'SNL' laughs at Trump's tariffs and stock market crash

I closed the body of 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' for First Contact Day, a holiday special with a program note.

In the meantime, Stay tuned for the highlights of tonight's Saturday Night Live. Let's see how they make tariffs and a stock market crash funny.

Watch Trump Tariff Cold Open to find out.

President Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) addresses his tariffs and their impact on the stock market during a speech.

That explanation of the tariff equation made about as much sense as the real one and was a lot more fun. Also, James Austin Johnson's Donald Trump will be very disappointed to find the real McDonald Island is a cold place inhabited by penguins, not a tropical paradise with fast food. That's ironic since my original nickname for Hoover Cleveland was The Penguin. Weekend Update acknowledged that fact in Trump Tariffs Cause $6 Trillion Loss, Tesla Stock Plummets 10%.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like Trump imposing worldwide tariffs.

Six trillion dollars lost in one week? Yikes! Speaking of lost money, the next segment featured Retail Apocalypse news, Hooters Files for Bankruptcy, Subway Unveils Footlong Doritos Nachos.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like a 1-year-old eating his grandfather's ashes.

Hooters' bankruptcy deserves more than a one-liner declaring the chain's business model a bust, so I plan on blogging about it tomorrow or Tuesday. Stay tuned.

Follow over the jump for the rest of last night's highlights.

'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' for First Contact Day, a holiday special

Happy First Contact Day, when I celebrate Star Trek! Like last year, I'm looking forward to an upcoming season of the latest series on the franchise, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Watch the SyFy Sistas Inc. wishing their viewers Happy First Contact Day _Season 3 Teaser Star Trek SNW.

[Paramount+] released the teaser trailer for the upcoming third season of its hit original series STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS, coming this summer to the platform. Paramount+ previously announced the series has also been renewed for a fourth season, which is currently in production in Toronto.

In season three, when we reconnect with the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, still under the command of Captain Pike, they face the conclusion of season two’s harrowing encounter with the Gorn. But new life and civilizations await, including a villain that will test our characters’ grit and resolve. An exciting twist on classic Star Trek, season three takes characters both new and beloved to new heights, and dives into thrilling adventures of faith, duty, romance, comedy, and mystery, with varying genres never before seen on any other Star Trek.

Other than the preview image, this is exactly the same as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | Season 3 Official Teaser | Paramount+, but the preview image was exactly what I wanted for today, so SyFy Sistas win. Just the same, here is the official upload's description.

One show. Infinite Adventures. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns this summer exclusively on Paramount+!

Join the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise as they discover new civilizations, test their resolve and dive into thrilling adventures.

SyFy Sistas even have a more comprehensive description.

The trailer looks like fun, so I watched First Look | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - Season 3.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The series follows Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock, Number One and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, in the years before Captain Kirk boarded the starship, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy. The new season is set to debut in 2025.

That's an interesting premise entertainingly executed. I'm looking forward to seeing how the crew gets out of this situation, as well as the rest of the ten episodes that will stream this summer.

It turns out that First Contact Day is only one of at least ten special Star Trek days on the calendar. Trek Culture describes them in 10 In-Universe Star Trek Holidays (And When To Celebrate Them).

Let's look at every holiday from Star Trek that we can celebrate in 2025.

Hearing that Frontier Day is April 13th reminds me that I already celebrate a space day that I declared in 2012, Apophis Day. Now I have two holidays to celebrate in eight days!

I'm not done with today's holiday celebration. Follow over the jump for a retrospective of the rest of the most read holiday entries that I didn't cover in Ig Nobel Prizes for April Fools Day 2025, a holiday special.

Kosta, Colbert, and Meyers take closer looks at tariffs on Flashback Friday

Yesterday's bad news was tariffs and, of course, tariffs were the story that stuck around. The Daily Show was among the shows that featured them as the topic of their monologues. Since it had the best preview image, I'm sharing Trump’s Tariffs Send Markets Plunging and Penguins Waddling to a Trade War first.

Michael Kosta recaps Trump's tariffs fallout, from a stock market crash to cabinet officials taking to the airwaves to cheerlead the move. Plus, Grace Kuhlenschmidt checks in on the penguins who now find themselves in a trade war.

Imposing tariffs on a territory inhabited only by penguins was the funniest thing about this mess. It shows that Hoover Cleveland and whoever was actually doing his work just went down a list and assigned tariffs without checking to see if any people actually lived there. *Eye roll* I'd say we're living in Idiocracy except that's science fiction that takes place in the 26th Century. We're really living in a kakistocracy, "government run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens." How about all three?

Speaking of "the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens," the title of Stephen Colbert's monologue was Trump Jets Off To Watch Golf After Triggering Global Market Meltdown | No Tariffs On Russia.

President Trump's tariff announcement, which sent stocks into a nosedive and enraged America's allies around the world, mysteriously excluded one major country: Russia.

No tariffs on Russia? I'm not surprised. As I wrote yesterday, "Maybe it's good for his fellow billionaires, including Vladimir Putin, his partner in a bad bromance. I have long had my suspicions." This just reinforces them.

My wife and I watched both Colbert and Seth Meyers, who examined the situation in Trump's Insane Tariff Plan Tanks Stock Market, Risks Economic Collapse as Prices Rise: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Trump implementing massive tariffs on almost every country in the world, raising prices for American consumers, escalating a pointless trade war with allies and pushing the economy into a self-inflicted meltdown.

Seth mentioned his wife's shopping list, which reminds me that my wife went shopping at Costco yesterday. She said it reminded her of the early days of the pandemic, when everyone was buying toilet paper, including her. Doom spending, anyone?

I close this portion of the post with the cold open of The Late Show, The World Reacts To Trump's Tariffs.

The president thinks his man-made economic disaster is going "very well."

He would think so. In reality, we're partying like it's 1929.

Follow over the jump for a retrospective of the top posts from last year featuring late-night talk-show hosts examining Donald "Hoover Cleveland" Trump's second term so far to observe Flashback Friday.

Colbert, Kosta, and Meyers take closer looks at tariffs, Wisconsin, and Cory Booker

It's been a minute since I compiled the monologues of the late-night talk show hosts, so I'm returning with Stephen Colbert laughing at Trump Risks Historic Economic Damage | Musk Crushed In Wisconsin | Sen. Booker's Marathon Speech so he and his audience don't have to cry.

