On Ode to the Driving Part of a Road Trip

I’m currently on a road trip. Me, my wife and kids are headed to Lake Okoboji in Iowa. I‘be never been. Neither has my family. It should be fun. I’ve heard from others who say it’s like any other lake town. We are staying in some cool town, so I’m excited. Should be fun. What I want to talk about today is the road trip part.

I’ve always enjoyed a good road trip. It helps that my wife drives. That allows me to mellow out and enjoy the scenery. I’ve pretty much always been the passenger on trips too. My dad always drove and now my wife has taken on that job. She’s a much better driver than me too. Being the passenger lets me zone out. I like to check out the farmland. I enjoy seeing many types of animals. I watched a cow climb a hill this morning. I’ve seen many horses as well. I also enjoy passing other dads and seeing the other passengers. Most people are buried in their device, but sometimes you make eye contact. That’s weird and fun for me. I still try to get truck drivers to honk their horns. My kids are involved in that now too. It’s a thrill when they do honk. I usually control the music. I play stuff my wife likes, but sometimes I throw in music for me. We’ve heard from all kinds of artists today. I’ve listened to Kacey Musgraves, Kendrick Lamar, Doja Cat, Frank Ocean and Pink Floyd, among others. Podcasts play a big role too. As I write we are listening to “Normal Gossip”, one of my wife’s favorites. I’m sure I’ll sneak in a “CBB” or “Lowe Post” at some point. Even on a longer ride like this, a bit over eight hours, I find ways to pass the time. We play lots of car games. My wife and I named celebrities for over two hours this morning. My daughter draws pictures and I try to guess what she’s drawing. My son will pepper me with sports stuff. It’s a great way to pass the time.

Road trips are fun. Sure, they can be boring, but you have to make that time less boring by doing things together. This is my first of 2 road trips this summer. So far we are off to a wonderful start.

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" Season 2

Last year I was late to the scene on the tv show "The Bear". But when I found it, I devoured it. The show is one of the better shows currently streaming. I remember seeing it was eight episodes, so that meant four, maybe five days to finish. I watched it all in two days. I wanted more and after each episode, and with it all dropping on one day, that made it easier to watch more. So when they announced a second season I was excited. And hesitant. Sometimes these shows cannot duplicate the success of the first season. They have the "sophomore slump". It doesn't have the same feel as the first. All of this and many more contribute to these shows falling off.

Well, four episodes into the new season I can tell you that "The Bear" season 2 is as good as season 1. The show captures the same feeling. I get the same vibes. The actors, writers and creators have the same push and will to make the show great. They are all working their butts off and it shows. The second season picks up with the crew beginning to open the new restaurant. And it is as chaotic as everything in season 1. The show is fast paced, yet each episode tells a great story, sometimes two. Four episodes in and I have met Syndney's dad, been to Denmark with Marcus, met one of Carmy's old high school friends, seen Rich trying to be a better dad and person, watched Nat admit to being pregnant, seen Tina and Ebraheim attend culinary school and watched Neil and crew have fights over mold and rebuilding. Again, that is just four episodes in. So far my favorite half an hour has been in Denmark. Marcus is sent there to work with a pastry wiz, played by Will Poulter, and it is an excellent episode, with some of the coolest visuals I have seen on TV. The food looks amazing. The scenery is second to none. The houseboat is rad. Seeing Marcus help an injured bike rider was moving. Him dealing with his sick mom was relatable. It is a wonderful viewing. I cannot recommend it enough. But each episode so far has had its great moments. Seeing Richie talk to Carmy in the first episode about trying to be a better person is moving as hell. Watching Carmy, Sydney and Nat talk to Oliver Platt about being business partners is nerve wracking. Seeing Carmy and Sydney cook together is amazing. I wanted to eat all the food that Sydney was eating when trying to get a better handle on what to make. I also loved seeing her talk to each restaurant owner and employees about how they became successful. That was eye opening. Seeing Nat come on as project manager gives Abby Elliot so much more to do and uses her talents to perfection. Watching Richie talk to his daughter about becoming a better father was touching. This show gets it. Even Carmy running into an old high school chum was relatable. I love the scene between the two of them when she reveals she knows the name of his new restaurant.

"The Bear" is right up there with "Black Mirror" for great television. The people who work on these shows understand the assignment and they all nail it. If you are not watching this show, remedy that right now and do yourself a favor. It is a pure delight. 

Ty

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

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Thoughts on the Big NBA Trades

The draft came and went with little trades here and there. Nothing too big. Some picks moved, some draft rights moved, but no superstar was traded. Dame is still in Portland. Zion, still in NOLA. Paul George is still a Clipper. But, there were a good amount of big trades prior to the draft and I want to zero in on two of them today.

The first is CP3 to the Warriors. I thought this was a bit when it was announced. The hatred that the Warriors have for Paul, and he loathes them just as much, made this seem not real. But, after some research, it was found to be true. It happened. After the shock settled in me, I kind of took a hard look at this and I am not a fan on the Warriors side. CP3 is an all timer. He is one of the best point guards the game has ever seen. He is smart, a problem solver, a shit disturber, a mid range killer, a dirty and solid defender and an excellent floor general. Paul has it all. But he is not the best point guard on his new team. The Warriors still have Steph Curry. He is a superior guard to Paul. He is a much better shooter. He is a much, much better teammate. He has become a solid defender. He is one of the best cutters in the league. He makes soft wild passes, but he also makes smart passes. After Steph, the Warriors still have Draymond, their secondary ball handler. I expect him to stay with the team, and I do not expect him to give up any ball handling duties. He is also the engine. He runs the show. He is the motor that keeps them going. The Warriors also still have Klay Thompson and Gary Payton Jr. They also drafted a 2 guard. They have a glut, and now they are adding CP3 to the mix. CP3 is an adult and a great vet, so I am sure he will try to fit in, but the fit is odd. I heard people say that he may run the second unit. Will he really? Is he going to accept that? I also heard they may only give him 20 minutes a game. Will he be cool with that? This guy has done what he wanted since he stepped foot in the league, as he earned. Why would he take a diminished role now? Then we also have the hatred between Paul and this franchise. I don't think the fans will accept him. I don't think he will want to listen to Steve Kerr. I think Steph will get fed up with him quickly. I wouldn't be shocked if Draymond punches him this offseason. There is just too much what if and injury and age concern. I get that this is a win now trade, but this is going to be a tough sell for everyone involved. That being said, I do think Jordan Poole is going to go off in Washington. They won't win a lot of games, he will be wildly inefficient and he will play no defense, but that dude is going to have the ball in his hands and an all time green light. He could average 25-28 points a game next season.

