The Grouchy Editor

It’s a good thing I’m so bad at predicting the results of upcoming elections.

Lately, I’ve been feeling doom and gloom about November. It seems like Kamala and the Democrats are on a roll, thanks in large part to the prospect of electing America’s first female president.

I understand the sentiment; I really do, even though I am not a female. In 2008, I voted for Obama largely because I thought a black president would be good for the country. Obama, I felt, would heal (at least somewhat) the omnipresent racial tensions in the United States.

And so, I can understand why so many women might think it’s high time for a lady in the Oval Office. It’s their time, and it might heal (at least somewhat) the battle of the sexes in the United States.

God help all of us.

*

The problem with Harris isn’t her sex. The problem is that she’s an idiot.

But she makes a good story, and we’ve already witnessed Trump’s story, and we all crave a new story.

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Just two weeks ago, thanks to the collapse of bumbling, stumbling Joe Biden and, especially, the failed assassination attempt on Trump, I thought things looked bright for the right. The left tried to jail him, then nail him, but the Orange Man emerged triumphant. 

But now voters and the media are aboard the Kamala bandwagon, and I am feeling gloomy.

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The good news is that I suck at predicting these things. I was shocked and awed when Trump got elected in 2016. I thought Hillary would prevail. I bought into the media’s expected Republican “red wave” in 2022. It didn’t happen.

And now I have the sinking sensation that Kamala will be redecorating the White House.

Good thing I’m usually so bad at my predictions.

**

As for Tim Walz, well.

I live in Minnesota, and he is just as rotten as you might think.

**

In less-pressing news, let’s check in with long-legged Makensy in the Big Brother house:

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Hard to know what to make of the woman boxer who got her clock cleaned at the Olympics. On the one hand, it seems absurd that she was fighting a biological male. On the other hand, if she still supports him after her demolition, it’s hard to feel sorry for her.

Enjoy getting your clock cleaned again in the future, lady.

**

How does it feel, Democrats? Your presidential nominee has been anointed, and you didn’t even have to vote for her.

**

Speaking of women’s work (ha ha), CBS has made it difficult for the usual culprits to post sexy outtakes from the Big Brother live feeds. So, in the interest of the public good, Yours Truly grabbed his camera to record Makensy, barefoot and in the kitchen, cleaning up:

You’re welcome.

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Looks like the Paris Olympics are off to a ridiculous start. 

Good time for me to go on …

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The year 2024, as expected, has been insane.

I expect 2025 to be even crazier.

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The thing is, no matter who wins the November election, chaos remains.

It’s hard to believe that, should the Democrats prevail, MAGA Nation will shake its collective head and say, “Oh, well — better luck next time!”

It’s hard to believe that, should the Republicans win, “progressives” will sigh and think, “Oh, well — we gave it our best shot!”

*

Nope.

Everything is going to be nuts for years to come.

*

What next? Another assassination attempt? A contrived economic crash? World War III?

A dictatorship on the left or a dictatorship on the right?

Nothing seems out of the question.

*

Have a nice week!

© 2010-2025 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

Hate to say, “I told you so,” but ….

What we posted a month ago:

This is what you get when people in positions of power — possibly including the Secret Service and the FBI — are corrupt and determined to undermine Trump.

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I’m not sure what more can be said to convince undecided voters that they should go for the orange-skinned braggart over what amounts to a periodically lucid corpse (above).

**

YouTube, which routinely censors political speech it doesn’t like, apparently has no problem with the scores of “try-on haul” videos proliferating on the site.

Young women model lingerie and bikinis that are see-thru, affording viewers clear full-frontal and full-rear looks at their goodies.

Fifty years ago, some of this stuff would have been too risqué for Playboy magazine.

**

It’s summer, so I’m taking the rest of the day off.

Then again, I am looking for a new topic for our “Male Gazing” category. Maybe I’ll check out those try-on haul YouTube videos to find the best ones ….

**

© 2010-2025 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

Debate Takeaways

I haven’t had this much fun watching Democrat conniption fits since Trump shocked the world eight years ago:

And yet … it does seem possible, even probable, that Biden’s public humiliation was orchestrated by The Establishment, which, knowing that Biden is likely toast in November, decided it’s time to replace him — and get the liberal media on board.