President Trump announced new tariffs which economists warn could plunge the world into a depression, Wisconsin voters overwhelmingly rejected Elon Musk's preferred candidate for the state's Supreme Court, and Senator Cory Booker spoke for a record-breaking 25 hours on the Senate floor in protest of Trump's actions.

I call Trump Hoover Cleveland because he was the first president since Herbert Hoover to leave the Oval Office with fewer Americans employed than when he entered. His tariffs could repeat that. The only thing that could save him is that he's doing it so early in his second term. Still, it wasn't necessary for the good of the country. As I wrote in Forever 21 files for bankruptcy and will close all U.S. stores, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse and repeated in CNBC explains 'What’s Scaring Americans Into Shopping More':

If the U.S. does go into recession this year, it won't be because of internal economic forces, but because of government interference, which normally tries to cushion against economic downturns. Biden piloted the U.S. economy to a soft landing, then Hoover Cleveland tries to crash the plane anyway!

I'm not even sure it's good for Hoover Cleveland, although he might think so. As I wrote in George Santos sues Jimmy Kimmel and Trump sells sneakers, "he has long had a very bad case of 'L'État, c'est moi.' As far as he's concerned, he is the country." Maybe it's good for his fellow billionaires, including Vladimir Putin, his partner in a bad bromance. I have long had my suspicions.

Michael Kosta at The Daily Show covered the same stories with the assistance of Desi Lydic, but scrambled their order, in Trump Launches "Liberation Day" Tariffs & Cory Booker's Speech Breaks Senate Record.

Michael Kosta recaps surprising wins for the Democrats, including a victory in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race despite Elon Musk's financial interference, and a record-breaking 25-hour speech by Cory Booker. Plus, Trump launches his "Liberation Day" tariffs, and Republicans scramble to supply cover.

Since Kamala Harris lost, I've been wondering who would step up to be the next leading candidate for the 2028 Democratic Presidential nomination. Cory Booker might have just made his move.

I conclude with Seth Meyers' Musk and Trump Lose Big in Wisconsin After Spending Millions to Buy Votes: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, trying to buy a seat on the Wisconsin state Supreme Court.

Can Elon Musk buy an election?

I'd like to think Democrats still have the turnout advantage in off-year elections they've had since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Hoover Cleveland won states like Wisconsin and Michigan through "bullet ballots" — people voting for him but no one else. They didn't vote for downballot contests and aren't likely to vote in an election where Trump is not on the ballot. That reminds me of an answer to the question I asked in I ask The Archdruid and his readers 'Can you show us on the doll exactly where the educated professionals hurt you?' The answer is turn against Republicans and deny them downballot victories. I hope that happens tomorrow in Wisconsin and other states where there are off-year and special elections.

I got my wish. The answer to "can Elon Musk buy an election?" was "NO!"

I know I promised a retrospective for Throwback Thursday, but I decided I would catch up on my sleep, so I ran out of time. Definitely tomorrow for Flashback Friday, when I don't have to go to work. Stay tuned.

Vox asks 'RFK Jr. is in charge of vaccines. What now?' A Wayback Wednesday special

I've been worried about RFK Jr. being in charge of federal health policy ever since Hoover Cleveland's re-election. Vox explored his ability to affect Health and Human Services (HHS) policy when it asked RFK Jr. is in charge of vaccines. What now?

The new US secretary of Health and Human Services has a long history of spreading misinformation about vaccines.
...
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been called the most unqualified health secretary in the history of the US. Before his confirmation, over 22,000 doctors signed a letter urging the Senate to reject his appointment. During the confirmation hearing several senators grilled him on his concerning history related to vaccine misinformation: things like his founding of an anti-vax organization, his concerning anti-vax rhetoric, and his history of suing vaccine manufacturers, something he stands to make a lot of money doing.

The former environmental lawyer was propelled to the nation’s highest health office largely by the “MAHA” movement, a play on Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan (“Make America Healthy Again”). As health secretary, Kennedy wants to solve the chronic disease epidemic in the US, which plenty of doctors can get behind. The issue is that he aims to do it at the expense of infectious disease research. And therein lies the problem. Most people can agree when he says things like “I’m supportive of vaccines” and “I want good science.” The trouble is that his definition of “good” is, well — let’s call it historically shaky. In March, he appointed a well-known vaccine skeptic to head a study on the long-debunked potential link between vaccines and autism.

So what’s next? Can RFK Jr. take away vaccines that are already on the market? It’s unlikely, but he doesn’t need to. Kennedy sits at the helm of the very department he’s been undermining for years. In that position, the power he has over vaccine policy isn’t limitless, but the changes he can make could ripple for decades.

If I have to concentrate on criticizing any of Trump's Cabinet Secretaries, it will be RFK Jr. I'm a scientist and he's the biggest threat to science of anyone actually confirmed by the Senate (Elon Musk as the effective head of DOGE may be just as big right now, but he's not Senate-confirmed and probably isn't there for the long term). Vox's video helps me by showing how and why he can threaten health research and policy.

One of those threats is the ongoing measles outbreak. ABC News covered that and health policy news in Nearly 500 cases of measles reported across 19 states last week.

Plus, why Utah banned fluoride in public drinking water and the potential fallout from the FDA’s top vaccine official’s resignation.

Utah answered no to 'Should fluoride be in our water?' I hope that doesn't adversely affect my mom, sister, and nephew who live there. Also, the Reduction In Force (RIF) of 20,000 HHS employees shows how both RFK Jr. and Musk combine to be threats to health and science.

CBS Texas updated the situation in the Lone Star State when it reported Texas measles outbreak hits 422 cases; vaccine clinics canceled due to federal cuts last night.

The measles outbreak in Texas continues to spread, with 422 cases reported since January, an increase of 22 cases since Friday. Most cases are in West Texas, where one child has died. Dallas County Health and Human Services has cut 21 workers, including 10 temporary workers, leading to the cancellation of 15 vaccine events, including measles vaccination clinics. These cuts are part of the Trump administration's effort to reduce federal spending.

Bird flu may be a bigger potential threat, but measles is a menace right now.

I'm repeating what I wrote in Randy Rainbow sings 'I Think I'm Gonna Hate It Here' and recycled in Kosta, Colbert, and Kimmel mock Trump for blaming crash on DEI and his Cabinet picks.

