#21 seasons worth of television

[marcilled]

sorry for being a "types paragraphs of rambling in the tags" girl. as if it's my fault

[natrogersfics]

Super Bowl Sunday (Romanogers Version)

Edits in this collage by @faith2nyc Read on AO3

The whistle blows, sealing their win. But even as the confetti rains down from above in a plethora of colors and his teammates erupt in elation all around him – jumping and high-fiving and joyfully screaming over the blaring music – Steve can’t help but steal a glance at the scoreboard just to be sure.

Avengers 21-14 Guardians FINAL

They had truly done it. Against the odds, their team had pushed through a season littered with injuries and shock, last-minute trades. He takes his helmet off, his lips curling up in a smile as he shakes his head in disbelief.

“How does it feel to be a three-time Super Bowl Champion, Cap?”

He turns to see that Maria Hill, the lead anchor from SHIELD Sports, has made her way to him. She holds a microphone up as the rest of her camera crew and the Avengers’ PR team crowd around them. Impressing a seasoned veteran like Maria is no easy feat, but even he can see the touch of awe in her expression, and his pride swells just in the slightest. He chuckles, his shoulders lifting in a shrug as he contemplates her question.

He recalls the first time he had won as though it was just yesterday. The adrenaline that had lingered in his veins long after the whistle had blown and he had gotten his hands on the Lombardi. The satisfaction of having conquered his life-long dream was euphoric. The thirst to feel this high once again immediate. In that moment, all the sacrifices he had made from the grueling workouts to the missed Holidays with his family – they were all worth it.

His second win was further sweetened by the vindication. Of having proven to the media and the pundits and every person that doubted his return from injury that they were wrong. Bringing the trophy home for the Avengers was his way of repaying the fans for their continued belief in what he still had to offer and the team for standing by him after the circus that his personal life had thrown them into. Above all, though, his second ring was another means for him to show Natasha how much he valued every risk she had taken for him – for them – and for this beautiful life that they now shared.

But this time… This time feels disparate. It’s no less sweet by any means. When there are footballers who could only dream of winning the Super Bowl once, much less three times, he knows what a privilege it is for him to be standing here, victorious, at this very moment. And it’s not as though this time is any less hard-fought or miraculous as the others. In more ways than one, getting here has been harder than it’s ever been. Even so, there’s something distinct about this particular win that he can’t quite put a finger on, so he tells Maria the one thing he does know for certain.

“I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet,” he says, earning a laugh from Maria and the crowd around them. “But what I do know is that I’m so proud of this team. Every single person played their hearts out tonight and gave their absolute everything. They deserve this.”

“As do you, their fearless leader.”

“They make my job easy, that’s for sure,” he says with a grin.

“To that we can agree,” Maria says. “Let’s talk about the fans then. Any message for them?”

“Oh, definitely-”

“Daddy!”

Even in the midst of the pandemonium surrounding him, the voice is one he could pick out anywhere. Years of media training had honed his ability to tune out the loudest of distractions especially when he’s right smack in the middle of a televised interview, but not this one. He could never ignore this one.

He turns towards the sound, and he feels his face threatening to split in half with how wide his smile grows when he sees Nadia making her way towards him, her pigtails swinging from side to side as she runs as fast as her little legs will take her. Bucky is a half a step ahead, his teammate clearing a path for his daughter in the melee. Natasha lingers a few paces behind them, carrying Brady as Pietro dutifully flanks her. His eyes meet Natasha’s for the briefest of moments, and they share a smile before he crouches down, opening his arms out wide.

“There’s my girl!” he says as he scoops Nadia into his arms and rises to his feet.

“You win, Daddy!” Nadia exclaims, beaming from ear to ear. “I so proud of you!”

There’s a chorus of aww around them, but he can’t focus on anything other than how his heart feels too big for his chest right now. “Thank you, sweetheart,” he says, making Nadia squeal when he nuzzles her cheek. And, as if sensing her presence, he shifts Nadia against one hip so he can use his other hand to pull Natasha into his side just as she comes to stand next to him. His smile widens as he looks down at her and their son, who’s still somehow sleeping soundly against her chest. “Hi there.”

“Hi,” Natasha greets before smiling. “Congratulations, Cap.”

“Thank you,” he says, leaning down for a kiss. There’s a smirk on her lips when they pull away. “You’re about to say something about how sweaty I am, aren’t you?”

“More like how you might be forgetting something,” she deadpans, nodding towards the cameras when his brow furrows in confusion.

His eyes widen. “Oh, right,” he says, earning a laugh from everyone as he turns back towards Maria. “The fans. I mean, what else is there to say but thank you? Thank you for the support and the belief you gave this team.” He shakes his head. “I’m sure I speak for the entire team when I say that your support has powered us through the most difficult of challenges this season and it’s the reason why we did whatever it takes to get to this final game. We hope you enjoy this one!”

Maria nods before a playfully sly grin makes its way to her face as she adds, “And maybe start preparing for the next?”

Despite the chuckle that falls from his lips, Maria’s question gives him pause. Regardless of the season’s results, his response to this very question has been the same for as long as he can remember – a resounding hell yes! and a call for their fans to lock in for what’s to come. This time, though, he finds himself only pulling Natasha closer just as Nadia rests her head against his shoulder.

“Let’s celebrate this one first,” he says finally, and from the corner of his eye, he catches the way Natasha’s head suddenly whips towards him.

“You heard the Captain’s orders,” Maria says into the mic before nodding at him. “Thanks, Steve. Enjoy the rest of the celebrations.”

“Thanks, Maria.”

With a final smile at Maria and her crew, he drapes an arm around Natasha, leading her in the direction of the sideline. It’s when they make it out of earshot of the reporters that Natasha places a hand on his elbow, stopping him in his tracks. He knows he’s good enough to convince Maria and the rest of the country that there’s nothing more to his response other than him wanting to live in the moment. But he can’t fool his wife. And as she looks up at him now, a million and one questions swirling in her eyes, he knows without a doubt that she understands the implication of his words. She sighs. “Steve-”

A soft whimper interrupts her, and they both look down to where Brady is situated against her chest to see their son stirring awake. Natasha smiles when his eyes flutter open. “Hey, you,” she coos, lifting Brady out of his carrier. “Look who finally decided to join the party.”

Brady blinks up at her before looking around, his eyes settling on him. “Dada win?”

“Hey, Bud,” he says, moving to take Brady from Natasha’s arms. “Yes, dada won.” Brady gives him a little clap, and with a chuckle, he dusts a kiss to the little boy’s temple before doing the same to Nadia, who’s still busy taking in the lively scenery around her. He pulls both kids closer to him, reveling in the joy of just having them in his arms before letting out a contented sigh. He’s held many titles in his life from Rookie of the Year to MVP. None of them could quite hold a candle to his favorite – Dad.

When he looks back at Natasha, he finds that her expression has softened to one of pure admiration for the scene before her. “Later, okay?” he says, because yes, while he had seemingly made his mind up in a single moment of clarity, this is a discussion they need to make as a family. And they would, just not right at this moment. “We’ll talk later.”

She holds his gaze for a second longer before nodding. “Okay.”

“Get in here,” he says, smiling when Natasha just shakes her head fondly before wrapping her arms tightly around them. “Oh, I love you guys so much.”

“We love you too, Daddy,” Nadia says. “But can we get Icees now?”

He and Natasha share an amused glance, and as he looks back at Nadia, he has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing when he sees his daughter staring patiently at him, waiting for a response. “Yes, baby girl,” he says with a chuckle. “We can get Icees now.”

Masterlist Read more of the Game Plan 'verse here

[dorothydalmati1]

Obscure Animation Subject #115: Dave the Barbarian

This show is created by Doug Langdale and produced by Disney Television Animation, only lasting for a single season of 21 episodes on Disney Channel from January 23, 2004 to January 22, 2005. It was critically acclaimed, but got cancelled due to low ratings.

But, anyone who watched it will say that it’s one of the funniest shows Disney has to offer. It centers on a powerful but wimpy barbarian named Dave and his friends and family, who go on surreal Medieval-themed adventures. Dave is very sensitive to pain and would rather knit and cook than fight evil. He is also afraid of many things and at least once an episode, he will be frightened somehow and shriek his high pitched, effeminate scream. He is also allergic to many things. According to Fang, Dave wanted to be a barbarian when he was young, but thought a barbarian was a librarian who also cuts hair. Dave's catchphrases are "Bejabbers!" and "Please don't hurt me!" He also has two siblings on his side, with Candy as a self centered fashionist, and Fang is the destructive younger sibling with the “act first'' mindset.

This feels less like a show from Disney and more of something from Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon. It’s off the walls and very stupid but in a pretty silly and charming way. The jokes are witty, self aware and tend to break the fourth wall often. There is a “Narrator” in the show that does interact with the heroes and vice versa. In fact, the show’s one and only special “A Pig’s Story” has a huge focus on that and is about Dark Lord Chuckles kidnapping the Narrator and forcing him to tell stories where Dave is a failure. It’s so bizarre and out there that I love it. The show has just the right amount of weird jokes and genuinely well thought out gags that makes this a very pleasant experience watching.

Such a shame it didn’t get good ratings with not much attention, it’s one of the funniest disney cartoons you will find. Memorable characters, good usage of the Middle Ages, and tons and tons of laughs. It has a small cult following and I highly recommend you check this one out. It will be worth your time!

[daily-coloring]

Best of 2023 - TV Series

I think I watched over 50 TV shows this year and most of them were great which means, the making of this list was hard and took me a few days and I'm still not sure about the order.

