Pop Culture
- Some scenes are hilariously absurd. Peggy skating to Roger’s piano in an empty office, Megan singing Zou Bisou Bisou, Ken losing an eye to client idiots.
- Other scenes are iconically great. The Carousel pitch tops the charts.
- The songs at the end of every episode are all worth listening to at length. Here’s the Qobuz playlist with the full collection.
- The acting and the cast are all top-notch; with special credit to Elisabeth Moss.
Watched: Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger
I saw this documentary at the movie theater, and it was great. It reignited the excitement from two years ago, when the reunion was first announced. It also brought back the joy and intense emotions I felt last year in Manchester. When the first notes from Fuckin’ in the Bushes started playing, I was ready to stand up, and it was actually painful to remain seated. I secretly hoped others would start standing, but nobody did.
The jokes about Liam looking cool with a tambourine on his head, or about Mick Jagger doing kung fu at every concert were hilarious. However, the most striking question — one that has no clear answer — was: why was everyone so emotional during Oasis concerts in 2025? It was nothing like this in the ’90s.
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TIL “Uptalk”. It reminded me about this excellent comedy skit with Ron Livingston about frying voice, and that it was coming from the Loudermilk show. It has joined my watching queue.
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Watched: A Real Pain
I really enjoyed it. At one point, I was worried the movie might take a dark turn, but it didn’t. Overall, it was moving but lovely. It captured feelings I can relate to. Kieran Culkin was fantastic. I learned after watching the movie that he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. No kidding! I also didn’t know Jesse Eisenberg directed films; he seems quite good at it.
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Watched: Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair
I wasn’t much into it until the last episode, that got me. It was both hilarious (Craig), and touching (with kudos to Vaughan Murrae’s acting). A timely ending to my Malcolm late discovery.
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Watched: Zootopia 2
Really good. It may be a bit too similar to the first one, as it addresses the same themes and employs the same narrative techniques. However, it is beautiful, features many good jokes, and its fast pace caused me to miss some hidden details. This might make it rewatchable. I recommend it.
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J’ai profité d’un post hommage à Dolly Parton (quelle femme !) pour glisser dans Dead Rooster un petit oeuf de Pâques. Amusez-vous à le trouver en écoutant The Moldy Peaches. 🥚
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Watched: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
It was my first rewatch since the DVD era. It was like I was watching the opening scenes for the first time. Kudos to two decades of image improvement. I found the movie as good as ever but watching it with my kids, I realized the pace might be too slow for this new generation. On the bright side, it was fun to see how good my son is at Cinema Sins.
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Ten years late to Mad Men
Finished watching Mad Men.
It was the follow-up to Breaking Bad in my project of watching TV shows from ten or fifteen years ago that appear to have passed the test of time. This one earns the claim.
Breaking Bad ran on plot; you watched to find out what happened next. Mad Men runs on character; you watch to find out who these people are. I’ve always thought of The Simpsons as a sociological show – I catch myself describing people I meet in terms of Simpsons characters. I suspect Mad Men will be my next instrument and will do a more subtle job of describing adults involved with power dynamics, ego, and the flinch right before someone says the thing they can’t take back.
Random notes:
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Finished watching Malcolm in the Middle. A little less than two years after I started, I am done watching all 7 seasons. It was a lot of fun. 🍿
Rooster S1
Finished S1 of Rooster. I couldn’t resist a Steve Carell comedy, especially one produced by Bill Lawrence (Ted Lasso, Shrinking, Bad Monkey). Overall, it’s a decent show with plenty of lovable characters and heartfelt moments. However, the comedy doesn’t quite hit the mark—my biggest laugh came from Carell mimicking motorbikes and the disciplinary council scenes, which isn’t the best indicator. My recommendation: watch it if you’re a fan of Carell or Lawrence; otherwise, it’s not essential viewing. 🍿