Seriously, that supposed ideological diversity probably comes from former Democrats Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr., who I called cases of failing upwards. I thought I was done with both of them when they dropped out of the 2020 and 2024 Presidential contests, respectively. Instead, I could be writing about them for the next four years. Ugh. At least my readers and I have Randy and others to keep us sane. May they be like Ben Carson AKA Doctor Pyramid, about whom I ended up writing "At least you were too boring to write about for the past four [years]" after Carson's service as HUD Secretary. May we be so lucky with Gabbard and RFK Jr.

So far, they've been making news. At least they're not boring.

Follow over the jump for the top post of mine about RFK Jr. during the 14th year of this blog.

Ig Nobel Prizes for April Fools Day 2025, a holiday special

Happy April Fools Day! I promised a retrospective about holidays and I'll get to it, no fooling, but first I'm recycling last year's theme of IgNobel Prizes for April Fools Day/A> by sharing Anton Petrov describing Drunk Worms, Butt Breathing and More Hilarious Studies That Won Ig Nobel Prize In 2024.

Hello and welcome! My name is Anton and in this video, we will talk about 10 exciting studies that won the Ig Nobel prize in 2024[.]

I agree with Anton; many of these are important studies, some of which may become stories I tell my students, at least for the next year or so I plan on teaching. The plant that mimics other plants, including plastic ones (Radiohead's Fake Plastic Trees, anyone?), dead trout and salmon swimming, and butt-breathing mammals are facts I can share with my Organismal Biology students. I can even use the last today, as I'm lecturing on the respiratory system in Human Structure and Function after lecturing on the digestive system last week — a transition! My geology students flip coins for an extra credit exercise simulating radioactive decay, so the fair coin finding will be a good story to share with them. Finally, I show age structures comparing Bihar and Kerala, the states with the lowest and highest literacy in India, and point out how illiteracy affects Bihar's reported age structure. The demographic research casting doubt on extreme age might enhance that story.

I hope my readers enjoyed today's excursion into "achievements that first make people LAUGH, then make them THINK." All of them are real research. No hoaxes today!

Follow over the jump for a retrospective of the five most read posts about holidays during the 14th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.

Can Elon Musk buy an election? Silly and serious takes on the Wisconsin Supreme Court contest

I'm closing out March's blogging by sharing silly and serious takes on tomorrow's election for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice, beginning with The Daily Show's Elon Musk & Billionaires Flood the Zone in Wisconsin Supreme Court Race.

Ronny Chieng covers the upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court election, including Elon Musk’s $20 million intervention in Republican Brad Schimel’s campaign, attack ads against the wrong Susan Crawford, and alternating pro-pedophilia smear campaigns. Plus, Grace Kuhlenschmidt sees how billionaires are turning elections into games.

The preview image asked "Can Elon buy a Wisconsin election?" That was the silly take. I begin the serious takes with Democracy Now! asking the nearly identical question, Can Elon Musk Buy Wisconsin? Ari Berman on Billionaire-Funded Attempt to Flip State Supreme Court.

After spending over a quarter of a billion dollars on Donald Trump's presidential election campaign, Elon Musk is pouring money into a Supreme Court election in Wisconsin. Musk has spent more than $18 million to support Trump-backed candidate Brad Schimel over liberal Susan Crawford and has been paying Wisconsin voters $100 to help flip the state's top court. This election could impact abortion rights, unions and Republicans' ability to keep gerrymandered districts in place to control Congress. "The level of corruption at play here, the level of money at play here, really is a warning sign for what's happening to our democracy," says Ari Berman, voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones magazine.

Amy Goodman and Ari Berman are right; this is part of a larger project that includes Hoover Cleveland's power grab in the form of an executive order regarding elections. The voters can stop it, but only if they demonstrate that the answer to The Daily Show's and Democracy Now's question is "no." To that end, I'm embedding NBC News's Steve Kornacki: Wisconsin Supreme Court race will test Democrat’s off-year turnout 'advantage'.

NBC News National Political Correspondent Steve Kornacki digs into battleground Wisconsin ahead of the state’s Supreme Court election.

I'd like to think Democrats still have the turnout advantage in off-year elections they've had since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Hoover Cleveland won states like Wisconsin and Michigan through "bullet ballots" — people voting for him but no one else. They didn't vote for downballot contests and aren't likely to vote in an election where Trump is not on the ballot. That reminds me of an answer to the question I asked in I ask The Archdruid and his readers 'Can you show us on the doll exactly where the educated professionals hurt you?' The answer is turn against Republicans and deny them downballot victories. I hope that happens tomorrow in Wisconsin and other states where there are off-year and special elections.

That concludes March's blogging. Stay tuned for a retrospective about holidays on April Fools Day.

'SNL' mocks the Signal group chat in its cold open and Weekend Update

Last night's Saturday Night Live began by mocking last week's top U.S. political story in Group Chat Cold Open.

A group of teenagers (Mikey Madison, Sarah Sherman, Ego Nwodim) get added to a group chat with Secretary Pete Hegseth (Andrew Dismukes), Vice President JD Vance (Bowen Yang), Secretary Marco Rubio (Marcello Hernández) and Editor of the Atlantic Jeffrey Goldberg (Mikey Day).

Where's National Security Advisor Mike Waltz? Didn't he start the group chat? I guess he's not known, disliked, or funny enough to be parodied in the skit. On the other hand, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is all three, which is one of the reasons both this scandal and Hegseth are called Whiskeyleaks, a nickname alongside Kegseth. Hegseth deserves his own label on this blog and I think I'll use Kegseth.

SNL continued mocking Whiskeyleaks, both Hegseth and the scandal, in the first segment of Weekend Update: Pete Hegseth Sends Attack Plans on Signal Group Chat.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visiting a Salvadoran prison.

At least Waltz made the preview image along with Hegseth, JD Vance, and Marco Rubio, and had a couple of jokes told about him, although I think the one about Hegseth was funnier. As for Kristi Noem's photo op, Michael Che's quip about OnlyFans reminds me of what Steve M. wrote at No More Mister Nice Blog yesterday.

It's obvious that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's visit to El Salvador's brutal Cecot prison was part of the the Trump administration's effort to keep pumping out images of performative machismo in order to appeal to Trump's multi-ethnic, multi-generational coalition of male voters (a "badass" woman in skintight clothing is a familiar trope in male-coded popular culture)...The Trumpers know what boys like.

A conservative female politician using her sex appeal? I've seen that before.

Weekend Update continued with Will Smith's New Album, 23andMe Goes Bankrupt.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like three girls trying to stab [their] mother after she turned off the Wi-Fi.