01. Deadloch - Season 1. - "Welcome to the Tasmanian town of Deadloch! It’s the site of a simmering culture war between the blue-collar, old-school residents and a recent influx of lesbians who’ve put the place on the map, bringing performance art and gourmet nose-to-tail dining with them." - Vanity Fair

02. The Woman In The Wall - Miniseries - "People think that this couldn't happen again. Then they forget that the last laundry closed in 1996. It wasn't medieval times. The f**king 'Macarena' was in the charts." - Philippa Dunne

03. Nolly - Miniseries - "This show follows Nolly through the very public sacking and its fallout, and paints a sympathetic and adoring picture of the woman behind the headlines. Bonham Carter sails through this as if on the campest of clouds, but also beautifully articulates the grief behind the glamour. Nolly is part of the old guard, the oldest of guards in fact – she was the first woman ever to appear on colour television. " - The Guardian

04. The Newsreader - Season 2.

05. Heartstopper - Season 2.

06. Mood - Miniseries - "Like Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag and Michaela Coel’s Chewing Gum, Lecky’s Mood started life as a one-woman show on the London stage; she debuted Superhoe at the Royal Court in 2019, with the Standard describing her performance as “a revelation”. That’s probably where those comparisons should end, though, as Mood is a very different beast, and not just because of the aforementioned musical interludes. The darkness in this story isn’t necessarily mined for laughs (though our deadpan lead Sasha can be savagely funny, just like some of her brutal song lyrics) and there’s a real sense of precariousness at its heart." - Evening Standard

07. Workin' Moms - Season 7.

08. Blue Lights - Season 1.

09. The White Lotus - Season 1. and 2.

10. Ted Lasso - Season 3.

11. Starstruck - Season 3.

12. The Following Events Are Based on a Pack of Lies - Season 1. - "The show touches on some serious themes around abuse, misogyny and gaslighting, but it is so compelling because it doesn’t forget how much fun there is in the art of the con." - The Guardian

13. The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart - Miniseries

14. The Night Agent - Season 1.

15. The Dry - Season 1.

16. Foundation - Season 1. and 2.

17. The Change - Season 1. - "Bridget Christie writes and stars in The Change – her sitcom debut – as Linda, a much put-upon wife, mother and retail worker who reaches a crisis point at her 50th birthday party. It’s not just the menopause. It’s also the cluelessness of her husband (Omid Djalili), the open disdain of her teenage children and society’s general denial of the full humanity of older women that pushes Linda over the edge." - The Guardian

18. Sex Education - Season 4.

19. Fleishman is in Trouble - Miniseries

20. Slow Horses - Season 1. and 2.

21. The Last of Us - Season 1.

22. The Fall of the House of Usher - Miniseries

23. Fisk - Season 1. and 2. - "You can tell Fisk is an old-fashioned sitcom just by looking at it. That goes beyond Fisk’s awesome brown pants suit; the visuals here are firmly in service to the story (and to the jokes) rather than feeling like a cinematographer’s audition reel. The locations are basic – an office, a café, Fisk’s temporary Air B&B home – and filmed in a straightforward way that never detracts from the comedy. For audiences used to expensive production values and flashy locations this may take a little getting used to, but the effort is most definitely worth it." - ScreenHub

24. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - Season 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

25. The Diplomat - Season 1.

26. Gen V - Season 1.

27. Secret City - Season 1. and 2.

28. Severance - Season 1.

29. Wolf - Miniseries

30. The Crown - Season 5.

31. Shrinking - Season 1.

32. Three Pines - Miniseries

33. Beef - Miniseries

34. The Sixth Commandment - Miniseries - "Evil characters can be just as one-note and boring as the good, but Hardwicke manages to infuse Ben with such a disconcerting blend of calculation, charm and quiet, almost hidden glee in the harm he inflicts that it is impossible to look away. You will want to. It is harrowing." - The Guardian

35. Swarm - Miniseries

36. Bodies - Miniseries

37. The Long Shadow - Miniseries

38. Wellmania - Miniseries

39. Boat Story - Miniseries

40. The Morning Show - Season 3.

[ncisfranchise-source]

CBS’ “NCIS” Broadcast on Monday, April 15 Marks the 1,000th Original Episode of the NCISverse, which Continues to Reign as the World’s #1 TV Franchise

New Primetime “Entertainment Tonight” Special “NCISverse: The First 1,000,” Monday, April 8 on CBS

Added 1,000th Episode Fanfare on/Around April 15 Includes “NCIS” Franchise Stars Making Appearances Across the CBS Schedule;

Exclusive Social Engagement on @NCISverse; Streaming on Paramount+, a Pluto TV “NCIS” Marathon with Live Tweeting from Series Stars; Digital Displays in Times Square; NCIS Merchandise Discounts at ParamountShop.com – and More (Details Below!)

Click Here to View the Franchise Trailer

CBS celebrates the 1,000th original episode of its global NCIS franchise, which officially falls on Monday, April 15 with the 464th episode of the flagship series, NCIS. The momentous milestone of the world’s #1 TV franchise, from CBS Studios, includes counts of all the aired episodes of NCIS, NCIS: HAWAI’I, NCIS: SYDNEY, NCIS: LOS ANGELES and NCIS: NEW ORLEANS combined. (Fun fact: Binge-watching the 1,000 episodes of the NCISverse back-to-back without breaks would take about 42,722 minutes – or just under 30 full days!)

In the 1,000th episode, titled “A Thousand Yards,” NCIS comes under attack by a mysterious enemy from the past. Also, Vance (series star Rocky Carroll) tries to mend fences with his estranged son by explaining why, despite the ongoing dangers of his job, he still chooses to stay at NCIS, on the CBS Original series NCIS, Monday, April 15 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. Daniela Ruah (NCIS: LOS ANGELES) and Vanessa Lachey (NCIS: HAWAI’I) each make a special appearance. The episode was written by Christopher Waild, one of the series’ executive producers, and directed by Diana Valentine.

NCISverse 1,000th episode festivities include:

NCISVERSE: THE FIRST 1,000, a new ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT special to air Monday, April 8 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on CBS, and streaming and on-demand on Paramount+.* This one-hour ET special gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at the franchise’s 1,000th episode and includes exclusive interviews with the stars of NCIS, NCIS: LOS ANGELES, NCIS: NEW ORLEANS, NCIS: HAWAI’I and NCIS: SYDNEY. The cast and guest stars share favorite memories and behind-the-scenes moments from 20 years’ worth of never-before-seen interviews from the ET vault. ET’s Kevin Frazier hosts from the NCIS studio lot, where the flagship show has been filmed and produced by CBS Studios for 21 seasons. (*Click HERE for more information on the special.)

A special cake-cutting celebration on the set of NCIS during the taping of the 1000th episode (on Feb. 20) with speeches and the full NCIS cast and NCIS: LOS ANGELES star Chris O’Donnell in attendance, plus, via Zoom, the full NCIS: HAWAI’I cast and additional cast members from NCIS: SYDNEY, NCIS: NEW ORLEANS and NCIS: LOS ANGELES. Viewers can see highlights from this event in the NCISVERSE: THE FIRST 1,000 primetime special from ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT and via CBS’ produced video (EPK) to be made available to press and CBS’ owned-and-operated stations and affiliates for use on-air, on streaming newscasts, websites and social platforms. Click here for photos from the cake-cutting event.

An array of “Easter Eggs” for fans throughout the special 1,000th NCIS episode on April 15 – and socially throughout the day.

CBS showcasing select NCISverse fan art Monday, April 15 on-air in primetime; additional fan art sweepstakes winners will subsequently be posted socially via @NCISverse.

CBS teaming up with designer Alexander John to commemorate the current NCIS season and franchise milestone with limited-edition jackets and hats to be given to cast, super fans and sweepstakes winners.

An opportunity for fans to take 20% off NCIS merchandise with code NCIS1000 at checkout in the NCIS storefront of ParamountShop.com from April 2 through April 21.  

NCISverse talent appearances on CBS family shows:

Wednesday, April 10

NCIS star Wilmer Valderrama on CBS’ THE LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT.

Thursday, April 11

Valderrama on CBS’ CBS MORNINGS.

NCIS star Diona Reasonover on CBS’ AFTER MIDNIGHT with Taylor Tomlinson.

Friday, April 12

Valderrama on CBS Media Ventures’ THE DREW BARRYMORE SHOW.

Monday, April 15

NCIS’ Gary Cole, Rocky Carroll and Sean Murray; NCIS: HAWAI’I’s Vanessa Lachey – and more TBA – on CBS’ THE TALK’s Special 1,000th NCISverse episode.

NCIS’ Brian Dietzen and Diona Reasonover will join host Drew Carey on THE PRICE IS RIGHT. They’ll introduce special NCIS-themed prizes, such as a trip to Washington, D.C., the location of NCIS headquarters; and will present a special showcase with exotic trips to Hawaii and Australia, the exciting settings of NCIS: HAWAI’I and NCIS: SYDNEY, along with a boat for the lucky contestant’s next “mission.”

Wilmer Valderrama and Vanessa Lachey, both USO Global Ambassadors, participating in the organization’s Military Virtual Programming session on Monday, April 8, during which they will conduct virtual base visits and engage in live discussions with service members around the world. The session is open to all Department of Defense ID holders and interested members can register online at uso.org/mvp.

NCIS is taking over Pluto TV’s “More TV Drama” channel on Monday, April 15, including a special block curated by NCIS’ Brian Dietzen and Diona Reasonover. To cap off the all-day marathon, Brian and Diona will live tweet on X from 7:00-9:00 PM, ET/4:00-6:00 PM, PT to “Stream-Along” and engage with Pluto TV fans about some of their favorite episodes.

