#truly truly unhinged episode of internet television

[lindamccartneysstrap]

it's like. what can you even say about this.

oh ok.

i give up.

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: May 2023

If you notice I haven’t read as much this month, it’s because I got the new Zelda game. But between my vanquishing of evil I still managed to fit in some other media! Here’s how I spent the month of May.

……….FILM……….

BlackBerry (2023) Having grown up in Waterloo Region I didn’t have any interest in seeing a retelling of the story I mostly knew but this was really great! Surprisingly funny and frenetic and a truly unhinged (in the best way) performance from Glenn Howerton. Good stuff.

John Mulaney: Baby J (2023) I naively thought “I wonder how much this’ll touch on the drug stuff?”... turns out it’s all about the drug stuff. Cool that he was talking about it so openly, and made it so funny, but I wonder if there was more material that got cut? He briefly mentions a trip with his son and I would’ve loved to hear more about that. Anyway as a comedy special it’s really great.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) You know I haven’t been interested in the last few Marvel movies but this one felt like it was going to be different..and it was! So many moving parts but I never had trouble keeping track of character motivations or story beats and the whole thing was really beautiful. I mean even the really gross stuff was fun to watch. Keen to go back and watch this as a trilogy down the road.

The Suicide Squad (2021) I was excited to see Guardians of the Galaxy so at the start of the month I rewatched this. Still impressed at how this can be equal parts a gross out dick joke movie and also built on a foundation of community and family. Builds well, nothing feels repetitive, and the finale doesn’t overstay its welcome. Really great stuff.

……….TELEVISION……….

The Bear (Episode 1.01 to 1.03) Never have I felt so stressed watching television. Really captivating episodes and I’m very excited to watch more.

Ted Lasso (Episode 3.08 to 3.10) Maybe it’s the time away from season 1 and 2, or maybe something happened behind the scenes, but season 3 feels different. Some eps really hit, and even some moments within those other episodes, but it all feels rather unfocused. Maybe it’ll stick the landing but my confidence has been shaken.

The Most Hated Man on the Internet (Episode 1.01 to 1.03) Perfectly paced. Just enough detail to get invested but after 3 eps it felt like I experienced the full journey. Really interested to see the public’s perception of revenge porn shift over time and I can only assume this website (and its founder) played a part in that.

……….YOUTUBE……….

Down the Off-Grid Rabbit Hole... by Maggie Mae Fish Love simultaneously learning about a corner of the internet and also how it’s exploiting others. Just wild. VIDEO

Why so many people need glasses now by Vox Turns out kids need to spend more time outside for legit biological reasons? Who knew. VIDEO

How Nintendo Solved Zelda's Open World Problem by Game Maker’s Toolkit Hey maybe you’ve been playing the new Zelda and if you have, you’ll find this interesting. I sure did. VIDEO

……….READING……….

The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt (Page 165 of 500) The first time I read this, it really helped me understand the perspective some folks take on divisive topics. There was a sort of comfort to finally seeing what they’re seeing. In rereading this, I find myself getting angered while reading. The book is over 10 years old and while still relevant, it often feels quaint when talking about the widening gap between political parties. Its neutrality feels almost naive to me? Maybe I’ve forgotten a key chapter that helps.

The Fade Out by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (It doesn’t have page numbers...maybe 1/3 of the way through) Murder in old hollywood is just so cool. I’m really digging this so far and the art, characters, and pacing feel thoroughly natural. Every reveal is just so casual cause to these characters, it’s just their lives, and I love that. Big fan so far.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 8 by by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley, and more (Complete) I always liked the smaller stories in this volume that focused on Peter’s personal life...like break-ups and dating other superheroes and stuff. But for some reason the Jean DeWolff/Kingpin/Moon Knight stuff always just felt kinda rushed? I dunno maybe I like everything to be a little more fantastical or suuuuuuper mundane. None of this in-between shenanigans. Give me highschool or give me death.

……….GAMING……….

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo) So good. I walked past a house that was redoing their driveway and had a bunch of construction stuff covered in a tarp and I immediately thought “hmm I wonder what I could build” and that...is the sign that I’ve played this game too much. Big fan 10/10 change nothing.

Oz: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The Mof1 Crew did some downtime planning ahead of a heist/attack combo that worked out pretty well! We played out events in weeks instead of in real time (for both the players and their enemies) and it worked pretty well!

Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The group is still navigating a rival adventuring party on the island and seeing what happens now that they’ve let their star-collecting duties slip. Big trouble. You can read about it here.

