I Found the Worst Person on "90 Day Fiance"

As I have mentioned before on this site, I watch a good amount of trashy reality tv shows with my wife. I used to watch stuff like "The Real World" and "The Hills" when I still lived at my folks house, but after meeting my wife, that was when I got super involved with trashy reality tv. It is a nice way to turn my brain off and just sit back and, quite frankly, judge other people. I know that is not a good quality to have, but sometimes it is hard for me to control it when watching.

The one show that makes this happen most for me is "90 Day Fiance". That show aggravates me to no end and I will let the comments fly from time to time. I know there are many iterations of this show, but the most recent season, the original "90 Day", the American's have been downright unpleasant. The American's on this season feel like some of the worst of the worst. TLC must have decided they wanted to show how stupid we have become as a society, and they totally nailed it this time around. There's one dude that claims to have an allergy to perfume. I've never heard of such a thing in my life. There's another gentleman, who I believe is in his late 50's, who still goes out and parties with ladies in their 20's. One lady who lives in Alabama, has had to make concessions for her friends who claim immigrants need to be deported. Clearly they have decided to cast horrific people. And in some ways I think it is good for people to see how dumb our country has become. I am so distraught and disgusted by America right now, and "90 Day" makes me despise some people from America more than ever. But there's one person this season that takes the cake for the worst casting I've ever seen. I have been trying to be happier lately. I am trying to live my life being in a good mood as much as possible. I try not to come on this site and bash stuff like so many other modern bloggers do nowadays. But this person made me so angry and frustrated last night that I have to take some time and go off on them.

This person is named Catie, or maybe she spells it Cadie, I'm not sure, and she is, by a million miles, the most despicable person I have watched on this series. Catie is from Oregon and she marries a gentleman named Josh, who is from the UK. Right from the start things felt off about Catie. During one of her first interviews on the show, it may have been the very first one in fact, she claimed that she liked to drink and drinking tends to end with her making out with random people. That is all well and good. I have no problem with her doing this when she was single and living her life. But what she said next was what really frustrated me and started my anger towards her. She claimed that the excess drinking and making out is due to the fact that she has OCD.

Now, I'm a person who has living with OCD for as long as I can remember. The way my OCD manifests itself is by counting or doing the same thing multiple times until it "feels right" to me. This will come about by turning off a stove or lights in the house or making my kids lunches. It can be the simplest thing in the world, but it is also very frustrating. But, the one thing my OCD has never made me do is drink to excess or make out with random strangers. Now, I do notice that when she is interviewed that she can be twitchy from time to time. That happens to me too, but it is never due to OCD or the like. It is just a twitch or a tick. And after going to therapy for almost 25 years now, I have been able to really calm it all down. But, for this person to blame her alcoholism and infidelity on OCD, that's a bridge too far for me. The sheer fact of the matter is she is a child that doesn't take accountability. She is using OCD as a crutch and that is highly frustrating to me. OCD is a very real thing that very many people suffer from. But for Catie to use it to excuse her horrendous behavior, that is why people don't always believe others when they say they have OCD. People don't look at OCD as a serious thing because of people like this person on "90 Day".

Watching her this season it is clear that she has a drinking problem. She doesn't know when to stop. She over drinks and that's when the cheating starts. And yes, making out with strangers, right in front of her then fiance and now husband, is cheating to me. She has tried to explain away that she just wants to have fun and be young. The fact of the matter is that she is a cheater and she dragged this poor dude all the way from the UK just to marry him and then embarrass him on television.

Last night my wife and I watched part 1 of "Tell All", and Catie came off very, very bad. Even her close friends came on and tried to tell her that what she was doing was wrong. What was Catie's response you ask? She blamed her husband, laughed during uncomfortable moments and cried and cried until she stormed off stage. That, to me, is the sign of someone who knows what they did was wrong, but won't admit guilt. Her actions last night are not something that can be connected to OCD. OCD has nothing to do with her constantly cheating on her now husband. But, like a lot of people on shows like these, crying is the best way to walk off stage and hope that others will feel compassion for them.

After, and during the show, I kept telling my wife that Catie needs to get real, professional help. I even questioned if TLC should continue to film her. It felt gross and awkward that they kept her onscreen for as long as they did last night. And she is going to be back for parts two and three of "Tell All". I get that it makes for good tv, hell, I'm writing about it today. But this feels like a bridge too far. Catie continues to yell and scream at her husband. She continues to blame him for her misgivings. She refuses to listen to her friends. And all the while, she continues to use OCD as a crutch. For these, and many, many more reasons, are why I feel like Catie is the worst person that this series has ever put on screen, and I kind of wish they would stop filming her and convince her to get real help. She has way more than just OCD. But, as long as they will keep her on the payroll, I'm sure she'll continue to use excuses and make awful choices. 

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 "Life, Larry and the Pusuit of Unhappiness: an Almost History of America"

Last night my wife and I finished the first season, I don't think he will do anymore but time will tell, of "Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: an Almost History of America".

I was inclined to like this show no matter what. I'm a humongous Larry David fan. I fully believe that he is the best comedy writer of all time. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" was a justified massive hit. I quite enjoy the movie "Clear History". I think the man is a straight up genius. So when it was announced a while back that he was going to do a show about the history of America, but in his style of humor, you better believe that I was on board. This season only had seven episodes, but it felt kind of perfect in the amount of episodes and length of each episode, right around 30 minutes.

I thought this show was great. It is not on the level of "Curb", but I don't think most shows dream of being anywhere near as wonderful as "Curb" was in its time. "Curb" may be the best sitcom that has ever been put on television. But "LLPUAAHA" is definitely one of the funnier shows to come out since "Curb", and for someone who is not necessarily a history buff, this show not only made me laugh, but may have even taught me a few things. And what better teacher could I have for american history than LD?

Each episode takes a few stories from history and they go over them, but in LD's biting humor sort of way. They cover a bunch of stuff, and the guestlist for this show is second to none. I knew LD could get some heavy hitters in there for this, but he went above and beyond. We have so many people to mention, and I'm sure I'll miss someone here and there. But we have names like Jerry Seinfeld, JB Smoove, Susie Essman, Jeff Garlin, Vince Vaughn, June Diane-Rahael, Fred Melamed, Rob Huelbel, Jon Hamm, Bill Hader, Kaley Cuoco, Kathyrn Hahn, Neil Casey, Michale Chiklis, Beck Bennett, Samuel L Jackson and Barack Obama. Samuel L Jackson is on every episode, but he never shows his face. That's because he narrates each intro to each story. Samuel L Jackson lent his fame and voice to this show simply because, I'm going to assume, LD asked, maybe begged, and he was more than game for it. The other people I mentioned, amongst others, show up for one segment. I don't think any of the super famous people are in there for anymore than that. He got Jerry Seinfeld to do a scene where he and LD play Lewis and Clark, and they have to convince their wives to go on their exploration. And it is hilarious. Oh, and Rita Wilson plays LD's wife in the sketch too. Kaley Cuoco has one of the most memorable scenes, playing the widow in a soup kitchen line who argues with LD. Colton Dunn is the guy handing out soup. Barack Obama opens and closes the show. The fact that the greatest president who ever lived shows up, to poke fun at his tan suit, which was such a big deal I'll never know, makes me love him even more. Obama is more than down to make jokes and have fun at his and Larry David's expense. I was grinning from ear to ear during that sketch, and to have the two of them walking off and chatting to close out the show was so perfect. The episode that featured Hahn and Hader was great because they were playing Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. Bill Hader seemed to be having a grand old time doing Lincoln, and Hahn was remarkable as Mary Todd. She and LD argued and argued and it was some of the best writing of this whole season.

LD got to poke fun at RFK. RFK is a monster and a moron, and for LD to take him to task, considering who played his ex wife on "Curb", it made me so very happy to see him take his shots. The sketch focused on Jonas Salk and his creation of a successful polio vaccine. So, with vaccines being they crutch here, they took RFK's crazy ass to town and ripped him a new one. Larry David was on his game for that one for sure.

The episode that I loved most was the one with JB Smoove. Smoove and Larry David are comedy gold. They may be the best duo in the game. They work so well off one another and it shows with every project they do together. In this sketch LD plays a sympathizer to the slaves and Smoove plays a slave who takes him up on his offer for a bed and a meal. And it only grows from there and gets funnier and funnier by the second. Watching those two act off one another might be my favorite thing in all of comedy.

I recommend this show to anyone that is a fan of Larry David's and wants to see his take on American history. It's hilarious and revealtory and I had such a good time watching it. I believe you will too. 

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 "House of the Dragon" Season 3

Hello all. I'm back from my final vacation. Next week, and for the rest of the month for that matter, will be focused solely on football. But this week I have some pop culture stuff I wanted to catch up on before transitioning to football. Don't worry, football is fast approaching and I have some takes, and that will all begin next week.

