Posting daily at 1pm central about all kinds of things. One day it's dating, the next it's TV commercials. I hope you're entertained. Professional photos on SmugMug – https://benwilder.smugmug.com
Most women would agree Matt Rife is good-looking and dresses well. Completing the trifecta of “signs you might be gay” is that a lot of the jokes I’ve heard from him are borderline misogynistic. Or to say it a different way, he’s like the guy who drives around a big Ford F-250, lift kit, rims, light bar on top. He steps out of the truck with a cowboy hat on, a big belt buckle, and Converse All Stars. Yep, he’s overcompensating for something…. else. We’ve all seen that guy. It’s very possible that Matt is comedy’s version of the same guy.
He’s sort of in the middle of controversies surrounding his off-color jokes… the kind that aren’t sensitive to things that people care a lot about– special needs, domestic abuse, etc. So his future might look something like this: he steps away for a bit for self-reflection, he does some sort of apology, attempts a comeback, reveals his comedy was coming from a place of hurt, announces he’s gay, America embraces him like never before.
Just like all of us, he knows that once he comes out as homosexual, he has instant immunity and he’ll be beloved by everyone. Gays can’t be cancelled, corrected, or criticized. Matt then goes on a nationwide tour, gets a lucrative HBO special, and starts dating Travis Kelce.
I’ll be frank, my #1 goal in every race is to just not embarrass the heck out of myself. That could happen in a lot of ways. I try to avoid all of those ways.
No one wants to be Phoebe. Well, except when she was sick and had the smokey singing voice we all want. Remember that? But for my next duathlon coming up in a couple of weeks, I have goals similar to my last duathlon (recap here). I’d like my total time to be between 1:08 and 1:10, so officially I’m calling it 1:09:00. This will be difficult because it’s about a half mile longer running than the last race. Here’s the breakdown of each event:
5K Run – goal 22:00
12-mile Bike – goal 38:00
1.6-mile Run – goal 11:15
Transitions – goal 1:00
The math adds up to 1:12:15 so I have just a slight idea of where I can gain the 3 minutes to reach my goal. It’s on the bike. No matter if I reach this goal or not though, I’ll still basically call it a win if I don’t totally embarrass myself.
After a group of great contestants lead by winner Iam Tongi last year, I’m looking forward to another good season of remarkable singers in 2024. That’s right, “American Idol” is back! This first episode had a handful of the obligatory sob stories but it was also full of talent, too. For a great play-by-play style blog post, check out mjsbigblog. I’ll just give you a glimpse into some of my thoughts from the episode. Away we go…
A few of the contestants in their early 20s look like they’re 57 years old.
Some auditions were in Nashville. I don’t miss living there.
Some auditions were in Los Angeles. I don’t ever want to live there.
Will they ever explain during the show what a platinum ticket is?
Why do young guys have mullets in the front? Yes, I’m talking about Mackenzie from England. It looks so silly.
Triston Harper (age 15): the talking voice of a 40-year-old rancher, the singing voice of a 15-year-old.
Kennedy works in a funeral home. We need a reality show with her, her piano-playing coworker, and the funeral home owner RIGHT NOW. I’d become a hermit and watch every episode.
Meggie… the only contestant that looks 18, sings 18, and is 18.
Blake Proehl. I really hate that I’m not Blake.
Micaela McCall. Another contestant who looks like she’s 63 years old. She’s 28. Nice voice, though.
Jack. Definitely getting NeedtoBreathe and Jason Isbell.
I like the judges more each episode, even Katy who sometimes uses her position as a podium for her own agenda.
The judges are kind to the contestants. I still wish there was a Simon Cowell personality on the show… someone who won’t sugarcoat anything. But alas, this is the Idol world we live in. Did you like the episode? How much did you cry during the McKenna story?
We’ve all seen our fair share of commercials we don’t like. I’m thinking of annoying commercials like this one from Gillette or the Super Bowl Jesus commercial that shouldn’t bother me but it does. But every once in a while a commercial comes along that really eats at you. Nom nom nom goes this Liquid Death commercial where zombies have taken over and they’re literally eating friends and family. Take a look then scroll down for more info…
The ad turns into a throwback 80s-style infomercial, complete with a cheery jingle to go along with their morbid-adjacent product. As far as commercials go, this one stands out because of its absurdity. Just enough to make viewers ask, “What did I just watch?” In movies and on TV, the zombie craze has ended but this silly advertisement doesn’t come across as kicking a dead horse. It’s a light-hearted take on the zombie genre and that in itself is rare. Including Santa might –and by “might” I mean it definitely will– give children nightmares and forever change their childhood but there’s kind of a trend of making Santa into a vigilante killing machine anyway, so the people behind the ad thought one or both of these things:
1. Let’s take the risk of having a bloody Santa
2. We’re getting on the “Santa is a bad@ss” train now, choo choo!
What do you think of the Liquid Death commercial? Was it enough to get the Death Dust added to your Amazon cart (here’s the link on Amazon)? Chime in below!
I thought about writing up a nice intro to kick this post off saying something about how this fun movie just popped up on Hulu. I’d try saying something funny or clever about soccer and share a personal story or two. Like the time I was a goalie and went to kick the ball as it bounced towards me. I whiffed and the ball rolled into the goal. I haven’t been a goalie since. Or this other goalie I happened to get a picture of during one of my niece’s soccer games. Side note: this isn’t my niece.
But I rather just get right into what’s really annoying about Next Goal Wins. What is it with America’s obsession over trans people? In the movie there’s a transgender athlete and, once she’s introduced to the audience, she’s in almost every scene. On top of that, she becomes the hero of the story. That would be fine if the movie weren’t based on a true story… a true story where the trans athlete (Jaiyah Saelua) barely plays in any game. It’s definitely a sign of the times that the trans woman was the hero of the fictional story when, as history shows it, she was barely part of the story at all. She said this:
American Samoa. This movie also whiffed in its portrayal of the Samoan people. It made them look more like the cast of “The Three Stooges” than a heritage full of deep faith, strength, and resilience. This comment on YouTube sums it up well.
Artistic License. It’s common for movies to embellish stories for the sake of entertainment. But are there any transgender people embarrassed that their sexuality is often used as entertainment? Why did Next Goal Wins use Jaiyah’s gender to embellish the story instead of, say, the coach’s relationship with his wife? In the movie, they are separated and headed towards divorce. The movie could’ve shown them as a couple madly in love after decades of marriage, a testament to true commitment. Instead they show the coach as an angry white man…
Guy 1: There’s something not right about this guy.
Guy 2: Well, he IS white.
Nevermind the fact that there are white people who know a thing or two about soccer *ahem* the Australians who beat them 31-0 just a few years prior. Not to mention, the white savior trope the movie tries to dispel is itself dispelled when the team scores and wins a game thanks to….. their white coach! Oopsy.
To cast the coach and his wife as a healthy couple is boring. I get it. Anything transgender is infinitely more entertaining and culturally fashionable, sure to cause a stir. A middle aged white couple with a happy marriage doesn’t really make a good comedy, I guess. So Next Goal Wins parades the transgender woman around like a circus freak under the guise of heroism (or should it be called sheroism?), which is pretty far from the truth.
All that said, early in the movie there’s a scene of the coach getting fired which sets him up for the job in American Samoa. It’s the funniest scene in the movie and I love the use of props (overhead projector) and comedic timing. If it weren’t for the transgender thing being shoved in our faces the entire time, I’d watch the movie again. If you can overlook that and you want a comedy, you’ll enjoy Next Goal Wins. If you’re looking to be inspired to win your next pickleball championship, look elsewhere.
Out of the Wilderness 