The other trade is the Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics, Tyus Jones to the Wizards and Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies. Porzingis is a blah trade to me. Tyus Jones could be traded to a contender or be the point guard of this new era of Wizards basketball. But Smart to the Grizzlies has me hyped as a Grizzlies fan. At first blush I didn't think much of it. I saw Smart in a Grizzlies uniform and I thought, cool. But as I dug into this one I have become more and more excited by his addition. I know that Smart was upset to leave Boston. He wanted to retire there. But him coming to Memphis feels like this team has a true blue vet and a grown up on this team. Smart is a Defensive Player of the Year. He has been on a team that continuously has deep playoff runs. He is an okay shooter. He is a tough as nails defender. He is an excellent passer. And he is a grown up. Memphis is a solid team. They have a ton of talent. They have been the 2 seed two years in a row in the West. But they are immature. They talk too much for a team that hasn't won anything. Their talk took them out in the first round last season. Dillon Brooks became a problem. Desmond Bane wouldn't stop chirping at Rui Hachimura. Steven Adams got hurt. So did Brandon Clarke. And Ja Morant clearly has some identity issues. This team needed a grown up. This team needed a guy who knows what it takes to win deep in the playoffs. This team needs a guy who can come in and knock all the nonsense off in the locker room. Marcus Smart won't stand for that mess unless they start to win real playoff games. And this team needed a solid point guard for the first 25 games due to Morant's suspension. I adore this move. The Grizzlies needed to do something exactly like this. I didn't think they were going to do it because they never do, but they finally did and I applaud it. I know Smart may not help the half court offense, but he brings so much more that this team needs. I love that they will have his presence in the locker room. I think he will love playing defense next to Jaren Jackson Jr and Steven Adams, if he remains with the team. He can stay a starter when Morant gets back from suspension. He is a solid running mate next to Morant.

As much as I dislike the CP3 trade, I like this Smart trade. This was a good deal for the Grizz, and I cannot wait to watch Smart play with them next season. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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Ty's Not Mock 2023 NBA Draft

The 2023 NBA draft is tonight. I used to watch the draft very closely. I wanted to see where these college and high school and overseas players were going to start their pro careers. I don't watch it now, but my son does. He loves it. He is excited. He has to record the first part, but he has a plan and he is ready to implement it as soon as we get home.

As I have done for the past couple years, I will point out some prospects I like, some I'm not so high on, a few sleepers and discuss the Michigan guys in the draft. This is not a mock draft, more so my opinion on some prospects. Here goes.

It is no secret that this is a three player draft. There are other solid prospects, but the top three guys are the best. They could each be the first overall pick. They are that talented. And I fully believe in all three players' abilities on the court. Victor Webanyama is 7'4. He can handle the ball. He can shoot. He is an excellent defender. He is a solid rebounder. He will put some weight on as he continues in his career. The expectations are expected and he will most likely exceed them. He is a generational talent and he is going to the best run franchise in the NBA. The Spurs and Webanyama are a perfect match. This kid is going to be great. Brandon Miller has some off court stuff, but that seems to have been taken care of. On the court this kid is a great scorer. He can create and spot up on the floor. He can rebound. He needs to get a little better on the defensive end, but that can be coached. This kid reminds me a lot of Banchero from last year. He should be an 18-20 point scorer the moment he walks on an NBA floor. Scoot Henderson may be the most pro ready prospect in this draft. He is built like a tank. He can handle the ball. He is an okay defender. He is ready to run a team. He played in the G League, and when the lights were bright, he showed out. Henderson is my favorite prospect in the draft. If he falls to 3, the Trailblazers should draft him instantly.

Outside those three guys I also like Amen Thompson and Jordan Hawkins. Amen is the better of the Thompson twins. He had excellent workouts and interviews. He has all the tools and the skill. This kid is going to make some GM outside of the top three very happy. Hawkins burst onto the scene this past college season at UConn. He was the best player on the best team. He is a do it all scorer and good perimeter defender. He is going to land in the late lottery most likely and whatever team gets him will be getting a Buddy Hield type player, except a better defender.

As for the prospects I'm not so crazy about, let's start with Cam Whittemore. I kept seeing his name pop up in the early lottery and I didn't know who he was. I also did not know where he played this past season. I'm sure he is a solid basketball player, but I had never heard of him up until about a week ago. Some stories are being floated that his medicals are concerning too. That is not ideal for a kid that is going to be a lottery pick. Time will tell, but this is not a good start. Gradey Dick is not Christian Braun. Not by a long shot. He isn't the shooter, cutter or defender. Just because he played the same position at KU does not mean he is going to be the same player. I feel like a team is going to reach a little too early and he is going to end up like Jimmer Fredette or Nik Stauskas. Finally, I'm also out on Dereck Lively from Duke. He is big, and that is nice, but he was something like the fifth option on an okay Duke team last season. He never did anything amazing. He never stood out. He wasn't the first, second or third option on his college team. That is not a player I would spend a lottery pick on.

Now for the Michigan players. Jett Howard can shoot. He was probably the only reliable and dependable scorer on that team at all last season. He is also an okay enough rebounder. But he is not much of a defender. He is also kind of a non creator. He is great at spot up shooting, hell, even catch and shooting. But he has a way to go as a defender and scorer. I have faith that he can stick in the league, but he may not be more than a role bench player. Kobe Bufkin has only gotten better since he got to Michigan. He showed major flashes in his freshman season in his limited playing time. When he got out on the court, I would be stunned watching him play. I was scared he may transfer, but he stuck it out and became the only reliable player on the team all year. He was the only guy I wasn't worried about on the team. His jumper improved. His defense was, hands down, the best on the team. He was the only creator. When he had the ball in his hands, good things happened. Bufkin is going to make for a very good pro. I think the late lottery is perfect for him. I would love to see him go to OKC or Toronto. That would be ideal.

There you have it, my draft preview. Can't wait to see how all these guys end up doing in their careers. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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"Black Mirror" Continues its Run as One of Television's Greatest Shows

My wife and I finished the newest season of "Black Mirror" last night. I was going to talk about the season today, but I don't want to spoil anything. The show is getting great ratings too, but I want everyone to watch this show. With that being said, today I want to heap praise on this show as a whole.

"Black Mirror" is the best thing TV has going for it right now. Not only is it the best streamer, it is the best overall. This show is a masterpiece. It is a bleak work or art. With every new season I get excited for what I am about to watch. Hell, with each new episode I know I am going to see something original, or a fresh take on an old classic, written, acted and directed by some of the best in the business. I was talking to my dad about this season today, he watches too, and no show in my TV watching history has stayed with me like some, most, episodes of "Black Mirror" do. I will sit on episodes for days, just thinking about everyone involved. And these are not true stories. These are not actual events that have happened in the real world. Yet. That is what I love about this show. Technology is a great thing. There are many good reasons to use modern technology. There are some who use it for the right reasons. But more so than not, most people use technology to escape or do wrong. That is the world "Black Mirror" takes on and they are doing it at a 100 percent hit rate at the moment.

My dad and I were talking about an episode from this season and devolved into him and I talking about an episode from an earlier season, "Smithereens". That episode is poetic. It takes on people who stare at their phones while they drive and all the downfall that can come from that. This gentleman in that episode loses his family because he was looking at a social media post. He then goes about trying to stop people from the company and he gets in way over his head. It is a work of art and uses music is one of the best possible ways ever. That is just one example.

"Black Mirror" has told stories about the importance of bees, how corrupt politics can be, the horror that is the military, infidelity, love while dying, online dating, cloning, the ills of a social media presence, trolling online, futuristic robot dogs and wild and outrageous video game lifestyles. And each episode is poignant, tells a familiar tale and sticks with you. The show can be funny, violent, gruesome, scary and true to life. Charlie Brooker has done something truly amazing. He and his team have created something that will be everlasting.