Will Smith's new album alone qualifies this entry as the Sunday entertainment feature, but so does Jost's rant about Paddington and to a lesser extent, Melania Trump's campaign against deepfake revenge porn plus more over the jump.

Too bad 23andMe filing for bankruptcy only got a throwaway line; I guess the privacy concerns weren't funny enough. On the other hand, Joann's bankruptcy earned an entire segment, Joann on JOANN Fabric and Crafts' Bankruptcy.

Joann (Ashley Padilla) stops by Weekend Update to discuss JOANN Fabric and Crafts announcing store closures.

I wish SNL gave all the casualties of the Retail Apocalypse that much attention. Imagine the one of the teens from the cold open bemoaning the loss of Forever 21!

Follow over the jump for more highlights from last night's show plus the top posts from the 14th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News featuring SNL.

CNBC explains 'What’s Scaring Americans Into Shopping More'

I wrote "I should go on recession watch again" in Forever 21 files for bankruptcy and will close all U.S. stores, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse. To that end, I'm sharing CNBC explaining What’s Scaring Americans Into Shopping More.

Retail sales are holding up, but consumer confidence is slipping. A rising share of Americans are making purchases not out of want, but out of worry. This trend, called "doom spending," is driven by fears of higher prices and supply disruptions. While it may offer a short-term sense of control, it's happening alongside rising debt and financial strain and could set the stage for a sharper slowdown ahead. Watch the video above to learn more about why Americans are spending more amid growing economic concerns.

CNBC shows it's also on recession watch with this video, so I'm in good company. It also points out that the current round of "doom spending" will shore up the economy in the short run, holding off a recession, but could result in a recession when it abates. If so, I'll blame Hoover Cleveland.

If the U.S. does go into recession this year, it won't be because of internal economic forces, but because of government interference, which normally tries to cushion against economic downturns. Biden piloted the U.S. economy to a soft landing, then Hoover Cleveland tries to crash the plane anyway!

Among other things, the threat of tariffs prompted my wife and me to buy a new Volkswagen Tiguan before the price went up. That's a major purchase. Just the same, we're very happy with it; it's providing good experiences in addition to being a material object.

That concludes today's episode of recession watch. Stay tuned for the highlights of tonight's Saturday Night Live.

My Saturn Awards preferences and predictions vs. the winners for Flashback Friday

I told my readers "I might just examine the most read entry of last year, which should look familiar" as the outro to CityNerd warns 'The New USDOT Is Coming for Your "Woke" Projects,' a driving update on Throwback Thursday. By raw page views, that was Science fiction speaks to our current anxieties from August 3, 2014 with approximately 1,940 page views. I'll get into the details over the jump. Right now, I'm doing the same thing I did for last year's top post by raw page views, comparing My Saturn Awards votes vs. the actual winners, beginning with the movie nominees.


Best Science Fiction Film: My preference/prediction Dune: Part Two. Winner Dune: Part Two.
Best Fantasy Film: My preference/prediction Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Winner Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Best Horror Film: My preference/prediction Alien: Romulus. Winner Alien: Romulus.
Best Thriller Film: My preference/prediction Strange Darling. Winner Strange Darling.
Best Action / Adventure Film: My preference/prediction Deadpool & Wolverine. Winner Deadpool & Wolverine.
Best Independent Film: My preference/prediction The Substance. Winner Late Night with the Devil. Surprise!
Best International Film: My preference/prediction Godzilla Minus One (Japan). Winner Godzilla Minus One (Japan).
Best Animated Film: My preference Inside Out 2. Prediction The Wild Robot. Winner The Wild Robot. "All of the editors, most of the experts, and nearly all the top 24 users think The Wild Robot will win next year's Oscar for Animated Feature, and the Saturn Awards electorate might follow suit." They did.
Best Actor in a Film: My preference Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool & Wolverine). Winner Nicolas Cage (Dream Scenario). "I can't rule out Nicolas Cage, who surprised me by winning Best Supporting Actor in a Film earlier this year for his hammy portrayal of Dracula in Renfield."
Best Actress in a Film: My preference/prediction Demi Moore (The Substance). Winner Demi Moore (The Substance).
Best Supporting Actor in a Film: My preference/prediction Hugh Jackman (Deadpool & Wolverine). Winner Hugh Jackman (Deadpool & Wolverine).
Best Supporting Actress in a Film: My preference Margaret Qualley (The Substance). Prediction Emma Corrin. Winner Rebecca Ferguson (Dune: Part Two). Not a complete surprise, as I noted below.
Best Younger Performer in a Film: My preference McKenna Grace (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire). My prediction Jenna Ortega. Winner Jenna Ortega (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) as predicted.
Best Film Direction: My preference/prediction Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part Two). Winner Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part Two).
Best Film Screenwriting: My preference/prediction Dune: Part Two (Denis Villeneuve Jon Spaihts). Winner Longlegs (Osgood Perkins). Surprise!
Best Film Visual / Special Effects: My preference/prediction Godzilla Minus One (Masaki Takahashi, Tatsuiji Nojima, Kiyokk Shubuya, Takashi Yamazaki). Winner Dune: Part Two – Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salacombe, Gerd Nefzer. Not a surprise, as Dune: Part Two won the equivalent Academy Award this year.
Best Film Music: My preference/prediction Dune: Part Two (Hans Zimmer). Winner Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Danny Elfman). Not a complete surprise, as I wrote "That's a lot of fun and even better than the original!"
Best Film Production Design: My preference/prediction Dune: Part Two (Patrice Vermette). Winner Dune: Part Two (Patrice Vermette).
Best Film Make Up: The Substance My preference/prediction The Substance (Pierre-Olivier Persin). Winner The Substance (Pierre-Olivier Persin).
Best Film Editing: My preference/prediction Dune: Part Two (Joe Walker). Winner Deadpool & Wolverine (Dean Zimmerman & Shane Reid). Not a surprise, as I wrote "I like the editing in action films, so I'm predisposed to vote for Deadpool & Wolverine..."
Best Film Costume Design: My preference/prediction Dune: Part Two (Jacqueline West). Winner Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Colleen Atwood). Surprise! See below.

My predictions of winners different from my should-have-been votes:

I decided to go with the professional opinion and vote for Margaret Qualley as Best Supporting Actress in a Film, but I think Emmy-nominee Emma Corrin is just as good an actress and chewed more scenery as the villain of Deadpool & Wolverine, so she could upset.

