Good morning, gentle readers ... and welcome to yet another Hump Day to add to your growing collection of midweeks! You've made it! You truly have! Congratulations! It's all downhill from here!
Folks, never stop learning. Never. Yesterday, I learned from some (cough cough) glorious TikTokker that using the phrase "well, well, well" (which I often do in this space) is considered R-A-C-I-S-T ... and I've never heard anything so stupid in, perhaps, all my life. But still it's a lesson learned ... and I'm not even remotely suggesting what it is you think I'm suggesting ... rather I'm saying that the level of stupidity some people are willing to parade online has reached astonishing levels. In some ways, that's scary, you know? In other ways, it's refreshing to know that, culturally, some among us are ever striving to lower the bar ... if, indeed, the bar can get any lower. Sigh.
(Now, I also sigh an awful lot. I'm guessing that's going to be found to be sexist next.)
Good grief.
(And that'll be termed ageist!)
Not to sound inspiraitonal this morning -- certainly not needed as I already pointed out that it's midweek -- but never let others stop you from being you. I realize that it can be a constant uphill battle to reach for the silver lining as it seems to be either out-of-reach or beyond one's limitations, and that, too, is just a never-ending part of the human experience. Be yourself. If you do something wrong, apologize for it; make whatever adjustments are necessary; and then get back to the business of being a better you. Don't let the online "culture warriors" win the war with words because -- if you do -- you'll forever be watching over your shoulder for the next buzzword or catchphrase they'll steal for their own nefarious purposes ... and, quite frankly, they don't deserve the attention unless it's to be laughed at.
So ... well, well, well ...
Folks, never stop learning. Never. Yesterday, I learned from some (cough cough) glorious TikTokker that using the phrase "well, well, well" (which I often do in this space) is considered R-A-C-I-S-T ... and I've never heard anything so stupid in, perhaps, all my life. But still it's a lesson learned ... and I'm not even remotely suggesting what it is you think I'm suggesting ... rather I'm saying that the level of stupidity some people are willing to parade online has reached astonishing levels. In some ways, that's scary, you know? In other ways, it's refreshing to know that, culturally, some among us are ever striving to lower the bar ... if, indeed, the bar can get any lower. Sigh.
(Now, I also sigh an awful lot. I'm guessing that's going to be found to be sexist next.)
Good grief.
(And that'll be termed ageist!)
Not to sound inspiraitonal this morning -- certainly not needed as I already pointed out that it's midweek -- but never let others stop you from being you. I realize that it can be a constant uphill battle to reach for the silver lining as it seems to be either out-of-reach or beyond one's limitations, and that, too, is just a never-ending part of the human experience. Be yourself. If you do something wrong, apologize for it; make whatever adjustments are necessary; and then get back to the business of being a better you. Don't let the online "culture warriors" win the war with words because -- if you do -- you'll forever be watching over your shoulder for the next buzzword or catchphrase they'll steal for their own nefarious purposes ... and, quite frankly, they don't deserve the attention unless it's to be laughed at.
So ... well, well, well ...
Oh, my goodness gracious ... can you believe it? TV's long-running Horror serial Supernatural turns an incredible, astonishing 18 years young today.
Full disclosure: Supernatural was a show that I didn't get into during its original broadcast run on television. In fact, the wifey and I discovered it well into its tenure by picking it up on DVD. We burned through the first five seasons, and -- while I thought the show had some basic weaknesses here and there when it got heavily into its own formula -- it was a great, entertaining diversion, the kind that we don't get all that much these days. Free of politics and crafted in such a way as to do little more than chase down the things that go bump in the night, Supernatural endured for an impressive fifteen seasons. Like any procedural that benefits from a long life on the Boob Tube, it had understandable highs and lows; but it almost magically stayed committed to its characters, and that's something other programs would do well to emulate. If you like the characters, then you'll hang through the good, the bad, and the ugly; if you don't, then you're apt to go elsewhere for your entertainment.
So, yes, it was imperfect ... but when it was perfect it was must-see-TV.
Thank you, Winchester family, for keeping us safe all of those years.
Full disclosure: Supernatural was a show that I didn't get into during its original broadcast run on television. In fact, the wifey and I discovered it well into its tenure by picking it up on DVD. We burned through the first five seasons, and -- while I thought the show had some basic weaknesses here and there when it got heavily into its own formula -- it was a great, entertaining diversion, the kind that we don't get all that much these days. Free of politics and crafted in such a way as to do little more than chase down the things that go bump in the night, Supernatural endured for an impressive fifteen seasons. Like any procedural that benefits from a long life on the Boob Tube, it had understandable highs and lows; but it almost magically stayed committed to its characters, and that's something other programs would do well to emulate. If you like the characters, then you'll hang through the good, the bad, and the ugly; if you don't, then you're apt to go elsewhere for your entertainment.
So, yes, it was imperfect ... but when it was perfect it was must-see-TV.
Thank you, Winchester family, for keeping us safe all of those years.
Another serial from the growing heap of 'shows gone by' that honestly deserves another look is the CBS Television incarnation of Planet Of The Apes. It first aired in the U.S. back in the 1974 television season, and -- somehow -- it's just been mostly forgotten, and that's a crying shame. While it only lasted a scant fourteen episodes (one of those half-season installments), the writing was generally very good -- reminiscent of the days of the original Star Trek -- and it, too, tried to stay as true to its characters and the central theme of the movie franchisie -- that being 'man vs ape' -- but in the weekly serial format.
In some ways, the show was likely doomed by the prospect that it came to be reasonably late in the overall Apes franchise history. The film series had started to lose its popularity, so what was the impetus to transform its potential by putting it on the Boob Tube, of all places? It certainly wouldn't have the budget to do what they could theatrically, nor would it have the commitment to big screen storytelling. But what it did have -- at least, I imagine this was the case -- would be access to everything the franchise had already conceived and made in its library of props and costumes; and that alone would give the series the authenticity it needed to compete on an admittedly smaller scale.
I watched it during its original run as a young'un, and -- a few years back -- I picked it up and rewatched it on home video. Like the original Star Trek, I thought it held up quite well.
So there it is, folks: if you needed a little 'something something' to be thankful for on this day, I've given you two entries ... and you'll find a helluva lot more by checking out September 13th's full page of citations by following the helpful link right here ...
In some ways, the show was likely doomed by the prospect that it came to be reasonably late in the overall Apes franchise history. The film series had started to lose its popularity, so what was the impetus to transform its potential by putting it on the Boob Tube, of all places? It certainly wouldn't have the budget to do what they could theatrically, nor would it have the commitment to big screen storytelling. But what it did have -- at least, I imagine this was the case -- would be access to everything the franchise had already conceived and made in its library of props and costumes; and that alone would give the series the authenticity it needed to compete on an admittedly smaller scale.
I watched it during its original run as a young'un, and -- a few years back -- I picked it up and rewatched it on home video. Like the original Star Trek, I thought it held up quite well.
So there it is, folks: if you needed a little 'something something' to be thankful for on this day, I've given you two entries ... and you'll find a helluva lot more by checking out September 13th's full page of citations by following the helpful link right here ...
As always, thank you for reading ... thank you for sharing ... thank you for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
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