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42 Essential Tips for Visiting Universal Studios Hollywood

Photo Credit: Christina Champlin / We Like L.A.

Universal Studios Hollywood bills itself as “The Entertainment Capital of L.A.” Famous for combining their film studio with a massive theme park, guests get a behind the scenes look at a real life working studio, see iconic movie sets from the past,  and immerse themselves into their favorite worlds like Harry Potter through the Wizarding World or Springfield USA, home of The Simpsons. Universal Studios brings these franchises and others to life, which offers fun for all-ages, all year round.

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That said, like all theme parks, the time and money to visit is a big investment. You know it’s going to be a full day and night excursion. There will be crowds, long lines, fussy children and over-priced everything. Take some control back into your hands and turn your day at one of the most popular theme parks in California into a seamless good time with our nifty list of tips on how to navigate Universal Studios Hollywoods like a pro. Trust us, a little preparation and planning will go a long way!

Ticket options and tips

1. Avoid busy ticket lines by ordering tickets online in advance. Prices are usually cheaper online ranging from $99 to $129 for general admission.

2. Unsure what day you’ll be going to the park? Purchase Anytime Admission tickets online for some flexibility. This ticket allows you to visit on any date of your choosing.

3. Online ticket purchases will also give you Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Early Park Admission begins one hour before the park opens and is subject to availability. Visit the park calendar to see future availability.

4. Get the Universal Express Pass. It gives you front of the line access to all attractions and shows which cuts your wait time by more than half. This is especially important during busy times like the weekend or holidays. Prices run $169 and up depending on the day. If the price difference from GA is negligible to you (and it’s not to everyone), then we strongly recommend the Express Pass.

5. Children two years old or younger enter the park for free without a ticket. But keep in mind that there are height requirements for a number of rides.

6. There’s a Universal Studios Hollywood VIP Experience package where you get valet parking, a personal guided tour of the park, unlimited priority access to rides and shows, breakfast in a private VIP lounge, backlot access to sound stages, prop warehouse, and other restricted areas, plus a gourmet all-you-can-eat lunch at the Moulin Rouge dining room. There is limited availability for this package and you must book in advance. Children under 5 are not allowed for this offer. Currently prices range $349 and up depending on the day.

7. Going with a big squad? The park offers group discounts for 10 people or more. Call 1-800-959-9688 for more information and to reserve tickets.

8. Do not buy tickets from third party resellers. Buying directly from the park ensures that ticket are valid and authentic.

Best time to go

9. If it can be helped, avoid days where children are out of school like a holiday or the weekend.

10. The busiest seasons are the summer with spring in second and fall and winter being the least congested.

11. Check the Universal Studios Hollywood calendar to see which celebrities might be in the area. EXTRA is usually filmed at the Globe Fountain found at the front of the park entrance and The Voice is film on the studio grounds. Celebrity sightings during the famous tram ride are possible as well.

Photo Credit: Christina Champlin / We Like L.A.

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Park Tips

12. Go early in order to beat the heat and crowds in the warmer seasons. Early park guests all year round get the whole experience of Universal Studios Hollywood without the massive crowds that tend to enter the park later in the day.

13. Head to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter first. It’s located at the front of the theme park and that area can become extremely crowded later in the day.

14. The park is divided into an Upper and Lower Lot. The Lower Lot (the smaller of the two) is usually less busy but it also have two of the most exciting rides; Transformers: The Ride 3-D and Revenge of The Mummy The Ride with a third, Jurassic World set to open in 2019. Keep in mind that depending where you start from the walk from Upper to Lower may take you 10 to 15 minutes. Try to build out your day so you’re not shuttling back and forth from one lot to the other, as this can be tiring and takes up valuable time.

15. The Universal Studios Hollywood app is a helpful guide to the park right in your phone. The app helps guest find upcoming shows, estimate ride wait times, locate restaurants and shops, as well as small performances like the Triwizard Spirit Rally performances and character meet and greets.

16. The park offers free WiFi. Use it to visit the wait times webpage here while visiting the park. Or download the app.

17. All the excitement of a theme park will leave you dehydrated. Bring an empty water bottle into the park and fill it up at water fountains inside the park. This is also a great tip to avoid being over charged for water at concession stands.

18. Going to the park with non-english speakers? Studio Tours are offered in both Spanish and Mandarin every day. Visit Guest Relations for tour times.

Photo Credit: Christina Champlin / We Like L.A.

Rides & Show Tips

19. Single Riders Line is a great option for those who don’t care if they split up from their group. It’s the fastest way to get on a ride. The following has single rider options: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff, Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride and Transformers: The Ride 3D.

20. The park offers a “child switch” program. If a child in your party cannot ride an attraction, one or two adults can wait with the child in the attraction’s Child Switch room. When the rest of your party returns, they simply switch with those who were waiting with the child, without having to wait in line again. Inquire with a park team member at the entrance of an attraction and they will assist you.

21. Ollivanders Wand Shop does not accept an express pass. It is longest in the morning when kids and adults are buying their wand for the day. Wands are able to perform magical spells at most of the Harry Potter world store front windows.

22. The Wizarding World is AWESOME. You’ll be transported into the magical world the minute you step in. Explore the many shops of Hogsmeade, throw back a couple Butterbeers and get yourself a wand at Ollivanders. This is a good place to splurge a little if you’re a die hard Potter fan. There are two rides at the Wizarding World. Harry Potter and the thrilling Forbidden Journey is located inside of Hogwarts castle. You’ll see the great hall, the Sorting Hat, Hogwarts Portraits and more. The ride is a little scary so beware. On the other end, the family friendley outdoor coaster Flight of the Hippogriff will have you riding on a Hippogriff (Hagrid’s magical pet) around a pumpkin patch.

23. The Studio Tour is now action packed! Guests will be taken around the studio lower lot where some of the most iconic movies have been filmed like JAWS and Psycho. Fairly new is a ride along with the cast of Fast & The Furious the hyper-realistic journey with loads of special effects, 3D-HD, 4-D all projected onto the world’s most expansive 360-degree screens will transport you into a crazy car chase adventure. But wait… there’s more. You also get to experience a very intense King Kong 360-3D experience created by Peter Jackson. Considered to be the worlds largest 3-D experience, guests will be caught in the middle of a heart pounding fight to the death between King Kong and a 35-foot T-Rex. Keep your belongs close to you on both 3-D experiences, you’ll be rocking side to side a lot on both rides. Head to the tour when your legs begin to tire and you need a period of rest (but still want a little excitement!).

24. WaterWorld is still one of the most popular shows in the park. Run time is 20 minutes. Head over to the show when you need a break from walking or standing. Do not sit in the splash zones unless you want to get seriously wet. The show’s cast members are not shy about dumping buckets of water on guests. You’ve been warned.

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25. Revenge of The Mummy: The Ride is located in the lower lot of the park. Be prepared to go up to 45mph into virtual darkness with ancient horrors lurking at every turn. All riders must place their items in the free lockers located next to the ride entrance.

26. Transformers: The Ride 3-D located in the lower lot is one another popular ride in the park. Spot Optimus and Bubble Bee outside giving a heroic speech, a great spot for photo opps before entering into the world of Autobots vs. Decepticons where you’ll be tasked to protect the Allspark.

27. The old Jurassic Park ride closed on September 3, 2018. The park plans update the ride as Jurassic World in 2019.

28. Bring a swimsuit for the little ones. There’s a Wet Zone area called Super Silly Fun Lands, with over 80 water play features near the Despicable Me attraction. A perfect cool down option in the summer time.

29. Night Time Lights at Hogwarts Castle is a dazzling light show using the castle as the backdrop. Available during summer. If you can’t make it then, don’t worry the light show returns every year. There’s also a holiday edition in the winter time too.

30. The annual Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights starts in mid September and runs through the first week of November. See some of the most iconic monsters come to life during this popular Halloween series. You’ll experience spine chilling mazes usually themed from the latest Universal horror flick, live shows, scare zones and the Terror Tram experience where the studio tour tram ride takes a very dark turn. Be prepared to take a stroll off the tram during Halloween Horror Nights. This year the Terror Tram theme is Hollywood Harry’s Dreadtime Storiez based on the 1950’s demented clown infamous for terrorizing the Universal Studios backlot. Additional 2018 attractions include Stranger Things, Trick ‘r Treat, The First Purge maze, Halloween 4 maze and much more.

31. Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is truly a special occasion. Expect Hogsmeade to be decorated in Christmas decor, holiday themed food, drinks, snowfall and The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle a dazzling projection show that wraps around the castle. “Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” will take place daily from November 17, 2018 through January 6, 2019.

32. For 2018, the holidays will see the return of “Grinchmas” an annual event featuring a 60-foot tall “Grinchmas” tree and performances by Martha May Who-vier and the Who-liday Singers. “Grinchmas” will take place weekends on December 1-2 and 8-9, and daily from December 14 through December 30, 2018.

33. New Year’s Eve at Universal Studios Hollywood will host multiple party areas with music, dancing, drinks, special souvenirs and a midnight countdown celebration with fireworks.

34. Lunar New Year is also a fun time to go to the them park. Meet characters like Po and Tigress from Kung Fu Panda, Illumination’s Minions in traditional Chinese attire and a Mandarin-speaking Megatron from TRANSFORMERS. For 2019 you’ll also see a Dragon Warriors Kung Fu training show, Mr. Ping’s Noodle Shop, live themed performances and more.

35. For the most up to date list of all rides and attractions, checkout the USH official site.

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Photo Credit: Universal Studios

Dining

37. Three Broomsticks in Wizarding World is set up as the rustic tavern where Harry Potter first took a sip of Butterbeer. You can do the same and feast on Hogwarts approved British fare. The menu includes Bangers & Mash, Shepherd’s Pie, Fish & Chips and Beef Sunday Roast. If you have four people with you, consider “The Great Feast” a tray bursting with ribs, roasted chicken, corn on the cob, roasted potatoes and steamed vegetables.

38. If you’re a Harry Potter fan you have to get a taste of Butterbeer. It comes frozen, hot, cold on ice and taste like cream soda and caramel.  The frozen Butterbeer is the best one in our opinion. Skip the long lines at the kiosks and go inside Hogs Head Pub. There you can also order the exclusive Hog’s Head Brew or Pumpkin Juice, Gillywater (aka bottled water), wine, spirits, cocktails and a selection of beers.

39. Springfield U.S.A. carries one of the most immersive food options in the park showcasing eateries, bars and items from the show.

Guests can dine on Krusty-certified meat sandwiches at Krusty Burger like the Sideshow Bob Foot Long, Clogger Burger, Ribwich and the classic Krusty Burger.

Moe’s Tavern is the perfect watering hole to score some real Duff beer and even a Flaming Moe. While you’re there, snap a picture with some of the bars most valued customers like Barney Gumble!

There’s a Duff Brewery Beer garden and located next to it is Bumblebee Man’s Taco Truck.

Lard Lad Donuts is where Homer’s favorite iced pink donuts with sprinkles can be found. In the park they are giant, making it fun for sharing and having a photo moment with.