This is a distillation of my comment in 'Dune: Part Two' leads movie nominations at the Saturn Awards.

I think the choice between Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya is even starker than between Brolin and Butler for Dune: Part Two. The only hope is that they coalesce around one of them as the better actress. Otherwise, Emma Corrin, who is an Emmy winner, will sneak through as the villain of Deadpool & Wolverine.

The voters decided on Rebecca Ferguson.

I think McKenna Grace is a better actress and displayed more range in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire than Jenna Ortega in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but Ortega is a bigger star, so she's likely to win Best Younger Performer in a Film.

That happened.

While I decided the makeup was integral to telling the story of The Substance, both Dune: Part Two and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice earned https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000133/2025/1/Critics' Choice Award nominations for their makeup, so either of them could win, particularly Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

The Substance won, but Beetlejuice Beetlejuice surprised me in the next category instead.

Dune: Part Two also earned a nomination for costume design at the Critics' Choice Awards, but I wouldn't be surprised if the superhero cosplayers who are on the Saturn Awards costumes committee would be able to sway the vote to Deadpool & Wolverine.

Nope, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice won.

Follow over the jump for the television and home entertainment categories plus more on the most read entry of the 14th year of the blog.

CityNerd warns 'The New USDOT Is Coming for Your "Woke" Projects,' a driving update on Throwback Thursday

I'm switching things up for the first retrospective examining the most read entries of the fourteenth year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News. Instead of featuring the most read entry, I'm beginning with two driving updates that were among the most read posts of the blogging year just ended. To that end, I'm sharing Ray "CityNerd" Delahanty warning his viewers that The New USDOT Is Coming for Your "Woke" Projects.

We're only a few weeks into the new administration and it already feels like years. Let's check in on what the new USDOT is up to.

As Delahanty pointed out, it's not like he didn't warn us last year. I featured three of his videos doing just that, CityNerd explaining 'What Project 2025 Means for Our Cities' can drive one to drink, CityNerd responds to comments on his Project 2025 video, and CityNerd examines Agenda 47 and cities in 'And You Thought Project 2025 Was Bad'. I anticipated many of the effects on climate change and energy in The BBC World Service examines 'How the US election could change our climate' plus MSNBC on Project 2025 and climate. I didn't expect that this administration would move as aggressively against DEI as it has. Yikes!

Since I like data, I found Henry Grabar's lists of states with the highest and lowest birth numbers and fertility rates.


I mentioned these numbers in class last week when I lectured on population. Welcome to blogging as professional development.

Follow over the jump for the current driving update and the two driving updates that made the most read list during the 14th year of this blog.

Stats for the 14th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News on Wayback Wednesday

I closed 23andMe files for bankruptcy, fueling privacy concerns by telling my readers "stay tuned for the first retrospective of the 14th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News, stats." Here goes!

As of 11:59 PM EDT March 20, 2025, this blog had a lifetime total of 5,222,122 page views, 6,168 total posts, and 4180 comments. Minus the 4,463,208 page views, 5,798 total posts, and 4,057 comments as of just before March 21, 2024, that means this blog earned 758,914 page views and 123 published comments on 370 posts during the 365 days of the 14th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News. My calculated page views are close to the ~757,000 page views and 133 comments Blogger's counter showed during the past twelve months. That was closer than last year, but not exact. I think that's because Blogger counts whole days, which started at 8:00 P.M. March 21, 2024, but my count starts 20 hours earlier. Blogger lost all of those ~1,900 page views from those 20 hours. I tested this hypothesis by multiplying the next day's 2,290 page views by 0.833 (20/24) and got 1,908. Close enough. I can't completely account for the ten extra comments. I deleted six and there were eight comments during the first three weeks of March 2024 that Blogger might have counted, but neither add up, literally. Maybe I'll figure it out next year.

Last year's trend of increasing page views continued. Not only did this past year's 758,914 page views on 370 posts during 365 days beat the year before's 641,234 page views on 380 posts during 366 days, it beat the year before that's 419,300 page views on 379 posts during 365 days. That means I'm working less hard for more page views, as the blog earned 2,051.12 page views per post and 2,079.22 page views per day during the blog year just ended. Both are more than the 1,687.46 page views per post and 1,752.01 page views per day the blog earned between March 21, 2023 and March 20, 2024 and a lot more than the 1,106.33 page views per post and 1,148.77 page views per day between March 21, 2022 and March 20, 2023. May the trend continue during this year just started.

While the published comments increased from 78 to 123, the raw number, including never released spam decreased from 199 to either 154 or 133. Still, the number of published comments increased to 123, just edging out the 122 of two years ago. Just the same, I'm getting less spam and more published comments. Since I don't have comment goals, I'm not concerned. I'd prefer fewer quality comments than a lot of spam.

As for my commenters who aren't spammers, I'd like to thank them, beginning with continuing commenters Infidel753, Nebris, the first commenter on my blog, Friend of the Court, and Steve in Manhattan. I also want to welcome back Paul W., who didn't comment last year. Keep up the good work! I also want to thank John R. Christiansen, E.A. Blair, and Steven C. Di Pietro for making their first posts here. Stick around! Unfortunately, I seem to have lost longtime commenter Narb Xorbian, the best man at my first wedding. In addition, last year's first-time commenters H-bob, tronvillain, August Johnson, Noah, Marc McKenzie, Realityhold, and my student Ecogranite didn't return. Come back, I miss you!

Follow over the jump for the rest of the analysis.

23andMe files for bankruptcy, fueling privacy concerns

I have another bankruptcy story to report today, 23andMe Files For Bankruptcy And CEO Anne Wojcicki Exits—Here's What We Know from Forbes.

Genetic testing company 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to initiate the process of selling off its assets, while the troubled firm’s co-founder Anne Wojcicki—who was attempting to take 23andMe private—stepped down from her role with the intent to become an outside bidder for the asset sale.

CNBC explained how the company got to this point as it answered What Happened To 23andMe?

23andMe was one of the hottest startups of the 2000s, once valued at $6 billion. The company’s DNA test kits became a viral sensation and powerful research tool for those hoping to learn more about their ancestry and health. But today, it has lost 98% of its value and is on the verge of being delisted from the Nasdaq after all independent board members resigned, citing frustration with founder Anne Wojcicki’s “strategic differences” in her vision for the company. Meanwhile, 23andMe is sitting on the world’s largest genetic database that it once hoped to leverage for drug development. So what will happen to all that DNA data, and can Wojcicki save the company from collapse by taking it private? Watch the video to find out more.

