The Grouchy Editor

 

Netflix’s new series Bridgerton (above) has been getting a lot of buzz. I checked the reviews:

 

 

With the exception of the (presumably) male from The Observer, all of the reviewers are female, and they are all impressed by Bridgerton.

And they say that the “chick flick” is dead.

 

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My Christmas Wish

 

What I wished for Christmas: I wanted to be magically transported to the year 2095, so that I can read in history books about 2020, rather than live through it.

Because politics are making my head explode.

 

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No Christmas card for …

 

This guy:

 

 

I am an old white dude, and this guy seemingly wants to see me dead to “level the playing field” for underrepresented Americans. That means if I die because I was last in line for the virus vaccine, so be it.

But that’s OK, Harald, because the feeling is mutual.

 

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The problem with both Newsmax and Parler is that they aren’t very user friendly. The two conservative outlets hope to usurp Fox News and Twitter, respectively, and right now is probably the optimal time to try.

But as the saying goes, you have to spend money to make money. In other words, polish your product.

 

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This week’s cheesecake is brought to you courtesy of the year 1933:

 

 

The babe is an actress named Peggy Shannon, stripping down to her skivvies in a disaster flick called Deluge. You can find it on YouTube.

 

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Against our better judgment, we’re going to check in with Rip van Dinkle on Twitter:

 

 

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The guy who plays the hero of Alice in Borderland, pictured above right, gets my vote for Worst Actor of the Year

 

I am such a Netflix sucker. I keep allowing myself to be roped in by whatever new show Netflix is promoting, only to realize after two or three episodes that the series is stupid as hell.

In my defense, these shows often look mighty fine. And their premises are somewhat intriguing. But invariably they prove to be a colossal waste of time.

I suppose it’s possible that shows like Sweet Home, Alice in Borderland (above), and Better Than Us, should I find the intestinal fortitude to finish them, will in time prove to be worthy, even good, series.

But life is short. I have so many other garbage shows to check out on Netflix.

 

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As Donald Trump perseveres in his lonely crusade to overturn the (apparent) election results, the silence from many of his prominent Republican “allies” should make clear, once and for all, this simple fact: Trump was never a Republican; he used the party to run for president because he had to. Republicans, in turn, were never Trump fans; they used Trump just as he used them.

 

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Hey, nobody wants to be Chicken Little, running around screaming “America is falling! America is falling!” But man, things just seem to be getting worse and worse – and I’m not even talking about the damned virus.

Censorship from Big Business and Big Tech is out of control. I’m tempted to publish future “Weekly Reviews” using nothing but language, subjects, and issues considered out of bounds by Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and the mainstream media. You know, like Ellen Page, voter fraud, etc.

 

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That’s our boy Abraham Lincoln speaking in 1838. With apologies to Honest Abe, it would seem that, with our purchased politicians, China, and corrupt billionaires throughout the world, if we do go down, it will be thanks to a combination of insiders and outsiders.

 

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Blue states seem to believe that since they control the economy, a civil war would not end well for red states.

But tell me again, which states control the most important resource of all, the food supply?

 

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We have mysterious monoliths popping up all over the globe, Barack Obama playing coy about the possibility of space aliens on Earth, the former head of Israel’s space agency claiming the aliens are already here, and Harry Reid’s comments from a while back.

It all has me wondering which is scarier, greedy globalists or little green men.

 

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I expect the next public outrage to make a splash and then quickly be ignored will involve the rich and powerful cutting the line to get COVID-19 vaccines. Just like six months ago when celebrities and pro athletes cut the line to get tested for the virus.

Then again, if conspiracy theorists are correct and the vaccines are a nefarious scheme to sterilize much of the world’s population, maybe we should let people like Bill Gates go first.

 

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I noticed that The Queen’s Gambit no longer enjoys a 100-percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. One critic didn’t like it. She was unhappy, apparently, because Gambit does not sufficiently address race issues in America.

 

 

I also noticed that The A.V. Club’s critic gave Gambit a rather lukewarm endorsement, grudgingly awarding the miniseries a B. Apparently the show did not sufficiently address gay issues in America.