Suds McDuffs Hot Dogs carries memorable items from the show like Krusty’s Non-Kosher Hot Dog Kombo, Marge’s Twisted Pretzel, Ralph Wiggum’s Choo-Choo Churro and Buzz Cola.

Hankering for some fried chicken? Head to Cletus’ Chicken Shack for a Chicken and Waffle sandwich, Chicken Platters and something called Chicken Thumbs.

Luigi’s Pizza offers hot and fresh pizza by the slice and an entire pie.

Phineas Q. Butterfat’s Ice Cream shop will have you indulging on Ice Cream Swirl ‘n’ Hurl, Ice Cream Conans, Brain Freezin’ D’oh-Nut Sundaes and more.

40. To maximize your time you are allowed to bring your food into Universal’s Animal Actors and WaterWorld shows.

41. CityWalk also has many food options such as Voodoo Doughnut, Karl Strauss, and Margaritaville.

42. You can go in and out of the park. Lines for food will be less extreme at the sit down options at City Walk. Don’t forget to get your hand stamped and hold onto your ticket.

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Source: http://www.welikela.com/tips-visit-universal-studios-hollywood/

[dollprose0-blog]

42 Essential Tips for Visiting Universal Studios Hollywood

Photo Credit: Christina Champlin / We Like L.A.

Universal Studios Hollywood bills itself as “The Entertainment Capital of L.A.” Famous for combining their film studio with a massive theme park, guests get a behind the scenes look at a real life working studio, see iconic movie sets from the past,  and immerse themselves into their favorite worlds like Harry Potter through the Wizarding World or Springfield USA, home of The Simpsons. Universal Studios brings these franchises and others to life, which offers fun for all-ages, all year round.

Advertisements

That said, like all theme parks, the time and money to visit is a big investment. You know it’s going to be a full day and night excursion. There will be crowds, long lines, fussy children and over-priced everything. Take some control back into your hands and turn your day at one of the most popular theme parks in California into a seamless good time with our nifty list of tips on how to navigate Universal Studios Hollywoods like a pro. Trust us, a little preparation and planning will go a long way!

Ticket options and tips

1. Avoid busy ticket lines by ordering tickets online in advance. Prices are usually cheaper online ranging from $99 to $129 for general admission.

2. Unsure what day you’ll be going to the park? Purchase Anytime Admission tickets online for some flexibility. This ticket allows you to visit on any date of your choosing.

3. Online ticket purchases will also give you Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Early Park Admission begins one hour before the park opens and is subject to availability. Visit the park calendar to see future availability.

4. Get the Universal Express Pass. It gives you front of the line access to all attractions and shows which cuts your wait time by more than half. This is especially important during busy times like the weekend or holidays. Prices run $169 and up depending on the day. If the price difference from GA is negligible to you (and it’s not to everyone), then we strongly recommend the Express Pass.

5. Children two years old or younger enter the park for free without a ticket. But keep in mind that there are height requirements for a number of rides.

6. There’s a Universal Studios Hollywood VIP Experience package where you get valet parking, a personal guided tour of the park, unlimited priority access to rides and shows, breakfast in a private VIP lounge, backlot access to sound stages, prop warehouse, and other restricted areas, plus a gourmet all-you-can-eat lunch at the Moulin Rouge dining room. There is limited availability for this package and you must book in advance. Children under 5 are not allowed for this offer. Currently prices range $349 and up depending on the day.

7. Going with a big squad? The park offers group discounts for 10 people or more. Call 1-800-959-9688 for more information and to reserve tickets.

8. Do not buy tickets from third party resellers. Buying directly from the park ensures that ticket are valid and authentic.

Best time to go

9. If it can be helped, avoid days where children are out of school like a holiday or the weekend.

10. The busiest seasons are the summer with spring in second and fall and winter being the least congested.

11. Check the Universal Studios Hollywood calendar to see which celebrities might be in the area. EXTRA is usually filmed at the Globe Fountain found at the front of the park entrance and The Voice is film on the studio grounds. Celebrity sightings during the famous tram ride are possible as well.

Photo Credit: Christina Champlin / We Like L.A.

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Park Tips

12. Go early in order to beat the heat and crowds in the warmer seasons. Early park guests all year round get the whole experience of Universal Studios Hollywood without the massive crowds that tend to enter the park later in the day.

13. Head to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter first. It’s located at the front of the theme park and that area can become extremely crowded later in the day.

14. The park is divided into an Upper and Lower Lot. The Lower Lot (the smaller of the two) is usually less busy but it also have two of the most exciting rides; Transformers: The Ride 3-D and Revenge of The Mummy The Ride with a third, Jurassic World set to open in 2019. Keep in mind that depending where you start from the walk from Upper to Lower may take you 10 to 15 minutes. Try to build out your day so you’re not shuttling back and forth from one lot to the other, as this can be tiring and takes up valuable time.

15. The Universal Studios Hollywood app is a helpful guide to the park right in your phone. The app helps guest find upcoming shows, estimate ride wait times, locate restaurants and shops, as well as small performances like the Triwizard Spirit Rally performances and character meet and greets.

16. The park offers free WiFi. Use it to visit the wait times webpage here while visiting the park. Or download the app.

17. All the excitement of a theme park will leave you dehydrated. Bring an empty water bottle into the park and fill it up at water fountains inside the park. This is also a great tip to avoid being over charged for water at concession stands.

18. Going to the park with non-english speakers? Studio Tours are offered in both Spanish and Mandarin every day. Visit Guest Relations for tour times.

Photo Credit: Christina Champlin / We Like L.A.

Rides & Show Tips

19. Single Riders Line is a great option for those who don’t care if they split up from their group. It’s the fastest way to get on a ride. The following has single rider options: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff, Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride and Transformers: The Ride 3D.

20. The park offers a “child switch” program. If a child in your party cannot ride an attraction, one or two adults can wait with the child in the attraction’s Child Switch room. When the rest of your party returns, they simply switch with those who were waiting with the child, without having to wait in line again. Inquire with a park team member at the entrance of an attraction and they will assist you.

21. Ollivanders Wand Shop does not accept an express pass. It is longest in the morning when kids and adults are buying their wand for the day. Wands are able to perform magical spells at most of the Harry Potter world store front windows.

22. The Wizarding World is AWESOME. You’ll be transported into the magical world the minute you step in. Explore the many shops of Hogsmeade, throw back a couple Butterbeers and get yourself a wand at Ollivanders. This is a good place to splurge a little if you’re a die hard Potter fan. There are two rides at the Wizarding World. Harry Potter and the thrilling Forbidden Journey is located inside of Hogwarts castle. You’ll see the great hall, the Sorting Hat, Hogwarts Portraits and more. The ride is a little scary so beware. On the other end, the family friendley outdoor coaster Flight of the Hippogriff will have you riding on a Hippogriff (Hagrid’s magical pet) around a pumpkin patch.

23. The Studio Tour is now action packed! Guests will be taken around the studio lower lot where some of the most iconic movies have been filmed like JAWS and Psycho. Fairly new is a ride along with the cast of Fast & The Furious the hyper-realistic journey with loads of special effects, 3D-HD, 4-D all projected onto the world’s most expansive 360-degree screens will transport you into a crazy car chase adventure. But wait… there’s more. You also get to experience a very intense King Kong 360-3D experience created by Peter Jackson. Considered to be the worlds largest 3-D experience, guests will be caught in the middle of a heart pounding fight to the death between King Kong and a 35-foot T-Rex. Keep your belongs close to you on both 3-D experiences, you’ll be rocking side to side a lot on both rides. Head to the tour when your legs begin to tire and you need a period of rest (but still want a little excitement!).

24. WaterWorld is still one of the most popular shows in the park. Run time is 20 minutes. Head over to the show when you need a break from walking or standing. Do not sit in the splash zones unless you want to get seriously wet. The show’s cast members are not shy about dumping buckets of water on guests. You’ve been warned.

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25. Revenge of The Mummy: The Ride is located in the lower lot of the park. Be prepared to go up to 45mph into virtual darkness with ancient horrors lurking at every turn. All riders must place their items in the free lockers located next to the ride entrance.

26. Transformers: The Ride 3-D located in the lower lot is one another popular ride in the park. Spot Optimus and Bubble Bee outside giving a heroic speech, a great spot for photo opps before entering into the world of Autobots vs. Decepticons where you’ll be tasked to protect the Allspark.

27. The old Jurassic Park ride closed on September 3, 2018. The park plans update the ride as Jurassic World in 2019.

28. Bring a swimsuit for the little ones. There’s a Wet Zone area called Super Silly Fun Lands, with over 80 water play features near the Despicable Me attraction. A perfect cool down option in the summer time.

29. Night Time Lights at Hogwarts Castle is a dazzling light show using the castle as the backdrop. Available during summer. If you can’t make it then, don’t worry the light show returns every year. There’s also a holiday edition in the winter time too.

30. The annual Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights starts in mid September and runs through the first week of November. See some of the most iconic monsters come to life during this popular Halloween series. You’ll experience spine chilling mazes usually themed from the latest Universal horror flick, live shows, scare zones and the Terror Tram experience where the studio tour tram ride takes a very dark turn. Be prepared to take a stroll off the tram during Halloween Horror Nights. This year the Terror Tram theme is Hollywood Harry’s Dreadtime Storiez based on the 1950’s demented clown infamous for terrorizing the Universal Studios backlot. Additional 2018 attractions include Stranger Things, Trick ‘r Treat, The First Purge maze, Halloween 4 maze and much more.

31. Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is truly a special occasion. Expect Hogsmeade to be decorated in Christmas decor, holiday themed food, drinks, snowfall and The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle a dazzling projection show that wraps around the castle. “Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” will take place daily from November 17, 2018 through January 6, 2019.

32. For 2018, the holidays will see the return of “Grinchmas” an annual event featuring a 60-foot tall “Grinchmas” tree and performances by Martha May Who-vier and the Who-liday Singers. “Grinchmas” will take place weekends on December 1-2 and 8-9, and daily from December 14 through December 30, 2018.

33. New Year’s Eve at Universal Studios Hollywood will host multiple party areas with music, dancing, drinks, special souvenirs and a midnight countdown celebration with fireworks.

34. Lunar New Year is also a fun time to go to the them park. Meet characters like Po and Tigress from Kung Fu Panda, Illumination’s Minions in traditional Chinese attire and a Mandarin-speaking Megatron from TRANSFORMERS. For 2019 you’ll also see a Dragon Warriors Kung Fu training show, Mr. Ping’s Noodle Shop, live themed performances and more.

35. For the most up to date list of all rides and attractions, checkout the USH official site.

Advertisements

Photo Credit: Universal Studios

Dining

37. Three Broomsticks in Wizarding World is set up as the rustic tavern where Harry Potter first took a sip of Butterbeer. You can do the same and feast on Hogwarts approved British fare. The menu includes Bangers & Mash, Shepherd’s Pie, Fish & Chips and Beef Sunday Roast. If you have four people with you, consider “The Great Feast” a tray bursting with ribs, roasted chicken, corn on the cob, roasted potatoes and steamed vegetables.