Promotion for the milestone episode appearing across Paramount+ and in premium inventory across Paramount’s digital billboard in Times Square from April 9 through 15.

Flagship series NCIS has been a top 20 series for 18 of its 20 full seasons and has been television’s top broadcast drama for the last five consecutive complete seasons – and 13 of the last 14. Now, in its 21st season, NCIS currently ranks as a top five entertainment broadcast series, season-to-date.

The NCIS franchise has been viewed for over 4 trillion minutes over 20 years in the U.S. – that would be 228 telecasts per American. It’s available in 200 markets in more than 60 languages, and CBS Studios has produced spinoff series NCIS: LOS ANGELES, NCIS: NEW ORLEANS and NCIS: HAWAI’I (now in its third season and ranking among the top 10 broadcast dramas) and the first international expansion of the NCIS franchise, NCIS: SYDNEY (which was last fall’s #1 new U.S. series, recently renewed by CBS and Paramount+ Australia for the 2024-2025 season, and is produced for CBS Studios and Paramount Australia by Endemol Shine Australia). Click for more info on NCIS: HAWAI’I and NCIS: SYDNEY. The NCIS franchise is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

As previously announced, next season, two new series will join the NCISverse – for a total of seven properties: CBS Original series NCIS: ORIGINS, and the to-be-named Paramount+ Original series starring Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly, who will reprise their NCIS roles as fan-favorite characters Ziva David and Tony DiNozzo, reuniting the stars on screen for the first time in 10 years. (Click for more info on NCIS: ORIGINS and The New Paramount+ NCIS Series).

[adultswim2021]

The Venture Bros. #49: "Pinstripes & Poltergeists" | December 14, 2009 - 12:00AM | S04E08

The mid-season finale! The season four split of Venture Bros has been covered somewhat, but basically the boys burnt themselves out behind the scenes and needed a break, so they asked Adult Swim if they could cut season four into two halves, while also upping the episode order from 13 episodes to 16 episodes. The network went for it, and it took them nearly a whole ‘nother year to deliver the back half. So, this ends up sorta being a mini-finale.

This is another one of those episodes that’s more effective if you’re devoted to the story of Venture Bros. Meaning: it’s a little light on laughs. There are jokes in here, and they’re all fine, but there probably won’t be a big long list of all the times I laughed at this one or anything like that. It’s goal is mostly to get Brock back into the fold and to set up story elements that are going to come into play for the second half of season four. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I prefer when the show makes me laugh. But I don’t not care about the story, either. 

In this one: The Monarch gets swindled by Monstroso (mentioned in a previous episode and now here in front of our eyes) into signing a bad deal thinking that he’s merely going to help the Monarch defeat Dr. Venture. Turns out he’s signed away his rights to arch Dr. Venture to Monstroso.

Monstroso’s methods are lawyerly by nature, attempting to financially ruin Dr. Venture by making him use a certain amount of square footage of his compound towards some public good. When scoping out an abandoned factory on his property he discovers that Brock and SPHINX, the super-secret organization dedicated to stopping villainy that falls outside the purview of the OSI by being non-costumed and non-Guild-of-Calamitous-Intent-affiliated, have been using the space secretly. In other words: Brock has been with the Ventures this entire time. Aww. 

Also of note: 21 is shown speaking to 24’s ghost. We’d seen him chatting with 24’s skull throughout this season. He also confronts Brock, a callback to the scene in Tag-Sale, You’re It (apparently repeating the same dialogue) where 21 tries to take Brock on with a non-working light-saber. Brock’s dismissive “boo.” to get 21 to run away is now met with a punch to Brock’s face. Brock doesn’t kill 21, but his newfound respect for giving him a decent fight leads him to team up with him to go beat up Monstroso. The episode ends with Brock casually eating a bowl of cereal in the Venture’s kitchen and Hank, in a delayed reaction, being stunned to find him there. 

SPHINX were previously portrayed as bad guys, but it’s explained that when they were conquered, it was decided to just take all their Egypt-themed crap and use it to start what’s essentially a new group. This explanation seems squarely aimed at the fans of the show who just wish it were an unironic action cartoon. But it's alright! I like it fine, okay! I'm not pissed off at all! At this, I mean.

EPHEMERA CORNER

The Family Guy Chicken Star Wars Double Feature (December 20, 2009)

Sometimes I’ll make note of something to cover for Ephemera Corner; like some kind of specially scheduling thing Adult Swim does that in theory is worth mentioning. But then it comes time to talk about it and it’s like damn, I do not care about this at all. Consider how now in 2024, it seems like they run marathons of certain shows all the time, just because that’s a proven-to-work model for cable television nowadays. So, I might get choosier with these EPHEMERA CORNER programming things.

But for those of you who care: Take note, Star Wars heads! Your favorite Seths went head to head and did a Star War double feature rivaling the Ewok TV Movies. The sci-fi epic about one man turning to the darkside and deciding to deprive his children of committing incest with each other by moving them to different planets will knock your socks off, because that’s what this is: It’s just the movie Star Wars but with cartoon guys in it. I don’t even think they changed the words or anything. Have fun imagining how it must’ve played with 2009-era commercial breaks.

[retrograderesemblance]

“top 5” 80s shows, top 5 characters and why

tops 5 things! // @timeguardians

80s shows

1. The A-Team (1983-1987) This is the only show on this list that I've finished. It's horribly cheesy when it wants to be, and when you get a bad episode, it's a legitimately bad episode... but I'm weirdly fond of this series. The way the writers sort of drip-feed (?) you overarching storylines and character backgrounds is done in such a strange way that I'm not sure that original viewers would've gotten the same viewing experience as modern viewers who are able to binge the show. The Vietnam War veterans angle isn't something that starts to take proper shape until s2, but from s2 onwards, the episodes that allude to the characters' war experiences are done in good taste and I think make the characters feel more complex. Granted, there's no real payoff for these references, but there's also a sort of silent understanding among the main characters. They all worked together during the war, and they all understand that they don't need to talk about what happened. I think there is an argument to be made to the fact that even tho the characters left the war behind, the war is something that will continue to follow them for the rest of their lives.

2. Remington Steele (1982-1987) I haven't watched past s1 mostly bc I'm not ready for the show to abandon Murphy and Bernice and double-down on the Laura/Steele romance. I really like this show tho. Decent set up, decent episode plots, a good balance of humor and seriousness. For as much crap as I put Laura through on my blog, I seriously do really like her. She was apparently the first female private eye on television too ?? and this show became the blueprint for what would become Moonlighting. So that's cool!

3. Magnum P.I. (1980-1988) This show is at it's best with the Vietnam War-based episode plots. Apparently this was the first tv series to show Vietnam War veterans as protagonists in media; everything before this showed veterans as some trauma-possessed mass killers ?? which feels very '70s, honestly... While you sometimes have to power through half a season of cheesy monster-of-the-week-esque eps, it's worth it for the more serious performances. Tom Selleck was literally the perfect casting choice for Magnum.

4. Booker (1989-1990) Even tho I didn't finish s1, I liked this more than 21 Jump Street. While I like the og series, the concept becomes very wash and repeat after about 20 eps in when you consider the implications of how many high schools exist in the same city. The acting in Booker is a lot better, and it's an interesting setup for a private eye plot.

5. MacGyver (1985-1992) This is not my favorite 80s series by a longshot, but I watched the first 4 seasons and the tv movies, so I feel like I need to mention it. The pilot is the best episode, as weird as that sounds. MacGyver is known for things like being able to escape a locked room with a stick of gum and a lighter... but weirdly he only does that in the pilot ???? The series overall is... not good? *snorts* The plots are half-baked at best, the supporting cast makes you groan when they make appearances, and for some reason every single woman that MacGyver is friends with or in a relationship with, dies in some horribly tragic accident. While I would recommend this, dO NOT watch it expecting some cinematic masterpiece.

characters

1. James Bond (from the book series, not the movies, tho Timothy Dalton is closest to book!Bond) Oh my beloved James Bond, always on the verge of turning in his resignation letter akjdnakjbfajbf. I've only read about half the books so far, but I've jumped all over in the timeline and Bond is honestly a very jaded character. He's the epitome of a workaholic, but at the same time he knows he's not happy. Every time he tries to make some sort of change in his life to seek happiness, all his plans blow up in his face and he's often left lonelier than he was before. It's very interesting to follow a character who sort of just lives in the present, bc he fully expects not to live past the age of 40.

2. Sonny Corleone from The Godfather Love me a slightly unhinged male character who supports women's rights. There's a whole thesis I could write about how Sonny and Michael are essentially foils in the plot. Their father assumes that Michael is the more "Americanized" of his children and they butt heads over that, which is so hysterical bc Michael ends up proving that he was the most traditional of them all; Sonny was the one who was the most "Americanized" despite being g.roomed to take over the business from his father. Hate what the sequel films did to his character and background, but alas, book!Sonny will always be my favorite.

3. Janis Ian from Mean Girls I like Janis for the simple reason that's she's petty. She sees through a lot of the bullshit, but she's also self-aware enough to know that she's not above bullshit of her own.

4. Fanny Price from Mansfield Park I like how she made up her mind and stuck to her decisions and didn't let herself be bullied into changing her mind.

5. Ed Chigliak from Northern Exposure I think his character is really well done, showing sort of a modern Alaskan indigenous experience through the eyes of a character who's half-Tlingit, half-White. He's a nice person and enjoys his hobbies and wants to tell stories. He's not bitter like other characters on this list; he's just happy to be here.

