A blog about societal, cultural, and civilizational collapse, and how to stave it off or survive it. Named after the legendary character "Crazy Eddie" in Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "The Mote in God's Eye." Expect news and views about culture, politics, economics, technology, and science fiction.
The EPA is seeking to scrap limits on greenhouse gas emissions, America’s fertility rate hit an all-time low, and the president’s son weighed in on the Sydney Sweeney American Eagle eugenics controversy.
In another installment of The Worst Wing, Desi Lydic tackles Lee Zeldin telling everyone in the EPA to be more chill about climate change, Marco Rubio lighting a birth control bonfire, and Kristi Noem finding another animal to scare. Plus, Pete Hegseth's got a new addiction: polygraph testing Pentagon insiders to see who's talked sh*t about him.
The Daily Show won Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming (Segment) and has two nominations in the category this year, so I'm embedding Joe Rogan: The Path to Roganlightenment as a bonus.
From his humble beginnings in Newark to his scrappy days in Boston, Joe Rogan has always pushed his brains to the limit. Rogan's stand-up comedy led him to a career in television, eventually inspiring him to start his own podcast where he could ask the really important questions, like, "Wouldn't it be crazy if a wolf wore a fedora?" This is The Daily Showography of Joe Rogan.
This is who Spotify chose over Niel Young and is the leading podcaster? Nora Ephron was right when she wrote "no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public," even though she attributed it to H.L. Mencken.
Seth takes a closer look at Trump returning to the U.S. after his Scotland trip that was supposed to be a personal business trip and golf vacation that ended up being mostly about how he never had the "privilege" of going to Jeffrey Epstein's private island.
My wife and I watched this and our reaction was that none of this made him look good; he just displayed his worst side.
Jimmy Kimmel wasn't on last night, but his show earned a nomination for Outstanding Talk Series, so I'm embedding The Rabbit Hole with Jimmy Kimmel: Windmills, itself an Emmy nominee.
Jimmy Kimmel falls down the Rabbit Hole with an investigation that will blow you away about the dangers of windmills and Donald Trump’s sworn enemy: The Wind.
That's as close as I can get to Kimmel on energy and climate change.
In this episode of "Civics Made Easy," Ben Sheehan unpacks America's complex relationship with political parties, from George Washington's wariness to today's two-party dominance. Through a conversation with Independent Senator Angus King and an exploration of various state’s voting systems, Ben explains how our current system evolved, why third parties struggle to compete, and what reforms could change the political landscape.
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Civics Made Easy
Hosted by Ben Sheehan, breaks down the complex world of American government and civic participation. Each episode transforms intricate concepts into clear, digestible lessons, equipping viewers with the essential knowledge to actively participate in their democracy. Designed to empower and inform, the series makes understanding civics both accessible and engaging for all.
Ben Sheehan unpacks the Electoral College's intricate complicated history and current complexities in this episode of “Civics Made Easy.” From its founding in 1787 to the modern debates surrounding it, Ben explains why it was created, how it operates today, and the potential for reform. This episode offers an engaging and accessible exploration of one of the most misunderstood parts of our electoral system.
I agree with O'Donnell; the Electoral College is an anti-democratic institution has become a target for manipulation. It's why I wrote "The real election is the Electoral College, which votes on December 14, 2020. That's followed by a joint session of the new Congress on January 6, 2021," followed by "Trump is trying to game those steps to get electors who will vote for him." It's also why I support a patchwork reform: "The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is a work-around that will make the Electoral College more democratic, both upper- and lower-case d, without a constitutional amendment." I'd rather eliminate the Electoral College, but "I consider it extremely difficult, while not impossible. That's a long-term effort that I may not live to see accomplished." Sigh. In the meantime, it's important to elect state and local office-holders that will support fair elections.
Of course, I have lots of new readers who haven't encountered this opinion of mine; July 2025 has been the best month for page views on this blog by far with 3,230,000+ and counting, 3,050,000+ from Vietnam alone. I hope they're learning a lot about America.
In this episode of "Civics Made Easy," Ben Sheehan demystifies the complex world of political fundraising. From the surge in campaign texts to the intricacies of donation limits, PACs, and dark money groups, he explains how modern campaign finance works. With expert insight from the Federal Election Commission Chair Ellen Weintraub, Ben shows how money flows through American politics while reminding viewers that votes, not dollars, decide elections.
