T-M-I from T-I-M

Review: Wrestlers on Netflix

REVIEW:  WRESTLERS ON NETFLIX

I haven’t been a wrestling fan since Wrestlemania 1.  And yet Wrestlers on Netflix was fabulous. 

It centers on an “off-off Broadway” wrestling organization called Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW).  It’s one of the last independent wrestling organizations.

Al Snow runs OVW and is a former wrestler.  He used to bring a mannequin head into the ring with him that he interacted with making him a fan favorite.

There is a group of about 20 wrestlers in OVW, the series focuses on about 10 of them.  This is why I find the series so compelling.

Netflix has figured out a niche that is SO effective.  Series like Cheer, Last Chance U and now Wrestlers have cracked a code of compelling storytelling.

In all 3 series I never heard of any of them and in the case of Cheer and Wrestlers I am utterly uninterested in the sports. 

They’ve learned how to follow individuals with depth and emotional richness that has me wanting to keep going to find out what happens.

I got invested in almost every wrestler and the organization. 

The most compelling wrestler is a young, good looking, charismatic, big dreaming wrestler named Hollywood Haley J.  She has the most potential to get to the next level in wrestling.

She grew up surrounded by trauma and has a young child.  Her mom is also a wrestler and she’s dating a fellow wrestler who is…not the healthiest of fellows.

It’s captivating to feel her struggle and so desperately want to come to terms with her upbringing.  It’s such a relatable story.

Speaking of story, it was fascinating to learn how wrestling execs think about “story”.  Al Snow lets us all the way inside to learn how story drives the success of the business.

It is terrific to see it play out as one of the core “stories” is Haley J has conflict with her mom, The Amazing Maria James.  It feels so real and in fact it is because of the feelings even if the match is pre determined. 

The series includes a fascinating storyline wherein Matt Jones, a popular sports talk show host invests in OVW.  It creates an incredible amount of conflict and a redemptive storyline for him that is quite touching.

It’s worth noting that the OVW is lucky if it gets 100-300 people at their events.  And I was… moved to see how the attendees were REALLY invested in hating or loving whoever they wanted to win. 

It’s BECAUSE they were invested in the story not necessarily just the wrestler. 

The tickets are very affordable of course.  I have this very soft spot in my heart for audience, including families, that love things like this even if it’s a very big cut below the heavily produced gigantic bit time wrestling.

It makes me so happy that they get that experience regardless of what the quality of it.  I feel the same way sometimes when I see a family at a chain restaurant and think “this might be a very special evening for them going out like this”. 

These wrestlers give their ALL to this, sometimes to their physical and emotional detriment. 

It reminds me of people who do local stand up or theater, it’s a pure passion play.

And yet, they do it all.  Haley and Maria have an “anything goes” match that is breathtaking.  They put themselves through physical pain that is almost difficult to watch.

The series however was not hard to watch. 

It got to my heart.  The final scene which is a reception for the group was quite emotional to watch and not surprisingly I shed a few tears.

Who would’ve thought wrestling could do that?

Questions at a Coffee Shop

Questions at a Coffee Shop

I'm a writer, and part of my process is questions...I’m sitting at Peet’s on Chestnut and I have some:

For customers:

Is the line a social experience or a means to an end?

Are their indoor sunglasses a fashion statement or hangover reveal?

Do they have a cool “coffee name”?

(A “coffee name” is different than the name on your credit card or account, Franklin, the chatty fun barista in Peet’s threw this one in)

Is the music they’re bumping on their headphones cooler than mine?

How would they react if I actually told them what I listened to? "Lucky" by Britney Spears is a remarkably deep song people...

When they walk in in the middle of our lives and later someone asks “So what did you do today?” will they say they got coffee?

It seems like the word “with” is the operative word to turn a non-mentionable errand into a shareworthy experience.

I got coffee with….

As I sit here now how many people are actually working through difficult things together?

Do they walk out after “getting coffee with…” and have a fresh perspective and new hope?

Or do they walk out feeling heard and listened to, well worth the $6 cup of coffee?

How many of them change from their “pre-coffee” selves into “post-coffee” selves after having coffee here?

Does just the idea that soon they will be “post coffee” people perk them up a bit?

Or is the “post-coffee” benefit mostly experienced outside the store, after they leave?

How many are coming in here full of misery and loneliness, like I used to frequently and still do at times?

When they do, does it help?

Do they feel part of the human race just for a moment? And after that moment does the loneliness feel colder?

Do they wish someone would “just ask”? Would it help if someone, anyone “just listened”?

And how much would they appreciate the offer even if they said “no”?

Would the no be true?

Is it, at some level, a place where they can come in and order it exactly how they want and they will actually MAKE it how they want?

Do they feel special?

When they don’t get it how they like it will they say something?

And when they do will it be said with confidence and kindness?

If they walk in, like I have, and REALLY have to go to the bathroom do they do I REALLY got to go to the bathroom yoga/dance or do they just hold steady?