This show has also introduced me to some super famous actors. The first time I saw Daniel Kaluuya was in an episode titled "15 Million Merits". He is now an Oscar winner. I didn't know Toby Kebbell, who does motion capture as Godzilla now, until I watched him in "The Entire History of You". Jodie Whittaker, who is one of the Doctor's from "Doctor Who", was in the same episode. Hayley Atwell was in "Be Right Back", and it was my introduction to her. Wyatt Russell was in an episode and I did not know he was Hollywood royalty at the time. Gugu Mbatha Raw and Mackenzie Davis were kind of known before "San Junipero", but I bet that is what most people bring up now when they are interviewed. Letitia Wright and Christian Milioti were in two different episodes in season 4, and I had zero clue who they were when I saw them in this show. The list could go on and on.

What sets this show apart, what makes this show the best show on TV, is the writing. The stories they tell are amazing. They sit with you. You think about them over and over again. That couldn't be done without some brilliant minds bringing to the viewers. "Black Mirror" is the perfect sci-fi show. It is, like my buddy Kirk says, " a modern "Twilight Zone" ". I couldn't have said it better myself. No show that takes multiple years off and I still find myself excited to watch can pull this off, except for "Black Mirror". The fact that they took four years off and I didn’t even bat an eye shows how wonderful it truly is.

"Black Mirror" is the best of the best. If you are not watching it, correct that mistake right now and start watching it. It is amazing. 

Ty

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

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Things are Not Looking Good for a New College Football Video Game

I'm not much for video games, but I do love NCAA Football. That was the only game I would ever tell people I was any good at when playing. I knew my stuff. I love college football, so a game fully dedicated to it was right up my alley. You can ask RD. I've talked about it on the pod and this website. I was legit in that game. I knew what worked, what didn't and how to slow down my opponent. When it went away I was bummed. The old iterations of it were still available to purchase on the Xbox up until about two years ago. That bummed me out too. I tried other versions of college football games, but none were the same. Nothing compared to the EA original.

When NIL became real, and college athletes were starting to get paid for their likeness, it felt like the game may come back. Then they announced the return. And then they started to show little bits of gameplay. It all began to feel real, like it was actually going to happen. I was, and still am, stoked that this game may be back. I heard that 2024 was the expected release year, and that March was a rumored month. I let myself get excited. But now I am starting to get a little antsy. Stories have been coming out that are not so good for the release of this game. I am worried that they will have a hard time getting it to the public and that we may never see another EA NCAA Football game ever again.

First some players put out a statement saying they were offered a very minimal sum of money to appear in the game. I get that it is trife and looks bad, but imagine if your face was on something and you got nothing, or next to nothing for that. They just put it out there, didn't tell or ask you and it was there for all to see. You'd expect something, right? So when the rumored small amount of money for the likeness came out, I read 50 dollars, I thought the athletes were right to put up a stink. This game is going to make more than enough money to pay these athletes. They should get, at minimum, 500 dollars. That was what I thought the going rate was going to be for some not as noticeable college football players. I figured the more noticeable would get upwards of a grand. But EA is being stingy and trying to withhold money. That is wrong. And this afternoon I saw some other company, the Brandr Group, is suing EA for not being included in negotiations for NIL deals being offered to athletes. This is now another avoidable obstacle that this game is facing. It feels like the people at EA thought they would be able to release the game with no questions asked. I think they thought that the public wants it so bad that no questions would be asked. But college athletes are smart. They have loads of people watching out for them now. They have lawyers and agents on retainer trying to get them as paid as they can before going pro or getting hurt. They understand the current landscape of the NIL and they will not be taken for granted. I applaud them for that.

This game feels like it is teetering on the edge right now. It feels like one more lawsuit may strike it down and that will be the last we ever hear or see of this game. I hope they figure it out, but that seems like a longshot at this moment. EA needs to wake up and do the right thing. These athletes deserve proper compensation. It is the fair, and right thing to do. 

Ty

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

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Bradley Beal Going to the Suns Doesn't Move the Needle Much

Bradley Beal and the Wizards are finalizing a trade to the Suns for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet and three second round picks and pick swaps. The Wizards will also send a few other players to the Suns, but Beal and Paul are the big names here. I already wrote about where I think CP3 should go next. Today I want to talk about Beal's fit with the Suns.

On paper it appears that the Suns have a coveted "big three". Beal will soon be teamed up with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Deandre Ayton is still a Sun for now. Josh Okogie will fill out the starting five. But, on paper, this looks like a very good, very high octane offense. The Suns now have a ton of firepower. They could score in bunches. Those three will be hard to defend. Booker and KD are solid defensively. Ayton, when engaged, is a very good pick and pop guy and an okay rebounder. Okogie is, probably, the best guard rebounder in the NBA. And Frank Vogel can coach up some defense.

The accolades stop there for me on this trade. The Suns now have three ball dominant scorers. KD has proven he can play off the ball and spot up if need be, but he is best with the ball in his hands. Booker has learned how to be a true scoring guard playing next to CP3 the past couple seasons. But when Paul went out in the playoffs last season and they let Booker run the show, he got a taste of being the main guy with the ball in his hands. And he seemed to enjoy it. He was the only Suns player who really showed up against the Nuggets, and he played well running the show. And Beal, ever since John Wall got hurt and then traded, has not had to share with anyone on the Wizards. Kristaps Porzingis didn't need to handle the ball. Kyle Kuzma is best suited as a spot up shooter. Johnny Davis couldn't get on the court. Deni Avjida was much more of a defender than anything else. Beal got to do what he wanted when he wanted in Washington. And he produced points, a lot of them, but not too many wins. The Wizards were a purgatory type team, but Beal was getting stats. Now he is going to a team that wants to win. In fact, I think the Suns need to win. This is a team that has title aspirations and they don't want to flame out in the postseason again. But how well will these three guys share the ball remains to be seen. Also, Ayton will be looking for touches too. I also do not like the injury history. Beal would play a decent amount of games for the Wizards, but any time any little thing would flare up, he'd sit. KD cannot stay healthy. He always seems to get hurt and miss 20 plus games now. Booker is coming off two seasons that have been cut down due to injury. And Ayton is soft as they come. The Suns will also have to scrounge for a bench. They only have five guys under contract. Those five players are KD, Booker, Ayton, Cam Payne and Bradley Beal. And they all make a good chunk of money. The Suns are going to have to settle for mid level guys, vets looking to ring chase and G League guys. And if the big stars get hurt, those types of dudes are going to have to play real minutes against the best the NBA has to offer. Just ask the Clippers how that worked out for them last season. Injury risk should be of very high concern in Phoenix.