On the one hand, the situation went from bad to worse since CNBC uploaded the video on October 20, 2024; they didn't even mention bankruptcy as a possibility five months ago. On the other, 23andMe's data apparently became more useful since 2013, the only other time I've mentioned the company, when I quoted an article about a lawsuit claiming the test results were "meaningless."

Forbes and CNBC emphasized the parts of the story important to their readers and viewers, who are investors and others interested in business and the economy. For news more important to consumers, including 23andMe's customers, I turn to NewsNation asking 23andMe files for bankruptcy: What are customers' rights?

23andMe has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and CEO Anne Wojcicki, whose takeover bid failed, has stepped down. The genetic testing company has more than 15 million customers' genetic data — and California Attorney General Rob Bonta is warning users to purge their data sooner rather than later.

Laura Coordes, a law professor at Arizona State University, joins “NewsNation Now” to discuss what customers should do with their data.

My wife and I bought a pair of test kits before the pandemic, but never turned in our samples and paid the rest of the fee. On the one hand, I'm annoyed that we wasted our money. On the other, we don't have to worry about protecting our data; 23andMe doesn't have it!

At this point, I would write that I would wait for Company Man and Bright Sun Films to cover the company, but I don't have to, as Company Man already asked The Decline of 23andMe...What Happened?

23andMe was once considered one of the most promising companies, but today, it is falling apart. This video attempts to explain the reasons behind the decline.

Here's Company Man Mike's list:


Company Man Mike added the difference in motivations between 23andMe and its customers as a factor to the other four reasons, which Forbes, CNBC, and NewsNation all covered. The company wanted the results to be used to improve their customers' health, while most of the customers were interested in the entertainment value of the results, including learning more about their ancestry. Procrastinating over deciding to pay the premium for the health results was what led to my wife and I not paying for the test at all; we were more interested in our ancestry. Maybe we'll pay for an Ancestry.com test and actually take it.

Now all I have to do is wait to see if Jake Williams of Bright Sun Films covers 23andMe. In the meantime, stay tuned for the first retrospective of the 14th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News, stats.

'FOREVER 21: Nothing Is Forever' by Retail Archaeology, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse

I closed Marche du Nain Rouge, history and revelry by telling my readers, "Stay tuned for either an evergreen post I can share in April, no fooling, or the stats for the 14th year of this blog." I decided that I should wait until Wayback Wednesday to post last year's stats, so I'm opting for the post worth sharing next month by revisiting Forever 21 files for bankruptcy and will close all U.S. stores, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse. Watch FOREVER 21: Nothing Is Forever | Retail Archaeology, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse.

In this episode of Retail Archaeology we a take a look at Forever 21. They just filed for bankruptcy and are closing all of their stores.

While Erik repeated that blaming online shopping in general and Amazon in particular is a lazy explanation for brick-and-mortar chains failing, he acknowledged that competition with Shein and Temu is a major reason why Forever 21 declared bankruptcy this time. He also repeated what I wrote just before Forever 21 filed for bankruptcy the first time and repeated in 2020.

As an environmentalist, I probably should be more opposed to fast fashion than I am; as Newsweek reported three years ago, Fast Fashion Is Creating an Environmental Crisis.

Americans are blithely trashing more clothes than ever. In less than 20 years, the volume of clothing Americans toss each year has doubled from 7 million to 14 million tons, or an astounding 80 pounds per person. The EPA estimates that diverting all of those often-toxic trashed textiles into a recycling program would be the environmental equivalent of taking 7.3 million cars and their carbon dioxide emissions off the road.

Yikes! On the one hand, replacing Forever 21 with a clothing outlet that produces more sustainable clothing would be an improvement. On the other, that's not likely to happen. Instead, until Americans, especially young women, change their fashion tastes, they will just buy fast fashion online and more malls will be stuck with empty anchors and other stores, creating more dead mall[s]. Sigh.

I quoted this passage then elaborated on two of its points in Vox explains 'The lies that sell fast fashion'.

I have become more opposed to fast fashion and Americans have apparently accelerated their acquisition of cheap clothing, a trend being pushed by new chains I hadn't even heard of then, Shein and Temu, and haven't mentioned until now, through a social media platform, TikTok, I wouldn't mention until 2020. Then, I was concerned about TikTok's capacity to monitor users on behalf of China and its ability to misinform, which are why I don't use it, despite its promotion of dance, a phenomenon I can watch on YouTube shorts, thank you very much. I didn't think enough about it as an advertising medium affecting Americans' shopping habits beyond convincing young people to shop local. Now I am. That's another reason to be suspicious of the platform.

TikTok ended up being banned in the U.S., but returned after Hoover Cleveland's inauguration. I don't know if that's a good thing, like ending Daylight Saving Time and ending penny production probably could be, but at least it happened.

That's it for Forever 21 until either or both Company Man and Bright Sun Films produce a video about its second bankruptcy. Stay tuned for another post worth sharing in April next.

Marche du Nain Rouge, history and revelry

I closed The United Nations on glacier preservation, the theme of this year's World Water Day by telling my readers, "Stay tuned for the Marche du Nain Rouge tomorrow instead of the usual Sunday entertainment feature." I begin with Michigan Myths and Legends' The Nain Rouge.

Delve into the chilling legend of Nain Rouge, the "Little Red Man," a mysterious figure linked to the city of Detroit. Explore the historical accounts, folklore, and theories surrounding this enigmatic entity. From his alleged role in the city's founding to his appearances throughout history, we examine the evidence and speculate on the true nature of Nain Rouge. Is he a malevolent spirit, a guardian, or simply a figment of the imagination? Join us as we unravel the secrets of this captivating Detroit legend.

The video creator does not take the Nain Rouge seriously as a supernatural entity, although they do take its cultural significance very seriously. As a scientist, I appreciate this approach.

The next video, Know Your Nain Rouge (1968) from weirdlectures, takes the Nain even less seriously as a supernatural threat, instead using it as a source of positive inspiration.

A brief informational film explaining Detroit's ancient guardian spirit The Nain Rouge. Help dispel the myths surrounding The Nain Rouge. Don't buy into the fear of rumor-mongers of the Marche du Nain Rouge, stand up for the little guy and support the short.

*Snork* Maybe if Detroiters had taken this video's advice, the city wouldn't have had as much trouble as it's had over the past 60 years. Also, Lowell Thomas — that's a name and voice I haven't heard in a very long time.