I was aware of the limits on individual contributions, but not of the limits on all the other opportunities to donate money. More than $1.5 million for all possible contributions to the national party and its presidential candidate? I used to be an officer of Coffee Party USA, which was very interested in campaign finance reform, and I didn't know that! It's always a good day when I learn something new, which makes today a good day.
That's a wrap for today's civics lessons. Stay tuned as I cover the Outstanding Talk Series Emmy nominees tomorrow.
John Oliver discusses the massive problems caused by gang databases, how people wind up on them, and why nobody looks good in lime green. You might think you’re pulling it off but trust us, you’re not.
The opening minutes are giving me flashbacks to what I wrote in 'Last Week Tonight' examines 'Trump & Deportations' for Wayback Wednesday: "Donald 'Hoover Cleveland' Trump insisting that the photoshopped 'MS-13' on Kilmar Abrego Garcia's hand is real reminds me of what I've written before, 'the voices in his head are not reliable sources. Neither are the real people he listens to.'" Based on what Oliver and his researchers and writers found out, the gang databases aren't all that reliable or helpful, either. Oh, and kudos to Oliver and his producers for getting LV to sing the chorus from "Gangster's Paradise" to conclude the segment.
Today marks what one NGO calls 'Earth Overshoot Day'. The Global Footprint Network says that's the day that humans have used more of Earth's resources than the planet can regenerate in a year. Scientists say the date is getting earlier every year. So what can we do to try live within the planet’s limits?
It pleases me to see India used as a good example. It's one of the reasons I show my students Chasing Ice instead of An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power; I didn't like Al Gore bullying the Indian delegation to the Paris Accord negotiations, even though it worked. Go bother the Chinese!
One of the points Beatrice Christofaro makes is about the A in I=P*A*T, "where I is impact, P is population, A is affluence, and T is technology. It's the A and inefficient T that is multiplying the impact of the effect of the relatively small P in the developed world, especially in North America." Deliberately making people less affluent isn't a viable solution; people don't like being poorer and will object. On the other hand, convincing people to be less wasteful, particularly creating less food waste and eating less meat, especially beef, would be helpful. Once could consider that to be a technology. So is renewable energy. Between the two, it would move Earth Overshoot Day back more than a month. Progress!
Earth has never experienced anything like us: a single species dominating and transforming the planet. Biologist Shane Campbell-Staton travels the globe to explore our Human Footprint and to discover how the things we do reveal who we truly are.
PBS’ Human Footprint makes a stop at Omega Mart for its “Shelf Life” episode. We talk to Omega Mart about the experience and the ways the exhibit highlights modern consumerism.
That was wild and even weirder than it looked in the "Shelf Life" episode of Human Footprint. I can now say there there is an intelligent attraction in Las Vegas beyond the sheer spectacle the city is known for.
Desi Lydic Foxsplains the Epstein files, the most explosive government coverup in history that really isn't that big of a deal. #DailyShow #Epstein #DesiLydic #Foxsplains
Desi Lydic Foxsplains is Emmy-nominated for Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series and Outstanding Performer In a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series.
As I exclaimed the one and only time I mentioned Victoria's Secret before, oh my. I had no idea Jeffrey Epstein was involved with this business, too. No wonder the trailer has so many views; it's a business story about using sex to sell its product that includes a sex scandal.
...but I have stayed away from the latest iteration of the story until now. As it is, I'm following Lydic's lead in making this about the poorly executed cover-up and misdirection, not the scandal itself. I'm adding Emptywheel's take that Jeffrey Epstein Is about Trump’s Failing Ability to Command Attention, which she thinks is one of Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump's superpowers. It's always a bad thing for a superhero or supervillain to have their superpowers fail. May the Epstein scandal be Hoover Cleveland's Kryptonite.
Has Trump converted these Gen Zers into MAGA true believers, or is this just a rebellious phase? In this half-hour special, Jordan Klepper is ditching the rallies and heading to Texas A&M, a UFC fight, and spring break in Florida to ask young right-wingers why they've turned toward Trump, Charlie Kirk, and even Andrew Tate.