Do they wonder if someone is listening next to them when they talk about the most difficult things?

Do they, like I’ve done, order water because they are so broke, they can’t afford anything else?

And are they, like I was, broke emotionally, which feels far more despondent than broke financially?

Do they feel like they are cheating if they go to SBUX when they are avowed “Peet” people?

For the employees:

They are working in a set up where they get a slice of every person’s life that walks by and see what we order.

I wonder if a barista or cashier could guess what someone looks like or who they are based on their coffee order?

Or when they see us do they think “of course they would order that”?

Or “WOW I didn’t think that person would order matcha latte, that’s cool!”?

Or have they reached a beginner’s level mind and are never surprised, mostly delighted to serve?

Do they think, like I do that some customers see their latte order with the joy of a baby behind the glass?

Like do they feel like doctors when they see a proud coffee daddy or mommy say that’s “MINE!”, so beautiful?

Do they spend time wondering what people are feeling? How personally do they take it when someone is angry?

Like do they consider that person might be having a bad day?

Do they know the ones that are noticeable because when they are in a pleasant mood it’s the exception?

How do the brand-new workers relate to the ones who have been here a while?

Do the workers become more jaded or spiritually inspired after working here a while?

Do the baristas notice our moods once they get to know us?

Like do you think they think: “I wonder if Tim’s ok?” given the very nature of the transaction, which is often brief?

Would they, like a bartender, listen to my problems and provide inspiring, quippy points about life?

If they say "the next one's on me" and I drain another large latte, am I better off not driving all tweaked out by caffeine?

Do you think the baristas ever think “I absolutely CRUSHED making that no foam, extra hot latte”?

I wonder how much they appreciate it when I tell them “you made it EXACTLY like I want it”

And does that set up an expectation that the next time I get one and DON’T say it am I hurting their feelings if it’s the same person?

Does ANYONE think like this? Can we talk about it?

Why "You can only love others as much as you love yourself" is wrong

TL;DR:  How I love my daughter has taught me how to love myself, not the other way around

I know how I feel about myself. My self love has become, slowly, less conditional. It will never be unconditional, that's not for the humanity.

I've been struggling for years thinking I gotta love myself more or I'll never really love others. The stress and confusion of that statement is debilitating at times.

I finally realized something, it's not completely correct.

I love my daughter in ways that I know I don’t love myself at times. My capacity to love has expanded exponentially being her father as time has passed.

I find places in myself that I’ve even thought of.

Whether it's listening to her talk about the most challenging parts of her life without jumping in or stepping back and letting her have the dignity of difficult experiences, giving her choice it's the same.

There are these "Wow if I can love like THAT, I know I have that capacity for love, even for myself".

I tell her I love you often and it’s often from the depths of myself. I almost never say that to myself.

The bodily sensation of saying it is so notably atypical that I feel a bit shook that it’s there. It's at the cellular level as a friend once said.

My body, the greatest truth teller of all, tells me I've reached a new level in service to love her.

It feels like a devotion and care that at times is or has been dormant to the point of non existence. I realize in those moments, wow that’s the kind of love I’m capable of perhaps I can give that to myself.

You might be saying “Ah you couldn’t have done that if you didn’t already unknowingly love yourself!”

There are two issues with that statement:

First, I virtually never say that to myself. I have at times, in the mirror but rarely day to day.

Second, when I do I never have that bodily sensation that shakes me into thinking “Wow I didn’t know I had that in me about myself”.

I know my self talk and self feeling and neither fits into that category. My body sensation when I say that is less like WOW and more like Dracula reacting to holy water.

You may also be saying “Maybe that’s you grieving what you didn’t feel when you were a child”

Hmmm, that’s not a bad one but the thing is I’m not talking about what Zoe feels. I’m talking about what I feel.

Is it possible that when my Dad (he said it often) or Mom (she said it less often) said it they felt that shook feeling in their body?

I suppose that’s possible but honestly I’ll never really know.

For me when I submit to the near tyranny of the perspective that “I can only love others as I love myself” I find myself spun and unwilling to share love as freely as I do.

I can make the case, credibly, about how I eat, exercise, work on myself, etc are demonstrable examples of how I love myself. I can certainly make the case the thoughts that I have are examples as well.

I can certainly say that I NEVER have the thoughts about my daughter that I have about myself. Having been through numerous periods of my life (including very recently) of continuous casual thoughts of suicide, I simply never talk to her like that.

However I’ve found that by exercising more my mindset and feelings change. I don’t think “If I really loved myself I’d do this”. It’s shaming, not motivating.

I don’t love my daughter to “act as if” I love myself. That feels disingenuous.

It’s really simple I have moments when I show up for my daughter in ways I would NEVER dreamed possible, I learn what’s possible in me and for me.

I do have those moments when I help my closest friends or family members I deeply care about so the pressure isn't on Zoe. Rather Zoe is the easiest example to point to.

It's not on her for me to grow like this and it led me to this conclusion:

I prefer to reframe the statement as “I learn how divinely I can love myself by how I love others”.