[canarycolemine]

Arrival of Ostara

(picture from pinterest) 

Summary: Sister Evie is a gentle and nurturing Sister of Sin. As the end of year examinations arrive, Evie confronts her lack of lustful activities and her future role in the Church of Satan.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/45830722/chapters/115341139

my first fic :*) 

Word Count: 3284

________________________________________________________________

Chapter One:

Springtime at the ministry arrived like a warm embrace. Mornings still cold enough to make a Sibling of Sin remain in the comfort of their bed; afternoons just warm enough to tickle their skin so pleasantly. Comfortable, pleasant, nestled in between in the extreme seasons.

All the less pleasant was the yearly exams. All lower level clergy members were required to pass 4 years worth of exams in order to be officially advanced in the clergy. After the first year, most novices would expect to be fully baptized, given they were over the age of 21. In addition to the tasks, jobs and chores each sibling was assigned, studying for exams could inspire sloth in even the most faithful.

For the two weeks leading to exams, the Abbey was eerily quiet - haunted even. The infirmary had a historically low week of condom distribution. Siblings of Sin huddled in the libraries into the even quieter hours of the night. Meals kept simple to lessen the load on the siblings assigned to kitchen duties. Sister Imperator was even gracious to the sisters of the infirmary to grant them reduced hours; graduated siblings assumed more menial tasks all to the betterment of the younger ones.

A sense of dread followed the third year siblings during these deceptively sweet weeks of spring. It was well known that the third year test was by far the most difficult. Latin, Demonology, History of the Occult, and Numbers and the Mystic Virtues Index, by far more topics than any year, by far the most challenging. While the ministry did not hold individuals back from living in the Dark Faith due to poor grades, they certainly improved a siblings’ chances of promotion within the faith and ability to participate in advanced rituals.

Sister Eve and her fellow pack of third year sisters followed suit to the feeling of dread. Evie, as she preferred to be called, had the highest marks of any fellow sibling in her year. Whatever pride she felt from her work, she did her best to help tutor her sisters and brothers. Her teaching was supportive and kind; she believed in the innate intelligence of all of her siblings, regardless of their performance on exams. She believed in the good of the flock.

This year’s exam period, however, was different. How Evie wished could have felt the sweet morning sun warm her skin for early morning studying, how she wished she could sit with a fellow sibling to help them understand all manner of dark arts, and more than all, she wished she could give back to her beloved church.

She nearly sobbed asking Sister Imperator to reduce her hours at the infirmary; Evie loved to nurture other siblings back to health. She also loved hearing all the juicy details of their lustful escapades, in what she described her favorite reality television show - “Sex Sent Me to the Ministry’s ER.” She was far too shy in intimate affairs to seek out lust of her own. At least, that’s what she told everyone. So, she kept those intimate secrets in a darker part of her mind, only to be brought out in the solace of her bedroom at night. Quietly, she would sliver her hand down to her most private places to pretend she, too, shared the sweet sin. She did not want to admit it, but she felt envy at the others.

But at least during exam season, Evie wouldn’t have to dwell on the enriching stories her fellow sisters gave her.

The days were long, the nights even longer. Heaviness set in the young siblings’ eyes, more each day. Evie was no expectation, despite her standings in grades.

The night before the exams were to begin, the third year siblings gathered in the library’s study rooms, holding each other accountable to go to bed at a reasonable time.

“I feel like I haven’t fucked in ages. I’m getting all antsy!” Sister Francesca blurted out during a break. “Going this long without an orgasm makes me feel like I’m gonna burst.”

“You haven’t even, um, ‘taken care of business’ by yourself, Frankie?” Evie questioned.

“We share a room, Evie, you would know if I ‘took care of business.’” Francesca teased back.

“I suppose that’s true.”

The group sat in the ever darkening room for a few moments, simply enjoying the stillness.

“When all the exams are done, I’m running tits first to Papa III’s office. I don’t care if he’s in a meeting, on the phone, or communing with Satan, he’s gonna fuck the smart right out of me.” Franceseca sighed out.

Fellow sisters mumbled their agreements.

“He’s gonna run out of sperm, poor guy.” Sister Katie shook her head. “Cause he’s gonna have to fuck us all.” A pause. “Maybe except Evie.”

Evie suddenly looked sadly at Katie, “Huh? I’m not a hottie?” She jutted out her lower lip to hide her slightly hurt feelings.

“No, no Evie, you’re a total hottie. But you know what I mean, you don't have sex, it's no big deal, right?.” Katie reassured, taking a sip of her water. She cleared her throat. “I mean, anyone would have sex with you, but you just, you know, never ask anyone.”

“Don’t think Papa III wouldn’t fuck you, too. I know he would! I’ve seen the way Papa III looks at you, Evie. He practically drooled over the desk, when you read your poem about Eve last month.” Frankie chimed in. “If I remember correctly, he said something along the lines of ‘Ah! Sorella, such a sweet story about the mother of sin, Eve, just like-a you! You could take a bite of me, like I was the apple that led you astray.’' Frankie said with her strongest Italian accent, with a gratuitous amount of chef’s kiss hand gestures.

Evie chuckled at the memory. “Yes, I do recall the look in his eyes when I spoke about Eve and the serpent sharing an, ahem, intimate moment.”

“But after class, we walked out together. Papa asked you to spend the evening with him, but you said no!” Katie interjected.

“Hey!! But I also said that you were free for the evening, and if I recall correctly, I heard you screaming his name from the sibling’s dorms basically all night.”

“Oh, I remember, and thank you for that. '' Katie said with a smile, her serious demeanor returned. ”But my point still stands: we all know you want to fuck and that is certainly in no short supply here.”

“Fair enough.” Evie breathed out. “I guess, I don’t know, I’ve been busy? Okay, maybe that’s a lie. But I am busy.” Starting an internal debate in her mind, clearly showing by the rapidly changing facial expressions, Evie continued. “I don’t know. I guess I want to wait for the moment to be right, with the right person. I love Papa III, but I just don’t know if that’s right.” In her heart, she knew exactly who was the right person, but her mind knew she could never say it out loud.

“Well, you think on that, hon.” Frankie said with a yawn. “In the meantime, I think if Numbers of the Mystic Index isn’t ingrained in our brains by now, it probably never will be. I vote we call it a night, and leave it in Satan’s hands.”

The group nodded in agreement. Sleep would be for the best, even if it never came.

Not a single third year sibling slept more than a few minutes that night. Morning arrived painfully, each sibling aware of its presence and their lack of sleep.

The third years silently made their way to the dining hall for a zoned out breakfast. Blank stares, hot coffee. If not for lack of sleep, most siblings would certainly be having some form of anxiety attack.

Evie, herself, recalled sitting down with a full plate of food and then she looked down to an empty plate, what felt like mere moments later. She had no recollection of eating, only knowing a full feeling in her stomach.

It was going to be a long day.

And a long day it was! An exam, lasting no less than six hours, filled the day.

The night was filled with slightly more sleep and a slightly less full feeling brain. The next three days were much the same. The group of sisters shared no words, simply silenced by lack of sleep and overworking of their brains.

The final exam was on Numbers of the Mystic Index, by far the most complicated subject. Walking out of the exam in the twilight of the day, many third years shared silent, exacerbated facial expressions that simply said “why the fuck was that exam the last one?”

Brains empty, bodies nearly giving out. All of the abbey’s students proceed to their dormitories. They would be celebrating the end of their exams, as they had planned, but no sibling was in a state to continue being awake.

The upper clergy was gracious to suspend the typical morning wake up call for the students, in a celebration of the end of exams. Most siblings slept dreamlessly through the night, waking up according to their bodies' satisfaction.

Evie came into consciousness slowly, peering over at Francesca, who was similarly coming to.

“Frankie?”

“Ungh?”

“Do you wanna know what my favorite sin will be today?”

“Ungh?”

“That’s right. Sloth.”

“Ungh.” Frankie grunted before drifting back into a patterned breathing, slipping back into sleep.

The morning was peaceful. Most siblings were able to take in the soft spring sun for the first time in the season. The birds of the abbey cheerfully sang, as laughter and chatting filled the old walls once again.

Evie took the opportunity to walk by herself throughout the property. Walking over to the gardens, smelling the new blooms. It was nearly noon when she made her way back inside. She wandered the various halls of the abbey. Mindlessly, she walked through the upper clergy office. She found a large bay window that could oversee most of the abbey’s expansive property - the gardens, the square, the forest lawn where most siblings sat under the trees, now at ease. She let out a breath that felt like it was kept in for a fortnight. She was at home.

“Sister Eve!” boomed a domineering, feminine voice behind Evie.

Evie snapped her head to follow the sound of the call. Sister Imperator was standing on the staircase next to the window. Evie curtseyed politely to her superior.

“Hello Sister!” she smiled at the older woman. Sister Imperator was a hardened woman, but little Evie always melted a part of her heart. She could never be too harsh to Evie.

“Evie,” Imperator corrected herself, to address the inferior by her preferred nickname. It suited her better anyway. “How are you doing, following your exams?”

“Better now that they’re finished. I feel like I can breathe again.” Evie chuckled. “But by Lucifer, that Numbers exam nearly sent me to the grave.” Evie attempted to joke. When Imperator didn’t respond or laugh in return, Evie flashed a large toothy smile.

Again, Imperator broke her hardened façade at the sweet sibling. “Oh Evie, what are we going to do with you?”

Evie relaxed. She was somewhat aware of the effect she had on Imperator, although she was not aware of how dearly she was regarded by the older woman.

“Now, Evie, I understand that you are taking the day to recover. However, we did need to have a discussion with you, immediately.” Sister suddenly serious.

“We?” Evie tilted her head.

From behind her, Papa I appeared. His aged face, freshly painted in papal fashion.

“Oh! Hello Papa!” Evie said kindly.

Followed quickly, Papa II appeared. His harsher skull paint made him look all the more intimidating.