38. If you’re a Harry Potter fan you have to get a taste of Butterbeer. It comes frozen, hot, cold on ice and taste like cream soda and caramel.  The frozen Butterbeer is the best one in our opinion. Skip the long lines at the kiosks and go inside Hogs Head Pub. There you can also order the exclusive Hog’s Head Brew or Pumpkin Juice, Gillywater (aka bottled water), wine, spirits, cocktails and a selection of beers.

39. Springfield U.S.A. carries one of the most immersive food options in the park showcasing eateries, bars and items from the show.

Guests can dine on Krusty-certified meat sandwiches at Krusty Burger like the Sideshow Bob Foot Long, Clogger Burger, Ribwich and the classic Krusty Burger.

Moe’s Tavern is the perfect watering hole to score some real Duff beer and even a Flaming Moe. While you’re there, snap a picture with some of the bars most valued customers like Barney Gumble!

There’s a Duff Brewery Beer garden and located next to it is Bumblebee Man’s Taco Truck.

Lard Lad Donuts is where Homer’s favorite iced pink donuts with sprinkles can be found. In the park they are giant, making it fun for sharing and having a photo moment with.

Suds McDuffs Hot Dogs carries memorable items from the show like Krusty’s Non-Kosher Hot Dog Kombo, Marge’s Twisted Pretzel, Ralph Wiggum’s Choo-Choo Churro and Buzz Cola.

Hankering for some fried chicken? Head to Cletus’ Chicken Shack for a Chicken and Waffle sandwich, Chicken Platters and something called Chicken Thumbs.

Luigi’s Pizza offers hot and fresh pizza by the slice and an entire pie.

Phineas Q. Butterfat’s Ice Cream shop will have you indulging on Ice Cream Swirl ‘n’ Hurl, Ice Cream Conans, Brain Freezin’ D’oh-Nut Sundaes and more.

40. To maximize your time you are allowed to bring your food into Universal’s Animal Actors and WaterWorld shows.

41. CityWalk also has many food options such as Voodoo Doughnut, Karl Strauss, and Margaritaville.

42. You can go in and out of the park. Lines for food will be less extreme at the sit down options at City Walk. Don’t forget to get your hand stamped and hold onto your ticket.

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[fbcomments width="100%" count="on" num="5" countmsg="comments"] Source: http://www.welikela.com/tips-visit-universal-studios-hollywood/

[tube-thoughts-blog]

Vol. 13

zero stars - terrible, 1/2 a star - dull, 1 star - folly, 1 1/2 stars - lacking, 2 stars - fair, 2 1/2 stars - decent, 3 stars - terrific

--- "Studs":

*Personality matters little to these early 1990s bimbos on this dating game show

*They want a guy with a "wild side" (code for douchebag)

*One of their potential hunks is wearing dress shirt, tie, and shorts. 90s ensemble

*The women can't decide if the second hunk is a beefcake or a 6 foot tall bowling pin

*The guy in shorts is called a mix between John Wayne and a mime. John Wayne is nothing like a mime. Stoic, maybe. John Wayne would punch out a mime, if ever bothered by one.

*Shorts hunk dissed his date because he saw his hero Bobby Brown in an elevator

*Not much else to say about these bland dates between California girls and Midwest boys

close to 2 stars

----------------

--- Tori Amos on MTV's Loveline:

*After the bummer of hearing about Tori's abuse hotline, we have a Gen X'er call in tot alk about how his girlfriend accidentally ripped out his penis piercing and he's afraid to go to the doctor

*A guy, with his back to the camera while wearing an airbrush painted t-shirt that reads: "Boo Hoo!", has a problem with his girlfriend not wanting to look at him during oral sex. I can't see his face, but I don't even want to look at him, period.

*A guy, w/ a butt-cut hairstyle and a flannel shirt, is down cause his first love "dogged" him and broke his heart after taking his cherry. Now, he can't score with new chicks.

*Tori calls him a pussy. Not really, but, basically.

*We get a pierced nipples question via 90s internet video live feed

*A guy calls in with a weird obsession about bear feet. Oh, bare feet. Well, that's not too weird. Many weirdos have that.

*Tori thinks he should work at a shoe shop. It didn't work for Al Bundy. He hates women and their feet.

*Talk about how having kids is a cockblock to getting dates

*The set for LoveLine is very 90s with a coffee shop lounge feel and couches along with a big screen that's multiple screens attached together.

*Tori doesn't want her lover thinking about the girls on "Friends" while she's making love to them.

*Tori reminds me of a psycho chick who'd try to sacrifice a dove, for some weird symbolic reason, while she was in the throes of passion.

*A girl had two affairs. One of them with an "indivijiBILL" (what it sounded like she said). Now she don't know who da baby daddy. Call Maury, in a few years, he do dem dna baby daddy tests.

*LoveLine has a cappuccino bar on the set. It's for people who are ashamed of looking at another person when talking about sex. A sort of hipster confession booth.

*One guy is nervous about his girlfriend dressing up like Wonder Woman during sex

2 stars

----------------------

--- TV CARNAGE:

*Great Acting Is Great Acting, Especially With Titties: Do you wanna see my horribly disfigured chest or not?* 2 stars

*How To Commit Social Suicide: "Be expressive and let it rip." Air piano. Not flatulence.* between 2 & 2 1/2 stars

*Microwave Brain: Hasselhoff stresses over poodle poo.* 1 star

*Mighty Fine Man: It's a lust thang.* close to 2 stars

*Shoplifting Is Fun!: Johnny 5's cousin robot is a hood.* close to 2 1/2 stars

---------------

"Dance Party USA, 1980s NEW WAVE DANCING AND HAIR!" *In the 80s, cool kids did weird things like wear their shoes on their hands.*         2 1/2 stars

Rescue 911 w/ William Shatner: Boy vs. Gasoline Volcano *The re-enactments on Rescue 911 & Unsolved Mysteries are perfect time capsules for thelate 1980s & early 1990s.* 2 1/2 stars

A Haunting: Phantom Room *"Instead of holy water, highly flammable liquid is used, and if it ignites, it's a sign that a spirit is present." Gee, I wonder if it will ignite... A junkie overdose is angry and needs to be evicted from a suburban garage. Destination America is supposed to be a postcard network for American life, I'm thinking. America, where ordinary life happenings can psych a family out so much their lives begin falling apart and they blame the results on the supernatural.* 2 stars

USA Saturday Nightmares: The Dummy (1982) *Ventriloquist dolls are creepy, but it's hard to consider them actually scary. That is unless they're sliding butcher knives underneath the bedroom door. This comes from an era of really good & inventive horror shorts.*                         between 2 1/2 and 3 stars

Ripley's Believe It Or Not!: episode 2 (1985) *Surgeons remove two toes, from the feet of a Chinese man, fitting them as a makeshift pincer in place of a missing hand. Believe that.* 2 1/2 stars

"Wild Man of Navidad" (2007) *No country for old bigfoot. Some might see the wild man itself as undercooked, but the greasy hicksploitation sticks to the ribs better'n chicken fried steak & gravy.* close to 3 stars

X Files: Roland *From beyond a cryo-frozen genius controls his autistic twin to complete his groundbreaking scientific work.* between 2 1/2 & 3 stars

--- Phone Losers:

*Politically Correct Portraits: or "wrong side first" photos.* close to 2 1/2 stars

*Bank Customers - Take A Running Jump: "If they told you to jump off a bridge" they being Bank of America and you being British or George Reeves Superman* 1 1/2 stars

*Pauly Shore Screws Up Another Vacation: MTV's The Weasel turns a pleasure cruise into a slave-ship passage for Laura Winslow & the mom from Family Matters.* close to 2 1/2 stars

*Radio Shack Prayer Is Evil: For a decade or more it's been against their religion to have any customers and they also have a do not resuscitate order upon going out of business.* 2 1/2 stars

*Yard Sale Competitor: it's a cut throat business using a $5 "as is" weed-whacker.* 3 stars

---------------

--- USA Cartoon Express, Revisited:

*The Real Ghostbusters - Citizen Ghost: I forgot that the voice of Peter Venkman, on Ghostbusters, is likely the voice of Garfield on his cartoon. Which is funny because the live action characters are voiced by the same guy, too, as we all know.

*Commercial for Crocodile Mile slip n' slide.

*Old foggies stink in an Andy Warhold art style BubbleTape commercial. Those were great.

*In a cyberpunk future tween boys battle it out with a b.b. ammo board game shooter called "Crossfire." I remember plenty of show & tell days where Crossfire was the shit.

*I like the little march the Ghostbusters do during their ticker tape parade

*Kids can't cut loose in the supermarket or the museum, but they can in this Discovery Zone kids play park commercial. Soulless corporate slime-pit, McDonald's has replaced most of these. Now, miserable single moms take their poor brats there and change their dirty diapers on the same tables kids eat their McNuggets on. Fuck society and industry.

*Get a Bart Simpson squeek toy at Burger King

*Rappin' Lego-Maniac ad

*Mouse Trap, from Milton Bradley, where a cartoon alley cat shows up to present kids with one of the most contraption filled board games ever

*An awesome ad where Jesse the body Ventura sells WWF action figures. I wish grown men were still allowed to play with action figures

*Cadillacs & Dinosaurs - Rogue: I forgot about this well animated show with some adult sensibilities that also combines two really cool things. those being the title of the show.

*Cartoon Express where Mr. T. hangs out with the Grape Ape and Pac Man

*"Your gym teacher irons his underwear" adults are weird, chew BubbleTape

*Garfield fruit snacks. You could sell anything with a cartoon spokesman and kids who pitch a fit to their parents in the grocery store if they can't have it, once they see it.

*Shout & Shoot 2 water gun helmet. Voice activated water fights. I'm sure it didn't tear up after the first day. Water and electronics go together so well... I remember when having water fights, in the backyard, seemed so important that toy companies had to keep up with the arms race we kids were racing towards.

*Barney has built a fake time machine from the year 2000 and almost tricks Fred out of his Coco Pebbles. I preferred Fruity.

*One thing missing from watching these cartoons is a bowl of Fruity Pebbles, Lucky Charms, or Cap'n Crunch beside me on the living room floor.

*Marvel's X-Men, for the Sega Genesis, "Welcome to the Next Level."

*If kids ruled the world they'd play b'ball like Michael Jordan, their big brothers would suck up to them, they'd get a billion dollars & have a sports agent, and they'd always eat at McDonalds. "Duh!"

*"In A Minute" USA Network 1989 presents kids trying out tongue twisters like "Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear..." I'm unlocking weird memories of things that I had forgotten like this cute little animated station break from USA that's somewhere in the long lost toy chest recess of my sad adult brain.

*Teenage Mutant Turtles - Enter the Rat King: If April O'Neil were real she would try to further her news career by exposing the Turtles to the world.

*Take a chill pill or stick anchioves in your ears, kids, instead of doing drugs. Partnership for a Drug Free America and stick figure drawn kids.

