#HatofSummer 2023: Your Three Choices for This Year

 The #OfficialHat2023 campaign has already been underway for a few weeks, but I have neglected to post any of the videos on the old WWYG?! platform.

So, here are the three choices available for your voting pleasure.

As always--you can cast your votes on the provided Google Form to select the ONLY hat that I will wear all summer long: from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. When I wear a hat, it will only be the one that is chosen to be this year's #Hat of Summer.

CHOICE 1

CHOICE 2

CHOICE 3

Happy voting!

Adjacent to the LOST Recap that Might Re-awaken?

 I'm back!

(Because ones of you out there in the vast Internet sea actually said to my face "You've got to update your blog!" Those six words have only every been utter in that sequence and directed at me once before . . . by the same kind person. And so, the Universe was trying to tell me something and who am I to fight against the Universe?)

Andbutso . . . you might guess from the fairly clear blog title what this is about. And why be surprised, because I venture to guess that 30ish percent of WWYG?! is already about this. And LOST was one of the original spurs that made me start blogging almost twenty years (?!!!) ago anyway. So, its Old Home Week back here on the digital ranch.

Grace shared this video with me on Friday. And I watched it. And by and large I appreciated it. Heck, I appreciate anyone who takes time to think about LOST--especially if that thinking results in the conclusion that We didn't appreciate LOST at the time!

Damn right you didn't. But I'm here to tell you that I.DID. 

I was drinking the glowing cave water from the opening minutes of episode one! And that is no surprise to anyone who has read WWYG?! in the past. But though I did appreciate Drew's support and his positive thoughts on one of the most impactful shows in TV history . . . and one of the most important TV shows in my adult life.

But he is wrong about one critical thing.

But before I get to what Drew is wrong about, I guess I should say that if you HAVEN'T watched LOST then you will be somewhat spoiled by the video above. So I guess go make one of the best decisions of your life and a. bookmark this post for future reference, b. devote 5,400 hours of your life to watching a show that premiered in 2004. And once you are done, c. come back to watch the video.

But . . . Drew's big mistake is that he argues that LOST is best watched in a binging environment and that it suffers from a week-to-week viewing. Having been an O.G. network television watcher I must STRONGLY disagree. Because watching LOST week-to-week gave me and my friends time to discuss, time to dissect, time to ponder what the actual f just happened on this week's show. Beyond that, LOST helped create the second-screen, entertainment discussion ethos that all prestige television thrives on currently.

LOST helped propel TV-themed podcasts. Back when podcasts were first emerging. And the dedicated fans of LOST tuned into those few LOST casts to listen to theories and hear from the actors and the producers and generally wallow in everything related to the show. We scoured the Internet for clues. We checked out the random book references from our libraries and tried to understand. The Easter Egg culture of TV (for all that is good and bad about it) sprung up from the mysteries that defined LOST. (Hell, the creators even designed a few off-season Internet "experiences" to keep people engaged during the summer. Remember Alvar Hanso?)

So . . . sorry Drew . . . the weekly release was a very helpful environment in which to watch the show. And if you are taking my advice to join in on the whole thing, consider taking your time. There are so few TV experiences anymore that are going to offer you 121* immersive episodes full of intrigue, plot twists, and unexpected joys. 

(And if you are interested in the show and need something to nudge you forward, why not check out my partial list of LOST Rewatch episodes. It'll be fun reading, I promise!)

As an aside . . . I 100 percent do AGREE with Drew's assessment that Michael Giacchino's music and scoring is a key element of what makes the show beautiful.

In summary . . . LOST is a beautiful treasure that should be savored. Please consider diving in and when you do, dive in all the way. 

#4 8 15 16 23 42

* Why didn't Lindelof and Cuse do the right thing and make is guaranteed that the show would end with 108 episodes?

Football Counter-Programming 2022: Week 12

 

I went to the mall this morning.

It was depressing--as all trips to the mall are.

Every time I go, I am bracing internally for which stores have closed, which ones are clearly going out of business, and which table-side vendors are going to be trying to entice me if I make the mistake of accidentally making eye-contact with them as I walk by.

What was I going to the mall for? No . . . it wasn't for pre-Thanksgiving Christmas purchases.

I was there to drop off about six old iPhones at the Apple store to (hopefully) get the parts recycled and other items responsibly disposed of. These technological relics had been riding shotgun in my car for months and I finally decided to take care of getting rid of them.

BUT . . . while I was there, I ran across some really choice items that--while I would not want to own them myself, it does provide blog fodder for some counter-programming.

My theme?

And people say that men are hard to shop for . . .

I start with this one because it is slightly different in theme than the rest. It's so masculine and I just love Pacino's Tony Montana centered front middle--specifically posed with his little friend. I note internally that while I has only watched the Godfather movies and Goodfellas out of the media listed here, it is all immediately recognizable to me.

If you buy this for home display, it feels like it is best located in a basement Man Cave bar or in a shot garage or something. But what do I know? Maybe it hangs in your downstairs half-bath. You be you.