My wife and I watched this and were simultaneously amused at how much Klepper was trolling the college students and their not realizing it and appalled at how they liked Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump and other right-wing influencers because they think they're "cool." It reminds me of a prediction Archdruid John Michael Greer made in Conversation as Commons four years ago.
But what about those ideas that most people consider Bad? Ahem. You can’t get rid of those by censoring them. That’s been tried, over and over again, and it always fails. What’s more, it quite often guarantees that the censored ideas become the cool new notions of the next fashionable counterculture. Decades of Victorian censorship of sex, for example, simply made the Decadent movement and the Sexual Revolution inevitable. If today’s woke ideologues want to make racism, sexism, and posthumous reverence for Donald Trump the foundation of the hot new avant-garde youth culture of the 2040s and 2050s, in other words, they’re going about it the right way.
We didn't have to wait twenty years for Greer's prediction to come true. As the young people Klepper interviewed demonstrate, it's happening right now, while Hoover Cleveland is still alive. Sigh.
Follow over the jump to watch the trailers and other Emmy nominations for the nominees in Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special.
100 Foot Wave leads this field with four nominations, followed by Chef's Table and SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night with three each and Simone Biles Rising and Social Studies with just this one nomination. Gold Derby handicaps this field differently; all of the experts and 80% of the editors have chosen SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night as the winner, while 20% of the editors and 3.4% of the users picked Chef's Table, 6.5% of the users believe in Simone Biles Rising, 4.5% of users are surfing 100 Foot Wave, and a mere 2.4% of users think that Social Studies will earn the top grade. This resembles my reasoning for why Gold Derby's prognosticators have Pee-wee as Himself and Will & Harper leading their choices for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, "all things being equal, the Television Academy voters would rather vote for one of their own...." The cast and crew of Saturday Night Live are definitely the Television Academy's own and the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live is a celebration of television. They can't resist. Electorates matter.
Synopsis: SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night is a four-part documentary series honoring the legacy of SNL, with over 60 contributors, including SNL alumni, and covering decades of SNL history. Spotlighting some of the show’s most iconic elements, each episode delves into the rich history of SNL and pulls back the curtain on the audition process, the writers’ room, the fan favorite "More Cowbell” sketch and the pivotal season 11.
As I wrote, "a celebration of television...they can't resist."
"Chef's Table: Legends" will pay tribute to the culinary icons who have helped shape the modern world of food. This season, which coincides with the 10-year anniversary of the “Chef’s Table” franchise, will feature a lineup of legendary celebrity chefs whose influence has transcended borders (and mediums) and inspired generations of cooks and food lovers alike.
I can see why a minority of editors think it should win. I can also see why the rest of the editor and all the experts disagree. True, Jamie Oliver is a TV chef, but his constituency would be at the Daytime Emmys, run by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which also runs theNews & DocEmmyAwards, not here. Just the same, I can recommend this show, especially the episode featuring Alice Waters, to my students, just like I can Omnivore, which won Outstanding Graphic Design – Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards. Welcome to blogging as professional development.
Witness unprecedented access to the most powerful comeback in sports, in Simone Biles Rising. Journey into the world of Simone as she grapples with vulnerability and self-doubt, redefining what it means to be a champion on her own terms.
The waves are bigger, the stakes are higher, and the chase is far from over.
This is the exhilarating and scary trailer I've embedded for this show. Season 3 may not win the program award, but I think it will win a craft Emmy, which I've already predicted and will repeat over the jump.
FX’s Social Studies is a new documentary series created by Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker Lauren Greenfield that follows a group of teens as they navigate the complexities of growing up with social media.
Two documentaries lead the nominees for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, Pee-wee as Himself and Will & Harper, both by total nominations and in the Gold Derby odds. Will & Harper and Pee-wee as Himself tie for the lead in nominations at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards at five. The two documentaries are competing directly against each other in Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program, and Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program. Will & Harper's other two nominations are for Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program and Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics while Pee-wee as Himself earned additional nominations for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program. Deaf President Now! and Martha follow well behind with two nominations apiece. Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) only has the program nomination. Deaf President Now! is also competing against Pee-wee as Himself and Will & Harper for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program. Martha's second nomination is for Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program, where none of the other nominees for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special are competing.