*2XL battery operated, cassette controlled "intelligent" 80s style robot from Tiger toy electronics. He makes Teddy Rupskin look like Neil Degrasse Tyson (whatever his name is)

*A kid with a bald spot and a beard is tired of stuffy adult dining places and demands to be taken to Chuck E. Cheese

*Dance Party USA, the weekday dance party on "America's favorite network, USA."

*The Dark Knight collection. A kid has every Batman gadget a kid could ask for and his own personal Batcave. I would have killed to have my own personal Batcave when I was 8

*"Tetris & batteries included" Gameboy. Cool teens hanging out in shop class, on the basketball court, everwhere playing their handheld Nintendo "Power to go."

*Captain N, The Game Master - Metroid Sweet Metroid: N, The Game Master is a character from Nintendo's past that they'd like to forget and not celebrate. Same with Lou Albano's version of Mario and the more goofy, talking version of Link from cartoons & CDi games.

*King Hippo's nipples, Eggplant's head, and Mother Brain's lips are all very obscene looking.

*Beetlejuice action figures. Those were some of the better, more weird toys.

*Call a 1 800 number to get a 60 minute vhs tape of Bigfoot monster truck action.

*Crest "Sparklemania" obviously is putting drugs in the toothpaste, because kids are freaking out and taking magical trips through the night sky with animated globs of Crest gel.

*'Milk does a body good' ad. You know the one where the kid grows up to be buff because he or she drank milk. I wonder if they show similar ones to young cows. "Yo, I'm a calf and I'm taking govt. provided hormones so that I can grow up to be a great-big dairy cow!" That was sort of a lame joke. Almost Carlos Mencia bad.

*The Cartoon Express travels away off into the distance to Bruce Springsteen's house. No, kidding. They kept mentioning that that's where it was heading.

3 stars for the Saturday Morning cartoons, 3 stars for the retro ads, and 3 stars for USA network's Cartoon Express bumpers

-----------------------------

The Greatest American Hero: Fire Man *Everyone's favorite marinara, on the show, Michael Pare, gets put put on a hot stove for a bum wrap. The main thing that doesn't hold up, about this episode, is the very dated fire special fx.* close to 3 stars

Gerhard Reinke's America: Arizona *Painted desert highways with a pistol & a singing Billy bass GPS by Gerhard's side.* 2 stars

--- Commander USA's Groovie Movies: Man with the Synthetic Brain

*From beneath a shopping mall in New Jersey, Commander USA. HA! Great location for a hero lair in the 1980s.

*The commander comes out in a trench coat, with his costume underneath. I like it. It's a sleazy way for a hero to dress. He's always smoking a cigar, too. Nice man's man touch.

*He's talking about those hopeful, yet melancholy days after the New Year is rung in. He explains how Auld Lang Syne means 'old long since' in Irish or old English.

*After the commander uses his kazoo to open up the psychotronic movie screen, we get to our flick

*This one stars an old school horror icon, John Carradine, & a Mickey Mouse Club teen from Swiss Family Robinson

*And the groovie movie is photographed in "Chill-O-Rama"

*I know the movie will ultimately be supbar, but I still get good feelings & goose pimple giddy, with nostalgia, watching these old basic cable & UHF B movie features

*A zombie(?) chokes out a hooker(?) & her pusher(?) in an alley. Her death face was so overacted & funny to look at.

*Mickey Mouse Club guy is the detective on the case of the zombie murders. He has gotten worse, actually, as an actor since his days riding ostriches & fighting pirates on tropical islands in Swiss Family Robinson.

*He's also a part of the Danny Bonaduche class of child actors who didn't age well. He looks like he's been through hell. This is the early to mid 70s & his Disney days were just in the 60s, maybe late 50s, I'm thinking. Wow.

*There's a cryptic letter & a head in a box (a killed detective's). I'm guessing this killer is a pre-cursor to the Zodiac & Kevin Spacey in SEVEN.

*"Get your hot roasted peanuts" as a candy striped apron wearing salesman proclaims on an early 20th century hazy memory of beach life on an eastern seaboard boardwalk in a Planters honey roasted peanuts ad.

*The coo coo bird builds a time machine to steal the kids CoCo Puffs. This is the second time machine related cereal theft by cartoon spokesman commercial that I've seen in 24 hrs

*Lee Press On Nails. In 18 colors. Don't nails just make life more difficult? Even if I were a crossdresser, I wouldn't wear nails.

*An 80s mallrat girl thinks her mom was wrong about her big earrings, but mom was right about something (nervous energy) StayFree Maxi Pads for those heavy flow days. Thanks, mom. Now, stop coming in to my room to stare at my Kip Winger poster. He's my man, bitch!

*"Exorcism at Midnight" on USA Saturday Nightmares (looks awesome) & ugly as a man Sandra Bernhardt on Alfred Hitchcock Presents (would still watch it).

*There's nothing to look forward to watching on Saturday night, anymore. Svengoolie, maybe, but he plays the same tame Universal horror & Hammer horror movies that we've all seen way too many times. His act is stale too, but he's likeable, I guess, if you're a babyboom viewer.

*Sophia Loren, her story, on the Nabisco family theater Sunday afternoon on USA. No thanks. I'd leave that to the early birds. I'd still be sleeping off my USA Saturday Nightmares.

*John Carradine is a doctor under suspicion because one patient that he was the coroner over, years earlier & called one of the first casualties of Vietnam, is up & walking around again, out there, killing. It's obvious that Carradine is a mad doctor, because he has a bubbling test tube, for odd unexplained reasons, but the detective hasn't seen enough low grade sci fi & horror to know this is an ominous sign.

*Why did action or fight scenes in the 60s/70s think that karate chops to the neck were believable knock out blows? It'd be more annoying than anything. Painful, sure, but not enough to put a man down. They just look so funny.

*Gloriously unselfaware Twix commercial with a street of kids breaking into a marching band parade over Twix. Much better than the Right Twix vs. Left Twix candy factory ads of today Too self aware like most modern ad companies. It makes the product even more unlikeable

*Square 80s ladies have a roundtable discussion about "So Fine" conditioning mist

*The effects designs, on the movie, are so low budget. The Frankenstein electric chair is made of chords attached to a silver construction worker's helmet.

*Commander USA pokes fun at the mad science hat contraption during his segment.

*Computer graphics medieval dystopia commercial ends with the freedom of the mind that is an exploding volcano & the Scientology best seller ‘Dianetics.’

*Shades wearing Bears QB, McMahon, thinks he's cool, but he's a crybaby when his hoagie doesn't have Miracle Whip mayo. A janitor hears his cries and throws a hail mary of mayo.

*Fergie, Letterman, Tom Cruise, Vanna White, Dr. Seuss, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson wearing a Groucho Marx disguise. They're all the most interesting people of 1986 according to People Magazine. Such a more innocent time. Don't forget Crocodile Dundee, he was fascinating to 80s yuppies as well. Not a joke. He's also on the cover.

*The 80s had this hazy, maudlin, feel good vibe to even Dimetapp & Metamucil ads.

*Just a sleazy undead crook strangling slutty women in seedy hotels kinda Saturday afternoon movie for the kids, you know.

*Cheerios helps a white knight save a princess from a black knight in a musical ad. Uplifting. Cheerios ads are so depressing now & always about a middle age guy's health & cholesterol.

*Nothing says Mexican like white people singing about & eating Mexican Velveeta cheese.

*’Airwolf’ is high tech & kicks butt. this was already a popular rerun show here in the mid 80s.

*An overtanned blonde bimbo shows up from France saying she heard her father speak to her telepathically while she was in a voodoo sleep trance. Her father was John Carradine & he was just murdered by a zombie. She tells this to Mickey Mouse detective while he over-acts.

*Ah, there's another mad scientist who looks like a dimestore Vincent Price. I guess they couldn't get Vincent for the flick. He's the real villain.

*Commander USA noticed the bimbo & the zombie too.

*"It's hard to hide the kid inside." Talkin' 'bout Santa & his love for oreo cookies

*The honey nut Cheerios bee almost gets murdered by cowboy Black Bart. Just wait, Bee, soon with pesticides we'll make ye extinct.

*A kid pulls home a box of Tide detergent, for mom, through a picturesque 80s suburb. More of that 80s is just like the 50s, according to tv & advertising, theme of the 80s.

*70s thought that frantically playing a pipe organ & bongos meant great suspense music. It didn't & doesn't.

*Wacky 80s robots run on ENERGIZER "It Doo Run Run Run"

*This film can't make up its mind if it wants to be a detective tale, a zombie creeper, a serial killer slasher, a mad science flick, a voodoo or telepathy thriller, a heist / crime picture, or a hostages on the road movie.*

*Commander predicts, via crystal ball, that the Red Sox will almost win the 87 world series and that Vanna White will be nominated to the Supreme Court.

*Commander had his hand pal, Lefty, rammed down his tights during the most tense scene of the movie. A snowy chase through the mountains with killer in hot pursuit.

*Carefree panty liners for a fresher zebra striped bikini

*An aged Lorne Greene talks about Ron Reagan's cutbacks to medicare & how they're costing the sick & poor elderly thousands of dollars.

*Timelapse female zombie transformation with horrid makeup, but forgivable during the finale in the mad science lab.

*Her zombie voice is laughable & terrible. Why is she even talking? zombies don't talk, well, trioxin or Return of the Living Dead ones do, but whatever, Braiiiins... She doesn't say that, but I guess she had to act. Vanity, maybe. Idiotic script, more likely.

*We end with zombie lady crying & taking an antidote while zombie henchman dies licking goo off the floor. Mickey Mouse detective was too late to make any kind of difference.