 

 

Review: Being Mary Tyler Moore on HBO (2023)

TL;DR: I knew very little about Mary Tyler Moore and wasn't a big fan and this documentary is a must see.




The Mary Tyler Moore documentary on HBO is compelling and fascinating. I knew almost nothing about her personally.

The only real roles I knew her for were the mom in Ordinary People and Flirting With Disaster. I was a marginal Dick Van Dyke Show fan and never watched the Mary Tyler Moore show.

Given the roles I knew her for which were either a quite flawed, unwilling to change or an over the top at times inappropriate mom I hadn’t really connected with her as a major TV star.

The documentary is held together by a couple of incredible interviews with her and Rona Barrett, Dinah Shore, David Letterman (his daytime show) and others. It also includes a number of interviews, most of which you don’t see the person, friends, family members, etc.

She was an entertainment vanguard.

She was super progressive in her shows for the time. For example, she was the first woman on TV who wore pants instead of those god-awful dresses I’d see women doing chores in.

She also was a comedic actor trailblazer. It’s described exquisitely how she achieved it.

More impactful was that the Mary Tyler Moore shore was groundbreaking as it was supposed to be the first show with a divorced woman as the main role. CBS scrapped the idea as unacceptable (incredible factoid).

She played the role out as a single woman in Minneapolis and a working, career-oriented woman.

Not surprisingly given that, the writers included the first woman who ever wrote on a national broadcast sitcom. Unbelievably the creator was James L. Brooks (yes THAT one from the Simpsons).

It was fascinating to see how it played out that she was an advocate of women’s rights. She and her team pushed the envelope and yet it tells a story where Gloria Steinem said it wasn’t enough.

She was a kind of America’s sweetheart. It was fascinating to see how she ended up with two incredible casts with spectacular writing rooms.

And yet the doc also tells the stories of how she handled rejection and difficulty. So much so she almost didn’t take on the Dick Van Dyke show.

The show really took off when it moved into how she moved to New York and took on new roles and personas that were so different. I LOVED her in Ordinary People (one of my top 5 movies of all time).

I couldn’t understand how she could step so deeply into that role and become this person who I somehow both despised and felt sorry for.

I learned that her family life was full of misunderstanding, difficulty, alcoholism and tragedy. I thought the documentary emphasized this at the perfect time with the perfect weight. It didn’t feel overwhelming and it set the perfect context.

It reminded me of those pictures that used to look like a bunch of random colors and shapes until you looked through it or at it slightly differently and suddenly a rocket ship would appear.

It opened my eyes to who she really was. It’s like her whole career and personal life were the whole story. She loved dancing as a child, it was her first passion.

Towards the end of the doc she says something like “I consider myself a failed dancer and a successful actress.”

During all those interviews there’s this somewhat frenetic energy that seems to protect some core part of herself.

The documentary does an incredible job of illuminating that core part of herself. She was a multi-dimensional, quite wounded woman.

It’s so profound to see the parallel between her doing the “everything looks dreamy” type roles while her insides had a lot of turmoil and her role Ordinary People (a movie about that subject on a familial level).

Not surprisingly, there are some serious tear jerker scenes in the documentary.

The most poignant is a scene in the Mary Tyler Moore Show with the actor who plays her father. Mary had a challenging relationship with her father (her parents are touched on somewhat mostly by reference).

I won’t spoil it. I will tell you that the poignant dynamic of unsaid things finally really said is emotional writing at the very highest level.

I didn’t know that she lost her son to a what they describe as a gun accident, it’s heartbreaking. It was another reminder that when a parent loses a child I think in almost every case a piece of that parent is lost. It’s as if a slice of the soul lifts out of their body.

The final scenes of the movie include a stunning list of women actors who credit their emergence and success partly or substantially to Mary Tyler Moore. It's really moving.

After watching it, I’m not a bigger fan of hers. I don’t feel compelled to watch either TV series. I do feel slightly compelled to watch Ordinary People again.

This movie is a perfect piece of art that demonstrates stories well told make the resonance, interest or even fandom of the subject secondary.

For me the documentary became a human interest story and a powerful reminder of how our stories matter if we only ask about them.

Mary Tyler Moore's story is somehow fun, sad, moving, hopeful and connecting. I would never have thought it could be.

#marytylermoore #BeingMaryTylerMoore

Laura Dern & Cheryl Strayed at SF City Arts Lecture

Laura Dern live on her new book Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love (and Banana Pudding)

TL;DR: Laura Dern reminded me that in intimate impactful relationships truth held back is damaging, truth shared is freeing.

I saw Laura Dern in convo with Cheryl Strayed (author of the terrific book Wild) last night. The subject of the talk was Laura’s (yep I'm calling her Laura!) new book about her relationship with her mom, actor Diane Ladd.

Her mom got a possibly fatal diagnosis from a respiratory illness as a result of a weed killer chemical used on a farm nearby her. As part of Diane’s rehabilitation, the two of them went on a bunch of walks.

