I'm Just Saying...

Zach Galifianakis is my dream dude.

On Comedy Death Ray, Why Zach Galifianakis Will Always Be the Best, and Kind of a Feminist Rant

We're all listening to Comedy Death Ray, right? I know I use the phrase "do yourself a favor" a lot, but REALLY, you will be DOING YOURSELF A FAVOR if you just start listening to this. It will be a source of pure joy for you. This week's episode is especially good because it stars (stars? I think I mean features but unfortunately I don't know what a backspace key is and I just have to keep going) Zach Galifianakis. Also, Andrew Lloyd Weber makes an appearance! Zach is so great because he always manages to come across as a very genuine human being. MOST IMPORTANTLY: Paul F. Tompkins (as ALW) makes a great Hangover zinger and everyone laughs. See? Zach Galifianakis also thinks that movie was sexist. You weren't the only one!
He also mentions briefly (without going into detail, because he is a classy gentleman) that he was frustrated with a movie he's currently working on. Some website thinks it's because of Mel Gibson. It makes me unreasonably happy that Zach Galifianakis is upset by this. I mean, okay, I enjoyed The Hangover...but almost completely because of Zach's part. It wasn't enough for the movie to be INSANELY sexist, it also had to have a cameo by a CONVICTED RAPIST. From Feministe:
"I believe that The Hangover is a special kind of awful, and here’s why: The Hangover doesn’t just contribute another small niblet of turd to the enormous pile of shit that is rape culture with its celebration of men’s narcissism, disregard for the basic humanity of women, slut-shaming, and joyful exaltation of the dudebro bond above any relationship with icky girls. No, The Hangover goes above and beyond. It includes a superfun cameo by an actual rapist."
You know what's embarrassing? When I saw this movie, I didn't even know Mike Tyson was a rapist. How could I not know that? Maybe because I live in a culture where rape is regarded as basically no big deal, where movies like this tell you that it's all some big joke. I used to just feel uneasy with the casual misogyny in this movie, but the fact that it's so casual is what makes it so terrible. Now it doesn't just makes me uneasy, it makes me feel sad and angry. What this movie says to women is: Your happiness doesn't matter, your opinion doesn't matter, you don't matter. And now they want us to laugh along with a guy that hit and threatened to kill his wife? Honestly, it's fucking sickening. There's no way I'm seeing this movie.

On a happier note? Zach's website. You're welcome.

The best.

Twin Sister

I've been feeling this song lately. I've been needing new music for a while, and I've been locked in a serious internal battle over whether to pirate the new Walkmen album or wait until I have money/Christmas-Birthday-time to get it. Yeah, I'm going to just wait. I have a copy of all of their other albums, attained legally of course. They're one of my favorite artists. Sure, I'll just wait. In the mean time, I'll listen to this song. Twin Sister is pretty good. I'd recommend checking them out. This is definitely the best song on the EP though.

Funny Video

Kerry's been on my case. Yeah, I haven't been updating regularly. Ya got me. Guess what, people! I've been a busy boy for the last few weeks. You know what they say: Time is a valuable thing. Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings. Anyway, I figured I would pop in here and show you a video that I liked. Brent Weinbach's a funny dude.

Stay Sweet,

Alex

Soft Pianist - watch more funny videos

Stoltzin' Around

Eric Stoltz has certainly been in the news recently! But he's been in my head (and my heart) for a long, long time. For some reason that I don't understand, a lot of people seem to not take Eric Stoltz seriously. Not this girl. He has an extremely earnest delivery that you can't fake, with a slightly creepy edge that makes all of his characters seem like they've got a secret life. I think that if his career ever takes a turn for the weirder and he ends up doing Lifetime movies, he'd be really good at playing a psychopathic boyfriend (like maybe if there's ever a remake of this one).
All this Stoltz-talk inspired me to think about my favorite Stoltz-roles. Here are three:

Kicking and Screaming:
If you haven't seen Kicking and Screaming yet, please, just stop whatever you're doing and watch it. Especially if you've graduated from college with a degree in the humanities. You're going to love it, and Eric Stoltz is the best part. Here he is in a a book club.

Little Women:
Forget Laurie, it's all about Mr. Brooks. Just kidding, Laurie's the best. But Eric Stoltz at least makes Mr. Brooks interesting and weird. He's in the beginning of the trailer, sayin' something creepy, as you'd expect. Also, this trailer is not very good! This was right around the time that Eric Stoltz was suffering from a little disease called Stoltz bloat. Don't worry, though, because he bounced back and he's looking better than ever.


And the number one Eric Stoltz role: Some Kind of Wonderful!
This is a classic movie. It's like Pretty in Pink, but with a happy ending, and also not as good. But still good! Loralei Gilmore made a reference to this movie in an episode of Gilmore Girls I may have watched with friends this weekend. Eric Stoltz takes his dream girl on a dream date that is one part awesome and 15 parts totally weird. Eric Stoltz does a very good, "But I'm 18, Dad! WHEN IS IT MY LIFE????" Coincidentally, a book club is mentioned!

V. Funny

Did anyone else here read Bridget Jones's Diary? No? Just me, then? Well, okay. I actually really enjoyed that book, but I did not enjoy all the annoying slang. One of the things I hated most was how Bridget would abbreviate "very" as "v," as in "Cat and Girl is v. good." Even though I hate it, I always think it (but never say it because barf).
If you haven't read Cat and Girl, do yourself a favor! Here's one that mentions Richard Brautigan, because he is on my mind lately. Anyway, the point of this is to show you these great Jonathan Franzen stickers. So good.

Hey Arnold!

While in New York this weekend, I realized that even though I've read lots of books and watched lots of movies set in New York, my main two points of reference are The Muppets Take Manhattan and Hey Arnold.
We went to the aquarium while we were there and, while it was awesome, it was not INSIDE A GIANT WHALE like the aquarium in Hey Arnold. I'm sorry, where is the giant whale aquarium? Is that not even real? Anyway, here's the aquarium episode.

Also, speaking of the Muppets and Manhattan, I found this.