*Commander USA closes things out by teasing Mickey Mouse cop about his poor acting.

close to 2 stars for the movie, close to 2 1/2 stars for the ads, & more than 2 1/2 stars for the commander

-------------------

Look Around You: Sport *Thank you for showing us your balls. Now try to get it in the hole.* close to 2 1/2 stars

Viper: Wheels of Fire *Crooked, corporate Bryan Cranston character. A revolutionary Tesla type battery with a deadly bidding war going on for it. A reclusive Howard Hughes industrialist/inventor. Long lost prototype Batmobile style car colored fire engine red. A creepy Albino hitman.* between 2 1/2 & 3 stars

Manimal: Breath of the Dragon *Martial arts began by studying animals. Ancient man popped a National Geographic tape into his VCR to do so.* more than 2 1/2 stars

Robocop the series: Ghosts of War *A ragtag group of Universal Soldiers seek vengeance against an evil general who now works for O.C.P. They include a hobo wolfman, a black G.I. Joe (friend from Murphy's childhood), an Asian Joan of Arc, a Indian computer-wiz who dresses like Rick Moranis in Spaceballs. The show tries to force Punky Brewster into scenes, again. She's annoying & unnecessary.* 2 stars

--- Everything Is Terrible:

*Enhance Your Memory With Murderous Bloodlust: American Psycho Patrick Bateman has a poor poker face.* 3 stars

*Going For It!: Commies skateboard. So, like you want them to be more free than you, brah!? Didn't think so, dude.* close to 2 stars

*So You Moved To Paducah...: Only thing to do here is to visit the Quilters Society of America museum again & again & again.* 3 stars

*Rush Limbaugh Sure Is Funny: Comedy night at Jabba the Hutt's palace.* 1 star

*The Lil' Singing Demon Baby!: The spawn of Lucifer is a little boy version of Shirley Temple. Of course he would arrive on earth in Branson, Missouri.*              3 stars

-------------------------

Cannon group presents America 3000 (1986) *The one thing Road Warrior needed was Wonder Years style narration. I think the members of No Ma'am (Al Bundy's woman hating group) saw this movie instead of Mad Max: Fury Road. That's why they were so upset. Much more reverse sexism here.* 3 thousand stars

Rescue 911 w/ William Shatner: Softball Hit *A little girl gets a head injury, has a seizure, then precious seconds tick away in the era before cell phones because I guess there were no payphones on this little league sports field. Youth sports injuries weren't taken as serious in this era either. It was the whole "Walk it off" time period. So maybe that's why 911 wasn't called sooner.* 2 stars

--- Memory Hole:

*Death Of Strength: Guillotine of greatness, in a garage, captured on camcorder.* 1 star

*See The Macaroni: String theory or unsatisfactory service.* 2 stars

*The Ballad Of Tony Jones: "Mommy, what does doomed mean?" It means what happens when you destroy your white trash girlfriend's ceiling after sitting your fat ass in her sex swing.* 3 stars

*Piglet: You reap what you sow (noun).* close to 3 stars

*Just Do It Adult Diaper: Is that a swoosh on your bottom or do you need changing?* close to 2 stars

----------------------

--- MTV's Oddville (1997?)

*MTV had to Gen-x up Beyond Vaudeville, from its public access days, & put a pretty co-host with Frank to take the attention away from his weird, silent (often violent) sidekick.

*Nancy Giles is a nice lady, but not the most interesting guest. She's like PBS news hosts. Respectable, but not entertaining. She thinks talking about how weird the sidekick is & being a fan of Howard Stern will get her over. She does an imitation of a cat choking on a hairball. That's odd enough, I guess.

*Mr. Stanless Steel is a meathead who lifts 600lbs slightly off the ground using only one finger. Impressive, yet also idiotic.

*"Mind over matter," he says as he squeezes an unopen can to smithereens. Mind, remember, not steroids. He rocks about the floor trying to look intimidating & deep.

*Very confusing Levis jeans commercial. It starts off with a cowboy hat wearing Gen X hip dude driving the desert listening to yodeling from Mars Attacks & Slim Whitman. He stops at a local western watering hole where a hipster black dude is a turntables mixing dj. He passes him a stuffed dinosaur before the black dude gets on a greyhound leaving town. Bus stops in the big city, but a new girl gets off holding the dino. A European model looks at her as she walks on. The model is ordering a hotdog from a vendor. What any of that had to do with jeans, other than the close ups of asses, is beyond me.

*Self aware commercial whore Dennis Miller is on a fake talk show ad interviewing the cgi M&Ms. Miller lost all his Hollywood street cred when he started hangin’ out on Fox News. He doesn’t give a shit about being a shitlib so he lost his Hollywood friends.

*Epic cgi ad for the Playstation classic Final Fantasy 7.

*Phil Hartman isn't murdered yet in this college class lecture ad about collect calls.

*The clerk at Footlocker is having a hard time believing that Joe Namath is making an NFL comeback in a nike ad

*It's Virtual Insanity, the music video, when Chris Rock hosts the Video Music Awards

*I think it was the one where Puff Daddy teamed with Sting to make an annoying, overplayed song even worse.

*"The world's fastest painter" comes out & does a Bob Ross quickie while rambling in a Polish accent.

*A black guy in black & yellow stripes, including his Dr. Seuss Hat, comes out to pop & lock dance to Salt & Pepa's "Push It"

*Igia hair removal system ad where the device damages your skin cells, but it's cool 'cause no more chin whiskers for mom

*Technology... multimedia... CD-Rom software games... "You need Art Institute."

*Not Carl Winslow, but close, says "Open a box. Any box." Make it a Blockbuster Night

*"Talk to the hand." quote & hand motion from slumming it actor Timothy Dalton in a movie with Fran Drescher. The days where the general public had to endure her are long gone. Not counting easily avoided reruns of The Nanny

*On an snowy special ops mission (I'm sure those happen often) "Be all that you can be" (including maimed or killed) in the Army (after that, who knows? possibly a homeless vet)

*"What is Mtn. Dew?" from this ad, I take it has something to do with a green drink that makes you scream hysterically while performing idiotic x-treme sports

*A small woman, with a shaved head, comes out doing yoga to industrial techno. Followed by very late & nervous applause.

*A little girl comes out blowing up a balloon using only her nose.

*A generic alternative rock band, like the countless others on MTV at the time, comes out to perform. They don't hold a candle to any of the weird musical acts from the Beyond Vaudeville days.

*Guests are having a dance party. This show is as edgy, or as interesting for that matter, as Snick's "All That" of the same time period. Lame, as Gen-X would say.

*Well, MTV took a quirky public access show & stripped all the life out of it to make it another corporate product.

1 star for the Odd, 1 1/2 stars for most of the ads (thanks to M&M's & Miller), between 1 1/2 & 2 stars for the guests

----------------------

"The Summer of Rave 1989" BBC *In Margaret Thatcher's England, a new era of hippies & yuppies collide.*

3 stars

"Lost Purity" (video mixtape) *Adjust the tracking on your squeam.* between 2 1/2 & 3 stars

--- Found Footage Fest:

*Life Is For Living: Safety first or kiss leisure goodbye.* 3 stars

*Michael Finney's Spencer Gifts Speech: Hack comedy & gag novelty.* close to 3 stars

*Silent Partners - Shoplifting: If you see somebody walk into your store, become overly suspicious.* 2 1/2 stars

*VCR Games: Make haste & pray constantly that you don't have a Klingon overlord or be forced to endure Rich Little's awful family fun night comedy.* 3 stars

*Uh-Huh!: Either the Kenny Loggins or the Ray Stevens of polite Christian pop comedy & a fan of wearing tan leotards while juggling foam balls.* 3 stars

------------------------

Rescue 911 w/ Shatner: Accidental Hanging *Darwin Awards & wasting time dialing for help. Or hero boy with a hatchet.*

2 stars

A Haunting: Echoes of the Past *A New England family move into a historic Civil War era home. Soon they are bothered by faeries claiming to live in under a tree in the backyard who also claim to have died in a fire. The family are aided by a team of pretentious Wiccans in sending all the home's spirits to a magical place in the west called the "Summer Lands."* between 2 & 2 1/2 stars

Gerhard Reinke's America: Quebec, Canada *"Beaver fever, catch it." "Be patient." "My God, it's magnificent." (A platypus.)* 3 stars

Kingdom Hospital: Ep. 11 *Doctors without borders & tuned into a different frequency.* 2 1/2 stars

Farscape: Hidden Memory *Espionage & clouded minds in a Nazi style experimentation lab. Followed by a Caesarean--section for a baby battleship. Farewell to a sweet-lipped deus ex machina (sorta deus...)* close to 3 stars

Forever Knight: False Witness *Sleazier than a white lie.* 2 1/2 stars

Penn & Teller - Bullshit!: Ghostbusters *Begin by having come to a conclusion that ghosts exists no matter what you find to prove different, soak the scene with sepia or nightvision, get out the pseudo scientific gear & have it activated with its nonsensical readings of supposed supernatural phenomena, & the bullshit has long since already began.* 3 stars

Jake Byrd on Black Friday *Great deals is gravy.* close to 3 stars

Classic Comedy Central: The Buttafuoco Song *I really really wish I never heard of...* either 1 star for Joey or 3 for Comedy Central

WCW Superstars on Politically Incorrect w/ Bill Maher (1999?) *A lot of aggression taken out in a discussion forum.* either 1 star or close to 2 stars

VH1 Classic Pop Up Video: Alanis Morissette - "You Learn" *The video took 23 hours to film in 10 degree weather. The video is 4 minutes long. Her hair (dreadlocks) took 5 hours to style. A number of jacket changes were used by Alanis in the video. The theme: who knows if any of us get any wiser during the average lifetime.* 2 1/2 stars w/ pop ups 2 stars w/out (I forgot how much I like her voice, pretty face & lyrics & easy to digest, for the most part, music. Mood & opinion on her music are subject to change. I have, in the past, wanted to poke my eyeballs & eardrums out when her "Ironic" video came on MTV for the 1000th time.)

Public Access TV: "Robin's Safe Sex Lesson - Dental Dam Use" *The setting is the height of the AIDS epidemic. Sexually active folk are still confused to the spread of disease & the practice of safe sex. A sex worker, possibly, has her ownlocal city tv show to inform them how to snip an ordinary condom into use for performing oral sex on a female so as to not spread infectious diseases. She almost is a trainwreck but not enough for any legit comedy, only curiosity.* 2 stars (3 for the info for the time)

"Sam Kinison - Family Entertainment Hour" *This might be comedy blasphemy, but Larry the Cable Guy is as popular as Sam Kinison was. Both have a similar rowdiness & offensiveness in the connect with their audience. Larry, however, has neither a spine nor a soul.* between 2 1/2 & 3 stars

Literal Videos: Air Supply - Making Love Out of Nothing at All *"I don't want to seem them naked." I don't want to hear their soft rock.* 2 1/2 stars literal or 1 star actual

---- SCTV - Midnight Special:

*An all white (never seen before) scat singing choir conducted by Eugene Levy To see them live in concert, "Phone your nearest Republican." HA!

*Rick Moranis impersonates a cranky David Brinkley editorial.

*David Thomas & Catherine O'Hara are phone commercial lawyers (& possibly married lawyers) not helping an arguing married couple out very much in their disputes.

*Rick Moranis impersonates a radio dj becoming a video vj in this transitional time period between radio music & video music outlets.

*Followed by a Talking Heads video "Once in a Lifetime"

*A very politically incorrect (when you still could be before the p.c. police) & somewhat funny live feed from a Japanese parody vj

*Followed by a cool music video by hip & quirky Japanese band The Plastics. So, that does in a way cancel out the casual racism.

*SCTV starts the tech war between Japan & the U.S. in a funny skit.

*The real enemy, however, is Russian t.v. and Good Day Moscow

*Exploitation a plenty in a fake ad for a late night pajama party t.v. show on SCTV

*John Candy is the Hugh Hefner smoking jacket wearing host of the all girl pajama party Complete with creepy guy climbing in the window using a ladder. ha

*Candy tries to explain the show is empowering to women, but a prudish sexologist hijacks the feed to talk about how it's sexist.

*John Candy is back again, this time as a sportsman in an ammo ad. He sports a beard & hunts ducks. Hmmm... He remains likeable while other bearded duckhunters that I won't mention still remain hateable. Much focus is put on the cleavage of his buxom buddy that he's hunting with. She's female.

*A punk dyke delivery chick brings pizza & starts a catfight which the sexologist reveals is more of Candy's libido problems.