They started with short ones and grew from there. As part of the time together and the near term fatal diagnosis (Diane’s lived beyond it already) they decided the would talk about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING about their relationship.

Laura started by noting: Parents lie to their children. Children lie to their parents. Oftentimes because neither wants to hurt the other one’s feelings.

I’d never heard it put so plainly and it hit right to my heart.

The types of talks they had were wide ranging from recipes to deeply hurtful emotional experiences as time went on.

When Laura shared that sometimes she just needed to say “You did this when I was younger and it hurt me” without necessarily litigating what happened it was quite touching.

She admitted that while they hadn’t figure everything out and may never that being in the mess was better than holding it in. Laura thinks that part of her mom’s health improvement is setting aside the burden of these unsaid things.

She told a hilarious emotional story of when her mom gave her parenting advice. She was triggered and found it in her to lift and throw a 7 foot couch.

She made it clear that it actually happened!

Oh and she does an AMAZING Diane Ladd imitation.

Laura told her mom that it hurt that she was gone so much for her job acting (at a time when both Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern were making very little money).

Laura followed it up by sharing that she did the exact same thing when telling her teenage daughter she was going to work over an important week for her daughter.

I go to a lot of these events and I love it when authors, scientists, actors, etc. share parenting stories (France McDormand did the same thing with a different story).

Laura told an incredible story that she was booted out of UCLA from her college degree path because she took the job to be in Blue Velvet (one of my all time faves).

Speaking of which (of course) I asked a question. I started saying that she was one of my hardest to explain crushes as a teenager having seen her for the first time in Blue Velvet.

I’d be like “Wow Blue Velvet is SO disturbing…..did you see Laura Dern she is so HOT!!”.

Given my background with my daughter that many of you know with my addiction and now sustained long term sobriety I wanted her perspective.

You see given what she talked about her children lived an awful long time with someone who modeled her relationship with her mom Diane Ladd with her kids. So she certainly behaved in some ways that she’d like to take back (like me).

I think there are two categories of things from the past for my daughter (I’m sure there’s more but this is how I think and feel).

She’s aware of an issue and not ready to talk about it and may even tell me that.

I can actually handle that one ok. It’s a touch nerve wracking but that’s about my patience.

The second category are issues she’s not aware of. Those are the ones that are hard for me to take because she’s being run consciously or unconsciously by them potentially.

How do you navigate that?

She said the most important party is the invitation to have the conversation. And when the time comes be ready.

She opened my mind to something I’d never thought of before.

As part of the conversations with her mom she realized that she always wanted to ask about her parents’ relationship before their divorce.

She playfully watered down her mom’s response but one of the big hooks was that Bruce Dern was an incredible lover.

I was thinking about my daughter SO many times during the talk and she actually called during it.

I called her later and gave her an invitation to ask about my relationship with her mom before our divorce (which had a ton of good times and incredible journeys).

Oh in case you’re wondering I would not look back at myself as any kind of incredible lover back then….key words there are “back then”

She told a story about being 6 ½ on the set of Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” and peering through a crack in a bathroom door below Martin Scorsese as her mom and Ellen Burstyn talked earnestly about the realities of being a single mom.

It was a bit of a mind-twister because her mom was single at the time and she’s observing her mom talking about it.

They both touched on the idea that people might say that character is a "powerful woman" rather than just the character is powerful.

At several points like that in the interview I had a few "aha's" in the subtle or overt way I might say things like that in front of Zoe in particular or anyone else.

Cheryl Strayed was INCREDIBLE as the interviewer. They admitted up front that they have a great relationship and that was undeniably evident.

Having gone to so many of these the interviewer makes a GIGANTIC difference and Cheryl delivered.

Admittedly I was positively biased going into it in that I LOVED her book Wild.

Their real life chemistry is unmissable.

I also went in wanting to like Laura Dern (not surprisingly…honestly I still have a crush on her!). Sometimes stars just aren’t very interesting in long form more intimate interviews. She delivered and so much more.

Revisiting my teenage Blue Velvet crush turned out to be basically the only slightly uncomfortable part of the event. I’m SO glad I went.

For the Love of Peet's Kids

I am a regular at Peet's in SF on Chestnut where I can do my writing. I realized today it's fueled in some way by the infants and toddlers I see there.

 

I love:

The wonder when parents walk in with their kids

The amazement when the babies see the plants on the wall and their eyes grow WIDE

The happiness when a child gets chocolate milk

The despair then happiness when the straw goes all the way into the chocolate milk box and mom or dad come to the rescue

The tenderness when a mom is waiting for coffee and her baby's eyes catch her eyes and she leans in to softly share her love

The joy when a child skips alongside the parents or dances alone while they wait for their coffee

The disbelief when a daughter tells me she is 2 years old and I tell them I have a daughter who is 22 (ok not disbelief because I look young, just like the disbelief of somebody who is 22 years old and is a daughter)

The desire when a young child is at eye level with the food and drinks the fridge below the cashier and wants EVERYTHING (including stuff that I'm certain they wouldn't like)

As much as I love all of this, this is my favorite. I love the progression:

I catch eyes with a baby

The baby stops all movement and stares right into my soul

I break into a huge smile

The baby doesn't know what to make of it

The baby looks up at mom or dad for..... guidance I guess

I smile widely at the baby again

The baby scrunches into a ball, parent notices sees I'm safe and says "Are you being shy?"

