. That is a feather in its cap. My wife got me a coffee of the month subscription for our anniversary, and the coffee for December is from Rwanda. It says it has hints of rose, dark chocolate and mint. I could taste all of that even with the added flavors. When I tasted the coffee before editing it, those flavors sang even more. I was highly impressed how well the flavor came through. I adore my Chemex, but the aero press makes the coffee taste even better. I was stunned.

I am a Chemex coffee drinker, and that will not change. I can do some cool stuff with the Chemex. I make my tonic, fresh orange juice and coffee strictly with that kitchen accessory. But for hot cups of coffee, I think the aero press will become my go to. I was floored by how easy and how damn tasty the coffee turned out. I don't know what I was expecting, but this exceeded any I may have had coming into making this first cup.

I definitely recommend getting an aero press if you are any level coffee drinker. It will make you one of the best cups you've had to date. 

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 “Wonka”

Before the holidays my daughter and I went to see the movie "Wonka". She is a big, big fan of the original "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". She has stated many times that it is her favorite movie. She also loves the Roald Dahl book. She has read it on her own, and we have read it together. She has not seen the Tim Burton version, but I don't like that one, so it is not like we are pushing it on her. But, when she went to see the Taylor Swift concert movie she saw a preview for "Wonka" and mentioned it to me. We also took her and a friend a while back to see the movie "Elemental" and we saw another preview for "Wonka". That time she was much more emphatic about seeing the movie. So when the strike ended and they released the movie, she asked me to take her on opening day. I was more than happy to oblige.

I got us tickets and we made our way on the 15th. I really had little idea about the plot, but I love the original movie myself and the book, so I was ready to give it a chance. I do enjoy Timothee Chamalet as well, so it was not a hard sell.

I have to say, I found myself really enjoying this movie. It was light and breezy. The songs were fun and catchy. The acting was well delivered and well done. The direction had this warm feeling to it. I liked everyone in the movie, even the bad guys. My daughter was smiling with delight while we watched. When Hugh Grant showed up as the main Oompa Loompa, my daughter looked over at me and exclaimed, "dad! The Oompa Loompas are in the movie!". She was on cloud 9.

I have read and heard a few things negative about Chamalet's singing in the movie. I thought he did a fine job. I also read that people don't like the fact that they made the character of Willy Wonka into a nice, likeable person. This is a prequel. This is a fictional story. This is how Wonka got his factory and how he rose to fame. This is before all the stuff that involves running a business got into Wonka's mind and soul. He is just a kid in this movie. I find it kind of odd that some random people on the planet will find anything to complain about, even a milquetoast, on purpose, movie like "Wonka".

After seeing the movie and reading some facts about it on IMDB, I found out the people that made it are the people behind the "Paddington" movies. That makes too much sense. While the "Paddington" movies are better, "Wonka" has the same groove and familiar feel that those movies bring. These movies make you feel warm and cozy inside. You leave the theater in a good mood. You want to do things to make the world a better place. The movies also let you feel your feelings. I teared up at "Wonka". I sobbed at "Paddington". I also find myself laughing at certain points, being a little scared and a little anxious, all in a good way.

I really loved this movie. I definitely recommend seeing it, especially if you have little kids. It is great. 

Ty

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

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