Discuss and Rate the Last Thing You Watched (non-movies)

[Gordon_4]

In a way, I'm glad we never had to find out how Bill Hicks would've turned out with age.

One of my favourite comedians is a guy called Paul McDermott. A nobody globally but if you drop his name in Australia, basically anyone born and raised here since the 1980s will know him. He went off the comedy scene in the early 2000s - and I feel pretty lucky to have seen him once live at a pub - and took up painting by all accounts.

And until now, I’ve never wondered what he’d be like as a comic now. But it’s going bug me for months to come.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

One of my favourite comedians is a guy called Paul McDermott. A nobody globally but if you drop his name in Australia, basically anyone born and raised here since the 1980s will know him. He went off the comedy scene in the early 2000s - and I feel pretty lucky to have seen him once live at a pub - and took up painting by all accounts.

And until now, I’ve never wondered what he’d be like as a comic now. But it’s going bug me for months to come.

Maybe he just realized he ran out of things to say? And had enough money to live comfortably and pursue his other interests. If so- good for him!

Meanwhile, Dave Chappelle just dropped another Netflix special where he insults trans people. LIke... ugh.

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

Wow I’m surprised Netflix let Dave make another. Wait no, that’s $illy of me to think. Anyways regarding the trans stuff, what’s ironic is Dave probably had a closer personal relationship with his trans friend Daphne than many armchair trans proponents have IRL.

Dave Chappelle Defended By Sisters Of His Trans Friend Mentioned In ‘The Closer’

Dave Chappelle Defended By Sisters Of His Trans Friend Mentioned In 'The Closer'

deadline.com

Her and her family were able to distinguish his act from his actions, so why is it so difficult for other random people? The hypersensitivity surrounding these topics has seemingly made rationalization an impossibility. It’s not like Dave’s up there spewing angry vitriol like what helped make Eminem popular back in the day.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

Wow I’m surprised Netflix let Dave make another. Wait no, that’s $illy of me to think. Anyways regarding the trans stuff, what’s ironic is Dave probably had a closer personal relationship with his trans friend Daphne than many armchair trans proponents have IRL.

Dave Chappelle Defended By Sisters Of His Trans Friend Mentioned In ‘The Closer’

Dave Chappelle Defended By Sisters Of His Trans Friend Mentioned In 'The Closer'

deadline.com

Her and her family were able to distinguish his act from his actions, so why is it so difficult for other random people? The hypersensitivity surrounding these topics has seemingly made rationalization an impossibility. It’s not like Dave’s up there spewing angry vitriol like what helped make Eminem popular back in the day.

Yeah I have a black friend, lemme make racist jokes...



C'mon. Come the fuck on already. He's out there proudly calling himself a TERF. Just doing asshole internet troll stuff. Saying insults then whining about how people get offended.



Chappelle, and the others of his ilk now, are just not freaking funny. And irrelevant. They and their stubborn fans insist the rest of us are so mad and incensed and offended because of their brave truth-telling. Incorrect- we are just weary. And disappointed. Like one is with a teenager acting out who is already getting old enough to know better.

IT'S JUST A JOKE!
Yeah- a bad one. A lame one. A corny one. Over and over, and increasingly geared toward marginalized groups. It sucks. It's a the comedian equivalent of Redfall.

 

[Chimpzy]

Wow I’m surprised Netflix let Dave make another. Wait no, that’s $illy of me to think. Anyways regarding the trans stuff, what’s ironic is Dave probably had a closer personal relationship with his trans friend Daphne than many armchair trans proponents have IRL.

Dave Chappelle Defended By Sisters Of His Trans Friend Mentioned In ‘The Closer’

Dave Chappelle Defended By Sisters Of His Trans Friend Mentioned In 'The Closer'

deadline.com

Her and her family were able to distinguish his act from his actions, so why is it so difficult for other random people? The hypersensitivity surrounding these topics has seemingly made rationalization an impossibility. It’s not like Dave’s up there spewing angry vitriol like what helped make Eminem popular back in the day.

