Thank you for taking time to check out what’s on my mind. As always, I appreciate hearing what you think, too. If we disagree, that’s fine. Just do it diplomatically!
NOTHING ELSE NEEDS TO BE SAID
“Thoughts and prayers for <insert city>”! We hear this many times — usually after a mass shooting here in the U.S.
However, those thoughts and prayers aren’t really going to ease the pain for parents and family members of those killed.
I saw this bumper sticker this week and it sums it all up!
JASON ALDEAN CONTROVERSY AND #1
Country singer Jason Aldean is at the center of a country music swirl of controversy.
In May, he released his new song, “Try That in a Small Town”.
In two months, it’s been slowly climbing the country radio airplay charts. On Mediabase this morning, it’s only at #27.
However, after CMT (Country Music Television) pulled the video from rotation this week, it’s now the #1 downloaded song in America.
Now, keep in mind, something very similar happened in early 2021.
When country singer Morgan Wallen spewed a racist slur (the n-word) in a drunken stupor and country radio (very briefly) stopped playing his music, people started downloading his songs as fast as they could and many of them charted on the download chart.
I have no desire to listen to Aldean’s song or watch the video (which are reported to have racist and pro-violence undertones).
Here’s how “Variety” magazine sums it up in an article.
For the record, I don’t own any Jason Aldean music, but I do like his 2006 hit “Amarillo Sky”.
YOU CAN’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ
Recently, I Googled my name and I guess I’m important enough to have my stats and life on a website.
Some statistics were right — where I work, where I’ve worked, my sister and mother’s name, etc.
However, it didn’t have anything about my married life or if I’m dating. I’m laughing because sadly there’s nothing to tell.
However, this part REALLY MADE ME LAUGH OUT LOUD!
My sister asked me if I was holding out on her! 🙂
ON A LIGHTER, TASTIER NOTE
McDonald’s is adding a new limited-edition McFlurry next month and I’m definitely excited for it.
The fast food chain will be adding a Peanut Butter Crunch McFlurry on August 9th.
It’ll be a combination of vanilla soft serve ice cream with crispy cereal mix and chocolate peanut butter cookie pieces.
Did you try the strawberry shortcake McFlurry they added in April?
“SUCCESSION”
I just finished binge watching the Emmy Award-winning HBO series “Succession” this past weekend.
When the Emmy nominations were announced last week, it picked up 27 for the final season with 14 of them in the acting categories! Over its four-year run, “Succession” picked up 75 Emmy nominations! Yes, it’s that good!
So, my thoughts… almost every one on the show was deplorable and many were totally unlikeable.
My favorite characters were Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin) and his sister, Siobhan “Shiv” Roy (Sarah Snook).
Roman is a loose cannon and would be a HR nightmare (“sexual harrassment”) in a real-world situation.
While he had many inappropriate comments that crossed many lines, the funniest scene was in season three — (spoiler) — when he accidently sent a d-pic to his father instead of to someone else sitting at the table.
I can’t believe how much I disliked their brother Kendall (“Succession” Emmy winner Jeremy Strong) by the end of the series.
My least favorite character of all was Tom Wambsgans (“Succession” Emmy winner Matthew Macfadyen).
The character I grew to love because of his goofiness (and sexiness at 6’7″) was Greg (Nicholas Braun).
There were many incredible scenes in the four years, but my three favorites were in season four. I won’t give any context to avoid spoilers: Shiv and Tom “clearing the air” on the balcony…
… the showdown between siblings Kendall, Roman, and Shiv, when she was wavering on whether to vote “no” in the final minutes of the series, and when Greg slaps Tom across the face in the bathroom!
GRADE: A-
“MANHUNTER”
Brian Cox was great as the gruff, threatening patriarch Logan Roy in “Succession”. And, because of that I forgive him for his Hannibal Lecter in 1986’s “Manhunter”.
Okay, let’s put this into perspective. I just watched the thriller this year.
It’s based on Thomas Harris’ 1981 book, “Red Dragon”, which kicked off the Hannibal Lecter/’The Silence of the Lambs” series.
If I had watched “Manhunter” before the Oscar winning “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991), I might not have thought the movie was so jokey.
William Petersen (“CSI”) was sexy and great as Will Graham, but he’s no Hugh Dancy (NBC’s “Hannibal”).
However, after seeing Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins in three Hannibal Lecter movies, watching a much younger, award winning Cox as Hannibal was like watching a community theater production of “Red Dragon”!
2023 GRADE: C-
WHAM! DOCUMENTARY
I really enjoyed the new Wham! documentary on Netflix. This was a very entertaining 90-minute look at the duo.
It’s crazy that while George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley starting playing music together in high school, Wham was only a worldwide phenomenon for only four years (1982-1986)!
While it wasn’t a George Michael documentary, I wish it spent a few minutes to cover George and Andrew’s post-Wham lives.
George’s was covered in a graphic or two at the end telling how many albums he sold in his solo career!
GRADE: B+
EMMY NOMINATIONS AFTERTHOUGHT
“Welcome To Chippendales” picked up five Emmy nominations, four in the acting categories. This is no shock to me.
Here’s what I said in February when I recommended the series: “Who knew the world behind the Chippendales was so sordid and dangerous! When Emmy nominations are announced this summer, I expect this Hulu series to grab several. Kumail Nanjiani (superb in “The Big Sick”) should easily get a Best Actor nomination and one should go to Murray Bartlett (Emmy winner for season one of “The White Lotus”) in the Supporting Actor category. It was great seeing the always amazing Tony Award-winning actress Annaleigh Ashford (Paula Jones in “Impeachment: American Crime Story”). And, Juliette Lewis (Peacock’s “Queer As Folk”) was as kooky and great as ever.”
GRADE: A
“THE WHITE LOTUS”
The second season garnered 23 Emmy nominations. Of those, nine were in the acting categories.
What’s funny is that in the “Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series”, there were eight nominations — four were from “The White Lotus” and the other four were from “Succession”.
In the “Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series”, five of the eight nominees were from “The White Lotus”.
In February, here’s what I said (and by the way, all four that I mentioned were nominated): “While I enjoyed the first season, I absolutely loved the second season, which was set in Italy. The scenery was gorgeous and so was the cast. Last week, I shared an image of Theo James and Aubrey Plaza. Both were great, but it was English actor Will Sharpe (as Ethan) that had me mesmerized. Jennifer Coolidge won an Emmy for the first season and she returns for season two. In the first season, her rich, lonely character Tanya McQuoid was so annoying. She was so much more likeable in season two! I see a second Emmy coming her way this year.”
GRADE: A
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
Anthony
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