All in all the trade was going to be made. The Wizards got a solid guy in Shamet, I'm sure they will waive CP3 and picks. But compared to a trade like Rudy Gobert last season, the Wizards didn't get nearly as much. They are clearly going to rebuilding mode and it makes sense for them to get off this contract. The Suns, they might be stuck. They might not get the reward they are searching for with this trade. They may have to settle for 4 or 5 seeds for the foreseeable future. I'm not as jazzed for this deal as I thought I was going to be when Beal eventually did get traded. But the Suns will be fun to watch when all these guys play together. They just might not be that dominant. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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The NBA Went Easy on Ja Morant

The NBA has suspended Ja Morant for the first 25 games of next season. While this is a large punishment, I figured it was going to be much larger. I also felt it deserved to be much larger.

What Morant did, twice this season, was wrong. He shouldn't be acting the way he is acting on Instagram. That is foul and out of pocket. There is no reason he should be brandishing weapons, real or fake, on Instagram live. When will he learn his lesson? He got in trouble for this once this season, missed some games, went to some fake therapy and still did it again.

I don't get the appeal of owning guns. I'm terrified of them. They are much too powerful. I have never held one and never plan on holding one. I think they are dangerous and useless. In Morant's case, being as famous as he is, I guess he has them for protection. But the way he is just showing them to everyone on the internet is foul. He should have a security team if he is scared enough to buy multiple guns. He should surround himself with people who make him feel safe. He should have the right protocols in place to not have the need to ever use a gun. But he has some weird fetish with them, and that is how I see all this. I guess he thinks they make me feel powerful and strong.

This is the wrong message to put out to his fans, the Grizzlies, his teammates and the NBA. This is wrong on so many levels. I wish he was going about this smarter and in more control. The fact that he went out and did this a second time on Instagram was so wrong. And you could see him and whoever was filming realizing what they did because they tried to hide it real quick. But the damage was done. I feel like having to have a constant presence on the internet is only making it that much harder on him. People do not have to be constantly showing what they are doing every minute of everyday to their fans and followers. That is narcissistic. Most people's personal lives are boring anyway. So why do you have to be showing it over and over again on the internet? That is as scary as owning a gun.

But, the NBA decided 25 games was enough. The Grizz have played without him much longer just a few seasons ago, and they did just fine. I don't feel like 25 games is enough for what he did, then lied, and did it again. I was thinking he was going to get a minimum of 41 games. I was preparing myself for a full season. I felt like the NBA was going to send a strong message. I thought they were going to lay the hammer down on him. They gave him a pretty severe suspension, but in hindsight, others got worse. Jermaine O'Neal, Stephen Jackson and Metta World Peace got much more for defending themselves. I don't blame them fully for the Malice in the Palace. Gilbert Arenas got a hefty suspension for bringing guns in the locker room, but no one looks at him like most do with Morant. There are plenty of other players who did far less and dealt with a firmer suspension.

Ja Morant needs to seek out real therapy. He needs to talk to a very good doctor about this because it is a real problem that could evolve into something much more horrifying. Time will tell if he truly finds some kind of healing process from all this, but who knows. I hope he gets better, I hope he seeks treatment and I hope he realizes how foolish and childish all this has become. He needs a real wakeup call. Maybe 25 games will do that, but I am not so sure. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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I Don't Think ASMR is My Thing

On my run this morning I decided I was going to listen to the newest episode of "Grawlix Saves the World". This has become one of my go to's on a run because they are so funny and the light mood keeps me going. I also really enjoy the three guys who host. The premise of each episode is to try something one or all of them have never done before to see if they like it and if it would be better for more people to try it. Pretty simple and fun premise.

This week's episode was a doozy. They did an ASMR challenge. Now, the episode was an absolute blast and I was cracking up this morning, but that is not what my blog is about today. While listening, two of the hosts did not like it. Well, one hated it and the other host seemed disinterested. The host that liked it, that brought up the challenge, tried to explain what he liked about it. But that was my issue and the whole idea for this blog today. Who is into ASMR? What does it do for you? How did you discover it, and how did you know when it was for you? I have about a million more questions I want to ask people who are into this whole thing. And I am not here to yuck someone's yum. I like a lot of stuff that other people would consider stupid or weird or niche. I am also not here to kink shame if that is what led you to this world of ASMR.

My very limited knowledge of this trend is basically how it makes some people horny. I guess the people who do ASMR, or perform it or whatever the hell I'm supposed to call it, have this low, whisper type voice. And I suppose they just softly describe what they are doing. Some will click their nails. On the pod this morning, one of the guys brush his wife's makeup brushes against the mic. Another guy scratched his beard. Two of them used cough drops. One buttered toast and poured himself a bowl of cereal. I don't really know what else ASMR performers could do. And the limited stuff I have seen and heard all sounds far too horny for what they are doing. I mean, is it really that hot to click nails? Do people actually get off on this stuff? And I am not judging. At all. Do what makes you happy as long as you are hurting anyone. But this is just a whole other world for me. And, if you aren't here for it to get all riled up, what are you here for? The one host who likes it says it calms him down, helps him sleep and he gets all tingly. That sounds legit to me. But when I listened to the hosts do it, all I could do was laugh. They brought up the fact that they know each other, and I know their comedy, and how that made it harder for them to do without making it a bit. I get that. But I just don't see a world where a stranger softly describing what they are doing could calm me down. I feel like I would be tense. I don't think it would work on me. I will say I am curious about this whole world, but I do not know if I will try it. I don't like it when friends and family members whisper stuff to me. I think my hearing has gotten worse from all the concerts I have gone to. I feel like I would be turning up the volume constantly and that would take away from the whole thing. But I don't know.

Seriously, I want people who read my stuff that are into ASMR to tell me why. Write back. Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram. Let me know because I am very interested in how this all works. But it doesn't seem like it would be my cup of tea. You never know though. 

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 Super Mario Bros Movie"

Yesterday I watched "The Super Mario Bros Movie" with my son. He had already seen it, but he said he would watch it with me again. He liked it the first time around, but he did have some critiques. I think he wanted a second viewing to get a good grip on how he felt. He loved it this time around. I thought the movie was fine, but I was lost from time to time.

I'm not a gamer, as you all know. I used to try and play "Mario", but being the youngest of four boys I barely got to touch our Nintendo. I would go to my friends' houses who had Nintendo's, but we barely ever played. We would play "NBA Jam" or go outside and play sports. I even tried "Mario Odyssey" when my son first got his Switch, but I am no good at role player games and I gave up on it quickly. I say all this to say, there are a TON of inside jokes in this movie that flew way over my head. My son is 11 and he knew what they were talking about. That was good for me because if a joke flew over my head, he would explain it to me. It was a reverse of how we usually watch shows and movies. But it was nice to have most of this stuff explained to me. While asking all these questions, I would miss plot points or seemingly important story arcs in the movie. I was finding myself confused at times. I would have to rewind, which frustrated my son. After about 30 minutes I promised him no more messing with the movie. I was just going to go with the flow. A lot of stuff cruised right by me. But I did find myself enjoying bits and pieces.