Maybe Chapelle would catch less flak if he made better trans jokes, but he makes the same handful of jokes all the other over the hill comedians trying to pander to the conservative crowd are making. Its ten years since, but most trans jokes are still barely past the level of 'I identify as an attack helicopter'

And he can do much better than that. But he wont. Because his newfound audience eats that shit up, so why try?

 

[Phoenixmgs]

> Just because someone's "Venn diagram" of opinions/takes/jokes overlaps into a few things that the right-wing usually has the same opinion on, doesn't make that person right-wing.

Yes it does. At least, it does now. Opinions and speech don't come in vacuums, there is context.

If someone is more left than they are right (like Gervais), how the fuck does that make them "right-wing"?

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

If someone is more left than they are right (like Gervais), how the fuck does that make them "right-wing"?

Because they become a useful tool for right-wing movement. For a public famous person, with a captive audience and public profile, their actual private personal beliefs literally don't matter to anyone but themselves.
Also, political beliefs don't just conform to binary left/right. For example I can cite just from my own life people who would consider themselves leftist or conservative but both don't believe the Covid vaccine works or some government conspiracy, a sentiment that has now been mobilized and benefits Republican demagogues like Ron Desantis.

I'm sorry I just no longer have any patience for this sort of thing- we are adults and we have to recognize the world we live in. Trans people are one of the most murdered demographics in the US and parts of the world and Republican politicians use queerphobia and transphobia to garner support and donations and pass laws to further oppress minorities and women. So if Gervais is like 99% "left" but uses his comedy specials to go "hur dur I identify as a frying pan" then he is, in today's current political context, a right-wing fucking tool. And either he is genuinely too stupid to understand this- which frankly I don't believe, he is not stupid- or is purposely doing this or, my guess- he kind of just doesn't give a shit, which is the worst because that is immoral. And being a self-involved immoral uncaring shit is actually the most current right-wing thing considering the current leader of that whole movement.

 

[BrawlMan]

Yeah I have a black friend, lemme make racist jokes...



C'mon. Come the fuck on already. He's out there proudly calling himself a TERF. Just doing asshole internet troll stuff. Saying insults then whining about how people get offended.



Chappelle, and the others of his ilk now, are just not freaking funny. And irrelevant. They and their stubborn fans insist the rest of us are so mad and incensed and offended because of their brave truth-telling. Incorrect- we are just weary. And disappointed. Like one is with a teenager acting out who is already getting old enough to know better.

IT'S JUST A JOKE!
Yeah- a bad one. A lame one. A corny one. Over and over, and increasingly geared toward marginalized groups. It sucks. It's a the comedian equivalent of Redfall.

Agreed. I used to be a fan of Dave chappelle, but ever since the Netflix specials that became way less the case. I was never offended, but I sure as hell was not laughing or was bored out of my mind. Most of the specials feel like self justifying rants than jokes.

Wow I’m surprised Netflix let Dave make another. Wait no, that’s $illy of me to think. Anyways regarding the trans stuff, what’s ironic is Dave probably had a closer personal relationship with his trans friend Daphne than many armchair trans proponents have IRL.

Dave Chappelle Defended By Sisters Of His Trans Friend Mentioned In ‘The Closer’

Dave Chappelle Defended By Sisters Of His Trans Friend Mentioned In 'The Closer'

deadline.com

Her and her family were able to distinguish his act from his actions, so why is it so difficult for other random people? The hypersensitivity surrounding these topics has seemingly made rationalization an impossibility. It’s not like Dave’s up there spewing angry vitriol like what helped make Eminem popular back in the day.

Don't forget that the conservatives that love and praise Chappelle, one of them felt the need to attack them and he is a hardcore Trump supporter. Then those same conservatives tried to lie and say the person was a Biden lover and some made of bull crap. Despite the fact, the man that tried to attack a pill has a rap song supporting and loving Trump. Chappelle is just another tool for the Ultra conservatives and Republicans at this point. A fool used as a tool, by other fools.