Anyway that’s it. See you in June!

[episodesthebadgirlsclub]

A Guide to VH1's Drunk, Loud, Unapologetic Golden Age of Reality TV

Rock of Love,' 'Flavor of Love,' 'I Love New York,' and others are on Prime, so it's time to revisit Somethin's staircase poop.

Watch on:  https://episodesthebadgirlsclub.com/episodes

Spanning roughly from 2006 to 2010, a time period which yielded such glorious shows as Flavor of Love, Rock of Love, and I Love New York, this is, undoubtedly, an opportunity to re-immerse oneself in the golden era of trash television. Without these now-classic shows, the world would never know Tiffany "New York" Pollard, the most GIFable queen of the entire internet. It would never learn that "people who eat basil are lame," or that "stripper shoes go with any outfit," among other gems of wisdom from Rock of Love Bus's glorious (and often wasted) cast member Ashley Klarich. Truly, this earth would have been worse off had it never been privy to Tykeisha "Somethin" Thomas from Flavor of Love season 2 infamously defecating on the staircase after a clock ceremony (more on this later), or Nikki taking a test-tube shot out of Gia's vagina on Rock of Love. These contestants and their hijinks were far from the Hannahs and Laurens of The Bachelor universe, unafraid to let their freak flags wave, get laid, get drunk, be loud, and drag each other ruthlessly.

While there's now an entire universe of 90 Day Fiancé and more than half a dozen Real Housewives franchises fulfilling our raccoon-like need to devour absolute garbage, VH1's staple lineup of 00s reality TV just hit differently. These shows were unhinged in strange and hilarious ways, and remain endlessly quotable, memeable, and, now, nostalgic for reality TV fans. These characters' willingness to go to astronomical levels of absurdity and all-out, televised chaos for the object of their (heavily staged) affection remains mesmerizing, undoubtedly egged on by producers and accentuated by editors' additions of tongue-in-cheek sound and visual effects (like Flavor of Love's Hottie getting a bike chime noise every time she blinked her big, false lashes at someone).

Now, years after their sell-by date, we can joyously revisit these wonderfully subversive pieces of reality TV perfection. Here's a helpful guide to VH1's greatest shows, all of which embody the wildness of an abandoned amusement park run by feral badgers.

If it's rap legends, boss bitches, and bodily fluids you crave, get a taste of Flavor of Love.

After his breakup with 80s actress Brigitte Nielsen (their relationship was documented in the aptly titled series Strange Love, a spin-off of The Surreal Life), VH1 producers gave Public Enemy's Flavor Flav the chance to find The One on Flavor of Love, a dating series that parodied The Bachelor. Unlike The Bachelor, however, the series featured a racially diverse cast of women vying for one of Flav's trademark clocks to wear around their necks, signifying that they would advance to the next round. While many Black writers called out the show for being exploitative and perpetuating offensive stereotypes, the series was a ratings beast that lasted three seasons and led to multiple spinoffs, and the women that stepped into Flav's mansion became some of the greatest contestants in reality TV history thanks to their unapologetic, unadulterated personalities. They kept it real at all times, leading to scenes and lines that are still fondly memorialized on the internet to this day. There was Hottie's assurance that everyone says she reminds them of Beyoncé; Pumkin launching a spit missile at New York; the aforementioned poop on the staircase incident (Somethin explained that she tried to hold it, but her stomach said, "Bitch, you've got me fucked up;" Flav then applauded Somethin for being "real with it"); and too many moments from Tiffany "New York" Pollard to count. For two seasons, New York ran the other women ragged, implementing grade-A trash talk, stare-downs, and fearlessness in pursuit of her man Flav. Her iconic level of drama rendered her worthy of various spin-offs, a Brooklyn art show of works created in her honor, and a throne as the reigning as the queen of reaction GIFs. Every minute of television where the camera is on New York is worth the watch.

Watch :  Seasons1  https://episodesthebadgirlsclub.com/flavor_of_love_season_1 Season2 https://episodesthebadgirlsclub.com/flavor_of_love_season_2

If you stan stripper heels, giant breast implants, and hair teased to the heavens, look no further than Rock of Love.

