Author: Matt Drufke

Matt Drufke is an self-described expert on pop culture, and will come to your parties if you have a dope cheese tray.
politics

It was always about hate…

by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment on It was always about hate…
It was always about hate…

Last week, I was horrified when reading the stories of ICE agents in Chicago dragging naked children out of their beds and putting them in vehicles. And while I was disgusted by the behavior, I was even more upset to see the reaction of people online supporting it. Because, as with everything associated with this President, you may agree with the initial understanding of the most basic argument, but the way things are carried out with such inhumanity and callousness is just tragic and if you are in favor of it, then you are absolutely a bad person.

Continue reading “It was always about hate…” →
Music/Movies, Uncategorized

All That Glitters May Not Have Gold: A review of Taylor Swift’s The Life Of A Showgirl

by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment on All That Glitters May Not Have Gold: A review of Taylor Swift’s The Life Of A Showgirl
All That Glitters May Not Have Gold: A review of Taylor Swift’s The Life Of A Showgirl

Taylor Swift has made it known that she does not like being called “calculated”, and I get it. To refer to a woman by that word implies a certain tone that one would not give to a man, who normally would be called something like “ambitious”. It’s a shame to me that she doesn’t like this term, because I consider the word a grand compliment and I believe it applies to the pop star. As we enter the tenth month of 2025, Swift has her twelfth album, The Life Of A Showgirl, out. And there is a lot that is needed to calculate.

Continue reading “All That Glitters May Not Have Gold: A review of Taylor Swift’s The Life Of A Showgirl” →
television

When A Good Idea Becomes A Bad Joke: Recapping the biggest mistake the Emmys may have ever seen

by Matt Drufke1 Comment on When A Good Idea Becomes A Bad Joke: Recapping the biggest mistake the Emmys may have ever seen
When A Good Idea Becomes A Bad Joke: Recapping the biggest mistake the Emmys may have ever seen

Sometimes, a joke can seem funny the first time you think about it. An idea pops into your head and it can make you laugh and laugh and you think it’s the most creative and hilarious idea you have ever come up with. It’s only after a little time passes that you realize that while they may be elements that are comical, the crux of the idea as a whole was a stinker and this was one of those things that needed a person to tell you, “Hey… let’s really think about why you think this is funny and what it’s about.”

This is exactly what happened when comedian Nate Bargatze hosted Sunday night’s Emmy awards. Bargatze, last year’s highest-grossing comedian and someone I believe is one of the best joke craftsmen working today, brought with him a through-line that he believed was going o be the star of the broadcast. However, what happened was the joke fell flat, he was wildly criticized, and television’s biggest night became the kind of thing where you had to cover your eyes every time the host stepped onstage.

Let’s talk about what happened, why it didn’t work, and the easy way to have made the joke a lot funnier.

Continue reading “When A Good Idea Becomes A Bad Joke: Recapping the biggest mistake the Emmys may have ever seen” →
Music/Movies, Oscars

FBC 2025 Oscar Coverage, Part III: Predicting the winners…

by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment on FBC 2025 Oscar Coverage, Part III: Predicting the winners…
FBC 2025 Oscar Coverage, Part III: Predicting the winners…

Happy Oscars, everyone!

This has been the least I have written about my favorite awards show in the history of this site and there are two big reasons for that. The first is that the major races have been the most fluid I have, possibly, ever seen since I’ve been watching the awards as a child. While some races seem to have solidified, there are few categories where I feel like you can lock in and say, “This is one you should bet a lot of money on.”

Continue reading “FBC 2025 Oscar Coverage, Part III: Predicting the winners…” →
Music/Movies, Oscars, Uncategorized

FBC 2025 Oscars Coverage, Part 2: Predicting The Nominations

by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment on FBC 2025 Oscars Coverage, Part 2: Predicting The Nominations
FBC 2025 Oscars Coverage, Part 2: Predicting The Nominations

With raging wildfires forcing the delay of the nominations until Thursday, it’s given me time to reflect on who the nominees should be. As some of the guild precursors have resonated, my Buzz Meter from a week ago has undergone great tumult. Nickel Boys has lost a ton of steam, The Apprentice has gained some, and Sing Sing has had one of the crazier pre-Oscar runs in recent history.

But, it’s time to lock them in. My goal is always for around 75%, with anything over 80% a near guarantee to turn me into an unbearable douche. So, with those stakes on the table, let’s get predicting!!!

Continue reading “FBC 2025 Oscars Coverage, Part 2: Predicting The Nominations” →
Music/Movies, Oscars, Uncategorized

FBC 2025 Oscars Coverage, part 1: Which films are getting Oscar Buzz? (and what are those films about?)

by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment on FBC 2025 Oscars Coverage, part 1: Which films are getting Oscar Buzz? (and what are those films about?)
FBC 2025 Oscars Coverage, part 1: Which films are getting Oscar Buzz? (and what are those films about?)

We are back talking about The Oscars, baby!

Nominations for Hollywood’s biggest night will be revealed this Sunday which means we need to make some predictions. And we cannot do that without seeing which films seem to be peaking at the right time. So, to do that, I made the Buzzmeter!!!

The Buzzmeter looks at which films are getting the most predictions in the major categories (Best Picture, Director, Acting and Screenwriting) and puts them into three piles: Definite locks, Lots of good buzz, and Wild Cards. I gave 5 points to every lock, three to a film with good buzz and a point to the Wild Cards. Also, if you haven’t seen the movie, I will give what I can only assume was the basic one sentence elevator pitch for the movie.

Let’s get buzz-examining!

Continue reading “FBC 2025 Oscars Coverage, part 1: Which films are getting Oscar Buzz? (and what are those films about?)” →
Music/Movies, Uncategorized

The Fifty Best Songs Of 2024

by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment on The Fifty Best Songs Of 2024
The Fifty Best Songs Of 2024

Well, if we can say anything about the state of music in 2024, we can certainly say that it was decidedly less horny than last year.

Look, there were definitely still some efforts to keep the mojo running in music. Sabrina Carpenter, Tinashe and Addison Rae all did their best to get us going like so many did in 2023. But there was not enough to overcome some of the bigger feelings we got this year: Rage. Contempt. Loneliness. Hopelessness.

Because of this, joyous songs (and there were a good number of them) felt like overwelcome lifeboats getting us to the next day. And even with this year’s crop of the best songs taking us to darker, more introspective places, there was still so much amazing music to share. Let’s take a look at the 50 best songs from a very good year of music.

Yes, there’s a playlist at the bottom of the article. Let’s boogie!

Continue reading “The Fifty Best Songs Of 2024” →
Advice, Misc.

To the friends of parents of special needs children: An open letter

by Matt DrufkeLeave a Comment on To the friends of parents of special needs children: An open letter
To the friends of parents of special needs children: An open letter

Hey there. It’s me, Matt Drufke. I’m a writer. I’m a comedian and producer. I’m a husband. I’m a warehouse worker. Most importantly, I’m the father of two amazing and perfect boys, the youngest of whom is a nonverbal child on the spectrum. I know if you’re reading that, it probably sounds a little scary.

Guess what? You’re right!

Continue reading “To the friends of parents of special needs children: An open letter” →