The movie looks cool. Illumination did the movie, and it has that "Minions" look. I enjoy the little I have seen of "The Minions", so this animation was nice and familiar for me. I also thought it was very colorful and pretty. The mushroom kingdom looked spectacular. Bowser's spot was as creepy as it should be for a kids movie. Even the world before they go into the game looked good. I also liked the whole plot of Mario getting sucked into the mushroom kingdom and Luigi going into Bowser's spot. That made for a fast paced movie. That was also great. This movie is 88 minutes long. That is perfect. I very much like it when modern movies are 90 minutes or less. That is the best amount of time. I also thought the voice actors did a fine job. I know people were up in arms about Chris Pratt being cast as Mario. I'm not a fan of his generally, but he was solid here. Anna Taylor Joy was excellent as Princess Peach. Charlie Day crushed as Luigi. Keegan Michael-Key was great as one of the Toads. But they all paled in comparison to Jack Black. Casting him as Bowser was a stroke of genius. He was more than game and he was the best part about this movie by a wide margin. And "Peaches" is a legit good song. The two times they played it in the movie I found myself humming along.

I do think not knowing the lore took away a bit. Me not picking up on certain jokes and missing story points hurt a bit. Having to constantly ask my son who or what certain stuff was hurt a bit. And me not being a gamer definitely took away. The movie is fine though. I texted a buddy of mine who was curious of my thoughts and I told him what I am telling you all right now. He went so far as to say he didn't think it would move me. He was right. I think fans of the video game will really enjoy this movie. It feels like it was made specifically for them. And kids will enjoy it too. I'd go ahead and recommend it, but it is a soft recommendation from me.

Ty

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

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Is This the Start of a Nuggets Dynasty

The Denver Nuggets won their first title in the history of the franchise last night. The game was ugly at times, and even with the Heat up double figures after the first quarter, it felt inevitable that the Nuggets were going to bring it home on their home floor. They did enough to pull it out last night and the celebration was on. RD was traveling and he was still able to text me from an airport to let me know he saw the end of the game.

This Nuggets team felt kind of underrated all year if you listen to the way some sports analysts, all the white nerds at ESPN. But if you look at it, really dig deep, this team has been building and were one of the best teams in the league all season long. They had the fourth best overall record in the league. They were the best team in the West by a good margin. They have a two time MVP in Jokic. Jamal Murray was a lottery pick. Michael Porter Jr was a late lottery pick. They picked up Kentavious Caldwell Pope last season. That dude is a champ. They went out and got Bruce Brown who may be the best role player in the NBA. They traded for Aaron Gordon a few years back, and that was a homerun trade. Jeff Green is a tremendous vet. And Christian Braun is coming off an NCAA title.

This is not a team of slouches. This is not some underdog story. This is not the bad news Bears. This isn't some Cinderella. The Nuggets are a real team and they look to be a possible dynasty. This team is here to stay. They are not underrated. They are not a flash in the pan. This team is here to stay. Don't buy into ESPN stories about this team being "underdogs". Just because they are in a small market, the ESPN's of the world are going to try and make this some feel good story. This team is legit and they earned this title. They were the best team in the playoffs. They easily dispatched the Wolves in five. That series went about as expected. The Suns, who were supposed to be the true "contender" after they got KD, looked lost against the Nuggets in games 5 and 6. They smoked them in game 6 in Phoenix to head to the West Finals. They swept the Lakers, who were somehow being considered the top title threat at the time. And they disposed of the Heat in 5 games. This team went 16-4 in the playoffs and not many of the games were all that close. Jokic was spectacular. Murray was up and down, but when he was up he was dominant. Aaron Gordon may be the best on ball defender in the league. Bruce Brown came up clutch time after time. KCP was good enough while playing with a hurt wrist.

Again, this team was, and will be for a while, very dominant. They are the rightful champs. They did it the right way and they more than deserve this. The Heat were the real underdogs here, and they put up a fight until running into the Nuggets buzzsaw. They smoked my title pick, the Bucks, in five very easy games. Jimmy Butler was magnificent in that series. They let the Knicks get two games, but there was never a doubt in my mind they were going to win that series. They were the better team. They beat the Celtics in seven games. I figured the Celtics were going to destroy them, but Miami showed up and the Celtics didn't until it was too late. It was great to see the Heat win that series in game seven in Boston. But the Heat were tired and they were no match for the Nuggets. They tried a bunch of stuff and it never worked. The Nuggets were ready for it all and they responded to everything thrown their way. The Heat may be the greatest 8 seed ever, but the Nuggets were too good of a team for them to beat. It was a great playoff run for Miami, but the better team won. That was evident last night.

My hat is off to the Nuggets. They did it and they did it convincingly. Congratulations. Now it is time to celebrate.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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Ty Watches “Shazam: Fury of the Gods”

Over the weekend my wife and I watched "Shazam: Fury of the Gods". Our son even joined us for a bit.

As I have stated in the past, my wife is a big fan of comic books and superhero movies, so she was excited about this movie. I was too. I did not think I was going to like the first "Shazam", but after RD kept talking it up, and other people did the same, I decided I wanted to watch it. And it is great. That first "Shazam" movie is fun, funny and has some cool fight scenes. It went well over my expectations. I thought DC did an excellent job telling a very different, more kid centric, superhero movie. So for the viewing of the sequel, my expectations were high. But then I read some stuff about Zachary Levi that bummed me out. I guess he is very anti-vax. My wife said he is almost fanatical in his stance. That soured me a bit before watching, but I went into the movie on Friday night telling myself to separate the art from the artist.

Unfortunately this movie is a real dud. And I am not just saying that because of Levi's politics. All of the fun, the silliness, the charm from the first movie was gone. This one couldn't decide if it wanted to be serious or funny. There would be lines of dialogue within one scene that would straddle the line of both genres. I couldn't keep up with what I should be laughing at and what I should be taking seriously. The villains were made for this movie. They are not from any comic books according to the trivia I read. They got some great actors, namely Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu, but they were given horrible lines to read, and their readings were rough. Lucy Liu is an amazing actor, but there were times during this movie where her acting was downright dreadful. I turned to my wife at one point and she asked me why did Helen Mirren agree to be in this movie. I didn't know how to respond. They got the kids from the first movie back, and their grown up superhero versions, but none of them were anymore fleshed out. They really focused on the Adam Brody character, and just kind of gave the other heroes a line here and there or a very minor story arc. The CG was rough. The fight scenes weren't nearly as fun. The jokes were cliched and poorly delivered. The movie just didn't work for me at all. We haven't even finished the whole thing yet either. We still have about 25 minutes left, but I kept saying that this movie felt like it had three or four endings even before the post credits scene. They did a rough job with the Shazam and Wonder Woman dating plot line they tried to start. Djimon Honsou is very poorly used. It is a bad movie.

When we turned it off and stopped to talk about the movie for a bit, we do this pretty much after every movie we watch, my wife said she couldn't figure out why it was so bad. The only thing we could come up with was that they didn't expect the first to be great and make money, and when it did they realized they were going to have to do a sequel too late. This felt very poorly put together. It was slapdash and felt incredibly rushed. No one seemed in on the joke. It lacked all of the charm the first movie had. This is an example of the superhero genre being oversaturated and studios not wanting to miss a paycheck.

Skip this movie and just watch the first one. It is much, much better. 

Ty

What is Next for Chris Paul

It looks like Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns are headed towards a split.