One of the projects I'm considering pursuing in my retirement is a horror mystery series set in Oakland County. I thought I would ignore the Nain Rouge because it was concerned with Detroit proper, not the suburbs. Hearing that the Nain Rouge protects the suburbs as well as the city means that I might have to incorporate the imp in my stories. Hmm. Maybe in the sequel. I have another supernatural entity planned to bedevil my protagonists in the first collection of tales.

I close with an inside view of Marche du Nain Rouge 2023 - Detroit from iExplore Detroit.

I joined the 2023 Marche du Nain Rouge. Here's a view of the parade goers, floats, and the musicians who marched along.

Looks like everyone was having fun. I hope this year's revelers, who should be stepping off in a couple of hours, enjoy themselves as much as 2023's did.

That's a wrap for this Detroit tradition. Stay tuned for either an evergreen post I can share in April, no fooling, or the stats for the 14th year of this blog.

The United Nations on glacier preservation, the theme of this year's World Water Day

Happy World Water Day! The United Nations has declared glacier preservation as this year's theme and uploaded The Secret Life of Glaciers | World Water Day 2025 last month to support it.

Glaciers are more than just giant ice formations—they are dynamic forces of nature that shape our planet and hold the key to our freshwater future. But how do they form? What kinds of glaciers exist around the world? And how is climate change impacting them?

In this video, we take you on a journey through the life cycle of a glacier, from snowflakes to massive ice sheets. You'll discover the different types of glaciers, how they move, and why they are so crucial to Earth's water supply.

Did you know? Glaciers store about 70% of the world’s fresh water! As they melt, they feed rivers and supply drinking water to millions. But with rising global temperatures, many glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates.

Join us as we explore these frozen giants and learn how they connect to our climate, water, and future.

I just finished lecturing on glaciers in my geology classes this week and I could have used this video, as it covers the weakest part of my lecture. Darn. I can still add it to the slideshow and show it for the next four semesters. If so, welcome to blogging as professional development.

Speaking of professional development, glaciers storing "about 70% of the world’s fresh water" differs from the statistic I've been telling my students for years, which is 79%. I included a pie chart showing that last year. Pacific Water displays a pie chart more consistent with glaciers and ice caps having 70% of the planet's fresh water.


Looks like I'll have to research the reason for the discrepancy. If it's because that much of the planet's glaciers have melted, then the situation has indeed become worse since Chasing Ice.

Follow over the jump for two more videos from the United Nations, specifically UNESCO.

Nowruz Pirooz and Happy 14th Birthday to this blog!

Nowruz Mubarak! Happy International Day of Nowruz AKA Persian New Year and happy 14th birthday of this blog! After emphasizing the blog's birthday last year, I'm giving Nowruz pride of place today, beginning with FOX 5 San Diego's Celebrating the Persian New Year at Balboa Park.



FOX 5's Heather Lake reports.
This video earned the featured position because it had the best combination of preview image, location reporting, and studio shenanigans. The next video, CBS 8 San Diego reporting Millions around the world prepare to celebrate Persian New Year as spring begins had an even clearer explanation with less silly studio interactions.

Families celebrate Nowruz by gathering around a Haftseen table to mark the start of Spring and the Persian New Year.

The presenter should look familiar; she's Neda Iranpour, who I featured in 2022 and 2023. Welcome back to the blog!

At the risk of being redundant, I'm sharing the most viewed of the videos about the holiday today, KCAL's Celebrating Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

Bita Milanian, Iranian American community organizer, joins KCAL News anchors to share some ways to celebrate Nowruz, which is the Persian New Year. Milanian explains how the new year is a symbol of rebirth and new beginnings.

That was worth sharing just for the closing comment about the Women of Iran, Time's Heroes of the Year for 2022.

I conclude by wishing Happy Birthday from the Swedish Chef to this blog.

To help celebrate your birthday, the Swedish Chef is here to whip up some party snacks!

HAHAHAHA!

Stay tuned for World Water Day.

TED-Ed on 'The Rite of Spring,' 'the ballet that incited a riot,' for the Vernal Equinox

Happy Vernal Equinox! After not observing the occasion last year to blog about plastic, I'm returning to a ballet about spring. This time, it's Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, which TED-Ed called The ballet that incited a riot.

Dive into the history and controversy of Igor Stravinsky’s ballet, “The Rite of Spring,” which shattered the conventions of classical ballet.
--
Ballet is typically thought of as harmonious, graceful and polished— hardly something that would trigger a riot. But at the first performance of Igor Stravinsky's “The Rite of Spring,” audience members were so outraged that they drowned out the orchestra. People hurled objects at the stage, started fights and were arrested. What caused this shocking reaction? Iseult Gillespie explains the controversy.

Lesson by Iseult Gillespie, directed by WOW-HOW Studio.

If my readers were looking for a drum corps version, they can click on Blue Devils 'Re-Rite of Spring' for a drum corps May Day. I decided I'd rather go with the original.

Stay tuned for Nowruz and the 14th birthday of the blog.

Forever 21 files for bankruptcy and will close all U.S. stores, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse

Today's tale of the Retail Apocalypse comes from The Wall Street Journal, which uploaded How Forever 21 Plummeted From $4B in Sales to Twice Bankrupt two days ago as part of its "What Went Wrong" series.

Forever 21 was once the premier shopping destination for teens who wanted cheap and fashionable clothing. But now, the fast fashion pioneer is filing for its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy. After being bought out by licensing firm Authentic Brands Group and real-estate companies Simon Property Group and Brookfield Property Partners, Forever 21 struggled against Asian e-commerce powerhouses like Shein and Temu.

WSJ breaks down how its own market toppled the fast fashion giant.

I haven't mentioned Forever 21 since Vox explains 'The lies that sell fast fashion' nearly a year ago and blogged specifically about Forever 21 since Company Man asks 'The Decline of Forever 21...What Happened?' — a tale of the Retail Apocalypse three years ago. Company Man Mike composed a list of the chain's liabilities then, which I'm reproducing here.


The Wall Street Journal covered all of these, then added competition with Shein and Temu. As I wrote just before Forever 21 filed for bankruptcy the first time, "until Americans, especially young women, change their fashion tastes, they will just buy fast fashion online..." That happened. The best I can say is that Amazon isn't to blame this time.

