Television Tuesday: TLC is Going a Little TOO Hard on Those 90 Day Fiance Shows

I love trashy reality television. Some shows keep me engaged and others eventually wear out their welcome. I eagerly tuned into, "The Bachelor/Bachelorette," for a handful of years until it became overly complicated with so many shows and a tedious formula ("Golden Bachelor," reignited my interest briefly, however). On the other hand, "Big Brother," manages to keep things fresh enough that I always check a new season out because some are fantastic even if others drag. I enjoy a lot of TLC programs and one franchise that has grown, grown, and grown would be, "90 Day Fiance." The initial idea was straightforward. We followed a couple as their future spouse arrived in America and had 90 days to get married as per a K-1 Visa. Then the spin-offs started. 

Some of the mamy 90 Day shows include, "Before the 90 Days," following couples meeting in person for the first time. "The Other Day," which was about the reverse situation where an American is going to live abroad. "Happily Ever After," and its focus on couples that got married. "Single Life," with cast members who did not find love and are now looking for a partner. "Family Chantel," which focused on Chantel and her insane family. "Pillow Talk," where cast members watch, "90 Day," shows and comment on them. The list goes on and I'm going to stop because there are 18 or so of these things creating a complex continuity where people might be on one show, shift to another, then another, and before you know it we've created an unstoppable machine that gets to the point where there is a spin-off featuring the cast doing a cooking show (it happened). You now are unable to tune into TLC without there being at least one new 90 Day-related program occurring that week, possibly a handful. I've got to ask, is this too much?

A chart from Reddit attempting to figure out how to watch everything 90 Day-related.

I used to try and watch almost any, "90 Day Fiance," type show. With so many programs these days, however, the brand feels diluted. I'm not going to criticize how real or fake the shows are, this is reality television and there are always questionably planned-out elements, one theorizes. I don't care too much if I'm entertained, but am I having fun with every show or am I just trying to check them all out so I know who the Hell a couple on, "The Last Resort," is that are trying to save their relationship because they were on two other 90 Day programs already I must've missed due to the sheer deluge of content? I want to watch reality television to relax, not try to keep track of nearly 20 shows and what is going on in them. At least some shows are relatively self-contained still besides some thematic links like, "Thousand Pound Sisters," and, 'Thousand Pound Best Friends," which, yes, are real shows I watch because I already told you I enjoy junk programming. My point is that TLC needs to show a little restraint with the 90 Day brand because you can have too much of a good thing and get sick of it--even deliciously trashy international couples.

It's Not Just You, Honey Crisp Apples Have Become Increasingly Hit-or-Miss in Quality

I love apples. Our eldest child, Clarkson, is very picky about food but he'll eagerly eat apples. His little brother, Gibson, adores apples. My wife, Samii, is fond of apples as well. We have tried a variety and over time a clear favorite has emerged. We are big fans of the Honey Crisp apple. The thing is, over the years it has felt like some Honey Crisp apples just are not as good as they used to be. Is this in our head? Apparently, it is not, as a fascinating article by Genevieve Yam for Serious Eats discusses.

"How Honeycrisp Apples Went From Marvel to Mediocre," has Yam tracing the origin of the Honey Crisp apple to how attempts to greatly scale up production of the tasty fruit has at times impacted the quality. People trying to grow it in regions that aren't optimal for its biology, extensive storage times, and other factors have resulted in there being a risk that your Honey Crisp apple might not always have a delicious taste but instead be a bit weak and mealy--still better than a Red Delicious, though. I suppose in an attempt to meet the demand for the Honey Crisp apple it hurt the quality, a story that can sadly be applied to many products. It still is our household's favorite kind of apple, but I'll admit without hesitation that too many Honey Crisp apples these days for my liking are a disappointment once you chomp into them.

Joe Biden is Over It/Has Pardoned Hunter Biden

Today, Joe Biden signed a pardon for his son, Hunter Biden. A full and unconditional pardon relating to Hunter's illegal gun ownership, tax issues, all of it. Biden (the elder) released a statement saying he was doing it because he felt Hunter was treated differently by the justice system due to his relation to Joe and that was unfair. I know the real reason, however: Joe Biden is done. He's done with Republicans who fought him tooth and nail to accomplish anything good for our Nation as it clawed its way back from the COVID-19 pandemic. He's done with Democrats who forced him to not run for President and how as a result he dropped out of the race way late for Kamala Harris to take his place...and she still lost. Joe Biden is done with politics once he leaves office this January and he doesn't care what anyone thinks anymore.

Now, Trump has always done this kind of bullshit and is already making it clear he's going to appoint loyalists and relatives to positions of power the day he takes office having won the white house for a nonconsecutive second. Biden was a career politician (for better or worse) who wanted to follow the rules and do whatever helped the greater good. It got him pushed out of a reelection bid (I mean, we all were thinking he was going to lose, but now who knows considering how good it looked for Kamala and all that got us), and it didn't do any good. Republicans won the white house, Senate, and House. They pulled off a trifecta with their empty promises and hateful rhetoric that more than half the Nation lapped up, and I imagine Joe Biden saw it all and felt a mix of rage, hopelessness, and defeat. I know I still feel that way about the election, but unlike Joe Biden, I don't have the power to do anything about it. 