For three seasons, Bret Michaels—best known as the lead singer of hair-metal band Poison and the co-star of Pamela Anderson's lesser-known sex tape��searched America (and whatever part of France the extremely horny Angelique is from) to find his tour bus partner for life. The incessantly sloppy-drunk contestants came in hot, armed with an arsenal of clear heels, ass-cheek-grazing polyester dresses, and an insatiable desire to make out with Bret Michaels. But they were more than Sunset Strip groupies, strippers, and porn stars; they were women on a mission to get their man (and some screen time). There were standouts from all three seasons, like the big-haired, 80s metal goddess Heather, who got Michaels's name tattooed on her neck; the cackling, painfully earnest cowgirl Rodeo; and mean girl Ashley, whose magnificent implants and the way she said "bitch" made her extra larger-than-life. But those women were just a few in a kaleidoscope of big personalities, including one contestant who took everyone's used socks after a hockey match to keep for her personal use. In the end, Bret never found his true match, but the search yielded hours of premium entertainment.

You love Tiffany Pollard? Then you'll definitely love I Love New York.

After two unsuccessful efforts to win Flav's final clock, Pollard landed a spin-off dating show of her own. For two seasons, Pollard and her frighteningly brutal mom, Sister Patterson, put a group of studs and duds through the absolute ringer as they pledged their undying love for New York. Within that group were some standouts that made for excellent television, like excruciatingly dweeby white boy Mr. Boston, mouthy "stallionaire" Chance, his more tender brother Real (who tragically died of colon cancer in 2015), outspoken little person Midget Mac, Italian mama's boy Frank the Entertainer, and countless others. There was toe sucking, speedo wearing, a pretty bad nosebleed, and a fervent church service led by Sister Patterson. It was worth watching for Pollard's electrifying presence alone, but became a true carnival thanks to the full cast and their antics.

Watch: https://episodesthebadgirlsclub.com/i-love-new-york-season-1-episodes

If it's a group of lingerie-clad women flipping off outdated ideas of respectability you like, go with Charm School.

Charm School sought to do the impossible: reform the hard-partying and harder-fighting women from Flavor of Love and Rock of Love, and turn them into polite, well-behaved ladies. It did so in grossly outdated ways, like telling the women to dress and behave less sexually. But the ladies fought back in every possible way, finding it hard to leave their boozing, trash-talking, and wearing-lingerie-as-outerwear ways behind them. (Bless them for that.) Hosted by Mo'Nique, Sharon Osbourne, and Ricki Lake in seasons 1, 2, and 3, respectively, the show saw contestants forced to perform challenges aimed at molding them into business-savvy, self-sufficient women, and in some cases, contestants seemed to actually care about evolving into better versions of themselves. But many others weren't even trying, and the show will be forever remembered as the one where Osbourne beat up aspiring trophy wife Megan Hauserman after she insulted Ozzy Osbourne during the season 2 reunion. Not the most charming moment.

Watch: 

season1 https://episodesthebadgirlsclub.com/charm_school_season_1

season 2 https://episodesthebadgirlsclub.com/Charm_school_season_2   

season 3 https://episodesthebadgirlsclub.com/charm-school-3

Source: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/kz4x3y/tiffany-pollard-new-york?utm_source=stylizedembed_vice.com&utm_campaign=kz4x3y&site=vice

[sfom-unlimited-blog]

To Never Be Continued

It ain’t easy being a sci-fi fan.

A few days ago, The Expanse was cancelled. I’ve been a big fan since its very first trailer back in the halcyon days of 2015 and I hate to see it go. It was always on the bubble; I knew this, and thus, raised awareness and looped in some new fans and did everything I could to help keep it afloat. But ratings-wise, the writing had always been on the wall. I am not shocked to learn that this smart, savvy, thrilling series will not continue its excellent adaptation of the titular book series by James S.A. Corey. I’m simply disappointed.

Word is, Alcon Entertainment has been shopping around The Expanse to other networks. Sadly, word also is that there have been no interested parties and the sets will be brought down as early as Monday.   It’s looking like this may be the end of the road for the brave crew of the Rocinante and their friends and frenemies across the cosmos. If this the case, fans may need to do their best to content themselves with the novels. The talented cast and crew will have an even tougher time saying goodbye, but in all likelihood they’ll be saying goodbye just the same. 