I was kind of stunned when I saw they waived him considering he was a driver in the Kevin Durant trade. They also mortgaged their future to make that trade and put KD with Devin Booker and CP3. It seemed like they were going to give it one more season to see if they could win a ring. And I understand that the Suns have not officially let Paul go yet, but it is just a matter of time now it seems. So, if the Suns rip the cord and they let Paul walk, I have a few thoughts about where he may go.

If he is looking at it purely from a basketball stand point, for the love of the game, three teams make sense to me. He will have to take a pay cut to join these teams, but two of them could use him for a title, and the other would love to have a true star veteran around. The two title contending, or possible title contending teams, are the LA teams. The Clippers would love to sign him, if it works in their favor. CP3 would have to take less money, and a more diminished role, but it could work. The Clippers would have a legit big 3. Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and CP3 make for an excellent big 3, a veteran laden big 3 and a team that could really compete in the West. Those three with Ivivca Zubac and Terrance Mann make for a very good starting five. They would have to try and keep some key bench guys, like Nic Batum, but CP3 going back to the Clippers would make them, on paper, a title contender. The big problem there is health. Those three guys, while incredible players, have never been able to stay healthy. They would also be very old.

The Lakers looked really good after the all star break last year and they ran their way to the West Finals with D'Angelo Russell playing point guard. CP3 is a major upgrade. While not the scorer he once was, nor the 3 point shooter Russell is, Paul is a superior distributor, defender and team leader. He would fit right in with LeBron and AD. If they could keep one or both of Austin Reeves and Rui Hachimura, the Lakers would have to be looked at as a real threat. Again, Paul would have to take a major pay cut, and health concerns would be almost as big an issue with the Lakers as it is with the Clippers. But, it is widely known that LeBron and CP3 are buddies, and LeBron wouldn't allow CP3 to be too much of a locker menace to the young guys. The Lakers fit feels damn near perfect.

The third team we have is the Spurs. I know, why the Spurs you may be asking? What benefit does he bring to that team? They aren't a real contender for a deep playoff run. They may not even make the play in. But imagine CP3 going there to be the wiley vet. Imagine him walking into that locker room with all of his accomplishments. Imagine him agreeing to play for Greg Poppovich and run his offense. Imagine him going to the best run team in the league. Imagine him going to play with presumed number 1 pick Victor Webanyama. This, to me, sounds almost as good as playing for the Lakers. He would be the star on the team, but he wouldn't have to be the face of the team. He would play for the best coach the NBA has ever seen. The Spurs are such a well run machine that not one can come in from the outside and screw it up. And he would get to play with one of the greatest prospects this game has ever seen. I would love it if this happened. I have never been a CP3 fan, but if he went to the Spurs and played their brand of basketball, that might make me a fan. I think he'd love to play with Webanyama. He could take Tre Jones under his wing. He could help Keldon Johnson take that next step. He could be the player who bridges the gap for the next Spurs point guard. This would be almost like late career Tony Parker going back in the form of Chris Paul. This would be the coolest decision he could make.

These are the three best options for him, in my opinion, when/if he is released by the Suns. If I had to rank in probability, I'd go, from 1-3, Lakers, Spurs and Clippers. I want to see him play for the Spurs, but I do believe he will go to the Lakers. CP3 still has one, maybe two more years of decent professional basketball left. Any team that gets him will be getting a true competitor, and one of the best point guards the NBA has ever seen. 

Ty

Ty Watches the New "Clone High"

Back in 2003, while living with RD in a townhouse, I stumbled upon a show called "Clone High". I didn't think much of it at the time, but it very quickly grew on me. I loved the show. I watched each week. I had to see it. It was a TV show on MTV that felt worth my time. When it was canceled after one, 13 episode season, I was bummed out. I thought the show could use more time. I thought it was going into more promising territory. I started to care about cartoon characters and their story arcs. But in an instant it was gone. There were always rumors that it may come back, but I never fully bought in.

The show was created by Lord and Miller, and they have clearly moved on to bigger things. But the show did come back. They officially announced it awhile back and I was amped. But then I kind of forgot that it was coming back. With HBO Max switching over to Max and announcing a ton of canceled shows, I just assumed "Clone High" would not be made. But it is back and I am loving it as much as I did before.

So far I have watched the first four episodes and I cannot get enough. It still has the feel of the original show. Everyone is back, except for Gandhi, and they have added new people. Gandhi was, quite possibly, the best part of the show, and I do not know why he isn't back, but the transition has been pretty seamless. Abe, Joan, JFK and Cleopatra are back. So is Professor Scudworth and his trusty robot assistant. They have added another evil shadow government villain, and a good amount of new students. Harriet Tubman, Frida Kahlo, Christopher Columbus and Confucius are here, and I have enjoyed all of them so far. They also have most of the original voice cast, and the actors cast to voice the new characters are great as well. I really like how they did the new premiere too, thawing out the old students and just setting them down at Clone High in 2023. I like how the show is taking on cancel culture and male toxicity. I have read that some people are calling the show "woke" and opining for"the good old days when you could tell real jokes' '. I hope those people realize that, in the second episode, they are who Topher Bus is being. He is a little shit online and hides behind a screen name. That is how all of those people bad mouthing the new direction of the show act and sound. They need something to complain about so they go on their computer in their parent's basement and gripe. Topher Bus' portrayal and the writer's portrayal is spot on. I like the new direction of the show. Things evolve. People grow up and change. The world changes. And the people behind the show have to have realized that it has been 20 years and they cannot say some stuff they did in the early aughts. That is a sign of maturity.

I'm all in on the "reboot" or second season or whatever we are calling it. I want it to stick around for longer than a season. They have a formula that works and works really well. If you liked the original version you have to watch the new version. It is a really decent throwback and I remembered instantly why I liked this show in the first place. Check it out. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Ty Watches “The Eric Andre Show” Season Six Premier

Season 6 of "The Eric Andre Show" premiered this past Sunday and I finally sat down and watched it yesterday. I did not know he was doing another season. I figured he was done since he has been booking so many other roles in TV and movies. It also felt like the fifth season was the last. I just assumed it was over. I was even more sure when he put out the movie "Bad Trip". That movie rules by the way. I loved it so much. I have watched it multiple times. But I read something the other day that said that movie did not make any money, so he kind of had to do another season of his talk show. While it gave him a bunch of extra work, it seems like a win for fans like me.

I love this show. I have watched it from the start. I have rewatched it multiple times. "The Eric Andre Show" takes the whole talk show idea and spins it on its head. The AV Club did a great article recently about talk shows that take a different approach, and I feel like it was written due to the fact that this show was coming back on air. The first two episodes were on and they were as great as this show has always been. Eric Andre had Lil Nas X on as his first guest, and he looked very uncomfortable. That is the whole point of the show. The guests know that they are not going to a typical talk show, but they do not know the extent of what is going to happen. This is when Andre and his staff go off. Felipe Esparaza is his new "co host". Andre goes so far as they ask, "where's Hannibal?" during the first monologue. I do miss Hannibal Burress as the co-host, but Esparza is a good replacement. He is a very funny standup and he fits the whole vibe of this show. He's excellent. While pranking Lil Nas X, Andre and crew went out and pulled pranks on unsuspecting people. It all worked. It was all funny. This is what makes this show so excellent. I have always been a fan of these shows that pull pranks on people. I don't like them myself, but it makes me laugh. Andre then invites someone I do not know, Karrueche Tran and he goes in on her with chair pranks and scare tactic stuff. She is clearly terrified. The show ends with Denzel Curry rapping while getting his teeth cleaned. It is what I have come to adore so much about this show.

