American Idol 22 Episode 1 – Young People Look Old, Front Mullets, and a Funeral Home

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.

McKenna’s adoption story is incredible.

I’m really glad Luke Bryan fought to keep Jack on the show. Jack’s my #1 so far.

I’m not sure anyone wants to win more than Odell Bunton, Jr.

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?

-Out of the Wilderness

The Liquid Death Zombie Commercial with Santa and More

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!

-Out of the Wilderness

“Next Goal Wins” and the Lie of the Transgender Hero

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

The Washing Feet “He Gets Us” Commercial – I Wasn’t Going To Write About It

During the Super Bowl there was a “He Gets Us” commercial. I’ve written about one of them before (here) and I wasn’t going to write about this one because I thought it would be best to just let you have your own thoughts and opinions on it without mine getting in the way. The simple message from all the commercials is that Jesus is so much more than what you probably think. Or as Kevin Max (of DCTalk) once sang, “You blow away every myth… they taught me in Sunday School.”

I love the truth that Jesus cares. He wants to carry our burdens. But even more than that, he knows our hearts. I struggle with something that someone else is not tempted by. Another person is weak in an area where I’m strong. Jesus knows we are weak sometimes. Sometimes the idea of church comes across judge-y and maybe that’s a product of Christians in the 80s and 90s now coming to fruition in the 2000s-2020s. I was taught (or at least I remember learning this somehow) that even drinking is a sin. I mean gosh, in the movie Footloose dancing is a sin. There’s been so much fluff added to Christianity and these ads are aiming to strip that all way. Get rid of the rules and get back to Jesus.

That’s the idea behind the commercials but the one in the Super Bowl, on the surface I was fine with it. Mostly because my attention was divided so I didn’t even really catch it. Watching it now, though… it kind of ticks me off A LOT. Here it is as a refresher…

Officer Tatum pointed out that both people in every image had bare feet, so everyone was washing everyone’s feet. That makes it less agitating but without being able to pause it and pick out the nuances, the ad is such a cultural butt-kiss. Of course the priest is washing the gay guy’s feet! Obviously the cop is washing the black man’s feet! These are ideas that will be embraced by everyone who wants tolerance to be the top virtue. But there’s another subtle mistake in the ad, too. Getting back to Jesus… He is all-powerful, Lord, seated at the right hand of God. There’s no name above His. But while He was on earth, he took on the form of a servant. So the image of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet is remarkable because here’s this Heavenly being, superior in every way, and He’s serving. Lifting others up in encouragement. If the ad mirrors this, then it’s affirming that the washer (the cop, the priest, the white man, etc) is superior to the washee.

The intentions were good, I believe. I’m probably just reading into it too much. But this question posed by a viewer on YouTube is really interesting, don’t you think?

Along those lines, here’s a much better video conveying the power of Jesus, who, in spite of His own glory and superiority, considered Himself a servant who came to change us, not affirm us.

-Out of the Wilderness

-Out of the Wilderness

My First Duathlon – The Results!

Kieran, dim the lights. The results are in and America has voted. Is that your final answer? When it comes to little Johnny, I am NOT the father! Ok, that’s a mashup of random shows that don’t jive with what today’s post is about whatsoever. Except that we ARE talking about results and the results of my very first duathlon are in.

As you’ll recall from this post, my goal was to be one of the top 15 guys (I forgot to mention that I also wanted to finish under 1:10:00). The math for that was 15 minutes for the first 2 miles, 38 for biking, and another 15 for the last 2 miles. Adding 2 for transition time and the total is 1:10:00. Here are the official results…

There were 12 guys that finished ahead of me which means I reached my goal! Also, finishing just under 1:04:00 makes me so happy. I can’t deny that the training helped out a ton and now it just makes me want to train more. During the first 2-mile run, I knew I was going fast but had no idea it was a 6:21 pace. The biking was about as hard as I thought it would be. I seemed to hit a wall around mile 7 but a couple of miles later felt a second wind come over me. I knew the final 2-mile run I had a slower pace but I was happy to see it was still under 7:00 per mile.

Overall, I’m very happy with my performance in the duathlon. Now, time to start training for the next one! Coming up in March is another duathlon featuring a 5K, a 12-mike bike, and finishing with a 1.6-mile run.

-Out of the Wilderness