It always hurts to lose something we love. As humans, we turn to stories to escape reality and take pride and pleasure in seeing scrappy heroes rally together for the greater good and hard-knocks cynical detectives realize their lives are worth a damn. Even in the darkest spaces -- even in Game of Thrones, where life is always hanging by a thread, courting death in every motion -- there’s hope. Living in the real world, we desperately need that hope, and television series cancellations deprive us of seeing it to its fullest. When plugs are yanked on ongoing stories, hope seems to dwindle. If the crew of the Roci won’t get their happy endings, what good is there left in our world? An exaggeration, of course, but another thing us humans have a tough time with is fully processing the raw and visceral nature of fresh pain. There’s plenty of beauty to be had on Earth and there’s plenty to savor in the three stellar seasons of The Expanse. But without proper resolution, the fans and the creators alike will suffer a bullet hole where our brains once lingered longingly. It sucks. 

My first real foray into the internet came at age 15. My late grandmother, who will totally get referenced in a solid third of my blog posts, for the record, had pulled me into science fiction at a very early age. (Another thing you’ll see noted often is that Star Trek: The Next Generation premiered just three weeks after I was born, and little baby Quinton was in a little baby crib the night it began. By the time that baby had turned into a six-year-old child, they were already ranting and raving about Data and Picard.) Back to when I was 15, though. My grandmother and I had been faithful fans of the irreverent space adventure series Farscape for years. Neither of us spent much time on the net (heck, my grandmother never missed an opportunity to tell folks she barely knew how to turn on a computer!) but the night of the show’s impromptu series finale changed my world. Midway through the episode, during one of its commercial breaks, we spotted an advertisement sponsored by Farscape’s fanbase. It asked us whether we were enjoying tonight’s episode and whether or not we were aware that this would be Farscape’s last. It called on everyone to make a ruckus on the Save Farscape forums. It insisted that together we could make a difference for a cancelled show. 

At the end of the episode, the show’s lead characters were faced with, shall we say, an impossible situation. And those cruel and unusual words -- “To Be Continued” -- popped up on the screen, overlaid upon a heartbreaking scene. It was at that tragic moment that I realized Farscape, in all likelihood, would never contain an ounce of resolution. The characters my grandmother and I, and millions of other people, had watched struggle and rise for 88 episodes would never find peace. It blew my mind and enraged me. I was 15, after all, and hormonal as all get-out. I knew John Crichton and Aeryn Sun weren’t real, and I knew their fictional frell-offing wasn’t technically as important as the livelihood of real people surrounding me in the real world, but frak that sentiment, these were my friends, they’d taught me so much about what it means to be a person, and they were gone.

I signed up on Save Farscape’s forums that night. Back then, Facebook and Twitter and Snapchat and Instagram and all your other whoddathunkit gadgets were not yet in-season, so folks communicated in message board posts and then they met up at conventions and passed out custom-made posters and got loud in all these other ways. It was the only way, and by goodness, we did it. There wasn’t a whole heck of a lot I could do at my age, but I attended a few conventions and got to meet stars Ben Browder and Claudia Black and I may or may not have blabbed endlessly to them both about how much their work meant to me and how inspirational their characters were and it’s entirely possible I came across a touch unhinged which is fine because I probably am. They were gracious and kind and told me to keep up the good fight and never let go of my dreams. (Someday I’ll write about just how much that moment means to me.) And we did it. The fanbase, with continued support from The Jim Henson Company, successfully brought Farscape back for a four-hour miniseries which resolved the show’s bad-timing cliffhanger and gave much of its cast a happy ending. It was one of the proudest days of my life when I heard the news. My grandmother would not stop beaming about how happy she was that I’d taken that step. And, like I said, I really didn’t do much. But I was a part of something that restored that hope to people’s lives, just a tad, for just a few more hours. I watched the grown-ups make waves and give an unfinished story its finale. I was smitten.

That was when I decided that I’d make following the television industry a lifelong passion. And that’s where I am today, as I hear the disheartening news that The Expanse’s sets are being torn down soon if no buyers have emerged to pick up SyFy’s slack.

For every Farscape, for every Firefly sequel movie, there are dozens and dozens of shows that don’t get a second lease on life, a renewed chance to say goodbye. But we have to believe, my friends. As fans of The Expanse, we have to believe that this isn’t goodbye. We have to make noise, using all the additional tools in our arsenal since Farscape came back swinging in Autumn 2004. If this is truly the end for James Holden’s ragtag band of makeshift heroes and heroines, let’s not go quietly into the night. Even if those sets go down, let’s remind the world that The Expanse, like Farscape, is a damned good time. 

And if, in the final telling, we must say farewell -- if this story will not reach its intended end -- I’ll be here for each and every one of you, my fellow fans as well as the makers of this exceptional journey, as we grieve.