Biden isn't going to try to stop Trump from assuming office like some kind of January 6th redux, but he can still throw up a couple middle-fingers to everybody, and pardoning Hunter is quite a big flipping of the bird. We can talk about the political implications this could have, but what does it matter? Biden is done and the Democrats lost it all. Biden is basically just flicking a lighter while a building (our nation)  burns down around him--sure it isn't a good idea, but the house is already ablaze so what harm could a few extra sparks do anyway? Joe Biden is a lame-duck President who doesn't give a hoot anymore. He lost one son, Beau, to cancer, and he doesn't want to lose another to the criminal justice system. Therefore, he did something unquestionably in poor judgment with his power to help a family member. He did something that we would shrug at if Trump did it but which was shocking for Biden--he showed he can be selfish. Trump proves every day he is an incredibly flawed person and today Biden showed some cracks too. He doesn't care about his party anymore, they've self-inflicted enough wounds--again, they lost everything.

The one funny thing about this is there is basically nothing anyone can do about this. A pardon can't be taken back and ol' Joe can't get in trouble as this was an official act he did as President--something the Supreme Court ruled he is legally exempt from when people were trying to bring charges against Trump. A ruling that protected Trump has indirectly served as quite useful to Joe and Hunter. Talk about the Biden's finding a silver lining in a major shitstorm cloud, eh? Still, I didn't have Joe Biden basically saying, "Forgot all ya'll," on my bingo card for 2024. It's been a year.

I Enjoyed but Also Have One Quibble with, "West Coast Avengers," #1

I read the latest iteration of, "West Coast Avengers," by Gerry Duggan and Danny Kim, and quite enjoyed it! The debut issue features Tony Stark and an assortment of heroes (and reformed villains) working to help the Western end of the United States stay safe from danger. The West Coast Avengers comics have always had an interesting mish-mash of a cast from the days when it was Hawkeye's team in California, and this new series contains bigger names (Iron Man, Spider-Woman, War Machine) and random characters (Firestar, new addition Blue Bolt, a reformed Ultron). One thing slightly bugged me, however. You see, a potential villain is revealed at the issue's end, and...Ultron is up to no good.

The idea of taking a monster like Ultron and having him be a good guy now (due to events in some other mini-series) is a cool change to the usual formula, for real! The extra twist that he's still plotting destruction with, "The Gospel of Ultron," being advertised as coming in 2025 at the issue's end kind of ruins things. I mean, it is zero surprise for Ultron to be doing evil again--even if it is slightly different in the sense he seems to be fusing humans with machines (kind of like he used to be with Hank Pym) instead of outright wanting to kill all humans.

I don't mind Ultron being a baddie, but why would you solicit him as reformed and make a big deal out of it only to do an immediate rug-pull and declare, "Nope, he's going to be a problem!" It is my one quibble with the new series even if it leads to a cool story from this new, "Gospel," of that mischievous machine. It just could've been less obvious this was going to happen.

The First-Ever Tatertot Convention Was Fun!

Tatertot Comics and Collectibles held their first-ever comics and crafts convention today, Tatertot Con. It was great fun! We received the first snow of the season this late morning/early afternoon but that didn't stop a good chunk of people from turning out for the event! There were a bunch of vendors, artists, and special guests. I set up a table to sell some of my extra dollar comics and showcase the artwork of friend of the blog, David Welch Burton. He does an assortment of fascinating and affordable multimedia art that is a real treat to look at--you can find his website here.

The show was stuffed with cool things to see, and I was tickled that the concession stand had loaded tater tots for sale in addition to other food items in honor of how the Tatertot store did the show! I hope this becomes an ongoing event (just the show and not the snow) and look forward to any future Tatertot Cons we could expect in the future--when any get announced I'll be sure all of you know.

"Godzilla: Heist," Sounds an Awful Lot like, "Kaiju Score," Strangely Enough

Some years ago there was an interesting comic called, "Kaiju Score." It focused on a motley group of characters who pull off a big burglary while using a Kaiju attacking the city as a distraction to commit their crime. It was published by Aftershock while they were still relatively financially solvent and was pretty fun, blending two types of story (a heist and big city-destroying monsters) to make a fun blend of the genres. It was successful enough there was a follow-up mini-series. This makes it interesting that when I was reading the solicitation by IDW for a new series called, "Godzilla: Heist," it reminded me so much of that story.