The second ep was right after that and it was more of the wonderful same thing. The first guest was Mia Khalifa, and she was more than game to push back on what Andre was doing to her. He would purposely misquote her and she kept yelling at him. This is one of my favorite parts about this show. The camera at one point focused on his notes, which he kept referring to, and it was just some ham. I loved it. The main stunt in this was some street performers fighting each other. It was great. Andre also did a redneck type of taxi driver that ruled. He also kept trying to pump Monster Energy into a "patient" who "needed energy". It all worked. It was all great. Jaleel White came on second and he was freaked out the entire time. He looked like he had no clue what to expect when he agreed to be on this show. He was stunned. It was all wrapped up nicely when two dudes came on and played tennis with their genitals. Jaleel White was so annoyed and confused. It was hilarious. I'm stoked that the show is back. I wish it wasn't out of necessity, but Andre is clearly giving it his all, as he always does.

This is my favorite talk show and I cannot wait to watch the next two episodes on Sunday. 

Ty 

Still Here Fourteen Years after a First Date

Today is my 14th wedding anniversary. My wife is the absolute best. I am a lucky, lucky dude. She is a true catch.

In honor of our anniversary I want to talk about the first date we ever had. I was in pursuit of my wife from afar for a bit. I worked at a sandwich shop, a friend of mine was friends with her and I would ask about her cute friend a lot. We would eventually hang out more outside of that, and I finally mustered the courage to ask her on a date after a few more hangouts. I was pretty nervous leading up to the date too. This was back before iPhones, so texting was spotty.

I had an idea to watch "The Office" and hang out at her apartment. I passed this along to her via text and waited anxiously by my phone. No text came. I was shattered. I barely slept that night. But then I awoke to a text from her. It was euphoric. She let me know that she had fallen asleep and was very excited to hang out that night, just the two of us. Lucky for me she was also a big fan of "The Office", and she was more than happy to have me come over to her apartment.

All day I was nervous and excited. The time had finally come to make my way over, so I did. I left my folks house, yep, still living at home, and went over. I tried my best, I'm not very fashionable, to wear clothes that made me look good. Shocking, sarcastically, it was a hoodie, jeans and a stocking cap. But I thought I looked good. Lele looked great as well, in casual clothes. When I got over to her place we hung out like we had done before, but this time it was just the two of us. We got to know each other better. We talked about all the stuff we had to yell when we were out with a bunch of people. It was nice. We had a very good conversation. I was instantly into her. She was the one. I had that feeling right away. I knew there was a future.

As the evening wore on we had a nice dinner and then watched "The Office", a rerun by the way. We started out on the opposite ends of her couch, but we each kept scooting closer to one another. Eventually Lele was cuddled up with me, blanket in hand and we laughed and watched the show. I was as happy as I had ever been up to that moment in my life. It all felt right. I was so happy cuddling I didn't want to get up. So when the next show came on, some kind of game show hosted by Penn Jilette, came on and I suggested we watch it. Lele agreed and I was so happy. We just stayed on the couch cuddled up and watched I think what might be the only episode ever of that game show. As the night wore on I knew I was going to have to go home soon. But I stalled as much as I could. I wanted to stay and chat longer. I wanted to know more. But most of all, I wanted to kiss her goodnight. That was my big goal, outside of getting to actually know Lele. So when the time had finally come I started to get ready to get that kiss. I was super nervous. My hands were sweaty. I was fidgety. I didn't know how to go for it, so like a buffoon, I said, "would it be okay if I kissed you goodnight". Lele laughed and said sure. She would later tell me how cute/embarrassing that was, and that I should have just went for it. Lesson learned I suppose.

That evening forever changed my life for the better. I met my wife. I met the person I wanted to be with forever. I met the person I wanted to raise kids with. I met the best person I have ever met in my life. Lele rules. She knows me better than anyone. She gets me and accepts me. I am so grateful and very lucky that she said yes when I asked to marry her. And it all started watching "The Office" and a very short lived game show.

Happy Anniversary Lele. You are the absolute best. Can't wait to watch more "Office" this evening with you. 

Ty 

Ty Watches “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”

Over the weekend I took my kids to see “Across the Spider-Verse”. It was the only movie the three of us could agree on and my wife had a friend over so we wanted to go out.

I loved the first movie in this series. I think it’s the best “Spider Man” movie to date. The way they shot it was so cool and unique. It was filmed to look like a moving comic book. It was amazing to see. That happened with this movie as well, and they even pushed a little further. This movie had saturating colors within scenes. There was more writing of movement. You’d see stuff like “ZIP” on the screen when they were slinging webs. It was like the old “Batman” show, but way, way, way cooler. There were even moments of what looked like comic book panels in this movie. I was sitting in my chair in the theater and thinking how cool the whole thing looked. It is a moving work of art. It’s astounding.

The first movie has great voice acting. It’s quite the cast. This movie adds on to that, and then some. We have actors like Issa Rae, Oscar Isaac, Jason Schwartzman, Daniel Kaluuya, Jack Quaid, Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and so many more. Some of these people appeared in very minor role. You add all that to the first movie’s cast, people like Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Mahershala Ali, Luna Lauren Velez and Shameik Moore, this is a real stellar cast. And they all crush their roles. You fully buy into the voice acting.

The first movie does a great job of giving us another origin story, but in a cool, interesting and different way. This movie adds on to that while adding seemingly endless Spider People. There are a ton of Spider People in this movie, and we get quick backstories with the important ones. And the first movie gave us some excellent villains, a great story and even a possible love story. Again, this movie pushes all of that further. Miles Morales and Spider Gwen clearly like one another. They have a web slinging type of date in this one. Schwartzman was excellent as The Spot, who looks to be a terrifying villain. Oscar Isaac brings a certain gravitas to his character, and I don’t know if I like him at all.

What makes this movie work, what makes it so enjoyable, besides the way it’s filmed, I am fully in on the main story. I’m invested. I cannot wait to see the third installment. This movie ends on a massive cliffhanger, but I’m not mad about it. I simply cannot wait to see where they go from here.

These “Spider Man” movies work because they’re so cool to look at. It helps that the writing is amazing. It helps that the animation is next level. It helps that the cast is giving their all. And it helps that the movie is good, and cool. “Across the Spider-Verse” may be the best movie of the year. It’s incredible and fun and a total work of art. I cannot recommend this movie enough. My son and I were thrilled. It kept my daughter’s attention. This movie rules. Go see it.


Ty

Better Late than Never on "Young Frankenstein"

Along the same lines of my blog yesterday, I recently watched, from start to finish for the first time, "Young Frankenstein".