 

 

I would humbly suggest that in the future, the Emmys and Oscars should only bestow awards on shows that delve deeply into race and gay issues. Every other show must be penalized.

 

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What’s this? Not everyone in Hollywood is nuts?

 

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So let me see…. I guess women are such delicate, fragile creatures that they require special protections not granted to men. Doesn’t seem very feminist of you, Facebook.

 

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Last but not least, let’s check in with Tucker Carlson to find out what Joe Biden’s good pals, the Chinese, have been up to:

 

© 2010-2024 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

 

My Grubby Two Cents

 

 

Voter Fraud

My hunch is that, people being people, voter fraud happens all the time. The question isn’t whether there is voter fraud, but rather how widespread is it?

We’ll never be able to catch all of it, but how much of it are we willing to tolerate?

 

The Great Reset

Perhaps the goal of a “great reset” is admirable, even desirable. I’m not invited to Davos, so I have no clue. The problem is, people being people, no one in charge can be trusted to “reset” society.

The people on top are self-interested, hypocritical, and corrupt. And so, is it surprising when they meet resistance when they try to impose their great reset, without consent and in a sneaky manner, on an unsuspecting, uncooperative populace?

 

Law and Order

Along with income inequality, seems to me that our biggest problem is the gradual breakdown of law and order. We have all these laws, but we only enforce some of them. Certain people are allowed to flout them while other folks are not.

I think it began with (sorry, potheads) marijuana. We have federal laws against pot possession and dealing, but enough of us don’t like those laws that we allow many states to simply ignore federal law. Same thing with immigration; now we have “sanctuary cities” that do as they please, federal law be damned. This year, we’ve moved on to quarantine rules. Some people and places ignore them, others do not.

 

By the way, if my above complaints have you thinking that I must be a cantankerous coot, I direct you to the name of this Web site.

 

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I was watching a Travelocity ad on CBS Wednesday night, and a funny thing happened: a television show called The Amazing Race broke out.

 

From Reality Blurred:

 

 

 

Greedy CBS. Why not just replace host Phil Keoghan with a fucking gnome?

 

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This week’s review is short because, frankly, I’m sick to death of politics. I want to retreat into fantasy.

I want to pretend that I am once again a 12-year-old boy, and I’ve been asked to be in a Hollywood movie in which I join a group of like-minded horny boys who get to stare at a Russian movie star’s butt as she is twirled through the air.

 

 

© 2010-2024 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

 

One thing I’ll say about Joe Biden: He certainly has the potential to be the weakest, worst president we’ve ever had.

 

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Here’s the thing about that whole “fair and balanced” motto at Fox News: Reportedly, Fox wants to entice viewers from across the political spectrum by including more liberal points of view, i.e., by becoming more “fair and balanced.” Makes sense, I suppose, from a business perspective.

But to many Fox loyalists, “fair and balanced” meant something different. In a media landscape dominated by liberal outlets like the broadcast networks, CNN, and Hollywood, Fox made the overall landscape a bit more balanced by giving conservatives a place of refuge. If Fox wants to go more 50-50, politically, that will make what is already an unbalanced media even more skewed to the left.

That is why, I think, conservatives are abandoning Fox for channels like Newsmax TV.

 

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British Babe 1

 

Diana Rigg died … two months ago. How the hell did I miss that? They might need to revoke my Weekly Reviewer license, if I keep missing things like that.

If you are of a certain age, Diana will always be two characters: Mrs. Peel on The Avengers, and the first-and-only Mrs. James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (pictures below).

 

Mrs. Peel

 

Mrs. Bond

 

Diana Rigg in September and Sean Connery in October: All my favorite British spies are dying.

 

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I watched the much-maligned Hillbilly Elegy on Netflix – not a masterpiece, but nowhere near as bad as some reviews would indicate.

Could it be that liberal critics are predisposed to dislike anything that might appeal to Deplorables? Just asking.

 

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British Babe 2

 

Speaking of critics, most of them are also rather hostile toward the Gemma Arterton miniseries Black Narcissus on FX.