Dave Chappelle attacked onstage by armed man while performing at L.A.'s Hollywood Bowl

The controversial comic laughed off the incident after being tackled, and video appeared to show the person who charged him being beaten onstage.

www.google.com

Let's not forget the whole trying to be buddy buddy with Elon Musk situation.


That's all I'm going to say on the matter because we've already done this before with the Dave Chappelle Netflix thread Critical made. Y'all want to go through that again? If you do, then bump up that thread again, but it would be pointless to do so.

Next Tuesday I'm watching Marvel's Echo. By the way, all of the Netflix Marvel TV shows are still canon. Thank god. Now where is Jessica Jones and Luke Cage?

 

[Casual Shinji]

Her and her family were able to distinguish his act from his actions, so why is it so difficult for other random people? The hypersensitivity surrounding these topics has seemingly made rationalization an impossibility. It’s not like Dave’s up there spewing angry vitriol like what helped make Eminem popular back in the day.

I'm just gonna take his word on it - If someone says they agree with JK Rowling and are team TERF, than that pretty much closes the book on that argument. No need for hypersensitivity to get that point.

 

[Thaluikhain]

I'm just gonna take his word on it - If someone says they agree with JK Rowling and are team TERF, than that pretty much closes the book on that argument. No need for hypersensitivity to get that point.

What? Next you'll be saying that swastika waving people claiming to be Nazis and talking about killing all the Jews can be assumed to have Nazi sympathies.

 

[Casual Shinji]

What? Next you'll be saying that swastika waving people claiming to be Nazis and talking about killing all the Jews can be assumed to have Nazi sympathies.

I know TERFs don't mind them swastika wavers. 'When you're drowning you don't question the one who saves you.' A TERF moto it seems. Something to keep in mind Dave.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

> That's all I'm going to say on the matter because we've already done this before with the Dave Chappelle Netflix thread Critical made. Y'all want to go through that again? If you do, then bump up that thread again, but it would be pointless to do so.

Fair enough and agreed, sorry I went off. Moving on...

Wife and I started watching, of all things

Murder, She Wrote
of all things if you can believe it. So far only the first 2 episodes.

I kind of feel a little like this these days:
Bring back the 20-plus-episodes

In that I do kinda miss low-stakes hangout with characters vibe of TV before prestige golden age everything. Don't get me wrong I don't actually wanna go back to 24 episodes seasons with tons of filler but just it's nice to have episodic TV that you can turn a piece of your brian off to, but is still scripted ('cause I can't handle reality TV).

MSW was one of my wife's favorite thing to catch on syndication when TV flipping and Jessica Fletcher, and older lady who is active and charming and cute and brilliant and helpful, is kind of my wife's ideal for her own future lol. So after watching Columbo I was like wtf why not and we started watching it.
And yeah it's clearly just American Agatha Christie and the premise is patently absurd- I mean here is a civilian who picks up murder mystery writing as a hobby and then every episode apparently dead bodies fall all around her and she brilliantly solves crimes. It's stupid fun.
But the important and pleasant surprise is that she is genuinely charming and open and honest and good and friendly and everybody likes her because how can you not- cab drivers, cops, other old people, rich dudes who wanna git wit her.. it's delightful. I can't believe this came out in the "eat everyone for money" 80s.

Fargo season 3
I love the original Coen Bros movie and watched the first two seasons of the TV show and liked them. But I didn't pick it back up w/ season 3, I dunno why. I do like that each season is completely its own story with different characters and actors and everything. Maybe I figured I'd had enough or something, I dunno.. but the recent season with Elizabeth Olsen is getting universal praise so I decided to catch-up.
Season 3 features Ewen McGregor plays two brothers- not even twins so if you like his acting, well he is doing a lot of acting! Only watched the first episode so far but I am reminded of why I like Fargo- it's sort of funny but not but sort of suspenseful but not really actually. It's like... a weird hang.

 

[BrawlMan]

Fair enough and agreed, sorry I went off. Moving on...