*Thankfully, the "menopausal" femi-nazi is interrupted by a male chauvinist fan of the pajama party.

*It's bedtime & Candy has to toss the old geezer, kicking & screaming, out the window.

*Al's Garage "Anytime At All." He has a naughty pinup calendar & he smokes cigars.

*Feminists have protest signs outside SCTV's studio & chase Candy to his limo

*Poindexter, investigative reporter (played by Eugene Levy) gets up close & a little too personal exploring singles bars.

*Monster Chiller Horror Theater with a howling Count Floyd

*The featured flick is Bloodsucking Monkeys from West Mifland, Pennsylvania

*Wink, wink. There's no movie. But Count promises that it was scary & describes it. It's just as good as Alien, he claims.

*Great White North wants to talk about Nasa's tools & beer, ay.

*SCTV has Hitchcock presents in late night. So, they're like MeTV or AntennaTV on current cable.

*A parody of Kirk Douglas in "Lust for Life" in the SCTV vault classic "Lust for Paint"

*Catherine O'Hara shows off some sexy cleavage & gets offered to be painted nude as she plays a bar beauty of the 19th century. The mom from Home Alone was sexy back in the day.

*Fish Police. An early reality show that's just as absurd as the 90s hit COPS.

*France was filled with great artists in the 19th century & possibly they were all gay according to SCTV

*Harold Raimis cameo as a waiter.

*Rick Moranis sells ridiculous logos.

*John Candy is an angry Babe Ruth in the wrong time period. Candy lost out on the role to Goodman years later. Not really, but really.

*Candy does a decent Hitchcock impersonation as well. Also Curly Howard.

3 stars

------------------------

"Let's Paint TV's Last Cable Access Show" 2008 *A weirdo in a dirty & disheveled business suit runs a treadmill while horribly painting, taking live prank calls, & talking to a Swedish barmaid mixing things up in a blender.* between 1 1/2 & 2 stars

--- TV Carnage:

*I Hate My Kids: Brats are birth control. The only time Fox News will ever be pro choice.*  2 stars

*Lurking Danger: The fish land right in the boat & land you right in the hospital. Tonight, in our Lurking Danger special report. This is CNN.* 2 stars

*Making The Grade: Solve my equation, again, & I'll slit your throat.* 2 1/2 stars

*Phonebooth Funnys!: Coed improv in tight spaces. It's not what you think, you pervert.*  either 1 star or close to 2 1/2 stars

*Reaching For The Light: Orgy of the first class.* 2 stars

-------------

Mystery Science Theater 3000 - K19: Hangar 18 *Having NASA accidentally cause a UFO to crash, in the desert, is "the best thing since sliced computer" only it hurts the UFO denying crooked President's chances for re-election & they'll need a shady coverup.* between 2 1/2 & 3 stars w/ riffing & 2 w/out

"Ten Forward Crank Calls" *"Brain cells are sucked into a blackhole" & four letter words fly into the phone lines for a chubby Star Trek fan's Trekkie talk show.* 1 star

Beavis & Butthead: Sausage - Riddles Are Abound Tonight *"The Seminiferous Tube-loidial Buttnoids have left my pants" or "turds can see in the dark, like bats."* 2 1/2 stars w/ riff 2 w/out

--- Monstervision w/ Joe Bob Briggs: Wes Craven's Deadly Friend (1986):

*Joe Bob says this flick is the Breakfast Club version of Bride of Frankenstein

*Drive-In Totals... 6 dead bodies... 7 gallons blood (some spurting w/ 3 bloody noses)... exploding head.. head disguised as basketball... exploding robot... father charbroiling..gratuitous brain surgery... incest fu...

*Joe Bob wants to get biblical w/ Krisy Swanson but thinks better of it because of Alan Thicke

*You know that you're in for a horror funride when the first on screen creature (robot) attack is against a sleazy redneck

*80s robots were great. This one even sees in Sega CD vision. All pixelated.

*In my opinion, this flick is also like Zapped meets Frankenhooker

*It's a wacky neighborhood when the old bat from Throw Mama from the Train is a shotgun wielding crazy lady living behind a locked fence.

*A robot's first reaction to seeing douchebags on dirtbikes is to vice grip their testicles. Can we unleash robots on Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory?

*The schmaltzy TNT voiceover for drama guy lays the sap on thick for TNT's big network premier for Gilbert Grape.

*Rockapella sing us a Folgers "Best part of wakin' up" mornin' tune. I can't drink the coffee for the vomit in my mouth.

*Snuggles, the fabric softener bear, is taking a stroll through a forest filled with cute animals. Real animals. Snuggles is a nightmare creature created out of industrial chemicals & soulless corporate greed. He's unnatural. An abomination of cuddliness.

*Joe Bob hates cute robots, Star Trek conventions, & Little House on the Prairie.

*The "Stand your ground" law triumphs again & the robot menace is toasted, for now.

*Quirky "life is ugly, you betcha" comedy approaching horror Fargo on TNT is sponsored by SEARS & no irony is seen in that. I don't think, by TNT or SEARS.

*Sprint commercial featuring Fall scenery. This episode of Monstervision is late 90s. The late 90s had a real Autumn vibe to a lot of things. Dawson's Creek, Scream & I Know What You Did Last Summer, Marcy Playground's Sex & Candy, Duncan Sheik, Eagle Eye Cherry, GooGoo Dolls, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, "Sunny Came Home," "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone," Jewel, Barenaked Ladies, Halloween H20... All of 'em & many more

*Firefighters prefer Yukon sport utility vehicles & the Energizer Bunny outruns a Hummer filled with a reject A-Team. Absurdity & the beginning of America's obsession with big ass family tanks that would dominate the roads post-2000

*Hope Floats on VHS. Turds float too. & the turd that is Hope Floats on VHS is out there floating around at plenty of 50 something year old women yardsales across the the cowboy states of America

*"Mom's like you choose Jiff" & dad's like Bob Villa choose tools from SEARS. Don't not be how corporate America assumes you to be. Buy these creamy peanut dips & wrenches

*Burt Reynolds must have been buddies w/ Ted Turner. Ted sure had his movies played alot on TBS & TNT. Burt was popular. No doubt. Burt even had alot of generic made for TNT movies in the late 90s. I can understand the demand for Smoky & the Bandit & others, but not the made for TNT shit.

*Jack Palance in a western version of A Christmas Carol. Another made for TNT movie. & Lifetime + Hallmark have made me hate made for tv Christmas movies, but how could you not like the idea of a forgotten Jack Palance Christmas flick?

*The parents from Happy Days are slumming in a collect calls commercial.

*Paul Hogan was still an action comedy hero in the late 90s. Only he was doing it in Subaru ads. This one he's in disguise / drag wearing the mask of a woman. Unintentionally creepy.

*Essence of Emeril... Emeril Live... I'll never get the fascination w/ over the top food chefs & their tv shows.

*Grace Jones in an ad for TBS Superstation's 15 nights of Bond movies. I guess she was easy to get being a D-list celebrity & all after the 80s.

*Paul Reiser is in a bookstore explaining internet for new users / dummies using AT&T Worldnet. At least it's not an ad for America Online.

*Joe Bob says TNT censors won't allow exploding heads by basketball decapitation because idiots in Florida will try it & congress will go crazy.

*Hendrix has only one burning desire. Let him stand next to your Pontiac Sunfire. He doesn't really want to do that. He's dead, like Kristy Swanson, in this Monstervision movie. But in this soulless & artsy Pontiac commercial where yuppies are escaping a cityscape dystopia in their Sunfire, listening to Hendrix, he does.

*NFL moms of big, mean linebackers sure are funny. Thanks, Campbell's chunk soups ads for making me endure the meaty veggie soupy sacky mommy comedy.

*There's a "Bob Fest" in Colorado every year, where all Bobs in the world can attend. Bob Dole will be there. Bring your Pentax film camera.

*"Relax, Go Nuts" with Planters & a wacky beaver on a camping trip. I hope some idiot saw this & lost a finger or two trying to feed a Planters peanut to a beaver or a badger.

*"Rowdy" Roddy Piper is on the set of Burt's old guy cop action made for TNT tv movie. He's talking about the need for aspirin on the set, for the old guys, in this sneak peek.

*Joe Bob wants to know why Kristy Swanson is looking more supermodel than zombie

*The shoot first ask questions later cops put an end to cyborg/undead Kristy Swanson's reign of terror.

2 1/2 stars for the confused flick close to 3 for Joe Bob & between 1 1/2 & 2 for TNT & their ads

--------------------------

Classic Comedy Central: Penn Jillette promotes Earth Girls Are Easy *He makes it seem like it wouldn't be a waste of an afternoon.* close to 3 stars

Fred Olen Ray's "Cyclone" 1987 *Everyone's favorite genre movie mad scientist, Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator), was working on a super-motorcycle more high tech than an F-16 jet. When he's assassinated, on a punk rock dance floor, via a tech conspiracy, his 80s blonde bombshell girlfriend has to take over safeguarding the project from falling into the wrong hands. The whole thing drips with so much 80s goodness, one would swear it was a modern day homage.* close to 3 stars

Flaccid Ego Psychic Reading Call In Show *"This is not a bodega, honey." There's a correlation between how far someone's head is tilted back as they're talking & the amount of shit that they give. The further back, the less shit given.* either zero or 2 1/2 stars (for a second)

"Amok Assault Video" *"An open keyhole policy" to mass hypnosis & mass halitosis.* close to 3 stars

Rescue 911 w/ Shatner: Brave Dog vs. Rattlesnake *The dog, Lady, was a terrible actress during the re-enactments. She did well during the fight with the snake, but she broke character & smiled too much during the vet E.R. part .She needs to take acting lessons from Shatner.*

2 stars

Penn & Teller Bullshit!: Self Helpless *There's a sucker "re-born" every minute.* 3 stars

Jake Byrd Goes Tea Bagging *"We're a little Tea Party, short & stout, when we get all steamed up hear us shout 'No more taxes, get the immigrant out!'"* 2 1/2 stars

--- Phone Losers:

*Tenants From Hell - Striking Oil: Crude & deluded.* close to 2 1/2 stars

*Carlito the Perverted Janitor - Bank Customers: Good loan agents love to kiss & tell.* 2 1/2 stars

*Home Security - Hidden Cameras: I don't want home security watching over me while I pee.* close to 2 1/2 stars

*Homeowners Association - Naked People: Old, black couples don't have sex. Yeah, right.* 2 1/2 stars

---------------------

Goth Public Access Channel (youtube) *"It's no fun being dead. Enough has been said." So why the morbid fixation?*

1 star

--- USA Up All Night w/ Rhonda Shear: Jason Takes Manhattan & Fortress of Amerikkka

*Rhonda is in an S&M shop with a gimp.

*Louis Gossett Jr. is an Olympic coach in a USA original movie. He's not the first actor that I would think of for a role like that. But maybe he's the most badass.

*Painful rectal burning? Admit you have it & get Preparation H. Doctors' orders.