To start my week back, I want to talk about the third season of "House of the Dragon". I will try my best to not spoil anything, but sorry if something slips. I was frustrated with season 2 of the show. It felt like a tease all season long. They kept talking about an incoming battle, they kept marching towards it, they would give us a little taste here and there, but the season ended with no real fighting or massive war scenes like "Game of Thrones" used to have. So, coming into season 3, I was kind of pessimistic that they would right the ship in my opinion. I should have been optimistic.

Season 3 of "House of the Dragon" was pretty damn great. It was epic and filled with battle scenes. I was actually talking to my dad about the season earlier today, and he was telling me he thought that two of the episodes dragged for him and he loved the rest. I disagreed with him. I thought all eight episodes had important and cool stuff that happened throughout the hour-long show.

The season started off with a total bang. They have battle scene after battle scene. The hour was unrelenting and kind of awesome. Everytime they would take a minor break in the premiere, they would button those scenes with some kind of kickass fight or epic battle. Daemon was all over the place. Alicient's people were trying to push forward. Rhaeneyra was preparing to take over, and it was all there and all on screen.

One of the two episodes my father said felt dragging was the second one of this season, but I don't know how they could have topped that premiere. And the second episode got us back to the mainland and kind of set everything that we would come to see throughout this season. From then on out we saw so much stuff happen. I felt like the people who created the show, the writers, directors and actors all heard the complaints, and they decided that they would put it all out there this season. And we, the viewers, were greatly rewarded. We see all the stuff Rhaeneyra and Daemon are planning. We get some closure on Aemond and Aegon's relationship after the harrowing end to their story last season. We get more from the creepy castle with the lady who resides there that may or may not be an undead maester or witch. We see some tremendous fallout from the biggest battle during the premiere. Dragons are abundant and everywhere during this season. We get to see the new dragon riders and how they are faring with some newfound wealth and fame. There is a rad battle involving Lord Corlys and his bastard kids that he just accepted into his family. This season was really, really good and gave us so much that the previous season promised but never really paid off.

This season started with a bang, ended with one of the wildest war scenes I've watched and I am so ready for the fourth season to come around in two years. And while the wait seems long now, we had to wait just as long, if not longer, for this season, and this season had it all. That is the one bummer about this show though. They have to do so much work to get these seasons out, and it takes a long, long time. I guess that is why waiting for shows like "Severance" and "Pluribus" doesn't really bother me. "House of the Dragon" has prepared me for long waits in between seasons. And if we get anything that is half as good as this recent season, the wait won't feel long at all.

"House of the Dragon" showed up and showed out this year. The show should, and most likely will, dominate the Emmy Awards. I haven't seen much on its level as of yet this year and don't imagine I will anytime soon. Obviously I love this show, mainly this season, and I highly recommend checking it out. I know there's a ton of content out right now, but "House of the Dragon" stands out as one of the best in the game. 

Ty

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

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Serpentor vs. Cobra Commander: Who Was the Better Leader?

Using only the Sunbow G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero cartoons from the 1980s, I decided to conduct a scientific study on who is the better leader, Serpentor or Cobra Commander.

At first glance, Cobra Commander seems like the obvious choice. After all, he founded Cobra, built it into a worldwide criminal empire, recruited some of the greatest villains in the world, and somehow managed to finance everything from hidden island fortresses to fleets of H.I.S.S. Tanks. Without Cobra Commander, there is no Cobra. But founding an organization and leading it are two very different things.

Cobra Commander deserves credit for creating one of the most recognizable villain organizations in television history. He had vision. Every week he was unveiling another elaborate plan to conquer the world, whether it involved weather control devices, mind-altering technology, or ancient artifacts with incredible power.

The problem was execution.

Time and time again, Cobra Commander let his emotions get the better of him. When things started falling apart, he panicked. He blamed Destro. He blamed the Baroness. He blamed his troops. Basically, everyone but himself. His leadership style often created chaos inside Cobra. Instead of working together, Cobra's top officers spent as much time arguing with each other as they did fighting G.I. Joe.

Of course, that's also what made him such a memorable character. His dramatic speeches, over-the-top reactions, and constant frustration gave the cartoon much of its personality. Cobra Commander wasn't just the villain—he was the entertainment.

Everything changed when Dr. Mindbender created Serpentor from the DNA of history's greatest military conquerors.

From the moment he appeared, Serpentor carried himself like a ruler who believed victory was inevitable.

Unlike Cobra Commander, Serpentor wasn't content to bark orders from headquarters. He led attacks personally. He charged into battle alongside his troops and expected everyone to follow him. Whether his plans succeeded or failed, no one could accuse him of lacking courage. That confidence inspired Cobra's soldiers in a way Cobra Commander rarely did.

So Serpentor is the better leader? Not entirely.

For all of Serpentor's confidence, he suffered from many of the same flaws as the leaders whose DNA created him—especially arrogance. He believed he couldn't lose. That overconfidence often pushed Cobra into unnecessary battles and reckless decisions. Worse, he immediately alienated many of Cobra's experienced leaders. Destro openly questioned him. Cobra Commander plotted against him almost immediately. Even loyal officers like Tomax, Xamont, and even Dr. Mindbender struggled with his authoritarian style. Serpentor may have been a stronger battlefield commander, but he wasn't particularly skilled at keeping Cobra united.

Cobra Commander was the visionary entrepreneur. He built Cobra from nothing, recruited followers, found funding, and kept the organization alive despite countless setbacks. Serpentor was the military general. His strength wasn't creating an organization—it was leading one into battle. If Cobra had been a real corporation, Cobra Commander would have been the founder and CEO, while Serpentor would have been the aggressive new executive hired to improve performance. Unfortunately, instead of working together, they spent most of their time trying to undermine each other.

Sound familiar?

So Who Wins?

If we're talking about combat leadership, Serpentor gets the edge. He was fearless, decisive, and willing to fight alongside his troops. His soldiers had every reason to believe he would lead from the front.

If we're talking about building Cobra into a global threat, Cobra Commander wins without question. You can't ignore the fact that he created the organization everyone else inherited.

Ironically, the cartoon itself may have stumbled onto the perfect answer without ever intending to. The strongest version of Cobra would have combined Cobra Commander's vision with Serpentor's battlefield leadership. Instead, their rivalry became Cobra's greatest weakness, allowing G.I. Joe to exploit the constant infighting.

In the end, that's probably why G.I. Joe kept winning.

Yo Joe.

RD

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

Come and support us and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Physical Media Lives Again

Earlier today I took my 14 year old to sell some of my dad's old CDs. He had no use for them, I don't own a CD player and my son strictly listens to Spotify. I got rid of my CDs almost a decade ago. I do own and buy vinyl now, but that is simply because I want to be as cool as my brothers and my friends. My son is all about digital media. That is what he likes, that is what this generation likes and I have to assume my daughter will be the same when she gets her phone next year.

So, going to V Stock, a local store that buys and sells old media, I figured there wouldn't be much of an inventory. I was very, very wrong. First off, my dad had a bunch of CDs to sell. There was a Rubbermaid full of CDs. I didn't think we'd sell that many, but there was only 1/10 of that bin left after we were done. That should have been my first clue that physical media is having a moment. But it wasn't until I walked around the store did I truly realize how much people still buy and collect older things.

V Stock was full of CDs, DVDs, Blu Rays, old collectible toys, older gaming systems, vinyl and they even had VHS', among other random nonsense. I immediately went to check out the vinyl. They had a solid selection, but it was a little too pricey for my blood. They did have some older, used records for a solid price, but there was no gold to be found. But it was the CD and DVD/Blu Ray selection that really blew my mind. They had so much. They had shelves stocked with them. They had Criterion Collection Blu Rays. They had a whole DVD section that was strictly classic movies. They had Marvel and DC movies on their own end caps. They had a whole section of TV series on DVD. I remember buying those up when it was the only option.

The CD section was, possibly, the biggest section in the store. And they had old, new, used and special CDs in the store. They had rare stuff. They had a bunch of live CDs for sale. They had stuff in alphabetical order, but much like the DVDs, they also had certain CDs in their own special section of the store. I saw a bunch of Black Keys CDs, both new and old, and I have, at one time in my life, owned every single one of them. I even thought that maybe they had some of my old ones there for sale.

The VHS section had me floored too. First off, I remember when VHS went the way of the dodo. I remember getting rid of them and not even being all that sad. But V Stock had a bunch of them for sale today. They even had the old puffy Disney VHS boxes. I have not seen those in years. I know some people collect those, so if you're reading this, go check out V Stock now to get the puffy box VHS. I also really enjoyed the collectible toy section. They had them all sealed in bags, but you could still see what they were.