I look away for a bit turn back and the baby is staring right at me

I break into a huge smile

The baby starts to feel it's ok and a smile breaks all over the baby's face

Now we're connected

I go back to my writing and notice the baby leaving

As the baby leaves, the baby leans out of the stroller to look back one last time before moving on with life

It's unparalleled genuine connection.

From time to time I worry about the world and these experiences tell me to stop worrying and get back to paying attention.

Bringing new children into the world is an overt sign of real hope that will always overcome any kind of despair.

Thank you all for bringing your kids. For the love of Peet's keep doing it!

Dumb People Town (pod) Live (Sklar Brothers and Daniel Van Kirk)

Live pod of "Dumb People Town" comedy show review:

TL;DR: Seeing DPT live with the Sklar Brothers and Daniel Van Kirk was a wild and totally fun ride.

The Sunday night my friend Cynthia and I saw a live performance of the podcast Dumb People Town (DPT) at Cobb’s Comedy Club in SF. It’s my favorite comedy pod I listen to.

It’s hosted by Jason & Randy Sklar (the Sklar Brothers, who are twins) and Daniel Van Kirk (DVK, who if he has a twin he/she may be properly estranged from his life, ha!).

The Sklar Brothers are a hilarious comedy duo that I first learned about on Jim Rome’s radio show of all places. They are consummate workers in the industry and have been in a ton of different things.

My #1 is a show called Cheap Seats on ESPN which is a lesser known (but no way should be) show where they watch old Wide World of Sports, Battle of the Network Stars and other weird sports. Kinda like Mystery Science Theater, they make hilarious comments on what’s shown.

I'm actually not sure which show came first.

I’ve seen comedy specials and they have an unmistakable rhythm. I’m guessing some of it is practiced but some of it has to be in the moment.

Cynthia said, after the show, she loves hearing their stories about starting comedy because they are both are so at ease up there. Jason (I think I can call him Jason…) said “that’s the result of 35 years of comedy).

Interestingly I really noticed how different from one another they are it was really clear on stage. They have similar roots in their humor and have different branches and leaves at times when they perform.

I was introduced to DVK on the DPT pod.

Daniel Van Kirk is sort of the straight man on the show, often reading the stories. He’s also an exceptional improv comic. He used to be a bouncer at a bar in the Midwest and easily calls on that during the riffs.

I’d definitely go see a show of his if it came to SF. His dry humor of @sklarbrothers when they tell a groaner joke always makes me happy.

The premise of the pod is simple, they read recent news articles about people being…dumb. Then the three of them riff (along with a guest on the show) about these stories. The three of them work perfectly together.

Personally, I think the lesser-known comics for some reason tend to be more hilarious than some of the really big names in comedy.

My all time favorite is an episode with Michael Ian Black about someone who purchased a machete sex fantasy and the “providers” went to the wrong house.

I’ve listened 20 times and sent to more people than I count.
The pod is improv comedy at its very best.

Last night Kyle Kinane (who I’ve heard of but never seen) and Robby Hoffman (who I’ve never heard of or ever seen) were guests.

Kyle Kinane had a sort of weird (maybe creepy) buddha/uncle vibe throughout that show that worked great, he was really funny.

There was a point where they wondered who a glam rock band is and he kept spitting out names as the content moved forward that really worked.

It was actually quite cool that at one point he was riffing and it was going nowhere and he admitted it was awful.

There was a point where we got to orifice entry and stuck stories of all orifices he was humorously flabbergasted that we passed on a stack of staples as it was “ok that’s normal”.

Robby Hoffman was good. She definitely had the New York Jewish vibe down and had a couple of good lines. She wasn’t quite as impactful and at times, I thought, broke the flow of the improv a few times.

The joy for me was seeing the Sklar Brothers and DVK interact. The years doing the podcast was obvious. They know how to vibe off of each other.

One fascinating fact to see live was they knew how to pause for each other. It was super cool to see the Sklar Brothers on either side of the group signaling they were about to say something by holding their mics towards their mouths.

The best way for me to describe the Sklar Brothers approach along with DVK is presence. When they are aware and present their lines were fantastic.

As a local stand up comic myself, it’s so instructive and inspiring to see how legit pros practice the craft.

The two main stories were both great material:

One about a couple that was arrested for doing a sex “act” in a line at Cedar Point (give it up for my midwestern crew!).

It included Kinane’s best contribution of the night when he pointed to the oddness of the word “act”.

They showed the pics of the two “criminals” and they went into the crowd for guesses after they did. I guessed 23 and DVK did a hilarious take about Michael Jordan. I was way off, they were much older.