Gold Derby's odds break the tie in favor of Pee-wee as Himself with 100% of experts, 80% of editors, and 71.5% of users currently picking it to walk off the podium with the Emmy. Only 20% of editors and 24.3% of users so far think Will & Harper will win. Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) is in third, but well behind with the support of 1.6% of users, while Deaf President Now! and Martha are tied at 1.28% of users. Their choices are despite Will & Harper having the much stronger awards history, including tying with Super/Man for Best Documentary at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards. I think that's a result of Pee-wee as Himself being released on May 23, 2025, just a week before the end of the Emmy eligibility period, while Will & Harper first played at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, so it's had a lot more time to be recognized. I also think it's a recognition of what I wrote about last year's nominees for this award, "I think that, all things being equal, the Television Academy voters would rather vote for one of their own...." Both Paul "Pee-wee Herman" Reubens and Will Farrell were or are television and movie people. Between the two, the sympathy vote would be for Reubens. As I also wrote last year, "Martin is still alive, while Henson has been dead and missed for decades." Reubens is only recently deceased, but the principle still applies. Remember, electorates matter.
For the first time, meet the man behind the character.
That was touching and brought out all my fond feelings for Pee-wee the character and Reubens the man. Also, seeing a brief clip of Reubens as Pee-wee dancing to "Tequila" reminds me that today is National Tequila Day. Perfect timing!
Will Ferrell and his close friend, former head writer at SNL, Harper Steele embark on a cross-country road trip together after Harper comes out as a trans woman. Watch Will & Harper on September 27 on Netflix.
That's moving as well and not what I expected. I can see how it tied Super/Man for Best Documentary at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards.
Dive into the enigmatic, electrifying world of Sly Stone, the visionary musical genius who changed the face of funk, soul, and rock forever. SLY LIVES! is a gripping documentary that delves deep into the life, music, and legacy of a man whose brilliance and struggles have captivated generations.
Through rare archival footage, intimate interviews, and powerful storytelling, this film explores the complex journey of Sly Stone—from the meteoric rise of Sly and the Family Stone to his battles with fame, addiction, and the pressures of breaking barriers as a Black artist in a turbulent era.
Mentioning that it shares its producers with Summer of Soul is a smart move that indicates the film's quality. It may not be enough for it to win an Emmy, although it probably helped it get nominated, but it might help it win some of Summer of Soul's other awards, particularly Best Archival Documentary and Best Music Documentary at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards and Best Music Film at the GRAMMY Awards. I'm looking forward to covering both awards shows.
From Academy Award-nominated producer, co-director and Deaf activist Nyle DiMarco, and Academy Award-winning producer and co-director Davis Guggenheim, “Deaf President Now!” recounts the eight days of historic protests held at Gallaudet University in 1988 after the school’s board of trustees appointed a hearing president over several very qualified Deaf candidates. After a week of rallies, boycotts and protests, the students of Gallaudet University triumph as the hearing president resigns and beloved dean Dr. I. King Jordan becomes the university’s first Deaf president. The protests marked a pivotal moment in civil rights history, with an impact that extended well beyond the Gallaudet campus, and paved the way for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). “Deaf President Now!” features exclusive interviews with the five key figures of the movement, including the DPN4 — Jerry Covell, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, Tim Rarus and Greg Hlibok — alongside I. King Jordan, as well as archival and scripted elements. The film also incorporates an experimental narrative approach called Deaf Point of View, using impressionistic visual photography and intricate sound design to thrust the audience into the Deaf experience.
As I wrote about Girls State last year, it "stands out, winning a game of 'one of these things is not like the others' in a field of documentaries about entertainers and entertainment..." I'd heard about these protests while I was a student at CSUN, a center of deaf higher education in California, but it's another thing to see them. This is another documentary that I expect to see nominated at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, this time for Best Archival Documentary and Best Political Documentary.
By the way, if I were more concerned about earning page views should I share this as an evergreen entry in August or September, I might have featured this over the entertainment documentaries, but, thanks to my Vietnamese readers, I'm getting far more than enough page views this month. I'm not worrying about sharing this and it bombing.
