The Grouchy Editor

 

“Civil War”

 

The early reviews are in for this much-anticipated film, and most of them are glowing.

I am of two minds about this. On the one hand, there’s nothing I enjoy more than a crackerjack thriller, and this sounds like a good one.

On the other hand, the movie’s protagonists are reportedly … members of the media.

If there is one profession that decidedly does not deserve the hero-treatment in 2024, it’s the media.

 

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“We’re on the verge of insanity” — Victor Davis Hanson

 

If I didn’t know better, I would suspect that the Democrats, sensing a November election loss to Donald Trump, are doubling down on the insanity, hoping to inflict as much permanent damage as possible to the country in the months they have left in power. Some recent outrages:

 

Outrage 1

 

 

Terrorists, for sure. But don’t forget the child sex-traffickers.

 

Outrage 2

 

 

More evidence that whatever Joe Biden touches turns to shit — including Supreme Court appointments. This one believes, apparently, that government should rule with an iron fist over its citizens. You know, because the citizens work for government, not the other way around.

 

Outrage 3

 

 

Yeah, Biden, this one’s on you, too.

 

Outrage 4

 

 

Biden’s America. Sorry if that sounds like a broken record, but there it is.

 

Outrage 5

 

 

 

I live in Minnesota, which has a friendly rivalry with neighboring Iowa. But hats off to you on this one, Iowa.

 

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Overrated Movies

 

Typically, when I see “click-bait” articles like this one, I just roll my eyes and move on. But I read this one about overrated movies and, to my surprise, I agreed with most of its conclusions. 

 

 

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Who was it that said, “Women acquire wisdom when, as they age, they realize the importance of logic; men acquire wisdom when, as they age, they realize the importance of compassion”?

Wait … that was me.

Aren’t I smart?

 

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Some pundits on the political right also seem to have gone crazy:

 

 

Or does Candace Owens know something about the First Lady of France that we do not?

 

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Too much doom and gloom. Let’s end this week on a more pleasant note. Like this picture of bathing beauty Riley Gaines.

 

 

© 2010-2024 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

 

I don’t know a whole lot of Gen Z people. I work with some of them. That’s about it.

But from what I have read about members of Gen Z, I suspect they might be a bit like Gen X.

Both groups followed flamboyant, frequently self-centered generations. Gen X came of age in the shadow of Boomers, and Gen Z is trailing the Millennials.

Gen Z and Gen X don’t get all the attention, but they don’t seem to mind. They appear more grounded to me, more level-headed than Boomers and Millennials. Also, some of my best friends are Gen X.

My heart goes out to Gen Z. It’s hard for them to buy a house or start a family. Society is crumbling. Institutions are untrustworthy. The so-called government “safety nets” are either gone or going to other people (or countries).

Of course, there is always the possibility that I am full of shit.

Let’s hope so, for Gen Z’s sake.

 

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Oh, goodie. Can’t wait to see this.

Just kidding. The last time I watched a special Halloween broadcast involving ghosts and such, it was Britain’s “legendary” (100% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes) Ghostwatch — which has not aged well and wasn’t remotely scary.

But can the esteemed critics at Rotten Tomatoes all be mistaken? The short answer: yes.

 

© 2010-2024 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

 

(British) TV Tidbits

 

Sad news:  I watched the series finale of Doc Martin (above) a few weeks ago. If there was an Andy Griffith Show for the 21st Century, this was it. I will miss the curmudgeonly doctor and everyone else in the picturesque village of Portwenn.

 

Good news:  Peacock is finally showing the second season of The Traitors, British version. I continue to believe that this is superior to the American show because, instead of spoiled, camera-hungry reality-TV stars, we get regular folk (who could really use the cash prize) competing and displaying genuine emotion.

 

U.K. Traitors

 

Bad news:  If the final “mission” on season two of the American Traitors is any indication, the physical competitions are clearly rigged.

The challenges nearly always come down to the final seconds, with our heroes emerging triumphant. The final mission of season two, in which contestants amazingly rappelled down a steep cliffside and swam through a water-filled cavern — all of this, according to the clock, in less than 15 minutes — was ridiculously unrealistic. If the missions are staged, what else about the show is fake?

 

Uncertain news:  The return of Downton Abbey. Could be a welcome thing, could be a colossal mistake.

 

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“Deadnaming”

 

What are we to call Elliot Page in his old movies? Because Page identified as, looked like, and played female characters in films like Inception, the logical thing to do is to use “Ellen Page” when talking or writing about those older movies.

If that makes certain people unhappy, tough shit.

 

IMDB rewriting history for us

 

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Maher the Mockster

 

The venerable host prides himself on calling out conservative bullshit. So why does he so often become the butt of his own jokes? You know, like laughing at Ann Coulter when she (correctly) predicted that the Super Bowl shooter would not turn out to be a white male. Or mocking guest Dennis Prager for (correctly) stating that progressives insist that men can menstruate. Or generating big laughs from his audience when Maher failed to recognize the satire in Jack Prosobiec’s speech about “the end of democracy” at CPAC.

Maher clearly needs to drop politics and do what he really wants to do: get stoned on Club Random and shoot the breeze with his celebrity pals.

 

 

 

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OK, I’ll swallow that. Because The Washington Post “fact checkers” are about as reliable as Bill Maher.

 

© 2010-2024 grouchyeditor.com (text only)