I saw a bunch of old He-Man toys that one of my brothers had. They had a bunch of "Thundercat" toys there. They were up to their ears in collectible Funko Pop toys. They had some from series or comic books that I have never even heard of before. Funko Pop toys are cool and all, but this place made them feel super special. It kind of blew me away to be honest with you all today.

I know that some people are really into physical media, but this really opened my eyes. I like that physical media is having a comeback. I hope it sticks around for a long time. I have really been happy to be collecting vinyl again. I love the artwork and all the added stuff records provide for the buyer. I've heard people talk about Blu Rays and Criterion discs, but it didn't really hit me how important this stuff is to collectors today. They had a Super Nintendo for sale today, and I kind of wanted to buy it just to play the games I used to play growing up.

While the trip to the mall and to V Stock today went on way longer than I expected, I was very happy with what I saw and witnessed this afternoon. Physical media has always had a place for a bunch of people, and right now it is having a moment. That makes me smile and I want to see it go on for a long, long 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 "The Bear" Final Season

After five wonderful seasons, "The Bear" has come to an end.

I really enjoyed this show. I liked every season. Each season had an episode or two or three that really stuck with me. I, like a bunch of other people, truly love "Forks" and "Fishes". But there are some other gems in there. The one shot in season one during a super rush is great. I appreciate the whole back and forth with Carmy and Claire. The wedding episode where Richie's ex gets remarried is pretty solid. I even like the third and fourth seasons, which some people were lukewarm on. When the final season was released, I tried to put it off as long as I could. I didn't want the show to end. This has been one of my favorite shows since the pandemic.

I do want to say, "The Bear" has won a ton of awards, but it is not a comedy. There are comedic elements, but this show is a drama. Full stop. Anyway, my family had a four hour flight to Seattle a few weeks back, so I decided this was the best time for me to start this final season. I know that the creators never intended for people to watch their show on an iphone while flying to another city, but here we are. I ripped through the first four episodes on the flight out there.

I truly loved that they had the final season focus on one dinner service. As with most shows, things happened that were outrageous. From burst pipes to people falling through the roof, shit really hits the fan. Throughout the final season there are many ups and downs. But this service is also going to make or break the restaurant. They believe a big time reviewer is coming in that night. The storm has not stopped people from making reservations. They are overbooked, but Richie wants to see it all through. Oliver Platt and The Computer are trying to find ways to keep the store afloat. Ebra has his idea to franchise the sandwich portion of the restaurant, he is just biding his time before pitching his idea to Carmy. It is revealed that not only Carmy is leaving, but the other dessert chef, played by Will Poulter, is heading back to Copenhagen. Lionel Boyce's dad is coming in to have a meal. Sydney is stressed and feels overworked. The wait staff is unprepared. It is all the typical sitcom type stuff, but "The Bear" finds a way to make it great and incredibly watchable. I know people always seem to have some kind of gripe about finales, and while I'm sure there are people out there that are complaining right now, I thought they wrapped it up kind of perfectly. I watched the final four episodes the week after we got back, and I was very pleased with what they did. We didn't get any "Five years later" stuff. I'm growing weary of that simply because it always works out for the people on the show. The finale took place the day after the hectic service, and we got a look at how everyone felt going into work the next day. We did get a mild time jump, but it was just to see Carmy give a monologue, and to watch Richie throw a surprise party for his daughter. There was no, so and so went on to do this, or Sydney ended up as the world's greatest chef, or Richie and his new girlfriend got married. We are left to make our own conclusions, and I appreciate that. We don't need to be force fed happy endings all the time.

While "The Bear" ended on a high note, we don't know where they all ended up a month after this service. I like to imagine that Sydney is running a successful, but nerve wracking restaurant. I imagine Carmy is trying to be an architect. I believe Richie has found his way as a host and GM of the restaurant, and has his staff humming along. I, as boring as it may sound, like the fact that, in my mind, they are all just living regular, normal lives. That is what I took away most from this show.

"The Bear" had one hell of a run. It came and went and never really overstayed its welcome. I believe that it will be remembered as one of the better shows of the 2020's. And while it may win some more Emmys for comedy, I still fully believe it is a drama. But that is a topic for another day.

Go watch and rewatch this final season. "The Bear" went out on a very good, very high note. Thank you for five great seasons 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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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing Classic: Ranking the Opening of Every Original "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" Cartoon (Copy)

I have said this before and I am going to say it again, “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” was a big part of my childhood. The episodes aired on weekday afternoons in suburban St. Louis. I would rush home from school to watch my favorite toy line have adventures on my television. The next day my friends and I would talk about G.I.Joe, play with our G.I. Joe toys, and talk about what new G.I. Joe toys we wanted. I was more obsessed with G.I. Joe than I was even with Star Wars. I am still obsessed and even ranked all 95 episodes of the original Sunbow series. Today I’m going to rank the opening credits/song of the first Sunbow run.

Let’s get to it.

#5 The M.A.S.S. Device miniseries

First things first, all of these openings are great. The biggest thing that hurts the first miniseries is that it is the first. The creative geniuses working on the GI Joe cartoon would always find ways to improve the opening, and they did.

With that being said, this opening is still great. It introduces you the concept, the characters and even clearly tells you the enemy is “Destro and Cobra". truly a classic.

#4 Arise Serpentor Arise - Season 2

The dawn of a new era in GI Joe, the reign of Serpentor.

This opening, like it’s predecessors, is heavy on the action and the characters. Actually, there may be a bit too many characters. Still great and when you saw this opening you knew exactly what era of Joe you were getting.

#3 The Revenge of Cobra

The Revenge of Cobra was the second miniseries and saw the introduction of classic characters like Shipwreck, Flint, Lady Jaye, Zartan, Strom Shadow, and many others. All these new characters get great action moments throughout the intro. What places this opening ahead of the others is the great flamethrower morphing into the series title. Greatness all around.

#2 First Season

Yes the first season of GI Joe was after the third miniseries, that is not a typo.

What an opening. The line of Joe vehicles, the massive Cobra airship, all the punching, this is probably the greatest opening to a 1980’s cartoon, or any other cartoon, ever.

Nothing beats this intro, except…

#1 The Movie

The end of the Sunbow era brought the greatest cartoon intro ever made. The song slaps, the action kicks, the patriotism punches you in the gut. I just wish the movie that followed was as great as this opening.

Yo Joe.

RD

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

Come and support us and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Better Late Than Never on "I'm a Virgo"

After seeing "I Love Boosters", I decided I was going to watch the seven episode series "I'm A Virgo". You all know I'm a Boots Riley fan, and this is the show he did in between his two excellent movies. I remember when the show was announced, but why I never got to it then, I don't remember. But I'm glad that I remedied that over the past couple of weeks.

"I'm Virgo" is a coming of age tale about a giant that lives with his aunt and uncle in San Francisco. I know, it sounds weird. But I am pretty much on board with whatever Boots Riley is doing creatively at this point, and this show was a blind spot that I wanted to correct. The start of the first episode is great too. It really hooks you and makes you want to watch more. We see this mom holding this gigantic baby. I mean this baby is a newborn, but it is bigger than anyone else. And then we see the newborn grow into a 19 year old in this small home where he lives with his aunt and uncle. Cootie, played by Jharrel Jerome, is the giant. He is naive to the world, but he wants to know more. He wants to explore. He wants to make friends and see what is outside his own little world, His aunt and uncle, played by Mike Epps and Carmen Ejogo, are doing their best to raise him and shelter him. He is so big though, they have to build him a separate area in their yard that is more suitable for his size. He breaks everything around him in his original home, so they all feel this is best for him. While living back in his own place, he sees things through a pipe that they installed for him. He sees kids hanging out. A local person comes by to chat with him. He reads comic books all the time and wants to see this world that "The Hero" has talked about in the books. One day he travels outside of his domicile disguised as a tree. One kid at a keg party goes to use the restroom in the woods and stumbles upon this moving tree. He tells everyone it's called the Thwamp Monster. This is how Cootie is introduced to the world. But he gains friends and fame and a girlfriend out of it. Flora, played by Olivia Washington, is his girlfriend. She works at Bing Bang Burgers. She is instantly into him and he likes her too. They do a solo episode explaining her past and it is heartbreaking and one of the best of the whole season. Flora rules. Cootie's main group of friends, Felix, Jones and Scat, played by Brett Gray, Kara Young and Allius Barnes, take to Cootie really quickly and they show him how to navigate the real world. They talk about making money, hooking up and fighting for a bigger cause. Jones was my favorite of the friends. She has a plan, she takes action, she basically saves the day and her "power" in the show is pretty neat. Scat plays a massive role as the season wears on. It's unfortunate why his role gets bigger, but I really enjoyed Barnes portrayal of this character, especially when he's denied entrance into a hospital. Felix is the coolest of the crew and he just wants to have a good time. But he is also willing to fight the fight and bang the drum for the cause. Walton Goggins plays The Hero, and he is a massive asshole, on purpose. The penultimate episode showing his story is important and Goggins brings it like he always does. The show starts off funny and like your basic coming of age story. But it morphs into so much more. We have capitalism, racism, brutality, standing up for what is right, getting people to help fight the powers that be, all of this is rolled up nicely into seven 30 minute episodes. I found myself very interested in what was going to happen next. It had that nice, odd Boots Riley feel to it. It was cool to see what he did with more time than he has on a movie set. I thought the actors and writers brought it as well.