You have nothing to apologize for. You were making a point, and I had to rant real quick as well. You already got the thread back on track and you're good in my book.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50

Warning: niche music nerdery.

King Crimson was a rock band that is loosely considered "progressive rock" and is one of those bands that had international commercial success but also a niche audience. One of those "musicians' musicians" or maybe "your favorite band's favorite band" type of things. They were on and off in various forms from 1969 until last year or so. They play very unique and difficult music under the leadership of infamously uptight disciplinarian Robert Fripp.

Like everything else with KC, the movie is not really welcoming to newbies, unlike the higher-profile documentaries from recent years about the Eagles or Rush that welcome the viewer to appreciate the musicians and humans and learn about their perspectives even if you're not already into them. While the KC doc does explain things as well as it can, I can't imagine someone who doesn't give a fig about this music or these people to care.

But there is the effecting element of Bill Rieflin who was dealing with terminal cancer and indeed passed before the film was done. And of course the historical conflicts of ex members, the regrets and differences and such, for the personal drama. A movie like this is weird because likely if you're watching it you already know all this stuff but it's always better to hear people express things in their own way.

KC is one of my favorite bands, one of my favorite musical things, one of my favorite any thing. Music for me is like video games * 1000 in terms of impact and what I care about in terms of art and entertainment and KC are really like their own genre. They're a rock band that operates like a classical orchestra in terms of discipline and precision but then not all the members really signed on for that hence the conflict and, at their best, the genius.

Their debut is what I personally consider the first "progressive rock" album and had saxophones and difficult chords and swirling mellotrons with delightfully pretentious lyrics before it immediately devolved into a confusing mess. Then Fripp chased everyone away to make my favorite version, one based on his finger cramping cross-picking guitar lines, jazz fusion improv wankery, and early 20th century orchestral harmonic exploration. Then breaking up permanently to quit music for a while, come back to do session and production work with like everybody in the punk/new-wave scene, then making a new one that was heavily inspired by Talking Heads. The latter featured Adrian Belew and his interview clips were most effecting as someone openly bitter about how his involvement with the band and working relationship with Fripp ended.

So on the off change there are KC fans or interested folks out there I wanted to let you know this film exists 'cause I just learned about it myself. It's on AppleTV and available to rent on Amazon Prime. And if you're into some wild intense music and don't know about KC just check 'me out I'm pretty sure all their stuff is on the streaming services.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Watched the new Dave Chappelle netflix special, and it's just so lazy.

Like the first 15 minutes of the special don't even feel like Dave wrote them because they're just repeats of a bunch of bad jokes from twitter. Like the joke about going to women's prison. It's not a new joke, it's not an original joke, and he didn't even tell it particularly well.

Dave later makes a joke about people saying his comedy is lazy, but it's true. The jokes were lazy and hacky. It feels like Dave has nothing left to say at this point, but either because of stubbornness (or more likely because people who liked his comedy 20 years ago are still willing to throw money at him) he just keeps plowing ahead.

I didn't laugh once during the special, and I think I smiled twice. Dave also talked about Chris Rock's recent special, and he talked about it in a positive way and described Chris Rock as the best comedian on the planet, and I have to say, that special was also fucking terrible.

 

[BrawlMan]

Yu Yu Hakusho (Live-Action Netflix) - Two episodes in and I am loving it. They clearly cared this time. This is how you do a live-action adaptionon of anime. I was worried since the first teaser poster, but after trailer and watching part way in, they know what they're doing. Streamlining things without rushing, nor bloating it thing no one asked for. The action is off the chain. Reminds me of toku shows and what happened if you combined them with Drive (1997). The latter was also partially inspired by Toku action scenes and Jackie Chan.

@Johnny Novgorod, You and your girl might want to see this when you all get the chance. If either of you are interested that is.