This definitive documentary on Martha Stewart pulls back the curtain on one of America’s greatest self-made icons, from her start as a teenage model to her stint as a Wall Street stockbroker to her reign as the grand dame of entertaining and good taste. Directed by R.J. Cutler (Elton John: Never Too Late, Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, The September Issue), Martha draws on hundreds of hours of intimate interviews with Stewart and those from her inner circle, along with Stewart’s private archives of diaries, letters, and never-seen-before footage. The film illuminates Stewart’s upbringing in a working-class family, compels us to reconsider the scandal that sent her to prison, and heralds her post-prison reinvention as the original influencer who’s still captivating new generations of fans.
I agree with Martha; learn something new every day and when you're through changing, you're through. It helps that this documentary looks like fun.
Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominations for these films.
Slight change of plans — I am resuming my EmmyAwards coverage but I'm not blogging about the nominees for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. That's for tomorrow, I promise. Instead, I'm blogging about the nominated nature documentaries, which compose most of the nominees for Outstanding Narrator.
Sir David Attenborough – Planet Earth: Asia: "The Frozen North" (BBC America)
Idris Elba – Erased: WW2's Heroes Of Color: "D-Day" (National Geographic)
Tom Hanks – The Americas: "Andes" (NBC)
Barack Obama – Our Oceans: "Indian Ocean" (Netflix)
Phoebe Waller Bridge – Octopus!: "Part 1" (Prime Video)
The two most nominated series are Planet Earth: Asia and The Americas with two nominations each, one in this category and another for Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score). Erased: WW2's Heroes Of Color, Octopus!, and Our Oceans have just this nomination for their narrators. If this were a program category, those numbers might mean something. Instead, this is a performer category, so I defer to Gold Derby, where every expert, 60% of the editors, and 68.4% of the users have picked Sir David Attenborough to win this award again. Former President Barack Obama is the choice of 40% of the editors and 21.4% of the users. Only 5.1% of the users think Tom Hanks has a chance, followed by 2.7% of the users for Idris Elba and 2.4% of the users for Phoebe Waller Bridge. That's certainly an all-star field of nominated narrators!
Besides blogging about science and the environment, one of my other justifications for my awards show coverage is examining the diversity of the performers nominated. Theblkscript on Instagram made that easy for me by creating the following image to celebrate just that. Thank you!
If you think you have seen the best the natural world has to offer, think again! Join Sir David Attenborough as he takes you across our planet’s largest continent.
I could have waited until International Tiger Day to share this, but it works better for me today.
The world will never be the same once you've seen it from below.
Dive into Our Oceans, a thrilling five-episode series, narrated by Barack Obama, that invites you to join Emmy winning wildlife filmmaker James Honeyborne on an awe-inspiring adventure. This groundbreaking show will whisk you away on a global journey, uncovering the mesmerizing stories of our planet's five majestic oceans. Each episode delves into the unique characters of the creatures within these ecosystems, from playful and cunning to resilient and mysterious. Ride along the world's great current as we reveal nature's most spectacular aquatic personalities and breathtaking wonders.
Netflix certainly knows how to put together a trailer!
From Idris Elba, whose grandfather fought in WW2, this landmark series reveals the untold stories of soldiers of color in the war. By mixing war sequences with character portraits, this series restores the role of these soldiers and their units to their rightful place in the narrative of WW2 and reveals how these heroes inspired Civil Rights Movements in America and across the world.
I may not be able to recommend this to my students for extra credit, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a worthwhile subject.
This trailer lacks a video description I find worth sharing (it's all advertising for Prime Video), but it has 12,499,221 views. Wow! I think I will see this and maybe The Americas at another awards show, whether it's the EMA Awards, the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, or even next year's News & Doc Emmy Awards. Either way, this and the other nature documentary nominees look like good recommendations for my environmental science and biology students. Welcome to blogging as professional development.
Follow over the jump for the other nomination Planet Earth: Asia and The Americas earned plus the winner of Outstanding Nature Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards.
I slept in today and have an appointment this afternoon, so I'm postponing the entry about the nominees for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards I've already created a preview image for. In its place, I'm sharing Howtown explaining How half the US lost part of their minds.