The Wall Street Journal did not emphasize that Forever 21 would close all U.S. stores, but NBC News made that its headline in Forever no more. Iconic American retailer to close its doors.

Forever 21, known for trendy fast fashion pieces, has filed for bankruptcy. The final sales in its stores are offering steep discounts as the company liquidates its assets. As NBC News’ Brian Cheung reports, in part the company cites pressure from online Chinese retailers for its demise.

The consumer sales figures remind me that I should go on recession watch again. If the U.S. does go into recession this year, it won't be because of internal economic forces, but because of government interference, which normally tries to cushion against economic downturns. Biden piloted the U.S. economy to a soft landing, then Hoover Cleveland tries to crash the plane anyway!

I close with A look at fast fashion and consumer behavior as Forever 21 closes all U.S. stores from KCAL News.

Asit Sharma, The Motley Fool senior analyst, discusses the downfall of Forever 21.

Neither Company Man Mike nor The Wall Street Journal mentioned the effects of the pandemic on consumer behavior as a cause of Forever 21's travails, so Asit Sharma added another factor to its failure.

That concludes today's tale of the Retail Apocalypse. Stay tuned for the Vernal Equinox on the last day of the blogging year.

'Bankrupt - Party City' by Bright Sun Films, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse

For today's post I plan on sharing in April, I'm returning to a prediction I made at the end of Retail Archaeology asks 'What Is Going On At Party City?' A tale of the Retail Apocalypse.

This may be the last time I blog about Party City until I run into reports of its last company-owned closing next month (the ones owned by franchisees will keep their doors open — for now) or Bright Sun Films uploads a video about the chain as part of his Bankrupt series. That may take a while, especially since he's Canadian and his country's Party City stores will remain open.

It took less than two full months, as Jake Williams of Bright Sun Films uploaded Bankrupt - Party City on Pi Day.

After growing to become the premier party supply store in America with nearly 1,000 stores and tens of thousands of employees, Party City was a force to be reckoned with in it's retail niche. However, as the years went on, the company began to struggle, ultimately filing for bankruptcy twice with it's most recent filing marking the end for the storied retailer. Join me today to find out what happened here.

I feel like no bankrupt company's story is fully told until both Company Man Mike and Jake Williams of Bright Sun Films have weighed in. Jake identified all the same issues Company Man did in his video, although Jake went into more narrative detail, such as better identifying the private equity firms, while using fewer graphs. In particular, he did the best job among all the sources I've featured of examining the helium shortage, which especially plagued Party City, but still deserves a post of its own. Being Canadian, Jake couldn't resist pointing out that the Canadian Party City stores remain open, just like he couldn't resist saying "the party is over for Party City." Sadly, it is.

Stay tuned for another Retail Apocalypse post tomorrow.

'Banshee: Ireland's Screaming Harbinger of Death' from PBS Storied for St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm returning to Monstrum on PBS Storied for Dr. Emily Zarka's take on a creature from Irish cultures, Banshee: Ireland's Screaming Harbinger of Death.

You might not think a crying, screaming ghost is a good thing, but you’d be wrong. The Irish banshee does predict death, but she also serves as a cathartic symbol and has a long history going all the way back to the 8th century. Dr. Zarka shows how this wailing female ghost connects to the very real Irish tradition of keening— a rhythmic wailing and mourning performed by women as part of the death ritual. Tune in to see how fact and fiction combine to create a supernatural tradition that connects the people of Ireland to their ancestors.

I know, I should stick to something more positive for St. Patrick's Day and save this for Halloween, but I consider myself Irish-American and think all of us should consider the scary with the silly about the cultures of our ancestors. Besides, as Dr. Z explained despite her using a scene from Supernatural, banshees aren't as negative as commonly depicted.

Follow over the jump for updated versions of the music and drink I shared four years ago for leprechauns.

Vox explains 'Why your favorite movies fake their locations' plus the Leo Awards

I closed SciShow lists '10 Things You Didn't Know About Pompeii' for the Ides of March by asking "Awards show results, anyone?" My answer is "sort of." I begin by sharing a video in the vein of Vox explains 'How de-aging in movies got so good', Vox explaining Why your favorite movies fake their locations.

And why so many of them are shot in Vancouver.

This video is presented by Destination Vancouver. Learn more about Vancouver at findyourrefresh.com. Our sponsor has no editorial influence over how we report our stories, but their support makes videos like these possible.

Movie magic is what makes our favorite films so good: Actors flawlessly inhabiting the personalities of totally made-up characters, visual effects transforming a green screen to an otherworldly setting, musical scores making us feel every emotion under the sun. But there’s another kind of magic we don’t talk about as much: one physical location masquerading as another. And it happens all the time.

When filmmakers are trying to make a movie, deciding where to shoot isn’t as straightforward as choosing the location described in the script. They need to find a place with cooperative weather, a few landscapes to choose from, a big enough workforce, and — perhaps most importantly — one that fits their budget.

All these factors mean that locations with downtowns, country landscapes, mountain ranges, and water features within a drivable distance are highly sought after, especially when they also have good tax credits. While Hollywood might be the legendary film capital of the world, places like Vancouver are becoming more and more popular thanks to the flexible landscapes and tax breaks.

This is especially true for holiday movies — many of which are filmed in Canada. In this video, we talk to a prolific Christmas movie producer — who has worked on films like 2024’s Netflix hit Hot Frosty — about shooting movies in Canada.

Jesse Prupas isn't just joking when he says Santa Claus is Canadian; I wrote Canada claims North Pole so Santa is Canadian nearly a dozen years ago. That's not why so much television production occurs in and around Vancouver. Vox mentioned the variety of locations in and around the city, the generally good weather, the welcoming locals, the skilled cast and crew members, and the tax incentives. Vox did a good job explaining all of those, but I have an anecdote about the weather/climate to add.

Nearly 40 years ago, when I was working on my M.S. in Geology at CSUN, I had a conversation at the campus pub with a drinking buddy who had just finished taking a final exam in The Geography of Canada. He mentioned one of the blue book exam questions: "Where would you live in Canada?" I responded, "That's easy. British Columbia, especially around Vancouver. It has the best weather in Canada. It's also in the west, so it has the fewest cultural differences with California and some of the best scenery." He shook his head and said, "Man, you should have taken my final exam for me." Ha — not that I would have done anything so academically dishonest.

So much movie and television production takes place in British Columbia that the province has its own film and TV awards, the Leo Awards. Follow over the jump for my remarks about them.