 

[Ag3ma]

Apple TV quick summary:

Thank the heavens for 3-month free subscriptions! So, in rough order (best to worst) of those I've seen:

Slow Horses
British action-drama about a squad of MI5's worst operatives (accident-prone, burnt-out, made major errors, just a total arsehole, etc.) who do low-level stuff, often sort of off-the-books, deniable... and sacrificable. Stupendously good performance from Gary Oldman as their repulsive, rude yet brutally competent leader. 3 seasons. Absolutely bloody brilliant.

Severence
Team of people work for company where their work personalities and memories are completely separated from their normal lives - neither the innie or outie knows each other. Obviously has something to say about corporate life. Excellent, but typical streaming bullshit of random release dates, making me pine for the days of TV scheduling when stuff came out every year at certain dates regular as clockwork, rather then whenever the makers could be arsed getting round to it. 1 season.

Silo
Dramatisation of Hugh Howey's trilogy (Wool, etc.) about a postapocalyptic community in an underground bunker. 1 season, good tense stuff.

Hijack
Silly plane hijack series starring Idris Elba as a sort of corporate fixer saving the day. It might be silly, but at least it's well-executed good fun. 1 season.

Foundation
SF loosely based on Asimov's series. Very, very loosely. It has a sort of structural problem in that the Foundation series is supposed to be about a new sort of social science called "psychohistory" where it's inventor, Hari Seldon, can effectively predict the future of a society's development. The books are really series of short stories, as we look at the organisation at critical points in time, where it have to adjust, in stages all roughly according to Seldon's predictions. The point being, that this is societal: macro development, that certain things are almost guaranteed to happen irrespective of individuals. This is totally alien to what TV audiences want, so the TV series is all about consistent characters and heroic people doing heroic things, which is almost exactly the opposite of the concept of psychohistory. It's generally messy, overcomplex, but it's glossy and stuff, so, okay. Only watched season 1, but there's more.

The Big Door Prize
Small town encounters mystical machine that tells them what their life potential is, causing all sorts of ructions as people re-examine their lives. 1 season. It's pretty decent.

Platonic
Adequate awkward getting-into-middle age comedy-drama with Seth Rogen being the same character he always is and Rose Byrne as ex-college friends reuniting for more friendship. Fine, okay. 1 season.

Black Bird
Drug dealer gets put in prison and then gets a deal to get an accused serial killer to spill the beans for a sentence commutation. Based on a true story. Exactly like you'd expect it to be. Adequate enough. 1 season.

Ted Lasso
Mawkish shit about a US American football coach who is brought to the UK to manage a football (proper football, you know, the kind where they actually kick the ball) team. Several seasons, although only watched bits because I happened to be in the room when my wife was watching it. More than 1 season, didn't care how many to check.

 

[BrawlMan]

Yu Yu Hakusho (Live-Action Netflix) - Two episodes in and I am loving it. They clearly cared this time. This is how you do a live-action adaptionon of anime. I was worried since the first teaser poster, but after trailer and watching part way in, they know what they're doing. Streamlining things without rushing, nor bloating it thing no one asked for. The action is off the chain. Reminds me of toku shows and what happened if you combined them with Drive (1997). The latter was also partially inspired by Toku action scenes and Jackie Chan.

@Johnny Novgorod, You and your girl might want to see this when you all get the chance.

Finished YYH-LA. Pretty good overall and goes into its own direction, but keeps in the spirit of the anime and manga. There's 5 episodes total, but each episode is about 50 minutes long. The best part is nothing feels bloated or feel like filler/padding. If you're a YYH fan, shounen fan, or anime fan in general, you should check this out.

​

 

[Gordon_4]

The Brokenwood Mysteries.

Okay stop me if you've heard this before: big city cop, schlubby middle aged guy, who drives a classic car gets called out to the country because a recent death has thrown up a flag. Over the course of his heading the investigation, small town dirty laundry is aired, a cold case is solved and our city copper decides he fancies himself some of that small town ambience. Rounding out our cast is the younger professional police officers (one woman one man), a quirky coroner and charming young local lad who is gearing up for status as the audience favourite. Together, they fight crime.