"I'm A Virgo" is a cool, off the beaten path show. I feel it may be underrated at this point, but maybe more people will check it out now with the success that "I Love Boosters" is having. I'm glad I watched it and I think you should check it out too. I believe many people will find this to be a good 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 “The Boys” Final Season

My wife and I finished the final season of "The Boys" yesterday. Let’s discuss.

We put it off for longer than we expected due to how depressing and real the show was becoming. I fully understand why the show went into that direction and why they were telling the stories they were, but it was exhausting. We live in a crazy and messed up world already, and tv was one way for me to unplug and move on. But I do appreciate that they were telling the stories because people need to know how messed up and awful things can get if we continue to trend the way we currently are in this country. Artists need to speak up and speak out and the team behind this show were doing just that. I like that. But we decided to finally start watching the final season about a month ago, and we wrapped it up yesterday.

All in all I thought the final season was solid and fitting. Sure, and this is going to be as spoiler free as possible moving forward, some people died that I didn't want to see go, but that is the nature of the show and the story they told to wrap it all up. I got emotional at one of the people that they killed off. Other people, it was almost euphoric to see them get their comeuppance. Some of the people turned into truly volatile and putrid people, and to see them get theirs in the end, that was a solid touch. Some of the episodes, they had eight in the final season, felt dragging at times but it was all for a purpose. The slower moments meant something to the overall ending in my opinion. It felt that they needed to let some people go and tell some more drawn out stories to get to the conclusion they landed on in the end.

I also like that they brought some people back and let them do their thing. The guestlist for this season was top notch as well. There's an episode with Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kumail Nanjiani, Seth Rogen and Will Forte all playing themselves. And it was my favorite episode of the whole season. My wife mentioned that they had some people from "Supernatural" on the show, and being that she was a fan of that show, this made me very happy. Jensen Ackles, who plays Soldier Boy, is the rudest, crudest and one of the more disgusting superheroes on the show, yet he was my favorite "villain" in the final season. He was funny, knew his messed up kid was up to no good and got out before it all got too crazy.

Homelander, played by Anthony Starr, was and always will be a despicable person. Starr nailed his role, especially this season, because I grew to hate him so very much by the end. Karl Urban, Butcher, had a solid final arc. Hughie and Starlight's story was fine and had what I deem to be a proper ending. I liked Sister Sage in the final two episodes of the season. Deep got his just desserts. And I feel like all the side characters had proper endings for their characters.

After we watched the finale I told my wife I didn't get all the hate it was receiving online. Granted, I never read the books the show is based on, but the finale felt fitting and satisfying for me. I watched all five seasons of the show and this felt like the best conclusion they could have come up with in the end. I do think people just want to be angry at stuff so they can try and go viral. But to be this upset over a tv show finale, get over it. It's like Bart told Comic Book guy, they gave us five seasons of a good show, what could they possibly owe us? I think they did a good job, gave a good ending and went out on a high note.

I don't plan on watching any spin offs or series moving forward involved with this universe, but that is just because I feel that the tv and movie market is oversaturated with superhero stuff. But, as far as superhero content goes, I think "The Boys" got it right and got out at the best time. I liked the series and enjoyed this final season. It ends on a high note and a hopeful note which is all I really wanted in the end.

Thank you to the actors and creators and writers of this show. We got five solid seasons and that is a sign of a job well done. 

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 "Wonder Man"

After much badgering and constant asking, my son won and I sat down and watched "Wonder Man". He was in my ear about the show the moment he finished it. He knows that I am not the biggest fan of superhero stuff at the moment. There's too much of it, I feel like if you have missed anything you will not know what's going on and all the backstory seems like too much. And then we have this whole other scenario of alternate universes. It's all just a bit too much. But my son disregarded all of that and kept at it.

I'm glad he did. I finished all eight episodes of the first season in about four days. First off, each episode is no longer than 35 minutes. That is a big selling point to me lately. A lot of shows I used to watch or want to watch, each episode run time is damn near an hour. It's just too long. I have really been dragging my feet on season 2 of "Fallout" because of the episode length. That is not the case with "Wonder Man".

The show also stars one of my favorite actors, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. He was awesome in the television adaptation of "Watchmen". I thought he was the only good part of the "Aquaman" movies. I enjoyed his version of "Candyman". I think he is a very solid actor and I believe he is only going to star in more and more things moving ahead. He plays the lead character and he is very good in this role. I like that he plays Simon as this overthinking actor. He gets cast in smaller roles and then tries to make them so much bigger than they actually are. And when he does reveal his power, it is never because he needs or wants to. Wonder Man's powers only come out when he gets too angry, kind of like the Hulk. I bought all of Mateen's work in this show. He was easy to watch, he embodied the character and he shined through and through.

Ben Kingsley returns as Trevor, AKA The Mandarin. Luckily for me I did see the "Iron Man" movie where he was The Mandarin, so I knew his backstory. But even if you weren't aware of his story, "Wonder Man" gives you more than enough clues and hints as to who he was before all of this. Kingsley is such a solid and dependable actor. He gets to do a little comedy here and has a little fun with this character. I liked his work a lot in the show and I'm curious to see if they bring him back in anything new from the MCU in the future. These two run the show and they are in pretty much every episode.

The story revolves around their journey to both star in the new "Wonder Man" movie. Trevor has some ulterior motives, but he truly does become friends with Simon along the way. I liked the dynamic between Mateen and Kingsley. They really bought into the friendship these two grew to have very quickly. I also loved the whole idea of Simon having this power his whole life, but also trying to just be a regular kid and adult. He loves the craft of acting, and it shows.

The first season had eight episodes, and like I said before, pretty much the whole show revolves around Trevor and Simon. But there's one stand alone episode in the middle of the season entitled "Door Man". This was a very cool episode, shot in black and white, and showed that a person with superpowers who is an actor may run into trouble. This episode reminded me a lot of what they did on "Wanda Vision", which I think is the best MCU show.

My son told me that the show was renewed for a season two, but I'm kind of hopeful they wrap it up with this lone season and just let Simon and Trevor exist in the upcoming movie slate. Time will tell. But I'm glad I finally sat down and watched this show. It is different and fun compared to other MCU stuff. I didn't have to know a bunch of stuff going into this show, and that helps me want to watch. I recommend it to anyone that is looking for a light and breezy watch that has some really good moments of drama and comedy. "Wonder Man" is a solid tv series. 

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 "Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere"

I believe that I may have watched 2026's best horror movie yesterday. I was scrolling through Netflix and I came across a preview for a newer documentary titled "Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere". The preview was enough to pique my interest, and with a runtime of 90 minutes, the decision to press play was easy. I also went into the movie knowing it was going to make me upset and angry, but sometimes it is good to get those emotions out. So after pressing play I found myself so angry for the next 90 minutes, I was giving my tv screen the finger when certain people showed up that I vehemently disliked.

For people that may not know, "Inside the Manosphere" shows the life of four of the most controversial and bigoted male influencers currently on the internet. I didn't bother to learn their actual names or internet handles because I despised them so very, very much. I hesitated even doing a review because this could be another way for these monsters to keep themselves relevant for another week on the internet. As I was watching I found myself worried for Theroux's safety, and the safety of random people simply walking by these scumbags on the street. What made this documentary so abhorrent and scary to me was the sheer fact that these are real people who exist in the real world and have found a way to "thrive" simply by putting content on the internet. The ease and fake glamour that comes with internet fame has made me very discouraged as of late, and this movie only furthered my distaste for influencers. These people acted and said the exact stuff I figured they would, and it still made me very angry when they would do it. There was one guy that, no matter what he said, he would always button it with, "and that's a fact". Even if he was saying some wild stuff, he always ended it with that statement. He would say some vile stuff about his wife or someone on the internet, and then finish it with that stupid statement. It infuriated me. This one influencer was talking to some fans, who Theroux would meet up with later, and they were saying that depression was not real. They said it was all manufactured. Then Theroux got onto the topic of family and the same guy who said depression wasn't real told Theroux that his brother died via suicide. That is one of my biggest issues with people who have this line of thought. They contradict themselves within sentences.