Next up we have this beauty.

This is the one that immediately caught my eye as I walked past the display area the first time. (Make of that what you will.) And I circled back to it on the way out to photograph it and the others. Lots to "love" about the idea here. (And there if there was a similar "Who's Your Batman" version amidst all of the other pictures, I sadly missed it.

I don't see Cesar Romero's Joker from 1966 on the wall behind these modern Jokers--which is definitely a shame. Especially since they are calling out famous Joker art and iconography from so many famous comics and graphic novels along the way. And I like that Nicholson's 80's Tim Burton Joker is acting as the patriarch of this evil trio--not getting his hair cut but dispensing wisdom to his fellow Joker-come-latelys.

This one is less Easter-eggy than the Jokers. There are fewer items on the wall behind. (Or maybe I'm just less familiar with what is there.) But I find it noteworthy that Bryan Cranston's Walter White has graduated into the pantheon of these murderous heavy-hitters. (What would Jessie think?) 

Swerving into a more wholesome direction we have this combo. The funniest part of this combination is obviously the Hulk calmly waiting for a haircut. (I guess the barber chair is made of vibrainium or adamantium or something? No way a stock chair will handle Hulk's bulk. Or maybe not even the Iron Man armor either.) 

And I hope Stan has a soap box to stand on when trying to get the shear's at the top of Hulk's head.

What is Cap thinking about as he relaxes on the right? Probably Peggy I guess. Or maybe Bucky. But he seems disengaged in the conversation. He has memories and experiences that the others in the scene don't . . . so I guess it makes some sense.

Now . . . the larger question is, why these three? Three appears to be the magic number in these picture designs. But are Black Widow and Hawkeye just not good enough (again)? Is Thor just not interested in Earthly haircuts? Or are his locks not cuttable by Earth's Best Equipment? (Or maybe the Stan Lee space barber scene in Thor: Ragnarok has already covered this territory suitably?)

Finally we have this.

And first off, it must be said that Snape needs to get a severe shampooing before any barber is going to cut his hair. Because it is well know--according to many students--as being greasy. But also . . . why couldn't we get a Three Joker's-style image with Harris's, Gambon's, and Law's Three Dumbledores? (Are the Fantastic Beasts movies so out-of-favor that it won't be considered?)

The answer to that last question is yes.

And why is Professor Flitwick being forced into--as Malfoy has said--"servant stuff" cutting Hagrid's hair?

Anyway . . . there you go.

I think that staring carefully at these images will definitely provide suitable diversion against college football. There are lots of details to delight in here. And I have only raised a few of many questions that can be confronted with this art. All of which are more interesting and diverting that whether or not your corner back is going to overcome his academic problems to make it onto the field today.

So boo to college football and yay to mysterious media art!

See you next week.

Football Counter-Programming 2022: Week 11

I've been travelling this week. I spent time in SEC country--where all of the conference promotional commercials tell me that "It just matters more." 

So, I'm deep in the heart of Football Programming on a Saturday, trying to counter-program against the thing that Matters. More.

Every week that I try to distract you from the siren song of Saturday College Football is hard enough. But the circumstances are stacked against me this week. Maybe more than even I can hope to overcome.

But in the spirit of the place where I am right now, here is my attempt.

***

While driving on Interstate 75 the other day, a white Dodge Charger passed by me on my left. It was a newer model--the basic body design and style that has defined the Charger for maybe the last decade or so? But whenever I see this car, it always and only calls to mind one car: the Duke Boys "General Lee" car from the TV show The Dukes of Hazzard.

The prominent use of the Confederate flag iconography on the paint job of the car--not to mention it's name makes it a problematic item. But I certainly watched the show growing up as a kid. And I owned the Hot Wheels General Lee car. (My neighbor down the street had a Bo and Luke poster on her bedroom door as I recall.)

***

But, my question to you is . . . what are iconic cars of your youthful memory? What car makes/models are burned into your brain for whatever reason? Maybe it is a different TV show. Maybe it was featured in a movie or a music video. If you are older, maybe Steve McQueen drove it down the streets of San Francisco?

Whatever it is. Stop and think about it. What made that item important to you? What memories does it bring up in your brain now?

And maybe it isn't a car. Could be a plane, a helicopter (for any Air Wolf fans out there) a motorcycle (Street Hawk!) or any thing else.

Leave me a comment and chime in with your choice and your memories.

And remember . . . there is no car that is going to be able to save your team today when they are fighting chancy November winds. So it is best to get into your car, drive away from your TV, and take a walk in the woods.

Until next week.

Football Counter-Programming 2022: Week 10 Bye Week

 I skipped last weekend because I was sick. Because I was isolating. Because of many things.

But I'm endeavoring not to "skip" this week. At least not in the sense that I am putting something on screen. Not in the sense that I am putting extensive content down. But I didn't want to miss two weeks in a row.