Okay so if your eyes haven't totally glazed over, this little love letter to classic crime story telling is from New Zealand and its pretty good. Nothing new or revelatory, but solid character acting work all around and reasonably interesting mysteries.

 

[gorfias]

Apple TV quick summary:

Thank the heavens for 3-month free subscriptions! So, in rough order (best to worst) of those I've seen:

Slow Horses
British action-drama about a squad of MI5's worst operatives (accident-prone, burnt-out, made major errors, just a total arsehole, etc.) who do low-level stuff, often sort of off-the-books, deniable... and sacrificable. Stupendously good performance from Gary Oldman as their repulsive, rude yet brutally competent leader. 3 seasons. Absolutely bloody brilliant.

Severence
Team of people work for company where their work personalities and memories are completely separated from their normal lives - neither the innie or outie knows each other. Obviously has something to say about corporate life. Excellent, but typical streaming bullshit of random release dates, making me pine for the days of TV scheduling when stuff came out every year at certain dates regular as clockwork, rather then whenever the makers could be arsed getting round to it. 1 season.

Silo
Dramatisation of Hugh Howey's trilogy (Wool, etc.) about a postapocalyptic community in an underground bunker. 1 season, good tense stuff.

Hijack
Silly plane hijack series starring Idris Elba as a sort of corporate fixer saving the day. It might be silly, but at least it's well-executed good fun. 1 season.

Foundation
SF loosely based on Asimov's series. Very, very loosely. It has a sort of structural problem in that the Foundation series is supposed to be about a new sort of social science called "psychohistory" where it's inventor, Hari Seldon, can effectively predict the future of a society's development. The books are really series of short stories, as we look at the organisation at critical points in time, where it have to adjust, in stages all roughly according to Seldon's predictions. The point being, that this is societal: macro development, that certain things are almost guaranteed to happen irrespective of individuals. This is totally alien to what TV audiences want, so the TV series is all about consistent characters and heroic people doing heroic things, which is almost exactly the opposite of the concept of psychohistory. It's generally messy, overcomplex, but it's glossy and stuff, so, okay. Only watched season 1, but there's more.

The Big Door Prize
Small town encounters mystical machine that tells them what their life potential is, causing all sorts of ructions as people re-examine their lives. 1 season. It's pretty decent.

Platonic
Adequate awkward getting-into-middle age comedy-drama with Seth Rogen being the same character he always is and Rose Byrne as ex-college friends reuniting for more friendship. Fine, okay. 1 season.

Black Bird
Drug dealer gets put in prison and then gets a deal to get an accused serial killer to spill the beans for a sentence commutation. Based on a true story. Exactly like you'd expect it to be. Adequate enough. 1 season.

Ted Lasso
Mawkish shit about a US American football coach who is brought to the UK to manage a football (proper football, you know, the kind where they actually kick the ball) team. Several seasons, although only watched bits because I happened to be in the room when my wife was watching it. More than 1 season, didn't care how many to check.

My daughter and I can't wait for Season 2 of Severance. G-d only knows when it will actually come out. If. They may end up like LOST. A black box show where ultimately they don't know where they're going. But Season 1 was a heck of a ride. Just when you thought there was no where really new to go, the show reinvents itself with a good turn.

Loved Ted Lasso. All 3 Seasons. I admit I was irked by Season 3. Things were working out but because characters weren't acting themselves. Wife and daughter pointed out: that is what Ted said was his goal. To change people for the better. And it appears to have worked. I still think the show uneven but well worth watching. They're favorite episode is in Season 3 when the team goes to Amsterdam.

I may drag myself to watch Season 2 of Foundation if it is out. Didn't love 1 but I kinda wanna see where they go.

I think "Shrink" and "The Psychiatrist Next Door" are both on Apple, deal with Psychiatry and are worth a watch. No idea where they go with Season 2 of Shrink though.

ITMT on Netflix is Blue Eyed Samuri and, wow. B+. Better than I expected. Drinker says it better.