Leaded gasoline, paint, and pipes left a toxic fingerprint in the baby teeth of half of all Americans — and those tiny clues reveal how silent doses of lead rewired IQ scores, crime rates, and mental health for decades. In this Howtown episode we laser-scan my own baby teeth with “tooth detective” Manish Arora, revisit Herbert Needleman’s 1970s Boston study, and track economist Jessica Reyes’s state-by-state link between tetraethyl lead’s phase-out and the 1990s crime drop. New data from New Zealand’s Dunedin Study (analyzed by Aaron Reuben) show how early exposure still shapes Gen X brains, personalities, and social mobility, framing one of the largest environmental injustices in U.S. history.
The story Adam Cole and Joss Fong told complements the one related in SciShow explains the connection between the age of the Earth and unleaded gasoline plus more about lead with more of an emphasis on how lead affected and still affects public health, long after the U.S. and other countries stopped using leaded gasoline and lead paint. I had no idea how persistent the effects of lead exposure were and still are, including loss of IQ points through adulthood. I also learned how and why lead is so dangerous; it imitates calcium because its ions have the same charge (valence) and nearly the same size, so it gets incorporated in bones and teeth and interferes with nerve function. As I'm fond of writing, it's a good day when I learn something new and I learned a lot of new information from this video.
Speaking of learning new things, I'm trying to figure out when I might show this to my students. Since my students and I live in Michigan, home of the Flint Water Crisis, which Cole and Fong mention, I could show it when I lecture about waterpollution. The video concentrates on leaded gasoline, which is an air pollution problem, so it would make more sense to show it then, especially since I talk about the health effects of air pollution. Besides, that part of the story focuses on the role Charles F. Kettering, who worked for General Motors, played in developing leaded gasoline. That's also a Michigan story. Either way, if I show this video, it will become another example of blogging as professional development.
That's a wrap for today's evergreen environmental topic. Stay tuned to see if I resume my EmmyAwards coverage tomorrow, or postpone it again.
That's a wrap for the Retail Apocalypse today. Come back tomorrow as I plan on posting an entry about the nominees for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Stay tuned.
Immediately after WWII, numerous agencies and groups within the United States recognized that space was the next frontier. Plans to conquer that frontier began to proliferate. Some ideas were promising, while others were, perhaps, little more than pipe dreams.
Listening to The History Guy talk about how inter-service rivalries influenced early plans for space and the Moon makes me wonder what the Air Force, Army, and Navy would think of SpaceForce. An idea out of science fiction, no doubt. Then again, so were their plans for space in general and the Moon in particular. Project Horizon strikes me as especially ambitious, much more so than anything proposed for Artemis, the current NASA program to build a Moon base. That, at least, would be for peaceful purposes, including supporting a crewed mission to Mars, not military ones.
The History Guy has more videos about lunar missions, which I'm saving for future posts. I'm an environmentalist; not only do I recycle, I conserve my resources.
That's a wrap for today's holiday. Stay tuned for the next installment of my examination of the Emmynominees.
Their audiences would likely protect them against direct government action, but not the parent companies of their networks. Other than boycotts, I don't know how their viewers can pressure the media corporations. Being number one in late night certainly didn't help.
Follow over the jump for reactions for CNN, PBS, and MSNBC, plus an observance of National Daiquiri Day.
The secret life of a young World of Warcraft gamer is vividly reimagined when his online friends contact his family after his death.
My wife and I are gamers, as any reader who has paid attention to my posts about Star Wars: The Old Republic, which we've been playing since December 2011, can tell. I can say first-hand that everything shown in the trailer about the social aspects of gaming is totally true. For that reason alone, I am rooting for The Remarkable Life of Ibelin to win. That Gold Derby thinks it will win is just icing on the cake.
Directed by Academy Award nominee Irene Taylor, I AM: CELINE DION gives us a raw and honest behind-the-scenes look at the iconic superstar’s struggle with a life-altering illness. Serving as a love letter to her fans, this inspirational documentary highlights the music that has guided her life while also showcasing the resilience of the human spirit.
This is the most watched trailer of all the nominees with 6,244,930 views. The trailer for Patrice: The Movie currently has 3,154,405 views, while the trailer for The Remarkable Life of Ibelin has 731,294 views. Celine Dion has a lot of fans, and they're rooting for the documentary about her to win. One of the fan accounts on X is promoting the nomination with this screenshot from the official nominations list.