“Hello Papa!” Evie said, undeterred by the imposing man.

Imperator grinned at the girl, as Papa III strutted into view, his dandy features enhanced by the sharpness of his papal paints.

“Hello Papa!” Evie’s smile, ever growing.

Her superiors fondly gazed down at her from the top of the staircase, each quietly chuckling to themselves. The new Papa IV appeared, face painted as a rat’s skull.

“Hello Papa!” Evie continued her sweet cadence.

“Hello Eve!” The four men smiled at her.

Evie looked at Sister Imperator before focusing back on the leaders of the church. “You can call me Evie, that’s what my friends call me!”

“Ah, Evie! That is what they call you, I remember.” Papa I said nearly to himself. “A pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance, Sister.” A small nod of acknowledgement from Papa II at the new name. Evie could almost see a ghost of a grin appearing on the older man’s face.

“Thank you, your Dark Excellencies, the very same to you!” Evie politely returned.

“Mio fratello, I know this one! She gave an excellent oral presentation not long ago. I had the privilege of seeing it first hand.” Papa III winked at Evie, the innuendo not lost on him. “A poem, I should say, for her prose project. Simply remarkable work.”

Papa IV smiled, but he remained quiet, eyes transfixed on the sister below.

Evie scrunched her nose at the compliment but smiled nevertheless. “Thank you, Papa!”

“Thanks is mine, little one.”

Sister Imperator cleared her throat, indicating a transition in discussion “Now Evie, we needed to speak with you. Would you be able to meet with us now?”

“I suppose that depends, Sister” Evie gazed, wide eyed at her. “Do you have tea?”

“Yes, we have tea, Evie.”

“Okay, I could be persuaded.”

“Come along, then, follow us.”

Evie made her way up the stairs, her heart rate growing faster by the moment. She had never been this close to any of the other Papas, let alone speak with any of them privately. A simple nod at mass, or Papa III’s attempt at seducing her - all public niceties.

Finally at the top of the stairs, Evie was eye level with the highest clergymen of the church. She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks. Looking to the ground, slightly overwhelmed by the realization, her small smile returning again.

Reaching out to grab her hand, Papa IV began his introduction with a small kiss on her knuckles. “Sister, we go to my office, eh?” Looking at the fellow leaders for approval, Papa IV moved his arm to lock with Evie’s, as if he was her personal escort.

No matter the subject of discussion, Evie could die happy right now.

The upper clergy offices were larger but no more decadent than clergy members in lower standards. This was the satanic church, there was some level of equality they wanted to maintain.

Evie was nonetheless taken aback by her current situation. She was fairly confident she was beet red and everyone could hear her heartbeat. She stole a glance at the man, walking her in stride. He glanced back at the young woman, winking and grinning ever slightly. Papa IV was certainly striking in his features. Classically handsome, but easily decades older than her, she felt an unfamiliar feeling. One that she quickly tried to put away in her mind. “No, Evie, this is the highest ranking member of the church, don’t think about him like that, at least not right now,” she thought to herself.

The small group arrived at a large wooden oak door at the end of the hall. Sister Imperator opened the door for the group, allowing the older three Emeritus brothers entrance into the current Papa’s office.

Evie, still locked arms with Papa, took in the sight of the office. The ceilings are much higher than most other offices, filled with bookshelves, a small sitting area with a fireplace, currently extinguished. One large window let the sun shine through the room. Evie looked, open mouth at the academic, rustic qualities of the office. It was not opulent; it was studious, organized, but so very comfortable.

The young sister had not noticed how fondly Papa IV gazed at her, while she took the space in. After sufficient time spent in his view, he led her over to a leather chair, sitting in front of his own large desk. Evie unlocked her arms, however reluctantly, and curtsey to her superior before sitting the firm brown leather.

All very suddenly, the young woman was pulled out of her haze. “Evie, we needed to speak with you in regards to your exams.” Evie’s heart nearly dropped at the sentence.

“Oh. Is… everything okay?”

Sister Imperator elected to stay standing, while the Emeritus brothers scattered themselves among the other chairs of the room. The older woman’s posture straightened. “Evie, I’m sure you are aware that the third year exams are designed to be the most challenging, correct?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Evie felt unfamiliarly nervous about her grades.

“These exams are critical to determining your future here. You know this well.” The Imperator's tone had suddenly taken a deadly serious tone. It’s effect on Evie now causing a lump to form in her throat. “In fact, it was designed this way. We need to test all Sibling’s dedication to the faith, will they stay or will they stumble? In this regard, the grade is inconsequential.”

“Can’t you see the poor girl is nearly trembling, spare her the anxiety, Imperator.” The Second Emeritus brother cooly said.

“Evie, the third year exams are made to be impossible to pass.”

The young woman’s eyes scanned the room in confusion, the Sister’s message unclear to her. After a moment, Evie squeaked out, “So I failed?”

“No.” The Imperator's tone was still serious, however, now softening at the revelation. “Evie, you got nearly a perfect score on an examination that’s damn near impossible for a Papa to pass.”

“Oh!” the young woman quietly chirped.

“I know you well, your dedication to your learning, to the Church and to your siblings has never been lost one me. You are a sinner with so much integrity, sister.” Imperator continued, “We needed to discuss your future here, directly with you.” The older woman peered over to the currently reigning Papa, who was now seated behind his desk. “Papa?”

“Sorella,” started the rat-skull painted man, “you will be treasured here, as long as you are willing to stay.” His small affirmation brought further peace to Evie. “It is our belief that you will be a valuable asset to the upper clergy. I would like for you to personally assist me in a ritual arriving soon.”

Evie was sure that she had died and gone to Hell. After a moment of disbelief, she probed, “what kind of ritual?” She tried to sound as innocent as possible, but the voice in the back of her mind had hoped it was of a particular nature.

“Summoning.” Papa IV said calmly. “I do not want to frighten you, little one, but you have shown yourself to capable of so much. I want to know how much you are capable of." Evie attempted to maintain an unchanged face, but deep down, her soul was burning at the older man's words. She tried her best to burn this moment into her memory, forever. "It is of a highly complex nature, so you would need to study with me nearly daily. I understand that you have finished your examinations, but the ritual is needing to be completed on the Spring equinox. This is arriving soon.”

“I ask too much of you, Sister?” Papa IV paused.

Evie paused. Mentally, she thanked Satanas and Lilith and, fuck it, Jesus Christ, she would finally be alone with the only man she ever wanted.

“No. My body and mind are willing.”

[freifraufischer]

A Gymnastics Mystery: Was the 1981 World Championship Stolen?  Part 1 - An Introduction

In 1981 Maxi Gnauck was the most dominant gymnast in the world when she pulled up short in the middle of her Team Optionals floor routine with an ankle injury.  Leaving the floor meant that she was effectively out of the all around competition in a year when she had dominated every competition she entered.  A few minutes later she would be seen sprinting down the vault runway in the back of the television shot as she continued to lead her team to medals throughout the rest of that World Championships.

With her out of the competition the Soviet Union would sweep the All Around podium at the 1981 World Championships in Moscow, with the gold going to an age falsified 12 year old Olga Bicherova.  Bicherova’s true age already taints this world championship but I’d like to walk you my reader through the events of that year and see what you think.  Fair warning... I can’t make up my mind if Gnauck was forced to throw the World Championship that year or if it was a true injury.

Because I’m going to show a lot of video this post will be broken up because tumblr limits how many videos you can embed in a single post and I think it’s important to actually see the competition routines.

First... let me tell you about probably the most dominant bar worker of all time... and how she was more than a bar worker.

Maxi Gnauck was born in Berlin in 1964, competing in her first international senior competitions at age 15 in 1979.  At her first European championship in Copenhagen in 1979 she would take a bronze medal on the uneven bars.  She would never walk away from another competition with less than a gold on bars for the rest of her career retiring in 1985.  A six year senior career, still competitive at age 21 in the 1980s is itself a remarkable feat in an age when the sport was progressively being seen as the domain of younger and younger girls.  A winning streak lasting that long would be remarkable in any age putting her in the ranks of legends of the sport.  

But she wasn’t just a bars worker.  She was a true all arounder.  To save time going through her medal record to establish that this is the graphic from wikipedia...

We remember her as a bars worker because that’s where her Olympic gold comes from, but she was a one who was challenging the Soviets for all around medals over a five year span coming in behind Kim, Davydova and Mostapenova.  But in particular I want you to look at 1981 in that record and you can begin to understand where this mystery starts.  

In my next post on this subject I’ll walk you through that 1981 season but for now I want to introduce you to the kind of gymnast Maxi Gnauck was when she stormed onto the scene in 1979.  The 1979 World Championships also has a cloud over it involving if the Romanian government sabotaged their own team by faking an infection in Nadia Comăneci’s wrist forcing her to withdraw from the competition (Nadia to this day insists the infection was real).  There generally isn’t a suggestion that there was any kind of deal made between the Romanians and the Soviets and the Romanians would win their first team championship in 1979 thanks to a non-hands beam routine from Nadia.  Whatever conspiracy there was seems to have been within the Romanian government and national team (read Bela Karolyi).

With Nadia out the All Around was open for Soviet Nellie Kim.  It’s worth remembering that during this time Kim had a reputation for being friendly and gracious.  Even in the west many considered her world championship not just deserved but satisfying after she had competed in the shadow of Nadia.  What no one expected was for the 1979 World Championship AA to be a fight.

Kim won that All Around by .275.

This is the ABC coverage of the 1979 World Championships AA.  