I am a big time Mel Brooks fan, but seeing this movie in its entirety in one sitting has somehow eluded me. I guess I had opportunities and just passed them up. Or maybe I just assumed I had seen it because I know the big beats from the movie. But I was watching a clip from this movie on the internet and it was then I had realized I had never fully watched the movie. The clip is of a pretty famous scene too. It is Dr Frankenstein speaking with Igor about who's brain they used. Igor explains it was not the person they agreed upon, but someone named "Abbie Normal". Dr Frankenstein proceeds to choke him out and I was cracking up watching the clip. I happened to see the clip on the week where I got to pick the movie we watched for date night. My choice was made for me right then and there. I picked Dr Frankenstein and sat back and watched and discovered why this movie is so revered.

"Young Frankenstein" is one of the greatest comedies of all time. This movie was made in 1974 but it still felt as fresh as ever. Gene Wilder was an amazing comedic actor. The way he played the title role in this movie was different though. He took the role seriously, but when it was time for him to go big, his wheelhouse, he went as big as ever and absolutely destroyed. He was one of the best actors ever. The fact that he didn't get any awards consideration for this role is criminal. Not to be outdone, Peter Boyle was a revelation for me in this watch. I have only known him from "Everybody Loves Raymond", a show I only sparingly saw when walking through my home I grew up in as my folks watched. In this movie he was hilarious as The Monster. When he did the dance scene, he was incredible. When he finds love, that was great. When he is chained and runs away, hilarious. Boyle was perfect for this role. Marty Feldman as Igor was the perfect sidekick to Wilder. He was silly, big, funny and more than held his own. His look was so unique and so well crafted in this role. He made me laugh harder than Wilder at some points. Terri Garr, as Frankenstein's assistant, did a masterful job. She is a beauty, but she also was right there with all the stars matching the comedy. She had some excellent comedic timing here and really nailed it. Cloris Leachman was the consummate pro. She had a small role here, but she was so memorable. Whenever I hear her name from this movie being said, all I will think about is horses neighing uncontrollably. Kenneth Mars had some great moments as the Inspector. Gene Hackman, in an uncredited role, made me crack up. And Mel Brooks, in only one scene, did his thing as usual and was hilarious.

This movie is a classic for a reason. It is funny, well written, well acted and very well shot. I love the black and white aspect. I loved the "scary" music. But most of all, the chemistry between Garr and Wilder was unprecedented.

"Young Frankenstein" rules. I never had any doubts, but to finally see it from beginning to end, that only confirmed how truly wonderful it is. I loved this movie. 

Ty

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

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Better Late than Never on "They Live"

After a good amount of nudging from a bunch of people, I finally watched "They Live". I have been hearing about this movie for quite some time now, and after listening to an old episode of "Blank Check", and hearing them all say how great of a movie it is, the time felt right. My kids had one final full day of school yesterday, so I rented and watched before picking them up.

This movie more than lived up to the hype that was being built around me for years. This movie rips. It is one of the coolest movies I have ever watched. The fight scene between Roddy Piper and Keith David is one of the best fight scenes I have ever seen. I get why so many people have done their own interpretation of it. It is a master class in fake fighting. Those dudes keep going at each other, but it also shows how tiring and painful something like that could be. To see them both take breaks, get their breath and proceed to go back at it, it was pretty rad.

The story of the movie was pretty ahead of its time as well. To posit a world where hybrid robots/aliens are beginning to take over is genius. This movie had this idea 35 years ago. To use sunglasses as the only way humans could see the hybrids was smart and cost effective. To show the class struggle during Reagan's presidency, what a pile of garbage he was, was near perfect. I mean, John Carpenter and his crew had a great vision and they executed it to perfection.

Roddy Piper wasn't the biggest wrestler back then, but he fit this drifter role so well. Keith David was in "The Thing", another perfect movie, but he was still relatively unknown and he was an excellent sidekick. They were both believable as down on their luck unhoused construction workers. But what got the best was the hybrids and the sunglasses. When Piper starts to get curious and investigate this movie goes from good to great. When he first puts the glasses on he plays stunned so very well. He also plays a guy that people would think was a drunk, but is actually telling the truth. The aftermath of Piper and David's fight, when David's character finally puts on the sunglasses, felt real. He was so opposed to doing anything out of the ordinary, but when he did, he was ready to help the good guys. The rest of the cast is full of Carpenter's people, and they were excellent.

This movie was about class and a possible overthrow of Earth. The way they portrayed the rich was spot on. All the talk of selling out and doing whatever you could to be rich felt real. To see the people trying to overthrow whatever was happening was good. It also seemed like something that would have gone on back then, and could still happen now. But the way it took down Reagan's idea of America was superb. It was the best. Carpenter and his crew did a masterful job of showing why the rich should be the enemy. They showed how ruthless and unforgiving they could be in society. He and his crew called them out and did so the best way possible. Sure, the fight scenes were rad, the effects for 1988 were top notch, the acting was stellar, but what I took away most from this movie was the accurate, and evil portrayal of the so-called upper class.

"They Live" is rad. It is one of the better, older movies I have watched in some time. I was giddy when Piper said his famous line from this movie. If you have not seen the movie yet, stop what you are doing and watch. It is well worth the time. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Watches "I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson" Season 3

I just finished season 3 of "I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson" and I'm going to give some instant reactions and quick thoughts. I could have finished last night but my wife was done with work and she did not want to watch the show. I only had one ep left so I knocked it out this morning. I also have it running in the background right now as I write this so I can get another look at it.

Instantly, I am fully in on the show. No other current TV show makes me laugh, like legitimately laugh out loud like "ITYSL" does. It has a near perfect hit rate for me. I like how absurd and abstract the writing is on the show. It feels like a sketch show written by people much smarter than me and my friends, but it also has that gonzo style. There is a lot of yelling this season, but that has always made me laugh. I also like when the people who have been yelling are confronted with a soft, smooth voice from someone else.

The guest stars are back and that makes this show even better. Fred Armisen, Tim Heidecker, Biff Wiff, Sam Richardson, they are all here, they are all game and they are all having fun. Seeing Biff Wiff do his thing now knowing he has cancer, it makes it so bittersweet. He has been a tremendous addition to this show.

What sets this show apart from other sketch shows, outside of the superb writing, is how real yet absurd each sketch gets. In every episode it feels like they up the ante and it totally works. I feel like this is a show that I can have on in multiple settings and find something new and funny with each watch. The show never feels stale. The sketches work on multiple levels. The actors and writers are giving it their all. I fully believe this is, hands down, the best comedy show on TV. "ITYSL" bypasses sketch comedy. It is in its own genre and it is something special.

I am part of a fan group for the show on Facebook, and the way people talk about this show on there is insane to me. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but it feels like some people just want to complain. Their expectations are so high that they will never be met and then they go online to gripe about it. But what makes these people complaining even worse, in about a month they will be back on the same page talking about how great season 3 is. They will forget all the mess they talked about the show in the moment, and then they will finally appreciate it. I am on board from the jump. There are others who feel the same.

This show is otherworldly and highly hilarious. They are doing what they want, how they want and where they want and it all works. The fact that "SNL" didn't use Tim Robinson properly might have been a good thing because it led to "Detroiters", which is massively underrated, and then to "ITYSL", which is the best comedy on TV. I love this show. I adore the actors and the writers. Go watch this masterpiece of comedy. It is next level in all the best ways. What an achievement. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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