I think this is part of what half of Gold Derby's experts and 30% of the users are basing their choices on. I also expect the experts think like I do about the entertainment professionals who vote for the Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards; they will vote for a good nominee about themselves if all else is equal. Celine Dion isn't really one of them, but she's close enough. I'm not sure all else is equal. For starters, I Am: Celine Dion has the lowest rating at IMDB of all the nominees, 7.7, while The Remarkable Life of Ibelin has an 8.2 rating right below Patrice: The Movie's 8.3, the highest rated of all the nominees. In addition, IMDB lists 14 wins and 31 nominations for The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, including five Critics Choice Documentary Awards nominations to two Critics Choice Documentary Awards nominations for I Am: Celine Dion, part of only seven nominations and no wins. That's what half the experts and all the editors are responding to; The Remarkable Life of Ibelin is the critical choice and thus the professional choice.
‘Patrice: The Movie’ – a documentary rom-com about the next phase of marriage equality – disability. Streaming Sept 30th only on Hulu.
This is right up there with Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story for being moving, and it's about an issue that affects my family, so I care a bit more. Is it enough to beat Blink? I don't know, but this trailer has 3,153,880 views! People are watching and they care! Speaking of which, if the U.S. is "pro-family," should we support disabled Americans in marriage through maintaining their benefits the way we support able-bodied married Americans through the tax code? I say yes.
I was wondering why Patrice: The Movie only got one nomination for its trailer at the News & Doc Emmy Awards; it was eligible for this award here. Too bad it won't win it. That's O.K. Like Blackfish, the movie prompting successful activism would be more important than any awards.
"Batman vs. Bateman" – Hungry Man and Highdive (State Farm)
"The Boy & The Octopus" – Hungry Man and adam&eveDDB (Disney)
"Brian Cox Goes to College" – O Positive and Special US (Uber One for Students)
"Flock" – Smuggler and TBWA\ Media Arts Lab (Apple Privacy)
"Heartstrings" – Smuggler and TBWA\ Media Arts Lab (Apple AirPods Pro)
"So Win." – Somesuch and Wieden+Kennedy (Nike)
Shogun leads action nominees with four nominations, one in each category for which it's eligible. It's followed by Black Doves and The Day of the Jackal tied at three, then 9-1-1, Reacher, and The Gentlemen with two apiece. These are all good shows, but Shogun should win easily.
The same is true of Anna Sawai, although her competition is stiffer on paper. Angela Bassett, Viola Davis, and Zoe Saldaña all have Oscars, even if Bassett's is honorary, Keira Knightley was nominated for two Oscars, and Lashana Lynch won a BAFTA Award. Sawai's most prestigious awards are an Emmy and a Golden Globe for this role; she didn't win the main Critics Choice Award for this role, losing to Kathy Bates. Fortunately, Bates isn't nominated here — Knightley is — so my reminder that electorates matter still applies.
I think Farrell is the favorite to win as a villain protagonist, but my favorite villain I love to hate is Michael Emerson from Evil. I'm glad I got to boo him again as a guest star in his wife's show Elsbeth. That was fun to watch and I bet the two of them have stories!
This is the one category I think Shogun won't win, so it won't be a complete sweep. Only Emerson and Farrell earned nominations for Best Actor in their respective genres in addition to Best Villain, so I think one of them will win. I want Emerson, but I think it will be Farrell.
There is no shortage of action shows for the Saturn Awards. 9-1-1, Black Doves, The Day of the Jackal, G20, Lioness, Paradise, and Reacher should all be eligible, although 9-1-1 has never earned a Saturn Awards nomination despite my submitting it. Also, G20 is a movie, so it would be eligible for Presentation on Television. Just the same, there are plenty of action and thriller shows, including The Night Agent and The Handmaid's Tale. There is no need to cannibalize the superhero series category to fill out the action nominees, although there might be no other category for them to go. Sigh.
That completes my series on the Critics Choice Super Awards nominations. I plan on returning with the winners next month. In the meantime, stay tuned as I begin Emmy coverage tomorrow.