*Trading erotic voicemails with "Girls of Paradise" seems like a one way street. A horny moron calls in a 1 800 number to nervously drool over his love for T & A, the voice model makes only one recording for any & every guy who calls in.

*Go back in time to when you weren't old & too feeble to open the mayo jar. If you believe that & buy our pain relieving cream, we also have ocean front property in [insert cliche dry state here]

*Couch fishin for loose change to buy extra Pop Tarts. Not me, the guy in the Kellogg's ad

*Pacific Blue, USA networks lame bicycle beach cops show from the late 90s. They recognize how boring being a beach cop must be, so they spice it up with a special west coast loco gangbangers episode.

*Big Easy. A sleazy, but probably all too tame show about New Orleans on USA network. Can't think of original programming? Exploit a city's reputation.

*Rhonda has an oversized spiked dog collar put on a poindexter

*Win a Nintendo 64 block party (sounds like it could have been fun) via Kellogg's & Kmart

*A kid in a "No Fear" t-shirt visits his square dad's Rent-A-Center style store in an ad

*Don't talk to your kids about the dangers of sniffing to get high, & wind up feeding soup to your newly vegetable loved one. I always preferred that trippy drowning anti-sniffing ad from the same time period.

*"Had a hard day?" "Talk to some of the most exotic women in the world." the world = Tampa, Florida. Some of the most exotic = ordinary skanks.

*What does chomping into a Nestle's Crunch sound like? This ad swears it sounds like a pink Cadillac convertible, filled with lightbulbs, falling off of a tall building. I think Elvis just cried. Not sure which he cried for: the pink Cadillac or the candy bar.

*Private eye James Belushi is following around split personality Linda Blair who hired him to follow herself around. Looks sleazy & potentially good.

*Rhonda dons kinky boots, leather, & a gay man's biker's hat in a black & white moving photo hanging on the wall. Sounded like maybe Velvet Underground was playing in the background as well.

*It's okay to be like your mom. You're closer to 40 than 20 & it has a sickly brown colored candy coating. Oh, what am I talking about, you ask, it's Advil.

*If you ever see a whitebread goodlooking man or woman sitting on a New England beach or pier during a windy day, do not approach. They may look harmless, but they're usually filming an embarrassing human condition commercial.

*Diamond studded sex handcuffs. Nice. But why is Rhonda being so camera shy? Was she burntout with the show by this point, five or six years into its run.

*Bill Cosby's former tv wife, the one that he doesn't cheat on by serving PM cold medicine to ugly white women, is in an argument with her much better looking & non-raping actual husband about Pop-Secret popcorn.

*Cable in the classroom provides a parent's guide to the information superhighway that is cable tv

*"Someone out there knows what I'm going through." somewhere out there in psychic phone network mystery world that is

*Bonkers for Babies! & Animal Bloopers on Zoo Life Video. Jack Hanna (the animal guy from Carson, Leno, Letterman) believes that "Animals Do Feel Love." They also have a funny bone, and it's used for more than just Chinese medicine.

*Zipper crotches on leather lingerie wearing limbless & headless mannequins & more Rhonda voice-over work

*Archie Bunker's real life son died from drugs. Maybe he should have spent more time with him instead of arguing with Meathead.

*Rhonda finally makes an on camera appearance with poindexter in the adult video section of the sex shoppe

*"Virtual reality bites" have a Butterfinger Blast. Blood sugar induced hallucinations?

* 1 800 number for a TimeLife coffee table book on "how To fix" home remodeling & repairs. For only 3 easy payments of 9.99. Pretty steep if you think in 20tens terms & how easy it is to just go online & find the same info, but this is 1996 or 7, here, in the ad.

*Going back in time from 97 to 92, Rhonda is at the WBF World Fitness Expo doing a bit of cute jogging in place.

*Rhonda sings the theme song from Fortress of Amerikkka.

*Rhonda tells fat jokes about Roseanne. Roseanne probably hated Rhonda. Tom Arnold probably loved her.

*Rhonda flirts with a WBF bodybuilder / foreign accent guy whose thighs are bigger than Rhonda's waist

*Rhonda gets the bodybuilding champ to take off his shirt. He probably was having a panic attack just by wearing it anyway. Meatheads & shirts don't get along.

*Rhonda's hormones are out of whack here & the bodybuilders' steroid use as well.

*An Amazon chick shows up to tell how this fitness expo ain't no beauty pageant

*A mullet-haired meathead talks about bringing rock & roll fire into his bodybuilding expo routine. Thankfully, rock & roll died a long time before this. It's just corpse abuse.

*Rhonda tries to find out how much moolah an 80s-RickJames-pimp-looking black Hercules has won from the competition. He pulls out a check from his fanny pack. Fanny packs are very manly.

*World's Strongest Samoan pauses from picking up sedans to lift Rhonda up into the air by her butt

*Troma presents Fortress of Amerikkka!: In the cruel absurdity of Amerikkka, human life is worthless.

2 stars for the sex shoppe, 2 stars for the ads, 1 star for the body building expo, 2 1/2 stars for Rhonda, either 1 or close to 2 1/2 stars for Jason 8 (for the countless time on basic cable & mostly bloodless), & more than 2 1/2 stars for Amerikkka!

-----------------------

Troma presents "Lust For Freedom" *Troma tries their hand at the exploitation genre staple of women in a private prison hell. Highlights include a big mean looking Indian with a scarred face that drives around a black van across the desert & kidnaps women for the prison. He's like something out of a Jim Morrison song & he looks like the creepy brother of Bob from Twin Peaks. Another trashy fun part of the movie involves prison lady badasses in wrestling matches to the death. Plus there's an 80s hard rock soundtrack including the song "Rock You To Hell."* 3 stars

Beavis & Butthead: Sugartooth - Sold My Fortune *The boys mistake the word fortune for futon, and ponder why selling a futon would cause so many fights at the Sugartooth concert. Also, Beavis is intimidated by Urkel's size.* close to 3 stars with riffing 2 w/out

Kung Fu: Sun & Cloud Shadow *The path of peace is blocked by a mountain.* close to 3 stars

From Dusk Till Dawn: Place Of Dead Roads *The last stop before hell is a cafe, belonging to a cartel, serving plenty of coochie.* 2 1/2 stars

Public Access TV Gold - Don't You Want To Save Our Planet? *Fast Times Sean Penn look-a-like is for real about his love for his fellow parasite man. Vocal solo.* 3 stars

--- Dead Comics Society --- Commercial Breaks (1991):

*McHale's Navy every weeknight at 5 on the Comedy Channel. In color too. Antenna tv or MeTV shows this too, but in black & white.

*An ad for Billy Crystal's City Slickers. One of comedy's own was a blockbuster star still at this point.

*Coast bar soap ad where a "Thinking Man" bronze statue takes a refreshing bath in the rain.

*As seen on tv "No More Runs" panty hose w/ smart nylon. Run a nail file or a chainsaw right down the leg. Do not attempt while wearing, ladies

*Plenty of Stand Up comedy back in the day on comedy channels. Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Paul Poundstone, Howie Mandel, Carlin, pretty much all of the recognizable faces. And not just a weekend special like Comedy Central, these days. Stand up comedy was pretty much the face of the network.

*Jack Benny is creeped out by a kid wearing an ole timey clown mask. He's speechless, or once. Another show too old for current Comedy Central. One day Southpark will be on a TVLand type network & kids will get a weird feeling seeing how antique it looks. Much like seeing this clip of Jack Benny would make Comedy Central's current audience feel.

*KC Bold is like fireworks in one's mouth. It's important to always see the inventor of the baked beans or the bbq sauce or the George Foreman grill to know that the product / meal will be satisfactory. Did George actually invent that sidways waffle iron & grease trough?

*Devry with their 9 locations, in 1991, will teach you the tech knowledge that you need to succeed. Having a neatly trimmed little mustache is up to you.

*Ah, hah hah! The classic & unintentionally funny Suzanne Summers "Thigh Master" ad. She is so smiley while squeezing her crotch muscles. & just like the "Shake Weight," seeing a guy use it is just as amusingly awkward.

*Two Drink Minimum. A self aware title for another all stand up comedy show on the network. This one only has B to C list comics like 'The Amazing Jonathan"

*Alan King's "Inside the Comedy Mind" w/ such guests as the eccentric Steven Wright. We're too post-modern for something like this now. Inside the comedy mind? How lame, turn it on Louis CK's FX show or bring up a FunnyOrDie video. Alan King's "Inside the Comedy Mind" is no Zack Galifianakis' "Between Two Ferns." #hastag #hipster

*A middle America housewife is tired of having tried every diet from the "celebrity" to the "grapefruit." Her doctor finally puts her on some Medifast diet (we know it worked because obesity was cured & Medifast is currently the largest corporate brand of all time). She makes up for the weight loss by wearing oversized glasses & a lady business suit with shoulderpads larger than a NFL linebacker's.

*One of those classic scrolling certificate degrees from home ads. Learn everything from "gun repair" (only in America) or vcr repair (hopefully whoever took that is retired by now & not jobless).

*Short Attention Span Theater hosted by a very young Jon Stewart. This was before talking to cabinet secretaries & skewering political mishaps, for close to two decades, sucked all the life out of him.

*The very vintage Steve Allen Show weekdays on the Comedy Channel. Another show that deserves to still be on a classic channel somewhere. This clip had one of the first tv appearances of Elvis. How many viewers of current culture even care about or know whoElvis is, much less Steve Allen? Very few.

more than 2 1/2 stars

------------------------------

"V The Hot One" ---xxx--- (1977) *An example of how the fantasy in pornography is so different from reality: Valerie "V" asks her husband if he's ever been with a whore. (she's curious about whores) He says that he was with many when he was younger. (He then tells a digusting experience.) She's even more curious. (In reality the woman would be furious or detested with him.) Here, Valerie has spent a lifetime giving in to her whorish impulses.* 2 1/2(maybe classic)

"Tickle the Ivories w/ Janis Wolfe (Bad Public Access Show) *A very plain (& refreshingly un-self-aware) woman plays piano & reads psalms.* 1 star

"Topless Anti-Fashion" (DDTV San Francisco Public Access 1995) *A Lil' Kim look-a-like exposes painted nipples in what seems like a real life version of something Damon Wayans would parody on In Living Color.* 2 stars

Jake Byrd: Sara Palin Superfan (2008) *Bend over & grab your Arab ankles (Hussein Obama) or love Alaskan beaver (Palin Power).*  3 stars

Mr. Plinkett's Cop Dog Review *Put a dog on the cover of the dvd & dumb parents will rent it for their kids. Even though the dog commits suicide halfway in & becomes a ghost dog.* 0 for Cop Dog & 3 for Plinkett

"Best of The New Tom Green Show" (2003) *Short lived talk show that captured the same kind of crappy hip young adult audience NBC's Jimmy Fallon would a decade later. Also another attempt by MTV to tame & market a cult & avant garde artist (idiot?) to the American public (about as successful as his first MTV show in 1999 & his box office bomb of a movie "Freddy Got Fingered" 2001?).* 2 stars