There was this other toxic influencer who was making his money degrading women on his awful podcast. He would bring women on from the street just to demean them. And when Theroux pushed and talked to his girlfriend, the toxic influencer was getting so upset that he told his girlfriend to leave, and would not do any further interviews with Theroux unless it was all set up by him. In a surprise to no one, that guy's girlfriend broke up with him. He also had the dumbest calculator he would use on his show to try and prove some kind of fact that doesn't exist. This guy was a truly awful piece of work.

There was another one of these bozos that was banned from pretty much every platform, except for X. This goes to show you how awful that platform has become. X is all about spewing hate speech and getting clicks. It is the worst of the worst when it comes to these types of platforms. But this idiot was thriving on X with his dumbass "political" view videos. This moron was so out there on conspiracy theories that it frustrated me so much whenever he would open his mouth. But the worst thing about this guy, there was a moment during the doc when he was walking down the street and a bunch of young teens, probably 14 or 15, were starstruck when they saw him. It is so upsetting that some of the youth today find solace in idiots like this toxic influencer on the internet. And it was clear that these are the only fans this guy gets because these kids' brains have not fully formed yet, and they are just looking for someone, anyone that talks like they do.

The worst of all was this one guy who was a walking contradiction. He clearly has bi polar disorder and I'd love for him to get help. He really, really needs it. He would talk about not being a "sheep", but then do whatever his followers told him to do. He would constantly talk over or louder than Theroux, and then claim he had "won" the argument. He would bemoan an adult film star in one scenario, but in another he would promote OnlyFans models on his personal site. And he was also involved in horrible investments and he would con his dummy followers by having them invest money as well, and he would pocket a profit from that. Oh, and he was on the run from the police in England. But the funniest thing that Theroux caught on camera was when this dumbbell was talking to his mom and she chastised him, made him clean a spot on his rug and told him to get her juice. He did all of this while calling her mommy.

"Inside the Manosphere" really scared me because people like the morons interviewed in this movie have this weird pull over, mostly, young kids today. These "guys" are toxic and the worst kind of role models young kids can have. They don't think of consequences or have any issues with the terrible things they say and do on the internet. I'm sure they're all very unhappy individuals who have had to resort to doing these things because they are so money obsessed. But the sheer fact that this new world, and social media have unfortunately given them a platform, they are making money hand over fist and they continue to spew hate speech all over the internet. This movie will anger you and make you wish these people never ever found any kind of fame. It is a bummer and I wish people like these monsters never achieved any sort of fame. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Watches "Lord of the Flies"

Last night I finished the miniseries "Lord of the Flies". Let’s discuss.

Truth be told, "Lord of the Flies" is my all time favorite book. I remember reading it when I was in middle school, and ever since then I try to read it every so often. I read it last summer when they first announced that this show was being made. I may have to pick it up again after watching the miniseries. I have watched the movie that came out in the 60's, or maybe the 70's, a few times and find it solid. I never saw the version from the 90's, but I felt that I didn't have to see it. But the announcement of this show reinvigorated my appetite for this story.

I read some early reviews that were middling, but I'm glad that didn't stop me. I tend to think that people who go online instantly after something is released just to trash it is a bad look. There seems to be some people out there that just want to hate on something. But I was going to watch this no matter what anyone said. When I saw it was four episodes I made the decision to take it slow. I was going to watch one episode every other day I thought. That seemed like a good plan. But after watching the first episode that quickly changed to watching one a day for four days. That worked for two days, but last night I was so intrigued and moved by episode three that I decided that I was going to finish the whole thing right then and there. I could not stop thinking about the series, and that's the sign that I really, really want to watch a show. So I wrapped it all up around 10pm last night.

Right away, I thought this was a great retelling of this story. The movie from the 60's does a solid job of telling the story, but it misses things here and there. This being a miniseries, they have a little more time to tell the whole thing. That makes for a better viewing experience for me. I also appreciate that this series told the story through the eyes of the four main characters. Chapter 1 is entitled "Piggy", then we have "Jack", "Simon" and, finally, "Ralph". This was an interesting and newly unique way to bring the story to life. We got a little backstory of each character, and why they may act how they act. Piggy is portrayed as the intellect with the most common sense. He can tell and feel when things are going off the rails. He calls out all the inconsistencies and problems that he sees. But no one listens to him because he isn't a cool or popular kid. Piggy has always been my favorite character, and this actor did a wonderful job bringing Piggy to life. In chapter 2 we see Jack and all of his foibles. He wants to be a leader, but he is cowardly. He bends and twists every conversation to suit his needs. He doesn't think about the consequences. He is nice to people to their faces when they are alone, but mean when others are around. I know this actor did good work because I grew to despise him as the show went on. That was the end goal and this kid achieved that. Simon's episode was my favorite. This was the most atmospheric and deepest and darkest episode. Simon just wants to be accepted for who he is, but he also has some issues he has yet to realize or deal with in his own way. He and Jack clearly have some kind of back and forth in their past that he wants to deal with. Simon is probably the most level headed person next to Piggy, but no one listens to him because he has issues with fainting. He can't get a word in edgewise, but he always tries until he gets cut off. He wants Ralph to be the leader he knows he can be, but he never gets to see that come to fruition. For such heavy themes in this episode, the actor playing Simon absolutely nailed his role. And the final chapter focuses on our leader, Ralph. This episode was such a fitting and fulfilling conclusion to the story. Ralph has nothing left to fight for, but he keeps going. He won't give up until the final second. He is the only one left with a decent head on his shoulders. He hasn't given in to the ills of living off the land. And he is the most mature and adult of any of these kids. So much so that, spoiler alert, when the sailors get to the island and rescue the kids, he is the only one who tells the truth and wants nothing more than to be off that horrid island.

This version was told expertly by the people involved. I read that the people behind "Adolescence" did this show, and they are some of the top dramatic writers in the game. I was so happy that the show was put into such capable hands. And these kid actors did a masterful job. They bought in and played these amazing, memorable characters so well, it was such a sight for me. I even loved how the kids were loud and annoying at the worst possible times. Some looked thrilled when the adults showed up, others looked worried, as if they were in trouble. The kid actors showed every emotion that I would imagine a kid in this situation could show, and they nailed it. I was very impressed.

As a lifelong fan of this book, the miniseries did such a good and respectful job of telling this story. It was true to the source material and that made me happy. I recommend this show to anyone who has read this book and loved it. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Watches "DTF St. Louis"

Yesterday I watched the final episode of "DTF St. Louis". I will admit, the initial lure was the whole Saint Louis in the name. That was why I first turned it on and streamed the show. But as this first, possibly only season, who knows, wore on, I found myself intrigued by what I was seeing. The show was marketed as a "dark comedy", but this was much more dark than comedy in my opinion. And that is okay. I don't mind when a show goes dark, especially when it is done well.

For people who may not know, "DTF St. Louis" is about two friends who decide to try a hook up app in their town. The show goes down much further avenues than this, but that had to be the elevator pitch on this show. I don't want to spoil much, so feel free to read ahead. David Harbour and Jason Bateman play the two main characters. Bateman plays a local weatherman. On the surface he seems like a regular dude who just happens to be on tv. He has a wife, a couple of kids and a house with a fence. He likes to bike, in an awkward looking bike, and he seems like an active, normal guy. David Harbour comes into his life as his translator for the deaf audience of his show. He is new in town, and he and his wife, Linda Cardalini, make fast friends with Bateman and his family. Harbour saves Bateman's life during their first broadcast. There's a massive tornado that rips through town while they are doing the news, and Harbour pushes Bateman out of the way of a fast moving road sign. Their friendship blossoms after that. One day, while Bateman is hosting a BBQ, he mentions a new hookup app in town to Harbour. Harbour is a little put off at first, but then he buys in.

The show starts to go wild from there. This is where the comedy kind of leaves the show too. Harbour's character dies. This is not a spoiler. This happens within the first few moments of the first episode. The show goes on a mission to find out who, or how he died, and we get to see the whole backstory of these three people whose lives get intertwined. I'm pretty open about my wants and desires with my wife when it comes to the bedroom, but this show brought up stuff that I have never heard of before, or didn't even know was a thing. The writers of this show have much more vivid imaginations than I must have when it comes to that stuff. But Bateman and Harbour play it very well. Cardalini does a very good job too. She is so good at the stuff she does in this show. I would go from despising her to feeling bad for her in the midst of one episode. She is a very good actor, and her performance here was much needed and appreciated. Bateman does good stuff too. He is meek, but also knows what he wants. He speaks his mind and says whatever is in there. In fact, he might share too much. But Harbour was the main draw for me. He is funny, sweet, kind, weak willed and a pushover. And he does it all very well, sometimes doing all of them in one episode. I didn't know what to expect from him, but his performance really shocked me in a very good way. I rooted for him all the way through. I felt bad for him. I wanted him to get all the things he ever dreamed of. And I was devastated when he died in the first episode.