Previous entries about the 5th Critics Choice Super Awards
I closed 'The Last of Us' leads TV nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards by telling my audience "The next day I could continue this series would be Tuesday the 15th, but that's when this year's Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy nominations will be announced, and I might prioritize those." The Emmy nominations won't be announced until 11:30 A.M. EDT and I don't want to wait that long to start blogging, so Super Awards it is.
The next category with series that have the most nominations is Science Fiction/Fantasy, where there are two shows with four nominations each, Severance and Fallout. All of Severance's nominations are in Science Fiction/Fantasy, while three of Fallout's are in Superhero, where video game properties also reside, so Severance wins the tiebreaker. Besides, Fallout isn't even nominated in this category, just Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie. Andor and Black Mirror both have three nominations, followed by Doctor Who and Fantasmas tied at two, and Dune: Prophecy with just this one. I think this is between Severance and Andor with Black Mirror as a spoiler.
Walter Goggins is having a moment — I expect he will earn a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the Emmy Awards for his role in The White Lotus by the time I post this (ETA: he did) and he has a second nomination for this role at these awards in Best Actor in a Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie — but I don't think he's going to win this award. Instead, I think it's between Diego Luna and Adam Scott.
I'm sharing this image not because I think Caitriona Balfe will win — she might and I would be happy if she did, although I think a couple of actresses have a better shot — but because she appears to have the one campaign going for this award. It's from her fans, not the studio, but at least they believe in her. I think Cristin Milioti, who has another nomination for The Penguin (and she just got an Emmy nomination for it), Kathrin Hahn, and Britt Lower have better odds to win. Michelle Yeoh is an Oscar winner, but I'm not sure Star Trek: Section 31 is the best vehicle for her.
No science fiction or fantasy show earned a nominee for its villain, so on to what these nominations mean for the Saturn Awards. Severance, Andor, Black Mirror, Doctor Who, Dune: Prophecy, Outlander, and Star Trek: Section 31 should all earn nominations, although not all as Best Science Fiction Series. Season One of Severance landed in Horror / Thriller Series, Outlander moved from Fantasy to Action/Adventure/Thriller, and Star Trek: Section 31 could be a Science Fiction Film or Presentation on Television. It wouldn't surprise me if Superman & Lois competed in Science Fiction again. It has and it won.
I have one more genre to cover, Action, which I expect will be a sweep or nearly so for Shogun. Now excuse me while I watch the Emmy nominations announcement.
Previous entries about the 5th Critics Choice Super Awards
The George Gershwin classic, "An American in Paris," performed by Phantom Regiment four different times over 40 years — Who did it best?
The consensus among those leaving comments at the video is 2015 and I agree. It helps that 2005 was the highest placing year, third. 1976 was fourth, 2015 was seventh, and 1975 was tenth. That written, I have a certain fondness for 1975. Not only was it the first year I saw the corps on the PBS broadcast, I marched in a youth band that played "An American in Paris" while performing the scatter drill into a company front in 1977. The band also played the French National Défilé, which I featured in France 24 English asks 'France and the US: Best frenemies?' for Bastille Day 2022. I'm in a sharing mood today.
Speaking of sharing, I observed the following in 2021.
With this video, I've featured five different years of Phantom Regiment in three differentposts to celebrate Bastille Day. That makes them by far my favorite for this holiday.
While 2015 is a repeat, although the part of the show is new to this blog, 1975, 1976, and 2005 are new, so it's now eight years in four posts for Phantom Regiment on this holiday. I think they're still second behind the Madison Scouts overall.
This video details a copycat recipe for the Grand Marnier orange slush from Epcot’s France pavilion. The creator explains why they distrust most online recipes for this drink and shares their personal recipe, which uses Planter’s rum, Grand Marnier, Grey Goose orange vodka, and orange juice. The video concludes with a tasting of the slush and a discussion of how well it matches the original.
To recycle what I wrote in 2023 and 2021, "Vive la France (Pavilion)! Liberté, Egaliteé, Fraternité!"
That concludes today's celebration of a fake holiday. The next fake holiday is Wester, which inspired Greer to create both Souther and Norther, on October 12th. In the meantime, stay tuned for Bastille Day, the third patriotic holiday I celebrate during July.