The second one was about a woman who was scammed into sending money to a person who was “posing” as a glam rock lead singer. The scammer pretended to be Bret Michaels ( think).

And, of course, the police report included a “in the know” quote from the police saying “…every rose has its thorns…”. The riffs on the glam rock band as they tried to figure out examples, was excellent.

The final part was a series of things people got stuck into various orifices. It was pretty good.

They also did a bit finding stories on the days of each of their birthdays with “Florida man” stories. The funniest about a man who was arrested because specks of glaze from a doughnut on his car floor looked like crystal meth.

Randy Sklar did a hilarious karaoke cover of Gregory Abbot’s (yes THAT Gregory Abbot) “Shake you Down” because it was the first karaoke song he sang when DJ Eva (the special guest) played it for them.

I’ve listened to pods when they have cool musicians on it which isn’t my cup of tea. I want to hear the actual song I love so much.

A weird very fun twist is DJ Eva brought a bell to ring when people said really good or weird jokes. 90% of the time it was right on but it was hard to keep up given the pace of the show.

There was something really special about seeing the Sklar Brothers in particular in person. They were huskier than I thought (weird I know).

Randy looked like he was either Judd Hirsch in the sequel to Ordinary People or a not quite lead singer but definitely a member of a John Denver cover band (see pic with that sweater… and I also noticed we took like 10 pics in a row and Randy never smiled, maybe the weight of the mustache?)

DPT was a staple for me getting through the pandemic. And while I didn’t tell them it’s true for me when I got each week’s new pod I would cry when the theme song came on.

It was sort of out of joy as much as it was about the loss of something during that time.

It also was about the certainty of a really fun experience for the entirety of the podcast where I could completely turn off that tenuous time and just lean back and enjoy.

When we met all three of them, they couldn’t have been more gracious and grateful. They were so happy to take a picture with us and gave both of us quality, attentive time to chat as a big line went by.

I’ve seen a lot of comics and the three of them seem to legitimately care about their fans. In fact when anyone from the audience chipped in they asked for our name and said “Welcome to Town” which I thought was cool.

I learned in a show like that it’s really hard to keep up with the jokes. They are rapid fire. They are professionals and know how to not step on laughter in their performances but it was hard not to in this context.

The jokes would sort of roll through the room and the laughs were often loud so it was hard to tell where exactly they start.

I saw Whose Line is it Anyway live and that was improv for sure which was funny. That improv was like listening to a pod on ½ speed while DPT was like listening on 2x.

The crowd experience was unlike any I've experienced. The closest I can come to describing it is it was a comedic version of Song 2 by Blur when I saw them in concert.

It was like we were in a comedic mosh pit as the lines kept coming at us keeping us spinning in laughter.

Although somehow all of us followed along. I’ve never been legitimately tired out physically and wrung out from laughter.

Cynthia and I bought tix like 2-3 months ago, I’ve known her for almost 20 years. She’s a perfect partner to go to these events. We both laugh uproariously and are genuinely in the moment. It makes it really special to share those moments.

I knew the show would be fabulous and I got more than I ever expected. I’m so glad we said YES!

Movie review: The Banshees of Inisherin

Movie review: The Banshees of Inisherin

TL;DR: The Banshees of Inisherin is a warm movie which explores the volcanic fire of the life defining fork in the road of the familiar vs the unknown.

I read this won best film at the Golden Globes. I knew nothing else about it other than Colin Farrell was in it who I generally like.

Thank goodness based on those two pieces of info I watched it.

The movie is about the struggle of whether to stay with the familiar in life. It’s done in the context of a town so small that I actually felt claustrophobia at times. It was as if there was no escaping any of it because they all saw and knew each other.

The script and movie roll out like a comfortable blanket with thorns.

It’s somehow both overt and subtle. There are scenes devoted to a character walking a road from home to the pub etc.

It felt freeing as it gave me some time to consider how the story was playing out.

The plotline centers on a broken friendship revealed very early in the movie.

Colin Farrell (Padraic) and Brendan Gleason (Colm), who as also the Sheriff in Gangs of New York) were long time friends who visited the pub daily. One day Colm no longer wants to go or be friends because he realized Padraic was in his words “boring”.

Farrell and Gleason were fabulous in In Bruges in which they have a natural chemistry which continues here.

The entire arc with all of the sub-stories is powerful. It’s a study in the friction between keeping things as they are and growing and/or moving on.

Colm is distressed and inspired that he hasn’t really explored life, the arts, risk taking, etc. Padraic doesn’t fit.

It’s so evocative as they both struggle with it, each pulling their own way. Padraic yearns for kindness, Colm yearns for freedom.

As the movie progresses Padraic keeps trying and without spoiling it Colm gets increasingly strident about ending the friendship (including a pretty gnarly act).

Padraic gets increasingly desperate to change that. The more he tries the worse it gets.

I’ve never seen a movie where eyebrows could be so expressive. I’m not sure if they were his but Farrell uses his eyebrows to communicate a range of emotions I’ve never seen before.