In the years leading up to this Nadia had been considered athletic but doing lower difficulty, clean gymnastics.  Nellie Kim was the difficulty chucker unrewarded by a code of points capped at 10.  So what is Gnauck.  Well, as you can see from her floor she was perhaps one of the greatest tumblers of her time.  Start at 9.36 for Gnauck’s floor.  And as you watch that remember... that is essentially a dead floor.  20.03 will show you her balance beam where she has a major balance check which like cost her the gold.

Most often the label put on Gnauck at the time was “elfin” and though I don’t think you would reach for balletic terms to describe her gymnastics I do want to show just how good her extension and mastery were.

Maxi Gnauck (GDR), Compulsory FX, 1980 Olympic Games

Again the controversy in 1980 would surround Romania and Nadia.  There is very little argument these days that Romanian judge Maria Simionescu attempted to steal the olympic gold for Nadia after the Romanian gymnastics legend had a less than legendary beam routine.  Here is a Sports Illustrated article about the incident (though be warned like most contemporary journalistic pieces dealing with Nadia it’s super weird).  But when you say that Nadia was still over scored (even as she didn’t get that AA) you often overlook that she tied for the silver.  With Gnauck.  Bela Karolyi was too busy throwing a fit to pay attention to the gymnast who now had to share a medal with Nadia that she should have held outright.  But Bela’s tantrum would focus on Gnauck a few days later in the bars final.

Maxi Gnauck (GDR), UB, 1980 Olympic Games EF

Emilia Eberle (ROM), UB, 1980 Olympic Games EF

Watching old school bars is not my favorite thing, I’ll admit, but I think even a modern viewer can understand why Bela’s screaming (literally) that Eberle should have won gold rings false.  Form matters and form was what Gnauck had on bars in spades. 

Gnauck’s bars are precise, relentless.  She never made a mistake.  She could be counted on to hit that set no matter what.  And coming out of 1980 into the next season she was maturing and growing more powerful.  She could only get better...

Next time:  1981 the nearly perfect year...

[sunny-cyrus]

Okay :]

(in response to this post)

Sunny omori BJ Cyrus

Film Critique; South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut

Fun fact! The movie is called “South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut” because of the original title “South Park: All Hell Breaks Loose” but the MPAA forced them to change the title. So Trey Parker and Matt Stone came up with a worse name in spite, the title also in itself a double entendre. 

    This movie came out on June 30th 1999. It’s a tv movie on the long running show South Park. It’s 81 minutes long, and the director is Trey Parker, the same guy who made the show (co-creator Matt Stone but he’s not the creative direction of this show/movie). It ended up making 83.1 million in the box office, its budget was 21 million USD and it got an 80% on rotten tomatoes. This movie is actually a musical, making fun of the Disney Renaissance thing at the time when they were making the movie.

• One review I found that describes this whole movie perfectly is “This is probably one of the best adaptations to a cartoon I’ve ever seen. To start things out, I love the writing. It’s brilliant, smart, and entertaining. And don’t get me started on the music, it’s probably one of the best soundtracks to an animated movie in film history. With songs like “What would Brian Boitano do?” And “Blame Canada” being earworms to the brain because of them being REALLY catchy. And despite being an over 20 year old film, the movie still feels very funny with the edgy, raunchy humor that South Park is known for, and I think it pulls off REALLY well. So if you ask me, this is a must watch film if you are a fan of South Park or just wanting a fun, hilarious movie, South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut is WAY worth your time. Just don’t watch it while the kids are around.”

• The summary as shown on it’s about page; In this feature film based on the hit animated series, the third graders of South Park sneak into an R-rated film by ultra-vulgar Canadian television personalities Terrance (Matt Stone) and Phillip (Trey Parker), and emerge with expanded vocabularies that leave their parents and teachers scandalized. When outraged Americans try to censor the film, the controversy becomes a call to war with Canada, and Terrance and Phillip end up on death row -- with only the kids left to save them.”

Most of the people who voiced/played in this movie are Trey Parker and Matt Stone themselves. There’s also Mary Kay Bergman ( someone who has voiced over 400 characters in media so you'll be bound to know one of her voices), Isaac Hayes, John Venzon, and Marc Shaiman. Some other voices were audio samples and guest voices. 

The movie was based on the first season episode called “Death” Parker and Stone wanted to continue the idea of the parents protesting against a tv show they found inappropriate for children. They originally made that episode with a movie in mind too. 

Elements of this movie are the songs, considering that the movie is a musical there’s exactly sixteen songs. Each of them is phenomenal and amazing. They were written by Trey Parker, someone who has written many other songs before and also Marc Shaiman wrote the songs along with Trey Parker. For example “Mountain Town” is the song that introduces the main characters; Stan Marsh, Kenny McCormick, Kyle Broflovski and Eric Cartman where they go towards the movie theater which then introduces the main conflict of the movie. Every song is so amazing and well written, they also move the plot along. 

Elements and things that could’ve been improved, isn’t really anything. The music was great, the storyline and different plot points were interesting and tied together well. The only complaint I was even able to find was the time the movie came out! There’s not much to pick at for this movie, there may be one inconsistency with the movie and show when comparing, Sheila Brofoflovski hates Canadians in the movie even though she has an adopted son who’s Canadian. Although that was covered in the end of the movie when Kyle points it out. She was too focused on the thought of protecting children from adult things that she lost focus on her own children’s needs.

Usually when Trey/Matt make stuff it’s to be funny. But when they try to be funny it isn’t just offensive humor, even though that’s what everyone usually thinks south park is. It’s always some kind of commentary on what’s happening and then spewed into a parody of things and the perspective of fourth/third graders. The elements into making this movie was like making a longer, more impactful musical version of just another episode of South Park. The animation is paper cut outs of little people, the whole point of it is to look crappy. 

Although originally when making the pilot for the show they had done stop-motion animation with paper. Now and especially with the movie, the animation is made using Alias|Wavefront PowerAnimator, running on SGI O2 and Octane workstations. Though the characters are mapped they have a paper texture to keep going with the stop-motion paper cut out style. One of my favorite shots has to be when Cartman uses a broken chip that was implanted into him which shocks him when he swears. But because it was broken he could zap anyone when he swears, so when he goes to defeat Saddam Hussein there’s a 360 shot of Cartman with lightning around him saying many swears to send Hussein back to hell.

The elements in this film, musical based and advertised as inappropriate, do really impact this film. The music pushes everything along. The swearing and such shows how children act and it’s a commentary on how parents will push the blame onto the media for how their children act and how it’s their job to make sure children aren’t watching. Which is also a thing about kids watching South Park. The incorporation of Kenny always dying but being sent to hell this time to fix Satan and Hussein’s relationship so they don’t go to earth and overrun everything because if Sheila kills two Canadians (Terrance and Phillip) then they can rule everything. 

I love this movie. I unironically would put it in my top five list of favorites movies. It’s truly iconic and I do listen to the songs from time to time. I’d definitely recommend it if you’ve seen the first few seasons of South Park. 5/5 this movie is still funny and good to this day. 

Unnecessary fun facts about this movie

• The film was released on DVD in the US on November 23, 1999, with a VHS release initially exclusively as a rental.

• South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Blame Canada".

 • As a joke, Parker and Stone attended the 72nd Academy Awards ceremony in drag, It was later revealed on 6 Days to Air that they were high on LSD during the pre-show and the ceremony.

• In the 2001 edition of the "Guinness Book of World Records," "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut" was awarded "Most Swearing in an Animated Movie." According to their data, the film contains 399 swears (including the 144 F-word

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut Wikipedia. ww.wikipedia.com

In text citation (Wikipedia) 

“South Park Archives” southpark.fandom.net

Southpark.fandom.com/wiki/South_Park:Bigger,_Longer_Uncut.

Accessed since 2005

In text citation: (Fandom)

Logan J. Fowler. “1999 Movie-versaries: South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut”

Thepopbreak.com

“If I have one negative thing to say about the movie, I think releasing two years after the show premiered may have been a bit too early. Even though the show has been on for 20 years, it may have been better to wait until later in the run, something for fans to feel rewarded for. “

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What're your thoughts on the movie? How was my critique, what grade would you give me lmao

[yessadirichards]

What to stream this week: Usher, classic commercials and lots of puppies

LOS ANGELES

Usher’s first new solo album in eight years and the “Abbott Elementary” debuting its third season on ABC are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Justin Hartley of “This is Us” debuts his new CBS series “Tracker,” Sony’s new multiplayer military shooter Helldivers 2 and Celine Song’s “Past Lives,” an achingly tender film about making peace with the choices that shape our lives.

— Celine Song’s “Past Lives” is an achingly tender film about making peace with the choices that shape our lives. Song’s directorial debut, which is nominated for best picture and best screenplay at the Academy Awards, is about a woman named Nora (Greta Lee) who, while married and living in New York, reconnects with a childhood friend (Teo Yoo) from Seoul. Though modest in scale, “Past Lives” gently reckons with existential quandaries that stretch across time and continents. In her review, AP’s Jocelyn Noveck called it “a gorgeous, achingly wistful feature debut.” Streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime.

— The mind of Charlie Kaufman has produced some of the most memorable films (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “Synecdoch, New York”) of the last few decades. But even when Kaufman last scripted an animated film, (“Anomalisa”), you wouldn’t call the results child-friendly. But in “Orion and the Dark,” Kaufman adapts Emma Yarlett’s illustrated children’s book about a fifth-grader (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) who’s afraid of the dark, among other things. He’s forced to confront his fears when visited the actual Dark (voiced by Paul Walter Hauser). In his review, AP’s Mark Kennedy said director Sean Charmatz’s film “is about fear and overcoming … but has too much junk clogging up the vision.” Streaming on Netflix.

