Category Archives: Media & Entertainment

Authentic. Real. Not weird.

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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and his daughter Hope at the Minnesota State Fair.

Don’t know who produced this. Don’t know if it was the Harris-Walz campaign (doesn’t look like it to me). What I do know is it didn’t come across as a slick political ad. Whoever is doing the social media stuff for the campaign knows what they’re doing. But this really works because these are two, real, normal people…not mouthing talking points (and looking creepy). NO talking points. Just father and daughter at the state fair.

Now, let’s take a look at how legacy media (WRAL TV in Raleigh, North Carolina) covered Governor Walz and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper when they stopped by Cook Out for milkshakes.

Compare that with the same “event” as it appeared on Tim Walz’ YouTube channel. See how WRAL sucked all the life, all the humanity out of the moment. Why would you ever talk to a local reporter when someone with an iPhone can do this so much better.

Drag queen helping conservatives with makeup

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Landon Reid describes himself as “Artist, Oddball, Dork, Decorator, Costume designer, reaching across the aisle to help conservatives re-create their favorite makeup looks.” (Can you say “niche”?)

As far as I know I am not personally acquainted with any drag queens. But based on what I’ve seen in films, TV and on YouTube, nobody does bitchy-snarky satire better.

While it’s unlikely Marjorie Taylor Green will ever see the video above, it was viewed 192,000 times in three weeks. Mr. Reid has also re-created the makeup look of Ron DeSantis, Ted Cruz, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Rudy Giuliani and many others. (Side note: he seems to be really good at doing makeup). 

A parody of Creep

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This is one of the better parody songs I’ve seen. Production values top-notch, but the cheap suit might be the best part. Had not heard of Don Caron but found this on the Parody Project website:

For over 50 years Don Caron has been active in the entertainment industry as a composer, choreographer, pianist, sound engineer, editor, screenwriter, author, producer, and director. He has composed extensively for orchestra, choir and chamber groups and his music has been performed and heard world-wide.

Junk

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I was unable to express why I found these piles of junk so interesting. Fortunately my friend Dave got it immediately.

The video gave me very interesting vibes. I became curious about when each piece had been placed, what the intention was for saving it, and what the area looked like when they placed the first piece. And, which was the last piece added. And what became of the person or people who put it all there. And what will become of it. Will it stay forever? Will it all be taken to a different junkyard? Will archeologists find it all someday? 

Everything placed carefully. I can imagine him saying to someone, “are you needing to keep this McDonald’s I’m Lovin’It sticker? May I have it?” 

Wes Fewell’s Club Juana

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Some guys will put a big screen TV and a couple of BarcaLoungers in their basement mancave and call it a day. Not Wes Fewell. Wes is an athlete and a hunter. And an artist. He designs beautiful furniture and his skills are on full display in his basement.

He didn’t offer much history of the original Club Juana so I went looking online and found this from 2006 (source unknown)

The Club Juana was a landmark in Casselberry, Florida, for 43 years, first as a nightclub, later as a strip club. It attained national notoriety in 2002, when its owners staged regular productions of “Macbeth in the Buff” to circumvent local lewdness laws. The Club finally closed in June 2006 and was demolished on November 2 to make way for a freeway overpass. Its famous “Club Juana: Parking In Rear” neon sign, however, was spared by the Morse Museum of American Art in nearby Winter Park. The Museum, best known for its Tiffany collection, saw the sign as a worthy example of public art and local history. The Club Juana sign will join other neon signs from vanished Orlando-area businesses in the Museum’s collection. All of them are warehoused, and none are on public display.

AirPods at the Olympics

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I don’t watch a lot of TV news these days but when I do happen upon a cable news interview the odds are pretty good the interviewee will have the iconic Apple AirPods in his ear. That’s how he’s hearing the questions from the news guy. It never occurred to me the AirPod microphones might be the source of the audio.

Tonight I watched an interview (on NBC) with one of the Olympic athletes who was using AirPods to hear the questions from the interviewer.

I first noticed this in some of the interviews with family members (of the athlete) sitting in the stands. I’m assuming this works like the earpiece (IFB) news anchors use to communicate with the control room. In every instance (that I’ve seen) they’ve been Apple AirPods when there are probably lots of devices NBC could have used.

As I do with increasing frequency these days, I asked ChatGPT if she had any information on this.

You’re right that NBC and other networks have been seen using Apple AirPods during interviews, including with Olympic athletes and their families. The use of AirPods in these situations is a practical solution for a few reasons:

1.Wireless Convenience: AirPods are wireless, which makes them less cumbersome compared to traditional wired earpieces or over-the-ear headphones. This is especially useful in dynamic or remote settings, like interviewing athletes or their families who may be moving around or in informal environments.

2.High-Quality Audio: AirPods provide good audio quality, which ensures that the person being interviewed can clearly hear the questions being asked. This clarity is crucial for maintaining the flow of live interviews, especially in noisy or crowded environments like those often encountered during the Olympics.

3.Discreet Appearance: AirPods are small and less noticeable on camera compared to larger headphones or traditional broadcast earpieces. This makes them a more aesthetically pleasing choice for televised interviews, where the focus is on the interviewee rather than the equipment.

4.Ease of Use: AirPods are easy to connect to various devices, such as smartphones, which are often used by reporters or production teams in the field to conduct interviews. Their ease of use and quick setup make them an efficient choice for live broadcasting situations.

5.Ubiquity and Familiarity: AirPods are widely recognized and used, so many people are already familiar with how to use them. This reduces the need for technical adjustments or explanations during setup.

NBC’s use of AirPods is a modern adaptation to the challenges of broadcasting in various environments, offering a blend of practicality, quality, and aesthetics.

I love books

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WARNING: The final two seconds of this 4:30 screencast contains a perfectly good word that some might find objectionable. If you are one of the half dozen people that occasionally read this blog, you’ll be fine. As for The Word, every child over the age of ten has heard and (probably) used the word.