But as the show wore on I found myself getting a little less engaged. I would let my mind wander from time to time. By the end I just wanted to know who did it, why and how we got here. I did like the majority of what I saw, but I did get kind of bored near the end. The good news, it is only a seven episode commitment. I told my folks, who also watched, that if it came back for a second season I don't think I'd watch it. But I'm glad I did watch this first season. It was a fine, and quick watch. 

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 Great Actor Wood Harris

Recently for our Patreon show "First Watch Rewatch", which you all should go and subscribe to and listen to, we watched the movie "Dredd". This is the newer one with Karl Urban, not the crappy one from the 90's. But I'm not here to give a review of that movie. If you want to know my opinions on the movie, go check out the show.

When I watch any movie for the first time, I always like to see if I recognize anyone in the cast. Karl Urban is the main guy, as previously mentioned, but there were a few others I noticed. Olivia Thirlby, from "Juno" and other movies, is Urban's co-star. Lena Headley, from "Game of Thrones", plays the villain. But it was the appearance of Wood Harris that had me hyped.

Wood Harris is about as dependable as they come in Hollywood, and if you are reading this and confused as to who this is, I would almost guarantee that he's been in something you've seen. And he is great as a villain in this movie. But as I was watching, I got to thinking about everything I've seen him in, and how much I like when he shows up in something I'm watching. So I decided I want to point out the stuff I remember him from today, and how much I like his performance and each thing I've seen him in.

For starters we have to talk about him in "The Wire". This is probably what he is best known for. He played Avon Barksdale, one of the dealers, who became a pusher and became a head honcho for the bad guys. He was in 38 episodes, which is most of the series. He was incredible in this role and he will always be remembered for this role. But he was in plenty before this role.

His first role was in "Above the Rim". This is a criminally underrated basketball movie. I adore this movie. I used to rent it on Pay Per View when I was younger. And his character made me nuts because he was trying to shoot the main guy. He got his comeuppance in the movie, but his performance left a mark on me. He played Jimi Hendrix in the movie "Hendrix". While this movie isn't great, he did a solid job portraying the seminal musician. "Remember the Titans" was, in my opinion, his star turning role. He went pound for pound with Denzel Washington in that movie. His performance made me cry for the first time watching a movie. I rooted for him so hard and wanted nothing but the best for his character. He is excellent in another underrated movie, "Paid in Full". That movie is  filled with rappers acting, and doing a fine job, but Harris makes that movie solid. He brings brevity to that movie. He grounds it and makes it totally worth watching. He is the clear pro amongst first time actors in that movie. He also shows up in "Southland Tales". That movie is a total mess, but you could see Richard Kelly had a vision. While that may not have come across well on screen, Harris shows up and is totally worth watching. You can also tell that Kelly wanted some actors he could count on, and Wood Harris may have been the first person he called when he knew he needed pros in this fascinatingly wild movie. "Next Day Air" is by no means a classic movie, but it is a good comedy and it proved that Wood Harris could hold his own with guys like Mike epps. He is funny and fun to watch in that movie. I already mentioned him in "Dredd". He is in the first "Ant-Man" movie, playing one of Paul Rudd's buddies. Those characters were the best in the movie and they made me laugh the hardest. Harris was part of that crew and it bummed me out that he didn't return for any other "Ant-Man" movie. "Creed" is an amazing movie and Wood Harris seemed like a perfect fit in a movie about boxing. He is clearly athletic and he got to show more of that in "Creed". He is in "Blade Runner 2049", and he is a great addition to an awesome cast and great sequel to one of the best movies ever made. He returns in "Creed II" and he is back in fine form. He had a long run on the tv show "Empire", which my wife loved, but I barely watched. I would watch more when I would see Harris show up in an episode. He was the coach for a young LeBron James in "Space Jam: A New Legacy". That movie is not very good, but Wood Harris being named in the cast was reason enough for me to watch. He was on "The Last OG", which is a show I loved. He returned for "Creed III" and played Spencer Haywood in "Winning Time". While I don't like "Winning Time", Harris did a good job playing a fading star in the NBA in the late 70's. And he most recently showed up in "One Battle After Another" as part of the French 75. And while his screen time was minimal in that movie, it was memorable.

I think that's the best compliment I can give Wood Harris. He is always memorable in his roles. He does great work when he is cast. He is a consistent and dependable actor. And I just wanted to shout him out today. I feel like he is not mentioned as much as he should in Hollywood. I'm a fan and I cannot wait to see what he does next. 

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.

Thoughts on "The Bear" Coming to an End

It was announced yesterday that "The Bear" is going to end with its upcoming fifth season. Let’s discuss.

This is bittersweet, but I think it is the right call. "The Bear" is an amazing show. I was floored when I saw the first episode, and every season since seems to build on what they have done before. But let's be honest, they have kind of done pretty much everything they set off to do. Minor spoilers ahead for people who may not be caught up on the show.

The first season was all about Carmy coming back to the Italian Beef shop and trying to keep it going after his brother's passing. We met all the critical characters in that season, but it was all Carmy's journey from fine dining back to the basics. Sydney and Richie definitely have their moments in the first season, but the whole idea was to learn all about who Carmy is, warts and all. The first season did give us one of the best, and coolest things I have seen in a tv show in quite some time. They did an entire episode in one long shot, and it all occurred during a massive rush when they had nothing at the ready. This was some of the best tv I had seen up to that point. And the finale kind of set the rest of this in motion when Carmy found the money he needed, the letter from his deceased brother reading, "Let it rip", and the idea to turn their sandwich shop into a fine dining establishment.

Season 2 was the lead up to the new restaurant. This is where we got to see a ton of cooking from the cast members, a storyline I was very much a fan of. We got to see how great of a chef Sydney was in this season. She knows her stuff and she just needed to be able to show it. The episode where Marcus made his way to Denmark to learn from Luca was beautiful and glorious to watch. That half an hour has made me want to visit Denmark more than ever. We also got what many consider to be the two best episodes of the show ever. "Fishes" is a walk back down memory lane for Carmy, and it is difficult. But it also helps you understand why he has the issues he has and why his family is so messed up. This is an amazing hour plus of tv and it is drama at its best. "Forks" is Richie's time to shine, and that is just what he does. Going into a restaurant that Carmy loved working for, and learning from that staff was incredible to watch. It is such an uplifting episode from this show that has kind of beaten the viewer up to that point. "Forks" is my favorite episode of the series. And they close out that season with the opening of the restaurant. We don't get to  see how it goes, but we get a small glimpse of the chaos to come in season 3.

Some people dumped on season 3, but i liked it. It was logical in the progress of the show for me. I understood why they did what they did, and I quite enjoyed my watch. We also got more episodes that just focused on certain people for half an hour. Sydney and Marcus have their moments here.We see all of Carmy's insecurities come to a head when trying to run a restaurant. We get a whole lot more of The Computer and Uncle Jimmy. We got another banger of a flashback episode with "Napkins", where we learn all about how Tina started working at the sandwich shop. that episode made me cry pretty hard in fact. "Ice Chips" was Abby Elliot's time to shine. Seeing her go through giving birth with only her mom at her side was some wonderful acting from Elliot and Jamie Lee Curtis. Curtis was such a phenomenal addition to this show by the way. And the season 3 finale was great because they brought on a bunch of famous chefs and just had them talk about what it is like to cook. I found this eye opening in a good way. We look at celebrity chefs with joy and think their job is easy when it is incredibly hard. This was a solid way to close out this third season.

The fourth, and most recent season, was kind of back to basics. We spend a ton of time with Carmy trying to figure out his life and what he wants. He is still in love with the girl he forced out of his life last season, and he is dealing with those feelings. Sydney's dad has a heart attack and she is grappling with another, much more secure job offer. She has a ton of plates in the air and she is trying to figure this stuff all out. Richie and Carmy will not speak to one another, but they have to find a way to work together. Luca comes back to work with Marcus in the restaurant. The waitstaff is still trying to find the right way to do things, which drives Richie up a wall. The restaurant is running out of money. There's a wedding, which is a movie length episode of the show, and totally worth every second. And the season closes with some hardcore questions unanswered. I'm sure we will find all that out with the upcoming season, and that makes me happy.