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Very strange seeing CNN’s sad attempt to return to real journalism. Jake Tapper and Dana Bash were (gasp!) just fine.

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Holy shit. If you don’t know who Tim Pool is, or why he has so many loyal followers, check out his podcast from Wednesday night. Pool was on fire, and poor Arthur Bloom was in the line of that fire.

Pool begins his assault of Bloom, whom he called an “elitist,” about 10-15 minutes into the show.

If the beanie-topped podcaster ever decides to get into law, I pity anyone he cross-examines.

**

Speaking of Pool and his podcasting empire, I’ve been watching Pop Culture Crisis, co-hosted by 30-something Brett Dasovic and 20-something firebrand Mary Morgan.

They give me hope for America’s future. Even when they are bashing, ahem, Baby Boomers like Yours Truly.

(Presumably, they have fixed the typos — “cuteure”? — in the picture above.)

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Hodgepodge

And so, the big debate is just days away.

The challenge for Trump, it seems to me, is to resist the temptation to point out the obvious: Biden’s mental and physical deterioration. To do so might appear “mean-spirited” to some viewers. The current president’s feebleness should already be clear to anyone who’s watched him.

Instead, Trump should relentlessly hammer on the sky-high cost of food, gas, and rent; illegal immigrants repeatedly allowed to stay in the country, and often raping and killing young girls; the increasing likelihood of a world war with Russia or China.

In other words, don’t make the debate about Biden personally, nor about your own legal battles. Make it about the destructiveness of Biden policies on we, the people.

**

I am conflicted by the raging debate over The Acolyte.

On the one hand, I am so, so sick of fantasy shows in general, and Star Wars shows in particular.

On the other hand, I am so, so sick of wokeness permeating Hollywood output in general, and Disney shows in particular.

My solution: Ban all fantasy-related projects for the next five years. This will punish the Hollywood woke and Star Wars fans alike.

And it will make me happy.

**

I recently mentioned the 1972 Wes Craven movie (The) Last House on the Left.

I called it Last House on the Left. 

Rotten Tomatoes calls it that. IMDB and Wikipedia, however, refer to it with the extra article: The Last House on the Left.

Which is correct? This, to me, is the burning issue of the day.

**

If you are of a certain age, you might fondly recall Creepy and Eerie magazines. Today, they would be called graphic novels. They followed in the spooky tradition of Tales from the Crypt, and new issues were a cause for celebration, if you were a kid.

And so it was with nostalgic joy that I discovered this Web site. It seems that you can find and enjoy most, if not all, of the old magazines. I’d say more, but I have to get reading.

**

As a longtime smoker, over the years I’ve been alternately bemused and angered by this country’s attitude toward the obese and toward smokers.

Fat and smoking are both bad for you, we can agree. But while smokers are banned, shunned, taxed and sent 20 feet away from the door, the reaction to fatties is … oh, well.

To me, this hypocrisy is simply a matter of numbers. While you probably don’t have many friends who smoke, you probably do have fat friends. Or you are fat, yourself.

© 2010-2025 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

Hit Man

Netflix Nuggets

Filmmakers have this knockout idea for a scary movie: Let it take place in one of the creepiest places on Earth — the catacombs beneath Paris.

This is such a great concept that it’s been used twice in the past ten years. First in As Above, So Below, and then in the shark-movie Under Paris, now playing on Netflix.

It’s too bad that both movies suck — although they do have their moments.

One bright spot for Under Paris is its musical score. It was entrancing. It was pretty much the only thing that kept me interested.

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Speaking of mediocre misfires on Netflix, we have the premiere of Hit Man.

Inexplicably, critics and the public seem to love this thing, and 2024 seems to be the year that we crown Glen Powell as The Next Big Movie Star. 

I don’t understand the fuss over this film. It doesn’t matter that it was directed by critics’ darling Richard Linklater. I share this dude’s exasperation.

**

Good point, Stephen. Biden wasn’t involved because, at the time, Biden was in the shower with his daughter.

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Glen Powell proves in Hit Man and in Anyone But You that he understands the importance of attractive co-stars. Now if only he understood the importance of attractive scripts.

There’s no question that Adria Arjona is a highlight of Hit Man. She is hot. For more Arjona hotness, check out season one of Narcos, or her appearance in True Detective season two (below).

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