— Laura Chinn’s directorial debut “Suncoast,” which recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, draws from Chinn's own experience growing up in Florida and caring for her ill brother. With a cast including Laura Linney and Woody Harrelson, newcomer Nico Parker stars as the high-schooler Doris in this coming-of-age drama. “Suncoast” streams Feb. 9 on Hulu.

— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle

— It may very well be Usher’s world, and we’re just living in it. From an incredibly successful Las Vegas residency to scoring the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show, the “Confessions” singer is experiencing a well-deserved influx of attention — from a new and curious audience as well as those filled with nostalgia for his smooth ’00s R&B. There’s more great news: on Friday, Feb. 9, just two days before he appears at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for Sin City’s inaugural Super Bowl, Usher will release “Coming Home,” his first new solo album in eight years. He hasn’t missed a beat — “Good Good,” the single with Summer Walker and 21 Savage — is silky summertime R&B with some Atlanta bounce — a winning combination. Elsewhere on the album, Usher joins forces with Burna Boy, Latto, The-Dream, H.E.R., BTS member Jungkook and Pheelz. “Stacked” is the word.

— Swedish pop singer Zara Larsson will release her fourth studio album, “Venus,” on Feb. 9 — an album full of shimmery synth-pop and Euro dance-pop that burns bright, hot and fast like a Saturday night. “On My Love” with EDM giant David Guetta proves it, but Larsson’s commitment to feel-good club bangers exists throughout: like on the strings of “End of Time,” which she said was inspired by Rihanna and ABBA in equal parts. Now that’s a combination.

— If you frequent indie music corners of the internet, you might’ve seen the shirts released by Helado Negro, the musical moniker of Roberto Carlos Lange, before you heard his music: “Young and Latin and Proud,” they read, a celebration of the South Florida native born to Ecuadorian immigrants’ identity, but also the identity of many of his listeners. It’s a great framework to consider Helado Negro’s latest album, “Phasor,” a day-dreamy collection of experimental pop (like on “Best For You and Me”), psych rock (“LFO (Lupe Finds Oliveros)”) and alternative rhythms and flutes (“I Just Want To Wake Up With You.”) It is a celebration of an incredible diversity of Latin music, including one that gets lost when listeners focus too closely on geography: atmospheric sounds.

— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

— “Abbott Elementary” aired its season two finale last April and there are lingering questions that need answers. Can Janine and Gregory (series creator Quinta Brunson and Tyler James Williams) remain platonic after almost stepping outside the friend-zone on the field trip to the science museum? Did a summer at Harvard prompt Ava (Janelle James) to finally take her job as principal seriously? And will Mrs. Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph) finally learn that Brian Tyree Henry’s name is not Brian Austin Green? Answers may be revealed Wednesday when school is back in session and “Abbott Elementary” debuts season three on ABC. Episodes also stream on Hulu.

— Revisit popular Super Bowl ads from years past on “Super Bowl Greatest Commercials XXIII: The Ultimate Countdown,” on Wednesday on CBS. The show presents top commercials from over the years from brands including Budweiser, E-Trade and Coke. Hosts Boomer Esiason, the former NFL quarterback, and actor Danielle Ruah narrow down the competition to two finalists, and viewers can pick a winner by scanning a QR code on screen to vote live. The special will also stream on Paramount+.

— There’s a four-legged alternative to Super Bowl Sunday: Puppy Bowl XX. This year marks the Bowl’s 20th year and 131 adoptable pups have been drafted from shelters and rescues across the U.S. to compete. Teams Ruff and Fluff square off for the coveted “Lombarky” trophy while also encouraging people to adopt and not shop for pets. Puppy Bowl XX will simulcast on Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, Discovery+, TBS, TRUTV, and MAX before the big human game on Sunday, Feb. 11.

— Great American Family also wants in on the call-to-adoption programming. Year two of the Great American Rescue Bowl will feature both dogs and cats -- all who have already been adopted — to highlight the kinds of pets you can find at a shelter or rescue instead of a store or breeder. The paw-some game between teams The Adorables and The Cuddlers begin at 12 p.m. also on Sunday, Feb. 11.

— Justin Hartley of “This is Us” debuts his new CBS series “Tracker” in the prime spot after Super Bowl LVIII. Based on the book “The Never Game” by Jeffery Deaver, Hartley plays Colter Shaw, a guy with a skill for tracking down the missing and all he asks for in return is reward money. In an interview, Hartley says he was itching to roam around outside after years of being in kitchens and living rooms for “This Is Us.”

— Alicia Rancilio

— Sony’s new multiplayer military shooter Helldivers 2 invites you to “wage war for peace” and “die for democracy.” If those slogans sound like something out of the 1997 satire “Starship Troopers,” wait until you see the enemy, a species of giant insects called terminids. You can join forces with up to three friends as elite soldiers defending “Super Earth” from the aliens — which, of course, is best accomplished by attacking the monsters on their home planets with a spectacular assortment of high-tech weaponry, from your basic laser rifle to massive bombs. If you find yourself cornered by an alien “bile spewer,” well, that’s your problem. The invasion launches Thursday on PlayStation 5 and PC.

— Lou Kesten

[spinstrackingsystem]

iHeartMedia Announces Jingle Ball Lineups, Adds ABC/Hulu

iHeartMedia will celebrate the holiday season with its annual “iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour” on iHeartRadio stations across America and the iHeartRadio app with performances by this year’s biggest artists including Olivia Rodrigo, Usher, Nicki Minaj, SZA, Niall Horan, OneRepublic, AJR, Sabrina Carpenter, Miguel, Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, NCT DREAM, Flo Rida and more. This year, “The 2023 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour will feature stops in Tampa, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, New York, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Miami. “Our annual iHeartRadio Jingle Ball lineup is one of our most anticipated of the year, and we’re excited to finally share who will be joining us on the road this season,” said iHeartMedia Chief Programming Officer Tom Poleman. “This event always showcases the best in pop music and gives our listeners the chance to celebrate the holiday season alongside their favorite artists. We’re thrilled with this year’s artists and we can’t wait to see them put on a great show.” iHeartMedia and ABC also announced today a new multi-year agreement for ABC to become the television broadcast partner for the iconic event. iHeartRadio Jingle Ball tour stops will be part of a network special, airing December 21 from 8-10pm ET). The special will be available on demand and on Hulu the following day. “The Read the full article

[newmusicweekly]

iHeartMedia Announces Jingle Ball Lineups, Adds ABC/Hulu

iHeartMedia will celebrate the holiday season with its annual "iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour" on iHeartRadio stations across America and the iHeartRadio app with performances by this year's biggest artists including Olivia Rodrigo, Usher, Nicki Minaj, SZA, Niall Horan, OneRepublic, AJR, Sabrina Carpenter, Miguel, Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, NCT DREAM, Flo Rida and more. This year, "The 2023 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour will feature stops in Tampa, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, New York, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Miami. "Our annual iHeartRadio Jingle Ball lineup is one of our most anticipated of the year, and we're excited to finally share who will be joining us on the road this season," said iHeartMedia Chief Programming Officer Tom Poleman. "This event always showcases the best in pop music and gives our listeners the chance to celebrate the holiday season alongside their favorite artists. We're thrilled with this year's artists and we can't wait to see them put on a great show." iHeartMedia and ABC also announced today a new multi-year agreement for ABC to become the television broadcast partner for the iconic event. iHeartRadio Jingle Ball tour stops will be part of a network special, airing December 21 from 8-10pm ET). The special will be available on demand and on Hulu the following day. "The Read the full article

[the-active-news]

Tommy Fury’s Net Worth:How Much They Earn From A fight!

What is Tommy Fury’s net worth? How much They Earn From A fight. Tommy is 23 years old because he entered the world on May 7, 1999. Throughout his professional boxing career, he has yet to be defeated. He is Tyson Fury's younger brother, the current WBC heavyweight champion. Aside from his career as a professional boxer, Tommy Fury is also a well-known television host and model from England. Tyson Fury, a former heavyweight world champion, is his older brother. Fame came his way in 2019 after he competed on the fifth season of Love Island and came in second place. In this article, we discuss Tommy Fury's net worth in detail.

What is Tommy Fury’s Net Worth?

This Sunday, February 26th, in Saudi Arabia, Jake Paul will meet Tommy Fury in a bout for a spot in the WBC. Jake Paul, a YouTube star who has just turned his attention to boxing, will meet Tommy Fury, the younger brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. On Sunday, February 26th, the bout will end in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. Related Posts - Pooh Shiesty Net Worth: How Much Money Did Pooh Shiesty Have? - David Andrews Net Worth? How Much Does He Make Annually? Tommy Fury gives credit to Jake Paul after beating him: "There's no way people can't say he's a proper boxer." pic.twitter.com/fIF9XLMdxr — Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) February 27, 2023 WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has already offered to promote Jake Paul to the cruiserweight ranks in the organization should he be deemed the victor in this bout. Hence, he stands to enjoy a lot more than just financial success if he prevails. Yet, Tommy Fury is motivated by financial gain. The Love Island star could potentially earn ten times his current salary from one battle. Estimates put the value of the younger Fury at $1.6 million. In fact, he has an opportunity to earn £1.6 million from this bout. In addition, 35% of all pay-per-view proceeds will go directly to him. Taking into account the money he has already made from fight-related sponsorships.

When was Tommy Fury on Love Island?

On the 2019 season of the Love Island reality show on ITV2, Tommy Fury was a guest star. Fury and her partner Molly-Mae Hague finished in second place overall.

Tommy Fury on Love Island

How is Tommy Fury Related to Tyson?