Below is a video clip from the show, in which Gemma gets “blacked” by an egotistical player (Idris Elba, also blacking Gemma in the picture).

 

 

Blacked, for the uninitiated, is what the kids call it when a black dude scores a piece of ass from a desirable white girl.

 

Just kidding about the video. Gemma plays a nun in Black Narcissus. The clip is from a 2016 film called 100 Streets.

 

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Certainly one of the ugliest.

 

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As corrupt as we are now learning that Obama was, if I were Trump I’d take this as a compliment.

 

© 2010-2024 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

 

This election has me scratching my head, to put it mildly. Looking at the size of the crowds at Trump rallies (above), and then watching as a guy whose speeches can’t draw crowds large enough to fill a parking lot, somehow attracts 77 million voters ….

So, the “silent majority” was actually composed of Biden voters?

 

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Too many weird things going on. Our leaders keep telling us how dangerous this virus is, and that we must all wear masks and social distance. And then we see: Gavin Newsom (above) enjoying a maskless, distance-free, indoor dinner party; maskless Nancy Pelosi having her hair done at a salon; the maskless Lori Lightfoot and Dianne Feinstein; the maskless Cuomo brothers, and so on, all of them flagrantly ignoring their own mandates.

Why aren’t they afraid of the dangerous virus? We all know what cowards most politicians are, so where is their fear?

 

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Maybe something like this happened:

 

Aliens:  You people are destroying your planet. Your citizens will revolt over income inequality. We can help you. Here is a virus. Spread it throughout the world. This will create chaos and undermine faith in your institutions. And then, once you have the people under your thumb, institute The Great Reset.

World leaders:  OK!

Aliens:  We are here to help. We will set the table for you because we are here …

 

 

Hey, my conspiracy theory is no worse than your conspiracy theory.

 

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I’m half expecting the next civil war to take place in the hallways of Fox News. Seems that since the election, more than a few Fox anchors and reporters, who have been in hiding for four years, have been emboldened to come out as the pro-establishment, anti-Trumpers they really are.

There is a name for people like that: weasels.

 

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In the past, The Crown hasn’t shied away from showing the warts on Britain’s royal family. The difference in season four is that the family flaws no longer seem relatively benign. This season, Elizabeth and her brood often seem downright odious.

 

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This is disturbing. Why is Politico checking out my LinkedIn profile? Are they compiling some sort of “enemies list”?

 

© 2010-2024 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

 

Evil (above) is one of those shows of which, in retrospect, you question certain scenes that weren’t particularly logical. But it doesn’t much matter because, while you’re watching it, you don’t really notice the flaws. It’s too fast-paced and the dialogue is too sharp. It’s entertaining.

Any series – especially a network show – that produces numerous “what the fuck?” moments is alright by me, and Evil did just that, especially in episodes four and nine.

On the downside, the series does go a bit off the rails in its second half. The emphasis seems to shift from our three heroes debunking bogus claims of demonic possession to: “Let’s throw in every wacky, Satan’s-hiding-in-the-closet plotline we can think of!”

 

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On the one hand, I have to agree with Democrats who are calling for post-election “unity.” Sounds nice. Sounds like a welcome relief from four years of national strife and chaos.

On the other hand, calling for unity now takes some real chutzpah, given the way Democrats have behaved for the past four years.

 

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Tucker Carlson said something on his show Friday night that really pissed me off. Here is what he said:

 

“If you ever wondered where the dumbest people in America live, you just saw it: in the Minneapolis City Council and in your neighborhood philosophy department.”

 

Listen, I was born in Minneapolis and I live (near) there now. Carlson pissed me off because … he’s correct.

 

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Season four of The Crown is premiering this weekend on Netflix. Yes, it’s a great show. But sorry, Elizabeth, the best queen on Netflix this year is this one:

 

 

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We here at The Grouchy Editor are going to do everything in our power to ignore this kind of crazy, nuts, and deranged advice:

 

 

You can read the article here.

 

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© 2010-2024 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

 

“You’re Fired?”

 

 

I’ve been expecting to see the “You’re Fired” headline. I just assumed the nation’s liberal media have been salivating for four years at the prospect of publishing those two words.