But I ask the question, after this fifth season, what else do they have to do and talk about? It feels like they've done it all and they're not going to overstay their welcome. The actors are all moving on to other stuff as well. Jeremy Alllen White is in the movies. So is Ayo Edibiri. Ebon Moss Bachrach is part of Marvel now. Matty Matheson has his own cooking show. Abby Elliot is going to continue to be a character actor. They all have bigger aspirations now and that is how it should go when you have a show as successful as "the Bear" has been to date. So while I'm sad to see it go after this season, my hat is off to what they accomplished in five seasons. They're doing the right thing and I'm stoked to see how they wrap it all up.  

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 "Reality Check"

When my wife and I were first dating I used to spend a lot of time at her place. I still lived with my folks and she had her own spot. It was much better for privacy and intimacy. Being at her apartment meant that we watched what she watched most of the time, and she was watching a lot of "America's Next Top Model".

She loved that show. I was not much of a fan. I even went so far as to write an email to MTV stating that they needed to find something else to air, maybe even music videos. And I'm not saying that I had any hand in this, but about a week later, "ANTM" was suddenly off MTV's airwaves. I then kind of forgot about the show. My wife would go back occasionally and watch, but I just wasn't involved. I found the show offensive, boring and kind of stupid. It is your typical reality tv show. Tyra Banks kind of drove me nuts as well. My wife liked it as a mindless watch. She would tune in and do stuff or just have it on for noise. So, when she came to me the other day and asked if I wanted to watch the Netflix docuseries, I scoffed and rolled my eyes. But I wanted to hang out with her, so we started to watch it.

I was absolutely mesmerized by what I saw. This series is called "Reality Check" and it is a three episode miniseries that takes this reality show to task. I was talking to my wife about why I liked it so much the other day. She mentioned my previous distaste for the show and wanted to know why I was so interested in this Netflix series. I told her that I liked it because it was showing all the deviousness and taking down these people who made others so miserable year after year that this show was on air. I love how salacious the series is. I love seeing people who were involved with the show just take it down peg by peg. I like seeing other people talking about how horrible Tyra Banks was to work with and be around. Hearing former contestants talk about their awful experience was eye opening. It is everything I want in a docuseries that is hell bent on taking down this toxic show. Tyra Banks comes off very bad as well. She uses cliche speech in her interviews. She won't talk about anything that may put her in a poor light. She won't speak on past indiscretions. She comes off as a puppet to the tv corporation. Mister and Miss J, on the other hand, are more than willing to talk about their time on the show. They come off as the heroes in my opinion. Mister J has so much to say on working with Tyra Banks and he lays it all on the line. He had a horrific time on the show, especially when he and Tyra Banks stopped speaking but still had to work together. I hate that he was all but blacklisted in the industry due to Tyra Banks being so addicted to fame. Miss J seemed to be the heart and soul of this show. He was the funniest one on the show it looked like as well. And he was just kicked to the curb. He was let go and not thought about again. My wife told me he had recently had a stroke, and Tyra Banks wouldn't even come to visit him in the hospital. That's a bummer. I appreciate that Netflix allowed the former contestants to tell their side of the story with nothing seemingly held back. These poor contestants were pushed to their limits without giving consent to the people making the show. There is everything from hypothermia to sexual assault to making them act like other cultures to starving these poor people. And then they didn't even help the winner of each season because Tyra Banks and crew were too focused on maintaining their own fame. I also like that they gave the photographer, Nigel Baker, a chance to speak as well. Baker and Mister and Miss J were fully abused by Tyra Banks and UPN and that sickens me.

So take it from me, a person who never watched and pretty much despised the idea of a reality show like "ANTM", this docuseries, "Reality Check" is more than worth checking out. It gives us all the seedy behind the scenes details that I crave when watching a show like this. I highly recommend checking it out. 

Ty

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

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R.I.P. Catherine O'Hara

I was going to write about a movie I recently watched, but a very unfortunate thing happened as I was driving home this afternoon. I got a new update on my phone and checked when I got to a stoplight. I read that Catherine O'Hara had passed away at 71.

I was shocked. I didn't want to believe it at first. I thought that it may have been some misinformation that got wrongly released. I truly did not want this news to be true. Unfortunately it is true. Catherine O'Hara has died at 71 years old. She was too young and still had so much more work left to do. No reason for death has been made public, but the stuff I have read said that she had a brief illness. I am stunned.

O'Hara has literally been on my tv and movie screens since I was a kid. "Home Alone" was the first movie I can remember watching dozens of times. It was my favorite movie for a long, long time. "Home Alone" came out in 1990. I was 8. That was the start of my love for movies. O'Hara was the second lead, at least in my opinion, of that movie. She is the mom hell bent on getting back to her son. As a kid I sided with Kevin, as an adult and parent, O'Hara's foible and persistence to get back home hits so much harder. And again, I was 8 when I first saw that movie. She was in the next two "Home Alone" movies, which I obviously watched. But it wasn't until I was about 15 or 16 when my brother, RD, showed me the movie "Waiting For Guffman". Again, O'Hara has a memorable and major role in this movie, but this was also my first Christopher Guest movie. I began to heavily follow Guest's work after "Waiting For Guffman". This also meant that I was going to see a ton more Catherine O'Hara. Guest and O'Hara worked a bunch together after "Guffman". In "Guffman" she and Fred Willard are a hilarious couple who think they are the biggest actors in a small town in Missouri. It's a shame that both of them have now passed. After "Guffman" she did "Best In Show" with Guest. This is probably my favorite role of hers. She is so funny and gets to do her thing in this movie. I loved her limp, her backstory and the relationship she had with Eugene Levy in this movie. She is the star of this movie. She carried it, and this is a great movie with a wonderful cast. O'Hara steals the show and every time I go back and watch I find something new she does that cracks me up. In a break from Guest's work, she was in the very underrated comedy "Orange County", playing Colin Hanks' mom. She's great as the absent minded divorcee that is just trying to keep her youngest son home with her. In 2003 she returned to work with Guest in "A Mighty Wind". I mean, right next to "Best In Show", this is a powerhouse performance. She gets paired up with Levy again, but this time it is a totally different dynamic and O'Hara is more than up to the task. Her voice is also beautiful and I love when she sings in the movie. For three years she did a whole bunch of voice work before teaming up with Guest again in "For Your Consideration". I like this movie, regardless of what the critics said about it. The work she did with Guest was my favorite work of hers and she was always up for each and every job. I would be remiss if I didn't mention her work in "Beetlejuice". This is a great performance that was a joy to watch. I loved her work in a comedy/horror type movie. Her style was rad as well. And when they sang "Day-O", her mannerisms and facial acting was simply divine. She nailed it yet again in the sequel, "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" She and Winona Ryder were such a great mother daughter duo in those movies. She was tremendous in her one episode of "Curb your Enthusiasm". She is the crazy Funkhouser and boy oh boy does she put on an absolute show. She is great as the "mom" in "Where the Wild Things Are".

Then, as a full fledged adult with a wife, kid and a house, I found "Schitt's Creek". I mean come on, Moira Rose is an all time character. This is one of those roles that will go down in history. The voice she used was perfect. Her performance was perfect. She was paired up with Eugene Levy again and the two of them continued to make magic. "Schitt's Creek" is a show that everyone needs to watch and O'Hara's performance is one for the ages. Since then she has continued to do voiceover stuff and, from what I have read, I have not seen either yet, she was tremendous in season two of "The Last of Us" and in the first season of "The Studio". This should show everyone how beloved and what a joy she was to work with.

Catherine O'Hara is one of a kind. She had her own comedy dynamic and she was unique. I'm still kind of in shock that she is gone. Like I said up top, I have been watching her content since I was 8 years old. That is 35 plus years now. I'm going to miss her and anything new she may have been working on. At least I have "Home Alone", her movies with Christopher Guest and "Schitt's Creek" to look back on.

Rest In Peace Catherine O'Hara. I hope you are making people laugh wherever you may be right now. I'm going to miss you. 

Ty

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

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Do You Want Your MTV?

mtv.com

On August 1st, 1981, American pop culture was forever changed. At 12:01 am people with cable tuned in to a new channel, saw a rocket launch and then heard the words "Ladies and Gentlemen, Rock and Roll", this was followed by the now iconic Buggles music video "Video Killed The Radio Star". Music Television, later branded MTV, was born.

The early days of MTV are now iconic. Music videos, cool hip Video Jockeys (VJs) guiding us through the day and night, and news just about the music of the day. As the years gave way to decades MTV changed. First a game show called "Remote Control" broke up the non-stop music videos, then more shows followed. The rise of reality television started on MTV with "The Real World" and the network executives at MTV pivoted hard towards unscripted shows and the music videos lost their time on the station. As cable expanded to more channels, MTV expanded to bring music videos back on other stations, but again those stations would bring on more unscripted television and the videos had to be sacrificed. On December 31st, 2025, MTV shut down all their music channels and retained just the original MTV for the showing of reality television. "The Real World" killed the Video Star.