Both Tyson Fury and Tommy are half-brothers. The two Brits were both born to John, but their mothers differed. Tyson warned his younger brother, Tommy, that if he lost his forthcoming boxing match against Jake Paul, he will have to quit and legally change his last name from Fury. On January 23, 2023, Fury and Molly-Mae welcomed their first child together. They took inspiration from the Disney film for their daughter's name and gave her the unique moniker Bambi. “I think the fight needs to happen – Tommy and Jake will get the fight done,” Tyson told Boxing Social.“If Tommy can’t splatter Jake Paul, I’ll retire him from boxing. If he can’t beat Jake Paul, forget about boxing. https://www.instagram.com/p/CpGP9JYtw0M/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link “Because he’s got ambitions of being a world champion, never mind beating some YouTube guy.“But it’s a great fight for the social media world and for all the kids out there who support them both.“It’s a great fight to watch, it’s a spectacle.“But Tommy – his name’s Fury. If he can’t beat Jake Paul, I’ll have to change his name.”

Who has Tommy Fury fought?

Tommy went back to his hometown despite his rising fame as a reality show star. He has fought eight times and won every one of them. Tom has been defeated. some youtube clips are given below theirs. https://youtu.be/FJfcZGRkVXk - Daniel Bocianski (on points; April 23, 2022) - Anthony Taylor (on points; August 30, 2021) - Jordan Grant (on points; June 5, 2021) - Scott Williams (TKO; February 27, 2021) - Genadij Krajevskij (KO; November 13, 2020) - Przemyslaw Binienda (TKO; December 21, 2019) - Callum Ide (KO; March 23, 2019) - Jevgenijs Andrejevs (on points; December 22, 2018) On February 26th, 2023, he will square off against Jake Paul, a popular YouTuber who has now taken to boxing. Similar articles - Wine Balloon Net Worth 2023: The Frenchman Climbed Down With Wine From A Balloon Final line - English boxer, model, and talk show host Tommy Fury. He is Tyson Fury's younger brother, the reigning WBC heavyweight champion. He is undefeated in eight professional bouts and will challenge YouTuber Jake Paul in a fight for a WBC title. An additional $1.6 million would be added to his current $1.6 million net worth if he wins the fight. The fifth season of Love Island in 2019 was another source of his sudden stardom, alongside his boxing profession. Read the full article

[serve-update]

Richard Jefferson Net Worth: His Journey To The NBA!

American former professional basketball player and current ESPN analyst Richard Allen Jefferson Jr. On June 21, 1980, he was born in Los Angeles, California. He was a member of the Arizona Wildcats basketball team in college.

Richard Jefferson Net Worth

As an American professional basketball player, Richard Jefferson has amassed a net worth of $50 million. Richard Jefferson's Christian missionary parents brought him from Los Angeles to Phoenix when he was a baby. https://twitter.com/FactsWOW1/status/1584769876685725696 Richard Jefferson was a key member of the 1998 4A Arizona State Champion Moon Valley High School basketball team in Phoenix. From 1998 through 2001, Richard Jefferson starred for the University of Arizona Wildcats basketball team under the direction of coaching icon Lute Olsen. Richard Jefferson took the Wildcats to the 2001 NCAA National Championship Game during his senior year. In 2012, he became a member of the Pac-12 Basketball Hall of Fame. Richard Jefferson, at 6'7" and 230 pounds, plays small forward. We hope you like this article Fat Joe Net Worth. The Houston Rockets picked him with the thirteenth overall pick in the first round of the 2001 NBA draught. From 2001 to 2008, Richard Jefferson was a member of the New Jersey Nets. From 2008 to 2009, he was a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. From 2009 to 2012, he was a member of the San Antonio Spurs.

From 2012 to 2013, he was a member of the Golden State Warriors. In 2002, he was named to the NBA's All-Rookie Second Team, and in 2004, he helped the United States Olympic basketball team earn bronze at the Olympics in Athens.

His Journey To The NBA.

Richard Jefferson's basketball adventure began in Phoenix, where he was nurtured by his mother and stepfather. While at Moon Valley High, Jefferson was a key contributor to the 1998 4A State Championship victory by the varsity basketball team. You might also be interested to read about this article Joakim Noah Net Worth. While attending college, he remained in Phoenix, and, from 1998 to 2001, he spent three years playing collegiate football for the Arizona Wildcats. In 2001, Jefferson was a part of the team that came up short in the national championship game against Duke. The ESPN analyst averaged 11.2, 5.0, and 2.8 assists in 77 starts over 84 games played at the collegiate level. In the 2001 NBA draught, Richard Jefferson was the thirteenth overall choice for the Houston Rockets. The New Jersey Nets, however, traded for his draught rights. Jefferson was a member of the team for seven total seasons. https://youtu.be/i3C8QzAA-0M He was a huge reason why they were able to win back-to-back Eastern Conference crowns in 2002 and 2003. You might also be interested to read about this article Utah Jazz Owner Net Worth. With Jefferson, Jason Kidd, and Kenyon Martin at their core, the Nets showed promise but never managed to win a title. During the better part of his NBA career, Jefferson ranked among the league's most dynamic bench contributors. After ten years of starting, Jefferson decided to move to the bench. Check this Martin Shkreli Net Worth. After his time with the Nets, he was a member of the NBA teams of the Milwaukee Bucks, San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Denver Nuggets. Since Jefferson's retirement in 2018, he has been working as a radio and television commentator. Read the full article

[adultswim2021]

Squidbillies #50: "Not Without My Cash Cow!" | July 20, 2009 - 12:15AM | S04E10

Sometimes I think maybe I’m too hard on Squidbillies. When I point out that the show rarely makes me laugh it’s a true statement, but I don’t know if that makes me an effective arbiter of the show’s quality. I probably didn’t laugh out loud too much at the last Aqua Teen season, but I probably made less of a point to tell you this because I’m fonder of that show and those characters. If I’m being honest, the quality of these two shows this television season was probably fairly negligible. I would even go as far as to say that this was the best season of Squidbillies that I’ve seen, and I’m more fond of the show than I was last go round. 

In the conclusion of this two-parter: Durwood has taken Rusty from Early’s home. Early has seller's remorse, and is also promptly caught in a lie trying to disguise Lil as Rusty in order to keep his government child support checks from drying up. So, Early feigns that Rusty has been suspiciously kidnapped, causing Amber Alerts in the area. A media circus ensues which Early milks for all it’s worth.

Meanwhile, Durwood’s family home life isn’t all it’s cut out to be. His wife is addicted to wine and muscle relaxers. Durwood is revealed to be jobless, and we cut to him at a gay bar while pretending to go to work. His wife shares this fact with Rusty, also telling him that Durwood doesn’t know that she knows. It doesn’t stop with this overshare; she seduces Rusty, who gleefully fucks her. When Durwood comes home, she claims Rusty raped her. That’s when they simply stuff him into a sack and throw him back into Early’s yard.

I’ve been trained to be lightly wary of these types of take-downs of suburban/middle-class America, and this one doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel. But it works well enough to pass the time for an eleven minute Adult Swim cartoon. It’s sorta fun to have one of your guys be a squid that’s walking upright in shoes, you know?? That dude straight-up unfurls and I gotta tell you, I was glad to see it. Not saying I loved this episode too much, but I liked it. Squidbillies: reasonably funny.

EPHEMERA CORNER: 

San Diego Comic-Con (July 23-25, 2009) 

Here’s the post where I basically just list all the Adult Swim related-stuff that happened at or around comic-con in 2009. I recall going to this comic-con, but I don’t think I have a good enough of a memory to definitively say what I did and where. If I remember anything, I’ll write a thing. Also, I’ll link to videos if there are any. Also, this is apropos somewhat; I realized that I’m pretty sure I’ve failed to highlight other panels at different comic-cons, but the idea of cataloging all of them to any extent just seems exhausting. Collectors of Adult Swim ephemera should do due diligence and find all the other con shit themselves. I mostly just highlight San Diego because I’ve actually gone to that one myself a few times. Thanks. 

SDCC Panel: Robot Chicken w/ Titan Maximum (July 23, 2009 - 3:00PM) SDCC Panel: The Mighty Boosh (July 24, 2009 - 4:45PM)

I can’t imagine going to the Robot Chicken panel. I don’t think I went to the Mighty Boosh panel.

Tim and Eric Awesome Show Performance (July 24, 2009 - 7:00PM)

I think I went to the Tim & Eric show with Kon, who is famous for being my friend and sometimes writing into the blog. I recall having gone to a Tim & Eric show at an all-ages venue in San Francisco maybe a few months before this. The kids were actually pretty great, but the 21+ crowd were dickheads, who vaguely treated everyone and everything like it was just a big freak show. I remember watching some girl dance during all the songs and stealing focus. I despised her.

Mighty Boosh Bash (July 24, 2009 - 11:00PM)

I remember going to this, it was basically a short stage show with the Boosh Boys and it ended with a DJ set. I mingled for like 15 minutes and then left.

Tim and Eric Awesome-Con 2009 (July 25, 2009 - 12:00PM)

This happens in a park outside the convention center. I don’t remember what happened at which Awesome-Con. Could this be the Awesome-Con where I asked to take a picture with James Quall and he just made a noise that sounded like a big sigh and I took it as a yes while he stared off into the distance. It was a dark moment, man. 

SDCC Panel: Series Development and the Venture Bros. (July 25, 2009 - 6:00PM)

I think I sat through this, and I think this might’ve been the panel where I sat next to a really beautiful girl who was dressed like Lady Au Pair. Maybe. I don’t know, I probably said that about the last Venture Bros. panel. I might be hazy on the details, but I basically remember every hot girl who ever touched or almost touched me. 

Robot Chicken Fan Event (July 25, 2009 - 8:00PM)

In your dreams, dickbag