"Godzilla: Heist," focuses on a ragtag group of thieves who try to lure Godzilla to London so he can serve as a distraction while they pull off a high-stakes robbery. "A quirky cast of characters and a massive creature wrecking the city so they can steal some stuff," is a story that can be told multiple ways so I have no problem with, "Godzilla: Heist," existing. After all, decades ago we had two movies out of asteroids heading toward Earth that practically arrived in theaters at the same time and told the story of such an event very differently ("Armageddon," and, "Deep Impact," if you need a reminder/weren't born yet). People stealing stuff while a Kaiju attacks a city is not a copywritten style of story, but it is funny to think Godzilla is the best-known big monster besides King Kong and a little indie comic beat him to the punch with this type of story. That said, I hope that, "Godzilla: Heist," is a fun read and imagine it will have some fun twists and turns with the plot--as most big heist tales tend to feature.

Thanksgiving 2024!

If you live in North America or one of its territories, military bases, or so forth then you are probably aware that today is Thanksgiving. The holiday has murky historical accuracy, but it is a good excuse to get everyone together so they can eat a bunch of food. Then, folks can go shopping on Friday if they want (I might swing by Target after the initial opening surge to check for any fun deals). We'll be spending some time with my wife's sister and brother, with plenty of turkey being stuffed down my gullet. I shall also slurp down so much gravy that it borders on obscene because that truly is the American way.

Sony is Allegedly Working on a Competitor to the Nintendo Switch

Nintendo's Switch is both a home console and a portable one (besides the cheaper and portable-only versions). Back in the day I didn't think it would be as huge a hit as it was and didn't really, "Get it," until I started playing the console and found I dug it. That thing helped pass a lot of time during the pandemic lockdowns, I'll tell you that much. Sony must see how the Switch is popular and have some ideas. This is despite having attempted handheld devices before (the underrated PSP comes to mind, along with the massive bomb that was the Vita), but now a Switch-style PS5 or something like the Steam Deck is apparently in the early stages at Sony. From reports, these are very early stages and the whole thing could even end up being scrapped. 

Still, if Sony did make a console with the power of the PS5 and the capabilities of a Nintendo Switch, that could be pretty darn cool. I'll forever defend the original PSP as a bit ahead of its time and remember the device fondly (although the best console ever that was a bit too advanced for the times will forever be the Dreamcast), so a handheld-style PS5 sounds like an entertaining proposition if it ends up working out. I guess we'll know in a handful of years whether these rumors came to fruition or turned out to be silly gossip.

The Latest, "Widow," Kickstarter is Live!

Friend of the blog, Mike Wolfer, has launched his latest Kickstarter for his, "Widow Unleashed," series. It takes his classic comic and tweaks everything from the lettering (attended to by the talented Natalie Jane) to the artwork for a fantastic experience. Loaded with lots of action scenes, sci-fi concepts, a decent dose of erotic moments too (incorporated from a previous printing when the series was at Avatar Press for a bit) these Widow comics are a superb way to be introduced to the character of Emma AKA the spider-styled protagonist--and if you've read Wolfer's, "Widow," comics before in any capacity the new changes make a revisit totally worthwhile as well!

This latest Kickstarter campaign is for how now we're up to issues #15 and #16 of the ongoing series. Do not fear, however, as you can easily get digital or physical copies of all previous issues and spend some fun hours catching up on the series. Here's that link for the Kickstarter campaign again. I've already backed it and would recommend you do the same!

Music Mondays: Kendrick Lamar Dropped a Surprise Album Last Week--It's Fantastic

We waited years after, "Damn," for, "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers." There was a whole build-up and everything for, "Morale," and it was a great album but not an especially commercial/radio-friendly work. Then, on Friday, Kendrick dropped with little warning an entire album. 12 songs, 44-ish minutes. The LP is titled, "GNX." It is good and I do mean really good. It isn't as soul-searching or dedicated to digging into generational trauma as, "Morale," was, but it goes hard and has some definite fire tracks.

Kendrick basically obliterated Drake with some hit singles during their feud, so he avoids beating a dead horse on, "GNX," but still has plenty of statements to make about other rappers, society, and the way the World is. On the banger of an opening track, "Wacced Out Murals," he discusses how Lil' Wayne having an angry reaction to Kendrick headlining the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show upset him (and he makes his displeasure with multiple other folks for various reasons apparent too). The Luther Vandross sampling, "Luther," is superb with SZA's contributions to the track being a treat. I also dug, "TV Off," and, "Heart Pt. 6," has some vulnerability and emotion in case you thought Mr. Lamar only spat harsh bars now since his notable squabbles--"Squabble Up," being another fun track, speaking of the term.

I wasn't expecting to spend my weekend engrossed in a whole new album by Kendrick Lamar, but when a lovely surprise such as this happens you've got to take advantage of the opportunity to listen to a genius at work. "GNX," is superb even if it is not quite as amazing as, "DAMN," which I consider Lamar's best work. This ties for second place with, "To Pimp a Butterfly," perhaps. That said, something being considered the second-best thing Kendrick Lamar has put out in his lifetime of work means it is better than 99% of anything else that will be released this year, so yeah, "GNX," is a treat!

5 out of 5 stars.