Robin Williams - Improv with The Second City *Robin could improve any "hellhole."* close to 2 1/2 (would be more if it were recorded professionally instead of by an audience member, in the back row, with a cheap camcorder)

"Satarded Satanic Panic" (youtube) *Before she became a high priestess in the corporate church of the global economy, Oprah bought in to the goofy fearmongering going on in the Reagan years. Either a nutbag or a decoy evangelical pretending to be a reformed participant in a unbelievably ridiculous occult sacrifice story has Oprah taking his side over the more logical minded, yet still pretentious within his constitutional religious rights, devil-worshipper.* 1 star

Penn & Teller Bullshit!: Alien Abductions & End of the World *These crazies are actual doctors & best selling authors. Meanwhile, I'm not prepping for doomsday & I have no repressed memories of being probed. On top of that, I'm flat broke & live off of a diet of mostly beans while hardly leaving my house. I'm not paranoid, just lazy & unmotivated. I'd rather not survive an apocalypse or fly away w/ little green men.* 3 stars

Weird Al Yankovic: Headline News *Tru Al TV presents World's Dumbest Musical (Criminals).* close to 3 stars

Uncharted Zone: Ken Manning - Gulf Breeze UFO *Lookin' for a lost shaker of Martian salt.* between 2 & 2 1/2 stars

5 Dollar Wrestling: Next 5 Dollar Wrestling Superstar, Jimmy the Snake Roberts *DDT stands for "drop dead twice."* close to 3 stars

Vh1 Classic Pop Up Video: Latoya Jackson - Heart Don't Lie *The black sheep of the Jacksons in a video all about puppy love.* close to 2 stars w/ pop ups & 1/2 a star w/out

"Pauly's Totally Buff Special" *MTV's "The Weasel" Pauly Shore butchers the English/Spanish/human language drooling the international language of love (lust) over California bimbos.* either 1 star or close to 2 1/2 stars (for an idiot time capsule)

"Alien Lust" ---xxx--- 1985 *"A story of bizarro desires!" Nothing too out of this world, except for maybe the corny cartoon alien penis monster sex scene finale.* close to 2 stars or mostly 1/2 a star

X Files: The Erlenmeyer Flask *The hybrids fall from Olympus. The finale of the "Deep Throat" story arc.*

3 stars

Tales from the Crypt: Collection Completed *Grumpy bulldog M. Emmett Walsh begins his retirement by outcrazying his animal hoarding, eccentric wife when he uses taxidermy on all her beloved pets.* 3 stars

Harvey Keitel in "Corrupt" *"The public seek the police in order to be punished for their illicit desires." Johnny Rotten & Harvey make a cerebral odd couple.* close to 3 stars

[meredithdemystifyingmedia-blog]

J508: Blog Post Three: Week Four, Digital Disruption of Photography

J508: Blog Post Three: Week Four

This week the SOJC Demystifying Media Series is hosting the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography winner, Jason Wambsgans, of the Chicago Tribute. Here is his Pulitzer Prize Winning Portfolio, for your reference.

The obvious difference between journalism and photojournalism is the word “photo” and the art of photography. The photo has a rich history. Europe dabbled in and improved the techniques of photography during the 1800s. After learning of the European efforts, Samuel F.B. Morse brought photography to the U.S. in 1839 (Collins, n.d.). 

One year later, the world’s first portrait studio was established in New York City. Almost 65 years after photography came to the U.S., photojournalism is birthed. It is cited that the combination of photography and journalism (photojournalism) became popular (common knowledge) after World War II (1933-1945; Collins, n.d.).

Some argue, including me, the invention of the photojournalism changed the way American society interpreted the news. Where text produces thought, photos produce emotion. Some stories are more reactionary because of the emotional element that lingers to photography. This may be bad if the media or photojournalists are unethical in their execution of receiving and using photos journalistically. Below, I will provide examples of good, mediocre, and bad photojournalism. 

Good: Tank Man (Tiananmen Square protest): This image was taken by photographer Jeff  Widener in 1989 in Beijing a day after the Tiananmen Square massacre. The young men standing in front of the tanks was protesting the Chinese military attack on pro-democracy protesters. This image was transmitted over the AP wire, made the front page of newspapers around the world, and is considered one of the most influential photos of all time. This image captured the tension from China’s protests for the world to view. In my opinion, this is a great example of photojournalism. 

Mediocre:  Migrant Mother (Great Depression mom): This image was taken by photographer Dorothea Lange in 1936 at a Pea-Pickers Camp in California. This is one of the most iconic photos of the Great Depression because it showed the plight of the working poor. After its publication, an emergency shipment of food and supplies was sent to the pea farm in California. 

This photo exhibits great photojournalism, however, may not be the best example of journalistic ethics. My beef with this photo is the mother was told the photo would not be published and did not want her identity to be known to the public. Years later, the family said they resented the photo because “it reduced them to nameless icons of suffering, and its fame did nothing to improve their material conditions” (Arbuckle, 2016).

Bad: OJ Simpson (Time Vs. Newsweek): Speaking of ethics...This next example shows the important role of journalistic ethics and how (lack of ethics) could cause the reinforcement racist stereotypes. Time’s magazine cover darkened OJ’s skin tone. This is unethical because the darkened skin tone connotes an evilness and the edges of the cover are darkened only to reinforce a negative emotional reaction. The Time magazine audience may have a more negative opinion of OJ because of the manipulation of his mugshot photo. Subsequently, the Newsweek audience may still have a negative opinion of OJ (because of the murder trial) but the image did not glaze the character in a stereotypical manner like Time’s cover. 

Above, I argue that photojournalism disrupted American perspectives because it changed, some good and some bad, the way we, as a society, digested and interacted with media (similar to how television news disrupted the newspaper market).

Below, I will argue it is not the photojournalism but the photo that has disrupted modern U.S. society. Modern society is obsessed with pictures. I argue this using multiple examples: (a.) SELFIES; (b.) our “leisure time” may be spent on Instagram (photo heavy media), SnapChat (photo heavy media), our Tumblr community (photo reliant), Pinterest (photo heavy media), and the list goes on; (c.) Photoshop everything; (d.) emojis.

This obsession with pictures actually may be a digital disruption. Next, we will examine the intersection of the digital disruption and pictures as we review the five contexts: social, political, academic, professional and mediated. 

Social: As I mentioned above, the mobile phone app, SnapChat, has changed the way people communicate. Texting messaging is no longer hip when one can communicate using photos and photo filters (improvements). This causes a digital disruption because (a.) the photo filters create a false image of reality; (b.) the interface of SnapChat (disappearing photos and such) opens the door for sexual misconduct (��send nudes”); (c.) some things can’t be communicated via a photo.

Politically: The untouched and touched (by Photoshop) published pictures on U.S. political figures is astonishing. I have never witnessed the amount of politically incorrect photos, videos, and news clips of U.S. politicians. Trump is an easy target for this context because of his use of Twitter and comments about marginalized groups. Even though, I do not approve of Trump’s ideologies - I do not want to see an unflattering image of him playing tennis in white shorts. The photo of him playing tennis is in bad taste. Is it the tabloid culture or the digital disruption that made the release of this image politically and socially acceptable?

Academic: I will use the context “academic” broadly here and define it as education and ability to follow directions. By a show of hands, who remembers when DIY (do-it-yourself) directions came with words? 

Modern-day DIY directions are picture books with minimum text. It is things like this that contribute to the dumbing down of America (exaggeration). When we, as a society, are constantly presented with images as opposed to text, we improve our pictorial skills while hurting our textual and linguistic skills.

Professional: If you are a major corporation or organization, and you use Photoshop – Use it right (a cough, cough, Vanity Fair)! Vanity Fair is currently under fire for their misuse of Photoshop on the 2018 Hollywood portfolio issue cover. Twitter users noted the magazine gave Oprah 3 hands and Reese Witherspoon 3 legs.

Vanity Fair isn’t the only major publication to have a Photoshop hiccup. A movie poster for the film, Logan, presents an image of a child holding a wolverine’s hand, however. The child’s hand is enhanced with extra-long fingers and appears to be unreal. For more examples of bad Photoshop publications, see this Buzzfeed article.

Mediated: USA Today was a controversial newspaper when it debuted in 1982 because of its heavy reliance of colored images, pie charts, and the shape of the newspaper holder (mirrors a TV set as opposed to the traditional newsstand). Even though it received criticism at its birth, USA Today is one of the top circulating daily newspapers in the U.S.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I tend to be a little technological deterministic. This post is very deterministic, which is only one way to examine the digital disruption in photography. 

Photography has been very beneficial to journalism and U.S. society. If used correctly, photos have the power to transcend words. It is lovely to physically touch and hold family photos while walking down nostalgia street. The same thing for learning about iconic events - we are lucky to have photos, to tell the histories, and feel to the emotions photography offers.

For instance, the Kent State Shootings photo captured the tension of the anti-war protesters and the force from U.S. National Guard troops. This photo was a visual symbol of a very historic moment in U.S. history.

I attempt to argue that a world not so reliant on photos is a better world. However, in reality, that may not be true. In order to make my blog more visually pleasing and “better,” I use a lot of images, memes or GIFs.  So, who is calling the kettle black here? 

All in all, there are pros and cons to most things in life. This post rests heavily on the cons of things, however. There is a world of pros out there ready to be seen.

It is week three, so that means we will analyze the business section of MediaShift. I have decided to shift gears on my Mediashift weekly analysis. Instead of an overview of the pros/cons of each section, I will provide a more detail analysis of one or two sectional articles each week. 

Here’s How We Can Reinvent Local News: This article summarizes the problems and some solutions for TV local news. According to a Pew report, local TV news viewership is on a sharp decline. One problem for local news is the digital disruption. 

This made me think about my relationship with the local news. I watch the local news every weekday morning. I believe, the digital disruption has rained on the meteorologist. For example, the weather person often has a teaser ad that goes something like “stay tuned for the seven-day forecast”, however. I am impatient and have access to technology that provides me with weather information in seconds. Why wait or watch the local weather report, when you can seamlessly find the information via the Internet? 

The article provided a solution to the decrease in local news viewership. One part of the solution (for TV news) was to continue with the interesting personalities, but select passionate, opinionated journalists. I agree with this solution. After the, 01/30/2018, SOTU, CBS had three popular “journalists” debriefing the address. These personalities are interesting but lacked a critical review of the speech. For example, the president claimed that gang members were to blame for the opioid epidemic. However, two blog posts ago, I cite an investigative journalism report that concluded doctors were to part to blame due to the over-prescribing and monetary profits of pharmaceuticals. Trump’s rhetoric on gang members perpetuates stereotypes and adds to the political economy of political ignorance, which is very dangerous to a democracy. 

This week I will only cover one article from the business section. Next week, we will cover two article from the global view section. 

References:

Arbuckle, A. (2016, June 12). The hidden life story of the iconic 'Migrant Mother'. Retrieved from https://mashable.com/2016/06/12/migrant-mother/#h0M6QvR5Paqn

Collins, R. (n.d.). A Brief History of Photography and Photojournalism. Retrieved from https://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~rcollins/242photojournalism/historyofphotography.html