In contrast Gleason is almost non plussed by his certainty that he was doing the right thing and his expressions and body showed it.

Their conflict culminates with a series of events that are brilliant and painful. It’s puts SO much of the movie together that I almost couldn’t keep up, despite the comfortable pace of the movie.

Two other characters were quite compelling (aside from Jenny the donkey):

Padraic’s sister Siobhan, played by Kerry Condon (who is in a bunch of stuff I’ve seen but I don’t remember her) is fabulous. She is compelling as a straight talking, reliable woman who is emotionally cut deeply by an unexpected source in the movie.

It puts her square in the face of a similar decision to stay the same or move out and on. Her chemistry with Farrell is special.

Dominic (played by Barry Keoghan) is a disabled in some way friend who is also a straight talking character refusing to not say what he thought. His arc of staying the same vs changing is unexpected at a minimum. His father is physically abusive with disastrous consequences.

When the Dad realizes it, again the script and movie is both subtle and powerfully overt.

This small town lives safely distant from an ongoing war which is a perfect analogy for what the characters seem to struggle with.

For anyone reading this who, like me, is in the struggle of doing the familiar vs the meaningful, with its attendant risks, this film will get to your heart and soul.

The movie’s portrayal of the difficulty of that outer conflict expressed my inner conflict.

Given these last few points the magnificence of the movie’s beauty is rooted in both the script and the on screen chemistry between Gleason and Farrell.

The gentle pace of the script and the beauty of the landscape leverages that chemistry in a deep and impactful way.

It’s fascinating and meaningful to me that the film will not have a sequel but its impact on me will go far beyond the movie.

Review: Wednesday on Netflix

I watched the Netflix series Wednesday over the weekend and it’s fantastic.

TL;DR (and this is long!): Wednesday is a compelling, fun series touching on crucial dy 
namics of teenagers. For any dads of daughters, I suggest watching it (I bet your daughters already have).

Wednesday Addams (played by the magnificent Jenna Ortega) goes to a school of outcasts and even in that school SHE is an outcast.

Her character has an unwavering commitment to truth and is unafraid to speak about what she believes.

Ortega is special because she plays the character’s commitment perfectly (along with her dark sense of humor). She also plays the moments when Wednesday is vulnerable.

A friend in the show says she admires that Wednesday doesn’t seem to care about what others think. She responds beautifully “Maybe I should care more”.

What makes her so compelling is her facial expressions which emote the complexity of who Wednesday is. It made me feel like I felt her and resonated with her emotionally.

Wednesday commits herself to solving a series of crimes committed by a “monster”. The series has that attractive trait that at one point I think I know who is guilty, only to think it is someone else.

The outcast school has teenage boys and girls all of whom have some kind of special power that allows them to transform or activate that power. That TOTALLY feeds my nerdy Dungeon and Dragons side.

I’m not surprised that the writers/creators of the show also created the series The Shannara Chronicles (based on Terry Brooks magnificent series of books starting with The Sword of Shannara (a lighter version of the Hobbit). I read all of his books like 5 times when I was a kid).

The outcasts’ school is adjacent to a town of “normal” people with complicated pasts.

The writing in the show is exceptional. I love how it both portrays the outcast social dynamics of young men and women. And I love how the show handles Wednesday’s transition from outcast to accepted.

I also love how the writing delves into the tension between the outcasts and the normal teenagers in town. It’s an innovative way to portray Wednesday as an outcast among outcasts at school then an outcast as part of the outcasts in the town.

One thing I didn’t expect which I loved was how the show explored parental tension with the kids (both at the school and in the town). It explores things like:

How to handle parents who want be or do something like them when the children want to blaze their own path
How parents try to control who their children hang out with regardless of their desires
And, most importantly, moments where the teenagers stand up to their parents

Wednesday has a roommate that is the exact opposite of her. Enid (played by Emma Myers) is a bright, bubbly, colorful young woman who works really hard to connect with Wednesday.

Myers is wonderful in how her face and demeanor emotes her happy go lucky self.

The show, directed by Tim Burton, shows their shared dorm room. One half is super colorful for Enid and the other half is dark for Wednesday.

Enid is a werewolf who hasn’t “wolfed out” yet, meaning she hasn’t transformed ever fully. Her conflict with her parents is really compelling. Enid felt stressed that she hadn’t wolfed out and therefore was a disappointment to her parents.

On “Parents Day” at Nevermore (the school) her mom puts a lot of pressure for her to wolf out, creating conflict. Her father is silent until the very end of the visit.

After Enid stands up to her mom who leaves, she has moment with her Dad. He said to her:

“I’m proud of you kiddo. You do you”

Yep, I cried at that point. Nothing like a good father daughter moment.

While Enid was a seemingly unwavering cheerleader for Wednesday I really liked how at one point she draws a boundary and leaves her temporarily. When Enid admits why to Wednesday (standing up to her) it’s a powerful emotional moment.

