My Sincere Pitch for a New Muppets Movie

When the pandemic started in 2020, part of my escapism from the dread of the moment was going back and rewatching the entirety of the old Muppet Show.  And it felt good, letting the nostalgia wash over me, but also it made me sad.  As I continued watching more Muppet content, the movies, then the later TV shows, I felt like something got lost along the way, and it was the earnestness with which the Muppets and even the humans around them behaved.  Even in moments of commentary or weirdo subversion, there was a genuineness that I felt fell away a bit.  Recent years felt like there was more snark, more bite, more irony,  even in how we as viewers engage with the Muppets.  I was pleasantly surprised by the Electric Mayhem focused show with Lilly Singh and Tahj Mowry from a few years back, that felt like a love letter to music through the heartfelt lens of the Muppets.  And it gave me hope that perhaps more Muppets could be coming.  Then news came that a certain Warner Bros owned streaming service might be looking to off-load Sesame Street, and I didn’t just have hope, I had an idea, a movie pitch for how to reunite the Muppets and the folks of Sesame Street for the first time since the early 2000s.  

I guess in order for this to happen Disney would have to buy the rights to Sesame Street to have them under the same umbrella as the Muppets.  I’m not here to discuss the pros and cons of monopolistic IP hoarding and such.  I’m here to talk about Muppets.  So…

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This Is Not My Beautiful House. This Is Not My Beautiful Vibranium Android Husband.

This Is Not My Beautiful House. This Is Not My Beautiful Vibranium Android Husband.

Let’s skip to the bottom of the page, so I am not accused of burying the lede: WandaVision is the most creative and innovative thing the MCU has given us and is, currently, one of the best programs currently on television. The show, created by Jac Shaeffer, is a baffling and insane combination of humor, nostalgia, a little sci-fi, a pinch of a thriller, and about a thousand other things. Both Elizabeth Olsen and Kathryn Hahn deserve Emmys for the work that they’re doing and if this is the leadoff hitter for the Marvel/Disney+ television relationship, I look forward to seeing what’s going to come next.

With their two hit shows, this and a little thing you may have heard of called The Mandalorian, Disney+ has shown that they are not just around for nostalgia or so that my wife can put on a childhood favorite to help her fall asleep; they are trying to create content just as good as any of the streaming services or networks. And while The Mandalorian is probably the show I would rather watch, I think WandaVision (at least so far) is probably the better show.

Continue reading “This Is Not My Beautiful House. This Is Not My Beautiful Vibranium Android Husband.”

The Next 50 Stars: My Plan To Get America To 100 States

The Next 50 Stars: My Plan To Get America To 100 States

One of the most ridiculous stories to come from President Trump’s first term was when he tried to purchase Greenland, presumably to make it another state (or, at the very least, another U.S. territory). It was met with general scoffing and mockery from both political sides (save for the Donald’s most ardent bootlickers) and seen by many as a petulant child getting upset that he couldn’t buy anything he wanted. I remember finding the idea ridiculous back in 2019. But now, I’m not so sure.

Now, I kind of think it’s fucking dope.

But why stop there?

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Fancy Boys Stays Home With The Movies: Onward

Fancy Boys Stays Home With The Movies: Onward

With movie theaters closed, many studios have decided to release current-run movies out for streaming and download. I caught up with Pixar’s 22nd film.

Pixar has always excelled at two different film structures. The first is when they bring out the magnificent in the mundane: toys that come to life when no one is watching, a world existing entirely of cars, a restaurant which gets the help from a rat.

The second type of structure, when Pixar brings the mundane to the magnificent, is what drives the concept of Onward, it’s latest film which is just a delight and a wonderful film to gather the family around a television to check out.

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