Thanks to a coder that goes by the name FlexasaurusRex, you can have your classic MTV. MTV Rewind provides an easy-to-use archive of music videos. The site connects to YouTube playlists, giving users access to more than 40,000 music videos from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and today. Ads do appear periodically, yet they are ads from the time of MTV's music video dominance such as ads for Ginsu Knives, the Flowbee haircut system, and the California Raisins to name a few. There is an option to donate to the site to keep it truly ad free.

MTV Rewind will appease to all music tastes The site is broken up into several collections, including “MTV 1st Day,” Decades starting in the 70's and going all the way to modern day. It even has genre playlists that harken back to the channel’s signature shows, 120 Minutes, Yo! MTV Raps, and Headbangers Balls. There's a channel of MTV's live broadcast of Live Aid in 1985, a VH1 Pop Up Video Channel, and one that hosts all the "MTV Unplugged" performances. If you can't decide, there’s a shuffle feature that will truly make it Your MTV.

While many of us who grew up with MTV lament it's downfall, there are still people like FlexasaurusRex out there that answer the call of "I Want My MTV". If you need to answer that call, and you have some Aqua Net on hand, then give MTV Rewind a look. At the very least it will help you answer the trivia question "What was the second video ever shown on MTV?".

RD Kulik

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing.

R.I.P. Isiah Whitlock Jr

Isiah Whitlock Jr passed away yesterday at the age of 71. I guess he had an illness that took over pretty quickly and it eventually took his life. This one stings.

Whitlock was a very solid and reliable actor in his time. I know him mainly from "The Wire". He was a constant on every season of that show. He played State Senator R Clayton "Clay" Davis. Like most of the characters on that show he was slimy and up to no good. But he had his moments of clarity and showed that he did have a heart to a certain degree. Whenever he showed up on that show I knew he was going to do something memorable and wild. But it was the way he would say "Shiiiiiiit" that got me every time. That was his thing on the show. He would end sentences that way for the most part and I loved it. He was, for lack of a better term, some form of comic relief on "The Wire". He was involved in serious stuff, but he would pull out that "Shiiiiiit", and it was perfect every time. He also has a meme traveling around the internet from "The Wire", where he is snapping a photo and exclaims, "Got your ass". This is what he excelled at doing on "The Wire". He was a quote machine and he made each episode he was in so much better.

I also loved the work he did in "Da 5 Bloods", Spike Lee's criminally underrated COVID movie. He played Melvin, one of the soldiers going back to Vietnam to finish the job of spreading their friend's ashes. Again, he was the comic relief in this movie. "Da 5 Bloods" was a showcase for Delroy Lindo, but Whitlock Jr was there step for step with him. And he has a very dramatic scene in that movie that he absolutely nailed.

He appeared in seven episodes of "Veep" as Geroge Maddox. "Veep" allowed him to do straight up comedy and he was excellent. I felt like comedy was his thing, but he was cast in dramatic roles as the comic relief. He excelled in those roles, but doing a show like "Veep" felt like his bread and butter. He was so funny and so foul on "Veep", just like everyone else on that show.

He got to do more comedic stuff in movies like "Cedar Rapids". He was such a great side character in that movie, and that movie is very good. Go see it if you haven't at this point. He was on "Onion SportsDome" which allowed him to be a news anchor and also do comedy. He leant his voice to "Lucas Bros Moving Company", "Grand Theft Auto" and a "Cars" movie. His voice was perfect for voice acting. He had such a recognizable tone to his voice and when he showed up in animated stuff it was easy to pick him out of the crowd. He would show up randomly in the many different iterations of "Law and Order". This was great because he got to do stuff similar to "The Wire". But instead of playing a senator he would be a detective or cop, which felt fitting for him as an actor.

I thought it was great that he worked with Spike Lee prior to "Da 5 Bloods". He was in "ChiRaq" and "Blackklansman", doing great work in both movies. He had an arc on "The Good Cop", a show I never watched but I bet he was perfectly cast as a cop or detective. He did a few episodes on "Woke" and "Atlanta" and helped those shows simply due to his reputation as a wonderful person and actor. He was in "Cocaine Bear" and he was great in that.

That is the thing with Isaih Whitlock Jr, everyone liked to work with him and he was always reliable. Even if the project wasn't that great or well made, his presence was worthwhile. He never wasted a moment of his time while acting in a show or movie. I'm going to miss him and his work. At least we have the memes, him saying "shiiiiiiiiiit" and the hours upon hours of work he did on screen. Rest in Peace Isiah Whitlock Jr. You will be greatly missed. 

Ty

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

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R.I.P. Rob and Michele Reiner

Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were tragically murdered in their sleep by what appears to be stab wounds inflicted by their son. This is a true modern tragedy. This is awful. This was avoidable. This didn't need to happen. People with substance abuse and mental illness need to find help that suits them. If they need to stay in these facilities longer they should be able to. This is so horrible and awful and brutal and simply did not need to happen. Rob Reiner and his wife should still be here right now making people happy with their work.

I am gutted by this. This one hurts. Regardless of what that volatile, maniacal, egotistical, narcissistic fascist in the White House has to say about Reiner, he was a beloved figure by everyone. His movies and his work meant real things to people. His and his wife's death had nothing to do with their political affiliation, and to try and make it about that is insane. Josh Gad and Jack White and James Woods and Tim Heidecker are right, anyone who agrees with his horrible rhetoric on Reiner, and still supports him and knowingly voted for him needs to live with that shame for the rest of their lives. But as I said above, Reiber's work meant so much to so many generations of people. Forgive me, I do not know much about his wife's work, other than the very few factoids my folks told me this morning, so the rest of this blog will focus on Rob Reiner's work.

I was out to coffee with my dad, who is in his 70's, my brother who is in his mid 40's and myself, just turned 43, and we all had different movies we mentioned when talking about Reiner. My brother instantly mentioned "Stand By Me". That was his movie when we were kids. He would watch it over and over again, and if I were lucky enough to get to spend some time with him. I'd watch it too and it stuck with me. My dad mentioned two things, "All in the Family", which I am not so aware of, and "This is Spinal Tap", which is the greatest mockumentary for me to date. I have always been a fan of "The Princess Bride", because that may be the only perfect movie that has ever been made. But look, just between three people aged 30 years apart, we found four things we all loved that Reiner had his hand in. "Stand By Me" is the quintessential coming of age movie. This was what I envisioned growing up to be like when I was a kid. That movie made me laugh and cry and gave me feelings I had never had until I saw it. It is truly incredible. "All in the Family" has its place as one of the greatest sitcoms in American history, and from what I can glean, Reiner played a pivotal role. "This is Spinal Tap" is one of the greatest comedies ever made, Reiner had to give Christopher Guest the idea for his future career and it has some of the best music that has ever been put in a theater. That movie never fails to make me smile, I laugh harder each time I watch it and Reiner as the director is perfect casting. As for "The Princess Bride", this movie made fun of fairy tales while telling one of the greatest fairy tales ever. This movie moves at a perfect pace, is beautifully cast, has romance and kissing, but it is never over the top, it has a grandpa/grandson relationship, I mean it truly has it all. We showed it to our kids recently, 13 and 10, and they loved it. That movie spans generations and will always and forever be a classic. Then you go and look at some other stuff he made or was a part of. We have one of my wife's all time favorites, "When Harry Met Sally", which might be the best romantic comedy ever. He also had a part in "You've Got Mail". He gives one of the best line reads in "Tammy and the T-Rex". He made "A Few Good Men", which may be the only courtroom drama I can sit through and be engaged with the entire time. Reiner directed one of the better Stephen King adaptations, "Misery". "The Bucket List" is funny and heartbreaking all at the same time. He did the most recent documentary on Albert Brooks and his last movie, unfortunately for us, was the decent "Spinal Tap" sequel. As for some memorable acting roles, I mentioned the director in "This is Spinal Tap". He's in "Mixed Nuts". He was in an episode of "Curb" and "30 Rock". He voiced himself in "The Simpsons". And the most recent thing I saw him in, in which he was fantastic, was "The Bear".

Look at all of those credits, and think of so many others I didn't mention that one person gave us. He was prolific and profound and we are all very lucky to live in a world where Rob Reiner gave us so much incredible content. I still cannot wrap my head around how he and his wife were ripped away from everyone. It baffles and upsets me.

Rest in Peace you two. You should still be here with us right now making us laugh and smile. I hope wherever you are now you are reunited with some of the people you worked with who have also passed away. What a tragic, tragic loss. Michele and Rob Reiner, you will be dearly, dearly missed. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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