How come I haven’t seen it? Is it because the election results are not yet official? I wouldn’t think that would deter some outlet like, say, The Huffington Post, from gloating over Trump’s fate.

Maybe I’m just not looking hard enough.

 

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The cursed election seems to be over, so it’s time to wax philosophical and assess my new reality. I’ll start by saying, “Maybe I’ve been wrong.” It certainly wouldn’t be the first time, nor the last. Maybe ousting the Orange Man was a good idea, after all.

The future belongs to Millennials and Gen Z, not to me, and maybe the youngsters really will lead America into a better, fairer world. Maybe the excesses of unfettered capitalism have simply grown too onerous.

Maybe Trump was a last gasp for a business model that no longer works for this country. Perhaps I am too much mired in the old ways of doing democracy.

So, I’m willing to admit that maybe I was wrong.

And yet I have a hard time picturing Joe Biden or Kamala Harris issuing much of a challenge to our corrupt ruling class.

One thing I’m quite certain about. As Bette Davis put it so memorably in All About Eve: “Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.”

 

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What we said in December 2016:

 

 

Apparently, there were simply too many alligators and crocodiles for Donald Trump. Along with the usual suspects (media, Hollywood, academia), Trump had to fight corporate America and even many Republicans. (Do you really believe that Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell are Trump fans?)

Our ruling class was too comfortable with the status quo to let the upstart Orange Man upset their cushy world.

 

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Trump Accountability Project

 

 

This proposal, which actually exists, will be a brilliant way to “heal the nation.” Just come up with a list that Hitler and Stalin would be proud of so that progressives can punish anyone who doesn’t share their views. And then put Sandy Cortez in charge.

It makes Nixon’s infamous “enemies list” seem quaint by comparison.

 

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From the Daily Mail:

 

 

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I need a break from politics. Let’s check in with YouTube personality Lara Fraser before the Sexism Accountability Project comes after The Grouchy Editor for violating its “horny-hetero-male” policies:

 

 

© 2010-2024 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

 

R.I.P. 007

 

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I’m at the point where I don’t plan to vote for or against Trump or Biden. I’m going to vote against the media.

 

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Since most of us agree, at least in theory, that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, I’m suggesting to conservatives that, should Trump lose the election, they immediately launch investigations, lawsuits, and impeachment proceedings against President Biden.

Hey, if that was fair for Trump, it must be fair for Biden.

 

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Should things go badly on Tuesday, and America rushes toward its destiny with George Orwell’s 1984, I am envisioning my future self as either a) Rod Taylor’s character in 1960’s The Time Machine, in which I will be stranded in a society of airheaded snowflakes (Millennials), who are periodically terrorized by the physically repulsive Morlocks (Deplorables); or b) the old man (Peter Ustinov, above) in Logan’s Run, who is the only person left on Earth with memory of things like free speech and books.

 

Above, a Deplorable attacks a Millennial in The Time Machine

 

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My fear is that, should Biden prevail, it will be because people who don’t follow politics believe that the only way to halt our endless riots, boycotts and protests is to give Trump the boot.

These folks might sigh heavily and say to themselves, “I give up. Let’s try someone else.”

OK sure, Biden might bring some (temporary) relief. But at what cost?

 

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What No One Seems to Be Talking About:

 

Maybe we don’t talk about this because we already have our plate full battling the coronavirus, but … what’s to stop some other evil entity – be it China again or some other country – from unleashing another virus on the world? And what if the new virus is even more deadly?

 

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I’m old enough to remember the “British Invasion” of the early 1960s, and it was a thing to behold – especially in music and movies. The Big Three back then were The Beatles, Alfred Hitchcock (The Birds, Psycho) and last but certainly not least, Sean Connery’s James Bond.

So, forgive me if I’m a bit depressed over the passing today of another giant of my childhood.

 

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Dinkle (Not) vs. King

 

 

Last week, I said I’d get back to you if Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit went sour. It didn’t.

I’m going to give it Grade: A.

I don’t do that very often.

 

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It’s Halloween. Let’s end this review with the scariest ad of the season:

 

 

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