I LOVED how the script deftly portrays that when Enid finally stopped worrying about what other people thought (maybe from Wednesday) she wolfed out.

There is quite a bit of chatter online that it’s meant to be a comp to “coming out”. That may be partially or even fully true. I think it’s broader than that (while still including that).

It feels weird to say this but Thing (a severed hand) is the next most compelling character. The way Thing communicates and reacts to Wednesday is so fun and sweet.
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Thing seems to be the one character who can call Wednesday out (although others eventually do).

Among the other actors I liked Catherine Zeta Jones as her mom. I LOVED (and was a bit surprised by) that Luis Guzman played her dad. He’s one of those actors that I get excited for when he’s in the show (after just having seen him in Shameless!).

Fred Armisen did a GREAT job playing Uncle Festus. Christina Ricci was meh as a the only normie teacher at the school.

In general, all of the other performances were suitable but not outstanding.

One last thing. In one episode Wednesday dances to the song Goo Goo Muck by the Cramps. It is transcendent. It surpassed Pulp Fiction’s dance scene for me.

Once again Ortega feels it fully and lets it rip while dancing.

For any Dads out there a huge percentage of girls/teen girls are probably watching this series. (my daughter is) It’s worth watching because it’s entertaining and compelling.

It’s a must see because it’s a great look into social dynamics of boys and girls and a GREAT platform to talk about the show with your daughter.

#wednesdayaddams #wednesday #wednesdaydance 

The White Lotus Season 2 Review

TL;DR: Season 2 was excellent in some ways but not as spectacular as Season 1. It is worth a watch.

White Lotus S2 was excellent but not as fantastic as S1.

I preferred what S1 explored (class and generational differences) and S2 (same or opposite sex relationships, family wounds).

S1 included both Steve Zahn and Connie Britton who I LOVE. And the hotel manager in S1 was beyond fascinating.

That being said:

Michael Imperioli (Dominic Degrasso) and Aubrey Plaza (Harper Spiler)were the clear winners for me. I wish I could have hooked up an IV and just taken their performances straight to my veins.

Imperioli's (Christopher in The Sopranos) performance as Dominic a son, father and husband with no integrity or morals in his relationships with women was subtle and riveting. I loved how he emoted the range of indifference, angst, regret etc with his cheating on and disregard for his wife and family.

The honesty between him and his Dad around their infidelity was fascinating.

Plaza as Harper who is a married woman with a disconnected but seemingly connected relationship was moving. The writing around what real “honesty is in a relationship was superbly portrayed.

Yes at times I thought there was similarities between her behavior and April’s on Parks and Rec and it just may be a gift or hers. The way she carries unvarnished truth telling and non-verbal exasperation and judgement is so easy to connect with.

Her husband, Ethan (played by Wil Sharpe who I've never seen before) was interesting to a certain extent.

The fact that he was uber rich from selling his company and that was his opportunity to alpha dog his friend Cameron wasn’t explained enough.

By far the most compelling part of his character was how the wounds of Cameron taking women he liked from him over the years of his relationship.

The fiery rage that found its way out of Ethan was such a great way to portray how long held frustrations find their way out into relationships.

I really liked the story line of Albi (Dominic’s son) and Portia (a rich woman’s assistant) was fascinating to see how they first met and where their arcs developed.

After meeting they each pursued other relationships that were more exciting (Portia’s for excitement, Albi’s for retribution) and how they ended up was interesting writing even if the characters were semi-compelling.

The show included a storyline of a woman who is essentially a closeted lesbian named Valentina. The way she emoted the uncertainty and vulnerability of getting into an intimate relationship with a woman at her age was fascinating.

She had never been with a woman until she was with Mia (one of a pair of two prostitutes) was ok but I don’t think it added much to the storyline since it was mostly sexual.

The subtle way they portrayed the messiness by Valentina’s post sex messy hairdo really worked.

The only carryover from last season to get all season screentime was Tanya (Jennifer Cooldge…yes Stiffler’s mom) annoyed me the whole time.

And I wonder if the part was written to annoy the audience. Her neediness and lack of perspective was so frustrating. Perhaps that was a win from the writer’s perspective.

I thought they overplayed Italy. I got tired of the shots of the cities, etc. The only nature part I really enjoyed was the crashing waves which I thought worked perfectly.

I did think the hotel worked well particularly given the variety of the settings it had. I thought the ornate villas/homes were not interesting. It felt like the show was working too hard to create a contextual setting that meant something that I couldn’t understand.

The storyline of the grandfather/father/son visiting the town the family is from was lame. It did not move the story forward when they met their apparent relatives.

While it became predictable, Albi getting swindled was a cool twist. I liked in particular because as part of getting the money to free Mia (the other of the two prostitutes) Albi all but sold himself out and still got burned.

The final episode was good but not great. It did solve the very first scene where Daphne is swimming and runs into a dead body. But it felt like the writers were trying to recreate the unparalleled excitement of the plot twist in Season 1 and it almost felt unnecessary.